Gavin George joins Chickpea Group board
Gavin George has joined Chickpea Group as a non-executive director.
South west pub company Chickpea Group has announced the appointment of Gavin George (pictured) to its board as a non-executive director.
George co-founded and led Laine Pub Company until September 2024, when he stepped down as CEO. Since then, he has focused on advisory and non-executive roles, including posts at The Revel Collective and at Laine's owners, Punch Pubs & Co.
At Chickpea Group, he will work closely with the board to advise on and support the delivery of the company’s next period of growth, bringing his wealth of experience in creating iconic pubs, brand building and capitalising on unique opportunities.
"This is a massive step for our business, and I am beyond excited to work with Gavin as we embark on the next phase of growth," says Ethan Davids, co-founder and CEO of Chickpea Group. "We have traded strongly in the last 12 months, which is why we are looking to capitalise on the momentum we have built to acquire and reignite iconic country pubs with rooms.
"Gavin’s own professional journey, together with his deep knowledge of the sector and unique ways of thinking, are exactly the attributes we were looking for. On a personal level I have always been a huge fan of Laine and the business that Gavin built, so I am delighted that Gavin has chosen to work with us."
Looking to the future
Chickpea Group, which currently runs 11 pubs across the south west, aims to reimagine rural pub hospitality by reinvigorating rural assets and developing the teams it employs to deliver excellent hospitality across its estate.
Owned and operated by brother and sister Ethan and Jordan Davids, along with Tommy Tullis, when announcing George's arrivial, the business confirmed it has ambitious growth plans in place.
"Despite Ethan’s modesty about what Chickpea has achieved in such a short time, I sensed that he and his colleagues were doing something special with their business and I was keen to know more," says George. "I have subsequently been blown away by the passion, creativity, energy and dynamism displayed by Ethan, Jordan, Tommy and the Chickpea team, and am hugely impressed with their vision.
"At a time when, tragically, hundreds of country pubs are closing their doors throughout the nation, Chickpea is breathing life back into stunning rural assets and bringing warmth and colour to the communities they serve. It’s a great business and I’m thrilled to have been asked to join the board to support them in growing it."
Ethan recently took part in Pub & Bar's monthly feature Turning a Profit, where he shared key ways in which Chickpea Group is thriving in today's tricky conditions. You can read the piece here.
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