Heron & Brearley Group names Mark Crowther as chairman: Mark Crowther, who is currently chairman of Portobello Starboard and Midlands pub company Pub People, has been named as the new chair of the Isle of Man-based Heron & Brearley. The former chief executive of the Liberation Group joins Heron & Brearley Group as part of a consolidation of its board strategy. He replaces outgoing chairman, Christopher Smith, who is stepping down from the board. Heron & Brearley chief financial officer Danny Hall said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mark Crowther as our new chairman.  In keeping with the group’s commitment to enhance its board, Mark’s appointment brings significant leadership experience, particularly in the hospitality sector and in Island-based businesses, to the group.” The company said that Crowther is already familiar with the special nature of Island-based businesses. Following successful careers with world class brand owners Carlsberg and Diageo, he led the original buy-out of the Channel Islands-based Liberation Group, going on to double the size and profitability of the business. “As we look to the future, Mark will now play a significant role in shaping, guiding and leading the board and our management team through the next chapter of Heron & Brearley’s long history,” Hall added. Heron & Brearley currently comprises a pubs and bars business with 29 managed outlets on the Isle of Man and a further 11 outlets in the UK; a Spar stores and fuel forecourt business; a warehousing and logistics business and its award-winning Okell’s brewery. Crowther said: “Heron & Brearley is a diverse business with a storied history and a unique place in the Isle of Man community. The group is poised for an exciting next phase and I am looking forward to supporting the team in taking the business forward. As British crown dependencies, I think it’s fair to say Isle of Man and Channel Islands businesses experience similar challenges and opportunities. I was already very familiar with Heron and Brearley as a peer in the hospitality sector. I have devoted my career to pub and brewing culture and I’m looking forward to spending time with many of Heron & Brearley’s individual venues and businesses in the coming months. The group has an impressive platform on which to build with its vertically integrated business. At the heart of this is Okell’s, an award-winning brewery, which is about to celebrate its 175th anniversary in 2025. That is a great catalyst for the whole group, and I am looking forward to hitting the ground running!” 

Coco di Mama to launch first retail range today: Coco di Mama, owned by Ask Italian, Zizzi and Boojum operator Azzuri Group, will launch its first retail range today, with Sainsbury’s. Propel revealed in September that the Italian food-to-go brand was set to introduce its premium Italian baguettes in into Sainsbury’s grab-and-go range. Six Italian-inspired sourdough baguettes will now be available as part of the supermarket chain’s meal deal offer, available in more than 650 Sainsbury’s supermarkets and convenience stores around the UK. The new sourdough baguette lineup includes spicy chicken Milanese and mozzarella, prosciutto and mozzarella, chicken Caesar and bacon, salami Milano and cheese, pesto Caprese and Mediterranean tuna. They are priced at £4.75 individually or as part of a £5 meal deal. It comes as the brand prepares to launch a new autumn menu tomorrow (Tuesday, October 15), with 36 new and improved menu items across its pasta, coffee, soups, sides, sandwiches and snacks – as well as a brand-new loyalty app. Coco di Mama managing director Jim Attwood said: “We’re excited to partner with Sainsbury’s for our first nationwide retail launch. With quality ingredients at an affordable price, we’re confident these baguettes will elevate the supermarket meal deal.” Azzuri Group chief executive Steve Holmes added: “Coco di Mama is experiencing remarkable growth. After a successful store opening in a mainline rail station in partnership with Network Rail, and our launch in motorway services, this new retail partnership is the next step in expanding our omnichannel approach.”Azzuri Group features in the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book. Its turnover of £257,800,000 in the year to 2 July 2023 is the 48th highest in the database. The Blue Book ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription.