Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from August 2004

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from August 2004

how i got here.
August 5, 2004... Sandrine Bodin, assistant head concierge at the Bentley hotel, London French-born Bodin, along with head concierge Claudie Dussouillez, are the first all-female team to head a concierge desk in a five-star London hotel. Both were also...

on the mo ve.
August 5, 2004... ANDREW HOWLETT has become general manager of the Restaurant Group's 89th Frankie & Benny's in Portsmouth, which opened last month. He was previously general manager of the chain's restaurant in Poole, Dorset. T, a new bar in Shoreditch,...

Flavour of the Med.(Mediterranean diet)
August 5, 2004... Arrayed on supermarket shelves, the imported vegetables we eat really look the business - so why can't we reproduce the authentic tastes of the widely admired Mediterranean diet? Michael Raffael unearths some distinctive varieties that could...

Power house.(Shaun & Joe)(Interview)
August 5, 2004... Vince Power, the man behind Glastonbury and Reading festivals as well as the Berkeley Square Cafe, has launched yet another venture, Shaun & Joe, an upmarket gay bar in London. Fiona Sims went to meet the man The air conditioning had...

Manuka mania.(cocktail academy, Gus Anderson)
August 5, 2004... Manuka Honey is the latest flavour from NZ vodka company 42 Below, which is inspiring bar staff from around the world Sam Jeveons is still on a high. The head bartender at Match, London, has just arrived back from participating in the...

Your shout.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... by Peter Tyrie, managing director of hotel owner-operator, the Eton Group Restoration buildings should become hotels The hotel industry should be stepping in to save scores of the UK's dilapidated historical buildings. The BBC TV...

HCIMA management courses.(Hotel & Catering International Management Association)(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... The Hotel & Catering International Management Association (HCIMA) has teamed up with recruitment and training consultancy Learnpurple to offer a series of intensive management courses. Learnpurple research found more than 70% of managers...

Hitting the right note.(Eat to the Beat)(Company Profile)
August 5, 2004... Catering to stars and crew at musical events takes tact and the recognition that a wide variety of needs must be met. From Deep Purple to Party in the Park, Watford-based company Eat to the Beat has 21 years of experience under its rock'n'roll...

OVER; TO YOU.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... SHOULD ALL RESTAURANT MENUS STATE WHERE THEIR MEAT ORIGINATES FROM? I like the idea but, practically speaking, I don't think it's a good idea. The butchers that supply the chain can guarantee grade and quality, but I don't believe they can...

Table talk.(hotels)
August 5, 2004... MAN United HAGGIS LOVER EXPOSED Event caterer Sodexho Prestige's decision to sell haggis pasties to golf fans at the Open for the first time was "an incredible success", according to food and beverage director Steven Grey. The firm sold...

reader; soapbox.
August 5, 2004... Is it time to put cookery back on the National Curriculum? Yes, says director of the Academy of Culinary Arts Sara Jayne Stanes With war in Iraq, drought in India, famine in Africa and obesity in the USA and the UK, what better time to...

Global report.(Movenpick)(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... EUROPE Disneyland's new Dream Swiss hotel and restaurant group Movenpick has opened its first hotel in France, the four-star Movenpick Dream Castle hotel (above) in Disneyland, Paris. The hotel features 400 bedrooms, 250 of which are...

DEYA.(Indian food)
August 5, 2004... Accessible Indian food with a contemporary twist is the order of the day at Deya, Sir Michael Caine's latest restaurant venture. Jessica Gunn reports It's turning out to be a good year for Indian food. Vineet Bhatia has just opened his new...

Industry blamed over smoking ban delay.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... The hospitality industry is being blamed for encouraging young people to take up smoking by delaying moves to become smoke-free. This was one of the findings of the latest in a long line of reports to the Government calling for a smoking...

Last supper.(racine)(Interview)
August 5, 2004... Hovering above the Angel Falls, we find HENRYHARRISsharing his last meal with the widest range of musical guests ever collected in one zeppelin (but where's Robert Plant?) Right then, how's the evening kicking off? With a Gibson...

BOOKREVIEW.
August 5, 2004... I first discovered Carluccio's Complete Italian Food a couple of years ago when I was in the process of setting up and opening the first Olive Press restaurant in Preston. I can't honestly remember where and when I bought it; if I've 10 minutes...

