Hospitality business the Nourish Group has become Foley Hospitality and appointed a national executive chef across its 10 restaurants and bars.

The change comes after Nourish Group, which owns sites including SOUL Bar & Bistro, Andiamo, Jervois Steak House, The Brit, Shed 5 and Pravda, was acquired by Foley Holdings NZ Ltd last year.

It has also announced that Gavin Doyle, executive chef at Auckland’s popular SOUL Bar & Bistro, will assume a broader role within the business and head up kitchen culinary direction for the group.

Doyle has worked at restaurants across Europe, Australia and New Zealand and steps into the position following the departure of Gareth Stewart, who left the group in December to pursue new opportunities as a consultant chef.

Foley Holdings NZ Director, Mark Turnbull, says it’s an exciting chapter for the group, which has been working closely with venue managers on the focus areas for each establishment since acquiring Nourish Group in July 2022.

“In the first year we have prioritised re-investing directly back into the venues. These investments include a range of improvements such as new bathroom facilities in January at Pravda, a $1 million-dollar kitchen renovation at SOUL Bar & Bistro this April, and this winter Jervois Steak House in Auckland will receive a refreshed interior. Next year we will put a focus into Shed 5 in Wellington and The Chamberlain in Auckland.

“Moving forward, we’re looking at ourselves as one team per venue. Therefore, the formerly known ‘front of house’ will become the ‘guest experience team’, and the ‘back of house’ will be known as the ‘culinary team’ of which Gavin will be at the helm. We feel that this new terminology better reflects what we are actually offering our guests,” says Turnbull.