Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from December 2004

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from December 2004

In Brief.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Equality organisations may have to merge The Queen's Speech last week trailed the Equality Bill, which will aim to merge the Disability Rights Commission with other equality organisations, including those responsible for race, religious...

how i got here.
December 2, 2004... Jonathan Joyce-Hess, deputy manager at Island restaurant and bar, London It was always in the plan that Australian Jonathan Joyce-Hess, 28, would be working in London's West End. What wasn't in the plan was that he'd be a deputy manager at...

On the move.(appointments and promotions)
December 2, 2004... Giel Schuffelers, assistant events manager at the Grosvenor House hotel on London's Park Lane, has won promotion to events manager. During his time at the hotel he has helped organise Caterer's 2003 and 2004 Cateys dinners. Craig McKay has...

How to...(make mulled wine)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... ... make mulled wine The recipe doesn't require exact quantities, which can be varied to suit tastes, the occasion or numbers. Ingredients (Serves 60) H 12 litres of red wine H 1 bottle of vodka H 1lb of white sugar...

The burning issue.(guidebooks can have a huge impact on the restaurants that they review)
December 2, 2004... Critics must temper power with fairness Food writer and critic Simon Wright Luke Johnson's attack on restaurant critics in Waitrose Food Illustrated magazine may have been crude and largely inaccurate, but raising the issue of the...

A tax inspector calls...(Advice of Julian Goldie, a director at DTE Taxation Services)
December 2, 2004... Julian Goldie, a director at DTE Taxation Services, offers advice on what to do when the taxman comes knocking THE LAW You'll receive a letter that reveals that your company has been selected by the IR for an inquiry into its tax...

Flying the nest.(global distribution systems)
December 2, 2004... The airline industry has long been the dominant force in travel and tourism. Richard Lewis, managing director (Europe, Middle East & Africa) for the Preferred, Summit and Sterling hotel brands, looks at how hoteliers can continue to take a lead...

The Gun.(restaurants)(Restaurant Review)
December 2, 2004... Heading up his first kitchen at the Gun, executive chef Scott Wade offers a blend of pub grub and French bistro-style food on his menu. Emma Allen reports It took successful gastropub duo Tom and Ed Martin more than nine months of...

Arola launches home service in Barcelona.(Sergi Arola)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Sergi Arola, head chef at the critically acclaimed La Broche in Madrid, last week launched a new catering division from his self-named restaurant Arola, at the Hotel Arts, Barcelona. Arola's latest restaurant venture goes back to basics by...

Table talk.
December 2, 2004... A LITTLE UNFAIR TO HORSERADISHES, WE FEEL A brand of crisps emblazoned with a caricature of Princess Anne has upset royal officials. The horseradish and sour cream flavour is part of the new Crisps for Snobs range from Oxford-based...

Caring through catering.(awards)
December 2, 2004... Darlington Memorial Hospital has won a number of accolades for outstanding food service, and its in-house catering team is constantly thinking of new ways to lift the standard. As Bob Gledhill found out, its efforts stretch even as far as...

Last supper.(interview of Vivek Singh)(Interview)
December 2, 2004... For his final meal, VIVEK SINGH would balloon into the Indonesian island of Lombok with his wife - and the comfort of loose-fitting pyjamas in readiness for the rich, indulgent feast to come OK, VIVEK WHERE'S THE PARTY - IN INDIA? ...

The buying game.
December 2, 2004... The NHS is in the middle of an efficiency drive to "modernise" its purchasing. But can it simultaneously save money and fulfil Government targets to buy more local and organic food? Mick Whitworth investigates VFM is the...

Cold comforts.
December 2, 2004... Is cook-freeze a credible alternative delivery method to cook-serve or cook-chill? Bob Gledhill visits one hospital that was so impressed with a trial that it changed its whole operation over to cook-freeze The three meal delivery systems...

Wear in the world.
December 2, 2004... Smart, comfortable employees are happy employees, and if the uniform they're wearing can stand up to regular, rigorous cleaning, employers will be happy, too Workwear for the hospitality industry has a pretty tall order to fulfil. Not only...

Business Excellence Awards.(hospitality industry)
December 2, 2004... The first Business Excellence Awards for hospitality, tourism and leisure were presented at London's Claridge's hotel last month. Emma Allen was there This industry isn't known for patting itself on the back - but if a hospitality business...

