Arabic version: «ذا بير» يساعد كاتبة على إعادة النظر في العمل بالمطاعم

According to The Guardian, a writer who once avoided restaurants after a difficult waitressing job says watching The Bear helped her reassess both hospitality work and her broader attitude toward employment.

Eight years earlier, she had worked in a fine-dining restaurant in the Cotswolds, where she struggled with wine pairings, forgotten orders and the pressures of busy service. She recalled being shouted at by chefs and described an incident in which she spilled oyster water into an influencer’s lap while trying to clear a plate. She left the job after running to the kitchen in tears.

The experience shaped her choices after she went to university two years later. She lived frugally on her student loan to avoid returning to restaurant work and preferred pub drinks to formal restaurant dates. She said waitressing had left her feeling hopeless and apprehensive about work after university.

Her reaction began to change when she overheard her boyfriend watching the first-series episode “Review”, in which a kitchen descends into chaos. Although the sounds initially recalled her worst shifts, she eventually watched the show and came to value its comic and candid portrayal of high-pressure hospitality. She also found herself explaining restaurant terms such as “turns” and “covers”.

The second-series episode “Forks” proved particularly important. In it, assistant manager Richie learns the value of hospitality while working at a high-end restaurant. The writer said the episode helped her understand why high standards and small details matter. After becoming a writer, she applied that outlook to deadlines and rejection, and says she now appreciates her time in hospitality and is especially kind to waiters.