Describe yourself in one word
Defiant.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned in your career?
There is a beginning, middle and an end. The middle is the hardest. Restaurants are stories and you aren’t always the main character - they are drawn together with the hope and optimism of those who inhabit them, they are spaces of conviviality. The sound track reflects the barista in the morning and chef in the evening. They are a celebration of the everyday and we owe them our communities. As a restaurateur you always imagine what if you had your best and your brightest from over the years, if you could cherry pick the team what could you achieve. However similar to the journey of your restaurant, everyone has a beginning, middle and an end in that restaurant. If you’re really good at what you do then your gang grows. The best thing to do is always be silly!
Tell us your biggest strength
I never count other people’s hours against my own. This gives you the most peace in business because it keeps away resentment and builds optimism. I used to and it would make me incredibly mad if I felt someone wasn’t pulling their weight or matching my 70-hour weeks. I felt that 70 hours was the absolute minimum, but I was 26 when I opened my first restaurant and I was completely wrong. I remember we used to pressure wash the concrete floor in the restaurant at 2am once a month just to keep the place gleaming. You just wouldn’t get people working like that anymore and that’s a good thing.
What has been your biggest mistake?
Not taking enough people on the journey with me. If I had known how important it was to build the team from day one and keep then my world would be a completely different place. You can always hire amazing people but it’s important to have people that you have a shared experience with. Without those individuals alongside you it’s almost impossible to progress without burning out.
What makes you a good leader?
I think that’s for others to say. But I am very adaptive, and I also do my best to be a good storyteller.
Who has had the biggest influence on your approach to business?
Probably my mum and dad.
How do you stay motivated?
Motivation has never been something that I have worried about, I have always wanted to work hard even when I worked for other people. I can’t count a single day in 10 years of hospitality where I haven’t been motivated to push as hard as I can. When I can no longer put my all into something I draw that project to a conclusion with as much enthusiasm as I can.
How often do you check your email?
9am -1pm- Midnight. Every day. But I avoid checking them in-between.
How do you relax?
I walk the dogs for an hour in the morning and grab a coffee regardless of the weather. Preferably with my partner Kat and our seven month old baby.
What was your dream job growing up?
Architect.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
Shy bairns get nowt.
What would you call your autobiography?
A Floret of Cauliflower in a Dirty Sink.
Tell us something you think about the restaurant sector that almost nobody agrees with you on.
We don’t need government help, its never going to be enough and it’s not going to make life easier. I’m not going to wait for a silver bullet or a silver lining. I’m going to fix my own business and then offer my help to others free of charge. We need cross pollination between industries, we need to embrace technology and we need to nurture people in our sector.
Do you have any business regrets?
I took on a project to which I gave four years of my life. It was incredible in every way. With incredible people and this opportunity just comes once in a lifetime. But I spent six months trying to make the spreadsheet add up before we started trading and I couldn’t make it work. I should have pivoted or walked away. I lost millions of pounds of someone else’s money and lost friendships with people I care about and respect. It sits with me every day. It’s the only time I have ignored my gut and I got distracted by the big glossy budget and lost my roots.