How bold flavors, stunning venues, and a passion for people collide at Parogon Group 

Contemporary dining is all about bringing people together through great service and unforgettable experiences at Parogon Group (Parogon). This is why the company prides itself on creating unique and innovative venues, from Willow’s Mediterranean all-day dining to the distinctive and edgy smokehouse concept, Blockhouse. Marked by tremendous growth, ambition, and a love for exceptional hospitality, Parogon’s journey began with a vision of transforming iconic landmarks into vibrant dining destinations. Today, its beloved venues can be found in the UK counties of Staffordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, and the West Midlands, with plans for further national expansion. Richard Colclough, Managing Director, shares how Parogon creates premium dining experiences for its guests and communities.  

“Amidst the rising gastro pub revolution taking the UK by storm, Parogon was founded in 2007 by four school friends with varied backgrounds. Recognizing a definite gap in the Staffordshire market for a quality dining establishment, we decided to launch our first venue there, The Swan With Two Necks. Within a matter of months, it became an incredible success, proving that our concept had potential, which paved the way for expansion. Over the next few years, we started acquiring large freehold venues, which worked exceptionally well and laid a strong foundation for growth. Fast forward to the present, we operate 12 restaurants in the premium dining segment, albeit each one possesses its own unique format and charm. Our goal now is to continue on our expansion journey,” he says.  

Versatility and quality 

Each of the venues operated by Parogon boasts its own format and distinctive offering. Richard sheds light on what makes these locations stand out. “In our gastro pub division, we operate large destination venues with capacities of over 150 covers and circa 100 car parking spaces. While there are slight differences between each venue, they all serve a similar international menu of high-quality, fresh food in the premium dining segment. What truly sets us apart from competitors is our exceptional décor, service level, and the fresh food we serve, which lies at the heart of our business. Our two Orange Tree bar and grill locations are situated just outside urban areas, where they offer a convenient alternative to travelling to a city center. Both of these venues feature grill-based menus with many premium steak offerings such as Tomahawk, alongside a bar specializing in carefully curated cocktails. Our current focus is on expanding Willow, our all-day dining concept with a Mediterranean-inspired menu. With three successful locations already, we plan to aggressively grow this brand in the coming years, as it has demonstrated significant potential in the marketplace,” he discloses.  

Kat Schofield, Sales and Marketing Director, elaborates on Parogon’s expansion plans for the Willow brand. “Willow is quickly establishing itself in the all-day casual dining sector, boasting fresh, top-quality ingredients, Instagrammable interiors, and exceptional service from sunrise to sunset. Our guests particularly love the effortlessly relaxed atmosphere we create, which is ideal for enjoying the hearty brunches served until 5pm throughout the week. Willow stays true to Parogon’s roots by offering the ultimate Sunday Roast with all the trimmings. This combination of versatility and quality sets us apart from competitors and has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm,” she reveals.  

Sustainable suppliers 

With each brand offering its own unique range of dishes, menu development is a top priority at Parogon. Kat provides exclusive insights into the company’s thorough process to ensure its dishes stay relevant and appealing to their target audiences. “Our menu development process can be rather complex due to the five distinct brands we operate; however, we try to streamline our approach across the board. It begins with a briefing stage, where we conduct extensive trend analysis and leverage data from CGA as well as other reports. Frequently, these trends are influenced by American dining culture making its way over to the UK. When tweaking a menu or introducing a new dish, we aim to find the best version available and elevate it further with our own twists. These are then developed through a series of cook-offs, during which we refine and evolve each dish to ensure it meets the highest standards of quality while being visually appealing and providing great value for money,” she continues.  

Working cohesively with the right suppliers is central to Parogon’s ability to provide its renowned dishes across all of its brands. Kat tells us more about the company’s criteria when it comes to choosing suppliers who maintain its stringent quality standards. “One key aspect of this is ensuring that the drinks brands we feature genuinely align with our brand portfolio. For example, at Willow, with its Mediterranean-inspired look, feel, and menu, we have carefully selected brands to collaborate with whose products complement our story telling, both in restaurant and online. However, quality does not stop there for us, as we also prioritize sustainability. As a B Corp-certified business, we engage with partners and sponsors who adopt sustainable practices in their production processes. Whenever we onboard a new product, we go through a tender process which includes asking potential suppliers about their efforts to reduce carbon footprint and maintain sustainability in their operations. We also aim to source 50 percent of our purchases from local suppliers within a 50-mile radius of our head office,” she enlightens.  

Prioritizing people 

Alongside the planet, Parogon is also devoted to its workforce and strives to remain one of the best companies to work for in the UK. “As a people-focused business with over 700 team members, fostering a positive culture is at the heart of our company. About seven years ago, we partnered with Best Companies, a benchmark in service excellence, to establish a framework for building core values that guide our team’s work. Best Companies’ surveys have been a great format for gathering feedback from our employees on how we are performing and engaging with them daily. Over the years, we have implemented numerous improvements based on this feedback, including better benefits, working relationships, and well-being initiatives. These measures have been built around our core values, which are lived and breathed by our team members. Today, our commitment to gradually improving how we engage with our workforce has earned us a three-star rating from Best Companies, making us a world-class organization to work for,” Richard declares.   

Parogon blends innovation, sustainability, and exceptional hospitality to create extraordinary dining experiences, all while fostering a world-class workplace culture and driving growth across its premium brands.   

www.parogongroup.co.uk