Articles by Date : March 01 2009 - March 31 2009

Compass staff caught up in RBS job losses
Catering staff have been caught up in the turmoil surrounding the Royal Bank of Scotland, which announced a record UK corporate loss of £24.1b last.... more
(05 March 2009 10:50)

Hallmark Hotels goes for expansion
UK group Hallmark Hotels will forge ahead with plans to expand this year despite the recession, according to its managing director and founder Arnold.... more
(05 March 2009 08:30)

Obama urged to scrap US spending squeeze
UK industry leaders have urged President Barack Obama to scrap new laws that will require US companies that were assisted in the recent $700b (£496b).... more
(05 March 2009 08:00)

Clapham House Group in talks to sell Tootsies
Clapham House Group, the Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Real Greek operator, is understood to have entered exclusive talks with a potential buyer of its.... more
(05 March 2009 07:30)

Conference venue Plaisterers Hall out to tender
Tenders have been invited for Plaisterers Hall at One London Wall in the City of London. more
(05 March 2009 07:00)

Words of Wisdom
Six years after its creation People 1st, hospitality's Sector Skills Council, can finally point to signs of progress in its bid to align the.... more
(05 March 2009 00:00)

We can learn from the past
Peter Crome, managing director of the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle and Master Innholder, urges modern hoteliers to keep good archives more
(05 March 2009 00:00)

Anantara Si Kao Resort and Spa, Thailand
Anantara's fifth property in Thailand is on Changlang Beach, south of Krabi, with views of the Andaman Sea. Each room features Thai-inspired decor,.... more
(05 March 2009 00:00)

Menuwatch - Equilibrium
Set in the striking medieval-Georgian-Victorian hotel Fawsley Hall, Equilibrium does just what its name suggests: it balances the archaic with the.... more
(05 March 2009 00:00)

Altitude, Geneva Airport, Switzerland
SSP's new venue was created in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Gilles Dupont and is part of a redevelopment of the airport. The venue.... more
(05 March 2009 00:00)

The John Dory, New York
This is the second New York restaurant from April Bloomfield, who also runs the Michelin-starred Spotted Pig. Located in the Meatpacking District,.... more
(05 March 2009 00:00)

W, Atlanta-Buckhead
This W hotel blends country club chic with the W brand's signature contemporary design. It features the US debut of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's.... more
(05 March 2009 00:00)

Mike Sunley - A Minute on the Clock
Mike Sunley is managing director of Lexington Catering, which was named in the Sunday Times Best 100 Small Companies to Work For list last weekend. more
(05 March 2009 00:00)

Caterers face uncertain future with confidence
The British Hospitality Association's regular survey of the state of the contract catering market reveals a strong performance in 2008 that leaves.... more
(05 March 2009 00:00)

Brighton & Hove City Council: Provision of catering services
Brighton & Hove City Council invites expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced catering contractors to be included on a select.... more
(05 March 2009 00:00)

Hotel For Sale
Avonmore Road London W14, Freehold Four Storey Hotel of circa 324.23 sqm (3,490 sq ft)... more
(05 March 2009 00:00)

McCain extends Signature Dish Competition deadline
The deadline for entering the McCain Signature Dish Competition 2009 has been extended to 7 March. more
(04 March 2009 16:56)

Three jailed over restaurant arson
Three men put lives at risk and devastated nearby businesses when the fire they started to burn down their restaurant spread out of control. more
(04 March 2009 16:00)

Nestlé Toque d’Or 2009 regional heats announcements
Nestlé Toque d’Or is delighted to announce the first four successful college teams to gain a place in the 2009 Heats. They will compete during the.... more
(04 March 2009 15:00)

First European Hampton by Hilton opens in the UK
Hilton has opened the first of its US economy brand Hampton in Europe in the UK. more
(04 March 2009 14:27)

Frankie & Benny's owner sees sales slide
Frankie & Benny’s owner The Restaurant Group (TRG) has seen like-for-like sales for the first nine weeks of 2009 slide 2.5%. more
(04 March 2009 11:27)

Treasury could be £217m worse off due to alcohol duty hikes
The Treasury could be £217m worse off this year thanks to its recent alcohol duty hikes, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) warned.... more
(04 March 2009 10:50)

January takings drop at 60% of London restaurants
January was a tough month for London restaurateurs, with 60% of operators experiencing a drop in takings, footfall and customer spend, research has.... more
(04 March 2009 08:30)

Premier Inn to slow expansion after hitting 40,000 rooms
Premier Inn will reach 40,000 rooms with the opening of its new Chester hotel next week, but plans to slow expansion in line with falling demand due.... more
(04 March 2009 08:00)

London’s Islington to provide free school meals
Islington Council in north London is to provide free primary school meals to children under eleven from September, making it the only local authority.... more
(04 March 2009 07:30)

2,000 pubs have closed since 2008 beer tax hike
A record 2,000 pubs have now closed since the Chancellor increased beer tax in the 2008 Budget, resulting in 20,000 job losses over the last year,.... more
(04 March 2009 07:00)

