Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from June 2007

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from June 2007

Industry denies it's to blame for UK booze culture.(News)
June 7, 2007... Government report ignores work already done, say critics By Christopher Walton Government plans to change Britain's boozing culture and crack down further on binge-drinking announced in a report this week have been criticised as...

How to: beat the bullies.(Infozone)
June 7, 2007... If you've been bullied at work, you're not alone. Of 800 professionals who responded to a survey conducted by Caterer's sister title Personnel Today and anti-bullying charity the Andrea Adams Trust, 75% had been bullied. Aside from the obvious...

News.(Infozone)(sales of wines)(accredited qualification for Baristas)(Graham Bamford elected as president of Royal Garden Hotel)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... * Wine knowledge boosts sales Pub and bar operators have been urged to boost their workers' wine knowledge to make the most of a predicted boom in wine sales after the 1 July smoking ban. According to management consultancy Aon's Vine to...

Crown Group becomes Oriel.(News)(hospitality industry)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Events and contract caterer Crown Group is to rebrand as Oriel by the start of July as it embarks on a period of growth. The group, founded 30 years ago, has amalgamated its seven companies and 12 brands into two operating arms, Kudos...

London 2012 unveils a logo 'to inspire'.(News)(change in Olympics logo)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics have revealed the corporate logo that will be used to promote the games in the runaup to and during the competition. Costing a reported [pounds sterling]400,000 to design, the emblem is available...

De Vere set to buy Searcy's.(News)(Alternative Hotel Group)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Caterer has learnt that the De Vere Collection, owned by the Alternative Hotel Group, is poised to buy exclusive caterer Searcy's. The deal, which is expected to complete within the next few days, will see the caterer for London's Royal...

Book Review.(Side Orders)(Lotus: Asian Flavours)(Book review)
June 7, 2007... Punching big with flavour Lotus: Asian Flavours Teage Ezard Hardie Grant Books (softback), Aus$49.50 ( [pounds sterling]21) ISBN 1-74066-268-7 The Melbourne-based chef Teage Ezard is known as one of Australia's maestros...

Good week/bad week.(Side Orders)
June 7, 2007... Hospitality Action Industry charity's week-long online auction raises record [pounds sterling]3,177. Scottish gourmands Edinburgh hosts its first Taste festival this weekend. HA[currency]agen-Dazs Ice-cream brand teams up with...

Gordon Ramsay at the London.(Features)
June 7, 2007... When Gordon Ramsay opened his first US restaurant in New York last November, all eyes turned to see how Britain's most famous chef would be received in the Big Apple. Kerstin Kuhn reports Teething problems involving staffing issues and...

My life in hospitality.(Infozone)
June 7, 2007... David Guile Highs... I guess my best career decision was taking my first role in Crest Hotels in Gatwick as a trainee manager in 1985. Since then I've worked with four different companies due to acquisition and accumulated 22 years of...

Agua Resort & Spa, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.(Side Orders)
June 7, 2007... Located in the north-east of the Dominican Republic, this luxury resort is set alongside a private beach and has 18 villas with 53 suites. The spa includes Finnish and steam saunas as well as indoor pool with Jacuzzi, bubble beds, Sensations...

Yun Fu, Hong Kong.(Side Orders)
June 7, 2007... This restaurant aims to take diners on a culinary journey through the Chinese regions and features a strong Tibetan influence in its food. Interiors are based on a circle theme, signifying unity and infinity, including a circular bar, waved...

Ramada Plaza Antwerp, Belgium.(Side Orders)
June 7, 2007... The first Ramada Plaza property in Belgium is designed for both business and leisure travellers. It is located in the heart of Antwerp's business district, close to the exhibition venue Antwerp Expo as well as the city's historic centre. ...

Review of Reviews.(Features)
June 7, 2007... The Daily Telegraph 2 June Mark Palmer is unsure about the design of Gary Rhodes's latest restaurant in central London, Rhodes W1, but enjoys the foode_SClBI go for the "crisp soft egg" because I like the idea of a contradiction in...

Helping hand to the top.(Infozone)(Interview)
June 7, 2007... Its profile may not be huge in hospitality, but its role in helping the careers of young industry members certainly is. Tom Vaughan reports on the last 10 years of the St Julian Scholars The St Julian Scholars scheme identifies rising stars...

Strategy clinic.(Infozone)
June 7, 2007... "I run a small pub with a restaurant seating 20. I cannot afford a trained chef, but still need to produce good food. What can I do?" There is an opportunity to be clever and use this situation to your advantage. Recently I went to a food...