BOOKREVIEW.(Book Review)
December 2, 2004... In case you don't know, Les Halles Cookbook is written by the man who gave us Kitchen Confidential, that fly-on-the-wall look at life in an American kitchen. In it, he told us about the colourful personalities and lifestyle he encountered in...

Advice zone.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... The leisure sector for investors Investing in the UK's new super-casino property market may not be such a good bet for property investors, developers and operators, according to leisure property experts Stephenson & Alexander (S&A). ...

Property of the week.(Jack Fuller's Inn)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... This week's featured property has oodles of potential for the right buyer looking to grow the business. Currently being run by a caretaker as it awaits a buyer, the Jack Fuller's Inn is a pub-restaurant business with an additional income...

Stage dialogue.
December 2, 2004... As part of his prize for winning the 2004 Roux Scholarship, Andrew Jones landed a stage with world-renowned chef Michel Bras at his restaurant in Laguiole, France. Scholarship founder Michel Roux went to see how he was getting on Last July...

The only way is up for UK hotels.
December 2, 2004... Consultancy Deloitte was in bullish mood last week over the prospects for both the London and regional hotel sectors, as Karl Cushing discovered The future looks bright, according to consultancy firm Deloitte, which painted an upbeat...

Pizza's great white hope.(Pizza Express has just unveiled a new white pizza)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... If you thought the humble pizza had already been stretched to the limits of innovation, then think again, as Pizza Express has just unveiled a new "white pizza". Inspired by pizzas from north Italy, the new Pizza Bianca (above) uses a...

Regional spotlight.(Darlington hotel and leisure industries)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Darlington The licensed and leisure scene in Darlington has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and a huge amount of money has been ploughed into the surrounding area. Bruce Williamson, a hotel and leisure consultant at...

Rhodes in deal at Cumberland.(Gary Rhodes)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Gary Rhodes will take over the brasserie and fine-dining operation at London's Cumberland hotel from next spring. He will start putting his team in place in February and will stay in the kitchen "for as long as it takes" to get the kitchens...

Acorn winner is Welsh Woman of the Year.(Natalie Dobson recognized for entrepreneurial skills)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Former Acorn winner Natalie Dobson has been named Welsh Woman of the Year by the Western Mail in recognition of her entrepreneurial skills. Since moving to Wales five years ago Dobson has opened the Farthing restaurant, a tapas and...

Caterers could be forced to adopt food signposting.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... The Food Standards Agency (FSA) last week declined to exempt the catering industry from its new "traffic light" system aimed at highlighting healthy food to consumers. An FSA spokeswoman said: "The system could apply to catering. It would...

Hospital caterer and town hall chef share Radio 4 accolade.(Ron McKenzie and Ian Woodhouse share Best Dinner Lady/Man award at BBC Radio 4's Food & Farming Awards 2004)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... A hospital caterer and a town hall chef have shared the Best Dinner Lady/Man award at BBC Radio 4's Food & Farming Awards 2004. Ron McKenzie, head of catering at Darlington Memorial NHS Hospital (see feature, page 64), and Ian Woodhouse, a...

Why not shoot, eat and leave?(Bonds restaurant)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... The City of London's Bonds restaurant and bar is offering trigger-happy customers the opportunity to bring their own game in for cooking. Bonds head chef Barry Tonks said huntsmen could bring their own kill to the restaurant where he will hang...

Late payers cost small operators [pounds sterling]159m a year.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Late payments meant small and medium-sized (SME) hotel and restaurant businesses lost out on [pounds sterling]159m last year. The Factors and Discounters Association (FDA) has calculated that the average bill is settled in 46 days - 16 days...

Expanding pub estate brings cheer to Belhaven.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... The Belhaven Group, Scotland's leading regional brewer and pub operator, turned in another "sparkling" set of half-year figures this week, putting it on course for a 14th year of continuous growth. In the 26 weeks to 26 September, the...

Review of the REVIEWS.(Calendar)
December 2, 2004... 28 November JAY RAYNER warms to the grown-up THYME, which has moved from the suburbs to London WC2... The original Thyme had so many USPs: there was the tapas-style menu, full of myriad little dishes, which showcased brilliantly their...

Bollywood star brings UKa nationwide chain of Indian restaurants.(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
December 2, 2004... A new nationwide Indian restaurant chain is to be launched next year in an attempt to bring branding to the staunchly independent sector. The chain of restaurants will be named Asha, after Bollywood star Asha Bhosle, who already operates...

