Ian Mitchell Chairman of multi-award winning catering company Bartlett Mitchell regularly shares a wine recommendation with their network. He has offered now to extend this to the Hospitality and Catering News readership. Ahead of his first vinous suggestions we spent some time with him, got to know him, his background and what we might expect.
I hope that he won’t mind me saying that he was 50 when he started Bartlett Mitchell with Wendy Bartlett (MBE). Whilst it was the direction that they had decided to take, the destiny was decided when their CEO of the time found insurance documents for the new company on the company printer.
The journey to setting up a company with his name on the door, was a life in catering and catering senior management. Whilst still at school his initial aim was to become a Doctor studying ‘A’ Levels, having been brought up in a N.Wales Hotel. However distraction came whilst studying at Oxford Polytechnic (Oxford Brookes University as is) and he set off to do a trainee stint in the Catsgill Mountains, Upstate New York. Returning a few months later he joined Stones Chophouse, at the time a historic London dining venue, to help serve historic dishes such as Mutton and Caper Sauce. Ian then moved on becoming Commis Chef at the Savoy, worked with the great Silvino Trompetto, who was Maitre Chef from 1965-1980.
Additional formative years were spent in Paris at the legendary Hotel de Crillon, on the Place de la Concorde opened in 1909 in a building dating back to 1758. He was the ‘economer’, the stores operative, then moved to the Billing office where he was sent to deal with grumpy US and UK visitors. Andy Warhol was one such guest, who he regrets not acknowledging at the time. He trained here with Pierre Emmanuel Taittinger, who is today President of Taittinger Champagne, and an early candidate for French President. Ian regularly took visitors on the trip to Champagne. If you know Champenois hospitality then you will feel the magnetic pull of that opportunity.
Returning to England, a stint at Claridge’s front of house led him to management in the newly built 5* Intercontinental in 1975. It had been built but only 2 floors were opened with many problems aligned with the disruptive nature of the times. Earth movement had caused many mice to be running around and shower screens that would shatter inexplicably on guests, whilst they were in the bath, describing a couple of the issues that in today’s world would no doubt cause a red-top front page! The desire to better himself and contribute to better catering continued to surface as he joined Sutcliffe’s, a contract catering company.
Ian managed the BA contract for staff and VIP lounges. BA at the time was the jewel in the British corporate crown. Sutcliffe’s eventually passed to Compass. However Compass had a global span and little core passion that he desired.
Ian had identified a key principal in corporate catering – The People.
This has followed through to Bartlett Mitchell where clear objectives, their own identity, and clear values are expressed in their ‘Vital Ingredients Wheel’. Ian or Wendy is always there to welcome new staff on induction days. As the standards of catering have continuously increased the people element has become even more important.
Reflecting on a high level City establishment where Bartlett Mitchell provide the catering as an example of comparable standards, Ian reports that the catering experience needs to be at least as good as the restaurant outside.
Equally for the staff of organisations the quality needs to match or be better than elsewhere, a standard that Bartlett Mitchell measure with the consumers of their services, which are often invisible to them. Whenever they start a new contract within a couple of months a survey for staff is conducted using a chocolate fountain (or similar) as incentive for participating. The results are then shared and activated where possible and reasonable. Explaining catering as a benefit to clients’ staff and employees is a key aspect of a contract, as the standards need to be visible. It demonstrates Bartlett Mitchell’s concern not just for who pays them but who uses their services.
Outlets often now need margin returns, where once they could provide in-house catering as a pure benefit. Nil subsidy of these operations is very difficult to achieve in today’s market. Value and value demonstration are critical aspects of their business.
There are many outside forces at work. BREXIT is pushing food costs up significantly as we are all seeing in the supermarkets. It is no different for the catering industry, and whilst the General Election is not likely to affect things significantly, the commercial world is changing dramatically and quickly. All of which requires careful consideration alongside consumer behaviour around food. Eating out of the home has been on the rise for the last few years – a trend set to continue, Ian believes.
What place wine in the mix? Ian enjoys wine and enjoys delivering wine as an important part of the catering mix. For certain clients it is a requirement that they happily encourage and carry a core range of around 100 wines.
Ian’s wine influences range from Crown of Crowns (an old Liebfraumilch brand from the 1960s) to tasting and drinking First Growth Claret, working with some legends along the way. Jon Stringer, who Ian describes as the world’s most organised cellarman of The Lygon Arms, Broadway in the Cotswolds, would religiously throw out the ‘old’ wines, much to Ian’s benefit and Percy Smith who managed the Café Royal cellar of 500,000 bottles.
He has visited 90 vineyards in New Zealand which, when you consider that there are only 675 in total, is quite an achievement. Indeed his love of New Zealand goes further, as the legendary wine Cloudy Bay was the subject matter of his first date with the lady that became his wife. Hearing how difficult it was to get hold of and having an inside track, Ian was able to order a case and greet her with it on the second date.
Ian also spends time in the South of France north of Montpelier and enjoys the many and varied wines of the deep south of the country. This region is spans from Provence and a range of fabulous reds from the Rhone in the East through Minervois, Corbieres to Fitou in the West. A veritable food and wine matching cornucopia.
Ian believes that Escoffier’s suggestion of red with meat and white wine with fish has relevance and Hugh Johnson’s Pocket wine book, and the John Platter South African wine guide are compulsory textual companions. His most difficult food and wine matches are anything with vinegar, particularly light starter salad dishes with vinaigrette dressing.
There have been some colourful wine highlights. Back in the 70’s Ian was overseeing the wedding party for Theatre Producer and Philanthropist, Sir Eddie Kulukundis, and then partner Susan Hampshire of late 60’s TV series The Forsythe Saga. Initially proposed for 80 people, 2 days beforehand became 200 people. Food provision issues aside when the requirement is Dom Perignon Rose, which has to be shipped direct from France then there is an issue. Safely navigated with regular Dom Perginan Brut and magnums of La Tache Domaine de la Romanee Conti a great night was had by all.
Alistair Morrell
Hospitality & Catering News, Wine & Drinks Editor