Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from January 2003

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from January 2003

Events.(hospitality industry )(Brief Article)(Calendar)
January 9, 2003... January 13-14 January 10th annual Hotel General Managers' conference Dorchester hotel, London. Tel: 01883 653286 14 January seminar - proposed changes to licensing legislation Berwin Leighton Paisner, Adelaide...

Caterer personals.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... H I am hoping to contact Luigi Amato, with whom I worked at the Wessex hotel in Winchester in 1980-81. He moved to the Leicester Post House and then worked for Berni and Whitbread. Please contact Mike Rowswell on 029 2073 5906 or e-mail...

Outsourcing.(hotel management)
January 9, 2003... Beverley Whittaker, commercial partner for law firm Stevens & Bolton, outlines solutions to potential problems of outsourcing The law Poor performance and payment disputes are generally governed by the express terms of the contract. If...

marketing.(hotels)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Airport Rate cut Irish hotel group Bewley's is to slash room rates from pound sterling85 to pound sterling59 at the 230-bedroom former Holiday Inn Garden Court hotel at Manchester airport, which it acquired in October. The hotel aims to...

Tribe and tested.(Gila River Indian Community opens hotel )
January 9, 2003... The self-effacing Gila River Indian Community is one of the first Native American groups to make a move into the hotel industry with a luxury resort outside Phoenix, Arizona. But, as Gillian Drummond reports, they won't be cut off at the Wild...

Builders and plaster, cement and concrete - I'm having a face-lift.(Idle Rocks Hotel in Cornwall undergoes remodeling)
January 9, 2003... MY FACE-LIFT has begun, at long last - or rather, the Idle Rocks's has (I'm still far too young to need surgical stretching). We are currently closed until mid-January and the boss's crew is hard at work breaking down the old in...

Portfolio power.(Heritage Portfolio catering company )(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Is the recent merger of two Scottish companies, Heritage Hospitality and Portfolio Catering, a match made in heaven? Ben Walker finds out Mark Miller is standing in an Edinburgh church chatting with his new partner, Alan Duff. It's an...

On the move.(personnel changes)
January 9, 2003... Motorway service operator Welcome Break has promoted operations director ROD McKIE to chief operating officer. Before joining the company in October 2001, McKie was managing director of Coffee Republic. DAVID WILLIAMS has become head...

Catey winners bid to raise standards.(CCM Hospitality Consultants offer training and consulting services for the hospitality industry)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... A COUPLE who won the Menu of the Year Catey in 2001 and have launched three successful businesses over the past five years have set up their own training and consultancy partnership. CARL and CORINNE MAY have formed CCM Hospitality...

Kiwi fruit.(Pinot Grigio wine popular in New Zealand)
January 9, 2003... Pinot Gris is what they're drinking down under. Fiona Sims looks at New Zealand's other contenders for Sauvignon Blanc's crown Virtually every pub, bar and restaurant in Britain has a Sauvignon Blanc on its list - and we can thank Montana...

Table talk.
January 9, 2003... Table Talk is edited by Ben WalkerE-mail: benjamin.walker@rbi.co.uk Well, that's one way to get smashed at New Yeara An Oxfordshire farmer demolished his own 17th century pub with a mechanical digger when bar staff refused to serve him...

Another fine meze.(London's Chintamani restaurant)
January 9, 2003... Helen Adkins samples the Ottoman food on offer at London's Chintamani restaurant David Jones had a challenge on his hands when he was taken on as executive chef at Chintamani five months ago. Not only did he have to communicate with his...

The teaching of Zen.(catering and restaurant training)
January 9, 2003... Take half-a-dozen inexperienced teenagers, send them to catering school, and after four weeks employ them to staff your restaurant in London. Sounds familiar? Perhaps, but we're not talking about Jamie Oliver, as Helen Adkins reports ...

Barcelona bites.(Santa Maria restaurant review)
January 9, 2003... In Barcelona, rather than marvel at Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, Simon Wright would rather celebrate the ole trinity of Catalan cuisine, classic influence and the spirit of Ferran Adria HAVE you ever felt like you're missing something? Like...

The style counsel.(hospitaly industry design )
January 9, 2003... Hospitality Week has always been a good opportunity to talk to the industry's design specialists, and this year the exhibition features dedicated design seminars and a special stand showcasing the work of some of the biggest names in the field....

Faces & places.(hospitality industry news)
January 9, 2003... Faces & places is edited by Chris Druce E-mail: chris.druce@rbi.co.uk sky's the limit for air force chef RAF chef Jim Cummings proved the highest flier in Compass Group's Government Services division when he won the Chef of the...

