Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from February 2004

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from February 2004

Done deals.
February 5, 2004... Crosses trade Bunchrew for Bogroy Scottish hoteliers Graham and Janet Cross have bought the Bogroy Inn in Kirkhill, near Inverness, for more than [pounds sterling]360,000. The couple had owned the nearby Bunchrew House hotel, which they...

news Round-up.
February 5, 2004... Jamie Oliver denial Jamie Oliver has denied rumours he is to open a new Fifteen-style restaurant in Amsterdam, Holland. Contrary to recent reports in the Dutch press, a spokesman for Oliver denied any more restaurants were imminent....

Global report.
February 5, 2004... Americas Sol Melia takes Hard Rock to Chicago Spanish hotel company Sol Melia has opened its first Hard Rock hotel, which is also its first property in the USA. Following a joint-venture agreement with the Rank Group last year, the...

The hidden army.
February 5, 2004... Behind the scenes in every hotel is a team of men and women who clean, tidy and replenish the rooms and without whom the property would cease to function. Caterer salutes housekeepers - the unsung heroes of hospitality Housekeepers are the...

OVER; TO YOU.
February 5, 2004... Should hoteliers outsource F&B to third-party specialists? Absolutely not, because they lose the passion. I can't manage F&B if I don't have passion and they're not my staff. The moment a hotel puts in a restaurant with another name and...

Coffee culture.
February 5, 2004... In dispensing coffee, as in most things, the best results are achieved by using the right tool for the job. Bob Gledhill considers the types of operation where coffee is served and recommends suitable brewing equipment At the heart of any...

Last supper.
February 5, 2004... Dhal, roti and mango lassi are on the menu as Atul Kochhar sits down to his hypothetical final meal between Sachin Tendulkar and Albert Roux What's cooking? Simple dhal, roti, onion salad, aubergine mash, cumin potato wedges and mango...

how i got here.
February 5, 2004... Robert Creber, events manager at the ExCel Centre Robert Creber has been organising events since his student days at Sheffield University. Back in 1995 he'd just completed a BA in Urban Studies when he set up as a freelance promoter and...

The chocolate challenge.
February 5, 2004... It's often pigeon-holed as a bedtime drink but now hot chocolate is presenting itself as a serious alternative to tea and coffee at any time of the day Coffee has undergone something of a revolution in the past few years, and tea has long...

Keeping up appearances.
February 5, 2004... With the market for bottled water growing, the container adorning your table is becoming just as important as its contents. Diane Lane reviews some stylish examples We're always being told to drink more water for the good of our health,...

BOOKREVIEW.
February 5, 2004... If the term "mixologist" were used for a chef it would be a good description of Peter Gordon. He's a sort of Fat Boy Slim of the cookery world, with his mixing of different flavours - Asian, Japanese, Spanish, Turkish - extracted from the...

Galton Blackiston at Norwich City.
February 5, 2004... He's a close friend of Delia Smith and a big fan of Norwich City - so there's only one venue Galton Blackiston could possibly choose for an evening showcasing his cooking Galton Blackiston spends quite a lot of time at Norwich City...

Tableware and cutlery.
February 5, 2004... Any colour you like, as long as it's white. At least, that used to be the case - and plain white is still very popular - but these days there'sa much wider choice in the tableware market The first thing customers see when they walk through...

Staff restaurants could be key to corporate success.
February 5, 2004... Staff restaurants will shape the future of Britain's business success over the next 25 years, according to a leading academic. Professor Richard Scase, author of Britain Towards 2010, a book examining the likely social, cultural and...

RFHto open two hotels in Germany.
February 5, 2004... Rocco Forte Hotels is expanding into Germany with the g140m ([pounds sterling]95.7m) conversion of two historic buildings into new hotels. The group, run by Sir Rocco Forte, will open Villa Kennedy, a 166-bedroom hotel in Frankfurt, and...

Worrall Thompson to open two more grill-style eateries.
February 5, 2004... Chef and restaurateur Antony Worrall Thompson is building on the success of his Notting Grill operation with the opening of two new restaurants. The first, the 50-seater Kew Grill, will open on Kew Green, south-west London, at the end of...

Corus rebrands three UKhotels.
February 5, 2004... Corus Hotels is continuing with its bid to become the UK's number-one brand name in the midmarket hotel sector with the conversion of three more of its properties. The 65-strong group has announced that it will rename the 48-bedroom Time...

