Zafferano customer sends back £18,000 bottle of wine as fake
A diner at Michelin-star restaurant Zafferano in London’s Knightsbridge sent back an untasted £18,000 magnum of Pétrus as a potential fake because the cork was not stamped with the standard mark of provenance. The restaurant was so alarmed that it might have been the victim of fraud that it called in Corney & Barrow, an upmarket City wine bar chain that acts a agents for Pétrus in Britain which sent in its managing director to investigate. Although there was no evidence it was fake, the bottle’s authenticity could not be proved as the vineyard did not use cork stamps before 1964. However, the customer was satisfied with his second choice - a magnum of Mouton Rothschild 1945 at £20,000. – The Daily Mail, 9 February

Gay men sue Pizza Hut for sexual discrimination
A group of gay men who were turned away from a Pizza Hut in Blackpool last summer when a member of staff told them the restaurant had run out of pizzas, are claiming £3,000 from the worldwide chain for sexual discrimination. Michael Kemp, Paul Barnabas and Iain Buck were among the party of nine gay men and transsexuals – several wearing women’s clothes – who were denied service at the pizza restaurant. The incident happened shortly after it became illegal for shops, bars and restaurants to refuse to serve people because of their sexuality. Their claim, which is being funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, is believed to be the first under this legislation. Pizza Hut claimed the restaurant had gone through a period of bad management and had run out of food on previous occasions. – The Daily Mail, 9 February

Fire engulfs Camden market and celebrity haunt
One of London’s most fashionable pubs, the Hawley Arms pub, is a victim of a massive fire that engulfed the famous Stables market in Camden, north London, on Saturday night. The blaze, which shot flames 30 feet into the air, took more than 100 fire fighters and 20 appliances three hours to control. The pub, which was once a Hell’s Angels haunt, boasts a clientele that includes Amy Winehouse, Sadie Frost, Kelly Osborne, Kate Moss, Liam Gallagher, Pete Doherty and Mighty Boosh comedian Noel Fielding. Camden Market is one of London’s most popular attractions, drawing 300,000 visitors every weekend  – Mail on Sunday, 10 January

Galvin at Windows offers £10,000 Valentine meal
The Galvin at Windows restaurant in London’s Park Lane is offering one couple a £10,000 eight-course meal on 14 February which will include the chance to pop the question and present a £5,000 diamond ring. The meal will include the full repertoire of culinary extravagances – foie gras, truffles, Wagyu beef, bluefin tuna, and Beluga caviar. The most likely taker will be Russian or Arabic, the restaurant’s core clientele. . – The Independent, 10 January

Western hotel operators target China
Western international hotel operators are scrambling to boost their presence in China, where the China National Tourism Administration expects more than 10,000 star-rated hotels to be built by 2015. The number of five-star properties is likely to rise to 500 from about 360. Fuelling the growth is a huge investment in transport infrastructure that will add 97 new airports in the next 12 years. InterContinental Hotels Group – which took 23 years to open 81 hotels in China – will open 50 there this year. Starwood has plans for 29 Chinese hotels over the next two years while Hilton intends to open 33 venues in the country, including 25 Hilton Garden Inns. – The Sunday Times, 10 January

Drinks industry braces itself for ‘sin tax’
The drinks industry suspects there will be swingeing rises in the tax on alcohol in next month’s budget to plug a growing hole in government finances and to meet pressure to tackle binge drinking. It fears the Chancellor could be planning rises of as much as £1 on a bottle of wine and a significant increase in spirits and cider. Analysts say the Scotch whisky industry is bracing itself for the first duty rise in 10 years. "In a recession, when money is tight for Governments, they tend to raise money through so-called sin taxes," said drinks consultant John Wakely. He added that if such a tax was introduced, "We are talking pounds not pennies." – Scotland on Sunday, 10 February

By Angela Frewin

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