Surviving 5 Star Hotel Kitchen Service

0:00 Today, we're throwing three normal home cooks

0:03 into a high-pressure professional kitchen of a London five-star hotel.

0:07 I'm just so nervous.

0:08 I don't want to mess any of it up.

0:10 This isn't something I've practiced before.

0:11 Wow.

0:12 Where they will be part of a kitchen

0:14 brigade catering for a luxury five-star black-tie charity ball.

0:19 I've gone really nervous.

0:23 [music] I knocked over the sesame seeds.

0:24 Kill me.

0:27 Straight away.

0:28 Oh, sorry.

0:29 Now, the genesis of a super idea like

0:31 this can only possibly come from a superhero.

0:34 Hey, what's up, guys?

0:35 It's Tom here from The Brothers Trust, and we like to raise money to shine light

0:39 on charities that might not get the recognition they deserve.

0:42 And in March, we are having the Deborah Butterfly Ball,

0:45 and I would like to challenge the Sorted boys

0:48 to get into the professional kitchen and cook the dinner.

0:50 Now, it will be a tough task, high orders,

0:54 super high volume at a very high quality.

0:56 I'm sure you guys can do it.

0:57 So, good luck.

0:58 It's a fantastic cause.

0:59 Sending you all my love, and [music] start shipping it out.

1:07 This is posh than I expected.

1:12 Insanity.

1:16 Have you looked [music] up?

1:19 I sometimes feel out of place eating in places like this.

1:26 [laughter] Let alone being in the kitchens.

1:28 Wow.

1:30 Oh.

1:30 So, this year, the Sorted chefs, myself, Kush, and James who are arriving later,

1:35 we've [music] been tasked with mentoring each of our normal home cooks.

1:39 And the aim is to take them from normal home cook level

1:42 to start to develop the skills

1:44 and knowledge that are demonstrated by professional chefs.

1:48 Here are your chef whites.

1:49 Put them on, and then we'll take you down to the executive chef.

1:51 [music] Oh, thank you.

1:53 Thank you very much.

1:53 Oh, you've just made this really real.

1:58 [music] [laughter] For some reason, our practice in the studio doesn't

2:11 feel like it's stacking up right now, is it?

2:14 Hi, guys.

2:14 All right.

2:15 Hello.

2:16 Hi.

2:16 I'm Gary.

2:17 I'm the executive chef.

2:17 Nice to meet you.

2:18 Hi.

2:19 Barry.

2:19 Hi.

2:19 Barry.

2:20 Jamie.

2:20 Jamie.

2:21 And I'm Mike.

2:21 Mike.

2:22 Welcome to the kitchen.

2:23 Um, tell me a little bit about your your experience.

2:27 Does anybody have pastry experience or like pastry?

2:31 I like pastry.

2:32 You like pastry?

2:33 Okay.

2:33 Do you have any experience?

2:35 No.

2:35 Eating.

2:36 Practical experience.

2:38 Nothing.

2:39 Okay, so that's easy.

2:41 And then kitchen?

2:42 Any experience?

2:43 No practical experience.

2:44 No.

2:44 Great.

2:45 Go and kill me.

2:48 [laughter] So, you're all home cooks, are you?

2:52 Yeah.

2:52 Okay.

2:53 So, we've got the basics.

2:55 the difference between an apple and an orange?

2:56 I am colorblind.

2:58 That'll be the only thing.

2:59 Why do you Well, because sometimes an apple and an orange That exactly.

3:03 And we've got red apples and green apples,

3:05 so then you're going to be really screwed, aren't you?

3:07 So, one of you will be in in the pastry kitchen,

3:09 and one will be in the cold kitchen, and one will be in the hot banquet kitchen.

3:12 Easy peasy.

3:14 Pastry, cold, hot.

3:15 Done.

3:15 Finished.

3:16 End of.

3:17 Okay.

3:18 Great.

3:20 For tonight's event, we have the starter as twice baked soufflé.

3:24 For twice baked soufflé, we serve it with some beetroot puree,

3:27 and we have the beet This is the soufflé that we bake two times.

3:33 This is some basil oil.

3:34 Here's some greenish some oil on there,

3:37 and we have some pickled berries as well.

3:39 It compliments the dish very well.

3:41 It's slightly sourish.

3:43 What is it, Jamie?

3:44 Okay.

3:45 Pickled cherries.

3:45 Okay.