Theatre of dreams.(Hospitality Week features cooking competition)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... A new feature at Hospitality Week 2003 will be the Compass-sponsored Culinary Theatre, where chefs will compete against fellow chefs working in the same sector. Diane Lane explains how it will work PREPARING meals in a tiny kitchen...

in brief.(hospitality industry news briefs)
January 9, 2003... jurys inn recovery Jurys Doyle returned to profit growth in the six months to 31 October thanks to good performances from its Jurys Inn brand and its London hotels and a strong recovery from its hotels in Washington DC. It boosted turnover...

UK tops list of European hotel sales.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... The UK continued to top European tables for significant single hotel sales last year, although its share fell along with the overall market, according to European Hotels Transactions, a new report published by hotel consultants HVS...

Loch Fyne turns in record festive sales.(restaurant chain )(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Restaurant chain Loch Fyne recorded sales at an all-time high over Christmas and New Year, although it closed its branch in Stamford, Lincolnshire, at the end of December. More than 30,000 bookings were made over the festive period, and...

Wiltons closes for winter refit.(restaurant to reopen in Feb)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Wiltons, one of London's most traditional restaurants, has been closed for refurbishment and will not reopen until the third week of February. The bulk of the work in the Jermyn Street building consists of updating the kitchen, which is on...

Job seekers value flexitime over pay.(hospitality industry)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... To retain staff the hospitality industry needs to offer employees flexible hours rather than extra cash, a car or gym membership, concludes a new Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) poll. The online poll, carried out by recruitment company...

Contract; catering.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... art centre deal Charlton House began a contract with Warrington Borough Council in December to manage a 100-seat restaurant at the Pyramid Art Centre in Warrington. The restaurant is housed in what were prison cells in the former...

Hospitality is back among the honours.(New Year's Honours list)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Chief executives and celebrity chefs have again shared the applause with school cooks and prison caterers as representatives of hospitality mentioned in the New Year's Honours list. After two lean years in which representation of tourism...

Honours are in our own hands.(industry awards)
January 9, 2003... Just a few letters after your name, that's all it is. Why, you can buy that sort of thing over the Internet through a mail-order firm in the USA. What's all the fuss about? It's New Year Honours time (see pages 5 and 6) and once again,...

Fairtrade boost for British farmers?(certification plan to increase variety of organic products)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Beleaguered British farmers could soon get help from the Fairtrade Foundation if a pilot project launched last week in partnership with the Soil Association is successful. It may, however, result in higher prices being charged to the end user....

Restaurateur Sankey dies.(James Sankey's obituary)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
January 9, 2003... James Sankey, co-founder of Oloroso restaurant in Edinburgh, has died 10 months after suffering a cardiac arrest and irreversible brain damage. Sankey had a major heart attack and collapsed in Princes Street, close to Oloroso, last...

stockwatch.(PizzaExpress may be acquistion target)
January 9, 2003... PizzaExpress is the surprise big gainer this week, thanks to continuing bid speculation linked to a recent report in The Observer that the chain's former boss, Ian Eldridge, is working with entrepreneur Luke Johnson on a pound sterling250m...

Pensions crisis: start saving now or work longer.(10 mn UK workers affected by crisis)
January 9, 2003... Employees without adequate company pensions may be forced to work longer to avoid poverty in their old age. But extending the retirement age could help to ease the industry's staffing problems. John Greenwood reports PEOPLE working in...

RAC names winners of new awards.(annual hotel services awards )(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Millennium & Copthorne Hotels (M&C)and Marston Hotels scooped two new annual awards announced by the RAC's hotel services division this week. The new RAC Hotel Group of the Year award and RAC Credit to the Industry award have been...

Thwaites splashes out on Nice.(major UK pub expansion program)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Lancashire-based brewery Thwaites has announced its biggest pub purchase in 15 years as part of a major expansion programme. Last month, the company paid more than pound sterling11m for the Nice Pub Company, a division of 28 tenanted pubs...

TUC urges tighter safety regimes.(report examines workplace accidents)
January 9, 2003... UK employers are paying out pound sterling368m a year in compensation for accidents in the workplace that could be easily avoided, according to a new report by the TUC. Surveying 800 workplace safety representatives, TUCresearchers found...

Retail therapy.(Nottingham City Hospital manages food service operations as budgets decrease)
January 9, 2003... Financing an NHS hospital catering operation is not easy, as budgets shrink and costs continue to rise. Jessica Gunn finds out how Nottingham City Hospital is coping under the strain KITCHEN life and food quality might have improved...

