There’s nothing better than going out to enjoy delicious food that someone else has cooked for you.
But while you might be having a fabulous time at a restaurant, behind the scenes in the kitchen things will likely look very different.
From sweating over perfection, to screaming at one another; the reality of working in a kitchen can be pretty harsh, as viewers of The Bear will have come to realise.
The show, which is streaming on Disney+, follows Camen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a chef who takes over his family’s sandwich shop after his brother Michael’s untimely death.
It features some incredibly chaotic kitchen scenes, that you’d be forgiven for thinking were purely dramatised. But according to some of the UK’s top chefs, the show is painting a pretty accurate picture of what it’s really like to work in a restaurant.
Nick Nairns
‘I actually started watching The Bear after a call from my brother,’ Nick Nairns tells Metro.co.uk. ‘He rang me up and said, “I think they’ve made a programme about you!”‘
Nick, who runs Nairn’s at Bridge of Allan in Scotland with his wife Julia, says the show has gotten ‘so much right’ about working in a kitchen, as it ‘really captures the pressure, tension and relentless pursuit of perfection’ he’s experienced while working in restaurants.
‘I can definitely recognise the pressures of a restaurant that really cares what they’re putting on the plate. It has to be perfect every time – the results can be catastrophic if you don’t get it right,’ he says.
‘It’s so instantaneous: you plate it, garnish and you’re judged instantly. And now more than ever, people are vocal about their criticisms. There’s more feedback than ever so it really is high pressure.’
Other struggles include the heat, as kitchens are generally ‘hot, sweaty, small and intense.’ This, combined with the close quarters and long hours can be overwhelming at times.
‘Everyone in the team is working to the same timescale and you all finish up after dinner service – often late at night. So you tend to socialise with your workmates. This forges friendships but can be an unhealthy hothouse, where things are blown out of proportion,’ he explains.
‘I’m not really sure there’s another industry like it from this point of view, but I was in the Merchant Navy for seven years so I suppose I was used to that sometimes claustrophobic atmosphere.
‘I’ve certainly seen chefs screaming at one another in the past – it was always senior people inflicting it on junior ones; junior staff wouldn’t cross a senior member of the team.’
While shouting matches may have thankfully become less common in the industry, Nick claims tensions still arise at times between the kitchen team and waiting staff.
‘When a chef hits the bell, their job’s done and they want to get onto the next thing and see their dish served immediately. But, of course, front of house have their own pressures. They may be decanting a £120 bottle of Burgundy, chatting to a customer or dealing with another aspect of their job (front of house have it hard!) – but this gives rise to tension.
‘Sometimes this is played out post-service, which is why a restaurant setting works so well for a drama.’
Nick also notes that since Covid, the way that restaurants operate has massively changed in that regard. ‘Prior to lockdown, this kind of stuff was definitely going on in kitchens,’ he says, while impressing that it never took place in his own. ‘But since that time, everyone has become so much more aware of mental health and physical wellbeing.’
He explains: ‘I really don’t think the bullying and belittling that was so prevalent is nearly as common. We know people can be mentally delicate and that’s recognised.
‘There’s now a broad understanding that we need to be doing better across the industry. In our restaurants, we work a full day of work with everyone getting paid a proper living wage. People aren’t asked to do unpaid overtime just because of a “love of the industry” anymore. We’re all signed up to the Burnt Chef Project, a mental health organisation for hospitality workers.’
Ben Crittenden
Michelin-star chef Ben Crittenden has also seen his fair share of angst played out in kitchens, but it was the mental health aspects of the The Bear, as Carmy struggled with grief and running a restaurant, that he related to the most.
Ben, who owns Stark, a modern European restaurant in Mersea Island, Essex, told Metro: ‘Cheffing – in particular, running your own business – helps keep your focus on something else, rather than bringing you further down in your depression outside of that.
‘The high pressure environment of being in a kitchen brings its own stress, but it almost helps to focus your attention on that pressure, instead of the internal struggles you have. It’s only a short-term solution, inevitably it just adds to your overall feeling of never being good enough.’
Despite not feeling like the show was 100% accurate, Ben really loved watching it – although he admits it was hard for him at times as he resonated so much with Carmy’s character.
‘The financial burdens were covered very well. While not a direct comparison to our situation – we’ve never had backers, and Stark has always been funded by us or loans – the financial element in The Bear is very relatable.
‘Our restaurant is the sole income for our family and any threat to its success really takes its toll and adds to that stress level and pressure to somehow do better.’
Sally Abé
Sally Abé, who leads the chef team at The Pem, a modern British restaurant in Westminster, London, is also a big fan of the show, and found herself comparing the main characters to former colleagues while watching.
‘The storytelling and character development is great and, interestingly, I’ve worked with people very similar to all of the main characters throughout my career, so I can definitely relate.
‘And while it’s an accurate depiction of kitchen life in terms of the stress and pressure, I’m happy to say that my kitchen at The Pem isn’t like the one in The Bear,’ she adds.
Owen Kenworthy
However, there were some who felt the show wasn’t at all true to their experiences as a chef.
Owen Kenworthy, chef patron at Julie’s, a modern French brasserie in London’s Holland Park, felt there was ‘too much fakeness’ and found watching the series quite jarring.
‘In my opinion, The Bear is not realistic, nor does it portray the truth of a day or working life in the kitchen,’ he says.
‘Kitchens are not chaotic – they are busy environments and usually the last thought when building a restaurant, so they are always tight, especially in London’s growing scene with restaurants opening in tiny little spaces. Services can get heated, but with the right chef it can be an efficient and fun place to work, even if you’re busy.
‘It’s an old school way of thinking that kitchens are boxing rings,’ Owen protests.
Pavel Baranovs
Regardless of accuracy, it seems for many chefs, they are keen for more representation in TV and film, showcasing how difficult and demanding the job can really be.
Pavel Baranovs, head chef at UBA, a Pan-Asian restaurant in Shoreditch, London, says working in a kitchen is akin to ‘conquering a snow-covered mountain’.
‘You never know when or what could go wrong,’ he says.
‘It would be wonderful to see more movies and shows like The Bear, that truly capture this reality of being a chef and the significance of the hospitality industry.
‘It’s a challenging mix of emotions: love and hate, sweet and sour, and the exhaustion and frustration can be overwhelming. Yet, we always find ways to push through and continue striving.’
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