Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from September 2006

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from September 2006

From Mey to you.
September 7, 2006... As part of his North Highland Initiative, the Prince of Wales has lent his weight to a brand of food products from the region, named after his grandmother's Castle of Mey. Michael Raffael reports reports You've tasted the Duchy Originals,...

Philosophy is Paramount.
September 7, 2006... Paramount hotels was a category winner in Caterer's Best Places To Work awards in 2006. Ben Walker finds out how lessons in positive thinking are paying off for staff and guests The original business plan for the Paramount Group of Hotels...

Built for speed.
September 7, 2006... Harbour & Jones is a company where decisions don't take long. Just look at its innovative "speed dating" recruitment process. Ben Walker reports Sally Lightbody used to run the restaurants at Selfridges department stores. Now, working in...

Book Review.
September 7, 2006... Seafood and subtle spices The Cinnamon Club Seafood Cookbook Vivek Singh Absolute Press, [pounds sterling]15 ISBN 1-9045734-1-X There is plenty to inspire anyone who loves working with fish, crustaceans and spices in Vivek Singh's...

Copyright for TV in guestrooms.
September 7, 2006... If you provide TVs or DVDs for your guests to view in their rooms, you must obtain licences or you could be infringing copyright, as Doug Locke explains The Problem I run a medium-sized hotel and have been told that I need a copyright...

pipe & glass.
September 7, 2006... James Mackenzie has brought his modern British cuisine to South Dalton in Yorkshire's East Riding. Dan Bignold reports When people talk about location being crucial to the success of a new business, they usually mean finding a property...

Quay objectives.
September 7, 2006... With responsible energy consumption, reduced food miles and waste and water recycling as his priorities, Barny Haughton has just opened the Europe's first eco-gastronomic restaurant. Fiona Sims went to Bristol to find out more ...

Table Talk.(Travelodge sale)
September 7, 2006... Revolutionary leader has the last word And so the curtain falls on the Travelodge sale. The 290-strong budget hotel chain was finally wooed by a [pounds sterling]675m proposal from Chessington Zoo owner Dubai International Capital two weeks...

The long march to mediocrity.
September 7, 2006... The gastropub revolution stands for pedestrian food and sloppy service, argues David Smolt So it seems Daniel Clifford and Gordon Ramsay have joined the gastropub rat race. My views on the gastropub movement will come as no surprise to the...

Perfect puddings.
September 7, 2006... Most people have a favourite dessert - one that will tempt them into ordering that third course if it appears on the menu. Apple pie is an enduring favourite, as are fruit crumbles, and in recent years the Cumbrian creation of sticky toffee...

Caterer hates.
September 7, 2006... Post-mix drinks guns As the summer draws to a close and the only clientele still drinking shandy are thirsty golfers and 15-year-old birthday boys, is it necessary for pubs to carry on pumping out watered-down soft drinks through a...

Strategy clinic.
September 7, 2006... The question I'm a leisure operator wanting to generate secondary spend through food. Would you recommend I take a franchise or keep my catering in house? The solutions David Russell, Russell Partnership Consider both the...

CHEF EATS OUT LE CHAMPIGNON SAUVAGE, 18 & 19 OCTOBER 2006.
September 7, 2006... Hailed as England's answer to Pierre Koffmann, David Everitt-Matthias has been delivering his distinctive style of cuisine at his two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Champignon Sauvage, for 19 years. Together with his wife Helen,...

Over to you.(pubs)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Where next for gastropubs? Charles Brierley, owner of the White Hart in Liverpool and Pub Operator Catey winner in 2000 "The value of the word gastropub has been spoilt by a proliferation of not true gastropubs, which put fancy menus on...

Radisson SAS Resort Djerba, Tunisia.(several golf courses and a casino)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... An island off the south-east coast of Tunisia, Djerba offers beautiful landscape, miles of sandy beaches and a rich historical legacy. The resort is only a few miles from the main town of Houmt Souk and is close to several golf courses and a...

viva revolution... in bristol.(Bordeaux Quay )(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... The newly opened Bordeaux Quay restaurant in Bristol is part of a "new food revolution", according to owner Barny Haughton (pictured left). This isn't a Heston-style approach to cooking or a radical design, but the first restaurant that can...

Prince Charles's Highland brand accused of sellout.(Mey Selections)(Prince Charles)(North Highland Products)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Mey Selections denies distributor switch will affect quality By Chris Druce Mey Selections, the fine-food brand backed by Prince Charles, has denied accusations that it has sold out from its original ethos by signing up with a large...

