I'm thinking about creating a live wall, so all of our herbs and spices will be grown right here.

It's beautiful here. It's a great neighbourhood. I'm having an event here on December 8 for the whole street. It's going to be a big street party. We've got all the shops here, all the galleries involved. I've got beer and wine suppliers, so every shop will have wine and beer. Each store will have coupons, and then I'll put a notice up on our website so people can buy tickets.

My partner is a chef. I was in investment and corporate real estate for four years.

I don't function so well in the corporate world - I'm a better entrepreneur than I am an employee. I went on a trip to Berlin, and I saw something similar to what Secret Ingredient does, at a supermarket. I thought if we could tweak the idea for here, it might just work.

We were thinking about what makes a great meal in a gourmet restaurant. What makes it great are the sauces, the spreads, the marinades, and the rubs - that is really the crux of a great meal. We thought that [the lack of quality ingredients] was probably stopping people making a great meal. So we decided that was what we needed to be making.

Our customers are often busy people who don't have much free time. But they do want to eat a balanced meal. If you look at our menu right now, we create a wasabi rub for the steak. We create an apple cider vinaigrette that goes on chicken, as well as a salad. How often do people do that?

We're much more of an experiential brand. I'm trying to give a great at-home experience, whether you're on a date, or cooking with your children.

Pan-roasted salmon with blue cheese and a balsamic reduction. If I wanted to get the girl, that's what I'd make.