Eating out better for less is no longer a pipe dream. Meet James
Day, a man with a passion for restaurants across the Midlands. Mind
you, not any old restaurants, but those with a recognised and
proven reputation for great cooking who insist on using farm-fresh
ingredients from the very best local suppliers.
He has turned his passion into a business and created
GourmetLife, a virtual dining club that he promotes on-line -
www.gourmet-life.co.uk. This offers discerning diners, hard
hit by the recession, opportunities to dine out with a strapping
20% off their food bills for up to four people at a time. In return
he feeds those restaurants providing fine food with a shoal of some
4,000 enthusiastic regional diners eager to enjoy new culinary
experiences.
It is a win-win situation that enables would-be gourmets
affordable opportunities to exercise their knives and forks more
frequently. James calculates that two people only have to eat out
together three or four times to get back the modest £34.90
annual subscription. In return restaurants facing extremely
difficult times are attracting new and knowledgeable guests to
their tables.
Pictured above: James Day and celebrity chef Jean Christophe
Novelli at The Boyne Arms in Shropshire - a Gourmet Life
venue
It is not surprising to discover that James Day's background is
in marketing. He held senior regional and national positions
with leading brewers and pub chains, so he knows and understands
the business from the management and operations perspective.
At the same time he has an exceptional palate and enjoys few
things more than eating out with friends, trying out new dishes
from the top chefs across the Midlands.
An interesting aspect of the operation is that not only do
members seek out James's advice, but are extremely good at
reporting back both the good and the not so good. This in
turn enables him to pass on this information to the restaurateurs
who like to be kept informed of customer reaction. It also
enables James to keep the restaurant list up to date; a change of
chef for the worse, or habitual poor, slow service can see a
restaurant being struck off. This is appreciated by his members who
know that by and large any restaurant on his web site is well worth
a visit.
It is a littler over a year since James Day set up GourmetLife
in Shropshire. He has now moved on to Hereford and Worcestershire
and is already penetrating Warwickshire and Birmingham. He
doesn't want to conquer the world, but he makes no secret about the
fact that members are asking him for advice on where to eat in
London when they go down on either business or pleasure.
For more details on how to gain 20% off over 50 top restaurants in
the region, please download the information below.
For more information on Gourmet life visit their website here