Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from October 2005

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from October 2005

love going to work?(awards in hospitality industry)
October 6, 2005... Your company could be one of the Best Places to Work in Hospitality, and now it has the chance to be recognised as such in the Caterer Group's inaugural awards Why should I enter the Caterer Group Best Places to Work in Hospitality Awards...

Your chance to win fantastic ; hi-fi equipment.
October 6, 2005... Caterer and Hotelkeeper has teamed up with D&M Professional - Europe to offer readers the chance to win [pounds sterling]500-worth of fantastic Denon and Marantz audio equipment. All readers have to do to enter is answer the three questions...

Reasonable steps to DDA compliance.
October 6, 2005... The hospitality industry has been constructed around the keystone of customer care. Yet exclusive research commissioned by Caterer has highlighted a belief among disabled customers that the industry continues to fail them, a year after changes...

turning the tables.
October 6, 2005... In just over 18 months, Harrison Catering Services has turned a "no longer commercially viable" contract for a large London borough into a success, with a substantial increase in meals uptake, and happy, fulfilled and better-paid staff. Janet...

ONE PASTON PLACE.
October 6, 2005... The locals weren't going to be easily won over by the changes Francesco Furrielo made to the menu and decor at his Brighton restaurant. But he's getting there now, as Emma Allen found For the man who headed up an empire in the Naples...

London student wins six-week culinary trip to New Zealand.
October 6, 2005... Sophie Wright, a student at London's Westminster Kingsway College, has won this year's NZ-UK Link Foundation Culinary Challenge after a closely fought cook-off staged at Olympia last month. Finalists had to create a three-course meal using...

The Domino's effect.
October 6, 2005... With 400 outlets and more opening by the week, Domino's is the leading operator in the UK home-delivery pizza market. On the 20th anniversary of its first opening, Ross Bentley talks to chief executive Stephen Helmsley about inspired marketing...

Warning over imported beef.
October 6, 2005... More than half the beef sold through the hospitality and catering trade is imported, and some "fresh" imports actually have a shelf life of five months, the National Beef Association South West has warned. "Around 70% of the beef eaten in...

Heat's on Compass chief Bailey after poor figures; Analysts call for him to step down after third profit warning in 12 months.(Mike Bailey )
October 6, 2005... BY TOM BILL Compass Group chief executive Mike Bailey is under increasing pressure to step down immediately following the catering giant's third profit warning in 12 months. Bailey announced he would quit "some time during 2006" at last week's...

It's time for serious action over training.(in hospitality industry)
October 6, 2005... Employers must get behind the Hospitality Skills Academy in order to tackle the industry's skills shortage, urges restaurateur Nick Scade It was great to see a record turnout in support of the Academy of Food and Wine Service Awards...

local heroes.(food locally)
October 6, 2005... As British Food Fortnight draws to a close, we revisit the three kitchens which took part in Caterer's experiment by trying to source all their food locally for a month. Dan Bignold reports This week sees the end of British Food Fortnight,...

Thistle, Jarvis bosses quit.
October 6, 2005... By Emily Manson Bosses at two of the UK's leading private hotel companies, Jarvis and Thistle, announced their resignations this week. Richard Thomason, chief executive of Jarvis Hotels, is thought to have quit over the suspension of plans to...

Savoy chooses Martineau as executive chef.
October 6, 2005... London's Savoy hotel has appointed its youngest-ever executive chef, 30-year-old Patrice Martineau. Martineau will be responsible for private dining rooms, banqueting, room service and menus at the Thames Foyer, as well as expanding the hotel's...

Schools face kitchen shortage.
October 6, 2005... Getting the Government to recognise the crisis in British school meals has been a major achievement. But if schools don't have kitchens, how can caterers provide the meals we all want for our children? Phil Pemberton reports The "full...

The family firm.
October 6, 2005... It's already established as one of the best new openings in recent years, and the critics can't stop raving about what good value it is. The restaurant, of course, is Galvin. Suki King caught up with the owners - brothers Chris and Jeff ...

Poor service isn't enough to stop the British tipping.
October 6, 2005... UK restaurants receive [pounds sterling]1.15b a year in tips despite widespread poor service, according to research from First Direct bank. While hotel porters net [pounds sterling]71m and bar and casino staff enjoy gratuities totalling [pounds...

Maze is named top newcomer; Atherton scoops Time Out award.
October 6, 2005... BY AMY ABRAHAMS Jason Atherton's Maze beat off stiff competition, including the Ledbury and Amaya, to be named best new London restaurant at the Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards 2005 last week. The Gordon Ramsay-owned restaurant at the...

