Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from November 2006

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from November 2006

Down on the farm.
November 2, 2006... Caterer Harbour & Jones maintains its competitive edge partly by sourcing one-third of its produce through specialist suppliers. To emphasise the point, some of its chefs were taken on a visit to free-range farms in East Anglia. Ben Walker...

Asbestos in the building.
November 2, 2006... The law on control of asbestos at work has become more stringent. Barrister Julie Barratt looks through the requirements to maintain health and safety The Problem I rent the premises from which I operate my business. Other people in...

Over to you.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... What's the best way to set a restaurant's mood? Russell Cox, restaurant manager, Pearl, London "When playing music in a restaurant it's very important to assess the mood. At lunchtime, customers will want to listen to a different type...

Don't let music replace a good atmosphere.
November 2, 2006... Whether it's imposed loudly in a bar or playing quietly in a restaurant, food writer Bill Knott feels music is getting in the way of having a good time Maybe I'm getting old. Every bar, pub or club I visit these days seems to be pumping...

How I got here.(Andrew Connor)
November 2, 2006... Andrew Connor Head sommelier, the Lanesborough hotel, London Andrew Connor, 31, is head sommelier at the Lanesborough hotel in London, part of the St Regis Hotels & Resorts group. It's a role that involves wine tasting at strange hours...

Ten steps to buying a hospitality business.
November 2, 2006... Buying your own business may seem a daunting task, but if you get the right experts around you and follow these basic guidelines then the process could become relatively painless. Hugh Caven explores the purchase of property Assuming that...

Hotel News update.
November 2, 2006... * Hotel entrepreneur Peter de Savary has bought the Cary Arms (above) at Babbacombe in Torquay, Devon, for more than [pounds sterling]1m. The waterside pub, which overlooks both Babbacombe and Oddicombe beaches, is expected to close shortly for...

Ducasse takes his cooking to a whole new world.(Alain Ducasse)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Culinary creations from multi-Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse will be served up on the Russian spacecraft Progress. The chef's consultancy and training company ADF has been hired by the French National Centre for Space Studies...

Events.
November 2, 2006... Dust off your feather headdresses and don your loud shirts, Oak (formerly the Acorn Club) is running a Brazilian carnival-themed charity evening on Friday 10 November at the Sheraton Park Lane hotel, London. The event, which is sponsored by...

the ritz.(Restaurant review)
November 2, 2006... After a millennium low, the Ritz is back doing what it does best - serving classic dishes in an innovative style to diners who like to be surrounded by gold-gilt opulence. Joanna Wood reports Fred Astaire used to sing about Puttin' on the...

Recognition is the prize.
November 2, 2006... Narrowed down from a pool of more than 80 applicants, eight chefs and eight waiters battled it out for the titles of Young Chef and Young Waiter 2006 at London's Kingsway College. Tom Vaughan reports on the action Delicious food and...

CHILDREN'S FOOD gets GROWn-UP.
November 2, 2006... Given the chance, many children will look beyond the staple fare of chicken nuggets and chips. Diane Lane looks at some more exciting additions to children's menus For any establishment keen to appeal to the lucrative market of families...

Fifteen restaurant, Melbourne.
November 2, 2006... Following launches in London, Amsterdam and Cornwall, Jamie Oliver's fourth restaurant has opened down under. Fifteen serves modern Italian dishes and gives 20 unemployed youths the chance to become professional chefs. Opened 20 September...

Table Talk.
November 2, 2006... The boss always shakes me by the throat - sorry, hand We recently heard a story about one UK chief exec who splashed out 25 grand of company money on a film to support an award nomination this year. The cash was lavished on a day-in-the-life...

Balanced view.
November 2, 2006... Diane Lane reviews food items ranging from the indulgent to the organic 1. for those who like to indulge White's is a new range of premium frozen and chilled products from 3663 First for Foodservice designed with indulgence in mind and...

made in italy.(Giorgio Locatelli )
November 2, 2006... London-based chef-restaurateur Giorgio Locatelli has produced a personal hymn to his homeland with the publication of his book Made in Italy Food & Stories. Here are three of its seasonal recipes More than four years in the making, Giorgio...

Caterer loves.
November 2, 2006... Sustainable cod Cod and chips isn't just the nation's favourite takeaway - it's a British institution. For more than 2,000 years the British have fished cod, but as its succulent white flakes gradually turned into the mainstay of our...

A minute on the clock Karol Rzepkowski.(Interview)
November 2, 2006... Natural cod stocks in the North Sea have reached an all-time low and a ban is now on the cards. Karol Rzepkowski, managing director of Johnson Sustainable Seafoods, is pioneering an organic sustainable cod farm in the Shetlands. He talks to...