3:46 So, this this will be a hot starter.

3:48 It goes to the table as it is.

3:50 For the main course, we have a slow cooked beef,

3:54 and it goes with some mashed potatoes with horseradish.

3:57 Classic.

3:58 Which we'll pipe it around there, and then the beef on top of it.

4:03 And we have we have some roasted carrots, parsnips,

4:07 two types of colors of carrots that goes at the bottom.

4:12 And we have this in there.

4:14 Okay.

4:14 And the sauce is a lemon thyme sauce.

4:17 It's a type of herb lemon thyme.

4:19 It gives you a some little bit lemon flavor into there as well.

4:22 Yeah?

4:23 And we have some on top of that some sauce there.

4:26 We'll some garnish it with some issues.

4:29 Mhm.

4:30 Yeah?

4:31 Brilliant.

4:31 This is how it goes out.

4:34 Okay, so now for dessert, we're going to play the baked Alaska.

4:38 Baked Alaska.

4:38 As we discussed before, we have nice fresh rhubarb compote.

4:42 We're going to do two spoon per plate.

4:45 Okay.

4:46 Lovely in the middle.

4:47 Then we have our main dessert, which is the lovely vanilla and lemon ice cream.

4:54 Is the insert of lemon sorbet in the middle, right in the middle.

4:59 Like that.

5:00 Our dessert is ready.

5:02 Fantastic.

5:02 Okay.

5:03 Yep.

5:03 After [snorts] the dessert, we have to serve the petit four.

5:06 We're just going to sit it right in the middle.

5:09 Like this in the middle.

5:11 Boom.

5:12 One per plate.

5:13 One per table.

5:14 Okay.

5:16 [laughter] Pressure's off.

5:16 Yeah.

5:27 [music] [music] Right, we're in the butchery.

5:47 First thing I'm doing is peeling some lemon thyme and some rosemary.

5:50 My fingers stink cuz I'm peeling all of the garlic.

5:58 Oh, Jamie's still doing the rosemary.

6:00 Let's go and see how Mike's getting on.

6:03 [music] So, they've given me a low-risk job to do.

6:08 But What are you doing here?

6:09 I'm I've been I've been promoted to sous chef.

6:12 Just going around checking everyone's everything's going to order.

6:15 You happy?

6:16 Right, we've been here 40 minutes, and you're already a giant knob.

6:20 What's what's the brief?

6:21 This is petit four.

6:22 I've been given a plate by the sous chef to replicate,

6:26 and now I'm going round and basically laying out chocolates and sweets,

6:31 and it's going to be a centerpiece out of the middle.

6:33 So, they've got me putting chocolates on plates.

6:36 I'd move that a little bit that way.

6:37 That way is fine.

6:38 RIGHT.

6:45 [music] JOB ONE, CHOCOLATE PETIT FOURS.

6:49 DONE.

6:49 JOB TWO, more chocolate arrangement just [music] on different plates.

6:55 Whilst I'm obviously excelling at this task, I've no idea whether the guys are

7:00 doing anything more complicated or less finesse-based.

7:08 I've been told to cut the blackberries in half.

7:11 It's four crates.

7:12 I'm guessing I'm guessing that's all of them.

7:16 [music]

7:20 So, The Brothers Trust has been going for about nine years now,

7:22 and what we try to do is raise money for charities that struggle to be heard,

7:26 but have a really important message.

7:28 And we've been supporting Deborah for probably from the very beginning,

7:31 really, and it's a cause that we're very passionate about,

7:33 and it helps people who suffer from a condition called EB,

7:36 which is a really [music] rare skin condition

7:38 which affects the skin so it becomes incredibly fragile.

7:41 It's very rare, but the people it affects has a very big impact.

7:45 So, it's an incredibly important cause.

7:47 I'm really delighted to have teamed up with Sorted Food [music]

7:49 to kind of shine a light on the cause, the charity.

7:52 So, all that's left to do is for Jamie, Barry, and Mike [music]

7:55 to smash it in the kitchen.

7:56 Fingers crossed.

8:03 [music]

8:03 Go and peel these eggs.

8:04 Peel the eggs?

8:05 Yeah.

8:09 [music] [music] What's wrong with that one?

8:17 Uh, it got broken.

8:19 So, we're about halfway through peeling 400 eggs,

8:23 and one of the chefs has told us that we've been doing it wrong.

8:26 He just laughed.

