Chris Hill is CEO of The New World Trading Company / The Florist. A regular show visitor and speaker, he’ll be appearing in an opening day panel session alongside other industry high flyers (including Sarah Weir, MD of Albion & East, Gordon Ker, founder of Blacklock, and Steve Moore, CEO of Flight Club) to talk about the journey so far and what’s next for their brands.
What restaurant & pub operators do you particularly admire and why?
Hawksmoor & Dishoom (brilliantly consistent), Loungers (great business), and Oakman Inns (great people culture).
What do you feel is the key for operators to successfully compete against their competitors in 2019 and beyond?
Work harder on recruitment than anything else. Once you have great staff, do all you can to keep them… Nothing works without great staff.
What’s your bestselling dish / drink at the moment?
The signature Chicken Hanging Kebab continues to be our biggest food seller. Porn Star Martinis are our biggest selling cocktail.
What do you see as key trends in the coming year?
Deeper and Deeper Desperate Discounting….
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?
My team.
And the most challenging?
My team!
Who or what inspires you to be even better?
My 5 year old daughter.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Only worry about the things you can change.
Describe the Casual Dining trade show in 3 words:
Innovative, Informative, Affirmative.
See Chris at Casual Dining 2019
Give me five – the ‘next big thing’ panel: 11.45am in the Keynote Theatre 1 on Wednesday 27 February. The session will feature –
- Chris Hill, CEO of The New World Trading Co
- Gordon Ker, founder of Blacklock
- Steve Moore, CEO & co-founder of Flight Club
- Sarah Weir, MD of Albion & East
- Simon Stenning, founder of FutureFoodservice.com (session chair)
