Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from December 2003

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from December 2003

News Round-up.(Alan Murchison leaves Chewton Glen)(Firmdale Hotels wins award)(Caterer-Online services)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Murchison quits Chewton Glen Alan Murchison has left his job as executive chef of Chewton Glen country house hotel after just three months. He joined the five-star hotel in New Milton, Hampshire, in September following the abrupt...

competitions.(Sodexho names top chefs)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Sodexho names top chef and Junior chef of year Sodexho has honoured various employees at the company's annual awards, including naming its UK Chef of the Year and Junior Chef of the Year. Jack Evans (right), executive chef for the...

Acorn Scholar 2003.(Jonathan Reed)(Marriott Waltham Abbey Hotel's bars manager)
December 4, 2003... Jonathan Reed, a bars manager with Marriott, was named as the 2003 Acorn Scholar at a celebration lunch at Gidleigh Park last week. Caterer was there to get an on-the-spot reaction The judging for the 2003 Acorn Scholarship took place at...

Hong Kong foodies.(UK Sodexho chefs travel to Hong Kong)(prepare Masterclass dinner)
December 4, 2003... Three UK Sodexho executive chefs headed east last month armed with 200 blown-sugar peaches. Their mission? To provide two major banquets, for the Hong Kong Police and HSBC bank The delicate peaches blown from liquid sugar are lovingly...

A Quest for knowledge.(wine training programme offered at Johnson and Wales University)(Wine Quest)(popular Italian wines)(Nigel Wilkinson wins award)(Perrier Jouet introduces Christmas cocktail)
December 4, 2003... An internet-accessed wine training programme is being taken on by a US catering college, with the first level promising to give the basics in 15 minutes Tim Hanni is a one. The American Master of Wine first made waves with his radical...

Sehgals buy the Leonard.(family buy privately owned townhouse hotel)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... The Leonard, one of London's best-known privately owned townhouse hotels, has been sold for about [pounds sterling]14m. The 44-bedroom hotel and the five-apartment Leonard Residence opposite have both been sold to the Sehgal family, who own...

Paragon profits plummet.(Paragon Hotels)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Profits have dived at entrepreneur Trevor Hemmings's Paragon Hotels group. Accounts filed recently at Companies House show that pre-tax profit at the group fell by more than 85% to [pounds sterling]577,000 in the 12 months to 3 April,...

Last supper.(chef Peter Robinson)(King's Arms, Stow-on-the-Wold)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Faced with his last few moments on earth, chef Peter Robinson would ditch his whites in favour of a cheeky little pink chiffon number (well, we'd always had our suspicions) What's for dinner? A plate of Joselito Spanish meats, followed...

table talk.
December 4, 2003... The thoroughly unmodern Gordon Ramsay Gordon Ramsay didn't endear himself to feminists with his choice of pet hates to be condemned to the oblivion of Room 101 when he appeared on the BBC programme last week. While having a go at...

BOOKREVIEW.(The Savoy Cookbook)(Book Review)
December 4, 2003... Famous grand hotels have to evolve to survive. Knowing how and when to push forward and when to leave well alone takes judgement. In his time at the Savoy, Anton Edelmann kept the kitchens ticking over, shifting subtly with each new fashion...

Enigma.(Restaurant Review)
December 4, 2003... Slavko Bogdanovic took over as head chef at London restaurant Enigma four months ago with a brief to continue its Mediterranean-style menu Going by the name alone, it would be fairly easy to get the wrong idea. At a restaurant named Enigma...

Top of the range.(cooking ranges)
December 4, 2003... Energy efficiency and versatility has moved high up the agenda of well-managed kitchens, and manufacturers of prime cooking equipment know this is a marketing edge. Bob Gledhill reports on cooking range design for the professional kitchen ...

Undiscovered Italy.
December 4, 2003... Is your knowledge of Italian wines limited to Chianti and Pinot Grigio? Then listen up: Italy is so hot, it hurts. Fiona Sims investigates I was in the Ebury the other day when I was struck by the number of Italian wines on the wine list....

