The Caterer Blog

Surely if you left a fake limb behind at a Travelodge you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on?

Bizarrely – and that really is the only word in this case – a list of things left behind by Travelodge’s varied clientele last year includes fake limbs, a glass eye and false teeth (‘it was only when I went to tuck into my Subway baguette I realised…’)

Speaking from experience I have actually managed to leave my house keys in a Travelodge post wedding party (not mine) but the couple that actually left their kid behind are getting a bit beyond careless.

Check out the full Travelodge lost and found list 2007 and e-mail me some of the strangest things you’ve found around a hotel or your more embarrassing moments of absent mindedness…

Travelodge Lost and Found List 2006>>

When is a story not a story? When it is as old as the hills but hits the headlines for no good reason.

Bemused Wetherspoons has been on the edge of some sharp media interest at the BBC after a couple complained that they could not have more than two alcoholic drinks each because they were with a child in a pub in Merseyside.

This is a policy that exists in all 683 Wetherspoon pubs in the UK which has been part of management guidance "for years" said an exasperated Wetherspoons spokesman adding that the media storm had surrounded a policy that was "nothing new at all".

However over-zealous the policy may first appear it is intended to stop children from becoming bored and disruptive while their parents are boozing, particularly in an environment where there are no entertainment or play facilities for young ones.

The story was generated after the couple in question were told that they could not have more than two alcoholic drinks each because they were with a child, even though the child's mother was only drinking water, took their complaint to the BBC.

Wetherspoons remains astounded at the interest the policy has generated with its spokesman claiming to have taken over 50 calls during the course of the morning. As Caterer editor Mark Lewis rightly points out there is a debate to be had about both responsible drinking and children in pubs. It is a shame the BBC has not put the new in news to start this debate.

Jamie Oliver has made sure Channel 4 gets some free publicity for the beginning of its Food Season, starting tonight at 9pm, by lambasting Sainsbury’s - the company that pays him £1.2m a year to front its food campaigns.

Oliver laid into his golden goose, after the supermarket avoided taking part in a public debate about the welfare of battery farmed chickens, despite being asked by Oliver himself.

The TV chef also asked bosses of the country’s other three main supermarkets, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons to take part. But they did not show up.

If you thought it was only weddings where people remarked “my, how much you’ve grown”, spare a thought for Chris Moore Domino’s new boss.

Moore, who succeeded Stephen Hemsely as chief executive of Domino’s UK and Ireland at the end of the previous calendar year, first joined the pizza brand as European marketing manager almost two decades ago.

At the time he was employed by Domino’s US and his area of coverage was all of Europe. Even so that accounted for just 37 stores back then compared to the UK & Ireland’s present day tally of 501 outlets.

With another record breaking year behind it and some £3.5m of marketing money aside for 2008, it looks like this particular success story has some way to run yet.

This ain’t no job advert site. But every now and then you get such an affinity for a restaurant that when they need a hand in maintaining their standards, you’re more than willing to help.

The restaurant in question is Rochelle Canteen, the bijou gem hidden away in the Rochelle School, just off London’s Arnold Circus. Run by Melanie Arnold and Margot Henderson, wife to Feargus of St John’s fame, it’s officially the canteen to the artists of the A Foundation now resident in the former school. Turning out delicious, simple, St John’s-style food to the 40 covers in the tiny, sparse, French window-fronted dining hall on site, it’s the perfect place to wile-away an afternoon.

Over the past two years, amongst other acclaim, Fay Maschler has featured it in her pick of restaurants for 2006 and Mark Hix tipped Margot “as the chef to watch” for 2007.

But head chef Kevin McFadden, formerly a junior sous chef at St John’s Bread and Wine, has left for a spot of travelling in South America and Margot is desperate for a talented replacement. “Head Chef experience is not necessary, more important is a passion for food and organising”. So if you think of you can handle the task of running a small seasonal, British restaurant, why not get in touch.

Read on for Margot’s full advert and for details of how to get in touch.

Two British adventurers appear to have found the perfect way to fulfill the familiar New Year's Resolution to eat more healthily - while protecting the environment at the same time.

Rather than chomping through endless boxes of Christmas treats, the duo have managed to convert waste chocolate into biodiesel for a 2,600 mile road trip from Poole to Mali in West Africa.

Andy Pag, 34, and John Grimshaw, 39, used the chocolate biodiesel to fuel a Ford Iveco Cargo lorry and Land Cruisers for the lengthy trip, reported The Sun.

Pag said: "We wanted to do a trip that wouldn't have a detrimental effect on the environment."

But the pair haven't stopped there. They next plan to fly to China in a plane powered entirely by rubbish...

Operators looking to offer a distinctive cocktail this Valentine's Day need look no further than the Amarula Amoré.

Amarula Amoré is a blend of Amarula Cream, Disaronno Amaretto, milk and ice.

Amarula Cream, Africa's cream liqueur, is created from the fruit of the Marula Tree - known amongst tribes as The Marriage Tree for its aphrodisiac properties. Many marriage ceremonies are still carried out beneath the Marula Tree.

