Articles by Date : June 01 2009 - June 30 2009

Marston’s to raise £176m to accelerate pub development
Marston’s today announced plans to raise £176m through a share issue to create a warchest to speed up development of new pub sites and make.... more
(18 June 2009 13:50)

Soren Jessen calls for suspension of stamp duty on business leases
The owner of City restaurant One Lombard Street has urged the Government to suspend stamp duty on business leases for the duration of the recession..... more
(18 June 2009 12:42)

Top pastry chef Claire Clark returns to the UK
Claire Clark, head pastry chef at the French Laundry in California, has left the three-Michelin-starred restaurant to return to the UK, Caterersearch.... more
(18 June 2009 12:10)

Eden Foodservice extends Kent school meals deal
Eden Foodservice has secured a two-year, £10m total turnover extension to its Kent school meals contract. The schools caterer, part of Rentokil.... more
(18 June 2009 07:30)

Rogue hoteliers are paying staff below the minimum wage
Some hotel operators are regularly paying staff less than the national minimum wage, running the risk of heavy fines, Caterer has learnt. Sources.... more
(18 June 2009 07:00)

Gordon Ramsay plans two Italian openings in July
Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) is to launch two new international ventures, with the opening of two restaurants in Italy next month. GRH is set to.... more
(17 June 2009 18:07)

Schöller scoops top spot at BFFF awards
Schöller’s Mövenpick Cognac VSOP Ice Cream was named Catering Product of the Year at the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) awards gala dinner.... more
(17 June 2009 17:25)

Conran tells more about new Lutyens restaurant
Sir Terence Conran has confirmed details of his latest restaurant venture, Lutyens, which will open in the City of London later this month. First.... more
(17 June 2009 16:51)

FCSI appoints Doughty as new chairman
The Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) has appointed Jonathan Doughty as its new UK and Ireland chairman. Doughty, managing.... more
(17 June 2009 15:40)

Video: Alain Roux talks to Caterer about his new kitchen at The Waterside Inn 
The Waterside Inn reopened in April following the installation of a new £1.5m kitchen at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Bray, Berkshire. It.... more
(17 June 2009 13:10)

Best for Business participant the Taverners features in Guardian pub guide
Caterer Best for Business participant the Taverners pub in Godshill on the Isle of Wight has been recommended in the Guardian’s Guide to Summer Pubs..... more
(17 June 2009 08:30)

Private equity firm sets up new catering division after first restaurant deal
Private equity group Seahold has diversified into catering with the acquisition of a restaurant and a delicatessen in its native Aberdeen. The group.... more
(17 June 2009 08:00)

Former Caterer Adopted Business buys freehold from Punch Taverns
Former Caterer Adopted business the Preston Park Tavern in Fiveways, Brighton, has bought the freehold of the pub from landlord Punch Taverns. Andrew.... more
(17 June 2009 07:30)

Revpar falls by nearly 11% in the provinces
Hotel revenue per available room (revpar) dropped by 5.8% in London and by 10.5% in the provinces in the week ending 30 May 2009, according to.... more
(17 June 2009 07:00)

Travelodge builds up £100m war chest for expansion
Budget hotel group Travelodge is aiming to secure a £100m war chest to take over going-concern hotels from existing operators, banks and.... more
(17 June 2009 00:01)

Orchid buys 10 Bar Room Bars from administrators
Orchid Group, the UK’s fifth largest pub operator, has rescued 10 Bar Room Bar sites from administration, securing 200 jobs. The deal, which will.... more
(16 June 2009 17:04)

Best Western remains world’s biggest hotel brand
Best Western remains the world’s largest hotel brand with more than 300,000 rooms according to a new report from MKG Hospitality. InterContinental.... more
(16 June 2009 15:36)

Video: The Connaught bar's Riccardo Semeria wins the Galvin Cup 2009 
Riccardo Semeria, a mixologist from the Connaught bar in London was yesterday named as the winner of the Galvin Cup cocktail competition. The.... more
(16 June 2009 15:25)

Wine Theatre concept is ‘idiotic’, says critic
The conception and execution of The Wine Theatre in London is “idiotic and cack-handed”, according to Matthew Norman. The Guardian’s food critic.... more
(16 June 2009 14:32)

What’s on the Menu? - A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews
A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews including: The Wine Theatre, London SE1; Il Baretto, London W1; Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, London.... more
(16 June 2009 14:20)

Mitie wins £2.5m deal at London’s Irish Club
Facilities management company Mitie has signed a five-year deal worth £2.5m in total turnover to provide catering and front-of-house services at.... more
(16 June 2009 14:07)

Roof Gardens restaurant manager wins Academy of Food & Wine title
Peter Avis of Babylon at Roof Gardens in London has been named the Academy of Food & Wine’s inaugural UK Restaurant Manager of the Year. Avis, who.... more
(16 June 2009 12:54)

Legacy rescues two Niche hotels from administration
Legacy Hotels and Resorts has rescued two Niche hotels from administration bringing the number of properties under its management to 11. The company.... more
(16 June 2009 12:33)

London hospitality firms count the cost of the Tube strike
Hospitality operators in London have been counting the cost of last week’s strike by Tube workers which paralysed the capital’s public transport.... more
(16 June 2009 11:55)

Restaurant facing large payout after customer’s fall
An Indian restaurant in Stockport will have to pay compensation to a customer who tripped and broke an ankle as she left the premises. Gatley.... more
(16 June 2009 11:37)

