A friend and ex-number two, a successful restaurateur, introduced me to the Belmont Bowling Club. There’s something very lovely about the club – the bowling greens create this little oasis in East Belfast. It was while we were having a drink there that I heard the caterers were leaving and, as my brother and I had been thinking about trialling a new concept, we decided the bowling club would be ideal.
Taking over The Belmont restaurant at the club meant we didn’t have to find a new premise, which would have cost us between £100,000-£200,000, along with taking on the huge commitment that comes with signing a lease. Instead, the club has given us the freedom to cook the type of food that I’m confident in, while seeing if there’s a concept that would be good for expansion.
It’s a British-American menu with a gastro pub feel, with dishes based upon the food I usually cook at home, like my version of fried chicken, which gets people saying ‘oh my god, I’ve never tasted chicken like that before!’.
Members’ clubs, like The Belmont, find it hard to attract chefs and, in the current trading environment, this arrangement is proving to be a good solution for both parties – particularly as it will keep the costs reasonable for them and reduce the risk for us.
Everything has changed in hospitality. Places are still busy, but no-one is making the money they need to. Chefs are being forced to look at their suppliers and where they once would have only worked with a butcher, they are now being driven towards the big suppliers, because they can’t afford to buy from the butcher. That has a knock-on effect all the way to the farmers.
And it all means that instead of chefs cooking with their hearts, more and more chefs are being forced to be commercial. I can see that in 10-15 years’ time, venues will be solely driven by the finances, not by passion.
Pubs, and clubs like The Belmont, are the hubs of their community and, I believe, if we are to make progress over the next 15-20 years as a society, we’re going to have to pull together. Humans are built to live in a community – to be in a tribe. And the more isolated we all become, the problems society is already facing, from mental health issues to drug addiction, will only get bigger.
What I like about The Belmont is the idea of doing something for the local community. The Belmont is a very successful club, with has a waiting list to join, so I hope people will be delighted to be able to enjoy good, homely-style food there – it’s how I like to eat nowadays. I had a Michelin star for 10 years, but these days I’d rather stick pins in my eyes than spend £200 on food like that!
And with it being so hard to recruit good people, I’m going to be cooking most of it myself.
Businesses are struggling to find skilled chefs and, with the minimum wage going up [and with employers’ National Insurance payments increasing], restaurants are opting to buy desserts in, rather than make their own from scratch. I’d love to be able to make my own bread, but I simply don’t know if I’m going to be able to afford to do that. The very nature of a members’ club is that prices are kept reasonable, because people are already paying a fee for membership.
I’m lucky enough to have an old staff member with me. She lives locally and was keen to come on board – she sees the vision of what I’m trying to do. Part of being good at what you do comes with repetition and having pride. The greatest waiters and bartenders will have done the simple things thousands of times, and you can tell the difference when you’re served by someone with that level of experience. It’s that repetition, attention and pride that ultimately wins you a Michelin star or the Pub of the Year award. But it can be difficult to find people who are willing to put in the time and learn the trade, instead of wanting to be instantly promoted to Head Chef because of something they’ve seen on TikTok.
I think I’m a better chef nowadays than when I had my Michelin-star, because I’m more formed as a human being with less of an ego. I know more about products, production and farming than I did back then too. My palette is better now and if there was one thing I’d tell my younger self it would be “don’t run so fast so early”. It’s a long race – hold onto your love of hospitality – and don’t let yourself become burnt-out so soon. It was heart-breaking to see such a wonderful talent and inspiration as Marco Pierre White hanging up his apron at the age of 38.
Great work in hospitality comes at a cost to your physical health, your mental health, your family, your limbs, everything. I’d definitely tell the young me to go more gently, because your health is wealth
Hospitality is like a family, with people at the top acting a bit like the parents, and I firmly believe that if we don’t look after each other, then how can we deliver to our customers and delight them? I like to over-deliver, not under-deliver, on everything; from the food to the smiles and warmth of the welcome. It all matters.
Yet, when you look at what’s being offered in the mainstream, there’s little to get excited about. There is, of course, the authentic and wonderful operators doing great things, but as someone said to me recently, 90% of places in Belfast have the same menu. That’s depressing.
Hospitality needs to be about the passion. If you’re a great craftsman, your heart and soul will be what drives you. What you produce is about you – it’s unique. If you just take concepts and ideas from social media, it’s not authentic and it will all look the same. I love the idea that certain parts of Scotland are renowned for their Arbroath smokies, Cullen Skink or chowder. That’s about having personality and being authentic.
Let’s never forget that magical things happen around a table – life-changing conversations. They don’t happen on social media, but they do when you’re sitting and having a drink or a meal together.
I hope that The Belmont is going to be my opportunity to give something back to the community, providing wholesome and honest food that comes from the heart and is prepared with passion.
