Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from April 2002

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from April 2002

Events.
April 4, 2002... April 10 April 3663 YORK RACECOURSE EXTRAVAGANZAKnavesmire stand. Exhibition opens 10am-5pm. Tel: 0191-402 4622 18 April Brands in foodservice conference London Marriott hotel. Tel: 020 7970 7270 18 April...

Top Swede.(Danyel Couet)
April 4, 2002... Sweden's Danyel Couet was among the guest chefs at the Festival of Food and Wine held at Lancashire's Northcote Manor in January. Amanda Afiya reports While Swedish delicacies such as rollmops are well known around the globe, the names of...

Feeding the 5,000.
April 4, 2002... In the first of a three-part series on small independent contractors, Jane Baker looks at two companies which tackle the same market from different angles: one going for large corporate events, the other for prestigious county and agricultural...

Tales of the riverbank.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... If Sydney seemed slow, Perth was even more peaceful for former Claridge's general manager Ron Jones and his wife, Eve, as they continued their excursion to Australia Perth, Western Australia. Smiling ground staff in Sydney's ritzy...

Barber's cutting edge.
April 4, 2002... The use of fresh ingredients - many grown and reared locally - and classical, rather than innovative, pairings of flavours are hallmarks of Chris Barber's cooking. Janet Harmer checks out his latest venture AFTER four years running one of...

Hotels, hostels and the homeless.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... Rupert Maude, head of valuation at surveyors Lambert Smith Hampton, examines the legal distinction between hostels and hotels that accommodate homeless guests The law Permitted uses of buildings are contained in planning statutes, the...

Outlaw all the tips confusion.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... The tipping debate drags on, but Michael Gottlieb has - he hopes - the last say Service charges, tips, gratuities, service included, not included, optional, voluntary or suggested this and that... I am fed up with this pointless debate...

If you're searching for the BAlogo, we have just the place.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... Once a month we get a report showing how many people have visited our Web site, which properties they looked at, how they found us and much more besides. It comes in the form of a long series of figures and graphs on the screen, giving monthly...

The outside edge.
April 4, 2002... With warmer weather on the way, the outlook is fair for pubs that offer outdoor facilities. Bob Gledhill looks at equipment considerations for pubs seeking a share of this lucrative family market The UK weather permitting, one of the big...

Going for gold.(Queen's Golden Jubilee)
April 4, 2002... The Queen's Golden Jubilee is fast approaching, but what does it mean for the hospitality industry? Is it a golden opportunity to invigorate business, or will it just be another long weekend? Jessica Gunn investigates Whatever feelings...

Table talk.
April 4, 2002... For what we are about to receive... eventually THE new parish priest of St Patrick's Catholic church in London's Soho hopes to reach his congregation's souls via their stomachs. Father Alexander Sherbrooke - who said West End parishes had...

It's Westermann to go.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... ALSACE chef Antoine Westermann, chef-proprietor of three-Michelin-starred Buerehiesel restaurant in Strasbourg, has opened a fast-food outlet in the same city. With his 30-year-old son Jean - the business brains behind the operation - Antoine...

openings.(new restaurants)
April 4, 2002... S is for Sausages The second S&M Caf? is due to open in Islington, London, next month. Kevin Finch, former chief executive of the Hartford Group, is behind the new chain, which is modelled on a traditional 1950s British caf?, specialising...

EHL appoints Toman to new Alan Hopper chair.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... Ecole H?teli?re de Lausanne, the Swiss hospitality business school, announced the creation of the Alan Hopper chair in finance last week. The professorship is being funded by organisers and sponsors of the Fifth International Hotel...

Luxembourg on a plate.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... In the first of a series of diaries from the 2001 Gordon Ramsay Scholar, 20-year-old Gemma Blow gives an account of the first part of her prize - a trip to Luxembourg with Villeroy & Boch. Interview by Amanda Afiya TO BE honest, I hadn't...

Wignall moves to Devonshire Arms.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... The head chef of country house hotel Michael's Nook is joining the Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel at Bolton Abbey in North Yorkshire. Michael Wignall's move follows the announcement last month that Reg Gifford, the owner of Michael's...

F is for food - and fun.(Caterer and Hotelkeeper Chef Conference)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... TAKE 350 chefs, some mature and well seasoned, others not quite so. Assemble in an orderly fashion, spice with foreign flavouring, divide into several parts, stir up, simmer down, bring back together and glaze with revelry. There you have the...

