The Real Greek and Prestige London appointments

Greek-born Karatzenis was previously head chef at the As Greek As It Gets restaurant in London; He was operations manager at Ponti’s Group, and general manager at La Tasca Canary Wharf. He was also a food service project manager at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

Nabil Mankarious, joint owner of Kefi Ltd, said: “We’ve always aimed for a combination of authenticity and contemporary appeal, and Christos will be able to bring a new interpretation of modern Greek cuisine and hospitality to The Real Greek that will appeal strongly to the UK market.

“We have a very busy programme for the group this year, including the opening of The Real Greek at Westfield Stratford, and Christos is looking forward to the challenge.”

Prestige London​

Meanwhile, Prestige London, Sodexo’s fine dining, catering and hospitality provider in London, has appointed Mark Parfait to the role of head of food operations.

Parfait has been appointed to focus on craft development and food operations across all Prestige London sites. He joins the business from Lexington where he held the role of group development chef for three years. His experience as a chef and working in the catering industry spans 20 years.

Commenting on his new position, Parfait said: “Some people have asked me why I have gone from a small caterer to a global one. My answer is clear - Prestige London has a huge advantage of operating with the autonomy and flexibility of a boutique operator, whilst having the stability and expertise of a world leader.”

James Greetham, Prestige London managing director, added: “I’m delighted to welcome Mark to the Prestige London team and I am positive that his expertise will continue to drive the Prestige London business.”

Parfait will also responsible for the development of chefs within the business. He is already developing a new Chef for Life concept which looks at training, inspiring and retaining chefs via various food forums, farm visits, job swaps and competitions.