Articles by Date : April 01 2008 - April 30 2008

Travelodge completes £20m-plus hotel development deal
Budget hotel chain Travelodge has paid more than £20m for nine new hotel development sites as part of its bid to add 4,000 new rooms by the end of.... more
(09 April 2008 16:25)

44,000 pints of alcohol seized from underage drinkers
Over 44,000 pints of alcoholic drinks were seized from underage drinkers during February half-term during a crackdown by the Home Office. more
(09 April 2008 15:49)

Red Carnation hotel executive escapes extradition to care for sick wife
Red Carnation hotel executive Stanley Tollman, wanted in the US in connection with a $100m bank fraud, was discharged by a judge yesterday preventing.... more
(09 April 2008 15:10)

Prezzo restaurant expansion pays off
Prezzo’s expansion into the provinces from its London and south-east heartland has paid off with sales up 29% in 2007. more
(09 April 2008 14:03)

No 1 video - Gordon Ramsay almost gets slapped
Now, try and remember back when Gordon was mortal. Yes, mortal; it was the case once. Don’t believe us? Then have a look at this gem from the.... more
(09 April 2008 12:56)

The East side - US Food Trends
Strong or subtle, Asian accents tempt beef-loving diners to look beyond straightforward steaks and burgers. more
(09 April 2008 12:54)

No 2 video - New Boy In the Kitchen
If you’d pulled this off in real life you’d want it on your CV. Amazing. more
(09 April 2008 12:53)

No 3 video - Give It To Me Hot (Lamb Curry) sung by Jamie Oliver
Oh yes. This really happened. Don’t believe it? Go to www.jamies-music.com. On a side note, why’s he wearing a Girl Scout uniform? more
(09 April 2008 12:50)

Biscuits rise to the occasion - US Food Trends
Biscuits on the table signal warm hospitality and are a quick way to butter up customers. more
(09 April 2008 12:37)

No 4 video - Beatbox chef
The beatbox chef. Little known fact; he’s not a chef in real life. more
(09 April 2008 12:37)

No 5 video - Gordon Ramsay insults chef
Back when Gordon was harsh but fair. Almost. more
(09 April 2008 12:35)

No 6 video - Cassetteboy vs. Jamie Oliver
One of first rules of journalism; only change the quotes to improve grammar. Kind of like Cassette Boy has done here with Jamie Oliver. more
(09 April 2008 12:32)

No 7 video - Death Star Canteen
“Darth, I’m just popping to the shops for a Pepsi.” “You can’t, you’re on a Death Star, go to the canteen like everyone else.” more
(09 April 2008 12:25)

No 8 video - Muppet Show: Swedish Chef makes donuts
A true pioneer. Shame he’s now consigned to a sock-drawer somewhere. more
(09 April 2008 12:23)

No 9 video - Food Safety Music
Dear Mr Winter, I can’t help but notice that you have used one of my ex husband’s songs in an informative info-film urging improved kitchen hygiene. more
(09 April 2008 12:17)

No 10 video - Hightlights from Gordon Ramsay in Hell's Kitchen
Gordon as the angry chef everyone knows and, well, maybe loves? more
(09 April 2008 12:11)

Mitchells & Butlers takes market share from rivals as food sales climb
Harvester and All Bar One owner Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) is taking market share from struggling rivals thanks to its offer of a "value and volume".... more
(09 April 2008 12:00)

Four Stars: Real Pho – US Food Trends
As Southeast Asian flavors gain favor on American menus, chefs serve renditions of Vietnam’s classic beef-and-noodle soup throughout the day. more
(09 April 2008 11:56)

Starbucks to open its first British drive-thru
Starbucks has said that it will open its first British drive-through coffee house some time in May. more
(09 April 2008 10:36)

Costa commits to sustainable coffee future
High-street chain Costa has committed to sourcing all its coffee from Rainforest Alliance certified farms by 2010. more
(09 April 2008 08:00)

Village to more than double portfolio of hotels in next five years
Village Hotels plans to more than double its portfolio to 50 sites within the next five years. more
(09 April 2008 07:00)

The Ritz revitalises restaurant critic
Are You Ready To Order? writer Jan Moir finds dining at the Ritz in London a revitalised experience that is quite excellent. more
(08 April 2008 18:00)

What’s on the menu? - A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews
A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews including: Café Boheme; L’Autre Pied; Launceston Place; Abracadabra and the Ritz more
(08 April 2008 17:52)

Radisson Edwardian hits back at TV documentary exposing poor hygiene
Radisson Edwardian has labelled last night’s Tonight TV exposé of the luxury group as “sensationalist”. more
(08 April 2008 17:37)

Catering students to prepare lunch at Caterer Chef Conference
Eight students from two of the South-East’s leading catering colleges will be among the chefs cooking lunch for delegates at the 2008 Caterer and.... more
(08 April 2008 14:59)

