Another Day In Paradise.

For the uninitiated the title of this post is ironic. If you are not clear exactly what irony is?  Well read on...

You know there is a certain time of years that all the light bulbs just blow. Usually just as winter kicks in and you need them. Well clearly there is also a time when commercial catering equipment just goes. And in the case of Howies it seems just when we have bought back the business we sold 5 years ago.
So that was yesterdays challenge.

The ice machine.

The dishwasher  at Waterloo and a fridge at Victoria Street.

A dishwasher but not as we know it. Well this one works.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Friday is not a great day to phone someone and go ‘HELP!’ as all commercial kitchen engineers are already running around sorting out other restaurants whose equipment has burst. So we tried everything/everyone. We googled, begged, and had some joy a as the fridge was fixed and then the ice machine too.  But try as we might we could not find someone to sort out the huge up and over dishwasher.

So I have just heard late last night that the Ops Director was in there strapped into ye old rubber gloves where she had a late late sweaty night washing the plates manually.

After a long long day in the office, on the floor, and then in the kitchen washing dishes.  CBE, Knighhood & OBE required.And a holiday. A lie down and a whisky.

Have you ever been faced with an ever increasing mound of dishes. The plates, forks, spoons and knives of 120 odd folk? Well just imagine it... then times it by ten. It is hell.

My first job to supplement the pocket money as a 15 yr old was as a dishwasher at The Crescent Hotel in Aberdeen. A wild eyed chef called Raymond ran the place with a mad eye and a sharp knife. Up to my oxters in boiling water with a film of sweat on my face was how I spent many a miserable hour. The head dishwasher – yes there was a pecking order was called Marlene – after Marlene Deitrich. That is where the resemblance ended.

Woman being blindly guided into emptying machine 1954.

I can recall that hell as if it were yesterday. And if we don’t find someone to fix our darn machine it won’t feel like yesterday it will be today. Off to get some Marigolds in preparation of the day ahead…..