Angela Hartnett made MBE - For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say

Angela Hartnett made MBE
Angela Hartnett, executive chef at The Connaught, was among those hospitality industry figures receiving recognition in the New Year’s Honour’s List with an MBE. Other MBE recipients included Albert Hampson former business manager of AA Hotel Services, Nigel Way, proprietor of the Royal Castle Hotel in Dartmouth, Terry Wiggins, sous chef at the House of Commons and Comfort Omoko, senior catering manager for the Metropolitan Police Service. – The London Gazette, 30 December

Receivers on standby in Little Chef crisis
Negotiations were ongoing yesterday to find a rescue deal to prevent Little Chef going into administration. It is understood administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers have been placed on standby and could be called in if crisis talks collapse. The owners of Little Chef, Lawrence Wosskow and Simon Heath, have been discussing a rescue plan with potential investors.  – Yorkshire Post, 30 December

Israeli investors in talks with Little Chef
The owners of Little Chef are locked in talks to sell some or all of the business to Israeli property group Arazim Investments. Lawrence Wosskow, who owns 90% of Little Chef, is understood to be talking to Arazim about handing over his shares in the company. – Daily Telegraph, 1 January

Property arm may go into administration to save Little Chef
Plans are afoot at Little Chef to put its property arm into administration this weekend as it tries to cook up a rescue deal. Putting the property arm into administration would give the Sheffield-based roadside restaurant company breathing space from its landlords and allow it to carry on trading until a buyer can be found. – Sunday Times, 31 December

47 Marriott hotels sold to Israeli property company
Royal Bank of Scotland has struck a £1.1b deal to sell 47 Marriott hotels across the UK – including the landmark County Hall hotel in London – to a subsidiary of Israel's Delek Real Estate and a selection of partners. RBS had bought 46 of the hotels from a joint venture between Whitbread and Marriott International last April for £951m, paying an additional £30m for a separate Marriott development. – Daily Telegraph, 1 January

New investor for Dublin five-star hotel
The Riverdeep chief executive Barry O’Callaghan has become an investor in the company behind one of Dublin’s best known five-star boutique hotels, Brownes. O’Callaghan is also currently developing a five-star, 40-bed hotel at Ardmore in Co Waterford, which will be run by Brownes operator, Stein. – Sunday Times (Irish edition), 31 December

London’s Cipriani restaurant facing legal challenge over name
London restaurant Cipriani could be forced to change its name following the launch of legal action by the group that owns the world-famous Hotel Cipriana in Venice. Orient Express Hotels Group said it had issued the writ two and a half years after the restaurant opened because of the “confusion” the restaurant’s name had created. – Mail on Sunday, 31 December

Hotel booking website bought by First Choice
Travel and tour operator First Choice was yesterday preparing for life with its new business, internet-based hotel booking site Laterooms.com. The firm snapped up the website for £108m on Saturday, but could end up paying another £12m over the next three years depending on its performance. – Yorkshire Post, 30 December

Yum! to be sued over E.coli outbreak in US restaurants
Yum! Brands faces a lawsuit in the USA related to a recent E. coli outbreak at some of its Taco Bell restaurants that affected at least 71 customers in four states. – The Times, 30 December

By Bob Gledhill

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