How I Got Here: Helen Hall
Why did you get into restaurants?
When I came back from travelling after university, I needed to find work quickly. A couple of my mates were working in the Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen, so they got me a job on the bar there. I’d always joked about owning my own restaurant growing up – that I would call ‘The Hallway’ (get it…?). I’d always loved cooking and food and drink and was always the person in my friendship group throwing parties and hosting dinner parties, so I think I’ve always had a natural love of hospitality. When I started working behind the bar, it just went from there. I loved the energy of working in a busy bar, giving everyone an amazing night out. From there, I continued working in various bars and running a few events and supper clubs of my own until I ended up working for the Columbo Group on their management training scheme. That’s where hospitality really became a career for me, where I realised there wasn’t anything else I would rather be doing.
Tell us something you wish you had been told at the start of your career?
Hospitality is a great career choice! When I started working a decade ago, it wasn’t seen as a ‘proper job’. Although this has changed somewhat, it still isn’t always taken seriously as a career which is a shame. But if you find a good company that treats and pays you properly, it can be the best job in the world. It’s a challenging and rewarding industry that has many talented people working in it.
What’s your favourite restaurant or group of restaurants (besides your own)?
My most visited restaurant is probably Peckham Bazaar, an amazing Balkan restaurant in Peckham. I also have a lot of respect and admiration for the JKS and Super 8 groups. They maintain high quality in all of their sites across the board - food, service, atmosphere, interiors - everything is always on point and the experiences they offer are truly unique.
What motivates you?
I love the buzz of Peckham Cellars when it’s busy, looking around and seeing everyone loving it. Plus, I love chatting with our customers and getting to interact with new people all the time.
What keeps you up at night?
If I’m being completely honest, I would have to say money, especially in the current climate. This definitely is not the business to get into if you’re looking to make your millions! Despite what I think a lot of people believe, it can be hard to make ends meet.
Which colleague, mentor or employer has had the biggest influence on your approach to the restaurant business?
I was fortunate in my time with the Columbo Group. They gave me a lot of responsibility way beyond my range of experience. I was given the opportunity to work on the build of the Blues Kitchen Shoreditch and then go in as opening assistant restaurant manager after only working for them for three months. I believe this is how it should be done. Try to bring people up through the business, letting them learn on the job and prove themselves. Attitude is everything! You can’t teach it. So if you have someone great with the right attitude foster their talent by believing in them and giving them more responsibility. I learnt everything I know about working in restaurants from my time with them. Both good and bad - from how to and not to manage people and get the best out of them, to what true hospitality and excellent service are and how to set up a brand new restaurant and read a P&L. They were incredibly formative years for me.
What time do you wake up?
Between 8-9am.
Coffee or tea?
Coffee, always.
How often do you check your email?
Every 10 minutes… the curse of the iPhone.
How do you let off steam?
Cooking, catching up with friends over a glass of wine and some food.
Do you prefer a night on the tiles or a night on the sofa?
More recently, a night on the sofa.
What’s your signature dish to cook at home?
I make a mean lasagne.
Describe your typical Sunday?
Unfortunately, I haven’t got to the point in my career where I have Sundays off that often! So typically, I’d be working, but on Mondays – which are essentially my Sundays – I make myself some kind of delicious breakfast (pancakes with bacon and maple syrup have become a regular treat) and generally catch up on life admin that’s taken a back seat while the restaurant’s open.
What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
Booked a flight to Panama after breaking up with my boyfriend of four years.
Favourite holiday destination?
Italy, although I fell in love with Lisbon before lockdown and am desperate to go back.
What are you currently reading?
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.
What boxset are you currently watching?
The West Wing.
What was your dream job growing up?
Probably owning a café or restaurant, to be honest.
Worst business decision?
Opening Peckham Cellars four months before a global pandemic! We weren’t to know, but our timing was not ideal.
Best business decision?
Switching Peckham Cellars to an online wine delivery business within a couple of weeks of the first lockdown. We were fortunate to have a product that was easy to switch to online, and having our delivery business was a lifeline during lockdowns. We have now established a successful wine delivery company, which is one small silver lining from the pandemic.
What piece of advice would you give to those looking to climb the rungs in the business?
When deciding to open a restaurant with someone make sure you’re 100% confident that you can work together and that you all have something to bring something to the business. I am so lucky to have my business partners Luke and Ben. Luke is my partner and Ben is one of my oldest and best friends. They got to know each other through me and bonded over wine. I knew in my gut we would work well together. Plus each of us has a particularly skill set to bring to Peckham Cellars – I have a creative brain so I handle any design and marketing stuff. Luke is great with numbers so he does all the spreadsheets and accounts, plus we both have years of hospitality management experience. Then Ben is our wine guy, with tonnes of experience in the trade, so he’s pretty integral to Peckham Cellars, it being a wine bar and all! We all are really though and that’s why it works.
If you could change one thing about the restaurant industry today, what would it be?
That pay and working conditions improve for staff across the board so we can attract more talent, and particularly women, to the industry.
Bio
Having got a degree from Sussex University in Development Studies, Hall went on to get a diploma from Leiths School of Food and Wine. Her first industry job was as bartender at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen (now known as Colours). In 2013, she joined The Blue kitchen, Shoreditch, as assistant restaurant manager, and later progressed to restaurant manager. Later she became assistant general manager at The Blue Kitchen, Brixton. She then went on to work as a chef, which included a year as a commis at Rovi, working under Ottolenghi. With her partner Luke and close friend Ben, she launched Peckham Cellars on the Queen's Road in late 2019 as director of the business.
