Job Title:
Ski Chalet Chef Management Couple
Number Of Years Dedicated To This Field Of Work or Lifestyle:
4
Category Of Work:
Employment – Paid Work
Country / Area of Work:
France
Industry:
Hospitality/Travel
Type:
Employment
Key Skills For The Job:
Cooking, organisation, high standards of cleanliness, people person, tolerance, patience, willingness to get stuck in to whatever needs doing.
Vital Key Skill:
Flexibility
Your Personal Experience Of Entering This Role:
Learnt On The Job
Tips For Undertaking This Work:
For a chalet chef, do a cookery course aimed at the ski chalet industry and that will get you a better position and give you a basic experience.
Future Progression Or Developments:
Chalet management, resort management and hotel management.
Stick with it – there will be stressful times and long hours, but you will get to ski every day, if you get organised!
What Are The ‘tools of the trade’ Used Daily:
Cleaning products! Cooking, organisation of chalet transfers and vehicles.
A Typical Day’s Duties:
Start at 7:30 a.m. prepare for breakfast, set and cook fresh items to order. Check hot tub and prepare vehicles for transfers. Clear snow. Clear breakfast and transfer guests to the slopes if needed. Bake cake and set afternoon tea, prep for dinner, service all rooms and public areas.
Return for guests around 4:30 p.m. to serve afternoon tea and clear up. Set up for children’s meal – cook and serve. Clear and set up for adults dinner – prepare, cook and serve 3 course meal plus coffee. Clean down, wash up, set up the table for breakfast.
Is Travelling A Regularly Part Of This Work:
No
Weekly Working Hours:
Full Time
Type Of Hours Arrangement:
Fixed Working Week
The Best Thing About The Work You Do:
Meeting people, living in an amazing location and being able to ski or board every day.
Your Least Favorite Thing About The Work You Do:
The extremely long hours and demanding customers!
You start at 7:30 a.m. Your time off is between 11:00 a.m and 4:00 p.m. each day, this is provided your jobs are done. This is when you can ski.
You are then back on duty until the last plate is clean and the kitchen is sparkling and breakfast is set, which is usually around 10:00 p.m.
Any Duties You Hadn’t Anticipated Prior To Undertaking The Work:
People on holiday lose a lot of things – including the ability to think for themselves, so you often have to do the most basic of things for them and often have to organise and direct them – almost wrangle them!
The Top Perks Of The Work:
Skiing every day – living in the mountains, meeting people, the “seasonnaire” lifestyle.
Other Work In The Same Sector:
Resort management, ski instructor, bar and restaurant work.
Additional Info You Wish To Share:
Chalet couples are always needed – good chalet couples will command better pay, accommodation, package in general.
There are hundreds of chalet companies – each will offer slightly different packages, but ask the right questions. Where is the accommodation in relation to work and to the slopes as sometimes it can be a long way away and involve driving. How many people will I share with, what will I be paid, how do the bonuses work, do I get a lift pass for the whole area or just locally, do I have to work elsewhere if my chalet is not booked, do I have to shop, will I get transport to and from resort. Will I get insurance.
These are important questions. Someone with a seasons experience or chalet cookery course, will get snapped up very quickly and be offered various posts – and all of these things will matter. Someone on their first season, with no experience or courses, will still get work, but the package will vary so make sure you know before you go. You will have the time of your life, meet amazing people, work long hours, for little money, but the perks of doing a season are priceless. You will work hard, but will also play hard. Enjoy!
