Wareing digs deep in the credit crunch

Times are tough, but that's a challenge the restaurant industry can rise to meet says leading chef Marcus Wareing.

"The credit crunch can be quite depressing, but it hasn't stopped people from going out and eating.

"They will still want to spend, but if they pay £100 they will want to feel they have got real value for that," he says.

The man behind Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, the two Michelin starred venue in London's Knightsbridge, was speaking at the Annual Arena Lecture at the London Hilton in Park Lane last night.

He said: "Customers that come through the kitchen still see me and that's right because they expect it.

"2009 is about digging deep into my margins and making it work, but I can still buy at the right price and deliver value for money."

He said the kitchens often throw away too much and had taken measures to monitor waste.

"I now use clear bin bags because I can see easily if anything's being thrown out that shouldn't be."

Of the wider market, he said: "There are still bums on seats but corporate entertaining is slowing and people are being more careful about spending on wine."

But the economic slowdown also offered opportunities for businesses to reflect on the way they work.

"I have more time to think about the food and I see more chefs' CVs on my desk than I have ever had. I have told my chefs that there are people waiting to step into their shoes. I think in some ways this is a good thing because it will help people to better themselves and move on to the next level."

He said The Great British Menu television series was a career turning point.

"For the first time I met the people who produced the food and that made me want to make the menu as local and seasonal as possible and to support great British suppliers and farmers."

He said the best suppliers are those who bring an honesty with the products.

"It's easy to bring a great appearance, but for me the food is about flavour. The fruit and vegetables in Europe have grown and ripened under the sun, but sometimes we have fruit and vegetables that have been grown and picked to ripen at home in a fridge and maybe look great weeks or months later but don't have the flavour."

Reflecting on the pressures of work he told the audience: "For me, the hardest thing about being a chef is the passion that drives you pulls at your sanity and I become a Jekyll and Hyde character.

"But having children has mellowed me and they bring you back to the realities of life."

Asked about advice for the next generation of chefs currently going through catering college he said: "Listen to your lecturers and their advice."

And he added: "I became a head chef at 25 and I thought I knew it all. I didn't, of course, so these days I tell people don't be a head chef before the age of 30 and I would also advise them to go and get a degree."

He said Joel Robuchon was his hero for staying in the same place for 15 years to achieve greatness and then having the courage and talent to move away and start again with a brilliant new concept.

He also paid tribute to his former mentor Gordon Ramsay, saying: "He's a great chef and I owe him a lot – both professionally and I personally."

Referring to the very public spat he initiated last summer when he criticised Ramsay, he added: "I know it wouldn't happen right now, but I know in the future he and I will get together over a cup of tea and have a laugh about what's happened."

For more information about Arena visit: www.arena.org.uk

Words: David Foad

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