Top 100: Rick Stein, Stein's Trading, Seafood Trading

19 April 2018 by
Top 100: Rick Stein, Stein's Trading, Seafood Trading

Overall ranking: 42 (69 in 2012)

Chef ranking: 9 (19 in 2012)

Snapshot

Rick Stein is a chef, author, television personality and restaurateur. Along with his ex-wife Jill, he owns 14 eateries across the UK, including in London (Barnes), Dorset (Poole), Wiltshire (Marlborough) and Hampshire (Winchester), as well as 10 in Cornwall (six of which are in Padstow, which has affectionally been dubbed Padstein in his honour by locals). In 2009 he opened his first restaurant overseas with his second wife, Sarah, called Rick Stein at Bannisters, in Mollymook, New South Wales, Australia. Stein has written an autobiography and more than 20 cookery books and has starred in 30 television cookery programmes, which kicked off with his first BBC series, Taste of the Sea in 1995, and more recently involved the recreation of a trip he took in 1968 from San Francisco to the south of Mexico in Rick Stein's Road to Mexico.

What we think

In 1974 he opened his first venture, the Great Western Nightclub, in Padstow, Cornwall, which was later closed down by the police after fishermen kept getting into fights. The following year he opened the Seafood Restaurant with Jill. In the following years their Padstow empire grew to include a hotel café, gift shop, cookery school, two B&Bs, a pÁ¢tisserie, a fish and chip shop and a gastropub.

The first sites outside Padstow were all in Cornwall, in Falmouth, Porthleven and Fistral Beach. In 2014 the Steins launched their first restaurant outside Cornwall, Rick Stein in Winchester, followed by a 200-seat restaurant in Sandbanks, Dorset.

In 2016 came a new gin and Champagne bar called Ruby's and a seafood bar at Stein's Fisheries, both in Padstow. He also acquired a 20,000 sq ft warehouse in St Columb Major, Cornwall, and a 6,800 sq ft head office at St Eval, Cornwall. In the past year, further openings have included a restaurant in Marlborough, Wiltshire, and in Barnes, London.

The growth of the business outside Cornwall has been credited to its non-executive chairman John Jackson, former chief executive of the Jamie Oliver Group, as well as the influence of the three Stein sons - Ed, Jack and Charlie - who are all involved in the company in various guises.

The amalgamated accounts of Stein's Trading and Seafood Trading reported a year-on-year increase in turnover by 29% to £26.1m, alongside a 27% rise in EBITDA to £2.93m in 2016.

Alongside his business empire, Stein is patron of the Padstow Youth Project, South West Pesca, the National Mission for Deep Sea Fishermen, the National Coastwatch Institution, the Dyslexia Research Trust and the National Trust.

In 1999 he won the Chef Award at the Cateys and in 2016 Rick and Jill took the Catey Special Award. He was made a CBE for services to the economy in the New Year's Honours List in 2018, having been made an OBE in 2003 for services to West Country tourism.

Stein's influence among chefs and consumers has been colossal, as has his contribution to raising the profile of the British seafood industry. On hearing the news of his recent CBE, he said: "I think that the hospitality industry, that I so much enjoy working in, is a force for good not only in the UK but everywhere. To be able to travel the world as a British man, fascinated by the food and culture wherever I go and bringing it back home is a dream job, but also reinforces the importance of everyone sitting down and enjoying good food together."

Further information

Rick Stein and Patrick Crerar made CBEs in New Year's Honours 2018 >>

Rick Stein to continue growing business beyond Cornwall as company announces £26m turnover >>

The Steins on 40 years of the Seafood Restaurant >>

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