Yeah, I've done all that - missed an ingredient that was only caught at the pass. Messed up some prep or plating, etc. I think that's normal. Developing strong attention for detail under pressure is really hard.

There are two things here - first taking every mistake to heart and working to not repeat it.

Second - it's supporting yourself so that you can do number one: Get enough sleep, stay well hydrated, a meditation or yoga practice is common among some chefs for reducing anxiety. At the least make sure to get some exercise and don't go out drinking too late and build up too much sleep debt.

Focus and stamina are your currency that you spend in the kitchen. You need to earn them back when you're not working via proper nutrition, rest, exercise and tools for internal calm.

You'll work it out.

You need to reflect your desire in your work. Anybody can "want" to be a chef, but not everybody is willing to go the extra mile to make sure everything is perfect on their station, always clean, properly labelled, etc. If you want this more than anything, then work like it. Don't worry about speed, that comes with time. But remembering your daily duties is something you should have in your head at all times, because it's serious, and if you want to be a chef then these small things should mean something to you.

I would never tell a subordinate to change careers, and I'm not trying to justify that painful insult, but to me, it sounds like your work ethic may be coming across as passionless, or not as serious as some of your superiors may want it to be. If you're truly passionate, and want nothing but the best for your workplace, then you shouldn't be needing to be told (more than once) to label your shit, etc. Hope this helped.

The biggest question; are you humble enough to take the criticism as reality? Can you improve? What part don’t they like an is that segment a part of your work that can be improved upon?

try asking why they think you should change and what you need to work on to improve - make sure you really listen to what is said and try to understand it - bad days can be a perception not reality and there is a lot at stake for the venue and their customers if you get a serious thing very wrong - if you embrace learning you will succeed in this if it’s right for you

Carry a notebook. Make notes. This industry isn't forgiving and some people are just not cut out for it. If someone literally tells you your not cut out for this life, I might heed their words. But the older you get the more experience you gain. So. Maybe find a new restaurant? Maybe look for a mentor?

Godspeed chef.

Spellcheck.

Everyone makes mistakes when they've only got a year of experience. Mistakes are how you learn. The more you make, the more you improve if you put the effort in. On top of that, you've switched from restaurant to catering, which is a new environment with a different way of organizing prep and tasks.

You might have felt more comfortable in a restaurant setting, but I'd encourage you to stick with catering for a while longer. There's a lot you can learn by exploring different facets of the food, bev, and hospitality industries. If you still don't like catering when you're more comfortable and confident, you can always go back to restaurants later.

You're gonna be great at this! Never stop pushing.

It's really disappointing to hear this. In order to improve you should try and find a team that will help you grow.  Shitbags just telling you to leave the field are NOT it.  Constructive criticism and assholery are two wholly different things. 

Hope ypu find a place that is willing to help you flourish. Hang in there buddy. 👊🏻

Hi,

I think telling you to change fields is not a valid criticism. And I totally get how such a statement can rock your boat and weaken the wind in your sails.

Notebook was suggested here, great tip. I always come to work with a notebook and believe me it serves me well. The streamlining you get when instead of asking the recipe for X a second time, you look it up in your notebook helps.

Also, do you have resources to get tested for attention deficit disorder? Being medicated for this thing really changed my game.

Lastly I would suggest you to start practicing meditation at home as part of your routine. It is a practice you can learn with an app like Headspace or Calm and it helped me a lot with concentration. It offers many other benefits after a while that help me daily.

Keep working, be kind to yourself you are so young.

What is it you want to do? Catering, restaurant, chef, .. I don't understand how you would be in control of any menu tags or being accountable for missing a whole item on the menu. Your exec should be posting events dates, times and delegating responsibilities. In catering you just need to pay attention communicate and be consistent. Who cares what anyone says or thinks just distractions. Believe in yourself