EP Business in Hospitality Issue 49 - April 2014

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Inside Ruski’s Vodka and Caviar Tavern Diego Bivero-Volpe, co-founder of Ruski’s Vodka and Caviar Tavern Now for something slightly different. September 2013 saw the first Russianinspired bar, restaurant and nightclub to open in London. Conceptualised on the original 16th century Ruski’s Tavern of St Petersburg, it encapsulates all that is Russian, from its rich history to its vibrant food. Diego Bivero-Volpe is a well-known name in the London nightclub scene, with clubs such as Brompton Club, Bodos and Tini under his belt. So why the Russian theme? The City banker turned nightclub entrepreneur proudly says: “I like to draw up business plans for different concepts and one of the concepts was Russian. I spent three months researching Russia, and the more I learnt the more I was intrigued and wanted to incorporate the concept into a nightclub. I also wanted to create a brand, something that was separate from its owners and can be replicated in other cities and can be franchised. Vodka is the national drink of Russia and has a really interesting history; it came into existence during the time of the Tsars. Vodka can be made from anything that can be fermented and there were a lot of people brewing their own vodka to different quality standards. The Tsars wanted to regulate this and introduced something called the ‘green mark’, a production quality standard. In order to purchase the vodka you had to have a permit, unless you had access to a tavern. The taverns became the real centres of life and some of them became very aristocratic. That was our starting point – the idea we wanted to replicate.” Russians are very hospitable people and customer service is of the highest standard. “In the nightclub industry good customer service does not exist, but we wanted to include that as part of our offering at Ruski’s. Russia has such a negative image due to brief periods in its history and with Ruski’s I wanted to exhibit the amazing culture, arts, traditions and hospitality. The Russians that come to Ruski’s really appreciate that. “Caviar also has a fascinating history. During the time of the Tsars it was believed to have medicinal properties and women used it for cosmetics due to its high omega-3 content. But young people are not attracted to caviar, it is something you may try once or twice, so we had to think of ways to change people’s perception. We created a menu that repackaged caviar in a different light. We introduced items such as a caviar club sandwich with steak tartare on black Russian bread; caviar and chips, which are essentially french fries that you dip into a caviar sauce; caviar and scrambled eggs. In Russia caviar is traditionally consumed with a mother-of-pearl spoon and washed down with a shot of vodka, very similar to tequila. We encourage our customers to try this and it has proved very successful, so much so that we have to move to larger premises.” Individuals are more knowledgeable and are more willing to try new things and a place like Ruski’s assists in educating its consumers in a fun and exciting atmosphere that is also a popular choice for the Russians living in ‘Londongrad’. 44 | April 14 | EP
SPECIAL FEATURE Alina Blinova, founder of RuStyle Ltd, an events management, PR and lifestyle company for the super rich Alina, the daughter of a north Russian fishing company boss, came to the UK in 2006 when she was offered a job by Barclays Capital as an investment banker. Moving to London was never part of her plan, but the opportunity was too good to miss. She recalls: “The first year and a half in London was a very difficult time – a new city, new people, a new culture and a very different work ethic. Language was also a barrier, even though I spoke English. I missed Moscow and my family terribly. There was a point when I was travelling back to Russia very weekend. I spent a lot of time reading up on British history and culture, to understand the English way of life and integrate myself into this new society. And now I love being in London. I’m still very Russian at heart, but London is now my home.” Three years later Alina set up RuStyle with her sister Nadia. The company is now global with branches in London, Moscow and Dubai. So why the move from banking to events management? “I always had a passion for organising events at university. A Russian friend of mine wanted me to organise an event for the Russian Festival in London. It was then I realised how much I missed organising events and PR. It had always been my passion, so I decided to follow my heart. Also I felt there was a gap in the market for the Russian community in London and that’s how RuStyle started.” The entrepreneur, who didn’t have a business plan and had taken a huge risk, was very fortunate to have built up a large network of friends. She comments that the administration of setting up a company in the UK was slow and ponderous, but the actual operation came naturally. “A lot of my business in the early stages was by word of mouth. My first event was successful, and I was then asked to organise an event for an upcoming designer. It just grew from there. I have organised events for the F1 Grands Prix, events in Vienna, Abu Dhabi and Monaco.” What does Alina think attracts the Russians to London? “It is a city with enormous opportunities for business. There are so many different nationalities and people from different backgrounds here. I have met people I would have never met anywhere else in the world. Some Russians do come for tax reasons, but in the main Russians come because of the business opportunities. Russians come to learn and use the knowledge Alina Blinova they have gained and apply to businesses in Russia, which has had a positive impact in Eastern Europe.” In addition, for the very wealthy it has become fashionable to settle in London. Interestingly, one of the practices taken back is good customer service. In Russia customer service is dependent on the external appearance of the individual and how affluent they are. If one is dressed in a designer suit, then the service received would be second to none, but if one is dressed more casually, then the service received will be far from good – it may even make one feel uncomfortable. “In London the customer service is consistent, no matter how you look.” According to Alina, “the number of Russians will continue to grow in London. It is alluring on so many levels. The capital attracts people who are intelligent, people who are wealthy and even people who are not. The city has so much to offer in terms of culture, fashion, business and employment.” Through RuStyle, Alina tries to keep the Russian culture alive, but is surprised how Russians tend to keep themselves at a distance from other Russians and prefer to assimilate with the “high English culture – they want to be liberated from the ties of Russian society”. In conclusion, Russians see London as a city of opportunity with much to offer, particularly when combined with doing business. For the business individual, there is the ease of setting up a company. For instance, in France it takes three months to set up a company, while in London you could do it in a day, even over the phone. The English legal system is well respected, financial services are extremely well developed and this allows Russians to feel safe. In addition, when it comes to spending their hardearned wealth, there are a multitude of places to spend their cash, whatever their interest. EP | April 14 | 45
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Page 4 and 5: 42 30 22 OPINION 8 No man, or busin
Page 6 and 7: UK Hospitality Confidence The UK Ho
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Page 10 and 11: BUSINESS “ The hospitality indust
Page 12 and 13: BUSINESS “McLaren teach you to st
Page 14 and 15: BUSINESS “We want to be one of th
Page 16 and 17: Continuous REINVENTION In the early
Page 18: MIKE DAY OPINION The changing lands
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Page 25 and 26: PEOPLE ALL PHOTOGRAPHS NICK DAWE We
Page 27 and 28: BUSINESS “The stores are colourfu
Page 29 and 30: BUSINESS How has Pride of Britain H
Page 31 and 32: INTERNATIONAL Domaine et Demeure o
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Page 37 and 38: JOELSON WILSON OPINION All change!
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Page 43: SPECIAL FEATURE Tatiana Fokina and
Page 48 and 49: After spending some years as a regi
Page 50: MANAGEMENT A scholar in the MAKING

EP Business in Hospitality Issue 49 - April 2014

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