Award-winning manager of the Ship in Wandsworth to exit pub
Rogers, the several-time winner of Young’s general manager of the year award, said he could not disclose details about the new project at this stage but it will “involve running a pub or pubs”.
“I’ve been there for almost nine years and my time has come to move on and do something else,” he told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser.
“We brought [the Ship] to a level where it’s an incredibly successful business and it’s probably time for me to pass on the baton to somebody maybe a bit younger who might change the direction a little bit. I feel I’ve done very well there but sometimes when you’re at your peak it’s a good time to move on.”
'Pretty amazing'
Regarding his highlights during his time at the Ship, Rogers added: “Every single day has been a highlight to be honest with you.
“Obviously the Scotch Egg Challenge is a huge thing for us. When I took it over, the restaurant only had 25 covers. We’ve got 120 now. And obviously increasing sales by double digits every year for eight seasons has been pretty amazing.”
The Scotch Egg Challenge is an annual competition at the Ship in which chefs battle it out at the pub's kitchen to find out which scotch egg will be crowned the best in the country by a panel of experts.
Boosting businesses
In 2012 the pub company asked Rogers to look at how to increase profitability at the struggling Thatched House in Hammersmith, which was failing to make a good profit despite having a strong turnover. At this stage Rogers said he planned to stay at the Thatched House for a minimum of three years and take on another under-performing business in a year or two.
A spokeswoman for Young’s Pub Company said: "After nine very successful years as captain of our Ship at Wandsworth, Osh Rogers has decided to move on to another exciting challenge within Young's. Exact details & timings are yet to be confirmed."
