With the hospitality sector currently not as fighting fit as we’d like, there’s never been a more critical juncture to look to industry mentors for advice. Tony Adcock, with 40 years of restaurant ownership and management under his belt, is the ideal candidate. Known as the ‘Restaurant Doctor’, Tony has been chairman of the Restaurant Association Education Trust for 15 years. His credentials are impeccable (having been associated with iconic brands such as Harbourside and Le Brie) and his generous spirit is undeniable. Tony is an active advisor on restaurant design, operations, finance and budgeting who provides support and tips to members of the Restaurant Association who appreciate his open-door policy and willingness to share his real-life experiences. A champion of training in the trade, he helped to set up the Hospo Start programme which gives unemployed Kiwis the skills to enter the business. Self-effacing in nature, his contribution has flown under the radar for decades; behind the scenes Tony works tirelessly to help future-proof businesses through the inevitable ups and downs that hit the market. He believes wholeheartedly that the talent, dynamism and flexibility in the industry will continue to see it flourish in the long term.