Feature: Twenty years and counting

With Thai Leisure’s Chaophraya concept marking two decades in the game, Dine Out’s Genna Ash-Brown caught up with group MD Ian Leigh to discuss longevity and success in a challenging business landscape

As a diverse nation of bold flavour seekers, the UK’s hospitality scene is a rich tapestry of global delights. While dishes like chicken tikka and chow mein have long topped tables in terms of consumer demand, Brits are keener than ever to sample the culinary fruits from all over the vast Asian continent. According to Google data from February this year, Thai is the fourth most popular fare among diners here in Blighty, behind only Chinese (third), Italian (second) and Indian (first). It seems we can’t resist the careful blend of creamy, salty, sweet, spicy and sour sensations that characterise so many of Thailand’s recipes. And when it comes to the UK’s Thai food revolution, one restaurant business remains at the frontier.

“Thai cuisine is unstoppable,” says Ian Leigh, managing director of Thai Leisure Group. “Back in pre-Covid times, perhaps it was 2018, I read a prediction that in the near future there would be more Thai restaurants than both Indian and Chinese, eventually making it the most dominant Asian cuisine here in the UK. The growth has been phenomenal. I feel we’ve given birth to quite a few of those impactful restaurants, but it’s also linked to Britain’s fondness for the country, which naturally brings with it the cuisine. It’s not just about Thailand’s beautiful weather, but also its food and its people.”

Family-owned since 2004

Thai Leisure Group was founded by partners in life and business, Khun Kim and Martin Stead. Leigh, an engineer at the time, has known Stead since the turn of the millennium. When the team made their industry debut in 2004 with the launch of premium concept Chaophraya in Leeds, Leigh wasn’t directly involved. But he jumped aboard as a consultant three years later ahead of the Manchester opening, where his passion for hospitality was realised, and he officially joined the ranks in 2010.

“I’ve had an amazing journey – though it’s not the journey I nor anyone else could have anticipated,” he chimes. So often it’s the case that the path we don’t foresee is exactly where the magic happens. Now, 20 years on from the creation of Chaophraya, the group owns and operates 16 restaurants across two popular brands, with the first branch of street food concept Thaikhun launching in Manchester in 2014.

“Almost every discussion is different for both restaurants, but taking Chaophraya first, I believe we are the only premium Thai concept across the country,” adds Leigh. “There are obviously some absolutely top-notch restaurants but, as a brand, we’ve got a good spread of top-quality venues, even though we’re not in London. The key to maintaining that premium status is all about the consistency of our service levels, along with the quality of our food and the overall experience. That’s what it takes to stay ahead and be the best. Our awesome learning and development manager focuses on elevating the brand, keeping ahead and making sure we’re in that pole position. That’s very different to Thaikhun, where it’s not at all about being in pole position. Our main goal there is maintaining authenticity. At every opportunity, we’ll be asking how we can make it more authentic and constantly raise that bar. Those really are the selling points for both brands – Chaophraya is unique due to its premium offer and Thaikhun for its authenticity."

Thaikhun sits firmly within the casual dining market, marking the group’s entrance to a space that allows room to play with elements like branding, menu curation and interior design. “Visiting Thailand is a multi-dimensional experience, so we’re lucky that the Thaikhun brand allows us to get creative,” Leigh muses. “We’ve got maps of Thailand in venue and people send us postcards when they actually visit the country. We have lots of artefacts and bric-a-brac that diners can touch and pick up – all of which arrive in containers from Thailand itself. Genuine Thai music underscores the dining experience and of course, all of our dishes are genuine, with many members of staff also native to the country. So, really, apart from paying in pounds sterling, there’s almost no difference to actually dining in Thailand – and we want to keep it that way.”

Weathering the storm

Two distinct brands, specialising in the same cuisine but straddling two separate markets, require management to wear two very different hats. To tackle this effectively, the team employs what Leigh likes to call the ‘doughnut model’.”

“Imagine a ring doughnut,” he posits. “Certainly not a jam doughnut – far too messy for this analogy! So, in the middle of the ring is the open space where 21 of us operate as a central support team. That’s Thai Leisure group – and everyone else forms the ring of the doughnut, which you can split in half across the top.”

A fragrant feast courtesy of Thaikhun 

One half, notes Leigh, is orange to represent Thaikhun, while the other is dark blue, reminiscent of Chaophraya. “When I speak to the managers of those sites, I tell them they’re in the thick of it – literally, they’re the dough – and that hole in the middle is where the rest of us sit. The reason for that model is that the 21 of us are very fluid. We work together as a small unit for the best of all 16 restaurants (six Chaophraya and 10 Thaikhun). Our job in the middle is to make sure both brands are buzzing at all times and taking every opportunity. So, for the most part, we’re not actually split by brand – we have an operational split and a training team split but, otherwise, all functions cross both.”

The beauty of operating across both dining segments is that it allows the group to capitalise on footfall throughout the year, maximising brand reach and exposure. Say it’s March and Mother’s Day is fast approaching, the marketing team will get to work promoting Chaophraya as a special occasion destination restaurant to drive bookings in advance. But roll on to July when school holidays are in session, Thaikhun naturally takes priority as a more relaxed space that’s great fun for kids and reservations aren’t required. It really is the best of both worlds – in terms of both variety and profit.

“At Thaikhun it’s about what’s happening on the ground, whereas Chaophraya is more about the seasonal calendar,” explains Leigh. “Throughout all of this, our central team is very proactive, while keeping a close eye on what’s happening around us.”

With two decades of trading under its belt, the business has clearly identified a formula that works. But, to put it mildly, those 20 years have brought their fair share of hurdles (and then some!) – a global financial crisis and a devastating pandemic among them. To survive such tumultuous circumstances requires grit and tenacity – qualities the Thai Leisure team appears to have in droves.

“Dealing with such challenges is part of life – increasingly so, it would seem,” says Leigh. “You just don’t know what’s around the corner, but I don’t think we get knocked for six with anything these days. We take it in our stride. While we’re very positive, we kind of half expect a challenge to crop up. The recent protests provide a case in point, with two planned to take place outside of our restaurants. Aside from forming a contingency plan, you just have to think, ‘It is what it is, and we’ll deal with it.’

“Surviving this business requires flexibility and pragmatism. Without wanting to sound too ‘management speak-y’, it all comes back to your goal. You have to be really clear about what you want to achieve and, when something knocks you off course, always understand that there’s a different way around it. I think we have that embedded in our culture.”

Birthday Bonanza

Steering the business through the challenges of the industry has led the group to this milestone year: the 20th anniversary of Chaophraya. The next few weeks will see the group celebrate in style, offering prizes for guests – including unforgettable trips to Thailand – on top of dish giveaways, with a few fan favourites from previous menu iterations thrown in for good measure.

“It’s been a rollercoaster, a lot of it without ever seeing round the next corner. There have been ups and downs and twists and turns to get us to, thankfully, the good position we’re in now,” he beams.

And so, all that begs the question – what next for the group?

“We want our two brands to be at the top of their games,” Leigh concludes. “For Chaophraya, that means continuing to be and developing as the UK’s number-one premium Thai dining brand, while for Thaikhun it’s about progressing as the nation’s fun and funkiest casual Thai dining concept. Ultimately, from Thai Leisure Group’s point of view, the key focus is that, through the success of those brands, we want to be able to grow. We’ve got an eye on expansion in the not-too-distant future. We’re not the sort of business to say, ‘We’re going to do this, come hell or high water’, but it’s certainly something we’ll do when the conditions are right.”

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