New restaurants boss for Gourmet as expansion continues
Gourmet Holdings, formerly Madisons Coffee, has bought another pub-restaurant and appointed a full-time managing director for its restaurants division as it moves further away from the coffee-bar market.
The company has acquired the Highwayman pub-restaurant in Checkendon, Oxfordshire, on a 25-year lease, with options to buy the freehold at a future date.
Chief executive Gareth Lloyd-Jones said the Highwayman was a good geographic fit with its other pub-restaurants and that there was scope to increase the number of seats.
The company also announced the appointment of Andrew Guy as managing director of its restaurant operations.
Guy joined in March to lead the group's acquisitions strategy after it sold its coffee bars in order to concentrate on restaurants.
His position will continue to be part-time until the end of 2004, after which he will switch to a full-time role.
The acquisition of the Highwayman follows the purchase in June of three-strong pub-restaurant group Bel and the Dragon.
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