SCHOOL MEALS WEEK AIMS TO EDUCATE KIDS ON NUTRITION.
October 6, 2005... The Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA) is continuing its push for healthier school food in this year's National School Meals Week. The event, which runs from 10 to 14 October, aims to educate pupils in the nutritional value of food and...

Disabled customers could be worth [pounds sterling]5b.
October 6, 2005... Too many businesses don't make "reasonable adjustments" by Angela Frewin Hotels, restaurants and pubs are losing out on a [pounds sterling]5b market because they are still failing disabled customers. Exclusive research commissioned by...

School meals need an extra [pounds sterling]550m.
October 6, 2005... Government must triple the value of its pledge to schools By Tom Bill The Government's [pounds sterling]220m pledge to improve school meals is more than [pounds sterling]550m too little, according to the School Meals Review Panel. Analysis...

Poster sale ; to bring in ; [pounds sterling]120,000.
October 6, 2005... Vintage posters from the Champagne de Castellane collection could sell for more than [pounds sterling]120,000 at a Christie's auction later this month. The 85 posters by celebrated poster designer Leonetto Cappiello are expected to fetch from...

Young Chef Young Waiter 2005 winners named.
October 6, 2005... Chef Marcus McGuinness, 24, and head waiter Leah Fellstad, 25, have been named Young Chef 2005 and Young Waiter 2005, respectively. McGuinness, second chef at two-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham, and Fellstad,...

Peyton hopes for deal to save Atlantic.(Atlantic Bar and Grill)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2005... The dispute over Oliver Peyton's Atlantic Bar & Grill continues with no resolution in sight. The restaurant and bar shut last month after landlord the Regent Palace Hotel (RPH) sent the bailiffs in. Sources close to RPH suggested the bar was...

A minute; on the clock; Julien Foussadier.
October 6, 2005... Tunbridge Wells may be a far cry from Cuba, but Julien Foussadier, cigar aficionado and head barman at the local Hotel du Vin, has just been named UK champion in the Habano Sommelier competition for cigar sommeliers. He will now compete at the...

Book Review.
October 6, 2005... Build your own brick oven Your Brick Oven: Building it & Baking in it Russell Jeavons Grub Street, [pounds sterling]10.99 ISBN 1-904943-25-X Some of the poshest restaurants have wood-fired brick ovens - the River Cafe, for instance -...

Caterer loves.
October 6, 2005... Castle hotels Forget minimalism, spartan comforts begone. What we at Caterer really want is a fairy-tale ending to our week in the sumptuous confines of a castle. Castle hotels are not only full of character and intrigue but are a great...

Going places.
October 6, 2005... Ben Hough has joined Liverpool's Radisson SAS hotel as pastry chef. He was pastry chef at the Amore restaurant and bar in Frodsham, Cheshire. English Lakes Hotels has recruited Andy Lemm as general manager of its Wild Boar hotel and...

How I got here.(Neil Kelly )
October 6, 2005... Neil Kelly Cruise director, EasyCruise.com Neil Kelly had worked as a deputy cruise director for four years when he was asked to be the cruise director for EasyCruise. Ready for the challenge, Kelly saw the latest enterprise from...

Independent pubs face tax crackdown.
October 6, 2005... Revenue seeks "missing" millions from the cash economy By Chris Druce Publicans are facing a massive clampdown by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as it pursues the [pounds sterling]700m-[pounds sterling]1b it believes slips through the tax net...

International openings.
October 6, 2005... Four Points by Sheraton Panoramahaus Dornbirn, Austria Located on the upper floors of the Panoramahaus next to the Dornbirn shopping centre, this hotel offers panoramic views of the River Rhine. Opened 5 September General manager Raimund...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
October 6, 2005... Organic veg: it's a matter of taste I write to comment on your article about a consumer survey on the taste of organic food (Caterer, 8 September, page 10). Having been a commercial grower of organic fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs for...

Live-in employees.
October 6, 2005... If you're a hotel owner and have live-in employees you could be sitting on a financial time bomb if you don't set up the arrangements properly, advises Mandy Laurie, a partner at law firm Dundas & Wilson THE PROBLEM A hotel sacks its...

the week ; in brief.(Gate Gourmet International AG, T and G union )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2005... Gate Gourmet dispute settled Airline caterer Gate Gourmet and the T&G union have resolved their long-running industrial dispute. Tony Woodley, general secretary of the T&G, which represents the Gate Gourmet workers at Heathrow, said: "Members...

the week ; in brief.
October 6, 2005... Urban Dining in the black Urban Dining has moved into the black for the first time since it bought Tootsies restaurant chain in November 2004. The group made a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]625,000 in the six months to 31 July, compared...

