Edwards makes his mark with nobu
Mark Edwards, who has been working as sous chef at Vong restaurant in London's Berkeley Hotel, has moved to take up the position of head chef at Nobu, the Japanese restaurant which is set to open in London's Metropolitan hotel next month.
Like Vong, Nobu will be a stand-alone restaurant within the hotel, serving food with an Oriental flavour. In contrast to Vong's Thai-French menu, Nobu will serve Japanese food with South American and Californian influences. Mr Edwards' appointment inevitably underlines the similarities between the style of the two restaurants, which are expected to be widely compared.
Jackson move keeps it in the family
The owners of the Strathmore Hotel in Morecambe, Lancashire, are keeping business in the family with the appointment of their daughter as general manager.
Sue Jackson formerly worked for De Vere Hotels for more than 10 years at various locations around the country.
Her most recent post was as general manager of the privately-owned Chequers Hotel in Blackpool.
Key posts filled at menzies properties
Menzies Hotels & Leisure has announced a number of appointments following its acquisition of 10 properties to add to its existing nine.
Gareth Morgan, formerly projects manager with Forte Hotels, has become group property and projects manager, while Simon Osborne, who was general manager of the Ashbourne Lodge Hotel in Derbyshire, has become area general manager for the group's properties in Bournemouth.
Menzies has also appointed new general managers at several of the recently-acquired properties. Anthony Richards joins the Leofric Hotel, Coventry, from general manager at Kirtons Hotel & Country Club in Reading.
Tim Howard joins the Flitwick Manor Hotel in Bedfordshire from the Priory Hotel, Bath, where he was resident manager.
Tony Mancuso moves from deputy general manager at the Hilton National Hotel, Cobham, Surrey, to the Prince Regent Hotel in Woodford, Essex. And Hugh Hutchison, formerly a general manager with Sutcliffe Catering, becomes general manager of the Northwick Park Hotel, Harrow, north-west London.
Park appointment a first for hilton
Emma Park has become the first female head chef to be appointed by the 25-strong Hilton National group. Ms Park joined Hilton National in 1992 as demi-chef de partie at the company's Croydon hotel.
She moved to the Hilton National Basingstoke in 1995 as sous chef, before being promoted to head up a team of 13.
Elsewhere in the Hilton National group, Willem Hamel has joined the Hilton National Cobham, Surrey, as food and beverage manager, from the same position at the Holiday Inn Cambridge.
Espalioux to chair accor group
Jean-Marc Espalioux has been named the new chairman of French hospitality group Accor. He replaces Paul Dubrule and Gérard Pelisson, who jointly ran Accor for the past 30 years. Mr Espalioux, who joins from shareholder Compagnie Générale des Eaux, has been a member of the Accor board since 1988.
Cotter to top job at Marston hotels
John Cotter has joined Marston Hotels, the six-strong family-owned group, as operations manager. Mr Cotter was formerly general manager at Sprowston Manor, Norwich, which is owned by Manor Hotels.
Patrick Mauser, who has been working as general manager at Belstead Brook Manor hotel in Ipswich, Suffolk, moves to the same position at Sprowston Manor, while Stephen Davenport joins Manor Hotels as general manager at Belstead Brook Manor.
