Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from January 2005

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from January 2005

how i got here.
January 6, 2005... Matthew Thomas, operations director, Holroyd Howe Matthew Thomas, 31, operations director at independent contract caterer Holroyd Howe, describes the sector as "exceptionally exciting" and a place where you need to be sharp and strong to...

on the mo ve.(InterContinental Dubai)(British Trust Hotels)
January 6, 2005... British Trust Hotels has increased its number of area managers to three with the promotion of Donald Allan. He joined the company in 2000 as a deputy general manager at the Isle of Mull hotel, Argyll, and in March became general manager at the...

Advice Zone.(increasing demand for separation of hotel ownership from its management and operation.)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Separating hotel ownership and operation The influx of "new" hotel owners - property investors, private equity funds, etc - has led to an increasing demand for separation of hotel ownership from its management and operation. This...

property of the week.(Christie & Co. to market One3Two)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... To York this week, and a boutique hotel property being marketed by the Leeds office of property agent Christie & Co. Housed in a restored Georgian townhouse, One3Two (www.one3two.co.uk) is an elegant, five-storey, terraced property located...

Welsh favourites.(cookery)
January 6, 2005... Welsh food is more than just leeks, Welsh lamb and Welsh rarebit. Michael Raffael explores the many uses of laver seaweed, and its gourmet credentials Wales has no regional cuisine in the way Provence, Tuscany or the Basque Country do. But...

Your shout.(best time to sell your business)
January 6, 2005... When is the best time to sell your business? The answer to this question, which is frequently asked by potential vendors, can often depend on the nature of the business and the extent to which the trade could be described as "seasonal". ...

Tsunami victimsrelied on tourism.(Editorial)
January 6, 2005... With the Christmas holiday behind us, January is traditionally a time to look forward and focus on the challenges the New Year holds. Normally, this first Caterer editorial of the year would contain a rousing call to arms, a reveille to...

Last supper.(Stuart Gillies takes over the entire Amalfi coast)
January 6, 2005... For his last fling, Stuart Gillies takes over the entire Amalfi coast, puts Mark Hix behind the stove and settles back to watch The Incredibles with Sir David Attenborough OK, first things first. Where's the party? No - I want some...

Snow business.(The Clubhouse)(Restaurant Review)
January 6, 2005... The man behind London's award-winning members' bar Milk & Honey is opening a boutique hotel - in the Alps. Phil Pemberton reports It's a little weird sitting in the warmth of the Clubhouse bar, because it feels exactly like I'm in Milk &...

Review of the REVIEWS.(Chinese Experience, Refuel)(Restaurant Review)
January 6, 2005... 19 December MATTHEW NORMAN feels his age at trendy Refuel in London's Soho The name is horribly naff, suggesting a provincial burger bar styled after a petrol station, but Refuel at the new Soho hotel is so macro-glaciated that those...

All change for licensing laws.
January 6, 2005... It's a big year for the licensed trade as it grapples with the biggest reform of licensing law in 100 years. Chris Druce rounds up the changes By November this year the licensed trade will enter a new phase of licensing law. The 2003...

A taste of tomorrow.
January 6, 2005... Caterer's editorial team are renowned readers of tea leaves and have put their heads together to give you an insight into the coming months. Here's the way we see it... Contract catering It would be a brave call to predict which...

Birmingham's local hero.(jessica's)(Toque D'Or)(Restaurant Review)
January 6, 2005... Hospitality kicks off later this month at the NEC in Birmingham, meaning some 15,000 visitors and 2,000 exhibitors will be looking for places to eat and entertain. Until recently, though, the closest connection Britain's second city had to food...

Survey: education is failing hospitality.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... A staggering level of dissatisfaction with standards of hospitality training in schools has been revealed by a survey of industry professionals. People 1st, the catering industry's Sector Skills Council, found that most of the 300...

Lederer honoured in New Year list.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Several leading figures in the hospitality and tourism industries were recognised for their services to the sectors in this year's New Year Honours list. Peter Lederer, chairman of VisitScotland and managing director at Gleneagles, was...

Japanese firm snaps up Menzies chain.(Nikko Principal Investments Japan Ltd.)(Menzies Hotels Group)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Nikko Principal Investments has unveiled plans to grow the UK hotel chain Menzies following its [pounds sterling]120m deal to acquire the business this week. Going against the current trend, the Japanese investment firm plans to own and...

