Articles by Date : October 01 2003 - October 31 2003

What makes a great bathroom?
Bathrooms can make or break your hotel's reputation. They should be stylish, but not so modern you can't find the taps! more
(10 October 2003 12:03)

New York is still a wonderful city
Stephen Brandman, who lives and works in New York City, tells us how businesses are faring and how the city has changed since 11 September. more
(10 October 2003 11:55)

Reader Diary
After Ramadan, it's full steam ahead to Christmas more
(10 October 2003 11:48)

Business round-up
Refurbs halt decline at Yates - The summer sun failed to work any magic at pub group Yates, with like-for-like sales dropping 5%. more
(10 October 2003 11:42)

Alchemy puts Paramount up for sale
Paramount Hotels, the 13-strong hotel group majority-owned by venture capitalist Alchemy Partners, has been put up for sale with an estimated price.... more
(10 October 2003 11:39)

Caterers say school meals report makes unfair comparisons
School caterers have branded as "misleading" and "inaccurate" a recent report into primary school meals that calls for greater investment in local.... more
(10 October 2003 11:37)

Review of the reviews
The Guardian - October - MATTHEW FORT takes the family to LE MOULIN DE LOURMARIN in Lourmarin, France more
(10 October 2003 11:33)

Oldest hotel in Barbados gears up for a relaunch
The Crane Hotel in Barbados, the region's oldest continuously operating hotel, is being officially relaunched after a period of expansion. more
(10 October 2003 11:27)

Spirit Group wins S&N bidding war
The Spirit Group has won the auction to buy Scottish & Newcastle's (S&N's) managed estate of pubs, restaurants and budget hotels for £2.5b, beating.... more
(10 October 2003 11:26)

Pioneer chef George Perry-Smith dies at 80
Acclaimed post-war chef George Perry-Smith died last week at the age of 80. more
(10 October 2003 11:21)

North Atlantic Seafood
Books on the subject of fish and seafood have been plentiful over the years. I know - I own a fair few of them. more
(10 October 2003 11:19)

Café Lazeez to spice up events at the Natural History Museum
Café Lazeez, the award-winning Indian restaurant group, has agreed a ground-breaking deal with specialist events caterer Payne & Gunter and the.... more
(10 October 2003 11:16)

Anna's Temptation wins just desserts
A trio of seductive desserts called Asian Temptation won Claridge's pastry chef Anna Poliviyou this year's Dessert of the Year award. more
(10 October 2003 11:15)

Blunos in talks with Bath hotel
Chef Martin Blunos, whose former Lettonie restaurant won two Michelin stars, is in advanced talks to open a stand-alone restaurant at the Royal.... more
(10 October 2003 11:12)

De Vere still possible takeover target
Hotel group De Vere could be next on the list of recent public company takeovers, say industry sources. more
(10 October 2003 11:10)

Republic Deli perks up sales
Coffee Republic's decision to abandon coffee shops for New York-style deli outlets is already proving a success, boosting the group's total sales by.... more
(10 October 2003 10:58)

Gate introduces meal choice on Swiss airline
Economy-class passengers on Swiss International Air Lines will now have to pay for their meal if they want one. more
(10 October 2003 10:57)

Travelodge enters the Premier Lodge race
Budget hotel chain Travelodge has joined Whitbread in the race to acquire rival operator Premier Lodge. more
(10 October 2003 10:56)

In brief
Sodexho keeps trust - Sodexho's healthcare division has retained a £300,000 management contract with the Leicestershire Partnership and Consortium.... more
(10 October 2003 10:46)

Shumi a shared experience
Is it Italian? Is it Japanese? Is it fusion? Try to put a label on Shumi, the new venture from Jamie Barber and Geoffrey Moore, and you'll be.... more
(10 October 2003 10:35)

Hospitality sector reaches drink and drugs crisis point
Alcohol and drug abuse is reaching epidemic proportions across the hospitality sector, as more industry professionals struggle to cope with stress at.... more
(10 October 2003 10:30)

People on the move
Budget hotel chain Premier Lodge has chosen CATRIONA LOUGHER-SMITH as its new brand manager. more
(10 October 2003 10:00)

Peel Hotels "cautiously optimistic"
Regional UK hotel group Peel Hotels said today it was confident about the prospects for the rest of this year, despite an 8.6% drop in pre-tax.... more
(10 October 2003 09:45)

Top man Tarayan takes it on himself
Nick Tarayan has turned his oft-lauded expertise with wine into a business of his own, and recently held his first tasting in London. Caterer was.... more
(10 October 2003 09:37)