Review of Reviews.(L'Atelier de Jol Robuchon)(Rivington Grill)(Atami)(Odette's)(Restaurant review)
November 2, 2006... The Times 28 October Giles Coren has only a few complaints at the L'Atelier de Jol Robuchon, London WC2 There was an amuse (of course) of foie gras in a shot glass sealed with a port reduction and topped with a pale, eggy foam. And it...

Little Chef rolls out Wi-Fi to attract business traffic.
November 2, 2006... Little Chef hopes to attract a brand new customer base by offering wireless internet access at its roadside restaurants. The scheme, which will see Wi-Fi hotspots installed in most of the company's 232 UK restaurants, is part of Little...

Campion joins Roux judges.
November 2, 2006... This year's Roux Scholarship is now open for entries, with chef and food writer Charles Campion joining the competition's panel as a guest judge. He will join Heston Blumenthal, Brian Turner, Gary Rhodes, David Nicholls, Andrew Fairlie and the...

Corbin and King choose Mazzei as chef for St Alban.
November 2, 2006... Francesco Mazzei has been named as the head chef of Chris Corbin and Jeremy King's new restaurant, St Alban, Caterer can reveal. The Italian was previously head chef at Franco's on London's Jermyn Street, which reopened following a...

Overbooking - a balancing act for the budget chains.
November 2, 2006... The revelation by an undercover investigation that Travelodge overbooks bedrooms came as no surprise to the hotel industry. Tom Bill investigates how hotels cope with the pressure to maintain occupancy Premier Travel Inn (PTI) bosses...

Scottish restaurants to pilot Food Hygiene Information Scheme.
November 2, 2006... 3,000 premises to display results of hygiene inspections By Emily Manson The Scottish arm of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) will launch a "scores on the doors" scheme next week, publicising for the first time how well food operators...

Aramark to fly into Heathrow as annual HQ costs top [pounds sterling]1m?
November 2, 2006... Caterer could combine Millbank and Berkshire operations By Tom Bill Contract caterer Aramark UK is thought to be planning to move out of its Millbank head office in central London. Several industry sources said chief executive...

The Love Shack is a little old place where we can get together.(Navutu Stars Resort )(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... A worldwide survey of the top 100 sexiest hotels has crowned the Navutu Stars Resort (left) in Fiji as the best venue to keep guests in the mood. Sexy Inc rated more than 500 properties in its search and judged them according to style,...

Foodfile ingredients in season.(Recipe)
November 2, 2006... Fish Howling winds up north have meant another bad week for Scottish produce, with no scallops arriving at all and only small quantities of langoustines. North Cornwall has seen small day boats make the first good landings of herrings,...

HSE warns hotels to check gas appliances.
November 2, 2006... 30 people die in the UK every year from CO poisoning By Chris Druce Hoteliers have been urged to ensure their gas appliances have been checked in the past year to avoid potentially poisoning guests and possible imprisonment. The...

Supplier wins U-turn from East Ayrshire council.(Braehead Foods)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... A Scottish food producer that supplies hotels and restaurants across the UK has scrapped plans to relocate after winning a battle against its local council. East Ayrshire-based Braehead Foods, which supplies venison, game and cooked game...

The week in brief.(Provence Commercial Properties to close as a result of huge financial losses.)(Deutsche Lufthansa AG brings in chef Juan Amador to create the in-flight menu.)(Travelodge Hotels defends itself against overbooking allegations.)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Travelodge hits back at BBC Budget hotel group Travelodge has defended itself following the BBC Watchdog programme's revelations that it overbooks bedrooms. The undercover investigation highlighted a policy of overbooking rooms and serving...

Gay bar supervisor takes Crown Group to court.(Crown Group)(James Sharkey)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... A gay third-year law student has taken contract caterer Crown Group to court for alleged discrimination and breach of contract. James Sharkey, 21, was a bar supervisor for Crown at Birmingham City Football Club from December 2005 until...

Industry welcomes Stern report on climate change.
November 2, 2006... By Chris Druce Hospitality operators have welcomed this week's landmark report on climate change as a dose of common sense, arguing it need not be a doom-and-gloom prescription for the future of the industry. The Stern report, released...

Good week/bad week.
November 2, 2006... Schoolkids Heinz adds brain-enhancing fatty acid omega-3 to its tinned spaghetti range. Curry fans Key ingredient turmeric found to help prevent arthritis and osteoporosis. Polish beer Increase in thirsty migrant workers causes Tyskie lager...

