The Union Club of Cleveland’s Lawrence McFadden, CMC, GM/COO, writes a letter of thanks to Arnaud Berthelier, CMC for all his hard work in 2020.
As the holidays approaches and moves past us, I must give thanks to all whom I am associated with. Members, Board, President, Management Team, and of course, the great talents of our line employees.
Having come from the kitchen, the holiday season for me is a cross between heaven and hell. I know this is the case for most of us in the hospitality industry. It is a time to give thanks, surprise, and delight with holiday traditions while at times killing us at the expense of others enjoying their holiday relationships. It is truly a gift of love to provide an emotional experience to our customers/members and extended families.
Most in the kitchen just bury their heads and look forward to January 4th unless you are in the south where its just the start of the season. For those in other areas, the holidays mark the end of the season, and time for reflection, rest, education, and even hobbies.
Open letters seem to be a “thing” these days, so I thought I would send our Chef— Arnaud Berthelier, CMC—a note of thanks, advice and motivation for a job well done in appreciation of his talents shown each day.
Dear Chef,
On behalf of the membership, Board and President of the Union Club, thank you for a job well done this year. It has been a long and challenging one, filled with up and downs, likes and dislikes, and highs or lows in all culinary things.
Having worn the cloth, I certainly can appreciate the ever-changing landscape of product, staff, and requests that pour in daily. Add on staff shortages, their focus or lack thereof, sickness, and simply,”my hearts not in it anymore chef” and you have a challenging, consuming position.
No other department takes the ingredients from mother earth, races against a perishing stopwatch, and assembles a finished, ready for consumption product. It’s a true art form we assemble each day. Yes, convenience products have made our lives easier, as perhaps, aluminum foil and plastic wrap were those products of the past. Most if not all Master Chefs create their artwork from the “raw products,” assembling, measuring, and preparing in the peak of product character. Our kitchen is no different.
The greatest compliments come from the most common locations on the menu. When the member smiles and says, “Lawrence, that was the best French toast, oatmeal, or potato chips I have ever had.” It is the common comparable simple stuff that makes a person excited. Countless times we have had the tasteless or mundanely recognizable dishes, saying to ourselves, “Why don’t they just serve a hot French fry with Heinz ketchup?”
A master in the kitchen looks at everything we source and serve at the Union Club. He is an individual who is not satisfied with his own, or his teams’ performance, execution or commitment to the raw ingredients that have been bestowed on us each day by the vendors we call friends. Those partnerships and relationships are really the key between a good or a great meal. It’s the difference between someone eating the club’s foods and someone savoring the club’s food, often stopping mid-meal to comment on the quality, taste, and texture of perfection.
These experiences always make it to my door, office, or ears. They always make it to the Board, Presidents, or chairperson’s mailboxes. These are the real reasons we get into the business, suck up the throbbing feet, and push through the busy nights mindful of the craft we have selected for our careers.
Chef, thanks for being a Master, a professional and most importantly a friend to me and the rest of the staff at the Union Club. You can be very proud of the staff and standards you have assembled over the past two years and we all look forward to a very successful 2021.
Culinary regards,
Lawrence T. McFadden, CMC