Edinburgh celebrity chef reveals how he deals with 'difficult customers'
An Edinburgh celebrity chef who has served members of the royal family has revealed how he deals with "difficult customers" after years in the restaurant industry.
Tom Kitchin runs The Kitchen, a Michelin-starred eatery in Leith, serving gourmet British cuisine inspired by French cooking techniques.
The celebrity chef also operates The Scran & Scallie in Edinburgh and Bonnie Badger in Gullane. Another eatery, Kora, previously on Bruntsfield Place, closed earlier this year. Tom has even launched a frozen food line available in Home Bargains.
He and his wife Michaela run the restaurants and Tom recently shared what makes the Kitchin so successful.
In a video posted to his Instagram, Tom shared tips and tricks on running his Edinburgh culinary empire, including details on some of the celebrities that have passed through the doors. He also opened up on how to deal with "difficult" customers.
Tom shared a memorable moment from when he and Michaela first launched The Kitchen. He said: "The one thing I always remember is that first time Michaela took the phone and she said 'I'm very sorry, we're full. Would you like to be put on the waiting list?' That was a big moment."
When asked his favourite person that had been in the restaurant, Tom said: "We've had royals, we've had movie stars, we've had David Beckham, all sorts of people. But really I'm a football man and when Kenny Dalglish offered to pull the first pint in our pub, that for me was really the best."
Tom also revealed how he and Mikaela deal with more unruly diners. He said: "How did we deal with difficult customers when we first started? That was really difficult for me. Fortunately, I had Mikaela with me who is very good at dealing with difficult customers and she'd go out and fix it for me.
The Kitchin, located at 78 Commercial Quay in Leith, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm–2:30pm and 6pm–10pm. You can find more information about the restaurant here.
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