Cook develops a taste for success around the world

One Bradford-born cook is set to change that, however, after teaming up with celebrity chef John Burton-Race to launch what is being billed as the “world’s first interactive restaurant”.

Jonathon Davies, 32, rose to prominence when he won the television show Britain’s Best Dish in 2010.

Now, he’s hoping to open his first restaurant through a project called The Restaurant Experience, which will see customers choosing everything from the location, to the staff, the decor and the menu.

Mr Davies, 32, said: “There’s 10 locations around the world which we’ve suggested the restaurant could be based in, all in English-speaking countries.

“People can go on the website and choose which restaurant they want to be a member of.

“When we have 10,000 potential members, we give people the opportunity to pay a fee and become a full member of that restaurant.”

Launched earlier this month, The Restaurant Experience is inviting people to register their email addresses if they are interested.

When 10,000 people have registered their interest at any of the 10 locations – London, Manchester, Glasgow, New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Toronto, Auckland, Sydney or Cape Town – they will then be given the opportunity to pay a one-off membership fee of £60 to become members of that restaurant.

That £600,000 will then be used to set up a restaurant in that city, with the 10,000 members all having a tie to the venture.

Before diners even walk through the doors of the new restaurant, Mr Davies said, the experience is “interactive.”

“People can vote on the style of the menu – whether it’s Indian, English, French or Italian, or whatever.

“They can also watch a video blog and vote for which chef they want to be brought in.

“When members come to the restaurant, essentially they’re a VIP. There’s a champagne reception and everyone receives really special treatment.”

As well as creating an “experience” for diners, Mr Davies says the aim of the venture is also to create a new experience for up-and-coming chefs, who will receive top-class training through a dedicated academy.

He said: “People will be brought up through the ranks and given the chance to have placements under the top chefs in the world.

“When they leave us, the chefs will be in the best possible place to go into the worldwide market.

“We’ll have a learning scheme where chefs can get hands-on and get as much experience as possible.”

He added: “When I won Britain’s Best Dish, I wanted to progress into cooking and soon realised that those opportunities weren’t available for me.

“Some opportunities came from winning the show, in that I’m launching my own range of chutneys, but what I really want to be is a well-respected chef and set up my own restaurant.”

Before coming up with the idea for The Restaurant Experience, Mr Davies approached banks to try and get the funding to set up his own restaurant, but couldn’t find a willing lender.

It was then that he began to think of more innovative ways to turn his dream into a reality.

And that then involved calling on Michelin-starred chef John Burton Race, a judge on the Britain’s Best Dish programme that gave Mr Davies his first taste of success.

“I worked on a business plan for 11 months before I pitched it to John”, he said. “There’s been so much work to put into it.”

Mr Burton-Race said of the venture: “This will be one of those amazing challenges where I will be able to help create a total food experience and pass on my knowledge and passion to our apprentices, chefs, front of house team and members.”

To find out more or register interest in membership, visit the website at www.the-restaurant-experience.com