Digby Trout drops de Blank's name

Charlotte Segaller

De Blank Restaurants, the catering company specialising in public concession outlets, has changed its name and is undergoing a rebranding process.

It is now known as Digby Trout Restaurants after the company's managing director, Digby Trout, who bought 80% of the shares last year.

Mr Trout said the change had come about because of a failure to reach an agreement with Justin de Blank over the continued use of his name for the company.

But Mr de Blank said he had been willing to renew the licence, and that it had been Mr Trout's decision to change it.

He said he had not been concerned about his name being used both for the catering company and for his own company, Justin de Blank Foods, which supplies sandwiches and bread and operates two bakery shops in London.

Mr de Blank founded the company in 1987 as a joint venture with contract caterer Catering & Allied. He sold his stake to Catering & Allied three years ago, and at that time signed a licensing agreement allowing his name to be used until last September.

Among the company's outlets in London are a restaurant at the English National Opera in the West End - which it began operating last month. It also operates restaurants at the Barbican Centre in the City and the Science Museum in South Kensington.

Other contracts gained this year include the Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery, the Grand Assembly Rooms in York and Waterford Wedgwood Visitors Centre in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

Mr Trout said that sales this year were expected to increase 50% on last year to about £8.5m.

He hoped to take on another four contracts next year and to further develop the company outside London.