The Worst Year Ever to Open a Restaurant

That’s what they’re saying.

So, why this? Why now?

For years, I’ve talked myself out of opening a permanent space. I’ve spent countless hours daydreaming - imagining what I’d serve, where it would be, who I’d work with. It’s the kind of thing that makes my heart race, but also plants that seed of doubt. And every single time, doubt has won.

That feeling only deepened when Mattie and I got back together. On our morning walks to the forest and back, we’d rant about the lack of good places to eat, fantasise about landing a spot on the high street, obsess over the menu, and lose ourselves in the details. But by the time we got back to the flat, we’d have completely talked ourselves out of it.

Whenever someone asked, “Would you ever open your own place?” I’d laugh and say I wasn’t stupid enough to throw all my money in the bin.

And yet, here we are. The impulse to say no has been overridden by something stronger - belief. Belief that Mattie and I can build a future for our family, create something meaningful, and add real value to our community.

How We Got Here

Midway through last year, we caught wind that a site on the high street was up for sale. A rare find. The catch? A £200k premium - an eye-watering sum. We only found out about it by chance, but once we did, we couldn’t stop imagining what it would be like.

At first, it felt like a game. How far can we take this little joke before we chicken out?

Turns out, really far.

Through tough negotiations, strategic walkaways (some real, some fake), and even a fake viewing, we managed to knock the premium down to £135k. Still a huge sum, but for what we were getting, we took the leap. We completed the deal this year, and up until the moment we got the keys, I was still playing chicken.

But now, we have them. Our first permanent restaurant. And we’re about to start smashing everything up.

What We’re Building

Think chophouse meets family-run restaurant, run by a couple who argue all the time (but have vowed not to in the kitchen anymore…). Mattie is running the kitchen, and I’m taking charge of pastry and bread.

We want to create a memorable, reliable dining space. The kind of place where you can drop in alone for really good, juicy chicken, crispy chips, and perfectly cooked greens, or bring your friends on a Sunday for a blowout feast - braises, pies, massive vol-au-vents, bowls of stunning puddings.

This is the food we love, the kind of eating that makes us feel something. Our hearts have raced for hours over this, and now, we can’t wait to bring it to life.

Mattie and I met in a kitchen. He was the sous chef, I was the pastry chef. It was game over as soon as that man started cooking. I fell in love - hard. And it wasn’t just him, it was his way with food. A plate of skate acqua pazza, his mum’s tomato sauce for staff meal, the way he introduced me to good taste when my palate was still playing catch-up.

Now, we’re opening our first restaurant together.

What’s Club Gina?

This is our newsletter. If you know me, you know I believe in radical transparency. I want to bring you along for the journey -share our mistakes, our learnings, and show you exactly what it takes to open a restaurant in 2025 with no investors. Just two people making it up as they go along.

In Club Gina, you’ll get:
✅ Transparent cost breakdowns - real numbers, no fluff.
✅ A black book of trusted contacts - the people who actually helped us get this off the ground.
✅ Tips & tricks to save money when opening a restaurant.
✅ A step-by-step breakdown of how we negotiated the lease and got the keys.
✅ A guide to gearing up for an opening - what works, what doesn’t.

Like my How to Write a Cookbook series, I’ll get you to the point where you could do this too - if you wanted.

I’m basically your guinea pig. Except unlike a real guinea pig, I can talk, write down my mistakes, and share them with you in real time.

This has never been done before. But I believe there’s a real need for it - whether you’re a budding restaurateur, a chef dreaming of opening something, an entrepreneur, a food lover, or just someone who loves a good behind-the-scenes story, you’ll walk away from this with a tank of knowledge.

Why Subscribe to the Paid Version?

We’re documenting our entire first year - the highs, the lows, the real cost of opening a restaurant.

When we open, we’ll also be sharing:
🍽️ Exclusive recipes straight from the restaurant.
🎉 Behind-the-scenes updates on our first year in operation.
🍮 Invites to dessert masterclass evenings and exclusive events - watch a demo, taste everything, talk all things food.
🎟️ Lotteries for free meals.
🔥 Invites to tastings & subscriber-only dining perks.

And to be fully transparent: this build is costing me double what I predicted (which I’ll map out in future newsletters). Instead of a Kickstarter, I figured - why not turn this into a Substack worth paying for?

Your support will go directly towards opening the restaurant. And maybe eventually buying a Pacojet.

This is information you won’t find on the internet. It’s an opportunity to touch base in real life, to be part of something as it happens.

Subscribe now and be part of the journey. We hope to see you when we officially open.

Thank you to everyone who has already subscribed every penny goes towards getting this off the ground, I promise to give back in a very fun way. And hello to those founding members, we see you!

Photo by Jon Gorrigan. Thanks Jon for re shooting our wedding day pics!

Meet Gina:

We’re naming the restaurant Gina after Mattie’s late mother. She was all about abundance, had an open-door policy, never judged, and made everyone feel welcome. She cooked effortlessly, loved food, and lived with warmth and generosity.

You’d find her out front - cigarello in one hand, red wine in the other - sharp, full of life, always ready to listen. An artist, a mother, a truly good woman.

More on this soon.

Newsletters out every Monday from here on out!

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