Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from July 2006

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from July 2006

The Lavender House.(Lavender House introduces cookery school and increases earnings)
July 13, 2006... Best Independent Marketing Campaign Sponsored by Autograph Foodservice The decision to open a cookery school at the Lavender House was described by the judges as an enterprising and creative move by a husband-and-wife team who had...

Exclusive Hotels.
July 13, 2006... Best Group Marketing Campaign Sponsored by Nestle FoodServices Exclusive Hotels' Breakfast at Tiffany's-themed promotion had all the hallmarks of a quality marketing campaign. Judge Pamela Carvell said its goals were entirely tangible...

Steph Barton and Paul Spencer.(Drunken Duck owners named Pub and Bar Operator of the Year)
July 13, 2006... Pub and Bar Operator of the Year Sponsored by Booker The plan was simple. This year's Pub and Bar Operator of the Year would, like most of the other 16 Catey categories, have a winner and runners-up. Simple enough, maybe, but still a...

Mark McQuater.(Mark McQuater of Barracuda Group named winner of Pub and Bar Industry Award)
July 13, 2006... Pub and Bar Industry Award Sponsored by Micros-Fidelio UK In an industry experiencing rapid consolidation, it takes plenty of gumption to launch a pub company from scratch - especially a managed pub company, which brings the headaches...

Robert Cook.
July 13, 2006... Manager of the Year Sponsored by Dudson Group There's little doubt that Robert Cook has hotels in his blood. The chief executive officer of the Malmaison and Hotel de Vin brands spent the first 18 years of his life living in room 114...

Gordon Ramsay.(winner of Restaurateur of the Year)
July 13, 2006... Restaurateur of the Year - Independent Sponsored by Brakes Choosing the winner of Caterer's prestigious Restaurateur of the Year - Independent award can be a protracted, often contentious, process. This year, discussions were brief and...

Eddie McIntyre.(Education and Training Award won by Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies manager)
July 13, 2006... Education and Training Award Sponsored by The Consortium of Caterers and Administrators (in Education) In 1983, aged 36, Eddie McIntyre became the youngest principal of a UK higher education college when he joined Birmingham College of...

Robyn Jones.
July 13, 2006... Food Service Caterer of the Year Sponsored by P&G Professional Robyn Jones famously started up contract caterer Charlton House from her back bedroom in July 1991 with the help of a [pounds sterling]2,500 redundancy cheque. Fifteen...

Bruce Poole.
July 13, 2006... Chef Award Sponsored by Fresh Direct It's a brave man who takes over the kitchen of an iconic restaurant. It's a clever man and talented chef who manages to make a success of such a move and carve out his own niche on the competitive...

Alan Tuckwood.
July 13, 2006... Public Sector Caterer of the Year Sponsored by apetito Compared with school and hospital meals, prison catering doesn't exactly grab the headlines. That, however, has never stopped the winner of this year's Public Sector Caterer of the...

Terry Holmes.(tourism award winner)
July 13, 2006... Tourism Award Sponsored by CatererSearch.com In the world of modern hotel business, where financial figures and "the bottom line" are sometimes all that seems to matter, it is easy to forget that old-fashioned hospitality and strength...

Nick Basing.(chief executive of Paramount wins Restaurateur of the Year award )
July 13, 2006... Restaurateur of the Year - Group Sponsored by Bunzl Britain's group and chain restaurant sector continues to go from strength to strength. The past five to 10 years has seen an explosion in casual dining concepts, from boutique groups...

The Soho Hotel, London.
July 13, 2006... Hotel of the Year - Group Sponsored by JohnsonDiversey This year's winner was chosen by the judges because of a number of different factors, not least the fact that the Soho Hotel is a prime example of the Firmdale group's ability to...

The Chester Grosvenor and Spa.(Hotel of the Year)
July 13, 2006... Hotel of the Year - Independent Sponsored by Colliers Robert Barry Dating back to 1865, this five-star property has become a landmark for the North of England and has become a strong brand within the North-west. It was only one of four...

Lord Sebastian Coe.
July 13, 2006... Special Award Sponsored by American Express In its 23-year history, the Catey Special Award has never been awarded to anyone beyond the hospitality industry sphere. This year, however, the nominators of Caterer's premier award -...

The Albion.(menu of the year)
July 13, 2006... Menu of the Year Sponsored by Quorn Question: Where would you go to eat good, locally sourced produce and enjoy a relaxed meal? Answer: most likely a gastropub out of London because it's these type of food operations that have been the...