Mellors secures award after 260% turnover rise.(Mellors Food Groups)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Mellors Food Groups has been recognised as the fastest-growing inner city hospitality company in the UK. Between 1997 and 2001, the independent caterer, based in Southport, Lancashire, saw turnover rise by 260%, from pound sterling500,000...

Morrissey's Hurst House woos stars.(Neil Morrissey)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Newspaper reports that singer Billy Bragg and Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrissey are to open a hotel in North Wales were described as "somewhat off the mark" this week. Morrissey is co-owner of the Hurst House hotel and restaurant near...

Caterers cash in as museum visits rise.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Caterers at museums and galleries that scrapped their entry charges 12 months ago have reported increases in sales and customer numbers, although the amount each visitor spends has dropped. At the National Railway Museum in York, Milburns...

BHA and Restaurant Association together again after 35 years.(British Hospitality Association partially merges with Restaurant Association)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... The Restaurant Association this week partially merged with the British Hospitality Association (BHA), 35 years after the organisations parted company. With immediate effect, the Restaurant Association will occupy office space in the BHA's...

Turner to open Hospitality Week.(Brian Turner)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Northern culinary light Brian Turner (pictured left) will be cutting the ribbon at the official opening of Hospitality Week, which takes place at Birmingham's NEC on 20-23 January. The Yorkshire-born chef is expected to perform his duty at...

Funding for school meals under fire.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... Local authorities are spending only half the amount of money required to give schoolchildren healthy meals, according to new research presented at the Soil Association's annual conference at the Royal Agriculture College, Cirencester,...

New product awards.
January 9, 2003... Hospitality Week 2003 will be a showcase for the latest innovations in food and equipment for all sectors of the industry. Our expert judges have surveyed the field and selected the best to be considered for an award. Dan Bignold reviews the...

Deadline approaches for entry to the 2003 Roux Scholarship.
January 9, 2003... Fancy a three-month stage in a three-Michelin-starred restaurant of your choice? Of course you do. So hurry up and fill in your application form for the 2003 Roux Scholarship - deadline for entries is just a couple of weeks away (28 January)....

Shrager moves south with cookery school.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2003... SELF-taught chef Rosemary Shrager, who has run her celebrated cookery school from Amhuinnsuidhe Castle on the Hebrides for the past four years, is relocating to Swinton Park in North Yorkshire. Shrager, who has enjoyed a high-profile career...

No awards mean as much.
January 9, 2003... This year we are celebrating 20 years of the Caterer & Hotelkeeper Awards, or Cateys as they are more popularly known. That's 20 years of recognising high standards in catering and hospitality, 20 years of honouring the best. No other awards...

My career.(Pat Ashman )(Brief Article)(Interview)
January 9, 2003... Marketing manager Pat Ashman tells us about working life at Celtic Manor Q Did you train as a marketing manager? A No. I originally trained as a PE teacher, and then I went into sales and marketing at the Western Mail newspaper in...

Roll of honour for hospitality.
January 9, 2003... Naomi Arnold, director of hospitality networking group Arena for 10 of its 18-year history, said the award of an MBE had "capped beautifully" a year that saw her celebrate 25 years in the industry. "Gratifyingly, there was no shortage of...

Independent Hotel of the Year.(Ynyshir Hall hotel)
January 9, 2003... The year 2002 was a good one for Ynyshir Hall hotel, Machynlleth, Powys. Not only did it win its first Michelin star for chef Les Rennie in the kitchen, but it also became AA Hotel of the Year in Wales and won the Catey for Independent Hotel of...

Drinks news.(Bacardi-Martini nationwide ad campaign)
January 9, 2003... Size does matter Bacardi-Martini launched a nationwide "upsizing" campaign last year and reports that it's going well (ie, sales have increased). The company's research claims that by upsizing from 25ml measures to 35ml or even 50ml you...

Group Restaurateur of the Year.(UK restaurant industry honors)
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by Winterhalter Yo Sushi! Wagamama, Harry Ramsden's, PizzaExpress, Groupe Chez Gerard, Ask - it's an impressive list. The groups run by the restaurateurs who have won the Catey for Group Restaurateur of the Year cover the country...

Pub Operator of the Year.(Andrew and Jacquie Pern honored)
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by Booker Cash & Carry "The true epitome of a pub" was the unanimous verdict of the judges on the Star Inn at Harome, North Yorkshire, run by last year's winners of the Pub Operator of the Year Catey, Andrew and Jacquie Pern. ...

