Articles by Date : November 01 2008 - November 30 2008

The Knowledge: Spotlight on Cucina
Our regular profile series takes a look at the hospitality companies behind the headlines, This week we focus on education caterer Cucina more
(13 November 2008 07:30)

Bottled water firm reveals clean water project donations
A bottled water company selling itself to hospitality operators on the promise that all profits go to clean water projects only becomes operationally.... more
(13 November 2008 07:00)

Pumpkin soup with white truffle: Masterclass
Chef Guy Savoy shows how theatre in restaurants can be revived with that much-maligned ingredient, the pumpkin. Michael Raffael visited his.... more
(13 November 2008 00:00)

Bibendum, Fulham, London - Menuwatch
As Bibendum in west London celebrates 21 years in the business, Emily Manson goes back to find out the secrets of its success more
(13 November 2008 00:00)

Whitbreadlaunches NVQapprenticeshipprogramme
Premier Inn owner Whitbread has launched a training and development programme to enable staff to obtain a nationally recognised qualification. .... more
(13 November 2008 00:00)

Hotels Wanted
An independent hotel group is actively seeking substantial freehold hotels with at least 30 bedrooms. Any UK location considered but East.... more
(13 November 2008 00:00)

Looking for a pub with lots of potential?
We believe our competitive lease agreements are second to none, offering full assignability after 12 months and freedom to purchase wines, spirits.... more
(13 November 2008 00:00)

Harrow High Schools contract out to tender
A multi-site school meals contract in north-west London and a central library deal are two of the latest contracts out to tender, live on.... more
(12 November 2008 16:27)

UK tea plantation branches out into chocolates
Tregothnan, the UK’s only commercial tea plantation, has extended its range by developing into chocolate - and one of its first products is combined.... more
(12 November 2008 15:09)

Speranza coffee launched to support Alzheimer’s research
Nairobi Tea and Coffee has launched a new coffee for the catering trade in support of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust. more
(12 November 2008 15:00)

Starbucks blames UK for flat international sales
Starbucks - which posted an astonishing plunge in profits this week - appears to blame its international performance on a decline in traffic in the.... more
(12 November 2008 14:46)

Toronto baffles greens in takeway coffee cup ban
The world’s first major move against takeaway coffee cups - which are now a major part of Britain’s catering business and roadside litter - has come.... more
(12 November 2008 14:37)

Neil Robertson to be new boss at BII
The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII), the professional body for the licensed sector, today announced the appointment of Neil Robertson as chief.... more
(12 November 2008 11:11)

M&J seafood launches Sea of Change guide
M&J Seafood has commissioned an independent report to highlight the importance of sustainable sourcing and utilising lesser known species of fish and.... more
(12 November 2008 10:42)

Drinks sales forecast to plunge by £1b this year
Drink sales in the pub sector are likely to fall by a massive £1b this year and will decline by a similar figure next year, experts predicted today. more
(12 November 2008 10:41)

InterContinental Hotel Group profits fall
Holiday Inn Hotel owner InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has reported a 28% fall in its third-quarter profit, with sharp deterioration in market.... more
(12 November 2008 10:12)

Excessive pub regulation criticised by BISL chairman
The chairman of industry association Business in Sport and Leisure (BISL) will today criticise the excessive regulation threatened for pubs and bars.... more
(12 November 2008 09:00)

Finance bosses still don't see CSR as a priority
Finance bosses within hospitality are reluctant to embrace sustainability and invest in corporate social responsibility (CSR), according to a.... more
(12 November 2008 08:00)

FSA releases Scores on the Doors consultation
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published the preliminary results of its consultation on introducing a UK-wide Scores on the Doors scheme rating.... more
(12 November 2008 07:00)

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(12 November 2008 00:00)

Chefs from outside EU can work in UK
The Government today confirmed that skilled chefs from outside the European Union will be allowed to work in the UK, despite tougher restrictions on.... more
(11 November 2008 16:34)

UK tourism industry worth £114b
The UK tourism industry is worth £114b and more than 8% of the total gross domestic product, research has found. more
(11 November 2008 16:01)

Hoteliers told not to slash rates in response to slowdown
Hoteliers must resist the temptation to cut rates even though the credit crunch will continue to squeeze the hotel industry for another two years,.... more
(11 November 2008 15:33)

Video: Andrew McKenzie crowned Hotelier of the Year 2008  
Andrew McKenzie, the managing director of The Vineyard at Stockcross, has been crowned as Caterer and Hotelkeeper’s Hotelier of the Year for 2008. more
(11 November 2008 14:00)

Michelin-starred chef Martin Wishart to head up Cameron House restaurant
Michelin-starred chef Martin Wishart is to head up the new restaurant at De Vere’s flagship property Cameron House. more
(11 November 2008 13:09)

Nick Bell quits Apsleys after just six months
Nick Bell, head chef at Apsleys, has left the Italian restaurant at London’s Lanesborough Hotel just six months after launching it, Caterersearch has.... more
(11 November 2008 11:41)

