Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from August 2008

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from August 2008

More caterers sign up to healthy workplace food.(News)
August 7, 2008... Six more catering companies agree to adopt the FSA's healthy food initiative By Chris Druce A second wave of caterers has been signed up to the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) healthy workplace food initiative, launched early this year...

The week in brief.(News)(Whitbread PLC opened stores)(Barbox)(Spirit Group into labor problem)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Costa store opens in Beijing Whitbread has opened its latest Costa coffee store in Beijing ahead of the Olympic Games. The store is the first part of a joint venture between Whitbread and the Beijing Hualian Group. The partners intend to...

Over to you.(Side Orders)
August 7, 2008... Your most unusual training or development Jon Reed, operations director at talent retention specialist Learnpurple "I attended a course in geese-herding at a Scout camp to learn communication styles. We had to make the sheepdog get a...

UK tourism dismayed by cuts at VisitBritain.(News)
August 7, 2008... 40% of staff are to go at tourism body's London office By Chris Druce The UK's tourism bodies have slammed last week's news of major job cuts at VisitBritain, labelling the move symptomatic of the Government's continuing failure to...

Book Review.(Side Orders)
August 7, 2008... Meat and drink of the hospitality business The Theory of Catering Professor David Foskett and Victor Ceserani Hodder Arnold, [pounds sterling]22.99 ISBN 978-0-340-93926-0 Motivational Management Made Easy: for Hospitality,...

tee off with the BHA at Wentworth.(Features)(Calendar)
August 7, 2008... After a short absence, the Bessborough Trophy, the British Hospitality Association's prestigious golf event held in association with Nestle Professional, is back. The trophy was donated by the Earl of Bessborough to the then Hotels and...

Infozone Foodfile ingredients in season.(Features)(Recipe)
August 7, 2008... Fresh produce Fish English cherries have almost finished. There are only expensive American and Canadian mountain-grown fruit left. Tomatoes are being talked up, but any price rise should be short-lived and not too drastic. ...

aviator hotel.(Features)
August 7, 2008... A new venture from Ken McCulloch, Aviator hotel is serving up simple, well-sourced food. Janet Harmer reports Aviator is a major departure for both hotel operator Ken McCulloch and Farnborough Airport, the location of the newly built...

A Canadian Kiwi in London.(Features)
August 7, 2008... Anna Hansen, Peter Gordon's former partner at the Providores, has teamed up with D&D London to open her own restaurant in one of London's eating hubs. Fiona Sims reports on a venture that for so long looked doomed to failure The Modern...

Picture of the Week.(Side Orders)
August 7, 2008... All Duck, no dope A Chinese chef takes uncooked ducks to the oven at Quanjude restaurant in Beijing ahead of the Olympic Games, which kick off tomorrow (8 August). Renowned for its Peking roast duck, the 100-year-old restaurant is...

Classic and cutting-edge recipes at your fingertips.(Features)
August 7, 2008... The nation's appetite for information on food, recipes and all things chef seems insatiable.Amanda Afiya highlights what you can find on Caterersearch.com While there's an incredible amount of information available on the web relating to...

Expanding Peach to strengthen team.(News)(John Taylor, Liz Taylor and Jeremy Kynaston appointed at Adopted Business Peach Pub Company)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Former Caterer Adopted Business Peach Pub Company is to expand its management team ahead of the opening of its 10th site and first high-street pub in Warwickshire. Co-founders Hamish Stoddart and Lee Cash have embarked on a search for an...

there's no business like (fresh) dough business, says papa john's.(News)
August 7, 2008... Pizza chain Papa John's has thrown down the gauntlet to its rivals by smashing a three-metre wide pizza ice sculpture in London's Leicester Square. The stunt was designed to promote the chain's use of fresh pizza dough. Simon Wallis, Papa...

