Joe Grossmann: ‘There’s a convivial, emotional aspect to roast chicken’

Of all the feedback Joe Grossmann has heard about his roast chicken concept Sidechick, there’s one pithy summary that stands out: “Nando’s on crack.”

“I’ll take that,” he tells MCA. ”Nando’s is an incredible brand. The core of [Sidechick] is that it’s the ultimate spatchcock roast chicken. It’s not fried or rotisserie.”

For Grossmann, countless up-and-coming chicken concepts do not fill a gap in the chicken market the way Sidechick does, which is to fulfil a craving for the ultimate Sunday roast.

“We have Nando’s, the fried chicken market, the independent rotisserie joints, and Casa do Frango, which is amazing,” he says. “But you didn’t have anyone doing delicious, nutritious roast chicken.”

Grossmann launched Sidechick under the Patty & Bun brand in 2020 as a delivery-only concept before opening its first brick-and-mortar site on Mayfair’s James Street in June 2021, next door to the first ever Patty & Bun site – “the OG,” as he calls it. Built on a foundation in delivery and dark kitchens, Sidechick fared better than its dine-in counterparts during the pandemic.

“I had this major itch in the January before covid hit,” he says. “I had to scratch the itch.”

“We launched [Sidechick] in the heart of covid. When the world started to crumble, it just took off…people gravitate towards it because it’s comforting.”

In addition to the standalone site, upcoming Patty & Bun restaurants will offer Sidechick menu items for delivery. Operational learnings from the parent brand were instrumental in launching the chicken concept.

Grossmann had been experimenting with chicken – which had always been part of the Patty & Bun menu – for years. This experimentation led to Sidechick, something he terms a “labour of love.”

“We were going to launch it under my grandma’s name,” he says. “One of my first food memories was my grandma bringing out the roast chicken.”

Grossmann explains while Patty & Bun is seen as a treat meal, regulars order Sidechick up to two or three times a week.

“It’s the ultimate nourishing and delicious meal you can share or have on your own…there’s a convivial, emotional aspect to roast chicken.”

Its appeal relies not only on family nostalgia but also on attention to detail. Chicken is brined for hours and steamed for moisture, while the crispy potatoes are steamed, blanched, and fried.

“Ultimately it’s really fucking delicious,” Grossmann asserts. “I was speaking to Tim [Siadatan, co-founder] at Padella…we have very familiar products like pasta and chicken. Our challenge is, can we take something everyone knows and thinks they can cook, and take it to another level?”

Grossmann describes the offering as “fairly bulletproof in terms of consistency and the way we put the product together”.

The brand will lean on this simplicity and consistency as it looks expands out of central London to penetrate more residential neighbourhoods.

“In London, there are a lot of areas and boroughs where I think it would be great for us to be part of the community,” Grossmann says, such as Peckham.

Challenges like rising inflation and food costs, mean a cautious growth strategy for the wole company. 

“No-one knew how drawn out or horrifically tough covid was going to be. I suppose it’s still very much part of the framework in terms of how we’re operating in hospitality,” Grossmann adds.

“With inflation and cost rises, it’s great to grow but you’re also making sure you don’t over-extend yourself and grow sustainably.”

“It’s a time right now where you’ve got to be truly passionate about your brand. We’ve got to do more every single day and continue to improve.”