Episode 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.

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