The Caterer Blog

The Conservative candidate for London's mayor, Boris Johnson, got behind the bar of JD Wetherspoon pub the Furze Wren in Bexleyheath, south-east London, for a spot of unashamed publicity last week - while the combination of the Conservatives and Wetherspoon may be unpalatable for some which candidate will be the best for hospitality?

Ten candidates are running for London's mayor including Labour incumbent Ken Livingstone and the Liberal Democrat candidate Brian Paddick. It's a vital position for hospitality operators in London: being Mayor of London means you are responsible for economic development and wealth creation in the Capital. It will be a vital four years for all hospitality operators in the Capital as we run up to the Olympic Games in 2012. London is the economic heartbeat for hospitality in the UK and a vital employer of Londoners but yet none of the three main party candidates outline how they will help this industry grow in their manifestos.

One issue on the agenda will be the Living Wage. All hospitality employers know that National Minimum Wage is currently £5.53 per hour (rising to £5.73 in October) and sometimes some employees receive less than that. Current Mayor Livingstone has backed proposals for a London Living Wage of £7.20, reflecting the higher costs of living in the Capital, alongside Green Party candidate Sian Berry. If such a policy is introduced it will have a massive impact on both hospitality employers and the life of hospitality employees.

Caterer is looking into this issue closely. So visit Caterersearch regularly to keep up with all the mayoral election news that matters to you.

updated 10/04/08: I told you there would be developments. Suprisingly four candidates, including Livingstone, Johnson and Paddick, all promised last night to ensure that London's hotels and hospitality employers pay a Living Wage.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen has become an unofficial pollster for the London mayoral election after naming some of its burgers after the four leading candidates (Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick is pictured here in another bit of 'spontaneous' self promotion).

In the tradition of the red, blue and yellow fairy cakes sold during every general election GBK will call its own winner based on the sales of burgers in its Tower Place restaurant near London's City Hall.

The burgers are:

THE KEN BURGER
100% beef with salad, relish and a fresh chilli sauce
“Hot, fiery and a bit of a mouthful”

THE BORIS BURGER
100% beef with salad, relish and an aged Stilton dressing
“A bit cheesy with hidden depths, quite possibly a bit messy”

THE PADDICK BURGER
A fresh breast of chicken with salad, relish and a spicy satay sauce
“Golden, plucky, with a hint of spice”

THE BERRY BURGER
Puy lentils, green curry, potato, spring onion with salad and relish
“Good for you, with a bit of bite”

However such a competition puts this blogger in an ethical dilemma; does taste correspond with your political biases?

It's official. Boris Johnson has won the race to be mayor of London. But Caterersearch readers in London should not give up their chance to vote just yet. The Tory candidate has only won a poll of diners at Gourmet Burger Kitchen so the real politics remains tantalisingly up in the air.

The Conservative candidate - more famous for his floppy blond hair, inappropriate comments about Liverpool and surprise backing of a London-wide Living Wage for low-paid hospitality employees - took 48% of the GBK diners vote. Evidently the combination of beef and stilton was too much to resist - especially for this ravenous chap pictured.

Here are those all important results in full:

Boris Johnson – the Boris burger: 48%
100% beef with salad, relish and an aged Stilton dressing
“A bit cheesy with hidden depths, quite possibly a bit messy”

Ken Livingston – the Ken burger: 30%
100% beef with salad, relish and a fresh chilli sauce
“Hot, fiery and a bit of a mouthful”

Brian Paddick – the Paddick burger: 14%
A fresh breast of chicken with salad, relish and a spicy satay sauce
“Golden, plucky, with a hint of spice”

Sian Berry – the Berry burger: 8%
Puy lentils, green curry, potato, spring onion with salad and relish
“Good for you, with a bit of bite”

David Sykes, managing director of GBK, said: “Boris seems to have captured the imagination of the City boys and he’s won by a blond head. Let’s see if Ken can ketchup.”

Groan... stay tuned to Caterersearch tomorrow when the official result of today's vote is revealed and we tell you what it means for hospitality in the Capital.

Does a drink in a JD Wetherspoon pub lead to greatness?

Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin would contest it does, and has in the latest Wetherspoon News, the keenly-priced pub company's staff and customer newsletter.

In his chairman's message Martin points out that Boris Johnson, now London Mayor, popped in for a pint at the Wetherspoon owned Furze Wren in Bexleyheath just before his election success.

Coincidence? Martin doesn't think so.

While Martin's well publicised views on binge drinking being more a cultural failing than something to batter the pub trade with ring true, his assertion that Johnson should have taken a spot writing for Wetherspoon News rather than the Daily Telegraph to "reach a wider and, in my opinion, more discerning audience" is probably open to debate.

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