AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Cooks Coffee Company, the international coffee-focused café chain, that operates Esquires, the Organic Coffee Company in UK & Ireland has appointed two new UK based Board members. New Zealand based non executive Board member Mike Hutcheson has resigned after more than 10 years on the board.
Keith Jackson, Executive Chairman of Cooks Coffee, commented: “As Cooks Coffee Company shifts towards a more UK-centric focus, we are pleased to announce changes to our Board.
Gareth Lloyd-Jones, known for his strategic growth and leadership in the leisure, coffee and restaurant sectors, and Gordon Robinson, with his extensive banking and real estate finance background, and bring a wealth of experience.
Their expertise will enhance our capabilities as we execute our strategy and advance the Company’s prospects. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mike Hutcheson and extend our appreciation for his invaluable contributions.”
Cooks Coffee Company: Appointment of new Non-Executive Directors
Gareth Lloyd-Jones
Gareth Lloyd-Jones will join the Board as a Non-Executive Director. Mr. Lloyd-Jones is a seasoned professional with over 22 years of experience in the leisure sector. His career began with Tie Rack in 1985, where he quickly became the youngest franchisee and expanded his network to 14 Central London shops within a year.
During his time at Tie Rack, he met city advisors who introduced him to Howard Schultz of Starbucks. He then co-purchased and rebranded two London coffee shops as Madisons Coffee, growing the business to 45 locations across the UK. Madisons Coffee was listed on the AIM stock market and included brands such as Richoux Coffee and Restaurants and Rendezvous Coffee shops, which sold to Starbucks Coffee and Out of Town Restaurants.
Gareth then went onto build a chain of five gastro pubs and four individual restaurants, which were subsequently sold into the trade. Currently, he co-runs the High Road Restaurant Group, which operates nine Argentinian steakhouses and four Thai restaurants, supported by private equity investment.
Additional information on Gareth Lloyd-Jones
- Mr Lloyd-Jones currently holds the following directorships:
- Argentine Steakhouse (Bidco) Limited
- Buenasado (Reading) Limited
- High Road Restaurants Group Bidco Limited
- The Thai Tapas Group Ltd
- Koh (Uk) Limited
- High Road Restaurants Group Holdco Limited
Additionally, he has held the following directorships in the past five years:
- Ben’s Pub Company Limited
Gordon Robinson
Gordon Robinson will join the Board as a Non-Executive Director. Mr. Robinson is a highly experienced consultant specialising in Debt Advisory and Finance Brokering, with a distinguished banking career spanning over 38 years. He has a very broad business-sectors coverage in Corporate Governance (within finance) including quality Retail and also Food & Beverage businesses.
He also has expertise in Real Estate Finance including both development and investment-led projects. Throughout his career, which began with NatWest Bank in the 1980s, he has held various senior positions, established successful lending operations, and led business development teams. His extensive background encompasses setting up and managing lending operations, serving on credit committees, and holding senior front-line Director roles with multiple lenders.
Mr Robinson currently holds the following directorships:
- Vector Capital PLC
- KCR Residential Reit PLC
- Sterling Bapc Ltd