Going places.(Infozone)
August 7, 2008... Jason Pascall, a 2006 Acorn award winner, has become general manager of the Velvet hotel on Canal Street in Manchester. Pascall, previously food and beverage manager of the Leopold hotel in Sheffield, takes on his first general manager role...

News.(Infozone)(The Rezidor Hotel Group provides training for its employees)(Laura Rhys of Hotel TerraVina awarded)(ISS Eaton challenges its chefs)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... * Rezidor unveils training scheme Hotel group Rezidor has unveiled a worldwide training programme entitled "Responsible Business" for its 30,000 employees. The in-house programme is designed to offer staff training on health and safety...

How to: spot lying on CVs.(Infozone)
August 7, 2008... Employers need to be alert to the possibility that a job applicant is lying on an application form or CV and they need to be thorough when carrying out pre-employment checks. If an employer fails to carry out basic checks, it could employ...

Beware the perils of the pub trade.(News)
August 7, 2008... Would-be licensees warned of risks as three operators fail by christopher walton Aspiring publicans have been warned about the "immense risk" of running a pub in the current economic climate, after three pub operators were forced to...

Alan Parker - bringing Whitbread into focus.(News)(Occupation overview)
August 7, 2008... Alan Parker is chief executive of Whitbread, one of the UK's largest hospitality players. Since assuming his role he has radically restructured the business around its budget hotel brand Premier Inn and rapidly growing coffee chain Costa. Gemma...

Government must reverse damage.(News)
August 7, 2008... Last month we reported that the Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport had accused the Government of "failing to give the necessary support to UK tourism during a challenging period for the industry", and had branded last year's cut in...

BUCKS FIZZmarlowon themap.(Features)
August 7, 2008... William Drabble's Aubergine restaurant is set to open a sister site in Marlow, pitching the surrounding area into the gastronomic big time. There's a growing collection of high-level places to eat in the Buckinghamshire market town, so has...

Olympic sprint.(Infozone)
August 7, 2008... The London Olympics may be a few years off, but one catering college in Hastings, East Sussex, has been cashing in on the Beijing games by teaching Chinese chefs the art of British cuisine. David Gerrie reports Hastings College scored a...

Feeling the pinch.(Infozone)(Industry overview)
August 7, 2008... In the first of our credit crunch insights, Emma Allen looks at how contract caterers are coping with the economic downturn When asked how the current credit squeeze is affecting the contract catering market, William Baxter, deputy chief...

My life in hospitality Tom Ilic.(Infozone)
August 7, 2008... Chef-proprietor, Tom Ilic "I came to England at 18 with no clue as to what I wanted to do, and no English" Highs... My first career high was when I came to England as an 18-year-old with no clue as to what I wanted to do,...

Review of Reviews.(Side Orders)(Calendar)
August 7, 2008... The Guardian 2 August Its name is not the only thing letting down new restaurant Oops in London WC2, says Matthew Norman The startlingly mixed quality of our starters wasted little time in franking the amateur hour. Chorizo,...

Strategy clinic.(Infozone)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... "I'm trying to reduce my indirect carbon emissions. How can I lower the impact of travel by staff and guests?" Direct emissions are mainly within your control, but you need to think harder about indirect emissions, such as how your guests...

Our back pages: stories from the Caterer vaults.(Side Orders)
August 7, 2008... The Caterer and Hotel Keeper's Gazette, 15 April 1918 The visitors' book, which is religiously kept in many hotels, is mainly a paean of praise, as guests who have small grievances generally prefer to nurse them. But some go to the opposite...

Licensing: you and the law.(Infozone)
August 7, 2008... The Licensing Act 2003 throws up a potential minefield of terms and conditions that need to be taken into consideration. Alun Thomas, head of licensing at law firm Davenport Lyons, guides you through it The Problem I run a small chain...

Let's put dignity back into chef profession.(Side Orders)
August 7, 2008... letter of the week I'm tired of hearing about bickering among the country's chefs in order to raise their profile and celebrity status and feel moved to put forward my opinion on this. It's time for the profession to return to the...