Hospitals sign up to protected mealtime scheme for patients.
February 5, 2004... The Hospital Caterers Association's (HCA) campaign to protect patients' mealtimes is gathering pace, according to Loyd Grossman, chairman of the Better Hospital Food programme. Already, 174 hospitals across the UK have signed up to the...

Old Chesil Rectory gets new owner and chef.
February 5, 2004... Philip and Catherine Storey have sold their one-Michelin-starred restaurant in Winchester. The new owner of the Old Chesil Rectory is businessman Carl Reeve, whose son-in-law, 24-year-old chef Rob Quehan, has taken over the kitchen....

Sutton seeks Michelin star in Dorset move.
February 5, 2004... Holbrook House head chef Brett Sutton is to leave the Somerset country house hotel after three years heading its kitchen. Thirty-year-old Sutton is moving to the three-AA-rosette Summer Lodge in Evershot, Dorset. The Dorset hotel has been...

Steve Love decides to stay put.
February 5, 2004... Chef Steve Love has taken his Warwickshire restaurant, Love's, off the market. Love confirmed that he would be refurbishing the eaterie instead of moving his business to a new site (Caterer, 6 November, page 15). Love, the 1997 winner of...

Crome wins travellers' accolade.
February 5, 2004... Peter Crome, managing director of the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle, Dornoch, Sutherland, and former managing director of Chewton Glen in New Milton, Hampshire, has been named as one of the world's best hoteliers by the Gallivanter's Guide, an...

Scolarest quits Wandsworth contract.
February 5, 2004... Harrison Catering Services has picked up a [pounds sterling]2.5m-a-year school meals contract in the borough of Wandsworth, London, after Scolarest walked away from the deal saying it was "no longer commercially viable". Scolarest has...

Review OFTHEREVIEWS.
February 5, 2004... 31 January GILLIAN GLOVER on chef MARTIN WISHART's restaurant in Edinburgh I don't think any English novelist has yet immortalised fillet of veal with foie gras mousse, sweetbreads, pomme mousseline and truffle jus, but I'm sure...

Letters Caterer.
February 5, 2004... Food service punches its weight in Whitehall Robert Janes's letter (Caterer, 22 January, page 19) suggests that the food service sector is not punching its weight when influencing Government policies on health and nutrition issues. This is...

McDonald's appoints research head and bounces back to profit.
February 5, 2004... Fast-food restaurant chain McDonald's has signalled its intent to continue the corporate reinvention that has seen profits move back into the black, with the appointment of Eric Leininger as head of global business research. The company's...

L'Ortolan put up for sale as it closes for [pounds sterling]250,000 expansion.
February 5, 2004... One-Michelin-starred restaurant L'Ortolan is on the market for [pounds sterling]1.5m. Surprise news of the planned sale came on the back of last month's announcement that the three-AA-rosette restaurant in Shinfield, Berkshire, is to close...

London opening for Scottish Apex group.
February 5, 2004... Edinburgh-based Apex Hotels is opening its first property south of the border. The four-star hotel group plans to open a [pounds sterling]20m, 120-bedroom hotel close to the Tower of London by the end of the year. The hotel, which will...

Chefs hit out against Daily Mirror's sting.
February 5, 2004... Chefs have defended their right to buy produce on an ad-hoc basis from small suppliers following a Daily Mirror sting involving the sale of wild salmon to Jamie Oliver's Hoxton restaurant, Fifteen. In an article published last Monday, Daily...

Four Weddings hotel on market.
February 5, 2004... Hugh Grant may shed a tear or two this week when he hears that Macdonald Hotels has put the Crown hotel in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, up for sale. The 37-bedroom hotel was used as a location for smash Brit-flick Four Weddings and a Funeral, the...

Locatelli to oversee restaurant at new Crowne Plaza hotel.
February 5, 2004... Chef-restaurateur Giorgio Locatelli is going into business with Parallel, the hotel and leisure arm of Aramark, at the contract caterer's latest hotel food and beverage operation. Locatelli will oversee the restaurant operation of...

Restaurant Group figures strengthen its bid for Ask.
February 5, 2004... The Restaurant Group issued a bullish trading statement last week in an attempt to bolster support for its Ask Central bid. The operators of Garfunkel's and Frankie & Benny's, formerly known as City Centre Restaurants, said it expected...

