This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
ROCKFISH


Mitch works hard to create the right atmosphere in his restaurants as well as serving great food.


we’re like one body, it’s an invaluable link.” What makes the restaurant experience successful? “It’s in the little details and trying to create that thing you can’t quite put your finger on. Someone wrote about it recently and called it ‘restaurant umami’, the sixth taste. It’s something in the décor, food and service. Somehow or another there is a feeling of really liking a place, an ethereal feeling. For me it’s creating the invisible, the warmth, in every single detail – from the poster on the wall, to the staff uniform, to what goes on the table. It’s all about attention to detail. We’re only as good as our


worst detail. I think the food is 35 to 40 per cent of the experi- ence. Most of it is from the service you receive as soon as you walk in to a restaurant, including the welcome we give you. “Simple food is the hardest


to get right. Cooking a piece of fish smothered in sauce on beautiful crockery in a beautiful setting is easier than just grilling or frying it. Everyone knows a good chip from a bad chip, what greasy batter tastes like, and old fish from new fish. “We have the same produc-


Do you think good food destinations are important in helping regenerate seaside towns? “Yes, I think they’re key to be honest. Look at Marylebone High Street in London ten years ago. It was a boarded up charity shop. Landlords there realised that to create a neigh- bourhood they needed great food shops and so brought in a couple of anchor tenants – a great cheese maker, great baker, great butcher. Marylebone High Street is now prob- ably one of the most valuable bits of real estate in London, and one of the most vibrant. “Everyone knows that living by the sea is fantastic. It’s


If you put something in the town it’ll bring other things and people will come


tion process in all our Rockfish restaurants. We keep our detail and consistency right and have the preparation done before people walk through the door. If you’re not prepared, some- thing will go wrong.” Is the Rockfish brand following a long-term plan or developing as it goes along? “Our first Rockfish in Dartmouth was simply an opportunity we wanted to develop. We thought ‘we want to do a fried fish restaurant’ and we did it and got stuck into it. We’re al- ways developing new ideas and thoughts. When we thought we’d like another one we expanded and thought about what Rockfish is all about. It’s about restaurants by the sea, fresh fish, family and making seafood accessible to all. “Our brand guidelines apply to everything, including t-shirts


etc. We ask is it real? Is it authentic? . “But it’s not calculated – we’ve got no business plan that


says this, this and this. I saw a site recently and thought ‘I love it’. I spoke to Mat and we’ve started a process. We don’t plan to open a restaurant every month, more likely one a year.”


certainly a better life than the city in terms of quality of air etc. But we don’t tend to live here because there’s not a lot to do or much going on. If you put something in the town it’ll attract other things and then people will come and in turn attracting more. Before you know it, you’ve got Padstow. I love walking around Padstow, with its great wine and food shops. Walking around there, you feel like you’re somewhere in the Mediterranean.” Are you living the dream down here? “When I moved to Devon to open The Seahorse in Dartmouth, it was about fulfilling a lifelong dream of


living by the sea, being a restaurateur and living here with the kids. “In reality, two years later after I moved, I lost all my money and then the stock market crash happened and we had to rebuild our lives. The big 50 was fast approaching and I’d already got the ambition to open Rockfish. My wife and I sat down and reasoned we didn’t want a bigger house, a bigger boat or faster car, so decided we would just build a great business and work in it. We have no great ambitions to sell it on and make millions of pounds but just carry on having a great life here. “We love living here in Brixham - this is one Rockfish I can


see from my bedroom window! I love the town and being active in the business. In that way, it’s a very rewarding life- style. It’s actually my 50th next year. I shall relax a bit so I’m taking my little boat out to the Med and doing a transatlan- tic crossing in November, albeit on something a bit bigger with a few friends.” •


Visit www. therockfish.co.uk to find out lots more on Rockfish including menus and opening times.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164