UK retailer Waitrose has announced the appointment of Simon Burdess as its first director of food service. He will join the business in September 2017.
The company says that Burdess will be accountable for the development of Waitrose’s food service offer. With the newly created role, the retailer is continuing to develop its casual dining and grazing options in-store.
Long-Standing Experience
Prior to his appointment, Simon Burdess held the position of commercial director for Fortnum and Mason and has also held various commercial roles at Marks & Spencer, including category manager for in store hospitality. Having 20 years’ of experience in the retail industry, he currently holds the position of Vice President Restaurant and Bars at Intercontinental Hotels Group.
“We want our shops to be places where customers will feel excited and inspired by food - and evolving our food service offer is vital in achieving this,” commented Ben Stimson, Retail Director at Waitrose.
“Simon brings a wealth of experience which will be invaluable in ensuring our hospitality makes our shops dynamic and vibrant places to visit”.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Larissa Zimmer. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
