Booklife Review

With clear eyes and straight talk, food-industry executive and consultant Guilbault celebrates the trade that feeds the planet with this insider's look at how to enter and thrive in the “sometimes raucous, sometimes risky, always dangerous” food and hospitality industry—and even better it from within. Readers will revel in the positivity and encouragement from Guilbault as she lays out “the mise you need to succeed,” after mise en place, “the standard chef ’s organizational process for making sure every ingredient and tool they need is prepped.” That concept—and that upbeat spirit—power this guide to achieving one’s career dreams, be it in food or otherwise, as Guilbault draws on her own experiences, offers comforting advice for how to get started in the industry and also what’s urgent to know when moving up to management. She sprinkles approachable yet impressive recipes for desserts, main courses, and more throughout.

Readers who have faced naysayers in their life about their food-biz aspirations will find that they have Guilbault in their corner, with encouraging practical advice about what it takes to get ahead but also how to enact meaningful change while doing so. “When we strive to fix the thing that bothers us, that's when the progress begins,” she notes, a precept she illustrates with the inspiring story of the founders of Sweetgreen and their mission to care about where food comes from and how employees are treated.

The advice covers relationship-building among teams, how joy is the “secret ingredient” in building a career, and why a gracious attitude is essential. Guilbault demonstrates this throughout, with levity and warmth, in both her memoir-esque storytelling and thechapter-ending “Mise Mode” sections that drive her guidance home. She also brings welcome attention to the numbers, breaking down profit equations, "comps,” and more, with an eye toward not just inviting readers into the business but showing them how it works.

Takeaway: This inspired and inspiring guide shows how to succeed in (and change) the food industry.

Great for fans of: Katelyn Silva’s How to Rock Restaurant Management, Daniel Lysak’s How to Become an Excellent Server.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A