0:00:02 > 0:00:05The only thing that stands between success and failure
0:00:05 > 0:00:06at the moment is chance.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10Many of us fantasise about opening our own restaurant.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13But with restaurants up to three times more likely to fail
0:00:13 > 0:00:17than any other business, it's not for the faint-hearted.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Opening a restaurant just to make money is wrong,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22but it's very important that it does make money.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25I'm Russell Norman.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27After years of dreaming,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30I set up a series of acclaimed restaurants that now serve
0:00:30 > 0:00:34half a million customers a year in the cut-throat London market.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38I'd definitely say that there are rules to opening and running a successful restaurant.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42You must know your numbers, you must do your research,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45you must be prepared to work very long hours.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Now I'm helping six first timers gambling their life savings
0:00:49 > 0:00:51to start their own restaurants.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55I've got no food and I'm opening in less than 48 hours.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00It is work in progress, but it needs to be work that isn't in progress quite soon.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03From floor plans to finance, and menus to marketing -
0:01:03 > 0:01:06I'll have to shatter a few illusions.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08I mean, this is cute, but very impractical.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11I'll have to show it to him, cos it's almost inedible.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14What's the solution, Russell? Tell me! You get another plumber?
0:01:14 > 0:01:15That's exactly what you do.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Each of these plucky entrepreneurs is hoping their new venture
0:01:19 > 0:01:21will give them a better life.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23You know, this is all mine - and isn't it gorgeous?
0:01:23 > 0:01:24Thank you.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27But unless they get every detail spot on,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31it could mean bankruptcy and personal disaster.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33I'm scared now, yeah. I'm very scared.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41This time, Kate's turning her home into a cafe.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44There's a lot of upheaval. That doesn't bother you?
0:01:44 > 0:01:47I like the idea of opening the doors to the public and sharing it.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Family life will be turned upside down.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52BABY CRIES OK, sorry.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54She'll become her little sister's boss.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57She can be a bit of a control freak, she freely admits that.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59- It's your table. - No, it's not my table.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03With no restaurant experience, can they cope with the pressure?
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Oh, my goodness me!
0:02:05 > 0:02:07And will anyone turn up on opening day?
0:02:07 > 0:02:11We went into this knowing it would be a crappy time,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13and we're in it, and it's crap.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Britain's cafe culture is booming -
0:02:25 > 0:02:31in 2012 the coffee shop market in Britain grew by 7.5%,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34with sales of £5.8 billion.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40I'm heading to the Midlands to meet Kate,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43who wants to capitalise on Britain's increasing love of cafes
0:02:43 > 0:02:46by opening one with her sister in a small village
0:02:46 > 0:02:48in the heart of Warwickshire.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51We've lived in Dunchurch for about nine years,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55and ever since we moved in, really, there's never been anywhere like a cafe
0:02:55 > 0:02:59or anywhere you can get a good coffee. You know, have a good breakfast and lunch.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03So having spotted a gap in the market,
0:03:03 > 0:03:04Kate has made the radical decision
0:03:04 > 0:03:08to convert the downstairs of her beautiful family home into a cafe.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12For Kate, this was the one way she could pursue her dream,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15but keep her overheads to a minimum.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17This is the main dining room.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21We're going to have about 18 covers or so in here.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25So people will come in through the front door into here.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29About five tables in here of between three and four seats on each.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34I'm not sure that everybody would want to give up potentially
0:03:34 > 0:03:39a third of their house to let the general public come in,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41but I'm really looking forward to it.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Kate also runs a marketing and design business from her home,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48so will be living and working above the cafe with her young family.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Here we go.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52She's gambling all her savings and will own the business,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54but her sister, Alex, will run it.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58To do this, the mum of two, is giving up her career as a nurse.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02I'm nervous because I've got to leave my very secure, lovely job,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06with my nice pension and my nice holidays and my regular hours,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10to go and do something which is basically the unknown.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Kate has more than enough to keep her busy upstairs,
0:04:12 > 0:04:16but will still be very hands-on in the business.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Being the slight control freak that I am,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22it means that I'm only upstairs, and obviously if Alex needs me
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and I'm up here I can pop down and do whatever needs to be done.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Kate and Alex have the full support of their families,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32but it's still going to take a lot to turn their dream into a reality.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35I think when you start any business it's a gamble.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38You never know for definite if something's going to work or not.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41You've just got to try, and if you don't try, you don't succeed.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44If people didn't try, there'd be no business anywhere.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47So somebody's got to take that risk at some point. Why not us?
0:04:53 > 0:04:55I mean, we're in a beautiful part of England.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59It's very quaint. Beautiful church, beautiful schoolhouse.
0:04:59 > 0:05:05There's a real sense of old England, a real sense of rural suburbia.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10There are three restaurants and two pubs serving food in Dunchurch,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12but as yet no cafe.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15There is either a very good reason for this, which is worrying,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19or Kate and Alex could be quids in if they get it right.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24It's 10.30 on a Monday morning,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26and I haven't seen a single person.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31With relatively low-price items, the one thing that cafes need
0:05:31 > 0:05:33is lots of customers.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Dunchurch doesn't feel to me
0:05:35 > 0:05:38like the sort of place that's going to have an awful lot of footfall.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41I can't imagine more than a handful of people on a Monday morning
0:05:41 > 0:05:46or even a Monday afternoon wanting to sit down and spend money.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Kate and Alex are ploughing ahead
0:05:50 > 0:05:53and plan to open The Nook in just eight weeks' time.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57With their builders about to start work, there's not a minute to waste.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02- Kate? I'm Russell. - Hello, lovely to meet you.- You too.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- So this is it, this is the Nook.- It is, yes.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09So where we're standing now is which part of the cafe?
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- This will be the main dining room. - OK. It's a lovely room.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14- It's beautiful. - I love those shutters.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17It's got a great position, you're right in the middle of the village.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- Yeah.- Right on the square. It's beautiful.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- Shall we have a look around?- OK.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- And then we have the second dining room.- Yeah.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Oh, this is nice.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Oh, what a beautiful room.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Really wide, beautiful chimney breast and fireplace.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38So this is currently our family kitchen.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40But it will be the commercial kitchen.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42- So this is where everything is going to come from?- It is.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46- Quite small, isn't it? - Do you think?- Yes!
0:06:47 > 0:06:49- This kitchen is being ripped out this week.- OK.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53And then fitted out with lots of freestanding stainless steel units.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56So quite a big job, I would have thought. How long will that take?
0:06:58 > 0:07:00I don't know is the answer to that!
0:07:00 > 0:07:03This domestic kitchen will be relocated upstairs
0:07:03 > 0:07:06as Kate, her husband Dan, two kids and the cat
0:07:06 > 0:07:10will be crammed into the top floor and attic of the house.
0:07:10 > 0:07:16This is the top floor, which will be our new living room and kitchen.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17CAT MEOWS
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Wow. So, this is the eaves? We're in the roof?
0:07:20 > 0:07:24- How long have you had this house? - Since May.- OK, so six months.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28You move your family, and then six months later, you move them
0:07:28 > 0:07:31within the house that you've moved to, upside down.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34And then you put a business underneath the family home.
0:07:34 > 0:07:35There's a lot of upheaval.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37If it were me, I'd be thinking,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40all the time, about those fantastic rooms downstairs.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43And how I'm having to live in a smaller space
0:07:43 > 0:07:45at the top of the building. That doesn't bother you?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48I don't see it as small. I see it as quite cosy.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52You don't see it as an issue, as something that you might think later,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55further down the line, "Gosh, those lovely rooms?"
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- Um...- Full of the public, that we can't get into now?
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Do you know what, I'm quite looking forward to sharing this house.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I like the idea of opening the doors to the public and sharing it.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10When starting a new business,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12rent should not exceed 10% of turnover,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15but by running her business from home,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19her overheads will be low and Kate will be saving thousands.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23She has cottoned on to a growing trend.
0:08:23 > 0:08:2670% of the new businesses started up last year
0:08:26 > 0:08:28were from a garden shed or kitchen table.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Kate's invested £20,000 which she hopes will cover the refurbishment
0:08:34 > 0:08:39and initial salaries for all employees including sister Alex.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Fantastic.
0:08:42 > 0:08:43Thank you very much, Kate.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- I'm Russell, by the way. - Hi, I'm Alex. Pleased to meet you.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48You too. You're the sister I've heard all about,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- you're going to be running the show. - I am, apparently.- Fantastic.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54- Let's talk about it over some scones, shall we?- Okey-doke.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58So, Alex. Your plan is to give up your day job
0:08:58 > 0:09:00to do this full-time, is that right?
0:09:00 > 0:09:02- That is my plan.- Why?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05I really like the idea of a family business, working for ourselves.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08I don't think there's anything quite like working for yourself.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13I think we both recognised there was nowhere like it, in Dunchurch.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15- Right.- So that's where it came from.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17That's interesting, the business idea came about
0:09:17 > 0:09:20- because of a lack of something in this particular area.- Yeah.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22When we did the business case, it was slightly scary,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26in how many covers you have to do in a day, in order to make any money.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29How many is that? What was your figure?
0:09:29 > 0:09:35We took an average of all the prices of everything on our typical menu.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38What was that? What was the average?
0:09:38 > 0:09:39About £5.50.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43And we've worked out we need to shift about 40, um...
0:09:43 > 0:09:48- sales a day before we start making any money.- OK.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Afternoon tea will be a key focus for the cafe
0:09:51 > 0:09:55but they have yet to decide just how extensive their menu will be.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58These scones, you talked about these being a signature.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Yes, we decided to make them square,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03- because our name is The Nook on the Square.- Yeah.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06So we thought it would be quite nice to have something a bit different.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09You mentioned something about the smell of freshly baked scones
0:10:09 > 0:10:13as you walk through the front door. Is that quite important?
0:10:13 > 0:10:19- It's my favourite cake, actually. So afternoon tea.- Mm-hmm.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23When I was pregnant with my daughter, I pretended it was my craving,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26but it was just an excuse to eat more of them, really.
0:10:26 > 0:10:27So I love them.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31And I think if you do a really good signature scone,
0:10:31 > 0:10:36then I'm sure people will come back for more.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38'I'm impressed that Kate and Alex have spotted
0:10:38 > 0:10:40'a potential gap in the market,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44'but with so much at stake they need to be sure they can make a profit.'
0:10:44 > 0:10:47I worry about the number of people that would use
0:10:47 > 0:10:52an operation like this. It's very quiet out there on the streets.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54And a business like this needs to have
0:10:54 > 0:10:56a regular stream of customers to make it work.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Everything being sold here is going to be reasonably low priced.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Cups of tea, scones, cakes, sandwiches.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07It requires a constant stream of people using the place
0:11:07 > 0:11:09throughout the day and the week.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11And I just don't see that number of people on the streets.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16They have put so much into this and sacrificed so much for it
0:11:16 > 0:11:20that it would be a shame if all they did was open a tea shop
0:11:20 > 0:11:22that served a few cakes and sandwiches and scones.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23This needs to be so much more.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26They need to give these guys over here in the pub
0:11:26 > 0:11:31a run for their money by serving amazing food in a wonderful setting,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33a beautiful village in the middle of Warwickshire.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37I can quite clearly see where I can help Kate and Alex.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Firstly I want to help these novices deliver excellent service
0:11:41 > 0:11:44that will keep their customers coming back.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I also want to address the problem of spend per head,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50and make them more ambitious with their menu.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54But before any of that can happen,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56the sisters need to get their house in order...
0:11:56 > 0:11:59POWER TOOLS WHIRR
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Literally.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03No going back now!
0:12:04 > 0:12:08A week after my visit, building work is beginning in earnest.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11- That's a hole!- That is a hole.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13- That's a big, big hole. - A big, big hole.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17- What do you think? And there's a bit of a mess.- Yeah.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21- Shall we get the Hoover out?- Yeah.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24As I know from my own restaurant experience,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Kate and Alex will have an enormous amount of work to do before opening.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Oh, God, that's heavy!
0:12:30 > 0:12:33There's a lot to do. Literally, it's every day and every night.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36I'm trying to fit in my day job around this as well.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Juggling all this with the demands of motherhood
0:12:39 > 0:12:40was never going to be easy.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44You don't know anyone that sort of does do supplies of butter
0:12:44 > 0:12:45and things locally, do you, at all?
0:12:45 > 0:12:49BABY CRIES OK, that's... Sorry!
0:12:49 > 0:12:51My biggest fear, or the guilt I feel the most,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54is that the kids are going to suffer.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56You know, we're trying to get on with stuff
0:12:56 > 0:12:58and they're being pushed to the side.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59That's the main thing really,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02cos I've still got to be a mum through all of this.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06And Kate and her family are crammed upstairs.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08You are being very rude and I don't like it one bit.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Any more and you'll be asked to go downstairs.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15Already Kate and Alex are paying a high price for their dream,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17and I want it to be worth it.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Of course opening a restaurant is tough,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27but I'm hoping my advice will give Kate and Alex
0:13:27 > 0:13:29the best possible chance of success.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32I'm also encouraging them to aim higher when it comes to
0:13:32 > 0:13:34their spend per head aspirations.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36But there's no point going for high spends
0:13:36 > 0:13:40if you don't have the excellent service required to back them up.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46To help Kate and Alex get their service right,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49I've asked them to come to London to see how it's done
0:13:49 > 0:13:52in one of the capital's most exclusive hotels.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56I'm at the Goring Hotel in central London.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58It's the granddaddy of traditional British hotels.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00And I'm meeting Kate and Alex,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04who are coming here today to serve afternoon tea.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07I think Alex and Kate are really full of energy.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09They've got such great ideas.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11But they need to see how it can be done,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13and how it can be done really well.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16These guys here do it fantastically well,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19and I really hope that Alex and Kate learn from them.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24The sisters are going to be serving afternoon tea,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27which can cost just shy of £100 for two.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31So you'd expect nothing less than top class service.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36This is a far cry from the world of marketing or nursing.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Bar and lounge manager Brian will be taking them through their paces.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45So this, this afternoon,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- is pretty much the training room, isn't it?- Absolutely.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51The sequence of service is simple, it's the bits in between them.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54This is the bit we need to get right, guest interaction.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58At this level, every detail has been meticulously planned
0:14:58 > 0:15:01to make the service as seamless as possible,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03as Brian's staff demonstrate.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Hello, gentlemen, good afternoon. This is our menu.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- Is it your first time in the Goring for afternoon tea?- Yes, first time.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Right. So let me just explain our menu.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16We have the traditional afternoon tea and the Bollinger.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19And we have really delicious selections of teas.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Have a look at the menu and feel free to choose everything you like.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- Thank you very much, indeed. - Oh, Lordy!
