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The only thing that stands between success and failure | 0:00:02 | 0:00:05 | |
at the moment is chance. | 0:00:05 | 0:00:06 | |
Many of us fantasise about opening our own restaurant. | 0:00:06 | 0:00:10 | |
But with restaurants up to three times more likely to fail | 0:00:10 | 0:00:13 | |
than any other business, it's not for the faint-hearted. | 0:00:13 | 0:00:17 | |
Opening a restaurant just to make money is wrong, | 0:00:17 | 0:00:19 | |
but it's very important that it does make money. | 0:00:19 | 0:00:22 | |
I'm Russell Norman. | 0:00:24 | 0:00:25 | |
After years of dreaming, | 0:00:25 | 0:00:27 | |
I set up a series of acclaimed restaurants that now serve | 0:00:27 | 0:00:30 | |
half a million customers a year in the cut-throat London market. | 0:00:30 | 0:00:34 | |
I'd definitely say that there are rules to opening and running a successful restaurant. | 0:00:34 | 0:00:38 | |
You must know your numbers, you must do your research, | 0:00:38 | 0:00:42 | |
you must be prepared to work very long hours. | 0:00:42 | 0:00:45 | |
Now I'm helping six first timers gambling their life savings | 0:00:45 | 0:00:49 | |
to start their own restaurants. | 0:00:49 | 0:00:51 | |
I've got no food and I'm opening in less than 48 hours. | 0:00:51 | 0:00:55 | |
It is work in progress, but it needs to be work that isn't in progress quite soon. | 0:00:55 | 0:01:00 | |
From floor plans to finance, and menus to marketing - | 0:01:00 | 0:01:03 | |
I'll have to shatter a few illusions. | 0:01:03 | 0:01:06 | |
I mean, this is cute, but very impractical. | 0:01:06 | 0:01:08 | |
I'll have to show it to him, cos it's almost inedible. | 0:01:08 | 0:01:11 | |
What's the solution, Russell? Tell me! You get another plumber? | 0:01:11 | 0:01:14 | |
That's exactly what you do. | 0:01:14 | 0:01:15 | |
Each of these plucky entrepreneurs is hoping their new venture | 0:01:15 | 0:01:19 | |
will give them a better life. | 0:01:19 | 0:01:21 | |
You know, this is all mine - and isn't it gorgeous? | 0:01:21 | 0:01:23 | |
Thank you. | 0:01:23 | 0:01:24 | |
But unless they get every detail spot on, | 0:01:24 | 0:01:27 | |
it could mean bankruptcy and personal disaster. | 0:01:27 | 0:01:31 | |
I'm scared now, yeah. I'm very scared. | 0:01:31 | 0:01:33 | |
This time, Kate's turning her home into a cafe. | 0:01:37 | 0:01:41 | |
There's a lot of upheaval. That doesn't bother you? | 0:01:41 | 0:01:44 | |
I like the idea of opening the doors to the public and sharing it. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:47 | |
Family life will be turned upside down. | 0:01:47 | 0:01:49 | |
BABY CRIES OK, sorry. | 0:01:49 | 0:01:52 | |
She'll become her little sister's boss. | 0:01:52 | 0:01:54 | |
She can be a bit of a control freak, she freely admits that. | 0:01:54 | 0:01:57 | |
-It's your table. -No, it's not my table. | 0:01:57 | 0:01:59 | |
With no restaurant experience, can they cope with the pressure? | 0:01:59 | 0:02:03 | |
Oh, my goodness me! | 0:02:03 | 0:02:05 | |
And will anyone turn up on opening day? | 0:02:05 | 0:02:07 | |
We went into this knowing it would be a crappy time, | 0:02:07 | 0:02:11 | |
and we're in it, and it's crap. | 0:02:11 | 0:02:13 | |
Britain's cafe culture is booming - | 0:02:23 | 0:02:25 | |
in 2012 the coffee shop market in Britain grew by 7.5%, | 0:02:25 | 0:02:31 | |
with sales of £5.8 billion. | 0:02:31 | 0:02:34 | |
I'm heading to the Midlands to meet Kate, | 0:02:36 | 0:02:40 | |
who wants to capitalise on Britain's increasing love of cafes | 0:02:40 | 0:02:43 | |
by opening one with her sister in a small village | 0:02:43 | 0:02:46 | |
in the heart of Warwickshire. | 0:02:46 | 0:02:48 | |
We've lived in Dunchurch for about nine years, | 0:02:48 | 0:02:51 | |
and ever since we moved in, really, there's never been anywhere like a cafe | 0:02:51 | 0:02:55 | |
or anywhere you can get a good coffee. You know, have a good breakfast and lunch. | 0:02:55 | 0:02:59 | |
So having spotted a gap in the market, | 0:02:59 | 0:03:03 | |
Kate has made the radical decision | 0:03:03 | 0:03:04 | |
to convert the downstairs of her beautiful family home into a cafe. | 0:03:04 | 0:03:08 | |
For Kate, this was the one way she could pursue her dream, | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
but keep her overheads to a minimum. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:15 | |
This is the main dining room. | 0:03:15 | 0:03:17 | |
We're going to have about 18 covers or so in here. | 0:03:17 | 0:03:21 | |
So people will come in through the front door into here. | 0:03:21 | 0:03:25 | |
About five tables in here of between three and four seats on each. | 0:03:25 | 0:03:29 | |
I'm not sure that everybody would want to give up potentially | 0:03:30 | 0:03:34 | |
a third of their house to let the general public come in, | 0:03:34 | 0:03:39 | |
but I'm really looking forward to it. | 0:03:39 | 0:03:41 | |
Kate also runs a marketing and design business from her home, | 0:03:41 | 0:03:44 | |
so will be living and working above the cafe with her young family. | 0:03:44 | 0:03:48 | |
Here we go. | 0:03:48 | 0:03:49 | |
She's gambling all her savings and will own the business, | 0:03:49 | 0:03:52 | |
but her sister, Alex, will run it. | 0:03:52 | 0:03:54 | |
To do this, the mum of two, is giving up her career as a nurse. | 0:03:54 | 0:03:58 | |
I'm nervous because I've got to leave my very secure, lovely job, | 0:03:58 | 0:04:02 | |
with my nice pension and my nice holidays and my regular hours, | 0:04:02 | 0:04:06 | |
to go and do something which is basically the unknown. | 0:04:06 | 0:04:10 | |
Kate has more than enough to keep her busy upstairs, | 0:04:10 | 0:04:12 | |
but will still be very hands-on in the business. | 0:04:12 | 0:04:16 | |
Being the slight control freak that I am, | 0:04:16 | 0:04:18 | |
it means that I'm only upstairs, and obviously if Alex needs me | 0:04:18 | 0:04:22 | |
and I'm up here I can pop down and do whatever needs to be done. | 0:04:22 | 0:04:25 | |
Kate and Alex have the full support of their families, | 0:04:25 | 0:04:28 | |
but it's still going to take a lot to turn their dream into a reality. | 0:04:28 | 0:04:32 | |
I think when you start any business it's a gamble. | 0:04:32 | 0:04:35 | |
You never know for definite if something's going to work or not. | 0:04:35 | 0:04:38 | |
You've just got to try, and if you don't try, you don't succeed. | 0:04:38 | 0:04:41 | |
If people didn't try, there'd be no business anywhere. | 0:04:41 | 0:04:44 | |
So somebody's got to take that risk at some point. Why not us? | 0:04:44 | 0:04:47 | |
I mean, we're in a beautiful part of England. | 0:04:53 | 0:04:55 | |
It's very quaint. Beautiful church, beautiful schoolhouse. | 0:04:55 | 0:04:59 | |
There's a real sense of old England, a real sense of rural suburbia. | 0:04:59 | 0:05:05 | |
There are three restaurants and two pubs serving food in Dunchurch, | 0:05:06 | 0:05:10 | |
but as yet no cafe. | 0:05:10 | 0:05:12 | |
There is either a very good reason for this, which is worrying, | 0:05:12 | 0:05:15 | |
or Kate and Alex could be quids in if they get it right. | 0:05:15 | 0:05:19 | |
It's 10.30 on a Monday morning, | 0:05:20 | 0:05:24 | |
and I haven't seen a single person. | 0:05:24 | 0:05:26 | |
With relatively low-price items, the one thing that cafes need | 0:05:26 | 0:05:31 | |
is lots of customers. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:33 | |
Dunchurch doesn't feel to me | 0:05:33 | 0:05:35 | |
like the sort of place that's going to have an awful lot of footfall. | 0:05:35 | 0:05:38 | |
I can't imagine more than a handful of people on a Monday morning | 0:05:38 | 0:05:41 | |
or even a Monday afternoon wanting to sit down and spend money. | 0:05:41 | 0:05:46 | |
Kate and Alex are ploughing ahead | 0:05:48 | 0:05:50 | |
and plan to open The Nook in just eight weeks' time. | 0:05:50 | 0:05:53 | |
With their builders about to start work, there's not a minute to waste. | 0:05:53 | 0:05:57 | |
-Kate? I'm Russell. -Hello, lovely to meet you. -You too. | 0:05:59 | 0:06:02 | |
-So this is it, this is the Nook. -It is, yes. | 0:06:02 | 0:06:05 | |
So where we're standing now is which part of the cafe? | 0:06:05 | 0:06:09 | |
-This will be the main dining room. -OK. It's a lovely room. | 0:06:09 | 0:06:12 | |
-It's beautiful. -I love those shutters. | 0:06:12 | 0:06:14 | |
It's got a great position, you're right in the middle of the village. | 0:06:14 | 0:06:17 | |
-Yeah. -Right on the square. It's beautiful. | 0:06:17 | 0:06:20 | |
-Shall we have a look around? -OK. | 0:06:20 | 0:06:22 | |
-And then we have the second dining room. -Yeah. | 0:06:24 | 0:06:27 | |
Oh, this is nice. | 0:06:27 | 0:06:29 | |
Oh, what a beautiful room. | 0:06:29 | 0:06:30 | |
Really wide, beautiful chimney breast and fireplace. | 0:06:30 | 0:06:34 | |
So this is currently our family kitchen. | 0:06:34 | 0:06:38 | |
But it will be the commercial kitchen. | 0:06:38 | 0:06:40 | |
-So this is where everything is going to come from? -It is. | 0:06:40 | 0:06:42 | |
-Quite small, isn't it? -Do you think? -Yes! | 0:06:42 | 0:06:46 | |
-This kitchen is being ripped out this week. -OK. | 0:06:47 | 0:06:49 | |
And then fitted out with lots of freestanding stainless steel units. | 0:06:49 | 0:06:53 | |
So quite a big job, I would have thought. How long will that take? | 0:06:53 | 0:06:56 | |
I don't know is the answer to that! | 0:06:58 | 0:07:00 | |
This domestic kitchen will be relocated upstairs | 0:07:00 | 0:07:03 | |
as Kate, her husband Dan, two kids and the cat | 0:07:03 | 0:07:06 | |
will be crammed into the top floor and attic of the house. | 0:07:06 | 0:07:10 | |
