London’s Most Famous Restaurateur “Maintaining Your Standards Is The Fastest Way to Bankruptcy” - The Wolseley, The Ivy, Le Caprice, Simpson's - Jeremy King

What does it take to survive London's notoriously brutal restaurant industry? And how do you build a restaurant that has something money can't buy — soul? Dan Pope sits down with Ben Tish, chef, restaurateur and culinary director of the Cubitt House group, to unpack the highs, lows and hard-earned lessons of a career in hospitality. From escaping Skegness at 18 and being thrown into the ruthless kitchens of The Ritz by Jason Atherton, to helping build the celebrated Salt Yard Group, Ben reveals how discipline, resilience and great leadership shaped his career. He opens up about the devastating Jay Rayner review that questioned the future of Salt Yard, why some restaurants never find their soul, the dangers of opening to enormous hype, and what it really takes to create a loyal following. They also explore the reinvention of British pubs, the economics of running restaurants in London, the magic of Sicilian cooking, and the personal toll of leaving a business you've helped build. A candid conversation about ambition, failure, creative confidence and why the toughest moments in hospitality can teach you the most.

What does it really take to become a sushi master? And why does one of London's most celebrated Japanese chefs believe that mastering the knife is the easy part? Dan Pope sits down with Endo Kazutoshi, the chef behind Kioku, to explore the extraordinary discipline, philosophy and creativity behind Japanese cuisine. From 17-hour working days and a brutally demanding apprenticeship to a 100-year-old sushi sauce passed down through generations, Endo reveals how tradition has shaped his approach to food, leadership and life. They explore the Japanese philosophy of Ichigo Ichie, why Endo sees sushi as his punk rock, the importance of respecting farmers and fishermen, and his belief that a great restaurant depends on a golden triangle of guests, team and suppliers. Along the way, they dive into samurai wisdom, Zen Buddhism, Steve Jobs, Japanese calligraphy, the dangers of social media, and what Pep Guardiola can teach us about building extraordinary teams. A conversation about much more than sushi: curiosity, craftsmanship, creative rebellion and the pursuit of excellence. ON THE MENU: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:18 The Brutal Reality of Japanese Sushi Apprenticeships 00:03:15 Born Into a Sushi Dynasty 00:05:18 What Sat Bains Teaches Chefs About Thinking 00:08:34 The Golden Triangle of Restaurant Success 00:12:35 The Japanese Philosophy of Ichigo Ichie 00:15:07 Why Sushi Is More Than Food 00:18:08 Japanese Spirituality, Language and Culture 00:22:00 How Life Experiences Shape Japanese Cuisine 00:26:17 The Unspoken Lessons of a Sushi Master 00:30:20 Chris Williamson's 2D vs 3D Life Lessons 00:35:00 Has Technology Made Learning Too Easy? 00:39:45 The Correct Way to Eat Sushi in Japan 00:43:57 Why Great Restaurants Need a Little Madness 00:48:30 Bruce Lee's Be Like Water Philosophy 00:50:49 Don't Look at the Tree, Look at the Forest 00:54:31 Why Endo Calls Sushi His Punk Rock 00:59:00 Japan vs London: Two Different Worlds 01:05:18 Japan's Loneliness and Work Culture 01:10:56 Samurai Wisdom and The Book of Five Rings 01:16:12 What Really Stresses a Sushi Master? 01:23:21 How Do You Come Back Stronger? 01:26:31 Are We All Living in The Matrix? 01:30:07 Steve Jobs, Calligraphy and Japanese Creativity 01:34:37 Is Sushi Really a Form of Art? 01:39:05 The Discipline Behind Extraordinary Kitchen Teams 01:44:38 Why Respect Is the Ultimate Business Weapon 01:49:19 Michel Roux, Pep Guardiola and Aggressive Leadership 01:52:04 Why Great Chefs Must Embrace Uncertainty

============================================== ♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲 ============================================== 🤝 Let's Connect! ►Let’s link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/) ►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/) This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)

Restaurants lose bookings because nobody can answer the phone during service. Staff get pulled off the floor to handle repetitive questions, customer emails pile up until after the shift, and enquiries that come in at the wrong moment simply get missed. Arran Campolucci-Bordi, founder of Ayra and operator of Liverpool institution Casa Italia, is building an AI solution around exactly that problem: a restaurant-trained assistant that can communicate with customers 24/7, understand the individual business and answer questions without adding more work for the team. Arran joins Dan to explore what AI can actually do for restaurants beyond the hype — from handling guest communication and reservations to analysing margins, labour, menus and customer behaviour. They discuss why AI becomes dramatically more useful once it understands your specific business, how operators are already using ChatGPT and Claude to solve real-world restaurant problems, and where technology should never replace hospitality. The conversation also digs into the brutal economics facing restaurants, VAT, marketing and PR, before Arran shares the remarkable 50-year story of Casa Italia, the importance of consistency, great service and why Liverpool remains unlike anywhere else. 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:04 What Is AI Actually Good For? 00:11:07 Can AI Make Hospitality More Human? 00:14:07 Why Restaurants Shouldn’t Pay for Reservations 00:16:08 AI-Powered Personalised Restaurant Marketing 00:22:15 The Restaurant Margin Problem 00:25:35 Let AI Analyse Your Restaurant 00:29:13 Can ChatGPT Fix Your Menu? 00:34:57 Systemising the Magic of Hospitality 00:42:50 Turning Gut Instinct Into Data 00:50:05 Could AI Eventually Run Your Business? 00:57:16 Why Restaurant VAT Is “The Problem” 01:03:36 A Marketing Campaign Restaurants Can Learn From 01:05:07 Why Press Still Beats Influencers 01:10:00 Growing Up Inside Casa Italia 01:14:13 Why Casa Italia Never Changed Its Menu 01:21:18 Three Ingredients of a Great Restaurant 01:24:09 Why Service Matters More Than Food 01:27:02 What Makes Liverpool Different? 01:31:08 How Liverpool Reinvented Itself 01:37:10 Why The Beatles Changed Everything Ayra Edit RSS 2 ============================================== ♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲 ============================================== 🤝 Let's Connect! ►Let’s link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/) ►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/) This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)