As I've got older the relationship between food and the planet has become more and more obvious to me. The fact that all of our food distribution is in the supermarkets' hands is probably the most dangerous thing we could do. Ninety per cent of our fruit is brought into this country, and 60 per cent of our vegetables. That isn't sustainable. The People's Supermarket is about working with local, small-production farms, creating direct relationships.
Having no money tends to make you more innovative. We're innovative out of necessity. The People's Supermarket is financially driven to the extent that we want to stay in business and that we can offer our owners a 10 per cent dividend off food bills. The more sales we drive, the more savings people make and the more relationships we can build with local producers.
Supermarkets are like a super tanker. They leave a huge wake. Whatever they are carrying and selling, there's waste. But it's not actually waste, it's just a product that hasn't been used. All I'm doing is working out how best to use what the supermarkets aren't using. They'll wake up soon. They'll realise they should take it all. There's value in everything.
The human condition is interesting. It has an inherent need to communicate and to be a part of something. It's very difficult to be alone as a human being without some form of interaction, even if it's to vent fury. The more people are ignored the more fury they tend to generate.
The People's Supermarket is democratic to the extent that people just don't believe you—"you're not going to listen to what I say, I'm just John. I've never had anything to do with anything." But the fact that you do value their input starts to strengthen that community. You give them a voice.
I never thought I was this patient. Everyone comes to me with problems. Usually the person who's complaining will give you the solution.
I've always wanted to run restaurants. I've been executive chef of many. I've spent 20 years sourcing food. You know the colour of the soil that grows the grass that the sheep feed off to make that ewe's milk cheese that is so delicious when you grate it over something from a completely different country. Knowing that relationship is the skill of a chef.
Imagination has been deeply driven into The People's Supermarket. When you have nothing, your imagination can run wild because you're not restricted.
The big picture is food security. This country needs to be self-sufficient but we are losing our knowledge. I've just been on the south coast, and I've met the fishermen of this nation. They're old and tired. I've met the farmers, the growers. They're losing the skill, the knowledge. Our skills base has been demolished by the supermarkets looking elsewhere for cheaper commodities.
From a chef's perspective, food is a way to make money, but it's also a way to communicate. As loud and as noisy as kitchens are, the plate is actually silent until it hits the table. In this moment of transition between chaos and consumption there's a space in which food just is.
People will drink a coffee, but the energy that it's taken and the waste created is vast and is never considered. I started designing my restaurants with that in mind. But then you start taking everything into consideration. The light bulbs, the chairs, the tables, delivery, the knives, the glasses. You can't take a step down that road without walking it forever.
