Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from March 2005

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from March 2005

how i got here.(Liam Byrne)
March 3, 2005... Liam Byrne, concept development manager, the Brewery Selling the intangible is how Liam Byrne describes his role at conference and banqueting venue the Brewery. As concept development manager, he works closely with the sales team to create...

on the move.(appointments)(Royal Jimbaran Bay )(GLA Hotels)(City Inn )
March 3, 2005... City Inn has promoted Lynn Hood to director of operations for its four-strong group of hotels in London's Westminster, Birmingham, Bristol and Glasgow. She was general manager at City Inn Glasgow. Tracey Rafe has left Aramark, where...

Advice zone.(hotel rateable)
March 3, 2005... Hotels face higher-than-average rate hikes Early indications are that mid-range hotels have suffered bigger rises than average in the latest rates assessments, which will become effective from 1 April. In an analysis of the new...

Park life.
March 3, 2005... Ten companies on a business park, each with its own cafe - does that make economic sense? Of course not. So enlightened business park owners are providing a range of shared services. Ben Walker and Noella Pio Kivlehan headed to three parks to...

Your shout.(hotel purchasing)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... by Kevin Casserly of chartered surveyor Fleurets' hotels department The importance of being choosy Buying a hotel is a big deal, and a vital element in ensuring that you get what you bargained for (and are protected during the buying...

Tips and troncs.(national minimum wage )(Column)
March 3, 2005... Sophie Whitbread, an assistant solicitor at law firm Charles Russell, offers guidance to operators on the recently updated Inland Revenue guidelines on tips and troncs the problem You own a restaurant, paying employees below the...

Orr-Ewing leaves Le Manoir.(Jonathan Orr-Ewing)(Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The general manager of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons has left under a veil of secrecy, Caterer learned this week. Owners Orient-Express Hotels and Raymond Blanc would only confirm that Jonathan Orr-Ewing, who had been general manager of the...

Table talk.
March 3, 2005... Exalted individuals shouldn't have to deal with money A top banker was left red-faced after he was forced to admit he didn't know his PIN number. HBOS chief executive James Crosby had just enjoyed a meal at Martin's, in Rose Street Lane,...

The tipping point?
March 3, 2005... Last month the Inland Revenue published its revised guidelines for businesses on how to deal with tronc schemes, tips and service charges. While the British Hospitality Association called them "a victory for common sense", the guidelines also...

property of the week.(Loch Linnhe)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... On sale on the west coast of Scotland this week is a hotel that boasts a superb location, overlooking Loch Linnhe. Located in the village of Port Appin, between Fort William and Oban, the Pierhouse hotel originally served as a waiting room...

BOOKREVIEW.(Terry Laybourne's Quest for Taste)(Book Review)
March 3, 2005... Terry Laybourne's Quest for Taste Terry Laybourne Quest for Taste Publishing ISBN 0-9548733-0-0 Right from the start I found myself drawn into Terry Laybourne's book Quest for Taste. Why? Because it's much more than a recipe...

A minute on the clock.(Egon Ronay)(Interview)
March 3, 2005... Egon Ronay last week returned to the restaurant world with a new guidebook. He talked to Caterer about what keeps him inspired. Caterer: How does it feel to have your guide out again? ER: Great. I've been planning it for a long time....

A private income.(L'Ortolan restaurant)
March 3, 2005... More and more fine-dining restaurants are making use of extra space by offering a private-dining experience in addition to their main business. Janet Harmer focuses on the Michelin-starred L'Ortolan restaurant as it converts two upstairs rooms...

Last supper.
March 3, 2005... Deep beneath the heart of London BILLYREIDshares a prawn cocktail starter with Auguste Escoffier while Frank Sinatra croons over the DJ's beats. No doubt they'll thank him when he gets to heaven Practicalities first - venue? The...

Main to step up as Toner quits Aramark.(Andrew Main)(Bill Toner)
March 3, 2005... Bill Toner, chief executive of Aramark UK, is leaving the US-owned contract caterer after six years, citing personal reasons. He will be replaced by Andrew Main, another Scot, who has been working for Aramark in the USA for the last three...

Caterers count cost of Sudan 1 product recall.
March 3, 2005... As the dust starts to settle on the Sudan 1 food crisis, Karl Cushing finds the UK food service industry preparing to count the cost and win back customers' hearts and minds The Sudan 1 food dye scare looks set to go from bad to worse as...

