This is Hospitality: Tom Kerridge – ‘You live your best life working in hospitality’

Chef Tom Kerridge believes hospitality isn’t just a job – it’s where you live your best life.

As supporter of The Caterer’s new This Is Hospitality campaign, the chef and owner of the Hand & Flowers and the Coach in Marlow is reminding his fellow operators just what a great place the industry is to work.

“You live your best life,” he says. “Hospitality has the best social life, better than any other.”

Kerridge says people mistakenly believe that “you work unsociable hours” or “your social life is completely gone” if you work in hospitality.

“But it couldn’t be further from the truth,” he says. “You might work unsociable hours, longer hours, in the evenings and weekends, but you’re social life becomes the best – it’s better than everybody else’s.

“You know the best pubs, bars and clubs, which ones to go to, and Monday and Tuesday become the new Friday and Saturday. It’s a lot easier to get into places then.”

Kerridge is a huge advocate of the industry. He opened his first restaurant, the Hand & Flowers in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, in 2005, and it celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. It won its first Michelin star within its first year and its second in 2012. Kerridge also won The Caterer’s Restaurateur of the Year – Independent award at the 2020 Cateys and was invited to cook for the event itself in 2012.

What is This Is Hospitality?

Three easy ways to get involved

Get behind our This is Hospitality campaign and you could help change the perception of your industry. 

Follow us on our dedicated page www.thecaterer.com/thisishospitality and on Instagram @thecaterermag for news and updates.

Send in your short videos or share them on social media, explaining why you love working in hospitality, and support the campaign using the hashtag #thisishospitality

Email us. If you have suggestions for our campaign or want to share a positive story about our industry, get in touch at thisishospitality@thecaterer.com

This Is Hospitality