Urbium buys two City sites from troubled SFI.
February 5, 2004... Urbium has acquired two City of London properties from SFI Group, the embattled owner of the Slug & Lettuce chain. Up to 40 jobs at SFI are at risk, following the sale. The sites, in Mincing Lane and Finsbury Square, both have late...

Fire closes Quaglino's.
February 5, 2004... Terence Conran's brasserie Quaglino's has been closed for a week following a fire on Saturday night. The fire is believed to have started at around 6pm after a large flame from one of the kitchen stoves was sucked into the extractor hood...

GMs rate business acumen ahead of leadership skills.
February 5, 2004... Hotel general managers have to behave more like managing directors, putting a greater emphasis on their business acumen rather than their leadership skills. That was the finding of a survey by American Express of British Hospitality...

In Brief.
February 5, 2004... WSH does a bank job Wilson Storey Halliday, the UK's largest independent caterer, has won a five-year contract to provide catering services at Barclays Bank's new headquarters in Canary Wharf, London. The new office block, due to open next...

Top honour for Roux.
February 5, 2004... Britain's longest-serving three-Michelin-starred chef, Michel Roux, was presented with France's premier order on Monday night. The presentation of a Chevalier dans l'ordre de la Legion d'Honneur was made at Roux's Waterside Inn in Bray,...

Profits soar at Caffe Nero.
February 5, 2004... Coffee shop operator Caffe Nero plans to open its 160th UK store by May. Speaking at the company's half-year results announcement, chairman Gerry Ford said the company was rapidly approaching the point where its future opening schedule would be...

Scott's for sale as Clivaz is forced out.
February 5, 2004... Mayfair restaurant Scott's is up for sale for [pounds sterling]2m following the forced resignation of managing director Brian Clivaz from both the restaurant and its sister establishment, Home House. Clivaz, who set up the renowned private...

Heathcote expands Olive Press brand.
February 5, 2004... Paul Heathcote is to open two new Olive Press Pizzeria & Grill Bar restaurants in the North-west of England this spring and a further two by the end of the year. The first will open in Warrington, Cheshire, in March and the second in...

Outsiders on the inside.
February 5, 2004... That Giorgio Locatelli has teamed up with contract caterer Aramark to open a restaurant in the Crowne Plaza hotel near Blackfriars Bridge (see page 6), can only be good news for lovers of fine food, for London and for hotels in general. Why?...

stockwatch.
February 5, 2004... The biggest mover and shaker of the week was CAFFE NERO, which issued a robust set of interim results today (5 February), proving that there's still strength in the coffee house market. Shares soared 9.57% from 57.5p to 63p. The RESTAURANT...

Gaining ground.
February 5, 2004... Just as the British have become more au fait with wine in recent years, so they're also more discerning about their coffee. Matthew Batham looks at what's on offer Before the British public's education in the subject, it might have been...

Who,s training for the top.
February 5, 2004... Here are a few of the bigger companies that offer management training or fresh opportunities, but there are plenty more out there... HOTELS Savoy Group Tailormade graduate training courses are run at each of the group's five-star...

FSA diet debate calls for all parties to take responsibility.
February 5, 2004... School caterers, parents, food manufacturers and advertisers need to stop blaming each other for the rise in diet- related child illness. Instead, all parties should accept responsibility if children are to improve their eating habits. This...

inside track.
February 5, 2004... Noble House WHAT BUSINESS IS IT IN? Branded bars and restaurants, as well as pubs. The company is split into two divisions: Noble House Leisure, which concentrates on branded bars and restaurants, while Noble House Pub Company oversees...

in brief.
February 5, 2004... Consultants to debate with contract caterers Consultants and caterers will come face to face at Hotelympia in a debate called "Getting the best for your customers and clients". The debate, to be chaired by Bob Cotton, chief executive of...

The right stuff.
February 5, 2004... What does it take to get somewhere in management these days? We talk to four high-flyers under 30 who are already near the top Hospitality is one of the few industries where you can zip up the career ladder, so long as you show you're...

On the move.
February 5, 2004... STEPHEN GOW is the new general manager of the Columbia hotel in Inverness, which is currently undergoing major refurbishment and is part of the North British Trust Group. He joins from Monument Hotels, based at its property, Scotland's Hotel in...

