We are going to explain a little about the work of a Churrascaria Chef. Many of you already know that it is not easy work. I am most of my day in front of the stove cooking. The reality is that I spend a lot of time on the move. I spend the day moving throughout the kitchen and the preparation areas.
Since I care about my health and exercise, I decided to purchase a Fitbit Step-Tracker. I have put an app on my phone to know how many steps I take at the end of each day. In the kitchen, the truth is, that I was surprised. I never imagined that at the end of the day I would do 4 miles. I know it seems impossible, but it is not.
The Head Chef With The Fitbit Step Tracker
My work is as the Head Chef At Fogo De Chao. I get to work and the first thing I do is go to the computer and look at the reservations we have for lunch and dinner. Then I go downstairs, into the basement storage, and I take everything I need for food preparation. I usually take about three trips to get the supplies from the storage into the kitchen.
After pulling hundreds of pounds of meats out of storage, I start up the stove and the oven. While the meats slowly get ready, I take a look and analyze what type of desserts I need to make. I go back down to bring upstairs what I need to prepare for the desserts. We start the long process to prepare those authentic Brazilian desserts. The meats require very little preparation compared to the dessert options at Fogo.
After the lunch has passed, I go back down to the storage to bring everything up that I will need to leave ready for dinner. When the night shift comes, they have to have everything ready for dinner. While I’m doing all this, I’m also preparing everything that customers will be asking me for.
In the kitchen, I have a large fridge, in which I have a little of everything I use in the day. But many times customers ask for things that I do not have in the kitchen fridge. So, more steps are taken to go downstairs and look for what I need. As you can imagine, customers want everything at the moment they arrive. So, I have to go running. Normally, no order can take more than 15 minutes.
The Fitbit Step Tracker counts a days steps as enough to make up 4 – 5 miles average during each work day. Between the heat of the ovens, fryer, stove, steamer, and walmer and me running up and down steps, I lose about 4 pounds of water weight in a single shift. I drink a gallon and a half to two gallons a day.
Is not easy being a Chef. There is a video on comparing Head Chefs together using Fitbit. Watch here.
Words By Daniel Miller
Head Chef At Fogo De Chao