Black and White Hospitality appoints new managing director

UK-based hospitality business has appointed a new managing director to head up its franchising division. Founded by chairman and CEO Nick Taplin, Black and White Hospitality, whose main shareholder is Marco Pierre White, has now on taken on board Brandie Deignan. Deignan will now oversee the growth of the group's franchising business, while ensuring the venues deliver a consistent and high-end service that guests expect. She joins from British Airways where she led the business transformation team, focusing on the food, lounge and in-flight elements of the worldwide carrier, as well as overseeing business change across customer experience and the International Airlines group. Prior to that, she was head of operations for Tesco's hospitality brands, covering the UK and Ireland with responsibility for the pre and post Giraffe Cafes and Harris & Hoole brand conversions as well as the supermarket's café offering. Deignan's past experience also includes Whitbread, Travelodge and the Hilton Group. With the franchise group passing the fifty restaurants mark by the end of 2018, Black and White Hospitality now has seven brands. The current portfolio includes MPW Steakhouse Bar & Grill, New York Italian, Bardolino Pizzeria Bellini & Espresso Bar, Wheelers of St James Oyster Bar & Grill Room, Marconi Coffee & Juice Bar, Mr White’s English Chophouse and the new Koffmann and Mr White’s English French Brasserie, which launched October 2018 with Pierre Koffmann working alongside Marco once again. Deignan said: “Black and White Hospitality is a young, dynamic business that is expanding rapidly. It has a very strong portfolio of brands and the business model of aligning the restaurant brands with hotels has proved very successful. Couple that with the most famous chef on the planet and we have an amazing recipe. “The team is hugely experienced and very enthusiastic which means the business can adapt and react to the fast changing and challenging hospitality sector. With fifty venues in our site I’ll be looking to ensure consistency is maintained across all venues which is imperative as we evolve and grow.” Taplin added: “Brandie comes with a wealth of experience which will benefit hugely our franchising business. We’ve got some really exciting plans and with Brandie’s expertise means we can push ahead.”