Last night Wayne Gretzky may have lit the final leg of the Olympic torch downtown Vancouver, but today we passed our own Olympic Culinary torch in the Whistler athlete’s village kitchen. So it’s not the real thing, it meant a lot to us and you’ll understand why when you see the photo.
Morale is crucial on an operation like this when you’re asking your people to work 12 plus hours a day in a crazy environment pumping out 12,000 plus meals a day, so every little boost keeps the team happy. Tomorrow is valentines day so we’ll keep you posted on tomorrow’s morale shot.
Olympic Bill
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Heightened Excitement
After 2 weeks of working full out, 11 hour days (+ 3 hours of bus trips), one tends to become oblivious of the surroundings & forgetting that I'm actually here. I find myself wondering where those 2 weeks went.
I took half a day off today to mentally & physically regroup & realized that I was actually here. Here at the Olympics, in Canada, in my own backyard! Not just at the Olympics, but to be a part of helping make it a success. What an honour & privilege.
It really sunk in today now that the Games have begun. Observing the wave of national pride here in Whistler is nothing short of emotionally moving. The excitement of everyone around us is indescribable. It's hard to believe it's real. Go team Canada!
Olympic FSM Mike
Friday, February 12, 2010
The Olympic Kitchen Brigade
So how do we feed 12,000 meals a day? Obviously with a lot of military precision and professionalism. The problem with 9 food stations is, how do we guess by golly what food the athletes will eat at each meal, the simple answer is prepare lots of everything.
It all starts with Stephen Lee our corporate chef from Sodexo who orders all the food, then it’s received by Dave and James our stores guys along with Mikey Greer and Becky who stores it all. Next Chef’s Trevor and Paul prep all the food in the cold kitchen with their team of 30 cooks, who then pass it forward to the hot kitchen to be prepared. Jonathan, our prep chef and his team of 2 cooks prepare all the food and then blast chills it and portions it in hotel pans so we can re-therm when it comes to meal service. My job in charge of the hot kitchen is to take all the glory at the end and co-ordinate the food into a multitude of hot boxes so it can be transferred to the steam lines to be served to the athletes and workforce (they call me the Maestro). Michael Smith has the biggest role of all trying to manage everything from staffing to the kitchen routines we all operate, while still stopping to greet every fan who wants his photo.
Now doesn’t that sound easy hey? The reality is when the chickens stop running around with their heads cut off and the mad dash to the hot boxes and fight for oven space, tie your hands from one meal period to the other, we make it look like a cakewalk without even realizing how important everyone’s role is. Everyone matters right down to the prep cook peeling onions in the prep kitchen or the servery girl on the steam line pleasing our athletes. What you may not realize is that one meal roll's into the other, Chef Robert and his breakfast team serve breakfast from 0530 – 10 am, I have to have lunch ready to serve at 10 am till 4 pm. Then supper starts at 4 pm – 12 pm so the 6 combi ovens are working non stop steaming and cooking food. The dining room is open 24 hours so our evening bakers run by Ann-Marie have to be out of both Robert's and my way very early in the morning.
The brigade is just that, a well tuned machine with an integral team working together to produce the best food service operation so our clients leave with a memorable food experience.
The Olympic Kitchen Brigade
Olympic Chef Bill
It all starts with Stephen Lee our corporate chef from Sodexo who orders all the food, then it’s received by Dave and James our stores guys along with Mikey Greer and Becky who stores it all. Next Chef’s Trevor and Paul prep all the food in the cold kitchen with their team of 30 cooks, who then pass it forward to the hot kitchen to be prepared. Jonathan, our prep chef and his team of 2 cooks prepare all the food and then blast chills it and portions it in hotel pans so we can re-therm when it comes to meal service. My job in charge of the hot kitchen is to take all the glory at the end and co-ordinate the food into a multitude of hot boxes so it can be transferred to the steam lines to be served to the athletes and workforce (they call me the Maestro). Michael Smith has the biggest role of all trying to manage everything from staffing to the kitchen routines we all operate, while still stopping to greet every fan who wants his photo.
Now doesn’t that sound easy hey? The reality is when the chickens stop running around with their heads cut off and the mad dash to the hot boxes and fight for oven space, tie your hands from one meal period to the other, we make it look like a cakewalk without even realizing how important everyone’s role is. Everyone matters right down to the prep cook peeling onions in the prep kitchen or the servery girl on the steam line pleasing our athletes. What you may not realize is that one meal roll's into the other, Chef Robert and his breakfast team serve breakfast from 0530 – 10 am, I have to have lunch ready to serve at 10 am till 4 pm. Then supper starts at 4 pm – 12 pm so the 6 combi ovens are working non stop steaming and cooking food. The dining room is open 24 hours so our evening bakers run by Ann-Marie have to be out of both Robert's and my way very early in the morning.
