Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from May 2007

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from May 2007

Quinn tops hospitality rich list.(News)
May 3, 2007... Sean Quinn, owner of Quinn hotels and Quinn public houses, topped Mentmore Towers owner Simon Halabi by [pounds sterling]50m to become the richest man in hospitality in this year's Sunday Times Rich List with a personal fortune of [pounds...

My worst job.(Infozone)
May 3, 2007... Ian Pengelley is head chef at Gilgamesh, the 680-seat eastern-themed restaurant in Camden, London, which opened in June 2006. The 36-year-old, who rose to fame at Notting Hill's E&O, trained throughout South-east Asia. So what's been your...

Doctors must take more lead over nutrition.(News)
May 3, 2007... Tomorrow's doctors must become more competent in nutritional advice, delegates at the Hospital Caterers Association (HCA) national conference were told last week. Dr Sumantra Ray, a clinical research and teaching fellow at the University...

New bid for better food in hospitals.(News)
May 3, 2007... NHS and institution join forces to launch 10-point guide By Chris Druce Influential political institution the Council of Europe (CoE) has backed moves by NHS caterers to improve the status and standards of hospital food. At last...

Elior has new focus on facilities management.(News)
May 3, 2007... Contract caterer restructures as business expands By Chris Druce Contract caterer Elior is to launch a dedicated facilities management division as part of a major shake-up of its UK operations, Caterer can reveal. The company's...

Cocktail of the Month.(Side Orders)
May 3, 2007... The Martinez A marked trend in top London bars at the moment is a new-found appreciation of classic and vintage cocktails - those drinks that have become honoured by time and are accepted as part of the canon of cocktail culture. They are...

Events.(Features)(Calendar)
May 3, 2007... The Bristol Junior Chef competition is a slight misnomer, as entrants do not need to have had any experience in professional kitchens to be eligible to enter. The competition, run in conjunction with the Tourism Skills Network, Destination...

Infozone Foodfile ingredients in season.(Features)(Recipe)
May 3, 2007... Meat As we go into summer many restaurants turn to fish more than meat for menu options, so now is a good time to take advantage of the cheap cuts of meat. Demand at present is for beef steaks and, as a consequence, rib-eye steaks have...

The briefing.(Infozone)(briefs)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... * Smoking guidelines slammed Business groups have hit back at suggestions that they should foot the bill to help staff quit smoking. Guidelines recently put forward by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said workers...

Visitor attraction Restaurant spend.(Infozone)
May 3, 2007... The average amount spent by consumers on a meal in a restaurant at a visitor attraction last year was [pounds sterling]5.51. This follows a gradual decline from an average of [pounds sterling]5.69 in 2002. Value-conscious consumers are...

It shouldn't happen to a chef.(Side Orders)
May 3, 2007... letter of the week Just imagine that you've walked into what seems to be a first-class hotel. When you get through the door, which is just hanging on its hinges, you notice that there seems to be wallpaper peeling from the wall. You nip...

The customer is sometimes wrong.(Side Orders)(analysis of customer behaviour)
May 3, 2007... Is the customer always right? There might have been a time when this was true, but as we slip further into compensation culture is it not more realistic to suggest that the customer is probably wrong and just trying to score as much money off...

Power, not uniformity.(Side Orders)(opinions about independent hotel's uniqueness)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... It is flattering to discover that my recent Opinion article "Independents find strength in numbers" (Caterer, 8 March, page 22) attracted the notice of the president of Utell, Peter Fitzgerald (Caterer, 19 April, page 19) It is flattering...

Education has moved on, Marco.(Side Orders)
May 3, 2007... Marco Pierre White says: "College is the biggest waste of time Marco Pierre White says: "College is the biggest waste of time. It doesn't prepare people for the industry." (Caterer, 26 April, page 26) Can I ask a question? When was the...

Where can I buy the book?(Side Orders)
May 3, 2007... That was a very good review of the The Babbo Cookbook in Kitchen Bible (Caterer, 12 April, page 13) That was a very good review of the The Babbo Cookbook in Kitchen Bible (Caterer, 12 April, page 13). I was looking forward to seeing the...

Otahuna Lodge, Christchurch, New Zealand.(Side Orders)
May 3, 2007... Housed in a 19th-century former private residence, this hotel is set in 30 acres of garden. Interiors include 15 wood-burning fireplaces as well as an original hand-carved staircase and a private art collection. Opened 1 May Owners...

Tulip Inn Sunny Hill, Cluj Napoca, Romania.(Side Orders)
May 3, 2007... Located in the Faget Forest, this three-star hotel is Golden Tulip's second property in Romania. The hotel includes a lobby bar and the 80-seat Vila Tusa restaurant offering a menu of traditional Romanian and international food. Opened 1...

Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa, Dubai.(Side Orders)
May 3, 2007... On Jumeirah Beach next to Dubai's new marina, this hotel is housed in twin towers overlooking the sea. It offers 13 different bars and food outlets including a fine-dining restaurant, sushi bar, Italian restaurant and English pub. Opened...

Review of Reviews.(Features)
May 3, 2007... The Guardian 28 April Matthew Norman stems his phobia of country house hotel dining at the Arundell Arms in Lifton, Devon Freebie cups of scintillating asparagus soup had come and gone before we got stuck into a meal that relied...

scott's.(Features)(Scott's Restaurant PLC)
May 3, 2007... Scott's restaurant in London hasn't been short of attention since it reopened in December. Gaby Huddart went along to see what all the fuss is about Since its relaunch in December, the new-look Scott's restaurant in London's Mayfair has...

Strategy clinic.(Infozone)(view of Stephen Page)(home information packs)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... "I am planning to put my hotel on the market this summer. We live in a flat in the basement. Will we be affected by home information packs becoming law on 1 June?" In short, no. Home information packs (HIPs) will be required from June for...

Cosmetic surgery leave.(Infozone)
May 3, 2007... Can you insist that an employee undergoing cosmetic surgery does so in their own time? Boodle Hatfield partner Karen Black urges caution The problem "My receptionist is going into hospital for cosmetic surgery. She wants to take time...

Good week/bad week.(News)
May 3, 2007... The Oxo family Back in vogue after controversial chef Marco Pierre White endorses the humble Oxo cube. Welsh hotels Quay hotel in North Wales scoops first AA five-star rating in the region. Army marching on its stomach ESS launches...

A minute on the clock simon boyle.(Side Orders)
May 3, 2007... Chef Simon Boyle runs a successful catering business with a difference. At Beyond Boyle he's taken on eight homeless people as part of a social enterprise scheme led by the House of St Barnabas charity in London. Three months in, it's so...

Is British best or are the Poles apart?(Side Orders)(employment of foreign workers in British employers )
May 3, 2007... Debbie Radage, sales and marketing manager of City Catering, looks at why many British employers hire foreigners over home-grown staff A huge debate has been rumbling over the last few years about the influx of eastern European workers into...

ISS Mediclean moves into school meals.(News)
May 3, 2007... Hospital caterer, ISS Mediclean, has entered the school meals market by snapping up specialist contract caterer Caterhouse for an undisclosed sum. Established in 1993 by directors Tom Seery and Sandra Fawcett, Caterhouse prepares lunches...

Out of Town Restaurants goes into administration.(News)
May 3, 2007... Restaurant operator Out of Town Restaurant Group (OTRG) has collapsed into administration, Caterer has learnt. The company has appointed administrators Robson Rhodes to deal with the ongoing trading and sale of the business. Simon...

35 years of Roux magic.(News)
May 3, 2007... High-profile guests from across the industry came together last week to celebrate a significant anniversary at the UK's first three-Michelin-starred restaurant and raise money for Hospitality Action. Emily Manson was there Michel Roux's...

Former Asda boss plans bid for Brakes.(News)
May 3, 2007... Brakes... going into private hands? Archie Norman, the former Asda chief, is poised to bid an estimated [pounds sterling]1.3b for food supplier Brakes. Norman is thought to be looking to secure private-equity backing for a bid for the...

Brown drives away developers with raid on allowances.(News)
May 3, 2007... Budget changes to capital allowances is forcing hotel builders to look for opportunities outside the UK By Emily Manson The chancellor's Budget raid on capital allowances is already deterring developers from building new hotels in the...

Wagamama, Boston, USA.(Side Orders)(Restaurant review)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Wagamama's first US branch is located in Boston's historic Faneuil Hall. The restaurant features the usual open kitchen and communal seating as well as an outdoor area offering 50 additional seats. The menu offers noodle, rice and salad dishes...

Legacy moves into marketing.(News)(Legacy Hotels & Resorts )(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Hotel management company Legacy Hotels & Resorts is diversifying into marketing and distribution. The group has agreed to look after the sales, marketing and distribution of three hotels in North Wales: the Wild Pheasant, the Bryn Howel...

JW rebranding for Grosvenor House.(News)(JW Marriott Hotel)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Marriott's Grosvenor House hotel will be rebranded as the first JW Marriott hotel in the UK early next year. Following a [pounds sterling]120m refurbishment, the hotel is set to become the largest JW Marriott in Europe and marks a big push...

The week in brief.(News)(briefs)(Alternative Hotel Group)(Tante Marie School of Cookery)(Absolute Taste )(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Triple deal for Golden Tulip Golden Tulip UK has signed a [pounds sterling]40m development deal for three new hotels near London's Gatwick airport and in York and Doncaster. The new-build hotels, which will be open by autumn 2008, will...

Table Talk.(Side Orders)
May 3, 2007... The wind that shakes the barley wine? Once the smoking ban kicks in, pubs and bars will be a haven of fresh air and lack their traditional smoggy fug, or so the theory goes. However, one publican who spoke to Caterer this week let slip...

von essen closes [pounds sterling]6m deal for hunstrete house.(News)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Luxury hotel group Von Essen has completed a [pounds sterling]6m deal for its latest acquisition, Hunstrete House near Bath (left). The 25-bedroom hotel in 100 acres of grounds will become part of the Von Essen private collection. Andrew...

Suite inspiration.(Features)
May 3, 2007... It's the time of year when thoughts turn to spring cleaning. Of course, in the hospitality industry this should be a year-round obsession, so it's crucial to keep your housekeeping staff motivated. Jackie Mitchell reports Housemaids and...

Commercial development.(Features)
May 3, 2007... Harbour & Jones's founders are pushing forward with their plan to seek out concessions business. Ben Walker reports Over the past year Patrick Harbour and Nathan Jones have demonstrated how much they relish the freedom that running their...

The changing face of breakfast.(Inside)
May 3, 2007... Fewer people are finding the time to enjoy a traditional sit-down The British breakfast is changing. Although the traditional full breakfast is still the choice of many, there's an emerging preference for healthy eating and food on the go....

A plan fromA plan from Prue.(Features)
May 3, 2007... Famed as a cook, writer, restaurateur and TV personality, Prue Leith is also a distinguished industry lobbyist. Her latest - and biggest - challenge is to help bring healthy eating to our children, as chairman of the School Food Trust. Janet...

Over to you.(News)
May 3, 2007... How do migrant and UK workers differ? Gary King, director, recuitment firm Collins King & Associates "Some of the best and most committed workers we get are from overseas, particularly from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....

Caterer loves.(Side Orders)
May 3, 2007... English asparagus It's that time of year again: spring is upon us, and with it the start of the English asparagus season. The king of the kitchen garden, the Viagra of vegetables, is now at its best and will be throughout the month of May....

Balfour-Lynn in [pounds sterling]2b drive to fund REIT.(News)(Richard Balfour-Lynn )(Real Estate Investment Trust )
May 3, 2007... Magnate seeks investment for first hotel-based trust By emily manson Property magnate Richard Balfour-Lynn has been tasked with securing the [pounds sterling]2b funding needed for Vector Hospitality - the UK's first hotel-based real...

News.(Infozone)(briefs)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... * Chefs score in leadership poll Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay have better leadership skills than Hillary Clinton and the Dalai Lama, UK employees believe. A survey of 1,000 workers by training body Learndirect saw the Queen and Sir Alex...

Contents.(News)
May 3, 2007... How Ramon and Karen Farthing added new revenue to their restaurant 24 7 Finance Has Gordon Brown driven the developers overseas? 8 Hotels Balfour-Lynn seeks [pounds sterling]2b to fund REIT 10 Waterside Inn's 35 years Guests...

Three thousand turn out to eat up London.(News)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Here's one way of turning London into the culinary capital of the world - making the city edible. Last Saturday, a vast edible map of the capital was displayed in Trafalgar Square and then eaten by 3,000 members of the public. "Eat London", a...

Going places.(Infozone)
May 3, 2007... Heavitree Brewery is to have a new managing director from the start of May, when Graham Crocker, the present finance director, takes the reins. The switch has been prompted by the 73rd birthday of non-executive chairman William Tucker, who will...

Ispahan.(Inside)(Recipe)
May 3, 2007... ispahan e_SFlbIngredients (Makes about 42 x 55mm shells - roughly 60 smaller petits fours) For almond paste for macaroon base 390g ground almonds 390g icing sugar 145g fresh egg whites 5g carmine colouring ...

Macaroons.(Inside)
May 3, 2007... Macaroons have enjoyed a surge in popularity Andre Loutsch (left) and MickaA'l Marsollier with another batch of Ispahan Below: Herme's family connection with pAcentstisserie goes back several generations MONSIEUR MACARON If...

Inside.(Pasta products was brought to France)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Macaroons, believe it or not, evolved from macaroni. The pasta was brought to France during the Renaissance, and a century later, in about 1600, pastry cooks were already baking "macarons" not unlike the chewy almond cakes that are still sold...

