Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from July 2003

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from July 2003

Charalambous takes the chain.(Theo Charalambous, executive director, Hotel and Catering International Management Association)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2003... Theo Charalambous, executive director of Cyprus-based Tsokkos Hotels, is the new president of the Hotel & Catering International Management Association (HCIMA). He is the first HCIMA international councillor to become president of the...

Back to the floor.(job swapping at Greene King Pubs)(Company Profile)
July 3, 2003... Job-swaps can play a big part in improving internal communications and educating management about the day-to-day problems of their workforce. Greene King Pubs is a recent, but enthusiastic, convert If you think going back to the floor is...

Amended Licensing Bill will get tough on Britain's rip-off pubs.
July 3, 2003... Pubs, restaurants and hotels found guilty of substituting branded alcohol with cheap and bootlegged varieties risk losing their licences when the Licensing Bill comes into force later this year. The Government has tabled an amendment to the...

Launch parties... and how to survive them.
July 3, 2003... Restaurant launch parties are stressful, expensive and bad for your health - but unavoidable, if you want a media-friendly start for your business. Christina Golding finds out how to ease the pain If you believe the opening-night party of...

people On the move.
July 3, 2003... Robert Morley has been promoted to group executive chef at London Inns Group (incorporating Edinburgh Inns), which has its headquarters in Maidstone, Kent. In his new role, he will take charge of menu development across the 365-strong...

Semillon with your samosa?
July 3, 2003... So who says wines don't mix with Indian food? Not customers - and they're always right. But then, what goes with what? Caterer visits a new London restaurant to get the lowdown from an old Hand I'm not a huge fan of drinking wine with...

Jeremy Downer.(Royal Automobile Club deputy manager interviewed)(Interview)
July 3, 2003... Jeremy Downer is deputy manager of the Royal Automobile Club building in London. The club has 13,500 members, including politicians and royalty. Chris Druce spoke to him I used to work at Hanbury Manor in Ware, Hertfordshire, and still...

Shake-up at Eldridge Pope as takeover talks end.(Company Profile)
July 3, 2003... Pub operator Eldridge Pope last week announced the end of takeover talks and the appointment of a new management team alongside a set of "very disappointing" interim results. The company, which operates 121 managed pubs and 54 tenancies,...

Making the Cateys a work of art.(Caterer & Hotelkeeper Awards dinner )
July 3, 2003... Months of planning goes into the Cateys, not least in the kitchen, which has the difficult task of impressing 900 guests from the industry and reflecting the theme of the evening. Here's how this year's menu came together For Fabrizio...

Chef Eats Out.(Le Gavroche)
July 3, 2003... Very few restaurants can legitimately claim to be part of culinary history and yet still be at the top of the tree. London's Le Gavroche, however, is one of them. The holder of two Michelin stars and four AA rosettes, it was established by...

Decline in Spanish hotel market as UK and German visitors dwindle.(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
July 3, 2003... Spanish hotels have been hit by a fall in demand from German and UK visitors, according to consultant Deloitte & Touche. Its research shows that revenue per available room (revpar) in both Spanish city-centre and resort hotels fell during the...

NOTTINGHAM CITY HOSPITAL.
July 3, 2003... More changes are afoot at Nottingham City Hospital, and despite the financial hardship ahead, the future of the hospital's catering department remains promising. Jessica Gunn makes a final visit to see what's planned Life at Nottingham...

supplier Round-up.(brief items)(Industry Overview)
July 3, 2003... Pritchitts sale Independent food manufacturer Pritchitts has been sold to milk processor Lakeland Dairies, based in Ireland, for [pounds sterling]13m in a deal expected to be completed by mid-July. The company, which supplies the...

table talk.(brief items)
July 3, 2003... Check this, measure that, don't slurp - and enjoy... The debate over whether you should pour the milk or the tea first has at last been solved. Dr Andrew Stapley of Loughborough University has demonstrated that it's better to pour the tea...

