I would like to introduce you to a seriously smart cookie called Nick Lander. But then you could guess he's smart because he writes for the very brainy Financial Times. Nick's column is all about restaurants, and last weekend he wrote a cracking piece about the newly refurbished Southbank Centre and the myriad wonderful eating opportunities there. It re-opens this weekend in a blaze of glory. About three paragraphs in to the piece you'll see him declare his interest as the paid consultant responsible for bringing all those great food operations to the arts complex.
Nick, who quite reasonably likes to remind people that he actually ran a restaurant back in the 1980s (forgive me; I can't recall which one), could have kept quiet about all of this. But why should he? Firstly, he clearly thinks he's done a terrific job. And secondly, at some point the Southbank Centre will have to decide whether to renew his contract as a consultant. And surely 1000 words in the FT about how great his client is doing is going to help with that. This really does strike me as a very clever way to make the poorly rewarded business of restaurant writing work for you.
He also likes to spread the love around. Further down the piece you'll see him mention that one of the new catering companies at the Southbank Centre - Company of Cooks - is also the food supplier at Kenwood House and the Roundhouse. What he doesn't mention - and why should he? - is that he was also the consultant to the Roundhouse that helped give Company of Cooks the gig. Of course, there's no point doing this sort of stuff only once. So here he is from about six years ago, on the success of another restaurant that he helped introduce to the Southbank, the People's Palace. And again, a few years later, with a nod for wagamama at the Southbank.
What's so fantastic about this is that he is smart enough to do it in such a way that he does not fall foul of the FT's notoriously pious Code of Conduct. According to them as long as he declares his interests, which he always does, it's just fine. The fact that he does wonders for his own reputation as a consultant, and surely therefore attracts to himself more clients, is irrelevant. Which is surely just as it should be.
There is also one other element which is seriously impressive. Naturally he is able to use his access as the FT's columnist to find really good caterers, worthy of coverage in the paper. As a result he also happens to be thoroughly informed about companies which he can later place into new contracts. For example in this piece and this one, he briefly mentions an obscure (to me anyway) Austrian catering company called DO&Co. A few years later he helped install them as the caterers at the British Museum. I know all about this because a few months back he emailed me to see if I would write something about them. (Sadly I couldn't oblige.) He really is a cracking consultant: not only does he find good businesses, and promote them in the FT, he also works as a PR man flogging stories to other newspapers.
I have no idea whether the FT pays for his air travel to find these sorts of people, all of whom are very good at what they do, but I'm sure it's not an issue for him. You see, Nick's also a consultant to the British Airways Culinary Council, which usually rewards the chosen with a five figure sum's worth of air travel every travel. I for one am lost in admiration.