The briefing.(Infozone)(survey on budding entreprenuers)(staff referrals helps in company savings)(workplace smoking ban in England)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... * A nation of entrepreneurs Britain is a nation of budding entrepreneurs, with half of all UK adults having considered starting their own business, new research has found. Of those ques tioned by YouGov for EO London, 39% reported a good...

Employing children.(Infozone)
June 7, 2007... Katee Dias, employment solicitor at Goodman Derrick, describes the strict rules governing ages, hours and job suitability when taking on young people Problem With the school holidays coming up, I'm considering taking on some...

Food sales per meal in quick-service restaurants.(Infozone)
June 7, 2007... * With drink, the average sale per meal is [pounds sterling]4.48. * Group operators charge an average meal price of [pounds sterling]4.94 for food plus drinks. * Average food prices vary from [pounds sterling]2.43 in cafes to [pounds...

Features.
June 7, 2007... PAcentste ban would mark UK as a nanny state letter of the week Foie gras has been a traditional French delicacy for many years. It is an integral part of a quality restaurant's menu and shows the standard that the chef sets. As a...

It's exactly what it says on the tin.(Side Orders)(Letter to the editor)
June 7, 2007... On reading Jeffrey Fox's letter (Caterer, 31 May, page 18), I found myself smiling and being taken back to 1936 On reading Jeffrey Fox's letter (Caterer, 31 May, page 18), I found myself smiling and being taken back to 1936. Then, in...

Sardines of a certain age.(Side Orders)(Letter to the editor)
June 7, 2007... I can only hope that Jeffrey Fox had selected his sardines carefully I can only hope that Jeffrey Fox had selected his sardines carefully. Yes, the millesime approach of vintages is applied to sardines. The thoughtful presentation of...

Standards in consultancy.(Side Orders)
June 7, 2007... In response to the Infozone article entitled "Helping or hindering?" (Caterer, 24 May, page 48), we at the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) strongly urge your readers to take every step to ensure that they seek advice only...

A 'local focus' has its limits.(Side Orders)
June 7, 2007... Pampas Plains CEO Malcolm Harris seems to have entirely missed the point of my letter to you regarding the Natural Burger Company (Caterer, 10 May, page 24) in his response (Caterer, 24 May, page 17) Pampas Plains CEO Malcolm Harris seems...

Invisible, or just too old?(Side Orders)(Letter to the editor)
June 7, 2007... I read John Stevens's letter with a familiar sinking feeling (Caterer, 17 May, page 16) I read John Stevens's letter with a familiar sinking feeling (Caterer, 17 May, page 16). Almost all of his experiences are mirrored by my own, although...

Tuition needs human touch.(Side Orders)
June 7, 2007... Isabel Hastie, head of e-learning at Learnpurple, states in her letter about food hygiene training (Caterer, 17 May, page 16) that the days of hiring in trainers or staff travelling to get trained are gone Isabel Hastie, head of e-learning...

fast forward.(Features)(career opportunitues in hospitality industry)
June 7, 2007... With young people often deterred from the hospitality industry by long hours and hard graft, Tom Vaughan profiles some young professionals who have discovered a sense of vocation in hotels and risen quickly up the career ladder The...

Hilton Molino Stucky, Venice, Italy.(Side Orders)(hotel)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... After a development project lasting more than four years, this hotel has opened in the 13 buildings of Molino Stucky, a 19th-century flour mill in the centre of Venice. The property has a private landing jetty as well as a rooftop pool bar...

Over to you.(News)(European destination)(hospitality industry)
June 7, 2007... What's the best emerging European destination? David Openshaw, chief executive officer, ISS UK "I'm currently in Istanbul (European side) attending a conference, and I think it's a tremendous city. I didn't know quite what to expect...

A minute on the clockben summerskill.(Side Orders)(Interview)
June 7, 2007... Ben Summerskill, chief executive of gay rights lobby Stonewall, has just launched a guide to the new discrimination regulations in conjunction with Lloyds Bank. He talks to Emily Manson Caterer What's the importance of the guide? BS To...

Welcome back, tourists.(Side Orders)
June 7, 2007... Founder of Northern Ireland's Hastings Hotels Dr Billy Hastings welcomes the return of good economic times to the Irish hospitality industry Tourism is now top of the agenda for our newly elected politicians in Northern Ireland. Even...

Tomahawk to go fourth and multiply.(Infozone)
June 7, 2007... In our final focus on Tomahawk Hotels in this series, Tom Vaughan looks at its swift rise over the last three years, and what the future might hold It's nearly three years since Tomahawk owners Tom Horsfall and Rob Foulston fell into the...

