Omnivore - Working while drinking (and worse)

A cautionary tale of a Chicago chef

The Chicago Tribune ran a depressing story about Chef Brandon Baltzey’s struggle with substance abuse a few days ago. The author of the story, Kevin Pang, makes this observation:

The pressures of the kitchen drive an untold number of chefs into substance abuse. “Aside from officers and firefighters that put their lives on the line, there’s no other profession that puts demands on an individual and sets (its workers up) so well to fall into substance abuse and failed marriages,” said chef Phillip Foss of the forthcoming El restaurant. “And the vast majority of substance abusers just let it slide.” But Baltzley sought treatment voluntarily, and in the process let go of a high-profile position many cooks would kill for.

Boy howdy. There’s little that I’ve heard rumored as often as drug and alcohol abuse in restaurants. Over the years, I’ve had a number of clients (in my other work, psychology) decide to quit the restaurant biz because it fueled their addictive patterns. I wonder what could be done to make that less of a risk.

(Hat tip: Thomas Wheatley)






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