I learned hospitality by having to make it work.

My family arrived from China with the same things many immigrant families bring: a strong work ethic, a respect for food and a belief that looking after people matters. Hospitality became more than a job. It became the way I learned to build trust.

In Edinburgh’s Haymarket, I helped build Chop Chop into a busy, recognised restaurant. I learned front-of-house leadership at pace: how to read a room, keep a team steady, protect the guest experience and make the right call when the plan changes mid-service.

That work led to the Gordon Ramsay The F Word experience and recognition as Best Chinese Restaurant in Scotland. It was a proud moment, but the day-to-day work behind it mattered more: clear standards, good people, disciplined buying and food with a point of view.

The post-COVID landscape made the pressure on independent restaurants even clearer: rising costs, staffing challenges, changing guest habits and less room for a bad month. It also reinforced something I already believed — owners do not need more noise. They need a calm, experienced view of what is actually happening.

That is why this is an independent restaurant consultancy rather than a corporate programme. I work alongside owners, in plain language, with recommendations that respect the character of the business and can survive a real service.