Suppliers pull out of deals with Von Essen.(Coln Valley Smokery )
March 3, 2005... Six food suppliers have suspended trading with the Von Essen hotel group following wrangles over money. New Wave Seafoods in Gloucester and Coln Valley Smokery in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, have halted all supplies to the group,...

How to...(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... ... carve a saddle of lamb H On a chopping board, remove the string around the saddle. H Remove the belly wrapping the fillet of lamb. H Remove the two little fillets which are inside the saddle and slice them through the length....

Tronc poll's shock finding.(service charge )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Three-quarters of restaurant customers think that the service charge is a bonus for staff and not another income source for restaurants, according to an exclusive poll conducted for Caterer by restaurant guide Square Meal. The survey, which...

New York to get USA's first Michelin guide.(restaurant guide )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Michelin is to launch its first restaurant guide in the USA at the end of the year. The 2006 Michelin Guide to New York City will hit the shelves in November and rate 500 restaurants across the Big Apple using the prestigious 80-year-old...

Urbium plays down Irish smoking ban.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Tiger Tiger operator Urbium has played down the damage Ireland's smoking ban has done to the licensed trade. Company chairman John Conlan said the impact was far less than previously suggested and had mainly affected country and community...

Tomahawk acquires its second hotel.(Tomahawk Hotels opening Aston Hall in Sheffield)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Independent five-star hotel company Tomahawk Hotels has added a second property to its portfolio with the opening this week of Aston Hall in Sheffield. Led by business partners Rob Foulston and Tom Horsfall, the company is following a...

Review of the REVIEWS.(Hotels and motels)(Calendar)
March 3, 2005... 26 February GILES COREN succumbs to the organic bug at Soil Association-approved restaurant QUARTIER VERT in Bristol Helen's Sheepdrove lamb dish was even better. Not only is Sheepdrove another of the Soil Association's favourite farms...

We love...(Hotels for Mother's Day celebration)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... ... Mother's Day Mothers. They're something special you know. Just think about how much harder life would be without one. Would you really be such a special person today if she hadn't been there all this time? No, you probably wouldn't. So...

Barracuda looks to refinance as PPM seeks exit.(PPM Ventures)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Managed pub company Barracuda has appointed investment bankers Citigroup to find another private equity backer after its long-term financier decided to pull out. PPM Ventures has an 80% stake in Barracuda and it wants to take a return on...

Hilton to sell up to [pounds sterling]300m-worth of hotels.(Hilton Group PLC)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Hilton Group has put a further collection of hotels valued at [pounds sterling]200m-[pounds sterling]300m up for sale. The group already has 11 UK provincial hotels on the market valued at [pounds sterling]100m-plus. However, chief...

Industry unfazed by minimum wage hike.(Hospitality industry)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Hospitality companies reacted calmly to last week's announcement of another hike in the national minimum wage, despite it being way above average wage increases. A British Hospitality Association (BHA) spokesman said the increase of 45p to...

Parents won't pay for healthier school food.(School food services)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Nine out of 10 parents want their children to eat healthier school meals, but only 14% would stump up more cash to improve standards, according to contract catering giant Sodexho. The French caterer's School Meals and Lifestyle Survey found...

OVER; TO YOU.
March 3, 2005... Will you miss Little Chef if it shuts all its restaurants? Not at all. I went to one last summer and had the worst burger I've ever eaten. I nearly threw up - it was absolutely appalling. Nothing on earth would persuade me to cross one of...

Hotels enjoy better rates but static occupancy.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Early results for the hotel sector in 2005 show rises in room rates and yields, but static occupancy levels. Preliminary results published this week by accountancy firm PKF show that UK hoteliers need to improve occupancy rates. London...

Brownsword buys Gidleigh Park.(Andrew Brownsword)(Bath Priory Co.)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Devon hotel Gidleigh Park has been sold to private hotel company, Bath Priory, for an undisclosed sum, it was revealed this week. The 15-bedroom hotel and two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Chagford was bought by resident chef Michael...

Whitbread rebrands all its hotels as Premier Travel Inns.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Whitbread, the UK's biggest hotelier, has completed the conversion of 141 Premier Lodge hotels to Premier Travel Inns, following its acquisition of Premier Lodge last July. The company announced the news in its pre-close trading statement,...

stockwatch.(Hospitality industry)
March 3, 2005... It has been a tough week for hospitality companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, with most seeing their share value head south. Saving the industry's blushes was Tiger Tiger operator Urbium, whose shares have roared up 8.1% to 747.5p...

