14 - 20 June 2001

Patriotism with passion, pots and pans

The word Rubino is synonymous with good food and a relaxing environment.
Kevin Drake caught up with Julian Sammut, the brains behind the business

Julian, let’s kick off by getting some “up close and personal” details.
Right. I’ve just turned 43 last week. (Congrats) I’m married with four children and live in Haz-
Zebbug. I was brought up in St Julian’s (of Valletta parents) and attended St Edward’s College. Getting my “A” levels wasn’t a problem, albeit I did those privately, on my own steam. Obtaining my maths “O” level, however, was a different story! My parents wanted me to follow in my older brother’s footsteps and become a lawyer. I wasn’t too sure about that, to be honest. I suppose the only thing that really attracted me was the courtroom drama! (smiles) Nevertheless, my lack of propensity for mathematics kind of put paid to that idea.

And after school?
From about the age of 16 onwards I always had summer jobs. One summer some friends of mine and me went to work at the Rokna pizzeria in Paceville. I believe that it was the second pizzeria that opened in Malta. The family that owned the Rokna also had a small guesthouse in Sliema. They must obviously have felt that I was doing a good job at the time so, at the
tender age of 17, I was appointed the guesthouse “joint-manager” of sorts. That position also meant that I was in charge of the restaurant. It was a great time for me, especially since I was being paid an extra pound a night just to sleep there! That was good money then. (Laughs)

So you started off your professional life in the catering business?
Yes. It also meant that my father was finally able to heave a sigh of relief, sensing that I seemed to have a particular penchant for the catering and hospitality business. After my stint at the guesthouse I applied for a scholarship from the Italian embassy, which I managed to get. This was a catering scholarship in Stresa, Italy, in what was probably one of the finest hotel schools in the country. I spent a winter there and then came back to Malta, spending the summer as a trainee at Ta’ Cenc in Gozo. Gozo was great in summer but once October set in, I knew I had to leave. (smiles) At that point in time I felt I was at a careers crossroads. I had two options to cons-ider: Opening my own place or getting out of catering altogether. Seeing as I didn’t have any of the necessary funds required to start my own catering business, I opted for the latter course of action. My uncle offered me a job with the family business and so I joined Alf. Mizzi & Sons, where I stayed on for almost 20 years.

What did you do there?
Various things. First off I was involved with Seiko Watches (extremely popular at the time), managing the department, selling, marketing the brand and so on. I enjoyed that tremendously.

That was quite a departure from what you were doing previously wasn’t it?
At the time I was ready to do anything. I was young, full of enthusiasm and willing to work as hard as was necessary. After some time I was given the responsibility of setting up and running one of the subsidiaries: John G. Cassar. We started off trading in various areas but then focused more specifically on
stationery, toys, school supplies; that sort of thing. On the “build-up” side I think that I was quite successful. I built it up to become possibly one of the foremost companies of its kind. On the administrative side though, I think that I left much to be desired. I’m not a manager. I can barely manage myself, let alone a company like that! (Laughs)

Hold your horses. Can you elaborate on that?
I suppose I lack discipline. I go through positive and negative production cycles – Abundance and dearth if you like. When the group grew from a traditional family business into a modern corporation many things changed. The stakes were raised and the demands became far greater vis-à-vis achievements, targets, budgets, cash flows, and so on. That spelt the end of my time there. I’m terribly allergic to that sort of thing, it makes me feel claustrophobic.

Did it take you 20 years to work that out?
Well, the changes and the “structuring” came about and became much more pronounced in the latter years. I reached a point where I became very depressed, I wasn’t performing well. So, in everybody’s best interests, I decided that it was time to make a break. The only alternative I could think of was catering and this was probably because of my earlier experiences and exposure. For a number of years I could remember going to countless restaurants with my business executive ‘hat’ on and feeling very jealous of the restaurateurs. Deep down I always knew that it was something I really wanted to do.

So you were “in denial” for a long time?
I’ve always enjoyed food and cooking. Now it’s obviously different. You need to look at the work-related aspects rather than think of your enjoyment. I’ve also always believed very strongly in the holistic concept of “hospitality” and felt that in many ways this was sorely lacking here. Running a restaurant successfully requires much more than simply feeding people. The element of genuine hospitality is to the food what butter is to bread. Ano-ther gap that I felt was glaringly obvious in the Maltese catering industry was the need for something that was truly Maltese. I’d noticed that in Malta there were very few restaurants that served Maltese dishes, and those that did served very few truly Maltese specialities. I found it to be very ironic (and stupid) that, when word got around that I was opening a restaurant, people would come up to me and ask me what type of restaurant was I opening: Italian? French? Imagine asking that to a restaurateur in Italy! Any self-respecting country in the world that has a good cuisine (and we in Malta have a wonderful cuisine) will have the vast majority of its restaurants providing traditional food and local specialities. Here in Malta we are an exception. It’s equally ironic and absurd that there are probably more Chinese restaurants in Malta than there are Maltese restaurants!