Room for a rethink on overbooking?
November 2, 2006... For many in the hotel industry, last week's BBC Watchdog programme on overbooking of hotel rooms can hardly have been a revelation. The fact is, overbooking of hotel rooms is about as common as the overbooking of airline seats on budget...

Book Review.(Gastropub Classics)(Book review)
November 2, 2006... Pub and bistro classics Gastropub Classics Trish Hilferty Absolute Press ISBN 1-9045735-3-3 Love it or hate it, the term "gastropub" is unlikely to go away and, anyway, it does serve a purpose in its purest sense of defining a certain...

Chambers hotel, Minneapolis.
November 2, 2006... Sister to New York's Chambers hotel and part of Design Hotels, this is a luxury hotel set over five floors in central Minneapolis. It features more than 200 pieces of original work by artists such as Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Gary Hume. ...

Conferences can take the green route.(LateMeetings.com)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Your informative and inspiring Green October campaign will surely be viewed retrospectively as a tipping point - no longer can the UK hospitality sector claim ignorance, or justify its disinterest, on matters to do with global warming. ...

Guides' future looks healthy.(Conde Nast Johansens)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... From our perspective, the future of the printed guide looks very healthy, principally because we're not reliant on the more traditional forms of distribution and sales (Caterer, 26 October, page 12). Our online and direct-mail database...

Importance of benchmarking.
November 2, 2006... It's good to see the increasing importance being placed on comparative benchmarking in tourism and hospitality. In your story headed "HR is no longer the soft option" (Caterer, 26 October, page 11), Gavin Wetton rightly points to the need...

Laws will get even tougher.(Peter Roberts)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... I feel your news story headed "Government hits back over 'Part L' criticism" (Caterer, 26 October, page 8) did not accurately summarise Golden Tulip's philosophy on the reduction of carbon emissions and energy efficiency in hotels. ...

Mandarin Oriental hotel, Hong Kong.
November 2, 2006... Mandarin Oriental's flagship hotel has reopened after a nine-month US$140m ([pounds sterling]75m) face-lift. Rooms now feature enclosed balconies, state-of-the-art entertainment systems and Wi-Fi internet access, as well as bigger bathrooms....

New age legislation will cause confusion.(Letter to the editor)
November 2, 2006... letter of the week My sympathies are entirely with John Gater in respect of the new age discrimination legislation (Caterer, 26 October, page 18). I fear many hospitality employers will encounter similar practical problems in applying...

Park Plaza Tyrrelstown hotel, Dublin.
November 2, 2006... Close to both Dublin airport and the city centre, this four-star hotel includes 13 suites and a business centre as well as the Maya-Che restaurant and adjacent Hourglass cocktail bar. Opened 18 October Owner Carlson Hotels Worldwide...

Robert Stoddard, director of development for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Hilton International.
November 2, 2006... Robert Stoddard has become director of development for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States at Hilton International. He has worked for the past three years providing a private hotel advisory service in the region.

Rosalind Anna Cuschieri, non-executive director, Wolverhampton & Dudley.
November 2, 2006... Rosalind Anna Cuschieri, who has worked in marketing roles for brewer Scottish & Newcastle, has joined the board of Wolverhampton & Dudley as non-executive director. She was most recently commercial director at baker Warburtons.

Strategy clinic.
November 2, 2006... The question We are a small hotel chain but we cover many key UK cities. How can we raise our visibility among core corporate players, especially to fill distressed inventory? The solutions Pamela Carvell, Pampas Training &...

The house that Jones built.(Robyn Jones)(Interview)
November 2, 2006... Founder and chief executive of Charlton House Catering Services, Robyn Jones celebrated 15 years in business this year. With an eye on the next 15 years she discusses her guiding principles with consultant Jonathan Doughty Robyn Jones does...

Events.
November 9, 2006... The sarnie, buttie or stottie - call it what you will, the British sandwich takes centre stage at the third annual Taste Experience in Olympia Conference Centre, London, on 16 November. The event, organised by the British Sandwich...

Book Review... Italian vegetables US-style.(Book review)
November 9, 2006... Verdura: Vegetables Italian Style Viana La Place Grub Street, [pounds sterling]16.99 ISBN 1-904943-45-4 Italian food books are the flavour of the season: we've recently had Giorgio Locatelli's heavyweight tome (Caterer, 2 November, page...

Green practices have always saved money.(Letter to the editor)
November 9, 2006... Letter of the week Your Green Month has reminded me of a couple of things I did in the past to save energy. To be fair, as each was in pre-green days, they were more in an effort to save money than anything else. The first was as long ago...

