Articles by Date : April 01 2006 - April 30 2006

Greek Hotel buys Belgrade hotel... and other European news
Essential news from around Europe, including: Montenegro urges foreign investors to build tourist complex; British architect to design luxury Moscow.... more
(28 April 2006 17:33)

Two new Blubeckers restaurants signed
Blubeckers, part of The Restaurant Group, have purchased two new sites in the home-counties. more
(28 April 2006 16:54)

Pub joins list of English icons
The pub is among 21 icons chosen for a list of national treasures. more
(28 April 2006 16:39)

Ramada Jarvis gears up for National Pillow Week
Ramada Jarvis is marking National Pillow Week next week by putting 23,000 new pillows in its hotel bedrooms across the UK. more
(28 April 2006 16:01)

Mitchells & Butlers issues bullish trading statement ahead of expected bid battle
Pub operator Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) today released a bullish trading statement as speculation continues of a takeover bid for the company. more
(28 April 2006 15:38)

Sam and Maxie’s fares well as La Tasca continues to grow
Sam & Maxie’s, La Tasca Restaurant’s new grill and smokehouse concept, is trading ahead of expectations according to the company. more
(28 April 2006 15:25)

Mitchells & Butlers tempted by Whitbread's Brewers Fayre and Beefeater
Pub company Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) today had its sights set on the 250 Brewers Fayre and Beefeater pub restaurants put up for sale by Whitbread. more
(28 April 2006 13:01)

Male London drinkers most likely in the country to get into a fight
Men drinking in London are more likely to feel aggressive than those outside the capital, a new survey into the negative effects of boozing has.... more
(28 April 2006 12:32)

Tootsies founder and MD resigns
Tootsies founder and managing director Andrew Bonnell has resigned from the company following its acquisition by The Clapham House Group earlier this.... more
(28 April 2006 12:16)

Publication date set for nutrient-based food standards for school meals
Eagerly awaited new standards for school meals in England will be published on the 8 May, according to sources close to the School Foods Trust. more
(28 April 2006 11:56)

McDonald’s moves UK boss back to its US headquarters
McDonald’s has moved its UK chairman and chief executive Peter Beresford back to its US headquarters where he will join the company’s global.... more
(28 April 2006 11:16)

Guide to help source fish from sustainable sources launched
Sourcing fish from sustainable sources should now be easier for independents and small hospitality groups, thanks to the launch new plain English.... more
(28 April 2006 11:01)

Starwood records good 1st quarter performance despite accounting charge
Starwood, one of the USA’s biggest hotel companies, wrote off $72m (£40m) during the first quarter due to a new accounting rule. more
(28 April 2006 10:36)

UK hospitality needs to do more for disabled and elderly guests
The UK’s tourism industry must do more to meet the needs of disabled and elderly people in the country, according to tourist body VisitBritain. more
(28 April 2006 10:36)

Local licensees buy top Cornish inn
Local licensees have acquired the Trengilly Wartha Inn at Constantine in one of Cornwall’s wealthiest and most sought-after areas. more
(27 April 2006 15:57)

First-time buyers return to Scotland to run Inverness hotel
John and Evelyn Proudfoot have returned to Scotland to make their debut as hoteliers after leaving Edinburgh to live in Hertfordshire for 27 years. more
(27 April 2006 15:52)

New pub company buys Essex freehouse
Newly-formed pub company Family First Inns has bought its first property in the Essex village of Little Waltham. more
(27 April 2006 15:49)

Suffolk guesthouse changes hands
Gianfranco and Suzanne Neroni are the new owners of the Verandah House guesthouse in Stowmarket, Suffolk. more
(27 April 2006 15:44)

Cirencester innkeepers buy second Cotswold property
Andrew Freeland and Rupert Longsdon have snapped up the Amberley Inn, a traditional Cotswold hostelry that overlooks the Five Valleys of Stroud in.... more
(27 April 2006 15:39)

New owners for seaside hotel in Norfolk
The 18-bedroom Edwardian hotel in the seaside town of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk has changed hands. more
(27 April 2006 15:33)

Oriental Mandarin’s profits recover to pre-Asian economic crash levels
Luxury hotel group Mandarin Oriental has seen its profits hit highs not achieved since the Asian economic crisis of the 1990’s devastated the.... more
(27 April 2006 13:55)

Domino's sales continue to grow
Dominos, the pizza delivery company, saw sales jump in the previous quarter. more
(27 April 2006 13:27)

Restaurant with views of Windsor Castle for sale
A riverside restaurant with views of Windsor Castle and planning permission for a hotel has been put on the market with Oxford-based property agent.... more
(27 April 2006 12:05)

UK hotel industry set to break sales peak next year
The UK hotel industry is set to break its previous sales peak by next year according to a new report by consultants TRI. more
(27 April 2006 11:55)

