George Dean has been announced as new General Manager of Blue Boar Pub, set within the Conrad London St James.

Dean has previously worked in a range of London restaurants, most notably having been General Manager at Hoppers, where he first met Sally Abé, Consultant Chef at Conrad London St James, and more recently having overseen operations as Food & Beverage Manager at Kimpton Fitzroy.

Cheshire-born Dean has over eight years of experience in hospitality, working in local pubs from the age of 16 and remaining loyal to the industry ever since. While working directly under Mary McLaughlin and Tim Bird, owners of Cheshire Cat Pubs, whom he credits for his passion for hospitality, he helped them open a new site which went on to win Best Pub of the Year that year. He moved to London at the age of 18 to broaden his knowledge and kickstart his career in hospitality management.

During lockdown, Dean was determined to keep the service industry alive and bring the pub to the people, founding ‘Elite Pubs for You’, a home delivery service for pints and pub favourites.

“I’m so pleased to have this opportunity to continue my love affair with this brilliant industry,” comments George Dean. “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.”

Also commenting on the appointment, Beverley Payne, General Manager, Conrad London St James, says: “I am so looking forward to George joining us. I had a very specific vision for the Blue Boar Pub General Manager and George is 100% of that vision. 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.”

Blue Boar Pub is one of four new food and drink outlets which have opened within Conrad London St James hotel, alongside The Pem, Sally Abé’s new fine-dining restaurant.