Next move... for someone keen to go to Dubai.(Brief Article)
October 6, 2005... Each week our panel of recruitment experts provides answers to an employment question posed by a Caterer reader The Question I have eight years of fine-dining and gastropub experience in London. I'm interested in moving to Dubai to work in...

Over to you.
October 6, 2005... How would you improve the skills shortage? Robyn Jones, chief executive, Charlton House Catering Services "The main thing is to make it a fun, invigorating, sexy industry that people want to be part of. We make sure we value our staff. The...

Review of Reviews.(services of hotels)
October 6, 2005... The Sunday Times 2 October AA Gill dines in the basement restaurant that is Le Gavroche in London I had a nice piece of turbot, then a grouse, which they say is served in the English manner, but only in the sense that crme anglaise is the...

Table Talk.(japanese garden at a devon pub)(tourism promotion)(St David's Hotel & Spa holds language training courses )
October 6, 2005... japanese garden is sunk by the exe factor A new attraction at a Devon pub could soon disappear because of Government bureaucracy. The Fisherman's Cot at Bickleigh, on the banks of the River Exe, is rumoured to have inspired Paul Simon's song...

good week/bad week.(Testicle Cooking Championships)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2005... Real ale Pop diva Madge gets barrels of her favourite tipple, Timothy Taylor's Landlord bitter, home-delivered. Toast New toaster from designer Paul Brown claims it will never burn our favourite snack. Marmite, anyone? Poker-playing chefs...

how ; to.(make cocktail )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2005... Make George Clooney's Buona Notte cocktail If you fancy sipping like a celebrity, try making George Clooney's personal cocktail. The story goes that Clooney returned to the luxurious Hotel Cipriani in Venice after the screening of his new film...

Customer ; is king.
October 13, 2005... Winning new customers - and, crucially, retaining them - has never been tougher. In the run-up to next month's Five-Star Customer Management Conference, Bob Downie looks at some modern methods for tackling the problem Many of us used to...

keeping the peace.(violent behaviour)
October 13, 2005... Amid media speculation that drink-fuelled disorder is about to get worse under 24-hour opening, the role of those in the front line has been overlooked. When violence rears its ugly head, bar workers are often most vulnerable. Nic Paton reports...

Small is cool.
October 13, 2005... While impending HACCP requirements don't yet insist on specialised equipment to fast-chill risky foods, it may only be a matter of time. Bruce Whitehall looks at the growing range of small blast chillers and their potential uses Extension...

A parting of the ways.
October 13, 2005... The nuevo Latino cuisine on offer at the Cube & Star just hasn't been hitting the mark, and a new head chef is being brought in to change the menu over the next six weeks in a bid to boost flagging lunchtime sales. Diane Lane reports ...

King william.(King William pub)
October 13, 2005... Charlie Digney is one of many accomplished chefs who are self-taught, and one of many who have chosen to practise their art in a pub. Dan Bignold went to meet him Respect to colleges and all that, but self-taught chefs are great. The...

What inspires loyalty today?
October 13, 2005... Hotel industry consultant Melvin Gold says experiences and efficiency are now key tools for the market There was a time when hotels could offer their guests a range of services and facilities that exceeded the comforts they enjoyed in their...

Improving the pudding.(Dessert wines)(Northcote Manor hotel)
October 13, 2005... When it comes to making unforgettable wine and food matches, dessert wines offer sommeliers a chance to shine, says Craig Bancroft Dessert wines were probably the first wines we all started matching with food. I can vividly remember...

Blunos leaves Lygon amid sale rumours.(Martin Blunos)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2005... By Emily Manson Martin Blunos, executive chef at the Lygon Arms, has left the hotel amid rumours it will finally be taken over by Paramount Hotels in December. Blunos's two-year contract with the Michelin-starred business, part of Furlong...

Starwood Capital goes skiing.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2005... Starwood Capital, the investment arm of property mogul Barry Sternlicht, has completed a $365m ([pounds sterling]207m) deal to buy the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in north California. Starwood will upgrade the 4,000-acre ski resort, which...

Sizing up the competition.
October 13, 2005... Two House of Commons chefs take a peek at the opposition during last week's Ready, Steady, Cook challenge for contract caterers. BaxterStorey saw off 11 rivals to win the 30-minute challenge for the second year running. Its two chefs cooked...

