David Parkin on a journey of discovery, Stuart Rose and a taste of Brazil

AREN’T men thoughtless, hairy beasts?
Ladies, don’t worry, I’m not on the turn.
It is just that I hosted a table at the Lords Taverners’ Balloon Debate last week and, even 24 hours after the event, didn’t get a thank you from any of the guests.
Admittedly most have since dropped me a line to say they enjoyed the evening, but I realised after my initial annoyance, what a hypocrite I am.
How many events have I been to where I have failed to thank the host? 
Tons.
Should I go about trying to salve my conscience by embarking on a “journey” to thank every host I have had at every event over the last seven years since we set up TheBusinessDesk.com?
I suspect it may turn into an urban safari that highlights rivers of wine consumed and the fact that I will go to the opening of an envelope.
Regular readers may remember I won the first annual Taverner’s Balloon Debate event in May last year, triumphing over TV presenter Harry Gration, sports commentator John Helm and comedy actor Gordon Kennedy.
Not being someone who wins a lot, I was pretty proud of my achievement. Or as one of my guests, Andy Needham, of Approved Foods, stated with a little too much relish: “If there is somebody you haven’t told about winning in the last 18 months then I’d like to meet them.”
Another example of why men can be awful beasts.
This year’s event was again held at Leeds venue Aspire (where they almost demand proof of payment before they will make the effort to bring two bottles of beer to your table, leaving the table host annoyed and frustrated and the guests embarrassed and wondering if your credit is so poor it can’t stretch to a couple of drinks) and featured speakers including Emmerdale actor Chris Chittell, former Yorkshire cricketer Anthony McGrath, TV presenter and comedian Nick Hancock and a former Eastenders actor turned television producer whose name I can’t remember.
The premise of the event is that the four speakers are in a balloon that is losing height and they each speak about their sporting hero for six minutes before the audience votes and the one with the least votes gets chucked out of the balloon basket.
The remaining three then speak for another four minutes each on their chosen sporting personality and the final pair then have just two minutes to make their case to the audience before a winner is declared on the final vote.
The guy from Eastenders gave a decent speech about Kevin Keegan, Anthony McGrath chose his former Yorkshire team mate, Australian Darren Lehman and Nick Hancock’s subject was Roy Race, Roy of the Rovers, who he had chosen and won with at a similar event at Lord’s.
And Chris Chittell? I have no idea who he spoke about. He managed to ramble through six minutes without mentioning his chosen sports personality and was ejected on the first vote.
As one of the Taverners committee said to me later when I asked whether they knew who he was speaking about: “No, but to be fair, I don’t think he did either.”
When I met Taverners’ chairman Simon Chappell at York Races in the summer, he introduced me to Anthony McGrath, or Mags as he is known.
He told me the ex-cricketer was taking part in the upcoming Balloon Debate and asked me as a former winner (did I mention I won last year’s event?) if I could pass on any tips.
I just told him to pick an entertaining character and to be as funny as possible – the aim is not to justify who your sporting hero is, just keep the audience happy.
Lehman proved a worthy subject, a larger than life figure who we will see back on English shores next summer when, as Australia coach, he brings the Ashes’ holders over here to defend their trophy.
McGrath triumphed against Hancock after the final two minutes, which was impressive, given that if you pick a fictional character like Roy of the Rovers you can make up any story you like about them.
:::
YET another new restaurant opened in Leeds this week. The number of bars and eating places springing up around the city is incredible and while it points to a thriving economy and buzzing city you can’t help but feel many, particularly the smaller ventures, may struggle.
This latest venue is called Cabana and is a Brazilian restaurant which sits on the first floor of the Trinity shopping centre between the main shopping area and Trinity Kitchen.
Owners Jamie Barber and Brazilian-born David Ponté (he’s the poshest bloke from Brazil I’ve ever met) have six restaurants in London in venues like the O2 arena, the two Westfield shopping centres and in Covent Garden.
They were on hand for a chat at the launch of their first restaurant outside the capital and it struck me that they have the right concept combined with a welcome humility to mean Cabana is likely to be a success in Leeds.
Too many behind successful London venues feel that just replicating them in provincial cities will equal instant success, but it isn’t that simple.
Cabana was inspired by trips to Brazil and David’s childhood memories. On the walls are posters produced by a group of old guys in a shed in Rio and the chain works closely with Brazilian communities and charities such as Recicla Jeans, a favela project in Paraisopolis, which makes the fabric for Cabana’s seats from recycled denim.
The food isn’t the usual huge cuts of meat but a mixture of barbecued chicken and street food snacks and the staff are chatty and smiley, a pleasant change from some of the morose, trendy types employed elsewhere.
:::
STUART Rose was in Yorkshire again this week. The former Marks & Sparks boss was speaking at the York Business Conference.
Held at the City Screen cinema by the river, the start was delayed because of a power cut along the whole street.
As people were evacuated outside a nearby building, I commented that they were either part of the biggest fag break in history or their building had the same problems.
But the redoubtable Charles Storr from York Council got the show back on the road and put on an engaging and very successful event.
How many business events have you been to where the delegates actually stay for the entire morning and then for the networking lunch too?
Lord Rose, now a Tory peer, is a respected retailing veteran who is a former pupil at St Peter’s School in York and is now chairman of Ocado and Fat Face.
He’s a man who made it his mission to learn from everyone he ever worked with.
And he’s worked with some of the best, reminiscing about Simon Marks and Marcus Sieff from M&S and former Burton boss Ralph Halpern.
“He was known as five times a night Ralph,” remembered Rose, referring to the revelations of a young lady in a tabloid newspaper.
“He was the first businessman in Britain to earn £1m a year. He was a very good, instinctive retailer,” said his former colleague.
Rose is a source of wisdom and common sense and even paid a visit to the York Cocoa House after the conference to chat to owner Sophie Jewett, an enthusiastic entrepreneur who also has a social conscience which she puts into practice in her Blake Street business which is well worth a visit.
Have a great weekend.

Close