Bumpkin, London.(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... This eaterie from the team behind Boujis, Volstead and Eclipse is an all-day brasserie with a focus on sustainable, locally sourced ingredients. Housed in a four-storey building in London's Notting Hill, Bumpkin serves weekday lunches and...

A minute on the clock... jane renton.
November 9, 2006... London's Lowndes hotel reopens next week as a five-star boutique property under the Jumeirah banner. General manager Jane Renton has overseen the [pounds sterling]8.5m, 10-month redevelopment. She talks to Emily Manson Caterer What was the...

Caterer loves... Online chefs.
November 9, 2006... For the last year or so the online video market has been growing at an ever-increasing pace. Websites such as Google, BBC and, most notably, YouTube, have turned online video sharing into the latest social media craze to sweep the world. ...

School meals service holds key to future.
November 9, 2006... School meals are our only hope to save the nation, says Adam Starkey, managing director of education food supply specialist Green Gourmet I worry that our national stupidity about food is approaching epidemic levels. When we were primitive...

Equipment market is set for steady growth.(Market and Business Development)(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... The UK catering equipment market will be worth more than [pounds sterling]980m at present day prices in 2011, analysts have predicted. Research company Market & Business Development's (MBD) latest study estimates the market will increase...

Operators must be alert to all dangers.
November 9, 2006... The deaths of two children in Corfu have highlighted safety concerns in the hospitality industry. Kerstin Khn looks at other issues which must not be forgotten The tragic death of two children from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning at the...

Provence Commercial Properties is forced to call in the receivers.
November 9, 2006... 150 pubs continue trading under new company as Bolton firm suffers same fate as Edinburgh Swallow Group By Emily Manson Pub company Provence Commercial Properties (PCP) has called in the administrators after racking up substantial...

Salaries for London hotel staff outpace inflation.
November 9, 2006... The average salary of London hotel workers has risen by 4.5%, almost double the rate of inflation, research has revealed. The HVS Executive Search survey found the average annual base salary in 2006 for employees ranging from line level to...

Salaries for London hotel staff outpace inflation.
November 9, 2006... The average salary of London hotel workers has risen by 4.5%, almost double the rate of inflation, research has revealed. The HVS Executive Search survey found the average annual base salary in 2006 for employees ranging from line level to...

Saunders pulls out of [pounds sterling]50m Playboy venture.
November 9, 2006... Chef Steven Saunders has pulled out of a [pounds sterling]50m London casino and restaurant venture with adult entertainment group Playboy. The former Ready Steady Cook chef was due to open a 120-seat restaurant and two bars on the ground...

STONEHENGE COMES UNDER FIRE IN TOURIST SURVEY.(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... Prehistoric tourist attraction Stonehenge has been criticised as "lacking magic" and "a mess" in a survey of leading World Heritage sites. The study for National Geographic Traveller magazine declared that the legendary summer solstice...

'Unsustainable' plans threat to hotel market.
November 9, 2006... By Ben Walker The hotel market is in danger of overheating because of "unsustainable" and "ludicrous" loan rates and business plans, industry experts have warned. During a panel discussion at the British Association of Hospitality...

Charvet takes gold award for excellence.(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... Colin Leonard, UK sales manager for commercial cooking equipment supplier Charvet Premier Ranges, collected the Gold Award at the Caterer Group's 2006 Excellence in Catering Equipment and Supplies Awards last week. The award highlighted...

Review of Reviews.(Bentleys)(Ozu)(Bordeaux Quay)(Blackstones)(Restaurant review)
November 9, 2006... The Guardian 4 November Matthew Norman visits Bentleys in Southampton and wonders why the AA gave the "hellhole" a rosette The chargrilled loin of tuna with salad Nioise proved a huge piece of what struck the eye more as whale meat...

Which? report is inaccurate, says HCA.(Hospital Caterers Association)(Alison McCree)(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... A Which? report into the quality of hospital food paints a distorted and inaccurate picture, according to the Hospital Caterers Association (HCA). The study, which spoke to patients at 50 hospitals, revealed that only 35% thought hospital...

Les Routiers forced into liquidation.
November 9, 2006... Operators may not have guidebook entry fees refunded By Chris Druce Guidebook publisher Les Routiers, whose latest edition of Les Routiers in Britain was due to hit bookshops last month, has been forced into liquidation by one of its...

Councils could scrap school meals services as Oliver effect bites.
November 9, 2006... By Tom Bill Local authorities will scrap their catering services if school meal uptake continues to fall, experts have warned. The forecast follows the first stocktake of the year by school caterers and a BBC survey that found numbers...

