Gary Ashworth, founder chairman of recruitment group InterQuest, has become chairman of loss-making restaurateur and fishmonger FishWorks.

Losses at AIM-quoted FishWorks, which operates seafood restaurants in Bath, Bristol, Christchurch and London, mounted from £248,400 to £741,000 in the six months to January on turnover up from £2.8 million to £6.2 million, as new restaurant openings have exacerbated problems at the Bath-based company.

Mitchell Tonks, founder and chief executive officer, says ‘the group’s recent difficulties were substantially caused by rapid expansion’ and that led to the resignation of former chairman Roy Marsh and colleague Rathesh Bagdai.

New restaurant openings since January have more than doubled turnover. FishWorks shares, which were floated at 33p in 2005 and hit 50p last November, plunged to 10.25p in January and have since rallied to 16.25p.