Waitressing

Well Friday and Saturday was busy in the restaurant (obviously) and Friday was also bread making day. I got up early and went to the restaurant as Dragos began to shape the dough. He hadmade a large batch and I had to weigh it out then he shaped it and put it into baskets. These went into and incubator to prove for 40 mins then into the oven to cook in the heat left over from the night before. When the bread was about 80% cooked we removed the cover from the oven door and the smell was incredible! It was amazing, like fresh baked bread but times 100! After that we had to get ready for opening and It was my first time in the shop front. I was basically waitressing all the tables (which I've never done before) and had no idea how things were done. It was a baptism of fire really, because we had some people wanting to stay and eat, and others coming to collect take-aways, still others would come up and pay then point to things in the deli cabinet that they wanted. There were little things like where to place order tickets, how to prepare the drinks, appitizers, when to bring the water, all of this had to be learnt on the spot with Dragos telling me every 5 mins that I'de done something wrong. Even that fact that I'de put the dirty pizza boards in the wrong place, it was just a baptism of fire really. Luckily working in London at John Lewis had prepared me for some tasks, like making coffee, but that was a self service restaurant so it was a little different. By the time dinner service was over I was very tired, it had been a long and challenging day. The other thing about Kiwi restaurants, even nice ones, is that you get up and pay the bill at a counter or checkout at the end, rather than having the bill brought to you. I think its better because it creates less work for the waitresses, but also you can leave in your own time and not feel rushed.

Saturday went better, only made two very small mistakes although it was busier. We only had 5 or 5 tables ut loads of takeaways. They have no staff here, Carmen and Dragos do all the work with the help of wwoofers like me and their daughters. So last night I was doing waitressing, the till and clearing tables, while Carmen, Allisa (12) and Sara (11) made pizzas, Dragos did the pizza oven and any meals which were ordered, like the Goulash or Moussaka which they make in advance and freeze. This is why the prefer long-termers to stay. Today it was just me and Carmen doing lunch as there was a bit of drama at the Romanian Orthodox church in Wellington and Dragos had to go vote in something. But it was very quiet, the worst thing to happen was a group of ladies staying chatting till an hour after we closed (we close at 2 then open at 5:30) which was a bit boring to have to wait for.

If the weathers good I work outside and if its bad I help at lunch service then get the afternoons off then back for dinner service. Nearly finished in the orchard now. Sara helped me with the massive fig tree as putting the weed mats down when its windy is hard enough, let alone doing it for a tree that size. We played 20 questions to pass the time and thats the last time I play it with an 11 year old!! She thought of the most obscure things ever!

Anyway when I get bck to London I can now put that I've been a waitress at a Romanian restaurant on my CV ha!