Capital offensive.(David Campbell)(VisitLondon's chief executive)
December 4, 2003... David Campbell landed the most lucrative post in British tourism when he accepted the position of chief executive of Visit London last June. Now London's future prosperity lies in his hands When David Campbell was appointed chief executive...

Nino's balancing act.(restaurant owner Nino Sassu)(Assaggi)(Interview)
December 4, 2003... Nino Sassu and his business partner, Pietro Fraccari, opened Assaggi seven-and-a-half years ago and it has been the critics' favourite ever since. Oliver Peyton questioned him about his success, Italian cooking and achieving a work-life balance...

Our man in Istanbul.(hotel manager Ray McShane talks about bombings by terrorists, hotel career)(Conrad Istanbul)
December 4, 2003... Ray Mc Shane, an Irishman who was brought up in the UK, is resident manager at the Conrad Istanbul. The recent bombings of British interests have left him saddened - and, at times, afraid. But he has no plans to leave Six-year-old Jonathan...

Witchalls brings fine dining to Oxford pub.(chef Gary Witchalls to open fine-dining pub)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Gary Witchalls, former chef-director of the Epicurus pub-restaurant at the Leather Bottle pub in Blackmore, Essex, is opening a fine-dining pub, the Mole Inn, next week. The 70-seat pub, in Toot Baldon just outside Oxford, opens on 8...

Support local suppliers, minister tells caterers.
December 4, 2003... Schools, hospitals and prisons must not use EU trade laws to avoid operating sustainable purchasing policies and supporting small and local food producers. This was the key message from food and farming minister Lord Whitty at the first...

Envergure is all set to grow outside France.(hotel company Groupe Envergure S.A.)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... French budget hotel company Groupe Envergure has earmarked g70m-g90m ([pounds sterling]48.6m-[pounds sterling]63.5m) a year to expand its Campanile brand outside France. Chief operating officer Keith Lindsay said Groupe Envergure would...

Global report.(hotel openings planned, acquisitions)
December 4, 2003... Americas NHHoteles adds to Mexican holdings Spanish hotel chain NH Hoteles has signed a deal to open two more properties in Mexico, taking its total portfolio in the country to 17. The group will add a new four-star, 106-bedroom hotel...

My thoughts from the editor's chair.(catering industry)(Editorial)
December 4, 2003... This was an opportunity that I couldn't turn down. Sitting in my restaurant, Mash, the editorial team were all ears as I sat before them, ranting, raving and gesticulating wildly about my current bugbears. Yet from this somewhat unconventional...

Done deals.(Porth Avallen)(Soroba House)(Mount Stewart)(Peveril of the Peak)(hotels sold)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Londoner buys Porth Avallen The Porth Avallen hotel at Carlyon Bay in Cornwall has been sold to London businessman George Abraham. The three-star, 27-bedroom hotel comes with a four-bedroom detached house looking over Carlyon Bay as...

Survey shows Scots cuisine is still healthy.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Scotland's culinary heritage is fighting fit, with not a single deep-fried Mars bar in sight, according to a new survey conducted by the Food Trust of Scotland. The survey, designed to find Scotland's top 10 favourite dishes, throws into...

Macdonald plans luxury golf resort.(Macdonald Hotels)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Macdonald Hotels has formed a joint venture to develop a luxury hotel, golf and country club on the site of the current Hill Valley Golf Club in Whitchurch, Shropshire. A [pounds sterling]7m investment will add 80 luxury bedroms and a...

Two-year ban for ex-director.(Leisure Development UK)(Reginald William Thomas)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... A former director of hotel and restaurant business Leisure Development UK, forced into liquidation with debts in excess of [pounds sterling]1m, has been disqualified for two years from holding a directorship. Reginald William Thomas, 62,...

Top chefs to celebrate US food.(event to be held at Le Manior aux Quat'Saisons restaurant)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Seven of the USA's best chefs will celebrate their nation's cuisine at a week-long festival to be held at Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons restaurant next spring. The event, the American Food Revolution, is being held at the...

Novelli set for a City comeback.(chef Jean-Christope Novelli plans to open London restaurant)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Michelin-starred French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli is preparing to make a comeback to London with the opening of Novelli in the City on 4 February. The 60-seat restaurant, at the Capital Club, had been due to open in October but this...