The brigade is just that, a well tuned machine with an integral team working together to produce the best food service operation so our clients leave with a memorable food experience.
The Olympic Kitchen Brigade
Olympic Chef Bill
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Let the Games Begin
Are we ready in the kitchen for this adventure? You know we are, so let the games begin! Tonight we rocked the house and it was amazing to go out into the 900 seat dining room and it's full, and people are still lined up. Supper goes from 4 pm – midnight but the main rush is still between 6 - 9 pm. We probably fed 2600 athletes for supper and another 1000 workforce in the dining room right beside the athletes.
Just when we think our 12 hour day is done, now we have to build 1500 box lunches because all the athletes have to take a bus to Vancouver tomorrow for the opening ceremonies. Yes we're ready, but I can honestly say I’ve never worked so hard in my life and I’m Loving it.
I may not be riding a pair of skis or skates, but WE'RE AT THE OLYMPICS and were doing our part to make the athletes remember this for more than just their competition. To us it’s all about the food and the adventure.
Olympic Bill
Just when we think our 12 hour day is done, now we have to build 1500 box lunches because all the athletes have to take a bus to Vancouver tomorrow for the opening ceremonies. Yes we're ready, but I can honestly say I’ve never worked so hard in my life and I’m Loving it.
I may not be riding a pair of skis or skates, but WE'RE AT THE OLYMPICS and were doing our part to make the athletes remember this for more than just their competition. To us it’s all about the food and the adventure.
Olympic Bill
Psych....
Got a little surprise last night. The delivery truck arrived at 9:15 with only 6 skids, when we were anticipating 30. A small wave of panic started to grow/rumble from the bottom to the top as this was clearly not enough food to produce over 8000 meals needed in the next couple of hours. Just in time for the news to get to the senior staff (5 mins) another truck pulls in along side with its trailer chalker block full with 28 skids, for a total of 34, averaging 2000 lbs each. We all had a good laugh, which quickly became subdued when the reality of having to store it all settled it.
Fortunately, prior to the arrival of the groceries, Farmer Becky & myself drew on our experience & knowledge of organizing and were able double the amount of storage space in the produce/dairy fridge. The initial theory (always looks good on paper) was 3 shelving units, 2 on the sides & one down the middle with ample room on either side to slide 5 skids down both sides, then unload them to their respective areas. The chefs would use the products & space would be available for the next shipment. Like I said, looks good on paper.
There's 2 major flaws in the theory. Obviously, the massive numbers of meals having to be produced could not be comprehended in terms of storage & storing requirements. And 2, the prospect (dream) of having a single delivery company organizing the products on your skids to where you've got it stored is unrealistic. Also taking into consideration the massive workload that they're under providing for the Olympics as well.
Needless to say, we've done a little restructuring, by permanently placing skids between the shelves and storing the heavier, easily stackable items on them. A little shuffling here & there in couple of other areas & voila, double the storage capacity. Plus enough room to drop 1 skid in and unload at a time. All of a sudden 34 skids are not so daunting. Olympic efficiency!
What's also very convenient is the cooks & chefs are eagerly waiting for many of the items being delivered (yes, they prep & cook all day/night) and take right from the skids before we off load them. That takes care of about 2-3 skids that we happily don't have worry about. Needless to say, it was a nap on the 2am bus back to the ship & writing to the blog on the return trip to Whistler the same day. ;-)
Cheers, Olympic FSM Mike
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Ramping Up
Alrighty then. That was a busy afternoon/night/morning. 22 skids, 18 the night prior. Remarkably, most of the groceries are gone the next afternoon when we come in. That should give you a small insight to the sheer volume of meals being prepared. Nearly 8000 yesterday & the kitchen is open to eat 24 hours a day.
I'm also finding my military training kicking into high gear now. An event of ths magnitude is really not all that different than large military exercises in terms of the logistics required. The only real difference is the type of food, the amount of menu choices, & the fact there's a very impressive kitchen set up here. While in the military we're under tents or in a kitchen trailer. We also have the benefit of doing what we do best, all the time.
Also similar to a military exercise, groceries/rations are ordered & received every single day, usually in the evening hours under the cover of darkness. As cooks, we received, rotated and stored our own rations. Like Bill mentioned in an earlier post, most chefs are preparing for much smaller numbers, thus the amount groceries would be relative.
