Rococo - Overpriced and Pretentious - Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

Four Years Ago Nick Was Flying High: Running a Successful Restaurant at The Crown Hotel in Wales

Nick's restaurant was flying high, running a successful business that turned over a quarter of a million pounds a year. He had also received six out of ten stars in the Good Food Guide and two AA rosettes. In 2001, 2002, and 2003, he received three years of excellent reviews. However, everything changed in 2004 when Nick crashed and burned after his backers parted ways with him. The experience was emotionally draining for Nick, especially since they just found out that Susanna was pregnant.

Bankruptcy and Trying to Get Back on His Feet

Nick's business went bankrupt, leaving him with a difficult time finding a way to get back on his feet. He tried various methods to revive his restaurant but had little success. Eventually, Nick opened Roco in an attempt to get back on track, but the restaurant struggled to attract customers.

Locals' Perception of Roco

Nick's new restaurant, Roco, was met with skepticism from the locals. The locals questioned the high prices and thought that it would be difficult for a small town like King's Lynn to support such an expensive restaurant. One local, who asked not to be named, said that they had heard about Roco but were unsure if it was worth visiting.

The Local's Reputation of Roco

The local described the reputation of Roco as "expensive" and mentioned that customers would think twice before visiting due to its high prices. They also thought that a restaurant like Roco should be smaller, given its size compared to other establishments in the town.

Roco's Menu: A Reflection of Its Reputation

Despite being packed with the best ingredients, Roco struggled to attract customers. The local explained that Nick had the most extraordinary ingredients, but if he didn't sell them, he would eat them. This statement reflected the restaurant's reputation as expensive and its reliance on high-quality ingredients.

The Local's Experience: A Dead Dinner Service

One evening, a local visited Roco and reported having a dead dinner service with no customers in sight. The experience was extraordinary for the local, who had never seen anything like it before. They were curious about how Nick would stimulate his creativity to come up with new ideas.

The Local's Favorite Ingredients: A Glimpse into Nick's Fridge

The local took the opportunity to ask Nick's head chef, Tim, about his favorite ingredients. The local was surprised to find that Nick had an impressive selection of high-quality meats and fish in his fridge. They also found out that the fish trimming and scallops were available for fish soup.

Nick's Fridge: A Reflection of His Ingredients

The local described Nick's fridges as "packed with the best ingredients." However, if he didn't sell them, Nick would eat them himself. The statement reflected the restaurant's reputation as expensive and its reliance on high-quality ingredients.

Why Nick Doesn't Buy Cheaper Produce

The local mentioned that Roco struggles to get fresh produce due to being 20 miles away from the fish fleet. This made it difficult for Nick to source cheaper produce, such as shrimp. The local expressed sympathy towards Nick's situation and suggested that he might be able to find more affordable alternatives.

Nick's Experience: A Feeling of Boredom

The local asked Tim about how Nick would stimulate his creativity to come up with new ideas. The experience was "absolutely dreadful" for the local, who felt a sense of boredom after talking to Tim. However, they mentioned that sometimes watching Ready Steady Cook helped them pick up some interesting ideas.

Nick's Experience: Finding Inspiration on Ready Steady Cook

The local explained that they were surprised to find that Nick had become excited and stimulated after watching Ready Steady Cook. The show was a program where contestants competed against each other, showcasing their culinary skills. However, the local thought it was "dreadful" for Nick to become so enthusiastic.

Taking a Tour of Roco's Fridge

The local asked Tim about his favorite ingredients in the fridge, which led to an extensive tour of Nick's kitchen and storage area. The local described the experience as amazing, with an abundance of high-quality meats and fish available. They were impressed by Nick's dedication to using only the best ingredients.

Nick's Approach to Food: Taking Risks

The local reflected on their conversation with Tim, describing how Nick had a tendency to take risks when it came to his food. He emphasized that this could be both good and bad for the restaurant. The local suggested that if Nick didn't sell his high-quality ingredients, he would eat them himself.

Conclusion: Roco's Struggles Continue

Roco continues to struggle to attract customers due to its reputation as expensive. Despite having an impressive selection of high-quality ingredients, the restaurant struggles to find its footing in the market. The locals' perception of Roco is that it has gone too far and needs a more balanced approach. Nick's dedication to using only the best ingredients has both helped and hindered his restaurant's success.

