Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from September 2002

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from September 2002

Events.
September 3, 2002... October 5-13 October Devon Celebration of Food County-wide. Tel: 01392 832213 6-8 October HIGHLAND TRADE FAIR SECC, Glasgow. Tel: 01463 782 578 7-8 October CATERSUMMIT 2002 Stratford Moat...

Caterer personals.
September 3, 2002... H Andrew Morey, where are you? Last known at Lake Vyrnwy hotel, Powys. Please contact Catherine Scott and Matt Bailey on 0781 446 0678. H The Normandy hotel, Renfrew, is organising a Stakis reunion for all ex-employees employed by Stakis...

Fisher king.(chef Nick Fisher enjoys cooking fish)(Brief Article)(Recipe)
September 3, 2002... Working at the Savoy gave Nick Fisher a passion for fish, says Janet Harmer. Now, at the Waterside restaurant in Fowey, he has access to the best fish he has ever used TAKING over as head chef at the Waterside restaurant in Fowey's Marina...

Do you need a USP for staff?(unique selling propositions)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Talent will stay longer if your company is "the place to be", says Jane Sunley Across the UK workforce one in five people change jobs every year. For the hospitality industry it is one in two. This attrition is costing our industry, at...

Capital conversions.(renovated pubs)
September 3, 2002... Tom Etridge was working for a design consultancy when he spotted a run-down pub and decided to transform it into a trendy gastropub. Three years later, he's growing an empire. Amanda Marcus went to meet him "RUNNING a pub is easy and, when...

THRILL OF ANTICIPATION AS ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY APPROACHES.(Sodexho honors employees)
September 3, 2002... THE summer season is over, and the ever-popular holiday destination, the South-west, has started to recover after the usual influx of visitors - although it will be a couple of weeks yet before everyone has finished holidaying in the English...

Hotel aims for high staff ratio.(Whatley Manor opens next May)
September 3, 2002... A member of a family who own several luxury Swiss hotels is behind a new hotel promising unprecedented levels of service being constructed in the Cotswolds from a listed manor house. Whatley Manor, near Easton Grey in Wiltshire, is expected...

Crisis? What crisis?(hospital food service)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 3, 2002... John Hughes, catering manager at Nottingham City Hospital, believes he may have the answer to the NHS's financial crisis - and it doesn't involve higher taxes. Jessica Gunn investigates According to John Hughes, catering manager at...

What's new.(food and food machinery products)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
September 3, 2002... Bob Gledhill rounds up the latest food and equipment products for catering professionals Dip in for a tastier sandwich Following its launch of prepared salads, sandwich ingredient manufacturer Fridays has added a range of dips (right),...

On the move.(appointments and promotions in the hotel industry)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... PASCAL LEPROU is the new general manager at the Columbus Monaco hotel, opened on the Cote d'Azur last year by hotelier Ken McCulloch and racing driver David Coulthard. Leprou was general manager at the Hotel Mirabeau in Monaco, which is...

Poultry resources.(small poultry cooking)(Recipe)(Statistical Data Included)
September 3, 2002... New Forest chef Alex Aitken loves cooking with small poultry and it appears on his menu in various ways. Michael Raffael picks up some tips Poussins, quail and squabs are poultry pygmies. They are reared for the table, but the latter two...

Worldwide; briefing.(hotel and motel deals)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Wyndham sales Hotel group Wyndham International is selling 13 hotels to property company Westbrook Hotel Partners for $447m ([pound]288m). The hotels will be managed by Sunstone Hotel Investors, which operates 61 properties across the USA....

Firm attachments.
September 3, 2002... There's no denying the hospitality industry has a big problem retaining staff. Where are employers going wrong, and are there lessons to be learnt from other industries currently wooing away hospitality staff? Christina Golding reports ...

Table talk.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Table Talk is edited by Ben WalkerE-mail: benjamin.walker@rbi.co.uk Test your foodie knowledge Congratulations to the Independent newspaper, which beat all comers last week in a quiz to mark the publication of the latest Time Out...

Gresham's 'difficult' six months.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Irish hotel group Gresham has reported another tough trading period. Gresham said the six months to 1 August had been "an extremely difficult time" for it on a number of fronts, with operating profits falling by 55% to i1.8m ([pound]1.1m),...

Carry on Sargeant.(Mark Sargeant)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Mark Sargeant, head chef of Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's, was named as the Knorr National Chef of the Year for 2002 last month. He talks Amanda Afiya through his Champagne moment "I was so relieved when third place came and went and it...