Premier Inn growth stalls in tough market
Whitbread’s budget hotel chain Premier Inn has seen its like-for-like sales fall 7.9% in the first quarter of the year. The chain, whose advertising.... more
(16 June 2009 10:38)

Regent Inns sells seven Walkabouts to Cavendish Bars
Embattled pub operator Regent Inns, which yesterday delisted from the London Stock Exchange, has sold seven Walkabout venues to Cavendish Bars.... more
(16 June 2009 07:30)

Former Michelin-star winner John McClements plans central London restaurant
Former Michelin-starred chef-restaurateur John McClements plans to launch his first restaurant in central London, Caterersearch has learnt..... more
(16 June 2009 07:00)

Compass Group wins £11m Roehampton University deal
Compass Group’s education caterer Chartwells has won a £11m total turnover contract to provide services at Roehampton University in London..... more
(15 June 2009 17:37)

Egyptian construction magnate in line for Stafford hotel?
The general manager of Mayfair’s luxury hotel the Stafford, has confirmed it is currently in talks with a buyer to sell the property for an.... more
(15 June 2009 17:26)

FSA admits restaurant menu labelling could become compulsory
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has admitted for the first time that menu labelling for restaurants could be made compulsory if its voluntary scheme.... more
(15 June 2009 15:56)

Yohann Jousselin named as UK’s Young Sommelier of the Year
Yohann Jousselin, head sommelier at the Hotel du Vin in Winchester, has been named the UK’s Young Sommelier of the Year. Jousselin, who was runner-up.... more
(15 June 2009 12:45)

Hospitality figures in 2009 Queens’ Birthday Honours List
The hospitality industry was well represented in the 2009 Queens’ Birthday Honours List, including two Knighthoods. Veteran contract caterer Garry.... more
(15 June 2009 12:34)

Punch Taverns to raise £350m through share issue
Punch Taverns, the UK’s largest pub owner, hopes to raise £350m with a share issue as its struggles to service its £5b debt. The company wants to.... more
(15 June 2009 12:19)

Starwood Capital in talks to take over Golden Tulip
Starwood Capital is currently in negotiations to take over Golden Tulip Hospitality for an undisclosed sum, in a deal that would make it the 11th.... more
(15 June 2009 12:13)

Miles Nixon becomes executive chef at Aubergine
The London Fine Dining Group has appointed Miles Nixon as executive chef of the Michelin-starred Aubergine in Chelsea and its sister restaurant in.... more
(15 June 2009 11:06)

Egyptian tycoon to buy London’s Stafford hotel for £75m - For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say
A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry. News includes: Lloyds makes £450m loss on Admiral Tavern; Reuben brothers make.... more
(15 June 2009 10:27)

Nestlé - protecting the planet
Nestlé Professional has a long-standing sustainable commitment - 30 years working with its coffee farmers, cutting energy consumption in its UK.... more
(12 June 2009 17:28)

Frozen food - in from the cold
Despite its bad press, frozen food offers a multitude of advantages for caterers, and the British Frozen Food Federation's Profiting from Frozen Food.... more
(12 June 2009 17:11)

Come on in, the future is ethical
Food journalist Richard Johnson, a judge of the food category at this year's RSPCA Good Business Awards, says ethical food has never been so.... more
(12 June 2009 16:59)

How to: manage survivor guilt after redundancies
Redundancy, threatened or real, is everywhere today. And its impact in the workplace extends far beyond those unfortunate people who actually lose.... more
(12 June 2009 16:52)

Regent Inns to delist from stock market on Monday
Embattled bar operator Regent Inns will delist from the London Stock Exchange on Monday 15 June. The Walkabout owner, which reported an annual loss.... more
(12 June 2009 16:47)

UK wine market shrinks in 2008
The UK wine market shrank last year after more than a decade’s growth and is not expected to recover in volume terms until 2011, according to a new.... more
(12 June 2009 16:37)

The Spaghetti Tree - Book review
The discovery of sex - dated in Philip Larkin's Annus Mirabilis to be 1963 - was not the only thing that made the 1960s swing. Another was the.... more
(12 June 2009 16:14)

Honey-roast wild salmon, warm new potato salad with coriander and chilli, by Taher Jibet
Honey-roast will salmon, warm new potato salad with coriander and chilli, by Taher Jibet, head chef, Bistro One Ninety, the Gore hotel, London. more
(12 June 2009 16:09)

Dave Meneer - A minute on the clock
Dave Meneer is the chief executive of Fifteen Cornwall, the Jamie Oliver-backed charitable restaurant, which this week celebrated its third group of.... more
(12 June 2009 15:46)

Friday Wrap: A round-up of the week's hospitality news
The deadline for the RSPCA good business awards, which recognise ethical business approaches to animal welfare, is looming. The 2009 Hotel Cateys.... more
(12 June 2009 15:35)

North star - Missoni and Rezidor open new Edinburgh hotel
Italian designer Missoni has teamed up with hotel group Rezidor to create a snazzy set of properties across the globe - and it's first stop.... more
(12 June 2009 15:26)

Edzard Grefe becomes restaurant manager at Luton Hoo hotel
Edzard Grefe has been appointed restaurant manager at Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa. more
(12 June 2009 15:26)

David Webster - My life in hospitality
David Webster, the proprietor of Webster Hotels, originally wanted to be an RAF pilot but his plans were thwarted when it discovered he was.... more
(12 June 2009 15:26)