The local expressed their sympathy towards Nick's situation and suggested that he might be able to find more affordable alternatives for sourcing produce. However, they also acknowledged the challenges of running a high-end restaurant like Roco. As the locals continue to question the viability of Roco, it remains to be seen whether the restaurant will eventually find its place in King's Lynn.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enfour years ago Nick was flying high running a successful restaurant at the crown hotel in Wales I had a business turning over a quar of a million pounds a year got to six out of 10 in the good food guide two AA rosettes and a m star in 2001 uh 2002 2003 three years but in 2004 Nick crashed and burned when he and his backers parted company he's never got over it it was a very tough time leaving Wales and um obviously very emotionally draining we just found out Susanna was pregnant uh obviously I then had best part of a year on the do um bankruptcy and trying obviously to to find some way of getting back Nick opened Roco hoping to get back on his feet but with no one coming in to eat there he's now Heming money this morning I want to know what the locals have got against roko hello how are you both have you been the Ros no I haven't no have you heard about Ros heard about what's the reputation in Kings Lin at the moment it's quite expensive isn't it and when you look at it you think how you going to get value for money I think probably two pricey two smaller portions I don't know it's kingsling too small for a restaurant like rocos they've hit the nail on the head except for one thing it's not kingsling that's the problem roko has gone way past itself cell by date I mean pretentious food stuffy Serv and ridiculous prices even for London ridiculous prices before I can drag Nick into the real world I want to find out how he runs his kitchen so I've arranged to meet him and his suf Tim sford before tonight's service how are you today I'm very well good to see you too hello hello Chef how are you I'm okay you Gordon Yeah Tim you're the suit obviously the suit chef chef is it the only Chef you ever worked for of this caliber yes what was it like last night dead as a Dodo absolutely no one no one in at all no Fu me that's extraordinary how do you leave the boredom how do you stimulate yourself in terms of coming up with new ideas this sounds absolutely Dreadful but sometimes I do watch Ready Steady cook and I pick up little things on that yeah me I know it's Dreadful you're the first chef I've ever ever met that becoming that's become excited and stimulated on the back of Ready Steady um just take me through your fridges like meat fridge where would that be so I have my my duck my lamb good look at the sausages they sound nice to lose are they actually from too yes they are amazing this is basically fish trimming Scarlet corals for fish soup rice pudding mhm meline mix nice Nick's fridges are packed with the best ingredients but no one's coming to eat it all is he mad you have the most extraordinary ingredients you know that and if you don't sell it you eat it yeah things like you know Meat and Fish so really it's a big Advantage the rest being empty cuz you live like a king amazing no sty food here Tim must be extraordinary it is huh yeah well you look well on it thank you me if Nick's in trouble he could be buying cheaper produce on his doorstep so why isn't he with things like the shrimps in the freezer yeah and you're on the you're on an estry you know 20 miles we we struggle to get them fresh we always used to be a to get them fresh no seriously you mustn't forget I have been doing my homework I've been here I know how many boats are still the fish Fleet the fish I can tell you what they C on Saturday I can tell you what's in the market tomorrow morning trust me okay oh me I get the feeling Nick's having me on he's in cookut everything has to look Immaculate with the best of cheese and the best of sausage and the best of racka lamb he in kingslin yeah not sat in the Harbor of Monaco and every customer hasn't got five grand to blow on a bottle of winefour years ago Nick was flying high running a successful restaurant at the crown hotel in Wales I had a business turning over a quar of a million pounds a year got to six out of 10 in the good food guide two AA rosettes and a m star in 2001 uh 2002 2003 three years but in 2004 Nick crashed and burned when he and his backers parted company he's never got over it it was a very tough time leaving Wales and um obviously very emotionally draining we just found out Susanna was pregnant uh obviously I then had best part of a year on the do um bankruptcy and trying obviously to to find some way of getting back Nick opened Roco hoping to get back on his feet but with no one coming in to eat there he's now Heming money this morning I want to know what the locals have got against roko hello how are you both have you been the Ros no I haven't no have you heard about Ros heard about what's the reputation in Kings Lin at the moment it's quite expensive isn't it and when you look at it you think how you going to get value for money I think probably two pricey two smaller portions I don't know it's kingsling too small for a restaurant like rocos they've hit the nail on the head except for one thing it's not kingsling that's the problem roko has gone way past itself cell by date I mean pretentious food stuffy Serv and ridiculous prices even for London ridiculous prices before I can drag Nick into the real world I want to find out how he runs his kitchen so I've arranged to meet him and his suf Tim sford before tonight's service how are you today I'm very well good to see you too hello hello Chef how are you I'm okay you Gordon Yeah Tim you're the suit obviously the suit chef chef is it the only Chef you ever worked for of this caliber yes what was it like last night dead as a Dodo absolutely no one no one in at all no Fu me that's extraordinary how do you leave the boredom how do you stimulate yourself in terms of coming up with new ideas this sounds absolutely Dreadful but sometimes I do watch Ready Steady cook and I pick up little things on that yeah me I know it's Dreadful you're the first chef I've ever ever met that becoming that's become excited and stimulated on the back of Ready Steady um just take me through your fridges like meat fridge where would that be so I have my my duck my lamb good look at the sausages they sound nice to lose are they actually from too yes they are amazing this is basically fish trimming Scarlet corals for fish soup rice pudding mhm meline mix nice Nick's fridges are packed with the best ingredients but no one's coming to eat it all is he mad you have the most extraordinary ingredients you know that and if you don't sell it you eat it yeah things like you know Meat and Fish so really it's a big Advantage the rest being empty cuz you live like a king amazing no sty food here Tim must be extraordinary it is huh yeah well you look well on it thank you me if Nick's in trouble he could be buying cheaper produce on his doorstep so why isn't he with things like the shrimps in the freezer yeah and you're on the you're on an estry you know 20 miles we we struggle to get them fresh we always used to be a to get them fresh no seriously you mustn't forget I have been doing my homework I've been here I know how many boats are still the fish Fleet the fish I can tell you what they C on Saturday I can tell you what's in the market tomorrow morning trust me okay oh me I get the feeling Nick's having me on he's in cookut everything has to look Immaculate with the best of cheese and the best of sausage and the best of racka lamb he in kingslin yeah not sat in the Harbor of Monaco and every customer hasn't got five grand to blow on a bottle of wine\n"