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10
Apr
The seasoned traveller who's made his Masham café a destination
This is the latest in a regular series of Business Q&A features published weekly. This week, we spoke to Colin Blair, owner of Johnny Baghdad's the Masham café that's considered an institution by many locals, cyclists and regular daytrippers.
Tell us in fewer than 30 words what your firm does.
We're a café on Market Place in Masham. We have a traditional side, but we also have an emphasis on world food. So we still do bacon butties, but some of the other dishes are a bit different.
What does it take to be successful in business?
You've got to have a lot of drive, and be willing to make sacrifices, and you've got to believe in what you're doing.
Our menu is inspired by my travels. I trained as a chef when I was 18, and then at 20 I hitchhiked from the A59 to Corfu, where I got a job in a gourmet restaurant. I spent two years there.
Then in 1989, I moved to Berlin just as the Wall came down. I'd been on my way to India, but I'd spent all my money, so I found a job and spent a couple of years there.
Then I went to Canada and got a job as a nanny for a couple there who had a two-year-old and were intending to travel down to Costa Rica. We zigzagged around for a while and I got as far as Guatemala, where I had my money and passport stolen.
Colin used to take his world food trailer round the summer festival circuit.
But I'd bought a lot of handicrafts in Guatemala, so after getting a new passport in LA, I took them up to New York and sold it all at a Grateful Dead concert.
That gave me an idea, so I then went to Indonesia and bought a load more handicrafts and imported them to the UK. I was selling them at festivals when one day I was eating some falafel and I thought, "Why don't we do food?".
It seemed much easier than importing things from Indonesia, so I bought a little trailer and that's what I did – falafel, lamb kebabs, and that kind of thing – at festivals around the UK. My mate called himself Terry Aziz and I was known as Johnny Baghdad – and that's how the café came about.
It's been quite an adventure.
Johnny Baghdad's café on the square in Masham
What drives you to do what you do every day?
When you employ people, you've got wages to pay, so you've got to keep it busy.
I do love what I do, even if I moan about it a lot!
What’s been the toughest issue your business has had to deal with over the last 12 months?
The toughest thing is finding staff. The chef we had left, and the next one we had only lasted a few days. It's not easy.
Which other local firms do you most admire and why?
The breweries here in Masham are good, and we've also got great butchers, Rogers and Beavers. We buy all our produce locally.
Swinton Hotel is great too. They're my landlord, so I should mention them!
Who are the most inspiring local leaders?
The Brownlee Brothers come in here quite a bit when they're training. The younger members of staff don't know who I'm talking about, so I have to show them YouTube videos. Amazing people.
What could be done locally to boost business?
Business is good for us, so not much, really. Masham Parish Council does a good job of putting on a lot of events, and there's free parking on the square.
The café sources everything it can locally.
Best and worst things about running a business from Masham?
The best thing is that a lot of the locals are real characters. And I love being able to drive to work with no traffic jams. I often think how lucky I am to live and work in the Yorkshire Dales.
I honestly can't think of anything bad. Masham has good beer, good pubs, a fish-and-chip shop... what else do you need?
What are your business plans for the future?
Just carry on as we are. I'm in my late 50s, and I'm beginning to feel my age - I don't have as much energy as I used to. But I'm happy to carry on.
What do you like to do in your time off?
I like to go walking and do some gardening. I'm learning to play the guitar again. I'm a bit boring nowadays.
In reality, I might be working on my day off, going to the wholesalers. You have to shop around a bit more these days.
Best places to eat and drink locally?
Where There's Smoke is great for fine dining, and the White Bear does the best pub food in Masham.
All the cafés are good too. We all get along, and there's enough business for everyone.
If you know someone in business in the Harrogate district and you'd like to suggest them for this feature, drop us a line at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
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