Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from August 2003

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from August 2003

Last supper.(chef Steve Drake)(Brief Article)(Interview)
August 7, 2003... All - well most - things French are on the table for Drake's on the Pond head chef Steve Drake - with a blast of Welsh indie rock for the soundtrack OK, so what's for dinner? To start, a nage of poached seafood flavoured with ginger...

Restaurant openings.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... The Inn at Kippen James Fletcher and chef Laurie Newlands, having sold Olivia's restaurant in Stirling, last week opened the Inn at Kippen. The 80-seat restaurant in Kippen, Stirlingshire, has been given a makeover and will offer fine...

waste management.(waste packaging recycling)
August 7, 2003... Peter Moody, a partner at London law firm Tarlo Lyons, looks at the changesin responsibility for the recycling of waste packaging Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) 1997 (the "Regulations"), a business is...

FSA seeks tenders for staff feeding.(Food Standards Agency )(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... You could call it one of the tougher tenders - the slightest slip-up and you'd surely find yourself in the media spotlight: the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is inviting bids for its staff catering. Many caterers received the Government...

Quirinale.(Restaurant Review)
August 7, 2003... It's light bites for heavy hitters as simplicity, freshness and a cool head help Stefano Savio to satisfy the big boys of Westminster Politicians and journalists might find sitting down civilly in the same room problematic in the current...

What do you love more - food or admin?(Bartlett Mitchell's director Wendy Mitchell)(Interview)
August 7, 2003... I always thought that when I got to a certain level, a measure of success would be that someone else would do the heavy lifting. But a recent move of office proved otherwise. I'm a partner in a growing company; hence the move, brilliantly...

It's only natural.(organic wines)(Directory)
August 7, 2003... Slowly, very slowly, the wine world is waking up to organic varieties - and so are the drinking public The Germans now have the world's first professor of organic viticulture in Dr Randolf Kauer, at the University of Applied Science in...

That summer job could lead to permanent employment.(survey findings)(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Summer jobs in the hospitality trade need not be a stopgap, claims a new survey, which found that good seasonal staff stood a good chance of being offered a permanent role. A poll of people responsible for hiring seasonal staff in hotels,...

Restaurant owners arrested on skimming charges.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Five fast-food restaurant owners were arrested in north-west London last week for an alleged bank fraud that netted them [pounds sterling]6.35m over several months. They are believed to have raided 98 bank accounts using cloned and counterfeit...

Selfridges takes staff search to the streets.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Selfridges literally took its recruitment drive for catering staff to the streets last week after failing to fill half of the catering vacancies at its newest store, which opens in Birmingham on 4 September. The [pounds sterling]40m store,...

Fury over 'heavy-handed' immigration raids.(Surrey's Le Raj restaurant)(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... The chairman of the Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs has complained about a "heavy-handed and insensitive" raid made by armed police and immigration officials on his acclaimed Le Raj restaurant in Epsom, Surrey, last month. A crowd...

A bite at the opera.(caterer Letheby & Christopher's contract at Glyndebourne opera)
August 7, 2003... Letheby & Christopher has been catering at the Glyndebourne opera venue for 20 years, and still has at least 11 to go. Rosalind Mullen went along to see how it's done It's 1.30pm, it's Glyndebourne and it's hot. The scene in the gardens at...

Licence holders urged to get involved in new regime.(new Licensing Bill)
August 7, 2003... Trade bodies are urging licence holders to get involved with their local authorities' efforts to draw up policies on how they will implement the provisions of the new Licensing Bill, which was passed by Parliament last month. Mark...

Ireland's hospitality sector teams up to tackle smoking ban.
August 7, 2003... Hoteliers in the Irish Republic have joined forces with publicans, restaurateurs and guesthouse owners in a new lobby group opposing government plans to outlaw smoking on their premises from January. The Irish Hospitality Industry Alliance,...

people On the move.
August 7, 2003... Botleigh Grange hotel in Botley, Hampshire, has a new head chef, Matthew Carr. Trained at Exeter college, he was previously head chef at Goodwood Park hotel in West Sussex. Carr plans to introduce a contemporary French style of cooking to...

table talk.
August 7, 2003... Your food's terrible... and the portions are too small A branch of Pizza Hut in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, has banned one of its regular customers because he complains too much. David Allen, 28, has been using the restaurant for five...

Movers and shakers.(bar crew training)
August 7, 2003... Customers are becoming increasingly savvy about what to drink and how they want to drink it, says Phil Pemberton, and that means your bar crew needs to be, too. But if they're not, who you gonna call? Can your bar crew mix it with the best?...

