Horsham’s popular East Street restaurant, Pizza Express has a new manager. Business Builder Club talks to Holli Richardson, who returned to the site where she first started out in the industry.
Still only 26, Holli has already managed two other restaurants – at Midhurst and latterly in Crawley.
Armed with a degree in business management from the University of Surrey Guildford, she is ready and eager to take the restaurant to the next stage in foodservice.
Talking to us on the day (Tuesday 10 January) when Pizza Express launched its `New Stars` range, the new star at its Horsham restaurant is keen to ensure the new menu hits the right spot with diners.
“I started out here at 15 as a pot washer,” says Holli, a self-confessed “people person”, “and it’s great to be back at a time when we have some delicious new items on the menu, such as pomodoro pesto, pedana and pollo ad astra leggera, as well as favourites such as American and Gustosa leggeras.
She has high hopes for the new Romanas too. “They all have a wonderfully thin and crispy base, which heroes the delicious toppings,” Holli adds. “We’ve re-introduced the salad nicoise as well – one of my favourites.”
Business Business Club members sampled the new offerings at their January meeting on Tuesday and gave a unanimous thumbs up to them.
Appropriately in Olympics year, Pizza Express is supporting stars such as sporting legends Lawrence Dallaglio and Andrew `Freddie` Flintoff in what is being billed as the challenge of their lives – an epic 2,862km cycle journey across Europe, starting in Olympia, Greece, birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games, on 23 April, culminating in London, host for the 2012 event, on 18 May.
“I am hoping to do my bit to fundraise for cancer research and children’s rehabilitation and physiotherapy units. And Pizza Express is donating 25p from every American Hot pizza sold.”