Conference aims to ease staff problems.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... ONLY 3% of hotel employees are likely to see their next career move within their existing company compared with 13% in restaurants and pubs and 48% in contract catering, according to research carried out by MSN for Caterer.com. And...

Contract; catering.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Decade of winter Worcester-based Parkwood Leisure has won a 10-year contract to provide catering at Weston-super-Mare's Winter Gardens conference and entertainments complex. It takes over the contract in November from Quadron Services,...

Ladenis preaches a return to simplicity.(Nico Ladenis)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Nico Ladenis, one of the greatest chefs to cook in Britain in recent times, was in London last week. Ben Walker spoke to him NICO Ladenis, one of only a handful of chefs to hold three Michelin stars in London, was last week tasting dishes...

Young Chef Young Waiter national finalists named.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... EIGHT chefs and eight waiters have made it through the regional finals to claim coveted places in the national final of the 2002 Young Chef Young Waiter competition. The regional heats were held at St Helen's College, Merseyside, and...

Neat's restaurant in Cannes closes.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Neat, the Michelin-starred restaurant opened in the South of France by British chef Richard Neat in the summer of 1999, has closed as unexpectedly as its London counterpart did earlier this year. Staff at the nearby Majestic hotel in Cannes...

Medieval castle will house chef school.(European Cooking School)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... A British chef has bought a medieval castle in the Loire region of France as the base for his European Cooking School, which will open in January. Kenneth Goldsmith, who is a qualified NVQ instructor and assessor, will be holding five-day...

Talk show.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... It has been a tough year for conference bookings but the next 12 months could see an upturn in business. Expect strong competition between venues and watch out for new players entering the market. Christina Golding reports in the first of our...

Just AAsk...(Brief Article)(Interview)
September 3, 2002... AA managing director Roger Wood was in the news recently as the manager who upset the editor of the Restaurant Guide. Forbes Mutch went to meet him It's the kind of anonymous steel-and-glass building that you might expect to see anywhere...

Faces & places.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Faces & places is edited by David Harris E-mail: david.harris@rbi.co.uk Collins on camera Tylney Hall played host to television celebrity Joan Collins (above) when she visited it for a film shoot. The hotel in Hook, Hampshire,...

Salary watch.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Good-quality reception managers are still in demand, reflecting the industry-wide skills shortage; and the emphasis has been on the retention of existing employees. Provincially, over the past six months we have seen a flattening of...

USrestaurateurs back new law on tips.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... The USA's National Restaurant Association (NRA) is backing proposed legislation aimed at clearing up a long-running dispute on reporting workers' tips. Currently, employees have to report tips to their employer, who then submits the...

McDonald's tests diners in USA.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... McDonald's is testing its version of the traditional diner in the USA offering table service and full meals. As well as its usual fast food, the "McDonald's with the Diner Inside" serves items such as pancakes, sandwiches, salads, meatloaf...

Barrington dies, aged 82.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Douglas Barrington, OBE and former owner of the Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds, has died from cancer, aged 82. Barrington had a long and distinguished career in the hospitality industry, earning him a Lifetime Achievement Catey in 1989. He...

stockwatch.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... News that the cash-shell company Paramount was preparing a bid of 100p a share for Groupe Chez Gerard sent the troubled restaurant chain's share value soaring by more than 52% to end the week at 87.5p. The 25-strong chain, which operates...

Experts clash over sale-and-leasebacks.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Sale-and-leaseback deals are not in the long-term best interests of hotel businesses - that was the view of 72% of hotel industry experts taking part in the PKF Forum in London last week. They were voting after a debate on the question: "Is...

AA's chief hotels inspector to quit.(David Young)(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... David Young, the AA's chief hotels inspector, is to quit at the end of the year, the latest in a flurry of departures by senior staff. The AA claims that the latest announcement has no connection with the controversy surrounding the AA...

Loch Fyne shellfish production for sale.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Loch Fyne Oysters, the shellfish production and processing company which also owns the original Loch Fyne Oyster Bar on Loch Fyne in the West of Scotland, is looking for a buyer. The plan to sell the Loch Fyne business was taken before the...

in brief.
September 3, 2002... brake bros shake-up Food supplier Brake Bros has started a one-month consultation with its 7,000 UK employees as part of a major restructure of the group. Former employees believe the shake-up will mean hundreds of job losses at all...

