insideKENT Magazine Issue 74 - May 2018 | Page 167

Matt Sworder, The Corner House Restaurants (Minster & Canterbury) , www.cornerhouserestaurants.co.uk
What sparked the initial idea for
your business?
I knew I wanted to run my own restaurant as
it had always looked like one hell of an exciting
job. After working in some inspiring restaurant
concepts, I felt I wanted to deliver a restaurant
that focused on getting all the simple things
right while celebrating beautiful Kentish
produce. My team and I focus completely on
the guest experience and in the kitchen we
like to do all the simple things really well. Our
bread is made by hand fresh every day; all our
sauces are made from proper stocks and
reduction; and all of our ice creams are
homemade and made properly. Building a
reputation for simple done really well has
always been the mission.
What was the first step you took in getting
off the ground?
My site search in 2013 started in London and
I had two unsuccessful bids for sites in
Clapham and St Albans before my father –
who ran a restaurant in Kent – was handed
back the keys to his restaurant in Minster. It
just made sense for me to come home
and open my first restaurant in my home
village of Minster.
What’s been the toughest challenge you’ve
faced so far and how have you overcome it?
Finding quality staff is the biggest challenge.
I spend a lot of time working on developing
staff to ensure their Corner House journey is
working for them and that they are being
developed and inspired. Personal staff
development is crucial at maintaining a low
staff turnover and happy consistent
restaurants. I am very fortunate to work with
fantastic teams both in the kitchens and front
of house; great restaurants are quite simply
made by great teams of people with both front
and kitchen teams working together on
delivering a fantastic guest experience.
What’s been your biggest achievement
to date?
When I took The Corner House concept to
Canterbury there was a risk it would not work
as well in the city as it does in Minster. I have
been very fortunate that the residents of
Canterbury have welcomed The Corner
House into their dining scene and I am very
grateful for that – it’s never something I take
for granted. I would love to take this
opportunity to say thank you to all our
supporters from both Minster and Canterbury;
we are so very grateful for your support.
In your opinion, what separates a product
that will be a success from one that won’t?
It’s important that restaurants have a clear
identity; that they know who they are, what
they do and where they are heading. In
such a competitive restaurant industry with
new concepts coming up all the time, the
ones that survive are often the ones that are
clearly defined.
If you had one piece of advice for anyone
thinking of launching their own food or
drink business, what would that be?
Ensure any risk is a calculated risk and know
your numbers.
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