Going once, going twice, sold to the gentleman in the tall white hat…yes Caterersearch has auction fever and will be holding its first online auction in association with Hilditch on 19 October.

Needless to say there’s lots on offer…

It’s never too late to start looking after the pennies after all, especially if a new report from financial consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers is to be believed.

The report warns that despite the strong performance of the UK hotel market storm clouds appear to be gathering due to the credit crunch that is afflicting the world financial markets.

Despite this uncertainty Gaucho Grill, the Argentinean-style restaurant chain, remains bullish and is planning a £100m return to the London Stock Exchange or a sale. So there’s one in the rib-eye for the naysayers.

Also in need of a drink to settle its nerves is pub company Mitchells & Butlers, which despite having already lost £140m on a proposed joint property venture due to reticence in the world financial markets confirmed it was determined to make it work.

The ethically questionable but entirely legal practice of using staff restaurant tips to top up national minimum wage payments was thrust into the spotlight once more this week with the unions launching a campaign in a bid to get the law changed.

Pubs were warned by experts this week that they could be at threat of a legal double whammy, which you’ll have to admit sounds quite nasty, as councils prepare to police the smoking ban via the licensing act.

Living Ventures revealed its Gusto, Eden Foodservice won a £40m Bristol school meals contract and Piccolino owner the Individual Restaurant Company sent its sales soaring driven by an aggressive openings programme and acquisitions.

The British Beer & Pub Association pointed out the newish alcohol laws in England and Wales had actually cut drink fuelled violence in several London borough’s since their start and Prime Minister Gordon Brown did a bit of grandstanding and declared he’d review the very same licensing laws introduced by his party.

Need a helping hand to move your career along? Well don’t forget there’s still time to enter this year’s Acorn Scholarship, which promises a £2,000 bursary and £1,500 worth of Learnpurple training to help you become the next Rocco Forte or Gordon Ramsay.