Occupancy up but revenue still down.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Hotel occupancy levels rose slightly across the UK in August, which could be a cause for optimism despite average room rate and revenue per available room remaining depressed, according to consultancy PKF. PKF's figures showed London...

Waiters lose fight to keep non-cash tips.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Four waiters have lost their 13-year battle to claim damages from a London restaurant that used non-cash tips as part of their minimum wage. The European Court of Human Rights yesterday ruled that the Paradiso e Inferno restaurant on...

More travellers think roadside food too costly.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Despite the efforts made by operators of motorway service areas (MSAs) to improve the value of their food, growing numbers of customers regard it as expensive, according to market researcher Mintel. Its latest Roadside Catering survey found...

Correction: Ashdown Park hotel.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Long-service awards presented last month by Elite Hotels were received at lunches held at three hotels in the group including the Ashdown Park hotel in Forest Row, East Sussex, and not the Ashford Park hotel, as reported in Caterer, 12...

Dorchester hotel in dispute with union.
September 3, 2002... The Dorchester hotel in London has become locked in a dispute with the T&G union after refusing to grant it official recognition. An independent body is to be called in to ballot hotel staff in a bid to solve the dispute. The T&G said...

Craft Guild defends Chef of Year judging.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... The Craft Guild of Chefs, the organiser of the Knorr National Chef of the Year competition, has defended the system it used to reach a winner after two of its judges expressed reservations. Judges at the competition, which took place at the...

Six Continents spins off pubs.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Six Continents, formerly Bass, has announced plans to split its hotels from its pub and restaurant businesses next year. The decision comes after Six Continents failed to find a suitable hotel group to acquire with the [pound]2.3b proceeds...

Hospitality Week 2003 will be year's big event.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... More than 450 exhibitors will be displaying their products at Hospitality Week 2003, which takes place at Birmingham's NEC from 20 to 23 January. Among the new features at next year's show will be a culinary theatre focusing on issues...

Drinks news.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... In Vino Veritas It means the truth is in the wine, in case you're wondering, and the Rome Cavalieri Hilton has chosen the Latin proverb as the name for its new wine package currently being offered to guests. As well as being able to sample...

Letters.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Please send letters to: The Editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS. They may be faxed on 020 8652 8973 or e-mailed to forbes.mutch@rbi.co.uk. The opinions expressed on this page are not necessarily...

Midlands Young Chef of the Year.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... The competition to find the Midlands Association of Chefs Young Chef of the Year 2002, which is sponsored by Nestle UK, will take place on 14 October. The event, which will be hosted by Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative...

In brief.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Mushroom market A mushroom market is being held outside Carluccio's Caffe, Market Place, London W1, between 10am and 8pm on 4-6 October. In addition to stalls piled high with fresh and dried wild and cultivated mushrooms, and hot food...

Competitions need a set of standards.(Brief Article)
September 3, 2002... Few can deny the importance of competitions in the cheffing fraternity. The benefits are huge: they can be used as a tool by employers to motivate and focus staff; they help to raise standards in kitchens; they give competitors an insight into...

Caterer personals.
September 5, 2002... H Jess, 28, restaurant manager from Chiswick - we met on 10 August at the Living Rooms in Brixton before it all went a bit pear-shaped. I'd like to see you again. If you want to get in touch, call me on 07968 186793. Marc. H Simon Rothwell...

All hands on Deca.(London restaurant)
September 5, 2002... Nico Ladenis launched the much-anticipated Deca in London's Mayfair this summer. Tessa Fox paid a visit IN JUNE, two years after the launch of his Shaftesbury Avenue restaurant, Incognico, Nico Ladenis opened a long-awaited follow-up, this...

A Hands-on approach.(Hand Picked hotel brand)
September 5, 2002... Julia Hands is turning the 16 former Arcadian Hotels she owns with her husband Guy into a new brand, Hand Picked. And, as Rosalind Mullen found out, the fact that neither she nor her designer has any experience of hotels isn't stopping her ...

A year after the disaster.(status of industry one year after terrorist attacks)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... What has changed for the hospitality industry since last year's terrorist attack on New York? asks Stephen Evans ONE year on, and the hospitality industry seems to be delivering a collective sigh of relief that the events of 11 September...

In for a penny, in for a pound.(restaurants, hotels need to pay attention to bathroom design)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... THE British, with their legacy of Victorian attitudes, rarely talk about toilets, pretending, for the most part, that they don't use them. The British "use the bathroom", "powder their noses" or "wash their hands". They never actually...

