Cooking, socialising, skiing, escaping the British winter whilst all the while boosting your CV – it all sounds too good to be true. But it isn’t! Tour Operators across the Alps recruit hundreds of snow sports enthusiasts each season to work in chalets, hotels and bars, but chalet chefs seem to have the best of both worlds – furthering their career whilst making the most of time spent on the mountain. Many of the chalet companies pride themselves on food that rivals even the best Michelin starred restaurants and gastro pubs and they all need chefs to deliver this.
Working as a chalet chef means taking responsibility for all food produced in a chalet, which can sleep any number of people but will generally be from 8-16 guests, all resident for a week at a time. Chefs work alongside chalet teams of varying sizes and will prepare a cooked breakfast, afternoon tea and 4-5 course meal, including canapés, 6 days a week for 5 months. Sound intense? It is, but it is also extremely rewarding. Lots of companies, including Fish & Pips, will give their chefs free reign in the kitchen and control of their menus – an opportunity not many chefs are presented with until becoming an executive head chef. Cooking for a small number of people means that chefs can really get to know their guests and really get creative in the kitchen. It is also one of the best ways to spend as much time as anyone out on the mountain.
Your daily routine might look something like this, depending on the chalet size, tour operator and the size of your team:
7.30am: Arrive at work to prepare a cooked breakfast
9.00am: Guests leave to go out skiing
9-11am: Bake afternoon tea and prep for the evening meal
11am-5pm: TIME OFF TO SKI OR SNOWBOARD
5pm: Back in your chalet for evening service
10pm: Clean down your kitchen and head home
You will generally get one day off per week, but with all that snow time in between breakfast and dinner every day it feels like a lot more! There are huge benefits to working as a Chalet Chef, most chalet companies will provide you with accommodation, a lift pass for the season, free ski or board hire, transport there and back and insurance as well as a competitive wage to cover your bar tab – most other things are included. There are lots of ways to maximise time spent out on the mountain, and efficiency in the kitchen is a big part of this, so organised chefs will enjoy lots more spare time!
If you are thinking of applying for a job as a chalet chef there are several things to bear in mind when submitting your application. Make sure you do your homework – find out where the chalet company has chalets, how many guests they cater for, and always give them an idea of why you want to work for them over anyone else! Most of the Fish & Pips chefs come from restaurant backgrounds but the two essential elements are an enthusiasm for skiing or snowboarding and a real passion for great food.
One of the most essential parts of completing a ski season is the team work – especially in the smaller companies. Your team mates can be your salvation on tough days, there is a real sense of mucking in and getting the job done whether it is making some extra canapés or helping the handyman shovel some snow – job snobbery is not tolerated! The more you can emphasise not only your culinary experience and expertise but your willingness to work in a team the stronger your application will be. It is also always a good idea to include a “chalet style” menu – whether this is required or not, this will be all the more impressive if you pitch it at the right level for the company you are applying to.
So, if you've got previous experience working as a chef, a passion for the mountains and are a great team player, then working as a chalet chef could be the ideal ski season job for you.
"Escaping the British winter whilst all the while boosting your CV – it all sounds too good to be true..."
Written by Clare Truphet, Operations Manager at Fish & Pips. Fish & Pips operate chalets in Meribel and Val d'Isere, and were awarded The Times Chalet Chef 2010 Award.