Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from January 2009

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from January 2009

Industry hits back as VisitBritain boss slams service levels.(News)
January 15, 2009... Rodrigues says UK hotels and restaurants are poor value By Gemma Sharkey The VisitBritain executive chairman's criticism of the service levels offered in UK hotels and restaurants has been described as "spectacularly ill-timed" by a...

Graysons enters education sector.(Graysons Restaurants)(Brief article)
January 15, 2009... Purchase of Duchy Catering adds [pounds sterling]15m annual turnover EXCLUSIVE By Chris Druce Graysons Restaurants, the contract caterer set up last year with backing from ex-Compass chairman Sir Francis Mackay, has stepped into...

Cruise and ski.
January 15, 2009... Working in hospitality can lead to the snow-covered slopes of the Alps or the sun-kissed oceans of the Caribbean. Nic Paton reports on the wealth of opportunities for those of you looking for a job in two booming markets - skiing and cruise...

Food service.
January 15, 2009... Food service operators have significantly raised their game in recent years, with better brand awareness and improved skills in the kitchen meaning that they now compete with many high-street restaurant operators. Not only that, the hours are...

Leisure and retail.(Supplements)
January 15, 2009... There's big growth in the food-to-go market, with St Pancras and Westfield examples of the kind of the new, handsome environments in which many outlets are now placed. Emma Allen reports on the many opportunities springing up in this fast-paced...

Pubs and bars.
January 15, 2009... This sector has undergone huge change in the past decade, with the range of drinks ramped up, and food now offered in many venues. Rosalind Mullen reports on the many opportunities for the enthusiastic and energetic among you If you want...

your guide to qualifications.
January 15, 2009... Everyone in hospitality will have taken a different route into their job, but having the right qualification can propel you quite a few rungs up the ladder, says Emma Allen 14-19 Diploma Diplomas are a brand-new set of vocational...

restaurants.
January 15, 2009... Restaurants are busy, bustling places where you have to enjoy working as part of a team - and running around after customers. It calls for plenty of stamina, but the rewards can be immense. Rosalind Mullen reports There's no lack of jobs...

Leisure and retail.(Supplements)
January 15, 2009... There's big growth in the food-to-go market, with London's St Pancras and Westfield examples of the kind of the new, handsome environments in which many outlets are now placed. Emma Allen reports on the many opportunities springing up in this...

Events.(Side Orders)
January 15, 2009... The annual Acorn Awards' nomination deadline is just four weeks away. With a history of spotting the likes of Michael Caines, Jason Atherton, James Horler and Marco Pierre White before they were famous, the awards recognise 30 individuals aged...

Side Orders.
January 15, 2009... Picture of the Week Rock lobstere_SClBGeorge, the 140-year-old lobster, which was caught in the Atlantic Ocean two weeks ago, is to be freed from the confines of a tank at a New York restaurant. The crustacean, which was plucked from...

In season.(Recipe)(Brief article)
January 15, 2009... Byline: James Faulks, head chef and co-owner, Magdalen, London Mutton and turnip suet crust piee_SClBIngredients (Feeds four greedy people) For the braised mutton 2kg of neck or shoulder of mutton on the bone, cut into 5 or 6...

Tourism chief's attack was ill-timed.(News)
January 15, 2009... Last year's Hospitality Foot in Mouth Award went to erstwhile tourism minister Margaret Hodge for telling Holiday Which? magazine she thought UK hotels were "expensive, and I worry about the quality". Now, VisitBritain chairman Christopher...

Has the AA lost its way?(Features)
January 15, 2009... It's one of the country's pre-eminent hotel and restaurant ratings guides, but this year things have been rather different at the AA, with the dismissed inspector Jayne Wyatt winning her case against the company, casting aspersions in her wake...

Applying for jobs.(Supplements)(professional development guidance for hotel workers)
January 15, 2009... Before you find that ideal job, you have to get through the interview first. Few people enjoy the process, but Kathryn Benzine, director of professional development at the Institute of Hospitality, gives advice on how to make the most of your...

Hotels.(Supplements)
January 15, 2009... Fancy learning the kinds of skills that will allow you to travel the world, work in stunning surroundings, and become a manager at a relatively early stage in your career? Rosalind Mullen reports on the unsurprisingly popular choice of hotels...

make the most of your talent in hospitality.(Supplements)
January 15, 2009... Hospitality must be one of the few industries where you can have fun while you develop your social and business skills. More to the point, it gives you the chance to achieve success while you are still young enough to enjoy it. This is...