Hoteliers see first signs of recovery.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Another analyst's report has revealed that UK hotels have recorded their worst occupancy levels since 1996, but there are signs of recovery. The latest HotelBenchmark Survey from consultants Deloitte & Touche records that in the first six...

Jarvis sales hit by drop in corporate customers.( Jarvis Hotels )(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Trading continued to be tough for Jarvis Hotels in the first quarter of the current financial year, chairman John Jarvis told shareholders last week at the company's annual general meeting. Sales over the first 12 weeks were 2.7% lower than...

McDonald's cuts spending and bounces back.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Fast-food chain McDonald's achieved its biggest sales growth in the USA during the second quarter, but like-for-like sales dropped in both Europe and the Far East. New products, such as salads and the McGriddle breakfast, boosted...

Antony Paton.(executive general manager)(Ramada Plaza Regents Park Hotel)(Interview)
August 7, 2003... Antony Paton is executive general manager of the Ramada Plaza Regents Park Hotel, with views over Lord's cricket ground in St John's Wood, London I started my career on the food and beverage side of hotels, and made the move into general...

Macdonald bosses plan to go private.(Macdonald Hotels)(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Macdonald Hotels looks set to return to the private arena in a massive [pounds sterling]590m deal. The founders and senior management of the group, including chairman Frank O'Callaghan, chief executive Donald Macdonald, and deputy chief...

McDonald targets star role for Birmingham.(restaurateur Pat McDonald, restaurant in United Kingdom)
August 7, 2003... Chef and restaurateur Pat McDonald intends to bring Birmingham its first Michelin stars - on two counts. He is set on winning a Michelin star for Paris, a French-slanted fine-dining restaurant he intends to open in the city's Mailbox...

Global report.(hotels, news briefs)
August 7, 2003... Europe Turnover falls away at Accor French hotel group Accor reported a slide of almost 8% in turnover to g3.3b ([pounds sterling]2.3b) in the six months to 30 June. Revenue from the company's hotels fell by 1.7% to g2.3b ([pounds...

Von Essen is close to deal on Sharrow Bay hotel.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Speculation was mounting this week that Von Essen Hotels was on the brink of buying Sharrow Bay country house hotel in the Lake District. Property agent Knight Frank is understood to be involved. Last week it emerged that Von Essen was...

Contract catering Round-up.(includes multiple records)
August 7, 2003... Triple Accent Accent Catering Services has won three new contracts with a combined turnover of nearly [pounds sterling]1m. The contracts are at Borovere, a residential home in Alton, Hampshire, for the Ironmongers' Company, catering for 30...

Hospital caterers back free meals.(Hospital Caterers Association defends NHS patients' right to free meals)(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... The Hospital Caterers Association (HCA) has defended NHS patients' right to free meals in the face of proposals to make them pay. According to key Government advisers, NHS patients might have to pay for their meals in the near future. ...

What next for Le Meridien?(Royal Bank of Scotland calls in its debt)
August 7, 2003... After months of speculation, the Royal Bank of Scotland - landlord of 11 Le Meridien hotels - has finally called in its debt from owner Nomura. Two of the group's leading hotels, the Grosvenor House and the Waldorf, have been placed into...

Letters Caterer.(Letter to the Editor)
August 7, 2003... Extras on air fares don't help domestic tourism Last night, I was looking at how to get my dear old mum down from Yorkshire to Surrey for Christmas this year. She usually travels on the coach from Leeds/Bradford to Heathrow - journey time...

Review OFTHEREVIEWS.(includes multiple records)(Restaurant Review)
August 7, 2003... 2 August Matthew Fort was disappointed at the Savoy Grill, London WC2 There wasn't much technically wrong with the dishes themselves, and certainly no lapses in good taste. In a way, that was the problem - there wasn't much taste at...

Simply Smart replaces managers as London Catering Services turns Red.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Simply Smart Group, the contract catering company set up by Tony Roestenburg and Nigel Brewster, has completed the rebranding and restructuring of London Catering Services (LCS). In March, Simply Smart bought the contracts and assets of...

Food lines withdrawn in tainted chilli scare.(illegal chemical found in chili powder imported from India)(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Several food companies may be forced to withdraw dozens of product lines, following a warning last week that an illegal chemical has been discovered in chilli powder imported from India. So far, two companies which have used the...

NEWS Round-up.(Scottish and Newcastle bid; Hospitality Action Orient-Express Ball)(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... S&N bid shortlist At least five groups are understood to have been shortlisted last week from more than 10 indicative bids for Scottish & Newcastle's managed pub, restaurant and budget hotel business. The group said strict confidentiality...

