Dressed to Empress
Brothers Tom and Ed Martin have opened their fourth gastropub, the Empress of India, in London's East End - their most ambitious project yet.
The pub, which joins their pub repertoire of the Well, the White Swan and the Gun, is a first for the capital's gastropub scene as it offers all-day dining with breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Victoria Park is an up-and-coming area of London and the pub's all-day dining offer vies for a customer base made up of professionals and young families.
"The quality of pub food keeps improving unabated. Also, produce has got noticeably better with fresh and more eclectic ingredients being used in pub food," says Tom.
The brothers have been able to learn from the mistakes and experience of their three other sites with this opening.
Tom adds: "Although each new venture has its own unique obstacles and issues, each pub has been relatively easier than the last and much faster. Things such as refurbishment and dealing with architects and builders become a little more clear cut with time."
The brothers say their biggest challenge as operators is keeping ahead of the game, with constant competition from new gastropubs.
Tom says: "Being consistent is very important and also stopping all your venues from becoming staid. If high-flying chefs like Gordon Ramsay are entering the gastropub business these days then you have to ensure that your pub is well up to par. Ultimately, you have to keep your customers convinced that what you are offering in your pubs is special."
How we motivate staff
We encourage staff by having a service charge policy in place in the pub so they can sell as much as they can and provide the best service. There is also a bonus scheme to give an incentive to the management.
Menu philosophy
To have a modern British menu that is customer-friendly and not too adventurous. We want to emphasise quality British produce with rare-breed meats on the menu, game when it's in season and whole roasts, particularly on weekends. Our head chef, Tim Wilson, who was previously at the Medcalfe and the Ivy, is skilled at using seasonal ingredients which are encompassed in our blackboard specials. He will be putting his spin on British favourites with French influences.
Menu innovation
A daily-changing rotisserie where we have a selection of roast meat dishes. These include free-range Suffolk chicken with pigs in blankets, onion and chestnut stuffing and bread sauce, suckling pig, or even Kerry Hill roast leg of lamb with boulangère potatoes and salsa verde.
Best business idea
Making the Empress an all-day dining pub and family-friendly. As the local area has so many young families moving in, it is important to make our pub accessible to them. Mothers can drop their children at school and pop in for a coffee, brunch or light lunch. They can also bring children, as we have a children's menu and baby-changing facilities. Commuters can have breakfast before they go off to work. The whole concept of this pub is to make it a focal point of the community where people aren't under pressure to have a full meal, but can have a break in a relaxing environment.
Front and back of house
Staff aren't just expected to offer good front-of-house service, but also to ensure that orders are properly and clearly communicated to the kitchen staff. We have ensured that they know the menu inside-out and are able to answer customer queries with confidence.
Recommended suppliers
Chesterton Farm, near Cirencester,
Gloucestershire (Tel: 01285 642160)
They offer a good range of traditional and rare-breed meats from local farms. We use their beef in our Chesterton Farm shorthorn rib of beef with Bordelaise sauce, watercress and chips (for two to share).
Rossmore Oysters Ltd, Crawley, West Sussex (Tel: 01293 888868)
They are renowned for their high quality oysters which we use in our starter of Irish rock oysters with red wine shallot vinegar.
Billingsgate Market, Isle of Dogs, London (020 7987 1118)
You can't beat the variety and freshness. An example from our menu is herb-crusted hake with mousseline potato, peas and tarragon.
Business plans for the future
We plan to have a take-away service which will be accessed via its own separate entrance. We want to give local residents who are coming back from work the opportunity to come in, buy a whole roast chicken and a baguette with a bottle of wine and take it home. During the summer, we are hoping to offer a variety of packaged picnics including indulgent items such as Champagne and smoked salmon which customers can take to the local park.
Drink
Best-selling wines: Sauvignon blanc, Stoneburn, Marlborough (New Zealand) £20.50 bottle; Viura sauvignon blanc, Marquis del Turia (Spain) £13 bottle, £3.30 glass.
Best-selling beers: Helles Lager £3.30, and Bitburger £3.20. The Empress is one of only three London pubs to serve India pale ale.
Beer suppliers include: Meantime Brewing Company Ltd in London (Tel: 020 8293 1111).
Best-selling soft drinks: pear, cinnamon and apple juice smoothie £3.50
Soft drinks suppliers: include Funkin (for fruit purées) in London (Tel: 020 7328 4440).
Best-selling dishes
Potted salmon with pickled cucumber & granary toast £5.50Game pie with savoy cabbage and chestnuts £12 (GP: 73%)Goat's cheese & thyme soufflé £9.50
My favourite ingredients
Pigeon: We serve a starter of warm salad of pigeon breast and caramelised quince.
The quince complements the pigeon and gives the dish a wonderfully sweet yet tart finish.
Lamb: We roast the lamb in the rotisserie, which brings out the flavour beautifully and cooks it quickly. We serve it with boulangère potatoes, green beans and baby carrots.
Pork: This is used in one of the best mains on our menu - Gloucester Old Spot bacon, prune and apple meatballs with mash. The prunes and apples give the meatballs texture and a lively flavour.
On the menu
Starters
Crab bisque, cognac cream - £6.50
Endive, walnut,
pear & Roquefort salad - £5.50
Mains
Fillet of Glenarm salmon with beetroot risotto & horseradish - £12.50
Roast breast & confit leg of guinea
fowl, sage potato cake & braised red cabbage - £13.50
Dessert
(all £5.50)
Chocolate & pistachio terrine crème Anglaise
Bramley apple pie with malt whiskey and oatmeal ice-cream
Breakfast
Baked kipper with poached eggs; buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and Old Spot streaky bacon; steak'n'eggs with hash browns or Empress kedgeree
Afternoon tea
Finger sandwiches such as egg
mayonnaise with mustard cress, cucumber or Glenarm smoked salmon and cream cheese alongside a must-have home-made selection of French fancies, fairy cakes and scones, displayed on authentic
cake stands.
Business facts
Owner: Tom and Ed Martin
Turnover: £1.5m (projected)Wet/dry split: 40/60Average spend per head: £10 breakfast, £12 brunch, £15 to £20 lunch, £5 to £8.50 afternoon tea, £35 dinnerAverage covers per week: 500Total covers: 70 (more will be accommodated once the al fresco dining facilities come into operation)Number of staff: 25GP food/drink 70% plus/69%
The Empress of India
130 Lauriston Road, Victoria Park
London, E9 7EU
Tel: 020 85335123
