Tragus Holdings
Tragus Holdings, which owns the Café Rouge and Bella Italia restaurant chains, is to add a Spanish concept called Ortega to its line-up of Continental brands. The first Ortega (which is a traditional Spanish family name) will open in early July on the site of the 190-seat Bella Italia in Harlow, Essex. Another three will be added across the country by the end of the year.
Win an iPod with Opodo
What's more effective marketing - promoting your own hotel website to drive bookings or using third-party intermediaries? It's a question that has vexed many hotel operators and we want to find out more about it. So if you own or run a hotel, please go to www.caterersearch.com/opodo and fill in our survey, which is being run in association with Opodo, the pan-European online travel service. You could win a new iPod Nano.
René Lasserre
Renowned Parisian restaurateur René Lasserre has died at the age of 93. His eponymous grand restaurant near the Champs Elysées was fêted for its mix of traditional cuisine with spectacle, such as the release of doves during gala dinners. Its guest list included Marlene Dietrich, Salvador Dali, Audrey Hepburn, and Maria Callas and its duck à l'orange recipe was hailed as a classic.
Rayner at Chef Conference
Jay Rayner, the Observer's award-winning restaurant critic, will deliver the keynote speech at this year's Caterer and Hotelkeeper Chef Conference on 8 May at London's Landmark hotel. Rayner will kick-off the day's proceedings and return for a one-to-one interview in the afternoon. Rayner has been the paper's restaurant critic since 1995. In 2001, he was named the Glenfiddich Food and Drink Awards restaurant critic of the year. For booking and further information contact Shiva Hobson on 020 8652 3094 or click here.