Articles by Date : November 01 2004 - November 30 2004

Table Talk
Twickenham is set to become one of the few stadiums where you can watch the game from the comfort of your bed. more
(15 November 2004 11:12)

Accor to shed property assets with hotel sell-off
French hotel giant Accor is poised to raise more than €1b (£698m) through the sale and leaseback of a number of its European hotels. more
(15 November 2004 10:48)

Punch confirms interest in 350 Spirit pubs
Punch Taverns has confirmed its interest in the 350 pubs earmarked for sale by the Spirit Group, estimated to be worth between £250m and £300m. more
(12 November 2004 17:19)

Chefs pledge support for sustainable fish project
Chefs and restaurateurs have a key role to play in ensuring the future of sustainable fish stocks in British coastal waters. more
(12 November 2004 15:35)

Worldwide briefing
Essential news from around the world... more
(12 November 2004 15:27)

People moves
All the latest appointments and promotions... more
(12 November 2004 15:22)

Small businesses call for regional minimum wage
A regional minimum wage is needed to help struggling business in Scotland, Wales and the North of England, claims the Federation of Small Businesses.... more
(12 November 2004 15:11)

Grand Heritage consortium merges with Distinguished Hotels
The UK-based Grand Heritage Hotels International consortium has been renamed Distinguished Hotels International after merging with its US division,.... more
(12 November 2004 11:48)

Oriental restaurant closing to make room for more banqueting
London's Dorchester hotel will close its Oriental restaurant at the end of December to create more space for its booming banqueting business. more
(12 November 2004 10:01)

Choice Wines: Simpson's-in-the-Strand
It's been a hard slog (not), but we've finally done it - decided on a winner for the Simpson's Wine List Challenge. more
(11 November 2004 20:43)

Shareholders back Urban Dining’s purchase of Tootsies
Shareholders in Urban Dining have given the go-ahead for its £31m reverse takeover of the Tootsies burger restaurant business. more
(11 November 2004 18:18)

Right on the Green
After a career in the capital, Adrian Martin chose his home county of Kent to open his own restaurant. Amanda Afiya went to see him in leafy.... more
(11 November 2004 17:50)

Pub and hotel groups do well at National Business Awards
The Union Pub Company, Premier Travel Inn and Hilton International were all winners in the National Business Awards. more
(11 November 2004 16:28)

Aberdeen bid to raise drink prices foiled
A Scottish law lord has declared that Aberdeen city licensing board had no right to impose minimum pricing on pubs and bars in the area, because it.... more
(11 November 2004 16:06)

Employing staff
Employing staff can be one of the most difficult aspects of starting your own business, and most successful entrepreneurs will tell you that finding.... more
(11 November 2004 15:18)

Week 3: Setting up and getting going
In part three of our special focus on starting your own business, we bring you the experts' views on how to market your company effectively, find the.... more
(11 November 2004 15:16)

Disciplinary procedures
Ray Silverstein, head of the London employment team at law firm Browne Jacobson, offers advice on the new changes to dismissal, disciplinary.... more
(11 November 2004 15:15)

Scotland plans to outlaw workplace smoking by 2006
Scotland looks set to follow the lead of Ireland and outlaw smoking in enclosed public places – including pubs, restaurants and hotels – from the.... more
(11 November 2004 15:11)

Just Opened
Sweet Mandarin, Roscoff Brasserie, Floridita, Label more
(11 November 2004 15:10)

Public backs a smoking ban in restaurants but is divided over pubs
A new survey suggests that most people back a smoking ban in restaurants, but are more divided when it comes to pubs. more
(11 November 2004 15:08)

Food File
Fish, Fresh produce, Meat...and how you can use them more
(11 November 2004 14:58)

Inside track
Four Pillars Hotels more
(11 November 2004 14:55)

We love...
...sleep more
(11 November 2004 14:48)

Ramada Jarvis to ban smoking in two weeks
Ramada Jarvis is outlawing smoking in all its 57 hotels following widespread support from customers and staff. more
(11 November 2004 14:41)

Pubmaster helps boost Punch profits by 38%
The acquisition of Pubmaster and organic growth in its existing estate helped Punch Taverns boost profits by 38% in the year to 21 August. more
(11 November 2004 13:02)

Young & Co reports “pleasing” interim figures
Brewer and pub operator Young & Co reported a “pleasing” underlying performance in the half-year to 25 September, despite poor summer weather. more
(11 November 2004 12:01)

