Dave Critchley is the head chef at The Noble House, in Brunswick Street, Liverpool. Dave, 28, lives in Childwall
7.30am: It’s the start of a very long day. I get up, make myself a strong coffee, and check if my chef whites are dry. I always wash them the night before, so sometimes I have to put them in the dryer before I get in the shower. In they go.
8.30am: I arrive at work. The first thing I do is get changed in to my whites and check in with the breakfast chef, who starts at 6.30am.
Everything is running smoothly with breakfast, so I start all my routine kitchen checks before sitting down to organise the lunch specials.
9.30am: The meat and fish orders start to come in, so I make sure everything has arrived before I start prepping the food for lunch.
11am: I help the chefs clean down the kitchen before lunch and update The Noble House blackboard with the day’s lunch specials.
12pm: The restaurant is starting to fill up with the local business crowd, so all it’s all hands to the pump. I take charge of plating up the dishes and making sure everything is going out correctly and on time. We take great pride in our food at The Noble House, and immaculate presentation and attention to detail is paramount.
2.30pm: I call the fish supplier, place orders for the next day and see what specialities are available. I try to use locally sourced fish where possible, but it’s nice to have a variety for our customers and the likes of red mullet and Indian Ocean tuna are very popular here.
3pm: I grab something to eat and start writing the evening’s specials. The inspiration for the specials normally comes to me throughout the day, while I’m on the go, so I’m constantly making notes. Next it’s time to start prepping evening specials.
5pm: I add the evening specials to The Noble House blackboard. There is quite a transition between the lunch specials and more complex evening dishes, as the later service attracts customers who want more of a fine dining experience.
The evenings are a good chance to showcase our flair and be creative with the food, which is what we do best.
6pm: Customers are starting to arrive, so it’s straight back to work – serving plating, and checking in with the chefs to make sure operations are running smoothly.
9pm: I go around the team and make sure all the orders are in place for the next day. We always like to keep a day ahead of ourselves.
10pm: The diners are starting to leave, so it’s time for the last clean-down of the day. I am always the last person to leave the kitchen as I need to make sure all the checks are done and everything is organised for the next day.
10.30pm: Time for a cold Peroni. I sit at the bar and reflect on the day’s events.
11.30pm: I get home, grab a quick bite to eat with my girlfriend, who has patiently waited up for me, and take the dog for a quick run before heading to bed.
