Marina Bay Sands’ Master Chef shares the scariest things he’s seen in a kitchen

What’s the worst injury that can happen at your workplace?

Perhaps a paper cut, or maybe spilling hot coffee on yourself. Not nice, but not very dangerous.

But for Brian Cleere, the worst injury he ever saw involved a lot of blood.

"A colleague of mine whom I used to work with in a restaurant in Ireland was using the (mixer) to blend meat.

For some reason, the mixer got stuck, so he lifted the lid in a rush and put his hand inside to attempt to fix it. Part of his finger was sliced off and he was out for three weeks."

Cleere winces a little as he recalls the accident.

His own fingers seem perfectly fine though, despite a career spanning close to four decades.

Then again, you don’t become one of the most experienced chefs in the world by being careless.

The master chef

Cleere, a 38-year veteran in the culinary industry, is the Executive Director of Culinary at Marina Bay Sands.

Every luxury hotel needs a great chef, and Cleere fits the bill in more ways than one. He towers over hotel guests who have turned up for the breakfast buffet, moving serenely through the crowd like a sailboat in high wind.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Cleere recalls a happy childhood eating traditional food like cabbage and bacon.

He worked in a bank after leaving school, but gave that up to cook.

Cleere found a job at the Park Hotel Kenmare, which received a Michelin Star in 1994. He left Ireland and went around the world, cooking in countries like Taiwan, Japan, Macau, and the UAE.

Settling in Singapore

Cleere is no stranger to Singapore, having worked at the Grand Hyatt for 10 years. His favourite thing about cooking here? The wide array of ingredients available.

"Singaporeans love their food," he said. “Everyone has an opinion on where’s the best place to get their favourite dish.”

He joined MBS in 2018, calling it an "honour", and one of the biggest places he’s worked at in his career.

Keep safe

Having seen and done it all, Cleere is keenly aware of the hazards professional chefs face in the kitchen. The number one enemy? Exhaustion.

"Cooks can work up to 16 hours a day in a hot kitchen, and fatigue could lead to careless accidents and human errors.

Other common hazards people tend to overlook include poor ventilation, a messy kitchen, slippery floors, unstable table tops for cutting food, and so on."

But you don’t get to be a top chef by being sloppy. Cleere knows that to keep his team safe, the basics must never be neglected.

Stay alert

Staying alert is key, as are basics such as proper footwear, looking out for hot handles of pots and pans, and even holding of knives while being on the move.

He stresses the importance of not rushing things, to pay attention to one’s task, and ask for help if it’s needed. He added:

"At Marina Bay Sands, we conduct basic fire and safety training in accordance to WSH’s guidelines for all kitchen staff.

Our staff also undergo training to learn how to safely operate existing or new kitchen equipment. We also ensure our first-aid kits are well stocked for any emergencies."

A passion

Cleere has no secrets to impart to aspiring young chefs. The key is to just practise and have a good palate.

He agrees it can be a challenge to attract young Singaporeans to the industry.

But he believes that if the industry can ensure a better work-life balance and show care for its aspiring chefs, they can be part of a committed team, sharing in the camaraderie and creating a wonderful experience for the guests.

Workers in the industry can help achieve this by helping each other first and foremost.

Simple measures, like keeping an eye out for the next colleague, and making sure that hazardous situations are rectified quickly.

The difference between a trip to the hospital and a successful service can be as simple as keeping in mind some simple safety tips.

There is also an array of resources on kitchen safety that you can find on the WSH Council’s webpage.

Once you’ve mastered that, you can start planning how to get that Michelin star.

This sponsored article by the Workplace Safety and Health Council made the writer feel more appreciative the next time he goes out to eat.

Top image by Charis Chan.