Troubled pub and bar operator SFI Group has appointed award-winning food manager Jason Danciger to take its recovery to the next level.
Mr Danciger was director of food and beverages at Spirit Group where he won Catering Innovator of the Year at The Publican Pub Food Awards 2003. He also steered the pubco to success in the Food Operator of the Year category.
His appointment at SFI is good news for the group, which is currently nursing debts believed to be in the region of £155m.
Mr Danciger will take on the role as purchasing director at SFI Group in March, charged with looking at the company's food offer and buying systems and aiming to imitate the 16 per cent year-on-year food growth he spearheaded at Spirit Group.
"The potential of the group is really something," he said. "The investment at pub level has been great. I've been going round the sites speaking to staff and finding out what issues they have - and they haven't got any issues.
"We got excellent growth at Spirit from putting quality food into its pubs and if I can bring that to SFI I'll be happy."
SFI, which is currently working with banks to reign in its spiralling debts, owns high street bar brands Slug & Lettuce, Fiesta Havana, Litten Tree and Bar Med. It has 180 sites in prime locations across the country.
Mr Danciger's appointment has led to speculation that the company is planning to make its brands more food-oriented or even to launch a new food-led concept.
"SFI has been through hell," he said. "But the pubs are great and we can build on that."He added he was attracted to the group because of its size.
"I loved working at Spirit but it's so big now it's all about strategy," he said. "SFI is small enough for me to be hands on - to get back to basics. I'm looking forward to making a start."
Pub staff rewarded
SFI may be suffering from the pressures of unwieldy debts but the company's bosses have taken time out from everyday stress to reward the staff at pub level.
Last week SFI's kitchen team of the year and food manager of the year were named, along with the winners of the company's special dishes of the year award.
The winners were: Kitchen teams of the year: Slug & Lettuce, York; Fiesta Havana, Douglas; Litten Tree, Blackpool and Bar Med, Bournemouth. Food manager of the year: Louise Akers, Slug & Lettuce, Winchester and Errol
Whitter, Litten Tree, Skegness.
Winners of the special dishes of the year were the Slug & Lettuce in Glasgow and Clapham, South London. Their dishes will be unveiled in Slug & Lettuce outlets throughout the country in the next few weeks and will also be put forward for the next Slug & Lettuce core menu.
Dean Snee, SFI's brand manager, said: "We are passionate about our food offer and believe in supporting and rewarding our teams for their hard work and commitment as well as giving them the opportunity to develop their skills. Congratulations to all our winners."