Furlong group buys Savoy's Lygon Arms.(Furlong Hotels)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2003... Blackstone, owner of the Savoy Group, has sold its Lygon Arms hotel in the Cotswolds to private hotel group Furlong Hotels for an estimated [pounds sterling]10m-[pounds sterling]15m. The sale, on Monday (30 June), ended weeks of speculation...

Coffee bar market still looks perky.(Allegra Strategies report)(Industry Overview)
July 3, 2003... Despite dire predictions of saturation, the branded coffee bar market is still steaming ahead after seven years of consecutive growth and will generate sales of more than [pounds sterling]1b a year by December 2005, a new study claims. The...

Global report.(brief items)
July 3, 2003... USA McDonald's improves chicken quality McDonald's Corporation has called upon its worldwide suppliers to phase out the use of growth-promoting antibiotics in animals which risk the development of antibiotic-resistant germs in humans....

Hibiscus loses sous chef to Birmingham start-up.(Glynn Purnell)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2003... Glynn Purnell, sous chef at Ludlow's Hibiscus restaurant, is to leave Shropshire to take up his first head chef post, in Birmingham. Purnell, 28, will become head chef and joint-proprietor at Jessica's, a new35-seat restaurant in Edgbaston....

Wimbledon's crowd-pleaser.(Frank McCartney, catering manager, interviewed)(Interview)
July 3, 2003... During Wimbledon fortnight the British public thinks about little except tennis. Frank McCartney spends a year preparing for the event but never thinks about tennis - because he's in charge of the catering. Mick Whitworth went to meet him...

Malmaison unveils its plans for London hotel.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
July 3, 2003... Malmaison, the boutique hotel group with properties in six UK cities, has announced details of its much-awaited London hotel. It will open a 97-bedroom hotel in the capital's Charterhouse Square in November. The property, dating back...

Review OFTHEREVIEWS.(restaurants)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 3, 2003... 29 June Jay Rayner was disappointed by Cafeteria, London W10 In writing this I'm probably about to destroy my good relations with John Torode, the Australian chef who is one of the partners in the venture. Torode is the man behind...

SFI calls in new chief.(Lawson, Stuart)
July 3, 2003... Troubled pub company SFI has appointed a new executive chairman to head up its financial recovery. Stuart Lawson, former chief executive at the Alldays convenience store group, replaces Tony Hill, who left the group earlier this year. ...

Loch Fyne to manage Blanc brasserie chain.(Le Petit Blanc )
July 3, 2003... Loch Fyne is to take over the management of the four Le Petit Blanc brasseries in Cheltenham, Oxford, Birmingham and Manchester with immediate effect, following the [pounds sterling]1.1m deal that leaves Raymond Blanc in partnership with the...

The race is on for Terminal 5 hotel deal.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2003... Management control of the only hotel to be built at Heathrow's new Terminal 5 is up for grabs. The four-star de luxe development is owned by BAA Lynton, and is expected to generate strong interest from all leading international hotel...

Stembridge is named MDat Chewton Glen.(Andrew Stembridge, general manager, replacingPeter Crome)(Alan Murchison, head chef, replacing Pierre Chevillard)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2003... Andrew Stembridge (above), general manager of the Scotsman hotel in Edinburgh, has been appointed managing director of Chewton Glen, the five-star country house hotel in Hampshire. He replaces former managing director Peter Crome, who is...

Sometimes, we all need support.(Le Petit Blanc chain )(Company Profile)
July 3, 2003... Take one gifted chef - good enough to earn two Michelin stars - add a large dollop of investment and stir with vision. What do you get? Potentially, a successful mid- to high-spend restaurant chain with properties in four affluent locations in...

OVER; TO YOU.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2003... Is the minimum wage a good or a bad thing? Any money that attracts people into the catering industry is a good thing. But though pot washers and chefs in lower-standard restaurants get paid hourly, in good restaurants commis chefs are...

News Round-up.(brief items)
July 3, 2003... S&N retail boosts turnover and profit Scottish & Newcastle's managed retail business increased turnover in the year to 27 April by 3.9%, to [pounds sterling]1.05b, while operating profit grew by 6.5% to [pounds sterling]227.7m. This...

