Working together; Trevors and the hospitality sector

Trevor’s trip to North Euston, Fleetwood

On Thursday the 12^{th of} December, the marketing team had the pleasure of visiting Joel Guy and his junior sous chef Leon Gomm at Joels at The Bay, located in the historic North Euston Hotel, Fleetwood. Known for its high-quality, premium menu, the restaurant offers a top-notch dining experience that blends fresh, local ingredients with culinary expertise. We attended to capture some behind the scenes content and do an in-depth interview with the head chef, Joel Guy, about his passion for cooking, his journey in the industry and his thoughts on the current position of the hospitality sector.

Joels Early Life

When Joel was a teenager, his career began when he started working front of house in a local Italian restaurant, Pulcinella’s in Cleveleys. At the time, Joel had a strong interest in the famous renowned chef, Jamie Oliver, which sparked his growing interest in cooking. While working at Pulcinella’s, Joel started staying behind after his shift asking more questions about the kitchen and the dishes being prepared. Once the chefs saw how dedicated Joel was to build a career in catering, they started giving him more responsibility. After the commis chefs left and a job opening became available, Joel moved to the back of house and started working in the kitchen. He spent a year there, gaining essential hands-on experience and really kicking off his career before heading to university in Leeds.

Joels Career

After completing his degree in Film, Joel stuck on the catering pathway and started working in Leeds alongside another chef who had cooked all over the world in various places, including a Michelin star restaurant in London. This chef, having built an impressive career, began working in a bar to relax after a hectic life. It was in that bar that Joel met him, an encounter Joel describes as “winning the lottery.” The two worked closely together for four years, during which Joel learned crucial skills and techniques that helped shape him into the chef he is today. 

Once returning home to Blackpool, Joel took a leap and opened his own restaurant above the Glasshouse in Cleveleys, formerly known as “Joels Restaurant”. The restaurant operated for over 7 years and became well known in the area with a regular client base for its delicious food (particularly the Sunday dinners), inviting atmosphere and welcoming, friendly service. 

Challenges in this hospitality industry

Despite successfully navigating the challenges of COVID by adapting with takeaway options and reopening when things started to return to normal, the restaurant continued to face mounting pressures. The impact of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis squeezed margins to the point where the business was no longer sustainable. Unfortunately, this resulted in Joel making the decision to close early 2024. The restaurants closure led Joel to his current role as head chef at North Euston, where he has replicated his old menu and offered the famous Sunday dinners, which has boosted the client base at the hotel. Joel is enjoying his new role, having the freedom to really excel in his love for cooking without the added pressures of running the business during such unpredictable times.

This led onto a conversation with Joel about challenges in the hospitality sector. We discussed how the current economic climate has put immense pressure on hospitality, and restaurants are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain profitability while balancing rising costs for ingredients, energy, and staff.

“Hospitality businesses now face the challenge of an increase of 55.2% in operating costs”

Joel shared how working alongside his sous chef, Leon, and a talented team of specialists in their own areas has really allowed him to focus on creating irresistible dishes and providing exceptional service to both hotel guests and local residents. Trevor’s had the chance to sample some of the food, including a perfectly cooked fillet steak drenched in butter, tender pork belly, and a rich, creamy wild mushroom ciabatta. We were absolutely blown away by the quality and flavours of everything we tasted. It was so good, in fact, that we’re already planning to book a table and experience it all again for ourselves!

Speaking with Joel, it was clear that his passion for cooking is at the heart of what makes his dishes so delicious. He emphasised that great food starts long before anything hits the pan, it’s all about caring for the produce from the very beginning. Joel brings this mindset into every part of his cooking, whether it’s with the meat, purees, or gravies. That attention to detail and love for the journey really shone through. 

Working with Trevors

Joel shared that working with Trevor’s has been fantastic. He spoke about the great prices, which allows North Euston to stock a wide range of products. He also mentioned how Trevor’s always goes “above and beyond” if something’s missing from another supplier, they’ll drop it off the same day. Joel praised the friendly, approachable staff and said it’s always a pleasure to chat with them. He also commended the team for visiting that day, expressing his enjoyment to get to know the team on a more personal level.

Here at Trevor’s, we understand the challenges that the hospitality industry faces. We are committed to keeping our prices as low as possible, listing new products that align with food trends and regular deliveries to avoid outsourcing more expensive products. If you are interested in becoming a customer with us, enquire today. Together, we can navigate these tough times and help your business thrive.