10 minute read
CHEFS: BIG NAMES BRING BIG BUSINESS
Big names bring big business
An emerging trend has seen acclaimed fine-dining chefs move into the pub landscape – and the venues are reaping the rewards.
IN EARLY July, Laundy Hotels announced that it was bringing a French bistro to the first floor of The Red Lion in Rozelle, to be helmed by acclaimed chef and TV personality Manu Feildel. It was a big get by the pub group, with Feildel having run the kitchens and owned fine dining restaurants (Bilson’s, three hats; L’etoile, one hat), prior to launching his TV career.
It was a move that looked unlikely to be replicated, yet just a month later Momento Hospitality announced it had partnered with British chef Nelly Robinson – the name behind the hatted nel restaurant in Sydney CBD. Within days, Oscars Group also announced that ex-Apollo chef Peter Conistis would be working with group, kicking off by leading the menus and direction of the kitchens at the newly reopened The Bristol in Sydney’s CBD.
These are the kinds of partnerships that would have been unthinkable five years ago – partnering with pubs for chefs of this level of acclaim would have looked like a step down – but in the years since, we’ve heard repeatedly how fine dining restaurants are finding it increasingly difficult to make a profit. So now, these partnerships make a lot of sense – they give these chefs the kind of stability they require within well established pub groups, and bring a whole new level of elevation to pub menus. Not to mention the crowds that come with them.
A new opportunity
Each of these partnerships have come to fruition for different reasons. At The Red Lion, it started off with a casual conversation among mates. Jamie Gannon, Laundy Hotels’ group executive chef, asked his pal Feildel if he’d ever be keen to jump back into the kitchen if the right pub came along. Feildel said yes immediately, having not led a kitchen in eight years due to his TV commitments. And this new opportunity came with less risks than launching a new restaurant on his own.
“Eight years ago, it was so hard to actually make a bit of cash out of the restaurant, and it’s got worse and worse since Covid. So I didn’t really plan to go back into the restaurant world at all,” explained Feildel,
“But when Jamie offered the possibility of maybe running a little restaurant inside a pub, I said, ‘Well, that’s a little different. It could be actually quite cool.’”
For Gannon and Laundy Hotels, the partnership offered the possibility of increasing the patronage of The Red Lion Hotel.
“I’m sure Manu would agree that if he went out by himself, it’d be hard for him to survive, regardless of who he is. If we continued by ourselves [at The Red Lion Hotel], we would survive, because we’re part of a bigger business, but we wouldn’t be as successful or as busy as we are now. This only works because the two have come together.”
For Momento Hospitality, the opportunity to collaborate with Robinson was something that was pursued after executive chair Marcello Colosimo got to try out his food first hand at an event.
“I was introduced to Nel by Mick Bain, then I saw him again in Melbourne on Derby Day as he is the culinary ambassador for Penfolds. His food was outstanding and we discussed with him and Mick the opportunity to develop a true English gastropub concept at the Nags,” explained Colosimo.
For Robinson, the chance to takeover both the ground-floor the pub menu at The Nag’s Head Hotel, and create a more upmarket restaurant upstairs called Winston’s, allowed him to fulfill a long held dream to create a proper UK-style gastropub experience.
“When you walk into Nags you can immediately feel the history of the pub. It’s got classic pub bones which have been accentuated by the recent refurbishment, and I could see its potential straight away. Looking up to [British gastropub pioneers] Adam Handling and Tom Kerridge and having experienced what they’ve created in the UK, I knew Sydney was missing this and wanted to be the one to bring it here.”
The benefits of an elevated menu
For these pub groups, the chance to partner with such acclaimed chefs gives their pubs the opportunity to bring a new level of elevation and quality to their menus, as well as bringing new crowds to their pubs.
While making the point of not speaking for group owners Bill and Mario Gravanis, The Bristol’s general manager Tom Corbett (ex-Merivale), said that partnering with Peter Conistis was part of a concerted effort to elevate the group’s F&B offering.
“I’ve actually come on board because of the direction that they [the Gravanis brothers] want to go in. They’re still very commercially driven, but I think they see where the market trends are going, and restaurants are a huge part of that,” said Corbett.
“It’s good to have someone of Peter’s calibre within the group to put us on the map in the food and beverage sector, per se. It’s us lifting our standards to what our own expectations are of what we want to deliver.”
