Off hours: Love Food boss goes beyond Dubai for right ingredients

The managing director of the meal delivery service Love Food says moving from full-time employment to running his own business has come with a number of challenges - from financial sacrifices to not having enough time to spend with his girlfriend.

Stuart Walton says that his biggest indulgence is ingredients for his restaurant. And maybe his set of knives. Victor Besa for The National

Stuart Walton is the executive chef and managing director of Love Food, a Dubai-based meal delivery service. With more than 14 years' experience, the Australian has travelled the world cooking at small boutique cafes and international restaurants in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Greece and Australia. For the past four years, Mr Walton, 33, who set up Love Food with is countryman Richard Hannaby and a silent partner in 2014, has been in Dubai launching restaurants for hoteliers. He believes good nutrition should not mean having to compromise on taste.

How do you spend your weekend?

It’s always difficult to make time in the weekends to relax and recharge the batteries. I have always been an early riser, so the first thing I do on a Friday morning is go for a run on the beach. It’s amazing how this vibrant city can be so quiet and tranquil in the mornings. The daytime on Friday is spent experimenting in the kitchen. Richard and I spend a considerable amount of time designing our menus, based on the fresh organic produce available in the coming week. It’s what makes us unique. I also make it a point to go to new restaurants at least once a fortnight to sample some of the new food Dubai has to offer. The three of us spend time on Saturdays brainstorming our plans and assessing the progress we have made towards achieving our original short-term goals.

How did you become a managing director?

Two chefs and a foodie is how it all started. I had spent a considerable amount of time in the region helping others build successful businesses. The three of us knew what it takes to make a successful business work and we wanted to put this into practice. It is so difficult to take that step from having a steady income to starting a business. It was extremely difficult for all of us, and we have had to make significant sacrifices financially. We had spent more than three years saving to enable us to actually start the businesses. Initially we started Elements, which was then followed by Love Food. We also have a couple of other concepts in the pipeline.

What is your go-to gadget?

It has to be my smartphone – what would we do without it? It’s a business tool that I don’t think anyone could live without.

What was the lowest point of your career?

The most difficult situation I have had to deal with is not being rewarded for my hard work. I realised quickly that working for others when you have an entrepreneurial mindset can make things difficult. I always enjoyed seeing the efforts I’ve made come to fruition, but what many forget is the long-term objectives. Concepts need to be nurtured, and I wanted to build a brand that stands for something and had longevity. This is why I moved on and took this step with people who think like me.

What advice would you offer others starting out in your business?

Plan well and make sure you have adequate funding. Dubai is a fantastic city that will help entrepreneurs build something special, but as with all ventures your numbers need to make sense.

What is your most indulgent habit?

Ingredients. I will insist on the best, even if it means asking for something obscure from elsewhere in the world.

What do you have on your desk at work?

My desk is a stainless steel worktop and my knifes are my pens. You could also call them an indulgence.

What can’t you live without?

Time with my girlfriend, which has been difficult to find since we set up the business.

How do you achieve a work-life balance?

This is very important, but I do understand how difficult it is for chefs and business owners. We are so connected, as we live in the age of communication, and it is so difficult to switch off. I hope that over time this can improve for me. I do try to switch my phone off for at least three to four hours on the weekend, but it has been difficult to do this consistently. I think when you start your first business it is even more difficult to maintain such a balance, and we are all trying to build a better future and that means sacrifices to begin with.

If you could swap jobs with anyone, who would it be and why?

No job would entice me away from what I do every day. It is amazing. I love to watch the faces of guests at our events when they try something new and unique. I go to work having the best parts of being an entrepreneur chef and being a creative artist.