Low-paid staff suffer as hotels impose freezes.(Industry Overview)
July 3, 2003... A string of pay freezes at London hotels has led to fears that the value of wages among London hospitality workers has fallen significantly since 11 September 2001 and won't meet the new minimum wage levels when they come in this October. ...

stockwatch.
July 3, 2003... It was another slow week on the stock exchange for hospitality businesses, with little notable drama in any sector. The Leisure and hotels FTSE remained largely static, dropping only 0.05% to 2809.80p against the FTSE all share which dropped...

Lehman could throw ailing Le Meridien [pounds sterling]150m lifeline.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2003... Le Meridien missed its Monday deadline to pay property owner Royal Bank of Scotland (RBoS) [pounds sterling]20m in rent as talks continued to save the international hotel chain from administration. No deal had been struck as Caterer went to...

Westminster allows pavement dining.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2003... Westminster council has abolished the curfew on alfresco dining around London's Leicester Square in a pilot scheme that may be extended to other parts of the borough if successful. From July to 30 November, restaurants and cafes in the...

Ultimate accolades.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2003... When Richard Stilgoe and Peter Skellern sang All I want to do is win a Catey at the Grosvenor House in 2001, they were summing up the aspirations of an entire industry. Winning a Catey usually marks the high point of a career. It is the...

Chef Award; Marcus wareing.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by British Meat Foodservice It would be wrong to describe Marcus Wareing as a rising star - he's already established himself as one of Britain's leading chef-restaurateurs - but there's no doubt there's a lot more to come from...

Pub Operator of the Year; Philip and Stephen Harris, ; the Sportsman, Whitstable.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by Booker Cash & Carry Brothers Philip and Stephen Harris took over the Sportsman, a down-at-heel pub in Whitstable, Kent, in November 1999. With Philip as landlord and Stephen as chef-patron, they have transformed it into a...

Newcomer of the Year; Peter Gordon and Anna Hansen, owners, Providores restaurant, London.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by Christie Group The traditional way to get to Australia and New Zealand is to hop on a plane and blaze a vapour trail over a few continents. The other way would be to just stay in London and ease yourself into a seat at this...

Tourism Award; John Thurso.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by Aramark Described as a "passionate, eloquent and indefatigable advocate" for tourism and the hospitality industry, John Thurso (aka Hon John Sinclair and Viscount Thurso), a member of the Culture, Media and Sport select...

Independent Hotel of the Year; The Vineyard at Stockcross.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by Fresh RM It really is an outstanding hotel and is extremely well managed with excellent staff and fantastic service," said Rob Reen, co-owner of Ynyshir Hall hotel, last year's winner of the Independent Hotel of the Year...

Menu of the year; Restaurant Sat Bains, ; Hotel de Clos, Nottingham.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by Quorn There are areas of Britain - London, the Lake District, Ludlow and the Cotswolds, say - that are recognised as centres of culinary excellence. Nottingham, up to now, has not been one of them. One man, however, doing his...

Best Independent Marketing Campaign; Room, The Bourse Courtyard, Leeds.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by Autograph Foodservice Room, the 2003 best independent marketing campaign winner, was described as the "most creative" entry that "fully exploited all available marketing opportunities" by one of our judges, Hannah Bailey,...

Group Restaurateur of the Year; Andrew Guy, chief executive, ; City Centre Restaurants.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by Winterhalter A clear endorsement from the judges made Andrew Guy this year's Group Restaurateur of the Year. One judge said: "He has turned a business that was clanking towards the coast back into open sea." Guy started...

Independent Restaurateur of the Year; David and Rona Pitchford, ; Read's, Faversham.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by Brakes The Pitchfords started business in a bankrupt mini-market in a small, isolated Kent village, using second-hand equipment costing just [pounds sterling]35. Now in its 27th year, Read's, their restaurant with rooms at...

