More tickets for BallArena
Three hundred and fifty extra tickets have been released for BallArena, after additional space was secured at exhibition centre ExCel. The ball, which takes place during Hotelympia on Tuesday 24 February, will raise money for industry charities Springboard and Hospitality Action.
Tickets are available for tables of 10 at £1,500 plus VAT, or at £175 for individual tickets. The evening will feature dinner, dancing, a casino and cocktail bar.
To reserve tickets, please contact Penny Steiner on 020 8395 6065 or penny@arena.org.uk.
New guild for junior chefs
Local Midlands chefs' organisation the Shires Guild of Chefs has launched a new guild for junior chefs to broaden their experience of food and the industry.
It is called the Nottinghamshire Junior Guild of Chefs, and membership will be offered to any chef at college or starting out in the workplace. The guild will aim to give chefs extra training through demonstrations from both other chefs and suppliers, increased experience of restaurants through subsidised meals out and the chance to enter competitions.
To find out more, contact Craig Harrison on 0115 941 1965 or 07979 602811.
MLC booklet on red meat matters
Need advice on sourcing, preparing and cooking red meat? The Meat & Livestock Commission still has copies of its limited-edition, 34-page information guide about all things concerning red meat, including market trends, buying, eating quality and nutrition. There's also a discussion of rare breeds and the growing market for halal meat. To purchase a copy, priced £10 (including postage and packing), contact 01908 844114 or visit www. britishmeatfoodservice.com.
New guide to regional food
A new guide from the Guild of Fine Food Retailers has been written to point consumers in the direction of British pubs, restaurants and hotels, as well as delicatessens and farm shops that specialise in regional food and drink. The book, entitled Eating British - the eating in, eating out guide to regional food and drink, was written by Andrew Eliel, former editor of the Egon Ronay guides, and features more than 600 establishments.
To order your copy, priced £8.99 (including postage and packing), or to find out how your establishment could be featured in the 2005, guide contact Tortie Farrand on 01747 822290 or at tortie.farrand@finefoodworld.co.uk.
Olympic sponsors correction
The organisers of London's bid for the 2012 Olympics have made it clear that no ban exists on soft drinks and fast-food companies sponsoring the bid, as reported in Caterer (18 December, page 9).
Although the International Olympic Committee's main sponsors have an exclusivity deal, which prevents individual bidding cities from being sponsored by competing companies, London 2012 stressed that each approach would be considered on a case-by-case basis. London 2012 will, however, exclude sponsorship from tobacco companies and religious or political organisations.