Prue LeithThe veteran industry campaigner on why the School Food Trust is her biggest challenge yet.(Features)
May 3, 2007... The Waterside Inn celebrates its 35th birthday Breakfast - still the most important meal of the day? infozone: should treatment for cosmetic surgery be counted as sick leave? Time to expand? Why Ramon and Karen Farthing added...

My life in hospitality.(Infozone)
May 3, 2007... allegra mcevedy THE HIGHS We opened our first outlet in Carnaby Street in July 2004 and were run off our feet, busier than we ever thought we'd be. We seemed to be pitching it right. Good food has been my life, and just because it's...

Value-added tactics.(Features)
May 3, 2007... Seasonality, poor staff retention and a narrow customer base can all limit the turnover and value of a hospitality business. But if you can get the funding, there are ways to increase those figures - and now is a good time to try it. Tom...

RSPB report piles pressure on Trump.(News)(Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)(Donald Trump)(Brief article)
May 17, 2007... US tycoon Donald Trump's controversial plans for a golf course and luxury hotel in north-east Scotland have been slammed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). The proposals have been consistently opposed by environmental...

News.(Infozone)(briefs)(www.chefsworld.net)(Conference news)(Brief article)
May 17, 2007... * New vocational diplomas Young people who develop skills in hospitality and catering should get the same "applause" as those who go to university, according to the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT)....

Springboard award winner.(Infozone)
May 17, 2007... Every year Springboard's Awards for Excellence celebrate what a great place the hospitality industry is to work. In our third monthly profile we look at Marriott International, which won the Web Award 2006. What is it? Marriott...

Going places.(Infozone)
May 17, 2007... Alan Fry has become deputy general manager at Cringletie House in the Scottish Borders. He comes from the Tsogo Sun in South Africa, where he was food and beverage manager and administration services manager for three years. The South African...

The week in brief.(News)(briefs)
May 17, 2007... King in [pounds sterling]14m London hotel deal Bev King, former head of Thistle hotels, has signed a [pounds sterling]14m deal for a new hotel in London's High Holborn. King, who has teamed up with private Irish backers for the venture,...

Pipe cleaner halts beer losses.(News)
May 17, 2007... Hotel operator De Vere is rolling out a computerised beer pipe cleaning system to 27 of its sites after a trial at the Belfry hotel, in Wishaw, Warwickshire, saw savings of nearly 600 pints of beer a month. The system, from supplier...

Pub groups could qualify as REITs, say analysts.(News)
May 17, 2007... Operators urged to lobby for beer sales to be defined as part of rental income By Christopher Walton Pub operators could convert to real estate investment trusts (REITs) without splitting into separate operating and property companies...

Hull council to axe free school meals.(News)
May 17, 2007... Local election result seals scheme's fate By Chris Druce Kingston upon Hull Council's leader has vowed to axe the region's pioneering free school meals service from September, arguing the move will improve food quality. The fate...

Book Review.(Side Orders)(One Spice, Two Spice: Western Food, Indian Flavours)(Book review)
May 17, 2007... Tangs of New York One Spice, Two Spice: Western Food, Indian Flavours Floyd Cardoz with Jane Daniels Lear Absolute Press, [pounds sterling]20 ISBN 1-9045735-8-4 If you know anything about the New York restaurant scene,...

The briefing.(Infozone)
May 17, 2007... * The end of hard cash? A new type of debit card could revolutionise the way customers buy drinks, snacks and other small "loose change" items costing less than [pounds sterling]10. This autumn, banks are planning to launch a new type of...

No longer any excuse for lack of training in food hygiene.(Features)
May 17, 2007... letter of the week Yet again we read a horror story about lack of food hygiene training leading to low standards of hygiene (Caterer, 10 May, page 8). This bears out our own research which revealed, among many "shockers", apparently bright...

Antarctic touroperator wins global award.(News)
May 17, 2007... Antarctic tour operator Lindblad Expeditions scooped the World Travel & Tourism Council's Global Tourism Business award, despite recent warnings that increasing tourist numbers are destroying the region. The group, which beat two other...

Acorn House.(Features)
May 17, 2007... Amid all the praise for this London restaurant's environmental approach, the food has often been somewhat overlooked. Tom Vaughan goes to find out what's on the menu It's nothing out of the ordinary for a restaurant to open to critical...

My life in hospitality.(Infozone)(Travel narrative)
May 17, 2007... John Campbell The Highs... Achieving two Michelin stars at the Vineyard has been my greatest personal achievement. It also proved it's possible to achieve high standards in a commercial hotel environment. Looking back, the first...