Self-classified rating wrangle.(Side Orders)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Recently one of our regular customers had to stay in another establishment as we were already fully booked. Recently one of our regular customers had to stay in another establishment as we were already fully booked. Through a well-known...

Metropolitan-skewed ideas.(Side Orders)(Letter to the editor)
August 7, 2008... With reference to the Wolseley's breakfast (Caterer, 31 July), I know from many other respected sources that it is, indeed, very good. With reference to the Wolseley's breakfast (Caterer, 31 July), I know from many other respected sources...

MasterclassHelane Darrozeshell oFf.(Features)(Occupation overview)
August 7, 2008... Some say that the only way to serve oysters is fresh from the shell. But Helane Darroze, newly installed at the Connaught in London, brings the product of her homeland to life with an array of other ingredients. Michael Raffael reports ...

Italian eaterie to replace Turner venture.(News)
August 7, 2008... London's Millennium Mayfair hotel is to launch a new Italian restaurant to replace Brian Turner's eponymous venture which closed last week. Avista, due to open in October, will be a 75-seat restaurant with direct entrance from Grosvenor...

The briefing.(Features)(health pilot schemes delayed)(Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform )(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... * Health pilot schemes delayed Six months after they were proposed by the Government, pilot schemes to promote health and wellbeing in the workplace are still yet to begin. Plans announced in January by Health Secretary Alan Johnson,...

The value of Budget.(Features)
August 7, 2008... The budget hotel has often been dismissed as naff by punters and people in the industry alike. But with an economic downturn and other changes afoot, there could be lasting growth rather than decline for this much-maligned sector, says Gemma...

good weekBad week.(Side Orders)
August 7, 2008... Individual Restaurant Company Piccolino owner sees a sales boost of 21% in the first half of the year. Pizza lovers Domino's Pizza to roll out a new design concept in the UK and Ireland that incorporates an open-plan "pizza theatre". ...

Hotel Cateys shortlist announced.(News)(Conference notes)
August 7, 2008... The shortlist of nominations for this year's Hotel Cateys has been announced. The awards, organised by Caterer, were launched last year to complement the Cateys and are designed to allow hoteliers to celebrate the achievements of their...

Roka, Hong Kong.(Side Orders)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... London's Roka restaurant has launched its third international outlet in Hong Kong, offering its signature Japanese robata grill menu. The 6,000sq ft venue includes a main dining room as well as a bar and a sushi and robata grill counter. ...

Radisson SAS Tala Bay, Aqaba, Jordan.(Side Orders)(Hotel review)
August 7, 2008... This newly built resort is located on the shores of the Gulf of Aqaba in the south of Jordan. It offers a range of water sports facilities including jet skis, water skiing and windsurfing as well as scuba diving. Opened July Owner...

Renaissance Boston Waterfront, USA.(Side Orders)
August 7, 2008... Located at Boston's seaport, this hotel is housed in a 21-storey building that resembles the sails of a ship. It includes the 606 Congress restaurant, overseen by chef Michael Schlow, serving modern American cuisine. Opened July Owner...

Doubletree by Hilton Beijing.(Side Orders)(Hotel review)
August 7, 2008... Hilton's first Doubletree property in Asia is located near Beijing's downtown shopping district and close to the international airport. Guests are welcomed at reception with the hotel's signature freshly baked cookies. Opened July ...

My new kitchen.(Inside)
August 7, 2008... Michael Caines has brought the Abode hotel chain - and his keep-it-local There was a time when Brand Beckham was the leading brand in Manchester. These days there's a new kid on the block. He arrived in Britain's second city this spring,...

A minute on the clockAtul Kochhar.(News)
August 7, 2008... Atul Kochhar, who was one of the first Indian chefs to gain a Michelin star, has been running his London restaurant Benares since 2003. Last week he launched Vatika in Shedfield, Hampshire, and spoke to Joanna Wood about the new restaurant ...