0:15:26 > 0:15:29So, the important information we need from you today,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Kate and Alex, is to get the big smile, big hospitality,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35offering the menu and saying, we have a choice of two,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Bollinger tea and traditional tea.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39We'll give you a few minutes to look at the menu
0:15:39 > 0:15:40and come back and take your order.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45Within two hours we've got to do a full service, so keep it simple.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46Keep it simple.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Good afternoon. Welcome to the Goring. I'll give you your menu.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53- Thank you.- We've got a choice of two afternoon teas today.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57The Bollinger tea and the traditional afternoon tea.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02So I shall leave you to look at the menu and I shall be back.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08OK, that's fine. You lost a little bit at the end.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09I'll just throw the...
0:16:09 > 0:16:13At a certain stage, you were trying to keep your eyes too much,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17that you weren't even seeing where you were putting your hands to get the napkin.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20As long as the eye contact is really when you arrive at the table,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22- with that big smile.- Right.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25At that stage, it's OK to lose contact of the eye,
0:16:25 > 0:16:26you can then pick it up.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30It's easy doing marketing, I tell you! It's so complicated!
0:16:30 > 0:16:32That's quite intense.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I think it doesn't help having eight people watching you as well.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37I didn't know how to do the napkins.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40I think I probably thought there was less involved in it
0:16:40 > 0:16:41than there actually is.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45The level of detail here seems really excessive.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48But when it comes to operating from Dunchurch,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50the girls are going to be doing something pretty similar.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53They're looking after customers who are coming in
0:16:53 > 0:16:55for an experience that needs to be consistent every time.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58So although this seems multi-layered, it's not going to be
0:16:58 > 0:17:00a million miles away from what they need to do.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Have a little amuse-bouche for you, this is eggs Drumkilbo.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09This was the Queen Mother's favourite. Oh, my goodness!
0:17:09 > 0:17:13This is the Queen Mother's favourite picnic dish. And after she died...
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- PLATES RATTLE - Oh, my goodness me!
0:17:16 > 0:17:19..Buckingham Palace gave us the recipe. I hope you enjoy.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21- Oh, my God!- You're like Mrs Doyle!
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Everybody gets nervous.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Unfortunately, one of the worst things that you can be doing
0:17:26 > 0:17:27when you've got nerves
0:17:27 > 0:17:30and when you're a bit shaky is holding a tray of crockery.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34It's pretty unforgiving and unfortunately a little bit comic.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Tea pouring next. That should be interesting.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Hot liquids, laps.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41SHE LAUGHS
0:17:41 > 0:17:43It'll be fine!
0:17:51 > 0:17:53- CLATTERING - Oh, sugar.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54(Sorry!)
0:17:55 > 0:18:01This is terrifying. This is one of the world's most respected hotels.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05And Kate and Alex are going to be in front of real live paying customers
0:18:05 > 0:18:10in just a few minutes. Kate seems a little bit jittery.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14And that manifests itself in quite a wobble when she's pouring tea.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18So I hope that she gets a bit of control over her nerves
0:18:18 > 0:18:21so that there isn't the rattle and the wobble we experienced here.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24So now what I want you to do is go get into your uniforms,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28get ready and we'll see you upstairs ready for service.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29- OK.- OK.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35This is a real test of how Kate and Alex react under pressure.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Their cream tea may cost a tenth of the price of the Goring's,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42at £10 for two, but they need to work so much harder
0:18:42 > 0:18:45in a rural location to pull in customers.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49It's very nerve-racking being up here,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51when you've got all the real customers looking,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54and wondering what on earth we're doing.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57And now I've got to pretend I know what I'm doing! So...
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Hopefully, it'll all go fine.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00- Hello there. - CLATTERING
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Oh, goodness me, sorry about that.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Good afternoon, ladies. Here we have your amuse-bouche.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10They gave the recipe to the hotel here to, um...
0:19:10 > 0:19:12I can't remember where I am!
0:19:12 > 0:19:13- CUSTOMERS LAUGH - It's fine!
0:19:13 > 0:19:15I'm so sorry!
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Enjoy. Thank you.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19I forgot where I was!
0:19:19 > 0:19:22I couldn't remember where I was.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25OK with that amuse-bouche?
0:19:25 > 0:19:27You'll be fine, don't worry.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29- You'll be fine.- Blimey. OK.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35It was a favourite of the Queen Mother.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- Uh-huh.- So it's here for you to try today.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42- Enjoy.- Thank you.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Here we go, here we have your afternoon tea.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Are you getting more comfortable now?
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Yeah, it is quite nerve-racking, to be honest.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55But, you know, if you can do it here today,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59under this kind of pressure, then it can only get easier, can't it?
0:20:00 > 0:20:05The popularity of afternoon tea grew by 20% in the UK last year,
0:20:05 > 0:20:10with some hotels in London charging £170 for two,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13and with waiting lists for tables of up to seven weeks.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16The girls are clearly tapping into a trend.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18- Have a lovely afternoon. - Thanks a lot.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21I guess the golden question, then, is would you hire them?
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Yeah, they have exactly what you want in the business.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28They have big smile, they have personalities.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30- That really is 90% of this business. - Yeah.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32I'm absolutely exhausted.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35I think because you're out of your comfort zone,
0:20:35 > 0:20:36it's not what you do every day.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39It's been absolutely brilliant, because it's given us
0:20:39 > 0:20:42a real insight into how to train people.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45You know, even down to the tiniest detail.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48The Goring hotel has been here for 103 years.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50What they do here, they do so well
0:20:50 > 0:20:53because they've had a very long time to practise.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55In six weeks' time, the Nook will be open,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58and it has a very short amount of time to establish itself.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02So it's very important that Kate and Alex think very clearly
0:21:02 > 0:21:03about what their offer is.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Six weeks will go very quickly indeed.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11After the glamour and luxury of the Goring,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14it's back to reality at the Nook.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16It has crossed my mind that I should just run away
0:21:16 > 0:21:17and not bother with any of this stuff.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21But unfortunately that's not going to happen!
0:21:21 > 0:21:24And this means working long hours.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Wife, mother,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34painter and decorator, waitress, book-keeper,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36yeah, I think that's it for today.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40But there could be another addition to that list.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44So the chef, we had a bit of a problem
0:21:44 > 0:21:48because we're really struggling to find somebody.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50You know, if we don't get one sorted...
