How is business going generally, and how has the new restaurant at Canary Wharf been received?

Business is good but everyone is sailing through choppy waters, so it feels like the hands need to be on the wheel making small adjustments to the course at all times and having people looking far ahead for calmer seas! Canary Wharf has opened well, the team there is great and we’ve really appreciated the welcome from the locals and getting to know everyone.

With inflation, rates, rents, wages and costs across the board rising, what strategies are Blacklock deploying to keep the business solid?

Despite everything going on being very cost related, the thing we talk about most is quality and driving improvement. How do we keep getting better to make what we’re doing even better and even better value for money for our guests.

As ever, staff retention is a hot topic in the industry, what are the key ways you’re looking after your staff to support retention?

We believe that if you’re happy and motivated where you work the chances are you’ll do a good job. We therefore focus on our people first and foremost above everything else we do and that drives our decision making. I’m not sure we do anything ground-breaking but instead focus on the basics and doing them very well. That means providing a safe and supportive environment with opportunities to build a long lasting career as opposed to a job for a moment. We invest a lot in training and development, alongside welfare and benefits that will support you in good times and bad. Ultimately we care about our people and are invested in making their time with us great.

What are the key dining trends / expectations you’re seeing from guests and how is Blacklock tapping into these to deliver great experiences?

I think people still want to eat out, they’re perhaps just doing so a little less as there’s less money left at the end of each month. Therefore those moments become more special and important as they are less frequent. So people become more discerning about where they choose to go to ensure it’s going to be great, good bang for their buck and ultimately a great experience. We’re focussed on improving all those elements of what we do. I feel like people are also self-regulating a little more, so they’re going out but controlling how much they spend. Maybe it’s one dessert between two rather than one each. A carafe of wine over a bottle – that type of thing. Our no / low alcohol sales are definitely up so for lifestyle and cost reasons, those products are definitely trending for us.

What have you noticed that is affecting the business in terms of post-Brexit deal challenges or have you been able to mitigate some of these issues? If so how? 

The labour market is clearly tighter, as is the supply chain. We’re focussing evermore on training and retention and growing people from within so that we are less reliant on new recruitment. 

Can you share what your business expectations are for the next 6 months and beyond?  

We’re kind of wearing two hats at the moment (which makes it tricky!). One moment you’re slapped with costs going up so need to play defence and cut your cloth accordingly but then no one wants to stand still so we are always looking forward. We’re focussed on quality first and foremost and looking to see how we can improve what we do both for our teams and our guests.

Are there any plans to expand Blacklock further, beyond London or perhaps even internationally?

Growth is one of our main strategies for retention. It allows us to develop our people and teams and enable them to take the next steps in their career with new roles and opportunities that become available.  Without it, no matter how great a place you are to work, people can hit a ceiling and may leave to find the next role if it is not available within. 

What advice would you give to a restaurateur right now who might be considering opening a new restaurant / expanding?

Focus on being a great employer first and foremost. This is more important to us than being a great restaurant. We think the former enables the latter but not necessarily vice versa. Keep your operations simple and simpler than you think they need to be. For me, quality and consistency are the keys to building a great restaurant.

For more on Blacklock, read the Harden’s review here, or visit theblacklock.com