The business behind an award-winning East Anglian restaurant has unveiled its appetite for expansion after snapping up two Norfolk eateries.
The owners of the Ingham Swan near Stalham – G&D Ventures – have bought independent restaurant group Animal Inns in a deal which will see it take control of The Wildebeest Arms at Stoke Holy Cross, and The Mad Moose on Warwick Street, Norwich.
The move will now fire the starting gun on a bold investment strategy, which could see rooms added to The Wildebeest Arms and The Mad Moose being rebranded.
And G&D Ventures – created by Gregory Adjemian and Daniel Smith when they took over the Ingham Swan in 2010 – has not ruled out buying more businesses once the new restaurants have bedded in.
Mr Adjemian said: 'We have a solid and achievable plan to significantly grow our business, we're committed to investing in Norfolk, we've got real purpose and the talent in our team to back this up.
'Through this acquisition we are putting a firm stake in the ground. There's no going back for us. We're hungry and driven by our plans.'
'Both The Wildebeest and The Mad Moose are located in prime locations and we feel we can add value to both sites to take them to the next level.'
Mr Smith, chef patron at the Ingham Swan, spent 10 years at The Mad Moose and The Wildebeest Arms when it was under the ownership of restauranteur Henry Watt.
He previously worked for Michel Roux Jr's Le Gavroche in London and Galton Blackiston's Morston Hall, where he earned a Michelin Star whilst head chef at the age of 23. Last year he received the Eastern Daily Press chef of the year award.
Mr Adjemian said the enlarged company will employ 40 staff, with plans to bolster the workforce by a fifth in the coming months.
'It is important to us to invest in our people and ensure they develop a sustainable life in hospitality,' he added. 'The long hours are always quoted as a reason why businesses like ours find it difficult to recruit and retain employees.
'We've worked hard to develop a culture where our staff feel valued and inspired, that's important to us. We look forward to working with the existing teams at both venues.'
The Ingham Swan has been awarded two AA rosettes for food and has held a Michelin Bib for the past five years. It was also voted the Reader's Restaurant of the Year in the East of England in the Waitrose Good Food Guide Awards 2015.
• Do you have a business story? Contact business editor Ben Woods on 01603 772426 or email ben.woods@archant.co.uk
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