Good afternoon, everyone.
At the moment that I’m hitting send on this newsletter, it’s the exact same temperature in New York City as it is in London — a cool 14°C (58°F) ⛅. Readers in London (and beyond) are in for a treat today.
Feed Me’s across-the-pond correspondent, Montague Ashley-Craig, reported on the following: A pink-painted lesbian pub in Camberwell, the most famous restaurant server in London (who has landed gigs with fashion brands since going viral), Hannah Crosbie launched a podcast, a Conner Ives archive sale, Dishoom’s Diwali menu, a historic Miami hotel comes to town, Chicken Shop Date goes to the big screen, a Brooklyn bar is taking over Ellie’s, E Pellicci is heading to Selfridges, and charli xcx is selling her clothes on Vinted.
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A world exclusive interview with Piers Quinn. By MRAC.
Over the summer, west London-based waiter Piers Quinn went triple platinum in London’s food and drink circles by posting short form videos on his Instagram about working front-of-house at an unnamed restaurant in Notting Hill. We’ve had plenty of back-of-house kitchen bros doing their best Carmy from “The Bear” online, but Quinn was making front-of-house the main character. Introducing himself as a “head waiter at a local bistro,” he posted cinematic shorts of working shifts and polishing glasses — but no one could really tell if he was real or not.
Hannah Crosbie had been wondering about him in The Observer, and he’d even been meme’d by AllSyrupSuperSquishie, a niche international hospitality meme account. Between his posh delivery and his earnestness about doing the job, I had hoped it was a really intricate comedy. But it was impossible to say. I kept asking myself: Was he doing a bit?
When I called him up this week, Quinn was warm, laughed at my question, and told me this was his first interview. He currently works in a London restaurant and hosts supper clubs (for six people every Friday at a Notting Hill cafe) that will run until December. We talked about his time in fashion, making waiting tables look glamorous, and the pleasure of having dinner with strangers.
MRAC: How did you get into hospitality?
Piers Quinn: I worked in fashion before, which had been a dream of mine. I started a cowboy-boot line, but I was naïve and didn’t really know how to launch it. I put my life savings into it and it failed. I was working in bars to support myself and found I really liked hospitality. That was six or seven years ago. I worked my way around London restaurants and enjoyed it.
MRAC: Your videos make front of house the main character. What made you start filming, and who did you imagine would watch?
PQ: There was no strategy or plan. I think waiting is the most incredible job — wages aside. It’s so much fun. I thought that if I could make it look more glamorous, I could bring a bit of honour to the job. I hoped other waiters would watch.
I also wanted to do something for myself, rather than just clocking hours for somebody else’s project. We’re only on the planet for a short time.
MRAC: I’ll admit, when I first came across your videos I wasn’t entirely sure whether they were earnest or a very good bit. Do you enjoy keeping people guessing?
PQ: [Laughs] No, I’m not doing a bit! It’s all from the heart. Maybe the videos are drier than I realise and that goes over people’s heads. I’ve done my time on those floors. I don’t really think about it when I post. If people get it, they get it. If they don’t, they keep guessing. I’m sure that works in my favour.