French restaurateur tells how she fell in love with Scotland

Business description

Award-winning Le Di-Vin Wine Bar. It offers a range of tapas-style small plates. When we opened in 2008, We were the first in Edinburgh to introduce cheese and dry cured meat boards to complement our wine, with over 80 wines to choose from and a good selection of them are sold by the glass. We host several wine events throughout the year and are regularly hired by trade companies as our venue is a fantastic setting to exhibit.

The place was previously a Catholic oratory. It has a beautiful and warm interior, with an amazing seven metres long pewter bar, directly imported from Lyon in France whilst the high ceilings create an awesome feeling of space. The chandeliers, wood panelling and stained-glass windows add to the wow factor. Our unique custom built wine wall displaying all of our wines will take your breath away on entering the bar.

Virginie Brouard making a selection. (Image: Derek Anderson Photography) The restaurant, “La P’tite Folie” (meaning the little madness) offers French cuisine in the heart of Edinburgh. The first Little Madness opened in 1996 in a different location in Edinburgh. Because of its success, this second branch opened in 2003. The building is very unusual, a mock tudor house. The menu is simple, not very big but using the best of Scottish produce, cooked with a French twist. We change our menus fortnightly.

Who do you sell to?

Everyone. We are happy to welcome everyone who enjoy good food and good wines in a lovely surrounding. We are well known in the city for our fabulous lunch menu in the restaurant.

How many employees?

We currently have an extended family of 30/34 employees. All different nationalities but we do have a fair number of French staff, which is more challenging now since Brexit.

Why did you take the plunge?

I arrived in Edinburgh in 1990, with £90 in my pocket. I worked two months at The Caledonian Hotel then I started working as a waitress in Pierre Victoire. Pierre became very successful with more than 100 restaurants in the UK. He revolutionised the industry with his winning Formula of Great Food at Great Value. I learned everything from Pierre. When he offered to sell me one of his restaurants in 1996 (At the time it was called Chez Jules in Frederick Street), I didn’t think long and took the plunge. I managed to borrow a bit of money from my father, and loans from the bank. My first son Milan was only five months old! I have no idea how I did it, but it worked. I have never looked back. From day one, the business got better and better. And busier. In 2003, it was time to open the second branch of “La P’tite Folie”. That’s when I bought the tudor house in Randolph Place.

The Edinburgh location (Image: Derek Anderson Photography) With both restaurants running well, in 2007, I acquired the building at the back of the tudor House. It was a Polish oratory, beautiful place with a rich past. After seven months of renovation, the wine bar “Le Di-Vin” opened its doors in 2008, shortly after the birth of my second son “Pierre”.

In 2012, I adopted my daughter from Ethiopia, she was just eight months old. Three children, three business…I was overworked. In 2014, I sold the first restaurant in Frederick Street to concentrate on the two other business. Again, I think it was a wise decision for myself, my family and the business.

What were you doing before?

I was born in Brest, Brittany. I visited Edinburgh for the first time aged 15. I came for the summer to learn English. I loved the city, was staying in a fabulous host family. I passed my A Levels aged 17, started university (to become an English teacher) but met a Scotsman. I never completed my studies and decided to move to Edinburgh in 1990. Then, I started to work as a waitress (what else could I do with no degree and no work experience!) I worked two months at the Caledonian hotel then I moved to work for Pierre Victoire. I stayed with Pierre for five years and learnt it all from him. I valued his friendship, and he was a great support to me when I first opened my restaurant.

What do you least enjoy?

I would have to say it would be staff issues. Chefs have always been a problem but now, since Brexit, it is a nightmare to get staff. It seems nobody wants to work in hospitality anymore. Not only Brexit, but Covid also affected the industry a lot. It changed people’s minds and the work ethic. The last couple of years have been extremely difficult. I am very lucky I have had the same head chef for the last 14 years. But we are busy, and we now need four chefs in the restaurant… Well, we have three full time chefs, but the fourth person is still to be found after months and months of recruitment.

Before, when we interviewed possible candidates, we would give a job description, see their experience, tell them what is expected from them, and they would come for a trial shift. Now, during an interview, you end up with people who have never put a foot in a kitchen but think they can do it, who politely tell you they don’t want to work Friday and Saturday nights. And they also tell you how much money they want. Then, you agree with them to come for a few hours trial shift. And they end up never coming for their trial. This is very frustrating.

