David Vickerstaff
David has over 25 years experience managing, setting up and advising catering operations including hotels, restaurants, bars, pubs and event catering companies. He is accustomed to operating at boardroom and strategic level whilst retaining a hands-on approach and sharp customer focus.
Armed with a degree in Business Studies, David embarked on a succession of assignments and management training programs including John Tovey’s Miller Howe Hotel and THF (Black Swan, Helmsley). David then joined Alan Crompton-Batt, the celebrated restaurant guru (Nico Ladenis, Marco Pierre White), where he worked on a wide range of projects including the start up of the River Café.
Following this, David became Operations Director of Green’s Restaurant in St James’s, one of London’s most enduringly successful and most highly respected restaurants, a position he held for over 20 years. During this time he also set up, and became Managing Director of, the events arm of Green’s which provided ‘pop-up’ restaurants and Champagne bars at some of the most notable events of the season (Lord’s, Goodwood, Aintree, Royal Windsor Horse Show, Cowes, Hickstead, etc.)
Whilst a Director of Green’s David also became an independent restaurant consultant providing operational advice and support to a diverse range of hospitality businesses from Cavalry & Guards Club to Daisy & Tom to Yo! Sushi.
Following his departure from Green’s David set up HMS Partnership along with Bruce Isaacs. Projects undertaken have included business start-ups, operational audits, business turnaround, interim management, feasibility studies, preparation of business plans, financial modeling, mentoring of business owners and the creation of bespoke training programs.
Bruce Isaacs
Having graduated with an economics degree, Bruce worked for two years converting pubs into brasseries for Allied Lyons. About to set off for an MBA in the States, he was lured into owning and operating an 80 cover restaurant in Bristol for two years. Since then he has been involved, amongst others, in the following businesses:
- Founder director of Ed’s Easy Diner, the seminal US style rock & roll diner
- UK director for Gioma Group (now Gaucho Grills) when it first came over from Holland
- Owned and advised on the set up of many leading food manufacturing and retail businesses including Yo! Sushi and Wagamama
- Partner and owner of Sol e Luna (1993 – 2000), one of the first wood fired pizza oven restaurants in the UK
- Founder and Managing Director of Soup Works Plc which was the first specialist soup bar listed on the Ofex market
- Commercial Director of the Bagel Factory with over 30 outlets, responsible for all aspects of the business
Bruce has extensive experience of the restaurant, bar and quick service markets from strategic review and development to operational matters, finance and marketing. He has worked on selling businesses, acquisitions and raising finance in addition to carrying out commercial due diligence.
Prior to setting up HMS Bruce was working as an advisor to SMEs in the food, retail, healthcare and service markets on operations, change management, strategy and roll out.
