# Burnt Out



## Greg Huggett (Jun 25, 2021)

Are there many older chefs (50plus) suffering from burn out asking for a friend


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

I am in that age group and for me I re-educated myself so I am still in the field I love but now doing something that is physically easer on me..


----------



## chefross (May 5, 2010)

Hi Greg and welcome to our threads. If you try your question in the search engine here you'll find some extensive threads on that subject.


----------



## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

There are no old Chefs. They just walk into the walk-in one day and never come out.....Only kidding, I think......Anyway, older Chefs really have it together. Young Chefs are running and searching, older Chefs are there...........Burn out can happen at anytime during our career. If it happens, find out where it leads. You maybe surprised where you will end up....The best..


----------



## Greg Huggett (Jun 25, 2021)

chefbillyb said:


> There are no old Chefs. They just walk into the walk-in one day and never come out.....Only kidding, I think......Anyway, older Chefs really have it together. Young Chefs are running and searching, older Chefs are there...........Burn out can happen at anytime during our career. If it happens, find out where it leads. You maybe surprised where you will end up....The best..


----------



## Greg Huggett (Jun 25, 2021)

You are so right chefbillyb I feel that because of our training and work ethic we can lend our hand to may things


----------



## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

chefbillyb said:


> Burn out can happen at anytime during our career. If it happens, find out where it leads. You maybe surprised where you will end up


I wound up in the restaurant life through a fortunate stroke of serendipity, which seems to be a recurring theme in my life.

I burned out on my major and college in my fourth year after 12 straight quarters and took a break to go on a prolonged hiking/backpacking vacation in the Rocky Mountain National Park while I figured out what i wanted to do with my life.

I took a job as a dishwasher that offered room and board and enabled my backpacking addiction. I wound up being totally drawn in by the organized chaos and adrenaline rush of restaurant work like a moth to flame.

Fast forward 40 years, and I burned out on the hospitality industry. I went back to school and pursued information technology. After graduation, I worked in IT for a couple of years, but I missed the controlled chaos...*so I am back to my flame. *

I am working as a line cook...*a damn good *line cook. A dream line cook for my executive chef actually, she wants to clone me. I should be retired by now but I figure moving parts don't rust and it keeps me on my toes. Also being around younger people keeps me young _and everybody is younger..._even the 40/50 year olds are kids to me.

At this point in my life, I have no desire to work 40 hours a week and 50 weeks a year (or the way more of chef life)...so I don't. I work 2-3 days a week and take a week off every 2-3 months. I am in good place mentally and physically and _*way *_more relaxed than the younger driven me. I finally let go of the reins and let life; and it seems to be doing a good job...a much better job than I ever did running my life.

_Who wooda thunk!

My passion, for inexplicable reasons, is restaurant line work. I am not sure if that makes me an argument for or against Darwinism! :~)_


----------



## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

cheflayne said:


> I wound up in the restaurant life through a fortunate stroke of serendipity, which seems to be a recurring theme in my life.
> 
> I burned out on my major and college in my fourth year after 12 straight quarters and took a break to go on a prolonged hiking/backpacking vacation in the Rocky Mountain National Park while I figured out what i wanted to do with my life.
> 
> ...


Hey Chef, I think you just did a great job explaining why we love and hate this business. I've seen great line cooks be promoted to Sous or Chef and then fail. Some of my best scratch cooks were older. They just wanted to cook.......The best description is controlled/ organized Chaos. You can't recreate that feeling in any other job. I loved the control chaos when I was in charge, didn't like it when someone else thought they had control. 
My journey took many twists and turns. When I thought I hit bottom, it was really a stepping stone to owning three food services companies.....If you're good in this business, good things will happen in time.... burn out in one place, just brings you to search for a new opportunity in another place......Great story Chef, I'm happy you found peace in this business.......ChefBillyB


----------

