Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from April 2004

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from April 2004

News Round-up.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Villagers protest at 'eco-hotel' plans An "eco-hotel" in Cornwall has come under fire from protesters who claim it will damage the environment and threaten local businesses. The [pounds sterling]3m, 50-bedroom project, which is being...

In Brief.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Furlong to manage two hotels for Empire Hotel company Furlong Management has added two new properties to its portfolio under a new deal with hotel owner Empire Ventures. The company has been awarded a management contract to take over...

Firmdale's double act.
April 1, 2004... They're working hard on their new project, and are seemingly oblivious to the outside world. Meet Kit and Tim Kemp, the brains behind London's hugely successful Firmdale Hotels Ask UK hoteliers who they admire among their competitors and...

Why work in Scotland?
April 1, 2004... Scotland's first minister, Jack McConnell, recently declared he was keen to attract more workers to Scotland. Longer visas for foreign students studying in Scotland and a new advice centre on living and working in Scotland were two of the...

Who's who in Scotland.(hotels and restaurants)(Directory)
April 1, 2004... Companies in Scotland are a mix of national and international players with a Scottish presence and entrepreneurial home-grown talent. We look at groups large and small Hotels Apex Hotels What started as a budget hotel in Edinburgh...

our back pages stories from the caterer vaults.
April 1, 2004... The Caterer and Hotelkeepers' Gazette, 15 February 1919 The demobilisation of so many mess waiters from the armed forces should now be taken advantage of to the full by hotel and restaurant proprietors. Disciplined and well-mannered to...

Nestle Foodservices.(Interview)
April 1, 2004... Quentin Knowlson, head of business development for Nestle Foodservices, which incorporates the Nescafe brand, talks to Diane Lane Q Hello, Quentin. Can I get you a cappuccino or espresso - or something else? A A bit "coals to...

Where does it come from?(coffee)
April 1, 2004... The taste of your cup of coffee is affected by many factors, not least where the beans are grown, the local soil conditions and climate Most of the world's coffee is grown within 1,000 miles of the equator in three main regions: Africa and...

Espresso delivery.
April 1, 2004... The market for quality espresso-based coffees has expanded beyond the core market of cafes, hotels and restaurants. It's even reached garage forecourts As you travel down the motorway, there are many reasons for stopping off at one of the...

The history man.(Merchant House)
April 1, 2004... A two-part display celebrating food has just been unveiled at the British Library. Janet Harmer speaks to one of the guest curators, Shaun Hill, about his desire to be involved in the project With a long and deeply held interest in...

Time for training.
April 1, 2004... A barista should be as well trained and knowledgeable as a sommelier - according to those who offer to teach the requisite skills. Matthew Batham discovers why During a visit to the Salt Bar in London, Soner Yilmaz was served a Virgin Mary...

Publicity of oxygen.(alcoholic drimks)
April 1, 2004... We know that some drinks can give you gas, but now there's gas that can give you a drink. If you fancy a little breather, how about Vodka O2? Do you want to know the latest drink trend? Oxygen. A press release appeared in my inbox recently...

You have worries, we have answers.
April 1, 2004... You'd have to be an April fool to enter the world of the chef-restaurateur. If you don't agree, just take a look at the long list of challenges highlighted in this week's issue of Caterer. First, there's the headache of pitching your dining...

Change of property use getting harder.
April 1, 2004... Changing the use of your property from a restaurant to a pub or vice versa is about to become a lot harder, following the introduction of new laws this summer. Currently, restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes and take-aways all fall within class...

Fairtrade wind of change.
April 1, 2004... At first it was a sense of ethical duty - definitely not the taste - which drove the limited sales of Fairtrade coffee. Now the product boasts quality and traceability to go with the PC image Twenty years ago, drinking coffee in support of...

Safety first.(food industry)
April 1, 2004... Recent high-profile outbreaks of food poisoning, such as those on the MVAurora and at Center Parcs in Longleat, have brought the issue of food safety into the spotlight. Bob Gledhill looks at equipment and practices that can help protect your...

Artizian thinks big.
April 1, 2004... Feeling depressed? Go and see the minister of fun. Feeling tense? Go and see the minister of calm. And above all, stay positive: it's all in the mind. Welcome to a normal day at Artizian Catering Services Let's talk about positive thinking....

Number One's a winner.(Balmoral Hotel)
April 1, 2004... The wind may have been rattling down Princes Street, but that failed to dent the convivial atmosphere at Edinburgh's Balmoral hotel two weeks ago when it staged the first of this year's Chef Eats Out lunches What are the elements of a...

Fine dining must learn to relax.
April 1, 2004... The future of fine dining, drink, drugs and farming were just some of the subjects to crop up at the 22nd Caterer & Hotelkeeper Chef Conference Tomorrow's fine-dining restaurants will lose the last vestiges of formality in service style...

Reforms 'will tackle' binge-drink problem.
April 1, 2004... Industry bodies have hit back at charges that the Government's licensing reform will encourage binge drinking, claiming that the changes will tackle rather than fuel the problem. Ministers issued guidance last week in support of the 2003...

Operators sought for London tower hotel.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... International hotel operators are being sought to take control of a 200-bedroom hotel at London Bridge Tower, nicknamed the Shard of Glass (artist's impression above). Developer Sellar Property Group has appointed agents Christie & Co to...

Last supper.(Interview)
April 1, 2004... Essex rising star David Smolt pitches up on Fantasy Island for his departing dinner in the company of Phil Collins, Jordan and his prizewinning French sommelier, Sid So, David, what's for eats? Can I have my own dishes? We have this...

Conference calls.
April 1, 2004... Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines was the man in the middle of the maelstrom when it came to preparing the banquet for this year's Chef Conference - but he had the right kind of help Michael Caines is no stranger to banqueting, having...

Council fined for school gas explosion.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Bristol City Council has been fined [pounds sterling]17,000 after a gas explosion in a school kitchen badly burned a catering manager. The council admitted failing to ensure that gas appliances were inspected and failing to ensure that...

Claridge's [pounds sterling]270m sale deal hits snag.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The purchase of London's Claridge's hotel is understood to have fallen through, and the whole Savoy Group is now expected to be sold over the next four to five weeks. Simon Halabi, owner of the In & Out Club in Piccadilly, was said to be...

Bidders line up for slice of QMH.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The sale of troubled hotel group Queens Moat Houses (QMH) has been delayed, as more groups have expressed an interest in the company. Five bidders are now thought to be battling it out to take over all or part of the 89-strong group....

Banks grant W&D cash for acquisition programme.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, owner of Pitcher & Piano, has negotiated a [pounds sterling]150m war chest from bankers to finance an aggressive acquisition strategy. The pub company and brewer, which has 1,600 tenanted and managed pubs,...

Real Greek comes to London's South Bank.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Theodore Kyriakou, chef-proprietor of the Real Greek and the Real Greek Souvlaki & Bar in London's Hoxton district, is to open a third restaurant on the South Bank of the River Thames. Sited just 50m from Shakespeare's Globe theatre near...

Restaurateurs welcome fishing fleet cutbacks.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Radical Government proposals to haul nearly half the UK fishing fleet out of the water have been met with approval by the hospitality industry. In a report released last week, Number 10's strategy unit suggested scrapping 13% of the fleet...

Aquaclear scoops up Saltwater.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Bankrupt Nottingham restaurant Saltwater has been bought by Northern restaurant group Aquaclear. The fine-dining restaurant, which was owned by restaurateur Andy Bentley when it went into administration only six months after opening, is in...

Burton-Race set to buy Carved Angel.(John Burton-Race)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Chef John Burton-Race was poised for a return to the restaurant world this week with the purchase of legendary Dartmouth restaurant the Carved Angel. The former two-Michelin-starred chef (left) had been looking for a suitable site to...

Time for action on DDA.(Disability Discrimination Act)
April 1, 2004... In six months' time the Disability Discrimination Act comes into full effect, so if you've yet to act on the law's requirements or think you may need to do more, read on Unless your head has been firmly stuck in the sand for the last few...

Football clubs bring in Vegas developer.(Sheffield United; Glasgow Rangers )(Vegas Sands)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Two UK football clubs last week announced deals with US-based Las Vegas Sands, which owns the Venetian casino in Las Vegas, to develop hotels at their stadiums. Glasgow Rangers unveiled plans for a [pounds sterling]120m redevelopment...

New rules for Nottingham awards.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Nottingham's second annual restaurant awards were launched last week, with a change in voting procedures and two new categories. In a change to last year, the Nottingham public will be asked to vote for their favourite venue in each of 11...

Macdonald's new boss quits to run Whitbread hotels.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Patrick Dempsey, chief executive of Scottish group Macdonald Hotels, has left the company after just seven months. Dempsey has left Macdonald to head up the Whitbread Hotel Company, where he will run its estate of Marriott hotels....

Review OFTHEREVIEWS.(8 Over 8)(Winkles)(Tate Modern Restaurant)(Review of four restaurants in England)(Restaurant Review)
April 1, 2004... 27 March Tracey MacLeod pigs out at Refettorio in the Crowne Plaza hotel, London EC4 We ate rather a lot. What can I say? It's that kind of menu, informally structured so that, before you know it, you've slipped in all kind of little...

Compass set to grow despite hard markets.(Compass Group)
April 1, 2004... Compass Group, the world's biggest caterer, has forecast a slight improvement in sales for 2004, despite continuing tough market conditions. The contract catering giant has lifted its forecast for growth in turnover for the year to...

Hancock and Laws placed in Elior final.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Avenance chefs Mark Hancock and Kerri Laws have secured themselves a place in the final of the Elior Chef of the Year 2004 competition. The two chefs, who work at London law firm Baker & McKenzie as executive head chef and head chef...

Chocs away... now the Eurocrats want to ban hotel sweet treats.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Free chocolates on hotel beds could become a thing of the past if a European Union (EU) directive becomes law. The EU said it had decided to draft the directive, which aims to ban confectionery being given away free of charge, because of...

National Chef entry deadline looms.
April 1, 2004... The closing date for entries for the National Chef of the Year 2004 is looming. Chefs over the age of 21 have until 30 April to get their entries in to the Knorr-sponsored event. Entrants are being asked to create a three-course menu for...

Forte puts faith in private ownership.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Sir Rocco Forte, chairman and chief executive of Rocco Forte Hotels, has delivered a warning to corporate owners of five-star hotels, saying that the volatile nature of the market makes it difficult for large public companies to deliver...

Letters Caterer.
April 1, 2004... Time to get a sharper tool from the box Caterers fed up with new employment regulations are not alone. The Small Business Council's research, published last week, illustrates what a blunt instrument employment legislation has become. ...

Paramount puts Chez Gerard back on track.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Refurbishment, better use of space and new menus have all helped to turn around the fortunes of Groupe Chez Gerard operator Paramount. The group also announced that it has poached chief operating officer Phil Wickens from rival Ask Central....

Schama takes chair at RPAS.(Restaurant Property Advisors Society)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Ted Schama of Shelley Sandzer has replaced Michael Kelion as chairman of the Restaurant Property Advisors Society, it was announced at the organisation's AGM last week. The event, held at London's Hush restaurant, was attended by 35...

Volt plugs into Grosvenor Place.(Noura)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The last property at high-profile office development 40 Grosvenor Place, London, has been taken by the city's only one-Michelin-starred Lebanese restaurant, Noura. The unit will be transformed into a new bar and 120-cover restaurant called...

Contract caterers to fly the flag in drive to reduce salt intake.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Contract caterers will be at the forefront of the Government's campaign to reduce salt intake because they feed the most vulnerable in society, according to Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association. Cotton told...

Industry figures in Asian Rich List.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Hospitality operators, restaurateurs and food suppliers dominated this year's Asian Rich List, with those in the travel and tourism industries totalling assets of [pounds sterling]1.33b and those in the food production and restaurant sectors...

stockwatch.
April 1, 2004... The most dramatic increase among hospitality stocks last week came from Groupe Chez Gerard operator Paramount, whose shares jumped 11.54% to 29p. This was on the back of half-year results that showed the business's recovery strategy was working...

in brief.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Poole stamps out smoking at Chez Bruce One-Michelin-starred Wandsworth restaurant Chez Bruce has banned smoking. Owner Bruce Poole said the decision had been made following anti-smoking feedback from customers. "We gave the decision a hell...

Smoking ban enforcement row.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Controversy over Ireland's ban on smoking in all enclosed workplaces looks set to continue as provisions for enforcing the law look increasingly shaky. Ensuring publicans and other employers comply with the ban is the task of 450 newly...

The iced age.(iced coffee sales)
April 1, 2004... US teenagers can't get enough of it, and in some outlets it accounts for 25% of soft drinks sales. What is it? Iced coffee, of course Hot weather kills coffee sales - that's a fact. Sure, bottled water and cola move faster when the sun...

MP seeks broad review of school meals funding.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... A Labour MP has called for universally free primary school meals and a national audit of school meal funding, including the Government's free-fruit scheme. Speaking in a House of Commons debate, Stephen McCabe, who represents Birmingham...

Alpha in-flight profits still in tailspin.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Alpha Airports, the in-flight caterer and airport retail operator, reported a 16% fall in pre-tax profits in 2003, as its in-flight meals service continued to struggle. The company said that its pre-booked on-board meals service remained...

Contract catering Round-up.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... ISS slips in first to snap up Coflex Facilities management company ISS UK has bought Coflex, one of the fastest growing companies in Britain, according to last year's Sunday Times Fast Track 100. The acquisition, for an undisclosed...

competitions Round-up.(Nestle UK)
April 8, 2004... Nestle Toque d'Or Following regional heats in London, Glasgow, Manchester and Cheltenham, four teams of catering students have made it through to the grand final of the Nestle Toque d'Or competition. The teams from Salisbury, Carlisle,...

Richard Bull, IT manager, Wilson Storey Halliday.
April 8, 2004... Richard Bull is IT manager for contract caterer Wilson Storey Halliday, and one of his rewards for years of hard work is about to arrive on his driveway in the shiny metallic form of a new Mini Cooper. It's a far cry from a Saturday job washing...

On the move.
April 8, 2004... Justin Pinchbeck is the general manager at the Zetter hotel in London's Clerkenwell, which opened last week in a former 19th-century warehouse. He joins from London hotel Number Sixteen, where he was general manager. Peter Borer has been...

OVER; TO YOU.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Is it reasonable for restaurants to add a discretionary service charge to bills? No. I think gratuity is earned through the quality of service given; it is not an automatic right. If restaurant employees do not deliver they should not...

Filleting the Stein way.(Rick Stein )
April 8, 2004... Rick Stein's Padstow Seafood School has just launched a fish filleting course for professional chefs. We asked one - Peter Gordon of Catey-winning restaurant the Providores in London - to give us an expert verdict When Caterer asked me if...

King of his castle.
April 8, 2004... There's now another reason to visit picturesque Dartmoor - Bovey Castle, the new project of high-living, fun-loving entrepreneur Peter de Savary. And he wants everyone to enjoy it Peter de Savary, or PdeS as he likes to be known, is back....

A full restaurant is the opinion that matters most; says Andrew McKenzie, managing director of the Vineyard at Stockcross.
April 8, 2004... Richard Shepherd is a brave man. Many of us have been on the receiving end of a poor restaurant review (I speak from personal experience) but have not had the courage to complain. Bad reviews really do hurt, and I think Richard hit back for the...

our back pages stories from the caterer vaults.
April 8, 2004... The Caterer and Hotel-Keepers' Gazette, 15 February 1927 A reader wrote to us wanting the magazine to change its title to "Hotelier" giving as his reason that he simply "loathes the word hotelkeeper". The editor replied that the alteration...

property of the week.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... The infamous Blind Beggar pub on Whitechapel Road in London's East End is on the market as part of a package of 14 leasehold public houses being sold on behalf of the administrators of Corporate Catering Company. The Blind Beggar gained...

Property Advice zone.
April 8, 2004... Buying and selling restaurants Responses to frequently asked questions by Andrew Dodd, restaurant negotiator at the Manchester office of property agent Christie & Co. What price would my restaurant achieve? Unfortunately, there's...

Restaurant Le Meurice.
April 8, 2004... The restaurant at the Hotel Meurice is the only one in Paris to have gained a second Michelin star in this year's guide. Fiona Sims meets the chef Everybody's talking about Yannick Alleno - or at least, everybody in Paris. The 35-year-old...

Global report.
April 8, 2004... Europe Kempinski takes up residence in St Moritz Kempinski Hotels & Resorts has unveiled plans to open 25 to 30 private residences in St Moritz. The Kempinski Residence will be connected to the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains and will...

Mandarin Oriental eyes Europe for expansion.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Upmarket hotel group Mandarin Oriental is to open two new owner-operated hotels in Europe and is looking to expand its residences business to the Continent. Group chief executive Edouard Ettedgui told Caterer the company aimed to replicate its...

Quick fixes.
April 8, 2004... Menu innovation from contract caterers This week: Molten chilli cheese burgers with harissa aioli in ciabatta Cost per burger: 72p Creator: BaxterSmith's Tess Crompton, catering manager, Skanska. Crompton says that the...

Bailey quits Restaurant Associates.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... David Bailey, the managing director of fine dining and restaurants at Compass subsidiary Restaurant Associates (RA), has resigned. Compass said that Bailey had decided to quit and would be leaving the company shortly to "pursue his own...

regional spotlight.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... BRIGHTON Cosmopolitan Brighton has long had a reputation for its buzzing night-life and hard-partying gay community, and its popularity with visitors from the capital has earned it the nickname of London-on-Sea. But unfortunately for...

Best exhibits at Hotelympia.
April 8, 2004... We would like to point out that Julie Bristol, who won Best Exhibit in Sugarcraft at Hotelympia, is from Brooklands College, Weybridge, Surrey, while David Whaplington from the Greenbank hotel, Falmouth, won Best Exhibit in Restaurant Plates...

Design for dining.(Column)
April 8, 2004... So, you want to open your own restaurant? What are the design decisions you need to make? Phil Pemberton helps you tick them off your list We live in a designer age. You name it, someone has been paid to draw it in 3-D and give it Go...

Last supper.
April 8, 2004... For his last meal on earth ANDYNEEDHAM would welcome the company of Uma Thurman and the Man from Del Monte - but the Italian ambassador can expect an earful OK, what's on offer then? Fun, love, spelling mistakes, scrambled egg and...

Farthings add rooms at 36 on the Quay.(Ramon Farthing)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Chef-restaurateur Ramon Farthing and his wife, Karen, owners of Hampshire's Michelin-starred 36 on the Quay in Emsworth, have expanded their business. The couple have bought an old fisherman's cottage directly opposite the restaurant and...

Zuma's sake sorceress.
April 8, 2004... Sales of sake are soaring at Japanese eaterie Zuma in London's Knightsbridge, and it looks as though the appointment of Britain's first dedicated sake sommelier is paying off Meet Sayaka Watanabe. She's the country's first sake sommelier....

how WE got started.(Norlands hotel)(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Frank and Sharon Strickland Frank and Sharon Strickland dreamed up the idea of buying a hotel while in the air force, where Frank worked as a purchaser in the catering department and Sharon performed front-of-house duties in the officers'...

Buddy, can you spare the time?
April 8, 2004... Springboard's annual Buddy Day event took place last month, showcasing the industry as an exciting and vibrant place to work. The national event was sponsored by supplier 3663, with a number of job-shadowing and back-to-the-floor initiatives...

Training is seen as key to winning business.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Better staff training is urgently needed if the hospitality industry is to compete against growing international competition, claimed Paul Dermody, chair of the Northwest Tourism Skills Network, last week. Speaking at the Essential Skills...

Malmaison in bullish mood.(McCausland hotel )(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Boutique hotel chain Malmaison has bought the four-star McCausland hotel in Belfast, its eighth hotel and first in Ireland. Work will begin on the building, formerly two Victorian warehouses, in July, with a view to opening in December as a...

Your shout.(licensed property market )(Column)
April 8, 2004... By Gary Cleverdon, of Exeter-based independent licensed property agent Westcountry Commercial The early bird catches the worm In the West Country the licensed property market is historically seasonally driven, and usually the surge of...

Change of fortune for Gresham.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... After several years of declines, the Irish hotel group Gresham has finally reported a healthy increase in profits. In the 12 months to 31 December 2003, pre-tax profits at the group were g1.9m ([pounds sterling]1.3m), compared with g105,000...

Hospitality industry tops stay-away poll.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Professionals in the leisure and catering sector spend more time away from home than those in any other UK industry, according to new research from Barclaycard. The credit card company's annual survey of 2,500 corporate cardholders found...

Happy Days for Cendant group.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... Rapidly expanding hotel franchisor Cendant Hotel Group Europe has signed deals to open four new Days Inn and Days Hotel properties in England. The group plans to open the 53-bedroom Days Hotel Birmingham East and the 50-bedroom Days Inn...

LSG says link with terrorism arrest is 'pure speculation'.(Brief Article)
April 8, 2004... LSG Sky Chefs, the world's biggest supplier of airline food, has denied that one of its employees was arrested by police in connection with terrorism last week. The airline caterer described newspaper coverage linking one of its workers...