A nice romantic story to tell your guests.

Those interested in something a little more valuable should refer back to our story on London club Movida's Flawless cocktail, which contains a diamond ring and is sold for a mere £35,000.

My bank manager doesn’t agree but apparently as a nation thrift is in and the credit crunch has finally hit home.

Or has is?

There’s been a real mix of views coming out from operators in the last few weeks about whether we’re all reining in our spending and what if so it means for hospitality.

True Sports Café has had to go cap in hand to the bank after a bad Christmas but was hardly a business in rude health.

Frankie & Benny’s owner The Restaurant Group said like-for-like sales In the final quarter climbed just 1% but rival Tragus, which runs Café Rouge, delivered growth over Christmas of 4.5%.

After beginning the week with a high profile attack on the hand that fed him - namely Sainsbury's - Jamie Oliver has now issued a grovelling apology to the supermarket giant, claiming his comments had been taken out of context.

Oliver made front page news on Monday - which just happened to be the day that the Big Food Fight series began - when he criticised Sainsbury's for refusing to turn up to a public debate on chicken farming.

Given Oliver's £1.2m contract to front Sainsbury's ad campaigns, this was understandably gobbled up by the Daily Mirror and splashed on the front.

As a proud Yorkshire-man I can't help but take a little joy from the story that emerged today where 105 pubs in North Yorkshire banned Prime Minister Gordon Brown from entering their boozers.

For a start it is just so obstinate - a word for which its dictionary definition: "characterized by inflexible persistence or an unyielding attitude" could equally apply to the dictionary definition of a Yorkshire-man.

Secondly it is just so pointless. STAND (Stopping Trouble And Night-Time Disorder), a Pubwatch initiative in Skipton and Craven, have barred the PM because the smoking ban has caused “disruption and discomfort for customers”.

“The members of STAND feel that the damage being done to trade and our businesses is unacceptable and the smoking ban goes against the spirit of free enterprise,” chairman John Garton said.

I'm sure the genius' behind groups like Freedom2Choose will be puffing on their ciggies with even greater joy at this two fingers up to the PM. One can't help but feel that instead of putting so much effort into moaning about something that has already gone and actually putting in some effort to make pubs a better place for staff and customers alike then the pub industry might not be facing such a bleak winter.

Still I wouldn't fancy sipping a pint with our PM in the same pub - it is a place to relax rather than get angry - so maybe there is some sense in this ban after all.

We all know the old saying: “Did you get out of the wrong side of bed this morning?” But now research by budget hotel chain Premier Inn suggests there’s more truth to it than you might have thought.

The group got a bunch of experts together, who discussed and researched getting out of bed in the mornings and came up with the following conclusion: when it comes to getting up, right is wrong and we should all aim to get out of the left side of our beds.

In this week’s Caterer and Hotelkeeper (17 January) we look at the thorny issue of staff poaching and find out if there is anything companies can do to prevent it.

Many hospitality companies are loath to invest in staff development because they think individuals will become more attractive to other companies who will start to circle like vultures and lure them away.

But holding back on staff development and having the attitude that you don’t want to invest in your staff for what could ultimately be someone else’s gain is a myopic one.

I thought my grub at London’s Souk Medina was good stuff but of course at that point I didn’t realise the chef’s special ingredient was mouse droppings.

Okay, I’m being facetious, but I did indeed eat out a couple of times at Souk Medina in Covent Garden before Christmas.

I really enjoyed its Moroccan style and relaxed vibe, although the authentically low furniture wasn’t the best for my lanky frame.

Hell I’d even planned to go back if ever my wife is let lose on the shops of the Seven Dials area again and I need a stiff drink.

But Westminster council has fined the restaurant’s owners £21,000 for breaching health and safety after a mouse infestation. Admittedly this was at the site’s sister restaurant Souk Bazaar but it makes you think and mostly those thoughts aren’t good (cheese anyone?).

I'm all for authenticity but doubt rodents poo is the thing to look for in a good North Aridcan eaterie.

Anyone else had a favoured restaurant ruined or summoned up the courage to return to somewhere they've had a bad experience?

Starbucks fined £12,000 after mice infestation>>

With the refuse crisis in Naples forcing residents to burn rubbish, Michelin starred chef Giorgio Locatelli has caused a stink of his own by suggesting the released chemicals are ending up in the food chain.

Locatelli believes local milk and buffalo mozzarella is tainted and said he certainly wouldn't feed the produce to his children. For more, click on the the blog entry below.

Like some chemicals with your mozzarella? in full>>

Made in Italy: Giorgio Locatelli recipes>>

The three emergency services have a fourth contender: The Chocolate Pharmacy.

Chocoholics can rest assured that they never need to go without that all-important chocolate fix again thanks to this latest product to hit the confectionary market.

The Chocolate Pharmacy is the creation of Somerset company Chocolate on Chocolate and includes emergency items such as chocolate thermometers, plasters, pills and even seven day prescriptions for particularly "severe cases".