Kitchen conferential.(Chef Conference)
April 4, 2002... Last week's Chef Conference pulled together some of the biggest names in cooking. Tessa Fox and Gaby Huddart heard what they had to say NICK Nairn urged chefs to join him in his mission to improve eating habits, in an impassioned keynote...

Chefs just wanna have fun.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... A five-course dinner with a cheeky little surprise at the end rounded off a successful day for the 450 guests. Diane Lane reports IMITATION may be the sincerest form of flattery, but having your caricature piped in chocolate and served at...

Conduct unbecoming.(chefs' personnel management)
April 4, 2002... How do you deal with problems in the kitchen such as drug-taking, bullying and theft? Joanna Wood and Gaby Huddart report on solutions suggested by Chef Conference delegates FOLLOWING feedback from delegates at the Caterer & Hotelkeeper...

On the move.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... DAMIAN BROOM has been named head chef at the Oak Room, the restaurant at Danesfield House Hotel and Spa in Marlow-on-Thames, Buckinghamshire. He was previously executive chef at the Castle restaurant in Hurst, Berkshire. NICK STANSFELD...

Drinks news.(New Zealand Grape Growers Council)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... more wines from new zealand The New Zealand Grape Growers Council and the Wine Institute of New Zealand are joining forces to form a new organisation to promote, represent and research the interests of the country's winemakers and grape...

Don't bet on any big changes at the bookies.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... Fans of the traditional smoky, slightly sleazy bookie can rest easy. Government plans to give bookmakers a licence to serve hot food will not mean punters having to cope with an influx of caf? and coffee shops as they check out the 3.30 at...

Francs 'appalled' by Safeway staffing ploy.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... Safeway has apologised to a Manchester restaurant for sending letters to its staff in an attempt to recruit them for a caf? set up in the supermarket chain's new branch near Stockport. The retailer sent the letter to Francs, a 40-seat...

Competition Commission probes Compass's bid for Rail Gourmet.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... The proposed takeover of Rail Gourmet by Compass was referred to the Competition Commission last week. The commission has until 17 June to decide whether the acquisition would be against the public interest and restrict rail passengers' choice....

MWB to sell hotel assets by 2005.(Marylebone Warwick Balfour)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... Property firm Marylebone Warwick Balfour (MWB) is to sell all its assets, including the Malmaison hotel chain and the Howard hotel in London, by the end of 2005. But chief executive Richard Balfour-Lynn said he expected to retain the chain...

Hilton bosses reap rich rewards in 2001.(David Michels, Anthony Harris)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 4, 2002... Hilton executives David Michels and Anthony Harris enjoyed rises of 29% and 87% respectively in their total remuneration last year, the company's annual report revealed last week. The total paid to group chief executive Michels increased to...

Latest hotel terrorist attack highlights security nightmare.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... the suicide attack on an Israeli hotel last week has once again shown how difficult it is for hotels to protect themselves from terrorist atrocities. The attack last week on the 96-bedroom Park hotel in Netanya, north of Tel Aviv, was...

Kempinski launches into Nile cruising.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... Hotel group Kempinski is to make its first foray into Nile cruising with the launch of a cruise ship this summer. The 70-cabin Kempinski Ganna will be the largest vessel on the Nile when it begins its maiden voyage on 1 August, and will...

Signature hit by fall in visitors to London.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... Interim pre-tax profits at Signature Restaurants (formerly the Belgo Group) fell from ?2.2m to ?1.5m in the 26 weeks to 30 December 2001 as foot-and-mouth and 11 September reduced overseas visitors to central London, where most of its...

Record drop in B&Boperators.(Bed and breakfast accommodations)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... The combination of last year's foot-and-mouth outbreak and serious flooding has led to a record number of B&Bs being taken out of the latest Which? guide. About 270 B&Bs have gone from this year's Good Bed and Breakfast Guide, and Which?...

More losses as Hartford alters focus.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... Restaurant group Hartford, which owns the Pharmacy restaurant in London, has recorded further pre-tax losses as it continues to move its focus from restaurants to bars. In the 12 months to 30 December 2001, the group recorded a pre-tax...

CBI plea for VAT on hotel bills to be slashed.(Confederation of British Industry)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is lobbying the Government for a reduction in VAT from 17.5% to 5% on hotel and guesthouse accommodation in this year's Budget. A spokeswoman for the CBI said a reduction in VAT was needed to...

