Surely there can be few ventures to induce both anxiety and fear to the extent of a new restaurant opening. Clare Smyth is more than one of Britain’s greatest chefs, having helmed restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Michelin Three Star, for so many years she can justifiably claim to be one of the world’s greatest chefs. You would think, that this would buy Clare Smyth some breathing space from restaurant critics? Well, as you’re about to find out, when you watch this video, nothing could be further from the truth.
Clare Smyth at the MAD Symposium in Copenhagen
Such was the anticipation about the opening of Core – Clare Smyth’s restaurant – that at least one critic couldn’t wait to slam it. According to Clare, this critic could not even wait to dine there before shipping their bad review to print. This is the type of thing which can bury a restaurant before it even grows wings. Fortunately Clare Smith is simply too big a name to be grounded by any single restaurant critic. Especially one in such a hurry to win the race to be the first to be wrong.
“Some people seemed to be professional complainers and it felt like everyone was against us,” says Smyth as she explains that it felt like even the critics, who should understand the costs involved with running a restaurant in England’s capital city, were anti businesses. She adds,”rather than calling out the critics...it fuels me to make them look ridiculous with Core’s success.”
This is quite an eye-opener. If this can. happen to Clare Smyth it can happen to anyone. Unfortunately though not everyone will have the resilience to bounce back so emphatically.