Planning a new look?(Features)
August 7, 2008... The property you want to buy has great potential, but there are a few changes you want to make. So be sure to take account of all the costs and planning rules before you go ahead with the purchase, says Karl Cushing When you get your hands...

Mixed response as topping up wages with tips is axed.(News)
August 7, 2008... FSB hails decision but Cotton warns that only taxman wins by kerstin kuhn Industry figures have described the Government's announcement that it will outlaw the practice of topping up minimum wage with tips from next year as bad news...

Trishna comes to London.(News)(seafood restaurant)(Brief article)
August 7, 2008... Mumbai seafood restaurant Trishna is to make its debut on the London dining scene, with the opening of an outlet in Marylebone village this autumn. Trishna London, which is scheduled to open in the former site of Verbanella on Blandford...

Ask CESA.(Inside)
August 7, 2008... CESA, the Catering Equipment Because microwaves cook food much quicker than conventional ovens, overall energy consumption can be cut by up to a third Q I've just bought a new stainless-steel fridge. It was reasonably priced but not a...

Features.
August 7, 2008... This week William Baxter on coping with the credit crunch 56 7 Tips The Government has banned the practice of topping up wages with tips. Will the taxman turn out to be the only winner? 9 Contract catering Six more companies...

Talkin' about regeneration.(Inside)
August 7, 2008... The use of combi-ovens and blast I remember a time when the definition of "cook and chill" was to go into the kitchen, work a busy service and then go down to the bar and sink a few Stellas. Nowadays it signifies what is, in effect, a very...

Table Talk.(lifestyle of bass guitarist Alex James)(Chinese restaurant serves customers despite floods)(popularity of celebrity chefs)
August 7, 2008... it's all a blur He was everyone's favourite 90s bad boy. That bass slung nonchalantly across his shoulder, those stripy T-shirts and that fringe all played their part in many a schoolgirl crush. Now, though, Alex James has swapped coke...

Contract Catering news update.(News)
August 7, 2008... * ABM's [pounds sterling]6m deals ABM Catering has won more than [pounds sterling]6m-worth of new business in recent weeks. The caterer has signed a three-year contract worth [pounds sterling]700,000 at the National Institute for Medical...

Anna HansenThe former Providores chef is out to prove there's life after fusion at her new restaurant, the Modern Pantry.(Features)
August 7, 2008... Inside Kitchens goes behind the pass with Michael Caines at Abode Manchester Has Marlow replaced Ludlow as the foodies' favourite spot? infozone: The Licensing act and your business - what you need to know Masterclass Helane...

My faith in the young has been restored.(management training programme)
August 7, 2008... Getting back to the floor as part of a management training programme made Tom Lewis, general manager of Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, realise the value of youthful exuberance At my first appraisal with Raymond Blanc, I was somewhat taken...

The best possible taste.(Inside)
August 14, 2008... The idea that Britons prefer an Italian or American style of coffee is wide Any buyer of catering supplies suffers no end of coffee salesmen offering beans that will give "the proper Italian taste", yet few buyers ask the most obvious...

The best of blends.(Inside)
August 14, 2008... If you think every Earl Grey is the same, think again. Blending tea is a Choosing tea for a hospitality business is not as easy as it sounds. It is universally agreed that certain items are must-haves on a tea menu, and top of the list are...

The week in brief.(News)(opening of fine-dining restaurant)(Whitbread invest in new pub-restaurants)(Individual Restaurant Company plans to open new sites)
August 14, 2008... Heathcote restaurant on hold Paul Heathcote has put plans for a new fine-dining restaurant in Manchester on hold, it emerged this week. The chef-restaurateur has postponed the launch of the Elliot restaurant, which was set to open in...

