Next steps for Chefsdiary….

Yesterday I had a much needed discussion with my wife (whilst the kids were jumping around in a softplay castle with hundreds of other little Geordies) about the next step after the end of my time here in Newcastle. There’s a bit more than 1 and a half months to go here in Newcastle before I return to Paris and continue my “apprentissage” as a chef, and overall 8 and a half months before the end of my 11 month sabbatical period from Capgemini.

Our main priorities over the next 9 months / year are to move away from Paris (west of France being the current favourite destination….Atlantic coast or Brittany) and to start the process of buying a house. My wife (and my family) needs the security of knowing that we have atleast bought a house before I throw myself fully into this new chef / restaurant career…..understandable.

So, I have set out the following plans for the coming 8 months…..

move onto the fish section here at Jesmond Dene House (I need to speak with the chef, Pierre, tomorrow)

spend a day (or more) at the North East centre of our fish supplier (and one of the major suppliers in Britain) “M&J Seafoods”

spend a day with one of our meat suppliers to see the different cuts of meat and so on

get into a good fish restaurant when I get back to Paris and aim for chef de partie position in time

rejoin Capgemini for a few months at the end of my sabbatical period in May 2009

That’s where I’m at at the moment.