Sir Ian Botham needs no introductions to any cricket fan. A larger-than life personality on and off the field, his name appears more often than any other player’s on the famous Lord’s Honours board and his charity walks have raised more than £13m for deserving causes since 1985. One of the finest all-rounders in cricket history, Botham was a force to be reckoned with during his playing career and – following retirement in 1993 – has become a successful and fiery TV pundit.  

Now, the Ashes-winning hero is taking on another kind of challenge by launching a string of fine dining restaurants carrying the sobriquet he’s perhaps best know as. The first Beefy’s opened recently at Ageas Bowl, the home of Hampshire Cricket Club, and the plan is to open many more across other sporting venues in the UK and beyond.

GET IN THE KITCHEN
“Being a restaurateur has been a dream of mine for a long time,” Botham tells Sports Management – and adds that his passion for food was ignited during his playing days and while touring the world with bat and ball.

“I’ve experienced many fine establishments around the world. Beefy’s will be the perfect vehicle for me to download all that international experience of food and wine and apply it to an essentially British restaurant.”

Beefy’s is based on a “steakhouse and seafood” dining concept. The operations and menu at the first site have been developed in partnership with Hampshire CCC CEO David Mann, Hampshire-based Palladian Hotels and Resorts boss Paul Clark and Front Foot Hospitality CEO Steve Grant. The restaurant offers panoramic views of the Ageas Bowl’s playing field and caters for up to 130 diners – with a further 66 seats overlooking the grounds from the outside terrace.

The menu changes regularly and features mainly traditional English cuisine, sourced from local producers. Botham has added a personal touch by putting some of his favourite dishes on the menu – with inspiration taken from his international travels.

EXPANDING
Botham says the strategy for rolling out the concept is clear – to target sports venues which show interest in having a premium dining experience. “We’ve had enormous interest from other sports venues and we see a natural connection with such sites,” he says.

“Currently we’re in discussion with two cricket grounds in the UK and a golf club in the United Arab Emirates. We’re dealing with enquiries from all around the world – including Australia.”

“To be honest, the speed and volume of interest from abroad has come as a bit of a surprise and we’re investigating expansion of the company to accommodate this. We intend to open one Beefy’s in the UAE this year, but this may be followed by others very quickly.

“In countries such as India and Australia, we’re less advanced but we have some meetings in July and August to explore these options further.”

In the UK, Botham and his team are currently in advanced talks at four locations – three in the northern counties and one in London – and there are early discussions about “dozens” of other potential sites. The long list of possible locations is explained by the need to find “perfect” sites.

“There are a number of criteria for Beefy’s restaurants which all locations will need to comply with,” Botham explains. “Aside from regular sports locations, we look closely at the demographics of the area, the capacity and the experience and covenant of operators.

“Kitchens, for example, need to have plenty of space for our unique steak griddle and preparation areas need to be large enough to accommodate a wide-ranging menu. In addition, our extensive wine list requires appropriate storage facilities. As for capacity, it’s unlikely that we’d open a Beefy’s with a capacity for less than 100 diners.”

The interest for the brand has seen original expansion targets being reconsidered. “We set out with the aim of opening 15-18 locations in the UK over three years,” he says. “But we’re in the process of amending these plans and that figure is going up.”