Ep 18: Creativity Thrives Under Restriction
What happens when a top restaurateur sells his own name… and then buys it back for £7,000? In this episode of Who’s Elvis Around Here, Chris sits down with legendary chef and restaurateur Mark Hix to unpack the highs, lows, and lessons from a life in hospitality.
From running multiple restaurants and leading hundreds of staff, to losing everything overnight during the pandemic, Mark shares the unfiltered reality of entrepreneurship — and what he’s learned about creativity, leadership, and starting again.
We also dive into:
- The story behind selling (and reclaiming) his name
- How he developed chefs using his “Challenge Hix” method
- Why creativity thrives under restriction
- The pressures of running restaurants vs the freedom of a portfolio life
- What he’s building next (including the return of Mark’s Bar 👀)
- This is a candid, funny, and insightful conversation about reinvention, resilience, and doing things differently.
