Simon Vardigans, the former finance director at Barracuda Group, has taken the group chief executive role at The Fat Duck Group, the Heston Blumenthal-led company, M&C Reportunderstands.
Vardigans left Barracuda in May 2012. He was formerly finance director at Coffee Nation until it was bought by leisure group Whitbread in March 2011. He co-led the secondary buy-out of Coffee Nation and was finance director from 2007 to 2011.
He was also finance director of Kirker Travel, the tour operator, from 2002 until 2007 when it was sold to Kuoni.
The Fat Duck Group currently operates Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, the Fat Duck, the Crown and the Hinds Head at Bray.
It is thought that Blumenthal is looking to open another Dinner in New York.
