Sam Harrison, a distinguished restaurateur with decades of experience, has recently opened his doors to Brentford with Sam's Waterside.  

The unveiling marks a significant expansion for Harrison, who already boasts successful establishments in Hammersmith and Chiswick.  

Reflecting on his journey from Sam's Brasserie in 2005 to his current eateries, Harrison notes the evolution in his approach. 

Harrison told Nub News: "Sam's Riverside and Sam's Waterside are a bit more grown up, maybe a bit more refined, a little bit more elegant." 

Growing up in Fulham in the '70s and '80s, Harrison fondly recalls a sense of community that he now seeks to replicate in his restaurants. 

He highlighted the vital role community support plays in the success of his restaurants, acknowledging the importance of regular customers.  

Sam's Waterside is part of the Brentford Project which will see new shops come to Brentford High Street (credit: Cesar Medina).

Harrison said: "West London, Hammersmith, Chiswick and Brentford has a community and they're all like little villages, little towns, and I love that. 

"My restaurants can only work if we have the community that supports it. We need people to come regularly." 

The inception of Sam's Waterside took meticulous planning, with Harrison first spotting the site three years ago during lockdown. 

Partnering with the business-savvy Fanny Stocker, who expertly managed the build, Harrison describes the lengthy process from securing the location to the four-month fit-out period.  

The 50-year-old explained: "Before they (Ballymore) built the buildings, it just excited me, the whole Brentford Project. 

Sam's Waterside is Sam Harrisons new restaurant near Brentford High Street (credit: Stevie Campbell).

"Then you have a sense of an idea and then we started the conversation with the developers and then we probably secured it (the site) about two years ago."  

"We started working on designs and ideas. It was about a four-month fit out process. It was a long time to get here, and then you're just happy to open the doors." 

Harrison added: "Fanny's my business partner, my friend. We do it together. She project managed the build and she's brilliant. 

"Sometimes she's more behind the scenes, but I wouldn't be able to be out front doing the stuff that I love if I didn't have her making the restaurants look beautiful.  

Nowadays, it might be rare to bump into Gordon Ramsey or Jamie Oliver in one of their many restaurants, whereas Harrison still loves interacting with customers and working front of house.  

"My name is above the door," he stated. 

Adding: "I think it would be a bit false it I wasn't there. People were like, 'wow, you're Sam' and I'm serving your coffee, clearing your table. 

"To me that's what restaurants should be. 

"If you look at my team, they're quite a young team with lots of energy. But I think when they see Sam, the owner, working with them, I hope it inspires them and makes them want to work harder." 

Chargrilled Octopus, Dorset Nduja, Gordal Olives, Capers from Sam's Waterside (credit: Jean-Francois Rodriguez).

Sam's Waterside, with its focus on modern British cuisine, offers a menu curated by Harrison and Head Chef Jacob Keen Downs. 

The dishes, ranging from a fish stew to a tempting burger, reflect Harrison's commitment to providing exceptional comfort food.  

Harrison said: "We throw ideas at each other all the time.  

"It's a creative relationship but it's Jacob's menu and we work on it together." 

Despite the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, Harrison reflected on the importance of resilience and staying focused on the controllable aspects of the business.  

Harrison admitted: "I think in business sometimes you have to be kind to yourself. Nobody had control over Covid and there was only so much any of us could do to try and survive.  

"And I'm so lucky that we did. There are things that will always happen that will knock you off kilter. 

"But you stay focused on what you do and all I can do is make sure that my restaurants are constantly good, that we look after people, that we smile and that we serve good food." 

Sam Harrison says the TV series, The Bear, is the closest fictional depection of what the restaurant industry is like (credit: Stevie Campbell).

And in comparing the day-to-day challenges that restaurants may face, Harrison mentioned the hit cooking series, The Bear.  

Unlike in the show where a Michelin star chef returns home to Chicago to inherit his dead brother's chaotic sandwich shop and rebuild it into something meaningful, Sam's Waterside had to deal with putting a team together, staying on track and bringing a restaurant to life.  

Harrison said: "I Loved it. I'm hooked. Obsessed. It's the closest any TV show has captured of the madness of restaurants. 

"It really gets across what people put into restaurants. It's brutal. It's intense. 

Laughing, Harrison added: "In the show it had the countdown on how many weeks to go until opening.  

"And we were sort of the same here and my missus was like, 'why are you watching the show? It's not helping you to relax.'"  

As Harrison continues to receive a warm reception from locals and critics alike, he remains eager to continue integrating into the Brentford community, recognising the excitement among residents for the addition of Sam's Waterside.  

"I got an Uber home a couple of nights ago and I got chatting with the driver he just said, 'Sam, people in Brentford are so excited.'  

"And that just made me feel like wow. It's just so lovely," he said. 

To find out more about Sam's Waterside and to make a reservation, click here.

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