Twenty years on the Barbican: Chris and James Tanner

The brothers behind Barbican Kitchen look back on two decades of their Plymouth restaurant – from opening day chaos to the growth of the South West dining scene and the principles that still guide the restaurant today

Barbican Kitchen opened its doors twenty years ago. What stands out most about those early days?

Lots of different things! It was a massive jump for us, going from one to two restaurants at that time. Also, on the day we opened, we actually went to the Exeter Food & Drink Festival to do a demo with Michael [Caines] as well! What were we thinking?

The dining scene has changed dramatically since you started out. What shifts have been most striking?

The dining scene has just improved year on year over the last two decades. In the South West, it has been impressive to watch it evolve and transform into what it is now.

What have you been most determined to preserve about Barbican Kitchen?

We have always been about affordable quality, using the South West’s larder available to us and, more importantly, making it accessible to everyone and creating memories for people. Barbican Kitchen has become a bit of an institution in Plymouth.

How has your longstanding partnership shaped the restaurant?

This year will be 27 years since we opened Tanners restaurant. We ran that site successfully for 15 years. We have always been focused on “doing it properly”, and sometimes two heads are better than one. With the opening of The Kentish Hare in Bidborough, Kent, we have opened three businesses in our careers.

How has your approach to cooking and running a kitchen evolved?

Our approach to cooking has never really changed from when we started all those years ago. It has evolved throughout the years, and this is in part thanks to some of our team, with a few of them having been with us for 20 years!

What role does the Trencherman’s Guide play in supporting and connecting the region’s restaurants?

The Trencherman’s Guide has established itself as the “go-to guide” for the South West. Very much like the dining scene, it has been a pleasure to watch it evolve over the last 27 years.

After twenty years, what still excites you about service – and what does the next chapter look like?

We still can’t quite believe Barbican Kitchen is 20 years young this year! It only seems like yesterday that we were in the back office at Tanners after service, planning and devising the concept for Barbican Kitchen. We’d like to think that Barbican Kitchen will continue for many more years to come, feeding the people of Plymouth and beyond.