Food file.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Fish Wild cod prices should steady this week with good supplies from Iceland. Plentiful supplies of quality haddock are available from Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Norway. Plaice prices will, however, remain high. Tuna, swordfish, shark...

Accor figures show mixed fortunes.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... French hotelier Accor is showing signs of a strong recovery in the UK, USA, central Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America in its latest results. But the group added that performance was still weak in southern Europe and the US budget...

Claridge's could become a Four Seasons.(Claridge Hotel and Casino Corp., Four Seasons Hotels Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Claridge's, one of London's best-known hotels, is rumoured to be joining the Four Seasons portfolio. Industry sources have exclusively revealed to Caterer that Canada-based Four Seasons is poised to take over management of the five-star,...

Kempinski puts name on Bentley.(Kempinski Hotels and Resorts)(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Kempinski Hotels & Resorts has signed a deal to have its name above two hotels in London. Caterer exclusively revealed last month (22 July, page 6) that Kempinski and luxury London hotel the Bentley were in talks to sign a marketing...

Property Advice zone.
August 5, 2004... Time to look again at residential conference centres? If you've decided to set up your own hospitality business but you can't decide on the sector, it may be worth taking a look at residential conference centres. According to a survey...

Atkins diet hits potato consumption.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... High-protein, low-carb Atkins-style diets have taken their toll on the eating-out market for potato dishes, according to a new Government report. The Family Food 2002-03 survey from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs...

Sales boost for Elior.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... French contract catering company Elior, which owns Avenance in the UK, boosted third-quarter turnover by 6.2% to g642.9m ([pounds sterling]426.6m). Sales over the first nine months grew by 4.6% to g1.9b ([pounds sterling]1.26b). Concession...

Enter the sherry menu challenge.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Reckon you could challenge competition judge Heston Blumenthal's sherry candyfloss with elderflower mousse and match it with a sherry? Entrants in this year's sherry Sous Chef/Wine Waiter Competition have to create a three-course menu centred...

Letters Caterer.(Letter to the Editor)
August 5, 2004... Blowing the bugle for all-American bagels As the founder of Bagel Factory (the largest retail bagel group in the UK and Ireland, with 35 sites and counting), and an American, I was surprised to see some of the comments on bagels (Caterer, 8...

Free DDA training for small firms.(Disability Discrimination Act)
August 5, 2004... The Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) is offering small businesses free disability awareness training ahead of implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in October. Hospitality businesses with 250 employees or...

Review OFTHEREVIEWS.(Rasoi Vineet Bhatia, Pearl, Singapore Garden)(Restaurant Review)
August 5, 2004... 31 July Matthew Fort is in heaven at Rasoi Vineet Bhatia, London This is bravura cooking of the very highest order, creative in a wholly and purely individual way. One dish - wild mushroom khichdi, mini papad and makhani ice-cream -...

property of the week.
August 5, 2004... This week we're doubling up, with this desirable duo set in a picturesque Gloucestershire village. The George Inn and Millingbrook Lodge are located in the village of Aylburton, which is conveniently located on the A48 Chepstow to...

Marylebone a shoal thing for Fishworks.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Seafood restaurant chain and fishmonger Fishworks is to open a fifth new operation in November, this time on London's Marylebone High Street. It will be the second restaurant in the city for the group, which started in Bath as a fishmonger...

Life's a beach.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Who said London was a horrible place to be in the scorching summer? The Great Eastern hotel on the City's Liverpool Street certainly doesn't believe so, and has just launched its own all-weather beach. Throughout August, the hotel will turn its...

how WE got started.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Andrew and Caroline Blyth Career hospitality workers Andrew and Caroline Blyth had talked about setting up their own business "for years and years" before deciding to take the plunge last Christmas. Having signed up with an agent, the...

Living Room.
August 5, 2004... Caterer would like to clarify that it is Living Ventures which is rebranding its site at London's Smithfield's market as Living Room, and not Smiths of Smithfield, as was stated last week (29 July).

Ricker has an organic steak in the future.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Restaurateur Will Ricker is planning a new organic steak restaurant in Westminster, London. The man behind London's Cicada, E&O, Eight Over Eight and the Great Eastern Dining Room confirmed he had bought the freehold of the Westminster Inn...