February room rates show dip.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... UK hotels' performance in both London and the regions faltered slightly in February, according to preliminary figures from consultant PKF published last week. Occupancy rates held up fairly well, with a year-on-year drop of just 0.2% in...

in brief.(includes multiple articles)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... rumour quashed Claudio Pulze, the boss of London restaurant group Cuisine Collection, has dismissed as "malicious" rumours that he plans to close down the Il Forno restaurant, which opened in spring 2000. REVPAR down Revenue per...

Passing-out party.(Hogarth's, Bournemouth, England)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... Hogarth's opened specially for lunch on Mother's Day and the restaurant was packed out. The occasion was too much for one customer, however. Andrew Davies reports Ian McLelland, chef-owner of Hogarth's in Bournemouth, is learning that...

From Butlers Wharf to Buxton.
April 4, 2002... The closure of Butlers Wharf Chef School hit him hard, but John Roberts was never going to let all the good ideas go to waste. London's loss is the University of Derby's gain, as Tessa Fox discovered This time last year, John Roberts was...

Garrett takes Roux prize.(ANDRE Garrett)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... ANDRE Garrett, head chef at Orrery restaurant in London, has become the 19th Roux Scholar after beating five other finalists in the 2002 final held at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London last week. Darin Campbell, senior sous chef at...

Letters.
April 4, 2002... Please send letters to: The Editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS. They may be faxed on 020 8652 8973 or e-mailed to forbes.mutch@rbi.co.uk. The opinions expressed on this page are not necessarily...

What's new.(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... Bob Gledhill rounds up the latest new food and equipment products for caterers Cabinet reshuffle Nelson Dish and Glasswashing has launched a four-strong range of glasswashers under the Speedclean name. The interior cabinets feature...

P?tisserie for Perraud.(MICHEL Perraud)(Brief Article)
April 4, 2002... MICHEL Perraud, chef-proprietor of the one-Michelin-starred Le Fleur de Sel in Storrington, West Sussex, has opened a p?tisserie in the same village. The business is a joint venture between Perraud and his pastry chef, Norma Henning who...

Faces & places.
April 4, 2002... Duke follows in royal footsteps to open hilton london paddington THE Duke of Edinburgh kept a royal tradition alive last Wednesday when he officially opened the 355-bedroom Hilton London Paddington after its ?60m refurbishment. Queen...

Checks and balances.(Company review of In-House Catering and Catering Partnership)
April 11, 2002... In the second part of our series on small independent contractors, Jane Baker reports on two successful companies with different approaches. One targets directors' dining rooms in the City of London, the other mixes and matches business across...

openings.(restaurant opening news briefs)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Sands at St Andrews Sands, an 80-seat bar and restaurant specialising in seafood, opens on 18 April on the ground floor of the Old Course hotel, golf resort and spa in St Andrews, Fife. Head chef is Stuart Muir. The restaurant was...

Alsace uncorked.(french restaurant review)
April 11, 2002... In the first of a series on British chefs and their favourite French regions, Caterer travels to Alsace with Bruce Poole to explore its medieval ramparts, Michelin-starred kitchens and scarily steep vineyards. Fiona Sims reports BRUCE...

Providing first aid cover.(occupational health and safety management details)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Amanda Clarke, managing consultant for Optimum First Aid Training, examines the implications of Health & Safety (First Aid) Regulations for the industry Expert advice This real-life incident highlights the need for the hotel to...

A brand new point of focus.(new hotel industry marketing trends)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... The new order has taken hold in hotel marketing, reports Stuart Harrison THE new order in the way hotel companies are being structured was never more evident than in the shift of emphasis outlined by speaker after speaker at the recent...

Fighting chance.(Phil Woods interview)(Interview)
April 11, 2002... Continuing our series on general managers, Jessica Gunn talks to Phil Woods, a former NCO in the Royal Artillery who joined the hospitality industry because he missed life in the Army NOT many people follow a career progression that takes...

Academy Awards ; of Excellence.(Academy of Culinary Arts' awards details)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Four chefs and four pastry chefs have gained the Academy of Culinary Arts' Annual Awards of Excellence for 2002 in the finals for kitchen and pastry held at Thames Valley University in Ealing, west London, last week. The four winning chefs...

Table talk.(restaurant and food service industry news briefs)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 11, 2002... Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the off-licence Black Tower, the epitome of naff seventies dinner parties, is being relaunched in June. The German wine was introduced to the UK in 1968 but saw its popularity decline in the...

Babe Ruth's to go under the hammer.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... The entire contents of London's Babe Ruth's restaurant, including a 20ft high polystyrene model of the legendary baseball player of the same name, will be auctioned off on 16 April. A full-size hang-glider, a one-on-one basketball court, as...

