Food for thought as Simon Rimmer lifts the lid on running a business

Alongside Metro Bank and Professional Liverpool, we recently hosted an evening called An Entrepreneurial Story, which saw celebrity chef Simon Rimmer talk about the highs and lows of running a business empire.

Today, Simon’s business which he runs with his business partner Simon Connolly operates 14 restaurants, two of which are in the Middle East. Over 50 clients and contacts listened to him talking about how he started his career after studying textile design at Leicester Polytechnic before teaching himself to cook in 1990.

The two Simons started their business after buying Greens restaurant in West Didsbury, Manchester, but also revealed that there were tough times when the two Simons nearly lost their business.

He said, “We got a bit too cocky and opened another restaurant that wasn’t veggie. It was just around the corner from our first, and we nearly went bankrupt as we opened the third one pretty soon after that.”

Guests also got a chance to ask Simon searching questions with some in the audience wanting to know what was his recipe for his success.

Simon gave one piece of advice to a budding restaurateur in the audience. “It’s knowing your clientele and ensuring the product and offer are right for your location. Secondly, it’s about having a good team around you and making sure you have all the business functions in place.”

Chief Executive of GAD Legal, Gregory Abrams, added, “It was a wonderful evening, and it was great to listen to Simon’s experience and insights. It’s incredibly important to learn from other peoples’ experiences and take on board their advice, and for someone like Simon to give up his time, we were truly grateful.”