Ed Wilson to open Covent Garden wine bar and restaurant
Ed Wilson, former head chef of Sonny’s in Barnes, south-west London, has launched a wine bar and restaurant in Covent Garden. more
(11 November 2008 11:23)

Olivier Roellinger to close three-Michelin-starred restaurant
One of France’s most well known chefs, Olivier Roellinger, is closing his three-Michelin-starred restaurant Maisons de Bricourt in Brittany. more
(11 November 2008 08:00)

Whitbread launches new NVQ training programme
Whitbread has launched a new training and development programme that will see staff obtaining a nationally recognised qualification. more
(11 November 2008 07:30)

Video: The 2008 Hotel Cateys winners revealed  
John Williams, executive head chef at The Ritz in London has been recognised for his remarkable achievements and dedication to the hospitality.... more
(10 November 2008 18:53)

York & Albany is Gordon Ramsay’s “sexiest eating space”, says critic
Giles Coren at Gordon Ramsay’s York & Albany describes lunch for two at £40 as “the deal of the decade” in his write up for The Times. more
(10 November 2008 15:51)

Principal Hayley appoints first F&B development director
Principal Hayley Group, the hotel and conference venue operator, has appointed its first food and beverage development director in a bid to step up.... more
(10 November 2008 14:57)

Liverpool hotel occupancy soars thanks to MTV Awards
Hotels in Liverpool experienced a big boost in occupancy rates last week the world’s pop stars descended on the European Capital of Culture for the.... more
(10 November 2008 14:46)

What’s on the menu? - A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews
A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews including: Matthew Norman visits Dragon Castle, London SE17; Tracey Macleod visits The Hambrough,.... more
(10 November 2008 12:51)

Travelodge considers job cuts to fund price war
Budget hotel chain Travelodge is considering cutting a number of jobs in central operations to fund a “prolonged and aggressive” price war. more
(10 November 2008 11:55)

MPs call for ban on pub happy hours and cheap supermarket booze
Pub happy hours should be banned and supermarkets stopped from selling alcohol as a loss leader, according to an influential group of MPs. more
(10 November 2008 11:35)

Credit munch hits sandwich shops and cafés - For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say
A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry. News includes: Credit munch hits sandwich shops and cafés; Credit crunch puts.... more
(10 November 2008 10:30)

Nikki Beach signs management contract for resort in Cyprus and other international hotel news
Essential news from around the world, including: Nikki Beach signs management contract for resort in Cyprus; Domina Hotel Group signs up for new.... more
(10 November 2008 10:20)

School caterer Cucina hits targets
School caterer Cucina has achieved its target of profitability two years on from launching its first contract at Southfields School for Girls in.... more
(10 November 2008 08:00)

No legal appeal for Pubwatch-banned drinkers, rules court
Drinkers banned from pubs covered by the Pubwatch crime prevention scheme have no legal recourse, a high court has ruled. more
(10 November 2008 07:00)

Friday Wrap: A round-up of the week's hospitality news
Two wrongs don't make a right. After all, an 18% cut in funding and a 40% reduction in staff numbers at VisitBritain (VB) ahead of the London.... more
(07 November 2008 16:46)

Sodexo in recruitment freeze to save £40.5m
Catering and facilities management company Sodexo has imposed a recruitment freeze on support staff as part of a plan to save €50m (£40.5m) annually. more
(07 November 2008 16:46)

Marylebone Warwick Balfour launches Pub du Vin
The owner of boutique hotel brands Malmaison and Hotel du Vin has launched the first of its pub concept, Pub du Vin, today in Brighton. more
(07 November 2008 16:03)

Dewsbury hotel changes hands
The three-star Heath Cottage hotel in Dewsbury has been sold off a £1.55m guide price to unnamed buyers. more
(07 November 2008 15:25)

BHA hits out at MEPs' vote to scrap 48-hour opt-out for staff
The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has hit out at MEPs for voting to ban employees in the UK from choosing to work more than 48 hours per week. more
(07 November 2008 15:24)

London’s Café Amici owner buys Essence restaurant and DJ bar
The owner of Café Amici in Aldwych has bought the leasehold on the 3,500 sq ft Essence restaurant, bar and DJ Bar near London’s Barbican tube.... more
(07 November 2008 15:18)

Brighton B&B operators buy Cromer hotel
Martin Torrens and Shaun Trumble, former B&B operators in Brighton, have bought the Virginia Court hotel in the coastal town of Cromer in North.... more
(07 November 2008 15:16)

New owners for Newtonmore hotel
Dougie and Joanna Jeffries from North Queensferry are the new owners of the Craigerne House hotel on the edge of the Inverness-shire village of.... more
(07 November 2008 15:13)

Local licensee buys food-led freehouse in Egerton
Local licensed operator Michael Schembri has bought the George Inn, a food-led country freehouse in the Kent village of Egerton. more
(07 November 2008 15:11)

First five-star hotel plans unveiled for Whitby with £30m development
Yorkshire-based buy-to-let developers the Skelwith Group have bought the Raithwaite Hall estate as part of a £30m development. more
(07 November 2008 12:11)