Trembling like a bally blamange, and clenched fists, the one around a huge knife, I told Theresa to get the hell out from behind my workspace. It was so busy that I found it impossible to get the meals out in good time, and as if the meals were not enough to worry about, everybody wanted puds as well, and I went and told Tony that he must have a good look and me, and see that I am not a bally squid or other animal with eight arms! The poor guy was stressed out of his mind in the bar, but darn it, if people couldn't eat, they would also not drink, and would soon go to another hotel.
So Theresa was told to help me in between, getting things from the fridges, and doing the salads and the puds, and that I would ring the bell twice when I was in need of help. But she obviously thought it her chance to show me just how good she was in the kitchen, and instead of doing what I asked of her, she kept on coming behind my worktop, and interfering with the food, turning steaks when it wasn't ready to be turned, putting chips in the fryer before I wanted it in, and generally getting self into a state of aggravation! The big thing with doing meals is that when I do an order, I arrange everything in my head first, then do it in that order, and if someone then interfered, I lost track, and then it was night!
After telling Theresa to get two gammon steaks from the fridge, I told her to get the salads ready, and do the orders for the puds. It was a table of ten, and in my brain everything was nicely worked out, when to put the chips in the fryer, when to put the steaks on, as some were rare, and other medium rare, with the gammon steaks going on last, as it dries out quickly if on for too long. As we had a large menu, with also lasanges, and chicken, and chicken and leek pies, and curries, and so forth and so forth, it was not always easy to stay on track!
I had everything under control, and was busy with the veggies for the steak pies, and when I turned around, Theresa had put the gammon steaks on!
That is when the last thread of self control just went out of the door, and I bellowed at the woman to get out, or be forever sorry. As I was busy with a sharp knife when I saw what she had done, and was wildly shaking this around, she left in great haste, and I was completely lost, my concentration now at nil!
Tony came in with Barry, Caren's husband, and a big eyed Caren and a smirking Theresa in tow.Tony tried to get my attention, but I was not at the moment available for a squabble, as I was trying to get my concentration on the ready again, so seeing that I was just ignoring them, they went out very silently, maybe scared that I would really throw the knife at them!
The problem here was that none of the others had any experience in a kitchen, so they just do not get it that doing meals are really stressful.