Nick Jones (entrepreneur)
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Keith Arthur Jones (born 1963) is an English entrepreneur. He is the owner of the Babington House
hotel and health club and founder and chief executive of Soho House UK Ltd
, which specialises in luxury private members’ club venues with restaurants, cinemas, health spas and bedrooms, with some aspects open to the public. He is married to the broadcaster Kirsty Young
.
, the third of four children. At seven, he was sent to boarding school. By his own admission, he didn't shine at school, and partly puts this down to his dyslexia
. By the time he left school at 17 he had decided on a career in catering. "It was considered a shit job, 20 years ago. But that was partly the reason why I wanted to go into it. Plus, I'm obsessed with food." He was partly influenced in this decision by the fact that his mother "was a great cook in the Robert Carrier mould".
in Park Lane. In the 1980s, Jones created Over the Top, a small group of restaurants.
He opened the Soho House Club
above his Café Boheme restaurant in 1995. His current portfolio includes six London restaurants (Balham Kitchen & Bar, Barcelona, Boheme Kitchen and Bar, Café Boheme, Cecconi’s and Electric Brasserie).
The clubs include Soho House (London and New York), Babington House
in Somerset
, and the Electric House and High Road House & Brasserie in London.
The group has also developed the Cowshed spa and salon along with a line of Cowshed-branded hair and body products.
In 1998 he acquired Babington House
, which offered a private members’ club and cinema but, unlike Soho House, opened its restaurant to the public.
In that year, he was cautioned by police after eleven Polish illegal immigrants were found working at the hotel. The hotel has gained a strong celebrity following, hosting many notable weddings.
In 2003, he opened Soho House New York (with 24 bedrooms, a cinema, bar, restaurant, Cowshed spa and private members’ club), along with the Balham Kitchen & Bar and in early 2004 took over the daily operation of Mayfair restaurant Cecconi’s which was reopened in late 2005 after a complete makeover.
at Babington House
in September 1999, having met her there in 1998. They have two daughters, Freya (born February 2001) and Iona (born April 2006). Amongst several homes, they own a house in Los Angeles
, California, USA.
Babington House
Babington House is a Grade II* listed manor house, located in the village of Babington, between Radstock and Frome, in the county of Somerset, EnglandConverted to a private members club and hotel by Nick Jones, it is currently owned by Soho House Ltd...
hotel and health club and founder and chief executive of Soho House UK Ltd
Soho House (club)
Soho House is a well-known private members club patronized by those in the arts and media. The original location is at Greek Street, Soho, London, England . There are now nine 'houses' worldwide, found in Babington, Notting Hill, Chiswick, Shoreditch, Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, West...
, which specialises in luxury private members’ club venues with restaurants, cinemas, health spas and bedrooms, with some aspects open to the public. He is married to the broadcaster Kirsty Young
Kirsty Young
Kirsty Jackson Young is a Scottish television presenter and radio presenter. She is the main presenter of Crimewatch and Desert Island Discs. She is married to millionaire club owner Nick Jones.- Career :...
.
Early life
His father was an insurance broker. Jones grew up in Cobham, SurreyCobham, Surrey
Cobham is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, about south-west of central London and north of Leatherhead. Elmbridge has been acclaimed by the Daily Mail as the best place to live in the UK, and Cobham is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt...
, the third of four children. At seven, he was sent to boarding school. By his own admission, he didn't shine at school, and partly puts this down to his dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
. By the time he left school at 17 he had decided on a career in catering. "It was considered a shit job, 20 years ago. But that was partly the reason why I wanted to go into it. Plus, I'm obsessed with food." He was partly influenced in this decision by the fact that his mother "was a great cook in the Robert Carrier mould".
Career
After leaving school he joined the Trusthouse Forte training scheme in 1980. He spent eight years with the group, rising to marketing manager at Grosvenor House HotelGrosvenor House Hotel
Grosvenor House is a large and luxurious hotel. The iconic Mayfair, London hotel is owned by the Sahara Group. The name has also been licensed to a property in Dubai....
in Park Lane. In the 1980s, Jones created Over the Top, a small group of restaurants.
He opened the Soho House Club
Soho House (club)
Soho House is a well-known private members club patronized by those in the arts and media. The original location is at Greek Street, Soho, London, England . There are now nine 'houses' worldwide, found in Babington, Notting Hill, Chiswick, Shoreditch, Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, West...
above his Café Boheme restaurant in 1995. His current portfolio includes six London restaurants (Balham Kitchen & Bar, Barcelona, Boheme Kitchen and Bar, Café Boheme, Cecconi’s and Electric Brasserie).
The clubs include Soho House (London and New York), Babington House
Babington House
Babington House is a Grade II* listed manor house, located in the village of Babington, between Radstock and Frome, in the county of Somerset, EnglandConverted to a private members club and hotel by Nick Jones, it is currently owned by Soho House Ltd...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, and the Electric House and High Road House & Brasserie in London.
The group has also developed the Cowshed spa and salon along with a line of Cowshed-branded hair and body products.
In 1998 he acquired Babington House
Babington House
Babington House is a Grade II* listed manor house, located in the village of Babington, between Radstock and Frome, in the county of Somerset, EnglandConverted to a private members club and hotel by Nick Jones, it is currently owned by Soho House Ltd...
, which offered a private members’ club and cinema but, unlike Soho House, opened its restaurant to the public.
In that year, he was cautioned by police after eleven Polish illegal immigrants were found working at the hotel. The hotel has gained a strong celebrity following, hosting many notable weddings.
In 2003, he opened Soho House New York (with 24 bedrooms, a cinema, bar, restaurant, Cowshed spa and private members’ club), along with the Balham Kitchen & Bar and in early 2004 took over the daily operation of Mayfair restaurant Cecconi’s which was reopened in late 2005 after a complete makeover.
Personal life
He has two children, Natasha and Oliver, from his first marriage to Tania. He married his second wife TV presenter Kirsty YoungKirsty Young
Kirsty Jackson Young is a Scottish television presenter and radio presenter. She is the main presenter of Crimewatch and Desert Island Discs. She is married to millionaire club owner Nick Jones.- Career :...
at Babington House
Babington House
Babington House is a Grade II* listed manor house, located in the village of Babington, between Radstock and Frome, in the county of Somerset, EnglandConverted to a private members club and hotel by Nick Jones, it is currently owned by Soho House Ltd...
in September 1999, having met her there in 1998. They have two daughters, Freya (born February 2001) and Iona (born April 2006). Amongst several homes, they own a house in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California, USA.
External links
- http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2006/09/21/309630/nick-jones.html