Government brushes off demands for new laws on school meals.(School Food Programme)
March 3, 2005... The Government this week refused to bow to pressure to legislate for better standards in school meals. Its response came despite growing public and media attention over the state of food in British schools, which is being highlighted by...

Is there any life left in the Little Chef?(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Little Chef operator TLLC Group this week moved to quash rumours that the roadside restaurants were facing the end of the road. The company admitted it was selling off 120 of its 273 Little Chefs in a deal worth [pounds sterling]45m-[pounds...

Brooklands plan on starting grid.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Hotelier Ken McCulloch and his partner, Formula 1 driver David Coulthard, are to launch their first UK Columbus hotel at the Brooklands motor-racing heritage centre in Weybridge, Surrey. The new 86-room and 23-suite property will cost...

Abuse of tronc will hit consumer trust.
March 3, 2005... Exclusive Caterer research, conducted in conjunction with consumer restaurant guide and website Square Meal, has found that the majority of customers believe the service charge added to their bill goes to reward staff serving them. What silly,...

career clinic.
March 3, 2005... The expert panel Our expert panel comprises representatives from the Hotel and Catering Training Company (HCTC), MaydayExec, Bartlett Mitchell, Learnpurple, Conran and Portfolio International. The question I'm 28 and working as a...

inside track.(Rezidor SAS Hospitality)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Rezidor SASUK&Ireland What business is it in? Rezidor SAS hospitality is a hotel management company. What brands does it operate? Five hotel brands, three in the UK and Ireland. In the UK, there are 10 Radisson SAS Hotels &...

in brief.
March 3, 2005... Apprenticeship awards Entries for this year's National Apprenticeship Awards in England need to be in by 10 March. The competition, which is run by the Learning and Skills Council, recognises employers who use the scheme to improve...

Bohemia.(restaurants)
March 3, 2005... For this Jersey restaurant, approval by the Michelin judges brought local acceptance of its fine-dining aspirations, as Dan Bignold discovers Acautionary tale for anyone suggesting that Michelin stars might be losing their shine. Until...

Letters Caterer.
March 3, 2005... What about cookery schools for children? A holistic approach to Jamie Oliver's commendable initiative on school meals is required (Caterer, 24 February, page 6). To educate the parents of tomorrow, future customers, and to attract potential...

In Brief.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Chefs among the nation's happiest workers Too many cooks may spoil the broth, but at least they are happy while they work, according to a recent survey. The annual Happiness Index poll, conducted by awards body City & Guilds, revealed...

how i got here.
March 10, 2005... Andrew Evans, managing director, Fresh RM Although Andrew Evans believes you shouldn't work on your birthday, the managing director of exhibition organiser Fresh RM is doing just that. Worse, I'm interviewing him on his 40th. But as head...

On the mo ve.
March 10, 2005... Nicolas Lazarou is the new general manager at the Novotel London Greenwich hotel. He was general manager at the Novotel Southampton. Birmingham's Jam House restaurant has promoted Kyawera Simpson to head chef. Simpson was sous chef at the...

The burning issue.
March 10, 2005... Cooking with balls Food writer and restaurateur Simon Wright The most striking characteristic of the restaurant trade at the moment, declares Egon Ronay in the rambling introduction to his new guide, is the prevalence of...

Tackling fraud.
March 10, 2005... Andrew Durant, a partner in the fraud investigation and recovery team at accountants and business advisers BDO Stoy Hayward, offers advice on tackling fraud Expert advice These are all the tell-tale signs that there may be a fraudster...

A world of difference.
March 10, 2005... Sexual discrimination, in favour of either sex, is just a fact of life, you may say. But it's also an offence in law. Nic Paton looks into the latest legal pitfalls Women dominate the hospitality industry. Two-thirds of hospitality...

Another tough cookie.
March 10, 2005... Next week Simon Wright, former editor of the AA Restaurant Guide, publishes his first book. Here, in a trade exclusive, he gives us an extract from Tough Cookies, "tales of obsession, toil and tenacity from Britain's kitchen heavyweights" -...