Food Service Caterer of the Year; Linda Halliday, co-founder and director, ; Wilson Storey Halliday.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by P&G Professional There were several strong contenders for this year's Food Service Caterer of the Year award, but one person's inexhaustible contribution to the industry singled her out. Linda Halliday was hailed by the...

Pub Industry Award; Steve Wilkins, managing ; director, Lewis & Clarke.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by Hobart UK It was a unanimous decision by the judging panel to award the 2003 Pub Industry Award to Steve Wilkins, managing director of Lewis & Clarke, and the driving force behind the Lewis & Clarke pubs - including the Last...

Special Award; Jamie Oliver, chef-proprietor, ; Fifteen, London.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by American ExpressGlobal Establishment Services Not only has he made cooking fun to millions of people, both young and old, he has also placed a professional and personal stake in developing the restaurateurs of tomorrow." ...

Best Group Marketing Campaign; Holiday Inn.
July 3, 2003... Sponsored by Nestle Foodservices For a marketing campaign to increase sales by 25%, to up online bookings by 90% and to grow a loyalty scheme's database by 223% is no mean feat. What's more, this success came during a huge dip in the...

20 years of the Cateys.
July 3, 2003... The Cateys - or the Caterer & Hotelkeeper Awards, to give them their full name - were launched in the mid-1980s when the magazine was expanding its "extracurricular" activities under the editorship of Joe Hyam. The Acorn Awards, Hotelier of the...

Substance misuse policies.
July 3, 2003... Rosemary Morrison, director of special projects for the HCIMA, looks at the problems and responsibilities faced by employers in dealing with a worryingly common issue Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, it is not only an offence to...

The Catey Academy.
July 3, 2003... Independent Hotel of the Year 2003 The Vineyard at Stockcross 2002 Ynyshir Hall, Machynlleth 2001 Celtic Manor, Newport 2000 Chewton Glen,New Milton 1999 Northcote Manor, Langho, near Blackburn 1998 Crieff Hydro,...

Letters Caterer.
July 3, 2003... Work out a people plan to retain your best staff According to the Employment Review (IRS) report published last month by the Internal Revenue Service, two-thirds of employers had difficulties filling vacancies in 2002-03, and almost half...

Last supper.(chef Tom Ilic)(Brief Article)(Interview)
July 10, 2003... Faced with an end-of-a-lifetime meal, Bonds executive head chef Tom Ilic would head back to Serbia for suckling pig and a slug of slivovitz What's the grub? A choice of spit roast - suckling pig, spring lamb, anything "on the stick" -...

NEWS Round-up.(miscellaneous brief articles)
July 10, 2003... GM legislation on food labelling European opposition to the GM revolution gathered momentum last week when MEPs in Strasbourg voted in favour of bringing in strict GM food labelling rules and curbing the proliferation of GM crops. New...

The Aussie at the bar.(Will Ricker)
July 10, 2003... Will Ricker recently turned 500 people away from his Notting Hill celeb-haunt, E&O. Now he's hoping to do the same with his new venture, Eight Over Eight. Fiona Sims meets him I'm sure we've met before," grins Will Ricker, extending a...

People on the move.
July 10, 2003... SONYA YOUNG has joined the Botleigh Grange hotel in Southampton, Hampshire, as general manager. As well as the day-to-day running of the hotel, she has responsibility for all training and recruitment at the site. She was previously general...

Return of the Troubleshooters.(Acorn Inn, Dorset, England)
July 10, 2003... The Troubleshooters are back. This week Caterer sends consultant Caroline Beecher and hotelier Don Birch to Dorset to brainstorm business tactics with the new owners of the Acorn Inn. Rosalind Mullen reports Both sides meet in the bar the...

Bath's delayed spa to open next month.(Thermae Bath Spa, Bath, England)
July 10, 2003... Hoteliers in Bath are keeping their fingers crossed that the city's [pounds sterling]7.8m Thermae Bath Spa will finally open next month, six months after it was first due to be up and running. The spa was set to open in February but delays...