Galvin Bistrot de Luxe.(Newcomer of the Year award)
July 13, 2006... Newcomer of the Year Sponsored by Christie + Co It's safe to say that the 2006 Catey Newcomer of the Year was one of the most eagerly anticipated London restaurant openings of the past 12 months. But over-anticipation is a dangerous...

Celebrating success.
July 13, 2006... Mark Lewis, Editor, Caterer and Hotelkeeper The dust will have settled on Cateys night, which took place at London's Grosvenor House hotel on Tuesday, but for the winners the evening will live on for some time to come as they reflect on...

The week in brief.
July 13, 2006... Salon Culinaire returns Britain's second-largest salon culinaire, which was controversially axed by the organisers of Hospitality Week in 2003, will be resurrected for next year's show. Hospitality Week, which will be held from 22-24...

Ramsay joins elite band of triple Catey winners.(Gordon Ramsay )
July 13, 2006... By Emily manson One of the UK's leading chefs has stormed into Caterer and Hotelkeeper's record books to become the third winner of three Cateys in their career. Gordon Ramsay's hat trick was completed on Tuesday evening at a...

Bed tax: Ken urged to back campaign.(London's mayor Ken Livingstone )
July 13, 2006... Hotel chief calls for "top voices shouting their opposition" by emily manson London's mayor Ken Livingstone must back the hotel industry and join the fight against a bed tax, according to a panel of the city's leading hoteliers. ...

Home House expands into next door.(Bespoke Hotels is expanding the existing premise of Home House private club)(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... London's uber-chic private club Home House is set to double in size, after completing a deal to buy the building next door. Bespoke Hotels, manager and joint owner of the members-only club in Portman Square, has bought No 21 to add to its...

Holroyd Howe goes after private schools meals market.
July 13, 2006... Independent contract caterer Holroyd Howe is to launch an education division for the private schools market. The announcement, made at its strategic review in London last week, is designed to "meet the changing face of school catering -...

St Ervan Manor is up for sale.
July 13, 2006... North Cornwall's one-Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms St Ervan Manor has been placed on the market with a [pounds sterling]1.85m price tag. Property agent Savills is looking for offers of [pounds sterling]1.45m for the main Grade-II...

Wetherspoon's opens stand-alone coffee shop.(JD Wetherspoon PLC)(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... Traditional British boozers might become more like coffee shops if a move by operator JD Wetherspoon catches on. Its pub the Capitol in Forest Hill, South-east London, has opened a coffee shop. The shop (left) is open from 7am in the week, two...

Court rejects 3663 claim over MoD deal.(Ministry of Defence's supply deal to Purple Foodservice Solutions)(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... Food wholesaler 3663's claim that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had broken tendering rules when it awarded a supply deal to Purple Foodservice Solutions (PFS) has been dismissed in court. 3663 launched its legal challenge in May because it...

Room to open London site in Hoxton Lodge.(Catey-winning Room Restaurants )(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... Catey-winning Room Restaurants is to open its first London eaterie this September. The company, which launches its fourth Room restaurant in Liverpool today (see page 18) in boutique hotel 62 Castle Street, already has sites in Leeds,...

Pub companies switch more units to leases.
July 13, 2006... By Chris Druce Tenanted pubs are increasing their stranglehold on the pub sector with operators abandoning direct management in the face of spiralling costs, according to industry experts. Bedfordshire brewer Charles Wells's...

Restaurateurs warned about bogus critics.
July 13, 2006... Time Out magazine has warned restaurateurs to watch out for two con artists posing as food critics from the magazine who have defrauded two Middlesex restaurants in a fortnight. The magazine's food and drink editor Guy Dimond said the...

Slow plans system under fire.(Brief article)
July 13, 2006... England's planning system is still hampering growth, especially in the hotel and retail sector, claims an interim report by the Bank of England. However, the report found some improvements in the process. Of 18,800 applications for major...

School meals require long-term investment.
July 13, 2006... Outgoing LACA chairman Kevin McKay says Government must extend its three-year plan beyond 2008 By Tom Bill Only a long-term cash commitment will produce lasting improvements in school meals, according to the Local Authority Caterers...

Caterer takes bed tax campaign to No 10.
July 13, 2006... Caterer and Hotelkeeper and budget hotel operator Travelodge took the Say No To Bed Tax campaign to No 10 Downing Street this week. Travelodge chief executive Grant Hearn and Caterer managing editor James Garner delivered Travelodge's...

THE man with the Midas touch.
July 20, 2006... When it comes to restaurants, bars and private members' clubs, Nick Jones doesn't seem to put a foot wrong. Gaby Huddart caught up with him at his soon-to-open venture in Chiswick, west London Nick Jones has come a long way since his days...

