Darren Selby
OUR GOODMAN FAMILY
Meet Darren, General Manager at Goodman Canary Wharf.
He likes a good shoe and is rarely without his vintage watch. If you’re heading to the petrol station, he’ll have a Star Bar, prefers HobNobs to Digestives, is oddly ambivalent about Marmite – “but probably more ‘no’ than ‘yes’” – and thinks you should ALWAYS order the Prawn Tempura.
Darren’s path to Goodman started, appropriately, over charcoal grilled meat. “I was General Manager at Langan’s Brasserie for a decade or so,” explains Darren. “After it went into liquidation, I was at a BBQ with some of the old staff and Tim, who used to be one of my managers and at the time was a waiter at Goodman City, told me that Goodman were looking…”
That opportunity turned into an interview, a couple of trial shifts and a spell at Goodman City and, shortly after, the General Manager opportunity arose at Canary Wharf “and the guys here have been absolutely brilliant,” says Darren. “It’s a great team. When you speak to the regulars they always talk about how good the team is, how young and vibrant, the experience they give, from bar to restaurant.”
“I love Goodman, the ethos, that it’s all about the people, the guests and the team. That’s exactly how I’ve been all my career. I’ve brought a few of my old customers in, and they’re becoming Goodman regulars too.”
And your perfect Goodman order?
“Bone-In Ribeye, probably Belted Galloway, but definitely from the Lake District, and a USDA Porterhouse. All the sides. And don’t forget the Prawn Tempura…”
Credits
Interview by Neil Davey
Photography by Tom Bowles