To what do you ascribe this phenomenon? Is it because Maltese food is looked down upon?
First of all you have to differen-tiate between the traditional “country” cuisine and the “city” or “bourgeois” equivalent. The former is now very fashionable and all over the world people are recognising the fact that traditional “country food” is extremely healthy and very wholesome. The “city” cuisine, including the Maltese, is just as refined as any other. The main reason for the Maltese/foreign food imbalance, however, is what I deem to be a serious identity crisis. This crisis is apparent not only when it comes to food, but in almost everything else. We get thousands of people in the streets honking their horns when England or Italy win a football game... when Malta plays, a few hundreds (at best) turn up at the stadium. As a people we are suffering from a conspicuous identity crisis in all things and a serious lack of patriotism. Anything foreign is automatically considered to be superior solely because it is foreign and not Maltese.

So, for example, I suppose that the Eurovision Song contest went a long way in re-kindling the light of patriotism?
(Smiles) Yes. Then again... we’re singing in English!

Some people believe that if you enjoy cooking, you shouldn’t open a restaurant. Do you agree?
Not at all. Granted, you can’t compare the preparation of restaurant food to home-cooking, but you can try to get as close to it as possible. Still, notwithstanding the romantic ideals and all the best possible intentions, when you’re running a restaurant you also have to balance the books at the end of the day. You need to make small compromises, you need to be practical and you definitely have to watch out for costs. Nevertheless you can strive to create a more “homely” effect. This also has its disadvantages though. The “homely” atmosphere automatically classifies you as a mid-range restaurant no matter how good the food is. The up-side is that nowadays, more than ever before, more people are preferring to dine out in a more casual and relaxed environment. At Rubino I tried to create an atmosphere where everybody feels at home. An unpretentious ambience.

So you’re catering for the “stiff” and for the casual diners alike?
Rather than “stiff” I would say: the more “official” and business-related diners. Most of these, on the other hand, are people who would come along to the restaurant on other occasions and feel equally comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt. Having said that, although I do strive to create a relatively humble, unpretentious ambience, I still insist on white tablecloths. Little things like that imply that you are maintaining certain standards.

Earlier on you said that you became “allergic” to what you felt to be the strait-jacketing inherent in big corporate business. Having said that, you yourself are actively involved in each and every aspect of the management and marketing functions at the restaurant. How do you explain this?
There is a huge difference. I run a business which can almost be construed as being a “one-man-show”. This means that I can adapt, shape and change my policies on a day-to-day basis if necessary. In a structured corporate context you have to pass through miles and miles of official procedural “avenues” before any changes may be implemented. I use my instinct most of the time. You have to be able to work instinctively and you obviously also need to be cut out for the job that you’re doing. That’s where I consider myself to be particularly lucky in that I really and truly enjoy doing what I’m doing. Not many people are in position to say that.

Do you think that you’ve been lucky? Is luck important?
Up to a certain point I suppose that luck is important. We all get our share of good and bad luck. Success or otherwise all depends on what you’re able to do with the “luck” that comes your way. Good luck is an opportunity that comes your way. Whether or not you grab and exploit this opportunity is all up to you.

How important is “change” to you?
Very important. If there wasn’t the element of change inherent in all that I do I would have probably already moved on. Running a restaurant, like any other job you’d care to mention, can become monotonous, systematic and routine. It’s very easy for you to lose sight of the “colour”, the vitality, and everything then turns to grey. The very notion of change ensures that things remain interesting and dynamic. You change your wines, your menus. From one day to another your customers are changing all the time. I can’t understand how many restaurants don’t change their menus regularly. There are some restaurants that I’ve been going to for years that are good but very predictable. I know what I’m going to be ordering well before I even walk through the door.

Don’t people prefer consistency though? In the case of food, aren’t many people partial to predictability?
Consistency? Yes, but as regards quality. Where food is concerned it’s very important to be consistent in maintaining standards. You need to win people over. When your customers return again and again you then know that you’ve won their confidence.

Do you think that you’ve created a demand for change?
Yes. For the past year or so I haven’t even been presenting menus! (Albeit the “menus” I used to present previously were handwritten because of the constant changes) Apart from the constant change though, there are many other elements at play too. Knowing your clientele well, for example. You need to know their habits, what food they prefer and in what quantities. One thing that had worried me for some time was that our portions were too big and were also perceived to be so. We’ve remedied that now of course. Being a relatively small restaurant, coupled with the fact that I am there all the time, means that we can afford to be flexible. I tend to know what sort of portions a (regular) client will be expecting and so I can instruct the cook accordingly.