One man's meat.(Food Standards Agency investigation of vegetarian products)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Ingredients with hidden animal content mean "vegetarian" dishes may not always be what they seem. Bob Gledhill reports on the latest vegetarian market trends THE increasing trend among diners to order vegetarian options from the menu has...

Epic adventure.(profile of restaurant owner Pat McDonald)
April 11, 2002... Pat McDonald's latest venture looks set to succeed. Tessa Fox went along to the first in his planned chain of 12 bar-brasseries to find out more FIVE days before opening, with builders, electricians and suppliers buzzing around his new...

Terry's Italian job.(Chef Eats Out event details)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... The Walnut Tree Inn near Abergavenny, where Stephen Terry gained a Michelin star within a year of taking over, is the venue for next month's Chef Eats Out event. Joanna Wood reports WHEN the Walnut Tree Inn, near Abergavenny in...

Lure of Devon was too much for Jones.(Dave Jones )(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Chef Dave Jones has returned to Devon just three months after leaving the Carved Angel restaurant in Dartmouth to join food manufacturer Kerry Group in Staffordshire. Jones was invited to become a partner in the Plantation House hotel...

Savoy Group 'upbeat' over recovery plans.(financial management and strategy data)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 11, 2002... It will be next year before the Savoy Group's revenue per available room (revpar) and occupancy rates are back to where they were before 11 September, the company's new executive vice-president has predicted. Former sales and marketing...

Gaucho Grill records heavy losses in 2001.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 11, 2002... Gaucho Grill has joined the growing list of restaurant groups reporting massive falls in trading last year. In the year to 31 December 2001, Gaucho recorded a pre-tax loss of ?1.4m, nose-diving by 173.7%, from a pre-tax profit of ?1.9m a...

Whitbread aims to free up ?60m on-hold funds.(Whitbread PLC)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Whitbread, the hotel, restaurant and health club group, hopes to release ?60m of frozen capital expenditure this summer. The group put its capital spending on ice last October in the aftermath of the 11 September terrorist attacks. Projects...

On the move.(people in the news: hospitality industry, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... DIANA CALEB has joined Delia Smith's Canary Catering as duty manager at Norwich City Football Club. She comes on board from the Conran Group, where she was private dining co-ordinator for the Bluebird gastrodome in Chelsea. Caleb, who...

Alpha hit by airline cutbacks.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... The effect of 11 September on the airline industry hit flight catering and airport retail group Alpha Airports hard, causing it to report a massive pre-tax loss for the year to 31 January. During the year Alpha recorded a pre-tax loss of...

USstate capital gets its first hotel for 16 years.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... The opening last week of the 197-bedroom Lafayette Yard Marriott conference hotel in Trenton, New Jersey, ended a 16-year hospitality famine when the state capital contained no hotels at all. The last hotel in the city, the Capitol Plaza,...

In-house scheme bears fruit.(Chef Mark Lynch completes Redcliffe catering apprentice program at Birmingham, England's Botanical Gardens.)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Commis chef Mark Lynch is the newest recruit to Redcliffe Catering's team at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham and the first to come through the company's own chef apprentice scheme. Lynch, aged 19, underwent 18 months' training to reach...

Midland restoration costs soar.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... The Midland hotel in Morecambe, Lancashire, is to reopen next spring following a restoration project that will cost more than twice as much as originally planned. Lancaster City Council has approved plans submitted by the directors of the...

Yates reports recovery in sales.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 11, 2002... Pubs and bars group Yates said it has seen a turnaround in trading after a poor first half to its current financial year. Like-for-like sales increased by 1.2% in the six months to 31 March, compared with a 1.4% decline in the previous six...

Madisons to expand Richoux restaurants.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Madisons Coffee is to concentrate on expanding its restaurants after they turned in a better performance than its coffee bars. The group said its Richoux restaurants, which it bought from Chez G?rard in August 2000 for ?2.7m, would be the...

Israeli restaurants hire private guards.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Israeli restaurateurs are turning to private security firms in an effort to protect their customers from Palestinian suicide bombers. Restaurants and hotels have been prime targets for the bombers, because they are easy to get into and hard...

Ronay helps to keep the customers satisfied.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Welcome Break's decision to enlist food critic Egon Ronay to help it improve its food appears to have paid off, according to a survey of its 24 motorway service stations. Polling firm Business and Market Research found that 70% of Welcome...

New Serena opens in Islamabad.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Serena Hotels has added to the 12 hotels it owns in East Africa and the five it has in Pakistan by opening another in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. The 105-bedroom Islamabad Serena cost ?19m to build and features a ballroom for 1,000...

Blaze hits Center Parcs.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... About 3,500 holiday-makers and 400 staff were evacuated from the Center Parcs resort in Elveden Forest, near Thetford on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, last week after a fire swept through the 400-acre holiday complex. The fire is believed to...

?1m bill for Moat House fire damage.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... The fire which forced the evacuation of more than 200 guests at the Moat House hotel in Plymouth, Devon, on Good Friday morning caused ?1m-worth of damage. A company spokesman said it would cost this much to refurbish the top-floor bar and...

Falling sales could force cut-price sell-off for Po Na Na.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Po Na Na is finding it harder than expected to sell off seven of its late-night bars, and may have to dispose of them at a lower price. The company said in June it planned to dispose of the seven underperforming bars, which were...

Worldwide; briefing. (includes various corporate information).(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Accor gets more go French hotel group Accor has raised its stake in Go Voyages, an online flight booking service in France. Accor has bought an extra 21.5% in the company, bringing its total stake to 60%. The hotel group said it would...

Faces & places.
April 11, 2002... Faces & places is edited by Louise Bozec E-mail: louise.bozec@rbi.co.uk Million-pound Carrot Television comedian Jasper Carrot was on hand to present a cheque for ?1m to charitable organisation the Birmingham Foundation at an event...

Former Residence boss to buy One Devonshire. (Residence International's Brian Martin, One Devonshire Gardens hotel, Glasgow, UK).(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Brian Martin, former managing director of Residence International, the owner of Glasgow's One Devonshire Gardens hotel until it went into receivership last year, is buying it back. Martin, with other parties, has established a new company,...

Figures reflect expansion for Loch Fyne. (seafood restaurant chain's financial results in 2001).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 11, 2002... New openings have boosted turnover and profits at seafood restaurant chain Loch Fyne. During 2001, Loch Fyne saw turnover increase from ?3.2m to ?9.1m, after it opened 10 new restaurants, taking its total to 16. Operating profit for...

Millennium to stick with 'M' name for new brand. (Millennium Hotels and Resorts).(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Millennium Hotels and Resorts has opened the first property in a planned chain of boutique hotels called M by renaming its Copthorne Harbour View hotel in Singapore. The 416-bedroom hotel, which has undergone a two-year, S$40m (?15m)...

in brief. (includes various corporate information).(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Eurest frees chefs Eurest has won a three-year contract worth ?145,000 in annual turnover to feed the 130 staff at the Slough and Windsor Marriott hotel in a new staff restaurant. The deal will free Marriott chefs catering for guests from...

Irish farmers want meat imports to be labelled.
April 11, 2002... Hotels and restaurants in the Irish Republic may be forced to detail the origin of all meat being served to customers, under new regulations being demanded by farmers. The 100,000-strong Irish Farmers Association (IFA) is pressing for the...

stockwatch.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 11, 2002... Queens Moat Houses (QMH) shares have attracted interest from both property entrepreneur Jack Petchey and North American hotel investment firm Westmont Hospitality Group. They climbed by 6.2% to end last week at 17p each, and have risen by...

Rich List contains 60 hospitality millionaires.(British millionaires)(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... More than 60 of the richest 1,000 people in Britain have stakes in hotels, restaurants or pubs, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2002. Sir Terry Matthews, owner of the Celtic Manor resort in Gwent, Wales, continues to top the...

Survey points to sharp rise in jobs.(in the hotel and restaurant sector)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 11, 2002... There will be a sharp rise in the number of hotel and restaurant job vacancies over the next three months, according to a survey just published. According to the research, carried out for Manpower recruitment agency, 30% of hotel and...

Forty green bottles.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... The management at Savannah know the value of database marketing, so they've come up with a prize draw that should interest any restaurant-goer. David Jones reports It's a chance to win your own wine cellar. All you have to do is get your...

Marston to run Eastwell Manor.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Marston Hotels has been awarded a contract to manage the four-star, 62-bedroom Eastwell Manor country house hotel near Ashford in Kent by its owner, Turrloo Parrett. The contract gain means Marston now has nine four-star and six three-star...

Second London outlet for Mela owner.(Brief Article)
April 11, 2002... Kuldeep Singh, owner and executive chef of the Mela restaurant in London's Shaftesbury Avenue, is opening a second restaurant in the capital. The outlet, named Chowki, will be in Denman Street near Piccadilly Circus. When it opens on 9...