How accurate is The Bear? Top chefs tell us what it’s really like to work in the kitchen

There is nothing better than going out to enjoy a delicious meal that someone else has cooked for you.

But when you’re having fun in a restaurant, behind the scenes in the kitchen, things will look very different.

From sweating through perfection, to screaming at each other; the reality of working in a kitchen can be tough, as viewers of The Bear will know.

The show, which airs on Disney+, follows Camen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a chef who takes over his family’s sandwich shop after his brother Michael dies.

It features some incredibly chaotic kitchen scenes, which you’d be forgiven for thinking were purely dramatized. But according to some of Britain’s top chefs, the show paints an accurate picture of what it’s like to work in a restaurant.

Nick Nairns

“I actually started watching The Bear after a phone call from my brother,” Nick Nairns told Metro.co.uk. ‘He called me and said, “I think I’ve made a program about you!”‘

Nick, who opened Nairn in Bridge of Allan in Scotland with his wife Julia, said the show has got ‘so right’ about working in the kitchen, because it ‘really captures the pressure, tension and desperate pursuit of perfection’ that he experienced while working in a restaurant.

‘I can definitely understand the pressure from restaurants that really care about what they put on their plates. It has to be perfect every time – the results can be catastrophic if you don’t get it right,’ he said.

‘It is very fast: you plate, garnish and you will be judged immediately. And now more than ever, people are vocal about their criticism. There are more responses than ever so it’s really high pressure.’

Another struggle involves the heat, as kitchens are generally ‘hot, sweaty, small and powerful.’ This, combined with close quarters and long hours can be overwhelming.

‘Everyone in the team works on the same timescale and you all finish after dinner – often late at night. So you tend to socialize with your coworkers. It creates friendships but it can be an unhealthy hothouse, where things don’t fit together,” he said.

‘I’m not sure if there’s another industry like it from this point of view, but I was in the Merchant Navy for seven years so I’m used to the sometimes claustrophobic atmosphere.

‘I have always seen chefs screaming at each other in the past – it’s always the senior inflicting on the juniors; junior staff will not cross senior members of the team.’

While shouting matches may have become less common in the industry, Nick claims tensions still arise at times between the kitchen team and waiting staff.

‘When the chef rings the bell, his job is done and he wants to go to the next chapter and immediately see his dish. But, of course, the home front has its own pressures. They can be decanting a £120 bottle of Burgundy, talking to a customer or dealing with other aspects of their job (the front of the house is hard!) – but this causes tension.

‘Sometimes this is played after the service, so the restaurant setting works well for the drama.’

Nick also noted that since Covid, the way restaurants operate has changed a lot in that regard. “Before the lockdown, things like this were always in the kitchen,” he said, while impressing that it never happened. ‘But since then, everyone has become more aware of mental and physical health.’

He explained: ‘I really don’t think the bullying and belittling is so common. We know people can be mentally soft and that is recognized.

‘There is now a broad understanding that we need to do better across the industry. In the restaurant, we work all day with everyone getting a decent salary. People aren’t asked to work unpaid overtime just for the “love of the industry” anymore. We’ve all signed up to the Burnt Chef Project, a mental health organization for hospitality workers.’

Ben Crittenden

Chef Michelin-star Ben Crittenden has also seen the same so that the show of angst played out in the kitchen, but it is the aspects of mental health of The Bear, as Carmy struggles with grief and runs a restaurant, which is related to the most.

Ben, who owns Stark, a modern European restaurant on Mersea Island, Essex, told Metro: ‘Chefing – in particular, running your own business – helps you to focus on other things, rather than letting your depression take over. .

‘The high-pressure environment that we have in the kitchen brings its own stress, but it almost helps to focus on that pressure, rather than the internal struggle you have. This is only a short-term solution, of course just improving your feelings will not be enough.’

Although he doesn’t feel the show is 100% accurate, Ben really enjoys watching it – although he admits it’s hard for him because he loves Carmy’s character so much.

‘The financial burden has been well covered. Although it doesn’t compare directly to our situation – we never had a sponsor, and Stark was always financed by us or a loan – the financial element in The Bear is relatable.

‘Our restaurant is the only income for our family and the threat to its success is really taking its toll and increasing the level of stress and pressure to do better.’

Sally Abé

Sally Abé, who leads the chef team at The Pem, a modern British restaurant in Westminster, London, is also a big fan of the show, and finds herself comparing the main character to her former colleagues while watching.

“The story and the character development are great and, interestingly, I’ve worked with people who are almost like all the main characters in my career, so I can relate.

‘And while it is an accurate description of kitchen life in terms of stress and pressure, I like to say that the kitchen at The Pem is not like the one at The Bear,’ he added.

Owen Kenworthy

However, there are some who feel that the show doesn’t match their experience as a chef.

Owen Kenworthy, chef patron at Julie’s, a modern French brasserie in London’s Fitzrovia, felt there was ‘too much fakeness’ and found watching the series quite jarring.

“In my opinion, The Bear is not realistic, nor does it reflect the truth of the day or life of working in a kitchen,” he said.

‘The kitchen is not chaotic – it’s a busy environment and it’s usually the last thought when building a restaurant, so it’s always tight, especially in the London scene where a lot is opened in a small space. Service can be hot, but with the right chef it can be an efficient and fun place to work, even when you’re busy.

‘It’s the old school way of thinking that the kitchen is a boxing ring,’ Owen argued.

Pavel Baranov

Regardless of the accuracy, it seems that for many chefs, they are eager for more representation in TV and movies, showing how difficult and demanding the job really can be.

Pavel Baranovs, head chef at UBA, a Pan-Asian restaurant in Shoreditch, London, says working in the kitchen is akin to ‘conquering a snow-capped mountain’.

‘You never know when or what will go wrong,’ he said.

“It’s great to see more films and shows like The Bear, which really capture the reality of being a chef and the importance of the hospitality industry.

‘It’s a challenging mix of emotions: love and hate, sweet and sour, and exhaustion and frustration can be overwhelming. But we always find a way to keep going and keep fighting.’

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