Back to School

It's no secret that things have been challenging recently, and when times are tough, it's easy to focus on the factors beyond your control. The rise in Employer NI. The increasing cost of food. The hot summer. The World Cup. All of these are real and all of them have had an impact.

But the hospitality sector has developed a bit of a victim mentality…and there is only so much time you can spend apportioning blame. At some point, when things are difficult, the right thing to do is take a good look in the mirror and ask whether there are things you could do better. Ways in which you could help yourself. We've seen a lot of restaurants and chefs talking online about the pressures they face...and whilst we understand it completely, it's becoming something of a cliché and it does not always reflect well on our industry.

Because whilst times are tough for hospitality, they are tough for everyone. The cost of living is real and there is nobody we speak to who isn't feeling it in some way.

So that's what we spent the summer doing. Reflecting on where we are, and thinking carefully about the place Wilson's has come to occupy in the minds of our guests and our local community.

What we found...or at least what we think we found...is that Wilson's feels expensive.

We've never pretended to be a cheap night out. Quality ingredients, cooked and served by people who are paid properly, just isn't cheap. But perhaps we've drifted into a place we never intended to be. The kind of restaurant people save for birthdays and anniversaries...but wouldn't consider for a casual Friday evening…and that’s something we want to change.

We'd been thinking about this for a few weeks before the summer break, making quiet plans about what we might adjust. And then, the day after our final service, a review arrived that crystallised everything.

"We love Wilson's so much but it's becoming increasingly out of our price range sadly. We've been going to the restaurant for special occasions now for a few years but it's becoming prohibitively expensive which is sad. Totally understand why though."

Three sentences. A loyal guest who loves the restaurant but feels priced out of it...and who is kind enough to understand why. It was both an encouragement and a challenge in equal measure.

We take our responsibility as a neighbourhood restaurant seriously. That means adapting and responding to the challenges that our guests and our community are facing. It means listening to feedback and doing our best to serve the people who live and work around us.

So, this month you'll see some changes at Wilson's. Nothing drastic. But some thoughtful adjustments designed to make us a little more accessible, a little easier to visit and yes, on occasion, a little less expensive.

You'll find more starters and small plates on the menu...so for those who enjoy grazing and sharing alongside a bottle of wine, that's now easier than it was. There are some new, more affordable classics spanning both lunch and dinner. And on the subject of lunch, we're introducing a prix-fixe menu of two courses for £25 every Friday and Saturday.

Lots of things will stay the same.

Pasta Wednesdays remain...a simple mid-week option of a pasta plate and a glass of wine.

BYO Thursday is still the day for those who enjoy wine...no corkage on bottles you bring and £25 off every bottle on our list, every Thursday without exception.

Challenges aside, we’ve lots to be grateful for. We're still here after two and a half years. We have an incredibly supportive local community and loyal regulars who continue to remind us why we do this and help to point us in the right direction with honest and considered feedback!

As always, we'd love to hear what you think. If you're booking in for dinner or dropping by for lunch, please do let us know how it feels.