Speaker Profile

Paul Goodale is a Restaurateur and Designer with 25 years of sector-specific experience, exclusively within quality operations.  Paul has operated across the full spectrum of the hospitality industry; from luxury hotels and Private Members Clubs to gastro pubs and self-service food courts.  Paul has conceived and opened over 60 one-off concepts for icons including Conran and Harrods and has extensive experience at every stage of hospitality life cycle, from acquisition through to sale.

Paul became the youngest FTSE CEO in 2008 and is presently Managing Director of Epicurean Holdings, a consultancy that he founded in 2009. Paul was latterly Director of Restaurants and Kitchens at Harrods, where he over-saw a transformation of the hospitality offer, culminating in the CATEY-winning French Laundry at Harrods.

In 2011, Paul Co-Founded PizzaLuxe Group, which grew from a Brick Lane market stall to subsequently open a pop-up store in Westfield Stratford City and a permanent site in the award-winning Leeds Trinity Kitchen.  He also Co-Founded Fred’s Food Construction, which was Tesco’s first seed capital hospitality investment – described as being “Subway for Pret People” – which opened three stores during 2014.

Paul is on the judging panel for Best Marketing Campaign at the Caterer & Hotelkeeper CATEY Awards.

He also judges across all categories at the Global Restaurant Awards, held annually in Dubai.

Paul divides his time between his central London offices and Lancashire home, where he lives with his partner and fellow restaurateur, Joycelyn Neve.  Paul works extensively in the Middle East through his consultancy practice, including a partnership with luxury retailer Galeries Lafayette.  Epicurean will open five bespoke hospitality concepts in Qatar during 2017.