Articles by Date : March 01 2009 - March 31 2009

Friday Wrap: A round-up of the week's hospitality news
If you'd had a flutter and backed Compass Group to win the race to become sole supplier to Jockey Club Racecourses, you’d be smiling as much as the.... more
(20 March 2009 14:32)

Norovirus may have closed Fat Duck, says Blumenthal
Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has said the cause of the health scare that forced his three-Michelin-starred restaurant the Fat Duck to close last.... more
(20 March 2009 12:24)

What’s on the Menu? - A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews
A round-up of the latest London restaurant reviews including: Dockmaster’s House; Scalini; Bombay Brasserie; and Royal Wok. more
(20 March 2009 11:39)

BaxterStorey wins number of contracts worth £3.5m
BaxterStorey has announced a series of contract wins in the North of England and Scotland, with an overall value of £3.5m. more
(20 March 2009 08:00)

Sodexo closes £33m Ireland schools deal
Sodexo has reached financial closure on a €35m (£33m) new schools Public Private Partnership (PPP) in Ireland. more
(20 March 2009 07:30)

Scotland in favour of minimum pricing for alcohol
BII Scotland, the professional body for the licensed sector, has thrown its weight behind minimum pricing to combat problem drinking north of the.... more
(20 March 2009 07:00)

45,000 jobs under threat if practice of making up wages with tips is banned
The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has warned that up to 45,000 jobs could be under threat if the Government makes it illegal for operators to.... more
(19 March 2009 16:42)

Michael Caines aims for 10 restaurants by 2012
Michael Caines hopes to have at least 10 signature restaurants in the UK by the time of the 2012 Olympics, the two Michelin starred chef revealed in.... more
(19 March 2009 16:22)

Jamie Oliver under fire from animal right activists
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has come under fire from animal rights activists, who have staged a protest outside his Fifteen restaurant in north.... more
(19 March 2009 16:04)

Compass Hotels take over RHC contracts
Compass Hotels Management Services has taken over the management contracts of four former The Real Hotel Company properties. more
(19 March 2009 15:35)

Restaurant for Lease
Turnover £250,000 per annum with good potential. Country surroundings, set in 11∕4 acres, ideal for weddings and functions (65 covers conservatory.... more
(19 March 2009 14:00)

Police warn hoteliers of potential 'guerilla-style raids' during G20 summit
Police have warned hotels in London that they may be targeted by anti-globalisation groups during the G20 summit attended by global finance leaders.... more
(19 March 2009 08:26)

Hotel groups won't offer loans to help property owners
The major hotel operators are "in denial" about the repercussions of the global financial crisis and must change their business models to adapt,.... more
(19 March 2009 08:00)

Attic cocktail bar to open on 48th floor of the Pan Peninsula
Greenwich’s Inc Group is launching a new cocktail bar next week, with the opening of the Attic at the Pan Peninsula building in London’s Docklands on.... more
(19 March 2009 07:30)

Midlands gastropub to be raffled off by owner
A gastropub in the Midlands is being raffled off by its owner in a prize draw after she failed to sell the property through an agent. more
(19 March 2009 07:00)

Peach Pub Company - a Best Places to Work in Hospitality award winner
In a year that proved desperate for many pubs, the Peach Pub Company managed to achieve growth and picked up a Best Places to Work in Hospitality.... more
(19 March 2009 00:00)

Michael Caines on Michelin and launching at the Bath Priory
He was tipped for three Michelin stars at Gidleigh Park this year, but the final accolade wasn't forthcoming. However, Michael Caines denies being.... more
(19 March 2009 00:00)

Maximise your employability
The hospitality recruitment market has been hit badly by the recession, and jobseekers have to work harder than ever to stand out from the crowd,.... more
(19 March 2009 00:00)

Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast
This five-star hotel in the heart of Belfast features 130 bedrooms including six studio suites and a two-bedroom penthouse. Its restaurant, Menu by.... more
(19 March 2009 00:00)

Grand Union Brixton, London
Grand Union has launched its fifth London site, in Brixton, in what was formerly the Hope and Anchor pub. The large beer garden includes four.... more
(19 March 2009 00:00)

Radisson Edwardian Bloomsbury Street, London
Formerly the Radisson Edwardian Marlborough, this hotel has relaunched as the four-star de luxe Bloomsbury Street hotel following a £25m.... more
(19 March 2009 00:00)

Dunham Novelli Urban Kitchen Bar, Northampton
Celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli has teamed up with entrepreneur Dean Dunham to launch this restaurant-cum-cocktail bar concept in Northampton..... more
(19 March 2009 00:00)

Menuwatch - Fish and Grill
After the success of Chiswick's Le Vacherin and Le Cassoulet in Croydon, Malcolm John has recently launched his third neighbourhood restaurant, Fish.... more
(19 March 2009 00:00)

Can the hotel brands do boutique?
Boutique hotels, it would seem, are the latest must-have accessory for global hotel brands, with Hilton, InterContinental, Marriott and Starwood all.... more
(19 March 2009 00:00)

