How was going up like for you?
Growing up was fun. I attended the Children’s Home School, Ibadan, Molusi College, Ijebu Igbo and the University of Ibadan, where I studied Mass Communications. After which I travelled out and studied Music at the Westminster University. I lived a very good life here before travelling abroad and my childhood and youthful days were really awesome.
How long have you been into the restaurant business?
I started running the restaurant business in London in 1993. But prior to that, I had worked for Vice David Lilly, son to Princess Margaret. So, I worked with him for 12 years, before I started my own restaurant.
How was the experience, having started on such a big platform?
I started as a washing up, that is a kitchen portal and all I did was wash plates and clean. Within six months, I was promoted to a commis chef in May 1989, and my roles then were to make salads and serve fries.
Within the same year, I became a grill chef; I handled anything meat and anything that has to do with grilling. And by 1995, I became a shift leader, I was in charge of the shifts and I was also the leader of the chefs there. By 1997, I became Chef de Partie, after which I became the second chef and later the overall manager of the company.
It was really surprising, because I became a manager, even over the managers I met there as a kitchen portal. So, I was the overall manger from 1999 until 2001, when they closed down, and then I started running my own business.
How did you cope, managing the Beals Restaurant and Dinner for years?
We had five branches, one at Sheffield, Westminster, Nothing Hill, Hammersmith and Camberwell and as the overall manager of all the branches, I cooked the same meal for the five restaurants, which they would then mobile to other branches, because the food had to have the same flavour.
It is odd that a man would be so keen about food business, where lies the passion?
I believe that no matter what you do, if you have the passion for it, you will make your mark.
I’ve always been the type that loves taking care of people and seeing people happy around me. So, that influenced the decision to take up a career in it.
Although, before I travelled out of the country, I didn’t really know how to cook, I had to learn when I travelled abroad. I was born rich, I was raised in a well to do family, but there is something over there that teaches you about survival, so I had to choose a path.
You were the second runner up at the Olympia Cooking Competition, how did you achieve that?
I entered for the Olympia cooking competition in 1997 at Elscott. I represented the Beals Restaurant and Dinner then and we were a total of 3,070 chefs.
The competition lasted for three weeks and people were gradually eliminated before the final seven emerged and I came third. But till date, I still feel I was third because I was a black man, I should have been the first.
I can cook anything, be it Chinese, Nigerian, Italian, Japanese or French dishes. I just love being in the kitchen.
You own a restaurant in America, what influenced the move?
From London, I went to America to open a restaurant, because I wanted people there to have a feel of what I could do. Then, also in 2004, I was called by a global restaurant, Hard Rock Cafe, to come and help there for a year. So, I worked at Green Park.
How do you develop your cooking skills?
It is quite different abroad, when you are working, you will be sent to courses to improve on yourself. You could learn more on food alert, hygiene, fire brigade and anything pertaining to the kitchen.
So, I was sent to Westminster College to study every year. And every examination I did, I passed, until I got to MVQ4, which is like having a bachelors’ degree in Nigeria.
Also, I used my opportunity as a manager to employ Nigerians and Africans generally at the branches we had, as well as people from other countries, so as to learn from them.
You just opened a restaurant here in Nigeria, how would you compare the business here and abroad and didn’t you think of any other line of business?
Yes, I was advised to go into a lot of things, especially politics. I was even approached by a lot of prominent politicians, especially within Oyo State, but I love having people around me and I couldn’t go into something that I would do and have to start running away from my friends.
So, I decided to go with something I was really comfortable with and that was why I started the restaurant business in December.
The logic is, before you start a food business, you have to look at the surroundings first; it is just like being a standup comedian, you can’t make European jokes in Nigeria, people won’t laugh. So, I studied the vicinity and decided on what to start with.
What is your favourite dish?
I love beans and plantain. It is my favourite food.
What dish do you like experimenting with most?
I love Chinese food, it is the best. It is the most comfortable that you can make money with; you can become a millionaire cooking Chinese dishes. Nothing goes to waste in their ingredients, everything is useful.
So, now that you are back at home, how do you manage the ones abroad?
My first son, by the same name Timi Jogunosimi runs one, while my friend that we opened together runs another. My other son is running another, and they all pay me on a monthly basis.
You also have a passion for music…
Yes, many DJs in Ibadan can testify to that. From Uncle Yanju Adegbite, Kunle Job, Dele Adelegan, Sam Jones and others, they knew me to be a lover of music.
I had a lot of records as a youth. I love music so much that during my university days, I was called Dean, Faculty of Music and in London, they call me Mr Music.
And even while I was abroad, I played for BBC4 and Surprise Fm. I started playing on the radio in 1975 in Nigeria. And I remember the first record played on the station that day was Max Romeo’s One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward.
I love music so much that when I got divorced, the only thing I took out of the house was my sound system. I took all my CDs, I didn’t leave one behind. I love every genre of music, dadakuada, apala, hip hob, rnb, reggae. Any kind of music.
Your mother is the Iyaloja of Oyo State, how was growing up under her tutelage?
My mother ensured that we all learnt how to trade, so I was more or less raised as an Agbeni boy. I can relate with any type of person, because my mother taught me how to relate with everyone, so it was really preparatory.
How do you intend to make your business work here in Nigeria?
I want to use my business here as an avenue to train people. Hard Rock Cafe is the best in the world, yet I trained people there, in London, West Germany and Greece, so I just want to do same in my country.
People don’t have to pay for it, once they come to work for me, then I’d relay my knowledge to them. I will train people to the best.
How do you relax?
I love being with people and listening to music.
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