Cleaning bill fraudster strikes across the UK.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Restaurants as far apart as Scotland and Sussex have emerged as the latest targets of a nationwide cleaning bill scam first reported in Caterer last month. Potential victims receive a faxed dry cleaning bill for [pounds sterling]17.99 from...

Charity highlights crisis over pensions.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... More than three-quarters (79%) of hotel and restaurant workers have no access to a work pension, and thousands face poverty or working beyond retirement age, according to charity Age Concern. Research by the charity shows that a third of...

Labour MP leads call for police levy on city centre pubs and clubs.
December 2, 2004... The spectre of a levy on city pubs and clubs to pay for the costs of policing drunken disorder has reappeared this week, as support for the move grows among Labour MPs. Speaking at the Institute of Licensing conference in Blackpool on...

Edna Goring dies, aged 92.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
December 2, 2004... Edna Goring, grande dame of the hotel industry, died last week aged 92. Edna Goring nurtured the hotel staff and family with a "benevolent rod of iron" since marrying Gustav, the second-generation Goring Hotel proprietor, in 1933. She...

Clapham House buys Gourmet Burger Kitchen.(Clapham House Group )(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Clapham House Group has bought the six-strong Gourmet Burger Kitchen chain in a deal worth up to [pounds sterling]10m. The deal follows its acquisition of the Real Greek and Bombay Bicycle Club chains in December 2003 and April 2004...

stockwatch.(Industry Overview)
December 2, 2004... Tenanted and leased pub operator ENTERPRISE INNS saw its share value rise 3.84% to 662.5p ahead of full-year results released on Tuesday (30 November). For the 12 months to 30 September the pub giant, which has 8,727 pubs in the UK, saw profit...

Compass Group sees its annual profits fall away by 2.4%.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... The clouds gathering over Compass Group turned slightly darker again this week as the contract catering giant announced a slide in profits. Compass shares fell back in September after the company issued a dramatic profits warning. This...

Nutritional value to patients is key.
December 2, 2004... Remember the much-publicised Loyd Grossman-led Better Hospital Food initiative that was launched three years ago? Now the Government is ready to move on to the second phase of its programme - this time focusing on environmental issues and...

Wilson Storey Halliday to merge with BaxterSmith.
December 2, 2004... Wilson Storey Halliday and BaxterSmith are merging to form BaxterStorey, making it the largest independent contract caterer in the UK. The new company, which officially starts trading in the New Year, will have an annual turnover of...

OVER; TO YOU.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... What would you like for Christmas? The best present would be for all our member hotels to be profitably full this Christmas. Speaking for myself, I would like to wake up on Christmas morning with the skills and abilities of Tiger Woods....

Reid to head kitchen at Mayfair club.(appointment)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Furlong Hotels has appointed Robert Reid as head chef of Home House, the private members club in London's Mayfair it bought for [pounds sterling]15m yesterday (1 December). The South African's last London foray was as head chef at Marco...

Masterclass... croissants.(recipes)
December 2, 2004... Working alongside Rick Stein, pastry chef and educator Stuart Pate knows all about the buttery, open-textured, flaky confection that is an essential part of a Continental breakfast. He shares his years of experience in making croissants with...

London and Liverpool go it alone on smoking.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Liverpool and London are pressing ahead with plans to introduce a smoking ban in all public places because they believe the Government's proposals for a partial ban in England don't go far enough. Liverpool City Council and the Association...

We love...(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... ... afternoon tea It's cold, it's winter - best to curl up indoors with a cup of tea and something sweet to nibble on. If you fancy doing it in style, there are lots of afternoon tea options to choose from - from the enticing to the...

inside track.(company profile)(Company Profile)
December 2, 2004... n What business is it in? Owned by Whitbread, Costa is the second-largest coffee chain in the UK. How does it operate? The company has 330 stores in the UK, of which about half are concessions located in third-party businesses. In...

career clinic.
December 2, 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, MaydayExec, Bartlett Mitchell, Learnpurple, Conran, and Portfolio...

Purchese move.(appointment)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Darren Purchese, 2004 Acorn winner and head pastry chef at London's Bentley Kempinski hotel, is moving to the Sheraton, Kuwait, as deputy executive pastry chef. Ian Burch, the Bentley's current pastry sous chef, will replace him from 20...

Letters Caterer.(Letter to the Editor)
December 2, 2004... Education or experience - what do employers want? I am a 20-year-old international hospitality management student studying at Manchester Metropolitan University. I am now in my third year, having completed my first year (preparation for...