This is the top floor, which will be our new living room and kitchen. | 0:07:10 | 0:07:16 | |
CAT MEOWS | 0:07:16 | 0:07:17 | |
Wow. So, this is the eaves? We're in the roof? | 0:07:17 | 0:07:20 | |
-How long have you had this house? -Since May. -OK, so six months. | 0:07:20 | 0:07:24 | |
You move your family, and then six months later, you move them | 0:07:24 | 0:07:28 | |
within the house that you've moved to, upside down. | 0:07:28 | 0:07:31 | |
And then you put a business underneath the family home. | 0:07:31 | 0:07:34 | |
There's a lot of upheaval. | 0:07:34 | 0:07:35 | |
If it were me, I'd be thinking, | 0:07:35 | 0:07:37 | |
all the time, about those fantastic rooms downstairs. | 0:07:37 | 0:07:40 | |
And how I'm having to live in a smaller space | 0:07:40 | 0:07:43 | |
at the top of the building. That doesn't bother you? | 0:07:43 | 0:07:45 | |
I don't see it as small. I see it as quite cosy. | 0:07:45 | 0:07:48 | |
You don't see it as an issue, as something that you might think later, | 0:07:48 | 0:07:52 | |
further down the line, "Gosh, those lovely rooms?" | 0:07:52 | 0:07:55 | |
-Um... -Full of the public, that we can't get into now? | 0:07:56 | 0:07:58 | |
Do you know what, I'm quite looking forward to sharing this house. | 0:08:00 | 0:08:03 | |
I like the idea of opening the doors to the public and sharing it. | 0:08:03 | 0:08:06 | |
When starting a new business, | 0:08:08 | 0:08:10 | |
rent should not exceed 10% of turnover, | 0:08:10 | 0:08:12 | |
but by running her business from home, | 0:08:12 | 0:08:15 | |
her overheads will be low and Kate will be saving thousands. | 0:08:15 | 0:08:19 | |
She has cottoned on to a growing trend. | 0:08:20 | 0:08:23 | |
70% of the new businesses started up last year | 0:08:23 | 0:08:26 | |
were from a garden shed or kitchen table. | 0:08:26 | 0:08:28 | |
Kate's invested £20,000 which she hopes will cover the refurbishment | 0:08:30 | 0:08:34 | |
and initial salaries for all employees including sister Alex. | 0:08:34 | 0:08:39 | |
Fantastic. | 0:08:40 | 0:08:42 | |
Thank you very much, Kate. | 0:08:42 | 0:08:43 | |
-I'm Russell, by the way. -Hi, I'm Alex. Pleased to meet you. | 0:08:43 | 0:08:46 | |
You too. You're the sister I've heard all about, | 0:08:46 | 0:08:48 | |
-you're going to be running the show. -I am, apparently. -Fantastic. | 0:08:48 | 0:08:51 | |
-Let's talk about it over some scones, shall we? -Okey-doke. | 0:08:51 | 0:08:54 | |
So, Alex. Your plan is to give up your day job | 0:08:54 | 0:08:58 | |
to do this full-time, is that right? | 0:08:58 | 0:09:00 | |
-That is my plan. -Why? | 0:09:00 | 0:09:02 | |
I really like the idea of a family business, working for ourselves. | 0:09:02 | 0:09:05 | |
I don't think there's anything quite like working for yourself. | 0:09:05 | 0:09:08 | |
I think we both recognised there was nowhere like it, in Dunchurch. | 0:09:08 | 0:09:13 | |
-Right. -So that's where it came from. | 0:09:13 | 0:09:15 | |
That's interesting, the business idea came about | 0:09:15 | 0:09:17 | |
-because of a lack of something in this particular area. -Yeah. | 0:09:17 | 0:09:20 | |
When we did the business case, it was slightly scary, | 0:09:20 | 0:09:22 | |
in how many covers you have to do in a day, in order to make any money. | 0:09:22 | 0:09:26 | |
How many is that? What was your figure? | 0:09:26 | 0:09:29 | |
We took an average of all the prices of everything on our typical menu. | 0:09:29 | 0:09:35 | |
What was that? What was the average? | 0:09:35 | 0:09:38 | |
About £5.50. | 0:09:38 | 0:09:39 | |
And we've worked out we need to shift about 40, um... | 0:09:39 | 0:09:43 | |
-sales a day before we start making any money. -OK. | 0:09:43 | 0:09:48 | |
Afternoon tea will be a key focus for the cafe | 0:09:48 | 0:09:51 | |
but they have yet to decide just how extensive their menu will be. | 0:09:51 | 0:09:55 | |
These scones, you talked about these being a signature. | 0:09:55 | 0:09:58 | |
Yes, we decided to make them square, | 0:09:58 | 0:10:00 | |
-because our name is The Nook on the Square. -Yeah. | 0:10:00 | 0:10:03 | |
So we thought it would be quite nice to have something a bit different. | 0:10:03 | 0:10:06 | |
You mentioned something about the smell of freshly baked scones | 0:10:06 | 0:10:09 | |
as you walk through the front door. Is that quite important? | 0:10:09 | 0:10:13 | |
-It's my favourite cake, actually. So afternoon tea. -Mm-hmm. | 0:10:13 | 0:10:19 | |
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I pretended it was my craving, | 0:10:19 | 0:10:23 | |
but it was just an excuse to eat more of them, really. | 0:10:23 | 0:10:26 | |
So I love them. | 0:10:26 | 0:10:27 | |
And I think if you do a really good signature scone, | 0:10:27 | 0:10:31 | |
then I'm sure people will come back for more. | 0:10:31 | 0:10:36 | |
'I'm impressed that Kate and Alex have spotted | 0:10:36 | 0:10:38 | |
'a potential gap in the market, | 0:10:38 | 0:10:40 | |
'but with so much at stake they need to be sure they can make a profit.' | 0:10:40 | 0:10:44 | |
I worry about the number of people that would use | 0:10:44 | 0:10:47 | |
an operation like this. It's very quiet out there on the streets. | 0:10:47 | 0:10:52 | |
And a business like this needs to have | 0:10:52 | 0:10:54 | |
a regular stream of customers to make it work. | 0:10:54 | 0:10:56 | |
Everything being sold here is going to be reasonably low priced. | 0:10:56 | 0:11:00 | |
Cups of tea, scones, cakes, sandwiches. | 0:11:00 | 0:11:03 | |
It requires a constant stream of people using the place | 0:11:03 | 0:11:07 | |
throughout the day and the week. | 0:11:07 | 0:11:09 | |
And I just don't see that number of people on the streets. | 0:11:09 | 0:11:11 | |
They have put so much into this and sacrificed so much for it | 0:11:13 | 0:11:16 | |
that it would be a shame if all they did was open a tea shop | 0:11:16 | 0:11:20 | |
that served a few cakes and sandwiches and scones. | 0:11:20 | 0:11:22 | |
This needs to be so much more. | 0:11:22 | 0:11:23 | |
They need to give these guys over here in the pub | 0:11:23 | 0:11:26 | |
a run for their money by serving amazing food in a wonderful setting, | 0:11:26 | 0:11:31 | |
a beautiful village in the middle of Warwickshire. | 0:11:31 | 0:11:33 | |
I can quite clearly see where I can help Kate and Alex. | 0:11:33 | 0:11:37 | |
Firstly I want to help these novices deliver excellent service | 0:11:37 | 0:11:41 | |
that will keep their customers coming back. | 0:11:41 | 0:11:44 | |
I also want to address the problem of spend per head, | 0:11:44 | 0:11:47 | |
and make them more ambitious with their menu. | 0:11:47 | 0:11:50 | |
But before any of that can happen, | 0:11:52 | 0:11:54 | |
the sisters need to get their house in order... | 0:11:54 | 0:11:56 | |
POWER TOOLS WHIRR | 0:11:56 | 0:11:59 | |
Literally. | 0:11:59 | 0:12:01 | |
No going back now! | 0:12:01 | 0:12:03 | |
A week after my visit, building work is beginning in earnest. | 0:12:04 | 0:12:08 | |
-That's a hole! -That is a hole. | 0:12:08 | 0:12:11 | |
-That's a big, big hole. -A big, big hole. | 0:12:11 | 0:12:13 | |
-What do you think? And there's a bit of a mess. -Yeah. | 0:12:13 | 0:12:17 | |
-Shall we get the Hoover out? -Yeah. | 0:12:17 | 0:12:21 | |
As I know from my own restaurant experience, | 0:12:21 | 0:12:24 | |
Kate and Alex will have an enormous amount of work to do before opening. | 0:12:24 | 0:12:27 | |
Oh, God, that's heavy! | 0:12:27 | 0:12:30 | |
There's a lot to do. Literally, it's every day and every night. | 0:12:30 | 0:12:33 | |
I'm trying to fit in my day job around this as well. | 0:12:33 | 0:12:36 | |
Juggling all this with the demands of motherhood | 0:12:36 | 0:12:39 | |
was never going to be easy. | 0:12:39 | 0:12:40 | |
You don't know anyone that sort of does do supplies of butter | 0:12:40 | 0:12:44 | |
and things locally, do you, at all? | 0:12:44 | 0:12:45 | |
BABY CRIES OK, that's... Sorry! | 0:12:45 | 0:12:49 | |
My biggest fear, or the guilt I feel the most, | 0:12:49 | 0:12:51 | |
is that the kids are going to suffer. | 0:12:51 | 0:12:54 | |
You know, we're trying to get on with stuff | 0:12:54 | 0:12:56 | |
and they're being pushed to the side. | 0:12:56 | 0:12:58 | |
That's the main thing really, | 0:12:58 | 0:12:59 | |
cos I've still got to be a mum through all of this. | 0:12:59 | 0:13:02 | |
And Kate and her family are crammed upstairs. | 0:13:02 | 0:13:06 | |
You are being very rude and I don't like it one bit. | 0:13:06 | 0:13:08 | |
Any more and you'll be asked to go downstairs. | 0:13:08 | 0:13:10 | |
Already Kate and Alex are paying a high price for their dream, | 0:13:10 | 0:13:15 | |
and I want it to be worth it. | 0:13:15 | 0:13:17 | |
Of course opening a restaurant is tough, | 0:13:22 | 0:13:24 | |
but I'm hoping my advice will give Kate and Alex | 0:13:24 | 0:13:27 | |
the best possible chance of success. | 0:13:27 | 0:13:29 | |
I'm also encouraging them to aim higher when it comes to | 0:13:29 | 0:13:32 | |
their spend per head aspirations. | 0:13:32 | 0:13:34 | |
But there's no point going for high spends | 0:13:34 | 0:13:36 | |
if you don't have the excellent service required to back them up. | 0:13:36 | 0:13:40 | |
To help Kate and Alex get their service right, | 0:13:43 | 0:13:46 | |
I've asked them to come to London to see how it's done | 0:13:46 | 0:13:49 | |
in one of the capital's most exclusive hotels. | 0:13:49 | 0:13:52 | |
I'm at the Goring Hotel in central London. | 0:13:54 | 0:13:56 | |
It's the granddaddy of traditional British hotels. | 0:13:56 | 0:13:58 | |
And I'm meeting Kate and Alex, | 0:13:58 | 0:14:00 | |
who are coming here today to serve afternoon tea. | 0:14:00 | 0:14:04 | |
