With hindsight what would you do differently?

When I left school I went to university. I had good grades for my Highers, and I thought it was expected of me – in fact as I have said before, I expected it of myself.

Looking back now, and looking at the various things I have done for jobs, I should have gone to catering college on leaving schools. Although I have worked as a chef, I am not qualified. All that I know is self taught (and taught by my mum), and I have experience. I have experience of working in busy kitchens, catering for parties at home, being a personal chef to large families, and pre-preparing meals for peoples’ freezers.

When I left school I didn’t even think of becoming a chef. It didn’t occur to me until I was working in a pub, and desperately wanted to work in the kitchen because, I believed, I was a much better cook that the person who was there! Which I was – modest too!

If I had gone to catering college I could have ended up with a much better job, with better pay. However, working in that trade is never well paid. And the hours are terrible, especially for a single parent.

I have also thought that I should have gone into nursing. Not from any overwhelming need to help people, but because when my mum went back to studying in her 40’s I helped her a lot. I learnt all that she learnt just from helping her study, and it would have been nice to have benefitted from that! The wages and hours are crap again though!

Back to the drawing board I guess!