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About me
I am Bipinchand. In December 2006 I came to Ireland from India with my wife, she is a health care professional. I started my kitchen journey in Ireland from Powerscourt Health Farm Enniskerry. Then I moved to Plaza Hotel Tallaght. Since 2009 I am working in Dun Laoghaire Golf Club. And currently I am the sous chef there. I have 3 beautiful girls aged 12, 6 and 3. I am settled in Wicklow Town. My hobbies are playing badminton, music (basically a drummer) and keeping creative in life. Future dream is, to become a great chef. |
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Getting ready for the trip
Erasmus programme was very new to me until Martin and Gabriel explained once in our classroom. I really convinced about this idea of mobility because of the diversity and the different dimensions which will bring to the participants personal profile. So I just tried to enter and fortunately I got selected. Preparation wise to be honest I made a proper plan which I really want to achieve after completion. Myself I was dreaming to work with some great chefs in Spain to see which way they operate wordclass food in a compact kitchen. And how can I bring more efficiency in my own work place back in Ireland. Learning Spanish was a challenge. Learned few phrases and couple of words before I started.
Erasmus programme was very new to me until Martin and Gabriel explained once in our classroom. I really convinced about this idea of mobility because of the diversity and the different dimensions which will bring to the participants personal profile. So I just tried to enter and fortunately I got selected. Preparation wise to be honest I made a proper plan which I really want to achieve after completion. Myself I was dreaming to work with some great chefs in Spain to see which way they operate wordclass food in a compact kitchen. And how can I bring more efficiency in my own work place back in Ireland. Learning Spanish was a challenge. Learned few phrases and couple of words before I started.
Accommodation
Accommodation is in the city centre 25 minutes walk to the workplace. I love all the amenities near to the place we live. They clean and tidy up every second day, no iron box is a complaint as a professional, representing Ireland has to have a ironed well presented uniform at work place, or would have been informed earlier to have one on your own. Stay is nice and comfort. Sharing room with others bit occurred. Shared accommodation with others not a problem at all, but the room is quite unacceptable because of the nature of work we do. People finish different times and different offs.rest everything is superb
Accommodation is in the city centre 25 minutes walk to the workplace. I love all the amenities near to the place we live. They clean and tidy up every second day, no iron box is a complaint as a professional, representing Ireland has to have a ironed well presented uniform at work place, or would have been informed earlier to have one on your own. Stay is nice and comfort. Sharing room with others bit occurred. Shared accommodation with others not a problem at all, but the room is quite unacceptable because of the nature of work we do. People finish different times and different offs.rest everything is superb
Work Place
I am working in GastroLava Valladolid.
The restaurant itself serving real aunthetic food with a modern twist, busiest days are only weekends, and whenever there is a concert in the nearby lava theatre. Mist of their customers are regulars as they are not in the middle of the city. Chef is really an expert to make the proper meat. Poultry and fish stocks. And he is very good in cooking meat and fish products. my role is plating and prepping and releaving other chefs during week days. I am also sharing my knowledge with them and teaching them how to cook my specialities. I really love this place except the working times. Start 11 finish 5.then work again at 7.30 to midnight.
I am working in GastroLava Valladolid.
The restaurant itself serving real aunthetic food with a modern twist, busiest days are only weekends, and whenever there is a concert in the nearby lava theatre. Mist of their customers are regulars as they are not in the middle of the city. Chef is really an expert to make the proper meat. Poultry and fish stocks. And he is very good in cooking meat and fish products. my role is plating and prepping and releaving other chefs during week days. I am also sharing my knowledge with them and teaching them how to cook my specialities. I really love this place except the working times. Start 11 finish 5.then work again at 7.30 to midnight.
Culture
If we go to anywhere in the world first few weeks will be tough and confusing just bacause of the cultural differences. It will take at least two weeks to get an idea about how we behave and how we mould ourself to fit in that culture. We were here to work in Spain so we had more interactions with the workmates, it helped a lot to understand the culture bit more than a usual holiday maker. Valladolid was a great place to learn real Spanish traditions rather than big cities. Even the food is amazing in this place compare to other crowded tourist places. I believe Real Spain lives in villages.
