Articles by Date : August 01 2006 - August 31 2006

Employers divided over ban on eastern European migrants
Hospitality employers remain divided over whether there should be a blanket ban on Bulgarian and Romanian immigrants working in the UK when the two.... more
(24 August 2006 12:25)

Jamie Oliver effect hurts catering profits at Rentokil Initial
The Jamie Oliver effect wiped a third off catering profits at Rentokil Initial in the second half of 2006 as school meal uptake continued to fall. more
(24 August 2006 12:16)

Enterprise Inns adds to management team ahead of director’s departure
Pub giant Enterprise Inns has bolstered its senior management team ahead of the departure of its long-serving operations director next month. more
(24 August 2006 11:31)

North Wales Tourism backs Caterer's Say No to Bed Tax campaign
Hospitality businesses in North Wales are writing to local MPs to enlist their help in the fight against bed tax, after estimating the proposed levy.... more
(24 August 2006 10:43)

Sodexho wins Haydock Park contract... and other food service news
A round-up of the latest news from the contract catering industry including: Met Office signs five-year deal with Eurest; Elior-owned restaurant wins.... more
(24 August 2006 10:25)

The Bench: London weekly hotel performance to 20 August, 2006
London hotels boosted revenue per available room (revpar) by 33.3% in the week ending 20 August, according to figures from hotel benchmarking service.... more
(24 August 2006 10:25)

The Bench: London airport hotel performance in July 2006
Hotels at London airports increased revenue per available room (revpar) by 5.2% during the month of July. more
(24 August 2006 10:21)

Harrison Catering Services: Kids' stuff
Jamie Oliver's school meals campaign has had the unfortunate side effect of robbing some caterers of the volume, and thus the income, they need to.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

No more age of innocence
There's only a month left before new age discrimination legislation takes effect. Matthew Tom, an associate with law firm Tarlo Lyons, looks at what.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Bar Shu, London
There's more to Szechwan cooking than the stereotype of spices hot enough to blow your head off - as Dan Bignold discovers more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Exclusive: Extracts from Marco Pierre White book, White Slaves
Marco Pierre White was the first rock'n'roll chef - the first British chef to win three Michelin stars. In this extract from his new autobiography,.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Coroner gives suicide ruling on DH chief
Former Distinguished Hotels chairman Tim Hadcock-Mackay committed suicide, according to a Nottinghamshire coroner. more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Black & Blue opens in Borough Market
London steakhouse chain Black & Blue opened its fifth restaurant this month, in Borough Market, and has plans to open a sixth branch in Chiswick next.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Kitchen gardens
It's often said that the fresher the produce the better the taste, and you can't get fresher than the fruit, veg and herbs growing outside the.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

City's surging sushi seller set for US showing
Itsu, the Japanese sushi brand set up by Pret A Manger directors Julian Metcalfe and Clive Schmee in 1997, is to more than double its number of.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Eating-out figures 'misleading'
Official Government figures claiming that spending on eating out has overtaken expenditure on meals eaten at home have been labelled "misleading" by.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Macdonald Hotels denies vacant sales
Macdonald Hotels is playing down reports that it is considering selling some of its hotels on a "vacant possession" basis. Macdonald instead insisted.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

