Caterer this week kicked off its drink and drugs awareness campaign to highlight the true cost of dependency within the industry.

Certainly Trocadero owner Golfrate is facing a big bill after conceding it would redesign its new-build hotel within the leisure centre to appease critics at Westminster council.

Although staffing costs add a lot to most businesses’ running costs, it seems that some hospitality companies are keeping a tight rein on that particular bill as a new report claims .

Unsurprisingly perhaps then, are the findings of a report from Beechams that hospitality workers are the most likely of UK professionals to call a sickie if affected by colds or flu.

Back to the cash and two independent reports, one from Horizons FS and the other from analysts Deloitte, predict a bumper Christmas for hospitality operators with consumers set to spend, spend, spend, irrespective of gathering fears about the economy.

It should help the likes of restaurant group Clapham House and bar operator Regent Inns, both of which warned of unpredictable trading and uncertain times to come.

Bryan Whittaker was revealed as the recipient of The 2007 Caterer and Hotelkeeper/Catering Equipment Manufacturers Association Award for Outstanding Service to the Catering Equipment Industry and Italian restaurant chain Carluccio’s announced it was heading to Dublin in 2008.

Hilton turned to a consortium of local suppliers for its fruit and veg. and Premier Inn did its bit for the environment by introducing a greywater water recovery system at a new build hotel in Doncaster.

Jamie Raftery, chef de partie at Michael Caines’s two-Michelin-starred Gidleigh Park Hotel in Devon, was crowned the 2007 Gordon Ramsay Scholar.

Quote of the week

"I once offered a manager a line of coke during one job interview and still got the position." - Sporting Chance’s Chris Mordue, a former chef and drug addict, on hospitality’s drug culture.