Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from September 2004

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from September 2004

In Brief.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Harrison's school deal Harrison Catering has won the contract to cater at the new Mossbourne Community Academy in Hackney Downs, east London, which will open its doors on 13 September. Turnover will be [pounds sterling]90,000 in the first...

Salary watch.(pub managers)
September 2, 2004... Pub managers The managed sector this year has seen the formation of large pub companies through the acquisition of competitors. Subsequently, disposals and rebranding have been areas of key focus in the sector. Synergy savings have...

how i got here.(Biography)
September 2, 2004... Tom Moore, catering standards manager at Anglia Railways Twenty-one years ago, Tom Moore joined British Rail as a steward. He was aged 17 and freshly out of school. Today, he is the catering standards manager for Anglia Railways, based in...

on the mo ve.
September 2, 2004... David Maskell has been made head chef at the Il Palazzo hotel in Tuscany. It is hoped his appointment will bring a top rating to the I Secoli restaurant, which blends fresh Italian products with a contemporary international approach. Maskell...

How to...
September 2, 2004... ... marinate chicken Indian-style Ingredients H 4 chicken thighs or breasts, boneless, each cut into two or smaller H 2tbs ginger garlic paste H 20ml lemon juice H Salt to taste H 3tbs yogurt H 2tsp paprika ...

Kitchen confidence.
September 2, 2004... The route to being a good chef - never mind a great one - has never been easy. When you start at the bottom the hours are long and the pay is short. As you work up through the ranks, however, you'll find the rewards of being recognised for...

Salary watch.
September 2, 2004... You probably don't need us to tell you that your salary as a chef has seen little change on last year, but at least you are not alone. The cause, according to Derren Strowger, senior consultant at recruitment firm Berkeley Scott Chefs,...

Who's who.(Directory)
September 2, 2004... If you want to progress through the kitchen, you need to know where the best training and advice can be found. Here, we offer a small slice of what's available Training on the job Aramark Key chefs get the opportunity to train...

The burning issue.(junk food)
September 2, 2004... Junk food confusion Egon Ronay condemns a rush to judgement What is "junk food"? Everyone will have a different view - and I mean everyone. The answer, even from authoritative sources, will be waffle, proclaimed confidently but with...

The chef, the cook, his book and his menu.(Philip Howard)(Interview)
September 2, 2004... The Square's Philip Howard turns journalist this week and finds his culinary assumptions challenged by broadcaster and chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of Channel 4's River Cottage programmes Ihave always felt that I could hold my head up...

BOOKREVIEW.(Book Review)
September 2, 2004... The River Cottage Meat Book Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall [pounds sterling]25, Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0-340-82635-5 If there is one book that should be a compulsory purchase for any chef, cook or domestic goddess, it is this...

Cooking with the best.(Interview)
September 2, 2004... Want to know a good way to kick-start a career in the kitchen? Get yourself a job with one of the country's best chefs. It's easier than you might think - as long as you're prepared to work hard Working for well-known chefs has a definite...

The caterer with Bite.
September 2, 2004... Bigham's, a London company that hand-makes fresh convenience foods in its central production kitchen, has launched a business and industry catering arm Is a Jaffa Cake a biscuit or a cake?" Petra Priest asks. Hmm... I give a rambling...

Bouncers beware as security gets tighter.(Security Industry Authority)(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Bouncers with criminal convictions could now lose their jobs, as the private security industry attempts to clean up its act. Under new regulations, which will see the establishment of a national register for door staff, vetting procedures...

L'Etranger.(continental influences)(Restaurant Review)
September 2, 2004... L'Etranger by name, but Jerome Tauvron's London restaurant is no stranger to controversy generated by his iconoclastic menus, as Joanna Wood discovers If you're a French-trained chef and experiment with a few Asian influences, you are...

Your shout.
September 2, 2004... by Stephen Johnston, of agent Charter & Co, based in Dartmouth, Devon Big agents versus small agents - who to choose? Instructing an agent to sell your business is like going to the dentist - you suspect the experience might hurt but...

property of the week.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... This week's star property is a bit of a bargain by anyone's reckoning. The Black Swan in Ashover, Derbyshire, is a beautiful stone-built property in the Amber Valley, next to the highly desirable Peak District. With its beamed ceilings,...

