Wed 6th Dec 2017 - SA Brain begins process of setting up Coffee#1 as standalone business SA Brain begins process of setting up Coffee#1 as standalone business: Brewer and retailer SA Brain has begun the process of migrating its Coffee#1 business to a standalone structure away from the SA Brain brand and functions, Propel has learned. Bruce Newman, previously group head of marketing across both brands, has taken up a full-time role leading Coffee#1. The change has seen SA Brain enter into a period of consultation with a number of employees based at its Cardiff support centre site and in field-based roles. The consultation follows a period of review by the board of the business and the decision, which the company said was aligned with its ambition to primarily focus its efforts on growing its business inside Wales, required changes to working processes and recent investments in technology. A spokesman said: “Periodic review of organisational design is critical to ensuring the business continues to operate as efficiently as possible. Full details of the future structure are being finalised through employee consultation and remain confidential, with the current priority of the senior management team being to support our team through a period of transition.” SA Brain owns a portfolio of 103 managed and 77 tenanted pubs and operates 83 coffee shops under the Coffee#1 brand, while also brewing Brains SA from its Cardiff-based brewery. The company said it planned to continue to invest in its existing pub estate, roll out Coffee#1 chain and build its brewery at Courtney House in the Pacific Business Park. It said investment in its retail businesses had seen employee numbers across the group increase from about 2,200 to 2,440 in the past three years.