Carluccio's appoints Matt Dale as head of food operations

Carluccio's has appointed Matt Dale (pictured) as head of food operations as it looks to drive forward its £10m transformation following last year's Company Voluntary Agreement, which saw the closure of 30 sites.

Dale joins the ‘Fresca' transformation team, which trialled a refreshed concept including a more formal service style and a diversified menu at the casual dining brand's Richmond site. It is now looking to roll the concept out to further restaurants.

Dale joins the group from Bill's, where he held a senior food operations role. Prior to this he had spent a decade with Oceanico Resorts in Portugal's Algarve, leading the food and beverage concepts as group chef.

Carluccio's chief executive Mark Jones said: "We are thrilled to welcome someone of Matt's experience and aptitude. Revitalising our menu is an essential component of our ‘Fresca' programme and we look forward to elevating this part of the business with Matt's help."

Dale added: "Carluccio's has an incredible heritage. The late Antonio Carluccio's food legacy is one of authentic, fuss-free Italian recipes using the best quality ingredients. I look forward to carrying forward this ethos as we update and modernise the menu in line with the brand's revitalisation programme."

Carluccio's has recently made a number of high-profile appointments including Graham Ford (formerly of Bill's) as commercial director, Hilary Ansell (formerly of Gordon Ramsay Group) as marketing director, Marco Barletta (formerly of Franco Manca) as operations manager, Lee Goodridge (formerly of Busaba Eathai) as operations director and Dominika Rusnak (formerly of the Ivy Collection) as Fresca openings manager.

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