Over the past two decades Stephen Wright has honed his skills as a consultant to many of the most recognisable names in the global F&B industry.
He spent two years in Hong Kong from 2004 and was lured back earlier this year to help develop the latest venture for Staunton's Group, Nico's Spuntino Bar and Restaurant.
It was a roundabout route. I studied politics and economics at university, took a master's in economics and was about to start a PhD when I realised it wasn't for me. My family was involved in food. Contacts introduced me to Raymond Blanc and his Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons was a great place to start.
Then I moved to London, where I joined the opening team of Nobu at The Metropolitan on Park Lane. This was a steep learning curve as I did all the food and beverage purchasing for the hotel's bars and restaurants.
Then I joined Selfridges as the group's head of buying. It was a wonderful job in many ways: for 3½ months a year I travelled everywhere - Asia, Africa, even Alaska - checking out food and beverage trends.