Side Orders.(Quality restaurants Research consumer spending)(Tsukiji fish market trend)(Punchinello restaurant forced to close after a drop in customers)(Brief article)
January 15, 2009... good week Quality restaurants Research reveals that, while consumers are eating out less, they are spending more when they do go out. Foodie tourists Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo reverses a month-long ban on tourists after accusing...

Canteen Baker Street, London.(Side Orders)
January 15, 2009... British restaurant group Canteen has launched its third outlet in the former Marks & Spencer building on Baker Street. Interiors feature booth seating as well as round "bistro tables" and a bar area. Opened 1 December Owners Patrick...

Carluccio's.(Restaurant review)
January 15, 2009... Italian chain Carluccio's has launched its latest outlet in Earlsfield, south London, comprising a cafe, restaurant and food shop. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it also offers a take-away service, while the deli sells a range of...

Trishna, London.(Restaurant review)
January 15, 2009... Famed Mumbai seafood restaurant Trishna has opened a London outpost in Marylebone Village with a main dining room, bar, alfresco area and private dining room, and interiors featuring oak floors, marble and exposed brickwork. Opened 12...

The Pass, Horsham.(Restaurant review)
January 15, 2009... Located at the South Lodge hotel near Horsham, this restaurant is situated in the kitchen, offering views of the chefs' live action. The restaurant serves modern British food with three tasting menus only. Opened 6 November Owner South...

Best of the blogs from Caterersearch.com.(Side Orders)
January 15, 2009... Squirrels beware! London restaurant St John is to launch a third outlet in the capital later this year, Kitchen Rat has learnt. Chef-patron Fergus Henderson and business partner Trevor Gulliver's restaurant in Smithfield opened in 1994...

Altered image.(Infozone)
January 15, 2009... As McDonald's picks up a Best Places to Work in Hospitality award for a second consecutive year, Rosie Birkett discovers how the company has shed its image problem and is leading the way for service sector employers "There has historically...

Springboard award winner.(Infozone)
January 15, 2009... Springboard's Awards for Excellence celebrate what a great place the hospitality industry is to work. The 2009 awards, held at the Guoman Tower hotel, London, in November, saw Katie O'Sullivan of Sapporo Teppanyaki and Il Forno restaurants in...

Going places.(Infozone)
January 15, 2009... Simon Wakefield has joined the Crowne Plaza London hotel as executive assistant manager. Wakefield worked for the Savoy Group at the Connaught and the Berkeley hotels before joining Crowne Plaza in the City. Ian Davies has been promoted to...

News.(Brief article)
January 15, 2009... * Workers driven to drink More than nine in 10 employees are under stress at work, according to a survey of 3,000 workers by e-learning provider SkillSoft. More than four in 10 were losing sleep through stress, almost a third were becoming...

Contents.(News)
January 15, 2009... Glynn Purnell gets ready for his Hospitality 2009 masterclass 28 7 Tourism Industry hits back as VisitBritain boss calls UK hotels and restaurants "poor value for money" 8 Contract catering Graysons Restaurants buys Duchy Catering...

The AAin crisis?
January 15, 2009... Best Places to Work in Hospitality - why McDonald's is a double winner Hospitality 2009 - get ready for this year's great exhibition infozone: what the TUPE regulations mean for a business in administration Toque d'Or at 21 ...

Murano.(Features)
January 15, 2009... After a long time in planning, Angela Hartnett finally opened her much-anticipated Mayfair restaurant, Murano, in August. Joanna Wood finds a chef on form Her boss, a certain Gordon Ramsay, may have been having his media ups-and-downs...

Contract caterers upbeat in the face of downturn.(News)
January 15, 2009... As the economy reels from a wave of business collapses Janet Harmer speaks to the leading players in the contract catering industry and finds a high degree of optimism as they face the year ahead With all the doom and gloom pervading the...

A minute on the clockSimon Wright.(News)(Interview)
January 15, 2009... Restaurateur and author Simon Wright, co-owner of Y Polyn gastropub in Nantgaredig, Carmarthenshire, has just published his second book The Wright Taste, based on his 12-month experience of farming as a rookie smallholder. He spoke to Joanna...

Oliver to open DIY food store in Battersea.(News)
January 15, 2009... Oliver: "We can get people excited" Jamie Oliver will next month open the first of a new chain of food stores where customers can prepare their own dishes under the guidance of professional chefs. Oliver, who last year launched his...

Michelin brings hopes and fears for UK chefs.(News)
January 15, 2009... UK expects some good news from the Michelin guide next week - but restaurateurs say stars bring extra pressure By Kerstin Kuhn With less than a week until the 2009 Michelin guide is released, restaurateurs have warned that winning a...

