Story of the week: Mark Sargeant, Gordon Ramsay’s right-hand man and former head chef at his Michelin-starred restaurant at Claridge’s, has resigned from the celebrity chef’s restaurant group
Recommendations that all Scottish primary school children should be given free meals have been criticised by catering experts, who question how the initiative could be funded. The cost of the Government's plans to extend free meals has been estimated to be around £80m.
Better news this week for restaurants celebrity chef Paul Heathcote is awarded an MBE from the Queen for his services to the hospitality industry.
Tokyo confirmed its position as the capital of world gastronomy by leaping ahead of Paris as the city with the most three-Michelin-starred restaurants.
Japanese chef, Tomoyuki Abe from Sushizen in Tokyo, one of Japan's most prestigious sushi restaurant chains, scooped Eat Japan Sushi of the Year award.
Indian chef-restaurateur Vineet Bhatia has won a Michelin star for his Rasoi by Vineet restaurant in Geneva, Switzerland.
Italian chef Francesco Mazzei, chef proprietor of London restaurant L'Anima, has joined forces with high street chain Pizza Express.
And great news for us at Caterer Towers, award-winning chef Malcolm John, owner of neighbourhood restaurants Le Cassoulet and Fish & Grill in Croydon and Chiswick’s Le Vacherin, has acquired a new site in the Greater London borough of Sutton.
Frankies and Benny’s owner The Restaurant Group (TRG) has reported a 3% fall in like-for-like sales during the 46 weeks of 2009.
But pub group Young’s has reported a “good performance” for the first six months of the financial year despite the recession and a rise in rates.
Editor's Pick
Win tickets to Taste of Christmas
Marcus Eaves' Baked Alaska Masterclass
Getting through the credit crunch - what have you been doing to beat it?
Quote of the Week
"I don’t like restaurants. The most inhospitable people in the world work in restaurants. The minute you go in, the receptionist looks up and says, ‘Have you got a reservation?’ She doesn’t smile and say, ‘Good evening.’ Until you have a reservation, you’re a non-person"
Michael Winner