Chief chocolatier Nurse Flo Dunlop explained: "We have introduced this new range due to demand from chocoholics all over the country for an exciting selection of high quality chocolates."

Adding a touch of romance to this year's Hotelympia will be Kent-based company Hanky Panky Hampers.

Fellow artists Angela Molloy and Cathy Tutton will be introducing their selection of luxury naughty hampers for hotels, wedding venues and corporate events.

Hoteliers can treat their guests to a whole range of naughty surprises from bath melts, chocolates, massage oil and candles to pure silk blindfolds and even a Naughty Bag containing a "Top Cat Rabbit style Vibrator".

All gifts are packaged in decorative presentation boxes which can be tailored to individual tastes. Visit Hanky Panky Hampers at stand S3016 in the Bathroom and Spa area of the show.

Tickets to Hotelympia cost £30 but you can book a free ticket by pre-registering online for the UK's premier hospitality and foodservice event, taking place from Sunday 17- Thursday 21 February 2008 at ExCeL, London.

Attending Hotelympia next month? Don’t miss out on the only evening networking opportunity.

Caterer and Hotelkeeper’s Best Places to Work in Hospitality Awards 2008, sponsored by Corecruitment, take place on 18 February.

The awards ceremony, now in its third year, will be held at the stylish Prince Consort Rooms at the Honourable Artillery Company, one of the City of London’s most historic and exclusive event venues.

Regarded by previous winners as ‘one of the most worthwhile awards in our industry’ a Best Places to Work in Hospitality award is fast becoming recognised for helping companies recruitment and retain staff when building a reputation and status as an employer of choice is becoming ever more critical.

“Wake up call sir?”
“7.45 please.”
“Newspaper?”
“The Independent will do nicely thank you.”
“Hot bath?”
“I beg your pardon?”

Yes it’s true, guests can now order their bath to be filled to their desired level and temperature so it’s ready to climb into immediately they step out of bed, thanks to bathomatic.

Developed by Unique Automation, it’s a digital bath filler that fills the bath at the touch of a button. It can be operated by guests themselves from a wall-mounted touch-screen pad but the really clever bit is the ability to activate it from other locations via an automation system or PC.

... or how hedging matters to 42,000 hospitality employees. While it is not Caterer's role to explain complex financial instruments it is often inescapable that money makes the world go round as executives at M&B discovered today.

Anyone who has been through the doors of a casino has done it: bet the house on black and its comes up red. If you're lucky you've lost £20. If your name is Karim Naffah, and you were chief financial officer at Britain's largest pub company by turnover, you've lost £274m and your job.

It all goes back to that pesky Robert Tchenguiz, the investor who attempted to buy M&B back in 2006 and still holds a 22% share. He approached M&B in June when he held a 14% stake about a sale and lease back deal for a large chunk of the 2,000 properties the pub operator owns.

The deal all went wrong when the phrase "credit crunch" entered the national vocabulary and made it harder for businesses to raise cash. In what must be the biggest mistake of the combined careers of the M&B board the company took out a hedge: an investment that is taken out specifically to reduce or cancel out the risk in another investment (in this case the aborted property deal).

Just when you thought you knew all there was to know about spa treatments, International Spa Supplies is launching Spa Capsules at Hotelympia.

The space-saving capsules enable therapists to offer a multitude of treatments in one human sized cocoon while the client remains relaxed in one location.

Available in standard and deluxe versions, the capsules offer a handy solution for hotels without the space or budget to offer a full spa experience facility.

Admittedly these capsules might not appeal to guests suffering with claustrophobia but for the vast majority they won't fail to impress with their range of gadgety functions.

Features include infra red therapy, 14 Vichy shower heads, a cooling face breeze, aromatherapy reservoir, music facility and even a built in TV screen.

Don't miss your chance to view the Spa Capsules first hand at this year's Hotelympia.

Tickets to Hotelympia cost £30 but you can book a free ticket by pre-registering online for the UK's premier hospitality and foodservice event, taking place from Sunday 17- Thursday 21 February 2008 at ExCeL, London.

Every year, just before Christmas, rumours start circling about the potential winners and losers of the forthcoming Michelin guide.

Caterer adds to the speculation by running it’s annual predictions articles in the magazine and online, and this, in turn, is joined by various food columnists who throw in their two penneth.

About a week before the guide publishes, the speculation becomes more serious and the authenticity of such information is analysed, scrutinised and commented upon. This year, one source had either received some leaked information or was, rather amazingly, right on the money - there would be no two- or three-star restaurants awarded in Britain and Ireland in 2008.

The news was met was disappointment in the industry, as one Caterer reader told me this week: “I’m sure the cooking in Tokyo is wonderful but how can Michelin justify giving it eight three-star ratings compared to London’s one! It’s beyond belief, as Michael Winner would say.”

Speaking to the guide’s editor Derek Bulmer last week as part of our news coverage, it’s clear there is no hidden agenda at Michelin Towers. Stars are awarded on merit. Apart from the current holders of three stars in Britain - Gordon Ramsay, the Fat Duck and the Waterside Inn - no-one else, or no restaurant rather, deserves them. Currently.