News.(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... UK hospitality is oblivious to traceability rules Nearly half of all UK hospitality businesses are still unaware of the European Commission's traceability regulations, even though the rules came into force more than two years ago. ...

News.(Whitbread sells David Lloyd to Costa and Premier Travel Inn)
June 7, 2007... Costa and Premier Travel Inn brands will benefit from Whitbread's [pounds sterling]925m sale of the leisure and fitness group Whitbread sells David Lloyd to invest more in coffee and hotels By Nic Paton The [pounds sterling]925m...

Foodfile ingredients in season.(Features)
June 7, 2007... Fresh The main crop of Jersey Royals has started now so the price will be down. Nettles and spring greens are also still around and English microcress - rocket microcress, beetroot microcress - is also available. There is good-quality wet...

The week in brief.(News)(road accident of Dean Lindsay managing director of Aramark)(Fuzzy Grub plans to increase its sandwich chain)(Bob Cotton of British Hospitality Association as a guest editor)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Aramark director injured Aramark managing director of business and industry, Dean Lindsay, has been seriously injured in a road accident. Lindsay, who was promoted to his role last October after the departure of Simon Titchener, was...

Atherton plans New York-style grill as sister to London's Maze.(News)
June 7, 2007... Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton is to launch a second Maze restaurant in London, Caterer can reveal. Maze Grill, which is being developed under the Gordon Ramsay Holdings banner, will comprise an 85-seat casual-dining restaurant. It...

News.(Michael Robert Mathews died at the age of 90)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Michael Mathews dies aged 90 Michael Robert Mathews OBE, former managing director of iconic UK hotel group Trust Houses, died at the age of 90 last week. He spent more than a decade at the helm of Trust Houses during the 1950s and...

News.
June 7, 2007... Starwood to try Microsoft's Tabletop technology Hotel group Starwood will be one of the first companies to trial revolutionary new technology allowing customers to order goods and services and browse the internet using an...

Caterer loves.(Side Orders)
June 7, 2007... Bluefin tuna Bluefin tuna is one of the most sought-after fish in the ocean, but recent overfishing has left it dangerously close to extinction. Last year's report by global conservation organisation WWF warned that bluefin tuna stocks...

Customers pay for quality as casual dining goes upmarket.(News)
June 7, 2007... Investors see plenty of money to be made in high-end casual-dining restaurants, even though some customers have less to spend. Christopher Walton reports Casual dining is attracting increasing amounts of cash, not just from customers but...

Going places.(Infozone)
June 7, 2007... Eric Teo has been appointed executive chef at the Oriental hotel in Singapore to head up the 110-strong kitchen team in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group property. The 20-year veteran was most recently director of food and beverage at the...

Contents.(News)
June 7, 2007... The hotel managers who made it to the top at an early age 34 7 Pubs and bars Hospitality denies it's solely to blame for the UK's drinking culture 8 Finance Whitbread sells David Lloyd to invest in coffee and hotels 10 News...

COUNTDOWN TO THE SMOKING BAN.(News)
June 7, 2007... With three weeks to go before the smoking ban becomes law, Christopher Walton talks to Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Kentish brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame, about the company's [pounds sterling]3m redevelopment of its estate. ...

Events.(Side Orders)(Calendar)
June 7, 2007... The next few weeks welcome a now-staple feature of summer: the nationwide Taste festivals. Offering a chance to sample food from some of the UK and Ireland's top restaurants, the festivals kick off in Edinburgh from 7 to 10 June, before hitting...

Hotel News update.(News)
June 7, 2007... i[logical not] Tavistock Leisure expands Hotel and restaurant chain Tavistock Leisure has bought the Grand hotel in Hartlepool, Cleveland, for an undisclosed sum. One of the city's oldest hotels, the 27-bedroom property becomes the fifth in...

A nation of responsible drinkers?(News)(steps towards alchohol breverage control)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... The Government's planned review of the pricing and promotion of alcoholic drinks in the UK, announced in the Safe, sensible, social - next steps for the National Alcohol Strategy report released this week, is sure to have a positive impact upon...

Migrant staff not here for life, warns expert.(News)(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Poles, Czechs and Slovaks see working in the UK as a two- to three-year project before returning home By Daniel Thomas Hospitality operators face a worsening skills crisis as eastern European workers start returning home, a recruitment...

News.(Ian Harkness retired from Shire Hotels )(Brief article)
June 7, 2007... Harkness bows out after 27 years at Shire Hotels Ian Harkness, managing director of UK hotel group Shire Hotels, retired last week, after 27 years at the helm. Joining the company as director and general manager of Shire Inns in 1980,...