It's rewarding being able to use that background experience here, knowing it's making difference. Even if it's shaving off a couple minutes of someone elses day when they're looking for that certain item that they need for their recipe. Or at the very least, being able to let them know if it's out of stock so they're not wasting their valuable time searching for something that's not there. Working smarter, not harder.
I'm just on the bus heading in for my shift. I've been told another 22 skids for tonight & we should up to our max of 12,000 meals a day by Thursday the 11th. That's 2600 athletes & 1500 workforce. We'll let you how it goes.
Cheers, Olympic FSM Mike
I'm also finding my military training kicking into high gear now. An event of ths magnitude is really not all that different than large military exercises in terms of the logistics required. The only real difference is the type of food, the amount of menu choices, & the fact there's a very impressive kitchen set up here. While in the military we're under tents or in a kitchen trailer. We also have the benefit of doing what we do best, all the time.
Also similar to a military exercise, groceries/rations are ordered & received every single day, usually in the evening hours under the cover of darkness. As cooks, we received, rotated and stored our own rations. Like Bill mentioned in an earlier post, most chefs are preparing for much smaller numbers, thus the amount groceries would be relative.
It's rewarding being able to use that background experience here, knowing it's making difference. Even if it's shaving off a couple minutes of someone elses day when they're looking for that certain item that they need for their recipe. Or at the very least, being able to let them know if it's out of stock so they're not wasting their valuable time searching for something that's not there. Working smarter, not harder.
I'm just on the bus heading in for my shift. I've been told another 22 skids for tonight & we should up to our max of 12,000 meals a day by Thursday the 11th. That's 2600 athletes & 1500 workforce. We'll let you how it goes.
Cheers, Olympic FSM Mike
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
What's your annual grocery bill?
OK, so now were rocking and rolling trying to keep up with the masses and you can’t imagine how much fruit and meat were going through. We have a Char Grill station where the athletes can have whatever they want. 2 Steaks, 2 chicken breast and 3 shrimp skewers later and she wants the veg on a separate plate! Now imagine what the men want, multiply it by 2600 athletes, then try and figure out how much the food bill is (probably more than my annual salary in one day).
Olympic Bill
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Olympic Bill
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Monday, February 8, 2010
Olympic Breakfast
I've had a lot of inquires as to why I haven't been blogging the past few days but I'm sure your aware that sleep gets in the way between the 16-18 hour days I'm working and the blogging has taken a back seat (sorry, you loose over sleep).
In any case, I've been asked what could make up 26 items on a hot breakfast steam line and the bottom line is were feeding world class athletes and they need carbs and protein. sleep. Can you imagine pasta and marinara sauce or a baked potato, roast and fried potato for breakfast? How about 5 different rice’s each day, everything from fried to Congee, or wild rice and sticky rice etc. sleep. Then comes the different types of porridges. pancakes, waffles, baked tomatoes, fried mushrooms etc etc. sleep. Have you noticed I haven't even mentioned the different breakfast meats or types of eggs yet and see how the list is climbing? sleep. We were only up to 6500 meals today but expect that to jump to 12,000 within the next couple of days and an additional 2000 box lunches on Friday for the bus ride of the athletes to Vancouver for the opening ceremonies. Did I mention how tired I am tonight and need to head to bed so I can get some sleep?
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Olympic Chef Bill :)
In any case, I've been asked what could make up 26 items on a hot breakfast steam line and the bottom line is were feeding world class athletes and they need carbs and protein. sleep. Can you imagine pasta and marinara sauce or a baked potato, roast and fried potato for breakfast? How about 5 different rice’s each day, everything from fried to Congee, or wild rice and sticky rice etc. sleep. Then comes the different types of porridges. pancakes, waffles, baked tomatoes, fried mushrooms etc etc. sleep. Have you noticed I haven't even mentioned the different breakfast meats or types of eggs yet and see how the list is climbing? sleep. We were only up to 6500 meals today but expect that to jump to 12,000 within the next couple of days and an additional 2000 box lunches on Friday for the bus ride of the athletes to Vancouver for the opening ceremonies. Did I mention how tired I am tonight and need to head to bed so I can get some sleep?
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Olympic Chef Bill :)
Family Ties
Chef Michael Smith approached me today about our little blog & how it's being viewed by many of his fans. Even his son Gabe is checking everyday to get a glimpse of what his dad is up to.
One cannot begin to explain or describe how busy Michael & his team of lead chef's are. Everything falls on their shoulders to ensure the success of this world class event. They are big shoes to fill. With this burden of pressure, sometimes the most important things in life, such as family are not the focus of the moment. Not intentionally of course, just a casualty of the job.