Sodexo loses Gloucestershire schools deal to Edwards & Ward.(News)
January 15, 2009... Contract caterer Sodexo has reacted angrily after losing the school meals contract at Gloucestershire to independent caterer Edwards & Ward. Estimated to be worth [pounds sterling]3m-[pounds sterling]4m in annual turnover, the deal covers...

Ramsay reaches Africa with Cape Town Maze.(News)
January 15, 2009... The new restaurant will be part of the One & Only Resort at Cape Town's Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) is to launch a Maze restaurant in Cape Town, marking its first venture in Africa, Caterer can reveal. ...

The week in brief.(News)
January 15, 2009... Hughson replaces Byrne The Dorchester has appointed Brian Hughson, former head chef of Gary Rhodes's Michelin-starred Rhodes W1 Restaurant at the Cumberland hotel, to replace Aiden Byrne as head chef of its Grill restaurant, Caterer has...

Menu labelling comes to chain restaurants.(News)
January 15, 2009... A number of well-known high-street restaurants will trial nutritional labelling on their menus this summer, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) will announce today (15 January). The scheme is the latest step in the FSA's drive to improve the...

17 restaurants awarded three AA rosettes.(News)(Michael Wignall, Murano and Purnell's)
January 15, 2009... The Latymer, Pennyhill Park, gets four By Kerstin Kuhn The AA will today (15 January) announce the latest additions to its restaurant awards, with 17 establishments being honoured with three AA rosettes, and one being awarded four. ...

Review of Reviews.(Features)(Calendar)
January 15, 2009... The Times 10 January Bocca di Lupo looked like a lot of funky new restaurants tend to look now, writes Giles Coren, but then things improved.e_SClBFrom the Crudi e Salumi section we had a tuna tartare with orange zest, capers and pine...

Toque talk.(Features)
January 15, 2009... The Nestle Toque d'Or is 21 years old this year and during its lifetime has grown into one of the country's most important culinary competitions. But what is the event's lasting impact? Diane Lane went along to a discussion between previous...

Showof theyear.(Features)
January 15, 2009... The Hospitality show is just around the corner, and it's a great chance to blitz contacts from across the whole of hospitality, attend talks on subjects from how to reduce energy bills to sourcing money for training your staff, as well as...

Murano.(Features)
January 15, 2009... After a long time in planning, Angela Hartnett finally opened her much-anticipated Mayfair restaurant Murano in August 2008. Joanna Wood finds a chef on form Her boss, a certain Gordon Ramsay, may have been having his media ups-and-downs...

Help tourism to create jobs.(Side Orders)
January 15, 2009... A week after he hit the front pages for criticising the quality of service in UK hotels and restaurants, VisitBritain executive chairman Christopher Rodrigues calls on the Government to provide more financial support to the tourism sector in...

Mal and HdV puts expansion plans on hold.(News)
January 15, 2009... The owner of boutique hotel chains Malmaison and Hotel du Vin is putting a hold on expansion plans this year in the face of looming recession. Analysts had suggested that Marylebone Warwick Balfour (MWB) was planning to roll out its new...

The briefing.(Side Orders)
January 15, 2009... * Health and safety warning A new law coming into force on 16*January will see potential fines for health and safety breaches soar from [pounds sterling]5,000 to [pounds sterling]20,000. The Health and Safety (Offences) Act gives...

Knee-jerk mentality will drive away staff.(Side Orders)
January 15, 2009... letter of the week Recession? I have been here before. It all sounds very familiar. The results will be the same. As the ex-owner of an advertising agency, I can say with authority that those companies who maintain their advertising...

Pay restraint should start at the top.(Side Orders)(Brief article)
January 15, 2009... The call for a freeze on the minimum wage should be connected to a call for a total pay freeze within all sectors The call for a freeze on the minimum wage should be connected to a call for a total pay freeze within all sectors. The people...

Thinking the unsinkable.(Side Orders)
January 15, 2009... I am sure that many people will be interested to read Premier Inn's Mark Anderson say that their new "Floatel" was a result of "looking for new ways to ensure we have great hotels" (Caterersearch.com, 23*December), especially those of us who...

New Year OBE.(Side Orders)
January 15, 2009... It was good to see that a number of the great and the good of the hospitality and tourism industry were recognised in the New Year Honours List It was good to see that a number of the great and the good of the hospitality and tourism...

The CSR edge.(Side Orders)
January 15, 2009... No one can deny that the clients of contract caterers will be even more assiduous than usual in trying to cut costs as the recession deepens, and Chris Druce's article (Caterer, 11*December, page 10) gives some attention to this No one can...

