The New York herald., 1922-12-04
Troubles of a Chef.
He Says the Profession Does Not
Attract Young Men in America.

To THE New York HERALD: You ask
why Not Be Chef?" I Will try to give
some reasons why young Americans are
not attracted to the culinary art.
Born In Alsace-Lorraine, ! learned
the profession of cook---threc years--at
the Grand Hotel In Nancy. Then Invent
to Paris, then to London with Chef
Escoffier, then to Interlaken. Switzer-
land, Rome and Cairo. I was sent over
here by Mr.. Escofiier in 1896. Now /
will try TO analyze the different ques-
tions contained in your article.
Why does the calling of the chef fail
to recommend itself to sons OF chefs in
America? No chef wants his son to
become q cook in this country. whereas
In Europe so per cent Of chefs sons are
following their fathers vocation. This
will show that In this country there Is
something radically wrong with our pro-
fession. Most Of the young cooks on
the other side are sons OF the middle
class, who enter the profession with the
avowed intention of later going into the
hotel business for themselves.
In Europe a chef Of q good hotol is
tho management, and has high stand
ing in his community. He has COM
plete liberty Of action. Here, with the
exception of a few very high class
hotels. the chef Is tho Nth wheel of
tho truck. was chef in New York
city and IN Boston. couldn't get In
the kitchen early enough and leave late
enough to suit the manager. One even
asked me to punch the time clock. but I
refused. There was no day off and one
could hardly get acquainted with ones
family. Many chefs to-day never enjoy
one day off In seven. Is this living?
The cooks to-day, since they organ
ICED themselves into unions. have OBJ
tanned shorter working hours and one
day of in seven, but often they work
from eleven to sixteen hours n day. 1t
Is q fact that IS per cent. OF the chefs
and cooks would quit their profession
at any time IL they could find other
work.
The American manager does not see
In the culinary art q profession but a
trade. He never worked at II himself ,
he Is q graduate from the desk, and
here II the trouble Ono Of the main
causes OF dissatisfaction Is found in
places where the chef is superseded by
a steward, In whom the manager places
full confidence, ignoring the chef IL a
manager knows his business he will
deal directly with tho chef and he viii
be successful
The path OF a chefs life In this coun-
try Is far from being strewn with roses.
His work is very painstaking and never
satisfactory. The grim howl OF per-
centage, more percentage. Is always
ringing In his ears. lie hears II all day
long and he dreams of Il at night. and
unless he has n strong constitution he
soon will be a nervous wreck.
Something ought to be done. for our
profession is surely disintegrating. The
influx of professional material Is dimin-
ishing to such degree that the future
looks decidedly black. II the hotel
owners want TO attract young men 10
their kitchens they can do II without
the European apprenticeship system. by
making the work attractive and worth
while. They can make II attractive by
making the working conditions sanitary
and attractive. They can make Il worth
while by paying living wages instead of
starvation wages. a. r. MARTEt.
WINTHROP, Mass, December ?.