What are your ambitions for the firm?

I am now 54. As much as I would love to open another branch, I am trying to be wise and realistic. Opening a business is thrilling, I love it. But running it, long term is a different story. It is simply too difficult these days. Staff issues and running costs becoming too high.

I just want to run the restaurant and the wine bar as well as possible. I want my customers happy, my staff happy then I am happy. I just want to live for the moment as both businesses are doing well. I cannot afford to work less.

What single thing would most help?

At the moment, it would have to be the staff issue, mainly chefs.

On a bigger scenario, if Scotland could adjust itself with England, it would help! The recent budget announcement is worrying me a bit. In England, businesses are getting more support. Also, young people do not want to work in hospitality anymore and I feel a few bars and restaurants will decide to close their doors if they don’t get better help. This is a shame.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?

I have to learn to slow down a bit. When I was young, I would rush to make decisions. Now, I listen a bit more, (it doesn’t mean I always agree!) I stay quiet and think more. I also was very young when I first opened, my staff, mainly men were older than me. That was difficult.

Some of the wines (Image: Derek Anderson Photography) I think people weren’t taking me seriously at that time. But I think I am quite resilient and strong. I was over ambitious. I am lucky it all worked well for me. I also think I have a good instinct, and I usually follow my gut.

What was your best moment?

Without any doubt, my three children are my pride. But the adoption of my daughter Genat has been my biggest and hardest achievement.

The businesses were successful, and I started humanitarian work. Ethiopia has always had a place in my heart. I remember being 13 or 14 years old, watching the news on Television. We all remember the images of the Ethiopian Famine, Michael Buerk documentary “This is Hell on Earth” showing starving and dying children. I just wanted to help. I connected with a congregation of Catholic nuns called the Daughters of Charit In Mekele, Northern Ethiopia. Exactly where Bob Geldof and Michael Buerk did their documentary. The sisters from the Daughters of Charity showed me all their projects, but it was with the children I wanted to work. They were looking for a sponsor for a feeding program.

Charity work is an important element (Image: Derek Anderson Photography) I started to sponsor this program. Over the years, I have regularly sent money, and I travel to Ethiopia very often. My good friend Sister Medhin is in charge, and you couldn’t find a better co-ordinator. What a woman she is, and she has all my trust. But so much more was needed. More money was needed. In 2016, I approached the Scottish Charity Mary’s Meals, and asked them why they weren’t working in Ethiopia. We kept in touch and after a couple of years, they approached me back and I took Magnus (founder of Mary’s Meals), to Ethiopia, introduced him to Sister Medhin and we showed him the situation over there. And the feeding started in three schools, then 10, then 20… We are now feeding 170,000 children per day!

In 2011, I started the adoption process here in Edinburgh.

In May 2012, I met my baby girl, she was seven months old. After spending over two months in Ethiopia with my middle son Pierre aged five at the time, I proudly flew back home to Edinburgh with my daughter. It was a difficult process; I cried a few times but never gave up. Can you imagine the paperwork, the lawyers’ fees. A French woman, adopting an Ethiopian baby to come and live in Scotland!! The years have passed, and I now realise this is proper achievement.

Genat is 13 years old and she is doing very well. I took her back to Ethiopia when she was five. She has a beautiful story. What a reward for me and our family.

The aim now is to keep the business going strong to be able to help more children in Ethiopia.

What was your worst moment?

It would have to be the pandemic. Covid was a very worrying time and uncertainty. The first time we locked down, I just thought “great, a couple of weeks off, why not”. Well, months passed. I was lost. Then, we were told “bars and restaurants can open but no alcohol”, then closed again. The second lockdown was the worst for me. I had run out of money. I seriously thought I had lost it all.

How do you relax?

I am now able to work less. I go to work every day, but I don’t have to work as hard or to stay for such long shifts. The accounts and paperwork at night are still taking lots of my time, I never go to sleep before 3am!

Spending time with my three children, having a laugh with my partner Jim and socialising with my friends are the good moments and I need that. I relax by drinking a glass of wine, I go away to get some sun as often as I can. But I am always available for my staff even when I am away, 24/7. Except maybe when I am in Ethiopia, where the internet is not often working!

Still too soon for me to truly switch off! In a few years’ time maybe.