Restaurants could be serving illegally-caught fish
Up to half the fish served in restaurants is “black fish” caught outside EU quotas. A spokesman for the British Hospitality Association said: “Most of the time there is no way for a restaurant or pub in London or anywhere else to know exactly where their fish comes from or how it is caught, or whether it is black, white or pink. Once it enters the market, it just gets bought in the normal way.” – The Times, 30 April
Thistle plan casinos for London hotels
BIL International, the Singaporean investment firm which owns Thistle Hotels, is preparing to apply for casino licences at several of the company’s Central London hotels. The group is said to be preparing to apply for casino licences at the Thistle Victoria, the Thistle Hyde Park and the recently opened Guoman at Marble Arch. It has also been suggested that BIL is looking at the possibility of incorporating a casino into a planned £100m upgrade of the Thistle Tower Hotel. – The Times, 30 April
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Wetherspoon smoking ban hitting profits
JD Wetherspoon was forced to defend its decision to make its pubs non-smoking ahead of a Government ban after admitting that the move was putting pressure on profit margins. – The Times, 30 April
Barracuda to go on sale this week
Bar chain Barracuda, owner of the Smith & Jones and Varsity brands, will become the latest bar and pub company to be put on the market when owners PPM Ventures, advised by US Bank Citigroup, sends out sales details this week. – Mail on Sunday, 1 May
Labour will ban junk food from school meals
Labour is to draw up a hit list of unhealthy foods to be banned from school dinner menus. Legislation to be passed if the party wins the election will stop school canteens serving foods high in fat and salt including sausages, hamburgers and some brands of fish fingers. Chips are expected to survive the cull because health experts believe they are safe to eat in moderation alongside salads, particularly if they are a low-fat brand. – Sunday Times, 1 May
Glasgow hotelier expands into Edinburgh and Stirling
Glasgow hotelier Maurice Taylor is in talks to build a Holiday Inn Express in Edinburgh and a Holiday Inn in Stirling following his part-funding of a deal to acquire 11 hotels from the Hilton group. – Scotland on Sunday, 1 May
Compass board draw up strategy to defend Mike Bailey
Compass Group is drawing up plans to sell businesses and return funds to shareholders in an attempt to fend off an investor revolt. After two profit warnings in seven months, board directors admit that the future of Mike Bailey, chief executive, is “on a knife edge. It could go either way”. “We need to take action and show that we are listening.” – Sunday Times, 1 May
Scotland tourism on track for record year
Scotland’s resurgent tourism and hospitality industry is firmly on course to rake in a record £5.5b plus this year as the flow of bookings continues to defy increasingly gloomy forecasts for the general UK economy. “Speaking for our members, I would say now that those figures could well prove conservative,” said Philip Mahoney, chairman of the Greater Glasgow Hotels Association. – Sunday Herald, 1 May
Le Caprice and Ivy may go on sale again
Some of the trendiest eateries in London, among them Le Caprice and The Ivy, could be about to change hands. Signature Restaurants, the group chaired by entrepreneur Luke Johnson is believed to have hired the corporate-finance arm of KPMG. The accountant will sound out potential buyers for its collection of upmarket dining establishments, which include J Sheekey. – Sunday Times, 1 May
