Alan Tompkins details mental health battle as hospitality owner struggle for staff

A former chef at some of Melbourne’s elite restaurants is hitting one of the hospitality industry’s biggest issues head on. Here’s how

Hospitality veteran Alan Tompkins is on a mission to tackle mental health issues in the sector.

The 46-year-old, who was born and raised in Geelong, now lives in Melbourne and has worked across venues in both cities.

Mr Tompkins worked as a chef for 22 years before hanging up his apron in August last year.

He had two mental-health breakdowns across two venues in six months in 2021.

Former chef Alan Tompkins is on a mission to tackle metal health issues.

“I had been studying mental health so I was seeing the signs,” Mr Tompkins said.

“I think Covid probably played a big part in it.”

He has experienced anxiety and depression, and said his mental-health issues began before he became a chef.

“It’s played a big part of my life,” he said.

“It was something about cooking that spoke to me.

“The industry is stressful enough as it is.”

Mr Tompkins, who now works in a warehouse, was appointed Australia’s first ambassador for the Burnt Chef Project in December.

He is undertaking a course in mental health and had decided he wanted to focus on hospitality industry.

“I was finding … there wasn’t all that much around about mental health in hospitality in Australia,” he said.

He came across the Burnt Chef Project on a podcast and thought their work aligned with what he was thinking about.

Alan Tompkins believes his struggles with mental health may have been exacerbated by his years as a chef.

The Burnt Chef Project is a globally recognised social enterprise committed to making the hospitality profession healthier and more sustainable by focusing on wellbeing first.

Mr Tompkins reached out to the project and went on to become an ambassador.

Mr Tompkins said giving up being a chef was something he had to do mentally.

“I think over time I’m not missing it as much as I thought might,” he said.

But whenever he goes out for dinner, he’s always keen to see what is happening in the kitchen.

He recently held an event in Geelong last and was overwhelmed by the amount of people who attended.

Mr Tompkins said he would explore returning for another event.

He said he believed staff shortages were adding to mental health pressure in the sector.

“I think it’s across the board,” he said.

“Owners and managers are finding it hard because they’re spending so much money and energy trying to get staff and staff are trying to push harder just to get the job done.”

For more information visit www.theburntchefproject.com

Originally published as Alan Tompkins details mental health battle as hospitality owner struggle for staff