The catering industry is still a “honey pot” dream for hundreds of “have a go” people from all walks of life. “I love cooking and have always wanted to run a small restaurant”, buying that pub in the country to retire, starting a tea rooms for my daughter etc etc and to be honest the industry needs these dreamers as their one off enterprises brighten up our neighbourhoods so often dominated by branded outlets and they are often the buyers of that small business someone else is desperate to get out of. Some go on to great things but many fail in their first year as they find out only too quickly that running a small catering outlet is not a piece of cake.
Consultancy at the Chef Foundation has a proven track record supporting new businesses with little or no industry experience and helps them set up properly, save money on purchasing, design and concept, menu planning and marketing, health & safety and profit margins. Providing practical, affordable hands-on guidance every step of the way.
One such project, that I am sure will go on to bigger things, is Fred’s in South London. Fred’s is a coffee shop, restaurant, café and fresh food take away. There is no kitchen with everything prepared and cooked behind the counter and no trained chef. This joint venture has brought together the talents of a builder and businessman. Between them they have a huge range of experience and expertise but have never done anything like this before. The task they have undertaken is massive, albeit on a boutique scale. This includes a major refurbishment of the entire site both inside and out to very specific criteria. Creating a completely new business from scratch, complying with current legislation (disabled loos, emergency lighting, air replacement extraction systems…..) creating their brand, concept, identity, menu and so much more.
To their credit this partnership works extremely well, they listen to each other, have been prepared to adapt to changing circumstances, whether this be planning consent, structural issues, food concept or trading hours and it has been a pleasure to help them turn their dream into a viable business…and hopefully enjoy the journey too.
If you are planning to launch your own catering business then Consultancy at The Chef Foundation can help you avoid those pitfalls, make the right choices and get you up and running with the minimum of fuss. For more details or to book a free initial consultation email consultancy@thecheffoundation.com or visit the website.
Gregg Boxall and Alain Haddad have been working together for over 12 years on various property refurbishments. For both, it has been a dream to open a unique coffee shop within Greater London. Fred’s, named after Gregg’s father, will be opening at 358 Brockley Rd, SE4, in May.
