Pete asked:
How would I go about getting a job as a chef for F1 racing drivers?
Heavens to Betsy, now you’re stretching me. But I am a determined and resourceful lifestyle consultant, who takes his duties seriously, and who can ping a mean search request into the bargain.
First of all, you would need to think about the kind of food that Formula One drivers eat before racing. According to F1 journalist James Allen, who has written at some length on the subject, fish and chicken are the staple ingredients, while dairy products and overly sugary dishes are to be avoided. Pasta is recommended, but only if served without tomato sauce, “as the after-taste becomes metallic and very unpleasant when racing“. Sushi is a popular choice, as is “carpaccio of salmon trout, followed by a short-braised fish dish“.
Next, you’ll need to build up a decent – indeed, an exceptional – CV. The current Head Chef of the Lotus F1 team previously worked at high-end London restaurants, including unpaid work at Gordon Ramsey’s three-starred gaff, which led to a full-time position. Be prepared to work tough gigs, in preparation for an equally tough job; in this guy’s case, this involves cooking three meals a day for 45 engineers, seven days a week, in a team of just two. You will also need to design and prepare regular five-course tasting menus, served to guests, VIPs and even heads of state, as often as three times a week. Your working day will start at 6am, and it will end at 10pm. Oh, and don’t expect a hefty remuneration package, either; average catering salaries are around the £20,000 mark, although it’s reasonable to expect that F1 types can afford to pay higher.
Still keen? What, really? OK, here’s a job. You’ll be based at Burghley House in Stamford, which is a rather sweet little town in Lincolnshire. The duties don’t sound too specialised, so this could make an ideal entry-level position. Then, who knows, you could soon be making headlines in regional newspapers in Cornwall!
Crikey, ask a stupid question, get a darn interesting answer!
mike has acquired cross-platform journo skills.
Top marks for effort. Most effortiest post of the week, I think.
It was surprisingly interesting to research!
I read “Heavens to Betsy, that’s stretching me” in a *very* different context first time round.
That old one-track mind shows no sign of changing…
Gosh, what a wonderful time-warp I’ve stumbled into here… lovely to see/read so many of you again.
Am I too late to ask some questions? Sorry if this isn’t the right comments box for them.
For Mike – if you could pick any consecutive ten year period of music to live through again now (but with everything you now have, including all the knowledge and experience), which decade would be top for pops?
For K – next month we are hosting a ‘make your own sushi’ party. What should we serve to drink and for other ‘courses’? What about table ‘decorations’?
For Lori – is there anywhere that still sells BW Blue mascara? Boots No. 7 seem to have discontinued the last one I could find. I hate shopping and make-up counters scare me these days (I struggle with most artificial scents, and overly made up young girls trying to sell me things I would never use). Lots of brands have produced it over the years, and I’ve never used anything other than blue. I did buy some ‘barely black’ a while ago, but decided i’d rather wear no mascara than that. Teal blue just won’t do, and brown just isn’t right!
Oh, and, sorry, shoudl ahve said, and just to make K’s task harder than it already is – the menu can’t contain meat or wheat (although other cereals are OK and it’s wheat not gluten).