Advice zone.(stamp duty land tax)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Stamp Duty Land Tax and you The current system of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), which is payable on the grant of a lease, has been the subject of some concern since it became effective on 1 December 2003. A key gripe has been that many...

the drinks acadEmy.
March 10, 2005... This year IFE brings you a host of drinks events to get your taste-buds going, and gives you the lowdown on the latest industry trends and consumer buying patterns. The World Cocktail Club, the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) and...

property of the week.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Faint-hearted publicans need read no further, as this week's property is reputed to be one of the most haunted hostelries in Britain. The Skirrid Inn, which dates back to the 12th century, is in the Welsh village of Llanvihangel Crucorney,...

Chef presentations.
March 10, 2005... Starting on Sunday (13 March), IFE05, the year's premier food and drink event, kicks off at ExCel in London's Docklands. As many as 1,350 products from more than 40 countries will be on show, making it an essential one-stop shop for sourcing...

School caterers reject low-spend contracts.
March 10, 2005... Sodexho and Scolarest are to stop bidding for school catering contracts worth less than 55p a meal. In separate moves, the UK's two largest contract caterers have both set the same lower limit for all future deals. Mike Bailey, chief...

Table talk.
March 10, 2005... A KNOCKABOUT FARCE ON GRASS In preparation for the Dubai Open tennis tournament, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer couldn't resist having a friendly knockabout on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel. Covered with grass, the helipad was...

Masterclass... hearts.(recipes for sheep heart)
March 10, 2005... Hearts have long suffered from an unfashionable, or even - heaven forbid - working-class tag. But as Michael Raffael discovers, in the right hands - like those of Fergus Henderson, at his St John restaurant near London's Smithfield market, they...

How to...(cocktail preparation)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... ... make a spring cocktail INGREDIENTS H 75ml of organic gin (Juniper Green is recommended) H 75ml of organic carrot juice H 10ml lemongrass and juniper cordial METHOD Shake all the ingredients together sharply and...

France gets its 26th three-star restaurant.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... The Clos des Cimes restaurant in the village of St Bonnet-Le-Froid was the only new venue to clinch three-star status in the Michelin Guide France 2005, published last week. Under the guidance of chef-patron Regis Marcon, the restaurant has...

HOW WE GOT STARTED.(hoteliers)
March 10, 2005... Richard and Isabelle Flannery A desire to spend more time together as a family led Richard and Isabelle Flannery to become hoteliers. The two were working in the USA in the oil and gas industry when they met four years ago, and the arrival...

Cafe Lazeez brings Asian restaurants back home.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... UK restaurant chain Cafe Lazeez is to open a further three sites in Asia, after becoming the first British operator to open in Pakistan at the end of last year. After unveiling a 120-seat venue in Pakistani capital Islamabad in December,...

Wetherspoon's sticks to plans to ban smoking.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... JD Wetherspoon is pushing ahead with plans to ban smoking in all its pubs, despite a 20% plunge in profits in recent months. Chief executive John Hutson said: "Three-quarters of people in the UK don't smoke. We think there's a big...

Roux Scholarship down to final six.
March 10, 2005... Entrants for this year's Roux Scholarship title have now been whittled down to six. The line-up includes two previous national finalists, Matthew Tomkinson, from Ockenden Manor in Cuckfield, West Sussex, and Ben Webb, of Waldo's restaurant...

Government policy changes slow down licence applications.
March 10, 2005... New licence applications are still a rare sight at council offices in England and Wales, even though a month has now passed since they could first be submitted under the new Licensing Act. Reasons given for the slow start vary, but the...

Health committee chairman slams smoking ban plan.
March 10, 2005... A leading politician has criticised the Government's smoking ban proposal as "totally impractical". Labour MP David Hinchliffe, chairman of the influential Select Committee on Health, called on Health Secretary John Reid to be "more...

Brown's hit by building delays.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Renovations at Brown's hotel in London have hit snags, which will delay its reopening until September. The cost has also escalated dramatically, from the original prediction of [pounds sterling]15m to recent estimates, which now stand at...

Review of the REVIEWS.(restuarants)(George)(Ubon)(Restaurant Review)(Hotel Review)
March 10, 2005... 5 March Victor Lewis-Smith is in heaven at Masala Craft, at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai My favourite haunt among the several I visited was the Masala Craft (in the Taj Mahal hotel), which was once the home of the legendary...

Branded coffee shops are filtering out the independent operators.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Independent coffee shop operators are heading for extinction as the big three brands continue to expand, according to a new report. A half-year update on the UK coffee bar market by researcher Allegra Strategies showed that branded chains...

