What was meant to be a chat with Jonny Mutch, co-founder and chef at Plonk’d, quickly became something even better when his partner Jess Balsam joined the conversation too. And really, it made perfect sense. Plonk’d, which opened in Wadebridge in 2023, may have started with a shared love of great wine, simple food and the convivial atmosphere of Spain, but it’s equally clear that the business has been built on the strength of their partnership. Jonny Mutch brought more than 20 years of hospitality experience to the table, while Jess Balsam, with a background in business and a career that’s taken her from corporate law firms to running her own ventures, brought a different perspective — and, by the sound of it, the push that helped turn the idea into a reality.
I thoroughly enjoyed talking to them both. They were funny, refreshingly candid and completely open about the highs and lows of building something from scratch. From beach walks and batch cooking on Mondays to spicy margaritas, Thai food, unexpected business lessons and some very exciting personal news, this was one of those conversations that just felt easy!
What does your Monday morning routine look like?
Jonny and Jess: Mondays are our proper day off, or at least as close to one as you get in hospitality. We try to keep it as our reset day. We’ll take the dog for a long walk, usually somewhere coastal if we can, maybe go for a sea dip, and just try to switch off a bit. We’ll often either go out for lunch or spend some time at home batch cooking for the week ahead, because when you’re getting in late every night it makes a huge difference to know there’s something decent ready to eat. There’s always a bit of admin somewhere in the background, but we do try to make Mondays feel like a pause before the week starts all over again.
What did you want to be when you were young?
Jonny: I never really had one set ambition when I was younger. I wasn’t one of those people who always knew exactly what they wanted to do. I sort of fell into hospitality, which I know is probably something a lot of people say. If I could have picked anything, it probably would have been something like being a professional skateboarder, but there was never one obvious career path in my head growing up.
Jess: Hospitality definitely wasn’t on my radar. I always imagined a life with animals, loads of animals if I’m honest. In my head I was going to have loads of land, a tiny house, goats, donkeys, chickens, the lot. That dream is still there in some form, to be fair. We’d still love to have a bit of a smallholding one day, grow some veg and have a few animals around us. That still feels like the dream.
What was your first full-time job?
Jonny: My first proper full-time job was front of house at a place called Le Spa in Cirencester, where I grew up. I was working behind the bar, waiting tables and doing all of that. I really enjoyed the people side of it, even if the food itself wasn’t exactly memorable for the right reasons. It definitely wasn’t the best cooking I’d ever seen, but it was the start of everything for me and it gave me that first sense of what the industry was all about. My background was always front of house, right up until opening our own place.
Jess: Mine came later because I went to university first. My first full-time job was as a barristers’ clerk in a law firm in Bristol. I was basically making sure the right cases went to the right barristers, but it was all wills, trusts and probate, so it was very corporate and not exactly the obvious route for me. I somehow ended up doing it for seven years, and while I was apparently quite good at it, it never really felt like the right fit.
What has been the best moment in your career?
Jonny: Opening the bar, without question. After all those years working in restaurants, pubs, bars and cafés, getting to the point where you can open something of your own feels huge. I think if you really care about this industry, that is the dream. And there are still those moments now where the place is full, there’s a real buzz in the room, and you take a step back and think, we created this. People are in here enjoying themselves because of something we built, and that’s a pretty amazing feeling.
Jess: For me, opening my own business was a massive moment because it gave me freedom and flexibility. I was working hard, but it all felt like it was for me, which is very different. And now, when things are really going well at Plonk’d and you can see people properly enjoying what we’ve created, that’s special too. Those good shifts, when everything clicks and the atmosphere is exactly what you hoped it would be, are brilliant.
What has been the worst moment in your career?
Jonny: Honestly, paying that first big VAT bill was a real shock to the system. There have been hard jobs and terrible services over the years, but that moment really hit. You work incredibly hard, and then suddenly this huge amount of money just disappears and there’s nothing tangible to show for it. It felt demoralising more than anything. It was one of those moments where the realities of running your own business really landed.
What job is the favourite you’ve ever had and what made it so special?
Jonny: I spent a few winters working in the French Alps as a ski rep, and that has to be up there. It was a brilliant mix of snowboarding, socialising and just enough work to call it a job. I was looking after chalets and making sure guests had a good time, but really it was just an incredibly fun few years of my life.
Jess: Mine would be running my own business. I loved the independence of it, the flexibility, the fact that if I worked hard it directly benefited me. There was a real energy to that. I was working hard and playing hard, and I loved the freedom that came with being in control of it.
What is your most memorable foody childhood memory?
Jonny: We weren’t really what I’d call a foodie family, so I don’t have one big polished food memory from childhood, but there are definitely things that stayed with me. My granddad used to make this sweet chicken curry with curry powder, tomatoes and raisins, and that’s one I still remember really clearly. There were also Scotch pies from the butcher’s with baked beans on top, which feels very Scottish and very nostalgic to me. More than anything, I remember eating proper home-cooked food at the table with family. That stayed with me.
If you could invite any two people for dinner, who would they be and why would you invite them?
Jonny and Jess: We’d probably invite Jeremy Clarkson and Lisa. We’ve both really enjoyed watching what they’re doing and a lot of what’s being shown around farming, food production and the realities of trying to make those businesses work really strikes a chord with us. There’s a lot in there about supporting British farming, working with what’s around you and understanding the true cost of good produce, which really resonates with what we care about. Also, we just think they’d be entertaining. You’d want a good bottle of red open and a decent meal on the table, and I think the conversation would be lively.