What sort of advertising do you go in for?
I only use informative advertising. Informing the public about special events, changes to the menu, specialities and so on. As I rule I don’t like blowing my own trumpet. I much prefer to let other people spread the word and, on the whole, I think that they do. Many people, even foreigners, come along and tell me that the place was recommen-ded to them by someone or other. So the word definitely gets around. We’ve also been featured in some excellent foreign magazines and international guide books. To be honest, I was quite flattered with some of the reviews we got (smiles). Nevertheless, 90 per cent of our clients are Maltese and I’d like it to remain that way.

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Have you risked much in the past three and a half years since you’ve opened?
I don’t think so. I think that I’m able to feel confident about many of the choices I make because most of what I do comes to me instinct-ively. I think that I have a strong sense of intuition, even with regards to how I built the place up. I left a very steady, well-paid, safe job for something totally new... and I hadn’t even found a premises to operate from yet! By the time I’d opened I was down to my last penny. Thank God I was able to count on my wife’s support. Many people, however, seem to think that, because of the Mizzi and Kind’s connection (my wife), that I am a “kept man”, that “I’ve got it made” and that this, for me, is just a hobby, a passing fancy. It isn’t. (laughs) It is well and truly my bread and butter. Then again, you don’t make an awful lot of money from a restaurant like this. You make a decent salary but no-one’s going to be seeing me racing around in a new Ferrari or at the helm of a brand new Cabin Cruiser. This is especially so now. Costs have soared and yet no one can afford to raise their prices. VAT has affected us pretty badly too. I came into the business when CET was being used. Since then the costs have gone up by about a further 10 per cent.

Why did you choose Valletta?
Part of the “deal” that I struck with my wife and family was that I wasn’t going to get into the restaurant rat-race, going home in the wee hours of the morning, day-in day-out. A Valletta restaurant means that I am able to focus mostly on lunches, although I also open twice a week in the evenings and whenever I have any special event nights.

So it’s not as back-breaking as many would imagine?
I work my 40-hour week I assure you. (smiles) Although I don’t get up at 4am to go to the markets, I
go to great pains (more than the average restaurateur) to secure a consistent and constant flow of fresh, top-grade products. This also means that I am constantly haranguing people to get me products from Sicily, Libya, Tunisia, and so on. (smiles) Your purchasing task becomes much easier once you’ve established a good rapport with reliable suppliers. As a rule, we make a great effort to provide the best ingredients possible and insofar as standards are concerned – that is something that I will definitely not make compromises on.

Do you think that you yourself have all the necessary “ingredients” (pardon the pun) to succeed in this line of work?
I still have my enthusiasm intact, and that is very important. It’s also important to point out that I am not a professional cook. I’m an amateur in both senses of the word. I’m an amateur in the non-professional sense and I’m also an “amateur” in that I passionately love what I do. As for the cooking itself, I’m very lucky in that I have an excellent cook working with me. We’re on the same wavelength vis-à-vis Mediterranean and Maltese cuisine, he runs the kitchen extremely well and thriftily too. In this line of business, excessive wastage may ruin you. We experiment a lot together too, so I’m really fortunate in that regard. When it comes to Maltese food I feel very strongly about things that jar and stick out like a sore thumb. I hate it when I come across menus that insert Spaghetti Bolognese as a Maltese speciality. It’s probably spelt badly too! But they get away with it. The ITS (Institute for Tourism Studies) is another bone of contention. This place should be fostering the shining catering lights of tomorrow. At the Institute, however, Maltese cuisine features only negligibly, if at all. Maltese history, culture and traditions are neglected completely. This is wrong, espec-ially when there’s the hospitality aspect to contend with. I derive great pleasure from spending time with foreign customers, explaining to them Maltese culture, traditions, places of interest, and so on. That is what hospitality is all about, It’s a “package”.

Why do you do what you do? What is your motivation?
I enjoy giving people pleasure. I derive satisfaction from giving people a good meal. This means that I will also go to great lengths to remedy a situation whenever I feel that something has gone wrong somewhere. Nothing makes me feel worse than thinking that someone has left Rubino dissatisfied. I’m almost obsessed in that regard. If I sense that someone hasn’t enjoyed a meal, I won’t charge for it even if the person concerned ordered it without any recommendations being made beforehand.

What makes you feel a great sense of achievement?
On an ongoing basis I suppose it’s my repeat clientele. At first I used to find it very disconcerting when a regular customer would stop turning up for a few months and then return again after some time. In the int-erim periods I would become paranoid, trying to think of the blunders committed that warranted this “termination of custom”. It took me some time to get used to the fact that this is a rather odd business and that patterns don’t really exist in the conventional sense of the word.

