Meet Zack Stubbs, the new owner of Bonsai Plant Kitchen. In this interview, Zack shares his lifelong journey as a vegetarian, his experience working with Brighton icons like Indian Summer, Gars and Food For Friends, and his vision for the future of this award-winning, plant-based institution. Fresh roots, bold flavours, and big ambitions.
Huge congratulations on taking over this award-winning venue; how did you first get involved with the proposition of taking over the reigns at Bonsai?
I’ve known Dom personally since I met him as the general manager of Food for Friends, where he was working as a chef. We got on well and stayed in touch after we both left FFF. He has known that I have always wanted to own my own venue, and due to his personal circumstances and mine, it was meant to be for both of us.
He really wanted someone who could continue the brand and help carry on the legacy of the amazing place he’s created.
Could you tell us a bit about your career history in the hospitality industry and the journey that led you to this point?
I started working in restaurants at the age of 16, I had work experience at Indian Summer, then my GF at the time’s family owned Gars, so I persuaded her to get me a job there. I quickly realised this was for me and I was looking forward to work more than going to college etc. I was very interested in becoming a manager, so at the age of 20 I was given the chance to run SIX in Hove. I was here for a year and a half as GM, where I went to Food for Friends as my previous employer had acquired the business and wanted my help settling in the management team. I then took a bit of a step back from hospitality for a couple of years, and due to some personal circumstances I decided I wanted to jump back into it.
It’s always something I’ve dreamed of doing, so it was always a case of when not if.
Indian Summer in Brighton
What was it about the original Bonsai concept that you liked most before you decided to make it your own?
I’ve been a vegetarian since I was born, and my previous experience in Asian restaurants has really tied in for me. I’m also a massive fan of the interior design, the artwork all over the venue is hand painted by a very talented artist who I’m extremely grateful to have.
You’ve inherited a highly successful business and an established team; how have you managed that transition to ensure it has been as smooth as possible for both the staff and your customers?
I really wanted to stress that I think the venue is already fantastic, I knew beforehand that I would not need to make any drastic changes. I am front of house based and that’s where my skills lie. I’m really excited for my head chef Arion to take over control of the kitchen and menu, and my goal is to just make Bonsai more busy and known to people.
Has taking over such a well-loved “institution” impacted the daily energy of the restaurant, or have you found the transition to be quite seamless?
The team have been fantastic, they really do care about the venue, and as Dom had to take more of a step back over the last few months, they’ve really found a flow and rhythm to working together. I’ve not had any issues with the team and they’ve made me feel really welcome.
For those who haven’t visited since the change in ownership, what can they expect to find—have you kept the core DNA of Bonsai the same?
Bonsai will ALWAYS be plant based and nut free. These core values are really important to us and I think make us really stand out as a brand.
Our customers who haven’t visited for a while will soon be experiencing a new menu with some really exciting dishes. They can also expect a more refined and detailed level of service. The team are already fantastic and I just want to make sure they’re not overworked and can give the customers the care and attention they need.
Bonsai is famous for its bold, plant-based flavours; what are your personal favourite dishes currently on the menu?
EVERYTHING!
It’s a really hard choice if I’m honest, but some stand out dishes for me are our long standing “chicken” yakitori skewers, people are always shocked that it’s not real chicken. Our “pork” Laab is also a favourite of mine, I love that you make your own mini rolls with the baby gem lettuce and pickles. You can never go wrong with our dirty rice topped with homemade Japanese mayo, hoisin and crispy onions. Another maybe slightly overlooked dish is our coal fired edamame, I’ve never had edamame as good as ours, the seasoning and the char you get from the bincho gives it a really unique flavour. Also our house made chilli oil is incredible.
Are you vegan yourself, or do you approach the plant-based menu from a different culinary perspective?
I’ve been vegetarian since birth (29 years). I think that by having a mix of carnivores and vegans etc means that the kitchen team have a much wider knowledge base, and I think that’s why our food is so enjoyable for everyone, not just vegans. I have never tasted real chicken, so I wouldn’t be able to create a dish similar to it, so I think it’s essential for us to have staff with this knowledge so our food can appeal to all.
