Waitrose has named Simon Burdess as its first-ever director of foodservice.
The move comes as Waitrose is stepping up its casual dining and grazing offer in branches, with the newly created role seeing Burdess taking charge of developing Waitrose's foodservice offer.
Burdess is currently vice president for restaurants and bars at InterContinental Hotels Group, and will join the supermarket in September.
He also has 20 years' experience in the retail industry, having previously been commercial director at Fortnum & Mason and having held various commercial roles at Marks & Spencer, including as category manager for in-store hospitality.
Ben Stimson, retail director at Waitrose, said: 'We want our shops to be places where customers will feel excited by and inspired by food - and evolving our foodservice offer is vital in achieving this. Simon brings a wealth of experience, which will be invaluable in ensuring our hospitality makes our shops dynamic and vibrant places to visit.'
