New staff for new bar

Gas Street Social appoints general manager and head chef.

Shaker Group’s Gas Street Social has appointed Scott Walker as general manager and Florian Mainzger as head chef, ahead of its opening at the Mailbox next month.

Opening its doors to the general public in March, Gas Street Social is an upmarket restaurant and cocktail bar inspired by the cultural and industrial context of Birmingham’s rich history. It will specialise in simple, seasonal and shareable modern European cuisine, and will boast an impressive drinks menu consisting of regional and international craft beers, fine wines and exquisite cocktails created by the Shaker Group team.

General manager, Scott Walker, will be responsible for overseeing the operations, ensuring the efficient running of the restaurant and maintaining high standards of food, service and health and safety. He will also work closely with management to provide consultancy on the cocktail menu and general business development.

Scott brings with him 19 years of experience within the hospitality sector and has worked in a number of locations including Hong Kong, Birmingham and London, where he helped to open up popular bar, Shaker&Company. Prior to his appointment at Gas Street Social, Scott was working as bar manager at Bank in Birmingham.

With 15 years of experience under his belt, new head chef Florian Mainzger, has worked in Michelin starred restaurants and hotels around the world, including Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Dubai and the UK. Florian also spent time working as chef de cuisine at Hyatt Regency Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Adam Freeth, managing director at Gas Street Social, comments: “We’re thrilled to have Scott and Florian on board. As well as having impressive knowledge and experience, they both have a natural flair and passion for the hospitality industry.

“Gas Street Social will be all about incredible food and cocktails with top-class service and I’ve no doubt that with Scott at the helm overseeing the operations and Florian using his Michelin-starred experience to create exciting dishes, the restaurant will be a huge success.”