Historic Brecon hotel sold off £1m asking price
The historic Brecon Castle hotel in South Wales has been sold out of administration off an asking price of £1m. more
(03 March 2009 17:06)

North London sports pub converted into Belgian-themed bar
The Cricketers, a tired sports bar in Stoke Newington, North London, has been converted into a Belgian-themed bar by its new owner. more
(03 March 2009 17:04)

Local leisure operator buys Great Yarmouth pub
The Lacon Arms in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, has been sold to local leisure facilities operator Bevans of Hemsbuy, which runs amusement arcades, cafés.... more
(03 March 2009 17:00)

New leaseholders for Kingsbridge pub
Matthew and Laura Croxford are the new leaseholders on the Seven Stars, a large town-centre pub in the heart of the affluent Devon town of.... more
(03 March 2009 16:58)

Heston Blumenthal hopes to reopen Fat Duck this week
Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal is hoping to reopen his three-Michelin-starred restaurant the Fat Duck this week. more
(03 March 2009 14:47)

Manchester’s Yang Sing Oriental hotel forced into liquidation
The 48-bedroom Yang Sing Oriental hotel, which adjoins the eight-floor Yang Sing Cantonese restaurant in the city and opened just eight months ago,.... more
(03 March 2009 14:00)

Revpar falls by 4.2% in London hotels
Revenue per available room fell by 4.2% in London hotels and by 5.3% in the provinces in the week ending 14 February 2009, according to figures from.... more
(03 March 2009 12:36)

BaxterStorey to offer clients Fairtrade coffee as standard
BaxterStorey is to adopt Fairtrade coffee as standard across its operation, and use the profits from the sale of the beverage to fund a newly.... more
(03 March 2009 12:15)

Contract caterers serve record number of meals in 2008
UK contract caterers served a record number of meals last year, with sector turnover breaking the £4b barrier for the first time, research revealed.... more
(03 March 2009 12:01)

Stapleford Park hotel loses another general manager
Rupert Elliott has left his role as general manager of Stapleford Park in Melton Mowbray to head up the team at Bibury Court Hotel in the Cotswolds,.... more
(03 March 2009 11:16)

Charlton House retains major education contract
Charlton House has been retained as the caterer at London’s Regent College, in a five-year deal worth more than £20m over the duration. more
(03 March 2009 09:00)

Punch Taverns freezes wages for all but hourly-paid staff
Punch Taverns, the UK’s largest pub operator, has implemented a pay freeze for all employees apart from hourly-paid frontline staff. more
(03 March 2009 08:30)

US steakhouse chain Palm to launch in the UK
The Palm, one of America’s oldest steakhouse grill chains, is set to expand in to London. more
(03 March 2009 08:00)

Chef Heathcote to sell flagship restaurant after 20 years
Paul Heathcote has put his flagship outlet, the Longridge restaurant in Preston, Lancashire, up for sale after nearly 20 years. more
(03 March 2009 07:30)

Fifteen semi-finalists chosen for annual sommelier competition
The Academy of Food & Wine has announced the 15 national semi-finalists of the 2009 UK Sommelier of the Year competition. more
(03 March 2009 07:00)

Scottish Government proposes legal minimum price for alcohol
The Scottish Government today proposed legally enforceable minimum pricing to stop strong drink from being sold “for pocket money prices” as it.... more
(02 March 2009 15:52)

Heston Blumenthal gets green light to reopen Fat Duck
Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has admitted the decision to shut the Fat Duck will result in a “massive financial hit”, but insisted it was the.... more
(02 March 2009 15:06)

Gordon Ramsay’s French venue wins two Michelin stars
Gordon Ramsay’s eponymous restaurant au Trianon in Versailles has debuted with two stars in the 2009 Michelin guide for France, published today. more
(02 March 2009 12:45)

Boisdale is Scotland’s revenge on the English, says critic
Matthew Norman has suggested that Boisdale of Belgravia might be a patriotic Scot’s “act of vengeance against the English for the centuries of abuse.... more
(02 March 2009 12:31)

What’s on the Menu? - A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews
A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews including: Boisdale of Belgravia; The Old Bakery, Lincoln; Lucknam Park, Colerne; Market, London NW1. more
(02 March 2009 11:57)

Lexington debuts in Best Small Companies to Work For List
Contract caterer Lexington has been named as one of The Sunday Times’s Best 100 Small Companies to Work For 2009 - the only hospitality operator to.... more
(02 March 2009 11:39)

Recession hits fourth-quarter sales at Premier Inn
Premier Inn sales slipped in the final quarter of last year as the downturn in the economy hit the budget hotel chain, Whitbread revealed today. more
(02 March 2009 10:51)

Mystery illness closes Heston Blumenthal’s Michelin-starred Fat Duck - For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say
A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry. News includes: inspectors consider foul play at the Fat Duck; Ramsay's football.... more
(02 March 2009 09:49)

Graysons predicts Duchy Catering buy will pay off by year-end
Contract caterer Graysons has said the purchase of Duchy Catering will see it move into profit for the first time by the year-end. more
(02 March 2009 08:30)