EP Business in Hospitality Issue 48 - January 2014

BUSINESS
NICK DAWE
Set up by a talented young
chef and a model/pop star,
this events business also
does pop-up restaurants.
EP went to discover more.
“We were friends that really grew closer
through our love of food”, noted George
Craig, while they told their unconventional
start up story.
Terry Edwards is the more traditionally
trained member of the team, working
first as a chef for Paul Heathcote before
coming to London to work at Le Gavroche
for Michel Roux and then for Mark Hix,
becoming the Head Chef within Hix’s
events team.
George, by contrast, has modelled
Checking
for Burberry among others and in 2003
founded his own band One Night
Only, which can boast a top ten UK
single Just for tonight, as well as
on
multiple albums and tours.
Terry and George have known one
another since Terry went on tour with
the band five years ago and gradually the THE PRESENT MARKET HAS CREATED
two became close. “We became proper
friends as Terry took me out to the best
AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE IS A
restaurants and we just talked food,” CONSTANT INFLUX OF NEW BUSINESS
commented George.
There is something about this
TEAMS COMING THROUGH, FULL OF ENTHUSIASM, WHICH
duo which is clearly capturing the
BRINGS A SMILE TO THE FACE AND ADDS SOMETHING NEW.
imagination. Though they have only
been established for a relatively short ONE SUCH BUSINESS, BASED IN SHOREDITCH, IS CHECK ON
time they have already been featured in
both Vogue and a two-page spread in The
Times. Part of the charm, it is easy to see,
is that they’re both having fun and
enjoying the challenge.
“Yes, things are going really well. We
have run a few private dinners for some
major celebrities. We are working on a
cookery book with a well-known agent
and we are talking about some TV work,”
stated Terry. “We have not used anyone
to help us on PR and sales, we are just
doing it ourselves using contacts that
we have. Most of our work is coming
through recommendation and we have
some momentum with us. We have done
quite a bit with the fashion brands.
“I love working for myself. We are
having fun and I think our enjoyment and
people come to us. We are different, but
you need to be in this business. You need
to stand out from the crowd and we let
our personality come across.
“We have hosted events at such diverse
venues as The Sanderson Hotel to private
houses and even some pubs. We even
won a cook off against one of the leading
London culinary legends – that was a
highlight. You just never know what is
going to happen. At the moment it does
not feel like hard work because so much
is happening and it is a journey that we
are on and one we are really enjoying.”
It is refreshing to see the enthusiasm
and clear sense of enjoyment that Terry
and George radiate. They will face greater
the business, George has just completed
his third album and you can see that he
will, at some point, have to make a hard
choice between music and food. The test
for this duo will come as they face such
moments and how they pull through, but
for now, they are enjoying their time and
they are bringing a smile and no little
flair and skill to their work.
It will be interesting to revisit Check
On after their first year of trading and
after they have experienced the different
seasons and fluctuations that come with
a year running events and pop-ups. But
do not bet against them being successful.
They have had a far better start than most,
they stand out from the crowd and their
friendship is just showing and rubbing off challenges in the time ahead and they food is clearly up there with the best
as we seem to be getting more and more have some difficult choices. As they build – this may be a story worth following. •
EP | January 14 | 25