Former Hoppers GM joins Conrad London St James

Former Hoppers general manager George Dean (pictured) is to join the Conrad London St James hotel to run the Blue Boar pub.

He will work alongside Sally Abé, consultant chef at the hotel who runs the Pem restaurant, to develop the food and beverage proposition in the pub.

Dean, who most recently oversaw operations as F&B manager at Kimpton Fitzroy, said: "I want Blue Boar Pub to be the place that everyone visits for a true British pub experience. A lively atmosphere and an incredible location are just the start. I see it as being a place that people return to, to celebrate, commiserate or anything in between."

Conrad London St James general manager Beverley Payne added: "Throughout our meetings there were two main focus points I was looking for. The first was, 'would I like to sit at the bar and have a drink with this guy?', and the answer was yes. The second was would he inspire the team and lead from the front and the answer was, again, a resounding yes."

The Blue Boar pub is one of four new food and drink outlets that have opened within Conrad London St James hotel, which include the Pem, Sally Abé's fine-dining restaurant.