London police chief calls for delay on licensing shake-up.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... London's chief of police has called for a delay on the introduction of new licensing laws in England and Wales planned for early this year. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens said the start of the transition period,...

Businesses rally to aid disaster victims.
January 6, 2005... Hotel and hospitality businesses across the world have rallied to support victims of the tsunami disaster by raising money and providing food and shelter. The Indian Ocean tsunami, which struck on Boxing Day, devastated regions of...

Letters Caterer.(Letter to the Editor)
January 6, 2005... Patients do care where the cabbages come from Inside Health (Caterer, 2 December) was an excellent set of articles, but I have to take issue with Matthew Merritt-Harrison, who is quoted in the news story about the Better Hospital Food...

inside track.(Jury's Hotel Group PLC)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Jurys Doyle Hotels What business is it in? A hotel operator targeting business and leisure travellers, with three-, four- and five-star hotels in its portfolio. What brands does it operate? The company has 34 properties, 18 of...

career clinic.
January 6, 2005... The expert panel Our expert panel comprises representatives from the Hotel and Catering Training Company (HCTC), MaydayExec, Bartlett Mitchell, Learnpurple, Conran and Portfolio International. The question I am an NHS senior...

BOOKREVIEW.(Shaken & Stirred: Douglas Ankrah's Cocktails)(Book Review)
January 6, 2005... Shaken & Stirred: Douglas Ankrah's Cocktails Douglas Ankrah Kyle Cathie, [pounds sterling]14.99 ISBN 1-85626-566-8 This book appears to be aimed mostly at the home bar market, but owing to the credentials and experience of its...

TUPE transfers.(Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981)
January 6, 2005... Rebecca Emmett, senior employment lawyer with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, looks at the grey area of TUPE regulations when buying or selling a business The law Under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations...

Per Se, New York.(Restaurant Review)
January 6, 2005... As soon as Suzie Boyd and her husband, Charles, heard Thomas Keller was opening a new restaurant in New York they booked a table. A fire on day five, however, and subsequent two-month restaurant closure, pushed the reservation back a bit - but...

In Brief.(Thomas Franks)(National Army Museum)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Lugger couple deal The owners of Cornwall boutique hotel the Lugger have bought a second property on Amelia Island, Florida. Richard and Sheryl Young bought the 15-bedroom hotel for $3m ([pounds sterling]1.6m) at the end of last month. The...

how i got here.(Marion Stone's service)
January 13, 2005... Marion Stone, food and beverage operations manager, Sanderson hotel, London Marion Stone had worked part-time in restaurants to earn money while studying, but it was the world of banking that was to become her full-time employer when she...

on the move.(appointments)
January 13, 2005... Stevie Siu has joined the new Metro Premier Travel Inn hotel in Watford, Hertfordshire, as manager. He has moved from the Euston Premier Travel Inn, where he was manager. The Mango Tree restaurant, London, has welcomed Mark Read as head...

The burning issue.(restaurant service)
January 13, 2005... The worst - and best - of 2004 Food writer and critic Simon Wright Maybe it's because it's still fresh in my mind, perhaps it's because I've been rather spoilt in recent years and have lost touch with the reality of everyday eating out...

Employment law.
January 13, 2005... Catherine Grady of the human resources team at law firm Dickinson Dees offers guidance on the recent raft of employment legislation THE LAW Statutory Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures must now be followed for grievances and...

Leisure.(job opportunities)
January 13, 2005... Leisure is a dynamic sector with massive growth potential. Could it present an opening that appeals to you? Time out, leisure time, chilling-out time - call it what you will, there's no doubt that the leisure fever gripping us all is here...

Ski.(job opportunities)
January 13, 2005... It might seem too good to be true - indulging your passion for the skiing lifestyle and getting paid for it. But there's plenty of work as well as play. Read on to find out more Calling all ski bums - the chance to indulge your passion...

Food service.
January 13, 2005... The one-time Cinderella of the hospitality industry is now going to the ball! Food service comes in all sorts of guises, and that means plenty of career opportunities Food service, contract catering - call it what you will, this sector is...

Hotels.(jobs in hotel)
January 13, 2005... From budget to five-star, the world of hotels has changed forever - and suddenly, they're sexy places Fancy checking into the world of hotels? Good choice. That's because hotels are suddenly sexy places to be, and sexy places demand cool...