Whitbread sells Courtyard by Marriott chain for £79m
Whitbread has sold its 11-strong chain of Courtyard by Marriott hotels for £79m to a syndicate of private investors brought together by property.... more
(11 November 2004 10:54)

Beetroot Blue notches another e-title
Online caterer Beetroot Blue, which delivers sandwiches and finger food to small businesses throughout Scotland, has won £8,000 after being voted.... more
(10 November 2004 17:52)

Done Deals
Thatched Devon pub changes hands... more
(10 November 2004 17:28)

Leaked report adds to pressure for total ban on workplace smoking
Pressure to ban smoking in all public places mounted on the Government this week as a leaked medical report exposed the dangers of breathing in.... more
(10 November 2004 17:25)

Aikens was right
Steal, swipe, pinch, nab. Call it what you will, theft of property is a nuisance for any business. But in a restaurant, where decorations have been.... more
(10 November 2004 17:23)

Human resources head list of problems facing hotels in coming year
Human resource problems are set to be the number-one issue facing hoteliers in 2005, according to the International Society of Hospitality.... more
(10 November 2004 17:21)

Urban Dining buys burger chain Tootsies
Urban Dining has bought its first restaurant brand - burger chain Tootsies - for £30.75m and more than one million new Urban Dining shares. more
(10 November 2004 17:19)

Spanish chefs called as witnesses in ETA trial
Four Basque chefs with eight Michelin stars between them have been dragged into the trial of an alleged member of the ETA terrorist group. more
(10 November 2004 17:18)

Basset pipped again in sommelier contest
Gerard Basset, co-founder of the Hotel du Vin group, has come second in the World's Best Sommelier Competition held in Athens earlier this month. more
(10 November 2004 17:17)

Erotic department store tickles Breg's fancy
Former Hilton food and beverage manager Stefan Breg is opening a caf‚ in Britain's first erotic department store, Hustler Hollywood, in Birmingham's.... more
(10 November 2004 17:05)

Strada takes its first steps outside London
Pizza and pasta chain Strada is expanding out of London for the first time. more
(10 November 2004 16:59)

Oktoberfest hits the million mark
More than one million pints of beer were guzzled during JD Wetherspoon's two-week-long Oktoberfest earlier this month. more
(10 November 2004 16:48)

Foreign visits rise by 10% in the third quarter
Britain attracted a record-breaking 8.3 million visits from foreign tourists in the three months to September 2004, according to the government’s.... more
(10 November 2004 16:48)

Skills gap affects nearly one-third of hospitality and leisure businesses
Nearly a third of bosses in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sectors say skills gaps are affecting their bottom line. more
(10 November 2004 16:46)

Celebrity DJ backs Stub out Smoking campaign
Legendary DJ Danny Rampling is backing Caterer's campaign to Stub out Smoking in pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants and hotels. more
(10 November 2004 16:42)

Ruinart contest deadline
Entry forms are now available for the 13th Champagne Ruinart UK Sommelier of the Year competition, organised by the Academy of Food and Wine Service. more
(10 November 2004 16:28)

Sumosan to stage Harpers & Moët Restaurant Awards
Is Sumosan, the Japanese restaurant in London's Albemarle Street, the coolest and funkiest restaurant in Britain to be seen in? more
(10 November 2004 16:26)

Alias deal paves the way for timeshare room sales
Alias Hotels has been sold for £30.4m to a joint venture between the Alias management team and GuestInvest, the company behind the UK's first scheme.... more
(10 November 2004 16:17)

Take it from me...
Rick SteinRick Stein's business empire turns over more than £4m a year and encompasses his famous Seafood Restaurant, a café, cookery school, delis,.... more
(10 November 2004 16:11)

Beer bites back
Last week's survey by Datamonitor suggested that beer was losing out to wine in the drinking-out market. But Martyn Cornell says that beer has a long.... more
(10 November 2004 16:10)

Shelbourne hotel unclassified after loss of fifth star
Dublin hotel the Shelbourne, which recently lost its five-star status, has decided not to appeal the ruling and is seeking to be listed next year as.... more
(10 November 2004 16:03)

Gill family in plea to missing chef
The family of Nick Gill, former Michelin-starred chef and brother of Sunday Times restaurant critic AA Gill, are appealing for news of his.... more
(10 November 2004 15:54)

Zimmer takes second crack at Bocuse d'Or
Eyck Zimmer, senior sous chef at London's Ritz hotel, has been chosen to represent the UK for a second time in the prestigious Bocuse d'Or cooking.... more
(10 November 2004 15:44)

How we got started
Harvey and June McLean-Ross more
(10 November 2004 15:42)