Articles by Date : August 01 2004 - August 31 2004

Café Rouge owner could be sold
Restaurant chains Café Rouge and Bella Italia could be put up for sale for more than £120m. more
(31 August 2004 17:09)

Dealing with drugs and alcohol problems
Facts and figures on alcohol and drug abuse, tell-tale signs and dealing with the problem. more
(31 August 2004 16:14)

Get your rates right
In the first of a new series examining pressing issues for the independent hotel sector, Richard Lewis examines the pitfalls presented by rate.... more
(31 August 2004 14:53)

Thistle boosts revenues
UK-based Thistle Hotels saw revenue per available room (revpar) increase by 4.2% in the year to 30 June, owner BIL International said today. more
(31 August 2004 13:20)

Pace of hotels growth has quickened, say consultants
The pace of growth in the UK hotel industry picked up again during July after a slight slowdown in June, according to figures from TRI Hospitality.... more
(31 August 2004 12:15)

On the move
Andrew Mosley has been promoted to director of operations at the De Vere Belfry hotel in Wishaw, Warwickshire... more
(31 August 2004 11:55)

How I got here
Jean-Yong Pittion, restaurant and bar manager of Aquasia at the Conrad London hotel more
(31 August 2004 11:26)

What the Bank Holiday weekend papers say
A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry... more
(31 August 2004 10:06)

Scoble writes Little Chef a diet for a fatter future
With Little Chef in the news for thinning down its chubby chef logo, Karl Cushing met up with chief executive Tim Scoble and found that the new image.... more
(27 August 2004 17:12)

Table Talk
Bar chain Brannigans is so fed up with women spending too long in the toilet that it plans to install cubicle doors which spring open one minute.... more
(27 August 2004 16:41)

Corbin, King deny Basil Street deal
Restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King have denied reports they are planning to buy London's Basil Street hotel. more
(27 August 2004 15:57)

Shaun Hill to look for new challenge
The Merchant House, the longest-established Michelin-starred restaurant in Ludlow, Shropshire, is to cease trading under its current ownership. more
(27 August 2004 15:55)

One-third of Brits plan visit to the seaside this weekend
Brighton is the favourite UK seaside destination for Britons this Bank Holiday weekend, according to a survey from Mint credit card. more
(27 August 2004 15:54)

UK hotels
Room rates and occupancy at UK hotels increased substantially during July, but the figures are still only slightly up on those of two years ago,.... more
(27 August 2004 15:28)

Interviewing job applicants
Ray Silverstein, head of the London employment team at law firm Browne Jacobson, looks at the legal pitfalls involved in interviewing job applicants more
(27 August 2004 14:50)

Inside track
Premier Travel Inn more
(27 August 2004 14:47)

Done deals
Three-star hotel fetches close to £1.5m... more
(27 August 2004 14:45)

Sign of the times
If the cap fits... more
(27 August 2004 14:43)

Over to you
Should chefs reduce salt in their cooking? more
(27 August 2004 14:42)

Coffee Republic sales pay off
Coffee Republic's decision to restructure its business and shift focus to a deli-style operation was justified this week as it reported more than an.... more
(27 August 2004 14:41)

Ramsay wants eating-out guide pulped
Gordon Ramsay Holdings is demanding that a new guide to the London eating-out scene is withdrawn and pulped after a member of staff noticed three.... more
(27 August 2004 14:40)

Howard slams longer opening hours plans
Tory leader Michael Howard last week blasted the Government's plan for 24-hour opening, claiming it would encourage a yob culture. more
(27 August 2004 14:39)

Restaurateurs furious over plan to extend congestion zone
London restaurateurs slammed Mayor Ken Livingstone's plans to enlarge the congestion zone this week, saying it would make an already tough market.... more
(27 August 2004 14:38)

Carluccio's opens its fourth outlet this year
Italian café-restaurant and food store chain Carluccio's is continuing its ambitious expansion plans with a new opening in Hampstead, north London. more
(27 August 2004 14:37)

Is help at hand for chefs with a pain in the arse?
Being a chef is tough. The hours are long, the kitchens are hot and - to add insult to injury - you may find you often suffer with a painful case of.... more
(27 August 2004 14:36)

Thistle rumours spark BIL shares hike
Rumours of an imminent reorganisation of Thistle Hotels in the UK boosted shares in its Singaporean owner BIL International last week. more
(27 August 2004 14:35)

