Why capitalists are eyeing the options
Eddie Taylor was a small-time blues guitarist who moved from the rural Mississippi Delta cotton country to Chicago in the 1950s. He recorded 16 tracks for the Vee Jay record label, the most notable being a raw, 12-bar, harp-backed number called Big Town Playboy. It became his signature tune as he tried to pick up gigs in the blues clubs of his adopted home town. After a long struggle for recognition, however, he discovered that his popularity was greater in the UK and Europe and he ended up touring here extensively in the late 1960s and 1970s. Forsaking Chicago, the Big Town Playboy became a provincial legend.
And what's wrong with that? Perhaps he was ahead of his time. As Big Town Playboys in the restaurant game are demonstrating, decamping from the Smoke is becoming quite fashionable.
This week we feature two stories that add to the growing suggestion that London is finally losing its allure for chef-proprietors and restaurateurs. Jean-Christophe Novelli, having taken up residency in rural, out-of-London Amersham two years ago, has confirmed that he will be cooking at Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire. He hasn't relinquished his hold on Maison Novelli in London, but he now describes the capital as "… very tough, very hectic", and says the competition there is "ludicrous". Time to get out, by the sound of it.
Meanwhile, the entrepreneur/chef partnership of Mark Fuller and Garry Hollihead has decided to move out of the very centre of town to Old Brompton Street and Islington. All right, it's not exactly a migration to the sticks, but Fuller now describes the West End of London as "oversaturated and dirty", and has hinted that he and Hollihead are looking at a country house hotel and restaurant outside the capital as their next big venture.
The recent performances of London-based restaurant groups such as Fish (now in administration), Groupe Chez Gérard, PizzaExpress and Signature suggest that London really hasn't recovered from the drop in tourist numbers following the effects of Ground Zero.
The Sunday Times revealed last weekend that even premier London operator Conran is suffering, although overall results for the Conran group have been affected by the downturn in New York trade.
The shortage of tourists isn't the only reason for the deepening struggle for Londoners, however. More and more operators are talking about "the recession", but even this isn't as widespread as London would have us believe. Many parts of the UK - the West Country and other traditional holiday centres - have had a reasonably good summer season. Customers still want to spend money; they just want a bit more value for their pound and they are looking for comfort rather than high-class expense.
Following 11 September and the Bali bombing, people feel unsure about the security of the old world order. Add to that uncertainty about the economy and the possibility of a ground war with Iraq, and it's not surprising that, subconsciously, customers are looking for comfort and reassurance. They get that by staying close to home, eating in local neighbourhood restaurants and avoiding the riotous city.
With costs in the capital continuing to spiral; with the burden of congestion charges threatening; and licensing legislation making it more complicated for restaurants to open in the way they want, it's not surprising that operators are taking the Eddie Taylor route out of town.
Rumours concerning the demise of the London scene may be premature, but the slower ballads being played on the outskirts of the city do look attractive at the moment.
by Forbes Mutch
