Bread Street Kitchen is a big operation, a unique beast, and it needs bedding in.

The minute you start compromising for the sake of massaging somebody's ego, that's it, game over.

I suppose more than anything, chefs have gotten better, which is great news, which makes my life a lot easier. I can be a lot more creative in terms of the menu.

Cooking today is far greater than it ever was, and more importantly, a chef's role today has changed dramatically over the last decade.

I have to say, opening up in New York taught me a lot about that level of attention to detail. London's a tough market, Paris is a tough market, but New York, well, that's extraordinary.

A lot of people think that I am only in town when I'm doing the publicity circuit, but I actually come [Bread Street] regularly. I just don't publicise it.

One thing I can't afford to get sucked up in is the trend formation of restaurants here. I've invested heavily. We have a ten-year lease. More importantly, the style, the feel and the décor of the dining room is vibrant.