The Jack and Alice staff at work - Photo taken by Mark Hewitson Photography - www.markhewitson.co.uk
Every two weeks Thame Hub will be featuring an article on various people in Thame who serve the Thame Community. This is your chance for the people of Thame to find out a little bit more about you or your business.
If you'd like to feature in these articles after the new year then drop us an email at [email protected].
For our eighth instalment of the series we are talking to Mark Hall, Founder of Jack and Alice to find out a little bit more about Jack and Alice and how they are settling in, in Thame.
Now you’ve been settled in a for a few months how is everything going?
We are delighted to be part of the Thame community, opening our doors for the first time in December. It was an immensely busy time for us, far exceeding our expectations and we thank all our guests who came to visit in the first few weeks for their patience as our wonderful local team worked so hard to ensure everyone was looked after. With January here, I am happy to say that business hasn’t slowed and we now have some loyal regular guests coming back each week to see Kirsty, Clair, Gary and the team.
For our readers who haven’t yet had a chance to visit you yet, can you explain a little bit more about what Jack and Alice is?
Simply put, we are a wine bar and pantry, open from early morning with fresh coffee, pastries and breakfast, through lunchtime and into the evening when the wine flows, friends meet to share fresh boards of cheese, charcuterie, chocolates or indulge in homemade fish pie, our chefs unique chilli or a hearty beef bourgignon - all family favourites, and we ensure where possible all our produce is from local suppliers. As a concept, we are slightly unique, as we are not a restaurant, with a large commercial kitchen. The ethos is to provide great quality products, in a simple way, with a warmly and homely environment.
How did you come up with the Jack and Alice name?
Jack & Alice is a very special and nostalgic business for myself and my wife, Vanessa. Jack was my Grandfather and Alice was Vanessa’s Grandmother. Both fabulous characters in their own right, we have tried to instil some of their values and favourite things throughout our businesses. Indeed, the house red and white wines are named after Alice and Jack, full of personality and best drunk with friends!
Is it a walk in service or is it best to book?
During the day it is walk in, order at the coffee and cake counter, take a seat and we will look after you. In the evening, we take bookings and provide full table service. We also have a takeaway menu throughout the day.
How did it all begin for Jack and Alice?
My wife and I have worked in the hospitality industry most of our lives and many of our friendships have been made through this journey. We always dreamed of opening a business together, working with our friends and it being a true family venture.
What made you choose Thame?
We have two other Jack & Alice’s in Gerrards Cross and Tring. We wanted to keep the restaurants close to our homeland and loved Thame for its great community feel, beautiful market town and close proximity.
What’s Thames favourite product so far?
So far it has to be our cheese and charcuterie boards, shared with a carafe of Alice Red! However, we have just launched our fondue evenings on a Tuesday – cheese and chocolate, one after each other!
What’s an average day in the life of a Jack and Alice employee?
No day is the same so far! We are very proud of our local team who have embraced the challenge and worked very hard at ‘learning the ropes’. They are all a delight to work with, fun, engaging, full of personality and hospitality. In the restaurant business, you never stop, but the rewards are high when you get it right.
For the people of Thame who haven’t yet visited Jack and Alice – why should they come and visit?
Hopefully anyone who visits will see that we have enhanced the property on Buttermarket, revealing beautiful beams and our design is very homely and nostalgic (we even have a piano in the restaurant). We also have a hidden drawing room upstairs with beautiful sofa and seats to enjoy our food, drink and hospitality.
What’s your favourite thing about Thame?
My favourite moment in Thame which I think depicts the personality and warmth of the town, was when Vanessa asked Linda Emery, Mayor of Thame, to join us on opening day. There was no hesitation and we were so delighted and appreciative to have Linda as one of our first guests, meeting our team and supporting our new business. We are still very thankful. The friendliness is amazing, even the local florist, Bizzie Lizzie welcomed us with a beautiful Christmas display.
What’s in store for Jack and Alice in the future?
I think it's too soon to say. We have had an exciting year, and have three fabulous businesses. We are continually learning, listening to our guests and striving to improve. Once we are confident that we are achieving consistency and delivering the offer across the board, then we might think about a fourth site !
Thanks to Mark for letting us interview him, for more information on Jack and Alice you can visit their website at www.jackandalice.co.uk or sample some of their delicious food and drink yourself by heading into the town centre where you can find them at 14 Buttermarket.
Thanks also to Mark Hewitson for taking the photo for this featured article. For more information on Mark Hewitson photography, please visit his website at www.markhewitson.co.uk.
Read Mark's behind the scenes blog in the "Portrait of Thame" series here.