Foodfile ingredients in season.(Victoria plums and damsons are both good)
September 7, 2006... Fresh produce Victoria plums and damsons are both good, and there are still some greengages around. English Discovery apples have also now begun, while black figs are excellent from Turkey. Wild mushrooms are also really coming through...

Caterers will need VAT clarification.
September 7, 2006... Compass ruling sparks confusion over "take-away" food by tom bill New rules for VAT on food sold by caterers will cause major confusion among contractors, legal experts have warned. Alan Connell, VAT director at law firm Eversheds,...

A minute on the clock Fiacra Nagle.
September 7, 2006... Fiacra Nagle was appointed chief executive of O'Briens Sandwich Bars in January. Nagle has been vocal about the benefits of employing migrant workers ahead of the succession of Romania and Bulgaria into the European Union next year. He spoke to...

Nick Basing to chair People 1st.
September 7, 2006... Nick Basing, chief executive of Chez Gerard owner Paramount Restaurants, has been named as the new chairman of hospitality Sector Skills Council People 1st. Basing (right), winner of the 2006 Group Restaurateur of the Year Catey, replaces...

Healthy school snacks delayed by producers.
September 7, 2006... Manufacturers "reacted too slowly to new standards" by tom bill Schools will be left with a shortage of healthy drink and snack options this month because manufacturers have not developed new products in time, industry figures have...

Events.
September 7, 2006... There may be a bit of selling up and reshuffling going on at its high-profile restaurants, but Ludlow will be strengthening its foodie image this weekend with the annual Ludlow Marches Food and Drink Festival. Now in its 12th year, the...

Why private companies go public - and back again.
September 7, 2006... A number of hospitality businesses have jumped between private and public ownership in recent years. Tom Bill investigates who the real beneficiaries are When catering giant Aramark announced in May that it was going private for the second...

Letters.
September 7, 2006... The benefits of common standards The new common standards for hospitality accommodation have received some criticism in recent issues of Caterer and Hotelkeeper, but there are two sides to every story. Best Western endorses the common...

MBO at Conran looks imminent.
September 7, 2006... A management buyout of Conran Holdings is on the verge of being agreed, following the repayment of a [pounds sterling]20m loan to founder Sir Terence Conran, Caterer has learned. Barring any last-minute hiccups, negotiations for the group,...

Robuchon to open in London.
September 7, 2006... Legendary French chef Jol Robuchon's first London restaurant opens tonight (7 September) on the former site of the East@West eaterie in London's Covent Garden. A decade after he originally retired from haute cuisine, Robuchon will...

Compass dismisses Annan link.
September 7, 2006... Compass Group has denied speculation that links between the buyer of its SSP travel concession business and the wife of UN secretary-general Kofi Annan will affect the investigation into procurement irregularities by the caterer at the UN. ...

PUB News update.
September 7, 2006... * Pressure is growing on Whitbread to offload TGI Friday's, after figures last week showed the chain was acting as a financial drag on the leisure giant's high-street restaurant business. Although group like-for-like sales were up 2.3% for the...

School meals cash hike is welcomed by the industry.
September 7, 2006... But was it just to soften the blow of Oliver's new TV show? by tom bill Caterers have hailed the Government's [pounds sterling]240m pledge to extend healthy school meal funding in England between 2008 and 2011 as a victory for the...

Liverpool seeks health labels on take-aways.
September 7, 2006... Liverpool City Council has called on take-away outlets in the region to show traffic light-style labels on menus so customers can tell whether their food is healthy. The move is an extension of the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) red, amber...

good week/bad week.(Non-smoking singles London dating agency)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Sex-mad fruit lovers Goji berries - dubbed "natural Viagra" - hit the supermarket shelves this week. Non-smoking singles London dating agency Single Solution bans smoking from all its events. Crisps Walkers launch low-fat crisp with only 99...

greene king in [pounds sterling]1m ant and dec prime-time TV deal.(contract with ITV to sponsor Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway show)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... A canny deal... Greene King has signed a [pounds sterling]1m contract with ITV to sponsor Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway show. Under the deal, the pub operator will get 80 seconds' airtime in prime-time slots, as well as additional...

Star Inn adds farmhouse accommodation.
September 7, 2006... The owners of the Michelin-starred Star Inn in North Yorkshire are adding another string to their bow this autumn, offering group accommodation for the first time at a converted 17th-century farmhouse. Located five minutes' walk from the...

This time, they could be serious.(school food services)
September 7, 2006... At last the Government has made a concrete commitment to improving food in schools. In a shock announcement earlier this week, Education Secretary Alan Johnson dug deep into his pockets to find the extra cash that shows the Government is...