Novelli quits Auberge after row over fees.
October 13, 2005... Brocket Hall chef-patron issues writ for outstanding money By Angela Frewin Celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli has quit his role as director and chef-patron of Brocket Hall following a dispute over unpaid fees. Novelli, who has issued a...

Bedfactory buys second property.(plans for expansion)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2005... Designer-budget hotel company Bedfactory Hotels has bought a second property, in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, with plans to expand the group to five within three years. Bedfactory Hotels is owned by entrepreneur Cosmo Fry - of Fry's Chocolate...

Will Compass find a new direction?
October 13, 2005... Analysts say the contract catering giant must build better relationships with both customers and suppliers if it is to recover from its current malaise. Angela Frewin reports Compass, for many years the golden boy of the London Stock...

Bell and Fishmarket win Gosset Celebris awards.
October 13, 2005... The Bell at Skenfrith and London's Fishmarket restaurant have won the top awards in this year's Trophee Gosset Celebris competition in recognition of outstanding Champagne lists. The Bell, in Monmouthshire, took the competition's provincial...

BK goes for taste in defiance ; of healthy eating campaign.
October 13, 2005... Burger King this week snubbed Government attempts to make fast food healthier. Britain's second largest fast-food operator, and creator of the Whopper, said it plans to concentrate its efforts on building a reputation for being "tasty" rather...

Bill Toner to join Host Management?
October 13, 2005... Former Aramark UK chief executive Bill Toner has reportedly signed a deal to join contract caterer Host Management. Following his resignation as head of the US-owned catering giant in February, Toner is understood to be taking up the post of...

Bedbugs grab the headlines at conference.(De Vere Grand hotel )(Brief Article)
October 13, 2005... Hotel guest needed medical treatment Delegates at this year's Labour Party conference may have been protected by a multimillion-pound security operation, but it did not stop an attack of the bedbugs. The five-star De Vere Grand hotel in...

Everson takes over running of Baxter & Platts.(Stuart Everson )(Brief Article)
October 13, 2005... Stuart Everson has taken over as managing director of Compass Group's business and industry division Baxter & Platts. He will remain managing director of Compass's Everson Hewett operation and oversee a combined management team for both brands....

Hospitality presses for a total ban on smoking.
October 13, 2005... by Chris Druce Momentum was building for a total ban on smoking this week, despite rumours the Government was considering allowing pubs to continue to offer smoking rooms. Media reports last weekend suggested the Government could be examining...

Whitbread reshuffle sparks sell-off talk.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2005... Premier Travel Inn to merge with pub-restaurant division By Angela Frewin Speculation that Whitbread is planning to hive off some of its non-core businesses resurfaced this week in the wake of an internal restructuring. The hospitality...

Sale of Ballsbridge site revives speculation over Jurys Doyle.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2005... The battle for Jurys Doyle hotels is expected to reignite this week following the sale of its Dublin Ballsbridge site. Developer Sean Dunne was due to complete the a260m ([pounds sterling]179m) deal on Tuesday (11 October), triggering renewed...

Founder's nephew is new Accor chief executive.
October 13, 2005... French hotel giant Accor has appointed the nephew of the group's co-founder as its new chief executive following a prolonged boardroom spat. Gilles Pelisson takes over from Jean-Marc Espalioux, despite the fact that three major shareholders...

Rezidor's lease deal.
October 13, 2005... Rezidor SAS has signed a breakthrough deal for its Park Inn brand in the UK and Ireland, taking its portfolio from five to 14 hotels. The company has leased eight former Moat House hotels from Jefferson Hotels, and will spend [pounds...

PRINCE's boost for mutton.(Grand Prix of Gastronomy 2005)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2005... The Prince of Wales has been awarded the Grand Prix of Gastronomy 2005 for putting mutton back on the culinary agenda. He was given the award at the Academy of Gastronomes annual dinner on Tuesday (11 October) in recognition of his work in...

PFI hospital food comes under fire; Call for new-builds to have fully functioning kitchens.
October 13, 2005... BY ANGELA FREWIN Patients in Private Finance Initiative (PFI) hospitals are being deprived of fresh food because most of them lack proper kitchens, according to the London Hospital Food Project. The organisation - a joint venture between...

Gordon Ramsay fails to keep up a perfect 10.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2005... Gordon Ramsay's flagship London restaurant on Royal Hospital Road has fallen off the top spot in the 2006 Good Food Guide, published next week (20 October). The Chelsea restaurant had retained the highest accolade of 10 out of 10 for cooking...

Common accommodation standards launched today.
October 13, 2005... By Angela Frewin Details of the new rating system by which all hotels and B&Bs across the UK will be judged are announced today exclusively in Caterer. It is the first time that a single method of assessing and rating serviced accommodation has...

