Articles by Date : December 01 2008 - December 31 2008

Contract catering predictions for 2009
Although contract caterers are by no means immune to the looming recession, with client pressure to cut costs and food inflation very much on the.... more
(31 December 2008 07:00)

Pub predictions for 2009
It is hard to imagine that pubs could suffer a tougher year than they did in 2008, what with consumer spend plummeting as fast as alcohol duty.... more
(30 December 2008 07:00)

Restaurant predictions for 2009
The past 12 months saw a number of high profile restaurant launches but in 2009 the trend for celebrity chef-led operations looks set to slow down. more
(29 December 2008 07:00)

Hotel predictions for 2009
It will be hard to avoid the mood of doom and gloom as hotels tighten their belts across the board. Expect huge pressure on trading as the industry.... more
(28 December 2008 08:00)

QHotels launches Christmas Jumper Amnesty
QHotels today announced the launch of a charitable ‘Christmas Jumper Amnesty’ to encourage punters to surrender the gaudy Christmas jumpers that have.... more
(27 December 2008 08:00)

Win a clutch of prizes at Le Meridien Piccadilly today
In the last day of our Christmas giveaway, we are giving online readers the chance to win a fantastic selection of prizes at Le Meridien Piccadilly.... more
(24 December 2008 10:39)

Domino’s looks to pub trade to meet store opening target
Domino’s Pizza is looking to the struggling pub industry to fulfil its appetite for new sites. more
(24 December 2008 08:00)

Marriott donate to victims of terrorist attack
Marriott hotel group has donated $300,000 (£204,000) to help the victims of September’s Islamabad hotel bombing. more
(24 December 2008 07:00)

Win dinner at Andrew Fairlie and a night at Gleneagles today!
For those of you who have been taking part in our online advent calendar you’ll know about the amazing prizes that we’ve been giving away all.... more
(23 December 2008 15:41)

Premier Inn to launch 'Floatel'
Whitbread has announced plans to launch its first floating Premier Inn hotel, dubbed the “Floatel”. more
(23 December 2008 13:30)

Orchid Group closes 14 pubs and cuts 150 jobs before Christmas
Administrators of Orchid Pub Group have closed 14 pubs and made more than 150 staff redundant ahead of Christmas after failing to find buyers. more
(23 December 2008 12:37)

Value for money increasingly important for restaurant diners
Service remains key for restaurant diners but value for money is becoming increasingly important as recession looms, research has revealed. more
(23 December 2008 11:22)

Indian Restaurant Group opens third Mela restaurant
The Indian Restaurants Group (IRG) has opened its third Mela restaurant this year, in Redhill, Surrey. more
(23 December 2008 09:30)

De Savary sells Devon hotel
Entrepreneur Peter de Savary has sold his second Devon property in as many months for a guide price of £750,000. more
(23 December 2008 09:00)

Child drowns in French hotel swimming pool near Disneyland Paris
A five-year-old child has drowned in the unsupervised pool of a hotel near Disneyland Resort Paris. more
(22 December 2008 16:25)

Catermasters retains Learning and Skills Council contract
Catermasters has extended its relationship with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) into its second decade. more
(22 December 2008 15:25)

Industry urged to help finance UK's bid for Bocuse d’Or
The hospitality industry has been urged to provide financial support to help the UK win a medal in next year’s Bocuse d’Or. more
(22 December 2008 15:05)

Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace hotel reopens after terror attacks
The Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai has reopened less than a month after taking centre-stage in the terrorist attack that rocked India’s financial.... more
(22 December 2008 12:52)

Andaman at St James's hotel a 'weird place', says critic
Andaman at the St James’s hotel in London is “a weird place”, according to The Times food critic Hugo Rifkind. more
(22 December 2008 12:31)

What’s on the menu? - A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews
A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews including: Jasper Gerard visits Corrigans Mayfair, London W1; Hugo Rifkind visits Andaman, St James’.... more
(22 December 2008 12:21)

Two Smollensky’s restaurants sold to Kornicis Group
The two largest Smollensky’s restaurants, on London’s Strand and in Canary Wharf, have been sold to an investment firm headed up by the creator of.... more
(22 December 2008 12:04)

Banker found hanged in luxury London hotel - For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say
A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry. News includes: Banker found hanged in luxury London hotel; Cream of Mumbai.... more
(22 December 2008 11:52)

Interview with Gary Rhodes about his new Dorset restaurant
His regular prime-time TV slots may be gone but Gary Rhodes has been reinventing himself recently with a growing number of restaurants, plus a.... more
(22 December 2008 11:30)

Hotel closes up days before Christmas after owner abandons business
An historic Midlands hotel has closed up suddenly just days before Christmas. more
(22 December 2008 08:30)

Hilton plans 13 Garden Inns in Saudi and other international hotel news
Essential news from around the world, including: 75% drop in US hotel bedroom pipeline; Melbourne’s Westin Hotel sold for £73m; and Marriott hotel.... more
(22 December 2008 08:00)