Appeal for cash to aid starving.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Action Against Hunger is appealing to Caterer readers to raise money to save children dying from starvation and disease in crisis-hit northern Sudan. The campaign, which is being run by Caterer-backed Restaurants Against Hunger, is asking...

regional spotlight.(hospitality industry - Cambridge)(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Cambridge The university town of Cambridge is famous for its colleges and its punting students, but it's also no slouch when it comes to hospitality businesses. Alan Crowest, managing director of Diss-based property agents Britannia...

School caterers unfazed as French take fizz out of pop.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... A ban on vending machines selling fizzy drinks and crisps in schools in France has failed to put the frighteners on UK catering companies. A spokesman for the Department of Health said that it was unlikely the UK Government would follow...

InterContinental hotels to go on the market?(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... InterContinental Hotels Group is expected to put most of its UK hotels up for sale for [pounds sterling]1b next month. On 9 September InterContinental will publish its interim financial results, and sources believe it will use the...

New EU states workers could ease jobs crisis.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Job applications from the 10 new EU states have surged dramatically since they joined in May, raising hopes that the new workforce could ease skills shortages in the UK hospitality industry. A survey by recruitment agent Reed shows a...

MCC catering keeps a straight Batts.(Marylebone Cricket Club)(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Catering at Lord's cricket ground, the home of cricket, is to be handled in-house for the first time in more than 50 years from next year. A new catering and conferencing team will be set up by David Batts, deputy chief executive of the...

BHA slams call for calorie count.(British Hospitality Association)(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... The British Hospitality Association has dismissed calls to add calorie counts next to each dish on restaurant menus as "totally impractical" and "absurd". Internet restaurant booking service toptable.co.uk found 81% of its members wanted...

S&N barges up to Waterways deal.(Scottish & Newcastle)(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises has outmanoeuvred the Brains Mansford Consortium and Punch Taverns to be British Waterways' preferred candidate for its Waterside Pub Partnership. If contract negotiations are finalised this autumn, the...

Brannigans buys 30 pubs.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Administrative receiver KPMG has sold 30 Valleyhill pubs to bar chain Brannigans for an undisclosed sum. The deal secures 546 jobs at Valleyhill, which has been in receivership since 7 May. The company was set up in 2002 by directors...

Diners can count their own calories.
August 5, 2004... What do your customers really want? A restaurant with a nice ambience? A broad food offering? Well-sourced and well-cooked food? Reasonably priced menus? Great service? Attractive decor? And location's important. Most diners would no doubt...

stockwatch.
August 5, 2004... No prizes for spotting this week's star performer, as Regent Inns' share price surged by 19.53% from 32p to 38.25p. Speculation over a possible takeover continued apace, fuelled by reports that an investor had recently built up a stake of...

Scott's to go after 150 years.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... London's oldest fish restaurant Scott's is to close after more than 150 years in business. The Mayfair restaurant is rumoured to have been on the market since the beginning of the year following the forced resignation of former managing...

Research shows more sales among cask ales.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Cask ale sales make up more of the UK beer market than previously thought, according to research by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra). The report, which was due to be launched today at the Great British Beer Festival in London, reckons that...

Eat like the King at London venue.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... London could soon be saying "Thank you very much" and curling its lip as Sid Shaw, the man who challenged and beat the Elvis Presley Estate in the US courts, plans to open a global chain of Elvis-themed restaurants, beginning in the capital....

Price cuts put brakes on Revolution slump.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Cheaper drinks have helped boost sales at Inventive Leisure's Revolution bars, slowing the decline which led to a surprise profit warning earlier this year. The Leeds-based group said discounting on drinks in non-peak periods, and...

inside track.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Golden Tulip UK WHAT BUSINESS IS IT IN? Hotel development and franchising. WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? The company is part of Golden Hotels Inns & Resorts, a Netherlands-based franchise group with about 43,000 rooms in 390 hotels...

in brief.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Losing power Miles Templeman, executive chairman at pub company Eldridge Pope, will lose his executive powers when he becomes director-general of the Institute of Directors in October. From that date, he will act as a non-executive...

in brief.(FutureChef 2005 competition,)(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Springboard seeks chefs to be mentors Springboard is seeking chefs with more than five years' experience to mentor young hopefuls in its FutureChef 2005 competition. The contest, which builds to a grand final in March 2005, is a...

career clinic.
August 5, 2004... The expert panel Our expert panel comprises representatives from the Hotel and Catering Training Company (HCTC), Accor Hotels UK & Ireland, Greene King Pub Company, Simply Chefs by Hocaps, Bartlett Mitchell, Learnpurple, Conran, and...