Manager of the Year.(Jonathan Slater is winner)
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by Dudson Group There was certainly no sign of David Brent, notorious boss in the excruciating TVcomedy The Office, at this year's Cateys. In fact, Jonathan Slater, winner of 2002's Manager of the Year award, represents the exact...

Independent Restaurateur of the Year.(Heston Blumenthal is honored)
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by Brakes Heston Blumenthal, chef-proprietor of the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, was declared an inspirational role model when he was voted last year's Independent Restaurateur of the Year by the Catey judges. A self-taught...

Education and Training Award.(honors for professionalism of hospitality)
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by Portfolio International This year sees the introduction of a new Catey to recognise achievement in education and training. The award will go to someone who, through his or her actions, guidance and support in this area, has...

Best Independent Marketing Campaign.(Glasshouse restaurant honored)
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by Autograph Foodservice With a tiny budget - but some big ideas - last year's Catey-winning Best Independent Marketing Campaign gained unanimous praise from the judges for its creativity, economy and effectiveness. Proprietor...

Newcomer of the Year.(top honors for chef)
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by Christie Group In picking a winner for the Newcomer of the Year award it may appear that Caterer & Hotelkeeper is putting its neck on the block on an annual basis. The main raison d'tre of this Catey is, after all, to identify...

Group Hotel of the Year.(corporate business falls off for hotel sector)
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by JohnsonDiversey Last year was a difficult one for group hotels and one that exposed their greater vulnerability to world events than that of their independent counterparts. Many saw their occupancy levels decimated after the...

Tourism Award.(award for outstanding contribution to UK standards of tourism)
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by Aramark The Tourism Catey honours one person or a team of people who have made an outstanding contribution to the standards of tourism in the UK. "The guesthouse sector often gets overlooked, and it is great to see the...

Best Group Marketing Campaign.(major provider of school meals in UK wins top honors)
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by Nestle Foodservices The winner of the 2003 Group Marketing award will have some tough competition to beat. Last year's winner, Initial Catering, was praised by the judges for being altruistic as well as financially successful....

Special Award.(UK hospitality industry awards)
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by American Express Establishment Services When we asked for nominations for the Cateys last year we suggested that it had been a struggle for the UK hospitality industry over the previous 12 months, what with the events of 11...

Chef Award.(Germain Schwab wins top honors)
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by British Meat Germain Schwab may be a man of few words, but don't think for a minute that he doesn't know what he'll be looking for when he joins the judging panel to find a successor to his title. "I know exactly what I'm...

Three chosen to represent Britain in World Skills test.(restaurant service category awards)
January 9, 2003... Chef Adam Peirson, waitress Olivia Dixon and pastry chef Chris Nurse have all won the right to represent Britain at the 37th World Skills Competition, to be held in St Gallen, Switzerland, in June. Peirson, from Claridge's, had to battle it...

Roll of honour for hospitality.(British Hospitality Association awards)
January 9, 2003... Naomi Arnold, director of hospitality networking group Arena for 10 of its 18-year history, said the award of an MBE had "capped beautifully" a year that saw her celebrate 25 years in the industry. "Gratifyingly, there was no shortage of...

Menu of the Year.
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by Quorn A DISPLAY of "good craft" and the "interesting marrying of textures and flavours" swung the jury in favour of Bruno's in Dublin when awarding the 2002 Menu of the Year Catey. Head chef Garrett Byrne has led the...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
January 9, 2003... Please send letters to: The Editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS. They may be faxed on 020 8652 8973 or e-mailed to forbes.mutch@rbi.co.uk. The opinions expressed on this page are not necessarily...

The Academy.
January 9, 2003... Independent Hotel of the Year 2002 Ynyshir Hall, Machynlleth 2001 Celtic Manor, Newport 2000 Chewton Glen,New Milton 1999 Northcote Manor, Langho, near Blackburn 1998 Crieff Hydro, Tayside 1997 Gidleigh Park, Chagford...

Look who's talking.
January 9, 2003... Visitors to Hospitality Week can tap in to the accumulated wisdom of the industry at a series of seminars on the pressing issues of today. To help you plan your diary here's a timetable of what's on The seminar programme at Hospitality Week...

Pub Industry Award.
January 9, 2003... Sponsored by Hobart UK The Caterer & Hotelkeeper awards are now in their 20th year and it's hard to imagine how the hospitality industry's calendar would look without them. Many of the Catey categories that exist today are the same as...

Life of Ryan.
January 16, 2003... "Me and my job" is a series that finds out what people really do all day. First up is Kay Ryan, director of revenue management at Thistle Hotels' head office, who talks to Jenny Webster Kay Ryan is not sure how many directors of revenue...