I think Alex and Kate are really full of energy. | 0:14:04 | 0:14:07 | |
They've got such great ideas. | 0:14:07 | 0:14:09 | |
But they need to see how it can be done, | 0:14:09 | 0:14:11 | |
and how it can be done really well. | 0:14:11 | 0:14:13 | |
These guys here do it fantastically well, | 0:14:13 | 0:14:16 | |
and I really hope that Alex and Kate learn from them. | 0:14:16 | 0:14:19 | |
The sisters are going to be serving afternoon tea, | 0:14:21 | 0:14:24 | |
which can cost just shy of £100 for two. | 0:14:24 | 0:14:27 | |
So you'd expect nothing less than top class service. | 0:14:27 | 0:14:31 | |
This is a far cry from the world of marketing or nursing. | 0:14:31 | 0:14:36 | |
Bar and lounge manager Brian will be taking them through their paces. | 0:14:36 | 0:14:40 | |
So this, this afternoon, | 0:14:42 | 0:14:45 | |
-is pretty much the training room, isn't it? -Absolutely. | 0:14:45 | 0:14:48 | |
The sequence of service is simple, it's the bits in between them. | 0:14:48 | 0:14:51 | |
This is the bit we need to get right, guest interaction. | 0:14:51 | 0:14:54 | |
At this level, every detail has been meticulously planned | 0:14:54 | 0:14:58 | |
to make the service as seamless as possible, | 0:14:58 | 0:15:01 | |
as Brian's staff demonstrate. | 0:15:01 | 0:15:03 | |
Hello, gentlemen, good afternoon. This is our menu. | 0:15:03 | 0:15:07 | |
-Is it your first time in the Goring for afternoon tea? -Yes, first time. | 0:15:07 | 0:15:10 | |
Right. So let me just explain our menu. | 0:15:10 | 0:15:13 | |
We have the traditional afternoon tea and the Bollinger. | 0:15:13 | 0:15:16 | |
And we have really delicious selections of teas. | 0:15:16 | 0:15:19 | |
Have a look at the menu and feel free to choose everything you like. | 0:15:19 | 0:15:23 | |
-Thank you very much, indeed. -Oh, Lordy! | 0:15:23 | 0:15:26 | |
So, the important information we need from you today, | 0:15:26 | 0:15:29 | |
Kate and Alex, is to get the big smile, big hospitality, | 0:15:29 | 0:15:33 | |
offering the menu and saying, we have a choice of two, | 0:15:33 | 0:15:35 | |
Bollinger tea and traditional tea. | 0:15:35 | 0:15:37 | |
We'll give you a few minutes to look at the menu | 0:15:37 | 0:15:39 | |
and come back and take your order. | 0:15:39 | 0:15:40 | |
Within two hours we've got to do a full service, so keep it simple. | 0:15:40 | 0:15:45 | |
Keep it simple. | 0:15:45 | 0:15:46 | |
Good afternoon. Welcome to the Goring. I'll give you your menu. | 0:15:46 | 0:15:49 | |
-Thank you. -We've got a choice of two afternoon teas today. | 0:15:49 | 0:15:53 | |
The Bollinger tea and the traditional afternoon tea. | 0:15:53 | 0:15:57 | |
So I shall leave you to look at the menu and I shall be back. | 0:15:57 | 0:16:02 | |
OK, that's fine. You lost a little bit at the end. | 0:16:05 | 0:16:08 | |
I'll just throw the... | 0:16:08 | 0:16:09 | |
At a certain stage, you were trying to keep your eyes too much, | 0:16:09 | 0:16:13 | |
that you weren't even seeing where you were putting your hands to get the napkin. | 0:16:13 | 0:16:17 | |
As long as the eye contact is really when you arrive at the table, | 0:16:17 | 0:16:20 | |
-with that big smile. -Right. | 0:16:20 | 0:16:22 | |
At that stage, it's OK to lose contact of the eye, | 0:16:22 | 0:16:25 | |
you can then pick it up. | 0:16:25 | 0:16:26 | |
It's easy doing marketing, I tell you! It's so complicated! | 0:16:26 | 0:16:30 | |
That's quite intense. | 0:16:30 | 0:16:32 | |
I think it doesn't help having eight people watching you as well. | 0:16:32 | 0:16:35 | |
I didn't know how to do the napkins. | 0:16:35 | 0:16:37 | |
I think I probably thought there was less involved in it | 0:16:37 | 0:16:40 | |
than there actually is. | 0:16:40 | 0:16:41 | |
The level of detail here seems really excessive. | 0:16:41 | 0:16:45 | |
But when it comes to operating from Dunchurch, | 0:16:45 | 0:16:48 | |
the girls are going to be doing something pretty similar. | 0:16:48 | 0:16:50 | |
They're looking after customers who are coming in | 0:16:50 | 0:16:53 | |
for an experience that needs to be consistent every time. | 0:16:53 | 0:16:55 | |
So although this seems multi-layered, it's not going to be | 0:16:55 | 0:16:58 | |
a million miles away from what they need to do. | 0:16:58 | 0:17:00 | |
Have a little amuse-bouche for you, this is eggs Drumkilbo. | 0:17:00 | 0:17:04 | |
This was the Queen Mother's favourite. Oh, my goodness! | 0:17:04 | 0:17:09 | |
This is the Queen Mother's favourite picnic dish. And after she died... | 0:17:09 | 0:17:13 | |
-PLATES RATTLE -Oh, my goodness me! | 0:17:13 | 0:17:16 | |
..Buckingham Palace gave us the recipe. I hope you enjoy. | 0:17:16 | 0:17:19 | |
-Oh, my God! -You're like Mrs Doyle! | 0:17:19 | 0:17:21 | |
Everybody gets nervous. | 0:17:21 | 0:17:23 | |
Unfortunately, one of the worst things that you can be doing | 0:17:23 | 0:17:26 | |
when you've got nerves | 0:17:26 | 0:17:27 | |
and when you're a bit shaky is holding a tray of crockery. | 0:17:27 | 0:17:30 | |
It's pretty unforgiving and unfortunately a little bit comic. | 0:17:30 | 0:17:34 | |
Tea pouring next. That should be interesting. | 0:17:34 | 0:17:36 | |
Hot liquids, laps. | 0:17:38 | 0:17:40 | |
SHE LAUGHS | 0:17:40 | 0:17:41 | |
It'll be fine! | 0:17:41 | 0:17:43 | |
-CLATTERING -Oh, sugar. | 0:17:51 | 0:17:53 | |
(Sorry!) | 0:17:53 | 0:17:54 | |
This is terrifying. This is one of the world's most respected hotels. | 0:17:55 | 0:18:01 | |
And Kate and Alex are going to be in front of real live paying customers | 0:18:01 | 0:18:05 | |
in just a few minutes. Kate seems a little bit jittery. | 0:18:05 | 0:18:10 | |
And that manifests itself in quite a wobble when she's pouring tea. | 0:18:10 | 0:18:14 | |
So I hope that she gets a bit of control over her nerves | 0:18:14 | 0:18:18 | |
so that there isn't the rattle and the wobble we experienced here. | 0:18:18 | 0:18:21 | |
So now what I want you to do is go get into your uniforms, | 0:18:21 | 0:18:24 | |
get ready and we'll see you upstairs ready for service. | 0:18:24 | 0:18:28 | |
-OK. -OK. | 0:18:28 | 0:18:29 | |
This is a real test of how Kate and Alex react under pressure. | 0:18:31 | 0:18:35 | |
Their cream tea may cost a tenth of the price of the Goring's, | 0:18:35 | 0:18:38 | |
at £10 for two, but they need to work so much harder | 0:18:38 | 0:18:42 | |
in a rural location to pull in customers. | 0:18:42 | 0:18:45 | |
It's very nerve-racking being up here, | 0:18:47 | 0:18:49 | |
when you've got all the real customers looking, | 0:18:49 | 0:18:51 | |
and wondering what on earth we're doing. | 0:18:51 | 0:18:54 | |
And now I've got to pretend I know what I'm doing! So... | 0:18:54 | 0:18:57 | |
Hopefully, it'll all go fine. | 0:18:57 | 0:18:59 | |
-Hello there. -CLATTERING | 0:18:59 | 0:19:00 | |
Oh, goodness me, sorry about that. | 0:19:00 | 0:19:03 | |
Good afternoon, ladies. Here we have your amuse-bouche. | 0:19:03 | 0:19:06 | |
They gave the recipe to the hotel here to, um... | 0:19:06 | 0:19:10 | |
I can't remember where I am! | 0:19:10 | 0:19:12 | |
-CUSTOMERS LAUGH -It's fine! | 0:19:12 | 0:19:13 | |
I'm so sorry! | 0:19:13 | 0:19:15 | |
Enjoy. Thank you. | 0:19:15 | 0:19:17 | |
I forgot where I was! | 0:19:17 | 0:19:19 | |
I couldn't remember where I was. | 0:19:19 | 0:19:22 | |
OK with that amuse-bouche? | 0:19:23 | 0:19:25 | |
You'll be fine, don't worry. | 0:19:25 | 0:19:27 | |
-You'll be fine. -Blimey. OK. | 0:19:27 | 0:19:29 | |
It was a favourite of the Queen Mother. | 0:19:31 | 0:19:35 | |
-Uh-huh. -So it's here for you to try today. | 0:19:35 | 0:19:38 | |
-Enjoy. -Thank you. | 0:19:40 | 0:19:42 | |
Here we go, here we have your afternoon tea. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:48 | |
Are you getting more comfortable now? | 0:19:48 | 0:19:50 | |
Yeah, it is quite nerve-racking, to be honest. | 0:19:50 | 0:19:53 | |
But, you know, if you can do it here today, | 0:19:53 | 0:19:55 | |
under this kind of pressure, then it can only get easier, can't it? | 0:19:55 | 0:19:59 | |
The popularity of afternoon tea grew by 20% in the UK last year, | 0:20:00 | 0:20:05 | |
with some hotels in London charging £170 for two, | 0:20:05 | 0:20:10 | |
and with waiting lists for tables of up to seven weeks. | 0:20:10 | 0:20:13 | |
The girls are clearly tapping into a trend. | 0:20:13 | 0:20:16 | |
-Have a lovely afternoon. -Thanks a lot. | 0:20:16 | 0:20:18 | |
I guess the golden question, then, is would you hire them? | 0:20:18 | 0:20:21 | |
Yeah, they have exactly what you want in the business. | 0:20:21 | 0:20:24 | |
They have big smile, they have personalities. | 0:20:24 | 0:20:28 | |
-That really is 90% of this business. -Yeah. | 0:20:28 | 0:20:30 | |
I'm absolutely exhausted. | 0:20:30 | 0:20:32 | |
I think because you're out of your comfort zone, | 0:20:32 | 0:20:35 | |
it's not what you do every day. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:36 | |
It's been absolutely brilliant, because it's given us | 0:20:36 | 0:20:39 | |
a real insight into how to train people. | 0:20:39 | 0:20:42 | |
You know, even down to the tiniest detail. | 0:20:42 | 0:20:45 | |
The Goring hotel has been here for 103 years. | 0:20:45 | 0:20:48 | |
What they do here, they do so well | 0:20:48 | 0:20:50 | |
because they've had a very long time to practise. | 0:20:50 | 0:20:53 | |
In six weeks' time, the Nook will be open, | 0:20:53 | 0:20:55 | |
and it has a very short amount of time to establish itself. | 0:20:55 | 0:20:58 | |
So it's very important that Kate and Alex think very clearly | 0:20:58 | 0:21:02 | |
about what their offer is. | 0:21:02 | 0:21:03 | |
Six weeks will go very quickly indeed. | 0:21:03 | 0:21:06 | |
