Eldridge: why it was time to move on

Ian Eldridge, former chief executive of restaurant group PizzaExpress, said last week that he left the company because it had become so big that he was no longer excited by his job.

Eldridge joined PizzaExpress in 1983 when it had just 11 restaurants. Today it has more than 300 and employs 6,000 staff.

He said: "I suppose I am a restaurateur at heart and I enjoy the cut and thrust of the coalface, so to speak. I have been described very much as a hands-on person and that is what I am.

"I am a control freak. The company was getting bigger and I was no longer getting the kick from it that I used to. With a company target of some 500 restaurants I suppose it was always going to be a different beast from the one that I created."

Eldridge joined PizzaExpress after spending a year as a graduate trainee with First Leisure. Before that he studied hotel and catering administration at Surrey University.

David Page, former chairman, has replaced Eldridge as chief executive.

Eldridge was quick to deny suggestions that his departure might in any way signal trouble at PizzaExpress.

He said: "There is a huge amount of talent in PizzaExpress and the show will go on. People will never get bored of pizza and there will always be good operators who survive."

Eldridge said he was unsure of what he would do next and was considering his options. These include possibly opening his own restaurant.

He said: "I don't want to be bossed about. Instead, I want to be able to build on my strengths."