Articles by Date : December 01 2004 - December 31 2004

Small operators are not ready for chip and PIN
A quarter of the British Hospitality Association's (BHA) members have not installed chip-and-PIN systems and are not ready for the 1 January.... more
(22 December 2004 17:59)

Scottish Executive gets tough on businesses that defy smoking ban
Scottish pubs, restaurants and hotels will face hefty fines if they defy the country's ban on smoking in enclosed public places, it emerged last week. more
(22 December 2004 17:58)

Acquisitions to continue in pubs sector
Karl Cushing, business editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper, reports on what next year has in store for the UK pub industry. more
(22 December 2004 15:22)

Worldwide briefing
Essential news from around the world… more
(21 December 2004 16:20)

Big pub groups in the clear over beer ties
The influence of “pubcos” – huge leased pubs groups such as Enterprise Inns and Punch Taverns – is not a threat to competition in the sector, an.... more
(21 December 2004 16:02)

Coffee Republic narrows losses as shake-up nears end
Coffee bar operator Coffee Republic has nearly completed the painful restructuring programme that has seen it close 23 outlets in the past year, it.... more
(21 December 2004 15:40)

UK hoteliers focus on driving room rates
Occupancy rates in London have reached a plateau, and hoteliers are now focusing on driving up room rates, according to statistics from consultancy.... more
(21 December 2004 15:26)

Operators fail to exploit time-saving VAT scheme
Small restaurants and hotels are failing to take part in a scheme that could significantly reduce their administrative burden, according to Customs.... more
(20 December 2004 16:55)

Trading improving at CHE Group
CHE Group, operator of branded hotels including Sleep Inn and Quality, has reported an "significant improvement" in performance for the 11 months to.... more
(20 December 2004 16:34)

Dawnay Shore adds three hotels to Paramount chain
Dawnay Shore Hotels has bought three former Hanover International hotels for £57m. more
(20 December 2004 15:58)

Northumberland House sold for reported £30m
The Grade-II listed Northumberland House hotel in London has reportedly been sold for a staggering £30m-plus after nearly two years on the market..... more
(17 December 2004 17:27)

Table Talk
They shouldn't mess with 'scarface' Ramsay... more
(17 December 2004 17:00)

PKF announces 5% revpar rise across the country
Revenue per available room (revpar) rose by almost 5% across the UK in November 2004, according to PKF hotel consultancy services. more
(17 December 2004 15:34)

InterContinental continues hotels sell-off
InterContinental has sold 13 hotels in the USA, Canada and Puerto Rico to real estate investment trust Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT) for $425m.... more
(17 December 2004 13:14)

The rover's return
He has worked all over the world in some of the very finest hotels. But Patrick Elsmie, our 2004 Hotelier of the Year, can't stay away from.... more
(17 December 2004 11:56)

A-Z founders beat off rivals to seal £7m deal
The race for A-Z Restaurants appeared to be finally over this week after founding members Claudio Pulze and Franco Zanellato signed on the dotted.... more
(17 December 2004 11:23)

Greene King signs Rooney as new chief exec
Pub operator Greene King has appointed the boss of its brewing division to take over as chief executive from next May. more
(17 December 2004 10:28)

French giant Elior acquires Azure
French contract catering giant Elior, which owns Avenance in the UK, has bought a 51% stake in British sports and leisure catering company Azure.... more
(17 December 2004 10:26)

Sodexho wins £140m Manchester PFI hospitals contract
Contract catering giant Sodexho has landed a seven-year, £140m contract to run catering, portering and maintenance operations at five Manchester.... more
(17 December 2004 10:13)

Claridge's evacuated after Ramsay kitchen fire
Claridge’s was evacuated for nearly three hours yesterday (Thursday) after a fire broke out in the kitchen of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s.... more
(17 December 2004 10:08)

Bidders battle as Corus sheds £46m package
Corus Hotels is in the final stage of talks to sell off a package of six properties valued at £46m. more
(17 December 2004 10:06)

Elior serves up improved figures
French contract caterer Elior has reported a 21.7% rise in full-year pre-tax profits on the back of better interest rates, lower debt and a.... more
(16 December 2004 12:42)

Regent more optimistic as sales rise
Regent Inns saw like-for-like sales rise by 2.2% in the six months to December, the late-night bar operator said today. more
(16 December 2004 12:31)

Center Parcs profits nudge ahead
Strong trading over the summer helped short-break holiday village operator Center Parcs nudge up profits in the first six months of its financial.... more
(16 December 2004 11:44)

