The bold vision behind Marco Pierre White’s new restaurant in lockdown Wales
Robert Dalling reports on the trials and tribulations affecting the launch of a new venue offering ‘affordable glamour’ in Swansea
THE chairman of the company behind Marco Pierre White’s restaurants in the UK has shared his excitement over the new Swansea outlet gearing up to open – and the restraints of getting the new venture ready during the coronavirus pandemic.
Nick Taplin, chairman and CEO of Black & White Hospitality, described how the Marco Pierre White franchise was brought to Swansea after a discussion with Steve Lewis, who together with his business partner David Bellis, will be running the venture after acquiring the J-Shed in SA1, the old La Parilla.
Creating in the region of 40 full- and part-time positions, it promises to bring to life the renowned chef’s own philosophy of what he describes as “affordable glamour”, with menus include signature steaks, and English and French classics.
But before they could get started with the new restaurant – which will include approximately 130 dedicated internal covers and offer a newly configured bar and lounge as well as an external drinking and dining area around the entire property – the coronavirus pandemic hit, causing uncertainty over when they would be able to launch the venture.
The Welsh Government has now told bars, restaurants and cafes with outdoor space to prepare to reopen from July 13, but a date for the reopening of indoor spaces is yet to be laid out.
But instead of being put off by the disruption, those behind the project have used their time wisely.
“It has given us a lot of time to plan,” Mr Taplin said.
“It’s been very good for the team to have something to focus on that’s actually positive.
“We kept a skeleton team on in the franchise business, but all the time we don’t know when we’re going to open, we don’t know what’s going to happen.
“There’s been so much uncertainty and our franchisees are asking us, ‘When do you think we’re going to open?’.
“We’re waiting for that nod, but in our own time we have been preparing and getting a new bar menu, a new cocktail menu, the new menus for opening, doing the Christmas menus, which is a bit bizarre but it’s been a really good time to plan with the Swansea team.
“There’s been some incredible feats along the way. We put a job advert out for head chef for Swansea and had 120 applicants. We have never had a response like that.
“With different sets of rules in Wales and England, we are thinking, ‘Can we go to Wales, can we not go to Wales, are we okay to see the site, are we okay to have a meeting there?’. It is a grey area. We are going there on business and a legitimate trip but are we going to get stopped, do we need a letter?
“There’s been all sorts of anomalies along the way but it has been really good having something positive.”
Despite the uncertainty, the opening of the new restaurant has never been in doubt.
“We never thought it would not go ahead,” Mr Taplin said.
“It was all about location. Dave and Steve have spent money now on refurbishment works and they still don’t have a date when they can open or when they’re allowed to open, but they have carried on.
“Saturday we are full in our restaurant in Birmingham, nearly full in Bristol, we are keeping covers to a sensible number but we are seeing a great demand. With it is some challenges, there is one family with a table of seven, so what do we do? But they are the same family.”
Addressing the delay in restaurant reopenings compared to England, Mr Taplin said you could not criticise the decision to act with caution.
“I have talked with a lot of people over the last few months and I don’t think there is any right or wrong answer, it’s all about opinions,” he said.
“Yes, it will take a little bit longer but no-one can say that’s the wrong thing to do and we won’t know until the future, but I’m glad it’s weeks and not months.
“We have got to open in a sensible manner and if it’s not the right time to open, it’s not the right time to open. It needs to be right for everyone and it’s got to be safe.
“In our industry we have so many regulations on hygiene training. We’re a safe industry, we’re really safe and we’ve always been taught to be safe. We’re all very rule-bound. It’s just something else we need to adhere to, but I think our industry will find it easier to adapt. We’re very rule-driven. For us, it’s just a new way of working.”
Discussing how the restaurant was brought to Swansea, Mr Taplin said: “It happened really quickly.
“They showed me the site and it was stunning, the location was great, I love what they’ve done with SA1.
“The J-Shed is just fantastic, a real great piece of architecture with character to it.
“Once lockdown started, they were keen to just get moving. It was seen as a good time to do the work on the site, and we see coming out of lockdown as a great time to launch a new restaurant.
“It’s been an interesting couple of months. Steve and David are a great couple of guys and the franchise is in very safe hands with them. Their passion for Swansea and their passion to SA1 is quite infectious.
“We have had great success in Newcastle, Manchester, in Liverpool and Birmingham, and you can really see Swansea is another kind of Newcastle, Liverpool – people like going out. It’s about a night out, not just about a drink, it’s the whole experience and we are providing that – there is a big bar area, a large outdoor space, there’s a beautiful setting with things to look at, a dining area with an open kitchen.”
The new restaurant will be inclusive to all budgets, Mr Taplin explained.
“One of the things Marco and I talk about on a regular basis is affordable glamour,” he said.
“It’s turned into a bit of a catchphrase between Marco and I, but it has to be affordable, you can’t set a restaurant up that you just visit on an anniversary or your birthday. We want you to come in have a beer, a cocktail, a Caesar salad, fish and chips or a nice bottle of wine and a three-course meal.
“We want to appeal to everyone, we don’t want to be pricing ourselves as an exclusive venue, we want to be a general venue that will attract all budgets.
“That’s always been our approach and we wouldn’t change that and we wouldn’t differentiate between diners who are having a burger before going out for the night or a table that’s having a three-course meal and a really nice bottle of wine.
“We’re definitely bringing something new to Swansea, affordable glamour, something special, it will definitely create a buzz.
“No menu goes out unless Marco signs it off – it’s him, his DNA is all over it, and if he’s not happy he won’t let it go. Although he’s not cooking it, it’s things he has grown up with and come across in his career.”
The restaurant is expected to open in the summer, with the final bits and pieces being put in place.
Mr Taplin said: “Furniture is now all being ordered, we’re looking at light fittings, final things are being put in. There’s lots of emails going round. Final bits are being ordered.
“We’re super-excited, we can’t wait, the sooner we get confirmation on when food and beverage outlets can reopen under the new normal we won’t be long behind that. We’re very excited, we’re looking forward to starting to welcome local residents somewhere new.
“I know Marco is looking forward to coming to Swansea and seeing J-Shed and what we have done.”