Chains fight back on MLC menu criticism.(Meat and Livestock Commission )
August 5, 2004... Midmarket restaurant chains have reacted angrily to criticism from the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) that they are refusing to co-operate with its menu transparency campaign. The MLC, which launched its campaign calling for more...

Back injuries.
August 5, 2004... Pam Brown, hospital director at Sketchley Hall, an outpatient facility in Leicestershire that treats musculoskeletal conditions, looks at relevant legal issues for employers Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure that their staff...

Europe saves Sol Meli.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Sol Meli.'s diversification into European cities helped offset disappointing results in its native Spain. The group more than doubled net profit in the first six months of 2004. Profit soared by 137% to g24.4m ([pounds sterling]16.2m), up from...

Issolah buys Bush Bar.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Ibi Issolah, the man behind the hugely successful L'Etranger restaurant in London's Gloucester Road, has bought the Bush Bar and Grill in the city's Goldhawk Road. The Bush Bar and Grill will close this week for a full refurbishment and...

Last stand of the West End not on the horizon - yet.
August 5, 2004... Reports of the imminent death of London's West End have been exaggerated, as Karl Cushing reports While report after report has revealed how we time-poor but cash-rich Britons are eating out more, creating a bonanza for food-led...

Bright Spark.
August 5, 2004... What: Olympia Games at the Great British Beer Festival Why: The Campaign for Real Ale is celebrating the impending Athens Olympics with its own competition. There will be no 100m sprint here, however, as the contest will be based around a...

How to...(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... ... make the perfect Bloody Mary We asked London's Medcalf restaurant and bar. Well, they should know. They are the current champions of the Clerkenwell Bloody Mary competition. H Ingredients: 50ml vodka; 180ml tomato juice; 1/4tsp...

Chapman sells Bristol Brazz.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... West Country restaurateur and hotelier Kit Chapman has sold his Brazz brasserie in Bristol. The lease will be taken over by Cafe Rouge, on the expansion trail after securing [pounds sterling]13.5m of funding last month. Bristol-based First...

Hartford clinches more bar buys.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... The London-based Hartford Group this week confirmed two new acquisitions for its burgeoning bar chain. Following the purchase of Hodgsons wine bar in the City's Chancery Lane last month, the group has now taken over Willy's Wine Bar on...

salary watch.
August 5, 2004... Food AND Beverage Managers The provincial market seems to have picked up over the past few months, with hotels performing well and reporting increased levels of business. Some hotels are still looking to maintain a tight rein on costs...

done deals.(Brief Article)
August 5, 2004... Local chef buys Cumbrian inn The Swan Inn in the village of Westnewton, Cumbria, has been sold though agent PF&K Commercial. Local chef Alan Skivington and his wife, Julie, bought the pub for [pounds sterling]200,000. The Swan has two...

how i got here.
August 12, 2004... Jane Hemingway, catering manager, halls 4 and 5, NEC, Birmingham Jane Hemingway looked set for a career in the hotel industry until she had a life-changing work placement. As a student at Oxford Brookes University (which she says is a...

On the mo ve.
August 12, 2004... Holroyd Howe has appointed Scott Wallis and Tracey Toft area managers, and Lesley Pekun group manager. Wallis was group manager with Avenance, while Toft has moved from Eurest corporate accounts, where she was an account executive. Pekun,...

Property Advice zone.(Brief Article)
August 12, 2004... Planning permission The business plan has been inked, the finance put in place, and you've found the right property. And then comes the planning debacle. Getting planning permission has been the bane of many an operator's life as well...

Food of the gods.
August 12, 2004... As the developing Athens restaurant scene gears up for this year's Olympic Games, Matt Spencer looks at the latest trends and concepts, and the renaissance of the traditional taverna If you land at the brand new Venizelos airport on the...

The glorious grouse.
August 12, 2004... It's not just Greece that starts a major sporting event this week. Today is the Glorious 12th - the beginning of the grouse-hunting season. Dan Bignold asked four chefs what they would be doing with the famous bird this year The sport...

Last supper.( Simpson's, Kenilworth)(Interview)
August 12, 2004... The critics and the British High Cholesterol Eating Team are all invited to a Greek-themed party when Andreas Antona lights his final barbecue So where's the Bacchanalia? In the Swiss Alps, in summertime, overlooking Lake Lucerne. ...

