Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> February 21, 2000
TONY ALLAN, 35 years old, is the Chairman of BGR Plc. He is a main
shareholder in the successful Bank, restaurant and bar, Fish! Shop and
diner, and founded Cutty's, London premier fish wholesaler. He was
crowned 'Entrepreneur of the Year' in 1998. After leaving school Tony
took a place at catering college. He achieved distinctions in all his
City and Guilds exams, and by the time he left college he had won three
gold medals (including the coveted Hotel Olympia) and a place at
Claridge's. Leaving Calridge's as commis-chef, he moved to the
Dorchester for six months as chef-de-partie, and then, in 1984 he went
to Kennedy's Brooks Salters Court where he was quickly promoted to Head
Chef at the age of twenty. However, Tony soon became dissatisfied
with the quality of the fresh fish supplied. In 1985 and sensing a gap
in the market, he borrowed GBP 400 from his girlfriend's father and
started his own company. By-passing the traditional delivery set-up,
Tony would drive down to the coast buying fish directly from trawlers
and fishermen and would return to London to deliver the fish to
restaurants in a clapped out van. The company now known as Cutty's,
supplies most of London's premier restaurants. The success of Cutty's
provided Tony and his partner Ronnie Truss with the confidence and
financial security needed enabling them to create their dream project,
Bank. Bank opened in 1996 and was subsequently voted 'Restaurant of the
Year' by The Times within six weeks of opening. The restaurant won
'Best Modern British Restaurant' at the Carlton Food Awards 1998 and was
nominated for an 'Award of Excellence' at the Food Awards in 1999. With
a global press campaign that includes 1, 200 press cuttings, BGR Plc has
a market capitalisation of approx. GBP 62 million. Tony Allan is
married with two children. Profile
Mr. Allan: The business has 3 divisions under the umbrella of BGR. The
first and predominant division is restaurants. Here we have
