Meet Brodie Meah, co-founder of Top Cuvée
Brodie Meah started collecting glasses in nightclubs in Manchester to fund his TV & Film Production degree, soon he was hooked on hospitality. Gradually moving up the ranks to running some of the city's best bars and restaurants before moving to Melbourne to work in fine dining with The Fat Duck Group. Returning to the UK to start his first restaurant - Top Cuvée in Highbury, London.
What inspired you to launch your business and what is the end goal?
Seeing the dining scene in Melbourne flourishing in the outskirts with some truly world class neighbourhood restaurants, I wanted to do the same in London.
How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?
With a background in fine dining, we maintain an extremely high level of attention to detail behind the scenes but we don't let this affect the guest experience as can often be the case, we keep it fun and relaxed in the dining room.
Keeping an eye on the numbers in any business is important. How do you ensure that you’re always up to date?
We use Xero's reporting function for a daily/weekly check up on what's going in and out.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?
Be ready to adapt and make decisions quickly, generally your gut instinct is right and if it's not, you'll always work it out from there.
With all the success stories around entrepreneurship and how innovative people have to be to take the leap. How do you think you’ve innovated your sector and why?
Our pivot into online retail has been industry leading in the UK. We started from day 0 and wrote the book on how to succeed as a food business unable to trade as normal in the UK.
What are your thoughts on failure?
Small failures are fine as long as you learn from them. Make sure to plan and prepare to avoid any big/avoidable failures.
Do you have a morning routine or ritual to get your day started on the right foot?
Instagram/Coffee/Emails/Accounts/Cycle to work - I try to do as much admin at home in the mornings so I can focus on more creative things when I'm at the shop.
What are your top tips for entrepreneurs wanting to get their business out there?
There's never been an easier time to get out there - you don't need traditional PR budgets etc, just put yourself out there - use your business as a platform/mouthpiece for your visions.
What plans do you have for Top Cuvée over the next two years?
Expand to multiple retail sites in neighbourhoods around London while growing our reach in the UK for national deliveries, cementing ourselves as the number one online retailer for natural wine. Improve the profitability of our restaurant offering where possible and start importing our own products to sell wholesale.
How important is company culture and what is your top tip to get it right?
Our culture is important but defined by the people around us - it's always changing. We like to put a lot of work into systems and procedures so we can focus on having fun and passing that onto our customer. We're not bogged down thinking about what we need to do - our routine tasks are subconscious so we just focus on the extras.
Any new product launches we should know about?
We deliver direct to your location in four local parks - cold beers and the world’s best wines dropped right to your feet!
What’s the single most important decision that you made, that contributed to your business?
Switching to a retail model at the start of lockdown.
How did you fund the launch of your business and what creative strategies did you use to execute a minimal cash flow?
We did all building work ourselves and didn't take on any debt. Getting by with what little equipment we had etc, writing our menus around that and adding to it as the business grew. Also minimal staffing.
How did you conquer those moments of doubt that so often affect entrepreneurs or stop many with great ideas – what pushes you through?
Time generally, there's no escape so just work on it, keep pushing on even when you don't want to - then something good happens and you forget all the bad.
How do you believe the evolution of tech will affect your industry over the next 10 years?
Sadly big delivery platforms are trying to monopolize the restaurant industry but we're a resourceful bunch, so I think there will be an independent backlash to that – of which we are at the forefront. More high end delivery options built around existing tech. Potentially high street and other now defunct retail locations turning into fulfilment / pickup points for businesses operate in a hybrid manner online/offline. Our mantra is "Shop Local, Online" - customers don't want to be wholly reliant on Amazon etc, but the ease of use is a no-brainer for them - so services like ours that outperform Amazon on quality and also match their convenience will be key.
What would be your top marketing tip, to grow a business that is so niche, yet incredibly timeless?
Keep it personal and tell your story. It's what separates us from faceless corp.
Were you nervous at the outset?
I think if there was time, I would have been, but opening a restaurant is so time consuming there's no time to feel nervous, and once the doors are open you need to be on your A-game with guests.
Any moments where you thought you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?
A couple of weeks in our first summer, which is notoriously quiet for restaurants, were a worry but we used that time to plan projects to ensure we would be super busy after that period. It was very successful and taught us to constantly be pro-active.
What do you think gives a brand longevity?
Moving with the times whilst remaining consistent to what made you relevant in the first place.
