Whitbread fined £400,000 over guest’s death
Whitbread Group was fined £400,000 yesterday after a woman fell to her death from a third-floor window in the Premier Lodge Hotel in Edinburgh. Two screws were later found to be missing from a restrictor on the bedroom window. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court Whitbread pleaded guilty to two charges under health and safety at work regulations. – The Scotsman, 5 November
New bidder emerges for Spirit Group
Robin Saunders, the former WestLB banker, has secured backing from InBev, the world’s biggest brewer, to make a £3b bid for Spirit Group, the pub group behind the Chef & Brewer and John Barras chains. Ms Saunders, who last year set up her own private equity firm, Clearbrook Capital Partners, is understood to be one of three remaining bidders, alongside Punch Taverns and Robert Tchenguiz, the property entrepreneur. – The Times, 5 November
New restaurant complex planned for Leicester Square
London Clubs International has won a licence to operate a casino with bars and restaurants on a site adjacent to the Empire cinema at Leicester Square. – The Times, 5 November
Gate Gourmet meals strike cost BA up to £45m
The industrial dispute at Gate Gourmet this summer cost British Airways between £35m and £45m. – The Scotsman, 5 November
Chessington fun park to get £20m new hotel
Tussauds Group, owner of the Madame Tussaud’s waxworks, has secured outline planning permission to build a £20m hotel at Chessington World of Adventures. - The Times, 5 November
Yorkshire hotel voted best wine list in the UK
The Top 100 UK Restaurant Wine Lists, by Neville Blech, is the first of its kind to judge UK restaurants solely on the merits of their wine. Focusing on quality and value for money, the guide is designed to take the stress out of selecting wines when hosting a meal. The Devonshire Arms hotel in North Yorkshire tops the UK list with the restaurant at Tate Britain coming second. – Scotland on Sunday, 6 November.
Jamie Oliver in £7.2m profit last year
Jamie Oliver earned more than £1.8m last year, confirming his place as one of the nation’s wealthiest people aged 30 and under. Bolstered by his increasing popularity in foreign markets, he enjoyed a record income and his company made a profit of nearly £7.2m. – Sunday Times, 6 November
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