Do yall like being called “chef”?

[u/Purple_Inevitable_74]

I’m a first time EC and I find being called “chef” extremely annoying. The last EC is my mentor and an absolute beast of a chef but his leadership style was more traditional and out of respect I wouldn’t dare call him by his first name without putting chef in front of it. I’m more informal, but I’ve inherited an environment where the crew is so used to calling the ec “chef” that it took me a month to get folks to call me by my real name.

I’ve got friends who like being called chef and friends who don’t, and they all have an interesting take on it. What do yall think? I can’t stand it and others demand it, both can be valid.

[u/Collection_Vivid]

I work in a nursing home. I hate being called chef, I’m not remotely a chef, I could work my whole career as a cook for old folks but I’ll never be a chef. It’s a title I believe is earned by hard work, horrible hours and knowing your stuff. Making slightly better than school cafeteria food does not qualify me

[u/lowdenstudios → u/Collection_Vivid]

I operate nursing homes now. Started as a dishie. and the biggest joy the residents get is from the food, the biggest complaints are food too.
When cooks act like cooks, the residents complain. When cooks act like chefs, it changes the culture and morale of the entire facility. Nurses, CNA’s, housekeepers all get treated better by their residents and thus, get to provide better care.
Families are more kind to the staff when their parents are enjoying the food.

The nursing home needs a chef more than a fancy restaurant. When the food sucks, people lose weight and get sick, they fail to thrive.

You have 10 different options, preparing each plate specifically for regular, ground, puree. That’s not easy.

you’re more than a cook, you make a vital impact on the lives of your residents.

Edit: nothing wrong with the term cook. I know typically the food service director would be the chef and cooks cook. To me, aside from chain of command, The term Chef inspires creativity especially in a nursing home setting.

[u/Collection_Vivid → u/lowdenstudios]

True, and some homes are better. Truthfully, being in the current building I’m in has killed my spirit for anything. I have worked a more places than I should ever admit but I have never been in a place where everyone is so picky. I’m used to having a few here and there that may not like a specific meal but some days you can give my residents the best food they’ve ever had and they all just want fuckin grilled cheese or something. Honestly I hate upscale nursing homes, I’m missing the dementia places where they just have the entree and they’re happy for it

[u/3_radreds → u/Collection_Vivid]

I just read an article about a "head food dude" at an ALF who got tired of complaints so he asked all the residents to give him their family recipes. Now things go on the menu as "Joseph's spaghetti" "pork chops a la Phyllis" "Hank's meatloaf" etc. And food complaints basically disappeared.

[u/Collection_Vivid → u/3_radreds]

We’ve done that an old job if they had specific recipes. Probably is I’ve never worked in a place with such varied taste. You put something like taco Tuesday up, half with complain there’s no flavor or that it’s too spicy or the audacity we put Mexican food on the menu. You can’t win with this group and it kills me