M&C Report talks to Will Beckett, co-founder of Hawksmoor, about his best investment, his best his best business decision and the best piece of advice he’s ever received
Q: What is the most important action the industry can take to encourage the consumer? Improve standards.
Q: What single action could Government make that would make a difference? No idea I’m afraid, I’m more of the school of thought that they make rules and we do as well as we can with them!
Q: What is your top priority? Ensure that growth doesn’t impact quality or consistency – I want both those to continue to improve despite growth.
Q: What has been your best investment? It sounds super corny, but we spend a lot of time and money on the people who work here and helping them develop in their careers. I have never regretted doing so.
Q: What has been your best business decision? Getting help in when we needed it.
Q: How much has your business changed to combat the recession? Not at all, for some reason the conditions created by the recession seemed to help our business thrive.
Q: Who is doing something special in the industry? I’m interested in small independent places, in particular I’m fascinated with Peckham Bazaar – they do something incredible with no money, little experience and not many tools to get the job done.
Q: Most admired brand? Soho House
Q: Who has been the most influential in your career? Difficult to pin it down to one person. In no particular order my best friend/business partner Huw, Paul Campbell, Nick Strangeway and Danny Meyer (who I have found inspirational for a long time).
Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? Know what bit of your business is fundamental to what you do and keep it that way, and accept that everything else can change and just deal with that well.
