David Campbell appointed chairman at Rare Restaurants

Campbell, who has over 30 years of operational and strategic experience from several prominent companies, including Pizza Express, The Ivy Collection and Wagamama, is currently chair of Ole and Steen.

He joins Rare Restaurants, which trades under the Gaucho and M brands, following a year that saw revenues reach £75.3m​.

“I am delighted to join Rare Restaurants and look forward to building on the company’s recent successes as we enter into the next growth phase," he says.

"Martin [Williams, CEO] and the Exec team have proved the M and Gaucho brands have become an industry success story and I look forward to a fantastic future at Rare.”

Gaucho operates in 22 locations an is entering its 30th year of trading. The group reported double-digit turnover growth in 2023 with full group restaurant EBITDA of 19%, which included three new openings in Newcastle, Covent Garden, and Cardiff.

“David joining the company as Chairman will assist us on taking the business to the next level. His track record is the best in the business and I look forward to seeing his leadership and experience impact our boardroom and restaurants alike," says Rare Restaurants CEO Martin Williams.

“In past years we have seen brilliant growth in cities, towns and local neighbourhoods. With a pipeline of 30 UK locations, we will continue to grow our brands in a sustainable manner, which echoes our commitment to continue to offer our best-in-class menus (including carbon neutral beef).

"We will remain aspirational but accessible, with an increasingly broad demographic appeal and will continue to have a lot of fun with our guests and our people along the way.”