After the glamour and luxury of the Goring, | 0:21:08 | 0:21:11 | |
it's back to reality at the Nook. | 0:21:11 | 0:21:14 | |
It has crossed my mind that I should just run away | 0:21:14 | 0:21:16 | |
and not bother with any of this stuff. | 0:21:16 | 0:21:17 | |
But unfortunately that's not going to happen! | 0:21:17 | 0:21:21 | |
And this means working long hours. | 0:21:21 | 0:21:24 | |
Wife, mother, | 0:21:27 | 0:21:30 | |
painter and decorator, waitress, book-keeper, | 0:21:30 | 0:21:34 | |
yeah, I think that's it for today. | 0:21:34 | 0:21:36 | |
But there could be another addition to that list. | 0:21:37 | 0:21:40 | |
So the chef, we had a bit of a problem | 0:21:41 | 0:21:44 | |
because we're really struggling to find somebody. | 0:21:44 | 0:21:48 | |
You know, if we don't get one sorted... | 0:21:48 | 0:21:50 | |
soon, what we're going to have to do is learn all the dishes. | 0:21:50 | 0:21:54 | |
And then, if the worst comes to it, we'll do the chef's job | 0:21:54 | 0:21:58 | |
until such time as we can find someone. | 0:21:58 | 0:22:00 | |
That fills me with absolute joy, the thought of being a chef. | 0:22:00 | 0:22:04 | |
But, you know, needs must. | 0:22:04 | 0:22:08 | |
Hiring the right chef | 0:22:11 | 0:22:13 | |
and cracking the menu for The Nook is going to be key to their success. | 0:22:13 | 0:22:18 | |
In a restaurant, there is a relationship | 0:22:18 | 0:22:20 | |
between number of covers and spend per head, | 0:22:20 | 0:22:23 | |
and if you get that balance wrong, | 0:22:23 | 0:22:25 | |
you run the risk of working very long hours, absolutely flat out, | 0:22:25 | 0:22:29 | |
and only just about breaking even, and that's not much fun. | 0:22:29 | 0:22:32 | |
Kate and Alex's menu is their mission statement, | 0:22:41 | 0:22:43 | |
and it needs a bit of je ne sais quoi. | 0:22:43 | 0:22:46 | |
So I've brought them to Paris, the centre of cafe culture, | 0:22:46 | 0:22:49 | |
to inspire them to think bigger. | 0:22:49 | 0:22:52 | |
The girls are planning to serve breakfast | 0:22:55 | 0:22:57 | |
and an extensive afternoon tea menu, | 0:22:57 | 0:23:00 | |
but I want them to make The Nook into | 0:23:00 | 0:23:02 | |
so much more than just a tea shop | 0:23:02 | 0:23:03 | |
and give them some really delicious and unique ideas | 0:23:03 | 0:23:07 | |
to expand their lunch menu. | 0:23:07 | 0:23:08 | |
Rose Bakery is a renowned boulangarie | 0:23:12 | 0:23:14 | |
owned by Jean-Charles and his wife Rose. | 0:23:14 | 0:23:17 | |
-Hi, I'm Alex, pleased to meet you. -Good morning, lovely to meet you. | 0:23:17 | 0:23:20 | |
Synonymous with fresh, home-made, impeccably sourced ingredients, | 0:23:20 | 0:23:24 | |
its quiches are legendary. | 0:23:24 | 0:23:26 | |
I'm hoping this small independent operator will inspire them. | 0:23:26 | 0:23:30 | |
If there's one thing that I want the girls to take back, | 0:23:30 | 0:23:33 | |
it's a renewed and invigorated passion for food. | 0:23:33 | 0:23:37 | |
I want them to see that they can prepare delicious | 0:23:37 | 0:23:40 | |
savoury dishes like the quiche, | 0:23:40 | 0:23:42 | |
in an environment like The Nook, and really make a name for themselves. | 0:23:42 | 0:23:45 | |
Every day, we do every single thing fresh. | 0:23:47 | 0:23:51 | |
We start selling at 11am, finish at 3pm and everything is sold out. | 0:23:51 | 0:23:55 | |
And we start again the next day, every single day. | 0:23:55 | 0:23:58 | |
We're here to learn how to make the famous quiches. | 0:23:58 | 0:24:01 | |
They're relatively cheap and easy to make, | 0:24:01 | 0:24:05 | |
and if done well, can be really profitable. | 0:24:05 | 0:24:08 | |
So we start here by putting the cream together. | 0:24:08 | 0:24:12 | |
One litre of cream, five eggs and one yolk. | 0:24:12 | 0:24:15 | |
So the first egg, you're forgetting... | 0:24:15 | 0:24:19 | |
You forget the white, I see. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:21 | |
'The secret trick of making these quiches so memorable | 0:24:21 | 0:24:25 | |
'is to take out one egg white in every six to make them creamier.' | 0:24:25 | 0:24:30 | |
-This recipe is now 20 years old. -Right, OK. | 0:24:30 | 0:24:34 | |
-How much salt and pepper? -Two big pinches. -Of each? -Yeah. | 0:24:35 | 0:24:39 | |
We don't measure here, it's all like that. | 0:24:39 | 0:24:41 | |
-So there's still loads of yolks in the bottom there. -Yeah. | 0:24:41 | 0:24:45 | |
You've got to work a bit harder than that, I think, Alex. | 0:24:45 | 0:24:48 | |
-I don't want to throw it everywhere! -Don't, but give it a bit more welly. | 0:24:48 | 0:24:51 | |
-JEAN-CHARLES CHUCKLES -That's it. | 0:24:51 | 0:24:54 | |
The next stage, you have to see that the quiches are not going to leak. | 0:24:54 | 0:24:58 | |
So you put them through the light like that. | 0:24:58 | 0:25:00 | |
-Mm-hmm. -Seriously? -Yeah. | 0:25:00 | 0:25:02 | |
-So what are you looking for? -I'm looking for holes. | 0:25:02 | 0:25:05 | |
-So no holes. -No. If it's holes, | 0:25:05 | 0:25:06 | |
that's not going to be a quiche, is it? | 0:25:06 | 0:25:09 | |
I've never held quiche pastry into the light before. | 0:25:09 | 0:25:11 | |
-This is a first for me. -Can you see? | 0:25:11 | 0:25:13 | |
I feel faintly ridiculous. | 0:25:13 | 0:25:15 | |
What they do at Rose Bakery stands on a firm food ethos. | 0:25:18 | 0:25:22 | |
Fresh ingredients sourced from the market, cooked daily. | 0:25:22 | 0:25:25 | |
And this means the number of quiches is limited. | 0:25:25 | 0:25:29 | |
And that creates demand. | 0:25:29 | 0:25:32 | |
So how many of these do you make and sell in a day? | 0:25:32 | 0:25:35 | |
So, on the week, on the weekdays, | 0:25:35 | 0:25:38 | |
we sell 48. And when it's finished, it's finished. | 0:25:38 | 0:25:41 | |
And what sort of time of the day do they normally sell out, | 0:25:41 | 0:25:43 | |
-or do they sometimes last? -2.30pm. -Really? -Yeah. -Create the demand. | 0:25:43 | 0:25:48 | |
-Exactly, yeah. -Create the demand, | 0:25:48 | 0:25:50 | |
and make sure that people understand the exceptional thing as well. | 0:25:50 | 0:25:54 | |
-They are just not, like, coming out of the freezer. -Absolutely. | 0:25:54 | 0:25:57 | |
By having 48, and 48 only, you're saying, this is it. | 0:25:57 | 0:26:00 | |
They're fresh, this is what we've got. When they've gone they've gone. | 0:26:00 | 0:26:03 | |
-Yeah. They're gone, they're gone. -I can see your mind working. -Yeah. | 0:26:03 | 0:26:07 | |
-It's all going in. -I can hear the cogs whirring, it's incredible. | 0:26:07 | 0:26:10 | |
We have a tradition that we do bacon quiche. | 0:26:10 | 0:26:13 | |
-Does it surprise you how generous it is? -Yeah. -Yeah, definitely. | 0:26:13 | 0:26:17 | |
Really gives a strong sense of getting your money's worth | 0:26:17 | 0:26:19 | |
-and then some. -It's so packed full, it's lovely to see. | 0:26:19 | 0:26:24 | |
This is something that, I mean, | 0:26:24 | 0:26:25 | |
I don't see this sort of thing in London. | 0:26:25 | 0:26:27 | |
This real attention to detail. | 0:26:27 | 0:26:29 | |
The sort of attitude to food | 0:26:29 | 0:26:31 | |
that comes from baking rather than cooking. | 0:26:31 | 0:26:33 | |
You know, this is as good, I think, as any restaurant meal | 0:26:33 | 0:26:36 | |
but it's the sort of thing you rarely see in restaurants | 0:26:36 | 0:26:38 | |
because it's considered the realm of the bakery. | 0:26:38 | 0:26:41 | |
At The Nook, in Dunchurch, you have an opportunity to do something | 0:26:41 | 0:26:45 | |
fantastically well, like this. | 0:26:45 | 0:26:47 | |
Packed full of local, seasonal ingredients, | 0:26:47 | 0:26:50 | |
that I think has the opportunity to blow your customers away. | 0:26:50 | 0:26:54 | |
'Not only is this fabulous food, | 0:26:54 | 0:26:55 | |
'but dishes like this will enable Kate and Alex | 0:26:55 | 0:26:58 | |
'to charge more per dish, | 0:26:58 | 0:27:00 | |
'and increase that crucial spend per head.' | 0:27:00 | 0:27:02 | |
-And...in. -Done! -Well done. -Job done. | 0:27:02 | 0:27:06 | |
I'm hoping that they go back to Dunchurch with a renewed sense | 0:27:07 | 0:27:10 | |
of what they're doing and a renewed purpose. It's not just a tea room. | 0:27:10 | 0:27:14 | |
It can't just be serving cakes and scones and jam. | 0:27:14 | 0:27:18 | |
It needs to be more than that. | 0:27:18 | 0:27:20 | |
I've just got loads and loads of ideas going on in my head now. | 0:27:20 | 0:27:22 | |
And things we can take home. | 0:27:22 | 0:27:25 | |
Wow! | 0:27:25 | 0:27:27 | |
-They look fantastic, don't they? -Yeah. | 0:27:27 | 0:27:29 | |
-That's a thing of beauty, isn't it? -It really is. | 0:27:29 | 0:27:32 | |
-Mm. -It's good. -And the veg has still got a bit of bite. | 0:27:34 | 0:27:37 | |
There's an opportunity on your menu for something more than just | 0:27:37 | 0:27:41 | |
the things that go with tea. | 0:27:41 | 0:27:43 | |
The scones, and the cakes, and the typical English tea shop fare. | 0:27:43 | 0:27:47 | |
What we've got here, I think, is still very consistent | 0:27:47 | 0:27:50 | |
with your baking ethos and very consistent with your tea shop ethos, | 0:27:50 | 0:27:53 | |
but something that is, I think, | 0:27:53 | 0:27:55 | |
going to elevate you to a different status. | 0:27:55 | 0:27:58 | |
Back in Warwickshire Kate and Alex, inspired by their trip to Paris, | 0:28:06 | 0:28:10 | |
are hunting down the very best local suppliers for their menu. | 0:28:10 | 0:28:15 | |
Do you do delivery or anything like that? | 0:28:15 | 0:28:18 | |
-You can order online. -Yeah. -OK. | 0:28:18 | 0:28:19 | |
-Shall we take a couple of bits to try? -Mm. | 0:28:20 | 0:28:23 | |
Lovely, thank you very much. | 0:28:24 | 0:28:26 | |
-Good luck with it. -Thank you. | 0:28:26 | 0:28:29 | |