Hansom lands top Sharrow Bay post.(appointment)
December 2, 2004... Nick Hansom, general manager at the Vineyard hotel in Stockcross, near Newbury, is taking up the same post at the Sharrow Bay hotel on Lake Ullswater. The 27-room hotel in the Lake District became part of the 17-strong Von Essen group of hotels...

Gordon takes on Sky City consultancy.(appointment)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... London-based kiwi chef Peter Gordon is making a return to his homeland with a consultancy for casino giant Sky City. The group is opening the new five-star Sky City Grand hotel in Auckland next April. Gordon will oversee the hotel's 65-seat...

Vezzoli to head Pulze restaurant.(appointment)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2004... Italian chef Umberto Vezzoli has been unveiled as head chef at Claudio Pulze's new restaurant Fiore. Pulze, joint founder of A-Z Restaurants, is expected to open the new restaurant, formerly the site of Marcus Wareing's Fleur in St...

In Brief.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... [pounds sterling]7.3m Midland refurb A [pounds sterling]4m grant from the North West Development Agency will help restore the art deco Midland hotel in Morecambe, Lancashire, which has been shut for the past four years. The project will...

how i got here.
December 9, 2004... Richard Frost, Welcome Break KFC brand manager Richard Frost became infamous at school. Not for poor discipline or chasing girls, but because he was one of the first boys at his Isle of Wight school to take a cookery O level in the early...

on the move.(promotions in the hotel industry)
December 9, 2004... Georgia Hall is new head of marketing at Yo! Sushi. She has senior marketing experience at Tower Records, and most recently technology agency Zinc. Claudio Roscigno has become business development manager at the Millennium hotel London...

Religious discrimination.
December 9, 2004... Polly Botsford, an employment lawyer at Charles Russell, looks at religious discrimination issues relating to Christmas staff rotas THE LAW Under the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 it's unlawful to...

The Belvedere.
December 9, 2004... Is the Belvedere dumbing down? Not a bit of it, says new executive chef Billy Reid. More like boxing clever. Dan Bignold reports on the transformation of a contemporary institution The Belvedere's new head chef Billy Reid never planned a...

The chips are down.
December 9, 2004... Potato products have gained an unhealthy reputation, particularly in schools. But healthier cooking methods can make them an acceptable option, says Bob Gledhill There are foods that some people consider unhealthy junk that's affecting the...

Last supper.
December 9, 2004... Restaurateur EDDIEHART dreams of a Spanish feast washed down with Spanish wines on the Spanish island of Mallorca - while flamenco guitarist Jackson Scott strums away in the background Fino is a haven of all food Spanish, so will you be...

Fine tuning TUPE.(Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations)
December 9, 2004... TUPE legislation was introduced to protect workers transferring from one employer to another. But when the outgoing company fails to hand over accurate records, transitions can be anything but smooth, as Nic Paton discovers Heard the one...

US company eyes fish and chips.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... The mainly independent UK fish and chips sector is being threatened by the US business behind restaurant brands KFC and Pizza Hut. Yum, formerly known as Tricon Global Restaurants, which was spun off seven years ago from soft drinks giant...

Table talk.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... A request that was hard to refuse Former football hard man Vinnie Jones successfully browbeat Winterhalter into donating a glasswasher to the Bedmond Sports & Social Club near Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Jones and a group of his...

Waking from the Nightmare.
December 9, 2004... A year ago Gordon Ramsay and Channel 4 descended on the Glass House restaurant in Ambleside to see whether they could turn its fortunes round. Emma Allen catches up with owner Neil Farrell to find out what happened after the cameras left A...

And the winner is...(Acorn Scholarship)
December 9, 2004... The best awards ceremonies have loads of tension, an element of surprise... and a winner who can't be there. And this year's Acorn Scholarship presentation had it all Obviously Naime Torgut's sense of professionalism is better than her...

Golden opportunities.
December 9, 2004... As the 2005 Nestle Toque d'Or challenge kicks off, we look at the benefits that are to be had from a successful industry and education partnership There have been many calls for industry and education to work closer together to coach the...

Advice zone.
December 9, 2004... Fleurets pub prices report Nationwide property agent Fleurets has released its latest snapshot of the UK pubs market, based on the pubs sold by the company over the 12 months to 30 September. On the freehold front, the highest prices...