Not very good.(Side Orders)
January 15, 2009... I received a copy of the Good Food Guide 2009 as a Christmas present I received a copy of the Good Food Guide 2009 as a Christmas present. It was such a load of rubbish the editor didn't have the nerve to put her name to it so badly bound...

My life in hospitality Paul Nisbett.(Principal Hayley)
January 15, 2009... Chief operating officer, Principal Hayley Highs... I love building and developing hotel companies - the best example of this being Malmaison and Hotel du Vin. When I joined Mal it had six hotels and we expanded to 22 sites and combined with...

Strategy clinic.(customer service)(Brief article)
January 15, 2009... "My client is refusing to pay his bill. What can I do?" If you find your bills are not being paid promptly or at all, the following steps are worth considering: * Check whether you have any existing rights against your customer. For...

Insolvency and TUPE.(Infozone)
January 15, 2009... If you buy a business out of administration, you'll be taking on the existing staff under the terms of TUPE - but with a couple of important modifications. Solicitor Will Nash explains what these are The problem In the current climate...

Hotels must make sure the first cut is the deepest.(News)
January 22, 2009... Hotel operators have been urged to make deep cuts in their cost base to cope with what will be "the worst downturn in living memory", but were warned to keep investing in training and marketing. Speaking at the Master Innholders General...

Book Review.(Side Orders)(Bryan Webb's Kitchen)(Book review)
January 22, 2009... Perfect recipes for a dream country hotel Bryan Webb's Kitchen Bryan Webb Graffeg, [pounds sterling]14.99 ISBN 978-1-905582-22-8 Rather than a straight-up recipe book, chef-proprietor of Tyddyn Llan Bryan Webb's first...

The briefing.(Infozone)(food service workers training survey)(Survey)(Brief article)
January 22, 2009... * Academy slashes members' fees The Academy of Food & Wine has issued a stark warning to operators not to make cutbacks in staff training, as any loss in quality and service levels ultimately leads to the loss of customers and the lowering...

Events.(Side Orders)
January 22, 2009... One of the brightest stars in British cooking, Marcus Wareing has rarely been out of the headlines since his "split" from Gordon Ramsay Holdings. However, the annual Arena lecture taking place on 5 February at the London Hilton on Park Lane...

Bocca di Lupo.(Side Orders)
January 22, 2009... The latest Italian restaurant in London's Soho combines the simplicity of head chef Jacob Kenedy's Moro training with a cleverly structured menu. Rosie Birkett reports The olives at Bocca di Lupo perfectly sum up what Jacob Kenedy is...

Chinese New Year recipes.(Side Orders)(Recipe)
January 22, 2009... Yee sun and Ho seee_SClBYee sun Ingredients (Serves two) 200g raw salmon 30g pomelo, peeled and finely sliced 4 pieces fried won ton skin 30g daikon, sliced 30g carrot, sliced 30g cucumber, sliced 20g...

A minute on the clockCharita Jones.(News)(Momma Cherri's Soul Food Shack)(Interview)
January 22, 2009... Charita Jones came to fame after her Brighton restaurant, Momma Cherri's Soul Food Shack, appeared on Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares in 2005. On Tuesday, US-born Jones held a special event to mark the inauguration of President Barack Obama. She...

Have your say on menu labels.(News)
January 22, 2009... The Food Standards Agency last week announced that a number of leading hospitality companies would be trialling calorie labelling on menus this summer. Chief executive Tim Smith explains more When I met with leading operators last Thursday...

Bocuseon a budget.(Features)(competition between chefs )
January 22, 2009... The Bocuse d'Or has become the most prestigious chefs' competition in the world, known as the culinary Olympics for its international flag-waving flavour. And this year the UK has a real chance of making an impact, thanks to the entry of chef...

Side Orders.
January 22, 2009... good week Heinz ketchup The iconic tomato sauce is getting a makeover as the group replaces the pickle on the bottle with an actual ingredient: a tomato. Female chefs Michelin guide awards stars to 10 women head chefs, more than ever...

Le Relais de Venise l'Entrecote, London.(Side Orders)(Restaurant review)
January 22, 2009... After a restaurant in Marylebone Village, this is Le Relais's second London outlet, located on the site of the former Stock Exchange in the City. The concept was originally launched by Paul Gineste de Saurs in Paris in 1959. Opened 4...

Bocca di Lupo, London.(Side Orders)(Restaurant review)
January 22, 2009... This Italian restaurant in Soho is spread over two floors and includes a main restaurant, bar and private dining room. The menu offers most dishes in both small and large portions and features regional Italian fare. Opened 17 November ...