Bonsai is known for its high-quality ingredients; how have you found working with the local suppliers and have you discovered any new Sussex producers you’re excited about?
All of our current suppliers have been really welcoming and helpful with the transition.
We’re really excited to be working with Sophie at Pitiful Veg, they’re a proper farm which is very seasonal, so we’re looking forward to the different varieties of veg we can work with over the next few months.
Sustainability is a huge part of the plant-based ethos; what specific efforts are you making at Bonsai to ensure the business is as environmentally friendly as possible?
I think people are totally unaware about the impact of a vegan diet on the environment.
The meat industry is a ridiculously large contributor to global warming with the amount of energy required to raise cattle, for example, and the space it takes up, when we could just be eating their food instead and still be healthy. So I think that is a massive part already.
We’ve probably saved 100s of tons of CO2 already just by not having steak on the menu alone.
We also do keep ourselves aware about what we can do to recycle more, reduce our waste and be more environmentally friendly.
What has been the most surprising thing you’ve learnt about the business since officially becoming the owner?
I was genuinely surprised by the reaction from customers, we had a lovely table in my first week and one of them was a very esteemed vegan chef. They had specifically come to us to try our food and they loved it so much they came back the very next night. This means the world to me because they’re professionals in the industry, so their compliments really meant a lot. Also just the sheer amount of meat eaters that have been blown away that their whole meal was vegan and gluten free.
What is your favourite thing about the Brighton hospitality scene and the community of business owners here?
My favourite thing so far has been the friendliness from everyone, I think we’re all in the same boat and have the same struggles and issues so it’s great to connect with each other and share ideas on how to solve problems. Also to collaborate with each other’s brands so we can get our names out and be more creative with each other has been really nice.
Aside from your own kitchen at Bonsai, where are your personal favourite restaurants in the city to visit when you have a night off?
I think we’re incredibly lucky in Brighton and there’s so much choice you can’t go wrong with. For pizza it’s got to be Boellaco run by Josh. His pizza is amazing, so light and fluffy, the flavours and ideas he has are incredible and he really cares about his brand, he’s a pizza truck at the moment but will soon be doing dine in nights at Fika, definitely worth checking out! Other venues I’m a big fan of is Planet India for curry, a Brighton landmark at this point and always fantastic food and service. For brunch I absolutely love going to Oeuf, the chefs are fantastic and they’re always coming up with incredible ideas for brunch.
Other than that I’ve been a bit slack on trying some Brighton venues, I really want to try Namo Thai restaurant on Ship Street, I’ve heard their food is incredible.
When you aren’t at the restaurant, how do you like to spend your spare time—do you manage to switch off from the hospitality world?
It’s only my 3rd week so no, I’ve not had a day off yet, but that’s more because I’m just so excited to get stuck in and there’s a mountain of things I need to sort out. However, I do like to go kayaking on the sea at the local kayak club, Martlet Kayak Club on the seafront near the Sea Lanes.
I have two guinea pigs who I am a single father to, and sometimes when I have time I make these mini doll’s houses that take me forever, but they look great when they’re finished.
Now that you are settled in, what are your long-term goals for the restaurant—are there any exciting changes on the horizon for Bonsai?
I think the first change will be the new menu that Arion, my head chef, is coming up with. Other than that, I have no plans for any drastic changes yet, I think one thing that’s super important to push in this day and age is a fun and active social media across all platforms. Fallow restaurant in London are a great example of this.
My main goal is to get Bonsai as viral as possible so as many people get to experience our beautiful restaurant and incredible food.
Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to someone looking to break into the Brighton restaurant scene right now, what would it be?
I think if you have a passion for food and giving people a good, fair valued experience, then you will reach your goals. I’d say personally that you can’t let the negative experiences tarnish the end goal. Everything happens for a reason. I was fired 2 days after I found out I could purchase Bonsai from a hospitality job, and for me that was the confirmation this would go ahead. Don’t let failure put you off and never let that vision of what you think you can achieve and what you desire go away.
