Laurel Pub Company gets its second major shake-up in a year
Laurel Pub Company's new chief executive Paul Symonds has revealed details of the pub and bar group's second major divisional overhaul in less than a year.
Symonds, who joined Laurel from Spirit Group in August following the departure of former chief executive Julian Sargeson, has effectively thrown out the results of his predecessor's restructuring efforts, which had only been outlined to staff in February this year.
Two of Sargeson's divisional creations, Circuit and Town Local, are being combined to create a new Pubs & Bars operation, with 300 sites split into North, Midlands and South areas headed up by ex-Spirit executive Toby Smith.
Quality Food will be split into two businesses, Slug & Lettuce, led by Mary Sharp, and Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen, which is looking for a new managing director after the departure, "for personal reasons", of Jez Sharp.
"We want to make this business really fly," said Symonds. "We have the brands, and now we have the people and range of experience and expertise in place to deliver."
Food would be a major driver for the new Laurel, he said, particularly with the arrival of ex-JD Wetherspoon (JDW) executive Suzanne Baker as commercial director.
Other appointments coinciding with the restructuring include ex-Mitchells & Butlers' food development manager Perry Huntley as head of food development, and ex-JDW head of marketing Clare Martin, who becomes Ha! Ha!'s brand development manager.
Symonds said the reorganisation has created "dedicated teams able to provide clearer direction and brought an injection of talent". "It will provide the single-minded management and marketing focus we need," he added.
The changes would not lead to job losses, added a Laurel spokesman.
The previous changes to the group, overseen by Sargeson, cost Laurel hundreds of thousands of pounds in research consultant fees.
Under Sargeson, who said in February the group needed to "raise its game in order to win back customers who had drifted off to the competition", Laurel was looking to eventually grow from around 400 venues to 1,000, and while chairman Ian Payne is likely to continue looking for investment opportunities, new man Symonds has not yet commented on the scale of expansion - or consolidation - he wants to see for the business.
City Comment
Hamish Champ, The Publican's City & Business editor, says: "Paul Symond's move to sweep away a divisional structure that had operated for barely eight months is a bold one. Like all new bosses, he has decided to stamp his mark; in this case it has been done with considerable vigour.
He clearly didn't think the existing model worked and nor, one might suppose, did his boss - and that of his predecessor - Ian Payne. Which begs the question, why the costly revamp earlier this year?
Whatever the reason then, the new-look business split along geographical and offer lines now makes more sense. The focus on food in the group's Slug & Lettuce and Ha! Ha! businesses is a progressive one, and the group's latest senior appointments only serve to strengthen its hand.
But away from its flagship operations, investment in Laurel's other brands is needed if these are not to wither, especially in today's highly competitive High Street. Otherwise we might soon be seeing some "buying opportunities" for Laurel's consolidation-hungry rivals…"
