Articles by Date : October 01 2005 - October 31 2005

Shepherd Neame defends leaseback decision
Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has defended its decision not to inform shareholders about an informal sale-and-leaseback offer for.... more
(31 October 2005 17:26)

Venture capital firms approach De Vere
De Vere group has reportedly received interest from two private equity groups about a takeover. more
(31 October 2005 16:37)

Waste oil law 'not being enforced'
New regulations to control the disposal of used cooking oils are not being enforced by local authorities, according to a survey by catering equipment.... more
(31 October 2005 16:13)

OFT will probe Tiger Tiger acquisition
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is looking into Lightflower Acquisition’s £113m takeover of late-bar operator Urbium earlier this month. more
(31 October 2005 15:07)

New marketing chief for InterContinental
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has appointed Peter Gowers to the newly-created role of chief marketing officer. more
(31 October 2005 12:44)

What the weekend papers say
A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry, including: 200 redundancies at Compass; De Vere eyes Initial Style; Rocco slams.... more
(31 October 2005 11:12)

News in brief
Travelodge for Islington; Brown's ready to reopen; Chewton Glen accolade; extended hours countdown... more
(31 October 2005 11:10)

LHW launches new luxury club
Marketing consortium Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) has launched a new luxury accommodation club for the super-rich. more
(31 October 2005 11:08)

Smoking decision is no decision at all
Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, slams the Government muddle over smoking policy more
(28 October 2005 15:15)

Worldwide briefing
Essential news from around the world, including: Four Seasons to build in Marrakech; JW III leaves Marriott; Stein Group expands; Small Luxury Hotels.... more
(28 October 2005 14:19)

Compass calls in the auditors
Compass Group has called in auditor Ernst & Young to go through the books of its ESS division. more
(28 October 2005 12:28)

La Tasca's trading 'well ahead' of last year
Spanish tapas bar chain La Tasca has reported promising interim results in its pre-close statement. more
(28 October 2005 12:03)

Costs for business travellers set to rise
Business travellers can expect to pay considerably more for hotel rooms and airfares next year as demand pushes up prices, predicts American Express.... more
(28 October 2005 11:32)

Smoking ban to be in place by summer 2007
Measures to ban smoking in public places will have to be put into place by the summer of 2007 rather than the end of 2008 as originally proposed. more
(28 October 2005 11:08)

Russia tipped for boom in hotel investment
Opportunities to be spelt out at Moscow investment forum more
(28 October 2005 10:24)

London conference centre to go ahead
Mayor's commission concludes that centre would create 5,500 jobs and boost city's economy by 400m a year more
(28 October 2005 10:24)

Primary school orders caterer to improve meals service
Harrison Catering has been ordered to improve its meals service by a north London primary school. more
(28 October 2005 09:42)

Shepherd says Langan's group is 'not for sale'
London restaurateur and owner of Langan's Brasserie Richard Shepherd has denied rumours he is planning to sell up. more
(28 October 2005 09:42)

Hagley restaurant snapped up within a month
Property agent Christie & Co has sold the West One Bar & Restaurant in the affluent village of Hagley, Worcestershire, within a month of putting it.... more
(28 October 2005 00:00)

Character freehouse in Devon village changes hands
Publicans David and Louise Williams are the new owners of the Crown Inn, a Grade II-listed country freehouse in the village of Ibberton in Devon. more
(28 October 2005 00:00)

Kencancook restaurant relocates to Walberton in West Sussex
West Sussex restaurateurs Ken and Annabelle Brown have transplanted their successful Kencancook restaurant from Appledram to Walberton after snapping.... more
(28 October 2005 00:00)

Lincolnshire village pub sold to first viewer
Lincolnshire village pub the Stirrup Inn has been bought by its first viewer, Stefan Wietryzyk, who formerly ran a pub in Nottinghamshire. more
(28 October 2005 00:00)

Award-winning hotel in Romford on the market for more than £6m
An award-winning hotel one quarter of a mile from Romford town centre in Essex has been put on the market by the Enfield office of Christie & Co. more
(28 October 2005 00:00)

Friday Wrap: 28 October 2005
Where did Jamie get that black eye? more
(28 October 2005 00:00)

