Articles by Date : January 01 2008 - January 31 2008

Edinburgh Hotel du Vin gets licensing green light
Hotel Du Vin has been granted special dispensation by Edinburgh Licensing Board and awarded an alcohol licence at its forthcoming £10m property in.... more
(15 January 2008 15:10)

Scottish pub body continues license fee rise fight
The Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) has called on all Scottish Licensing Boards to set only “fully justifiable” licensing fees under the.... more
(15 January 2008 15:00)

Regent Inns in sale talks
Troubled pub and restaurant operator Regent Inns has revealed it is in “very early stage discussions” over a potential sale of the company after.... more
(15 January 2008 14:00)

GuestInvest acquires two more central London properties
GuestInvest, the buy-to-let hotel company, has acquired two more central London properties in a deal worth £120m. more
(15 January 2008 11:00)

Zagat restaurant guide business could be up for sale
Zagat Survey, publisher of the long established Zagat restaurant guides, has said it is exploring strategic opportunities for the business including.... more
(14 January 2008 17:35)

VisitBritain to promote cultural experiences in England
VisitBritain today launched a £250,000 campaign promoting cultural experiences in England. The Culture08 scheme showcases cultural attractions,.... more
(14 January 2008 16:33)

Papa John's opens 100th site
Pizza delivery franchise operator Papa John's opened its 100th store in the UK and Ireland today in Hammersmith, London. more
(14 January 2008 16:12)

What’s on the menu? - A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews
What’s on the menu? - A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews more
(14 January 2008 13:13)

Gordon Ramsay Kitchen Nightmares restaurant badly damaged
A Hampshire restaurant that featured on the Gordon Ramsay Kitchen Nightmares programme just before Christmas has been badly damaged in a fire. more
(14 January 2008 12:46)

Soho Clubs and Bars seeks buyer
West End operator Soho Clubs and Bars is looking for a buyer to inject capital into its business and support its expansion plans. more
(14 January 2008 12:32)

BHA boss sparks row over “unemployable” Brits - For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say
A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry. News includes: BHA boss sparks row over “unemployable” Brits, Little Chef sale.... more
(14 January 2008 12:04)

BHA slammed for suggesting UK workers are unemployable
The chief executive of the British Hospitality Association has been slammed for suggesting that UK workers are “unemployable”. more
(14 January 2008 11:16)

Sports Cafe placed into administration
Sports based bar chain Sports Cafe has appointed administrators, after its bankers refused to extend its credit after poor Christmas trading. more
(14 January 2008 10:21)

Better flavour nature's way
Hospitality operators should be prepared to pay that little bit extra for biodynamic produce to improve both sustainability and the quality of their.... more
(14 January 2008 10:00)

Sports Cafe suspends shares
Struggling bar group Sports Cafe has temporarily suspended trading of its shares on AIM ahead of an announcement. more
(11 January 2008 17:26)

Friday Wrap: A round-up of the week's hospitality news
You spin me right round baby, right round; like a record, baby, right round, round, round. more
(11 January 2008 17:00)

Raymond Blanc business pulls out of Liverpool One
Raymond Blanc has turned his back on opening a restaurant in European Capital of Culture Liverpool, claiming that Brassarie Blanc is "too posh" for.... more
(11 January 2008 11:45)

Liverpool to get £100m boost from Capital of Culture status
The European Capital of Culture status for Liverpool will boost the North West economy by a total of £100m, tourism experts have predicted. more
(11 January 2008 11:30)

Hereford leisure complex sells off £3.95m asking price
The Left Bank – a complex of bars, restaurants and conference/wedding facilities that forms part of the Left Bank Village riverside development in.... more
(11 January 2008 11:19)

Divine Hotels buys Victorian property near Abingdon
Divine Hotels has bought its third property in the form of the Steventon House country hotel on the edge of the Oxfordshire village of Abingdon. more
(11 January 2008 11:14)

Devon gastropub owners buy Britain’s most decorated pub
The Nobody Inn – a multi-award-winning rural freehouse in the East Devon village of Doddiscombsleigh – has been sold to the owners of a Portgate.... more
(11 January 2008 10:51)

Property renovator buys North Devon pub
Ian Robertson plans to use his property renovation firm to restore and improve his new purchase, the Clinton Arms in Frithelstock, Torrington, North.... more
(11 January 2008 10:47)

Mentor Inns buys only pub in Ellisfield
Mentor Inns – which claims to offer the UK’s largest choice of free-of-tie leaseholds – has bought the food-led Fox Inn, the only pub in the.... more
(11 January 2008 10:44)

Soul Kitchen to replace Sri Lankan restaurant in Bristol
The former Pearl of Sri Lanka restaurant in Bristol’s Clifton Village is to be converted into an eaterie specialising in American Deep South cuisine.... more
(11 January 2008 10:40)

Rezidor Hotel Group to open more Park Inns
Rezidor Hotel Group is to open properties under its mid-market Park Inn brand in London, Slovakia and Senegal, adding 584 rooms. more
(11 January 2008 07:00)

