Go Furness

A Recipe for Success

When Jason Bright was young, he was torn between two careers, both requiring huge amounts of discipline: catering and The Forces. Fortunately for Ulverston, he went to Bristol to study catering, where he was inspired by an gifted teacher called Sue Baker. He lit up when he spoke about this teacher who helped him make the decision.

In one of his placements he worked at Bloomers in Bristol, the restaurant at the time. Here, Constantine took him under his wing, and he learned about all aspects of catering.

This was the beginning of a long, steep learning curve as Jason put his heart and soul into becoming the best chef he could be. He has worked in Michelin Star Restaurants, and trained with some of the best chefs in the country.

If you can’t stand the heat….here’s the door.

He acquired a steely code of ethics that he expects of his staff:: have absolute passion, a commitment to work long hours, put up with achy limbs, give up social life, work in unbearable heat and tolerate critical customers. On the other hand, he looks after his staff and they achieve a standard of excellence that is second to none. And, he wouldn’t ask them to do anything that he isn’t willing to do himself, including cleaning the bogs!

When he interviews potential kitchen staff, he can tell by looking into their eyes whether they will be up to the challenges and rigours of the chef’s life. Most of all, he looks for loyalty.

His Challenges

Jason’s biggest challenge was buying the building and business that had previously housed a much-loved establishment in Ulverston, and then warming the hearts of his critical customers. In the first few months, it was tough. People made it clear that they were not happy with the change from The Inn Place to Rustique. But then, one Thursday, everything changed. The right people came in, experienced what Jason had to offer, told all their friends, and he has never looked back..

Other challenges included getting the right people to work with him. He added that he was very lucky to get Craig, his ‘sous chef’ who is amazing. He is reputedly the best pastry chef in the county, extremely hard-working and loyal, and Jason admits that he couldn’t do it without him.

From spending just a little time with Jason, it was clear that his biggest challenge is anything that takes him away from his beloved kitchen, like technology, the phone or anything on the business side.

His Secrets to Success-the perfect recipe

Luckily for Jason, he is married to the lovely Alison, who is a business consultant. She knows the value of customer support, and knows that it is important for the customers to feel wanted and special. When I dined there recently, I certainly felt it. My comments were: “I loved the atmosphere and service, and the food was really amazing too!” Alison has done an incredible job of training her staff to a first class standard, and makes people feel very welcome and special.

The other obvious secrets include taking his job very seriously, working hard, never taking shortcuts and having a passion beyond belief.

His motto is “You can sleep when you retire!”

The less obvious secrets are the people of Ulverston who are more than loyal customers, like Lynn and Dave Wilson who give up their time to help with the wonderful interior design and decking the rooms for seasonal changes. He has broken his own rule about not befriending customers!

The last essential secret is to make sure there is enough down time for his staff and himself, so that they don’t burn out!

His Ambitions…

Jason is after a Rosette! So far, he has not been able to attract the attention of the Tourist Board, and has not been tried out. Watch this space. I would certainly recommend Rustique.

His Advice…

Approach your work with a serious head, whether you work in Burger King or have a paper round. Sooner or later someone will notice you and give you a promotion. And if you want to own a restaurant, don’t even think about it before you have at least 12 years experience.
I was certainly aware of being in the presence of a seriously determined and focussed chef, with a big heart. I highly recommend Rustique for a very special experience and excellent food.

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Posted by Kay Hebbourn on 28th November.