Gizzi Erskine: Although I'm a great chef, I've realised I suck at running restaurants
The cook and broadcaster on why walking away from all her businesses was the best decision she ever made
inews.co.uk
oh Gizzi
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inews.co.uk
oh Gizzi
She is so narcissistic. When do you ever read an article from other great chefs like Angela Hartnett or Marcus Wareing banging on about their success and how great they are? Even worse when half of the article is then about her failed ventures? She really is something elseGizzi Erskine: Although I'm a great chef, I've realised I suck at running restaurants
The cook and broadcaster on why walking away from all her businesses was the best decision she ever made
oh Gizzi
Which chefs go on about how great they are?!
Gordon Ramsay
Gizzi Erskine
One of those people (hole they may be) has Michelin stars and is the brand of one of the largest worldwide restaurant empires…
the other, who had far more advantages in early life, is not
Gordon Ramsay
Gizzi Erskine
One of those people (hole they may be) has Michelin stars and is the brand of one of the largest worldwide restaurant empires…
the other, who had far more advantages in early life, is not
She is INSUFFERABLE. I cannot believe I ever thought she was cool.Gizzi Erskine: Although I'm a great chef, I've realised I suck at running restaurants
The cook and broadcaster on why walking away from all her businesses was the best decision she ever made
oh Gizzi
can anyone copy and paste the article as it's behind a paywall thanks x
There’s a new attitude towards the whole “New Year, New You” ideology. It’s now considered to be toxic: wanting a new body is body shaming yourself, and worse – other people, too. New Year’s resolutions have officially been cancelled – unless of course you’re doing Veganuary, as that saves the world. Or even better, Reganuary.
It’s all very confusing and, sure, I may have been programmed and conditioned by centuries of patriarchal oppression, but I really enjoy looking back and seeing how the last year went and how I can improve my life – and it’s always served me. 2022 saw me making some seismic changes and without that period of January introspection, I’m not sure I would have done so.
You see, the past few years have been tough. In 2006, I decided I needed to prove myself as a chef and open my first business. I wanted to showcase my technical and creative capabilities, in a food world fast becoming monopolised by a new breed of media chef.
I have cheffed professionally for more than 20 years, having done stagiers (work experience) in some of the best kitchens, not just in the UK, but the world. I suppose my ego was frustrated because I felt this wasn’t really acknowledged or valued. While I have many allies in big chefs and people who know me to be one of the innovators of the pop-up restaurant scene and someone who can see a trend before it breaks, there were many more who knew me only for my media career – and only for the terrible decisions I’d made in television or via my growing social media presence.
I got asked to do my first partnership in 2016. Over the next six years I opened up a further four businesses and went on to open six more sites with two of these companies, all with varying levels of success. I’m still mulling over the reasons for the failures: I think they were down to a combination of opportunity, big ideas, ego and gusto, all with a healthy dose of exploitation from some of those involved.
Some businesses thrived, some didn’t. The best thing I ever did closed because of Covid, but then I went on to open several sites of another business. All this during an insane time in hospitality, as hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurants folded. My life took an extreme turn at the beginning of last year when I found myself bankrolling a business to the point where I got a personal loan from a friend and had to remortgage my house. It was mad and relentless, and my brain just combusted.
I had to get out of a toxic situation. So, last January, I went to Mexico for almost a month. A privilege, for sure. I rested, I wrote, I had a lot of therapy and saw a Shamen, did a lot of mushrooms and shed the chaos I had found myself living in. It changed my life. I made some major decisions.
I decided to step down from all of my businesses in February. I swallowed a bitter pill and admitted to myself that while I believe I am a good – maybe even a great – creative, I suck at business and that I am not functional within extremely stressful situations.
My people skills ride the extremes. For the most part I am a fun, strong and passionate leader who loves to train people to cook properly with care and technical ability, but I am hot-headed and get frustrated that no one really cares about the details like I do and that trying to fight is a losing and painful battle. I learnt that money rules, and power ultimately lies in the hands of the investors. I am not capable of finding the dream balance where you can make money and retain your integrity. That is the golden touch in business and it’s achieved by very few. I really, really tried, but I failed.
In the immediate aftermath, I was so frustrated by this that I buzzed with anger 24/7. So much so, that my doctor said my blood pressure and cortisol were as high as a 80s banker with a cocaine problem. I found myself piling on the weight; 3 ½ extra stone of fat that filled me with self-hatred. And to top it off, I was putting not just man hours in, but my own money. In the past few years, I poured my own hard-earned cash into ventures I gained nothing from, and then found myself broke.
But despite the pain of losing a lot of money, the wasted time and effort it takes to launch new projects, and then living with the anguish, disruption and disappointment of stepping away from it all, I have actually come out of this year happier.
I’ve evolved. I let go of a lot of my anger. Lowering the frequency at which I’d been operating for the past five years has made a palpable difference to my mental health. I am calmer, cooler, happier, thinner. I even fell deeply in love and was able to write some of my best work and get commissions for some dream jobs throughout this whole sorry process.
I’m almost back to the place where I can set my mind to anything. For the first time in my career, I am excited to do television again and confidently be a part of food media – something that business whipped out of me.
Sometimes what you want for yourself and what you are capable of are not the same. I have achieved credibility, won awards, five-star reviews, plus industry support. Right at this moment, I need to look after myself: success to me now is being able to look forward to the New Year with a fresh soul and a growing awareness of the need to protect myself.
It’s all very confusing and, sure, I may have been programmed and conditioned by centuries of patriarchal oppression, but I really enjoy looking back and seeing how the last year went and how I can improve my life – and it’s always served me. 2022 saw me making some seismic changes and without that period of January introspection, I’m not sure I would have done so.