Table talk.(Meow Mix Cafe)(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... It's absolutely the cat's miaow The Meow Mix Cafe, the world's first restaurant for humans and their feline pals, opened last month in New York - on Fifth Avenue, no less. "We wanted to see if the idea had legs... er, paws," says Richard...

regional spotlight.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Edinburgh As a city, Edinburgh needs no introduction, and as a location for hospitality businesses, it really has a lot going for it. For accommodation businesses, it is "a goldmine", says Stuart Ferguson, director of the Edinburgh...

Counter productive.
September 2, 2004... Servery counters are making inroads into the hotel market and are adding good looks to their functionality in the process. Bob Gledhill looks at the latest developments Servery counters must be functional above all else. They are designed...

Last supper.
September 2, 2004... As his Judgement Day approaches MICHAELBEDFORD stacks the odds by inviting God to his last supper - but will He turn up in wax jacket and wellies? SO, YOU'VE GOT ONE LAST MEAL. WHAT IS IT? My wife's Thai beef salad and Pierre...

The new term of endearment.(wine making course)
September 2, 2004... I used to hate all that merchandising in high-street stores that trumpeted the onset of the autumn term. "Back to school!" they screamed - like we were looking forward to it. And, to make matters worse, it seemed to get earlier every year. Now,...

MLC produces labelling guide.
September 2, 2004... The Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) has produced a checklist for suppliers and their catering customers on how red meat should be labelled. Tony Goodger, the MLC's food service marketing manager, said spot checks revealed that labels...

The worst storm clouds can have a silver lining.(Hospitality industry)
September 2, 2004... Natural disasters and terrorist atrocities can have a devastating effect on incoming tourism, but one school of thought believes that canny hospitality operators should capitalise, tactfully, on the ensuing publicity. Karl Cushing finds a few...

Pub customers and staff say no to smoking ban.(Atmosphere Improves Results)(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Pub workers and customers want policy change rather than a smoking ban in the workplace, according to a new poll by the Atmosphere Improves Results (Air) initiative. Air, which supports industry self-regulation and receives backing from...

Roux takes Le Gavroche to Mauritius.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Michel Roux Jnr is taking his Le Gavroche restaurant overseas for the first time since the two-Michelin-starred restaurant opened in London in 1967. Le Gavroche de Tropiques will be the fine-dining restaurant at a new four-star,...

Hilton to name new chief by end of the year.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Hilton Group will have a new head for its hotels division by the end of the year, chief executive David Michels said last week. Michels, speaking at the presentation of the group's interim results, said the company had compiled a shortlist...

New licensing could encourage live music.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Live music in pubs, restaurants and bars could be reinvigorated under the new licensing system for England and Wales that comes into force in autumn 2005. Government ministers believe replacing the current archaic system will provide...

Big names for London casino.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Robert Earl, the man behind Planet Hollywood, has teamed up with casino company London Clubs International to launch Fifty, a [pounds sterling]5m, four-storey private members club and casino in the capital's St James's. US chef...

how I got started.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Andrew Donaldson Nantwich-based entrepreneur Andrew Donaldson was running storage businesses in and around Manchester when he decided to get into the hotels business. He began by setting up his own company, The Egryn, to buy the Egryn...

Property Advice zone.(customer satisfaction)(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Smiles equal profits It is well known that attentive personal service, delivered consistently by warm, smiling staff, significantly boosts the chances of your hotel being remembered and revisited. Like many universal truths, this is easy...

Schrager set to sell.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Hotelier Ian Schrager has confirmed that he is putting his two London hotels up for sale, with a price tag well in excess of [pounds sterling]100m. Schrager said he had appointed a property agent to explore the potential sale of his St...

make growth more difficult in the second half of this year, but the recovery is proving particularly robust," he said.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Cold comfort in hotel stats This summer has been a washout for more than the UK's tourists, according to consultant PKF. PKF's headline hotel figures for July reveal seemingly healthy increases, but once 2003's depressing figures are...

Barracuda to splash out on expansion.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Barracuda Group is to spend [pounds sterling]15m in the next six months expanding its pub estate. The Buckinghamshire-based company, which opened a new site in Plymouth over the August bank holiday weekend, is launching an ambitious offensive...

Employers hit back over low pay charge.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Hospitality employers are among the most miserly payers within the top 100 companies listed on the Stock Exchange, according to a new report in the Guardian newspaper. But the companies have fought back, pointing out that the hospitality...