Alan Yau sells both Michelin-starred restaurants, reports claim
Alan Yau has reportedly sold both his Michelin-stared Chinese restaurants for $60m (£30.5m) to funds owned by Abu Dhabi. more
(10 January 2008 17:08)

Sodexho wins major MoD contract
Sodexho has won its second major Ministry of Defence (MoD) contract in as many months in a deal worth £84m in total turnover. more
(10 January 2008 16:53)

South Thames College: Provision of catering services
South Thames College is seeking a suitably talented, vibrant and innovative caterer to enhance the new and current catering facilities at its.... more
(10 January 2008 16:13)

Kentucky Style Chips - By Mark Hix
This is one of those great seasonings that you can use on pieces of chicken, fish or in this case chips. Kids love it especially with a bowl of.... more
(10 January 2008 16:11)

Rosemary and parmesan baked chunky chips - by Mark Hix
These are rather like oven baked chunky chips with an Italian accent. I’ve cut them in chunky chips here but what shape you cut them into is up to.... more
(10 January 2008 16:05)

Traditional chips - by Mark Hix
Beef dripping or lard (pork) is the ultimate chip cooking fat because it gives a crisper, tastier result. It tends to burn quicker than vegetable oil.... more
(10 January 2008 16:01)

Compass completes chef team
Compass UK & Ireland has completed the restructuring of its executive chef team as it continues efforts to put food back at the forefront of its.... more
(10 January 2008 14:37)

Malmaison and Hotel du Vin remain positive for 2008
The owner of boutique hotel chains Malmaison and Hotel du Vin today said the outlook for 2008 is “extremely positive” despite uncertainty over.... more
(10 January 2008 13:35)

Coffee chain Starbucks comes to Center Parcs
Starbucks has signed a licensing agreement with Center Parcs which will see 10 coffee outlets open across the four UK holiday villages. more
(10 January 2008 13:07)

Tragus boss confident consumers will still spend
The boss of one of the UK’s largest restaurant groups today insisted that casual dining operations will weather a slowdown in consumer spending. more
(10 January 2008 12:32)

Licensing appeal victory 'will not open floodgates'
Pub and bar operators should be prepared to make changes to the way they do business to secure extended opening hours, despite Westminster City.... more
(10 January 2008 11:47)

The Bench: London weekly hotel performance to 6 January, 2008
London hotels saw revenue per available room (revpar) soar by 104.7% in the week ending 6 January, according to figures from hotel benchmarking.... more
(10 January 2008 11:24)

The Bench: London airport hotel performance in August 2007
Hotels at London airports saw revenue per available room (revpar) grow by 0.2% during the month of August. more
(10 January 2008 11:19)

Experts predict a tough year ahead for recruitment
Recruitment in the hospitality sector will take a hit this year, although demand for high quality staff will remain consistent, experts have.... more
(10 January 2008 10:00)

Pub To Let
Traditional Pub with living accommodation arranged over basement, ground, first and second floor totalling 321.45 m² (3,460 ft²) located in the.... more
(10 January 2008 10:00)

Paul Ripley opts to keep control of Michelin-starred restaurant
Ripley's, the Michelin-starred restaurant in Cornwall, is to remain under the ownership of its chef-proprietor Paul Ripley, Caterer has learnt. more
(10 January 2008 09:00)

Pubs face bleak period after beer sales slump
Pub operators have been warned to expect a "dire" January after poor December trading left the sector feeling depressed on the back of three months.... more
(10 January 2008 07:00)

How the Beijing Olympics could benefit employers
Giving your staff leave to work at the Beijing Olympics could be a case of short-term pain for long-term gain. Piers Ford explains why more
(10 January 2008 00:00)

Grado, Manchester
Paul Heathcote's latest venture is a Spanish restaurant in Manchester's Piccadilly. It features an open-plan kitchen and serves an all-day menu of.... more
(10 January 2008 00:00)

Joint-venture partnerships at Peach Pub Company
Hamish Stoddart and Lee Cash's Peach Pub Company is expanding its portfolio by giving a leg-up to fellow entrepreneurs through joint-venture.... more
(10 January 2008 00:00)

The George, Yarmouth - Menuwatch
Since losing their Michelin-starred executive chef a year ago, the owners of the George hotel in Yarmouth have taken the chance to refurbish and.... more
(10 January 2008 00:00)

Liven up your wine list
It's a good time to take a fresh look at your wine offer. Think carafes, food and wine matching, fewer "names", small producers, lighter wines,.... more
(10 January 2008 00:00)

Apéritifs list - That something extra
Alongside the wine list, more and more restaurants are offering a good selection of pre- and post-prandial drinks to aid the diner's digestion and.... more
(10 January 2008 00:00)

Fox and Hounds, Peterborough
This pub in Longthorpe, Cambridgeshire, has reopened under new ownership following an extensive refurbishment. It is divided into a bar and dining.... more
(10 January 2008 00:00)

Alberico Aspinalls, London
This new restaurant at Aspinalls, Mayfair's exclusive gaming club, is headed up by former Harry's Bar head chef Alberico Penati, who has created a.... more
(10 January 2008 00:00)