Looking for a bit of inspiration from the big hitters in the restaurant biz?
We’ve put together 10 quotes from the leading lights of the industry, past and present, to stir up your entrepreneurial spirit.
1. “Food is life, life is food. If you don’t like my approach you are welcome to go down to McDonalds” – Keith Floyd, giving fast food a kicking in his famously blunt way.
2. “If anything is good for pounding humility into you permanently, it’s the restaurant business” – Anthony Bourdain, reminding us to stay humble and treat every day as an opportunity to learn something new.
3. “When you are trying to move mountains, you want – and need – people on your side who want to move them with you” – Jamie Oliver, encouraging us to surround ourselves with good employees if we want to build a successful business.
4. “Lots of famous chefs today don’t look whacked, because they don’t work. They have a healthy glow and a clear complexion. There is blood in their cheeks. They haven’t got burns on their wrists and cuts on their hands” – Marco Pierre White, emphasising the importance of hard work in the kitchen for those with ambition to do great things.
5. “I’m not scared of anything in particular, but I am motivated by a fear of failure as opposed to a need to succeed” – Heston Blumenthal, reminding us that success isn’t always the driving force behind a restaurateur.
6. “I don’t like looking back. I’m always constantly looking forward. I’m not the one to sort of sit and cry over spilt milk. I’m too busy looking for the next cow” – Gordon Ramsay, pointing out that it’s not always healthy to dwell on our mistakes for any longer than is necessary.
7. “The chaos of the kitchen is almost peaceful. When I am in the middle of a service, I am so focused. There is nothing else on my mind apart from the food in front of me” – Michel Roux Junior, highlighting the Zen-like state that cooking in a busy restaurant can create for those who love theirwork.
8. “Being a chef…it’s not coal mining, is it?” – James Martin, supporting the idea that you should always count your blessings when running a restaurant, even if things are looking bleak.
9. “To be the fashion is not to be the fashion” – Pierre Gagnaire, with a quote that Glynn Purnell has tattooed across his back, advising us to go against the grain rather than blindly following food trends.
10. “There’s a layer of satisfaction that I get from cooking that is more than the work itself. I think when you’re too competitive sometimes you can lose the joy of what you do” – Paul Rankin, suggesting that trying to be the best doesn’t always lead to satisfaction in the restaurant industry.
Have we missed one of your favourite quotes from restaurant royalty? Drop us a comment below and share the inspirational advice that keeps you going!
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