Holland House loses 10 staff after just five months.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Ten members of staff were made redundant from the Holland House hotel in Cardiff last Wednesday (25 August). The four-star Macdonald Hotels property, which started trading in April and was opened officially by Princess Anne in June, dismissed...

Flamingo flies into Coventry scheme.(Flamingo Bar and Grill)(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Leicester's Flamingo Bar and Grill is to open a sister authentic Indian restaurant and bar at the Priory Place development in Coventry. Priory Place is a mixed-use development that forms part of the [pounds sterling]65m Phoenix Initiative to...

Letters Caterer.(Letter to the Editor)
September 2, 2004... Hotels feel the squeeze of internet bookings Although Karl Cushing's article, "Agents feel the squeeze as hotels take up online sales" (Caterer, 19 August), probably reflects more the state of the leisure market rather than business...

La Tasca opens York restaurant.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Spanish tapas chain La Tasca has bought a site in the heart of York from Inventive Leisure after a three-year trawl for suitable venues in the city. "York is probably the hardest city in which to get new planning and licensing consent,"...

Founders join exodus from Catering Alliance.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... The three founders of Catering Alliance are to leave the Midlands-based contract cater. Russell Scandrett, Sean Hagan and Michael Scott are leaving just eight months after the company was taken over by industry giant Aramark for an estimated...

Obesity concerns hit fast food.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Concern over rising obesity levels has eaten into demand for fast food and slowed down the overall growth of the restaurant market, according to a new report by Key Note. The amount spent in 2003 on fast food dropped by 3.2% to [pounds...

Harden's reporters tell TV chef Jamie Oliver he's a rip-off.
September 2, 2004... TV chef Jamie Oliver has been slammed by the new Harden's guide for ripping off customers. Harden's London Restaurant Guide 2005, which is compiled by the restaurant-going public, gave Oliver's Fifteen restaurant in London's trendy Hoxton...

Weather eye open for opportunities.(Editorial)
September 2, 2004... One swallow doesn't make a summer, so the saying goes. This summer there must have been a particular shortage of swallows, because there hasn't been much of a summer. But while the politicians and captains of industry flew themselves off to...

Greece to pull in extra cash after Olympics.(Giorgos Alogoskoufis)(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Greece's tourism sector looks set to benefit following a successful Olympic Games. Foreign investors told economy and finance minister Giorgos Alogoskoufis they expected more money to be ploughed into the country after the games than has...

RAC looks for the stars.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... The RAC is on the hunt for the UK and Ireland's top hospitality professionals. Whether you work on reception, behind the bar, on the concierge desk, or in the bedrooms, the RAC's team of hotel experts is eager to track you down. To celebrate...

weblog.(Calendar)
September 2, 2004... 30 August Scottish smoking ban edges nearer Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell said yesterday that a ban on smoking in indoor places was a "serious option" for Scotland. McConnell is due to visit Ireland to see the effects of its...

Review OFTHEREVIEWS.
September 2, 2004... 28 August Tracey MacLeod finds that McCLements scores in Twickenham, Surrey McClements treads a careful line between dazzling modern French refinement and the satisfying indulgence of the brasserie. A selection of starters encompassed...

OVER; TO YOU.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Would three extra bank holidays benefit the UK's hospitality industry? I think it will be less of a problem for large organisations, which can gear themselves more efficiently than small ones. But it could put enormous financial pressure...

stockwatch.
September 2, 2004... PARAMOUNT's bold plans to grow its business by launching spin-offs of its Chez Gerard and Bertorelli restaurant brands failed to win over investors this week and its share value dipped 7.35% to 31.5p. Later this month the company will open its...

