A leading light in the North-east culinary scene will share his recipe for success as the latest guest speaker in a series of events designed to inspire and educate local SME business owners.
On November 19th, the North-East Scotland Business Academy (NESBA) will welcome to the Village Hotel Aberdeen award-winning chef Graham Mitchell, who is renowned for bold flavours and modern Scottish cuisine at Tarragon by Graham Mitchell in Aberdeen’s Rosemount, and Tarragon on the Terrace overlooking Union Terrace Gardens.
From a March 2020 lockdown project to offer at-home fine dining, Tarragon by Graham Mitchell opened in 2022. Just six months later, it was named Best Restaurant in Scotland at the 2023 Scottish Entertainment and Hospitality Awards and earned an AA Rosette. Graham’s second restaurant, Tarragon on the Terrace, opened two years ago, and he also finds time to co-host Amazon TV show The Doric Kitchen as well as mentoring local up-and-coming young chefs. The NESBA gathering will also hear more about Tatlers by Tarragon, a brand-new, multi-space venue paying homage to the historic Tatlers Bar that is set to open soon in Aberdeen.
November’s event will explore the theme: “CONTROL” and the need for consistency as a business starts to evolve and grow. The learning-led gathering will give participants valuable insights into how to move from reactive to repeatable by creating structure in key areas such as time, cashflow, delivery, priorities and people, to empower business leaders with tools to foster greater consistency and faster decision-making.
The quarterly NESBA event series brings together legal, financial, business coaching and marketing expertise in one room. It was inspired by the success of Blackadders Aberdeen HR Club and growing demand from business owners for clearer, more integrated guidance as they start, grow, scale and plan for exit. The resulting Blackadders collaboration with Prospect 13, ActionCOACH and Hall Morrice has achieved notable success in its launch year, attracting business representatives from across the local economic landscape so far.
Commenting on the event, Graham Mitchell said: “When I started Tarragon during lockdown in 2020, I never imagined that a few years later I'd be running multiple restaurants, creating jobs, mentoring young chefs and preparing to open another venue in Aberdeen.
“But the journey hasn't been without its challenges. Being a good chef and running a successful business are two very different things and I've learned that the hard way. From managing people and cashflow to dealing with rising costs and making difficult decisions, there have been plenty of lessons along the way.
“I'm incredibly proud of what we've built in Aberdeen, but I'm also very aware of the challenges facing independent businesses across the North East. I hope that by sharing both our successes and the difficult moments, I can offer something valuable to other business owners who are navigating their own journeys.”
To book a place, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nes-business-academy-control-tickets-1990390085325?aff=ebdiglgoogleliveevents
To find out more about the North-East Scotland Business Academy (NESBA), email hello@nes-ba.co.uk