Table Talk.(Side Orders)
June 7, 2007... Gordon... you know, he owns the place It's fair to say Gordon Ramsay is a pretty recognisable sort of chap - if you own a television, you may have caught him 11 or 12 times the last time you sat in front of the box of an evening. But it...

The inside edge.(Features)
June 7, 2007... David Collins, the designer behind some of the most iconic restaurants and bars in London, is more interested in hotels nowadays, as Fiona Sims discovers David Collins (second from right) with colleagues at his studio near London's Fulham...

Licensees could be held responsible for drink-drive injuries.(News)
June 14, 2007... UK licensees could face legal action from drink-drive victims if they sell alcohol to intoxicated customers, a leading insurer has warned. According to insurance consultancy Aon Global, the current trend for selling alcohol in a socially...

Going places.(Infozone)
June 14, 2007... Paul Murfitt has been promoted to the role of director of food and beverage at the De Vere Dunston Hall hotel in Norfolk, where he has worked for the past year as executive head chef. Murfitt will be joined by Lindsay Clifton, who becomes...

News.(Infozone)(Britons present false data to get job)(Institute of Hospitality receives accreditation for two new courses)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... * Britons lie to get jobs Two-thirds of the British workforce would lie on their applications to get a job, according to research conducted by recruitment site Monster.co.uk. Of 3,800 people surveyed, four out of 10 respondents said they...

E-marketing the way to build loyalty, says MBG chief.(News)
June 14, 2007... Restaurants have been urged to embrace e-marketing strategies and avoid one-off sales incentives like two-for-one deals which don't encourage customer loyalty. Matthew Kirby, chief executive officer of Mongolian Barbeque Group (MBG),...

Compass to step up preflight dining bid.(News)
June 14, 2007... Contract catering giant Compass is hoping to reduce first and club class in-flight catering by getting more passengers to eat in the airport terminals. The caterer announced an increased investment in preflight dining in a bid to get food...

Beware threat from supermarkets, caterers warned.(News)
June 14, 2007... High-street retailers are enhancing offerings to compete by christopher walton High-street caterers must up their game to compete with increasing pressure from supermarkets and other retailers or face losing the battle for business, a...

Springboard award winner.(Infozone)(Bartlett Mitchell)
June 14, 2007... Every year Springboard's Awards for Excellence celebrate what a great place the hospitality industry is to work. In our fourth monthly profile of the winners, we look at Bartlett Mitchell, which won Springboard's Best Employer in Hospitality...

Table Talk.(Side Orders)(Elior UK)
June 14, 2007... Caught by the curve ball Contract caterer Elior UK lent its support to Across the Line, a sports-themed fundraising bash held at the home of cricket, Lord's, in aid of development agency Plan. After dinner, Five TV's baseball presenter...

MIRA test-drives Olive Catering.(News)
June 14, 2007... Olive Catering Services has secured its 57th contract, at automotive services company MIRA, as it celebrates its third anniversary. MIRA, based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, provides car manufacturers with testing, certification and...

Pubs are out to grab the breakfast trade.(News)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Licensing shake-up paves way for early-morning opening by chris druce The 2003 Licensing Act has made it easier for pubs and bars to grow their offerings in England and Wales, according to the UK's biggest landlord, Punch Taverns. ...

ACE 2007 conference to focus on sustainability in catering.(Side Orders)(Calendar)
June 14, 2007... June 14 Soil Association Scotland Conference - What's for Lunch? Celtic Park, Glasgow 0131-666 2474 events@soilassociationscotland.org 14-15 PATH Conference Thistle hotel, Liverpool Topic is "International issues...

Side Orders.(recipe of vermouth)(Recipe)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... Fancy That No 2 Summer is the perfect time to get creative with an all-too-often-neglected ingredient - vermouth. This is an example of a delicious summery drink that employs the bitterness of Campari against the fruit of Lillet. It's...

Features.(Association of Catering Excellence 2007)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... "Sustainability: will it last?" is the overall theme of the Association of Catering Excellence 2007 conference taking place at 25 Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London, on Thursday 21 June. The conference will be chaired by Chris Sheppardson,...

Infozone Foodfile ingredients in season.(Features)
June 14, 2007... Meat Fish Consumers going away in June, July and August and a disinclination to turn on their ovens means a drop in trade of up to 40% for butchers, which sees them struggling to shift a lot of their animals. Now is as good a time...

There's plenty more.(Inside)
June 14, 2007... Traditionally popular fish in the UK, such as cod and haddock, are inshort supply, but what's wrong with megrim, coley and gurnard? Antony Adshead checks out the underutilised species and fish-farm alternatives Think of endangered species...