Gowrings deal gets the go-ahead
Shareholders representing more than 90% of UK Burger King franchisee Gowrings have given their backing to a £9.6m takeover by rival Caspian. more
(16 December 2004 10:55)

How I got here
Stuart Birkwood, Six Sigma manager, Starwood Hotels, central London more
(15 December 2004 19:02)

Poor service remains biggest sector failing
Rude or hapless service continues to be the major bugbear of the restaurant industry, according to this year's annual report by London-based guide.... more
(15 December 2004 17:54)

Restaurateurs slam chip-and-PIN system
The introduction of chip-and-PIN machines into restaurants is causing havoc, according to one London restaurateur, who claims his staff are losing.... more
(15 December 2004 17:51)

Property mogul seals £150m Laurel pubs deal
Property tycoon Robert Tchenguiz has been confirmed as the buyer of high-street pub operator Laurel. more
(15 December 2004 17:50)

Hotels look to outside talent
Andrew Sangster assesses the recent trend for hotel companies to look beyond the sector when replacing a chief executive. more
(15 December 2004 16:35)

People moves
All the latest appointments and promotions... more
(15 December 2004 14:43)

New chief executive at InterContinental
InterContinental Hotels Group has appointed Andrew Cosslett as its new chief executive. more
(15 December 2004 14:31)

550-seat Thai restaurant planned for Manchester
A food packing company plans to open a 550-seat Thai restaurant in East Manchester at a cost of about £2m. more
(15 December 2004 13:43)

BHA council elects new chairman
Aramark chief executive Bill Toner has been elected as the new chairman of the council of the British Hospitality Association. more
(14 December 2004 16:36)

IFE 05
The event for buyers looking for inspiration from around the globe. New features at this four-day food and drink exhibition include a choice of.... more
(14 December 2004 15:23)

Charity highlights crisis over pensions
More than three-quarters (79%) of hotel and restaurant workers have no access to a work pension, and thousands face poverty or working beyond.... more
(14 December 2004 13:02)

Cleaning bill fraudster strikes across the UK
Restaurants as far apart as Scotland and Sussex have emerged as the latest targets of a nationwide cleaning bill scam first reported in Caterer last.... more
(14 December 2004 13:01)

Review of the reviews
Jay Rayner warms to the grown-up Thyme, which has moved from the suburbs to London WC2... more
(14 December 2004 12:36)

Expanding pub estate brings cheer to Belhaven
The Belhaven Group, Scotland's leading regional brewer and pub operator, turned in another "sparkling" set of half-year figures this week, putting it.... more
(14 December 2004 12:01)

Why not shoot, eat and leave?
The City of London's Bonds restaurant and bar is offering trigger-happy customers the opportunity to bring their own game in for cooking. more
(14 December 2004 11:57)

Hospital caterer and town hall chef share Radio 4 accolade
A hospital caterer and a town hall chef have shared the Best Dinner Lady/Man award at BBC Radio 4's Food & Farming Awards 2004. more
(14 December 2004 11:44)

Acorn winner is Welsh Woman of the Year
Former Acorn winner Natalie Dobson has been named Welsh Woman of the Year by the Western Mail in recognition of her entrepreneurial skills. more
(14 December 2004 11:42)

Rhodes in deal at Cumberland
Gary Rhodes will take over the brasserie and fine-dining operation at London's Cumberland hotel from next spring. more
(14 December 2004 11:32)

Regional Spotlight: Darlington
The licensed and leisure scene in Darlington has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and a huge amount of money has been ploughed into the.... more
(14 December 2004 11:21)

Pizza's great white hope
If you thought the humble pizza had already been stretched to the limits of innovation, then think again, as Pizza Express has just unveiled a new.... more
(14 December 2004 11:20)

The only way is up for UK hotels
Consultancy Deloitte was in bullish mood last week over the prospects for both the London and regional hotel sectors, as Karl Cushing discovered more
(14 December 2004 11:16)

Novelli plans TV series
Jean Christophe Novelli is considering setting up his own television production company to make a series about his cookery school when it opens in.... more
(14 December 2004 11:10)

HMA announces award-winners
Best Western scooped two awards last night at the 11th annual Hotel Marketing Awards, held at the Savoy hotel in London. more
(14 December 2004 10:59)

Stage dialogue
As part of his prize for winning the 2004 Roux Scholarship, Andrew Jones landed a stage with world-renowned chef Michel Bras at his restaurant in.... more
(13 December 2004 18:44)

Jack Fuller's Inn, Brightling
This week's featured property has oodles of potential for the right buyer looking to grow the business. more
(13 December 2004 18:03)