Hotels Round-up.(miscellaneous brief articles)
July 10, 2003... Hotel raffle fails to find a winner Four Austrian tax advisers are struggling to sell their Scottish hotel in a raffle due to lack of interest. Tax and economy consultants Wolfgang Baldauf, Christian Kienzl, Johannes Reimeir and Klaus...

Prep school.(vegetable preparation equipment)
July 10, 2003... There's a bewildering array of machines to take the hard work out of vegetable preparation, and now they're becoming even more versatile. Dan Bignold looks at the latest gadgetry A tour of the galley on P&O's flagship cruise liner Aurora...

Brains buys four pubs from Whitbread.(SA Brain)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... Welsh brewer SA Brain has expanded its estate to 225 pubs with the acquisition of four pubs from Whitbread's Beefeater chain for an undisclosed sum. Three of the newcomers - the George in Mumbles, the Pump House in the Marina and the...

Ringing the changes.(lodging property changes)
July 10, 2003... Lucy Riley, a solicitor in the property department at London law firm Rooks Rider, examines issues you should consider when making changes to your property Planning consent will be required for any changes that constitute "development",...

Murdered girl's family win hotel safety probe.(Grainne Dillon, Jury's Inn, Limerick, Ireland)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... The family of a trainee hotel manager shot dead at the Jurys Inn in Limerick last year has won an 18-month fight for an investigation into work practices at the hotel. The Irish Health and Safety Authority has begun the investigation...

How to be the bride's perfect venue.
July 10, 2003... The downturn in trading that everyone in the hotel business has experienced means there's never been a better time to market your hotel as a wedding venue. But while there's plenty of wedding business about, competition is getting tougher and...

Culinary academy launches national Adopt a School Day.(Academy of Culinary Arts, UK)
July 10, 2003... In an effort to increase practical cookery skills among children the Academy of Culinary Arts is launching its first national Adopt a School Day this September. Organised by the Adopt a School Trust (AAST), a charity run by the academy,...

Roux brothers mark 21st year of scholarship.(Michel and Albert Roux, Roux Scholarship)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... Founders of the Roux Scholarship, Michel and Albert Roux, are to host a charity gala dinner to celebrate 21 years of the competition at the hotel where its first winner, Andrew Fairlie, has a one-Michelin-starred restaurant. The event will...

Super bowls.(food bowls, small meals served at parties rather than buffets, includes recipes)
July 10, 2003... Buffets are soooo last century. What the best parties are serving now is food bowls - miniature meals that are more filling than canapes and easier to manage than a buffet. We talk to the caterers behind the trend They've been slow to take...

Dutois moves up to executive chef at Harrods.(Jerome Dutois)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... Harrods, the world famous department store, has announced the appointment of JEROME DUTOIS as its executive chef. Originally from St Malo, Brittany, he began his career in Paris, at the Plaza Athenee hotel, before moving to the UK in 1983...

OVER; TO YOU.(hospitality industry pension coverage)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... This week we ask whether you're confident that your pension provision will be adequate I have a very good provision, but I've been fortunate to work with companies which have chosen other good companies. Am I confident? I won't know until...

Table talk.(miscellaneous brief articles)
July 10, 2003... Never mind the bogeyman, Gordon's gonna getcha Gordon Ramsay finds it fascinating to spend time in primary school classrooms and hear the kids talk about food. "They don't like spinach, they don't like carrots, or tomatoes. And it's...

Managed pub deals growing.
July 10, 2003... The growing split between the owner and the operator of a property already evident in hotels will become common in the pub world within the next five years, predicts Honeycombe Leisure, which is spearheading this development in the sector. ...

Salary watch.(UK hotel general managers)
July 10, 2003... GENERAL MANAGERS Market conditions are still influencing rates of pay for hotel general managers. Unless hotels are trading in a niche market, or with exceptional facilities, there has been little reason for salaries to leap ahead of...

