A former insurance company employee has teamed up with a football charity chief turned bar owner to help propel struggling St George’s back into the Premier League.

Larry Perinchief, who worked for BF&M, has opened up Soccer and Friends restaurant above the sports bar of the same name run by Gerald Pascoe in King’s Square.

And Mr Perinchief has signed husband-and-wife team Ronald and Judy Williams, formerly of the Black Horse in St David’s, to manage the new venture, with Mr Williams in charge of the kitchen and Ms Williams running front-of-house.

He added the restaurant would concentrate on traditional local cuisine — with a special emphasis on seafood.

Mr Perinchief — the son of former St George’s Mayor Lois Perinchief — said: “Ronald is well known for his lobster and fish dinners — all that good local stuff.

“We’ve been doing very well and now that lobster season has started, we’re quite busy.”

Mr Perinchief said he had left BF&M and was looking for a new challenge when he was approached about taking over the upstairs area of the former George & Dragon pub on the square.

He added: “My mother was a former Mayor of St George’s, the first female Mayor and St George’s was her life. I was in Hamilton most of my working life and I thought this would be a nice memorial for her — her picture hangs in the restaurant.”

Mr Perinchief said: “So far, it’s been a very good experience — it’s a learning experience for me, but Judy is the manager and she is excellent.

“I don’t have to worry about anything and Ronald is well-known for his lobster, fish dinners and conch dinners.”

Mr Perinchief said he thought “long and hard” before committing to opening a business in a recession, especially in a town that has suffered tough times in recent years.

But he added: “I decided to take this gamble and do it. We do very well with the tourists that come down from Dockyard on the boats and we do very well at lunchtimes — Judy and Ronald have a very good reputation and local following.”

And he said that — even in a recession — people were prepared to splash out a bit for top-quality lobster.

He added: “When lobster season came in, there may be a recession, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a recession when it comes to lobsters. People love their lobster.”

Mr Perinchief said that recent signs pointed to a rebirth for St George’s.

He added: “I think slowly but surely we are on the way back. I understand a cruise ship is in the works for St George’s as well.

“It isn’t easy, but I think that within the next year or year-and-a-half we will be back.

“This is a world heritage site and we have to push it more — but I feel the turnaround is coming.”

In addition to lobster and fish, Soccer and Friends offers local cuisine with a strong seasonal element.

Among the menu staples, at the restaurant, which opened in May, are traditional fish chowder, conch stew and fritters, as well as steak and chicken dishes and delicacies like shark hash when the ingredients are available.

Mr Perinchief said: “It wasn’t a quick decision to take this on — but hopefully the future for us and St George’s is bright.”