EP Business in Hospitality Issue 53 - April 2015

Dominic Lake | Entrepreneurs
“
There is a real affection for [British] food and yet we
seem to have spent many years almost denying it
”
Dominic Lake Founder of Canteen
Nick Dawe
experience to customers. It is sometimes the
hardest piece of the equation to get right but
the most rewarding, and I enjoy working on
it. As our culture has become stronger, so
the culture supports the process.”
It is clear that Dominic has a strong
belief in the excellence of British hospitality
and enjoys the concept of entrepreneurship.
He is actively involved in CrowdBnk, Surrey
University’s Hospitality Entrepreneurs
Society and is in discussions over Canteen’s
involvement with a range of other
hospitality projects. Together with
Canteen’s other founding partner, he is
actively involved in Merchants Tavern along
with Angela Hartnett and Neil Borthwick.
“It is an interesting sector as most
people enjoy great British hospitality
experiences, whether it is a great pub,
restaurant or country house hotel. There
is a real affection for the food and yet we
seem to have spent many years almost
denying it. Now we are seeing British fare
returning to popularity and I think that is
exciting. It was the premise behind Canteen
originally – producing fresh, well-produced
British food at affordable prices.
“My biggest concern is making sure
we get the quality right as it is this factor
that makes people have a great experience
and want to come back time and time again.
I will often sit in the operations watching
the service to make sure we are really doing
it as well as we can.”
Canteen has built a very good reputation
but its growth has arguably been slow. Why
has this been the case? “It is hard to build
a restaurant brand in London with high
premiums and fierce competition for sites.
When we first set up, we raised the money
ourselves, as we believed in the concept.
We wanted to expand organically and not
just go for growth for the sake of it. We
wanted to – and we still are committed
to – build a business that has great value
and product at its heart.
“Yes, it has been difficult to find the right
sites, but in addition to traditional city
centre and high street sites, we are looking
at a range of ideas and plans for growth into
other areas that naturally complement what
we believe in and do. We are looking at the
concessions sector and also at an exciting
pub operation. Both have real potential, and
at the heart will stand great British food at
an affordable price. That is what we do.”
Time Out in 2013 wrote: “In some
ways, it’s a surprise that Canteen’s
bold-and-British mini-chain has only
expanded to four outlets since the
original opened in 2006. Its locations
are perfect for day-trippers or lunching
office workers (the others are at the South
Bank, Canary Wharf and Baker Street),
the welcome is warm, cooking is reliable,
and the venues themselves are accessibly
minimalist and stylish.
“The open kitchen sends out a selection
of classic dishes – Arbroath smokie with
poached egg, Welsh rarebit, Lancashire
cheese tart with chicory, pie and mash.
Canteen was one of the first places to
trumpet locality and sustainability on its
menus, a commendable stance that
continues today: eggs and chicken are
free-range, fish is from Brighton and
Newhaven day boats on the south coast,
farms and breeds are name-checked.
And – perhaps due to the chain’s limited
size – results are reasonably good.”
Dominic nodded his head at the above.
“I think one of our greatest attributes is that
the customers who know us trust us. People
do like the stances we have held and this
has helped open other doors. We do often
get approached in relation to a business
opportunity, as people trust us. For this
reason, I think we can expand our portfolio
into other areas and grow the business.
This does not mean that we will not grow
the restaurants but we will only take on
sites that we believe really work.”
Dominic is a naturally engaging
character. He is thoughtful and considered
as he talks, with a nice sense of humour and
is unassuming in approach. Unlike many
entrepreneurs, he listens carefully and does
not dominate a conversation. It’s clear he
likes to listen to others’ ideas and thoughts
so he can measure up a decision. He has
a natural thirst to explore ideas, and it is
this trait that has probably led to his
involvement in a range of different areas.
“Yes, I like to explore ideas,” smiled
Dom. “The industry does encourage
entrepreneurial thinking and it is
constantly changing. There is always
something happening. Merchants
Tavern is a great concept as it plays on
highly skilled cooking in an indulgent
yet relaxed environment – it surprises
and delights those that don’t expect the
cooking to be as good as it is from a
‘tavern’. We tried to combine the best
of Italian and French cooking. It appeals
to a food-savvy and fun-loving crowd.
“It is an exciting time, as everyone
is feeling more confident and seeing
beyond the immediate. This allows for
more idea development plus sensible
discussions on investment and planning.
I believe there are a number of areas where
we can add real value and develop our
portfolio. The base is our firm belief in
good affordable British hospitality and
this naturally engages the market.”
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