How did you come to work with Ruben and Gabriella?
I made the acquaintance of Ruben at a restaurant he was working [in Suffolk] and I absolutely loved his food and became a loyal customer. For no reason to do with Ruben the restaurant fell on hard times and he and Gabriella left and I was really sad. We had a conversation and discussed my backing him and we agreed a lot in terms of the philosophy of restaurants, what the dining experience should be and financial management. I said if he found a location maybe we could do something, and he found something in Bury St Edmunds.
What’s the food scene like in Bury St Edmunds?
Bury is a fabulous town and is fast becoming the foodie magnet for Suffolk. It’s quite a buzzy area and it gets a lot of tourist traffic in the good weather. The business community is well supported by Tourist Bureau and the Business Development Agency so it is really quite an active town. I think the restaurant is in a great location.
But you’re doing something a bit different for the area...
There are already some very good restaurants in Bury St Edmunds so we have decided to do a tasting menu at Bellota and put the chefs centre stage. It has a totally open kitchen which is novel [for Bury St Edmonds] - there is no other place that I know of here that has a totally open kitchen with the chefs presenting their own dishes - but people in Suffolk are quite a sophisticated crowd and are very knowledgeable about food. As Bury is the foodie capital of Suffolk we are hoping people are interested not only in what they are eating but how it is prepared. I know chefs typically are super passionate about what they are doing and it’s nice to break down that wall between the kitchen and the diners and let them interact with the chefs. That’s also very motivating for the chefs as they get to see instant feedback. A big smile is very motivating.
Describe the food at Bellota
It’s elevated fine dining European food that is very much led by seasonality. Ruben is of Spanish heritage so a lot of the dishes are informed by his Spanish background but you wouldn’t say this is a Spanish restaurant. It is led by what’s good and fresh [launch dishes include puffed pig with smoked yolk and cured jowl; Iberian ham croquetas; aged rice with charcoal grilled rabbit, and Suffolk coast wild bass with Catalan calçots parmentier and green asparagus].
How did you come to invest in restaurants?
I have a background in marketing strategy and business and experience in FMCG but I have always had an interest in food and cooking. I go to London very frequently and keep on top of what’s happening and I’ve made lot of friends among the chefs in London so I have a little bit of an inside track. As a result of that I invested in The Clove Club when that first started and things have branched out from there [including investing in Noble Rot]. I have always been a silent investor, I’ve never had any formal or decision making role before.
Bellota is a joint venture. How does it feel to be more involved this time round?
Ruben is a wonderful chef but you can only wear so many hats and his passion for food and the attention he places on that so he doesn’t have time to worry about marketing and the guts of the business, and that’s where I come in. I’m really enjoying it because I’ve thought silently to myself when I’ve been to different places that I would do this a little differently and so it’s wonderful to actually have the freedom to say let’s do it this way and see whether it works or not’. So far it’s been a great ego trip - but it’s early days. I’m not naïve about that.
Have you taken learnings from London restaurants you know?
Absolutely. I’m a good magpie. Before we opened I took the team to Behind Restaurant and Counter 71 so the team could watch and see what they felt they could and couldn’t do and how it all works. We’ve also been to St Barts. We’ve picked up the things we think we can do - stealing is not a problem for us.
What chefs in London do you respect the most?
There a lots of places I really enjoy. I’ve followed Nuno [Mendes] around to every restaurant he’s ever been at, both in London and Portugal, and I’m still close with Isaac [McHale] at The Clove Club. I’m also fond of Johnny [Smith] and Daniel [Willis] at LUCA. The welcoming ambience that those guys have created is fabulous.
What’s your take on the current restaurant climate?
I have huge admiration for all chefs in London. The city’s restaurant scene is so vibrant, there is always something new and interesting, which I applaud. I also know it’s a huge struggle and it’s not getting any easier. For crazy people who keep trying - like us - it’s great that you ignore the facts and just kick on. Some of the recent regulations don’t make life simpler but you have to admire the optimism of the people who go ahead anyway.
What do you look for in an investment?
The concept has to be interesting but if you had to say one thing that makes a difference between a restaurant that’s going to make it and one that isn’t it is the ability of the chef to create a team. I’ve seen some chefs who are phenomenal cooks but if you don’t have that real teamwork in the kitchen it just doesn’t work. The places that do well are the ones that can develop at team, loyalty and enthusiasm and get people to understand that criticism is great as it gives you a chance to improve. I use Nuno [Mendes] as a example. I know people would walk over hot coals for him.