After the rush
Eight months have passed since opening and Petit Blanc's New Year resolutions now centre on finally resolving the outstanding issues with the council, over ventilation and parking in particular; maintaining a steady number in Stuart Busby'sbrigade; and, of course, increasing numbers through better table turnover.
The New Year brought with it some good news - the brasserie had been recognised by both the AA and Michelin, which awarded it a Michelin Red "M".
Newbury Racecourse staff had no idea what they had taken on when they accepted a booking from the party committee at the brasserie and Le Manoir. Perhaps they only realised the implications fully at about 4am on the morning after the January knees-up - after all the fire alarms had gone off! Apparently, a somewhat disorientated chef (no names, no pack drill) was found wandering around the centre having emerged from a cupboard three hours after the coach had gone. "It was that sort of party," admits Simon Rhatigan, general manager at Le Manoir. But he agrees that it was well deserved. "Everyone has worked incredibly hard both before and since Petit Blanc's opening."
Blanc Restaurants' bar tab must have been sorely dented by the 280 bottles of wine consumed by 210 people. But the party atmosphere was spot on - further enlivened no doubt by a bucking bronco and an impressive raffle - all organised by the staff.
The party also gave the management team the chance to reward a member of staff with an "employee of the year" award. "Stuart Busby [chef] and I discussed the potential recipient for some time. We were delighted that Sean Holbrook, the assistant head barman here, got such a good response from the other team members," says Rhatigan. No doubt Holbrook was pretty delighted too - his prize was two return tickets to Athens.
Back to earth with a bang - and another major problem with the gents loo at the brasserie. Once again, the mascerator has broken down. Even general manager Olivier Delaunoy, by now a dab hand at a quick fix, has had to admit defeat. A local plumber is called in who pronounces that a whole replacement unit is needed because the one originally fitted is not up to the job.
"How long will this take?" asks Delaunoy, who knows that a full restaurant can't rely for any length of time on using the toilet for the disabled situated close to diners on the restaurant floor.
A compromise is reached. The contractor will do a temporary repair for the weekend - but the replacement unit must be fitted urgently.
Maintenance problems
The mascerator is just one in a list of gripes Rhatigan and Delaunoy have with the original contractors. Delaunoy is particularly frustrated at having to spend increasing amounts of time away from the running of the restaurant, trying to sort out problems that he believes stem from original structural defects. After eight months, cracks have appeared in the walls of the salon privée, damp patches need attention downstairs, kitchen extraction is still a problem and the air conditioning system proved a nightmare in the recent cold spell. "Cold air was being pumped back into the brasserie from the roof void - areas are permanently either too hot or too cold," he says. Minor repairs are now being attended to by a local handyman whom Delaunoy uses for up to eight hours a week.
Rhatigan intends to ensure that a number of the initial contractors are brought to book. "Obviously, we can accept the standard wear and tear of a busy restaurant, but we have experienced a lot of problems that you wouldn't expect for premises opened only last June," he says.
The Remanco hand-held order-takers are also giving cause for concern. Their lids containing the aerials regularly break off, as do the battery covers. The printer receiving the orders in the kitchen has had more than its fair share of glitches, going down for more than three hours on New Year's Eve when Stuart Busby's team were cooking the full brasserie menu. Not only do Delaunoy and Rhatigan believe the system is currently costing too much to maintain, almost of more concern is the management time this and similar equipment problems absorb.
Two senior floor staff are currently working out their notice. Sophie Cole, Delaunoy's number two, is changing her career direction dramatically, and will begin work in an art gallery later this month. A replacement has yet to be confirmed, but Delaunoy and Rhatigan have someone in mind.
Jo Cowie, the number four, left at the end of January and has been replaced by 24-year-old Lucy Tapper. She came to Petit Blanc as a waitress only at the beginning of December, but with two years' experience at local restaurant the Lemon Tree, the management team feel that she has what it takes to be a manager. Tapper is delighted. "I'm very pleased and very surprised. My aim has always been to move into a management role." She is also pleased that Delaunoy has agreed that her shifts can incorporate her two-days-a-week law course which she is halfway through.
A happy ship, it seems. Maintenance and structural problems aside, Rhatigan can still find pleasure in the little twists of good news. "Caterer saved us £16 last month," he grins. "We were about to sign a cheque for a certain Miss B Water's dry cleaning, before we read that it was a scam. Great!"
Next visit to Le Petit Blanc:6 March
