So I evolved. Now, I involve the
chefs to create dishes and their own
experiences – it’s not my way or the
highway. There are a lot of young
people on our teams who are creative
and innovative. I encourage that. beer. Very important. Wherever I go, my
staff is always putting new dishes up.
“Chef Mangan, can we put this on the
menu? What do you think?” That’s really
exciting for me, because I’m learning
from them.
Where do you turn for inspiration and
creativity? What do you think is the key to success
in business?
I’m fortunate enough to travel a lot.
When I go to new countries, I always
try local food, meet local chefs, visit
local markets, and drink local wine and Persistency. Knocking on a few doors
and writing letters, as I did to get a
job at Michel Roux’s Waterside Inn in
London.
You’ve had lots of success, but we’d
imagine you’ve had a few challenges
along the way. How do you overcome
them?
There have been lots of ups and downs.
And going broke was pretty bad. I
almost threw in the whole restaurant
career, and looked for something else,
but what else could I do? I thought
about being a pilot.
I learned from my mistake of letting my
ego run my restaurants. It was all about
me. A restaurant is about the customer.
It’s not just about the food.
It’s about the flowers, the music, the
lighting, the wine list and the staff that
deliver the food. It’s about making
sure they’re knowledgeable – but
also making sure that they love where