Custard Factory seeks restaurateur with flair.(News)
August 14, 2008... By kerstin kUHN Birmingham-based development company CFNX is looking for an independent restaurateur to launch a brasserie-style venture at the city's arts and media venue, the Custard Factory. The company is calling on chefs and...

Chef facing job battle awaits formal notice.(News)
August 14, 2008... Shift replacement oversleeps and chef goes home to his children, but employer Compass claims dismissal letter sent By Mike Steere A head chef sacked for going home before his replacement arrived is in limbo, waiting for a formal...

UK hotels growth trails global rivals.(News)
August 14, 2008... Report shows worldwide market shrugging off economic fears, but UK hoteliers should beware imminent downturn By Mike Steere UK hotel market growth lagged behind that of international rivals in the first half of 2008, research revealed...

Liverpool One adds three to list of operators.(News)
August 14, 2008... Ahead of its scheduled grand opening on 1 October, Liverpool One has signed up a trio of restaurant operators, taking its list to date to 13 caterers. Pesto, Yo! Sushi and Barburrito will join the likes of Wagamama, Gourmet Burger Kitchen,...

News.
August 14, 2008... Government handling of 2012 Olympics slammed The chairman of the Tourism Alliance has slammed the Government's handling of the London 2012 Olympic Games, stating that despite the imminent handover from China to the UK, there...

A false image - that's a fact.(Side Orders)
August 14, 2008... Beer writer Pete Brown says it is easy to kick a British institution when it's down A recent feature in the Daily Telegraph ("Pubs are the last place I'd want to drink in," 29*July) claimed that the current epidemic of boarded-up pub...

Over to you.(Side Orders)
August 14, 2008... What do you love or hate about the modern pub? Andrew Pike, general manager, Milestone hotel, Kensington "I like those that retain the traditional welcome but with today's much-improved range of products. I love pubs that offer a...

Polizzi family sell Hotel Endsleigh to investment firm.(News)
August 14, 2008... by gemma sharkey The Hotel Endsleigh, formerly run by the star of Five's The Hotel Inspector, Alex Polizzi, has been sold to the Everlands hotel group for an undisclosed sum. In an exclusive interview with Caterer, Polizzi revealed...

Ramsay and Wareing settle Petrus dispute.(News)
August 14, 2008... Gordon Ramsay has settled his dispute with former protege Marcus Wareing over the future of the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Petrus at the Berkeley hotel, in Knightsbridge, London. Wareing, chef-patron at Petrus, will leave Gordon Ramsay...

Table Talk.(Side Orders)
August 14, 2008... No cutting intellect Knives are currently the focus of moral panic in the UK, and it seems that even Caterer hasn't avoided the hysteria. As a magazine that is about catering and, funnily enough, is read by chefs, it has been offering...

Pub chain losses will continue.(News)
August 14, 2008... The collapses last week of licensed operators Cains and the Food & Drink Group is unlikely to mark an end to the pub industry's escalating casualty list, according to an expert. Cains, which lost the backing of its bankers after recording a...

Book Review.(Side Orders)
August 14, 2008... Green philosophies in black and white Acorn House Cookbook Arthur Potts Dawson Hodder & Stoughton, [pounds sterling]20 ISBN 978-0-340-95460-7 Arthur Potts Dawson's Acorn House has been one of the most talked-about...

Galmiche to join Forbury.(News)
August 14, 2008... French chef Daniel Galmiche has joined the five-star Forbury hotel, in Reading, Berkshire, as executive chef, Caterer can reveal. Formerly executive head chef at Cliveden in Berkshire, where he gained a Michelin star at Waldo's in 2006,...

Healthy eating is a fine choice.(Side Orders)
August 14, 2008... If you watched the latest series of the BBC's Great British Menu, you won't be surprised by the praise from fellow competitors for Chris Horridge's cooking. As head chef at the Bath Priory, where he received a Michelin star in 2005,...

