Brian Keeley-Whiting is owner of Whiting & Hammond — a small, award winning, independent pub group in the heart of the Kent, Sussex and Surrey.
He’ll be appearing alongside Flat Iron’s MD Jo Fleet, the Yummy Pub Co’s Tim Foster, MEATliquor’s MD Scott Collins, and Simon Stenning, founder of FutureFoodservice.com, to discuss ‘Coping with Crisis’. Head to Keynote Theatre 2 on opening day to hear their expert advice on how to protect yourselves, your teams, your customers, your property and your brand in the event of disaster.
There’s a reason I’ve been every year and will continue to do so…I love Casual Dining! It’s the essential date in the calendar and I’m looking forward to ExCeL!”
What restaurant & pub operators do you particularly admire and why?
I am a great admirer of Ed Martin (ETM Group). I admire their brand, style and the growth they have made.
What do you feel is the key for operators to successfully compete against their competitors in 2019 and beyond?
Continuity, consistency and attention to details.
What do you see as key trends in the coming year?
Healthy eating vegans, vegetarians and pescatarians, less meat eaters moving forward.
What’s your bestselling dish / drink at the moment?
Roast dinners, fish and chips and our homemade burger.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Seeing people flourish in their roles, seeing a young chef coming through the ranks to become head chef.
And the most challenging?
Overheads, costs and finding good staff.
How important is the Casual Dining show to the casual dining sector?
Really important, it’s a great opportunity for everyone to network, touch base and see interesting and new trends.
Describe the Casual Dining trade show in 3 words.
Informative, leading, vibrant.
Can you tell us a bit about your much anticipated session at Casual Dining 2019?
I will be talking about the impact of a disaster in your business and how you recover from, for example, a power cut at Christmas and a fire.
Who or what inspires you to be even better?
Successful people — I get a kick out of people doing well.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Treat people how you would like to be treated.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that most people don’t know.
At the age of 52 I have started playing rugby again for Tunbridge Wells!
See Brian at Casual Dining 2019
Coping with a Crisis?: 2.15pm in Keynote Theatre 2 on Wednesday 27 February. The session will also feature —
- Jo Fleet, MD of Flat Iron
- Scott Collins, co-founder & MD of MEATliquor
- Tim Foster, co-owner & head of being awesome at Yummy Pubs Co
- Simon Stenning, founder of FutureFoodservice.com (session chair)
