Cahill exits Noble

Noble House operations director John Cahill has left to become a consultant. Noble House chairman Robert Breare is to take a more hands- on role in the company. Cahill's departure follows the recent decision of Tony Carson to leave Noble House to pursue his own projects, which include a sports bar in Cardiff. Laventure to Ridleys Ridley's, the Essex brewer, has announced the appointment of Joe Laventure, 48, as director of sales. He will be based at the Hartford End Brewery and will report directly to managing director, Brian Field. Laventure has held a number of senior posts within the brewing industry, most recently with Brakspears, where he was director of sales and marketing. Previously, he held various positions with Whitbread including free trade director and national accounts controller. Harlequin deal Scottish and Newcastle Retail has added another property to its award-winning 124-strong Chef & Brewer estate. The Harlequin at Stratford upon Avon, a former Beefeater, was acquired from Whitbread following a contract race ­ with S&NR exchanging eight days after receiving the contract. The premises will be substantially redeveloped and will provide approximately 135 covers. Bill King's first pub Horsham brewer WJ King, run by Bill King, former managing director of King and Barnes, last night opened its first pub ­ the Lamb Inn, situated between Horsham and Crawley in West Sussex ­ after a refurbishment. The company, which bought the pub privately, was set up in June 2000 and wants to buy five pubs at the rate of one a year for the next five years. Swansea project An operator, Dave Burdett, has been found to run a planned café bar and restaurant at Swansea's historic Patti Pavilion. A founding partner in another city restaurant, the Castelamare in Bracelet Bay, Burdett said the pavilion's location overlooking Swansea Bay would be the key to its success.