Language wise it was tough to cope up with. But modern technology gave an ease when it came to reality. If you want to continue working in Spain. You must learn Spanish.
Workplace and working standards if we compare in Ireland work as a chef is harder than in Spain. But worklife balance wise Ireland is way ahead. Food safety. Health and safety, risk management wise Spain has a very low standard compared to Ireland.
Cooperation with the other work mates defenitely depends on persons attitude, skills and behaviour. For me the kitchen team worked with me was bit prejudice in first two days, then they were very much welcoming and cooperated very well with all the aspects.
If we go to anywhere in the world first few weeks will be tough and confusing just bacause of the cultural differences. It will take at least two weeks to get an idea about how we behave and how we mould ourself to fit in that culture. We were here to work in Spain so we had more interactions with the workmates, it helped a lot to understand the culture bit more than a usual holiday maker. Valladolid was a great place to learn real Spanish traditions rather than big cities. Even the food is amazing in this place compare to other crowded tourist places. I believe Real Spain lives in villages.
Language wise it was tough to cope up with. But modern technology gave an ease when it came to reality. If you want to continue working in Spain. You must learn Spanish.
Workplace and working standards if we compare in Ireland work as a chef is harder than in Spain. But worklife balance wise Ireland is way ahead. Food safety. Health and safety, risk management wise Spain has a very low standard compared to Ireland.
Cooperation with the other work mates defenitely depends on persons attitude, skills and behaviour. For me the kitchen team worked with me was bit prejudice in first two days, then they were very much welcoming and cooperated very well with all the aspects.
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Freetime
If I mention about the free time, that was only the off days. If we work in siesta we never get any free time to do anything creative. So day offs were only the free time we got. First week I visited a national park and some villages near to beautiful zamora region. Next week I have been there in Madrid just for a day trip. The trains are very handy and comfortable to visit any of the nearby places.espain organised a trip to the asparagus plantation and foie gras farm in the following week, and that was really a great experience. The batch I went with to Spain was really great people, and whenever we got off together we gathered in the city Square and had lot of fun. I don't know I participated any of the cultural events in Spain. But ofcourse I noticed some cultural activities were around during our stay. |
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What I have learned
The chef I worked with had a great knowledge about real Spanish authentic cooking. So he was really focusing on his jus making techniques. The kitchen always have 3 kinds of jus all the time. One poultry, one meat.and one with fish. Any of the dish he prepare he just add bit of his jus to flavour differently. Even to the omelette. I leaned the importance of sauce making in fine dining, and how to operate the kitchen efficiently in a tiny place, I learned the importance of the kitchen assistants, they prep everything for the busy kitchen rather than chefs doing everything, it is actually a cost effective operation and a good training for kitchen assistants. From the mobility I earned more confidence to operate the kitchen independently. More disipline and more control over me. Of course I earned more technical skills aswell. Through out the mobility I experienced the real cooking world, and did comparison with Ireland and Spain, it was something I needed just to break my comfort cooking zones. And realising the fact about the comfort Ireland offering to chefs. |
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Recommendation
Erasmus mobility is a great learning process if you really focused on your career, or you really want a fortune in hospitality sector. If you like to move and learn cooking from Spain you have to have good Spanish command, if you just want experiment the 3 weeks of mobility no need that much of language skills, just prepare some basic Spanish. Before you go to mobility, just analyse yourself and make a proper plan what you want to achieve. |
Whenever you are in a kitchen first you try to Market yourself, just explain to the kitchen head what is your abilities and show them the pictures of your dishes and your workplace back in Ireland, because they normally don't have any clue about what you are, they normally think you as a free labour, so convince them your abilities and share your knowledge with them. Then only they will be open with you.
Always note down the recipes. And take pictures of the dishes. Be willing to do every kitchen job, and show a good attitude always.
Always note down the recipes. And take pictures of the dishes. Be willing to do every kitchen job, and show a good attitude always.