We love...
September 2, 2004... ... Blavod Blavod is the only black vodka on the market. Its colour comes from distilling the vodka with a southern Asian herb called black catechu. The herb, extracted from the acacia tree, is entirely flavourless but it gives the vodka...

in brief.
September 2, 2004... Davis Coffer Lyons opens hotels division Property agent Davis Coffer Lyons (DCL), which is best known for its restaurant services, has set up a dedicated hotel department and drafted in Joel Goldman to head it. Goldman has clocked up...

shortcuts.
September 2, 2004... News/Jobs round up If you've been on summer holidays and have missed the latest news, here's a round up of who's planning to open where - and news of jobs that might be too good to miss.... The Soho Hotel, latest in the Firmdale chain,...

in brief.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Wyndham's long wait US hotel group Wyndham International has ended a dispute that has kept the company name out of New York City for 28 years by buying the 136-bedroom Wyndham hotel. Suzanne Mados, who has owned the hotel since 1966, held...

inside track.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2004... Paramount WHAT BUSINESS IS IT IN? It has a portfolio of 20 restaurants, divided into four brands: Chez Gerard (11), Livebait (5), Bertorelli's (3) and Cafe Fish (1). WHAT'S ITS FORM? Paramount bought Groupe Chez Gerard in May...

career clinic.(Hotel and Catering Training Company)
September 2, 2004... The expert panel Our expert panel comprises representatives from the Hotel and Catering Training Company (HCTC), Accor Hotels UK & Ireland, Greene King Pub Company, Simply Chefs by Hocaps, Bartlett Mitchell, Learnpurple, Conran and...

Using private equity firms.
September 2, 2004... Peter Brooks, managing director of private equity provider Sovereign Capital, discusses private equity investment as an option for owners wanting to exit their businesses The catering, hotel and pub sectors lend themselves well to...

done deals.
September 2, 2004... Eastbourne's York House Hotel sold The three-star York House hotel in Eastbourne, East Sussex, has been sold for a sum understood to be more than [pounds sterling]2m. The 87-bedroom hotel had been in the hands of the same family,...

In Brief.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2004... McVeigh unveils Matilda Charlie McVeigh, owner of the Bush Bar and Grill in Shepherd's Bush, west London, is to open a new restaurant called Matilda in November. McVeigh described Matilda, on Battersea Bridge Road in south-west...

how i got here.
September 9, 2004... Steven Schaffer, catering development manager, Punch Taverns "If you're on time you're 15 minutes late," says Steven Schaffer when prompted for the best piece of advice he's received during his career. For a man who's worked as a chef, run...

on the mo ve.(Hotel Felix in Cambridge )(Kew Green Hotels )(Bristol Marriott Royal )
September 9, 2004... ROBERTO PINTUS has joined Hotel Felix in Cambridge as deputy manager. He was food and beverage manager at the Jolly President hotel in Milan. JONATHAN and LUCY MOSS have joined the hotel as assistant manager and assistant restaurant manager,...

Long live Langham.
September 9, 2004... There's a new man at the helm of London's five-star Langham hotel, and there's a new company there to run it Go into one of the bedrooms of the Langham hotel in central London and pick up a piece of headed notepaper, a leather binder or a...

Refusing service.
September 9, 2004... Pam Loch, assistant solicitor at Fladgate Fielder, looks at the legal implications of turning people away from your establishment On 1 December 2003, the Government brought in regulations to make it unlawful for employers and certain other...

Rooms for expansion.(planning of Living Ventures )
September 9, 2004... Entrepreneurs Tim Bacon and Jeremy Roberts are on to a winner with their Living Ventures restaurant and bar venture. Halfway through their 10-year plan, they're bang on target financially, and with fewer outlets than they had expected to need....

How to...(Brief Article)
September 9, 2004... ... greet a guest H Eye contact - look them in the eye. H Warm, sincere smile - a false smile is worse than none at all. H Good body language - stand up straight and avoid defensive positions, such as having arms folded. H Use...

regional spotlight.(Guy Simmonds)(Brief Article)
September 9, 2004... The Peak District With its beautiful, stone-built properties and gorgeous scenery, Derbyshire represents a good option for buyers looking for lifestyle businesses and a good work-life balance. Graham Allman, corporate director at...

Your shout.
September 9, 2004... by Colin Wellstead of licensed property agents Christie & Co There's a shortage of quality freehouses There are some 17,000 "genuine" freehouses in the UK - pubs actually owned by the licensee - making up just less than 30% of the...

property of the week.(Public Notice)
September 9, 2004... This week's star property is a historic freehouse in the southern region of the ever-popular Cotswolds. With its hillside location, the 17th-century Royal Oak, in the village of North Woodchester, near Stroud, offers extensive views over...

Property Advice zone.(importance of names)
September 9, 2004... The benefits of remembering names Imagine the impact of each and every member of staff remembering and using guests' names throughout their stay. Imagine how this positive impact increases even more if they remember your best repeat...