0:21:50 > 0:21:54soon, what we're going to have to do is learn all the dishes.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58And then, if the worst comes to it, we'll do the chef's job
0:21:58 > 0:22:00until such time as we can find someone.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04That fills me with absolute joy, the thought of being a chef.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08But, you know, needs must.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Hiring the right chef
0:22:13 > 0:22:18and cracking the menu for The Nook is going to be key to their success.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20In a restaurant, there is a relationship
0:22:20 > 0:22:23between number of covers and spend per head,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and if you get that balance wrong,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29you run the risk of working very long hours, absolutely flat out,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32and only just about breaking even, and that's not much fun.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Kate and Alex's menu is their mission statement,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46and it needs a bit of je ne sais quoi.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49So I've brought them to Paris, the centre of cafe culture,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52to inspire them to think bigger.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57The girls are planning to serve breakfast
0:22:57 > 0:23:00and an extensive afternoon tea menu,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02but I want them to make The Nook into
0:23:02 > 0:23:03so much more than just a tea shop
0:23:03 > 0:23:07and give them some really delicious and unique ideas
0:23:07 > 0:23:08to expand their lunch menu.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Rose Bakery is a renowned boulangarie
0:23:14 > 0:23:17owned by Jean-Charles and his wife Rose.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20- Hi, I'm Alex, pleased to meet you. - Good morning, lovely to meet you.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Synonymous with fresh, home-made, impeccably sourced ingredients,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26its quiches are legendary.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30I'm hoping this small independent operator will inspire them.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33If there's one thing that I want the girls to take back,
0:23:33 > 0:23:37it's a renewed and invigorated passion for food.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40I want them to see that they can prepare delicious
0:23:40 > 0:23:42savoury dishes like the quiche,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45in an environment like The Nook, and really make a name for themselves.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Every day, we do every single thing fresh.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55We start selling at 11am, finish at 3pm and everything is sold out.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58And we start again the next day, every single day.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01We're here to learn how to make the famous quiches.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05They're relatively cheap and easy to make,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08and if done well, can be really profitable.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12So we start here by putting the cream together.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15One litre of cream, five eggs and one yolk.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19So the first egg, you're forgetting...
0:24:19 > 0:24:21You forget the white, I see.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25'The secret trick of making these quiches so memorable
0:24:25 > 0:24:30'is to take out one egg white in every six to make them creamier.'
0:24:30 > 0:24:34- This recipe is now 20 years old. - Right, OK.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39- How much salt and pepper? - Two big pinches.- Of each?- Yeah.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41We don't measure here, it's all like that.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45- So there's still loads of yolks in the bottom there.- Yeah.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48You've got to work a bit harder than that, I think, Alex.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- I don't want to throw it everywhere! - Don't, but give it a bit more welly.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- JEAN-CHARLES CHUCKLES - That's it.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58The next stage, you have to see that the quiches are not going to leak.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00So you put them through the light like that.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02- Mm-hmm.- Seriously?- Yeah.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- So what are you looking for? - I'm looking for holes.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06- So no holes.- No. If it's holes,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09that's not going to be a quiche, is it?
0:25:09 > 0:25:11I've never held quiche pastry into the light before.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13- This is a first for me.- Can you see?
0:25:13 > 0:25:15I feel faintly ridiculous.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22What they do at Rose Bakery stands on a firm food ethos.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Fresh ingredients sourced from the market, cooked daily.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29And this means the number of quiches is limited.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32And that creates demand.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35So how many of these do you make and sell in a day?
0:25:35 > 0:25:38So, on the week, on the weekdays,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41we sell 48. And when it's finished, it's finished.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43And what sort of time of the day do they normally sell out,
0:25:43 > 0:25:48- or do they sometimes last?- 2.30pm. - Really?- Yeah.- Create the demand.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50- Exactly, yeah.- Create the demand,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54and make sure that people understand the exceptional thing as well.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- They are just not, like, coming out of the freezer.- Absolutely.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00By having 48, and 48 only, you're saying, this is it.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03They're fresh, this is what we've got. When they've gone they've gone.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07- Yeah. They're gone, they're gone. - I can see your mind working.- Yeah.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10- It's all going in.- I can hear the cogs whirring, it's incredible.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13We have a tradition that we do bacon quiche.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17- Does it surprise you how generous it is?- Yeah.- Yeah, definitely.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Really gives a strong sense of getting your money's worth
0:26:19 > 0:26:24- and then some.- It's so packed full, it's lovely to see.
0:26:24 > 0:26:25This is something that, I mean,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27I don't see this sort of thing in London.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29This real attention to detail.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31The sort of attitude to food
0:26:31 > 0:26:33that comes from baking rather than cooking.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36You know, this is as good, I think, as any restaurant meal
0:26:36 > 0:26:38but it's the sort of thing you rarely see in restaurants
0:26:38 > 0:26:41because it's considered the realm of the bakery.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45At The Nook, in Dunchurch, you have an opportunity to do something
0:26:45 > 0:26:47fantastically well, like this.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Packed full of local, seasonal ingredients,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54that I think has the opportunity to blow your customers away.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55'Not only is this fabulous food,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58'but dishes like this will enable Kate and Alex
0:26:58 > 0:27:00'to charge more per dish,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02'and increase that crucial spend per head.'
0:27:02 > 0:27:06- And...in.- Done!- Well done.- Job done.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10I'm hoping that they go back to Dunchurch with a renewed sense
0:27:10 > 0:27:14of what they're doing and a renewed purpose. It's not just a tea room.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18It can't just be serving cakes and scones and jam.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20It needs to be more than that.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22I've just got loads and loads of ideas going on in my head now.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25And things we can take home.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Wow!
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- They look fantastic, don't they? - Yeah.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32- That's a thing of beauty, isn't it? - It really is.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- Mm.- It's good.- And the veg has still got a bit of bite.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41There's an opportunity on your menu for something more than just
0:27:41 > 0:27:43the things that go with tea.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47The scones, and the cakes, and the typical English tea shop fare.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50What we've got here, I think, is still very consistent
0:27:50 > 0:27:53with your baking ethos and very consistent with your tea shop ethos,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55but something that is, I think,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58going to elevate you to a different status.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Back in Warwickshire Kate and Alex, inspired by their trip to Paris,
0:28:10 > 0:28:15are hunting down the very best local suppliers for their menu.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Do you do delivery or anything like that?
0:28:18 > 0:28:19- You can order online.- Yeah.- OK.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23- Shall we take a couple of bits to try?- Mm.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Lovely, thank you very much.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29- Good luck with it.- Thank you.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33But the build is nowhere near finished.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37There is a lot to do in five and a half weeks.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Got to get some staff, that's quite a big thing.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42So, a chef, waitress.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Obviously, there's loads of decorating to do.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47All the floors need redoing.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51Um, the kitchen has got nothing in it.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55We've blown our building budget by about five grand.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58I'm just worried about the things I haven't thought of yet.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01But, yeah, if I actually sit back and think about it,
0:29:01 > 0:29:03I realise we've probably taken on far too much.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04You say it's going to be tough,
0:29:04 > 0:29:06but actually it's not till you're in it
0:29:06 > 0:29:10that you realise, actually, this is quite horrible at times.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13With opening day looming, the build is pressing.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17But it's only one of a long list of things still to be done.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23After their trip to Paris, their menu is starting to take shape
0:29:23 > 0:29:28but will their potential customers like the dishes they plan to serve?
0:29:28 > 0:29:32I've suggested we do some market research in the village.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37The great thing about The Nook is it's in the centre of a village.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39In the centre of a community.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42What we're doing today is bringing the food of The Nook
0:29:42 > 0:29:45into the village itself to see if the locals like it.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48And most importantly, to see what they're willing to pay for it.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Right, oven on.
0:29:52 > 0:29:53Set.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Good.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58It may sound really obvious, but price point is essential.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01If you make things too expensive, no-one's going to come.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Too cheap, you're not going to make any money.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07As we learnt in Paris I've just got to fill them up with mixture.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11I want Kate and Alex to find out whether the prices that they
0:30:11 > 0:30:16want to charge are the same as what the villagers expect to pay.
