“Magical and fun and lovely” is how restaurants appear to outsiders, says the chef Tom Kerridge at his new pub in west London.
“Actually, the reality is it’s very, very hard work.”When we meet at Butcher’s Tap & Grill in Chelsea a week before the launch, glass-case chillers are hung with joints of beef and Christmas fairy lights twinkle in fake fir garlands.
But it looks less magic than a massive stress headache. Builders hammer, drill and snag, fresh-faced new hires go through manoeuvres rehearsing for opening night.
The stocky 50-year-old, with his trademark shaved head, has carved a reputation with his restaurants, notably The Hand & Flowers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, the only pub with two Michelin stars.
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