Table talk.(haunted kitchen, fraud artist, drunken behaviour)
September 9, 2004... caped intruder was A roman in the gloaming Sodexho catering manager Teresa Collett works in a haunted kitchen, and even her customers, the Colchester police force, are powerless to bring the poltergeist to task. Utensils move around at...

The Bell at Sapperton.
September 9, 2004... Head chef Ivan Reid is passionate about local produce but he's not above serving steak and chips - so long as it's beautifully cooked. Emma Allen reports Now in his seventh month as head chef at the Bell at Sapperton, Ivan Reid is really...

Eating for life.(Action Against Hunger )
September 9, 2004... Restaurants Against Hunger Week, one of hospitality's biggest fundraising efforts, is almost upon us. Emma Allen finds out how the industry is doing its bit We all know that the UK is a nation of confirmed chocaholics, so hot chocolate...

Costa continues coffee shop roll-out with WHSmith.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2004... Costa, the coffee shop chain owned by leisure group Whitbread, is opening outlets in 20 more WHSmith newsagents across the country. The deal will help Costa, which already has concessions in WHSmith stores in Bournemouth, Edinburgh and...

No ifs or butts.
September 9, 2004... A ban on smoking in the workplace raises fears among some operators of falling profits and deserted premises; but the prime issue, surely, must be the long-term health of your staff. Dan Bignold attempts to clear the air Buy your pint,...

Super six battle through to Gordon Ramsay final.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2004... Six chefs from the South of England have been chosen to join the final competition for the title of Gordon Ramsay Scholar 2004. The six who made it through four semi-final cook-offs at Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative...

Brewers put their message in a bottle.
September 9, 2004... Restaurants are missing a trick if they're not listing some of the UK's 600-plus bottled real ales alongside their wine selections Sales of bottled real ales are soaring. More than 75% of off-licences have reported an increase in sales of...

Look after the payment process or lose customers.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2004... Restaurants that mishandle the bill-paying process risk losing cash and customers, claims new research commissioned by Barclaycard Merchant Services. Of the one in three customers who complained of bad service while paying their bill, 46%...

how WE got started.(Denise Shulver, Gareth Wilcox)(Brief Article)
September 9, 2004... Denise Shulver and Gareth Wilcox After months of debate partners Denise Shulver and Gareth Wilcox decided to take the plunge and start their first business, buying the lease of the Camden Arms in Brecon, Powys. The site had been closed...

OVER; TO YOU.
September 9, 2004... HERE'S SOME more feedback on our survey and the smoking debate We're interested in seeing the results of your survey. The secretary of state and ministers have spoken to a whole range of people to get their views and their proposals about...

Gilmour goes Italian in SW18.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2004... Restaurateur Christopher Gilmour is to open a Tuscan restaurant and bar called Pomino in Wandsworth, London, during the second half of October. Gilmour, who owns Christopher's American Grill restaurant in Covent Garden and the Enterprise...

Competition puts brake on expansion at Wetherspoons.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2004... Pub company JD Wetherspoon will opt for caution over valour in the coming year, as conditions in the industry become tougher. Speaking at the company's full-year results, chief executive officer John Hutson said trading remained tough, with...

Sommelier opens London gastropub.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2004... Australian-born sommelier Mark van der Goot is setting up his own gastropub in south-west London called the Greyhound at Battersea. The property, which opens on 8 November, combines a 30-seat fine-dining restaurant, a function room for 25,...

United Nations export ban will push up price of caviar.(Brief Article)
September 9, 2004... A worldwide shortage of caviar means prices could rise steeply over the coming months, following a United Nations decision to halt exports. The move to freeze trade follows the failure by the main exporting countries - including Russia and...

Third Masala Zone to open in Earls Court.(Masala World)(Brief Article)
September 9, 2004... Midmarket Indian restaurant chain Masala World is to open its third Masala Zone restaurant on the site of a former Pizza Hut in Earls Court, London. The 120-seat restaurant is expected to open in the latter half of January 2005, when it...

The burning issue.(Entre-Deux-Mers)
September 9, 2004... A simple truth Simon Wright finds perfection in a few well cooked ingredients Aren't the straightforward things often the best? Take music, for example. Good music needs a good song. However impressive the playing, the speeding guitar...