High rents blamed in demise of Meridien.(Royal Bank of Scotland puts 11 Le Meridien hotels in receivership)(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... The pressure of having to pay too-high rents in a difficult trading environment led to the fall from grace of hotel group Le Meridien, according to leading members of the hospitality industry. The company, which has been involved in...

Turner's prize is new London five-star hotel.(Andrew Turner to join Bentley hotel in Harrington Gardens)
August 7, 2003... Andrew Turner, executive head chef of restaurant 1837 at Brown's hotel, Mayfair, London, is leaving to join the Bentley hotel, which opens in South Kensington this autumn. He is expected to make the move next month. The 65-bedroom Bentley,...

Conran stake in Bank may signal takeover.(Terence Conran's Conran Holdings acquires staek in Bank Restaurants)
August 7, 2003... Restaurant and design entrepreneur Terence Conran has bought a 25% stake in London-based Bank Restaurants with a view to a complete takeover of the company. Bank Restaurants has been considering merging with other restaurant groups for...

Allan plans to double Loco chain.(Tony Allan )(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Celebrity chef Tony Allan this week announced plans to double the size of his London-centred Loco restaurant chain over the next six months. Three or four new sites of about 2,000sq m to 5,000sq m are planned for the coming months, and...

Government to tighten up immigration checks.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Catering and hospitality businesses will have to perform more checks when employing staff or face fines of up to [pounds sterling]5,000 per employee if new Government proposals to reduce the number of illegal workers are made law. A recent...

Jakarta bomb blast puts terror spotlight on hotels.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... The vulnerability of hotels to terrorism was highlighted yet again on Tuesday (5 August) when an explosion ripped through the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, killing at least eight people. Up to 80 more people were injured in the...

Queens Moat Houses says goodbye to Andrew Coppel.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Andrew Coppel, chief executive of hotel group Queens Moat Houses (QMH), is stepping down after 10 years heading up the company. Coppel, who leaves QMH at the end of September, will be replaced by Stuart Metcalfe, who is currently corporate...

It's tough going but hotels still make it.(Editorial)
August 7, 2003... Hindsight is easy - and generally useless. It's foresight that's clever; it's the attribute that all generals, politicians and business operators need if they are to be successful. Guy Hands seemed to have it in abundance when he led...

Zilli seeks rescue deal as debts get out of hand.(Aldo Zilli )(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... The news that Italian restaurateur and celebrity chef Aldo Zilli could face losing some of his restaurants after accruing debts understood to be more than [pounds sterling]500,000 has sent shock waves through the restaurant world. A source...

OVER; TO YOU.
August 7, 2003... Do you think it is acceptable for patients to pay for their meals while staying in an NHS hospital? See page 14 for full story I don't work directly in hospitals, so I cannot offer a professional view. My view is that food is a right...

stockwatch.(hotel and motel companies)
August 7, 2003... As the holiday season gets into full swing and temperatures in London soar, the mood on the London Stock Exchange remains lukewarm. While the FTSE All Share index dropped marginally, down 0.74% to 2023.5p, the FTSE Leisure & Hotels index...

Multiple Choice.(Choice Hotels Europe prepared to double European presence)
August 7, 2003... Choice Hotels Europe has weathered an unsettling two years and is now poised to more than double its European presence over the next decade. Angela Frewin looks at its past and its future At the start of this decade, the options facing...

Menzies Hotels ties up [pounds sterling]16m Welcombe deal.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Derbyshire-based Menzies Hotels bought the 64-bedroom Welcombe Hotel and Golf Course in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, for [pounds sterling]16m on Monday (4 August). The deal takes the privately owned group's estate to 19 hotels,...

Jonathan Lister sets up new consultancy.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Jonathan Lister has left recruitment consultants Lister Charles, the company he founded in 1993, to set up his own business, Jonathan Lister Associates. The new consultancy will focus on senior management recruitment in the brewing,...

in brief.(includes multiple records)
August 7, 2003... Flood delays City Inn The opening of City Inn's first London hotel has been delayed by three weeks, after extensive flooding damaged bedrooms, the lounge and reception area. The 460-bedroom property, the largest new-build hotel in London...

KITCHENBIBLE.(Editorial)
August 7, 2003... This week we introduce a monthly column called Kitchen Bible, where chefs reveal their most treasured and inspirational cookbook This book's a great quick reference for ideas on marrying flavours and combining ingredients - it really does...

Aramark gets wind of new offshore contract.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2003... Aramark has signed a new contract to provide offshore catering, hotel services and equipment to 30 engineers who are installing wind turbines off the Welsh coast. The men carry out the work from a mobile sea platform. The new venture marks...

