This week, M&C takes five minutes with Charlie Gilkes, co-founder of Inception Group, about how Byron creates a buzz, his fears over diminishing property targets in the capital and his dream of running a hotel
What’s your main business priority for the coming 12 months?
Ensuring our existing business continue to innovate and grow and that our latest opening, Mr Fogg’s tavern, gets off to the best possible start. We will also focus our attention on seeking out new opportunities for our Mr Fogg’s and Bunga Bunga brands which we are actively looking to grow.
What is the best marketing campaign you have seen this year?
I thought the 25p burger day at Byron Burgers earlier this month was very clever. There were queues round the block at each one I passed and it generated a huge buzz. The money raised went to the ‘One Feeds Two’ campaign helping provide school meals to the poorest children on earth. Not only did this raise money and awareness for a great cause but it also generated masses of press and online buzz for Byron.
Where did you have your best meal this year?
My best meal so far this year has to be a lunch at Il Riconcillo. It’s located down a cobbled street in Seville and is the oldest restaurant in Spain having been established in 1670. Waiters still write orders in chalk on the bar. We sat informally round a barrel trying lots of superb seasonal tapas from local clams, amazing aged serrano ham and everything from Pescado frito to mushrooms and snails that were in season.
Which business in the sector provides the best experience?
I had an amazing lunch at the River Cafe for my first wedding anniversary. We sat outside on a late September day. It’s nearly thirty years old but still feels so current and the food and service are phenomenal. Their hospitality was exceptional.
What is your main concern for the sector?
As a London operator our greatest challenge is finding new sites. Competition to acquire a site in a prime area is huge. I’m concerned that whilst demand is increasing, supply is diminishing as commercial property, especially old pubs, are constantly being developed in to residential schemes and at the same time licences are being lost, or seriously curtailed making them virtually untradable.
Which other business (any sector) would you most like to run and why?
I would love to run a luxury hotel group such as Maybourne. I always make notes when staying at hotels about the things I like and those I’d do differently and it’s my dream to have a hotel one day. It would be amazing to be in control of a group like Maybourne which owns three of London’s most prestigious hotels: The Connaught, Claridges and The Berkeley. Whilst it would be important to respect their heritage, there are so many possibilities and opportunities for hotels of this scale and stature. The BBC documentary ‘Inside Claridges’ is the best thing I’ve watched on TV in the last 5 years.
