Sandwich man’s second bite
If entrepreneurship is the new rock’n’roll, then Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe could well be considered the Lennon and McCartney of the whole phenomenon.
The partners who created Pret A Manger 20 years ago have now embarked on solo careers and like so many rock stars face the prospect of difficult-second-album syndrome with their new ventures.
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Mr Metcalfe, does not wish to talk about his eight-year-old sushi chain Itsu: “The higher the monkey climbs the tree, the more you see of its arse,” he says.
But Mr Beecham, who says “I have got my feet firmly on the ground”, is more forthcoming, primarily because his new business, The Hoxton Hotel, on the fringe of the City, opened its doors earlier this month.
He is full of praise for his first business partner. “Jul-ian is absolutely brilliant. In some senses I wish I had some of his skills in this hotel,” he says.
Both men retain a majority stake in Pret, but Mr Beecham says a second business collaboration is unlikely.
“I think it would be a challenge for both of us [to work together on a new project]. He is doing Itsu and I am trying this, but we are still very involved in Pret. We need a bit of freedom.”
Colleagues of Mr Beecham describe him as inclusive. Gordon Miller, the former owner of Superbreaks and Crystal Holidays, who is an investor in the Hoxton venture, says: “He probably could have funded the hotel by himself, but he actively wanted outside investors.”
Mr Beecham is dogged in his pursuit of ideas, Mr Miller adds, but he does not like confrontation. “Things take a bit longer to get to with Sinclair. Sometimes it would be good to have a big row.”
Launching a second enterprise is just as nerve-racking as the first time, Mr Beecham admits. “I was clearly greener when I opened Pret than I am today. But that feeling of nervousness is still there because the proof of the pudding is whether customers like you and you don’t know until you open your doors to sell.”
His second venture is entering a more crowded market than Pret did 20 years ago. “That first time round was more radical than this time round. Today I am opening a hotel in a market that is full of hotels.”
The aim of the Hoxton