Two Young Guns shoot straight into good jobs.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... This year's Catering Forum Young Guns winners MARTIN BROWN and CLAIRE ROBINSON have something new in common - they both started full-time jobs last week, on 4 August. The competition, now in its third year, was set up by Richmond Events to...

people On the move.
August 14, 2003... The recent acquisition of Brown's hotel in London has prompted a staff shuffle at Rocco Forte Hotels. New resident manager JASON HARDING has transferred from the group's Lowry hotel in Manchester. SALLY ROUSE becomes director of sales...

The matchmakers.(People's Palace.)
August 14, 2003... Do you want to sell some unusual wines? Do you need to shift those bin ends? Why not introduce a food- and wine-matching menu? Fiona Sims reports Trying to sell Pinot Blanc from British Columbia might seem like an uphill struggle - as...

KIT KEMP.(Interview)
August 14, 2003... Kit Kemp co-owns London-based Firmdale Hotels with husband Tim. As the company's design director, she's busy getting their hotel in Soho ready for its opening next year I get up at 7am and leave the house by 8am. One day a week I go to...

OVER; TO YOU.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... In the recent hot weather what have been your best-selling drinks? We've been selling a lot of cold, soft drinks and bottled lager - a mix really. The older customers still prefer tea, though, and the normal blend sells more than Darjeeling...

Sodexho's people.(training and recruitment at food service company)
August 14, 2003... Bruising results last year made it Sodexho UK & Ireland's annus horribilis, but human resources director Martin Archer claims new training and recruitment policies are helping the company turn the corner. Rosalind Mullen reports Martin...

Coffee Republic rebrands.(into deli-style cafes)(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... Coffee shop chain Coffee Republic is to be rebranded into deli-style cafes after its management concluded that the company could not make money in the crowded UK coffee-bar market. Executive chairman Bobby Hashemi, who returned to manage...

Last supper.(Restaurant Review)
August 14, 2003... A seaside view, the tasting menu from El Bulli and Salvador Dali as a guest. Kevin Mangeolles is in for an off-the-wall experience in his final hours What's for dinner, then? The tasting menu from El Bulli. Pre-dinner glug? ...

Out of the paella pan and right into Christmas.(Column)
August 14, 2003... Well, how good was our annual company conference in May this year? It was held in authentic Spanish style but with truly professional British hangovers, in sunny Barcelona. About 60 of us, including all managing partners, senior management and...

Norse star.(Terje Ness.)(Interview)
August 14, 2003... Winning the prestigious Bocuse d'Or award in 1999 has allowed Terje Ness to set up one of Norway's most highly rated and innovative restaurants. Janet Harmer went to meet him Oro opened about three years ago in the centre of Oslo, superbly...

Italian coffee dynasty launches new UK chain.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... The crowded high-street coffee-bar market gained a new contender recently with the opening of the first Segafredo Zanetti Espresso branch in London's Baker Street. The brand is owned by Italy's Zanetti coffee dynasty, which already has 360...

Matsuri.(Restaurant Review)
August 14, 2003... Hiroshi Sudo, head chef at London's latest Japanese outpost, aims to lure diners away from fashionable fusion to taste the authentic cuisine of his homeland When the owners of Japanese restaurant Matsuri decided to open another London...

Acorn Scholar checks out New York service.(Brief Article)(Interview)
August 14, 2003... The 2003 Acorn Scholarship winner, John Price, recently completed a five-day fact-finding mission to New York, thanks to award sponsor, contract caterer Compass Group. Chris Druce spoke to him about the trip John Price, now operations...

Drink to me only with thine eyes.(Book Review)
August 14, 2003... It's wine book season again so, before delighting your palates, get shelf-indulgent and savour the sights and stories of this year's newcomers The autumn traditionally sees a rash of new drink books hitting our local bookshop's shelves,...

Global warning: the heat is on.
August 14, 2003... Global warming used to be the stuff of academic theses in obscure scientific journals, and no one took it seriously to start with. These days it's a different story. A succession of sticky summers in the UK have begun to convince people that...

Hotelier of the Year.(Interview)
August 14, 2003... The search is on for the 2003 Hotelier of the Year, the 20th recipient of the award. Jane Cartwright asked 10 past winners what the title meant to them Gordon Campbell GrayHotelier of the Year 2002 "This award meant so much to me. I...

Hot chocolate.
August 14, 2003... The USA is not known for its chocolate, but that may all change if Moonstruck cafes become as popular as their owners intend. Gillian Drummond reports Stick a European in the USA for too long and they'll start hankering for some chocolate...