Fury over plan to increase London's congestion charge.
December 9, 2004... The industry has reacted with anger and dismay at the mayor of London's proposals to raise the congestion charge to [pounds sterling]8 next summer. Mayor Ken Livingstone announced last week that - despite promises to the contrary - he...

BOOKREVIEW.(Book Review)
December 9, 2004... BY Angela Hartnett Luxembourger Lea Linster was destined to cook. The daughter of a pastry chef and cook, Linster was born in 1955 and from an early age was surrounded by the world of gastronomy. Having trained in great culinary houses...

property of the week.(Yeo Valley Holiday Park )(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... Another lifestyle business in the South-west is up for grabs this week in the shape of the Yeo Valley Holiday Park in South Molton, north Devon. Sited on the edge of Exmoor National Park, the holiday park comprises a freehouse, the Black...

The wonder of Yau.(Alan Yau)
December 9, 2004... He's the man who gave us Wagamama, Hakkasan and Yauatcha, and the London restaurant scene wouldn't be the same without him. So where better to catch up with Alan Yau than Hong Kong? Alan Yau has been a dominant force on the London...

Fast food moves upmarket.
December 9, 2004... As merger and acquisitions activity spreads to the gourmet burger market, Karl Cushing examines how this breed of operators has sprung up to cater for the changing tastes of UK consumers The number of gourmet burger bars has exploded in...

We love...(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... ... breaks from shopping As the madness that is Christmas shopping gets into full swing, it's important to take time out to recharge the batteries. There's no better way to do this than with a quick refreshment stop and, thankfully,...

Hotel occupancy steady but revenue set to grow.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... Hotel occupancy levels began to stabilise in October, according to the latest figures from TRI Hospitality Consulting. But it's confident that rising room rates will allow UK hotels to achieve forecast annual growth in revenue per available...

How to...(guest relations - hospitality industry)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... ... check in a hotel guest H Eye contact and acknowledgement - greet the guest before they greet you, and acknowledge any guest who's waiting. H A warm sincere welcome or welcome back - all hotels keep records of past stays, so use the...

Greene King wins new admirers.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... TEXT: Pub operator Greene King is the most admired company in the hospitality industry after rocketing up the rankings this year. The pub chain, which has expanded rapidly in the last year, moved from 113th to 11th position in Britain's...

Vacancies lead to a frantic festive season.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... The hospitality industry is struggling through the busy Christmas period with a record number of vacancies, it was revealed this week. A JobCentre report found that there were 43,998 vacancies in the industry during October, higher than any...

The burning issue.
December 9, 2004... Scotland and Wales are leading the way BHAchief executive Bob Cotton Earlier this year VisitBritain, the country's overseas tourism marketing organisation, calculated that it needed at least a further [pounds sterling]5m a year from...

Martin is new cocktail king.(Paul Martin)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... Award-winning UK mixologist Paul Martin has set a new world record by mixing 179 cocktails in 60 minutes at London bar Pop. Under Guinness World Records rules, each cocktail had to be different and contain at least three ingredients. ...

Wetherspoon's in deal with co-operative.(JD Wetherspoon PLC)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... A co-operative farm in Cumbria, which has been praised by Prince Charles for its farming methods, is supplying 90 JD Wetherspoon pubs in North and North-west England with bone-rolled shoulder of lamb for Sunday lunches. Pictured with their...

Ducasse expands empire.(Alain Ducasse)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... Nine-Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse is adding three new restaurants to his burgeoning global restaurant and hotel empire. The 70-seat Tamaris, Restaurant de Desserts opened late last month on top of the Patchi building in Beirut,...

Alpha rolls out trayless meals.(Alpha Airports Group PLC)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2004... Alpha Airports has started serving "trayless" in-flight meals on charter routes operated by MyTravel Airways. Meal trays have been replaced by a disposable rolled mat, which contains cutlery and cold items such as cheese, biscuits,...

Review of the REVIEWS.
December 9, 2004... 4 December Felipe Fernandez-Armesto almost finds heaven in the Belvedere's simple menu Seated in wonderland, you salivate with expectation. Then you get the menu. Your palate dries. The food looks like a muddle of conflicting...

Cash-back for tips could leave staff with tax bill.
December 9, 2004... The controversy over using cash-back to circumvent the tronc system continued this week as a leading industry tax consultant warned that employees could unwittingly be made liable for their own tax. Tax consultancy Vantis warned that...