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You probably won’t see many restaurant owners up on the roof of their restaurants
cleaning the soffits, but Alec Smith is one such man.
From cutting the grass on the cricket green opposite to picking up litter, no detail is overlooked
by the owner of the eponymous Alec’s restaurant. A self-confessed perfectionist, Alec led a
clean-up of the local area when he took over the then derelict Green Man pub in Essex’s
picturesque Navestock Side in 2009. The building had been on Alec’s radar for years. Once a
busy pub and wedding venue, it had fallen into neglect and stood empty for two years. Alec
saw its potential and invested £2.5m to rebuild and refurbish it.
The result is stunning. From the well-laid out kitchens to the terrace with views over rolling
fields, Alec’s is a beautiful place to come for either lunch or dinner. It appeals
to both regular diners, who eat there two or three times a week, to those who come to
celebrate a special occasion. It’s not short of celebrity guests, yet Alec is discreet about
his clientele.
“It’s remarkably successful. However I always knew it would be,” he says jovially. “I know the
game. We’re the best in the area.”
I love what I do. It’s my life. I go to bed thinking
about it and wake up thinking about it.
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A Dining Experience Designed with Perfection
ESSEX | ENGLAND