Manchester Rising: 4 Insights From NRB19

March is always a highlight of the year for me. Following a great night at The Publican Awards, it was time for the Northern Restaurant and Bar show – now in its nineteenth year. Curated by the ‘King of the North’, Thom Hetherington, it has grown significantly over the years and is now the ‘go-to’ northern event for leading operators, industry figures and suppliers to meet, speak and do business.

This year, I was honoured to have been invited to the inaugural ‘NRB Future’ event, which welcomes up and coming figures from the hospitality scene, all of whom are taking the market by storm in their own, unique way. SPE Resourcing joined the likes of NatWest and CPL Online.

Throughout the afternoon, what struck me repeatedly, was the sheer belief that the participating individuals have in what they do. Their expert knowledge relating to the intricacies of their business was also clear. When scaling up and moving to multiple sites, each business was forced to consider structure, process and people – without losing the heartbeat of what makes them great.

In this blog, I round up the four main takeaways from my time at The NRB19 Future event.

1. Customers feast on authenticity

First up, the dominant theme: staying authentic in your ideas and execution.

Many of the business owners I spoke to talked about their passions in life. In almost every case, it had directed their brand, turning a personal taste into a fantastic business. The NRB attendees were honest about what inspired them. Thanks to that honesty, they’d stayed true to their original aims and created something that is as much for them as run by them.

Take Bundobust, one of the businesses that has grown significantly, and quickly – with three sites currently open/opening and more planned. Widely known for amazing street food and craft beer, the establishment was created when Mayur, whose family own Prashad [a multi-award wining Indian restaurant in Bradford], teamed up with Marko – a self-confessed ‘beer-geek’. 

Other people had a similar story. One attendee mentioned his lifelong fascination with Cuban food. Another was a Spanish flamenco guitar player – something that led him, inexorably, to Spanish dairy cows and tapas dishes. By sticking to your core interests, it means you won’t waver from your reason to enter hospitality, ultimately keeping the concept pure.

2. Traditional marketing is losing its grip

When we talk about authenticity, it also extends to our marketing spiel. Is the age of the influencer dead? It could be. Regular people are sick of false idols and self-promotion. Overexposure means this strategy no longer works.  Instead, kill them with kindness.  

Someone mentioned that they asked a customer whether they could put their photo online – a genuine display of loyalty and recognition – instead of using an agency to carry their brand forward. “Can we use that picture,” he asked, “and give you a free drink in return?” For them, traditional marketing just isn’t as important anymore. It has to be authentic.

At the ‘NRB debate’, the day after the ‘Future’ eventthe panellists spoke about this at length. In the North, especially, diners are fiercely loyal to great, honest food and drink. If you stop being genuine, you’re screwed. Businesses such as Albert’s Schloss on Deansgate prove that a warm, generous atmosphere is way more valuable than marketing hogwash.

3. It takes time to find the right venue

Every NRB Future attendee was desperate for sites. The right venues at a fair price are hard to come by. Prices are lower, of course, than the South, but that doesn’t mean hospitality owners tend to rush their purchase, fit-outs or rent agreement. Location needs to be relevant to the idea behind the venture. If the two don’t match, the whole thing falls apart.

The North is primed for interesting, specialist venues with plenty of phenomenal spaces to invest in. Plus, the price difference is a gift. When Jason Atherton, another NRB attendee, opened Pollen Street Social 10 years ago, he spent ￡4,7m on the restaurant fit!

Whilst not comparing them directly with Jason’s incredible businesses, speaking to the likes of Finca and Firebird Hope, who are both starting their journey, it became clear that a quirky venue choice can work wonders without breaking the bank. Dan Hope’s fried chicken brand began as a pop-up eatery at Bruntwood’s superb ‘Hatch’, and has since become a permanent fixture in music venue YES on Manchester’s Charles Street.

4. There’s a structural tipping point

When hospitality and catering businesses are three, four or five sites-strong, they come up against a hurdle. Head office costs are suddenly necessary as the structure is now too big for the founder or investors to handle on their own. At the NRB Future meeting, we discussed how an operator and management framework can be laid down without losing the brand’s innate character. It’s a challenge, but it’s doable.

Attendees spoke about their first hire when growth occurs – usually a Finance Director, or at least an accountant who can make sense of the numbers. Then it comes down to operational staff. Who can improve the day-to-day running of a food and drink organisation, yet retain the culture it’s built upon? After speaking to Paul Goodale from PizzaLuxe about scaling businesses quickly, it became apparent that there were pros and cons to bearing the costs yourself and utilising a franchise partner. One option enables you to keep control, but costs can spiral. The other enables fast scale but with risk to the brand.

One thing that I really enjoyed about the ‘Future’ event was that at no point did anyone attempt to sell any services. Not only was it a great event to listen to and learn from, but there was also real energy in the room. It’s clear that these entrepreneurs have an incredibly exciting time ahead. The whole event was a privilege to be a part of and we would be delighted to add any value along the way. When we collaborate, we succeed. That’s why collectives like NRB Future are so great – they point a way forward for hospitality, backed by senior experience and an eagerness to listen and learn.

Thanks again to everyone who came; it was a pleasure to bat ideas back and forth! We’re looking forward to NRB 2020 and the second NRB Future event and look forward to adding our continued support.