Hotels can still make a game of it.
July 20, 2006... The granting of only 17 licences for new casinos in the UK has restricted the opportunities for hotel companies to cash in. But new gaming laws coming into force next year could open up possibilities with the go-ahead for remote gambling...

Tighten up purchase ordering.
July 20, 2006... What should you do if you unwittingly pay for goods you never received - or even asked for in the first place? Cynthia Barbor offers some advice THE PROBLEM I run a medium-sized contract catering company and recently found a purchase...

Police in plea to hoteliers over drive-by murder.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Police are appealing for hoteliers to help them track down a man wanted in connection with a drive-by shooting on 2 May in north-east London. James Tomkins, who has also used the surnames Moncur and Wiseman, is wanted for questioning about...

A new lease of life?
July 20, 2006... Who would give up an established career as a general manager of five-star hotels for the chance to turn around a run-down pub in Brighton? Andrew Coggings, that's who. Emma Allen went to meet him Taking over a neighbourhood pub wasn't,...

Toque d'Or 2006.
July 20, 2006... England might not have brought home the World Cup this year, but a themed restaurant marking the 40th anniversary since Bobby Moore led our team to victory certainly came up trumps for South Trafford College when they lifted the 2006 Nestle...

Events.(Calendar)
July 20, 2006... Festival fever hits Oxford this weekend, as the Fishes pub, in the village of North Hinksey, just outside the city, hosts its first festival as a Peach Pub. Expect food, beer, music and egg-throwing competitions, apparently. Visit...

gilgamesh.(decorated food and drink megavenue)(Ian Pengelley- chef)
July 20, 2006... Ian Pengelley's trademark pan-Asian cuisine has been unleashed in a new [pounds sterling]12m, 800-cover venue in Camden. Dan Bignold reports Chef Ian Pengelley admits to sulking when his Gordon Ramsay-backed Sloane Street restaurant...

the week in brief.(David Ford employee of Sodexho UK)(spirit group merges with Tattershall Castle Group )(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Tattershall Castle boss quits Peter Brook, chief executive of pub operator Tattershall Castle Group (TCG), has quit his post less than a year after leading a [pounds sterling]177m-buyout from the Spirit Group. David Ford, former boss...

Middle East unrest could destroy region's tourism.
July 20, 2006... By Emily Manson The tourism trade in Lebanon and Israel faces ruin if the renewed violence between the two countries, triggered by Hezbollah's kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers last week, continues. With no sign of the bombings...

What De Vere did next.
July 20, 2006... Now the De Vere bidding war is over, observers are wondering about new owner AHG Venice's plans. David Shrimpton asks chief executive Richard Balfour-Lynn De Vere is about to be taken over. Until recently, this was simply the oldest rumour...

Glas expands with fine-dining sister restaurant.
July 20, 2006... London's Nordic eaterie Glas hopes to expand with a second site in the capital's Upper Street in October. Founder Anna Mosesson is due to exchange contracts this week for a new [pounds sterling]230,000 property in Islington, which will be...

one devonshire gardens to join hotel du vin after [pounds sterling]1.7m refurb.
July 20, 2006... Glasgow's most acclaimed hotel, One Devonshire Gardens, is now officially part of the Hotel du Vin stable. The 49-bedroom property will undergo a [pounds sterling]1.7m makeover before relaunching in October. The restaurant, which was...

New eaterie to open on former Sugar Club site.
July 20, 2006... Soho restaurant operator Brenhan Magee has teamed up with Crystal Palace FC chairman Simon Jordan to open a new restaurant on the site of the former Sugar Club in London's West End. The pair will open the Club Bar and Dining restaurant in...

FSA report reveals poor hygiene.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... One in five take-aways is a "significant" threat to public health, says survey Ross Bentley Almost one in five take-away outlets, and one in eight restaurants and cafes, have poor hygiene and food control processes, according to a new...

Carry on drinking while boss is away.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Licence holders can put staff in charge during absences By angela Frewin Latest Government guidance on the Licensing Act allows personal licence holders to be absent from their premises while alcohol is being served. The most...

festivals rock.
July 20, 2006... Staging a food festival can underline the quality of your restaurant and motivate staff if you persuade the right people to come and cook at it. Joanna Wood has some inside tips from two of our top chefs on how to create a successful culinary...

Match with Trinchero.
July 20, 2006... Caterer is joining forces with Californian wine producer Trinchero Family Estates again this year to offer a fantastic, exclusive four-day wine and food matching education trip to the Napa Valley in the USA. To qualify for this unique...

