Articles by Date : December 01 2009 - December 31 2009

Mandarin Oriental Barcelona, Spain
Located in the heart of Barcelona's Passeig de Gràcia, the hotel is housed in a renovated 1950s building. Highly stylised interiors by Patricia.... more
(04 December 2009 09:39)

ITC Royal Gardenia Bangalore, India
Situated in the centre of the business, entertainment and shopping district of Bangalore, this is believed to be the city's first luxury green hotel.... more
(04 December 2009 08:39)

Viewpoint: we must regain customer faith
Peter Hancock, chief executive of luxury hotel marketing consortium Pride of Britain Hotels, says the issues surrounding tipping are far from.... more
(04 December 2009 08:00)

In Season: Carpaccio of beef with barigoule vegetables and quali's egg
Stuart Gillies is the head chef of the Boxwood Café, London. more
(04 December 2009 07:38)

Jurys Inn Prague, Czech Republic
This is mid-market hotel group Jurys Inns' first opening in mainland Europe which is aimed at British visitors looking for an affordable break. The.... more
(04 December 2009 07:38)

Uncertain future for Dubai operators
Not long ago it was considered the land of plenty, where cash was as abundant as the searing sun that heated its rooftop pools. But the economic.... more
(04 December 2009 07:00)

Super-strong beer by Brewdog banned from UK bars
A super-strong beer brewed by controversial Scottish brewer Brewdog has been banned for sale in bars, clubs and shops throughout the UK by the.... more
(04 December 2009 07:00)

Sicillian restaurant Mennula impresses critic
Newly opened Mennula, which now fills the site once occupied by Gennaro Contaldo’s Passione restaurant, impresses Guy Dimond of Time Out in this.... more
(03 December 2009 15:36)

What’s on the Menu? - A round-up of the latest restaurant reviews
A round-up of the latest London restaurant reviews including: Proud Cabaret in Mark Lane; Mennula; Chinese Cricket Club, Crowne Plaza Hotel more
(03 December 2009 15:16)

Will Torrent named 2010 Acorn Scholar
Will Torrent, pastry chef at Bachmann’s Patisserie & Chocolate Creations in Thames Ditton, Surrey, has been named the 2010 Acorn Scholar. Torrent,.... more
(03 December 2009 14:20)

Gordon Ramsay Holdings sells two-Michelin starred New York restaurant
Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) has stepped back from the day-to-day involvement in its two-Michelin-starred restaurant at the London Hotel in New York..... more
(03 December 2009 12:50)

Marston’s sees profits slide
Brewer and pub operator Marston's has seen its group revenue fall 3% to £645.1m, while profits slid 13.5% to £70.3m. But despite a tougher year, the.... more
(03 December 2009 12:14)

Bloomdean wins legal battle over gas price increases
A Harrogate-based hotel and restaurant business has won a lengthy legal battle with national gas supplier Business Energy Solutions (BES), after a.... more
(03 December 2009 12:10)

Enter Hospitality Action’s Christmas auction online now
There’s just one day left to take part in the annual Hospitality Action (HA) Christmas online auction. The auction, now in its sixth year, offers a.... more
(03 December 2009 11:06)

Folio Hotels portfolio split to create two new hotel groups
Folio Hotels – the 18-strong group of managed provincial hotels which went into administration last December – has been split between a newly formed.... more
(03 December 2009 11:00)

Eleven pubs close each week in London, finds new BBPA survey
Eleven pubs in London close their doors for good every single week, according to new figures released today by the British Beer and Pubs Association.... more
(03 December 2009 10:31)

Peach buys its first joint-venture pub
The Peach Pub Company has sealed a deal to buy the Richard Onslow pub in Cranleigh, Surrey, taking its estate to 13 pubs. The acquisition is the.... more
(03 December 2009 09:00)

Pubcos warn tied tenants over beer tie dispute
Two of Britain's biggest pub companies, Punch Taverns and Greene King, have fired a warning shot at a group of 3,000 tied pub tenants who are set to.... more
(03 December 2009 08:00)

Selfridges seeks chef for permanent rooftop restaurant
Selfridges has announced plans to make its rooftop restaurant a permanent feature, following the overwhelming success of Pierre Koffmann's recent.... more
(03 December 2009 07:00)

Credit and debit card payments
Anyone who accepts credit or debit card payments must be aware of their obligations under the Payment Card Industry security standard, advises Mark.... more
(02 December 2009 15:39)

Events & Competitions
Nigel Haworth will be hosting the gastronomic festival Obsession at Northcote Win dinner for two and an overnight stay at Obsession In January,... more
(02 December 2009 15:38)

Royal Horseguards appoints Xavier Mouret as executive chef
The Royal Horseguards hotel in Whitehall, London, has appointed Xavier Mouret as executive chef, with the aim of lifting the standard of its.... more
(02 December 2009 14:45)

Flemings hotel in Mayfair names Simon Henbury as new head chef
Two new appointments have been made to the food and beverage team at Flemings hotel in London's Mayfair to help relaunch its 52-seat restaurant, The.... more
(02 December 2009 14:43)

Isabel Da Silva joins Fleming hotel as head of F&B
Isabel Da Silva has been recruited as head of food and beverage at The Grill from the Fifth Floor Restaurant at Harvey Nichols, where she was.... more
(02 December 2009 14:38)