Property buyers race to beat stamp duty hike.(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Estate agents have reported a flurry of activity last month as buyers of hotels and restaurants rushed to beat the deadline for higher stamp duty on leaseholds that came into force this Monday (1 December). Consultant CB Richard Ellis...

Class actions.(funding catering colleges)
December 4, 2003... If Britain's "food revolution" is a reality, why are we still falling way behind other countries when it comes to culinary training? Janet Harmer and Jessica Gunn investigate There are many reasons why catering remains a decidedly unsexy...

Contract sector will see steady growth.
December 4, 2003... Contract caterers can expect steady business growth for the next four years, according to the latest business-to-business market research. Market and Business Development, a Manchester-based research consultancy, predicted a constant...

New British members at Relais & Chateaux.(hotel and restaurant consortium)
December 4, 2003... The upmarket Relais & Chateaux hotel and restaurant consortium has accepted two new British members, while several existing UK members face a 12-month probationary period following changes of ownership. New to the consortium is the...

Brasserie caters for private flights.(Southport's Warehouse Brasserie)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... The Warehouse Brasserie in Southport has launched a catering service for private and corporate aircraft operators. The service, called Warehouse on Board, serves Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester airports. Its first customers are Jaymax...

Finance in place for Spanish expansion.(InterContinental Hotels signs agreement with investment company Midland Iberia)(new Express by Holiday Inn hotels)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... The InterContinental Hotels group has signed a development agreement with Midland Iberia to finance the construction of as many as 20 new Express by Holiday Inn hotels in Spain within the next six years. Midland Iberia is a young Spanish...

people On the move.
December 4, 2003... Property support services company OCS has appointed RICHARD FENTON-JONES, ARTHUR NUTTALL and TOM STAUNTON as directors of its board. Nuttall was UK managing director for cleaning and support services and has taken on the role of director...

Review OFTHEREVIEWS.(restaurants)
December 4, 2003... 29 November GILES COREN gets drunk at new London hangout EAST@WEST, but has a moment of clarity on a second visit "Breast, legs and pink bits" - a saucy little joke - involved stunning magret of barbary duck with a slice of brilliant,...

Lancashire pilots meal choice for over-fives.(cashless payment system in primary school)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Children at a North of England primary school are choosing their lunch before their first lesson, thanks to a computerised cashless system. Although cashless payment systems operate in nearly 500 secondary schools, they are still rare in...

Deal in the offing for Center Parcs UK.(holiday parks)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Center Parcs UK, which owns four forest-based holiday parks, is likely to be sold to asset management firm Collins Stewart by the end of the week, and could eventually be floated on the Alternative Investment Market. Its owner, private...

OVER; TO YOU.(hospitality industry's role in promoting tourism overseas)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... SHOULD THE hospitality INDUSTRY PLAY A GREATER ROLE IN PROMOTING TOURISM OVERSEAS? Yes. Huge numbers of overseas visitors come to Britain and they just go to London, Bath and Stratford. There is a lot more to Britain than that. We need to...

Mark Fuller denies plans to buy Raymond's and Jojo's.(will open private members' club and restaurant)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Contrary to recent reports in the trade and regional press, London-based restaurant and bar owner Mark Fuller has denied he has plans to buy the notorious Madame Jojo's and Raymond's Revue Bar in London's Soho. Fuller admitted that he had...

Commons subsidies.(Correction Notice)
December 4, 2003... We have been asked to point out that a catering subsidy of [pounds sterling]175 per week for every MP, as stated in Caterer (27 November, page 6), is inaccurate. More than 7,000 people use the catering facilities at the House of Commons when it...

Compass hits growth target and lifts profit.(food service company Compass Group PLC)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Compass has reported rises in profit and turnover despite difficult economic conditions. The largest food service company in the world met a target of a 6% rise in like-for-like turnover and said it was well on the way to deliver the same...

stockwatch.(hotels, pubs, coffeehouses)
December 4, 2003... The FTSE Leisure and Hotels enjoyed a small rise last week, climbing 1.65% from 3247.8p to 3301.3p. This compared with the FTSE All Share, which rose by only 0.73%, from 2161.1p to 2176.8p. Shares at CAFFE NERO dropped 3.06%, from 49p to...

