Brakspear appoints Gilchrist to boost managed division

February 2, 2016

Pub operator and brewer Brakspear has appointed Paul Gilchrist as director of retail for its managed pubs division. Gilchrist joins as the managed estate reaches eight sites following the purchase of two Cotswolds pubs in the last two months.

Gilchrist founded and operated a small pub company which included the award-winning Cherry Tree Inn near Henley-on-Thames. He held a number of operational roles at Mitchells & Butlers, where he worked across brands including Browns and Vintage Inns, and previously worked at Belgo and Planet Hollywood.

At Brakspear, Gilchrist will be responsible for all operational and retail aspects of the managed pubs division, working alongside the management teams at each site, as well as with Brakspear’s executive chef Antony Ely on menu development across the estate.

Brakspear chief executive Tom Davies said, “We’re delighted to have Paul on board. His outstanding credentials across the pub and restaurant arena make him the ideal candidate to steer our managed division at this exciting time in its development.”

Brakspear’s managed estate currently stands at eight sites. The division was established in 2013 with the opening of the Bull on Bell Street in Henley-on-Thames. Four of the sites are in the Cotswolds region, including the Porch House in Stow-on-the-Wold, which won the Good Pub Guide’s ‘New Pub of the Year 2016’ Award.

In September 2015, Brakspear appointed former Geronimo Inns managing director Ed Turner as a non-executive director with a remit to help develop its managed pub division.