Restaurant at the Lido, Bristol.(Side Orders)
January 22, 2009... Bristol's Victorian Lido has undergone a major transformation, with additions including this new restaurant situated in the old viewing gallery. Interiors combine original structural features with modern furnishings, including sliding glass...

Sushino, London.(Side Orders)(Restaurant review)
January 22, 2009... This restaurant on the King's Road in Chelsea is inspired by the large number of Japanese immigrants in Brazil and blends the two cultures in its menu and interiors. The downstairs bar offers an extensive cocktail list. Opened 15 December...

Michelin plays catch-up with stars.(News)(Brief article)
January 22, 2009... It has echoes of the hack by British man Gary McKinnon into US military secrets, causing up to $700,000-worth of damage. Someone managed to get hold of an internal document on the new Michelin stars - then passed it around the industry. ...

How to... sell Riesling.(Features)
January 22, 2009... It's a grape associated with all the terrible German wine imagery that led to the country's vinous fall from grace. Yet, says Fiona Sims, Riesling could be a star performer above all others on the list - if only it could be sold properly ...

The wine sales all-stars.(Features)
January 22, 2009... You wouldn't think it from the cursory way restaurant critics pass over most Improve your wines-by-the-glass Wine consultant Vintellect estimates that by improving the range of wines-by-the-glass on your list your business could...

Best of the blogs from Caterersearch.com.(Side Orders)
January 22, 2009... mouthpiece rationalised It seems no one is escaping the effects of the credit crunch. Gordon Ramsay has sacked his long-standing public relations guru Gary Farrow after five years' working together. The move comes just weeks after...

Going places.(Infozone)
January 22, 2009... Ramada Jarvis has promoted Linda Watson to regional director for Scotland, giving her responsibility for the hotel operator's seven properties north of the border. Watson, who joined Ramada in 1996, was most recently general manager of the...

News.(Infozone)
January 22, 2009... * Staff taking fewer lunch breaks The hour-long lunch break is history, according to research from contract caterer Compass Group. The biennial Eurest Services Eating at Work report, based on a survey of 2,000 workers, found that, on...

The wine stars.(Side Orders)
January 22, 2009... Bocuse d'Or - the world's toughest culinary competition Who won what in the Equipment & Supplies Excellence Awards for 2009 Meet the people who make big profits from selling great bottles - and find out how they do it infozone:...

Wines of the times.(Infozone)
January 22, 2009... Wine expert Gerard Basset provides tips on how to tailor your wine list in a recession. Emily Manson puts the questions Gerard Basset says that, in a recession, it's important to offer some wines where people can see that they're gettinmg a...

Michelin's shower of stars.(News)
January 22, 2009... This year the Michelin guide has handed out more of its highly prized stars to UK restaurants than ever before, but there's the suspicion of a bias towards French chefs, as Kerstin Kuhn reports The gossip around the latest Michelin Guide...

Excellencefor 2009.(Buy It)
January 22, 2009... Any operator providing a catering service needs to have available to them all the right tools for the job. To this end they rely on equipment manufacturers to provide kit that is not only fit for purpose, but which also supports them in their...

Contents.(News)
January 22, 2009... Simon Hulstone takes on the Bocuse d'Or challenge 24 5 Nutrition The FSA says it won't enforce labelling scheme 7 Restaurants Michelin's record number of Bib Gourmands 8 News analysis Is Michelin biased towards French chefs?...

Bincho Yakitori says it's still growing as Oxo Tower closes.(News)(Christie & Co)(Brief article)
January 22, 2009... Japanese restaurant group Bincho Yakitori has insisted that its expansion plans are still on track, despite deciding to shut its flagship restaurant at the Oxo Tower. The London-based group, which specialises in yakitori, a Japanese style...

Sodexo says new rules can work in secondary schools.(News)
January 22, 2009... Children are getting used to the nutrient-based standards By Chris Druce The head of one of the UK's largest school dinner caterers has rubbished claims that stricter food rules will bring about the collapse of the secondary school...

Trianon Palace Versailles is a Collection Item.(News)(Brief article)
January 22, 2009... The Trianon Palace Versailles hotel (above), home to the Gordon Ramsay au Trianon restaurant, is to join Hilton's Waldorf Astoria Collection. The rebrand follows a recent multi-million pound renovation programme at the 199-bedroom hotel, and...

Japanese restaurant Aaya calls in the receivers.(News)
January 22, 2009... Aaya, the London restaurant owned by Gary Yau, brother of Wagamama and Hakkasan founder Alan Yau, has collapsed into administration just eight months after opening. The Japanese restaurant in Soho, which launched to critical acclaim last May,...