The last days at the hotel

My Thursday began in a very calming way; a cup of coffee in my room, whilst listening to the chirping of birds.

I was unable to get a taxi. The earliest one would had been available was 30 minutes after my shift started. Luckily the father of my host family was home and gave the younger student and I a ride to work.

As we left, the family's cat went out aswell. She's such a lovely kitty :)

My Thursday shift's first part consisted of chopping fruit for a fruit salad and carrots.

I worked the starters and sweets side, mussels are probably my favourite thing to make.

A student from the local college worked with me, he showed me how to torch goat's cheese discs. Then I got to try myself and I prepared the goat's cheese dish.

Thursday's last order, a cheese board.

Getting a taxi back home wasn't easy, either. Had we decided to get one, we would had had to wait half an hour. Instead the head chef offered to drive us back, we were very grateful.

Friday morning I booked the taxi at 9 am. It was supposed to arrive at 2:30. 2:35, no sight of it, and our backup plan was leaving for work himself. As it seemed like the taxi was nowhere to be seen, we got in the family car. I think we managed to go 10 meters, when the taxi arrived. Obviously we switched cars. The cab driver thought it was odd. I explained he was now 8 minutes late and we did not want to be late for work.

The new thing I got to do at work on Friday were crab cakes.

I appreciate that I got to learn quite a few new recipes in the two weeks I was at the hotel.

I also got to help third chef out when he prepared pasta carbonara for the kitchen and reception staff.

Friday was a quiet day. The few tables we had all wanted steaks. But I did learn a new recipe for pearl barley risotto aswell, which was quite neat.

We got our evaluations from head chef and said our goodbyes to everyone at the end of the shift. It's weird I don't have to go back there tomorrow. I really enjoyed my time at the hotel, it was a great experience!

Week #3, Monday to Wednesday

Second week's weekend was very quiet and calm, mostly because the younger student went out of town, so I got to have some peace and quiet ;)

Monday was the beginning of the second work placement week. Eager to learn something new and maybe finally to get to prepare a dish or two from scratch by myself.

I got to make duck rillettes, another thing I had never done before.

On Monday I also got to make chocolate chip brownies. I love baking brownies, so it was fun to get to do them here. Especially, since the recipe highly resembled a chocolate cake recipe from a certain Italian style restaurant I learned on the job at a few months ago (replace the chocolate chips with peanuts and it's precisely that!)

Tuesday, I was asked to make fruit salad for Wednesday's breakfast service.

I also made some pesto and chopped garlic into a fine paste.

Then I got to prepare our supper. A chicken dish from the menu. And I got to prepare it all by myself, aswell as build the dish. Got some of that dish preparation confidence back: I can do this, even without recipes or pictures of the dish itself!

I noticed the brownies on the recommendations menu on Tuesday. The brownies were cut into pieces and I was complimented on how well they turned out. It was a great feeling, knowing I'd succeeded in something.

Third chef's take on the brownie dish.

My brownie dish.

Wednesday, working with head chef and the student from the local college. I was in the starter side again.

Dauphinoise potatoes, first one I've ever made.

I learned what goes into the figs starter and how olives starter should look like.

I also got to make a sticky toffee pudding dish.

Two more days at the hotel and then this work placement in an actual British hotel is over! Unbelievable how quickly time passes by when you're having fun, isn't it?

I still have one Sunday to try and get my butt to that weekly car boot sale I was planning to go to last Sunday (but didn't, after enjoying some drinks in my bedroom and staying up very late watching films on Netflix).

Speaking of which, I was happy to notice that my Netflix account now shows me the British selection. So I have to try and binge on as many shows and movies before I go home, because a buttload of them are not available in Finland.

We'll see what antics tomorrow brings!

Week #2, first week at work

First week of the work placement, or on-the-job learning as it's called back home. It was both exciting and scary, in the morning of the first day.

I woke up with a sore throat on Monday, feeling a bit like crap, but not crap enough to stay home. We had been told to take the bus to the hotel, and the college arranged an account with a taxi firm thah would take us home after the shift. We took a bus to town, then caught another one that should had taken us a bit closer to the destination. Soon it turned out that it really wasn't the best way to get there, because after the nearest stop there's still almost a kilometer to walk and at least half of that doesn't have a sidewalk. So I arranged it so that we could take a taxi to work and back home, instead of just a taxi ride home.

We got there 15 minutes late on Monday. It was ok, co-workers and supervisor told us. I was relieved.

Before getting to start working, we had to see the hotel's health and safety supervisor, a lovely older lady. She asked us questions and made sure we knew what to do in certain, dangerous situations and what to do to prevent them. Then we had to watch an H&S-video.

A change of clothes and into the kitchen. I got to start in the mains side of the kitchen with second chef, who explained what he did while he prepared main dishes during service.

The first half of my shifts is prepping for the dinner service. The first week I got to bread croquettes, make salmon roulade and potato rostis, for example.

Mains side and starters and sweets side.

Part of the dining area, where we are allowed to have supper.

After having supper we start dinner service. The first two days I observed second chef and asked him questions whenever I got a chance. I tried to learn what goes into each dish as there are no recipes as such.

The next two days I was on the starters and sweets side with third chef.

I quickly learned how to prepare mussels. I also got to create dessert plates, which is always so much fun!

Co-workers also got to taste Finnish food; cabbage casserole!

Friday was a very hectic day; a caterred event for 160 people.

Paté, cheese plate, prawn cocktail and cheese cake. Starters and desserts had to be plated quickly. I was quite spent after I got back home!

The first week was interesting. Learned some new dishes, met some great people and gained new experiences. One more week to go!

First week's weekend

Saturday started quietly. Well, I felt like a quiet day, so I decided to go to town on my own. I needed time for myself, away from the younger student. Don't get me wrong, I get along with her, but being an introvert there is so much talking and company I can take at once, so I need my alone time as often as possible.

The back of the bus, good music from Apple Music and just me and my own thoughts. Bliss!

Off to town!

There was a fun fair opening at noon. Instead of pushing there with the huge crowd I decided to walk around the streets I walked earlier that week after every place closed. I came across a crafts store and bought knitting needles and yarn. Something to do with my hands while watching TV!

Then I headed for the fun fair. It was a tad too cold to go on rides, in my opinion, so I settled to walk around, and came across a small arcade. Sadly no pinball machines.

They did have the next best thing, my weakness, claw machines. I think I spent 3 or 4 pounds in total on the machines and came out with 3 toys and 30 pounds!

I did try many other games. I threw hoops, darts and angled for ducks. The latter scored me an adorable black bear.

After getting back home I spent the rest of the day watching TV, enjoying some cider and knitting. It was such a lovely, quiet afternoon. In the evening the whole family watched Disney's Robin Hood before retiring for the day.

Sunday morning, Valentine's day. We were served a full English breakfast.

I spent the day in front of the TV again, charging my batteries, getting ready for next week. I also tried out treats I had only heard of before. Turkish Delight wasn't really my thing, but Kendall Mint Cake was tasty.

The peacocks came back :)

Sunday night I got quite nervous, because the next day I would start my first shift at the fancy hotel. I had no idea what to expect at all!