The Sky News Money blog team interviews chefs every week for our regular Cheap Eats feature. Today, co-founder of Genuine Restaurants Group Sam Harrison shares his thoughts on Google reviews, his most hated customer habit and his weakness for Pizza Express.
Every week, our Money team interviews top chefs from around the UK, hearing about their cheap food hacks, views on the industry and more.
Today, they speak to the co-founder of Genuine Restaurants Group, Sam Harrison…
My favourite cheap eat is… Burnt on Askew Road in Shepherd’s Bush, west London – it’s a great spot for brunch or lunch. I can have breakfast and a coffee or a stunning sandwich and juice for lunch for under £15. It is independently owned and the owners work really hard. It’s exactly the sort of place we should be supporting.
I will always have a weakness for Pizza Express… I think it goes back to my childhood and how long the brand has been around. When I order an American Hot pizza, I know exactly what I’m going to get.
We serve complimentary filtered still and sparkling water… as I think a lot of people are tired of being forced to drink expensive mineral water and then charged for service on top.
It is very important for guests to say there and then if they are unhappy… or would like something changed. Mistakes can happen and any good restaurant will want to get it right there and then. I fully understand some people find it awkward or embarrassing to say anything, so restaurants should make it very easy and comfortable for them. It is about caring for your guests.
Google reviews are very important but… there is nothing to stop false reviews. We have had reviews posted that weren’t even for our restaurant and getting them removed is almost impossible.
You have to work and strive every day to be the very best you can to survive in hospitality in 2025… It is as simple as that. A lot of restaurants are closing and more will. Those who deserve to will survive, but it’s tough at the moment for everyone.
If I were prime minister for the day… I’d lower VAT for a start, and also I’d want to open up the flow of workforce to make it easier to recruit and retain staff. I’d also look at tax incentives for entrepreneurs to help support businesses to grow and thrive. Each time we open somewhere new, we create jobs and boost the local economy and the government needs to support this and to make the reward more proportional to the risk.
Rick Stein is… the real deal. Rick and his ex-wife Jill taught me almost everything I know about running restaurants. Every day they showed me the importance of hard work and how it never stops. If you want to be the best, then you have to be setting standards day in and day out. Obviously Rick is famous as a chef, but he is also a brilliant people person – he just really gets people. Rick and Jill always put their guests first, as all hospitality owners should.
One thing I hate customers doing is when they… click their fingers… yes, it is still a thing.
A good restaurant should have good wines at all levels and all price points… I am very proud of our house wine at £29, but I think the more expensive wines do reflect even better quality.
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I like restaurants where the mobile reception doesn’t work… It’s fun to take photos to remember the occasion, but it’s nice to see diners enjoying each other’s company and chatting without a phone in sight too.
Customers eat out a lot more now… and have so much choice in terms of restaurants and also delivery. So you have to work harder than ever to win them over as regulars. But I think that is a good thing. On the whole, we are very lucky because we have incredible guests who have been coming to my places for 20 years. They must like what we do!