0:30:16 > 0:30:22- C'est parfait.- That looks lovely. Last one, then.- Yep.- OK.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29- What have we got? - We've got a selection.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32- You've got your square quiches. - We have!- I love it. Look at those.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35They look fantastic. And what else do we have? What's this?
0:30:35 > 0:30:40- This is ribollita, Italian soup. - Fantastic.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44Over here, this is a pork and fennel stew.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48- The bread has come from our baker, fresh this morning.- Looks lovely.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52On the subject of feedback and on the subject of pricing,
0:30:52 > 0:30:55what I've got for you are some little feedback forms
0:30:55 > 0:30:58that I hope will help you to get the prices right.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00OK. Fantastic. Thank you for that.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04Kate and Alex are thinking of selling
0:31:04 > 0:31:08their Parisian inspired quiches for £5,
0:31:08 > 0:31:13their soups for around £4.50 and the stew for £6.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17And they're hoping to make 65% profit margin
0:31:17 > 0:31:19on each of their dishes.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22But so far they haven't got any takers.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25How do you think the villagers are going to find out we're here?
0:31:25 > 0:31:27- We're going to go round.- We're going to have to go and find them.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31- Make them come to us.- I think that's probably a very good idea.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34I'm hoping my fear about the lack of customers in Dunchurch
0:31:34 > 0:31:36isn't going to be proved to be right.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40There's free food and no-one's around to eat it.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45Hello.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47I'm Kate, I'm from The Nook.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50We're going a taste test of the food we're going to be serving.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52We're doing a selection of the kind of things we'll be serving.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55- That's nice. - We're looking for some feedback.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- Please come over and bring as many as you like.- What is it?
0:31:58 > 0:32:01- You'll find out.- OK.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03- 'Finally, some customers!' - Blimey!
0:32:03 > 0:32:05You've got a crowd! Get your pinny on!
0:32:05 > 0:32:08We've got quiches, we've got ribollita,
0:32:08 > 0:32:12- we've got a pork and fennel stew. - What's it for?
0:32:12 > 0:32:14We're opening a cafe, The Nook, so it's just a taster.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17What we want you to do is try it and tell us what you think of it
0:32:17 > 0:32:20and how much you think you'd pay.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- Tasty?- Gorgeous.- Good. - Pork's nice and tender.- Very good.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28- It's nice. Very nice. - So, that was 9/10.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31- Very good. - Gosh, that's a good start.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33And £4.50 for the quiche.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37- What do you think you'd pay for something like that?- £5 or £5.50.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39- OK.- OK.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42It's really good. It's different.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49One of the items on their menu looks to be shaping up
0:32:49 > 0:32:51to being a real success.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55This one is bacon and tomato with a little bit of black pudding.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59This is goat's cheese and tomato and chive.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02- That's amazing. - Do real men eat quiche? They do now!
0:33:02 > 0:33:06I'm eating one, yeah, so I guess they do, yeah.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09It's proper food. It's not mass produced.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14- Kate and Alex, we have a 10/10 over here! Wow!- Mm.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18- That's superb.- Yeah?- Very nice.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20In a restaurant environment,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22what do you think you'd pay for something like that?
0:33:22 > 0:33:24For something like that? £5 or £5.50.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27- I would say £10.- Just under £10?
0:33:27 > 0:33:30- I think so.- That's really encouraging, thank you.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34That's three dishes from their menu that have the local seal of approval
0:33:34 > 0:33:38and they are prepared to pay decent money for them.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Given my concerns about the lack of footfall in the village,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44I'm pleased to see such a crowd.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46I'll have to remember that one and come over!
0:33:48 > 0:33:50I think this event's gone really well today.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52A lot of people were very interested
0:33:52 > 0:33:55and curious to know what Kate and Alex were doing.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57A lot of people came out of their homes and out of the shops.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00The feedback was very, very good
0:34:00 > 0:34:03but the standout dish for me was the quiche.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06I tried all three of the quiches and they were exceptional.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08I mean really, really good.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14This exercise, for me, is very useful to find out whether people
0:34:14 > 0:34:16like your food - and they clearly do -
0:34:16 > 0:34:18but I think the really interesting part
0:34:18 > 0:34:20is going to be what people will pay for it.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23- Shall we look at the feedback? - Yes.- OK. Quiche, 9/10.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28- Very good. And they would be willing to pay £4.50.- OK.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31That was lower than I thought.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34Quiche, 10/10. Excellent. £4.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37- Pork and fennel stew, 11/10.- Wow!
0:34:37 > 0:34:40- And a very low £3.50.- Yeah.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Pork and fennel stew. Really yummy. £6.95. Is that more in your region?
0:34:44 > 0:34:49- That's exactly what I'd have written.- Quiche and slaw 8/10. £7.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53- Wow.- Quiche, 10/10. £9.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57Cheese and onion quiche and soup, 8/10.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01£6 for the quiche, soup £4.50. Stew, 10/10. £6.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07I wasn't nervous until we got out here
0:35:07 > 0:35:09and I thought it could go one of two ways.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12But fortunately it went the right way.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15We've had such fantastic feedback
0:35:15 > 0:35:18and very good feedback on the pricing as well.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20At least we know we're on the right track
0:35:20 > 0:35:24and people aren't expecting really cheap or really expensive.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26So it's been really good for that.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29At least we know we're in the right ballpark, don't we?
0:35:29 > 0:35:33They may not have a chef yet but it's clear they can turn out
0:35:33 > 0:35:37good food that people are prepared to pay the right price for.
0:35:37 > 0:35:38But with the opening looming,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41I'm keen to see how the build is coming along.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43There's lots of change, isn't there?
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Oh, you've knocked a hole in the wall! OK.
0:35:46 > 0:35:47I'm completely sold.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50This is great because it does what was missing from the building,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53which is connect the back and the front, the two areas.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56- So even without going backwards, I feel connected.- Yeah.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59You can see through, you're going to be able to hear people
0:35:59 > 0:36:02talking and chattering and laughing in here and it's going to
0:36:02 > 0:36:04make such a difference to your business in terms of
0:36:04 > 0:36:08feeling like one space rather than two spaces separated by a corridor.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12In their new kitchen, Kate and Alex drop a bit of a bombshell.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15We've come to the conclusion we're going to have to be
0:36:15 > 0:36:19in the kitchen because it's been really hard to find someone
0:36:19 > 0:36:23that wants to work the hours we need them to work.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26- It means you're putting even more on your plate, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29That's going to have to be how we start out and once we've
0:36:29 > 0:36:31found our feet and know what we're doing,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34then maybe we'll look again at getting someone else in.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37But at the moment I just know it's going to end up
0:36:37 > 0:36:39with you and me in here!
0:36:39 > 0:36:41But that's what we're working on,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44because if that's worst case scenario and we work to that,
0:36:44 > 0:36:47we'll be OK. At least we'll be prepared.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50I think they'd be mad to run the kitchen.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52There's just so much work involved.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55They've got all the front of house responsibilities on their shoulders,
0:36:55 > 0:36:59they've got the weight of the business there too and now they've
0:36:59 > 0:37:02got those responsibilities that a head chef would normally take on.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05In order to make that work they must make sure that their systems are as
0:37:05 > 0:37:09slick as can be and that the kitchen is run as efficiently as possible.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14I don't think they have any idea
0:37:14 > 0:37:17what working in a professional kitchen involves.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19So I'm going to put them to the ultimate test.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Breakfast is often cited as one of the most deceptively
0:37:24 > 0:37:26difficult dishes to pull off.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29So where better to get a crash course
0:37:29 > 0:37:32than The Pit Stop Cafe in Chippenham,
0:37:32 > 0:37:38where Ally serves around 200 hungry truckers virtually single-handedly.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40- 200 breakfasts. Are you ready?- No!
