going to pan out. I’ve always believed in being slow, consistent and things should be built on solid foundations.
We’ve always liked to keep progressing, evolving - I never have liked to stand still. Amanda refurbished the rooms, we’ve built a development kitchen – but these are not done to get us three stars in the Michelin guide, it’s just something we feel we really want to do ourselves, we want to keep pushing while we feel we can.
“2015 has been amazing and I’m not saying that’s it, that’s all you’ll hear from us, but I don’t know what’s going to happen. I believe we will keep pushing forward and if the accolades and the guides see that then you naturally will progress.”
Sat’s wife Amanda is also a massive driving force behind the restaurant’s success and he says ‘they have two very different mind sets’.
He said: “Ones very business, hotel, restaurant led and ones very chef led. There are things that I don’t see and things Amanda doesn’t see but we compliment each other to make sure the restaurant is world class.
“The goal is to be the best and we have a team who we have employed and we believe are the best too so, you end up with like-minded people all pushing for a like-minded goal.”
Sat also hit the headlines when he announced his restaurant would be changing to a four day week, for him it was about creating a culture of a good work/life balance so those in the hospitality industry believe it is the industry for them and are hungry to stay in it.
“We did that (the 4 day week) solely for ourselves,” explained Sat. “We didn’t do it to change the industry, we did it because we looked at our own books and thought how can we get longevity in this industry that we love? It’s the best job in the world – I’m a chef, a restauranteur, how lucky am I?
“I want the next generation to see that and because I’m hands on I want them to say ‘I want a career like Sat’s got, I want to be in an industry 28 years’.”
Despite saying he didn’t make the changes to the restaurant’s working week with the intention of changing the industry; it seems he has struck a chord with The Raby Hunt and Le Gavroche, both changing the working hours and Michael O’Hare from Man Behind the Curtain openly discussed his reasons for his staff only working a 45 hour week - a life outside the kitchen!
Sat said: “We’ve all got to be realistic in that things have to change but it’s been done before me, I haven’t changed things by any means.
“But it is an issue across the industry, it’s something we recognise and changing the hours is something we’ve done for ourselves.”
By Cara Pilkington
@canteencara