But the build is nowhere near finished. | 0:28:29 | 0:28:33 | |
There is a lot to do in five and a half weeks. | 0:28:33 | 0:28:37 | |
Got to get some staff, that's quite a big thing. | 0:28:37 | 0:28:39 | |
So, a chef, waitress. | 0:28:39 | 0:28:42 | |
Obviously, there's loads of decorating to do. | 0:28:42 | 0:28:44 | |
All the floors need redoing. | 0:28:44 | 0:28:47 | |
Um, the kitchen has got nothing in it. | 0:28:47 | 0:28:51 | |
We've blown our building budget by about five grand. | 0:28:51 | 0:28:55 | |
I'm just worried about the things I haven't thought of yet. | 0:28:55 | 0:28:58 | |
But, yeah, if I actually sit back and think about it, | 0:28:58 | 0:29:01 | |
I realise we've probably taken on far too much. | 0:29:01 | 0:29:03 | |
You say it's going to be tough, | 0:29:03 | 0:29:04 | |
but actually it's not till you're in it | 0:29:04 | 0:29:06 | |
that you realise, actually, this is quite horrible at times. | 0:29:06 | 0:29:10 | |
With opening day looming, the build is pressing. | 0:29:10 | 0:29:13 | |
But it's only one of a long list of things still to be done. | 0:29:13 | 0:29:17 | |
After their trip to Paris, their menu is starting to take shape | 0:29:19 | 0:29:23 | |
but will their potential customers like the dishes they plan to serve? | 0:29:23 | 0:29:28 | |
I've suggested we do some market research in the village. | 0:29:28 | 0:29:32 | |
The great thing about The Nook is it's in the centre of a village. | 0:29:34 | 0:29:37 | |
In the centre of a community. | 0:29:37 | 0:29:39 | |
What we're doing today is bringing the food of The Nook | 0:29:39 | 0:29:42 | |
into the village itself to see if the locals like it. | 0:29:42 | 0:29:45 | |
And most importantly, to see what they're willing to pay for it. | 0:29:45 | 0:29:48 | |
Right, oven on. | 0:29:48 | 0:29:50 | |
Set. | 0:29:52 | 0:29:53 | |
Good. | 0:29:54 | 0:29:56 | |
It may sound really obvious, but price point is essential. | 0:29:56 | 0:29:58 | |
If you make things too expensive, no-one's going to come. | 0:29:58 | 0:30:01 | |
Too cheap, you're not going to make any money. | 0:30:01 | 0:30:03 | |
As we learnt in Paris I've just got to fill them up with mixture. | 0:30:03 | 0:30:07 | |
I want Kate and Alex to find out whether the prices that they | 0:30:07 | 0:30:11 | |
want to charge are the same as what the villagers expect to pay. | 0:30:11 | 0:30:16 | |
-C'est parfait. -That looks lovely. Last one, then. -Yep. -OK. | 0:30:16 | 0:30:22 | |
-What have we got? -We've got a selection. | 0:30:26 | 0:30:29 | |
-You've got your square quiches. -We have! -I love it. Look at those. | 0:30:29 | 0:30:32 | |
They look fantastic. And what else do we have? What's this? | 0:30:32 | 0:30:35 | |
-This is ribollita, Italian soup. -Fantastic. | 0:30:35 | 0:30:40 | |
Over here, this is a pork and fennel stew. | 0:30:40 | 0:30:44 | |
-The bread has come from our baker, fresh this morning. -Looks lovely. | 0:30:44 | 0:30:48 | |
On the subject of feedback and on the subject of pricing, | 0:30:48 | 0:30:52 | |
what I've got for you are some little feedback forms | 0:30:52 | 0:30:55 | |
that I hope will help you to get the prices right. | 0:30:55 | 0:30:58 | |
OK. Fantastic. Thank you for that. | 0:30:58 | 0:31:00 | |
Kate and Alex are thinking of selling | 0:31:00 | 0:31:04 | |
their Parisian inspired quiches for £5, | 0:31:04 | 0:31:08 | |
their soups for around £4.50 and the stew for £6. | 0:31:08 | 0:31:13 | |
And they're hoping to make 65% profit margin | 0:31:13 | 0:31:17 | |
on each of their dishes. | 0:31:17 | 0:31:19 | |
But so far they haven't got any takers. | 0:31:19 | 0:31:22 | |
How do you think the villagers are going to find out we're here? | 0:31:22 | 0:31:25 | |
-We're going to go round. -We're going to have to go and find them. | 0:31:25 | 0:31:27 | |
-Make them come to us. -I think that's probably a very good idea. | 0:31:27 | 0:31:31 | |
I'm hoping my fear about the lack of customers in Dunchurch | 0:31:31 | 0:31:34 | |
isn't going to be proved to be right. | 0:31:34 | 0:31:36 | |
There's free food and no-one's around to eat it. | 0:31:36 | 0:31:40 | |
Hello. | 0:31:43 | 0:31:45 | |
I'm Kate, I'm from The Nook. | 0:31:45 | 0:31:47 | |
We're going a taste test of the food we're going to be serving. | 0:31:47 | 0:31:50 | |
We're doing a selection of the kind of things we'll be serving. | 0:31:50 | 0:31:52 | |
-That's nice. -We're looking for some feedback. | 0:31:52 | 0:31:55 | |
-Please come over and bring as many as you like. -What is it? | 0:31:55 | 0:31:58 | |
-You'll find out. -OK. | 0:31:58 | 0:32:01 | |
-'Finally, some customers!' -Blimey! | 0:32:01 | 0:32:03 | |
You've got a crowd! Get your pinny on! | 0:32:03 | 0:32:05 | |
We've got quiches, we've got ribollita, | 0:32:05 | 0:32:08 | |
-we've got a pork and fennel stew. -What's it for? | 0:32:08 | 0:32:12 | |
We're opening a cafe, The Nook, so it's just a taster. | 0:32:12 | 0:32:14 | |
What we want you to do is try it and tell us what you think of it | 0:32:14 | 0:32:17 | |
and how much you think you'd pay. | 0:32:17 | 0:32:20 | |
-Tasty? -Gorgeous. -Good. -Pork's nice and tender. -Very good. | 0:32:20 | 0:32:24 | |
-It's nice. Very nice. -So, that was 9/10. | 0:32:24 | 0:32:28 | |
-Very good. -Gosh, that's a good start. | 0:32:28 | 0:32:31 | |
And £4.50 for the quiche. | 0:32:31 | 0:32:33 | |
-What do you think you'd pay for something like that? -£5 or £5.50. | 0:32:33 | 0:32:37 | |
-OK. -OK. | 0:32:37 | 0:32:39 | |
It's really good. It's different. | 0:32:39 | 0:32:42 | |
One of the items on their menu looks to be shaping up | 0:32:46 | 0:32:49 | |
to being a real success. | 0:32:49 | 0:32:51 | |
This one is bacon and tomato with a little bit of black pudding. | 0:32:52 | 0:32:55 | |
This is goat's cheese and tomato and chive. | 0:32:55 | 0:32:59 | |
-That's amazing. -Do real men eat quiche? They do now! | 0:32:59 | 0:33:02 | |
I'm eating one, yeah, so I guess they do, yeah. | 0:33:02 | 0:33:06 | |
It's proper food. It's not mass produced. | 0:33:06 | 0:33:09 | |
-Kate and Alex, we have a 10/10 over here! Wow! -Mm. | 0:33:09 | 0:33:14 | |
-That's superb. -Yeah? -Very nice. | 0:33:15 | 0:33:18 | |
In a restaurant environment, | 0:33:18 | 0:33:20 | |
what do you think you'd pay for something like that? | 0:33:20 | 0:33:22 | |
For something like that? £5 or £5.50. | 0:33:22 | 0:33:24 | |
-I would say £10. -Just under £10? | 0:33:24 | 0:33:27 | |
-I think so. -That's really encouraging, thank you. | 0:33:27 | 0:33:30 | |
That's three dishes from their menu that have the local seal of approval | 0:33:30 | 0:33:34 | |
and they are prepared to pay decent money for them. | 0:33:34 | 0:33:38 | |
Given my concerns about the lack of footfall in the village, | 0:33:38 | 0:33:41 | |
I'm pleased to see such a crowd. | 0:33:41 | 0:33:44 | |
I'll have to remember that one and come over! | 0:33:44 | 0:33:46 | |
I think this event's gone really well today. | 0:33:48 | 0:33:50 | |
A lot of people were very interested | 0:33:50 | 0:33:52 | |
and curious to know what Kate and Alex were doing. | 0:33:52 | 0:33:55 | |
A lot of people came out of their homes and out of the shops. | 0:33:55 | 0:33:57 | |
The feedback was very, very good | 0:33:57 | 0:34:00 | |
but the standout dish for me was the quiche. | 0:34:00 | 0:34:03 | |
I tried all three of the quiches and they were exceptional. | 0:34:03 | 0:34:06 | |
I mean really, really good. | 0:34:06 | 0:34:08 | |
This exercise, for me, is very useful to find out whether people | 0:34:11 | 0:34:14 | |
like your food - and they clearly do - | 0:34:14 | 0:34:16 | |
but I think the really interesting part | 0:34:16 | 0:34:18 | |
is going to be what people will pay for it. | 0:34:18 | 0:34:20 | |
-Shall we look at the feedback? -Yes. -OK. Quiche, 9/10. | 0:34:20 | 0:34:23 | |
-Very good. And they would be willing to pay £4.50. -OK. | 0:34:23 | 0:34:28 | |
That was lower than I thought. | 0:34:28 | 0:34:31 | |
Quiche, 10/10. Excellent. £4. | 0:34:31 | 0:34:34 | |
-Pork and fennel stew, 11/10. -Wow! | 0:34:34 | 0:34:37 | |
-And a very low £3.50. -Yeah. | 0:34:37 | 0:34:40 | |
Pork and fennel stew. Really yummy. £6.95. Is that more in your region? | 0:34:40 | 0:34:44 | |
-That's exactly what I'd have written. -Quiche and slaw 8/10. £7. | 0:34:44 | 0:34:49 | |
-Wow. -Quiche, 10/10. £9. | 0:34:49 | 0:34:53 | |
Cheese and onion quiche and soup, 8/10. | 0:34:53 | 0:34:57 | |
£6 for the quiche, soup £4.50. Stew, 10/10. £6. | 0:34:57 | 0:35:01 | |
I wasn't nervous until we got out here | 0:35:04 | 0:35:07 | |
and I thought it could go one of two ways. | 0:35:07 | 0:35:09 | |
But fortunately it went the right way. | 0:35:09 | 0:35:12 | |
We've had such fantastic feedback | 0:35:13 | 0:35:15 | |
and very good feedback on the pricing as well. | 0:35:15 | 0:35:18 | |
At least we know we're on the right track | 0:35:18 | 0:35:20 | |
and people aren't expecting really cheap or really expensive. | 0:35:20 | 0:35:24 | |
So it's been really good for that. | 0:35:24 | 0:35:26 | |
At least we know we're in the right ballpark, don't we? | 0:35:26 | 0:35:29 | |
They may not have a chef yet but it's clear they can turn out | 0:35:29 | 0:35:33 | |
good food that people are prepared to pay the right price for. | 0:35:33 | 0:35:37 | |
But with the opening looming, | 0:35:37 | 0:35:38 | |
I'm keen to see how the build is coming along. | 0:35:38 | 0:35:41 | |
There's lots of change, isn't there? | 0:35:41 | 0:35:43 | |
Oh, you've knocked a hole in the wall! OK. | 0:35:43 | 0:35:46 | |
I'm completely sold. | 0:35:46 | 0:35:47 | |
This is great because it does what was missing from the building, | 0:35:47 | 0:35:50 | |
which is connect the back and the front, the two areas. | 0:35:50 | 0:35:53 | |
