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Five years at the same place has me thinking about chef loyalty versus new experiences.
I've cooked at Luigi's for half a decade now, and the owner wants me to sign on for two more years. Part of me feels deep pride in our dishes and the crew feels like family. The other part sees chefs I trained with opening cool pop-ups or leading kitchens in other towns. Staying means I master every detail here and get a steady paycheck. Leaving could let me learn modern techniques or different regional styles I'm missing. But I also fear the grass isn't always greener and I might regret walking away from a good thing. Is it better for a cook to dig roots deep in one spot or to gather skills from many kitchens over time? I'd love to hear how other chefs have handled this choice.
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keith_thomas298mo ago
Consider how your skills might deepen somewhere completely new.
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sarah_torres208mo ago
Keith's point about skills deepening somewhere new is true, but I'd add that they can also deepen by staying. You get to really learn one place's whole system inside and out, which is its own kind of expertise. That deep knowledge is hard to get if you're always moving.
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casey3427mo ago
Sarah's point about deep knowledge is good, but I read a piece once that said cooks who move around learn how to fix more kinds of problems, which backs up what @keith_thomas29 said.
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