Tom Sellers: My message for Gen Z chefs
Twelve years ago Tom Sellers, aged just 26, launched Restaurant Story. The fine dining restaurant in Bermondsey went on to land two Michelin stars and became one of the most sought-after meal tickets in the land. The menu, which revolved around stories from Sellers’ life, was a hit with both diners and critics, with dishes such as his beef dripping candle becoming instant classics.
Sellers went on to open the modern British restaurant Dovetale at 1 Hotel Mayfair and Parisian-inspired rotisserie Story Cellar in Neal’s Yard. Now he’s signed up to be a judge for the City AM Toast the City Awards. We sat down with him to find out what’s on his mind.
Is maintaining a second Michelin star stressful?
It’s about getting the third, not keeping the second! For us it’s just about trying to keep progress in the restaurant, be very consistent. We’re cooking with intention, you know? We love what we do, we love all our restaurants. Hopefully that equation equals the right result. To have Story for 12 years in London and still be relevant in the dining scene is a huge achievement. We own it, we built it from the ground up. It’s gone through several different rebuilds, we built the new floor. That whole journey is something that’s very close to me.
Do you expect your restaurant empire to grow further?
We constantly get opportunities presented to us all over the world. New York is close to my heart because I spent a lot of time there when I worked at Per Se with Thomas [Keller] and I love the city. And I’d never say never to opportunities in the Middle East: there’s a huge amount of money being spent over there. But we’re in no rush. It has to be the right opportunity at the right time and it’s about keeping your integrity. We’re fortunate that I own the group so we’re in control of our own destiny.
We’re looking at a pub at the minute, somewhere outside of London but nothing is agreed, nothing is rubber stamped. There’s a lot of noise around the Devonshire – they did a fantastic job there. I know the guys well and they’ve set a benchmark. We’ve wanted a pub for a long time, it’s just difficult to find the right freehold or leasehold.
Has the pressure ever felt like too much?
Of course! That’s natural, right? I’ve been cooking for 20 years and I’ve run my own restaurants and business for 12. That’s what being a high achiever is about, you know, there are different challenges. We’ve gone through a pandemic. We’ve gone through a recession. We’re going through a Labour government that is fairly disrespectful to our industry. But these are things you have to learn to deal with as a restaurateur, as a businessman, as a chef. My desire is still there – the desire to make sure we stay relevant in the dining scene.
What are the challenges facing the industry?
There are a lot of factors. The work from home culture, people not coming into town, corporate money being clipped, people just feeling the squeeze generally with the base rate of interest, the National Insurance increase. There are so many factors. The world we find ourselves in, with inflation, cost of produce, cost of labour, we’re lucky if we make 10p on the pound.
But I’m not one to play the victim – it is what it is. You just have to figure it out. You have to keep pushing. You have to give 100 per cent 100 per cent of the time to every area of your business, not just on the plate but everywhere. That takes a huge amount of energy and focus and time and dedication. You have to diversify your business. You have to make sure your cost centre is correct. And ultimately, you have to look after the guests who do choose to come and dine.
Did the financial side of the business come naturally?
If you want to own a restaurant, you have to have that, otherwise it doesn’t stay open very long. You can’t run a restaurant purely based on just your cooking, you need to know that the foundation of your business is strong and understand every mechanism that makes it run.
How is it working with young chefs today?
The next generation coming through is challenging. Their approach to work is different to the older guard. Some of that is correct and should be celebrated but we’re approaching dangerous territory where it goes too far the other way.
I joke sometimes that when we interview staff, they interview us. I remember when I went to work for Thomas Keller and when I went to Noma, I literally didn’t care what position it was or how much money it was paying, I just wanted to work for those chefs. I wanted to be within environments that were always striving and passionate. And I think there has been a shift. Lots of factors have influenced that: social media, the work life balance that people now demand post-Covid when working from home has become almost mandatory.
We have to tell the truth about what it takes to run a restaurant and what that actually looks like. Ultimately you have to create an environment people want to enter into and contribute to and that comes from leadership, and it comes from culture.
You’re known for being outspoken – is that fair?
There’s this idea that I’m kind of an enigma – I don’t know why. I just keep my head down. I was very young when I came into this industry, Story was a very spoken about, publicised opening. I’m very conscious about how I spend my time and energy. I try to remain very blinkered and stay in my bubble, working with my people and making sure we’re doing everything we can for each other and the business.
How did you come to work with former pro footballer Joe Cole?
I sold a percentage of the business to Joe. We met through a mutual friend and he ended up being a mentor to me, somebody I highly respect that I’ve been able to lean on outside of my industry, someone I can ask advice, not necessarily about my own business, but just in life.
He’s been a pleasure to work alongside and have in my life, whether we’re going to play padel together, whether we’re going for a beer, or whether he’s dining in the restaurant. He’s a lovely man and he’s enriched my life. I think it’s a rare thing – people say never go into business with friends or family but our friendship actually grew and flourished.
• Go to Tom Sellers’ website here for links to all of his restaurants