Challenging awards for hoteliers.
September 7, 2006... Hoteliers can now enter this year's Considerate Hotel of the Year Awards, which reward the best environmental performers. Caterer and Hotelkeeper is supporting the awards for the first time as part of its Green Month, which will focus on...

Comfort Inn, Togher Interchange, Portlaoise, Ireland.
September 7, 2006... Said to be Ireland's first motorway hotel, the Comfort Inn is on the Togher interchange, which links the major routes between Dublin, Limerick and Cork. It's an hour from Dublin airport and offers an alternative to budget hotels in the area....

How I got here.
September 7, 2006... Simon Farr Executive general manager, Ramada Jarvis Hotels Simon Farr fell in love with hospitality as a 15-year-old waiter in the New Ferry restaurant in Newark, Nottinghamshire. With more than 20 years since his first step on to...

Ian Butlin, marketing manager, Sofitel, Mercure and Novotel hotels.
September 7, 2006... Ian Butlin has joined Accor as marketing manager for Sofitel, Mercure and Novotel hotels in the UK. He was a freelance marketing consultant and has also worked as marketing director for the English National Ballet and marketing director for the...

Iberostar hotel, Bahia, Brazil.
September 7, 2006... The five-star hotel is Iberostar's first opening in Brazil. Situated on the white-sand beach front, it's 60km from the airport of Salvador, a colonial city with Unesco World Heritage status. Opened July Manager David Malagelada ...

James Rush, general manager, Jurys Inn Milton Keynes.
September 7, 2006... James Rush has joined the Jurys Inn Milton Keynes hotel as general manager. He was deputy general manager at the Jurys Inn Nottingham. Donal Stafford, previously deputy general manager at the Jurys Bristol hotel, has moved to the new site as...

Johan Maurits-Marie Brouckaert, restaurant manager, Capital restaurant, London.
September 7, 2006... Johan Maurits-Marie Brouckaert has left the Vineyard at Stockcross, Berkshire, where he was restaurant manager. He has taken on the role of restaurant manager at the Capital restaurant in London's Knightsbridge, housed in the hotel of the same...

Kevin Langley, restaurant manager, Fisherman's Lodge, Jesmond Dene.
September 7, 2006... Kevin Langley, previously general manager of the Kings Lodge hotel in Durham, has joined the Fisherman's Lodge in Jesmond Dene, Newcastle upon Tyne, as restaurant manager. The lodge is part of Tom's Companies.

Next move for a chef looking to move up.
September 7, 2006... Each week our panel of recruitment experts provide answers to an employment question posed by a reader The question I have worked as a chef-manager in contract catering for six years. I have 20 years' experience as a chef and am...

Paul Harnedy, executive general manager, Paramount Group of Hotels.
September 7, 2006... The Paramount Group of Hotels has promoted Paul Harnedy to executive general manager, responsible for a portfolio of 500 bedrooms and 42 conference rooms in the East Midlands. Harnedy was general manager at the recently refurbished Paramount...

Review of Reviews.
September 7, 2006... The Scotsman 2 September Emma Cowling finds friendly but slow and inattentive service at Bluu in Glasgow Bluu is at the fag end of the Merchant City. A smattering of bars and restaurants have been trying to make this area trendy for years...

Sheraton Real de Faula Golf Resort & Spa, Benidorm, Spain.(restaurant facility)(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Offering an 18-hole golf course and four eateries, from the all-day restaurant to the BBQ open dining area, this is the latest addition to Sheraton's growing collection of Spanish hotels. It's a short distance from many attractions, including...

Smoking ban blamed for Rank losses.
September 7, 2006... The ban on smoking in public places in Scotland has claimed its first commercial scalp, with leisure firm Rank announcing it will cut 200 jobs across the UK. The company's profits were down 3% in the first half of this year, and Rank...

What's for afters?(Buyers guide)
September 7, 2006... Diane Lane looks at some new products likely to persuade your customers to leave room for pudding 1. fun with filo A range of Filo Cups are now available from Foodafayre. The filo pastry leaf cups are handcrafted into a crown shape for...

the week in brief.(Brief article)
September 7, 2006... Jurys Doyle in pay blunder Jurys Doyle Hotel Group was left red-faced this week when an undercover investigation revealed some hotel staff were being paid as little as [pounds sterling]1.50 an hour - a fraction of the [pounds sterling]5.05...

New fire regulations.
September 14, 2006... In October a new regime puts the onus on employers to ensure the fire safety of their premises. John Davies, of risk consultant Alexander Forbes, explains The problem Like all other employers, hotels, bars and restaurants will be...

