The Editor's Hospitality Blog

I visited Gerard Basset's New Forest hotel, Hotel Terravina, last month. It's a lovely place, the decor all pastoral greens and moody shots of the countryside. Over lunch on the hotel's sun-kissed terrace, our conversation turned to wine - a subject Gerard knows a thing or two about, having co-founded the Hotel du Vin group and being a Master Sommelier, Master of Wine and wine MBA.

I asked Gerard what he would choose for his last glass of wine before dying. Quick as a flash, he opted for a Burgundy wine called Romanée-Conti - a Grand Cru from the village of Vosne-Romanée.

What would you choose for your final tipple before you shuffle off this mortal coil?

And what meal would you drink it with? let me know.

I'm off to the Taste of London event in Regent's Park this evening. the event organisers are promising Michelin stars aplenty, and this set me thinking about what kind of a person it takes to achieve Michelin success like Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, Heston Blumenthal or Marcus Wareing. A little sleuthing revealed that Caterer conducted some research into this very subject, a few years back, which makes enlightening reading.

According to this research, the typical Michelin starred chef:  

• is 39 years old
• is an Aries or Taurus (either they love a challenge, and are hugely charismatic; or you are a control freak, practical and methodical) 
• is married with children
• loves eating out and cooking (no surprise!), as well as wine and golf
• entered the industry at the age of sixteen
• have received formal training as a chef, most likely at Westminster Kingsway College, followed by building experience at either Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons or the Dorchester Hotel
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• Ranges
• Ranges, Bespoke
• Induction Equipment
• Steam Cooking Equipment
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• Training
• Courses
• Coffee Barista Training
• Training, Food Safety
• Disability Discrimination Awareness (DDA) Training

Of course, there is also the small matter of being able to cook like an angel ...

Do you fit the profile of a Michelin-starred chef? Or have you won Michelin stars without conforming to any of these details? let us know.

Three cheers for Michael Quinn, the man behind the Ark Foundation and joint winner, with his Ark colleague Peter Kaye, of the 2007 Cateys Special Award. Not content with raising awareness around the UK hospitality industry of the dangers of alcohol dependency and other drug misuse, Quinn has now taken his message global.

Michael is currently in Australia, touring colleges and spreading the Ark message. Check out this radio interview he recently conducted with Australia's ABC Radio.

Just a quick post to say well done to the deserved winners of the British Hospitality Association's (BHA) awards, which were announced at the industry trade body's annual luncheon yesterday.

Catey winning Baxterstorey won the training award for its Chef Academy, and fellow contract caterer Sodexo won the environment award (group) for "green" best practice throughout its organisation.

Pub company Orchid won the large business food category and Lakeside hotel in Cumbria the small business food catergory.

Well done Milsom Hotels for picking up the tourism award and also Acorn House, a former Caterer Green Month star, for nabbing the environment award (independent).

The CBI's Richard Lambert was certainly straight-talking in his views of what the Government should and shouldn't be doing to aid the hospitality industry as we move into potentially tougher economic times. BHA chief executive Bob Cotton's comments on food inflation are well worth reading also.

Don't forget our dedicated food inflation page on the website. Its chock-full of the latest news, features and reports on rising food costs, including tips on how to mitigate the punishing price rises caterers have seen recently.

The latest post on the Isle of Eriska Hotel's blog tracks a worrying trend. A guest living in the south of England has cancelled their trip to the Scottish island hotel this summer on the basis that the resulting petrol bill will be too hefty.

Cleverly, the hotel has turned lost custom into marketing opportunity by introducing a summer accommodation offer that swallows the cost of guests' petrol for the last 100 miles of their journey up to Eriska.

Are you beginning to see tangible signs of a downturn? And have you hatched any clever ideas to maintain customer numbers? Let us know.