Joanna Nethery’s foray into hospitality began unexpectedly. At just 19, while studying politics at university, she quietly invested in a bar with a friend instead of going down the same route as her fellow students. “Nobody knew I part-owned it,” she recalls with a laugh. “I couldn’t handle the pressure of people knowing. I just wanted to be someone who worked there.” But it was far from plain sailing.
The bar, The Ivy, in Glasgow’s Finnieston, had to change its name to Distill after the London brand of the same name legally challenged it. Despite this, the bar quickly became a hotspot, with customers queuing around the block to get in. Joanna says, “It exploded, and it became a bit of a monster.”
Although owning a share in the venture, Joanna left the bar to her business partner to run and spent the next seven years travelling. She explains, “I just wanted to see the world and learn. I think I got the travelling bug from my dad, who died when I was very young.
“In the summers, I went to Martha’s Vineyard and worked in hospitality, and I spent the winters in either Mexico or India. I worked on various projects. Some of the places I was living were very basic. My poor mother came out and said the hardest thing she’s ever done was leave me when I was in Mexico because it was incredibly dangerous. But I just thought it was fine. I thought I was bulletproof. I wasn’t even 20, and I just thought the world was a wonderful place where nothing bad ever happened and I’d be fine.”
Luckily, she was. Her time abroad, particularly in the US, has helped shape her approach to hospitality. “Working in America was a different level of service. The money you could earn in tips was unbelievable, but there was no room for error. If you messed up, you were fired. It certainly taught me a lot about standards and discipline.”
After years of travelling and working in various roles, Joanna returned to Scotland. “I missed my family, and I realised they needed me,” she says.
But after few more years at Distill, at the age of 30, Joanna realised that running a party bar which was open until the early hours didn’t appeal any more, and she was ready for a change. The lease of Distill was relinquished in February 2018, and her new venture, Five March, opened later that year.
There were originally three founders, including Kevin Small, with whom Joanna had worked at Distill, and Peter MacKay – a Scottish guy that lived in Oz for around 20 years and learned all he knew of cooking there.
Five March was located on Elderslie Street, a hop, skip and a jump from Finnieston. “It was Tommy Mathieson who suggested we look at the space in Elderslie Street. He was convinced it was perfect for us,” she recalls.
“However, after we took on the space, we realised that it hadn’t been looked after well and needed a lot of work. Perhaps if we’d known the extent of the work needed, we might have questioned it. But we were young and gung-ho.”
“What I loved about it was its location. It was far enough off the beaten track that you kind of have to know about it to go. Obviously, in a lot of ways, that works against us because there is almost no footfall. So you really have to work to get people there.
“When we opened Distill in Finnieston, everything was just kicking off, and it was amazing in certain regards because you just had people at your door all the time. Our customers were very diverse — you’d have wrestling at the Hydro, and then you’d have a folk show on at the SECC, and then you’d have your regular crowd.
“But these three crowds did not mix. Sometimes, the atmosphere was really difficult and tense. You would literally have three completely disassociated groups of people just trying to share a space. It wasn’t fun.
“At Five March, it was really nice to be able to control our crowd a little bit more.
“It’s been great because it is people that you know or people that have read about you. However, it certainly makes the PR side a lot harder and a lot more important. But we’ve been so fortunate with the kind of press we’ve got, and we are forever grateful for all of it.”
From the get-go, Five March was a restaurant synonymous with quality and consistency, but what really sets it apart is its strong brand identity. Joanna explains, “It’s not tied to a specific cuisine or concept. It’s just Five March. It’s about clean, bold flavours and a certain aesthetic. We’ve built a reputation for quality, and I believe that’s what keeps people coming back.”
Over the past six years Joanna has bought her business partners out and now has a new Executive Chef in the shape of David Milligan and she is delighted.
“Having David on board and being able to rely on him to create food which is fabulous has been great, and we discuss everything.”
She continues, “I’ve been around hospitality for a really long time, and I do try to motivate my team. I try not to tell them what to do; I try to get them to want to do what I want to do.”
She smiles, “I’m too old to work with people I don’t like. I just want to go into work and have people that I respect and that respect me. I give my team a lot of freedom, which can sometimes be mistaken for naivety or idiocy. But I believe that the best way to find out about people is to give them the space to be themselves. I think people learn quite quickly that there’s a line, and crossing that line doesn’t bode well. You quickly find out if they are a goody.”