-So even without going backwards, I feel connected. -Yeah. | 0:35:53 | 0:35:56 | |
You can see through, you're going to be able to hear people | 0:35:56 | 0:35:59 | |
talking and chattering and laughing in here and it's going to | 0:35:59 | 0:36:02 | |
make such a difference to your business in terms of | 0:36:02 | 0:36:04 | |
feeling like one space rather than two spaces separated by a corridor. | 0:36:04 | 0:36:08 | |
In their new kitchen, Kate and Alex drop a bit of a bombshell. | 0:36:08 | 0:36:12 | |
We've come to the conclusion we're going to have to be | 0:36:12 | 0:36:15 | |
in the kitchen because it's been really hard to find someone | 0:36:15 | 0:36:19 | |
that wants to work the hours we need them to work. | 0:36:19 | 0:36:23 | |
-It means you're putting even more on your plate, doesn't it? -Yeah. | 0:36:23 | 0:36:26 | |
That's going to have to be how we start out and once we've | 0:36:26 | 0:36:29 | |
found our feet and know what we're doing, | 0:36:29 | 0:36:31 | |
then maybe we'll look again at getting someone else in. | 0:36:31 | 0:36:34 | |
But at the moment I just know it's going to end up | 0:36:34 | 0:36:37 | |
with you and me in here! | 0:36:37 | 0:36:39 | |
But that's what we're working on, | 0:36:39 | 0:36:41 | |
because if that's worst case scenario and we work to that, | 0:36:41 | 0:36:44 | |
we'll be OK. At least we'll be prepared. | 0:36:44 | 0:36:47 | |
I think they'd be mad to run the kitchen. | 0:36:47 | 0:36:50 | |
There's just so much work involved. | 0:36:50 | 0:36:52 | |
They've got all the front of house responsibilities on their shoulders, | 0:36:52 | 0:36:55 | |
they've got the weight of the business there too and now they've | 0:36:55 | 0:36:59 | |
got those responsibilities that a head chef would normally take on. | 0:36:59 | 0:37:02 | |
In order to make that work they must make sure that their systems are as | 0:37:02 | 0:37:05 | |
slick as can be and that the kitchen is run as efficiently as possible. | 0:37:05 | 0:37:09 | |
I don't think they have any idea | 0:37:12 | 0:37:14 | |
what working in a professional kitchen involves. | 0:37:14 | 0:37:17 | |
So I'm going to put them to the ultimate test. | 0:37:17 | 0:37:19 | |
Breakfast is often cited as one of the most deceptively | 0:37:21 | 0:37:24 | |
difficult dishes to pull off. | 0:37:24 | 0:37:26 | |
So where better to get a crash course | 0:37:26 | 0:37:29 | |
than The Pit Stop Cafe in Chippenham, | 0:37:29 | 0:37:32 | |
where Ally serves around 200 hungry truckers virtually single-handedly. | 0:37:32 | 0:37:38 | |
-200 breakfasts. Are you ready? -No! | 0:37:38 | 0:37:40 | |
Pinnies and I think we should get started! | 0:37:41 | 0:37:44 | |
I can see the truckers arriving, hungry and ready. Let's go. | 0:37:44 | 0:37:48 | |
-Are mornings generally the busiest period? -I would say so. | 0:37:51 | 0:37:55 | |
Breakfast, they go on a 45 minute break. | 0:37:55 | 0:37:57 | |
In, have something to eat and gone again. | 0:37:57 | 0:38:00 | |
-First order. -Here we go. -One large breakfast. Sorry. I was just... | 0:38:00 | 0:38:05 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:38:05 | 0:38:07 | |
-If you want to do this, then? Practise the eggs as well. -Right. | 0:38:07 | 0:38:10 | |
-What's going on here? -It's two eggs and beans. -Two eggs and beans. | 0:38:10 | 0:38:15 | |
-Take two eggs. -Is that the right temperature? | 0:38:15 | 0:38:17 | |
I always keep it on about three and a half. | 0:38:17 | 0:38:19 | |
'I want Kate and Alex to realise that professional cooking' | 0:38:19 | 0:38:22 | |
is all about having a system. | 0:38:22 | 0:38:24 | |
Even in a small place like this that's doing massive numbers | 0:38:24 | 0:38:28 | |
- I mean, 200 breakfasts is huge - | 0:38:28 | 0:38:31 | |
it needs a way of doing things | 0:38:31 | 0:38:33 | |
that's as efficient as it can possibly be. | 0:38:33 | 0:38:35 | |
You've got another order in. | 0:38:35 | 0:38:37 | |
Ally is really efficient. You know, she's one person. | 0:38:37 | 0:38:40 | |
-Just keep your eye on things. -Yeah. Just keep your eye on it. | 0:38:40 | 0:38:44 | |
With a little team of washer-uppers and prep chefs back here, | 0:38:44 | 0:38:48 | |
she's got to be serving pretty much single-handedly 200 customers today. | 0:38:48 | 0:38:52 | |
That's really efficient. | 0:38:52 | 0:38:54 | |
Breakfast is a particular challenge because it has lots of component | 0:38:56 | 0:38:59 | |
parts all with different cooking times that need to be synchronised. | 0:38:59 | 0:39:04 | |
Two eggs for that one. | 0:39:04 | 0:39:06 | |
Ally's system is as the orders come in the eggs and toast are put on. | 0:39:06 | 0:39:11 | |
Just put another egg on. They do break. | 0:39:11 | 0:39:15 | |
They cook while all the other pre-cooked items like sausages | 0:39:15 | 0:39:19 | |
and bacon are plated up. | 0:39:19 | 0:39:21 | |
And when the eggs are done, | 0:39:21 | 0:39:23 | |
just put your eggs up and then that's ready to go. | 0:39:23 | 0:39:25 | |
Once finished, the eggs and toast go on | 0:39:25 | 0:39:28 | |
'then the order goes out - simple but well organised.' | 0:39:28 | 0:39:31 | |
-So two down, 198 to go. -Yup. | 0:39:31 | 0:39:35 | |
-Number eight. -Can you do my toast, Alex? | 0:39:37 | 0:39:39 | |
-Alex, are you hacking a bit at that toast? -Shush! | 0:39:41 | 0:39:43 | |
Ally, can I just check, is that acceptable? With all the sort of... | 0:39:43 | 0:39:47 | |
It's a little compromised, let's say, in the middle. | 0:39:47 | 0:39:49 | |
So this is a reject. | 0:39:49 | 0:39:51 | |
I'm swapping you round in a minute! | 0:39:53 | 0:39:55 | |
Effectively, Alex and Kate are kitchen novices. | 0:39:55 | 0:39:59 | |
They've never worked in a commercial environment before | 0:39:59 | 0:40:01 | |
and kitchens are always stressful. | 0:40:01 | 0:40:04 | |
But what's important is that the stress is channelled | 0:40:04 | 0:40:06 | |
and it's used to create the right sort of energy to get | 0:40:06 | 0:40:09 | |
the food out while it's tasty, hot and in good time. | 0:40:09 | 0:40:12 | |
My goodness! I'm scared. | 0:40:12 | 0:40:14 | |
Just do them one at a time if you need to. | 0:40:14 | 0:40:16 | |
-Is that all right? It's only my first one. -Exactly. It'll be fine. | 0:40:16 | 0:40:20 | |
-Traditional breakfast. -Beans, tomato. | 0:40:21 | 0:40:24 | |
Why is it the minute I take over it goes mental? | 0:40:25 | 0:40:28 | |
Ow! | 0:40:39 | 0:40:41 | |
So how confident do you feel about doing that at the minute? | 0:40:43 | 0:40:45 | |
-It's about organisation and systems. -Yeah. -Having a good system. | 0:40:45 | 0:40:48 | |
You've hit the nail on the head. It's all about organisation. | 0:40:48 | 0:40:51 | |
It's all about systems. | 0:40:51 | 0:40:53 | |
It's all about the machinery and mechanics of your kitchen space. | 0:40:53 | 0:40:56 | |
And I think the preparation you need to do before you open | 0:40:56 | 0:40:59 | |
is thinking very carefully about how that's going to work, | 0:40:59 | 0:41:02 | |
rather than waiting until you've got your first customer | 0:41:02 | 0:41:04 | |
sitting at The Nook and you think, "Oh, crikey! What do we do?" | 0:41:04 | 0:41:08 | |
A little bit of thought and sitting down with your menu | 0:41:08 | 0:41:10 | |
and looking at your kitchen space and your equipment | 0:41:10 | 0:41:12 | |
is all you're going to need in order to have the best chance | 0:41:12 | 0:41:16 | |
of success and the best chance of getting it right from the beginning. | 0:41:16 | 0:41:19 | |
I soon learn that after sleeping on it, | 0:41:25 | 0:41:28 | |
Alex and Kate have made a decision. | 0:41:28 | 0:41:30 | |
We've decided to try and take the pressure off a little bit | 0:41:30 | 0:41:33 | |
and go forward and look for a chef. | 0:41:33 | 0:41:36 | |
If it doesn't work out, we know we can work around it | 0:41:36 | 0:41:40 | |
but I think it would take a huge amount of pressure off us. | 0:41:40 | 0:41:43 | |
It's definitely the right decision, but finding a great chef | 0:41:45 | 0:41:49 | |
is one more headache amongst many | 0:41:49 | 0:41:51 | |
with the opening less than three weeks away. | 0:41:51 | 0:41:54 | |
It feels horrendous. | 0:41:54 | 0:41:56 | |
It feels like there's so much stuff to do and so little time. | 0:41:56 | 0:42:00 | |
We need about a million workmen crawling over the place. | 0:42:00 | 0:42:04 | |
I'm having a few sleepless nights cos I don't think it's | 0:42:04 | 0:42:07 | |
progressing as fast as it needs to. Kate's project manager. | 0:42:07 | 0:42:10 | |
It just makes sense cos she's here all the time - it's her house. | 0:42:10 | 0:42:13 | |
But I think my role is to come in and say, "Right. | 0:42:13 | 0:42:16 | |
"Come on, we need to know exactly what's going on now." | 0:42:16 | 0:42:19 | |
That's how I feel at the minute. | 0:42:19 | 0:42:21 | |
I think there's not enough action for me right now. | 0:42:21 | 0:42:24 | |
-Coats on, please. Have you got your shoes on? -Whee! | 0:42:24 | 0:42:27 | |
It's a nightmare, actually, trying to juggle a day job | 0:42:27 | 0:42:30 | |
and then children and running a house | 0:42:30 | 0:42:34 | |
and then trying to do the cafe, basically, in our spare time. | 0:42:34 | 0:42:38 | |
Felix, wait for Mum! | 0:42:38 | 0:42:40 | |
The last thing I want to do is lose clients | 0:42:41 | 0:42:43 | |
because I've been ignoring them. | 0:42:43 | 0:42:45 | |
I knew it was going to be hard and it is hard. | 0:42:45 | 0:42:47 | |
We went into this knowing it would be a few weeks of a really | 0:42:47 | 0:42:52 | |
crappy time and we're in it and it's crap, but, you know. | 0:42:52 | 0:42:55 | |
But despite how tough it is, | 0:43:08 | 0:43:10 | |