Darren Parkinson joins Shibden Mill Inn as head chef
Darren Parkinson has been appointed head chef at the destination food pub, Shibden Mill Inn in Shibden, near Halifax, West Yorkshire. more
(02 December 2009 14:35)

Preferred Hotel Group recruits Shannon Reid as marketing director for EMEA
Shannon Reid has been recruited as marketing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for the Preferred Hotel Group. She joins the company.... more
(02 December 2009 14:33)

Diane Rollinson is new business development director at Graysons Restaurants
Diane Rollinson has been appointed business development director at contract catering company Graysons Restaurants to grow its market share and.... more
(02 December 2009 14:31)

Sean Parker and Della Hill join the board at Witney Lakes Resort
Two long-standing employees at Witney Lakes Resort have been appointed to join the company's board. more
(02 December 2009 14:28)

Phil Jones becomes head of operations at Fretwell-Downing Hospitality
The appointment of Phil Jones as head of operations at independent catering software specialist Fretwell-Downing Hospitality marks a period of strong.... more
(02 December 2009 14:26)

Best Western sells 4,25-plus more hotel rooms this half-year
Marketing consortium Best Western hotels has increased its like-for-like sales in the six months to 31 October 2009, with members selling in excess.... more
(02 December 2009 13:00)

FSA warns caterers over eggs as salmonella cases triple
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned caterers that they need to cook and prepare eggs safely, as it investigates a threefold increase in the.... more
(02 December 2009 12:03)

Weekly hotel revpar falls by 11.2% in the regions
Hotel revenue per available room (revpar) dropped by 11.2% in the regions but by just 1% in London, according to figures from hospitality research.... more
(02 December 2009 11:17)

Medirest scoops £135m contract at King's College hospital trust
Medirest, Compass Group’s healthcare division, has won a new £135m contract to provide catering and supply services at King’s College Hospital NHS.... more
(02 December 2009 10:13)

St James’s Hotel and Club joins the Small Luxury Hotels of the World
St James’s Hotel and Club in London has joined the marketing consortium, Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH). Henrik Muehle, managing director of.... more
(02 December 2009 09:00)

Kilmarnock hotel cuts prices to counter closure rumours
A Kilmarnock hotel has launched a publicity campaign offering cut-price events to assure local residents and businesses that it is open for business..... more
(02 December 2009 08:00)

Dukes hotel recruits Debrah Dhugga as general manager
Debrah Dhugga has been appointed general manager of Dukes hotel, London, the 90-bedroom property managed by CampbellGray Hotels.Sharing.... more
(02 December 2009 07:00)

Interim profits fall at pub flow-monitoring specialist Brulines
Brulines Group has seen its pre-tax profit fall by 12.5% from £2.2m to £1.9m for the six months to 25 September, despite an 11.3% increase on.... more
(01 December 2009 17:00)

Greene King to buy seven pubs from M&B for £12.7m
Greene King is to buy seven pubs in Scotland from Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) for £12.7m. The company said that the move would be funded by a rights.... more
(01 December 2009 16:00)

M&B appoints Simon Laffin as new chairman
Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has appointed Simon Laffin as its new chairman, as it appeared to win its power struggle with major shareholder Joe Lewis..... more
(01 December 2009 15:00)

Wetherspoon to open 250 more over the next five years
Pub firm JD Wetherspoon has revealed that it is to open 250 pubs across the UK over the next five years, as part of a £250m investment. The move is.... more
(01 December 2009 14:00)

Zulu-themed £5m nightclub/restaurant to open in Camden
A multimillion-pound nightclub-cum-restaurant venture is set to launch in Camden, north London, next spring. Called Shaka Zulu, the £5.5m venue,.... more
(01 December 2009 13:00)

2009 Excellence in Food & Drink Awards winners announced
Brakes has scooped the top prize in the 2009 Caterer and Hotelkeeper Excellence in Food & Drink Awards announced at London's Dorchester hotel. Judges.... more
(01 December 2009 11:52)

GMB to ballot publicans over beer-tie action
The GMB union is to start balloting publicans over potential industrial action against the major pubcos within the next seven to 10 days. National.... more
(01 December 2009 11:00)

City Crowne Plaza wins London Green 500 Platinum Award
The Crowne Plaza London – The City has become the first hotel to win the London Green 500 Platinum Award in recognition of its progress in reducing.... more
(01 December 2009 10:42)

ACF seeking entrants for UK Restaurant Manager of the Year 2010
The Academy of Food & Wine is now looking for entrants to the UK Restaurant Manager of the Year 2010 competition. Launched last year, the.... more
(01 December 2009 10:00)

Vacherin wins contracts with Disney UK and the Design Council
London-based caterer Vacherin has added Disney’s UK head office and the Design Council to its portfolio, with two new contracts with a combined.... more
(01 December 2009 09:00)

Leasehold pub market has been ‘decimated’ in past year, says Fleurets
Sales of leased pubs have been "decimated" over the last 12 months, according to property agents Fleurets. The company said that, while historically.... more
(01 December 2009 08:00)

French chef Eric Chavot looking to open informal brasserie next year
French chef Eric Chavot wants to launch an informal brasserie next year, Caterer can reveal. Chavot, who left his role of head chef at the.... more
(01 December 2009 07:00)

TRI HotStats: monthly European hotel figures
London alone of the 10 European cities monitored in the monthly HotStats survey managed to increase revenue per available room (revpar) in October.... more
(01 December 2009 00:00)