Edinburgh University takes on the hotel sector
The University of Edinburgh has launched a new flagship 526-bedroom accommodation complex for student and commercial use, located in the heart of the.... more
(09 October 2003 16:30)

Table talk
Kebab Week will be a skewer-fire success - You could be forgiven for thinking that posters advertising National Kebab Week - with a picture of a.... more
(09 October 2003 16:28)

Global report
AMERICAS - Miami first for Four Seasons - Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts opened its first property in Miami, Florida, last week. more
(09 October 2003 16:16)

We're not so think as you drunk we are
How much do you drink on a serious night out? Three pints? Five pints? Six pints and a couple of shorts, maybe? Peter Kay put this question to a.... more
(09 October 2003 16:13)

Canteen culture
A recent survey predicting the death of the traditional staff restaurant made national news and sparked a debate among caterers and consultants. In.... more
(09 October 2003 16:11)

Maureen Fletcher
Maureen Fletcher, 47, is fitness concierge at the new fitness-themed hotel, the Affinia Dumont, in New York, USA. more
(09 October 2003 16:07)

Public lives
Some of the hotel trade's younger high-flyers outline their roles, and tell us about their likes, dislikes, motivation and hopes for the future. more
(09 October 2003 16:03)

Done deals
Burkes buy Haven Guest House - The Haven Guest House in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, has been sold to David and Paula Burke for its asking price of.... more
(09 October 2003 15:42)

Bottles for the table
For serving at the restaurant table, Abbey Well has introduced a new 750ml glass bottle for its natural mineral water from the Northumbrian hills. more
(08 October 2003 15:59)

Ethical coffee
London Docklands-based gourmet coffee company Union Coffee Roasters roasts all its beans by hand which, it claims, produces more delicate and complex.... more
(08 October 2003 15:55)

Avocado - the oil
The latest import from New Zealand is cold pressed extra virgin avocado oil. more
(08 October 2003 15:43)

Smoothies on tap
Smoothie specialist Thejuicecompany has a new double dispenser that can hold up to 10 litres each of two different flavour blends: mango and orange,.... more
(08 October 2003 15:33)

With knobs on
The beautifully named Knobbly Carrot Food Company started life as a small set-up supplying organic soups and sandwich fillings to shops near its base.... more
(08 October 2003 15:27)

Panini trio
Three more flavours have joined Brakes' pre-grilled 215g microwaveable panini line-up. more
(08 October 2003 15:20)

John Burton Race takes leave of France
Former two-Michelin-starred chef John Burton Race, whose adventures in France are currently being televised on Channel 4, is back in the UK and.... more
(08 October 2003 15:14)

Castle House clinches disabled access award
The Castle House hotel in Hereford has been named AA Accessible Hotel of the Year, beating off competition from nearly 8,000 hotels and B&Bs. more
(08 October 2003 15:12)

Red Carnation goes rural with Summer Lodge buyout
Red Carnation Hotels has bought the three-red-star, 18-bedroom Relais & Châteaux Summer Lodge in Evershot, Dorset, for an undisclosed sum. It becomes.... more
(08 October 2003 15:09)

Tronc tax bill could close restaurant
London's oldest French restaurant, Mon Plaisir, could go bust following a demand for £400,000 from the Inland Revenue's (IR) tronc inspectors. more
(08 October 2003 15:06)

Dawson takes over at Scotsman
Jonathan Dawson has been appointed general manager of the five-star, 68-bedroom Scotsman hotel in Edinburgh. more
(08 October 2003 15:05)

Foodservice briefing
A round-up of the latest news from the contract catering sector... more
(08 October 2003 12:44)

Worldwide briefing
Essential news from around the world... more
(07 October 2003 17:08)

Chef Eats Out
The next Chef Eats Out event will be at Claude Bosi's restaurant, Hibiscus in Ludlow, Shropshire on Monday 10 November. Application forms will be.... more
(03 October 2003 09:48)

Excellence in Food & Drink Awards 2003
A limited number of tickets at £90.00 (+ VAT) are available for this year's Awards lunch on Friday 7 November. Please contact Shiva Hobson on 020.... more
(03 October 2003 09:43)

Alpha hit by travel slump
Alpha Airports Group, the UK's largest airline caterer, reported a £8.4m operating profit for the first six months of this year, down 13% on the same.... more
(02 October 2003 16:14)

Bring on the rugby fans
As with football's World Cup last year, the oval-ball version provides catering outlets in the UK with a wealth of opportunities to generate extra.... more
(02 October 2003 16:12)

Malmaison buyout hits MWB figures
The buyout of lifestyle hotel group Malmaison by Marylebone Warwick Balfour (MWB) has helped to boost turnover within the property company's hotels.... more
(02 October 2003 16:04)