Nick Backhouse appointed chairman of Giggling Squid

Nick Backhouse of Hollywood Bowl and Loungers has been appointed chairman of Giggling Squid, replacing Simon Kossoff in the role.

Backhouse is currently a senior independent director of both Hollywood Bowl and café-bar group Loungers, as well as being a non-executive director at events company Hyve. He has previously held positions of deputy chief executive of the David Lloyd Leisure Group and chief financial officer of the Laurel Pub Company, among other roles.

He said: “Over the past few months, I’ve had the chance to speak with many people in the Giggling Squid family and I’m impressed not only by what the brand has achieved to date, but also by its resilience and future potential. I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to support its continued success.”

Andy Laurillard, who co-founded Giggling Squid with wife Pranee, added: “We are delighted to welcome Nick to the company. His knowledge and expertise, particularly in the multi-site leisure sector, is hard to match and we are thrilled he has decided to join us as we move forward from the most challenging period in hospitality.”

Backhouse’s appointment comes after Kossoff stepped down in August 2019 after four years in the role.

Giggling Squid was founded in 2009 and has 35 UK restaurants and one delivery-only kitchen. It was backed by the Business Growth Fund to the tune of £6.4m in 2015 and last year launched a search for further external investment, however discussions ended after offers failed to meet the board's expectations.