Restaurants.(Business booming in restaurants)
January 13, 2005... Business is booming in restaurants, and that means job opportunities galore at every level Unless you've just beamed in from outer space, you can't fail to have noticed the explosion in eating-out in the UK in recent years. Restaurants and...

Cruising.(career development)
January 13, 2005... The hours can be long and hard, and you'll probably have to share a cabin. But there are lots of high points in a life on the ocean wave If your secret desire is to see the world, joining the hospitality industry can help fulfil that...

Pubs & bars.(job opportunities)
January 13, 2005... The hours are often unsocial, but working in pubs and bars can be rewarding and offers opportunities for training and advancement Thought pubs were just traditional spit-and-sawdust boozers? Well, they used to be, and in some parts of the...

We can all make a difference.(fund raising for tsunami victims)
January 13, 2005... The tsunami that hit the Indian Ocean region on Boxing Day may have dropped from the front pages of our national newspapers, but that doesn't mean its hundreds of thousands of victims have been housed, fed or safeguarded against disease. ...

Time for training.(employee training program)
January 13, 2005... So, after a hard slog, you've finally got the right staff in place and it's time to relax, right? Wrong. Your next task is to keep them up to speed and on the payroll. Rosalind Mullen looks at how a training programme can help You'd be...

Face to face.(interview of Noel Mahony)(BaxterStorey)(Interview)
January 13, 2005... With so much speculation and interest in newly merged catering company BaxterStorey, we went in search of some answers from one of its principal shareholders, Noel Mahony The new year sees a major new player in contract catering. The...

Table talk.
January 13, 2005... TOP CHEF ON A DIET? ITMUST BE THE ZILLI SEASON Late to bed, early to rise, no breakfast, nibbling in the kitchen all day, lunch whenever and dinner after midnight. The eating habits of the average chef are not the healthiest, so it wasn't...

Holiday Inn bidding: two-horse race likely.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Rumours are rife that the contenders to buy InterContinental's UK Holiday Inn brand will be whittled down to only two next week. Four bids for the properties made it through to the second round of discussions at the end of December. ...

Theatre of dreams.(Hospitality 2005)(Culinary Theatre)
January 13, 2005... The feast of competitions known as Culinary Theatre has been given a new look for Hospitality 2005 with the aim of encouraging a new generation of competitors. Emma Allen describes the new classes and highlights other features at the show ...

Food service - what the future holds.
January 13, 2005... What will be the major changes on the contract catering scene in 2005? Ben Walker spells out some likely trends in food, service and purchasing for the sector this year Healthy eating Last year's Eurest Lunchtime Report found that one...

Water wisdom.
January 13, 2005... Whether you feed your dirty dishes through a conveyor machine or whack them in and out of an undercounter cabinet washer, it pays to be water-wise. Bruce Whitehall reports Without individual meters on each machine, it can be difficult to...

Confusion as tronc guidelines go missing from Revenue website.(Inland Revenue website)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Frustration and confusion are growing over the lack of information being provided by the Inland Revenue regarding reforms to its controversial E24 tronc guidelines, according to a hospitality tax expert. After being issued in February...

Cockroach-infested restaurant fined.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Manchester's New Hong Kong restaurant was fined more than [pounds sterling]6,000 for multiple health and safety offences after council investigators found it infested with cockroaches among other horrors. The restaurant in Faulkner Street...

Two Compass bosses turn down bonuses.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Two Compass bosses - chairman Sir Francis Mackay and chief executive Mike Bailey - have both declined to take their bonuses following the company's poor performance in 2004. The contract catering giant warned in September that its profits...

Martin to judge school chef contest.(James Martin)(Nestle Foodservices School Chef of the Year 2005)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... TV chef James Martin (pictured left) of Ready, Steady, Cook fame is to judge the Nestle Foodservices School Chef of the Year 2005. The competition, launched a decade ago by the Local Authority Caterers Association, has a record 47 school...

Six-minute warning as massive wave claims lives of guests and staff.(Sofitel Magic Lagoon Resort and Spa)
January 13, 2005... "Structures can easily be rebuilt," says Goran Aleksandrovski (right), general manager of Accor's Sofitel Magic Lagoon Resort & Spa "but people cannot" The day started as most days do in Khao Lak - warm, sunny skies, light breeze and still...