Whitbread pays almost £20m for three Premier Inn London sites
Whitbread has paid nearly £20m for three London hotels as part of its Premier Inn expansion. more
(08 April 2008 13:00)

Domino’s Pizza appoints HR firm to ensure employment best practice
Domino’s Pizza has selected HR consultancy MJL Group to manage employment and health and safety procedures for its franchisees in the wake of.... more
(08 April 2008 12:20)

Canelés, by Ollie Couillard
In a saucepan, bring the milk and butter to 84°C, then mix with the rest of the ingredients. Leave for 24 hours in a fridge. .. more
(08 April 2008 12:06)

Basque fish stew, by Ollie Couillard
To make the soup, fry off vegetables and herbs in olive oil, add tomato paste and cook out for five minutes. more
(08 April 2008 12:03)

Squid and chorizo salad, by Ollie Couillard
Cook the chorizo under a grill with a little olive oil and set aside. Heat a little oil to smoking point in a large frying pan... more
(08 April 2008 12:00)

Northern Hospitality award winners unveiled
The North-West region took the lion’s share of the 2008 Northern Hospitality Awards at Manchester’s five-star Lowry hotel last night. more
(08 April 2008 10:57)

Tourists urged to book only accredited London hotels
An advertising campaign urging visitors to London to book only officially accredited hotels has been launched today. more
(08 April 2008 07:30)

Radisson Edwardian in TV exposé
Radisson Edwardian will feature in a TV programme tonight that alleges shocking hygiene practices. more
(07 April 2008 18:34)

Ex InterContinental man to head up Millennium & Copthorne
Millennium & Copthorne has appointed Richard Hartman as its new chief executive, after his predecessor caused a stir in the City by quitting less.... more
(07 April 2008 16:16)

River Café fire forces restaurant to close temporarily
Acclaimed London restaurant the River Café has been closed after it was damaged in a fire at the weekend. more
(07 April 2008 15:55)

Smith Travel Research launches new global hotel benchmarking service
Smith Travel Research (STR) has launched a new global hotel benchmarking service in association with Deloitte’s HotelBenchmark. more
(07 April 2008 14:04)

Government must address dominance of Britain’s largest pub companies
The Government has been urged to address the dominance of Britain’s largest pub companies and refer the issue of rent and beer ties to the.... more
(07 April 2008 12:55)

How to improve your wine sales
How do you push wine sales without being pushy? Fiona Sims gets the lowdown from some high-flyers more
(07 April 2008 12:28)

Cuban citizens’ hotel ban lifted and other international hotel news
Essential news from around the world, including: Robert de Niro opens first hotel; New York’s Bellevue to be turned into luxury hotel; IHG to launch.... more
(07 April 2008 12:00)

Government looking at taking direct action on restaurant tips
The Government has given its clearest signal yet that it may get involved in the contentious but legal practice of using waiting staff’s tips to top.... more
(07 April 2008 11:32)

Scottish & Newcastle picks up pubs from Tadcaster
Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises (S&NPE) has bought 30 tenanted and leased pubs from Tadcaster Pub Company for an undisclosed sum. more
(07 April 2008 10:49)

Eat gears up for £150m sale - For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say
A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry. News includes: Melton Mowbray pork pies win protected status; Marston’s buys.... more
(07 April 2008 10:33)

Pub company Shepherd Neame unconvinced of merits of minimum pricing
Kent brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has given a lukewarm response to calls to introduce minimum pricing on alcohol. more
(07 April 2008 07:00)

JD Wetherspoon re-thinks eco-friendly technology
JD Wetherspoon is to rethink its use of eco-friendly technology after its first green pub, the Kettleby Cross, missed its energy saving targets by a.... more
(04 April 2008 16:27)

3663 teams up with Bibendum to launch new wine company
Supplier 3663 First for Foodservice has teamed up with wine merchant Bibendum to create a new joint-venture company, Vivas, to sell into the on-trade. more
(04 April 2008 15:39)

Whitbread outsources food supply operation
Premier Inn owner Whitbread has outsourced food delivery to logistics company Kuehne & Nagel. more
(04 April 2008 10:48)

Travelodge launches budget hotel degree with London college
Travelodge has teamed up with Westminster Kingsway College to offer a foundation degree in budget hotel management. more
(04 April 2008 10:39)

Hotelier of the Year 2008: The search is on
The search is on to find Caterer and Hotelkeeper's 2008 Hotelier of the Year, the award sponsored by Louis Jadot. Mark Lewis spoke to current holder.... more
(04 April 2008 07:07)

Andrew Fairlie speaks at Slow Food Edinburgh
As part of its commitment to Scottish produce, Slow Food Edinburgh last month invited Andrew Fairlie and his brother - and lamb supplier - Jim to.... more
(04 April 2008 07:03)

Host catering sees bright future in care homes
Contract caterer Host sees a bright future in care homes. Rosalind Mullen spoke to founder Jerry Brand more
(04 April 2008 07:02)