Ricker to open restaurant in London's Belsize Park.
October 13, 2005... Restaurateur Will Ricker is to launch a new restaurant in Belsize Park, north London. The creator of E&O and Eight Over Eight has bought the Belsize pub on Belsize Lane for an undisclosed sum and plans to transform it into a contemporary...

Standards for the common good...
October 13, 2005... News in the national press last weekend suggesting that the Government is examining the idea of smoking rooms as an alternative to an outright ban on smoking indicates that it's close to making a decision on the subject. But while a ruling...

A minute; on the clock; Jason Atherton.
October 13, 2005... New London eaterie Maze has been open only four months but has already claimed several awards, the latest of which was Time Out's gong for Restaurant of the Year. Emily Manson caught up with head chef Jason Atherton Caterer How did it feel...

Going places.
October 13, 2005... Millennium & Copthorne Hotels has appointed Tony Dangerfield regional president for its European division. He was commercial director at Marriott. Pasquale Amico and Michael Clark have joined the Sartoria restaurant in London as head chef...

How I got here.(Mona Seth Malmaison hotel)
October 13, 2005... Mona Seth Head housekeeper, Malmaison hotel, Belfast Aged 10, Mona Seth watched the construction of the Hyatt Regency hotel in New Delhi and decided that this was the hotel she wanted to work in when she grew up. After moving to the UK with...

In-room innovation.(FreshBed technology)(bed linen)
October 13, 2005... Diane Lane rounds up the latest new products for the hotel sector 1. It's a breeze FreshBed by IPH (Improving People's Health) is a clean and healthy sleep system incorporating new technology that kills dust mites, reduces allergens...

Just Opened.
October 13, 2005... Kilo, London Former celeb hangout Noble Rot is now Kilo, the latest addition to Soren Jessen's London restaurant portfolio. Seafood dishes are offered by the kilo to share - hence the name. Kilo serves food from 10am until midnight Monday...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
October 13, 2005... Give us funds to improve school meals In response to your article "Turning the tables" (Caterer, 6 October, page 35), which reported on the school meals contract in the London Borough of Wandsworth, we would like to make it clear that when...

the week ; in brief.(Lexington Catering sold stake to Mike Sunley)(acquisitions )(Brief Article)
October 13, 2005... Prowse sells out of Lexington Clare Prowse, managing director of Lexington Catering, has sold her 40% stake in the company to co-founder Mike Sunley for about [pounds sterling]500,000. As a result of the deal, Sunley will become sole managing...

the week ; in brief.
October 13, 2005... Africa charity plea The Send A Cow charity is urging hotels, restaurants and caterers to add a discretionary [pounds sterling]1 per head to their bills in support of its National Supper Week, taking place on 24-30 November. It will use the...

Next move for someone keen to teach.(Caterer employment)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2005... Each week our panel of recruitment experts provide answers to an employment question posed by a Caterer reader The Question I have nine years' experience in hotels, pubs and restaurants, especially in front office management. I'd now like to...

Over to you.(Virgin Hotel Group)(White Hart hotel)(Conrad hotel)(customer requirements)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2005... What matters most when you stay in a hotel? Jon Brown, managing director, Virgin Hotel Group "Reliability is imperative - basic things like early-morning calls, ease of check-in and checkout and quality and availability of room service....

Review of Reviews.
October 13, 2005... The Sunday Telegraph 9 October Elfreda Pownall takes a picky pal from Paris to dine at the Square in London Cleverness is what this restaurant is about: one gets a strong sense of a chef with perfect pitch experimenting with combinations of...

Rooms serviced with a smile?
October 13, 2005... Room attendants get very little profile in the industry and yet hotels could not function without them. Patricia Hunter Powell studies their role and gives tips on how to keep these vital members of staff motivated The hotel room attendant...

Safety responsibilities.
October 13, 2005... Lukas Rootman, a solicitor at Nabarro Nathanson, looks at the responsibilities employers have towards people entering their premises on a daily basis The Problem In the hospitality industry various people enter your premises on a daily...

infozone Strategy clinic.
October 13, 2005... The question Christmas is the most profitable time of year for restaurants - but how do I go about attracting office parties without spending a fortune on advertising? The solutions Guy Holmes, The Restaurant Ingredient...

just add water.
October 20, 2005... A review of the latest innovations in the beverages sector reveals rare coffee blends, luxury teas, healthier milkshakes and traditional samovars 1. special edition coffee has volcanic origin Each year for a limited period Nespresso...