UK hotels stem revpar slide.(revenue per available room)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... For the first time in nine months, the year-on-year drop in revenue per available room (revpar) at UK hotels was not as great as it was the previous month, according to research by consultant TRI Hospitality. The statistics show that, in...

London hotels in top spot on Big Mac price scale.(Hotel Affordability Index based upon price of McDonald's Big Mac in local currency, London, England)
July 10, 2003... Big Macs have become worldwide recognised currency with the news that a good night's sleep in a London hotel costs the same as 110 Big Macs, more than double the number of burgers it would take for local residents in Sydney, Toronto or San...

Dorchester Group takes on Milan's Principe di Savoia.(acquisition)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... The Dorchester Group has bought the Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan, Italy, for g275m ([pounds sterling]189m) from US-based hotel group Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, it announced last week. The sale of the Principe di Savoia comes...

Indian Hotels plans overseas expansion.(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... The Indian Hotels Company has announced a new overseas push alongside robust figures for the year to 31 March. As reported last week, award-winning hotelier Raymond Bickson is being promoted from chief operating officer at Taj Luxury Hotels...

UK industry 'needs more ethnic leaders'.(hospitality industry)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... The UK needs to attract more ethnic minorities into the hospitality industry if it is to realise its full economic potential, says a US think-tank. "While you don't have the historic diversity problems we suffer with in the USA, it's a...

Review OF THE REVIEWS.(restaurants)
July 10, 2003... 5 July Jan Moir on the Chardon d'Or, Glasgow If you are sending out a simple ragout of scallops cooked in a shellfish jus and just a trace of walnut oil, then you better make sure everything on that plain little plate is up to scratch....

Fire-damaged resort is back in business.(Center Parcs resort, Elveden Forest, UK)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... The Center Parcs resort at Elveden Forest which was destroyed by fire last year reopens tomorrow (11 July) after a [pounds sterling]55m rebuild. When the fire, which is believed to have started in the kitchens, swept through the 400-acre...

Sheikh's eye op puts Geneva top.(cataract operation of King Fahd Bin Abdul-Aziz took place in Geneva, Switzerland)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... A two-month stay by Saudi ruler King Fahd Bin Abdul-Aziz, accompanied by an entourage of 400 people, helped boost the rooms yield of hotels in Geneva last year, making it the best performing city in Europe, according to PKF's City Survey 2003....

Galmiche takes helm at L'Ortolan.(chef Daniel Galmiche, Shinfield, England)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... Daniel Galmiche has been named as the new head chef at one-Michelin-starred Berkshire restaurant L'Ortolan in Shinfield. He takes over from Alan Murchison, who will join Chewton Glen in New Milton, Hampshire, as executive chef later this summer...

Peyton's place in the park.(restaurateur Oliver Peyton, St. James' Park, England)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... Restaurateur Oliver Peyton is to go into partnership with the Royal Parks agency to open a [pounds sterling]3m purpose-built restaurant and cafe in the grounds of St James's Park. Peyton, whose Gruppo restaurants include the Atlantic Bar &...

New poverty fears as workers shun pension schemes.(hospitality industry)
July 10, 2003... Hospitality workers risk spending their old age in poverty because of the minimal take-up of new pension schemes. An inability to save because of low wages, the high number of casual workers denied access to company pension schemes and...

Survival of the most adaptable.(hospitality industry)(Editorial)
July 10, 2003... With the deluge of problems the industry has had to cope with over the past 18 months, it's easy to lose sight of what continues to succeed in this business - having a good idea, finding the right audience, great marketing, and being...

Stockwatch.(UK hospitality industry)
July 10, 2003... After weeks of little or negative movement on the FTSE Leisure & Hotels index, close of play on Monday revealed a more promising outlook for share prices in the industry. The index was up by 3.41% from 2809.8p to 2905.7p, while the FTSE All...

Saudi prince eyes Le Meridien.(Prince Alwaleed bin Talal may invest in Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2003... The future of Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts remains undecided as discussions continue between key stakeholders and a new player, the world's fifth-richest man, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. The Saudi billionaire, who owns stakes in...