The briefing.(Infozone)(hospitality industry)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... * Hold on to your staff Bosses wanting to overcome staff shortages are being urged to offer more flexible working arrangements and better training and make better use of migrant workers, following a new report from the Chartered Institute...

My life in hospitality.(Infozone)
June 14, 2007... Mark Derry Highs... I'd say the building up of the Loch Fyne brand over the past seven years, with my partner Ian Glyn, has been my greatest career achievement. We've developed it from nothing to a considerable business - in the past...

Strategy clinic.(Infozone)(quality services provided to the customers)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... "How do customers measure good service, and what is important to them?" Customers measure quality of service by comparing what they expect with what they experience. Expectations are formed by word-of-mouth communications, personal needs,...

Alternatives to Sky.(Infozone)
June 14, 2007... Competition solicitor Daniel Geey explains how the law stands on publicans who screen live Premier League football from sources other than Sky The problem I am looking at different ways to screen Premier League football matches next...

School meals crisis won't go away.(News)
June 14, 2007... If you take a look at the School Food Trust website, you would think that things are pretty rosy in school kitchens across Britain. Established in September 2005 by the Department for Education and Skills, the School Food Trust is targeted to...

I earned a reputation and did it... my way.(Features)(Letter to the editor)
June 14, 2007... letter of the week I started my professional journey as a chef in 1976, having been brought up in hotels and restaurants. I've done the London scene, have held the reins and earned and held a reputation for 12 years at a well-known...

News.
June 14, 2007... Caprice Holdings chef director Mark Hix took part in this year's BBC Great British Menu competition and earlier this month went to Paris to prepare two courses for the banquet hosted by the British ambassador to France. He talks to Kerstin Kuhn...

Side Orders.(rennovation of pub, Kent)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... This pub in Kent has reopened under new ownership and after an extensive renovation. It now features an open-plan kitchen with rA[acute accent]tisserie, a decked terrace, an open fireplace and a dedicated dining area overlooking the...

Side Orders.
June 14, 2007... This authentic Spanish bar and restaurant in London's King's Cross offers diners the chance to sample the traditional taste of Spain. Dishes are seasonal and selected from regional favourites while the drinks list offers Spanish wines by the...

Review of Reviews.(Features)
June 14, 2007... The Times 9 June Giles Coren is reassured that the so-called best restaurant in Cape Town, which has spawned a replica in London W1 - Haiku in New Burlington Place - merely slots into the middle of our second-division...

London Goes global.(Features)
June 14, 2007... Zuma has been a popular haunt on the London restaurant scene for five years. Now with a second site opening this week in Hong Kong, Tom Vaughan looks at the motivation and difficulties involved in expanding abroad London Goes global ...

There's plenty more.(Inside)
June 14, 2007... Traditionally popular fish in the UK, such as cod and haddock, are in Think of endangered species and the likes of tigers and pandas usually come to mind. But in reality, many of the most familiar fish in our culture are practically...

Semplice.(Features)(Restaurant review)
June 14, 2007... There may be scores of pizza and pasta restaurants in London, but how many can call themselves authentically Italian? Tom Vaughan visits one that claims to be a real slice of Italy Does London need another Italian restaurant? "That depends...

Young gun or golden oldie?(Side Orders)
June 14, 2007... Are you a talented and passionate chef aged more than 50 who wants to prove that old doesn't mean past it and who thinks they could hold their own against emerging chef talent? Or are you an enthusiastic young talent aged 18-21, desperate for...

we had a live parrot sketch.(Side Orders)
June 14, 2007... Last Saturday we had a wedding ceremony at the castle, and two of the guests arrived with a parrot in a cage Last Saturday we had a wedding ceremony at the castle, and two of the guests arrived with a parrot in a cage. Apparently they...

No substitute for experience.(Side Orders)(hotel management school)(Brief article)
June 14, 2007... I refer to the letter from Lesley Wilson (Caterer, 24 May, page 16) I refer to the letter from Lesley Wilson (Caterer, 24 May, page 16). I can see where she's coming from, especially with regard to schools discouraging higher-ability...

Major barrier to improving practice.(Side Orders)
June 14, 2007... Chris Beesley-Reynolds (Caterer, 7 June, page 19) makes a valid point about the human touch that's needed in training Chris Beesley-Reynolds (Caterer, 7 June, page 19) makes a valid point about the human touch that's needed in training. ...

Poor food fare at a top venue.(Side Orders)(Letter to the editor)
June 14, 2007... I was at the opening concert at Wembley on Saturday 9 June I was at the opening concert at Wembley on Saturday 9 June. The concert was great, but what a poor show for British catering. Price aside, the offer was just chicken or fish and...