City backs Ford's bid for Caffè Nero
Caffè Nero founder Gerry Ford's bid to take the coffee chain into private ownership has been given the thumbs-up by analysts. more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Hilton staff stole 'commission' from bookings
Six employees at a Hilton hotel and a booking agent conspired to steal a total of £200,000 in bogus commission payments, a court ruled last week. more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Borthwick relocates his Plumed Horse to Leith
The Plumed Horse restaurant in Crossmichael, Kirkcudbrightshire, is upping sticks and moving to Leith, near Edinburgh. more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Will big-name chefs to boost your hotel?
Many hoteliers feel the restaurant is the centre of their business and would never dream of asking someone else to run it. As David Harris discovers,.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Ken Hom
Chinese celebrity chef Ken Hom has been a keen supporter of Restaurants Against Hunger, raising more than £100,000 from his restaurants in the past.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Anthony Stonebanks, chef, Black Door, Newcastle
Anthony Stonebanks and Catherine Yanson have joined the Newcastle restaurant scene as chef and assistant general manager at the Black Door restaurant. more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Bread and Oil
This little book is not for everyone. Written by the son of poet and writer Thomas Graves, it's not really a cookbook, although there are traditional.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Carol Glendinning, director of human resources UK and Ireland, Choice Hotels Europe
Carol Glendinning is the new director of human resources UK and Ireland at Choice Hotels Europe. She will be responsible for the HR strategy in all.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Caterer loves... Cider
It has come a long way from the days of white lightning and pints of snakebite and black at the student bar. No longer the stuff to be drunk behind.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Greengages, yellow courgettes, John Dorey, squid
Ingredients in season... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Francis Hindle, general manager, Brooklands hotel, Barnsley
The Brooklands hotel in Barnsley, south Yorkshire, has appointed Francis Hindle as general manager. He was previously operations manager at the hotel. more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Gillian Row, general manager, Ramada Bowden Hall
Gillian Row has joined the team at the Ramada Bowden Hall as general manager. Before joining the Ramada group in May this year, she was managing.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Good week/bad week
GOOD Midges Blood-sucking blighters thriving in Scotland's smoke-free pubs since the ban. Parmesan foam Wave of "nueva cocina" sparked by.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Ian Boden, head chef, Birmingham City Café
Ian Boden, 29, has been head chef at Birmingham City Café, which is owned by boutique business hotel operator City Inn, since May. He describes his.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Mark Baker, executive chef, Scottish Parliament
Mark Baker is the new executive chef at the Scottish Parliament, where the catering is provided by Sodexho Scotland. He was previously executive chef.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Is the London market close to a clearout?
Richard Harden, co-editor, Harden's Restaurant Guide, says it's all in the numbers - or maybe not more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Rolled-up holiday pay
The European Court of Justice has ruled that rolled-up holiday pay is no longer legal, so where do employers stand now? Anne Edwards looks at the.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Stephanie Hilgers, director, partner marketing, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts
Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has appointed Stephanie Hilgers as director, partner marketing. She moved from the Hyatt group, where she was regional.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

How can I best release capital from the fixed assets?
How can I best release capital from the fixed assets in my chain of restaurants and hotels? more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Table Talk
Good to see von Essen bounce back after rumblings last year about the painfully long time it took to pay its suppliers. more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Tony Cowles, managing director, UK and Europe, Sandals & Beaches Resorts
Tony Cowles has been named as the managing director, UK and Europe, for Sandals & Beaches Resorts. He joins the group from Air Jamaica. more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Travelodge steps up expansion programme
Travelodge is planning to accelerate its ambitious expansion programme following its £675m takeover by Tussauds owner Dubai International Capital.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Chefs deserve proper work-life balance too
May I say three cheers to J Kerr ("Why are F&B staff treated so poorly?", Caterer, 17 August, page 15). more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

No incentive for effort
I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the letter from J Kerr (Caterer, 17 August, page 15) and "Getting away with murder" (Caterer, 3.... more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

Guests drive quality levels
I agree with almost everything Jeff Riley (Caterer, 17 August, page 14) says about the inadequacies of the common standards grading scheme. more
(24 August 2006 00:00)

US groups fight to ban the broadcast of pornography in hotel rooms
Conservative groups in the USA have demanded a crackdown on the broadcast of pornography in hotel rooms. more
(23 August 2006 11:15)

Review of the reviews… what the critics say about La Noisette and others
What the critics say about Hipping Hall in Lancashire; Gilgamesh in Camden, London; Defune in London's West End; La Noisette in Knightsbridge,.... more
(23 August 2006 10:53)

Win a wine and food matching education trip to the Napa Valley
Caterer is joining forces with Californian wine producer Trinchero Family Estates again this year to offer a fantastic, exclusive four-day wine and.... more
(23 August 2006 10:36)

Marston’s ale nets cricket deal
Martson’s ale is to become the official beer of the England & Wales Cricket Board for the next three years. more
(23 August 2006 10:22)

Long live the independents
Peter Hancock, chief executive of the Pride of Britain consortium, looks at the strengths – and the weaknesses – of the country’s privately-owned.... more
(22 August 2006 16:58)

New Courtyard by Marriott planned at Gatwick airport
Kew Green Hotels plans to build a new Courtyard by Marriott hotel close to Gatwick Airport’s south terminal. more
(22 August 2006 16:26)

Gordon Ramsay tops chef rich list
Gordon Ramsay has topped a list of Britain’s richest chefs, released by The Independent. more
(22 August 2006 15:02)

EasyCruise fleet set to reach eight by 2011
EasyCruise has agreed a new franchise deal in the Eastern Mediterranean, two weeks after the maiden voyage of EasyCruiseTwo in Holland. more
(22 August 2006 14:32)