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Popular eatery celebrates 20 years in Nailsworth

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When Paddy Clatworthy finished his third summer season working as the chef in a family-owned restaurant surrounded by olive trees, on the idyllic Greek island of Spetses, he knew it was time to move on, writes James Deegan.

More than twenty years later, that place – the renowned Olive Tree, in Nailsworth – is itself a much-loved family restaurant, in another beautiful spot.

But Paddy had an itch he couldn’t scratch – the dream of running his own place, with his own personality stamped into it.

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Dream team: Tracey Tubb, Paddy Clatworthy and Tracey Bell Pic: Lotti Law

The Olive Tree has one other thing in common with the little white taverna in the sun-bleached southern Peloponnese – its moussaka.

“When I made the difficult decision to leave the Rema Taverna,” said Paddy, “I went to see the brothers who owned it, Christo and Yannis, who had become good friends. They were sorry to see me go, because we’d become close, and asked me if there was anything I’d like to take with me as a memento of my time with them. There was only one answer… the recipe for their mum’s moussaka.”

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The Olive Tree Pic: Lotti Law

It was the first thing on The Olive Tree’s menu when it eventually opened a few years later, and it’s still Paddy’s favourite on an extensive menu of Mediterranean dishes heavily influenced by the cuisine of Greece, Italy, and Spain.

“I can’t reveal the secret ingredients,’” he says, with a smile, “other than that it’s made with love. I can say that we’ve served literally tens of thousands of them since we first opened our doors.”

Paddy’s journey in creating The Olive Tree with his wife Sarah started more than twenty years ago, after their long grounding on Spetses, in the French Alps, and with American and British restaurant chains.

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Lily and Evie Clatworthy Pic: Lotti Law

At the time, Paddy and Sarah were back in the UK, and on the career treadmill with Bass Leisure, which owned restaurants and bars up and down the country.

They could have climbed the ladder at Bass, but they were disillusioned with impersonal and restrictive corporate culture, and had that nagging dream at the backs of their minds – to open their own family restaurant and coffee bar, focused on delicious, home-cooked Mediterranean food made with the freshest ingredients, the best possible coffee, and a really personal service.

Paddy added: “Bass was a high pressure, highly-professional environment, and absolutely brilliant training, but we wanted the scope to bring our own personality into our work, and to really get to know our staff and customers, and to really test ourselves. The only way to do that was to run our own place. So we handed in our notice and started working on our plan.”

0d584390 769f 45a6 8ee7 0cb61f132dd5 | Popular eatery celebrates 20 years in Nailsworth
Paddy Clatworthy Pic: Lotti Law

Going from the safety of employment with a national organisation to suddenly working for yourself, with all the risks and headaches that brings, was obviously a scary moment, and the couple were under no illusions about how tough the restaurant business is.

They knew only too well that around 80% of restaurants fail inside five years.

The Olive Tree is one of the success stories: two decades later, it’s still going strong – testament to their hard work, talent, and commitment – and has just celebrated its twentieth birthday with a major refurb.

Along the way, they’ve also welcomed two daughters, both of whom now work at the restaurant.

Back in the early 2000s, after quitting Bass, Paddy and Sarah took a much-needed ‘gap year’ around south east Asia, recharging their batteries and finessing their plans.

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Paddy Clatworthy Pic: Lotti Law

When they got home, the first job was to find premises – and they were ‘incredibly lucky’ to happen on Nailsworth, and the George Street building they’ve occupied ever since.

“We loved the town and the restaurant as soon as we saw it,” said Paddy.

“It was such a special place, hidden away in this picturesque valley on the edge of the Cotswolds, with such friendly, open people, and its wide range of independent shops, and lovely old stonework.

“It was perfect – we met the landlords, Chamberlain’s Estate, who have been fantastic and supportive ever since – and did the deal. We sold our house and secured a loan, and started immediately. It was hard work – we refurbished and rebranded it without closing for a single hour. We lived in a flat opposite, served customers by day, and just worked through the night turning it into The Olive Tree.”

It was a baptism of fire – the couple had run top restaurants, but they also needed to learn the ropes of building a brand and a reputation.

They achieved it with a lot of hard work, which paid off with a steady stream of customers, attracted by the restaurant’s growing reputation for excellent customer service, and delicious and authentic food inspired by the best of Italian, Greek, and Spanish cuisine, cooked with locally-sourced ingredients wherever possible.

Cam Catering Butchers supply The Olive Tree’s meat, all of which is reared nearby. They also buy from Sherston Eggs, Woodchester Wine, Stroud Brewery, and Stonehouse’s Dangerfield Bakery. The coffee – The Olive Tree’s backbone, says Paddy – uses an exclusive bean from legendary roasters James Gourmet of Ross-On-Wye.

“Many of our customers have been with us every step of our journey,” said Paddy.

“Over the years, and now decades, many have become good friends, and it’s almost as though we’re an extension of their own homes. We’ve been with people on their entire journeys, from christening celebrations, through countless birthday parties and wedding breakfasts, to, sadly, a few wakes, and everything in between. The customers are the first thing we think about, from the moment we open in the morning for coffee and a homemade cake, through lunchtimes, our growing afternoon tea offer, and obviously dinner.”

And the long-term loyalty built around The Olive Tree doesn’t stop there – it extends to the staff, too.

“Our Head Chef, Tracey Tubb, has been with us for sixteen years,” said Paddy.

“She’s supported by our Sous Chef, Tracey Bell, who has been with us for eleven years. I’m constantly impressed with their consistently delicious food, which is built around fresh ingredients, sourced as locally as possible.”

Sarah no longer works in the restaurant – she left it in Paddy’s capable hands in 2006, when she had the first of the couple’s two daughters. She has since retrained as a highly successful Sports Massage Therapist, based out of the family home in a village near Nailsworth, but those daughters – Evie and Lily – have more than taken her place, giving Paddy the joy and pride of working alongside them.

“The Olive Tree is truly a family business,” said Paddy. “Working with both girls is an absolute pleasure, and I’m fully aware of fortunate I to spend this time with my teenage daughters.”

It hasn’t been all plain sailing – the 2008 financial crisis and the Covid lockdowns were both immensely challenging, as is the ongoing cost of living crisis, and the energy costs which are particularly hard on restaurants.

Paddy has horror stories to tell – such as the overnight increase in utility bills from £10,000 to £35,000, and the inflationary effect on food prices, which can mean a menu becomes unprofitable in between printing it and putting it in front of a customer. At times, the stress has affected his health.

But the wide smile is still there as he talks about the way he and his team have fought through it all, with a lot of grit and determination, and he is confident that the future looks bright.

“I don’t believe in resting on your laurels,’ he said. ‘We’ve had some famous days and nights here, but the best is yet to come. Watch this space.”

www.theolivetree-nailsworth.com

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