Lievre a la royale.
February 5, 2004... Hare is making a comeback. Michael Raffael catches up with France's three-Michelin master Thierry Voisin to discover how a staple of haute cuisine has been updated What goes around, comes around. Once, lievre a la royale, a kind of civet...

Rising Syrah star on Vivat Bacchus list.
February 5, 2004... South African bar and restaurant Vivat Bacchus opened in London last week - with plentiful supplies of Boekenhoutskloof Syrah South Africa twice in a month - I told you it was all happening there. Well, now it's happening here, too, as...

table talk.
February 5, 2004... Bird flu-stricken Vietnam to get Kentucky Fried Fish US fast-food chain KFC said last week it would offer fish instead of fried chicken on its menu in Vietnam, where a bird-flu outbreak has killed six people. Pornchai Thuratum, general...

Liability for compensation.
February 5, 2004... John Davies, development director for hospitality and leisure at Alexander Forbes Corporate Risk Solutions, outlines the steps you should take to prepare for the changes in the London Local Authorities Bill and looks at its effect on the Hotel...

Mixed blessings.
February 5, 2004... Bottled soft drinks take up a lot more cellar and shelf space than the syrup and gas bottles needed for postmix drinks. Bob Gledhill looks at the practicalities of the system Postmix soft drinks were once regarded as offering lower quality...

shortcuts.
February 5, 2004... Get networking Recent research has deduced that managers aren't cross-pollenating enough. Before you start blushing, what they mean is that you're being slouches at getting out and stealing ideas from other industries. According to...

Versatili-tea.
February 5, 2004... There's more to tea than the great British cuppa, and nowadays it's not unusual to see it making an appearance far earlier than the end of the menu. Diane Lane reads the leaves The likes of Earl Grey, green tea and Lapsang Souchong can play...

Managers on the move?
February 5, 2004... Everyone has high hopes for 2004. People in management jobs are moving on, and some employers are willing to pay more for the right person, so make sure that person is you Well, it won't be news to hear that salaries have been static...

competition Round-up.
February 12, 2004... Eleven qualify as FutureChef finalists Eleven potential stars of the future have booked their places in the grand final of the 2004 FutureChef competition, organised by Springboard. Aimed at school students aged between 12 and 16, this...

Haven for heroes.
February 12, 2004... On the eve of the Six Nations rugby tournament that will put England team host Pennyhill Park Hotel in the limelight again, we talk to boss Danny Pecorelli about what makes his hotels different It is a quartet of four- and five-star country...

After the show.
February 12, 2004... After all the hard work of checking out the latest products for your business, why not check out someone else's? Our handy guide lists the local restaurants, bars and hotels where you can spend any free time you might have. Simon Kurs reports...

Fancy being dumped over dinner?
February 12, 2004... Women planning to pop the question over a candlelit supper on Valentine's night, or on 29 February, take note: you are just as likely to get dumped over dinner as you are to land the man of your dreams, new research shows. A study into the...

how i got here.
February 12, 2004... Markus Nasholm, financial controller at Oriel Leisure The 28-year-old financial controller entered the world of hospitality in his native Sweden, where he had a number of operational roles. By 1995 he was studying for a diploma in hotel and...

The kit parade.
February 12, 2004... The past 12 months have been tough for equipment suppliers as well as operators. But what is the mood among the equipment exhibitors for Hotelympia and the year ahead? Bob Gledhill feels the industry's pulse The downturn in international...

Love is... being an entrepreneur.
February 12, 2004... There are three different Saint Valentines mentioned in the early martyrologies of the Catholic Church, but only the first is famous. This Valentine was a priest in Rome who refused to give up Christianity and was executed on 14 February 269AD....

table talk.
February 12, 2004... Make sure someone knows the Heimlich manoeuvre For all those who harbour an unnatural fear of Friday the 13th, Lola's restaurant in north London has dreamt up a good incentive to entice you out of the house - a 13-course degustation menu...

Paternity leave.
February 12, 2004... Peter Moody and Stephanie Slanickova, partners in law firm Tarlo Lyons, look at employees' rights to paternity leave In summary, employees must satisfy the following conditions in order to qualify for paternity leave. They must: Have...

Last supper.
February 12, 2004... For his last meal on earth Matthew HARRIS would be on a beach in Hawaii with family and friends dining on oscietra caviar while being entertained by Stephen Fry Right then Matthew, is it posh or plebs' nosh? Oscietra caviar with creme...