Hospitality firms enter Sunday Times top 100 list.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Two hospitality companies have made their debut on the Sunday Times list of the UK's best 100 employers. The rundown, published in this week's issue, saw fast-food chain Nando's enter at number 33 and independent contract caterer Holroyd...

OVER; TO YOU.(hotel executives on coffee)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... What is your favourite high-street coffee and why? I'm not a coffee drinker, but if I had to choose, I'd say I like coffee houses that tell a story. I was in Starbucks recently and found what it had to say about the coffee and growers...

Take-away association wants quota system for unskilled workers.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... The Chinese Takeaway Association UK (CTA) is calling on the Government to introduce a quota system to allow the sector to employ unskilled workers from the Far East. The association believes that a sector-based scheme (SBS) would allow...

Brighton fears loss of trade from local smoking ban.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Brighton could lose tourism trade if Brighton and Hove City Council's plans to ban smoking in public places go ahead, a survey has warned. Businesses surveyed believed that a ban in Brighton would result in it losing visitors to other...

Commercial caterers back away from state education contracts.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Contract caterers are looking to colleges and universities where "more commercial principles apply" for growth, according to the British Hospitality Association's (BHA) annual food service survey. BHA food and service management forum...

stockwatch.(hospitality)
March 10, 2005... It was mixed fortunes for pub and hotel groups on the London Stock Exchange this week. Winners included Walkabout operator Regent Inns, which continued its impressive recovery by posting an 8.82% increase in share value to 92.5p. KBC Peel Hunt...

Campaign proclaims the beauty of beer.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... The UK beer and pub industry has launched a new campaign to revitalise the image of beer and win back sales from wine, particularly among women. The campaign, called Beautiful Beer, seeks to drive up beer quality within the licensed trade,...

Oliver challenges Government to take action on school nutrition.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Jamie Oliver joined forces with a panel of health and nutrition experts on Monday (7 March) to lambast the Government for neglecting school meals. Calling on the Government to face up to its responsibilities on school food, 29-year-old...

Indian Chef of the Year keeps title in the family.(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Aagrah Restaurants' director and chef-manager Wasim Aslam has won this year's International Indian Chef of the Year award - the second generation of Aslams to win the coveted title. Wasim's father, Mohammed Aslam, managing director of the...

Big chance to shout about the industry.(Springboard Festival)
March 10, 2005... As this week's Caterer went to press, the Springboard Festival 2005 was just hitting its stride. The week-long festival, which aims to raise awareness of the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industry among prospective jobseekers, kicked...

We love...
March 10, 2005... ... snow Baby, it's cold outside. And yes, we know it means traffic jams and delays on the trains - it's the wrong kind of snow, of course - but it also means snow fights and scenes worthy of the prettiest Christmas cards. So, after you've...

career clinic.
March 10, 2005... The expert panel Our expert panel comprises representatives from the Hotel and Catering Training Company (HCTC), MaydayExec, Bartlett Mitchell, Learnpurple, Conran and Portfolio International. The question I am a Nigerian...

in brief.(Academy of Culinary Arts)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2005... Pepsi buys PJ Smoothies PJ Smoothies, Britain's best-selling smoothie brand, was bought by Pepsi last week. The Nottinghamshire-based firm, was sold for an undisclosed sum to Pepsi, which said it had no plans to change PJ's operational...

Allium, Fairford.(Restaurant Review)
March 10, 2005... Just approaching their first anniversary on a site where seven other restaurants had failed in as many years, the team behind Allium is serving up tempting British dishes to an appreciative and growing clientele. Dan Bignold reports Allium...

Letters Caterer.(Letter to the Editor)
March 10, 2005... Know the limitations of vac-pack technology It's good to see a range of positive views expressed on the benefits of vacuum packing, particularly in the context of small-scale operations (Inside Kitchens, Caterer, 17 February, page 56), but...

The in-house route to healthy school meals.
March 10, 2005... Can schools opt out of their local authority school meals contract and make a success of it? It seems so. Phil Pemberton examines how three schools have coped Brookfield School, Camden, London Pupils: 450 Age range: 31/2-11 ...

property of the week.(Brief Article)
March 17, 2005... This week's featured property is a striking 18th-century West Country pub with bags of character. The Six Bells enjoys a prominent high-street location in the village of Colerne, on the borders of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, on the southern...