Ackerman launch recalls grand cafés of Europe
Veteran restaurateur and consultant Roy Ackerman has teamed up with Hilton to launch a new restaurant at the Hilton Waldorf on London's Aldwych in.... more
(27 August 2004 14:34)

Save your ticket money - see the game in a pub
Football fans could save a staggering £2,720 a year by watching games in the pub rather than on the terraces, according to a poll conducted by pub.... more
(27 August 2004 14:30)

Agents feel the squeeze as hotels take up online sales
Hotel groups have embraced the internet and are offering their best room rates on their own websites. Does this mean the end for online agents such.... more
(27 August 2004 14:29)

Food file
Fruit and vegetables, fish more
(27 August 2004 14:29)

London gets more expensive
London has moved from 10th to sixth place in the league of the world's most expensive cities, according to the latest Worldwide Cost of Living Survey. more
(27 August 2004 14:28)

Head chef competes with own sous chef in YCYW semi-final
A sous chef will pit his culinary skills against those of his boss in one of the semi-finals of this year's Young Chef Young Waiter competition. more
(27 August 2004 14:27)

Urbium cuts losses in 'price-led' Birmingham nightclub market
Late-night bar, club and restaurant operator Urbium has sold two major Birmingham sites, leaving the operator with just one venue in England's second.... more
(27 August 2004 14:27)

Eggleton has eyes on the big prize
Josh Eggleton, last year's college winner of the Gordon Ramsay Scholar competition, is on course to pull off a unique double and win this year's main.... more
(27 August 2004 14:24)

Regional Spotlight: Aberdeen
The university city and port of Aberdeen, framed to the west by the Grampian Mountains and with a dramatic coastline, is the economic hub of the.... more
(27 August 2004 10:31)

Your Shout: Rajul Chande, Elite Hotelier
Boost your revenue by being family-friendly more
(27 August 2004 10:29)

Jessop House, Tewkesbury
This week's star property is an upmarket, low-maintenance B&B operation in Gloucestershire. more
(27 August 2004 10:14)

Regional Spotlight: Sutton, Surrey
The residents of the town of Sutton in Surrey have become discerning critics over the years as their town has been the testing ground for a whole.... more
(27 August 2004 09:48)

Your Shout: Simon Chaplin, Stewart Harnkess, and John Harrison of Christie & Co
High times in the Home Counties more
(27 August 2004 09:46)

Festival buys Ramada trio
Edinburgh-based hotel, pub and restaurant group Festival Inns has bought three Ramada Jarvis hotels in Scotland for more than £10m. more
(27 August 2004 09:38)

V&A museum calls in Benugo to overhaul catering
Catering at London's Victoria & Albert Museum is to undergo a radical overhaul under new incumbent Benugo - a caf‚-deli company that operates on the.... more
(27 August 2004 09:37)

Survey shows little appetite for smoking ban
There is little support for an outright ban on smoking in pubs, according to a survey of pub staff and customers. more
(26 August 2004 16:54)

Rumours point to QMH name change
Speculation is growing regarding the possible future shape and even identity of hotel chain Queens Moat Houses once it has been taken over by.... more
(26 August 2004 16:37)

People Moves: Stuart Downham, Ashley Myers, Jean-Michel Orieux...
All the latest appointments and promotions... more
(26 August 2004 15:55)

Bad weather has silver lining for Gowrings
This summer’s poor weather has helped UK Burger King franchisee Gowrings increase profits at its restaurants and narrow its overall losses in the.... more
(26 August 2004 12:52)

Room rate recovery
The hotels market may be bouncing back but it will be next year before hoteliers start to see real financial benefits coming through, hotel and.... more
(26 August 2004 12:16)

Paramount plans Chez Gérard and Bertorelli spin-offs
Restaurant group Paramount has outlined plans to grow its business by using spin-offs from its Chez Gérard and Bertorelli offerings. more
(26 August 2004 09:55)

Westminster chefs arrested following bribery allegations
An investigation into chefs' kickbacks has struck at the very heart of the UK establishment following the arrest of the executive chefs for both the.... more
(26 August 2004 09:55)

London wants local authorities to have the power to ban smoking
The Association of London Government (ALG) is considering launching a bill giving local authorities the power to ban smoking in pubs and restaurants. more
(25 August 2004 17:03)

How can I be a chef in a corporate environment?
I am 19 and interested in finding a position as a chef catering in a corporate environment in London. I work as chef de partie at Marston Hotels and.... more
(25 August 2004 16:04)