New manager for former The Restaurant winners’ pub
Former Caterer Adopted Business Peach Pub Company has appointed a new general manager to oversee The Thatch, the property previously run by Jeremy.... more
(22 December 2008 07:30)

Friday Wrap: A round-up of the week's hospitality news
What a year. You can read about it in our review of the year 2008, it’s fair to say there’s been a lot happening with the apparent end for now of the.... more
(19 December 2008 13:42)

London hostel operator buys hotel in Forest Gate
The operator of several London hostels has bought the St Andrews hotel in East London off a £1.5m guide price. more
(19 December 2008 13:02)

Chef buys 15th-century dining pub near Canterbury
Experienced chef Steve Barrett is the new owner of the Abbots Fireside, a 15th-century pub-restaurant in the Kent village of Elham, near Canterbury. more
(19 December 2008 12:59)

Oxford operator buys local cocktail bar and restaurant
Oxford’s leading cocktail bar operator has bought his second site in the city with the purchase of the Sahara cocktail bar and restaurant. more
(19 December 2008 12:56)

Milton Keynes buyers for Devon dining pub
Experienced caterers Dennis Frere-Smith and Debbie Bilton from Milton Keynes have bought the leasehold on the Avon Inn, a food-led pub in Avonwick,.... more
(19 December 2008 12:54)

Regency-style B&B in Cheltenham changes hands
The three-star Lonsdale House hotel in the Cotswolds spa town of Cheltenham has been sold. more
(19 December 2008 12:51)

Adam and Sam Kaye join Prezzo board
Italian restaurant chain Prezzo has appointed the creators of Ask Central to its board. more
(19 December 2008 11:25)

KPMG predicts surge in smaller M&A activity
There will be a “surge” in merger and acquisition activity among small and medium sized hospitality businesses in the second half of 2009 after a.... more
(19 December 2008 11:12)

Caterer ABM picks up London college deal
Independent caterer ABM has signed a three-year deal worth almost £1m in total turnover to provide services at Heythrop College in London’s.... more
(19 December 2008 09:00)

BHA campaigns against quarterly advance rents
The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has thrown its weight behind a retail-led campaign calling on landlords to end the “ancient and.... more
(19 December 2008 08:30)

Sodexo quits £6m Milton Keynes school meals contract
Sodexo has withdrawn from its £6m Milton Keynes school contract, despite only taking it over in April this year, the contract caterer has admitted. more
(19 December 2008 08:00)

Government vows to protect UK’s working time opt-out
The Government has vowed to defeat European moves to prevent UK employees from voluntarily working more than 48 hours per week. more
(19 December 2008 07:30)

Babylon décor and food slated by critic
The Metro’s food critic says the new interior at the west London restaurant “looks like it's been done on a Changing Rooms budget to resemble a.... more
(18 December 2008 16:19)

What’s on the Menu? - A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews
A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews including: J. Sheeky Oyster Bar; Babylo; Canteen Baker Street; and Taste of McClements more
(18 December 2008 15:50)

FSA chair to step down after four years
The chair of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is to step down from her role next year after four years, it was announced today. more
(18 December 2008 14:36)

Video: Ashley Palmer-Watts wins Star of the Year 
Throughout the year, Caterer has been recognising outstanding individuals with our Star of the Month award. Kerstin Kuhn went to meet the 2008.... more
(18 December 2008 13:16)

Foreign visits to UK fall by 4%
The number of foreign tourists visiting the UK in the three months to October fell by 4% to 7.8m compared with the previous quarter, official figures.... more
(18 December 2008 12:11)

Hotelier puts expansion on hold after receiving huge, unexpected electricity bill
A South Devon hotel owner has been forced to put expansion plans on hold after receiving a series of massive bills from energy company EDF. more
(18 December 2008 11:12)

Manchester C-charge vote divides opinion
The decision by Manchester residents to vote against congestion charging in the city has split opinion among local hospitality operators. more
(18 December 2008 08:30)

Starwood’s W brand links with Ignite for overseas hotel bars
Starwood’s luxury hotel brand W is to launch its first overseas bar concept in collaboration with the firm behind London club Boujis. more
(18 December 2008 08:00)

Ed’s Easy Diner plans rapid UK expansion
Ed’s Easy Diner, the US-style burger chain, has revealed plans to expand rapidly over the next two to three years after sales rose by more than 11%.... more
(18 December 2008 07:30)

2008 - Hospitality news review of the year
To say 2008 was an eventful year for hospitality would be an understatement. Operators faced the meltdown of the economy, plummeting consumer.... more
(18 December 2008 07:00)

Piazza by Anthony, Leeds
Located in Leeds' historic Corn Exchange, Piazza by Anthony occupies the entire ground floor and comprises a brasserie, café, lounge bar, private.... more
(18 December 2008 00:00)

Some seasonal screw-ups: Master Innholders recall festive blunders
In the final opinion of 2008, members of general managers group of the Master Innholders recall some memorable Christmas experiences more
(18 December 2008 00:00)