A Can Full of Steam
Delicious food. Impeccable service. A cool, comfortable ambience. It’s the golden trifecta for any restaurant. It’s what we all look for when we dine out, and when we get it, we usually take it for granted. How hard can it be? Well, it turns out it is damn hard, and near impossible to sustain that level of excellence and success for twenty years. How do you deal with brilliant but temperamental chefs and their continual demands? How do you manage the natural exodus of great employees? Your new clientele and their ever-changing taste buds? Demanding landlords? And oh yeah, a global pandemic? Stephen Chenery, the owner of Steam Bar & Restaurant in London and the writer of this fantastic memoir, has all the answers and more, and provides them with the flair and nuance of a true storyteller.
As a storyteller myself, a television writer and producer in Hollywood, I read voraciously and am always eager to get swept away in a fascinating tale. And the life and journey of this Englishman does not disappoint. Stephen has faced obstacles that would make many a man crumble, including me, and he simply ploughs through every one of them. He is a very funny, self-deprecating survivor whose story will no doubt inspire those interested in the food and beverage business, but also anyone who has ever faced adversity. Stephen’s wry, biting sense of humour will make you laugh, again and again, even when you’re not sure how he will overcome a new onslaught of challenges.
Stephen has made me laugh for thirty-five years, long before he opened Steam and achieved his monumental success. It was my wedding day in 1994 when I first shook his hand. He was the boyfriend of dear Julia, my wife’s college roommate and one of her bridesmaids, and we instantly connected over his love of basketball, all things Hollywood, and most importantly our love of laughter. Two years later my wife and I journeyed to England to attend his wedding, where I was fortunate to wear a top hat and tails for the first and only time in my life. We’ve continued to get together over the years, most recently last summer over a lovely lunch in Portugal. Over a bottle of excellent wine (that he chose, of course) he told me that he was writing a book about his life and experience in the restaurant business. I was thrilled and full of encouragement, offering to read a draft whenever he was ready.
A few months later that draft arrived, and I could not put it down. The book was everything I thought it could be and more. I thought I knew a lot about my friend, but Stephen opened his heart and soul describing the trials and tribulations of his journey from a mischievous young bloke from Sussex who, after globe-trotting across America soaking up the culture and hospitality business, became a successful restaurateur in London. I certainly learned a lot, but the biggest surprise was my good friend isn’t just a restaurant owner. He’s a wonderful writer who entertained and educated me through this beautiful tale of survival.
Todd Slavkin
Los Angeles, February 2025