I'm starting with the man in the mirror; I'm asking him to change his ways; And no message could have been any clearer; If you wanna make the world a better place; Take a look at yourself and then make a change.
As the world digests the passing of Michael Jackson, the restaurant industry is also being asked to look inwardly and make a change on the controversial issue of service charge.
After months of being in the firing line for paying staff basic salaries well below the minimum wage, the British Hospitality Association (BHA) is urging all restaurants to adopt a new Code of Practice on how to distribute service charges.
The Code has been developed in conjunction with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to back up new legislation banning the practice of topping up minimum wage with service charge, which comes into force on 1 October.
Minimum wage was also an area of debate at the BHA annual luncheon, at which London Mayor Boris Johnson called on hospitality operators in the capital to pay the London Living Wage, which currently stands at £7.60 an hour.
Someone coming to London is Heston Blumenthal, chef proprietor of the three-Michelin-starred Fat Duck, who this week confirmed that he will be opening a restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in London.
The move, first revealed by Caterersearch in April, will see Blumenthal taking over the site currently occupied by Foliage restaurant in autumn 2010. It marks the celebrity chef’s debut in London.
Blumenthal has also agreed to appear at the Caterer and Hotelkeeper Chef Conference, which takes place in September.
The general manager of Raymond Blanc’s two Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons left his position this week, Caterersearch revealed
Tom Lewis, who joined Le Manoir as resident manager in January 2005 before being promoted to general manager in March of that year, left the property on Monday.
Jurys Inns called for the hotel star rating system to be scrapped, claiming it is no longer relevant to the modern hotel customer. The hotel group claims the star system is focused on features such as a trouser press, and in-bedroom kettle, which are “completely irrelevant to how the majority of consumers chose accommodation”.
Hotel and conference venue operator Principal Hayley picked up two of the failed Real Hotel Group’s flagship properties, agreeing multi-million pound deals to acquire the New Connaught Rooms in London and the Glasgow Central Hotel.
Secondary school pupils believe the quality, value and range of school dinner options all need to improve, exclusive research of 7,000 pupils conducted for Caterer revealed.
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Quote of the Week
“That era is now passed into ancient history just like the ‘Fawlty Towers’ type hotels it was designed to protect visitors from.”
Jurys Inns chief executive John Brennan calls for the scrapping of the star rating system