Jon Hassall has been appointed as GM of Foodco NZ in a move to broaden the food and coffee group’s operations in New Zealand.

The operator of Muffin Break, Jamaica Blue, and Dreamy Donuts said the appointment will fuel growth for the company.

“Jon’s experience will be fundamental as the company enters a significant growth phase,” said former general manager Garry Croft, who will move into an executive director position.

Hassall has been national operations manager of Foodco since April 2016. He was previously managing director at Hummus Bros UK, worked in the cafe and bakery sector at AMT coffee, Patisserie Valerie and as a consultant to one of the largest contract caterers in the UK, Baxterstorey.

Foodco operates over 400 Muffin Break and all-day dining Jamaica Blue cafes across New Zealand, Australia, the UK, China, Singapore, Malaysia, and the UAE with plans to significantly expand the Muffin Break and Jamaica Blue brands in New Zealand over the next few years.

“Muffin Break is already a well-regarded brand in New Zealand that will continue to grow this year,” said Hassall.

“We have four great sites coming to the market right now in central and south Auckland and the Coromandel.

“As well as expanding the number of stores, we are increasing the quality of service, improving the menu and focusing on coffee. Franchisee support will only strengthen this.”