8:27 He just laughed.

8:29 Apparently, we've been making quite a lot of mess, which on reflection Yes.

8:34 Yeah.

8:34 That is I I cannot deny that.

8:36 No.

8:36 No.

8:37 He's not wrong.

8:37 But our way meant that we didn't get cold hands.

8:39 And my hands hurt.

8:41 are so cold.

8:43 [music] So, now it's time to decorate the centerpiece that's going

8:48 to sit in the middle of that plate of petit four,

8:52 [music]

8:51 and uh it's basically a white chocolate

8:53 plant that we decorate with chocolate butterflies,

8:56 flowers, [music] and gold leaf.

8:58 And Matthias not only showed me how to do it, but he's also got me making it.

9:05 [music] [music] Hi, mentor.

9:17 Hello.

9:18 Mate, you what you've done.

9:20 I know.

9:21 Mate, I started arranging plates of petit fours,

9:25 and then not only did they sort of then demonstrated

9:30 how to do it, got me helping, left me on a alone with some of them,

9:33 and now I've been the one applying the gold to make So, are these done already?

9:38 No, we I I helped make them.

9:39 Did you?

9:40 Do you know what?

9:40 I'm proud of you because when I arrived, Barry and Jamie were just chilling out,

9:45 and they were like, "Mike's been working all day nonstop." He's been amazing.

9:49 Has it?

9:49 Yeah, it is.

9:50 He enjoyed it.

9:52 It's I think because of the nature of it, it's less stressful,

9:55 but it's more There's lots lots to do all the time.

9:59 precision, right?

9:59 Yeah.

10:00 That's awesome.

10:01 It's just service.

10:02 Service.

10:03 Service will go in a flash.

10:05 Yeah.

10:05 Yeah, like quite literally.

10:07 Any advice?

10:10 Keep doing what you're doing.

10:11 Yeah?

10:11 Yeah, but just be precise and fast.

10:14 Precise.

10:15 Don't hold up the line.

10:19 [music]

10:23 What is the best thing that I can do tonight during service to make

10:26 sure that I'm as useful as possible and not just be in the way?

10:31 If you don't understand something, put your hand up and ask.

10:36 Repeat what the chef tells you back to them.

10:39 Cuz you might hear it, interpret it slightly differently.

10:41 Yeah.

10:42 Try and practice one movement.

10:44 You're going to be doing 230 of the same

10:47 movement with the same spoon or passing the same plate.

10:50 Practice just with yourself.

10:51 And stay in the same spot.

10:53 Don't lean against the wall.

10:55 Stay in the same spot, stand up straight, and just look around you.

10:58 If other chefs are doing something and you're not, you're doing something wrong.

11:02 No jokes, no banter, and basically keep your mouth shut when service starts.

11:07 Don't be Jamie.

11:09 How have you found today?

11:10 I've peeled eggs, I've done the berries.

11:12 Gary said actually the team were quite impressed at the speed,

11:15 but now you just have to stick to what you're told and don't go off piste.

11:19 this this next bit is the bit that really really actually matters,

11:22 there's consequences.

11:23 I don't know my role yet at the pass.

11:25 And they're yet to be given out.

11:26 I'm so nervous of Really?

11:28 plating too much or getting carried away.

11:30 I I just need a keep it simple.

11:32 Just do as you're told, you'll be fine.

11:33 We're I mean, we're out there to have a great evening.

11:35 I know you are.

11:36 The guests are out there to have an even better evening.

11:39 Just don't let any of them down.

11:40 Thank you, chef.

11:41 You can't possibly be as clumsy as Jamie.

11:42 So, you'll be fine.

11:44 And I'll see you at midnight.

11:46 Bye.

11:46 Go and get dolled up.

11:47 Well, yeah, like Cinderella.

11:50 Just make sure you're home by midnight.

11:58 [music] [music] Hello.

12:06 You all right?

12:06 Yeah, he's all right.

12:08 Been busy?

12:09 Yeah.

12:10 I feel like we've done loads, but we've just been doing prep.

12:14 Like now it starts.

12:16 Like now it's service.

12:18 Yeah.

12:18 Like this is Like all of it matters, but now it's going to get mad.

12:21 It's the start like standing up for 4 hours straight.

12:25 And then it's like, right, now go take half an hour and then

12:27 we're back and we're standing for another 4 hours.

12:28 Like my back's killing me.