Aviation fuel tax 'would hit EU tourism'.
July 20, 2006... Holiday-makers will fly further afield By Ross Bentley Plans to make European airlines pay aviation fuel tax and subscribe to the EU's carbon emissions trading scheme will be disastrous to tourism, warn industry experts. Last...

Foodfile ingredients in season.
July 20, 2006... Fresh produce Native crops of podded vegetables are all very good at the moment including runner beans, broad beans and peas. British courgettes and corn on the cob are also on the market. Hisby cabbages are also in plentiful supply. ...

Free training course for school caterers.
July 20, 2006... A new free training course has been launched to help school caterers improve their craft skills and meet this September's new nutritional guidelines. The scheme, an adaptation of the Government-funded Support Workers in Schools programme,...

Media blamed for falling school meals.
July 20, 2006... Caterers blame media coverage of school dinners as the biggest factor behind falling school meal uptake, according to management accountant PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC). The firm's findings showed that nearly three-quarters (73%) of...

Only for members?(clubs are modernising and serving good variety food)
July 20, 2006... The phrase "I'm having dinner at my club" may be a staple of the UK's black-and-white movie history, but what would it mean today? James Aufenast looks into the modern world of London members' clubs and their privileged diners A few years...

Pubs won't have enough time for smoking ban.
July 20, 2006... By Tom Bill Pubs and restaurants fear that the ambiguity surrounding next year's smoking laws mean they won't be able to adapt their premises in time for the ban. Among other proposals, the three-month consultation paper launched on...

Sleeping with the bed tax.
July 20, 2006... Sir Michael Lyons welcomes feedback from Caterer readers but wants them to further engage in the debate You can tell the summer has arrived when you open the newspaper to read about the latest "shock horror" tax initiative. The strangest...

Pulze opens London pub.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Veteran London restaurateur Claudio Pulze is to open his first-ever pub in London later this year. Although few details were available as Caterer went to press, a spokeswoman confirmed that Pulze had bought a property in the Baker Street...

Caterer delivers 4,000 bed tax petitions.
July 20, 2006... Caterer and Hotelkeeper this week delivered more than 4,000 signed petitions from readers to Sir Michael Lyons, the man heading up the inquiry into the future of local government. Petitions have been sent in from all over the UK,...

White and Dettori to open their fifth Frankie's at Selfridges.
July 20, 2006... Restaurateur Marco Pierre White and jockey Frankie Dettori are to open their fifth Frankie's Italian Bar & Grill, in London's Selfridges department store, next Wednesday (26 July). The duo's first department store unit will be housed in...

A minute on the clock Dean Butler.
July 20, 2006... Dean Butler began his career as a chef in London with event caterer Mosimann's Party Service. A decade on, he has just landed the job of chef de cuisine at one of the world's most exclusive resorts, Sandy Lane in Barbados. He talks to Emily...

Book Review.(Book review)
July 20, 2006... Barbecue ideas for summer Food From Fire: The Real Barbecue Book Charles Campion Mitchell Beazley, [pounds sterling]16.99 ISBN 1 84533 2032 If you've got a pub with a garden, now's the time to think of pulling in extra customers with a...

Caterer loves.
July 20, 2006... Oysters "The world is your oyster" is the English phrase most often associated with these slippery little suckers. Some people are scared to try these seemingly slimy molluscs, but they are a surprisingly versatile ingredient. They can...

Cateys 2006.(hospitality industry's performers)
July 20, 2006... Highlights from the industry's big night Roy and Sally Ackerman (above) arrive at the Grosvenor House just in time to meet BHA chief executive Bob Cotton Guest presenter Rob Brydon (right) entertained the Cateys night guests with his...

Diego Jacquet, head chef, the Zetter, Clerkenwell.
July 20, 2006... Diego Jacquet has started as head chef at the Zetter restaurant and rooms in London's Clerkenwell. He was previously executive chef at Hilton's Trafalgar London hotel, where he was credited with helping to establish Rockwell bar and restaurant....

Gareth Brown, head chef, Chilston Park, Maidstone.
July 20, 2006... Hand Picked Hotels' Chilston Park, in Maidstone, has appointed Gareth Brown head chef. He rejoins the hotel after 10 years, and was most recently executive sous chef at Marston's Bridgewood Manor in Canterbury. Matthew Tee has also moved to...

How I got here.(Karen Bassett general manager of Macdonald Francis hotel)
July 20, 2006... Karen Bassett, general manager, Macdonald Francis hotel, Bath Karen Bassett became general manager of the Macdonald Francis hotel in Bath last month, and, after 22 years of service there, she certainly knows its ins and outs. Bassett...