Infozone Foodfile ingredients in season.(Features)
August 14, 2008... Meat Fresh produce Fish Tuesday - the Glorious Twelfth of August - welcomed in the start of the grouse season, and the real start of autumn game. And there's good news! It looks as if this year will, like last, be a bumper grouse...

good weekBad week.(Side Orders)
August 14, 2008... Bowling fans All Star Lanes to open third London venue at the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane. World records Speciality egg producer Clarence Court creates world's largest Scotch egg made from an ostrich egg, 4kg of sausage meat, 940g of...

Side Orders.(hotels and motels )(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... English hotels lagging behind on technology Letter of the week Having just returned from holiday on a small island in Croatia (Kolocep), I was struck by how advanced the hotel in-room entertainment system was compared to many hotels I...

Industry should act to limit hours.(Side Orders)(Brief article)
August 14, 2008... My husband has recently taken a job in a well-established hotel My husband has recently taken a job in a well-established hotel. A week after starting work he was presented with a contract. All was fine, except for the hours of work,...

Staff theft is a real threat.(Side Orders)
August 14, 2008... It is clear now that although we may not be heading for a full-blown recession, there are certain to be difficulties with our economy It is clear now that although we may not be heading for a full-blown recession, there are certain to be...

Tips sums are confusing.(Side Orders)
August 14, 2008... Am I the only one that thinks Bob Cotton and Peter Davies ("Mixed response as topping up wages with tips is axed", Caterer, 7 August, page 7) have a problem with mathematics Am I the only one that thinks Bob Cotton and Peter Davies ("Mixed...

Young need help with CV.(Side Orders)
August 14, 2008... Surely it's only common sense that when young people near the time of leaving school, teachers should consider holding classes relating to job applications Surely it's only common sense that when young people near the time of leaving...

Helene darroze.(Gallic cuisine)
August 14, 2008... One of two recent high-profile French arrivals on the London scene, Helane Darroze at the Connaught brings the chef's intricate Gallic cuisine to the capital for the first time. Tom Vaughan reports "I wanted to stay in Paris and have only...

View industry stars and their methods on our video channel.(Side Orders)
August 14, 2008... Today's high-speed internet has enabled websites to deliver richer content, and Caterersearch.com has embraced this opportunity to create its own video library. Katherine Alano reports Caterersearch is known for its up-to-date industry news...

Side Orders.
August 14, 2008... Picture of the Week Harrods shot at dawn Harrods chef Giuseppe Silvestri holds a brace of grouse during a ceremony to welcome the first birds of the game season at the London department store earlier this week. The grouse season...

This is not the beginning of the end for pubs - yet.(News)
August 14, 2008... With the Food & Drink Group and Cains calling in the administrators within a day of each other last week, is the worst is now over for the licensed trade - or is it still to come? Christopher Walton reports The UK pub sector is currently...

Going places.(Infozone)
August 14, 2008... Jeremy Mutton has been appointed general manager of Sandals Regency La Toc Golf Resort and Spa in St Lucia. He has moved from Sandals Royal Caribbean resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where he was also general manager. Before joining Sandals six...

News.(Infozone)
August 14, 2008... * Town House hosts wine training Scottish hotel group the Town House Collection is to host a monthly wine academy for its employees. Staff at the Bonham, the Howard, the Edinburgh Residence and Channings will be able to study for an NVQ...

Springboard award winner: Four Seasons Canary Wharf.(Infozone)
August 14, 2008... Springboard's Awards for Excellence celebrate what a great place the hospitality industry is to work. This year's awards, held at the Dorchester in London in January, saw the Four Seasons Hotel Canary Wharf pick up the Education Award (Small...

Is your website doing the business?(News)
August 14, 2008... Back in 2000, Caterer and Hotelkeeper published a book titled Guide to the Internet: Getting your Business Online. After 70 pages of advice on e-mail etiquette, sending messages and pre-Google search engines, chapter five - "Why think about...