Colin Prentice - A Minute on the Clock
Colin Prentice is the support services manager for Compass Group-owned Eurest Services at Stormont, Belfast, which is the home of the Northern.... more
(19 March 2009 00:00)

Hoteliers look to the long term for market recovery
Gemma Sharkey reports from a sombre International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin, where hoteliers were hard-pressed to find a silver lining more
(19 March 2009 00:00)

Sodexo appoints new UK and Ireland chief executive
Contract caterer Sodexo has appointed a new UK and Ireland chief executive. more
(18 March 2009 15:39)

Stoke-on-Trent developers seek hotel operators
Developers in Stoke-on-Trent are looking for operators for two hotels that will form part of a new business quarter. more
(18 March 2009 14:41)

Peyton and Byrne wins British Library deal
Concession caterer Peyton and Byrne has added the British Library to its growing collection of museum and art venues, in a deal estimated to be worth.... more
(18 March 2009 09:00)

Recession presents “great opportunity” for contract caterers to prove worth
The recession presents a “great opportunity” for contract caterers to showcase their worth, according to the chief executive of Elior UK. more
(18 March 2009 08:00)

Alcohol consumption drops by 3% in 2008
UK alcohol consumption fell by more than 3% in 2008, according to new analysis of data from HM Revenue & Customs by the British Beer & Pub.... more
(18 March 2009 00:30)

Travelodge snaps up 12 new hotels as recession bites
Budget hotel group Travelodge has snapped up 12 new hotels worth £77m, as landlords look to sell on sites as the recession hits home. more
(18 March 2009 00:01)

Weekly revpar drops by 3.9% in London hotels
Revenue per available room (revpar) dropped by 3.9% in London hotels and by 10.7% in the provinces in the week ending 28 February 2009, according to.... more
(17 March 2009 15:28)

Heston Blumenthal refutes staff sickness reports
Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has dismissed reports that the sickness outbreak at his three-Michelin-starred Fat Duck restaurant was the result of.... more
(17 March 2009 14:26)

Tintern property sold to local hotelier
A local hotelier has snapped up the Abbey hotel in Tintern, Monmouthshire, ahead of a planned auction of the property. more
(17 March 2009 12:37)

Acclaimed Great Yarmouth pub changes hands
The acclaimed Fishermans Return pub in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, has been sold for the first time in 34 years. more
(17 March 2009 12:34)

Local resident buys Highgate Hill pub
The striking Old Crown pub in Highgate Hill, North London, has changed hands after 24 years under the same leaseholder. more
(17 March 2009 12:29)

Pub leaders call for freeze in alcohol duty
The leaders of the pub and drinks industries made a direct plea for a freeze in alcohol duty in meetings with the chancellor and business secretary.... more
(17 March 2009 11:12)

Luxury Forbury hotel falls into administration
Five-star Reading hotel the Forbury has called in the administrators after becoming the latest victim of the recession. more
(17 March 2009 09:00)

Oxford Brookes students win Young Guns competition
Two hospitality students from Oxford Brookes University have been crowned as the winners of this year’s Young Guns competition. more
(17 March 2009 08:30)

Atul Kochhar looking for UAE restaurant venue 
Atul Kochhar, chef-proprietor of London’s Benares restaurant, may bring his burgeoning restaurant empire to the United Arab Emirates. more
(17 March 2009 08:00)

Green’s expansion kicks off with City restaurant
London restaurant and oyster bar Green’s is to launch a sister venue in the City this summer, with more sites planned across the UK in the coming.... more
(17 March 2009 07:30)

Compass Group wins huge £500m racecourse catering deal
Compass Group has won the race to become sole catering supplier to Jockey Club Racecourses, in a mammoth ten-year deal valued at £500m in turnover.... more
(17 March 2009 07:00)

Best For Business Launches
This month Caterer launches its Best for Business programme. We've added a new dimension to our Adopted Business series and, this year, as well as.... more
(17 March 2009 00:00)

Case Study: The Stephan Langton
Unsurprisingly, the recent snow had a negative effect on business at the Stephan Langton because of its remote, hilly location. "We were very quiet.... more
(17 March 2009 00:00)

ALMR wants ban on below-cost alcohol sales to fight binge drinking
A ban on selling alcohol at less than cost – and not minimum pricing – is the way to combat binge drinking, according to the Association of Licensed.... more
(16 March 2009 15:20)

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park appoints new general manager
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park has appointed British-born Anthony McHale as its new general manager. more
(16 March 2009 15:07)

Government rejects call for minimum alcohol price
The prime minister has rejected proposals from the chief medical officer to establish a minimum price for alcohol. more
(16 March 2009 14:49)

Gordon Ramsay sells a third overseas restaurant
Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) has sold its third overseas venture in less than a month, after it stepped back from the day-to-day running of its.... more
(16 March 2009 14:39)

Catering college to open at old Daily Mail HQ
A catering college is to open at Northcliffe House, the former headquarters of the Daily Mail newspaper in the City of London, in May. more
(16 March 2009 12:54)