A DA M
T H E
H Y M A N
H Y M A N
M E E T T H E M A N W H O H A S T H E L O N D O N R E S TA U R A N T
A N D H O S P I TA L I T Y S C E N E W R A P P E D A R O U N D H I S
F I N G E R . T Y D I N T R O D U C E S YO U TO A DA M H Y M A N ,
FOUNDER OF CODE.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY TOM COCKRAM
adam c asual ly e n te rs th e i n te rvi e w r oo m
(the vacant
boardroom of his office) sporting a cheeky smile on his face. “I had a
naughty day off to Paris yesterday,” he confesses as he lets off a short
yawn adjusting in his seat; his pose relaxed.
Of course, when your contact book is filled with top restaurant
group executives and renowned chefs and you work as hard as Hyman
advising these people on strategies and trends, we can all agree that
cheeky a day off on a quiet Monday is justified.
In one sentence, what makes the
perfect dining experience?
“The people you dine with.”
“Up to this very day, it was never the food that caught my
attention [about restaurants] - that has always been second - for me
it was always about the buzz of visiting somewhere new” he explains,
elaborating on his answer of the perfect dining experience. “Many
head chefs and restaurateurs would agree on this too - experience
comes first, food second - people will always make a decision to come
back based on their overall experience.”
Born to a catering entrepreneur (his mother) and a Groupe Chez
Gérard executive (his father), Adam’s passion and appreciation for food
and the industry grew from a young age. He grew up learning about
what made restaurants tick as well as expanding his taste palate of
good food and wine.
After completing his university degree, a brief stint working in
commercial property and obtaining a property surveying qualification,
Hyman still found himself drawn to the restaurant industry. Unsure of
how exactly how he would fit in, an encounter with restaurant mogul
Jeremy King (Corbin & King) would play a factor in offering a bit more
clarity - he had to be creative.
“I didn’t want to take the plunge and work front-of-house” he
recalls, reminiscing of the point where the idea of CODE met its
inception, “and I didn’t want to work for a PR firm or a commercial
property firm specialising in leisure and hospitality.”
In November 2011, he launched CODE, a [now] leading
restaurant consultancy which would be formed as a hybrid of Hyman’s
commercial property experience, london restaurant knowledge and
social media know-how. His close relationship with Jeremy King would
lead to King being his first client; and from which many more followed.
When did you realise you were good
at what you do?
“It is always a humbling experience
when you receive a third-party
endorsement i.e. when somebody
openly appreciates the work you
carried out for somebody else.”
As CODE’s reputation grew, Adam spotted an opportunity
to communicate insightful information and news to London’s elite
restaurateurs and head chefs - an existing demand that was yet to
be fulfilled. Enter the CODE Bulletin, a weekly newsletter filled with
industry news, offers and exclusive content, fully embraced by its niche
readers.
Aside from his innocent, cool-kid exterior, Adam Hyman is what
we call a ‘silent influencer’ using his expertise to ensure the London
and, soon to be, the world’s restaurant and hospitality industry stays
innovative in providing memorable experiences.
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