Cornish luxury.
January 16, 2003... Hotelier Richard Young asks top whack for his rooms in Cornwall, and gets it. How does he do it? Glancing at the tariff for the 17-bedroom Lugger hotel in Portloe, Cornwall, the rates look a tad steep. At pound sterling180 for double...

George V still pulling the crowds.
January 16, 2003... It has been three years since the highly publicised reopening, following a major refurbishment, of the George V, the best-known of the Parisian luxury hotels. And it's still attention to detail that gives the hotel its first-class reputation....

The 10 toughest tenders.
January 16, 2003... Imagine you've got only 10 minutes to serve 800 workers, or you have to outwit Russian customs officers to get your supplies... We take a look at some of the more extreme contracts around THE FASTEST WHERE? Honda plant, Swindon ...

Dubai what's stopping you?
January 16, 2003... Dubai is just a hot, sandy desert teeming with camels and sheiks, right? Think again - for anyone in catering, it's becoming the in place to work and to train. Joanna Wood visits the emirate to find out what all the fuss is about Think...

Truffle challenge.
January 16, 2003... Is vintage Champagne really best with truffles? A Caterer panel slogged it out to find the ultimate truffle wine - tough job but someone has to do it Truffles. Don't you just love them? Their heady, earthy, sexy scent can drive a girl...

What are you like?(Brief Article)
January 16, 2003... Our latest lifestyle survey presents a snapshot of people working in the hospitality profession. Do you recognise yourself? It takes a certain kind of person to work in the hospitality industry. According to the latest Caterer & Hotelkeeper...

Fuller flavours and no freak factor.(Brief Article)
January 16, 2003... Donald Marshall reviews Paul Gayler's book, which celebrates and advises on flavour combinations - and declares it a "superb" reference In his Flavours of the World, Paul Gayler, executive chef at London's Lanesborough hotel, combines the...

Waking up to a busy new year.
January 16, 2003... We had an unusually quiet Christmas this year; not so much on the restaurant side, which was its usual festive self, but from a personal point of view. After we closed on Christmas Eve, we took the opportunity to thank all our full-time...

De`g for victory.
January 16, 2003... Chef-director Sat Bains explains his decision to overhaul the menus at his restaurant, and reveals his unorthodox method of cooking foie gras Putting your name above the door of your restaurant is a bold step for any chef. But for Sat...

On the move.
January 16, 2003... MICHEL NOVATIN has become director of operations at Kempinski Hotels & Resorts. Alsace-born Novatin joins from Socie`te` des Bains de Mer (Monte Carlo), where he was group managing director for five years at the hotels, restaurants and gaming...

Where restaurants still get it wrong.
January 16, 2003... Some British restaurants are good, some just OK, others plainly bad. We asked three unimpeachably independent professional diners to reflect on what they dislike about eating out in Britain Peter Harden, the younger of two brothers behind...

Customers from hell.
January 16, 2003... Can you remember the rudest customer you have ever encountered? David Harris and Helen Adkins asked restaurateurs to recall their greatest challenges in customer relations Catherine Storeyco-proprietor of the Michelin-starred Chesil...

Two new recruitment firms to specialise in senior appointments.(Brief Article)
January 16, 2003... Two recruitment firms have been launched to plug senior and board-level staffing gaps in the hospitality industry. Indago, whose name is derived from the Latin verb meaning "to track down, hunt or search out", has been set up by Dominic...

Last supper.
January 16, 2003... Faced with the prospect of your last meal on earth, what would you eat and drink, and with whom? We asked chef Phil Howard of London's the Square to share his hypothetical moment What menu would you choose? Lobster mayo, tournedos...

done deals.(Brief Article)
January 16, 2003... Exmoor inn put on the market The Royal Oak Inn at Winsford, on the edge of Exmoor National Park (pictured below), has been put on the market for pound sterling1.3m by Charlie Stevens, who plans to retire after 31 years of ownership. The...

Hotel to open on Pleasure Beach.(Brief Article)
January 16, 2003... A dream came true for Blackpool Pleasure Beach chairman Lilian Doris Thompson this month, when she signed the contract for the Big Blue hotel with construction firm Multi-build, just before her 100th birthday. The 116-bedroom hotel, which...

table talk.
January 16, 2003... We always knew it was just foreign muck An Italian restaurant, which has just won a third Michelin star, will not be pleased with how the Internet translates its details. English-speaking gourmands planning a visit to Le Calandre in the...