When Rich Baker’s kimchi fiorentina pizza clinched a national accolade, he realized he was embarking on a new path. It was 2023. Baker, at 60, alongside his wife, Sarah, had prepared the kimchi in-house, and their victory propelled Flat Earth Pizzas, the east London eatery they had established the year before, into the spotlight.
“My life has transformed remarkably,” Baker shares. “An internal light has ignited, filling me with vigor, and that vigor has gifted me something extraordinary: a newfound confidence and sense of fulfillment.”
Three years back, upon opening, the struggle was real. “The first year was pure torment,” reflects Baker, who even considered filing for bankruptcy. But this year, the restaurant turned a profit. “I’m in the kitchen daily, crafting new recipes, and it’s truly motivating for me.
“For three decades, I thought: ‘I wish I could pursue my passions.’ But I never had the resolve,” he reflects. “Fear held me back. And then we made it happen.”
Baker exited school at 16. A heavy metal enthusiast with long hair, his lasting memory of sixth form in Essex was the deputy head’s comment: “What an unwelcome surprise to see you back here.” The following day, Baker walked out. “As often happens when you leave without qualifications, I found work in a restaurant.”
He enjoyed cooking and signed up for a national diploma in hospitality operations. Through his late teens and early 20s, he engaged in kitchen duties, bar service, and housekeeping roles across restaurants and hotels.
“I felt belittled at school,” he confides. “Insufficient.” However, in hospitality: “I discovered a true passion. People observed a significant shift in my demeanor.”
Always reserved, but when he worked at a hotel in Bournemouth, friends would come to visit. They played pool, savored fillet steaks, and felt impressed. “Subconsciously, it signified I had worth,” Baker shares.
Now, he considers, “The true essence of hospitality lies in providing patrons with joy and collaborating with wonderful people and suppliers. Hospitality fundamentally supports our nation in numerous ways.”
Baker advanced from kitchen porter to management roles. Over the span of 30 years, he “moved from chain to chain” – Grand Metropolitan hotels, Taylor Walker pubs, Frankie & Benny’s, Costa, Garfunkel’s – and spent a decade overseeing airport concessions.
“It was exhausting. A lot of driving and wearing a suit. It affected everything. I just couldn’t handle it.” One day, he knocked on his twin brother’s door and declared: “I’m going to stay with you.” He exited the hospitality field, got divorced, and purchased a narrowboat, doing this in his early 50s.
“The boat was tiny, stripping away all unnecessary belongings. It was refreshing. You find yourself in the depths of London – you’re in London, yet under the surface. People overlook you.”
He moored throughout the city and even further out, in Bishop’s Stortford, close to his childhood home. “The River Stort is stunning. You connect with nature.”
He started contemplating “incorporating English ingredients onto pizza,” foraging for nettles, chestnuts, chickweed, elderflowers, and berries, initially as toppings for flatbreads. A year after moving onto the boat, he and Sarah became a couple, and they began crafting their own balsamic vinegar and pickled cherry tomatoes. The boat gradually filled with Kilner jars. They bought a compact pizza oven, small-batch English cheeses, and heritage grains for the dough, launching a pop-up pizza venture in a Hackney pub in east London, returning to the boat each night to stoke the fire and fall asleep at one in the morning.
In 2022, they unveiled Flat Earth, featuring a seasonal menu that prioritizes locally sourced ingredients. “I thought: ‘Let’s take risks and embrace the adventure.’
“We aimed to create something remarkable, meaningful, and wholesome, and serve it on a plate – so patrons could comprehend and relish it.
“I’m on my feet all day, lifting 25kg bags of flour. My left arm is toned from rolling countless dough balls,” Baker describes. “But age shouldn’t deter you. Individuals in their 60s possess such expansive life experience. I learn something new daily. There’s so much more ahead for me.”
