We’re kicking off our new ‘Behind the Scenes’ interview series and where better to start than with legendary Georgia, who opened Table 13 during the pandemic.

When did Table 13 first open?

Table 13 was a project that I have been working on for the past year, throughout lockdown, that came to fruition in 2021. Over the year, I had hosted some soft openings with friends and family, but we officially opened to the public in November 2021. My parents moved abroad, so I moved back into our family home and with a few tweaks, Table 13 was born.

What was the inspiration behind it/ how did it all begin?

I have always been obsessed with food. I have been brought up around food and encouraged to try everything once, even if at first apprehensive. My parents always took my brother and I with them to restaurants from a young age – cue the raised eyebrows at the only table of 4 on Valentine’s Day.

When I was much younger, in the summer holidays I would transform the kitchen into a restaurant whilst my parents were at work. I used to write a shopping list, take myself off with a backpack and then spend the day cooking and ‘invite’ my parents by text message. My very obliging, older brother would usually be roped in to design the menus. It now feels very special to be hosting Table 13 back in the very same kitchen where it all began.

I’ve always worked within the Hospitality Industry, but in a front-of-house position. I worked for many years at Joe’s in Summertown whilst completing my International Hospitality Degree at Oxford Brookes University. Throughout my degree I completed a placement at The Paternoster Chophouse, London, and took part in an exchange programme in Sydney, Australia.

Upon completion of my degree, I began working at Pidgin in Hackney, London. Pidgin is a very special restaurant, that changes its menu every week and has not repeated a dish in 6 years. I stayed here as General Manager for three years and I think it was here that my passion for food and wine really matured and developed. I was fortunate to sample and create innovative food and wine combinations, week after week and this ever-changing culinary environment really widened the scope of my passion and learning.

There is genuinely nothing I would rather be doing. I feel I was born to set up my own business – and I was destined to find a business that would allow me to share with others my enthusiasm for things I find pleasurable.

My appreciation of the power of hospitality and my desire to harness it have been the greatest contributors to whatever success my restaurants and businesses have had and T13 will have in the future.

Where did you learn to cook and innovate the way that you do?

My craving for the adventures of travel, food, and wine is what first compelled me to do what I do. In fact, I don’t think I had any choice: a career in the restaurant business was going to tap me on the shoulder even if I had not found it first. For as long as I can remember, I have been eating with my eyes, nose and mouth. These explorations of food not only taught me about myself and others but were central factors in how and why I chose to go into the restaurant business. My discoveries have also convinced me that there’s always someone out there who has figured out how to make something taste just a little better. I am inspired by both the search and the discovery.

I have not received formal culinary training, however I have always had an insatiable appetite to hone culinary skills and explore all areas of the kitchen. In the past, I have jumped at the opportunity to assist in professional kitchens, when the occasion arises (one of my first being a 200-cover brunch at Joe’s) and have loved every moment of being in there.

Why plant-based, you may ask? Needing to face this query, as opposed to just doing what felt right, I have realised it’s part of where I am from and where I want to go. Over the past couple of years, scrutiny of meat and seafood-based diets for environmental and social reasons has intensified as the pandemic has exposed weaknesses in global food systems and underscored inequities in life.

‘Just because you can’t do everything, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do something’ – I am not here to change the world or turn you into a vegan. I just want to share my love of food and wine and dispel the myths of plant-based cookery. I want to feed your imagination in a thought-provoking way – and being ecologically sustainable is just a bonus.

What’s been the most challenging thing about running Table 13?

Since the beginning, people have told me that by going into the restaurant business, I chose one of the hardest businesses in the world. True, there are several moving parts that make it particularly challenging. To succeed, you need to apply – simultaneously – skills in real estate, negotiating, hiring, training, motivating, purchasing, budgeting, designing, manufacturing, cooking, tasting, pricing, selling, servicing, marketing, and hosting.

T13 is somewhat of a myth amongst the culinary worlds. I wanted to turn this superstition into an advantage and create surprising plant-based menus, befitting the mysterious nature of this curious table. Yet, I am not a vegan. To me, veganism encapsulates a lifestyle choice, which excludes using animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. However, plant-based eating is based on a diet rich in all things that come from a plant, and not from any animal source. It does not seek to advocate anything more or less. It is rather simple in its form.

T13 is about surprising people, not lecturing them. Simply, food is a journey, not a destination. So above all, I will enjoy making it and I hope you will enjoy eating it. At first, I was unsure of the reception I would receive as a plant-based supper club – but the reaction and support have been truly amazing. There is a firm interest in plant-based cookery and a noticeable shift in favour of plant-based eateries and I am thrilled to be a part of this new future.

What’s been the most rewarding thing?
You may think that the restaurant business is primarily focused on serving good food.

Though, food is secondary to something that matters even more. In the end, what’s most
meaningful is creating positive, uplifting human experiences and human relationships. Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. So, in all of this, we cannot forget that we are talking about food. To me, food is so much more than just sustenance – it is a source of enjoyment, creativity, fun and friendship. This trumps all and this is why I have created T13.

