In my line of work it is always interesting to see what new and interesting situations I am faced with when I arrive at the clients location. Over the years I think I have seen pretty much every type of set-up imaginable and still been asked to provide meals.
When I started out in catering it was easy as I was working for others and usually under supervision so I just went with whatever I was told to do. Later on I started working in the film industry in Cape Town and that’s where it started getting interesting.
My first few jobs were easy enough. The commercials were being shot in studios and it was just a question of me getting there and setting up the food. That soon changed when I got sent out to location shoots. Weather is of course always a factor, but when you get winds blowing like they sometimes do in Cape Town, it can be a challenge just keeping the food on the table, never mind having all of nature blowing over the buffet. When the location manager informs you the 60 crew members would like lunch on the beach, you really start to reconsider career moves. 120 steps down and an hour later back up again is never fun.
There are of course always some spectacular locations that have their own challenges but the surroundings you find yourself in more than make up for the hardship. The picture attached to this blog was one such event where we spent a month in the Namibian desert for a Hayward’s Grand Safaris product launch, sleeping and working in tents. Even during a sandstorm work would continue. But the views and experience were unbelievable and still count as some of the best catering days in 30 years.
Now that I am in Finland, the challenges are different but they are still out there. From cooking a 4-course dinner on a sailboat while there is a bit of a storm blowing to providing 10-course tasting menus in an art gallery with no kitchen.
This has now become part of the job that I really enjoy. Accepting challenges from my customers and making the impossible a great experience after all. So far I have met any challenge so let see what the future will throw at me