Starting Your Own Café - Restaurant or Café?

Part IV - It''s not easy...

I had just spent three years at Westminster College learning the fundamentals of being a chef with the last twelve months on advanced skills and running a business; I had to write a business plan and produce design boards, costings, images of the concept etc. And then I came down to earth to face the reality of real work.

My first full time job was what some might call a cushy number, a commis chefs job at the Houses of Parliament, straight shifts with anything after 2.30pm on Friday as overtime, 12 weeks holiday a year and a share in the service charge!

So why wasn’t I happy? An ideal job in some respects however it lacked quality. Apart from the function work it was glorified Public School food, Friday’s Spotted Dick with custard was a highlight for the MP’s.

I got to serve many famous faces, David Steele, Cyril Smith, Michael Foot, Neil Kinnock to name but a few and a very near miss with Margaret Thatcher, her protection officer stopping me mid stride taking a joint of meat into the Members Dining Room Carvery.

I guess I missed the challenge of top quality food, so I went off to seek employment elsewhere, unfortunately a major car crash meant I wasn’t going to work anywhere soon.

I got the job, Third Chef at Hintlesham Hall, best known as the Hotel previously owned by TV chef Robert Carrier, however I just chose a different path, I elected to open a coffee shop and restaurant in my home town of Southend on Sea.

Anyone who knows Southend will know there are 1000’s of eateries so I had really set myself up to fail; I was chef patron in a busy French Restaurant at night and coffee shop by day, I take my hat off to anyone in a similar position, the hours nearly killed me so I opted to knock the coffee shop on the head and focus on being a restaurateur, if only I had known then what I know now I would have reversed the decision; a good coffee shop is where it’s at, good food, good coffee, good ambience and excellent service, for some reason that isn’t enough in a restaurant you need that certain “Je ne sais pas quoi”  

I stuck it out for three years but in the end I saw the light at the end of the tunnel and no it wasn’t the man with a torch!