Madisons Coffee co-founder Gareth Lloyd-Jones brings leadership experience from the UK leisure, coffee and restaurant industries, while Gordon Robinson adds significant financial expertise as the Esquires Coffee owner ramps up UK and Ireland outlet growth
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Gareth Lloyd-Jones (left) and Gordon Robinson (right) | Photos credit: Cooks Coffee
Cooks Coffee Company has added hospitality and financial expertise to its Board of Directors with the appointments of Gareth Lloyd-Jones and Gordon Robinson as new Non-Executive Directors.
Having started his career at British clothing retailer Tie Rack, Lloyd-Jones launched Madisons Coffee in 1995 and grew the coffee group to 35 sites before selling its eight London stores to Starbucks in 2001 for £1.4m ($1.8m) and the remaining 27 sites to Out of Town Restaurants in 2003 for £2.3m ($2.9m).
Lloyd-Jones also founded and sold pubs and restaurants group Gourmet Holdings and currently co-runs the High Road Restaurant Group, which operates the Buenos Aires, Buenasado and Koh Thai Tapas restaurant chains in the UK.
Cooks Coffee said Robinson brings extensive finance brokering, debt advisory and real estate finance experience from a 38-year banking career and will advise the business on investment-led projects and lending operations.
New Zealand-based Cooks Coffee currently operates 64 Esquires Coffee stores in the UK and a further 36 outlets across seven international markets. The coffee chain achieved 18% year-on-year sales growth in the 12 months ending 31 March 2024 to reach NZ$58.2m ($35.7m), with UK sales increasing 21% to NZ$38.3m ($23.5m).
Cooks Coffee is seeking to more than triple its Esquires Coffee footprint in the UK and Ireland to reach 300 outlets by 2034.
“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, bring a wealth of experience. Their expertise will enhance our capabilities as we execute our strategy and advance the company's prospects,” said Keith Jackson, Executive Chairman, Cooks Coffee.
In a press release, Cooks Coffee added that the board appointments also strengthen its goal to become ‘more UK-centric’.
Cooks Coffee completed it’s dual stock exchange listing in the UK in November 2022 and said it was exploring options to relocate its corporate office from Auckland to the UK late last year. As part of a board reshuffle, New Zealand-based Non-Executive Director Mike Hutcheson has resigned after more than 10 years on the board.