GETTING SCHOOLCHILDREN INVOLVED IN CATERING.
December 4, 2003... Two months into the college year and life couldn't be busier. Just this week we've had Peter Kingston, editor of the education supplement of the Guardian, following a group of first-year students from the start of the course until they finish...

Hilton takes over lease of London's Waldorf hotel.(Hilton Group PLC)(renamed Hilton Waldorf)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Hilton Group has officially signed the lease to take over the operation of London's Waldorf hotel. The property, one of two Le Meridien hotels owned by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and put into administrative receivership in July, will be...

in brief.(Hartford Group does not plan London restaurant)(chef Chad Rahman wins award)(chefs to participate in Bocuse d'Or World Cuisine Contest)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... Hartford Group Bar operator Hartford Group has denied suggestions that it is opening a restaurant in the City of London with chef Hywel Jones. A trade press report had suggested that Jones, formerly head chef at Hartford's Pharmacy...

Manuel Suarez.(Sheraton Park Tower's room service manager)
December 4, 2003... Manuel Suarez, 58, is room service manager at the Sheraton Park Tower hotel in London, where he has worked for 28 years since coming to the UKfrom Spain in the 1970s I get up at about 4.30am and potter around my house for a little bit...

Fire risk assessment.(fire-safety regulations)
December 4, 2003... David Wright, managing director of specialist safety consultancy firm Blackdove Safety, advises you on the impact new fire-safety regulations will have on your business European Community legislation on health and safety at work was...

Letters Caterer.(Letter to the Editor)
December 4, 2003... Can you help with the Cafe Royal's untold story? I am embarking on a biography of London's Cafe Royal. This iconic institution's place as part of London's 19th- and 20th-century social history remains something of an untold story, and it...

Rhodes restaurant offers training.(Rhodes Twenty Four)(Brief Article)
December 4, 2003... A new training deal for four students from Northampton College has been agreed at Rhodes Twenty Four, the restaurant run by Gary Rhodes in association with Restaurant Associates. Adam Gray, head chef at Rhodes Twenty Four, situated in Tower...

Contract Catering Round-up.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2003... Hopkinson wins Arnold Lodge deal Hopkinson Catering has been awarded a one-year rolling contract to provide meals at Arnold Lodge School in Leamington Spa. The Warwickshire-based caterer feeds about 330 pupils at the independent...

Global report.(hotel briefs)
December 11, 2003... Europe Gresham buys back Hamburg's Carat Irish hotel group Gresham has bought back the 90-bedroom Gresham Carat hotel in Hamburg for g8.5m ([pounds sterling]6m). The figure is the same amount the group sold it for as part of a...

Vin extraordinaire.(Hotel du Vin chief Robin Hutson awarded Hotelier of the Year)
December 11, 2003... As Hotel du Vin chief Robin Hutson collects our Hotelier of the Year award, sponsored by Louis Jadot, he looks back on a hugely successful 12 months - but insists he couldn't have done it without the team The votes are in. The die is cast....

Who's who... Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts.(Company Profile)
December 11, 2003... Earlier this year Park Plaza announced plans to build the biggest new hotel central London has seen in more than 30 years. The group is also well on the way to reaching its target of more than 140 hotels around the world by 2008. Samantha...

LOLA'S.(Restaurant Review)
December 11, 2003... Elisha Carter is eager to make a name for himself at Lola's in Islington, north London, and he's hoping that his "sexy" food will do the trick Sexy is the word head chef Elisha Carter says best describes his dishes at Lola's restaurant in...

A scholar's Spain.(Roux Scholar Simon Hulstone)(work experience at Restaurante Mart)
December 11, 2003... This year's Roux Scholar, Simon Hulstone, went to Restaurante Mart[degrees]n Berasategui for his work experience - the first scholar to choose Spain for his stage. Last month the competition's founder, Michel Roux, popped over to San Sebastian...

martin lynch.(interview of Martin Lynch, pastry chef at the luxury Conrad Istanbul)(Interview)
December 11, 2003... Martin Lynch, 37, is pastry chef at the luxury Conrad Istanbul, a position he has heldfor seven years. But even after all this time, he still doesn't speak much Turkish... I've been travelling since 1988 and have held posts in Bahrain,...