Ian Thomas, parent account manager, Sodexho.
July 20, 2006... Ian Thomas has become parent account manager at contract caterer Sodexho. The new role has been created to maximise sales opportunities at the company. Thomas joined Sodexho from Compass Group, where he was a managing director.

Jo Berrington, sales and marketing director, Yotel.
July 20, 2006... Jo Berrington has been recruited as sales and marketing director for Yotel. The group is due to open hotels at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports shortly. Before this appointment, Berrington was head of marketing for the British Airways...

Letters.
July 20, 2006... Nominate next year's winners now While congratulating the worthy winners of this year's Cateys - in particular, the Independent Hotel of the Year, the Chester Grosvenor and Spa, with which we are yet again associated - I am aware that Caterer...

Next move for a mature student.(Interview)(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Each week our panel of recruitment experts provide answers to an employment question posed by a Caterer reader the question I am a mature student studying for a hospitality degree. I have six years of retail experience, but how do I...

Panoramic Bar & Restaurant, Kempton Park, Middlesex.
July 20, 2006... Completely glass-fronted, this three-tiered restaurant has panoramic views over Kempton Park racecourse. The Champagne and cocktail bar has a balcony overlooking the winners' enclosure and parade ring. Open race days only. Opened 7 June...

Review of Reviews.(48 Bistro)(National Dining Rooms)(Commerc 24)(Riddle & Finns)(Barnes Grill)(Restaurant review)
July 20, 2006... The Scotsman 15 July Emma Cowing finds more style than substance at Glasgow's 48 Bistro The interior is fantastic [but] for a Saturday night, it was strangely empty - only two other tables were taken when we arrived. After...

Robert Singer, director of sales, Hotel de Rome, Berlin.
July 20, 2006... Rocco Forte Hotels has welcomed Robert Singer as director of sales for Hotel de Rome in Berlin, which is scheduled to open this autumn. Singer was director of sales at the Ku' Damm 101 hotel, Berlin.

Saco, Bath.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... This [pounds sterling]6m development in a restored Georgian terrace is Saco's 13th UK property. Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments are on offer and are intended to provide affordable, yet private and luxurious accommodation for the...

Sean Cullum, head chef, Coliseum restaurant, Kenilworth.
July 20, 2006... Sean Cullum has taken the position of head chef at the newly opened Coliseum restaurant, part of the Grand hotel in Kenilworth, Warwickshire. Before joining the Coliseum, Cullum worked for Isobels restaurant at Haigs hotel in Balsall Common,...

Strategy clinic.(loyality card scheme (discount cards))
July 20, 2006... I'm thinking of introducing a loyalty card scheme. Any advice? Guy Holmes, The Restaurant Ingredient Loyalty card schemes are a good way of enticing customers to return and more frequently. Here are four main points to remember: *...

Table Talk.(treatment of employees of restaurant industry)(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... These self-promoting shows are just too common You'd have thought aristocratic hotelier Tim Hadcock-Mackay had enough on his plate at the moment with the demise of Distinguished Hotels. You may remember that he was chairman of the hotel...

The Bar at the Dorchester, Dorchester hotel, London.
July 20, 2006... Reopened after an extensive renovation, The Bar aims to reintroduce the cocktail hour. Mirrored glass, mahogany and velvet give it a new look. It also features a bespoke bitters menu, the Dorchester's own gin and what's claimed to be the UK's...

The easy options.(food varities and their rates at various restaurants)
July 20, 2006... This week's new products are suitable for pub and bar menus, and quick and easy to prepare. Diane Lane reports 1. made for big appetites The new Gastro-Pub brand from the Authentic Food Company comprises seven hearty meat products for...

Wrap it Up, London.
July 20, 2006... Hoping to revamp the snack sector, the first outlet of this company has opened near London's Liverpool Street station. Providing a lower-GI alternative to traditional sandwiches, the wraps are inspired by street markets around the world. The...

good week/bad week.
July 20, 2006... Golden arches Couple win [pounds sterling]1.3m on the lottery, but vow to keep flipping burgers at Cardiff site... for now. Decency Dutch McDonald's removes mouth-shaped urinals from gents after outraged guest complains. Liverpool ladies George...

how to.(Brief article)
July 20, 2006... Shuck an oyster * Use a sharp oyster knife (pointed ones are better than rounded). * Protect the hand holding the oyster with a folded cloth. * Go in with the knife by the hinge or at the side, whichever you find easier. * Try...

BBC deal could be up for grabs.
July 27, 2006... Compass Group division Eurest could lose its [pounds sterling]15m catering contract at the BBC if the deal goes out to tender next year, according to a source close to facilities management group Johnson Controls. US-based Johnson Controls...