Like most jobs, it is what you make of it. Both my parents are chefs, dad is now a unit manager but worked in restaurants, gastropubs and nursing homes after working in the NHS. My mum works in Private school catering and has done nursing homes and NHS catering as well. Yes they worked hard, but they love it and wouldn’t do anything different. Think if I had the drive to be good I’d have gone that way, but was originally put off by the fact they were both doing it.