Side Orders.
May 17, 2007... This neighbourhood fish and chip restaurant has been a Notting Hill fixture since 1939 and has reopened under new ownership after an extensive revamp. The menu has been updated but includes original staples such as fish soup, fish pie and fish...

London Road, Alderley Edge, Cheshire.(Side Orders)(Restaurant review)(Brief article)
May 17, 2007... Chef-proprietor Paul Heathcote's latest venture in Cheshire serves a menu of classic British and French food and offers daily specials from its fresh fish counter as well as small plates from its robata grill. The restaurant has outside dining...

Ping Pong Southbank Centre, London.(Side Orders)(Brief article)
May 17, 2007... The Ping Pong chain's latest outlet is in London's Southbank Centre and features a lounge bar and restaurant with alfresco dining area. Interiors include black lacquer tables, lattice screens and exposed brickwork. Opened 23 April ...

The Headley, Brentwood, Essex.(Side Orders)
May 17, 2007... This new pub on Headley Common comes from the team behind the two-Michelin-starred Midsummer House in Cambridge. Spread over two floors, it includes a bar with open log fire as well as an alfresco terrace and serves a modern European menu. ...

Strategy clinic.(Infozone)(Brief article)
May 17, 2007... "How much profit should I be making from my spa?" The answer to this question will vary depending on whether the spa is a stand-alone profit centre or an integrated facility within a hotel complex. It also depends on what facilities the spa...

Go green or lose trade, warn experts.(News)(travel and tourism)(Brief article)
May 17, 2007... Consumers' environmental concerns too strong to ignore By Emily Manson The travel and tourism sector must manage its environmental impact better or face a consumer backlash, industry leaders have admitted. The industry faces...

Hotels urged to invest in IT to see cost savings.(News)
May 17, 2007... Hotels need to ramp up their investment in technology in order to reap massive cost savings, experts advised at the conference. A report from Deloitte predicted that hospitality businesses could save $180m ([pounds sterling]91m) for every...

The things they said...(News)
May 17, 2007... "The airline industry is on the cusp of being seen as the tobacco industry of lifestyle choice" James Russell, senior director, Clinton Climate Change Initiative "Greenpeace picking on low-cost airlines is misguided. If they banned all...

When employees retire.(Infozone)
May 17, 2007... Solicitor Nathan Thomas describes the procedures that must be followed as employees approach the default retirement age of 65 The problem We have a number of employees who are in their sixties. We have also recently merged with another...

Brew horizons.(Inside)(food and drink industry show)
May 17, 2007... Visitors to this year's CaffA[umlaut] Culture show at London's Olympia on23-24 May will be looking for new ideas and new products. Ian Boughtonfinds there is no shortage of fresh thinking at the 2007 show Wholesalers Beyond the Bean...

Theatre in the ground.(Inside)
May 17, 2007... With basic barista training, drinks that take just a minute to make can Serving decent espresso-based drinks is in itself a genuine skill and one to be respected, but training staff in coffee-making goes beyond that. The emergence of the...

How to get your juices flowing.(Inside)
May 17, 2007... This summer looks likely to be the warmest on record globally, say experts The smoothie and juice sectors have grown for two reasons - they're seen as both refreshing and healthy. We now have "detox", "cardio", "anti-flu" and "energy"...

Get the basics right.(Inside)(tea market)
May 17, 2007... In recent years there has been huge growth in speciality blends to add For all the fancy varieties now appearing on the tea scene, there's still one massive catering tea sector that needs to be properly addressed - the market for the...

Danger of hidden dirt in the kitchen.(Side Orders)(Letter to the editor)
May 17, 2007... Your articles about cleaning standards highlights an ongoing problem in the UK. Your articles about cleaning standards highlights an ongoing problem in the UK. Training, education, motivation and development of food handlers will...

Card charges can hit hotels.(Side Orders)
May 17, 2007... This morning I received my statement from Barclaycard Business for all my credit card transactions at my hotel. This morning I received my statement from Barclaycard Business for all my credit card transactions at my hotel. Nothing...

You don't even get a reply.(Side Orders)(Letter to the editor)
May 17, 2007... With reference to the article "Experience meets a wall of silence" (CatererSearch), I recently responded to seven vacancies through agencies on Caterer.com. With reference to the article "Experience meets a wall of silence"...

Calling former Young Guns.(Side Orders)
May 17, 2007... Attention all previous Young Guns. Since 2001, the Catering & Hospitality Forum has run its Young Guns competition, which recognises the UK's leading hospitality students. Attention all previous Young Guns. Since 2001, the Catering &...