Last supper.(wish list)
December 11, 2003... WHAT'S FOR DINNER? My wife's Sunday dinner. WHERE WOULD YOU BE? At home. WHO WOULD COOK? The late Alain Chapel - quite simply one of the greatest and most influential chefs there's ever been. WHAT WINE WOULD YOU...

BOOKREVIEW.(Book Review)
December 11, 2003... In the worst year for fungi in the New Forest (because of a very dry summer), to be given a book on mushroom hunting to review is pure torment. For years, we at Le Poussin have been avid mushroom hunters, conducting fungi forays for chefs, food...

Burton-Race set for second TV series.(Chef John Burton-Race )
December 11, 2003... Chef John Burton-Race has been commissioned by Channel 4 to appear in a follow-up to his French Leave television series. It means he has put his plans to buy a restaurant on hold. The former two-Michelin-starred chef had been looking to buy...

New identity in line for Cadbury House.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2003... Simon Matthews-Williams is to invest [pounds sterling]8m converting the Cadbury House leisure club and conference centre at Congresbury, near Bristol, into a state-of-the-art health and leisure club and a luxury four-star, 50-bedroom hotel. ...

The heights of good taste.(high-altitude winemaking)(cork versus screwcap)
December 11, 2003... A recent tasting at the Argentine Embassy in London focused on wines with altitude - quality stuff from the world's highest commercial vineyards You might have heard the term "high-altitude winemaking" being bandied around wine circles...

Privatisation on parade.(Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust)
December 11, 2003... Hospital food's getting better, so they tell us. But has this anything to do with new hospitals built through the private finance initiative? At Norwich's new hospital they think it has One of the most common questions visitors ask patients...

table talk.
December 11, 2003... Square Pie, oval balls and a round of crow Any Aussies feeling sore after the Rugby World Cup could have eased their stomachs, if not their pride, at the new Square Pie concession in Selfridges Food Hall last Monday - the day of London's...

people On the move.(appointments)(Obituary)
December 11, 2003... Joanne Landon, general manager of the Express by Holiday Inn Southampton-West hotel, has been appointed vice-chairman of Destination Southampton. The organisation is a free venue-finding service for businesses and individuals wishing to host...

Forty years of Ponti's.(restaurants, coffee shops, catering)(Company Profile)
December 11, 2003... What started as a steamy cafe for coach drivers has flourished into one of the most quietly successful restaurant chains in the country. As Ponti's celebrates its 40-year anniversary, Helen Adkins went to find out how they did it For many...

Center Parcs UK lists on AIM.(Alternative Investment Market )(Brief Article)
December 11, 2003... Forest-based holiday park business Center Parcs UK, which was sold last Thursday, was due to start trading on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) today (11 December). Center Parcs UK was bought by Arbor, a new company set up to make...

restaurant openings.(Directory)
December 11, 2003... Babycream, Liverpool Liverpool's latest bar is the brainchild of James Barton, founder of Cream, and Rob Gutmann of the Lyceum Group. The downstairs Virtual World Bar room is kitted out with AV technology so that drinkers are surrounded by...

Buck up or be sold off, says new De Vere boss.(Carl Leaver)(hotel properties)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2003... New De Vere chief executive Carl Leaver has signalled that some of the group's luxury hotels could be put up for sale if trading does not improve. "We want to be able to make them work, but I expect there to be a few sales," he said, after...

Culinary author Alan Davidson dies, aged 79.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
December 11, 2003... Alan Davidson, one of the world's most knowledgeable writers on food, has died, aged 79. Davidson, whose passion for food led him to write books on seafood and to edit the comprehensive Oxford Companion to Food, died at his home in...

Entries sought for Olive Barnett prize.
December 11, 2003... Careers advice organisation Springboard UK is seeking entries for the 2004 Olive Barnett Award, which recognises excellence in front-of-house activity. The first prize for the award, which is being sponsored by recruitment consultants...