That said, this post is for you Gabe. Your dad sends his love.
One cannot begin to explain or describe how busy Michael & his team of lead chef's are. Everything falls on their shoulders to ensure the success of this world class event. They are big shoes to fill. With this burden of pressure, sometimes the most important things in life, such as family are not the focus of the moment. Not intentionally of course, just a casualty of the job.
That said, this post is for you Gabe. Your dad sends his love.
Cheers, Mike
A Whole Other World
What I've found to be most enjoyable is the change. Lynne, I & the girls have lived in Sooke, BC on South Vancouver Island for 14 years now, and I've been retired from the military for 10 of those. Since then we've settled in pretty good. We haven't been mushrooms, however we have gotten into & simple routines & living the relaxed, comfy life. Sooke is an amazing coastal village with a population of 11,000 and a whopping 60 some odd B&B's in the area. We just got our 3rd traffic light a couple years back.
For the past 4 years I've been managing a small mom & pop liquor store connected with a neighbourhood pub, Buffy's, where Lynne has been working this last year & a half. Besides living just down the road, the best part is the regular customers, who seem to become a very enjoyable & uplifting part of your day to day life.
That in mind, one tends to forget that there's a whole other world out there. Surrounded by so many new people, from all over the world, is rejuvenating & soul cleansing. It snaps you out of reality in a good way. Learning a couple of new names each day, I look forward to the challenge of knowing everyones name over the next couple of weeks.
Cheers, Olympic FSM Mike
For the past 4 years I've been managing a small mom & pop liquor store connected with a neighbourhood pub, Buffy's, where Lynne has been working this last year & a half. Besides living just down the road, the best part is the regular customers, who seem to become a very enjoyable & uplifting part of your day to day life.
That in mind, one tends to forget that there's a whole other world out there. Surrounded by so many new people, from all over the world, is rejuvenating & soul cleansing. It snaps you out of reality in a good way. Learning a couple of new names each day, I look forward to the challenge of knowing everyones name over the next couple of weeks.
Cheers, Olympic FSM Mike
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Culinary Youth
I've been enlightened & impressed by the overwhelming determination, drive & enthusiasm in the majority of junior apprentice chefs doing their part to make it all happen.
Natasha, 26 & Caitlin just 19, both from Charlottetown P.E.I., currently enrolled in the Culinary Arts program there, and in the top of their class were selected/rewarded to participate in this Olympic cooking/support opportunity. They are just 2 of the many from all over Canada & abroad participating in similar programs.
Since they arrived, they've started at 7am (that means catching the 6am bus) and working (busting their asses off) until 12am midnight, and still have to catch the 1:00am bus getting back to the ship at 2:00am, all to it over again in just a few short hours of much needed sleep. And you have to remember, they're working under the guns of Chef's, Bill Pratt & Michael Smith. So you know it's no walk in the park.
But never a negative word out of either of them. Always chipper, eager & ready for the next challenge, looking forward to tomorrow. Happy, just for the privilege of being part of it all. That, and there's no opportunity to check their facebook, or even access to a computer for that matter.
What's admirable is, they're not being paid. They're here for the opportunity & experience to further their skills. It's inspiring to witness with that type of work ethic, knowing that the future of our trade is being sustained by the next generation? It's comforting to say the least.
On another note, another 12 pallets (24000lbs) successfully unloaded & stored again tonight.
Olympic FSM Mike ;-)
Natasha, 26 & Caitlin just 19, both from Charlottetown P.E.I., currently enrolled in the Culinary Arts program there, and in the top of their class were selected/rewarded to participate in this Olympic cooking/support opportunity. They are just 2 of the many from all over Canada & abroad participating in similar programs.
Since they arrived, they've started at 7am (that means catching the 6am bus) and working (busting their asses off) until 12am midnight, and still have to catch the 1:00am bus getting back to the ship at 2:00am, all to it over again in just a few short hours of much needed sleep. And you have to remember, they're working under the guns of Chef's, Bill Pratt & Michael Smith. So you know it's no walk in the park.
But never a negative word out of either of them. Always chipper, eager & ready for the next challenge, looking forward to tomorrow. Happy, just for the privilege of being part of it all. That, and there's no opportunity to check their facebook, or even access to a computer for that matter.
What's admirable is, they're not being paid. They're here for the opportunity & experience to further their skills. It's inspiring to witness with that type of work ethic, knowing that the future of our trade is being sustained by the next generation? It's comforting to say the least.
On another note, another 12 pallets (24000lbs) successfully unloaded & stored again tonight.
Olympic FSM Mike ;-)
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