Chat with founder and head chef Andy Oliver of Som Saa

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with founder and head chef Andy Oliver of east London’s infamous Thai restaurant, Som Saa. Andy recently became a Mental Health First Aider through Kelly’s Cause and has gifted us with his perspective on the effects the course has had on him and Som Saa.

KC: Could you please give us a brief introduction to yourself and the work you do at Som Saa?

AO: I lead the kitchen at som saa, along with being a Director and senior manager in the business. So part of my role is very much food and kitchen team focused, the other half of my time I spend working in a more general management role and thinking about the needs of and next steps for the business.

KC: You recently joined us for Mental Health First Aid Training, could you describe your understanding of mental health before the training?

AO: It's something that we all personally experience to some lesser or greater extent, and so I think, like many people, I felt I knew something about the subject and had an instinct about how to approach those such issues in my role as a manager. But, it's also true to say that I dont think I'd ever put in any significant amount of time to think about the subject of mental health, and how it relates to my various roles at som saa.

KC: Since having the training, could you describe your understanding of mental health now?

AO: Vastly improved. Of course, that doesn't make me an expert and there's still so much to learn about such an important and complex subject. But the course gave me a really solid overview of the subject, and the confidence to know how I could help support others. Be that on a personal level, or in my role as a manager and business owner.

KC: How do you think the training is going to have an impact on how you run your business and deal with your staff?

AO: We returned from the course with a much clearer idea of what to do in different situations. Having done the course, it really does make sense that it's called mental health first aid, because what it gives you is much like first aid: tools and a process to follow that mean you help and support others who are struggling. There's a lot of support out there: you don't need to be the doctor, the ambulance and the hospital; it's about knowing how to help and support others in challenging situations and how you can get them the further support they need. The structured, and "right" way we learned to approach these problems on the course will be shared with all our staff and inform the way we manage our employees, from small things to very big ones. On top of that, I now feel better equipped to build a culture at work that promotes good mental health for all the team.

KC: What is next for Som Saa?

AO: We've been working towards opening a second restaurant for some time. We're really hopeful (and cautiously optimistic) that that will happen in the next 12 months.

KC: What’s the best thing you have eaten this month and where can we get it?

It's not a particularly convenient recommendation, but I managed to get away to Copenhagen last week, and had a late night fried chicken sandwich at Poulette that was pretty much worth the trip itself!

KC: Thank you for your time and incredible insight