TV chef Tom Kerridge defends charging £155 for three-course meal at his pub
Chef Tom Kerridge has defended the fine dining experience and explained why a three-course meal at his pub is worth every penny of the £155 charged.
Tom, who is fronting a new BBC series that looks at the struggles faced by his industry, told how he is passionate about giving his diners the best “experience”.
The 49-year-old, who opened The Hand & Flowers pub in Marlow, Bucks, 18 years ago, said: “It isn’t just about the value of an ingredient that you can buy from a supermarket and cook at home.
“That’s what’s always thrown at restaurants and hospitality people when they talk about the price. But when you cook something at home, it’s not guaranteed to be 100% right.
“When you go to a restaurant, you have a chef that knows what he’s doing. You have a front of house service that know what they’re doing. You have a wine list. All of that costs money.
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Tom is fronting a new BBC series (Matt Crossick/REX/Shutterstock)“Hospitality is about creating an environment and a space and a place for people to relax and enjoy themselves.”
The Hand & Flowers is the only UK pub with two Michelin stars – and Tom believes he earned those by using the best ingredients. He said: “There’s a big difference between farmed sea bass that comes from the Mediterranean and line-caught, beautiful, Cornish, English water sea bass that costs a lot more.”
In the first episode of Tom Kerridge’s Hidden World of Hospitality, which airs next week, viewers will see the chef reeling as he learns his insurance for The Hand & Flowers will cost an extra £2,000 per month, and his energy bills soar from 14p to 94p per kWh.
But the biggest outlay for Tom is for his 75 staff, who earn a combined total of £2.5million.
“We talk about energy bills, we talk about food inflation, but it’s human beings,” he said. “What value do we put on people who are serving, clearing plates, cooking, washing up and answering the phone?”
Tom said that it was “incredibly difficult to make a profit” in the industry. And he said of the show: “For people who don’t necessarily understand the cost that goes into hospitality, this is a great way of showing it.”
* Tom Kerridge’s Hidden World of Hospitality, BBC2, Thursday, 9pm
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