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they can whack the prices up because they
think it’s what people are prepared to pay;
but I don’t want to help give Mayfair that
reputation.
“It’s going to be affordable luxury. I’ve
been going through the wine list with my
sommelier team – line by line – making
sure that it’s well-balanced and that the
price point is way below what it should be.
Cocktails in The Betterment are going to be
£10-£12 – really good value for money in
Mayfair. I like offering that.
“We’re self-funded; it’s just me, my wife
and my chefs as partners, so we don’t have a
big machine to feed. That puts us in a really
good position at The Betterment – and I want
to give that back to the customer.”
Aside from running his expanding
collection of restaurants, Atherton has also
found time to front a new BBC series, The
Chef’s Brigade. “I take 10 young chefs who
wouldn’t have the opportunity to work in a
restaurant like this – and who’ve never fitted
into a kitchen brigade properly – to Europe. I
try and discipline them and train them to be
a world-class brigade in six weeks.
“Obviously that throws up challenges; I
really put them through the mill.” Atherton
was wary of reality TV, but was convinced
that he could do it his way. “I said: ‘If this
is Love Island, I’m out.’ I don’t want to be
remembered as a TV chef. I did this show
because I thought we could show the world
what our industry is like without it being
Hell’s Kitchen. I wanted it to be real.
“It’s about Michelin-star food, which gets
a bad rep. People think that it’s screamy
and shouty, which it’s not; and people think
you have to work 20 hours a day, eight
days a week – again, which isn’t true. But
it’s definitely about discipline; it’s about
commitment. I wanted to tell this new
generation: don’t be afraid to commit to
something for a long period of time. Look at
what can be achieved if you do.”
Atherton’s hard work has provided him
with many proud moments. “I’m particularly
proud of Pollen Street Social working. We
borrowed £4.7 million when we didn’t have
the means to pay it back. My wife and I had
our house on the line, and we had one child
and another on the way. And now, we’ve made
this street famous – it’s on The Knowledge
for taxi drivers!”
He has come a long way from his childhood
in Skegness. Where does he see himself in
10 years’ time? “I’m nearly 50; I can only do
this for another 10 years. The next generation
of chefs will be running the company with
me – and hopefully I’ll be sat on a beach
somewhere.
“But right now, my energy levels are
through the roof. I want to share that with
Mayfair.”Jason Atherton will open The Betterment
at The Biltmore, Mayfair - LXR Hotels &
Resorts next month.
thebettermentmayfair.com
The Biltmore Mayfair,
39-44 Grosvenor Square.
The Chefs’ Brigade is on BBC2 now.“I DON’T WANT TO BE REMEMBERED AS
A TV CHEF. I DID THIS SHOW BECAUSE
I THOUGHT WE COULD SHOW THEWORLD WHAT OUR INDUSTRY IS LIKE
WITHOUT IT BEING HELL’S KITCHEN”