Chris Maclean: peace in the restaurant
After three months there is finally a true air of tranquillity in the restaurant. Things are delightfully calm now. And it is all to do with the slightest change of manpower.
The head chef here, Johnny, is a truly gifted chef and his ability to create outstanding dishes is extraordinary. But for months he has been battling to establish a new restaurant from scratch. It is a huge undertaking and one I am entirely happy to delegate to him. In trying to balance the menu, the staff, the prices, the layout and the direction he has suffered some casualties. Some promising staff have failed to make the distance. There have been scenes. Arguments. Drama.
At times I thought he wasn't going to make it. He has made odd decisions. His coffee machine that grinds fresh beans and makes clever types of coffee languishes idly in the shed. The soup blender that cost over £300 and is capable of mixing concrete is on a shelf in the prep room. Yet, amazingly, we don't have enough crockery. On Saturday night one customer had his steak served in a bowl because we hadn't enough plates! The customer muttered incredulously that "I've never had a steak served in a bowl before" and left perhaps less satisfied that he might have. The steak was fine though.
But the best decision he has made was to bring Anthony into the equation. Anthony perfectly complements Johnny. With outstanding pedigree and experience he, too, is greatly skilled. He is the organisation, control and brake on Johnny's actions. Between them they have taken the food to new heights and, unexpectedly, there is this wonderful air of calm throughout the kitchen. My sister-in-law calls him St Anthony.
On Sunday one of the local papers published a letter from a customer who had visited the restaurant. They wrote at great length (I would have cut some bits) in praise of the meal they had experienced. It couldn't have been a better advert. The power of stuff like this is incredible.
It feels as though our restaurant is coming of age and the feeling is good.
