Tell us about The Jones Family Project, what did inspire you to start it?
We had sold our last restaurant and bar business and were looking to start a new one using the best quality ingredients we could. We wanted to spend more time sourcing ingredients than actually cooking them. We spent a few years looking for a new site and were very excited to finally find something in Shoreditch. We had tried to buy the Tramshed building in 1995, so it has certainly taken its time!
What is unique about the restaurant?
We try to have a project-like space that can constantly evolve. We can only do this in certain areas of course but we hope that some of the things we try will translate into bigger things in the future. We hope we have something for everyone from workspaces during the day and great cocktails in the evening in our bar to intimate dining spaces and themed pop ups that change every few months in our restaurant. We’ve just introduced a Wine Club and Cellar Club. Do you know any other restaurants where you can store your own wine and drink it whenever you come in?
How do you select the menu for the restaurant?
We work closely together to create seasonally appropriate menus from our fantastic suppliers. We run exhaustive but delicious tasting sessions and tweak things many times before they actually get to the menu. Specials of the day are a great way to get customer reaction to dishes that we hope will end up on the menu.
What is your signature dish that everyone has to try?
We have several dishes that we are really proud of. All our amazing quality steaks from Longhorn cattle are delicious, but the Pork rib eye seems to capturing everyone’s attention too. A well-travelled customer told us we had the best burger in the world a few weeks ago (it comes with very slow cooked oxtail), so that was also a gratefully received accolade.
Why did you choose Shoreditch/East London for the new restaurant?
We had been looking around the area for years and have always liked it for its ability to evolve fast and be open to new ideas. I think that’s still the case. People here expect you to be creative and thoughtful in everything you do. It’s a great place to be brave.
What would you say has been the most memorable experience while developing this business?
Probably the first time we were really busy on a Friday night. It’s great to see a really full restaurant and bar. I especially like it when people eat at the downstairs bar. It’s my favorite place to eat as you get the best of both worlds – a buzzing restaurant and a great cocktail bar.
What are your future plans?
We are going to bed down for the next 6 months or so and concentrate on our new wine club and the restaurant pop-ups. Hopefully we will have some really original concepts for people to come and try.
Social links:
Website: www.jonesfamilyproject.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thejonesfamilyproject
Twitter: @jonesshorditch
Instagram: @jonesshorditch