Does the business also suffer from a “Flavour of the month” syndrome?
I suppose so yes. When you’re basing your restaurant’s business on regular customers and repeat clients, work becomes more demanding. You need to maintain standards religiously and you can’t ever afford to slip up. Impeccable quality and consistency are our commandments. Restaurants that are based on the one-off tourist trade also face certain dangers in that, if they aren’t careful, they are wont to become nonchalant and complacent. It’s very easy to become careless and shoddy when you know that your client will probably not be returning in the future however hard you try to please.

Nearly everyone agrees that this is a very tough business. Why have you been successful?
First of all I recognised a niche in the market. People are still very enthusiastic about traditional Maltese dishes that, for instance, they remember from their childhood days. For others it might be an exciting culinary discovery. Another thing which I think has helped along the way is the fact that I put everything into what I do – all my efforts, all my emotions. I try very hard to be affable and forthcoming even when my mood might be jet-black. That’s when you have to be careful not to overdo it though. (smiles) As in most things you need to strike a careful balance. Once a client has had an enjoyable dining experience he will expect more of the same every time. And you have to deliver. These are all demands that you have to address continuously. There are juggling acts going on all the time: People’s demands, preferences, wishes, difficulties. Trying to find a table for a regular customer who turns up when the place is choc-a-bloc and you have to (literally) juggle tables and spaces to make room. (smiles)

Do you have a good memory for people and their preferences?
In this line of work you build up an incredible memory for people’s first names, their likes, dislikes, preferences and so on. Some people are not always comfortable with this though, and here again you need to be careful.

You seem to be everywhere all the time. Are you really a one-man-show or are you a team player?
I’m definitely not a one-man-show. I’m only able to do what I do because I have excellent support. My staff have gotten used to me and know precisely what I expect. They all know the clients by name and by habits, including the chef who can recall many clients’ preferences just by name-association, even though (being in the kitchen) he wouldn’t be able to recognise the faces!

Do you have a high staff turnover?
Practically none at all. The staff all have an enviable time-table, which is practically identical to mine. They enjoy their “workplace” atmosphere too because there is an obvious air of enthusiasm and personal interest which is all-pervasive.

Are you happy with your lot or do you have big plans in the proverbial pipeline?
I have had, and continue to have, various opportunities presented to me. I’m very wary of going into anything new though. And I say this for a number of reasons. At present I’m coping well and I’m not
hampered by any unnecessary pressures that will influence my performance negatively. If the business becomes “bigger”, another fear of mine is that I might end up behind a desk again, something I would like to avoid like the plague. One of my mottoes is “Never change a winning horse”. I go by my instincts and by my gut-feelings. It’s a bit like a sixth sense. So far it hasn’t been proven wrong. Whenever I’ve gone against my gut feeling I think that I’ve always regretted it. This business is doing well, my sixth sense tells me to stay put... so, there you go!.

If you’re not setting your sights on expansion, what goals do you still have then?
My goal is to always improve upon what I’m doing. I want to introduce more and more Maltese products and dishes. I might come to a point where I can’t improve further unless I change things around from top to bottom. Fine. I’ll consider all options but only when I feel that the moment is right.

What’s the best advice that you’ve ever been given?
To always live within my means, both at a personal level and in the business “world”. When I left my job, I should have technically been in a great hurry to find a premises and start operating. But I bided my time and shopped around until I could find a place that I felt confident I could cope with. I couldn’t stomach the idea of being pressurised by heavy debts and I honestly can’t see how one can afford to take out ridiculously large premises-related loans, especially in the restaurant trade. That sort of financial pressure is often reflec-ted negatively across the board. In order to meet financial deadlines you find yourself having to compromise standards. You need to “close an eye” much more often than you should. I think that I have inherited (from my extended family) a sense of prudence. “Do” things, by all means. But do them prudently.

Julian, what is the secret of
success?
There are various recipes! (smiles) For me, there has to be the element of passion. You must be passionate about what you do, you have to enjoy what you’re doing. You cannot go to work with a frame of mind that screams “God! What a drag!”. When that happens you know you have to call it a day. Your success also has to arrive effortlessly. “Effortlessly” in the sense that the creative side of what you do must come naturally to you. It cannot be “forced” or “contrived”. If you have a true passion, if you have a natural talent for something, everything else tends to fall into place.

Do you have anything to declare?
Yes. (smiles) We have so much potential in this country! All we need to do is to delve into our past, our culture, our traditions and customs, exploit and develop them properly and success is almost certainly guaranteed. We look towards “foreign shores” wistfully, while at the same time we are sitting on a gold mine of potential. When we talk about tourism, I feel that we can only create a strong, sustainable and qualitative tourism industry if we build upon all those things which are purely Maltese. This concept has to be transmitted to everyone and at all levels. We can’t afford to carry on with the heretical practice of having Danish tourists, and serving them Salmon! I rest my case.