12:30 And all I'm doing is like repetitive.

12:32 I checked with somebody twice how to CUT A BLACKBERRY.

12:37 BEFORE I CUT A THOUSAND of them in half, I was like, this way.

12:41 Yeah, but we're fine then.

12:42 It's made it to the final dish as well.

12:45 That's awesome.

12:46 And this this this is the bit that we can really screw up.

12:49 Yeah.

12:50 See you on the pass?

12:51 On the pass.

12:52 Good service, boys.

12:53 Have a good service.

12:53 Yeah, well done.

13:02 [applause] It's not in a race.

13:09 I'm on the alternative uh place, just dressing the place with some banana leaf.

13:16 Going to be putting the cress on top of the soufflé.

13:19 Stressing over cress.

13:20 How many?

13:21 Cress.

13:22 Everyone ready?

13:23 Yes, chef.

13:29 You want to do the cress as well?

13:30 Here I come now.

13:31 No, I'm not playing with the sesame seeds.

13:35 Guys, try and put the blackberry on the outside.

13:37 Some of them are falling off.

13:39 You missed a plate, Jamie.

13:41 Cress.

13:42 You need to do every plate now.

13:44 Okay.

13:45 Yes, chef.

13:49 Guys, well done, good job.

13:50 Thank you.

13:55 Look at that.

13:56 Excellent work.

14:00 I think this pickled blackberry and ode to Jamie's flapping.

14:04 The thing with soufflé is it's really showy, and that was lovely.

14:08 It was still steaming at the heart.

14:10 It was airy and delicious.

14:11 And then you've got pickled blackberries, the beetroot, and the chervil oil.

14:16 So far, so good.

14:17 Delicious starter, lots of colors.

14:20 The oil was absolutely delicious,

14:22 and it kind of like offset the soufflé really nicely.

14:25 So, the guys did an amazing job with the first course.

14:27 So, that's the starter done, we've got two more to go.

14:30 That was so intense.

14:31 And I know I know I know that sounds

14:32 ridiculous cuz I was putting cress on a plate,

14:34 but the cress was landing upside down.

14:36 I'm not going to lie.

14:38 First 20 seconds, it's a crack of the pressure.

14:42 Poppy seeds went everywhere, but chef Yousef was really supportive of helping me

14:47 get everything in order and coached me through it, but I think we're good.

14:54 So, we are making meringues using this huge

14:57 whisk to whip up egg whites to medium peak.

15:03 Okay.

15:05 No?

15:10 Just a little bit bigger.

15:11 Who genuinely gets the chance to train with world-class pastry chefs like this?

15:17 And they're taking so much time with me to teach me how to do it properly,

15:22 and I am showing a little bit of improvement.

15:24 So, this will be fine.

15:26 Fine.

15:26 [laughter] That's as good as I'm going to get.

15:29 Yes, inside is like ice cream.

15:31 Yes, I can't melt, so it has to be done.

15:33 So, they need to be hot, we have to be cold.

15:37 [laughter] I thought it was going to get easier.

15:43 This is definitely the calm before the storm.

15:48 Just so nervous, I don't want to mess any of it up.

15:55 Get in.

15:56 I'm on the alternative main courses, there's a few different options.

15:59 There's some plain mash, there's a chicken option,

16:01 there's a few different varieties,

16:02 and I've got to listen out for what people are looking for, bring out

16:05 the right hot plates for the rest of chefs to garnish and finish the dish.

16:09 I'm on garnish again.

16:10 Maybe I've earned my stripes, maybe there's no other jobs.

16:12 I don't know.

16:13 This plate's all Those plates Not this one, this one is special.

16:18 Okay.

16:21 One beef, plain mash.

16:22 Yeah.

16:23 Okay.

16:29 Everybody loves sauce, chef.

16:30 Pick up.

16:32 Tell me when we're halfway.

16:34 Chef, can I have one of those other ones, please?

16:37 Thank you, chef.

16:38 One beef, plain mash, yes.

16:40 No sauce.

16:43 Guys, well done, good job.

16:47 Did I do gone well or did I do gone ill?

16:50 Yeah, thank you.

16:51 Good.

16:53 Thank you very much.

17:00 For me, the the mash is the highlight.

17:02 Like the beef beautifully cooked.

17:04 It's not dried out, it's still got a bit of texture to it.

17:07 It's nice that they kind of kept it simple,

17:08 but just done it at a really high level.