Kate and Alex soldier on, battling through until their opening. | 0:43:10 | 0:43:14 | |
OK, menu we have done. | 0:43:14 | 0:43:16 | |
I've just got to do a drinks menu cos we forgot to put the drinks on. | 0:43:16 | 0:43:20 | |
Right. So, drinks menu and print. | 0:43:20 | 0:43:22 | |
The kitchen is finally installed, along with a chef. | 0:43:23 | 0:43:28 | |
We've been test running a few dishes already for a couple of days | 0:43:29 | 0:43:34 | |
and, erm...yahoo! I'm OK. | 0:43:34 | 0:43:36 | |
I'm happy with it and looking forward very much. | 0:43:36 | 0:43:39 | |
They rope in partners, family and friends. | 0:43:39 | 0:43:42 | |
Everyone's pulling together and making sure it happens. | 0:43:42 | 0:43:45 | |
We couldn't have done it without them all. They've been amazing. | 0:43:45 | 0:43:48 | |
But there's one more crucial thing to do before opening. | 0:43:48 | 0:43:50 | |
Without customers none of their hard work will have been worth it | 0:43:50 | 0:43:54 | |
so Kate and Alex head into the village to spread the word. | 0:43:54 | 0:43:58 | |
Alex and I have about 1,000 fliers here that we're going to be giving | 0:43:58 | 0:44:01 | |
out to all the houses in the village to tell them that we're opening. | 0:44:01 | 0:44:06 | |
-I can't believe we're doing it! -I can't believe we got here! | 0:44:08 | 0:44:11 | |
-Mind you, we haven't done it yet, have we? -No! | 0:44:11 | 0:44:13 | |
-I'm just shattered. -Too tired to be nervous? | 0:44:13 | 0:44:17 | |
Right, come on, then. | 0:44:17 | 0:44:19 | |
Finally, after months of planning and hard work, | 0:44:32 | 0:44:35 | |
it's Kate and Alex's opening day. | 0:44:35 | 0:44:38 | |
This is the biggest marketing opportunity they'll ever get. | 0:44:38 | 0:44:42 | |
First impressions can make or break you in this business | 0:44:42 | 0:44:46 | |
and word will spread fast in a small community. | 0:44:46 | 0:44:49 | |
I'm here to see how they get on. | 0:44:49 | 0:44:51 | |
-Kate, how are you? -Well. How are you? -Very well indeed. | 0:45:08 | 0:45:11 | |
-Hi, Alex. -Hi. -Well, here we are. Congratulations. -Thank you. | 0:45:11 | 0:45:17 | |
-You're about to open. -I know! -How does that feel? | 0:45:17 | 0:45:20 | |
-Bit nerve racking. -This is a big moment. | 0:45:20 | 0:45:23 | |
-I know. All this hard work and this is the bit that matters. -Exactly. | 0:45:23 | 0:45:28 | |
-We want to get it right. No pressure, though. -Oh, my God! | 0:45:28 | 0:45:31 | |
And they are being well supported by their family with a cousin serving, | 0:45:31 | 0:45:36 | |
Kate's husband Dan helping in the kitchen | 0:45:36 | 0:45:38 | |
and her mother-in-law doing the coffee. | 0:45:38 | 0:45:41 | |
And it's just as well | 0:45:42 | 0:45:44 | |
because there's actually a queue forming outside. | 0:45:44 | 0:45:47 | |
-Hello. -Good morning. | 0:45:52 | 0:45:55 | |
It certainly looks like all that flyering paid off. | 0:45:55 | 0:45:59 | |
The whole village has turned up to see The Nook. | 0:45:59 | 0:46:02 | |
-Morning. -Hello! | 0:46:02 | 0:46:04 | |
There might not be enough seats. | 0:46:13 | 0:46:15 | |
Would you like to go through to the next room? There's another room. | 0:46:15 | 0:46:18 | |
-Keep going. -This is incredible! | 0:46:18 | 0:46:20 | |
Kate and Alex have been open for literally one minute | 0:46:20 | 0:46:24 | |
and I've counted 30 people walking through the door. | 0:46:24 | 0:46:26 | |
There's not enough seats for them already. | 0:46:26 | 0:46:29 | |
And it doesn't let up. People just keep on coming. | 0:46:32 | 0:46:36 | |
Every table is full, there's a queue outside. | 0:46:39 | 0:46:42 | |
I can see about six or eight people waiting. | 0:46:46 | 0:46:49 | |
-And yet more and more customers pile through the door. -How are you? | 0:46:49 | 0:46:52 | |
Good, thanks. How are you? | 0:46:52 | 0:46:54 | |
I had no idea it was going to be this busy, I have to be honest. | 0:46:54 | 0:46:57 | |
Dunchurch has always struck me as a very sleepy, quiet place. | 0:46:57 | 0:47:00 | |
Where have all these people come from? | 0:47:00 | 0:47:04 | |
They are oversubscribed and they've only just opened. | 0:47:04 | 0:47:07 | |
It's great, it really is fantastic. | 0:47:07 | 0:47:10 | |
The rush takes them by surprise. | 0:47:10 | 0:47:12 | |
In the trade we call it "being slammed" | 0:47:12 | 0:47:15 | |
when everyone arrives at once. | 0:47:15 | 0:47:17 | |
We've got 30 people sitting down all wanting something at the same time. | 0:47:17 | 0:47:21 | |
It's going to put pressure on the kitchen, | 0:47:21 | 0:47:23 | |
and put pressure on the front of house staff. | 0:47:23 | 0:47:25 | |
What did table four order? Cos I haven't got drinks for table three. | 0:47:25 | 0:47:28 | |
Water and a coffee. | 0:47:28 | 0:47:30 | |
-And a cinnamon bun? -Yeah. -Are you sure? -Yeah. | 0:47:30 | 0:47:34 | |
Two lattes, a pomegranate tea, | 0:47:34 | 0:47:36 | |
and an Earl Grey tea with no milk, please. | 0:47:36 | 0:47:38 | |
The orders are mounting up | 0:47:39 | 0:47:41 | |
but the hot drinks just aren't coming out quickly enough. | 0:47:41 | 0:47:44 | |
We've been waiting about 20 minutes for two teas and two buns. | 0:47:44 | 0:47:49 | |
But they did say that they'd had a big rush | 0:47:49 | 0:47:51 | |
and weren't expecting this many people to turn up. | 0:47:51 | 0:47:54 | |
We're quite happy nattering so it doesn't bother us. | 0:47:54 | 0:47:57 | |
It's Kate's mother-in-law Sue who's manning the coffee machine | 0:47:57 | 0:48:00 | |
but despite three days of training | 0:48:00 | 0:48:02 | |
she's struggling with the mocha-chocka-skinny lattes. | 0:48:02 | 0:48:06 | |
It's been a nightmare. It used to just be coffee in my day. | 0:48:06 | 0:48:11 | |
I need... I still need my Americano and my latte. | 0:48:11 | 0:48:14 | |
-It's not what you want at my age! -Have you used one of these before? | 0:48:14 | 0:48:18 | |
-No, never! -OK. -I've been practising this week. -Have you? | 0:48:18 | 0:48:22 | |
Suddenly, all the real specialities came in first time. | 0:48:22 | 0:48:26 | |
-Double this, skinny that. -Oh, really? | 0:48:26 | 0:48:28 | |
-Were you expecting that? -No. -No. -Oh, well. | 0:48:28 | 0:48:30 | |
Kate, I know they haven't had their drinks | 0:48:30 | 0:48:34 | |
but I'm worried it's getting cold, isn't it? | 0:48:34 | 0:48:37 | |
This is for these guys, table five. | 0:48:37 | 0:48:40 | |
I'm a bit worried that the food's coming out nice and quick | 0:48:42 | 0:48:45 | |
but the drinks are very, very slow indeed. | 0:48:45 | 0:48:48 | |
Can we have those back in the oven for a bit? Sorry. | 0:48:48 | 0:48:51 | |
They were ordered about ten minutes ago. | 0:48:51 | 0:48:53 | |
Yeah, but the drinks aren't ready and it looks terrible | 0:48:53 | 0:48:56 | |
if you send the food out before the drinks. | 0:48:56 | 0:48:58 | |
You're obviously ahead of us, I'm afraid. | 0:48:58 | 0:49:00 | |
-One coffee with warm milk. -Yes, thank you. -And one latte macchiato. | 0:49:08 | 0:49:12 | |
Thank you. | 0:49:12 | 0:49:14 | |
So, just as the queue finishes, there's another one starting. | 0:49:14 | 0:49:18 | |
Hello. Do come in. | 0:49:21 | 0:49:23 | |
-It's cold out there, isn't it? -It is. It's freezing. | 0:49:24 | 0:49:28 | |
-It's relentless. There's more. Hello. -Hiya. | 0:49:30 | 0:49:33 | |
Thanks. | 0:49:33 | 0:49:35 | |
-Hello, there. Hi, there. -Hello. | 0:49:35 | 0:49:39 | |
Who did table one? | 0:49:39 | 0:49:41 | |
-Alex? -I can just tell you if you like, | 0:49:42 | 0:49:46 | |
but I can't finish off one job for the other, OK? | 0:49:46 | 0:49:48 | |
The sheer volume of customers arriving through the door, | 0:49:48 | 0:49:52 | |
threatens to overwhelm Kate and Alex. | 0:49:52 | 0:49:55 | |
We've been waiting a little while but it's not unreasonable | 0:49:56 | 0:50:00 | |
because they've only just opened and they are extremely busy. | 0:50:00 | 0:50:04 | |
-It's your table. -No, it's not my table. | 0:50:04 | 0:50:06 | |
You said you'd take the back room. | 0:50:06 | 0:50:08 | |
The Nook has two rooms and Kate and Alex | 0:50:08 | 0:50:11 | |
had planned to take charge of one room each. | 0:50:11 | 0:50:14 | |
When you've got allocated spaces and allocated sections | 0:50:14 | 0:50:16 | |
it's important to stick to them, just to stop bumping into each other | 0:50:16 | 0:50:19 | |
and to stop too many people doing the same thing. | 0:50:19 | 0:50:22 | |
Are you ready to order? | 0:50:22 | 0:50:24 | |
I was going to say, are your systems holding up, Alex? | 0:50:25 | 0:50:28 | |
-Yup. -What systems? Ha-ha! | 0:50:28 | 0:50:31 | |
Despite everything they learned at the Goring Hotel, | 0:50:31 | 0:50:35 | |
Kate and Alex have panicked and abandoned the system of service. | 0:50:35 | 0:50:38 | |
-Alex, can you do the till? -I'm going. | 0:50:38 | 0:50:41 | |
OK. Is it two ladies? Do you want the bill, Alex? | 0:50:41 | 0:50:45 | |
It's become a free-for-all. | 0:50:46 | 0:50:49 | |
Have you allocated one room per person? | 0:50:49 | 0:50:51 | |
All I'm seeing at the moment is everybody everywhere. | 0:50:51 | 0:50:54 | |
What was supposed to happen was that Alex took the front room | 0:50:54 | 0:50:56 | |
-and I took the back room. -Has that happened? | 0:50:56 | 0:50:59 | |
What's happened is that people have started coming in and it's confused. | 0:50:59 | 0:51:02 | |
-Now I can't keep track. -So what are you going to do? | 0:51:02 | 0:51:05 | |
I'm going to take the back room back. I'm going to go and grab it back. | 0:51:05 | 0:51:08 | |
-Alex? -Alex, it's a bit confusing swapping rooms, | 0:51:08 | 0:51:12 | |
-so can we have the back room and you have the front room? -OK. | 0:51:12 | 0:51:16 | |
So you're going to take the front room, | 0:51:16 | 0:51:18 | |