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Pinnies and I think we should get started!
0:37:44 > 0:37:48I can see the truckers arriving, hungry and ready. Let's go.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55- Are mornings generally the busiest period?- I would say so.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57Breakfast, they go on a 45 minute break.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00In, have something to eat and gone again.
0:38:00 > 0:38:05- First order.- Here we go.- One large breakfast. Sorry. I was just...
0:38:05 > 0:38:07THEY LAUGH
0:38:07 > 0:38:10- If you want to do this, then? Practise the eggs as well.- Right.
0:38:10 > 0:38:15- What's going on here?- It's two eggs and beans.- Two eggs and beans.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17- Take two eggs.- Is that the right temperature?
0:38:17 > 0:38:19I always keep it on about three and a half.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22'I want Kate and Alex to realise that professional cooking'
0:38:22 > 0:38:24is all about having a system.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Even in a small place like this that's doing massive numbers
0:38:28 > 0:38:31- I mean, 200 breakfasts is huge -
0:38:31 > 0:38:33it needs a way of doing things
0:38:33 > 0:38:35that's as efficient as it can possibly be.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37You've got another order in.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Ally is really efficient. You know, she's one person.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44- Just keep your eye on things. - Yeah. Just keep your eye on it.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48With a little team of washer-uppers and prep chefs back here,
0:38:48 > 0:38:52she's got to be serving pretty much single-handedly 200 customers today.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54That's really efficient.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59Breakfast is a particular challenge because it has lots of component
0:38:59 > 0:39:04parts all with different cooking times that need to be synchronised.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Two eggs for that one.
0:39:06 > 0:39:11Ally's system is as the orders come in the eggs and toast are put on.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15Just put another egg on. They do break.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19They cook while all the other pre-cooked items like sausages
0:39:19 > 0:39:21and bacon are plated up.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23And when the eggs are done,
0:39:23 > 0:39:25just put your eggs up and then that's ready to go.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Once finished, the eggs and toast go on
0:39:28 > 0:39:31'then the order goes out - simple but well organised.'
0:39:31 > 0:39:35- So two down, 198 to go.- Yup.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39- Number eight. - Can you do my toast, Alex?
0:39:41 > 0:39:43- Alex, are you hacking a bit at that toast?- Shush!
0:39:43 > 0:39:47Ally, can I just check, is that acceptable? With all the sort of...
0:39:47 > 0:39:49It's a little compromised, let's say, in the middle.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51So this is a reject.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55I'm swapping you round in a minute!
0:39:55 > 0:39:59Effectively, Alex and Kate are kitchen novices.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01They've never worked in a commercial environment before
0:40:01 > 0:40:04and kitchens are always stressful.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06But what's important is that the stress is channelled
0:40:06 > 0:40:09and it's used to create the right sort of energy to get
0:40:09 > 0:40:12the food out while it's tasty, hot and in good time.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14My goodness! I'm scared.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16Just do them one at a time if you need to.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20- Is that all right? It's only my first one.- Exactly. It'll be fine.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- Traditional breakfast.- Beans, tomato.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Why is it the minute I take over it goes mental?
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Ow!
0:40:43 > 0:40:45So how confident do you feel about doing that at the minute?
0:40:45 > 0:40:48- It's about organisation and systems. - Yeah.- Having a good system.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51You've hit the nail on the head. It's all about organisation.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53It's all about systems.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56It's all about the machinery and mechanics of your kitchen space.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59And I think the preparation you need to do before you open
0:40:59 > 0:41:02is thinking very carefully about how that's going to work,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04rather than waiting until you've got your first customer
0:41:04 > 0:41:08sitting at The Nook and you think, "Oh, crikey! What do we do?"
0:41:08 > 0:41:10A little bit of thought and sitting down with your menu
0:41:10 > 0:41:12and looking at your kitchen space and your equipment
0:41:12 > 0:41:16is all you're going to need in order to have the best chance
0:41:16 > 0:41:19of success and the best chance of getting it right from the beginning.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28I soon learn that after sleeping on it,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Alex and Kate have made a decision.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33We've decided to try and take the pressure off a little bit
0:41:33 > 0:41:36and go forward and look for a chef.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40If it doesn't work out, we know we can work around it
0:41:40 > 0:41:43but I think it would take a huge amount of pressure off us.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49It's definitely the right decision, but finding a great chef
0:41:49 > 0:41:51is one more headache amongst many
0:41:51 > 0:41:54with the opening less than three weeks away.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56It feels horrendous.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00It feels like there's so much stuff to do and so little time.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04We need about a million workmen crawling over the place.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07I'm having a few sleepless nights cos I don't think it's
0:42:07 > 0:42:10progressing as fast as it needs to. Kate's project manager.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13It just makes sense cos she's here all the time - it's her house.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16But I think my role is to come in and say, "Right.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19"Come on, we need to know exactly what's going on now."
0:42:19 > 0:42:21That's how I feel at the minute.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24I think there's not enough action for me right now.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- Coats on, please. Have you got your shoes on?- Whee!
0:42:27 > 0:42:30It's a nightmare, actually, trying to juggle a day job
0:42:30 > 0:42:34and then children and running a house
0:42:34 > 0:42:38and then trying to do the cafe, basically, in our spare time.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Felix, wait for Mum!
0:42:41 > 0:42:43The last thing I want to do is lose clients
0:42:43 > 0:42:45because I've been ignoring them.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47I knew it was going to be hard and it is hard.
0:42:47 > 0:42:52We went into this knowing it would be a few weeks of a really
0:42:52 > 0:42:55crappy time and we're in it and it's crap, but, you know.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10But despite how tough it is,
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Kate and Alex soldier on, battling through until their opening.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16OK, menu we have done.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20I've just got to do a drinks menu cos we forgot to put the drinks on.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Right. So, drinks menu and print.
0:43:23 > 0:43:28The kitchen is finally installed, along with a chef.
0:43:29 > 0:43:34We've been test running a few dishes already for a couple of days
0:43:34 > 0:43:36and, erm...yahoo! I'm OK.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39I'm happy with it and looking forward very much.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42They rope in partners, family and friends.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Everyone's pulling together and making sure it happens.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48We couldn't have done it without them all. They've been amazing.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50But there's one more crucial thing to do before opening.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54Without customers none of their hard work will have been worth it
0:43:54 > 0:43:58so Kate and Alex head into the village to spread the word.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01Alex and I have about 1,000 fliers here that we're going to be giving
0:44:01 > 0:44:06out to all the houses in the village to tell them that we're opening.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11- I can't believe we're doing it! - I can't believe we got here!
0:44:11 > 0:44:13- Mind you, we haven't done it yet, have we?- No!
0:44:13 > 0:44:17- I'm just shattered. - Too tired to be nervous?