17:11 Main course exquisite.

17:14 When you see food on this scale,

17:16 of this volume, and it's this good, absolutely stand out.

17:20 Now I'm nervous.

17:26 This is it.

17:27 It's what we work for all day.

17:32 Now, straight away.

17:36 Guys, the plate must be clean, yeah?

17:38 And the sauce more compound.

17:43 You got it.

17:46 Can you do the compound a bit faster?

17:48 Yes, chef.

17:51 Got this.

17:55 [music] Thank you.

18:05 Well, that is amazing.

18:06 It's extremely neat.

18:08 Like it just works.

18:10 I feel like the boys have absolutely smashed it out the park.

18:13 We've got this incredible baked Alaska,

18:16 and it's just the perfect way to finish an amazing meal for an amazing charity.

18:20 The guys absolutely smashed it.

18:22 Um and yeah, I mean, we've got four very happy chefs here.

18:26 So, thumbs up to the guys in the kitchen.

18:28 I've always said Mike's been a bit of a fruity number,

18:30 and he has absolutely outdone himself.

18:33 I love the rhubarb, the lemon sorbet, it's the perfect end to a meal.

18:37 If Mike garnished this, it's maybe the most beautiful thing he's ever made.

18:41 It's Mike's pièce de résistance.

18:44 I said that first impressions count,

18:46 but at the butterfly ball, what a perfect way to end.

18:50 And to know that Mike has spent hours attaching

18:54 leaves and butterflies to that centerpiece, makes me so happy.

18:59 It's like a It's like a parent who sent their kids off to school.

19:02 They've nailed it.

19:03 The boys have absolutely nailed it.

19:05 First baked Alaska, flipped over straight away, ruined it.

19:09 But once I got into the rhythm and the technique

19:12 and that constant repetition that we've been talking about all day,

19:15 it started to become a little bit more enjoyable.

19:18 Yeah, it was still stressful,

19:19 and I was still laser focused and just really wanted to do a good job,

19:24 but honestly, now I genuinely get the buzz,

19:28 the doing something together as a team, and sort of that sense of relief,

19:33 but also pride of achievement at the end of it is unbelievable.

19:38 We did it.

19:39 We did do that.

19:40 We survived.

19:40 We did do that.

19:41 We survived.

19:42 That was a That was a nice moment.

19:44 it.

19:44 I actually really enjoyed it.

19:46 It was so stressful.

19:47 So stressful.

19:48 I didn't see you the whole time.

19:49 Oh my goodness.

19:50 Yeah, but I had I had amazing experience.

19:54 They I hate this.

19:57 I hate this.

19:58 It's horrible.

20:01 How did you find it?

20:02 Did you Did you enjoy it?

20:04 There were some There were some like sketchy moments.

20:07 Yeah.

20:07 Did you have a nice time?

20:08 We've had a wonderful time.

20:09 Your night has only just got started as well.

20:11 We had a We had a [clears throat]

20:12 We had lovely bread and butter to start, beautiful wines.

20:16 Champagne.

20:16 Champagne was good.

20:19 And Food was amazing.

20:21 The entire room was so I mean you saw the chef's table.

20:24 Like the entire room were amazing for you.

20:27 They didn't see the chef's table.

20:28 They were the chef's table.

20:32 [laughter] Genuinely the worst and the best thing.

20:33 It was so rewarding.

20:35 So kind of thanks for setting it up.

20:38 But not again.

20:38 Not too soon.

20:39 Give Give us a break.

20:40 Thanks to Sam, we've learned more today than we have done in 15 years.

20:48 [laughter] You guys have supported more five-star hotels than I have now.

20:52 Thank you, boys.

20:54 We've all done Thank you.

20:55 Thank you.

20:57 That was a team effort.

20:58 Team effort.

20:59 Team effort.

21:01 [music] Well, that was the boys' first experience in a professional kitchen.

21:03 Comment down below how well do you think they got on?

21:05 And a massive thanks to the Landmark London

21:08 and Deborah for letting us in behind the scenes.

21:11 Talking of team effort,

21:13 the Deborah charity is made up of so many people and volunteers.

21:16 And the Butterfly Ball, through tickets, an auction, and raffle,

21:19 has raised crucial funds to support those in need.

21:22 If you're in a position to, we've put a link

21:24 below where all additional donations really will make a difference.

21:28 We know just how powerful the Sorted community can be when we work together.