You see, the past few years have been tough. In 2006, I decided I needed to prove myself as a chef and open my first business. I wanted to showcase my technical and creative capabilities, in a food world fast becoming monopolised by a new breed of media chef.
I have cheffed professionally for more than 20 years, having done stagiers (work experience) in some of the best kitchens, not just in the UK, but the world. I suppose my ego was frustrated because I felt this wasn’t really acknowledged or valued. While I have many allies in big chefs and people who know me to be one of the innovators of the pop-up restaurant scene and someone who can see a trend before it breaks, there were many more who knew me only for my media career – and only for the terrible decisions I’d made in television or via my growing social media presence.
I got asked to do my first partnership in 2016. Over the next six years I opened up a further four businesses and went on to open six more sites with two of these companies, all with varying levels of success. I’m still mulling over the reasons for the failures: I think they were down to a combination of opportunity, big ideas, ego and gusto, all with a healthy dose of exploitation from some of those involved.
Some businesses thrived, some didn’t. The best thing I ever did closed because of Covid, but then I went on to open several sites of another business. All this during an insane time in hospitality, as hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurants folded. My life took an extreme turn at the beginning of last year when I found myself bankrolling a business to the point where I got a personal loan from a friend and had to remortgage my house. It was mad and relentless, and my brain just combusted.
I had to get out of a toxic situation. So, last January, I went to Mexico for almost a month. A privilege, for sure. I rested, I wrote, I had a lot of therapy and saw a Shamen, did a lot of mushrooms and shed the chaos I had found myself living in. It changed my life. I made some major decisions.
I decided to step down from all of my businesses in February. I swallowed a bitter pill and admitted to myself that while I believe I am a good – maybe even a great – creative, I suck at business and that I am not functional within extremely stressful situations.
My people skills ride the extremes. For the most part I am a fun, strong and passionate leader who loves to train people to cook properly with care and technical ability, but I am hot-headed and get frustrated that no one really cares about the details like I do and that trying to fight is a losing and painful battle. I learnt that money rules, and power ultimately lies in the hands of the investors. I am not capable of finding the dream balance where you can make money and retain your integrity. That is the golden touch in business and it’s achieved by very few. I really, really tried, but I failed.
In the immediate aftermath, I was so frustrated by this that I buzzed with anger 24/7. So much so, that my doctor said my blood pressure and cortisol were as high as a 80s banker with a cocaine problem. I found myself piling on the weight; 3 ½ extra stone of fat that filled me with self-hatred. And to top it off, I was putting not just man hours in, but my own money. In the past few years, I poured my own hard-earned cash into ventures I gained nothing from, and then found myself broke.
But despite the pain of losing a lot of money, the wasted time and effort it takes to launch new projects, and then living with the anguish, disruption and disappointment of stepping away from it all, I have actually come out of this year happier.
I’ve evolved. I let go of a lot of my anger. Lowering the frequency at which I’d been operating for the past five years has made a palpable difference to my mental health. I am calmer, cooler, happier, thinner. I even fell deeply in love and was able to write some of my best work and get commissions for some dream jobs throughout this whole sorry process.
I’m almost back to the place where I can set my mind to anything. For the first time in my career, I am excited to do television again and confidently be a part of food media – something that business whipped out of me.
Sometimes what you want for yourself and what you are capable of are not the same. I have achieved credibility, won awards, five-star reviews, plus industry support. Right at this moment, I need to look after myself: success to me now is being able to look forward to the New Year with a fresh soul and a growing awareness of the need to protect myself.
Why is she so obsessed with her weight?
I had to get out of a toxic situation. So, last January, I went to Mexico for almost a month. A privilege, for sure. I rested, I wrote, I had a lot of therapy and saw a Shamen, did a lot of mushrooms and shed the chaos I had found myself living in. It changed my life. I made some major decisions.
The upper-middle class wellness equivalent of a MDMA bender in Magaluf.
The upper-middle class wellness equivalent of a MDMA bender in Magaluf.
Arrested adolescent. She thinks mentioning drugs makes her cool. And being thin too.
So.... Are there any actual TV opportunities up for offer? Or is this essentially a long rambling way of saying she's unemployed?
You have the best handle on tatttle btwGizzi Erskine: Although I'm a great chef, I've realised I suck at running restaurants
The cook and broadcaster on why walking away from all her businesses was the best decision she ever made
oh Gizzi
Looks like Love Cafe in Margate closed at the end of last year. I’m assuming that’s who gizzi remortgaged her house for before she ended up leaving it.
Wow, that didn’t last long at all.
This is exactly the word I was going to use - or insufferably arrogant.
She really thinks she’s outstanding and superior in everything she does (except business…and that wasn’t really her fault, guys). I can’t get my head around it.
thanks for posting!
bleeping hell, imagine lacking self awareness to THAT degree. I'm cringing for her.
She's really quite sad isn't she. Her life doesn't seem very happy.
I can't imagine her mental health is great after reading that article - it's all insecurity, delusion (I love the way they even used one of her filtered photos) and really obvious defense mechanisms disguised as empowerment or something. And I honestly think she doesn't even see how bad it makes her look.
She needs some better people in her life and a break from the public eye. It is doing her zero favours.
I can't imagine her mental health is great after reading that article - it's all insecurity, delusion (I love the way they even used one of her filtered photos) and really obvious defense mechanisms disguised as empowerment or something. And I honestly think she doesn't even see how bad it makes her look.
She needs some better people in her life and a break from the public eye. It is doing her zero favours.
I’m surprised she didn’t mention ADHD in that article 
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