0:44:17 > 0:44:19Right, come on, then.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35Finally, after months of planning and hard work,
0:44:35 > 0:44:38it's Kate and Alex's opening day.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42This is the biggest marketing opportunity they'll ever get.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46First impressions can make or break you in this business
0:44:46 > 0:44:49and word will spread fast in a small community.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51I'm here to see how they get on.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11- Kate, how are you?- Well. How are you?- Very well indeed.
0:45:11 > 0:45:17- Hi, Alex.- Hi.- Well, here we are. Congratulations.- Thank you.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20- You're about to open.- I know!- How does that feel?
0:45:20 > 0:45:23- Bit nerve racking. - This is a big moment.
0:45:23 > 0:45:28- I know. All this hard work and this is the bit that matters.- Exactly.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31- We want to get it right. No pressure, though.- Oh, my God!
0:45:31 > 0:45:36And they are being well supported by their family with a cousin serving,
0:45:36 > 0:45:38Kate's husband Dan helping in the kitchen
0:45:38 > 0:45:41and her mother-in-law doing the coffee.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44And it's just as well
0:45:44 > 0:45:47because there's actually a queue forming outside.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55- Hello.- Good morning.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59It certainly looks like all that flyering paid off.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02The whole village has turned up to see The Nook.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04- Morning.- Hello!
0:46:13 > 0:46:15There might not be enough seats.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18Would you like to go through to the next room? There's another room.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20- Keep going.- This is incredible!
0:46:20 > 0:46:24Kate and Alex have been open for literally one minute
0:46:24 > 0:46:26and I've counted 30 people walking through the door.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29There's not enough seats for them already.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36And it doesn't let up. People just keep on coming.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42Every table is full, there's a queue outside.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49I can see about six or eight people waiting.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52- And yet more and more customers pile through the door.- How are you?
0:46:52 > 0:46:54Good, thanks. How are you?
0:46:54 > 0:46:57I had no idea it was going to be this busy, I have to be honest.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00Dunchurch has always struck me as a very sleepy, quiet place.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04Where have all these people come from?
0:47:04 > 0:47:07They are oversubscribed and they've only just opened.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10It's great, it really is fantastic.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12The rush takes them by surprise.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15In the trade we call it "being slammed"
0:47:15 > 0:47:17when everyone arrives at once.
0:47:17 > 0:47:21We've got 30 people sitting down all wanting something at the same time.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23It's going to put pressure on the kitchen,
0:47:23 > 0:47:25and put pressure on the front of house staff.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28What did table four order? Cos I haven't got drinks for table three.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Water and a coffee.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34- And a cinnamon bun?- Yeah. - Are you sure?- Yeah.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36Two lattes, a pomegranate tea,
0:47:36 > 0:47:38and an Earl Grey tea with no milk, please.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41The orders are mounting up
0:47:41 > 0:47:44but the hot drinks just aren't coming out quickly enough.
0:47:44 > 0:47:49We've been waiting about 20 minutes for two teas and two buns.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51But they did say that they'd had a big rush
0:47:51 > 0:47:54and weren't expecting this many people to turn up.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57We're quite happy nattering so it doesn't bother us.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00It's Kate's mother-in-law Sue who's manning the coffee machine
0:48:00 > 0:48:02but despite three days of training
0:48:02 > 0:48:06she's struggling with the mocha-chocka-skinny lattes.
0:48:06 > 0:48:11It's been a nightmare. It used to just be coffee in my day.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14I need... I still need my Americano and my latte.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18- It's not what you want at my age! - Have you used one of these before?
0:48:18 > 0:48:22- No, never!- OK.- I've been practising this week.- Have you?
0:48:22 > 0:48:26Suddenly, all the real specialities came in first time.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28- Double this, skinny that. - Oh, really?
0:48:28 > 0:48:30- Were you expecting that?- No.- No. - Oh, well.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34Kate, I know they haven't had their drinks
0:48:34 > 0:48:37but I'm worried it's getting cold, isn't it?
0:48:37 > 0:48:40This is for these guys, table five.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45I'm a bit worried that the food's coming out nice and quick
0:48:45 > 0:48:48but the drinks are very, very slow indeed.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51Can we have those back in the oven for a bit? Sorry.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53They were ordered about ten minutes ago.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56Yeah, but the drinks aren't ready and it looks terrible
0:48:56 > 0:48:58if you send the food out before the drinks.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00You're obviously ahead of us, I'm afraid.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12- One coffee with warm milk.- Yes, thank you.- And one latte macchiato.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14Thank you.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18So, just as the queue finishes, there's another one starting.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23Hello. Do come in.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28- It's cold out there, isn't it? - It is. It's freezing.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33- It's relentless. There's more. Hello.- Hiya.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35Thanks.
0:49:35 > 0:49:39- Hello, there. Hi, there.- Hello.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41Who did table one?
0:49:42 > 0:49:46- Alex? - I can just tell you if you like,
0:49:46 > 0:49:48but I can't finish off one job for the other, OK?
0:49:48 > 0:49:52The sheer volume of customers arriving through the door,
0:49:52 > 0:49:55threatens to overwhelm Kate and Alex.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00We've been waiting a little while but it's not unreasonable
0:50:00 > 0:50:04because they've only just opened and they are extremely busy.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06- It's your table. - No, it's not my table.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08You said you'd take the back room.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11The Nook has two rooms and Kate and Alex
0:50:11 > 0:50:14had planned to take charge of one room each.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16When you've got allocated spaces and allocated sections
0:50:16 > 0:50:19it's important to stick to them, just to stop bumping into each other
0:50:19 > 0:50:22and to stop too many people doing the same thing.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24Are you ready to order?
0:50:25 > 0:50:28I was going to say, are your systems holding up, Alex?
0:50:28 > 0:50:31- Yup.- What systems? Ha-ha!
0:50:31 > 0:50:35Despite everything they learned at the Goring Hotel,
0:50:35 > 0:50:38Kate and Alex have panicked and abandoned the system of service.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41- Alex, can you do the till?- I'm going.
0:50:41 > 0:50:45OK. Is it two ladies? Do you want the bill, Alex?
0:50:46 > 0:50:49It's become a free-for-all.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51Have you allocated one room per person?
0:50:51 > 0:50:54All I'm seeing at the moment is everybody everywhere.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56What was supposed to happen was that Alex took the front room
0:50:56 > 0:50:59- and I took the back room. - Has that happened?
0:50:59 > 0:51:02What's happened is that people have started coming in and it's confused.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05- Now I can't keep track. - So what are you going to do?
0:51:05 > 0:51:08I'm going to take the back room back. I'm going to go and grab it back.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12- Alex?- Alex, it's a bit confusing swapping rooms,
0:51:12 > 0:51:16- so can we have the back room and you have the front room?- OK.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18So you're going to take the front room,
0:51:18 > 0:51:22Kate, you're taking the backroom and I'm going to help you out...
0:51:22 > 0:51:24- Check out the back room.- Sure.
0:51:24 > 0:51:28- Here we go.- Cheers.- Thank you.
0:51:28 > 0:51:29Couple of cinnamon buns?
0:51:31 > 0:51:34Finally the systems are back in place.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37I think we've served something like 90 people in the last
0:51:37 > 0:51:40- two and a half hours.- That's pretty good, isn't it?
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Not bad for a first day, but I am sorry I kept you waiting.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49It's such a great sight seeing a busy restaurant.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52There's nothing better than walking into a place that's full.