CHEF EATS OUT LE CHAMPIGNON SAUVAGE, 18 & 19 OCTOBER 2006.
September 14, 2006... Hailed as England's answer to Pierre Koffmann, David Everitt-Matthias has been delivering his distinctive style of cuisine at his two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Champignon Sauvage, for 19 years. Together with his wife Helen,...

Every wine's a winner.
September 14, 2006... Thinking of revising your wine list? To give you some inspiration, here's a selection of the International Trophy winners from this year's Decanter World Wine Awards Sauvignon Blanc under [pounds sterling]10 Cairnbrae Wild South,...

Are you spending too much on energy?
September 14, 2006... The latest industry benchmarking survey shows that some businesses are spending almost three times the sector average on energy. Linda Martin, HCIMA programmes director for Hospitable Climates, outlines some affordable ways of reducing costs...

TV cooks don't know their onions.(cookery shows)
September 14, 2006... Bill Knott bemoans the wayward knowledge and bad English demonstrated on TV cookery shows We are constantly being told that Britain is becoming a more food-conscious nation and the public's knowledge of food is greater than ever. ...

Dawn of a new era.(Preston Park Tavern)
September 14, 2006... It's our second visit to the Preston Park Tavern in Brighton - and the first since its reopening - and as owners Andrew and Helen Coggings tell Emma Allen, word of mouth seems to be spreading a favourable message among the locals It's no...

The Club Bar and Dining Room, London.(Restaurant review)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Located on the former Sugar Club site, the ground-floor bar and dining room offers all-day dining in an informal brasserie style. Opened 23 August Owners Brenhan Magee and Simon Jordan Head chef Lewis Hannaford Consultant chef...

Table Talk.
September 14, 2006... Tell-tale flaw in an online bargain We've all heard stories about dodgy deals done on eBay. One lot that recently caught our eye was a first edition of Caterer and Hotelkeeper - or The Caterer as it was known way back in 1878. Despite being on...

Over to you.(cooking on television)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... TV chefs - a help or a hindrance? Glynn Christian, TV chef and author "I started my career cooking on TV for the BBC in the early 1980s, and I think different chefs help different people. Men have been most helped in recent years by...

A minute on the clock Tim Zagat.
September 14, 2006... Zagat Survey launched its 11th London restaurant guide this week. Emily Manson talked to the guide's founder Tim Zagat Caterer Was it surprising Nobu Berkeley was rated top newcomer this year? TZ It's not really a huge surprise as the...

Caterer loves.
September 14, 2006... British Food Fortnight Whether it's Stilton cheese or Eccles cakes, Bakewell tart, haggis or even good old roast beef and Yorkshire pud, there's plenty of gourmet British gastronomy to celebrate over the next couple of weeks. Until...

Come to the table.
September 14, 2006... The look of your restaurant tables goes a long way towards winning over your customers before they've even begun to sample the menu. Diane Lane reveals the latest thinking from tableware designers and manufacturers With four different...

Belfry battle settled.
September 14, 2006... The De Vere Group has won its High Court battle over signage with the Belfry hotel's owner, the Quinn Group, despite breaching its management agreement. The High Court ruled that rebranding the hotel "De Vere at The Belfry" breached the...

Lords of the manor.(Hotel review)
September 14, 2006... Deft use of modern ingredients and the enthusiastic support of local suppliers underpin Les Rennie's seasonal menu at this Cotswolds hotel. Joanna Wood reports It has taken two-and-a-half years, but Les Rennie has finally got his...

Ritz's Jeremy Downer dies aged 43.(Obituary)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Management at the Ritz hotel have paid tribute to Jeremy Downer, executive assistant manager of the iconic London venue, who died suddenly last Tuesday (5 September) at the age of 43. Downer, who suffered a heart attack while at home, is...

Restaurant owner offered waitress cash for sex.
September 14, 2006... A Polish law student who worked as a waitress for an Italian restaurant in Edinburgh has been awarded [pounds sterling]8,000 compensation after an employment tribunal heard she was sacked for refusing to sleep with her manager. Sylvia...

Good game, or just a cheap name-and-shame ploy?(food hygiene inspection, Food Safety Agency )
September 14, 2006... Restaurants throughout the UK might soon have to display the results of their hygiene inspections if a London pilot scheme is successful. Chris Druce reports To the man on the street, "scores on the doors" may be nothing more than a Bruce...

