REAL WORK: NINE TO FIVE

Name

Susie Malin, 47

Occupation

Recording Studio Caterer

Salary

approx pounds 20,000

Address

Kensington, London

Describe what you do

I cook for bands while they are recording in a studio. I have catered for CBS directors and film people and still do private work, but I really like working in studios and seeing an album being made. I used to cater for people at home and it went from there. I've worked with Oasis, Pink Floyd ... my CV is long and varied, right through from real pop to people doing classical music. This might be at a recording studio or live gig, but quite often bands have a home studio and so I go there. I always shop for fresh food. If people are fussy they'll get me in. It's all healthy food. They don't put on weight when they're with me, which you can easily do in a recording studio. You've got to find out what they like. There has to be a choice - fresh salmon, a chicken dish and a vegetarian alternative, which I quite specialise in. I start with basic dishes then I stretch their imagination.

How does your day start?

I get an alarm call on the phone. My alarm clock is too vicious; the phone is a low purring noise in the background. I get up between eight and nine. Breakfast is fruit: banana, grapes and melons. I've put friends onto this. You eat fruit in the morning and eat what you want the rest of the day. About nine I start work on a recipe book and magazine cartoon strip which has the working title "Sexy Susie's Erotic Kitchen". I'm working with the illustrator Aiden Hughes who is based in Liverpool; ideas are exchanged by fax or on computer. I leave the flat at about ten and go shopping. This usually takes somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half.

What do you wear?

Jeans and a T-shirt.

What's your journey like?

I get the studio to pay for a cab. I haven't got a car and parking is terrible at studios. I usually use this time to think about what I'm going to cook.

Describe your work environment

Some of the kitchens I work in are really fabulous and some are: "Oh my God! Have I got to work in this?" While the bands are recording elsewhere I'm working in the kitchen listening to Classic FM.

How long for lunch?

After everyone's eaten, I'll eat something. I eat my own food. Sometimes I go for a walk. Then sometimes I have to go out for extra shopping. I might be told to expect three for dinner, then it's 15.

What stresses you out most at work?

The half-hour before serving meals is stressful. And you have to come up with a billion ways to cook chicken, as some bands don't like red meat.

What are the perks?

Working for relaxed people. I've never had trouble from the bad boys of pop. Also, being around when an album is being made.

Hours per week?

Totally impossible to say how many hours I work a week. Some weeks are short, some are long.

What's your holiday entitlement?

I like to take a fortnight a year and lie on a beach. My parents have a house in Spain so I get really looked after. I like to go away when a band finishes an album unless I'm booked back-to-back with another.

What time do you leave work?

It varies. I'm usually home between 8:30 and 9pm. Later if I'm held up by the vocals.

What do you do after work?

Work on the book, read, relax and watch the telly.

What's the first thing you do when you get home?

I often come home to a house full of teenagers - my daughter Emma and her friends. So I cook for them.

How do you feel on a Sunday night?

Fine. I love my work. And I love cooking.