Pulze steps in to rescue struggling W'Sens.
November 9, 2006... Veteran London restaurateur Claudio Pulze has rescued struggling French restaurant W'Sens from administration, Caterer has learnt. Pending legal consent, Pulze will jointly own the 150-cover restaurant in London's St James with French chef...

Trio in [pounds sterling]2b bid for four seasons.
November 9, 2006... A [pounds sterling]2b view? Bill Gates thinks so. Together with Four Seasons chief executive Isadore Sharp and Kingdom Hotels International, the Microsoft founder's Cascade investment vehicle has mounted a [pounds sterling]2b bid to take the...

Good week/bad week.
November 9, 2006... Giles Thorley Report reveals Punch boss is fifth highest earning chief executive in the UK, with [pounds sterling]10m pay packet. Red wine lovers Extract found in the tipple may help extend life and counter negative effects of an unhealthy,...

Feature.
November 9, 2006... With so much bad news in the press these days, it's good to have something to celebrate from time to time. Awards, such as the Pride of Britain, held this week, demonstrate how important it is to recognise outstanding individuals....

Theo Randall.
November 9, 2006... Bringing River Cafe chic and a sense of the seasons to Park Lane's InterContinental We want your nominations for the 2007 Acorn Awards Why Radisson Edwardian is a Best Place to Work Ascent of Oman The Gulf state where...

The week in brief.
November 9, 2006... CHE drops franchise agreement Choice Hotels Europe (CHE) has relinquished its European master franchise agreement with Choice Hotels International in order to focus its growth in the UK and central Europe. Under the agreement, CHE handed...

Odette's, London.(Brief article)
November 9, 2006... This neighbourhood favourite has reopened under new ownership and with a new look. Interiors feature a grey, acid green and chartreuse colour scheme and a new conservatory. The menu has modern French and British dishes with a focus on local...

St Germain, London.
November 9, 2006... Housed in a 19th-century print house, this brasserie and bar serves lunch and dinner during the week and brunch at weekends. While the bar features leather banquettes, the restaurant includes booths as well as wooden tables and chairs. The menu...

Table Talk.
November 9, 2006... by gum, nearly fell off the wagon there, tony Hospitality Action laid on a charity treat last week when the Ark Foundation's Peter Kay and chums prepared a slap-up five-courser at South Downs College in Waterlooville, Hampshire. Among the...

The Rembrandt, London.
November 9, 2006... This new restaurant, bar and nightclub has live acts performing five nights a week combining cabaret, jazz, soul and swing. The menu features French and Mediterranean influences with ingredients sourced from local farms and suppliers. The two...

How do you measure quality?
November 16, 2006... Common accreditation standards aimed at grading the UK's hotels are being phased in. But such a wide variety of accommodation is now on offer that critics say a tick-box system can never measure quality. Christian Sylt reports About a year...

Aubergine.(Thierry Tomasin)(Restaurant review)
November 16, 2006... This Michelin-starred London restaurant has led the field when it comes to matching food with beer. There are 14 on the list at the moment, priced from [pounds sterling]3.50 to [pounds sterling]32. Fiona Sims reports Everyone is staring at...

Interior motives.
November 16, 2006... Diane Lane looks at new products in seating, floors and walls 1. daniel's design 4 Living's Daniel Chair is now available in a choice of two leathers - chocolate brown sanded leather or ivory white smooth leather - and with the...

Employing Christmas casuals.
November 16, 2006... Temporary staff are often needed during the busy festive period, but you must be aware of their employment rights, says Karen Black of Boodle Hatfield The Problem I want to take on 30 additional casual staff over the Christmas and New...

raising the stakes.
November 16, 2006... In light of new gaming legislation coming into full effect next year, "new model" casinos are making their first appearances. Emma Allen visited one in Manchester that sets the scene for a radical change A Grade-II listed Victorian...

wear it well.
November 16, 2006... Not every operator has the budget to clothe staff in bespoke designs, so how can they create that all-important corporate image from off-the-peg garments? Attention to detail is an essential part of attracting and retaining custom, but...

Cheltenham star.(David Everitt-Matthias)(Le Champignon Sauvage)(Restaurant review)
November 16, 2006... Sixty chefs from as far north as Edinburgh and as far south as St Merryn in Cornwall made the pilgrimage to Cheltenham's Le Champignon Sauvage last month for its Chef Eats Out event. Amanda Afiya and photographer Lisa Barber made the journey...