Andrew I loved your amuse bouches. We used to travel 2hours to come to your restaurant for fancy occasions, date nights etc and it felt like an experience. Tables had space to breath, servers who could explain the dishes. It felt like being a grown up. Nothing against a veggie stirfry but I can easily do that at home.
So there’s a possibility that every single London restaurant has simply always copied all of the other London restaurants and that no-one actually knows the real price of anything then…? Love the sound of that amuse bouche. And plancha bottom sounds like one of the more brutal of many similar stories I’ve had told to me over the years. Hot plates and sharp knives really is the worst environment for macho insecurities!
Yikes. I know of some of the stuff that happens in restaurant kitchens, but some of the things you mention ..
Also, pricing. For my microbakery I also ended up going with local prices but in my case it wasn’t ideal because I didn’t buy wholesale ingredients, and I made everything by hand, and it took me for ever, and my oven was also super slow. Anyway, I barely covered my expenses and paid myself minimum wage (maybe).
This is now starting to sound very familiar. Thank good those southerners picked up the leaflets.
And you really did create a destination
Well, eventually.
Andrew I loved your amuse bouches. We used to travel 2hours to come to your restaurant for fancy occasions, date nights etc and it felt like an experience. Tables had space to breath, servers who could explain the dishes. It felt like being a grown up. Nothing against a veggie stirfry but I can easily do that at home.
Mushroom fudge…are sure VB? I’m not calling you’re judgement into question…but you’ll understand my need to enquire
Haha. Always pushing.
So there’s a possibility that every single London restaurant has simply always copied all of the other London restaurants and that no-one actually knows the real price of anything then…? Love the sound of that amuse bouche. And plancha bottom sounds like one of the more brutal of many similar stories I’ve had told to me over the years. Hot plates and sharp knives really is the worst environment for macho insecurities!
I’d say, everything is a pound.
Oh yes, some horror stories, lots of them. Thanks for reading this Matt.
Well, now I want a shot glass of spiced tomato juice with celery salt and Maldon sea salted crisps! That sounds divine!
All the food was sooo tasty there Betty. You would have loved it.
On its way over.
🚀
Yikes. I know of some of the stuff that happens in restaurant kitchens, but some of the things you mention ..
Also, pricing. For my microbakery I also ended up going with local prices but in my case it wasn’t ideal because I didn’t buy wholesale ingredients, and I made everything by hand, and it took me for ever, and my oven was also super slow. Anyway, I barely covered my expenses and paid myself minimum wage (maybe).
Yes, some terrible stories.
Oh I get that, business is very difficult.
Gee, I’m starting to feel a little anxious about the York house, and a general holding my breath a bit and hoping all will be well.
Have you read Will Cooper’s writing about the London restaurant scene?
I just want to say out loud, “What’s wrong with people”. That’s the nice version.
Don’t feel too anxious, it gets worse.
Ah yes, I know Will has seen some sights.
Now I’m really worried, I’ve been feeling this building. Good writing, bad industry.
Thank you, very much appreciated.
I'm pretty sure that food costing model is used in the majority of the big chains, especially a certain pub group ending in spoons..
Seems wrong to me.
Yep! Bizarre indeed.. when quality of ingredients is secondary