Advice zone.(franchising)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Franchising Franchising is an option worth considering when setting up a hospitality business, and there's a wealth of opportunities available, from hotel brands like Holiday Inn to burger operators like McDonald's. The model offers...

Late-night take-aways told to curb rowdiness.(food service)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Licensing minister Richard Caborn has warned kebab shops and burger bars they will be shut down if drunken customers disturb local residents with antisocial behaviour. As part of the new licensing laws being introduced on 7 February,...

Tsunami disaster: will tourism ever recover?
January 13, 2005... The personal tragedies of the Indian Ocean tsunami are still unfurling three weeks after the event, but analysts have already begun to try and assess the impact it will have on the tourist industries of the affected areas. Caterer spoke to...

Parents force Compass to change school menu.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Compass Group has bowed to pressure from parents at a north London primary school and offered a new "enhanced menu", which contains more home-cooked and less processed food. Parents at St Paul's Primary School in Camden had been unhappy...

Thistle sheds hotel contracts.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Thistle Hotels has done a deal to offload five prestigious country house hotels to settle three years of financial wrangling between itself and the properties' owner, Atlantic. The hotels return to the management of Bridge House Hotels,...

Restaurants launch bid to aid tsunami victims.
January 13, 2005... Restaurants around the country are being asked to unite in a fundraising event to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami disaster. The event, in support of UNICEF and backed by Caterer & Hotelkeeper and consumer magazine Square Meal,...

property of the week.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... This week's featured property is a classic Devon freehouse and hotel in a delightful village square setting. The Half Moon Inn is near Okehampton, in the picturesque village of Sheepwash, which got its name from the local farmers' practice of...

Letters Caterer.(Letter to the Editor)
January 13, 2005... Banks let down small operators on chip and PIN I feel your article on chip and PIN readiness (Caterer, 23 December, page 7) gives an incomplete view of the problems we independents face in trying to upgrade. Like many BHA members, I...

regional spotlight.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... READING The university town of Reading in Berkshire is perhaps most famous for its annual music festival, but around the millennium, along with the M4 corridor, it gained a reputation as a thriving IT hot spot. The local area, dubbed...

Banks not ready for chip and PIN.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... The introduction of chip and PIN into the hospitality industry hit another snag this week when it was revealed that most banks do not have the portable terminals for restaurants to use. The scheme has been widely criticised for being...

Bullish Costa is hot on trail of Starbucks.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Whitbread-owned coffee house chain Costa has revealed ambitious plans to become the global number two player behind US chain Starbucks. Costa aims to grow its portfolio of 365 UK stores, including concessions and franchise operations, to...

Review of the REVIEWS.
January 13, 2005... 9 January Jay Rayner finds himself reaching for his napkin in Vernon's, Manchester I knew from the moment I attempted to cut the sweet fried dumpling in half that we were in serious trouble... half a lump of deep-fried sweet sponge...

weblog.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... 10 January Traceability warning Restaurants and hotels could be forced to keep a record of where produce bought from suppliers has come from, if new "traceability" laws that cover suppliers and producers are extended. The Forum of...

AA Guide upgrades 18 in off-season revisions.
January 13, 2005... The AA Restaurant Guide has revealed that 18 establishments are to be awarded new rosette rankings eight months before the publication of its 2006 edition. In an announcement today (13 January), three restaurants have been promoted to four...

AIM listing likely for La Tasca chain.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Investors at Spanish tapas chain La Tasca are considering listing the company on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) to get a return on their money. Penta Capital, which has been the chain's backer since September 2001, feels an AIM...

The waves struck when we were 100ft under water.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Liam Lambert is general manager of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London. He was holidaying with his family in the Maldives when the tsunami struck On that morning in the Maldives I went scuba diving with two of my daughters. One hundred...

Flood water covers tiny island in the Maldives.
January 13, 2005... Armando Kraenzlin is general manager of the Four Seasons Kuda Hurra in the Maldives The waves hit us at 10.15am, which was really a blessing as guests were eating breakfast or already by the pool. If it had hit us three hours earlier,...

Doherty sells Punch Bowl for [pounds sterling]600,000.(Steven Doherty)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Steven Doherty has sold the Punch Bowl gastropub in the Lake District to the owners of the Drunken Duck in nearby Ambleside for about [pounds sterling]600,000. Paul Spencer, joint owner of the Drunken Duck, said the Punch Bowl would close...

