Story of the week: The green shoots of recovery may be proving elusive, but for Oliver Peyton’s concession caterer Peyton and Byrne they were positively blooming as the caterer scooped a £38m deal with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.
In restaurant news this week, North-eastern chef and restaurateur Terry Laybourne revealed plans to sell his stake in Jesmond Dene House hotel in order to focus on restaurant business
Spanish chef Ferran Adrià, however, denied reports that his three-Michelin-starred El Bulli restaurant was to close for good, while Gordon Ramsay Holdings revealed that Pétrus was to reopen on 29 March in what is being billed as a ‘rebirth’, with Sean Burbidge at the helm as head chef.
After weeks of rumours, Von Essen confirmed the departure of executive head chef Chris Horridge and the £8m refurbishment of Cliveden.
Another chef on the move, metaphorically speaking, is Iain Sampson, head chef at Peterstone Court Country House in Llanhamlach, who was named the Best Chef in Wales.
In a loss to the contract catering sector, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) revealed that it was now searching for an in-house team to run the catering operation at its flagship theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, which is currently under reconstruction.
Restaurants at Work, however, picked up a contract in the Midlands to cater for the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, while Sodexo recruited sportsman Matt Dawson as its health ambassador.
On the pub front, Enterprise Inns is hoping to raise £12.6m through the auction of the freeholds on eight pubs in central London.
The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) appointed Colin Valentine as its new chairman and named the Kelham Island Tavern in Sheffield as its National Pub of the Year for the second year running.
The freezing January weather pushed like-for-like sales in Britain's pubs and restaurants down by 5% compared to the same month last year, as people stayed away, according to a new industry survey.
And full-year results from Choice Hotels International, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International and Rezidor Hotel Group confirmed how tough 2009 was for the hotel sector.
We have 20 pairs of tickets to give away to the Italian food festival La Dolce Vita, at the Business Design Centre in Islington from 11-14 March. To get your hands on a pair, all you need to do is share your favourite Italian recipes, food or restaurant. Find out more here.
Editor's Pick
Meet Ben Malpass, Concierge of the Year
John Benson-Smith – A Minute on the Clock
Make quangos more accountable, urges BHA chief executive Bob Cotton
Menuwatch – The Old Bear
Young, gifted and talented? There’s only one week left to enter Acorn Awards 2010 – get your entries in now!
Quote of the Week
“As concierges we are on stage and we have to be very good actors, giving a performance we adapt depending on the customer or guest.”
Ben Malpass, of Cavendish London, explains the thespian qualities required of a concierge