Sleep
I notice the seasons more as I get older. I get a bit low in winter and cope by going to bed at 9pm, putting my iPhone on Do Not Disturb, and setting an alarm for 6am. My first alarm is a gentle birdsong and, 15 minutes later, Hyperballad by Björk comes on. I’ve got an enviable ability to fall asleep at the flick of a switch. Occasionally, I’ll have an anxiety dream where I’m running a restaurant; it’s been 20 years since I worked as a chef and I still wake up in a cold sweat.
Eat
I need five or six coffees in the morning. My working day is surrounded by food, so I skip breakfast. If I’m in London, I’ll have a lunch meeting at one of my own restaurants – it’s a good way to check on consistency and service – then, in the afternoon, I might have six to 20 dishes to taste. Sometimes when I get home at 7.30pm, I’m not able to eat again; I sit with my wife and daughters, Martha, 12, and Mabel, 11, while they’re having supper, and drink tea.
Work
I pop into our Soho office twice a week and get a report from each restaurant every morning. I think it’s very important not to micro-manage staff; timekeeping is also a bugbear. I’ve never had a PA, just the calendar on my computer; as long as I can do everything on there myself, it’s manageable.
Family
From 3.30pm on Friday, it’s all about family. One of our favourite things is cooking baked potatoes on a Saturday night. We’ll have tinned tuna, sweetcorn and mayonnaise on one half and baked beans on the other. If I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll make a fancy coleslaw.
Fun
I’m a bit of a geek. I treated myself to a camera recently, and spent five months reading reviews before I decided on a Fuji X100F. I enjoy long dog walks in Blackheath. My wife and I often go to the theatre and dine in the West End; Stevie Parle’s new pasta place, Pastaio, is fantastic. I’m the nicest person in the world to waiters, because I’ve been one myself. My wife makes me sit facing the wall, so I’m not tempted to see to customers. It’s very difficult to switch off, even in someone else’s restaurant.
- Venice: Four Seasons Of Home Cooking, by Russell Norman, is published by Fig Tree (£26).