Greg to differ

Greg Nicholl may have the trappings of success, but, as Max Gosney discovered, it's been a hard route to the top

Chef-turned-pub-owner Greg Nicholl's six eateries, a winter tan, designer shirts and a shiny sports car have not been achieved by chance. Sitting in his latest venture, the Russell pub at Butlers Cross near Elles-borough, Buckinghamshire, he reflects on his tough journey up.

"There comes a point as a chef where you are working every hour," he says."You have to make sacrifices if you want to achieve your ambitions. But, looking back, it hurts to think I missed out on little moments, like tucking my children into bed at night."

A father of two, Nicholl got his big break in 1994 after teaming up with colleagues Paul Cox, Eric Stephens, Roy Ferguson and Andrew Saxby to launch his self-titled restaurant debut. He says: "When we launched Nicholl's Brasserie in Woburn, the country was slumped in recession. People said we were mad and that the restaurant would fail."

Nicholl and his team, however, were confident of success and 32 investors shared their conviction enough to back the £100,000 project. "The idea was to create a bistro-style café. At the time this area had premium and budget-style restaurants, but nowhere in the middle."

The restaurant thrived, despite economic doubts, and spawned follow-up ventures in the Hertfordshire towns of Berkhamsted and Harpenden and in Bedford. "The idea was never to start a chain," says Nicholl. "We wanted to raise enough money to buy the shareholders out after five years."

By 2001 Nicholl had his opportunity as the rise of branded restaurant chains on UK high streets created an ultra-competitive market. "The landscape had changed since the early 1990s. There were five companies bidding for every restaurant site, which forced the rents up. We saw pubs as a more realistic opportunity to build the business."

Nicholl's old local, the Boot in Soulbury, near Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, provided an ideal first site. "I knew the landlord," he says. "When he was about to retire he asked me if we could talk." Recognising an opportunity to create a "down to earth" food-led business, Nicholl was quick to agree a £20,000-a-year lease with Pubmaster (now Punch Taverns). "I felt we could capitalise on an untapped market ­ people who were looking for high-quality, classic British dishes, like steak and ale pie."

The judgment proved astute and helped double turnover at the Boot to £600,000 a year. The pub's success inspired a second site, the Russell, a premium French-style eatery, which opened in June 2004. Nicholl is confident that the Russell can repeat the Boot's success, but through attracting a more discerning diner. "It's the closest pub to Tony Blair's residence at Chequers. But in a wealthy area there are few places offering fine dining. You have to adapt your pub's offer to the local market."

The Russell's menu features pan-fried duck breast, bacon & potato cake with cherry compote (£12.75) and slow-cooked Cornish lamb, spiced aubergine salad and coriander couscous (£11.25). But though it courts a more highbrow customer, the Russell still shares many qualities with the Boot says Nicholl. "Both menus are modern British in style and we try to use as many local suppliers as possible."

Nicholl's Country Inns spent £100,000 on installing new kitchens, a bar area and furniture at the Punch Taverns-owned venue. Nicholl, currently a tenant with the pub company, plans to sign a lease in the near future.

Driving profitability at the pubs is a question of meeting four criteria says Nicholl. "You need good service, the right location, attention to detail and a value-for-money product," he explains. A GP of around 70% on food keeps accountants and customers happy he adds. "We sell more than 1,000 fish cakes each week," says Nicholl. "It's better business to make 25p on each one than £2 because people are not going to come back if they feel they've been overcharged."

Ensuring customers make a return visit is essential in a pub trade facing growing difficulties, argues Nicholl. "Licensees face a lot of challenges. The arrival of the minimum wage represents a huge increase in labour costs and the power of the big pub companies makes it very difficult to make a good margin on beer."

However, he remains enamoured with life in a local boozer. "I prefer pubs to restaurants because they are community centres where people can relax," says Nicholl. "Eating in a pub is a social experience. I come into the Russell with my wife and all the regulars come up to say hello."

That social buzz, explains Nicholl, is one of the greatest lures within the hospitality trade. "I love the banter with the chefs and the feeling you get from being part of a team," he says. "It's a great trade. I'd much rather be running a pub than working in an office. I don't see how you can enjoy yourself in a call centre."

Nicholl, unfazed by the long hours and missed bedtime stories, is committed to unfulfilled ambitions in the trade. "I still love it. In the future we'll be doing more pubs but not restaurants. We've got the funds, it's just finding the right site. I'm sure we'll do something this year." Watch this space­

Greg on:

Fish cakes ­ "They're my best seller in both the restaurants and the pubs. We sell thousands each week."

Osama bin Laden ­ "At some point the UK is going to be hit by terrorists. If you get an 11 September-style attack in London, people are not going to feel safe going out to pubs and restaurants."

Gastro pubs ­ "I wouldn't class our pubs as gastro pubs. I think it's a silly name."

Pubs ­ "They used to be places where you would go for a drink and eat at out of necessity. That's changing dramatically and if you tried to run a wet-led country pub you would struggle to make a profit."

Careers ­ "The hospitality industry is made for young people who are looking for something fun. It's a very social job and there are some great personalities, like Gordon Ramsay."

Jennie ­ "Things would have been so much harder without my wife's support. I tried to justify my excessive hours by telling her it's for our future, but she said, if I continued to stretch myself we wouldn't have one."

Greg Nicholl's CV

1976 ­ Leaves school and works under French chefs as an apprentice at British Transport Hotel

1977 ­ Works as a commis chef at Gleneagles

1980 ­ Moves south of the border to work in the kitchens of the Swan Hotel in Leighton Buzzard

1982 ­ Becomes head chef at the Swan and meets his wife, Jennie. Achieves Good Food Guide, Egon Ronay and Michelin ratings at the pub

1994 ­ Greg teams up with Paul Cox and others to create Nicholl's Brasserie in Woburn

1994-99 ­ Sets up Nicholl's Brasserie sites in Bedford, Berkhamsted and Harpenden

2001 ­ Sets up sister company, Nicholl's Country Inns, and takes over the Boot in Soulbury

2004 ­ Launches second pub venture, the Russell in Ellesborough