Born in 1954, a catastrophic vintage, (for wine at least), following an education almost exclusively devoted to water sports on the Thames, he became the first apprentice chef in the history of the famous Connaught Hotel in London. Two intensive years later; direction Paris for further culinary experience. A meeting with Steven Spurrier, founder of the Académie du Vin, lead to his first career change and he then devoted three years to the management of the Caves de la Madeleine attending many courses at l'Académie in the evenings.

1980
Purchased a seedy night spot 'Chez Bernard' at the Palais Royal to create the "first wine bar" in Paris. Willi's became an immediate success with its original Rhône based wine list and simple seasonal market driven food. 26 years later little has changed besides the patron - conserved only from premature decay by a disciplined, reasoned daily intake from the vineyards.

1982
Birth of the Willi's Bottle Art poster series. Each year around harvest time a new image from a contemporary artist is created to honour the vintage. Launched with the now mythical Cassandre image from 1935, the collection has since grown to 20 posters from a wide range of contemporary artists.

1984
Start of a partnership with Tim Johnston in a wine company – Grapes. Pinball & lunch were the major achievements here. The solution came in 1986, provoked by the change of proprietor in the local café & along with him the pinball machine.

1986
Opened Juveniles with Tim Johnston - home for Sherry, wines of the South and food with an Iberian touch.

1988
Year of the abortive Moulin du Village take-over. A first attempt at 'fixing' a restaurant that had gone off the rails. Four years later the restaurant became engulfed by an 'expensive' redevelopment project. Even the bank went down the tubes.

1997
The 'quiet life' ends abruptly with the snap purchase of the Mercure Galant, the sleeping beauty of Parisian restaurants. Macéo is the story of the hole in the wall bistrot, Willi's, that bought the big restaurant next door – the unfinished challenge of 1988 represented itself. The objective was simple; rediscover the marvellous architectural proportions, the space, the light and the life… the result has been quietly satisfying.

Other passions include olive trees, black chocolate, markets, destructive gardening, perfume, jazz, grand hotel bars, and ... bonfires.