Splash out on style.(Hotel remodeling.)
August 14, 2003... The bathroom is no longer regarded as a mundane, functional feature of a hotel room. Offering stylish en suite facilities is now seen as a way of staying ahead of the pack, which is reflected in the amount of attention hotels are prepared to...

Global report.
August 14, 2003... Europe Italy's Autogrill records 7% drop in sales Autogrill, the Italian roadside and airport restaurant operator, has recorded a 7% decline in sales to g1.4b ([pounds sterling]986m) in the six months to 30 June. A slow-down in air...

Millennium into red at halfway interims.
August 14, 2003... The Iraq war and the Sars epidemic had the predicted "severe impact" on half-year results at Millennium & Copthorne Hotels (M&C), which plunged into the red for the six months to 30 June. The interim pre-tax loss of [pounds sterling]6.3m...

table talk.(News briefs.)
August 14, 2003... Maybe if Celine Dion sang the theme song... The success of tying in corporate hospitality to exhibitions at London's Science Museum can vary. The current Titanic exhibition has resulted in just two or three themed events. Events...

BOOK REVIEW.(Mediterranean Seafood)(Book Review)
August 14, 2003... Alan Davidson is a man full of enthusiasm for his subject - in this case, fish. Mediterranean fish, to be exact, as Mediterranean Seafood - one of his classic quartet of fish books which first hit the bookshelves more than 20 years ago - is now...

Done deals.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... Third for Compass Compass Hotels has bought its third property, in the shape of Stansted Manor hotel in Birchanger, Essex, for a sum close to the guide price of [pounds sterling]5.9m. The three-star, 70-bedroom hotel opened in January 2002...

So did we invent pizza too?(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... More than half of people in Lancashire don't know that hotpot originates from there, and nearly a third of Scots are unaware that haggis is a national dish. The survey of Britons by contract caterer Avenance reveals a surprisingly limited...

Suppliers Round-up.(The Vegetarian Society started a campaign to improve awareness among caterers and restaurateurs about what vegetarianism actually means. )(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... Vegetarians fight back on ignorance Fed up with having to spell it out to people that "No, vegetarians don't eat fish", the Vegetarian Society this week started a new campaign to improve awareness among caterers and restaurateurs about...

Seaside council proposes tourist tax.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... Weymouth and Portland hoteliers are furious that they may be forced to charge their guests a tourist tax and fear the move may cripple hotel businesses in the area. Councillor Les Ames has put forward a proposal to implement a tourist or...

Scottish and Newcastle expands budget chain ahead of sell-off.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) is investing [pounds sterling]15m in 14 new budget Premier Lodge hotels, despite being in the throes of selling the chain. S&N wants to sell its 1,450-strong pub estate, which includes 136 Premier Lodge hotels,...

Charlton House takes its first stake in the restaurant business.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... Charlton House has entered the pub-restaurant business with an 80% stake in the White Hart hotel in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire. Chris Barber, chef-patron of the White Hart, asked the contract caterer to get involved in the business, which he...

Stansted in line for new budget hotel.
August 14, 2003... Rapidly expanding Kew Green Hotels has won planning consent to build the first budget hotel at Stansted airport. The 255-bedroom property will open within the airport boundary in October 2004 under the Express by Holiday Inn name. Kew Green...

Savoy switch sees profits rise.
August 14, 2003... A switch to UK and European guests and returns on renovations to its hotels last year helped the Savoy Group boost profits by almost 13%. The group's pre-tax profit rose to [pounds sterling]55.4m in the year to 31 December 2002, up from...

Leading Hotels eyes up Europe.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... US-based hotels consortium Leading Hotels of the World wants to buy 16 hotels across Continental Europe through Leading Trust, a company it has created in partnership with New York-based real estate investment company Trinity Hotel Investors....

News Round-up.(Hospitality industry news.)(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... Red Carnation goes out of London Red Carnation Hotels is buying its first UK property outside London, the three-star 17-bedroom Summer Lodge hotel in Evershot, Dorset. Jonathan Raggett, managing director of Red Carnation Hotels, would...

No pressure on catering budgets in the capital.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2003... Nearly half of London's facilities managers are under no pressure to reduce their contract catering costs despite the economic climate, with most expecting to spend more in the next three years. Forty-six per cent said there was no cost...

Letters Caterer.(Letter to the Editor)
August 14, 2003... Don't bemoan your luck - make your own The oft-used phrase: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going," was brought to mind by Forbes Mutch's Comment about Le Meridien (Caterer, 7 August, page 5). While we certainly have sympathy...