Even as a young child Simon Johnson was a food snob. You soon learned when you went to a friend's place and you were served overcooked whatever, which tasted pretty bloody ordinary, to get home quickly for a proper dinner, laughs the purveyor of fine foods. The straight-talking Kiwi who made a permanent move to Sydney in 1987 after falling in love with the city as a tourist in 1979 - grew up travelling the world. His father held a management position within Japan Airlines so the family was fortunate enough to sample cuisine from the top restaurants around the world. From a tender age, Johnson was exposed to exotic flavours and taste sensations from far-flung destinations, which sparked a passion for fine foods of the highest quality. We were lucky enough to always be eating at hotels and restaurants around the globe, he says. We'd go to Japan a fair bit. My father was English so we went to England quite a lot too. We also went to France and travelled through Europe - we experienced many different cultures. As a result, the food bug took hold and still bites. Johnson, 45, was the founder and is now the director of Simon Johnson Purveyor of Quality Foods, which includes five retail outlets and a major wholesale distribution network which turns over more than $12 million annually. The wholesale side is divided into three categories: food services, including hotels and restaurants; other retailers, including David Jones; and corporate and large caterers. The travel bug has also taken hold. Johnson recently went on his annual six-week pilgrimage of the gastronomic capitals of Europe. I was catching up with producers but also looking for new and interesting products and trends, he says, surprisingly bright-eyed and filled with zeal after a 6.30am wake-up call. His career in food began with a chef's apprenticeship at the Auckland Intercontinental Hotel, where he learned about the importance of quality produce and how to balance flavours. He went on to run his own restaurant in Auckland for four years, called Boodles Of Remuera, before selling the business and moving to Australia. Things really started to take off in 1989 when his current organisation was born. It began as a partnership with produce providore and entrepreneur Barry McDonald (who sold greengrocer.com.au to Woolworths two years ago), but in 1991 Johnson bought out McDonald's share and went out on his own. The business began with half a dozen cheese products, Johnson says. I was primarily supplying to the food services industry, to the likes of Neil Perry, Steve Manfredi and Chris Manfield. I was a one-man band. I'd take the orders, visit the chefs, answer the phones and do invoices - all that sort of stuff. When his chef clients recommended he expand his range of quality produce, Johnson listened. I got out there and sourced the best I could find. Chefs may not need the best olive oils in the world for greasing their pans, but for dressing certain dishes it can make all the difference. There was always a market to be had in quality products. As turnover improved over the next few months Johnson spoiled himself and hired someone to answer the phones. A few months later he hired a driver to make the deliveries so he could concentrate more on sales. I was fortunate, he reflects, because I had run a restaurant and I knew how to run a business, balance a ledger etc. It's very important. You can't do your books three months down the track. You have to do it on a weekly basis and make decisions based on that information. The business now employs 37 full-timers and up to 20 casual staff at seven locations in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. An eighth location, a Perth retail store, is on the way. We've been doing distribution in Perth for a couple of years now, and we've been looking for a retail site for 18 months. My approach is to go into a market, test the product, see whether there's a response. Once we've done that we can go in and do the retail store. You don't go into an untested area and spend a whole lot of money doing a store then fall flat. It hasn't all been smooth sailing. Johnson recalls a heartbreaking day in 1990 when a shipment of expensive parmesan arrived, having come all the way from Italy only it hadn't been refrigerated properly during the journey. All the oil had come out of the cheese and soaked through the pastas. It made me want to cry. To make matters worse it was no ordinary parmesan, the total value was around $15,000 and it also damaged around $60,000 of other stock. Luckily, we were insured! The wholesale side of the business accounts for around 60 per cent of the overall profits. However, the average foodie will be most familiar with Johnson's retail stores. I try to make the shops warm and comfortable for customers to walk into, Johnson says. I also don't like the cash register to be a barrier as soon as you walk into the shop. A Simon Johnson store may not be the place to do the weekly grocery shopping. One particularly special 750ml bottle of Italian extra virgin olive oil carries a price tag of $52.75; 250ml of Spanish red wine vinegar can set you back $66.10, and a 200g block of Valrhona chocolate is $20.35. But you've certainly come to the right place for the finest tastes around. In the cheese room at the Pyrmont store in Sydney the air temperature is kept at a constant 12 C and water continually runs through a large terracotta pot to keep the humidity high, creating the perfect environment for cheese. These rooms are not a cheap investment, but in his quest for quality and flavour Johnson refuses to be put off by cost. If I wanted extra profits I'd have got rid of the cheese rooms. But what I'm trying to do is deliver on a philosophy about the quality and integrity of the product. From a one-man band to a nationwide wholesale and retail operation, the Simon Johnson brand has experienced massive growth and success. Johnson's hunger for success, it seems, will never be satisfied. Simon Johnson's Top Five Tips 1. Focus on the products you are selling, making sure they fit into the company philosophy. For me it's about the integrity behind my producers, products worked from the raw made traditionally without preservatives and additives. 2. Your staff is one of the greatest assets you have. Look after them, train them, make them accountable and let them grow with the business. 3. Decide on the market position you want and stay there. I have always worked in the quality end of the market and find it more rewarding than being at the discount end. 4. Position, position, position! I realise this has been said a million times but it's very important and very good advice. 5. A unique selling point is crucial you have to have a USP and stick to it. A point of difference is critical whether you are selling a product or supplying a service. © Chris Sheedy/the hard word |