US market star performer for Fairmont
US hotels were the star performers in the third quarter of 2005 for Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, but its international properties did not fare so.... more
(27 October 2005 17:08)

London predicted to bounce back after bombings
The number of overseas trips to London continued to fall in August in reaction to the bombings two months earlier, said tourist body Visit London. more
(27 October 2005 15:54)

Starwood to sell $4bn-worth of assets
Starwood Hotels and Resorts has announced plans to sell up to $4b-worth of assets over the next 12 months. more
(27 October 2005 13:18)

Recovery at London hotels unlikely to bring predicted bonanza
London hotels bounced back in September from the poor summer trading sparked by the July bombings, according to the latest HotStats survey. more
(27 October 2005 12:11)

Michelin-star restaurant drops chicken from the menu
A Michelin-star restaurant in London has dropped chicken from its menu because the avian bird flu scare has slashed demand to almost zero. more
(27 October 2005 11:53)

Compass division suspended by UN
Compass Group division ESS has been suspended as a registered contractor by the United Nations. more
(27 October 2005 09:59)

West to join Lexington
Former Avenance chairman Tim West will join Lexington Catering as chief executive in January. more
(27 October 2005 09:55)

Power ready to build bar and club empire
Vince Power, the creator of the Mean Fiddler Group, is launching a bar and club empire, the Vince Power Media Group (VPMG). more
(27 October 2005 09:50)

An eye for retail
Whether launching a new business or rolling out a proven concept, where to site your premises is a make-or-break decision. In the second part of our.... more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

Optimising hotel websites to increase traffic from search engines
Your website looks gorgeous and says all the right things about your business, so why aren't the increasing number of people who book online beating.... more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

The wild bergamot
A drinks licence was a while coming at the Wild Bergamot, but once he'd got it, chef-proprietor Alan Burns set about putting his stamp on the wine.... more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

Eschewing the fat
Chips and other deep-fried potato products have been getting a bad press lately, and with health warnings abounding, manufacturers have had to look.... more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

Make sure the price is right
Local restaurants should serve simple, moderately priced food, says chef Bill Knott. Oh, and BYO is the future more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

Hospitality companies are growing fast
Five British hospitality companies are ranked among Europe's 500 fastest growing businesses. more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

Little Chef bosses will slash prices
Little Chef's new owners have slammed the roadside chain's overpriced menus and poor food offer. more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

PizzaExpress and Ask to seek market listing
Flotation expected to value business at about 800m more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

The Americans are coming
Growing international confidence in the hotel sector and favourable currency markets appear to be fuelling a new gold rush for US capital in Europe's.... more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

M&C sues US insurance broker over 9/11 losses
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels (M&C) is suing its former US insurance adviser and broker for damages in excess of $45m (£25m) in relation to the 2001.... more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

NVQ chef training 'disastrous'
Training for young chefs as part of the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) is disastrously inadequate, according to David Nicholls, executive.... more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

FishWorks to kick off at Chelsea
Restaurant chain and fishmongers FishWorks plans to open its next eaterie near Chelsea football club in London. more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

Dunne buys Dublin site in historic deal
Irish developer Sean Dunne completed his historic €260m (£176m) deal for Dublin's prestigious Ballsbridge site last Thursday. more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

Gate Gourmet signs new BA contract
The long-running industrial dispute at in-flight caterer Gate Gourmet entered its final stages last week when a new contract was signed with British.... more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

Merton parents unhappy with 'improved' school meal service
Parents in the London Borough of Merton have criticised primary school meals for their poor nutritional content, despite a major overhaul earlier.... more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

Don't forget to put the clocks back this weekend
It's that depressing time of year again when summer is officially over. Yes, from now on winter draws in the nights and the days get shorter. more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

Smoking ban looks even further away
Plans to introduce a smoking ban in England descended into chaos this week as Government ministers failed to agree over exemptions. more
(27 October 2005 00:00)

A minute on the clock: Una Smyth
Una Smyth, 54, is assistant front office manager at the Hastings Slieve Donard hotel in Newcastle, County Down. Last week she was awarded the 2005.... more
(27 October 2005 00:00)