take 3
Name of business: The Charthouse
Sector: Licensed restaurant When did it start? June 2010 How many employees? 8
Why did you decide to take the plunge during the economic downturn? I firmly believe that if you can create a business that operates successfully in times of austerity then when the good times return you can start to grow your business in a sustainable organic way.
Why did you choose this particular sector? I have worked in the restaurant sector since I was 17. I had a taste of running my own small restaurant in Monmouth a few years ago and I was always keen to get back to having the autonomy to do things my own way and create new dishes using fabulous local ingredients.
How has it gone? Honestly, at times it has felt like very hard work for little reward. Being a chef means working long hours but it takes a great deal of commitment which is relatively easy when it’s something that you are passionate about investing your time in. As my reputation has grown so trade has increased and without showing off I can honestly say that the food I am serving at the moment is the best I have ever produced. My confidence has grown and I really feel as though I have settled into the role of proprietor of my own business as well as being Head Chef. Weekends continue to be fully booked which is fantastic but more work needs to be done to reach capacity during the week too.
What’s been the biggest challenge? Finding reliable, flexible staff has been difficult from the start. Being the boss is hard work. I have key staff that I rely on, who do a great job and when we
work well as a team we all get great satisfaction from our roles. Understanding regulatory requirements around employing staff and keeping abreast of changes is a must. As a small business there are many hats to wear but the human resource challenge is my biggest.
Wesley Harris, chef patron at The Charthouse, near Abergavenny
And your biggest success? Building relationships with suppliers and the local community. I’m very proud of my links with organisations such as the Abergavenny Food Festival and True Taste Wales. Being asked to do cookery demonstrations at events all over the country is a great way to engage with potential customers and showcase my passion for great local ingredients.
Have you had any help from business support providers? No.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known before you set up the business? As I alluded to earlier I have run my own restaurant previously but the cost of running a business has spiralled since I had my last venture. Shopping around for suppliers is key to driving costs down in order to create a sustainable business environment.
If you had a magic wand, what would you wish for to improve the economic conditions? Greater consumer confidence. I think the media has made people very weary of how they spend their disposable income. The cost of living has rocketed in recent years and as such disposable income has been squeezed. This is the reason I am keen to provide fine dining quality food at a cost that is palatable to most people in the local area and beyond.
How confident are you about the future? I am confident that the business model I have set up to help strictly manage costs will stand me in good stead for the future success of The Charthouse. I am
confident in my ability to continue to build strong relationships locally which helps me in promoting my business. My ability to produce excellent food will continue and I’m keen to share this with as many people as possible.
What are your plans for the business over the next couple of years? My reputation has grown locally over the last few years having worked in this area for many years prior to opening The Charthouse. I am keen to build on this and making use of local media streams is key to creating awareness of my business and the new ideas that I have for expansion. We have already launched several unique regular events such as the Monday Supper Social every Monday evening and our very popular quarterly Food and Wine nights which provide an opportunity for diners to watch me cook a course in the kitchen. It’s important that I continue to engage with my customers in order to understand what they expect from their dining experience and for me to be respected in the local community. I am keen to focus on building lunchtime trade, specifically business lunches which can be tailored to suit individual requirements including cookery demonstrations, wine tasting etc.
What advice would you give anyone wanting to take the plunge at the moment? Do your homework. Understand your target market and your competitors and work hard to retain loyal customers. For me, it’s all about creating a better experience than my competitors. This is what makes people want to come back again and again and spread the word. The other key thing is to have plenty of support around you for those times when it gets tough. My family have been a tremendous source of support for me in the past two years and it’s good to be able to let off a bit of steam occasionally.
46 THEbusiness QUARTER
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