Sat Bains with Rooms to switch to a four-day week

Chef Sat Bains and his wife Amanda believe that the approach will encourage staff longevity and that they will also be able to attract ‘eager, passionate and motivated staff’. The change in operations will not affect staff salaries or bonuses.

Amanda said: “The Industry is suffering. We’ve tried other things and by changing the hours we work at our own restaurant now, we hope it will shift this dynamic for the better. It’s a high risk/high reward strategy, but one both Sat and I are committed to take. We’ve come to realise it can be feasible and maybe one where the long-term benefits may outweigh that initial risk.”

Bains is hoping to use the extra time to develop new dishes in the kitchen:

“We’re frequently so busy here, it’s often difficult to get uninterrupted time to just focus on development. Not only is this going to make the team here a very happy bunch of people, but I can also lock myself away on my own, for an entire day if I choose, just to experiment with flavours, processes and ingredients,” he commented.

The couple made the decision to open Wednesday to Saturday after consulting with industry leaders, financial analysts and their advisors.