{"id":17263,"date":"2023-10-12T22:50:37","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T22:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/startups\/a-holy-remedy-to-fill-the-hole-in-londons-mexican-restaurant-scene\/"},"modified":"2023-10-12T22:50:38","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T22:50:38","slug":"a-holy-remedy-to-fill-the-hole-in-londons-mexican-restaurant-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=17263","title":{"rendered":"A \u2018Holy Remedy\u2019 To Fill The Hole In London\u2019s Mexican Restaurant Scene"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Edson Diaz-Fuentes has been on a 15-year-long mission to transform London\u2019s Mexican food scene. As the co-founder with Natalie Diaz-Fuentes of Santo Remedio, he\u2019s already made his mark \u2013 but as he tells me, their work is still not complete.<\/p>\n

Born in Mexico City, Diaz-Fuentes first came to the UK in the early 2000s and immediately noticed a lack of proper Mexican food compared to New York, where he had lived for a time. Santo Remedio, which means \u2018holy remedy\u2019 in Spanish, refers to Mexican food being the remedy to fix the previous dearth of options for lovers of Mexican food.<\/p>\n

Today, Diaz-Fuentes oversees two bustling locations in London Bridge and Shoreditch, but like all entrepreneurs \u2013 particularly those in hospitality \u2013 it hasn\u2019t come without challenges. For starters, sourcing authentic ingredients has been a hurdle from day one. Many specialty items come directly from Mexico at a premium. \u201cFor me, the most important thing is flavor, so I do use authentic ingredients like Mexican dried chilies and herbs. But we adapt when we can’t source items that meet our standards due to seasonality or availability.\u201d For example, using Spanish poblanos or Thai chilis: “It\u2019s a question of flavor,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Replicating traditional cooking methods abroad has limits too. As much as he would love to serve barbacoa lamb, which is traditionally roasted overnight in an underground pit, running restaurants in the heart of London doesn\u2019t allow it. There always trade-offs, with the challenge being how to maximize the flavor and service.<\/p>\n

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Family-style sharing plates reflect Mexico\u2019s communal, familial dining culture. \u201cWe didn’t invent our style of service,\u201d Diaz-Fuentes says. \u201cI’ve always wanted to highlight that sharing is integral to Mexican food culture. Tapas-style sharing has become very trendy for restaurants, but for us it’s an authentic way of dining.\u201d<\/p>\n

He welcomes more Mexican eateries popping up over the years as signs of progress. \u201cCompetition is really good. That means that the supply chain is better.\u201d But he stresses that the quality of service matters as much as food. A challenge in the UK, compared to other countries, is that many people don\u2019t consider hospitality to be a career \u2013 hence his recent decision to get a sponsor license to hire talent from abroad.<\/p>\n

Having the right location is critical and that involves working with landlords: “I think that there are really good landlords that understand the business model. And they understand that attracting concepts like us for their estate, long term is what matters,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m talking about 20 years, 25 years\u201d… \u201cwe are in the game for the long term.”<\/p>\n

Diaz-Fuentes grew up in Mexico City, and admires Elena Reygadas, who fuses fresh pasta with Mexican flavors. The search continues for more inspiration. Soon he will visit Los Cabos \u2013 the number one organic producer in Mexico and one of the biggest farm-to-table destinations globally \u2013 to create a limited edition menu with the likes of Angel Carbajal, Javier Plascencia, Edgar Rom\u00e1n, and C\u00e9sar Pita.<\/p>\n

Perhaps he\u2019ll find some potential employees while out there. \u201cThose who have visited Mexico talk about how friendly Mexicans are and how we try to accommodate guests. I want to offer that same spirit of service,\u201d he says. It\u2019s worked in the past: \u201cWhen I travel I’ll chat with people in restaurants abroad and encourage those with the skills to consider coming to work in London someday.\u201d Some of them have called when in London and have gone to work with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not all about food and drink. You can eat and drink anywhere. But how do we make you feel once you are here? How do we treat you to exceed your expectations?\u201d Ultimately, the measure of success is when people keep coming back with their friends and family.<\/p>\n

A third full restaurant is in their sights: \u201cWe have an established reputation, and we still see huge potential to replicate our concept in new neighborhoods.\u201d Let\u2019s hope they can find the talented employees needed to deliver.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Edson Diaz-Fuentes has been on a 15-year-long mission to transform London\u2019s Mexican food scene. As the co-founder with Natalie Diaz-Fuentes of Santo Remedio, he\u2019s already made his mark \u2013 but as he tells me, their work is still not complete. Born in Mexico City, Diaz-Fuentes first came to the UK in the early 2000s and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-17263","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-startups"},"yoast_head":"\nA \u2018Holy Remedy\u2019 To Fill The Hole In London\u2019s Mexican Restaurant Scene | Brandiary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Edson Diaz-Fuentes has been on a 15-year-long mission to transform London\u2019s Mexican food scene. 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