The man who made it last.
September 14, 2006... Richard Shepherd celebrates 30 years of Langan's Brasserie next month. Helen Adkins went to visit him to find out the secret of the iconic restaurant's longevity It's a dull August lunchtime, post bank holiday, and yet Langan's Brasserie...

Review of Reviews.(Pasha)(Danesfield House's Oak Room restaurant)(High Road Brasserie)(Restaurant review)
September 14, 2006... The Scotsman 9 September John Davidson gets taken on a surprise birthday outing to Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles in Auchterarder, Perthshire Every surface is discreet luxury. But the welcome is warm, and staff discuss dishes on the...

Foodfile ingredients in season.
September 14, 2006... Fresh produce Italian round aubergines (left) are very good now. They are paler than usual, with sweet flesh. Kaboucha and Gem squashes are also now coming through, as are Cevenne sweet onions. Belle de Fontenay and French Agata...

London eating-out boom continues.
September 14, 2006... Zagat Survey shows diners are not put off by rising prices By Emily Manson Restaurant-goers are eating out more than ever in London despite rising prices, according to the 2007 Zagat Survey London Restaurants guide. The guide,...

US drink-drive victim to appeal against Aramark retrial order.
September 14, 2006... A drink-drive accident victim is to appeal against a US court's decision to overturn her $135m ([pounds sterling]72.3m) legal victory against catering giant Aramark. Antonia Verni, then aged two, was left paralysed in 1999 after her...

von essen adds ynyshir hall to its portfolio.(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Luxury country house hotel owner Von Essen continued its aggressive acquisition strategy this week, adding two properties to its growing portfolio. The nine-bedroom, Michelin-starred Ynyshir Hall (pictured) in Machynlleth, Powys, has become the...

peyton opens four new outlets.(Oliver Peyton)(National Cafe)(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... What a picture... Serial restaurant entrepreneur Oliver Peyton is expanding his restaurant-within-a-gallery concept and is set to open four new operations in the next month. After opening the National Dining Rooms at the National Gallery in...

Fetzer retains JDW house wine contract.
September 14, 2006... Constellation brands fail to achieve switch after e-mail leak By Chris Druce The battle for the [pounds sterling]80m house wine contract at JD Wetherspoon has been won by incumbent Fetzer despite the controversial efforts of drinks...

Book Review.(British Regional Food)(Book review)
September 14, 2006... Specialist producers guide British Regional Food Mark Hix Quadrille, [pounds sterling]25 ISBN 1-84400-234-9 Over the past 10 years or so there has been a revival of small, artisan producers in England, which has gone in tandem with a...

MP will call for regulation of care home food.
September 14, 2006... Care home food must be regulated by minimum nutritional standards, Lib Dem Chief Whip Paul Burstow will tell the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) annual conference this month. His speech, which is based on a letter he sent to...

MBO deal at Conran completed.
September 14, 2006... The senior management team at Conran Restaurants was due to complete a management buyout from parent company Conran Holdings this week. The move, revealed by Caterer last week, will see the management team - headed by Des Gunewardena and...

Elior takes first steps in state school market.(Brief article)
September 14, 2006... Elior UK has made its first serious move into the state school market by winning an estimated [pounds sterling]500,000-worth of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) business in Swindon, Wiltshire. The deal saw Elior's Avenance education and...

Caterers split over packed lunches after Oliver rant.
September 14, 2006... by tom bill Caterers are divided over the need for legislation on packed lunches following Jamie Oliver's attack on parents who send their children to school with junk food. Ahead of his new 75-minute one-off show to be screened next...

Price of beef outstrips foie gras.
September 14, 2006... Is foie gras the most expensive thing on the menu? Not any more. According to butchers Nigel Fredericks, reporting in this week's Foodfile (page 56), soaring beef prices mean that "fillet is going to be more expensive than foie gras". ...

Hospital caterers call for more info on [pounds sterling]3.7b outsourcing deal.
September 14, 2006... Hospital caterers have called for clarification over how the controversial [pounds sterling]3.7b outsourcing deal between the NHS and German logistics group DHL will affect them. They are uncertain of the scope and binding nature of the...

Events.
September 14, 2006... Hospitality Action is once again giving you an excuse to don frocks and go crazy with the company credit card as the charity's annual fundraising ball rolls into town. Organised in association with Caterer, the event is this year themed...

Hospitality's delights and dangers.
September 14, 2006... Last year, Caterer and Hotelkeeper launched its inaugural Best Places to Work in Hospitality awards. Through the awards, we were able to applaud and reward operations like La Tasca, Bettys & Taylors, Four Seasons Hotels and Nottingham City...