Tips and Tricks for Chefs

Chefs and caterers are up against it more than ever before. Having to navigate a complex landscape filled with numerous challenges, thinking outside the box for innovative solutions and having a resilient mindset is a must. But chef-to-chef advice, sharing knowledge and the odd quick win can also have a hugely positive impact.

Some of the most pressing issues chefs are currently facing include:

Lack of experienced staff and labour shortages more generally – the chef skills gap has been a problem across the industry for some time and recent changes to apprenticeship programmes have been welcomed.
Linked to staff shortages, lack of time is a huge problem for hospitality professionals and time-saving hacks in the kitchen can go a long way.
Rising costs. Increased prices of food and across the wider picture, soaring energy bills and staff costs have reduced profit margins.
Short on time and battling rising prices, chefs are lacking inspiration as to what they can feasibly create on tight budgets and with limited workforces.

That’s why we launched The Philly Academy, bringing together leading chefs, charities and organisations to create a free educational online video resource.

Offering tailored advice, hints, tips and genius hacks, the Academy has been developed to help chefs with the myriad challenges these are facing, with two focused modules – Chef Life and Philly Hacks – offering help and advice to working kitchens.

Module 1: Philly Hacks

A bank of inspired hacks and recipes are brought together in the Philly Hacks module making it a fantastic chef resource and helping kitchens do more with less and taking menus from morning to midnight by harnessing the quality and versatility of Philly.

Let chefs such as Thomas Leatherbarrow show you how to make the most of a microwave to create a multi-purpose dessert that’s ready in as little as three minutes. School food expert Nicole Pisani makes catering for masses of hungry pupils easier than ever with a white sauce hack that can then be used in any number of ways, from a lasagne to a fish pie. For those looking to make their ingredients go a little further, celebrity chef Juliet Sear shares a fantastic tip by using sparkling water. More than 10 videos showcase professional chef tips from the people who have been there and done it, faced with the same challenges as every other hardworking chef out there and happy to share the tips and tricks that have helped them out over the years.

Philly’s versatility is its greatest strength. Used for too long simply for bagels and cheesecakes, it can do so much more. Across all day parts – breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner – and all courses – starter, main, dessert – it’s the ultimate product to keep in your fridge as it can be used in so many different ways. What’s more, its superior quality means it won’t split and you can rely on it to be consistent time and time again, saving valuable time and preventing ‘remakes’ because something hasn’t set properly, a sauce has split or flavour isn’t balanced. Philly can truly do it all – it bakes into cakes without releasing too much liquid when heated, pipes beautifully on cakes and desserts, binds ingredients together and does not split when cooking, meaning it can be used as a base for all types of sauces. If it’s a lack of inspiration that you’re looking to combat in the kitchen, look no further than the Philadelphia Professional website for chef cooking tips and a whole range of recipes.

Our recipe pages can also be filtered by sector so whether you’re catering for 1000s of students pouring through the gates on a university campus, wanting to create something a bit special for your Sunday specials board, or developing a menu for those with specific dietary requirements in a care home setting, it couldn’t be easier to find the recipes and chef advice you need. Our recipes cater for Hotels, Education, Food To Go, Pubs & Restaurants and Healthcare meaning there’s something for everyone (and of course the potential to find inspiration from other sectors, and adapt the recipe for your particular hospitality background should you wish).

Module 2: Chef Life

The part of the job that doesn’t include standing over a stove, this module covers everything from savvy social media to menu engineering and writing, ways to be more energy efficient and doing more towards diversity, inclusivity, and talent management. It’s the advice from chefs that goes beyond the cooking element of the job and offers tangible tips on how to run your kitchen and make your business a success. Social media sensation Thom Bateman, who built his business on the success of his platforms discusses going viral and the benefits to your business. It’s tricky of course, being short on time and staff, to take time out of your day to create foodie content, but you could reap the rewards with Thom specifying that many of his pub patrons come specifically because they’ve come across him on social media and as a result, wanted to try his food.

How does the shape of a menu impact profits? Why does your choice of adjectives matter? Menu engineering is an underrated skill and whether you get it right or wrong could make all the difference. It’s the sort of professional chef tip that so often goes under the radar, but which is a really quick and simple update to make to start to increase appeal and spend across your customer base.

Will a new government make chef hacks redundant? As the hospitality industry looks ahead to a new era under the new Labour government, what could changes in policy spell for chefs and caterers? Does the industry feel positive about what the government may now set out for hospitality to start to lessen the many challenges that it’s been up against for so long? Ultimately, even if bigger changes start to be made, will chefs ever have it easy? It’s a challenging industry regardless of external factors and any tips and tricks that can be shared and used will go a long way to make life just a fraction easier for hardworking professionals.
Being a chef is both an art and a science, requiring a blend of creativity, precision, and efficiency. By mastering these tips and tricks and with a little help from Philly, chefs can enhance their skills, improve their kitchen operations, and delight diners with exceptional culinary creations.