Croeso Pubs promotes Gavin Stewart to area manager after record year at The Philharmonic

Daniel Bevan - Editor

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Gavin Stewart, who helped lead Cardiff city centre venue The Philharmonic to a record-breaking year, has been promoted to area manager at Croeso Pubs Ltd.

Stewart, who has 21 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, will now help oversee Croeso’s nine venues, including The Philharmonic, where he has served as general manager for the past 12 months.

He began his career in the bar and nightlife sector before stepping into his first general manager role in 2014 at Cardiff’s Flares venue.

Since then, he has worked across sport-led, food-led, social gaming and nightlife venues, driving sales growth and improved performance, while also leading site openings and refurbishments in four cities across England and Wales.

Stewart joined Croeso Pubs in January last year with the aim of strengthening the performance of The Philharmonic.

During his tenure, the venue recorded its biggest-ever weekly sales, a milestone surpassed just three weeks later following record Autumn Internationals trading.

The bar also achieved its highest Friday sales and its strongest non-event Saturday sales in a single week.

Gavin Stewart said: “I joined Croeso Pubs with a clear goal, to make Philly the best bar in the city.

“I believed we achieved this goal and achieved daily, weekly, monthly, and major event-day sales records. We did this by enhancing the brunch live music and party offerings and driving sport in the venue.

“We also established a strong student connection delivering regular high performing student sessions. This standout trading performance played a key role in my promotion to Area Manager.

“An area of focus for me in this new role is junior management development, with plans to enhance training pathways and progression opportunities to support the next generation of Croeso leaders.”

As area manager, Stewart will oversee all nine venues in Croeso’s portfolio, supporting general managers by sharing best practice, strengthening operational standards and using his experience across multiple concepts to help each venue reach its full potential.

Croeso Pubs’ estate includes Brewhouse, Philharmonic, Blue Bell, Retro, The Dock, The Discovery, The Bear’s Head, The Cricketers and Daffodil, with each venue contributing to strong trading performance through a busy events calendar, community support and consistent footfall.

Croeso Pubs’ Area Director, Michael Haygarth, said: “Gavin’s promotion is incredibly well deserved.

“His leadership at The Philharmonic has been exceptional, delivering record-breaking results while building a strong, motivated team and a venue that truly connects with its audience.

“He brings energy, experience and a clear vision, and we’re excited to see the impact he will have across the wider Croeso portfolio.”