Brazilian bistro will open in place of Peyton's Isola.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... London restaurant Isola has shut and will open this summer as a new Brazilian restaurant and bar called Mocoto. Oliver Peyton's Isola, in Knightsbridge, closed for good on Christmas Eve after months of speculation that it was for sale. ...

Sustainable tourism industries must be rebuilt, says UNexpert.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... The world's tourist industry must consider the practical effects of so many South-east Asian tourist destinations being destroyed by the Indian Ocean tsunami, a leading expert has warned. Geoffrey Lipman, special adviser to the...

stockwatch.
January 13, 2005... A 10.59% surge saw shares in CHE GROUP gain 4.5p for the week to 10 January. On Monday CHE announced a share placing of 1,844,853 ordinary shares to raise close to [pounds sterling]800,000 for its ongoing refurbishment and expansion programmes....

Businesses hit as storms lash North.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Hurricane winds and torrential rain tore through the North of England last weekend, wreaking havoc on hospitality businesses across the region. Center Parcs was forced to close its Oasis Whinfell Forest leisure village in Cumbria after a...

OVER; TO YOU.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... What was your new year's resolution this year, and have you kept to it? My personal mission was to give up smoking after 30 years. It lasted five days, but there were extenuating circumstances: I had the wife's family down. Now I'm back to...

Resolutions to pep up your business.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... With Christmas and New Year's Eve out of the way, there's a tendency for restaurant and bar owners and managers to take their foot off the gas. However, this is the perfect time to put a few New Year resolutions into place for your business....

Exhibitor preview.(Hospitality 2005)
January 13, 2005... More than 300 companies are on show at Hospitality 2005. Save yourself time on the day of your visit with our convenient digest of exhibitors and what they have to offer. Charlotte Walsh and Lottie Lumsden report The time has come once...

We love...(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
January 13, 2005... ... to detox Just because you overindulged over Christmas, it doesn't mean you need to deprive yourself of all pleasure in January. In fact, most of you probably worked like dogs and are now in need of some tender loving care. It's always...

how to help.(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
January 13, 2005... If you wish to make a donation, it is possible to donate online at www.dec.org.uk or www.unicef.org. Alternatively, try any of the following industry-related initiatives: Action Against Hunger AAH has offices in affected areas such as...

inside track.(the independent cafe chain offering sandwiches, pies, soup and coffee)
January 13, 2005... Eat What business is it in? Independent cafe chain offering sandwiches, pies, soup and coffee. What's its form? Founded in 1996, the first store opened in London's Villiers Street in October of that year. The brains behind the...

career clinic.
January 13, 2005... The expert panel Our expert panel comprises representatives from the Hotel and Catering Training Company (HCTC), MaydayExec, Bartlett Mitchell, Learnpurple, Conran and Portfolio International The question I'm 23. I have...

McClements.
January 13, 2005... McClements restaurant already had a Michelin star when Daniel Woodhouse took over as head chef last year. Since then he's been treading carefully with the loyal but conservative customers as he makes his own mark on the place. Dan Bignold...

Industry united by wish to help.
January 13, 2005... n Michel Roux Jnr, chef-proprietor, Le Gavroche "We deal with food every day, so I think it is important that we do something to help these people rebuild their lives." Anna Hansen, co-owner and joint head chef, the Providores ...

Italy bans smoking in public.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2005... Italy has become the latest country in Europe to ban smoking in public places, but it has enraged restaurant and bar owners by making them responsible for enforcing the law. On 10 January it became illegal to light up in public places in...

CONTRACT CATERING WINS.(Brief Article)
January 20, 2005... Holroyd's hat trick Holroyd Howe has announced three new contracts with a total turnover of nearly [pounds sterling]1.5m. A three-year deal with investment provider the Man Group in London has an annual turnover of [pounds sterling]1m, a...

how i got here.
January 20, 2005... Michael McGuinness, chef-proprietor, Live Cooking Michael McGuinness, 37, has followed a long-term dream, and in 2003 he founded party and events caterer Live Cooking. "I never realised I'd get this far," he says. "Business is tough,...

on the mo ve.
January 20, 2005... Noel Byrne has become operations director of Barnham Broom Hotel and Golf Club near Norwich. He was group operations director at Essex-based hotel group AB. Michael Rebeiro has been promoted into a new role at Myhotels and is now...