Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2010 | Page 143

food

Island Life - August/September 2010

Mid-life crisis
leads to Mark
taking on
Mojac's rather
than new love
Helen Baldwin laughs affectionately as
she recalls how she sensed husband
Mark had reached a bit of a mid-life
crisis.
“He decided he wanted to do
something totally different from
just being a head chef in an hotel in
Shanklin, but at least he didn’t run off
with another woman,” said Helen.
Instead, the couple took the plunge
and opened their own restaurant in
Cowes. Now, 10 years on Mark and
Helen feel they can look back with
pride and satisfaction that their Mojac’s
Restaurant on Shooters Hill has stood
the test of time.
Mark, who works with one other chef
and one trainee at Mojac’s, has been
in the catering business since leaving
school and going to college at 16.
He moved to London and worked in
the Café Royal for a while, and then
became a chef on the world famous
QE2 ship,
Helen recalls: “He went round the
world a few times, but then came
off the ship in 1985, and worked in
Shanklin. The idea was to stay for 12
months, but in the end he was there for
15 years.”
But Mark, born in Gurnard, always
had a dream of opening his own
restaurant. So when the ‘mid-life crisis’
kicked in it was time to make big
decisions. Helen said: “I think you get
to a time in your life when you have to
go for these types of things. We had
the opportunity to acquire the lease to
the premises, so we thought we would
go for it.
“It was very hard to get started
because in Cowes there is no pattern to
business. You cannot base it on what
you did the week before, or the year
before. It is a bit of an up and down
town, and unfortunately a lot of new
ventures shut within a year.”
But the determined couple managed
to survive, even though they have had

their difficult
spells. “One
of the most
important
aspects is
to keep
changing
with the
times, and
knowing
what the
customer
wants,”
said Helen.
“People do
want value
for money,
and there
is also the
problem
about
travelling
around the
Island. It
is expensive so we don’t tend to have
too many regular customers from
outside Cowes, and we do rely on the
yachtsmen coming into the town. We
always welcome them, and I find them
lovely people.”
The menu at Mojac’s is varied, with
Helen explaining: “We went through
a spell where we tried to get as much
home sourced produce as possible,
but to be honest I think the recession
forced us off that path. There came a
time when we had to buy it as cheaply
as possible to stay in business.
“If we can use local produce we do,
like ducks from Brownrigg’s. We keep
looking at what is available, and use as
many local suppliers as we can.”
Mojac’s – the name is a combination
of the couple’s two sons Jack and Tom
- has 40 covers, for lunch and evening
meals from Tuesdays to Saturdays.
Helen added: “We change the menu
depending on what we can get in, and
what is working well. Everything is

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homemade, from the bread roll when
you sit down at the table, through to
the chocolate truffle you get with your
coffee at the end of the meal. A lot of
time goes into preparation, and I think
‘passionate’ is a good word to describe
Mark.
“We set this restaurant out to be
how we like to eat when we go out.
I like a nice glass to drink out of, and
for everything to be nice and clean.
We decorate the whole restaurant
every year. But a lot of people have the
misconception that we are posh, and
we are not. We were given a reader’s
recommendation in last year’s Good
Food Guide, and Mark caters for today’s
allergists, with gluten free bread, with
all sauces and soups also gluten free.
“We try to ensure a warm and friendly
service. I come to work to have a good
time, and have a chat to customers if
they want me to. Yes, we are quite
proud of ourselves that we have
come through quite a lot and are still
smiling.”
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