Like pieces in a band, each station in the kitchen helps to compose the night. When we individually impose the highest standard of care in what we produce and how we produce it, together we put forth a well presented and exceptionally satisfying experience.
Our dinner team is divided into five stations to execute the evening’s menu; cold appetizers, hot appetizers, entrée vegetables, entrée meats and sauces, and pastry. Having worked almost all of them, I can tell you that each station has its own challenges, but no matter where you are, the motto in this kitchen is ‘Communicate, Cook, Clean!’
The appetizer course is split into cold and hot. Cold apps are all about plating and organizing. The station is responsible for sandwiches for afternoon tea, organizing the room service menu for the Inn, and the first course on the menu for dinner. The nice thing about the cold side is that as long as all of the prep is done and you are organized, your sole responsibility is to make beautiful food. Hot apps are equally enjoyable, but an entirely different experience…There’s something about cooking over those flames that gets the adrenaline going during a busy night. And because you’re making the whole dish from vegetables to meat, timing is everything.
The entrée course is split into veg. and sauce. Running the veg station is a race. Start with asking yourself, ‘how much prep can I get done in a day?’ Keep your ears open during service, use nimble fingers, stay organized, and communicate with your wing man over on the sauce station. To operate the sauce station you must be quick, calm, confident and able to see into the future. A saucier must also understand the value of the ingredients they’re working with. Some stations are a bit more forgiving, but when errors happen on the sauce station, they cost a lot more money…a thought that can be daunting!
There are two polar extremes in the kitchen; savoury side and sweet side. Personally, my understanding of the similarities and differences between the two is ever-evolving. When I work pastry; it is my goal within five minutes of arriving to have the white bread in the proof box and the pastes, frostings, and butter pulled out on the counter to come up to temp. There are many similarities to sauce making on the savoury side. It’s a long, slow process. Labelling, weighing, and prepping molds become most of a pastry chef’s day. On the sweet side of the kitchen, you need to get everything working early. Systems, organization, and solid fundamental cooking skills will make or break you at the pasty station. The most painful part of pastry is working all day on one thing and it doesn’t work out the way it should, and not having enough to correct yourself.
Throughout our days, mastering our stations is how we strengthen the delivery of the Fearrington House experience. A guest’s experience may begin as simply walking around the village and into the Belted Goat to enjoy some of the fresh salads and pastries that come from our kitchen. They could also be guests of the Inn and be having breakfast or afternoon tea with us. That evening, they may be dining in the restaurant. For those of you who have never experienced The Fearrington House, we hope to impress. For those whom we have enticed back, we hope to surpass your expectations.
Junior Sous Chef Matt Zarembski