Sean Burlinson, former menu development chef at Spirit Pub Company, has joined Harris + Hoole (H+H), the coffee shop venture from Taylor St Barista, in which Tesco has a stake, to oversee the food offer across its regional sites.
Burlinson left Spirit earlier this year after two and a half years with the pub operator. During his time there he developed menus for its Flaming Grill and John Barras brands plus is un-invested Neighbourhood Estate pubs.
He joins the group as it gears up to open a brand new development kitchen to support its rollout across the South East.
The group, which currently operates 13 sites across the capital and the South East, will open the new hub kitchen in Park Royal, North West London later this summer.
The brand hopes to operate an estate of 20 sites inside and around the M25 by this summer, but plans to open “dozens of new shops across the UK” over the next 12 months.
In February, the group appointed former SSP employee Hannah Saunders as its first head of food. Saunders joins the business after six years at SSP, where she was product development manager.
