Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the pub and restaurant operator, is seeking a new heavyweight non-executive director with a view to the successful candidate taking over as chairman in the next few months, The Times has learnt.

Drummond Hall, chairman since June last year and a non-executive since 2004, is understood to have indicated a desire to step down after finding the role more time-consuming than he had expected.

Analysts pointed out that he had taken the reins at a difficult point for the All Bar One group: M&B had just been through a painful strategic review, sparked by the collapse of a property joint venture with Robert Tchenguiz. Then, this May, Tim Clarke stepped down as chief executive after the escalation of hedging losses.

Boardroom harmony has not been helped by the shareholders. Shortly after Mr Hall took the chair, Joe Lewis, the Bahamas-based billionaire, bought a 22 per cent stake in M&B from Mr Tchenguiz. Meanwhile Elpida, controlled by John Magnier and JP McManus, the racing entrepreneurs, has built a 17.6 per cent holding. In January, Mr Lewis embarrassed the board by voting against the remuneration report and blocking a motion that would have allowed M&B to issue new shares and dilute his stake.

One former colleague said: “If he decides to step down, it’ll be because he feels the company is back on its feet, with its debt sorted out, a new chief executive appointed and the board restructured.”

Mr Hall, who quit as chief executive of Dairy Crest in 2007 to spend more time with his new daughter, is also an operating partner at Duke Street Capital, the private equity firm, and a non-executive director of WH Smith. After joining Dairy Crest in 1991, he helped to turn it from a commodity milk-products supplier into a quoted group focusing on branded products such as Country Life, Clover and, via a joint venture with Yoplait, Petit Filous.

M&B declined to comment.

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