Business secrets and solutions from chef Josh Boutwood

Being successful in the restaurant business means having the creativity of a chef and the entrepreneurial knack of a businessman—and British-Filipino chef Josh Boutwood has both.

He calls it achieving "balance," something that he earned from training in the kitchens in Europe where he grew up, and battling it out in the food business in Manila where the "restaurant trade is very ruthless."

"Competition is rampant; restaurants open every day," he says. Yet the charming 31-year-old Boutwood thrives in the Philippine dining arena as an executive chef, a restaurateur and the ambassador of Great Food Solutions (GFS), the foodservice division of San Miguel Pure Foods.

GFS carries food brands such as Monterey, Magnolia and Purefoods, just to name a few, and services major fast-food chains, hotels and restaurants all over the country.

Boutwood started out as an independent restaurant operator before going full-on corporate. He shares some tips to young chefs and new investment partners on how to win the kitchen trade despite heavy competition:

1. Word extra hard. "I haven't had a day off in the past four weeks!" Boutwood exclaims. By extra, Boutwood means being incredibly hands on. "I like to be involved in every step of the process," he says. This goes from choosing the ingredients, to selecting the staff and suppliers.

2. Keep creating. "When I wake up in the morning, I think about food," Boutwood shares. "My ambition is to make each dining experience better than the previous one. To achieve this, the chef must make the flavors spot on.

Make familiar dishes more delicious by experimenting with ingredients on hand."

3. Personalize service. Connect with the diners by explaining the menu "which fills the void of just reading it." Boutwood admits being an introvert, but he makes sure to check out the tables and interact with the diners in his restaurants.

"Word of mouth is very important. Make sure diners' expectations are met, or exceeded, with every visit. Subpar experience will create negative impact and eventually hurt the business."

4. Aim for sustainability. "Keep the business sustainable by partnering with a reliable supplier that can guarantee a certain price for a specific period of time," Boutwood says.

GFS, being an established foodservice company, offers secure amount of stocks, guaranteed delivery and consistent quality.

"One example is bacon. Everyone loves bacon. If you have a breakfast restaurant, serve Purefoods Bacon because of its yielding. Shrinkage is less, and the flavor is consistent."

Chef Boutwood adds that having a single dedicated supplier eliminates the trouble of collecting various ingredients from multiple suppliers, which saves him time, money and resources. GFS can also assign one particular point person who will coordinate with the chef for the rest of the restaurant's needs.

5. Watch financial margins. In operating a restaurant, Boutwood suggests thinking in "parallels"—to always keep in mind that beautiful dishes must also come with a profit. "I enjoy creating food, but at the back of my mind, I am also thinking of the price points. These should go hand in hand."

His example: "Compute for the tar-

get sale that would cover the costs—employment, labor, food budget, utilities, controllables—then streamline. Use a GFS product that can cut manpower. Breading chicken, for example, is tedious and requires one person. Purchase instead the breaded, ready-to-cook chicken." 6. Be active on social media. "Restaurants can benefit by having online presence. It's one way to cascade information to diners who are always wired on their phones, laptop, iPad," chef Boutwood says. "But make sure that the posts are engaging, accurate and timely, since social media is the No. 1 past time." 7. Establish a support system—at

work and at home. "I am lucky to have an understanding partner who takes care of the two kids while I amworking, but I do cook for them on Sundays," Boutwood says.

"Startups who want a concrete idea about restaurant operations can partner with GFS, which offers services such as product development, food safety training and seminars."

8. Practice leadership. Boutwood is the authority once he enters the kitchen, but he credits that power to "the strength of a dedicated team." Train the staff properly, and emphasize that "if one deviates, the rest of the team falls."

At the end of the day, making a restaurant work is all about delicious food and realized balance.

"Becoming a chef is a very personal journey. Anybody can follow a recipe, but what separates chefs from home cooks is the dedication to go where they really have to go."

Becoming a chef is a very personal journey... what separates chefs from home cooks is the dedication to go where they really have to go Josh Boutwood Businessman, British-Filipino chef