We meet Elliott Hannam from First Table, a relatively new restaurant marketing tool to the UK, designed to connect new diners with restaurants during their quietest times. Elliott’s journey began as a chef at The Grand Hotel Brighton, followed by stints in Michelin-starred kitchens, on private yachts, and managing a restaurant in Sydney. His diverse culinary background gives him a unique perspective on the hospitality industry.
Elliott is passionate about working for First Table, as it offers a win-win model that benefits both diners and restaurants.
What do you like about the hospitality scene in Brighton and tell us about your history with the city?
I love Brighton’s hospitality scene, as it’s still mainly independents and full of people with a passion for what they do. I think sometimes Brighton can be seen as a tourist destination, but the people who live here all year round make it what it is today. I used to work as a chef in the Grand Brighton hotel over ten years ago and absolutely loved the city.
You work at First Table which is a new restaurant discovery website for the city, please tell us more?
First Table is a restaurant discovery platform helping connect new diners with restaurants at their most off-peak times. We don’t charge restaurants, there are no contracts and we offer the restaurant full control over their times available – we only want to fill empty seats.
We all know the rising overhead costs for venues has crippled the industry and we believe we have found a solution to those slower starts during the week.
How will this new product benefit hospitality businesses?
We’re looking to provide incremental revenue at times when restaurants need them most whilst also helping them tick their marketing boxes by collecting data on new diners.
We can also introduce special conditions to ensure a good average spend, kick out the bad diners and protect some high margin menu items. We can always find a solution to make the offering profitable and successful in regards to exposure.
Has the product come about due to the current economic conditions or does it represent a shift in consumer dining habits?
We have been operating since 2014 and we are the number one hit site for hospitality in New Zealand and Australia. It really is a platform for restaurants to optimise their operating hours, as empty seats cost money and now, more than ever! Operators need to be thinking outside of the box and if we only offer these seats as a ‘one-time’ offer, it’s really a no-brainer.
Dining habits seem to be changing though and our stats show that early dining tables are becoming more popular.
Tell us about your role at First Table?
I joined the company in 2018 launching all of the cities outside of London and I am Territory Manager for the UK and Ireland.
Tell us a little bit about your career journey?
I left school at the ripe old age of 16 and started learning my trade in the kitchen at a local college. I went on to work in Michelin starred kitchens, private yachts and managed a restaurant in Sydney for a few years. I moved over to corporate in private health and quickly realised that I missed hospitality and the people that make it a wonderful industry to work in, so when Mat Weir (CEO and founder) approached me about the UK position, I jumped at the chance to get back into it.
When you meet businesses for the first time, what do you talk about?
I ask them what we can help with. If a restaurant is fully booked for two weeks, they don’t need help and are at the top of their game. If there are empty seats, you’re better of having someone on them, and with our integrations, knowledge and partnerships we can help them utilise these tools and make them more profitable.
When you go out in Brighton, where are your favourite places for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
My favourite brunch spot has to be Jo & Co.
The eggs royale there with the pickled cabbage really kicks off the day right.
Lunch I would go to Burnt Orange. Their cooking techniques are incredible and I’m a sucker for Monkfish.
Dinner I would head to Cin Cin.
Their relaxed atmosphere with the open kitchen is always a win and I love trying new Italian wines, as this isn’t my strongest region.
Where would you like to go and eat next?
I haven’t tried The Flint House, but it’s part of The Ginger Man group and I’ve heard great things.
What has been your biggest challenge with First Table?
Our biggest challenge is changing the perception of discounting.
We have built the system to protect restaurants from over allocating, diners taking the mickey with repeat bookings and making sure we have a no-show rate of 98%.
We also provide quality control on our diners and we block bad diners. We need to ensure we bring good diners through the door, as we have no contracts with restaurants and it only works if the venues are happy with our diner database.
You are making a meal, or getting a meal for yourself, what’s your favourite or go to meal?
Give me a sourdough pizza with imported tomato base from Naples and fresh buffalo mozzarella any day. I try and keep my starter well hidden from the neighbours but they’re always coming over in the summer when they have their new pizza ovens.
What are First Table Brighton planning in the next 6 months and how many participating restaurants do you expect?
Our aim is to launch First Table in September with around 50 venues and over 20,000 subscribers.
As we grow, we expect to be somewhere in the region of Bristol’s venues at over 90 venues and 40,000 subscribers by the end of May 2025. The beauty of our concept is that we can turn it on and off with the seasons, so we only ever help fill those empty tables.
