John Baillie Jnr, Dennistoun Bar-B-Que, Glasgow
How would you describe your restaurant and its food?
It’s a little family-owned and operated neighbourhood place, doing Texan-style BBQ and burgers. We use locally-sourced meats with imported Texan oak and vegan alternatives, in a sincere nod to my favourite places I visited touring as a musician.
What’s different about your restaurant’s offer?
Sometimes burger places are either focused on speed and being cheap, or inflating turnover by using unnecessarily complicated specialist ingredients – we are neither. Our aim is to perfect the essential classics (with a twist) from scratch, time after time no matter what it takes.
What is your favourite ingredient?
Organic black molasses, it’s like an analogue bass synth for the mouth.
What makes a good kitchen team?
Attitude rules all, the team has to collectively embody the ethos of the place. Here we have a very diverse team who thrive on delivering unpretentious but fun service and food that you can rely on every single time. So we have a strict no a**hole rule.
What’s a top tip every restaurateur should know?
The considered but imperceivable little things count, they add up to more than the sum of their parts.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had and where was it?
Lamb Karahi from Yadgar on the south side of Glasgow, with a very special shout out to Reynard in New York.
What chefs and businesses inspire you?
I get inspired by people passionately carving their own path, where their drive is doing it right, no matter what industry they are in. I’m inspired by my sister who works in fashion, my friends in various aspects of music and art; Grainne at Synergy Concerts, Mutley at SWG3. And, of course, the folks producing the most exciting food in our fine city – Alchemilla, Yadgar… the list goes on and on.