MPs agree higher meal prices would save jobs.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2003... A group of MPs has agreed to pay more for meals in order to stave off job cuts among catering staff at the House of Commons. Concern that there could be redundancies was raised after the catering department was asked to cut costs. The...

Travel Inn offers free drink tests for drivers.(free breathalysers, non-alcoholic cocktails)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2003... Budget hotel chain Travel Inn is issuing free breathalysers and non-alcoholic cocktails to hungover guests checking out of its city centre hotels in the approach to the festive season. The initiative, timed to coincide with the Government's...

Eldridge Pope struggles to halt declining sales.(pub group)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2003... Pub group Eldridge Pope announced a "disappointing" set of results for a "difficult year" last week, fuelling speculation that it remains a target for takeover. "The performance of the business during the year as a whole was very...

Relais & Chateaux.(Correction Notice)
December 11, 2003... The chairman of the British chapter of upmarket hotel consortium Relais & Chateaux is Malcolm Lewis, not Martin Lewis, as published in Caterer, 4 December, page 8.

In Brief.(Steven Saunders to launch catering company, Curtis Stone quits Bluebird Club Restaurant and Griffin Inn wins award)
December 11, 2003... Steven Saunders launches outside catering company TV chef Steven Saunders is to launch a new catering venture that will provide restaurant-quality food to private functions, ranging from small dinner parties to large catering events. The...

Hospitality firms in fastest-growing companies listing.(Cater Link highest on list)(hotels represented by Rocco Forte Hotels and HotelConnect)
December 11, 2003... Nine hospitality and catering companies have made it into this year's Sunday Times list of Britain's 100 fastest-growing unquoted companies, with nearly half of them in the top 16. Industry observers believe this reflects the general move...

IH&RAConference.(International Hotel & Restaurant Association)(crisis management)(travel warnings)(hiring older workers)
December 11, 2003... Industry must act to prevent crises The hospitality industry needs to be proactive and well-prepared in advance of any crisis to mitigate the damage done to business and customers. That was the view of Deborah Luhrman, crisis...

Schools caterer wins healthy eating accolade.(Education Contract Services receives award)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2003... Education Contract Services (ECS) of Bradford became the first local authority school meals provider to receive a Caroline Walker Trust award last month. The accolade is given to individuals or organisations whose promotion of nutrition...

Contract caterers join elite 100 for growth.(Cater Link)(Artizian Catering Services)
December 11, 2003... Two contract catering companies have been rated among the top 100 fastest-growing companies in the UK in a new report. Cater Link, the Kent-based contract caterer which operates mainly in the education and care home sector, was ranked...

Review OFTHEREVIEWS.(restaurants)
December 11, 2003... 6 December MATTHEW FORT handles his chopsticks with care as he visits SHUMI, London's newest fusion hotspot Of the six dishes we ate, none bore any resemblance to any dishes I have eaten in Italy. Take bresaola of tuna with fava beans,...

Travelodge to axe general manager jobs.(Brief Article)
December 11, 2003... Budget hotel chain Travelodge is to slash 120 general manager roles, following its decision to split the management of its hotel and Little Chef businesses. At present the 120 Travelodges with an adjacent Little Chef are run by the...

Long-term growth depends on service.(Editorial)
December 11, 2003... Nine out of 100 - that doesn't sound many. Call it "nearly 10%" and the figure begins to look better. So, nearly 10% of the businesses listed in the recent Sunday Times list of the UK's top 100 fastest-growing companies can be found in the...

OVER; TO YOU.(state of mind of customers)(Brief Article)
December 11, 2003... HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CURRENT STATE OF MIND OF YOUR CUSTOMERS? They're merry and happy. I think it definitely has to do with Christmas. Business isn't doing too badly either, and people have a bit of money to spend. It also doesn't...

stockwatch.(securities data of restaurants and hotels)
December 11, 2003... Shares at ASK CENTRAL plummeted 11.24% from 169p to 150p last week as concerns grow that the merger between the pizza and pasta restaurant group and City Centre Restaurants may fail to materialise. CITY CENTRE felt the same anxiety, with...