What’s the most unexpected lesson you’ve learned from your career so far?
Jonny: The biggest lesson is probably that if you want something done properly, you often have to do it yourself. That sounds quite cynical, but it’s more that you learn very quickly how unreliable things can be, whether that’s bookings that don’t show up, contractors taking months to do something straightforward or suppliers dragging things out. You can guide people and you can trust people, but when you run a small business there are plenty of moments where you realise that if something really matters, you have to be the one driving it.
What is your favourite cuisine OR is there a cuisine you’ve never tried but would like to?
Jonny and Jess: Thai food wins for both of us. Proper Thai food, not a watered-down version of it. We love that combination of heat, freshness, spice and sharpness, and when it’s really good it feels like every sense is switched on at once. It’s the sort of food that completely transports you. Spanish food is obviously very close to our hearts as well, and it’s a very close second, but if we had to choose one favourite cuisine, it would be Thai.
If you had to create a signature cocktail or dish named after you, what would it be?
Jonny: I’d never actually name anything after myself, but if there’s one thing that feels like a signature, it’s our spicy margarita. It’s the best-selling cocktail on the menu by a mile, and it’s one people come in asking for because they’ve heard about it. We make it with jalapeño-infused tequila, then use the pickling brine from the jalapeños in the drink as well, along with agave and lime, so it’s spicy, sharp, a little bit sweet and really fresh. That’s probably the closest thing I’ve got to a signature.
What inspires you?
Jonny: Food, produce, wine, travel, eating out, cooking at home — all of it really. We get a fresh list from local growers each week and instantly my brain starts racing about what we can make and where we can take the menu next. The same thing happens with wine tastings or trying a new dish somewhere. I love the creative side of it, that chance to take a new ingredient or a memory from somewhere we’ve been and turn it into something to share with other people. A lot of inspiration also comes from working with what’s available and adapting to seasonality and price. Sometimes not being able to get something is what pushes the best ideas forward.
What’s your go-to pleasure snack or comfort food?
Jonny: Mine is much less glamorous. I’m very happy with a proper Malcolm Barnecutt cheese and onion pasty — that always hits the spot, especially if I’m worn out after a long shift. And if I’m being completely honest, sometimes a Tesco meal deal is exactly what I need. Nothing complicated, just something easy and reliable that does the job. In reality, it’s usually whatever we can grab in between everything else. We’re not always the best at keeping the cupboards stocked, so it tends to be simple, quick and comforting — but if given the choice, Jess is firmly in the tiramisu (and anchovies) camp… preferably on separate plates!
Jess: I’ve definitely got a bit of a sweet and salty thing going on. Tiramisu is probably my ultimate indulgence. I absolutely love it, and if it’s around, I’m going for it. At the same time, I’m equally happy with something like anchovies or really good ham, those strong, salty flavours are hard to beat. I think I just lean towards anything that feels a bit indulgent and satisfying, depending on the moment.
What would your last meal be?
Jonny: Mine would definitely be built around a couple of standout meals that have really stuck with me over the years. There was a grilled Anjou Pigeon dish we had at Dorian in Notting Hill that was honestly one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. It was perfectly cooked, really rich, with this incredible sticky sauce — one of those dishes that you keep thinking about afterwards because it was just spot on.
And then there’s a fish dish we had in a tiny fishing village on stilts in Thailand that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. It came out still bubbling in this incredible sauce — loads of lime, fish sauce, palm sugar, lemongrass and chilli — and I just completely went for it. I picked the whole fish apart, down to the cheeks, the head, everything. I was covered in it by the end, but I didn’t care. It was one of those moments where you’re just completely in it, enjoying every mouthful.
Jess: I’d start with the anchovy on toast from Mountain in London. It’s one of those dishes that’s so simple, but every time we have it, it’s just perfect. It’s got this really fresh, young cheese, salty anchovies and a bit of lemon zest — and with a glass of sherry, that’s kind of my ideal start.
There’s also a roti and dhal I ate in Sri Lanka that I still think about years later. It was at Hotel De Uncles, overlooking the sea, and it perfectly summed up everything I love about food. After speaking to the chef, I realised there was no secret ingredient or clever trick, just local produce, homemade coconut milk, fresh spices and people who cared deeply about what they were serving. The flavours were incredible, but what stayed with me was the simplicity of it all. It reinforced something I’ve always believed: great food doesn’t have to be complicated. Give me amazing ingredients, grown locally and cooked with care, and that’s often where the magic happens.
What would you like to be doing in 5 years’ time?
Jonny and Jess: On the joking answer, retired and living somewhere in Asia by the sea. On the more realistic answer, we’d love to see what we’ve built grow in the right way. I’d love to open a restaurant as the next step, and I can see Plonk’d as something that could work in more than one location. We can definitely imagine taking it elsewhere in the South West one day. That said, we’re also realistic about the current climate, so there’s no rush to make any big moves before the time is right. For now it’s about steady growth, making good decisions and seeing what feels viable.
What is happening in your life that you would like a shout out about?
Jonny and Jess: The biggest thing by far is that we’re expecting a baby in November, which feels huge. It’s been a long time coming for us, so it feels incredibly special. Alongside that, the timing feels right in other ways too because the business is getting to a point where we finally feel like we’ve built the right team around us. We’ve got new people joining, we’re able to step back a little more, and it feels like things are starting to fall into place. For the first time in a while, it feels like there’s space not just to keep growing the business, but to grow our family too.
Book your spot at Plonk’d HERE and get in contact with Jonny through their Instagram page.
