Andrew
Fishwick
Twenty-five years building, financing and leading premium hospitality and cultural businesses, as founder, chief executive, chairman and adviser.
A career built on filling rooms, then financing the businesses behind them.
Andrew Fishwick is Chief Executive of Hestia, an investment platform acquiring premium restaurant groups and giving their founders the capital, infrastructure and leadership to grow into global brands.
He has spent twenty-five years operating hospitality and cultural businesses, alongside a track record in M&A, capital raising and governance. He has founded, acquired and turned around restaurant groups, pubs and hotels, and has led or advised on transactions ranging from founder-stage raises to a £100m private equity acquisition.
Before hospitality, Andrew produced more than two dozen West End and Broadway shows, winning Tony, Olivier and Evening Standard Theatre Awards, and led the development of the first new purpose-built theatre in London for over half a century. The disciplines carry across: raising capital against a fixed opening date, building teams of exceptional talent, and filling a room every night.
He founded SALT, the food and drink marketing consultancy, and served as its Executive Chairman, and co-founded Home Kitchen, the charity that trains and employs people from the homeless community for careers in hospitality. He has sat on the board of the British Institute of Innkeeping and mentored for the Prince's Trust, now the King's Trust.
- FellowshipFellow of the Royal Society of Arts
- EducationMBA, Warwick Business School
- HonourFreedom of the City of London, for services to business and the arts
- LiveryLiveryman, Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs
Hestia
A premium hospitality buy-and-build platform acquiring independent UK restaurant groups, hotels and bars, with a centralised accelerator covering operations, finance, brand, data, technology and people, and an advisory board drawn from senior roles in retail, contract catering, investment banking and professional services.
hestiaplc.comSALT
A specialist marketing consultancy for luxury hospitality, food and drink, founded and scaled by Andrew to serve premium drinks houses, members' clubs, cultural institutions, financial and luxury brands, with activations delivered in twelve cities from Davos to Singapore.
Home Kitchen
The Primrose Hill restaurant and charity that trains and employs people from the homeless community for careers in hospitality. Andrew co-founded the charity and served as a trustee through the opening of its first site in 2024.
Building, raising and turning around, across pubs, restaurants, hotels and theatres.
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2019 – 2022
Chairman, premium hospitality operating platform
Institutional landlord partnershipChaired a platform owning and operating curated independent venues with acclaimed chefs and institutional landlords. Originated and completed a £4m developer partnership with a FTSE-listed landlord for the first restaurant on its flagship City of London estate, believed at the time to be the largest institutional landlord investment into a UK restaurant incubator. Attracted two-Michelin-starred guest chefs to the culinary programme.
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2014 – 2021
Chief Executive and Executive Chairman, boutique pub and hotel group
Ten sites built from conceptCreated and scaled a ten-site group, raising more than £20m of equity, structuring corporate deals, building the senior team and acquiring freehold assets. In the same period served as interim CEO of a distressed twelve-site restaurant group, including a Michelin-starred site, stabilising its finances through turnaround; led a £7m capital raise for a Berkshire country house hotel that has since won AA Five Gold Stars and a Michelin Plate; and acted as intermediary adviser to an overseas landlord on a c.£25m restaurant fit-out in a landmark City of London tower.
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2012 – 2016
Founder and Chief Executive, premium gastropub group
Michelin Guide · Top 50 Gastropubs · SRA Sustainable Pub of the YearRaised £1.5m across two rounds to acquire, develop and launch the flagship in Maida Vale, then built a multi-site group to a peak turnover of c.£9m. Recognised in the Michelin Guide and the Good Food Guide, listed among the Top 50 Gastropubs in multiple years, and named Sustainable Pub of the Year, with further awards for its roast, its wine list and as a place to work. Head chefs were recruited from Michelin-starred London kitchens.
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2003 – 2011
Theatre producer and Executive Director
West End · Broadway · New-build theatreProduced more than two dozen West End and Broadway shows, winning Tony, Olivier and Evening Standard Theatre Awards, and led the executive development of the first new purpose-built theatre in London in over half a century. Held board roles across cultural and arts organisations.
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1997 – 2003
Operational leadership, branded pub and bar groups
National branded pub and bar operatorsOperational leadership across multiple branded pub and restaurant groups during a formative period for UK casual dining.
Principal transactions
| Transaction | Value | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private equity acquisition of a national casual dining group | £100m | 2013 | Adviser, investment committee member, integration lead |
| Boutique pub and hotel group, equity raise | £20m+ | 2016–17 | CEO, lead fundraiser |
| London street food and events group | £18m | 2015 | Adviser |
| Landmark City of London tower restaurant, landlord side | £9m | 2018–21 | Intermediary adviser |
| Country house hotel, Berkshire, senior debt and equity | £7m | 2014–16 | Financial adviser, capital raise lead |
| Restaurant incubator, institutional landlord partnership | £4m | 2019–22 | Deal originator, transaction lead |
| Premium gastropub group, acquisition and growth capital | £1.5m | 2012 | CEO, lead fundraiser |
Values are headline transaction or raise sizes. Further detail available on request.
Non-executive and advisory
- Serviced apartment and aparthotel operatorNon-Executive Director2019 – 24
- Hospitality property businessNon-Executive Director
- Early-stage hospitality ventureAdviserto 2024
- London café and restaurant groupAdviser2017 – 21
- Regional premium pub groupM&A adviser2015 – 19
Industry, civic and charitable
- Home KitchenCo-founder and former Trustee2022 – 25
- British Institute of InnkeepingVice Chairman2012 – 19
- Mayor of LondonFood Ambassador2015
- The Prince's TrustMentor2007 – 10
- Worshipful Company of EntrepreneursLiveryman
- City of LondonFreeman, for services to business and the arts
Press
Contributor to the Financial Times, The Guardian, The Times and Sky News on hospitality leadership, brand building and training.
Speaking
Taste of London, Big Feastival, Pub & Bar Show and the Sustainable Restaurant Show.
Judging
International Wine Challenge and The Grocer Awards.
“Raising capital against a fixed opening date, building teams of exceptional talent, and filling a room every night. The disciplines of the theatre and the restaurant are the same.”
Andrew Fishwick
Get in touch
For enquiries regarding advisory work, non-executive roles, investment opportunities or speaking engagements. Based in London.