My greatest reward is you – the general public. Taking the time to read my website, like my photos on Instagram, to make reservations and to sit at my table and eat my food. This has been and will always be my greatest reward. No two days are the same, every evening has a new dynamic, new opinions and discussions and I thrive off the interaction with my guests.

Without you, there would be no T13 – so thank you.

What’s next for Table 13?

Table 13 really is just getting started. This year I would like to develop the gardens at T13 HQ and utilise the space we have and feed as many guests from our own land. There is nothing more rewarding than watching the fruits of your labour steadily grow before your eyes. Speaking of the garden, in the warmer months I would really love to host larger groups outside in our garden and cook on open fire. I would also like to collaborate with other local businesses, in the form of pop-ups and joint events, within Oxfordshire. I am totally in awe of the plethora of independent businesses right here in Oxford and I am proud to be part of such a thriving community.

As a businessperson, I listen to two internal voices. First, there is one urging me to succeed, expand, and grow. The other is a persistent ambivalent voice whispering, ‘caution, go deeper, go slower’. For now, I would like to grow my team and surround myself with ambassadors for T13 and grow together to achieve its greatest potential success.

I do have plans to grow and expand T13, but great things take time and for now I want to focus on fulfilling the potential of the supper club and solidifying the foundations of what I plan to be a diverse T13 empire.

Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for someone who might be looking to set up
their own food venture in Oxford?

Do it! When you feel ready and the time is right, go for it. There is a such a supportive and creative network of small businesses and individuals here in Oxford to aid and knowledge, every step of the way.

Start on a smaller scale if you can and control your risk-taking – start small, tweak what shows promise and discard the disasters. Do not fixate on the mistakes or get demoralised by them – learn from them and move on. Learning from others is invaluable. Find mentors, join groups with like-minded people, learn everything you can about your industry and take training courses where they are available – you’ll save a tremendous amount of trial and and error by learning from people who have been there before.

How has Covid affected everything for you?

I can only really take positives from Covid. It gave me time to take a step back and improve my overall lifestyle. I moved out of London and back to Oxford to restore balance in my life and overcome the burnout of the previous few years. I became clear on the things I didn’t enjoy and more importantly the things I do – and I have spent more time doing those. I learned the importance our environment has on our wellbeing and strived to create and promote positivity in my surroundings.

There are no quick fixes to launching a business and I really used my time wisely to execute my exact vision. I taught myself to build my website, code excel spreadsheets and design menus. I took time to choose my plates, glassware, and cutlery – all elements have been carefully considered to give the overall impression of Table 13.

The time allowed me to research and visit local suppliers, that I am working with today, to showcase the greatest ingredients and products that I could find in Oxford. T13 is a labour of love and I am immensely proud of what I have created and the plans I have for the future.

What are your favourite spots for food in Oxfordshire?

A firm favourite for me has to be Green Routes – a fellow plant-based friend. Their breakfasts are incredible – I have been known to order two in one sitting. There are talks of Jazz Roasts this year – sign me up, I’ll be there.
On the subject of breakfast, Joe’s does a fine one and their burgers are also outstanding. The Handlebar is another breakfast favourite of mine (can you tell I like breakfast?)

There are also some great pubs to visit in Oxford, which do not advertise themselves as ‘vegan’ but do fantastic plant-based options. The first, and my favourite, is the Hollybush in Witney. There is no better way to spend a Sunday than indulging in their set menu in the comfort of one of their outside dining sheds. The Perch is also up there as a Sunday contender, for a fantastic roast.

What’s your favourite ice cream flavour?

I am totally obsessed with Little Moons mochi – if you don’t know, get to know. The passionfruit and mango are my favourite, swiftly followed by the Belgian chocolate and hazelnut. I’m not a huge, sweet fan, so these little moons deliver the perfect portion of dessert.

What would your dream starter, main, and dessert be?

This is a very hard question, because I love food and it’s so hard to choose. I am not sure if this is cheating, but my starter would be a host of sharing plates with an abundance of bread. Small plate dining is my favourite way to eat, with a heavy Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influence. Silky smooth houmous, beetroot borani, pumpkin tirshy and muhammara, all with lashings of good quality extra virgin olive oil, mopped up with chargrilled flatbread heavily dusted with za’atar.

A continuation of my starters would lead me to say a main cooked on an open fire – heavily roasted hispi cabbage, courgettes, and sweetcorn brushed with harissa butter. I love the primitive nature of cooking outside on fire and the smoky flavours the wood imparts on the vegetables. However, my heart will always lie with a roast dinner – a puff pastry wellington, lovingly brushed with cranberry sauce and bursting at the seams with lentils, sweet butternut squash and kale. Accompanying this feast are roasted potatoes, mashed swede and purple sprouting broccoli. No roast is a roast without cauliflower cheese and the all-important, gravy.

My dream dessert would be liquid – in the form of dessert wine. A royal Tokaji from Hungary would be my dream choice, with a Mas Amiel from France being a strong contender for second place.

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We’re looking to publish a new interview each month so you can find out the story behind lots of the incredible eateries across Oxfordshire. Give us a shout if there are any specific places you’d like to hear about.