Kate, you're taking the backroom and I'm going to help you out... | 0:51:18 | 0:51:22 | |
-Check out the back room. -Sure. | 0:51:22 | 0:51:24 | |
-Here we go. -Cheers. -Thank you. | 0:51:24 | 0:51:28 | |
Couple of cinnamon buns? | 0:51:28 | 0:51:29 | |
Finally the systems are back in place. | 0:51:31 | 0:51:34 | |
I think we've served something like 90 people in the last | 0:51:34 | 0:51:37 | |
-two and a half hours. -That's pretty good, isn't it? | 0:51:37 | 0:51:40 | |
Not bad for a first day, but I am sorry I kept you waiting. | 0:51:40 | 0:51:43 | |
It's such a great sight seeing a busy restaurant. | 0:51:46 | 0:51:49 | |
There's nothing better than walking into a place that's full. | 0:51:49 | 0:51:52 | |
And as a customer it makes you want to go into a restaurant even more. | 0:51:52 | 0:51:57 | |
By mid-afternoon, the customers do begin to tail off, | 0:51:58 | 0:52:01 | |
and just as well. | 0:52:01 | 0:52:03 | |
Sorry, did you say you don't have any cakes left? | 0:52:03 | 0:52:06 | |
-What do you mean? -We haven't... -ANY cakes? | 0:52:06 | 0:52:08 | |
You're going to have to make the scones right now. | 0:52:08 | 0:52:11 | |
-We've run out of everything. -You're out of scones, cake... | 0:52:11 | 0:52:13 | |
-We've run out of scones, cake, soup... -No soup? Are you serious? | 0:52:13 | 0:52:19 | |
My God, what have you got left? | 0:52:21 | 0:52:24 | |
Normally I'd heavily criticise any restaurant running out of food | 0:52:24 | 0:52:28 | |
but it's no wonder here - | 0:52:28 | 0:52:30 | |
they've been inundated, serving over 150 customers today. | 0:52:30 | 0:52:34 | |
Luckily the end of service is within sight. | 0:52:36 | 0:52:40 | |
A dead duck! | 0:52:41 | 0:52:43 | |
Oh, God... | 0:52:43 | 0:52:44 | |
-Thank you so much. -You're welcome. I'm going to come by and see you. | 0:52:48 | 0:52:54 | |
Thank you for all your hard work. It can only get easier from here on in. | 0:52:54 | 0:52:59 | |
-It can only get easier and it can only get organised. -Yeah. | 0:52:59 | 0:53:02 | |
Kate, Alex, how do you think that went? | 0:53:04 | 0:53:06 | |
Really well, but really bad. | 0:53:07 | 0:53:09 | |
I definitely wasn't expecting as many people as we had. | 0:53:09 | 0:53:12 | |
-That was a lot of people. -I don't think I caught up at any point. | 0:53:12 | 0:53:15 | |
There wasn't a point when I had a breather and could do something else. | 0:53:15 | 0:53:19 | |
It's been absolutely relentless since 10am. | 0:53:19 | 0:53:21 | |
But I think it was a huge success. | 0:53:21 | 0:53:24 | |
I think generally the customer experience was good today. | 0:53:24 | 0:53:27 | |
I think your systems are going to work. | 0:53:27 | 0:53:30 | |
They're a bit rusty at the moment but with time and practice | 0:53:30 | 0:53:33 | |
they will get better. | 0:53:33 | 0:53:34 | |
The drinks service today was quite poor and I think you both realised | 0:53:34 | 0:53:38 | |
-it's not acceptable to put food down on a table before drinks. -Yeah. | 0:53:38 | 0:53:42 | |
It's something you need to give immediate attention to | 0:53:42 | 0:53:46 | |
and fix the problem, whatever it is, to make sure people get | 0:53:46 | 0:53:49 | |
their drinks quickly, especially in a place like this. | 0:53:49 | 0:53:52 | |
-People expect their coffees and teas straightaway. -Yeah. | 0:53:52 | 0:53:54 | |
The other thing I need you to do is look at the way you manage | 0:53:54 | 0:53:57 | |
the space, because you were both in this room today, you are both | 0:53:57 | 0:54:00 | |
in that room, you were crossing over, bumping into each other. | 0:54:00 | 0:54:03 | |
So I think it's a case of doing what you tried to do today, | 0:54:03 | 0:54:06 | |
which was divide and conquer, but actually achieve it next time. | 0:54:06 | 0:54:09 | |
I think there's a lot of goodwill here, | 0:54:09 | 0:54:11 | |
and that was very evident today on the opening day. | 0:54:11 | 0:54:15 | |
And that will get you a little way, but it won't get you all the way. | 0:54:15 | 0:54:18 | |
You can rely on goodwill at the beginning of a business | 0:54:18 | 0:54:20 | |
but you can't rely on it for ever. | 0:54:20 | 0:54:22 | |
So you need to fix those problems | 0:54:22 | 0:54:24 | |
and I'm really looking forward to coming back. | 0:54:24 | 0:54:27 | |
-Well done! -Thank you. -Congratulations. | 0:54:27 | 0:54:29 | |
What they've done is they've created something that already, | 0:54:29 | 0:54:32 | |
on day one, has generated such a huge amount of word of mouth. | 0:54:32 | 0:54:36 | |
And it can only get better. | 0:54:36 | 0:54:38 | |
It's a really important commodity in opening a restaurant | 0:54:38 | 0:54:42 | |
and they seem to have nailed it already. | 0:54:42 | 0:54:44 | |
It all just feels a bit surreal, I can't believe we just did that. | 0:54:44 | 0:54:48 | |
But has all the hard work paid off? | 0:54:48 | 0:54:50 | |
I think we're about 850-860. Plus we've still got some people to pay, | 0:54:50 | 0:54:54 | |
-so I think it's going to be about a grand. -Whoo-hoo! | 0:54:54 | 0:54:57 | |
The girls are up again for the breakfast at eight o'clock | 0:55:07 | 0:55:12 | |
and they're on their feet all day. | 0:55:12 | 0:55:14 | |
I'm back in Dunchurch a week after the opening. | 0:55:23 | 0:55:26 | |
Wow! I'm so pleased to see it's still busy. | 0:55:32 | 0:55:36 | |
-You've got a full restaurant out there, Kate. -I know. Already! | 0:55:36 | 0:55:40 | |
It's been like this since we opened, I can't believe it. | 0:55:40 | 0:55:42 | |
It's gone so well. | 0:55:42 | 0:55:44 | |
And I'm glad to see that drinks are coming out more promptly now. | 0:55:44 | 0:55:48 | |
Thanks, Alex. | 0:55:48 | 0:55:49 | |
There you go. | 0:55:50 | 0:55:52 | |
Thank you, it looks amazing. Thank you very much. | 0:55:52 | 0:55:56 | |
I can also see that Kate and Alex are doing what I asked them, | 0:55:56 | 0:55:59 | |
sticking to their sections and continually finessing | 0:55:59 | 0:56:02 | |
their food offer, serving delicious, | 0:56:02 | 0:56:04 | |
well sourced and beautifully presented food. | 0:56:04 | 0:56:07 | |
It's really good. What I like about it is that it's just | 0:56:07 | 0:56:10 | |
three things on a plate, it's bread it's eggs, it's mushrooms, | 0:56:10 | 0:56:14 | |
but it's really good bread, really good eggs and really good mushrooms. | 0:56:14 | 0:56:17 | |
And if you've got excellent ingredients you don't need to do anything clever. | 0:56:17 | 0:56:20 | |
You just let the ingredients speak for themselves. | 0:56:20 | 0:56:23 | |
And that's what they've done and it really works. | 0:56:23 | 0:56:26 | |
-How was everything? -Very good. -Brilliant. | 0:56:26 | 0:56:29 | |
-Where are the eggs from? -From a farm, literally two minutes that way. | 0:56:29 | 0:56:32 | |
-Fabulous. -Yeah. -All really good. -Aw, thank you very much. | 0:56:32 | 0:56:36 | |
Morning! | 0:56:37 | 0:56:40 | |
In a small village, word of mouth is crucial | 0:56:40 | 0:56:43 | |
and the people of Dunchurch clearly want to support Kate and Alex. | 0:56:43 | 0:56:47 | |
It's a real success, | 0:56:47 | 0:56:49 | |
but is the reality of working together living up to the dream? | 0:56:49 | 0:56:53 | |
-Kate and Alex, business is booming. Isn't it? -Yeah. | 0:56:53 | 0:56:58 | |
It's off the chart. | 0:56:58 | 0:56:59 | |
-I mean, I had no idea it would be as busy as it is today. Had you? -No. | 0:56:59 | 0:57:04 | |
We hoped and dreamed it would be like this, but it's just been fantastic. | 0:57:04 | 0:57:08 | |
-The spend per head you wanted was £5.50, wasn't it? -Yeah. -What are you doing? | 0:57:08 | 0:57:12 | |
-Way over that. -Really? -Yeah. -Tell me. | 0:57:12 | 0:57:14 | |
-I think it's just over eight. -Amazing. | 0:57:14 | 0:57:16 | |
It's brilliant. What we need to do now is, | 0:57:16 | 0:57:18 | |
people that have come to try it out once, we need them to come back. | 0:57:18 | 0:57:22 | |
You've been working together, living together pretty much, | 0:57:22 | 0:57:25 | |
for the best part of two or three months. | 0:57:25 | 0:57:28 | |
-How is your relationship? -We're still speaking, aren't we, I think? | 0:57:28 | 0:57:31 | |
-Yeah. -Because having had children, in the past couple of years | 0:57:31 | 0:57:35 | |
we haven't spent that much time together. But actually... | 0:57:35 | 0:57:38 | |
-I've really enjoyed working with you. -Awww! | 0:57:38 | 0:57:40 | |
-I have, actually, it's been good. -Yeah. -It's gone all gooey already. | 0:57:40 | 0:57:43 | |
-Ask me in a year, though. -Yeah. -Exactly. | 0:57:43 | 0:57:46 | |
Listen, we've been out for far too long. | 0:57:46 | 0:57:48 | |
You've got a very full restaurant and I want you to get back. | 0:57:48 | 0:57:50 | |
I just wanted to say, from my perspective, this is a hit. | 0:57:50 | 0:57:54 | |
It's amazing. | 0:57:54 | 0:57:55 | |
What started out as an idea, a vision and a great business | 0:58:00 | 0:58:04 | |
opportunity has been executed with confidence and aplomb. | 0:58:04 | 0:58:08 | |
Kate and Alex have taken inspiration from so many sources | 0:58:08 | 0:58:12 | |
and they've created what I think is a really good restaurant. | 0:58:12 | 0:58:16 | |
But what pleases me most | 0:58:16 | 0:58:18 | |
is that Dunchurch has voted decisively with its feet. | 0:58:18 | 0:58:21 | |
The place was absolutely packed. | 0:58:21 | 0:58:24 | |
Kate and Alex have pulled something remarkable off. | 0:58:24 | 0:58:27 | |
I really think they've scored a hole-in-one | 0:58:27 | 0:58:30 | |
and I couldn't be happier. | 0:58:30 | 0:58:31 | |
-That's it, we're living a dream, aren't we? -We are. | 0:58:31 | 0:58:34 | |
-I'm ready for the next one now. -Yeah. | 0:58:34 | 0:58:36 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:58:51 | 0:58:54 |