Bright Spark.(services of Parisian hairstylist at Hotel Meurice, Paris, price tag)(Brief Article)
August 12, 2004... What: So Paris, So Chic - Want to get the Audrey Hepburn look? Maybe you prefer Catherine Deneuve, Jeanne Moreau or even Audrey Tatou's style. If you're not sure how to achieve your aim, check into Hotel Meurice as, together with Vendome...

Greek eats.(Olympics)
August 12, 2004... Feel like paying tribute to authentic Greek dishes during the next fortnight? Here are some ideas for you, straight from a real Greek's mouth Sun-ripened tomatoes, aubergine, fish straight out of the sea, lamb, fruits - melons, lemons,...

Roast beer with all the trimmings.
August 12, 2004... No, that's not a mistake, but it's an example of what you could offer customers if you tried cooking with beer instead of wine Cooking with beer isn't as straightforward as cooking with wine. Depending on what beer you choose, the final...

Your shout.(Budget hotels )
August 12, 2004... by Kevin Casserly of chartered surveyor Fleurets' hotel division Budget hotels have room for expansion If budget hotels continue to maintain profitability, they will continue to find ways of proliferating, irrespective of the...

Table talk.(meetings)
August 12, 2004... Only served in large silver cups Good news for north London football fans: a beer called Arsenal is being launched by an offshoot of Scottish & Newcastle. The bad news is that the offshoot in question is Baltic Beverages, and fans will have...

The catering marathon.
August 12, 2004... Proper nutrition is one of the cornerstones of athletic success, so competitors the world over are very choosy about what they eat. At the Athens Olympics, it's down to caterer Aramark to make sure all their hard training doesn't come to...

Immigration laws add to staff woes.
August 12, 2004... The laws on employing foreign nationals are changing - but the pressure on understaffed kitchens and restaurants remains the same. What can be done?Karl Cushing reports Hospitality labour shortages are back in the news, following the...

BOOKREVIEW.(The Real Greek at Home, cookery book)(Book Review)
August 12, 2004... The opening of the Real Greek restaurant in Hoxton Market several years ago was one of the more uplifting, refreshing and significant London restaurant debuts of the past decade. I am glad to say it is still going strong and Theodore Kyriakou,...

reader; soapbox.(Hilton hotel in Egypt falls far short of the expectations; importance of brand management considered)
August 12, 2004... Hilton by name; Hilton by nature? What makes a hotel a Hilton? asks Cris Beswick, creative director, Beswick Design This year, I stayed at the "five-star de luxe" Hilton Hurghada Long Beach Resort in Egypt. As a diving enthusiast,...

How to...(Recipe)(Brief Article)
August 12, 2004... ... marinate fish H Make a coriander and mint marinade. H Ingredients: 1 bunch of fresh coriander; 4 fresh mint sprigs; 4 green chillies; half a bunch of spinach; 1 lemon; 5g chaat masala; 1tsp mango pickle. H Put in the blender...

CONTRACT WINS.(Brief Article)
August 12, 2004... Energis contract Restaurants at Work, the Epsom-based business and industry caterer, has announced a three-year contract with communications company Energis at various UK locations. The turnover is [pounds sterling]600,000. Avenance at...

Global report.(Brief Article)
August 12, 2004... ASIA Aramark's Bright idea USA-based contract caterer Aramark has bought a 90% stake in Bright China Service Industries (BCSI) for an undisclosed sum. BCSI provides facilities services to about 100 healthcare and business...

Bulot aims to ditch Relais & Chateaux 'old boys' image.(Regis Bulot)(Brief Article)
August 12, 2004... Regis Bulot, president of Relais & Chateaux, has warned that the elitist nature of the UK membership will no longer be tolerated. Bulot, speaking exclusively to Caterer, said he wanted to get rid of the Relais & Chateaux image as a closed...

Letters/Our Back Pages.
August 12, 2004... It's the little things that make the difference I was interested to read of Maureen Kenny's less-than-satisfactory experience in a South Coast four-star hotel (Letters, Caterer, 5 August). Unfortunately, I believe that this kind of service...

in brief.(Bercy Management)(Brief Article)
August 12, 2004... Healthy eating boost Scolarest, the school catering arm of Compass, has helped develop a healthy eating qualification for its school cooks. The NCFE Intermediate Certificate in Nutrition and Health will be available to Scolarest chefs and...