Ted Schama: ‘Hospitality runs through my veins’

From starting his hospitality journey in 1991 as the late Trevor Shelley’s office junior to now launching his own hospitality advisory firm, Ted Schama has come far. One Voice Hospitality is Schama’s first solo venture after years at the heart of the UK leisure and F&B real estate scene with Shelley Sandzer – and it’s already generating a buzz in the market. “You could cut me in half and you would see hospitality running through my veins,” Schama told Estates Gazette over breakfast in Fitzrovia. “If you had asked me 10 years ago what I do, I would have said I’m in property advisory for hospitality. If you asked me two years ago, I would have said: I am hospitality.” It’s that passion, built on more than three decades of experience, that defines One Voice. Founded earlier this year, the consultancy aims to provide what Schama calls a “360-degree ecosystem of advice”, ranging from strategic site selection and leasing guidance to finance, branding, PR, marketing and even design services. Filling the gaps The idea for One Voice was born from what Schama saw as a critical gap in the market: the need for a consultancy that understands operators’ journeys not just as a string of transactions, but as interconnected milestones in a broader strategy. He believes you can’t grow for growth’s sake anymore. Businesses need a plan – and people around them who understand every aspect of that plan, from landlord negotiations to unit economics to brand relevance. One Voice will do it all. To support this, One Voice works with City-based accountancy firm Gerald Edelman, which has deep hospitality ties and a strong track record in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. “They’ve worked with Simmons Bars, Barrio Bars and more. The chairman also chairs Comptoir Libanais, and his brother founded Sandwich Sandwich. They get it,” Schama said. Schama acknowledges how important it is to find the right partner who can bring in the right business. “I wanted to find a partner that can facilitate the right advice in that service that I can’t personally. We set up that relationship. And within that realm, we have many projects on the go,” he said. Multilayered approach The range of services One Voice covers include property leasing, acquisitions, freehold sales, repositioning food and beverage within hotels, investor introductions and everything in between. For Schama, the idea of advisory is not just about the next unit, but about where businesses want to be in three to five years and why, meaning he wants to help them raise capital, connect with the right people and think ahead to an exit strategy. “There might be other, much bigger businesses that provide some of these services – albeit I’m not aware of many or any,” he said. “But with one person and that one knowledge, I think I’m sticking out from my competitors in terms of my mission. And I can see it paying off because people are really keying into that multilayered advisory ecosystem that others don’t provide.” Schama believes this kind of thinking gives him a considerable advantage. He has worked with Soho House, Borough Market, Portman Estate, Sushi Samba and Landsec’s Trinity Kitchen. What they all value, he said, is that he understands the operator mindset. “I’ve seen operators go from one site to 10, and 10 to 50. I know what’s coming down the road,” Schama said. “We now live in an age of collaboration – one which I think is advancing at an incredible pace that probably wasn’t there decades before.” Relationships over transactions Schama’s hospitality journey began in 1991, when he responded to a newspaper ad for an office junior role at a firm then called Shelley & Co. “I worked out of Trevor Shelley’s dustbin,” he joked. “I would grab scraps of paper and chase leads he didn’t have time for. That’s how I learnt. “I’m a great believer in the universe. And I don’t believe in chance. I was gifted the exposure to hospitality via the late Trevor Shelley,” he added. His experience at what then became Shelley Sandzer shaped his approach to hospitality advisory, where he learnt the importance of building relationships. That philosophy is baked into everything One Voice stands for. “You don’t build trust overnight,” Schama said. “The reason I’ve worked with Soho House, Borough Market, Portman Estate, Sushi Samba and so many others are because they know I deliver. And they know it’s me personally, not someone junior I’ve handed the job to. I win work through reputation. Through the fact that I’m dealing on my own.” Another distinctive trait? His character. He knows having a laugh along the journey is always better – and for him, it happens naturally. As did the name One Voice. “I’ve been using that phrase for years without even realising it,” he said. “One voice, because it’s all joined up: property, finance, strategy, exit.” One step ahead Schama describes his approach as a natural evolution of the collaborative principles he’s mastered throughout his career. When asked what was keeping him busy, Schama said with a laugh: “I’m literally running back and forth to Gerald Edelman’s office. I’m running back and forth into hotels.” He added: “Because of my work in hotel F&B, I’m now looking at hotel investments. I’m looking at freehold investments… I’m not scared to pivot towards hotel investments just because I haven’t done any. I know a lot of the key players now, and I’m doing business with them. So it’s a much broader spectrum of the hospitality category than I’ve ever been involved in.” On emerging trends, he said he sees hospitality and retail boundaries dissolving entirely, pointing to concepts such as Ralph Lauren integrating cafés and bars, and the rise of experiential formats. For him, it’s not just retail; offices and hotels are transforming too. “There will be restaurants that are retailing much more, and retailers that are restauranting much more. It’s a complete mixed bag,” he added. This convergence is key to how he plans to steer his new firm. “One Voice needs to be aware of those market trends,” he said. “It needs to be one step ahead so we can identify buildings, partners and collaborations that leverage those trends – and see value where others haven’t yet.” Globalisation, he said, is a continuing force – and an international mindset isn’t new to him. “It’s prevailing – people are benchmarking opportunities globally. It’s being connected globally where you can again offer that one voice, one roof internationally as well.” So where is his focus now? “London and international are definitely my main focus, with the odd exception,” he said. “But I’ve got to be able to do things others couldn’t – and move the game on.” Navigating challenges As he navigates an uncertain market landscape, Schama said he sees both risk and opportunity ahead. But predicting beyond the immediate term, he admitted, is difficult. Recent pressures – from tax hikes to shifting service charge rules – have added strain. “Only recently we’ve had National Insurance raised again, minimum wage raised again, rates relief change… so another avalanche of challenges,” he said. Consumer behaviour is uncertain too, but Schama believes the key to overcoming these hurdles is in differentiation. “You need to have a definition of difference – USPs – not just consumer-facing USPs, but also business-facing USPs. So how is it that you run your business differently and derive profit differently?” he said. “That, for me, will be how you see through the challenges in the next medium term. Because if you’ve got those, you’re well placed.” At its core, One Voice is about pushing boundaries. “The ultimate goal of One Voice? To keep changing the game, to keep adding value, to keep having fun.” Looking ahead, even Schama struggled to predict exactly where One Voice will go – but for him, the only way to win is by sticking to its central beliefs. “Now I’ve created the baby, it’s got to be nurtured and loved and stick to its core principles,” he said. For anyone hoping to follow in his footsteps, Schama offers some core advice: “Know your market. Know your objectives. Know your core values. Know your systems. Have confidence. You must know you have an edge – and have great people around you.” Cost efficiency is another theme. “Keep things as flexible, nimble and cost-effective as possible. You don’t have to mortgage your home to launch a new business. Particularly if it’s advisory.” With momentum building and a clear vision guiding the way, Schama is embracing the unknown with conviction – and inviting others to do the same. “Go for it,” he said. “Take a step forward and you’ll never regret it.” Image © Oliver Dixon