What Am I Doing With My Life?

33 years ago I graduated from culinary school this past 17 May. I have had a very interesting career. I have worked in gourmet retail. I have worked in bed & breakfasts. I have worked in an Irish restaurant. I have worked as a private executive chef for a major corporation. I have worked in Zagat-rated properties. I have attained the AAA 4 diamond rating for two different establishments.

Yet, I feel as though I have not accomplished anything worthwhile.

A few years ago, I realised that all I wanted to do was make cookery video content. That is why I created the YouTube channel that is connected to this blog. The problem is, I cannot afford to just do that. Since COVID-19, I found it difficult to find a job that I have felt connected to. Usually, it was just a paycheque to keep life going. I ended up devoting more time to those jobs than I did to the channel. Most recently I found a job that gives me more flexibility. I am working Research and Development for a French baking company. I am Monday - Friday. My hours are a lot more normal.

If I told that fresh-faced, green lad then, that this is what he would be doing today, he would never have believed it. The fact that someone could produce his or her own cooking channel and content would leave him gobsmacked. Hell, when I was coming out of school, email was just beginning as an inner office application on a desk computer. The internet had not begun to explode into the day-to-day phenomenon that it is now.

So, this is where I am now. This is what I am doing with my life. I decided to get out of food service per se. My day-to-day job is still in the same vein so that I can make the money that I need to support the YouTube channel. I also have a Patreon account so that I can get viewers to support our content as well. work

As I work on my first video back in the groove, I am filled with an amazing feeling. It feels good to be doing this again. There are so many tasks that I have taken for granted. But, I had to get back into it again to realise what steps I must take to produce even a small amount of content.

My goal is to rethink how I produce content. I want to start with the basics of the cuisines that I love, Irish and British. I want to focus on homemade versions of classic items like brown sauce, piccalilli, and other condiments. I want to create a series focusing on Anglo-Asian foods. There are so many things I can do with this. I just need to stick to a regimen.

So this is the beginning of a new chapter. It was a new chapter 33 years ago also. I have stripped down the blog and am starting over. The old videos are still on the YouTube channel. They are important to keep so that I can see my growth.

As always, the link to the Patreon account is at the top of this blog. This will be key to us being able to create new and more unique content. If you can help sponsor us, that would be huge. The following is an idea of how your patronage of our channel would be rewarded:

In addition to being listed, each tier of sponsorship would have its individual rewards consisting of Q&As, Cocktail Nights, What We’re Having For Dinner nights, and exclusive content. Please consider helping us out by supporting this new adventure. Every little bit helps.

Thank you for coming along on this journey. Be sure to share it with your family and friends!