“I think we have a little family vibe at Five March. People who don’t have the best interests of the team at heart stand out and don’t tend to stick around too long. It’s not pressure from me, but from the team, who want to see us do well. We all have to work hard and work smart. You have to know how everyone in the team reacts and you have to address them differently based on what you know about them. I think that is the best way to manage. But sometimes you think, ‘I handled that really badly; I’ll have to do better next time.’”
Running a hospitality business in Scotland is no easy feat, and Joanna is candid about the challenges she’s faced. “It’s never been harder,” she says. “Rising costs and staffing issues have made it a tough environment. But you have to adapt.”
One of the ways she’s adapted is by diversifying her offering, but she is also not afraid to walk away if it is not working—as in the case of Phillies in Shawlands. They opened it last last year, but Joanna says, “It didn’t work for us. But we have opened at the new Lost Shore Surf Resort. We are one of the restaurants that rotates through the waterfront Canteen. It was initially for three months, but I would like to extend that to over the summer. It’s not Five March food as you would know it; it’s very much street food, so we may rebrand for the summer.
“We are also focusing more on events and catering. People are going out less, but when they do, they want an experience. We’ve had a lot of interest in weddings and corporate events, and it’s a great way to keep the business moving forward.”
Another challenge has been maintaining high standards while managing costs. “It’s a balancing act,” she admits. “You have to be smart about where you spend money. But I’ll never compromise on quality. If something isn’t good enough the chefs know to send it back. Our suppliers know what we expect, and they work with us to deliver it.”
She and partner Colin Campbell, who co-owns vegetarian restaurant Sylvan on Woodlands Road, along with two friends, also created the Copita Mezcal and Tequila Festival, which took place at The Briggait last year.
Joanna says, “We kept talking about doing a Mezcal event, and Colin said, ‘Why don’t we just do it?’ So we did. I love doing events like these; it was a great success and it was great working with the team. I would love to do more events like this.”
She also has her eye on Edinburgh. “I would like to do some popups and dinner parties. I think we’ve got a great reputation in Edinburgh too, and it would be nice to dip our toe in the water. We’ve been approached by a few people about going through and doing dinners with them, and I am definitely considering that.”
Beyond her business ventures, Joanna is passionate about sustainability and community engagement. “I’ve always dreamed of having a patch of land where we could teach kids about sustainability and growing their own food. It’s about giving people control over their lives and showing them there’s more than one path to success.”
This vision extends to her work at Five March. “I don’t want it to just be a business,” she says. “I want it to have meaning. Whether it’s through events, community projects, or just creating a space where people feel welcome, I want to give back.” Her commitment to sustainability is also reflected in her sourcing practices.
“We’re lucky in Scotland to have so much fresh produce,” she says. “We work with local suppliers and focus on seasonal ingredients. It’s better for the environment, and it’s better for the food.” In the last six months, Joanna has faced one of her biggest challenges yet: balancing business with motherhood.
“Having a baby while running a business is probably the dumbest idea we’ve ever had,” she jokes. “But it’s working. Penny is such a happy little girl, and we’re making it work.”
Her daughter, Penelope Zuzu (named after the character in It’s a Wonderful Life), was only 4lbs when she was born following some pregnancy complications. Joanna says, “As first time parents it was a real worry because she was so small, and we did have some hurdles to overcome. But I am delighted to say she’s thriving now, and she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us.”
Balancing the demands of motherhood with running a business has required patience and humility. “I’ve never been so aware of how flawed and human I am,” she says. “But it’s also taught me the importance of communication and teamwork. Colin has been incredible. We’re in this together.”
As to the future, she says, “The industry is constantly changing, and you have to be willing to change with it. Whether it’s diversifying your offerings or finding new ways to connect with customers, you have to stay ahead of the curve.
“There are definitely tough times ahead. I think April’s going to be a big turning point for a lot of people with the change in national insurance. But I think, if you believe in what you’re doing and you’re willing to put in the work, you’ll get through it.”
As for what’s next, Joanna is hoping to expand in the future and is keen to explore new locations. “We’re thinking about somewhere outside the city,” she says. “Somewhere with a bit of space where we can really focus on sustainability and community.”
Whatever the future holds, one thing is certain: Joanna will approach it with the same passion, determination, and humility that has defined her journey so far. “I love what I do,” she says. “And I’m excited to see where it takes us next.”
