The people at the pub next door call us the von Trapp family," Raymond Patterson says, chuckling. It's not a comparison he seems to mind, which is just as well, because it's a fairly accurate picture of the set-up at his new Mayfair restaurant.
After 10 years as head chef at the Garrick in London, Patterson has decided to go it alone, fulfilling a lifelong dream and opening a 65-seat fine-dining restaurant and private dining room with only himself to answer to. Except that he's not really alone, and he certainly has people to answer to because Patterson's is very much a family affair.
If Raymond is at the helm of the kitchen, his elder son Tom, 22, is both front-of-house manager and the business brains behind the new venture. Tom drew up the restaurant's business plan as part of his final dissertation while at Westminster College studying business and hospitality. Also a trained pastry chef, he helps in the kitchen when needed, arrives at work at 6am every morning to bake bread, and works on menus with "chef", as he addresses his father in the workplace.
Meanwhile, Raymond's wife Maria meets and greets when she's not working as a special needs teacher, and played a leading role in the redecoration of the premises - think black marble entrance hall, pale wood floors, white walls and dark brown leather seats. She also ensures the building is cleaned and adorned with fresh flowers. If business goes well, she plans to give up teaching and work full-time at the restaurant.
Patterson's two daughters, Hannah, 19, a student at Oxford, and Lucy, 17, both help out as part-time waitresses, which leaves only nine-year-old Joe who, being a little young, is the only family member who's not directly involved. Even Maria's mother is a financial backer.
Not that working with your own family makes starting up a restaurant business any easier; rather it brings its own new challenges. And opening a restaurant in Mayfair is at the best of times a bit of a struggle.
After deciding to leave the Garrick last year, the Pattersons looked far and wide for a venue before deciding on central London, just off Conduit Street and around the corner from trendy venues like Noble Rot and Sketch. "We looked at Barnes and Beckenham first, but then I decided that at 48 it was my last chance. I knew I could go to the suburbs, dwindle away or take a big gamble here," Raymond says.
They finally signed the deal to take over the premises in Mill Street on 31 January this year, a day Raymond describes as "bleak". The apprehension was well-founded. The new restaurant was previously a pizza venue and needed serious work. Some £250,000 was spent on the interiors, not to mention the time and effort involved in the 10-week project.
"We just didn't have the expertise to deal with the building," Raymond says, rolling his eyes. "Tom and I used to come up here day and night to rip the whole place to shreds. Westminster Council don't allow skips, so we had to take everything home to Croydon and dump it in the front garden. I don't know what the neighbours must think."
In addition to the major reworking of the interiors, Raymond and Tom encountered other trials and tribulations, including serious damp in the kitchen. On top of this, all the electrics had to be ripped out and replaced, and air-conditioning introduced throughout - a process which involved soundproofing to satisfy Westminster Council.
With no back entrance to the building, the main door has to accommodate all deliveries - including their new kitchen - and parking is pretty scarce. "It was like Piccadilly Circus with all the deliveries here some days," Raymond says. "There were stand-up fights with traffic wardens, with tickets flying."
Even with the advantage of family and close friends stumping up the £3m to £4m start-up costs, a host of trusted suppliers, and good advice from industry veterans like Jeremy King (formerly of the Ivy and Caprice), obstacles still came thick and fast. "You learn so much and waste so much money the first time you start up a business," Tom says. "It would be lot easier second time around."
So now the restaurant's open and serving about 250 covers a week - average spend at lunch is £21 and £50 at dinner - is it all a dream come true? "I always imagined that working with family and friends was what I wanted to do," Raymond says. "But now I have to deal with my daughter in the kitchen telling me to hurry up, and suddenly they're finding out new things about me. The hardest thing is that they all think I'm really grumpy because I can't just go home and switch off any more.
"People said I was mad to leave the Garrick and in the back of my mind I think I might be - giving up my pension, giving up BUPA. Sometimes when I'm here from 7am and then sit on the last train home with my wife and daughter, I wonder if this is what we worked our whole lives for. I wonder if it's all been a dream. I wouldn't give it up, though."
Patterson's
4 Mill Street, Mayfair, London W1S 2AX.
Tel: 020 7499 1308
Opened: 19 August
Seats: 65
Staff: 14
Weekly covers: 250
Average spend: £21 at lunch and £50 at dinner (including wine and service)
The menu
Patterson's menu reflects Raymond's classical experience as head chef at the Garrick from 1992 to 2002 and a background at Myttons in Cambridge and at Carriages, the Royal Oak and the Athenaeum hotel in London. "I definitely wanted classic cooking at Patterson's," Raymond says.
Meanwhile, Tom's training at the Square in Mayfair and the Blues Bar & Bistro in Soho adds a slightly modern twist to dishes through new takes on finishes and garnishes. Tom also created the pastry menu.
"I would like a Michelin star and some rosettes but I'd rather have the restaurant full," Raymond says. "Tom would be upset if we didn't get them but I'm not sure if there's such a thing as a Michelin-starred family restaurant."
Starters include:
- Duck consommé with ravioli of lobster and wild mushrooms.
- Smoked haddock soufflé served with a chive caviar sauce.
- Rossmore oysters with cucumber "capellini" oscietra caviar and dill.
Main courses include:
- Roasted scallops, creamed fennel dice, red wine sauce.
- Calves' liver, air-dried ham, roasted fig and red onion confit.
- Herb-crusted fillet of lamb, truffle mash and provençal vegetables.
Desserts include:
- Bitter chocolate soufflé, crème chantilly.
- Strawberry and Champagne terrine.
- Brioche-and-butter pudding with a crème brûlée ice-cream.
The three-course set menu is £30, with daily lunch and dinner … la carte also available with mains at £10.
The à la carte menu changes seasonally and the lunch menu (mains from £8, starters and desserts £4) changes daily.
Raymond on Tom
What are Tom's weak points?
Sometimes I worry he could burn himself out. He needs to pace himself but he's a good lad.
And strong points?
Tom will never give up and he soaks up information. He's been dealing with the business side of the restaurant, so while I was busy getting the money, he was busy spending it.
Tom on Raymond
What's the best thing about working with your father?
I know we'll never really fall out. And I can really trust him because he's not going to hide things from me. We're both too involved - we start at 6am-7am every morning and leave at midnight. Dad's also very good with staff, and cares about things like training. I've been working with him since I was a little kid in the kitchen. He's my inspiration.
What's the worst thing about working with your father?
Dad's got the contacts but he doesn't have a clue about money. I have to keep an eye on his costs and ordering to check he's not going crazy with the caviar or something. Also, the fact that I'm still living with my parents means I can't get away. I'm going to move in with a friend soon. The other really annoying thing is that he calls all of us "love" because he can't remember any of our names. It's either "love" or he calls us by the cat's name.