BOOKREVIEW.
February 12, 2004... The first thing I have always done when buying a cookbook is to flick through the pages to check out the photography and see if there is anything that might whet my appetite. And in Destinations Cuisines by Jacques and Laurent Pourcel - who own...

Brighton gets Real.
February 12, 2004... When advertising executive Helene Hudson couldn't buy her favourite cheese in Brighton, she took matters into her own hands and opened the Real Eating Company. Now she can have cheese whenever she likes Helene Hudson gets excited about...

Time for technology.
February 12, 2004... Hotelympia is really two exhibitions in one. Alongside the main show, there's the technology exhibition, Hostec-EurHotec, a must-visit for anyone who needs to know how to make their business run more efficiently. Sara Edlington reports If...

Labours of love.
February 12, 2004... This weekend Cupid once again draws back his bow and lets his arrow go straight to the hearts of lovers across the UK. But while the rest of the population smooches and swoons, hospitality workers will be hard at it as hotels, restaurants and...

MGM to open casino resort in Sheffield.
February 12, 2004... Sheffield is to have a [pounds sterling]250m casino resort following a deal between US gaming giant MGM Mirage and UK property company British Land. The move will create 2,000 hospitality jobs. As well as a casino, the proposed leisure...

Global report.
February 12, 2004... Europe ECprobes Sardinian hotel subsidies The European Commission has launched a probe into the potential misuse of subsidies for investment in the Sardinian hotel sector. The commission said that it had information showing that the...

On the move.
February 12, 2004... Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts has appointed ANDREW HARVEY as its new regional director of sales in the UK. He joins from Hilton Hotels, London, where he was director of sales, meetings and incentives. The 500-bedroom Le Meridien Gatwick...

Scottish occupancy holds firm despite more rooms.
February 12, 2004... Low-cost flights and a boom in the short-break market led to a bumper year for Scottish hoteliers in 2003. According to figures from hotel and tourism associations in Glasgow and Edinburgh, occupancy levels have held firm despite a marked...

Losses force Studley Priory on to market.
February 12, 2004... Studley Priory hotel in Oxfordshire has been put up for sale after being placed in administrative receivership by its owner, Jeremy Parke. The three-star, 18-bedroom hotel, which is part of the Pride of Britain and Small Luxury Hotels of...

Great Southern Hotels could be sold.
February 12, 2004... Irish airport company Aer Rianta could be forced to sell its hotel division in order to facilitate a government-enforced reorganisation. Aer Rianta may have to sell its Great Southern Hotels group to boost its financial reserves so that it...

Catering makeover boosts retail sales at Stansted airport.
February 12, 2004... Catering outlets at Stansted airport in Essex have notched up sales growth of nearly 10% following a makeover at Europe's fastest-growing airport. In the past 18 months nearly all Stansted's catering outlets have been revamped, with the...

Finnegan's takes chippy crown.
February 12, 2004... Anti-obesity campaigner Antony Worrall Thompson was on hand to crown Finnegan's Fish Bar in Bridgend, South Wales, Fish & Chip Shop of the Year. Owners Huw and Sarah Jones (pictured with Worrall Thompson) beat off stiff competition from...

Contract wins.
February 12, 2004... Selecta extends the vend at Coventry Selecta, the vending arm of Compass Group, has renewed its long-standing relationship with Coventry Building Society in a new five-year [pounds sterling]400,000 total turnover contract to provide...

Regent brings in discounts as sales fall.
February 12, 2004... Regent Inns, operator of Walkabout, Stone House and Jongleurs, has succumbed to the intense competition on the high street and introduced price discounting and two-for-one drinks offers. The U-turn in policy followed a tough six months for...

Hospitals sign on for organic plan.
February 12, 2004... Four London hospitals have signed up to the London Hospital Food project, which aims to boost the amount of local or organic food served on hospital menus. The scheme, which is organised by London Food Link - a network of local food groups...

Zagat turns to the web for London survey.
February 12, 2004... Zagat Survey is conducting its first ever on-line survey of London's restaurants, and it wants members of the public to help by voting at www.Zagat.com. Would-be critics are asked to rate and review restaurants based on their food,...

Review OFTHEREVIEWS.
February 12, 2004... 8 February Jay Rayner is in danger of liking Birmingham after finding a touch of classical cuisine at Paris This place is all about classicism. It owes more to early nineties Marco Pierre White than, say, the 21st century fancies of...