Detail therapy.(Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park's executive chef, food and beverage manager David Nicholls)
September 5, 2002... The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park's executive chef and food and beverage manager David Nicholls has an eye for detail, a love of consistency and a quiet admiration for McDonald's. Michael Raffael finds out more David Nicholls has more than a...

Drinks news.
September 5, 2002... Tastings galore It's September, so it's tasting time. First up is Chile. The Wines of Chile Annual tasting takes place at the Chelsea Village Galleria, Stamford Bridge, London, on Tuesday 10 September. "The emphasis is on quality," said...

Faces & places.(includes several articles)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... celebrity players are par for the course at St andrews resort Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell got into the swing of the golfing season when he celebrated the opening of the [pound]10m clubhouse and Devlin course at St Andrews Bay...

Accolade for Rogers.(sous chef Ethan Rogers)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... Just three months after becoming sous chef at the Loch Fyne Restaurant in Loughton, Essex, Ethan Rogers has won the company's inaugural sous chef competition. Rogers, 23, served a starter of shellfish linguine, followed by a main course of...

Hospitality's eco warrior.(Pia Heidenmark, director of environmental and social affairs at Rezidor)(Brief Article)(Interview)
September 5, 2002... Pia Heidenmark, 31, is director of environmental and social affairs at Rezidor, parent company to Radisson SAS and Malmaison hotels. She lives in Brussels but travels the world helping hotel staff put eco policies into practice I've...

Table talk.(includes several articles)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... Honour among thieves A Leeds hotel is promoting a 48-hour "honesty break", so guests who are tempted to pilfer souvenirs from their bedroom can now do so with a clear conscience - by paying for them in advance. Included in the price at De...

Staff sought for world's largest liner.(Queen Mary II)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... Berkeley Scott has been asked by Cunard to hire staff for the Queen Mary II, which will be the world's biggest cruise liner when it launches in December 2003. The 150,000-tonne ship is the largest, longest and tallest passenger ship ever...

Roof roo gets to stay.(restaurateur Ric Hilton's straw kangaroo)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... AUSTRALIAN restaurateur Ric Hilton has won his battle with council chiefs to keep a straw kangaroo on the roof of his thatched restaurant. Villagers complained to council officers because Hilton had no planning permission to create the...

Reformed alcoholic plans hospitality school.(Mark Gautier)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... Areformed alcoholic chef is planning to set up a hospitality school in France aimed at training drug addicts and the disadvantaged. Mark Gautier, who has worked at the Savoy hotel in London and the Waterside Inn at Bray-on-Thames,...

On the move.
September 5, 2002... The five-star Royal Garden hotel in Kensington, London, has appointed TIM FRYER as conference and banqueting manager. He was food and beverage operations manager at the hotel. Torquay hotel group TLH Leisure Resort has taken on LEE HAMMETT...

Leaner, fitter Palmer heads back to Asia.(Duncan Palmer hired by Sukhothai hotel in Bangkok, Thailand)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... THE former manager of the Connaught hotel in London, who resigned earlier this year, takes over the running of one of Bangkok's leading hotels next week. DUNCAN PALMER takes over as general manager of the Sukhothai on Monday (9 September),...

100 top-flight chefs to cook on Gulf jets.(Gulf Air)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... As many as 100 five-star chefs are to be recruited by Middle East airline Gulf Air to work on its aircraft in an effort to bolster its in-flight catering service. The Bahraini national carrier is launching a "restaurant in the sky" for...

Summer Rains.(chef student Eddy Rains)(Interview)
September 5, 2002... Eddy Rains had a dream start to his culinary career last year when he won the college student award in Gordon Ramsay's inaugural scholarship for young chefs. His prize was a week's stage in the kitchen of Italy's Il Saraghino restaurant. Joanna...

Worked out the bidet yet? Get ready for the shatafa!(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... The British have never really got on with the bidet, so what hope is there for the shatafa? A metal-clad hose with a directional shower head, the shatafa is the favoured method of bottom-cleaning in the Middle East, a fact not missed by...

Jurys looks to autumn result.(Jurys Doyle)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... Irish hotel group Jurys Doyle is pinning its hopes on buoyant occupancy levels in September and October to bolster half-year trading results. The group, which reported a drop in full-year profits in July, expects stronger trading in these...