Alan Yau to open Spanish restaurant
London restaurateur Alan Yau is planning to launch a Spanish tapas restaurant scheduled for next April, Caterer can exclusively reveal. more
(27 April 2006 11:55)

Bjorn van der Horst to join Gordon Ramsay stable
Celebrated ex-Greenhouse chef Bjorn van der Horst is joining the Gordon Ramsay stable with a new venture at the former Pengelley's site on Sloane.... more
(27 April 2006 11:54)

Fairmont takeover bid held up by court... and other international hotel news
Essential news from around the world, including: Raffles opens first Chinese hotel; Radisson SAS to open hotels in Russia; Mandarin Oriental in China.... more
(27 April 2006 11:36)

Revpar slips by nearly 5% in London
London hotels saw revenue per available room (revpar) fall by 4.6% in the week ending 23 April, according to figures from hotel benchmarking service.... more
(27 April 2006 11:35)

The Bench: London weekly hotel performance to 23 April, 2006
London hotels saw revenue per available room (revpar) fall by 4.6% in the week ending 23 April, according to figures from hotel benchmarking service.... more
(27 April 2006 11:08)

The Bench: South-western hotel performance in March 2006
Hotels in the South West of England increased revenue per available room (revpar) by 9.6% during the month of March. more
(27 April 2006 10:34)

Mixed performance at CI Traders hospitality division
Channel Islands conglomerate CI Traders has reported a mixed performance at its hotel, bars and restaurants on Jersey and Guernsey. more
(27 April 2006 10:15)

Mystery bidder makes approach for Regent Inns
Pub company Regent Inns has said it has received an approach, although no formal bid for the business has been made so far. more
(27 April 2006 10:15)

Strong growth predicted for £1b UK branded coffee bar market
The UK branded coffee market, now valued at £1.1b, is set to grow by 8.9% per annum, according to new research. more
(27 April 2006 09:29)

Full-year profit up at Travelodge thanks to price cuts
Budget hotel chain Travelodge has received a huge boost to its full-year profit thanks to the success of its online booking service and price cuts. more
(27 April 2006 09:18)

Acorn Awards 2006
Hailed as the industry's rising stars, these 30 under-30-year-olds are the people influencing hospitality today and those likely to make an impact.... more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

BHA says VAT will be added to bed tax
1,000 signatures for Caterer's Say No To Bed Tax campaign more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

The Equality Act
From October, the Equality Act will ban sex discrimination when providing goods and services. Stephen Levinson tells you how to prepare for it now more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

Valentina Harris opens Amici for Christopher's
London restaurant group Christopher's has scrapped its Wandsworth restaurant Pomino and replaced it with a new venture under the direction of food.... more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

Toby Tobin expands Surrey empire
Celebrity chef Tony Tobin is to open a £2m restaurant and delicatessen in a former post office in Surrey. more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

Wine: What the experts think of Australian Pinot Noir varieties
What would a panel of hand-picked experts think of the current crop of Australian Pinot Noir wine varieties? Fiona Sims reports on a tasting that.... more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

Chef Conference: The view from Pierre Gagnaire
France's boundary-pushing chef Pierre Gagnaire is hosting his first UK masterclass at the Chef Conference on 8 May. To whet your appetite, we thought.... more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

Will the smoking ban de-value my property?
I am worried that property values will fall when the smoking ban comes in. Should I make changes to my pub now or hang on till the last minute? more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

10 ways to improve your website
It's no good running a five-star hotel if your website is only one-star. And how will potential clients surfing the internet know your restaurant is.... more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

Equipment: Combating the smoking ban with outdoor dining
With a smoking ban in "enclosed public spaces" coming into force in mid-2007, English pubs, hotels and restaurants are weighing up their outdoor.... more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

A TV dinner unfit for a queen
The BBC's Great British Menu is an example of the desperation of television to find yet another way to put food on the box, says David Smolt more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

Konstam at the Prince Albert, London
Chef-proprietor Oliver Rowe has set himself a massive challenge with this new north London venture - he's committed to using only ingredients that he.... more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

The White Lion: Up for the cup... of sangria
Rob Gamble's White Lion pub-restaurant is planning to cater for groups of "World Cup widows" during the coming football fest. Ben Walker reports more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

Moto fails to excite the City with Robinson appointment
Moto's appointment of former Compass boss Gerry Robinson as its new chairman received a cool reception from the City this week. more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

Hotelier Giles Shepard dies at 69
Hotelier Giles Shepard, CBE, died on Friday (21 April) aged 69, after a short illness. more
(27 April 2006 00:00)

Review of Reviews
We selected one seafood, three meat dishes and one vegetable. They were, in the best sense of the word, revelatory. more
(27 April 2006 00:00)