Sauce Kelaker partners with its restaurant and hospitality clients to strategically advise Sauce Communications existing clients on how to scale and grow strong.
Sauce, the leading PR and Communications agency has been helping its clients to grow through effective communications and has more than 20 years experience of launching and nurturing hospitality brands.
Kelaker is the strategic advisory partner that acts as a brand's 'development arm' . The principals of Kelaker led the development of the food brand LEON between 2014 and 2021.
Sauce Kelaker is a joint venture that provides an ecosystem to help Sauce Communications existing clients to scale at the critical growth points of a brands journey.
Sauce Communications has been at the heart of the UK’s hospitality scene for over 20 years, helping transform the UK’s reputation for dining along the way. Sauce propelled Gordon Ramsay to global fame and has since worked with the cream of the world’s stars of food and drink. Having launched countless enduring restaurants and successful dining concepts, its knowledge and love of the scene is unmatched as is its appetite to find and nurture the hospitality icons of tomorrow.
Over the years, Sauce has worked with Rick Stein, Wahaca, D&D London, Chilango, The Social Company, Tortilla, Byron, Neat Burger, Shake Shack, Tommi’s, Busaba, Le Comptoir, Leon, Rudy's, Bone Daddies, Flesh & Buns, Cabana, Dirty Bones,
Señor Ceviche, Thunderbird, Island Poké and many others.
“This collaboration gives our clients the final piece of the Sauce jigsaw that we always wanted to offer our amazing restaurants and our world renowned chefs - an opportunity to open more restaurants within the UK and around the world with the backing of the Sauce Kelaker partnership and the 360° support that brings.”
Kelaker is an advisory business which helps restaurants to fulfil their potential. This often involves scaling operations but it may also involve reducing a brand's exposure to risk. After all, scaling doesn't always have to be up.
Kelaker is founded on unique and direct experience working within the food industry. Between 2014 and 2021 Kelaker's principals led the development of the successful food brand, LEON. We have walked the walk.
We bring breadth and depth of skills to our clients, and act as the development arm of food brands. We perform all the functions of the development arm of a brand. We formulate strategy, we assess risks, we improve property pipelines, we introduce franchise partners and improve the financial model of a brand.
We are systematically selective in working for best-in-class brands that can breakthrough, have a point of difference, can be scaled, and have a strong culture.
“The collaboration with Sauce opens doors to an ecosystem which has PR, digital and social media at it’s heart - key areas that are pivotal to a brand's ambitions to scale and prosper”
THE TEAM
Jo Barnes
Jo Barnes honed her PR skills in publishing before pursuing her passion for restaurants and co-founding Sauce, where 21 years later she still marvels that she has built a career around her favourite pastime.
With formidable PR skills, she has steered her clients both to success and through challenging times.
Strongly believing that relationships lie at the heart of Sauce’s enduring success, Jo’s network spans far beyond the media, she enjoys deep rooted connections with an extensive community of the movers and shakers of the hospitality scene.
Email: jo@saucecommunications.com
Jo Barnes
Partner
Simon Kelsey
In the mid 1990’s and 2000’s Simon was in the financial markets of the City of London. Whilst at one of the largest City institutions ICAP, he was responsible for managing broking operations and developing new products.
In 2017 Simon was appointed Head of International Development at Leon to instigate and oversee the international development of the brand. He was instrumental in the formulation of the franchise strategy and the selection of franchise partners, resulting in the company entering the Scandinavian and Irish markets, further developing in Holland and securing key relationships particularly across different channels in the UK, and throughout western Europe and the Middle East.
After Leon’s sale to EG Group in 2021, Simon left the company to found Kelaker in order to help brands expand both domestically and internationally.
His key strengths lie in an understanding of financial markets, funding opportunities, creating partnerships, and attention to detail.
Email: simon.kelsey@kelaker.co
Simon Kelsey
Partner
Nicky Hancock
Nicky began her career in advertising, juggling household name clients with her characteristic dexterity and charm, skills she has put to good use since setting up Sauce. Always driven by the desire to achieve the best for Sauce clients and staff alike, Nicky has tirelessly driven the standards and services of Sauce forwards, whilst simultaneously establishing a well-respected company culture that has launched the PR careers of numerous alumni, all the while tending to star Sauce clients such as Rick Stein and The Ritz. Nicky’s love of connecting people within her extensive network has also served Sauce clients well. She shares her co-founder’s appetite for discovering and supporting emerging talent and is deeply committed to achieving the long term success for Sauce Kelaker clients.
Nicky Hancock
Partner
Adam Blaker
In the 1990’s and 2000’s, Adam was a principal investor in mixed-use property projects responsible for securing investment, debt, acquisitions, planning consents, design, construction, project management and disposal both in the UK and abroad. In 2014, upon LEON’s 10th birthday, he joined Leon to develop the company’s strategic property path and roll-out programme. In so doing, he developed the design and capex model and successfully spearheaded its growth from 17 to over 70 restaurants.
He was instrumental in the evolution of alternative formats and the company's P&L, whilst being a principal driver behind the selection of franchise partners.
After the global pandemic in 2020 he lead the company’s CVA negotiations and secured it’s successful outcome.
He left the company in October 2021 following its sale for £100m to EG Group. His strengths lie in developing property growth strategies, scaling, and relationships.
Email: adam.blaker@kelaker.co
Adam Blaker
Partner
BRANDS WE HAVE HELPED