Chains get back on track.(hotels)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 5, 2002... Chain hotels saw encouraging trading results during July, with declines in revenue per available room (revpar) and achieved room rates about half those reported the month before, according to a survey by Tri Hospitality Consultancy. The...

Hartford extends deadline.(Hartford Group to acquire Jamies Bars)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... Bar and restaurant operator Hartford Group, which has agreed to buy London company Jamies Bars for [pound]4.8m, has extended the deadline for shareholders to vote for or against the deal. Hartford needs shareholder approval representing 90% of...

S&N keeps optimistic.(Scottish and Newcastle)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... Scottish & Newcastle has reported a season of mixed conditions, with the impact of the World Cup and poor weather posing "short-term challenges". The UK retail business, which includes 1,500 pubs, Chef & Brewer restaurants and Premier...

July results give a glimmer of hope for slow recovery.(hotels)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 5, 2002... UK hotels recorded a flat performance in July, according to figures from consultancy firm PKF. But it believes the results could indicate an upturn for the second half of the year. Melvin Gold, managing director of hotel consultancy...

Punch packs in a 3% increase.(Punch Taverns)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 5, 2002... Punch Taverns, which floated on the stock market in May, increased like-for-like turnover by 3% in the year to 17 August 2002, with rent accounting for a growing proportion of turnover. The company bought 187 pubs during the year to boost...

HCIMA makes better French connection.(Hotel and Catering International Management Association links with International Hotel and Restaurant Association)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... The Hotel & Catering International Management Association has forged closer links with the Paris-based International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IH&RA) as part of its bid to strengthen its global influence and membership. The...

Fairmont to run Sonoma Mission.(Fairmont Hotels and Resorts reaches management agreement)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... Toronto-based Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has reached an agreement with Crescent Real Estate Equities to manage the luxury Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa in the heart of California's wine country. Fairmont has also bought a 19.9% stake in the...

Occupancies drop as 11 September anniversary looms.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... London hotels are facing a lull in occupancy during the first two weeks of September in the run-up to the anniversary of the twin towers attacks. The downturn coincides with a huge reduction in demand for flights to and from the USA....

River Walk to fill gap left by Neat at Oxo Tower.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... The River Walk Restaurant, Bar and Grill is to open in the Oxo Tower in London, in place of the former Neat restaurant, which went into administration in January less than eight months after opening. The 23-year lease for the site, which...

Greenway finds new chef.(Adam Simmonds appointment)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... The Greenway hotel in Shurdington, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, has announced the successor to head chef Dean Selby, who died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in June at the age of 34 (Caterer, 4 July, page 58). The hotel has recruited Adam...

Four Seasons opens suite fit for a king.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... New York's Four Seasons hotel has opened the first of four new luxury suites, the most expensive of which will sell for nearly $20,000 a night. The Royal Suite, which is more modestly priced at $9,500 a night, is on the 32nd floor, has...

AA guides hit by third resignation since July.(Karen Brazier leaves AA Hotel Guide)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... The editor of the AA Hotel Guide has resigned just weeks after her counterpart on the organisation's restaurant guide left. Karen Brazier is the third senior member of staff to resign from the AA's hotel and restaurant guides in the past...

One in and one out at Pride of Britain Hotels.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... One hotel is leaving and another joining the Pride of Britain Hotels consortium. The 11-bedroom Mount Somerset hotel in Lower Henlade, near Taunton, Somerset, leaves at the end of the year, just 12 months after it joined. Its owner,...

stockwatch.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 5, 2002... Property investor Jack Petchey's taste for hotel stocks continued to grow as he boosted his stake in Jarvis Hotels from 10.5% to 14.9% last week, sparking speculation that he might be preparing a bid for the company. Petchey took his first bite...

Hilton's bookmaker bails out its hotels.(profits drop)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 5, 2002... Hilton Group's hotels suffered a drop in profits of more than a fifth in the first half of 2002 compared with the same period last year, the company said last week. Profits were down to [pound]97.8m from [pound]126.3m. Revenue per...

Dinner ladies face security checks.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... School meals workers were being given the same security checks as teachers this week as schools returned for the Christmas term. The Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA) said there was a nationwide backlog of uncleared kitchen staff....

Top chefs opt for simpler life.(Alain Ducasse, Joel Robuchon will open simple restaurants)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2002... The two greatest living French chefs are planning to open simple restaurants far removed from the Michelin three-star establishments on which their reputations are based. Joel Robuchon, who retired aged 51 in 1996, will return to Paris...