Clare Smyth 'grateful for every guest that walks through the door'

Clare Smyth has said opening Core under her own name has been a humbling experience that has made her grateful for every guest that walks through the door.

The two-Michelin-starred chef told The Caterer Summit, held at the National Gallery, London, yesterday, that opening Notting Hill restaurant Core by Clare Smyth had changed her “quite a lot”, adding: “The important thing is running a very successful business. To focus on that, not the stars.”

Smyth, who was awarded two Michelin stars in the 2019 guide a year after opening, acknowledged that gaining a third would be “fabulous”, but stressed that having everything she has worked for tied up in the site had made her “realise how important it was to see someone walk through the door”.

Understandably then, Smyth went on to express frustration with the prevalence of no-shows, long a drain on the industry, telling those gathered she was “very rigid” on the restaurant’s 48-hour cancellation policy.

Explaining that the industry needed to be respected she added: “For me it’s worth the battle, others do not agree, but it’s really important our team of 50 members of staff gets paid. Every other business does it what’s the difference with hospitality.”

Read more from The Caterer Summit 2019 in The Caterer’s 15 November issue.