0:51:52 > 0:51:57And as a customer it makes you want to go into a restaurant even more.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01By mid-afternoon, the customers do begin to tail off,
0:52:01 > 0:52:03and just as well.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06Sorry, did you say you don't have any cakes left?
0:52:06 > 0:52:08- What do you mean? - We haven't...- ANY cakes?
0:52:08 > 0:52:11You're going to have to make the scones right now.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13- We've run out of everything. - You're out of scones, cake...
0:52:13 > 0:52:19- We've run out of scones, cake, soup...- No soup? Are you serious?
0:52:21 > 0:52:24My God, what have you got left?
0:52:24 > 0:52:28Normally I'd heavily criticise any restaurant running out of food
0:52:28 > 0:52:30but it's no wonder here -
0:52:30 > 0:52:34they've been inundated, serving over 150 customers today.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40Luckily the end of service is within sight.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43A dead duck!
0:52:43 > 0:52:44Oh, God...
0:52:48 > 0:52:54- Thank you so much.- You're welcome. I'm going to come by and see you.
0:52:54 > 0:52:59Thank you for all your hard work. It can only get easier from here on in.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02- It can only get easier and it can only get organised.- Yeah.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06Kate, Alex, how do you think that went?
0:53:07 > 0:53:09Really well, but really bad.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12I definitely wasn't expecting as many people as we had.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15- That was a lot of people.- I don't think I caught up at any point.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19There wasn't a point when I had a breather and could do something else.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21It's been absolutely relentless since 10am.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24But I think it was a huge success.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27I think generally the customer experience was good today.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30I think your systems are going to work.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33They're a bit rusty at the moment but with time and practice
0:53:33 > 0:53:34they will get better.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38The drinks service today was quite poor and I think you both realised
0:53:38 > 0:53:42- it's not acceptable to put food down on a table before drinks.- Yeah.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46It's something you need to give immediate attention to
0:53:46 > 0:53:49and fix the problem, whatever it is, to make sure people get
0:53:49 > 0:53:52their drinks quickly, especially in a place like this.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54- People expect their coffees and teas straightaway.- Yeah.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57The other thing I need you to do is look at the way you manage
0:53:57 > 0:54:00the space, because you were both in this room today, you are both
0:54:00 > 0:54:03in that room, you were crossing over, bumping into each other.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06So I think it's a case of doing what you tried to do today,
0:54:06 > 0:54:09which was divide and conquer, but actually achieve it next time.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11I think there's a lot of goodwill here,
0:54:11 > 0:54:15and that was very evident today on the opening day.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18And that will get you a little way, but it won't get you all the way.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20You can rely on goodwill at the beginning of a business
0:54:20 > 0:54:22but you can't rely on it for ever.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24So you need to fix those problems
0:54:24 > 0:54:27and I'm really looking forward to coming back.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29- Well done!- Thank you. - Congratulations.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32What they've done is they've created something that already,
0:54:32 > 0:54:36on day one, has generated such a huge amount of word of mouth.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38And it can only get better.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42It's a really important commodity in opening a restaurant
0:54:42 > 0:54:44and they seem to have nailed it already.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48It all just feels a bit surreal, I can't believe we just did that.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50But has all the hard work paid off?
0:54:50 > 0:54:54I think we're about 850-860. Plus we've still got some people to pay,
0:54:54 > 0:54:57- so I think it's going to be about a grand.- Whoo-hoo!
0:55:07 > 0:55:12The girls are up again for the breakfast at eight o'clock
0:55:12 > 0:55:14and they're on their feet all day.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26I'm back in Dunchurch a week after the opening.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36Wow! I'm so pleased to see it's still busy.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40- You've got a full restaurant out there, Kate.- I know. Already!
0:55:40 > 0:55:42It's been like this since we opened, I can't believe it.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44It's gone so well.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48And I'm glad to see that drinks are coming out more promptly now.
0:55:48 > 0:55:49Thanks, Alex.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52There you go.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56Thank you, it looks amazing. Thank you very much.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59I can also see that Kate and Alex are doing what I asked them,
0:55:59 > 0:56:02sticking to their sections and continually finessing
0:56:02 > 0:56:04their food offer, serving delicious,
0:56:04 > 0:56:07well sourced and beautifully presented food.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10It's really good. What I like about it is that it's just
0:56:10 > 0:56:14three things on a plate, it's bread it's eggs, it's mushrooms,
0:56:14 > 0:56:17but it's really good bread, really good eggs and really good mushrooms.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20And if you've got excellent ingredients you don't need to do anything clever.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23You just let the ingredients speak for themselves.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26And that's what they've done and it really works.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29- How was everything? - Very good.- Brilliant.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32- Where are the eggs from?- From a farm, literally two minutes that way.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36- Fabulous.- Yeah.- All really good. - Aw, thank you very much.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40Morning!
0:56:40 > 0:56:43In a small village, word of mouth is crucial
0:56:43 > 0:56:47and the people of Dunchurch clearly want to support Kate and Alex.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49It's a real success,
0:56:49 > 0:56:53but is the reality of working together living up to the dream?
0:56:53 > 0:56:58- Kate and Alex, business is booming. Isn't it?- Yeah.
0:56:58 > 0:56:59It's off the chart.
0:56:59 > 0:57:04- I mean, I had no idea it would be as busy as it is today. Had you?- No.
0:57:04 > 0:57:08We hoped and dreamed it would be like this, but it's just been fantastic.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12- The spend per head you wanted was £5.50, wasn't it?- Yeah.- What are you doing?
0:57:12 > 0:57:14- Way over that.- Really?- Yeah.- Tell me.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16- I think it's just over eight. - Amazing.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18It's brilliant. What we need to do now is,
0:57:18 > 0:57:22people that have come to try it out once, we need them to come back.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25You've been working together, living together pretty much,
0:57:25 > 0:57:28for the best part of two or three months.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31- How is your relationship?- We're still speaking, aren't we, I think?
0:57:31 > 0:57:35- Yeah.- Because having had children, in the past couple of years
0:57:35 > 0:57:38we haven't spent that much time together. But actually...
0:57:38 > 0:57:40- I've really enjoyed working with you. - Awww!
0:57:40 > 0:57:43- I have, actually, it's been good. - Yeah.- It's gone all gooey already.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46- Ask me in a year, though. - Yeah.- Exactly.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48Listen, we've been out for far too long.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50You've got a very full restaurant and I want you to get back.
0:57:50 > 0:57:54I just wanted to say, from my perspective, this is a hit.
0:57:54 > 0:57:55It's amazing.
0:58:00 > 0:58:04What started out as an idea, a vision and a great business
0:58:04 > 0:58:08opportunity has been executed with confidence and aplomb.
0:58:08 > 0:58:12Kate and Alex have taken inspiration from so many sources
0:58:12 > 0:58:16and they've created what I think is a really good restaurant.
0:58:16 > 0:58:18But what pleases me most
0:58:18 > 0:58:21is that Dunchurch has voted decisively with its feet.
0:58:21 > 0:58:24The place was absolutely packed.
0:58:24 > 0:58:27Kate and Alex have pulled something remarkable off.
0:58:27 > 0:58:30I really think they've scored a hole-in-one
0:58:30 > 0:58:31and I couldn't be happier.
0:58:31 > 0:58:34- That's it, we're living a dream, aren't we?- We are.
0:58:34 > 0:58:36- I'm ready for the next one now. - Yeah.
0:58:51 > 0:58:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd