Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from April 2006

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from April 2006

Where do you stand on staff turnover?
April 6, 2006... Last year Caterer and Hotelkeeper and the Best Practice Forum launched a free benchmarking service to help you work smarter. Miles Quest reports on the findings from our first focus The businesses that took part in our first...

Speaking the lingo.
April 6, 2006... Ten new countries joined the European Union in 2004, bringing an eager workforce to this country and easing the pressures of staffing in the hospitality industry. Yet how does the industry cope with the language barriers that result? Patricia...

Champagne.(selling and serving champagne)
April 6, 2006... The sale and service of Champagne is under the microscope in the fourth of Ronan Sayburn's series of sommelier masterclasses The fact that Champagne remains unchallenged as the greatest sparkling wine region in the world is down to one...

Isinglass.(profile)(Company overview)
April 6, 2006... Manchester's Chef of the Year Lisa Walker plies her trade in the unlikely suburban outpost of Urmston, where Andrew Shanahan went to sample her new spring menu With its muted brown livery and being squeezed unassumingly between a dry...

Drinks cabinet.(Buyers guide)
April 6, 2006... Ximena Holliday finds out what's new in the world of beer, wine and liqueurs 1. Bohemian rhapsody Gold Bohemia is a new addition to the Pierhead Purchasing range of imported beers. The 5% abv beer is sourced from the Czech Republic and...

Events.(Calendar)
April 6, 2006... Tickets have just gone on sale for the Taste of London festival this June, which has already established itself as the capital's top summer event for dedicated foodies. More than 35,000 visitors are expected to attend the three-day festival in...

Strategy clinic.(energy consumption control)
April 6, 2006... Ann Elliott, Elliott Independent Two ways: don't use as much, and don't spend as much. The cheapest unit of energy is the one not consumed in the first place, so implement as many energy-conservation steps as possible. This includes...

Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt, Germany.
April 6, 2006... The first of RF Hotels' three German properties to open, Villa Kennedy is located just off the south bank of the River Main. Nestling among extensive gardens, it provides a retreat from the bustle of the city, yet is still within easy reach of...

Break out the bubbly.(wine sales and consumption)
April 6, 2006... Slippers are out and Champagne is in, according to the Office for National Statistics' latest survey of the British "shopping basket". Fiona Sims reports This year's Office for National Statistics investigation into British shopping...

A minute on the clock Nicky Rybka-Goldsmith.
April 6, 2006... Manchester's Soup Kitchen is the brainchild of Nicky Rybka-Goldsmith and Yvonne Goldsmith-Rybka, and was last week named Best Newcomer at the Northern Hospitality Awards. Emily Manson found out what it was all about Caterer How did you...

How I got here.
April 6, 2006... Cassandra Cockerill, Manager of Entropy restaurant, Leicester After completing a degree in physics at Manchester, establishing and managing an award-winning bar and restaurant doesn't seem like the most obvious career move. But for...

New TUPE regulations explained.(Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment )
April 6, 2006... Rebecca Emmett, senior associate at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, explains the legal obligations which apply to inherited staff when businesses are transferred The Problem Your business has taken on a major catering contract and the...

New Cube route for Turner.
April 6, 2006... It's a change of focus at the Cube & Star as owner Mark Turner decides that the restaurant isn't paying its way and opts for a simpler menu. Diane Lane reports In its 12th month, the Cube & Star has taken something of a change in...

Those were the days... or were they?(food trends)(Column)
April 6, 2006... Today's fashionable dishes can quickly become tomorrow's cast-offs, warns chef and writer Bill Knott During a recent Herculean attempt to rid myself of a few rainforests' worth of old papers, I discovered a sheaf of menus I'd saved from 10...

Way out in the west.(Ynyshir Hall)(dialogue with Adam Simmonds)(Interview)
April 6, 2006... Adam Simmonds's success didn't come overnight - which made Michelin recognition for his food at Ynyshir Hall in Wales all the sweeter when it did arrive. Simon Wright talked to him about his journey To find Adam Simmonds you must head west....

Over to you.(worst food dishes)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... What's the worst dish you've ever had to eat? Simon Wright, restaurateur and food critic "I had a meal at Cracco-Peck in Milan a few years back, and I recall with particular disgust a martini glass containing strips of smoked salmon in...

[pounds sterling]100m boost for QMH.(Queens Moat Houses PLC plans refurbishment programme )(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Salvaged hotel group QMH is planning a [pounds sterling]100m refurbishment programme to reignite the company's fortunes. The 20-strong former Queens Moat Houses group will discontinue the Moat House brand, but will spend more than [pounds...

Table Talk.(chef Bill Toner is back)(Pengelley's restaurant services)
April 6, 2006... You read it here first Nice to see Bill Toner's career back as a popular topic of speculation among his contract catering cohorts. After his U-turn - alleged U-turn, that is - on teaming up with transparency prophet Jerry Brand and close...

Caterer loves.
April 6, 2006... Bathroom products Gone are the days when a hotel could get away with a simple bar of soap, 2-in-1 shampoo-conditioner and perhaps one of those not-so-stylish shower caps in its bathrooms. Hoteliers have woken up to how much importance...

how to...(grilled Hoxton rye recipe)(Recipe)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Make grilled Hoxton rye with anchovies and shallots Ingredients 6 slices Hoxton rye bread 1 tin anchovies 2 firm shallots Unsalted Normandy butter Sea salt Method 1. Peel the shallots and slice them into...

the week in brief.(restaurant management)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Are you a wiz with the fizz? Champagne experts are being invited to represent the UK in the second Champagne Ambassadors Awards later this year. The event, which runs from 16 to 20 October at Epernay in Champagne, France, is open to anyone...

Revenue may have to fork out [pounds sterling]50m in tronc refunds.
April 6, 2006... By Emily Manson Restaurant businesses in the UK could be owed up to [pounds sterling]50m in refunds and compensation by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), after fundamental errors were exposed in its E24 guidelines on tronc, Caterer has learned....

Changes to staff transfer laws.
April 6, 2006... New laws governing the transfer of workers between businesses when contracts change hands or companies are taken over come into force today (6 April). Under the new regulations governing transfer of undertakings and protection of...

Cotton in a REIT battle over trusts.
April 6, 2006... Don't let investment go overseas, warns BHA chief By Emily Manson The battle to make Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) more suitable for hotel investors will be stepped up next week. Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British...

Fire safety delays could leave firms uninsured.
April 6, 2006... Hospitality businesses could be left operating without valid insurance following delays in new fire safety legislation, industry experts have warned. The new self-assessment accreditation system was due to replace local authority...

TCR wants sites to expand Giardino Cafe brand.
April 6, 2006... Town Centre Restaurants (TCR) is searching for at least five new sites to drive the expansion of its Giardino Cafe brand. The company, which was previously listed as the Giardino Group before being taken private by a [pounds sterling]19m...

Chris Galvin takes on Windows at London Hilton on Park Lane.
April 6, 2006... By Jessica Gunn Chris Galvin is the new chef-patron at Hilton's iconic Windows restaurant at the London Hilton on Park Lane. The landmark restaurant on the 28th floor of the hotel is to be transformed into a new modern French eaterie...

NAO sees savings in catering procurement.
April 6, 2006... Watchdog reckons Government could save [pounds sterling]224m a year By Tom Bill Contract caterers could save schools, hospitals and defence services [pounds sterling]30m a year if they didn't conceal bulk discounts, a study by the...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
April 6, 2006... Pouring effort into training Your article on bartender training (Caterer, 16 March, page 34) made depressing reading, particularly to those of us who have spent many years trying to convince employers and the Government that funding...

Book Review.(Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavour)(Book review)
April 6, 2006... This one's for you Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavour Herve This Columbia University Press, [pounds sterling]20 ISBN 0-231-13312-X As I become more interested in the mechanics of culinary practices, a...

Review of Reviews.
April 6, 2006... The Times 1 April Ginny Dougary finds food to enjoy in the Cotswolds at the much-praised Allium in Fairford An amuse-gueule of mini-cornets stuffed with a local goats' cheese spiked with sweet peppers [was] tasty but more...

Lynn Hawdon named School Chef of the Year.
April 6, 2006... Waltzing TV chef James Martin looks on as Lynn Hawdon cooks her way to the Local Authority Caterers Association 2006 School Chef of the Year title. Hawdon, who works at Middleton-in-Teesdale Field Study Centre in Durham, was limited to a budget...

Regions lead growth in hotel revenues.
April 6, 2006... London's higher room rates offset fall in occupancy levels By Angela Frewin UK hotel room revenue last year hit its highest level since 2001, according to the latest Hotel Britain survey by industry consultant PKF. The 2.9% growth...

A fresh start for the BBC?(British Broadcasting Corp. contracts)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... BBC catering, famously derided over the years, will be revamped after the re-tendering of its facilities management contract, Caterer can exclusively reveal. US group Johnson Controls won the five-year deal last week and will subcontract...

We'd like to be unhappy but we never do have the time.(chefs become unhappy)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Chefs are not as happy as they were a year ago - it's official. Training group City and Guilds reckons chefs have fallen from fifth place last year to rank 20th out of 28 in a list of happy professions. Asked to grade their level of glee on a...

Four Seasons Milan sold for record [pounds sterling]139m.(Statuto Group)(Quinlan Private)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Quinlan Private, owner of the Maybourne Hotel Group, has sold its Four Seasons hotel in Milan for a record-breaking sum to Italian developer Statuto Group. Statuto paid more than i200m ([pounds sterling]139m) for the 118-bedroom hotel,...

The week in brief.
April 6, 2006... New executive chef at Bovey Castle James O'Connell is the new executive chef at Bovey Castle, Peter de Savary's luxury hotel and club in Dartmoor National Park, Devon. O'Connell moves from Damien Hirst's restaurant 11 The Quay in...

Where diners Eat to the beat.(Survey)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... It's been said that music is the food of love, but do customers love food and music in the same helping? Waitrose Food Illustrated conducted a survey to reveal the role of background music in restaurants, which found that the importance placed...

Clapham House snaps up Tootsies.(acquisition)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Plans to convert at least a third of chain to GBK format By Chris druce Clapham House's takeover of Tootsies will help take the restaurant group national, according to industry experts. Clapham House, which is led by former...

White's old company goes bust owing [pounds sterling]3.6m.(Marco Pierre White)(PCO 130)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... A company set up in 1995 by Marco Pierre White and Jimmy Lahoud has gone into voluntary liquidation with debts of [pounds sterling]3.6m. Tenon Corporate Recovery was called in on 14 March to wind up the business, which was called MPW...

good week/bad week.(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Savoy guests London hotel fishes shopping trolleys and litter from the Thames to restore view made famous by Monet. Philanderers Story that Blair planned to outlaw the use of aliases by hotel guests proved to be an April Fool's spoof. ...

Skans sell Chewton Glen to a private buyer.(Brigitte Skan)(Martin Skan)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Chewton Glen's owners have sold the iconic country house hotel after 40 years at the helm for an undisclosed sum, Caterer can reveal. Following much interest in the Hampshire property, Martin and Brigitte Skan have accepted an offer from a...

Four UK properties in top 60 new hotels list.
April 6, 2006... Four UK hotels have been named in Conde Nast Traveller's Hot List 2006 of the top 60 new properties in the world. The list featured the recently refurbished Brown's hotel in Mayfair, London, the Hotel Endsleigh in Tavistock, Devon, the...

Does your company measure up?
April 6, 2006... The results of Caterer's first exclusive business benchmarking report are in. Nine months ago we and the British Hospitality Association's Best Practice Forum invited readers to participate in a staff turnover survey. This week we reveal the...

A Voce, New York.(Company overview)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Restaurateur Marlon Abela's latest restaurant project is in a 42-storey tower overlooking Madison Square Park in New York. This time the creator of London's Greenhouse and Umu has teamed up with acclaimed chef Andrew Carmellini. Opened 8...

Anita Russell, director of human resources, InterContinental Dubai hotel.
April 6, 2006... Anita Russell has joined InterContinental Dubai hotel as director of human resources. She was previously manager of talent management for four InterContinental properties in Australia, based at the company's Melbourne hotel.

Anne Hodgson, general manager, Hackness Grange hotel.
April 6, 2006... Anne Hodgson is the new general manager at Hackness Grange hotel near Scarborough in the heart of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. She has moved to the English Rose Hotels-owned property from a private hotel in the Appley Bridge area...

Graze, Singapore.
April 6, 2006... Yenn Wong, creator of JIA Boutique Hotels, has launched her first restaurant in her native city. It offers an offbeat, yet stylish, environment in which to enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner. Opening mid-April Owner Yenn Wong Head...

Guillaume Marly, food and beverage director, Jumeirah Carlton hotel.
April 6, 2006... London's Jumeirah Carlton hotel has recruited Guillaume Marly as food and beverage director. He will oversee the Rib Room & Oyster Bar, the Chinoiserie and the Club Room. He was food and beverage manager at the Milestone hotel in Kensington.

Helen Parrett, director of human resources and development, Legacy Hotels.
April 6, 2006... Helen Parrett has become director of human resources and development at Legacy Hotels, based at its Falcon hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. She was regional human resources manager for catalogue company Littlewoods.

John Benson-Smith, chef-patron, Boat House bar and restaurant, Jersey.
April 6, 2006... John Benson-Smith has left Hazlewood Castle hotel in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, where he was chef-director. He and his wife, Alison, have taken on the running of the Boat House bar and restaurant in Jersey.

Next move... for someone buying a pub.
April 6, 2006... Each week our panel of recruitment experts provide answers to an employment question posed by a Caterer reader the question I'm buying a pub. Are there any courses that would enable me to master basic pub grub? The Answer You...

Thalassa Spa, Anassa hotel, Cyprus.
April 6, 2006... Treatments at the Anassa hotel's new Roman-style thalassotherapy health spa use the restorative and rejuvenating elements of the sea and will provide guests with specifically tailored therapies. Opened 1 April Owner Thanos Hotels ...

The Fairmont Mayakoba, Mexico.(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Fairmont's new property at the Mayakoba resort offers luxury and a clear conscience. Set on the shore of the Riviera Maya, the complex has been carefully designed to be environmentally friendly and harmonise with the surrounding mangrove forest...

Two join in ISC restructure.(Initial Style Conferences)(Tony Dangerfield)(Phillip Adams)(Brief article)
April 6, 2006... Initial Style Conferences (ISC) has recruited two senior hotel figures as part of a shake-up and repositioning of the company following last autumn's takeover. Tony Dangerfield, previously president of Europe at Millennium Copthorne...

foodfile... ingredients in season.
April 6, 2006... Meat The situation hasn't changed regarding the cost of imported meat and, at the moment, there are no signs that prices will come down any time soon. The price will be forced down only if people refuse to pay it. On the Continent, it is...

Liability for subcontractors.
April 13, 2006... Sara Khoja, a solicitor with Field Fisher Waterhouse, explains who is held responsible for the negligence or misconduct of temporary members of staff The problem A hotel undergoes refurbishment and engages a contractor to do repair...

The truth about tronc.(Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (UK))
April 13, 2006... HM Revenue & Customs is a sore loser, so its enforced climb-down from its position on the taxability of tronc payments could trigger a future backlash. For now, though, there's a rare chance for businesses to win back some ground - and...

APICIUS.(restaurant budget management)
April 13, 2006... Tim Johnson and his wife Faith have a repertoire of tips and tricks which help them run their small but beautifully formed fine-dining restaurant within budget. Ximena Holliday reports Shunning the more eccentric techniques of his...

Compass pointers.(Compass team)(awards at the Hotelympia Salon Culinaire )
April 13, 2006... Collecting a van-load of awards at the Hotelympia Salon Culinaire cemented the reputations of the members of the Compass team. How did they do it? Could you do the same? Dan Bignold went to find the answers and came back with a few golden rules...

A hands-off approach to safety.
April 13, 2006... With all caterers expected to record HACCP procedures in their kitchens from January this year, thermometer probes and clipboards have fast become the weapons of choice in the fight against unsafe food handling. But is manual recording...

My new kitchen.(London's Commonwealth Club)
April 13, 2006... Buying a neighbouring property gave London's Commonwealth Club a long-awaited opportunity to expand its kitchens. Diane Lane saw the results Mark Page is a lucky man. As head chef at the Commonwealth Club in London's Northumberland...

Hot, and on the spot.
April 13, 2006... Service of hot meals in hospitals now relies increasingly on technology to minimise delays in the often circuitous routes between kitchens and wards, which can cause food to cool to the danger zone below 65--C. Bruce Whitehall looks at some...

good week/bad week.
April 13, 2006... Basil Fawlty Torquay hotel that inspired TV show undergoes [pounds sterling]1m revamp. Scottish pubs Say they haven't suffered any drop in sales since fag ban. Sandwich lovers [pounds sterling]85 Wagyu beef butty goes on sale at...

The law in your kitchen.
April 13, 2006... Chefs need to be aware of a growing level of regulation affecting the professional kitchen. CESA, the Catering Equipment Suppliers' Association, takes a look at a small part of kitchen law and the regulatory bodies that enforce the rules ...

Cousins eases in as City's flavour of the month.(Richard Cousins)
April 13, 2006... Compass Group's appointment of Richard Cousins as its new boss has gone down well with the number-crunchers in the City, but what exactly does he bring to the job? Nic Paton investigates Hold the jokes about plastering over the cracks. Last...

There's no competition.
April 13, 2006... Don't talk to Jersey hotelier Lawrence Huggler about rising utility bills on the mainland. You should see what he has to pay by comparison for water, gas, and even the island's famous milk. Dan Bignold provided a sympathetic ear ...

What's hot in the kitchen.(Buyers guide)
April 13, 2006... Diane Lane reveals the latest news from kitchen equipment manufacturers and suppliers Multi-Eco is a neat form of energy saving incorporated into combi-steamers made by the German manufacturer Eloma. It uses the hot water produced by the...

The sexiest little hotel in Reading.
April 13, 2006... Once regarded as one of Britain's most average towns, Reading has experienced a monumental change in fortunes in recent years. So, does the opening of the Forbury Hotel herald the town's coming of age? Helen Adkins went to find out It used...

Lie down and be counted.(bed tax)
April 13, 2006... Travelodge chief executive Grant Hearn challenges the hotel industry to shake off its apathy and fight the imposition of a bed tax In a recent edition of Caterer (23 March, page 22) I called for the hotel industry to unite on the issue of...

Cold comfort.(use of refrigerators)
April 13, 2006... Refrigeration needs can be many and varied, according to type and size of business. Caterer looks at four case studies to discover some solutions Refrigeration refreshed When William Poole bought the Kings Head, a Grade II-listed...

The Play Room, London.(Restaurant review)
April 13, 2006... An all new supper club and cabaret, the Play Room offers bands, cabaret, comedy and dancing combined with food and drink. Opened 22 March Owner Terry Pullen Head chef David Kempsey General manager Ronnie Banks Capacity...

Bournemouth students win Young Guns prize.(Catering Forum Young Guns)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Two students from Bournemouth University have been chosen as this year's Catering Forum Young Guns. Nicholas Connolly and Josie Simcox will set sail aboard the cruise ship Aurora for the 2006 Catering Forum on 7 June. The forum gives...

the week in brief.(Peel Hotels operating profit )(Diana Spellman HSBC Food Chain Award )(Kingdom Hotel Investments acquired M"venpick Resort and Spa )(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Peel results disappointing Peel Hotels reported disappointing year-end figures with almost static pre-tax profits, which rose by just [pounds sterling]844 to [pounds sterling]1.18m. The group noticed a dramatic slow-down in sales during...

Caterers may shun school meal deals.
April 13, 2006... LEAs and parents will have to stump up for better quality By Tom Bill Local authorities and parents will have to pick up the tab for better school meals, industry figures have warned. They argue that caterers cannot afford to meet...

Invasion of 7ft chickens as greenpeace mounts protest campaign.
April 13, 2006... Dozens of 7ft chickens invaded UK McDonald's restaurants last week in a bid by Greenpeace to expose a link between the fast-food chain and the destruction of the Amazon. Greenpeace claims it has conducted a year-long, global investigation...

Parents praise Oliver.(schools meals)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Jamie Oliver has done more to improve schools meals than the Government, according to a survey of parents. The study by the British Market Research Board, which interviewed 540 parents, found three-quarters felt standards had risen over the...

Abode adds Rossetti to growing portfolio.(Abode acquired Rossetti hotel )(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Fledgling boutique hotel group Abode has bought its fifth property, the Rossetti hotel in Manchester, Caterer can exclusively reveal. Abode bought the 60-bedroom property for an undisclosed sum from Alias hotels yesterday (12 April). ...

Over to you.(bed tax)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Are you worried about bed tax? Avril Owton, owner, the Cloud hotel, Brockenhurst Yes. It's hard enough [to run a hotel in the UK] at the moment. Another tax would just cripple the industry. Let's face it: there's nothing much left in...

room for your banana wellies.(Malmaison hotel )(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... Glasgow's Malmaison hotel has taken room service to a new level with the launch of its new suite, the Big Yin, named in honour of legendary Glaswegian Billy Connolly. It features a double-seater, tartan-painted tub to which staff at the...

Ultimate plans national rollout for Prohibition.(Ultimate Leisure)(Brief article)
April 13, 2006... North-east-based bar, hotel and nightclub owner Ultimate Leisure is planning to go national. The group says it will use its Prohibition brand, bought from Living Ventures for [pounds sterling]2.75m last year, to expand across the country. ...

Book Review.(French)(Book review)
April 13, 2006... French cuisine Aussie-style French Damien Pignolet Penguin, [pounds sterling]25 ISBN 1-920989-17-X From a chef's point of view, cookbooks divide into two categories. The most important ones are those that will stand the...

Events.(Calendar)
April 13, 2006... It's a rare treat to see French kitchen maverick and executive chef of Sketch Pierre Gagnaire (right) demonstrating his kitchen skills in public, but it's an even more special event when he joins a line-up of seven other Michelin-starred chefs....

Sign up today to block the bed tax.(bed tax)
April 13, 2006... All hospitality businesses should support our petition By Emily Manson & James Garner Caterer and Hotelkeeper is launching a campaign to Say No To Bed Tax. We want hospitality businesses to join our campaign by calling on Sir...