At the time of writing, Conistis’ main food concept within The Bristol, a Greek restaurant called Ela Ela, had not yet opened. Corbett had no doubt that when the restaurant was ready to launch, the reputation of their chef would be a drawcard.
“I think it’s unavoidable to highlight and celebrate that. It’d be silly for us not to, to be honest. But Peter’s product speaks for itself. It’s a huge drawcard to have Peter be a part of this project, and to be able to execute a menu of his calibre, we’re really excited for.”
At both The Red Lion and The Nag’s Head, the venues are already reaping the rewards of working with such esteemed chefs. Food sales are up five-fold at The Red Lion since launching, with daily covers averaging 60 for lunch and 120 for dinner.
At The Nag’s Head, the once quite neighbourhood pub is filling up with people wanting to try Robinson’s food.
“One hundred per cent having Nell on board has bought more people to The Nags. It is a great old pub with a great history and the locals and visitors have taken warmly to Nell and his menu,” suggests Colosimo.
“The venue is getting busier every week and the more people hear about the more come and return again and again.”
Kitchen investment
There’s a clear investment to be made when employing chefs of acclaimed or celebrity status, besides their salaries. Surely when bringing on talent of renown, a bigger investment is required in kitchen equipment or produce?
Corbett says definitely, but that the investment lifts the standard across the whole venue.
“I think everyone’s kind of trying to lift their standards. And [at] Oscars, we might have some really kind of high-end restaurants opening up within some pub spaces. Ela Ela might be part of the Bristol, but the Bristol itself isn’t regarded just as a pub anymore by our standards. All the pubs around the group, I think are really lifting the standards of what that looks like.”
At the Nags Head, Colosimo confirmed that Robinson designed the kitchen and introduced specific equipment suppliers, and that tit’s been worth it for the output.
“The quality of the produce he uses with his skill set has created a wonderful pub dining experience similar to what you get in the best pubs in England,” stated the executive chair.
At The Red Lion, Gannon says that other than using some different suppliers in the pub compared to other venues in the group, not much has changed in terms of investment in the kitchen. Instead, he says it’s the staff that have reaped the rewards of cooking under Feildel.
“The biggest uplift is for the team in the kitchen who get to have exposure to someone like Manu, because there is a massive skills gap in the in the industry. But our chefs that work there have now been introduced to something they would never get otherwise. They’d never work with a two-hat chef or someone who’s had a successful restaurant, for eight years. You know, they’ve never had exposure to that,” Gannon said.
“So these new chefs are going to skill up which we would never have been able to do in a normal pub offering. So that’s the big tick, which people forget about. My group head chefs, the front of house staff – they all benefit from this. I’ve benefited from this because I thought I had a high standard that I hold my chefs to, and then Manu came in at a whole new level, which is good. So now my levels increase as well. So it’s just a good concept that everyone benefits from.”
New skills, new patrons, an increase in sales for chefs looking for more stability? Regardless of what your level of investment looks like, this new landscape suggests that more pubs can aim for chefs that they thought had previously seemed impossible.
Guest appearance
Not all partnerships with acclaimed chefs have to be long term. To celebrate the one-year anniversary of its Latin American restaurant Pincho Disco, Kickon Group is bringing MichelinStar chef Miller Prada over from London to Collingwood for a two-night culinary event this month. The HUMO chef will cook up a six-course tasting menu inspired by his Colombian heritage, with tickets starting at $160 per person.
Kickon Group marketing director Tom Allan says being able to host talent of this calibre brings new people to the venue, as well as increasing its culinary reputation.
“Bringing Chef Miller down for our anniversary hopefully shows the people of Melbourne that we’re serious about delivering amazing dining experiences at Pincho Disco, and that we’ll continue to throw events with our unique combination of high energy and incredible Latin American inspired dishes.
“There are not many opportunities for the people of Melbourne to experience a Michelin-starred menu delivered by a Michelin-starred Chef, so we’re hoping to attract some new faces through the unique opportunity, whilst also celebrating a great milestone with our regulars.”
Allen also shared some advice for any venues looking to do something similar.
“If you’re looking to bring in star talent for a oneoff event, our advice is to plan well in advance, especially if they’re coming from overseas. Timing is everything—you’ll likely be coordinating with a team in a different time zone, so factor in those delays.”
