Allan Pickett on Piquet and working with the Galvin brothers

Allan Pickett, chef patron and owner of French restaurant Piquet, has seen it all in the kitchen and is hoping that his experience of working with the Michelin-starred Galvin brothers can lead to success in his solo ventures.

Speaking exclusively to BigHospitality, Pickett spoke of his admiration for the brothers and what he took away from his three years of working with them.

“I think it’s really important that if you’re going to work with someone like Chris or Jeff Galvin you have to go there with a view of what you’re going to pick up from them,” he said.

“It’s very important to walk away having learned a lesson. Chris Galvin taught me how to be able to make money from food. There’s no point doing a restaurant if you can’t make money. Everyone says it’s for the love and there is a lot of love in what we do, we wouldn’t do the hours if we didn’t love our job, but ultimately it’s about having a pension in 15 to 20 years.”

In our interview, Pickett expands on the home grown influences on Piquet, why his business partner Andre Blais (of Bodeans fame) is an important factor in the restaurants’ success, and the challenges of going solo.