All news articles for December 2010

Pearls of Wisdom: Andrew Pern

Pearls of Wisdom: Andrew Pern

By Joe Lutrario

Yorkshire-born and bred, Pern won a Roux scholarship prior to opening The Star Inn at Harome in 1996, aged just 25. Currently the Morning Advertiser’s Gastropub of the Year, it has held a Michelin star for 10 years.

Battersea Power Station development is go

Battersea Power Station development is go

By Mark Stretton

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has given the green light to a new attempt to regenerate the capital’s Battersea Power Station, this time into a £5.5bn mixed-use development with homes, office space, hotels and restaurants.

Review of the Year 2010: The future

Review of the Year 2010: The future

By Becky Paskin

With 2010 almost over its time to look ahead to what the future brings. We’ve spoken to some of the industry’s key players to find out what they believe 2011 has in store for them and the industry, and look forward to the major openings hitting the UK.

Review of the Year 2010: Hotels

Review of the Year 2010: Hotels

By Becky Paskin

As 2010 draws to a close, we take a look back at how the hotel sector has evolved in the past 12 months.

Heathrow hotels

Heathrow hotels "cash in" on stranded passengers

By Becky Paskin

Hotels situated near London Heathrow have been accused of cashing in on the plight of thousands of stranded airline passengers by charging up to 300 per cent more for rooms than they would for next month.

Pubs advised to live life in the fast lane

Pubs advised to live life in the fast lane

By Joe Lutrario

Food-led pubs can learn vital lessons from the burgeoning fast-casual sector this year by concentrating on increasing their speed of service, research from retail consultancy him! has shown.

Review of the Year 2010: Pubs

Review of the Year 2010: Pubs

By Becky Paskin

As 2010 draws to a close, we take a look back at how the pub sector has evolved in the past 12 months.

After hours with... Sandeep Bhalla

After hours with... Sandeep Bhalla

The India-born director of food and beverage at The Berkeley in Knightsbridge has worked in some of the world’s top class hotels. In his current position he has overseen the transformation of Petrus into Marcus Wareing’s eponymous restaurant, and the...

Vongerichten to open Spice Market in London’s W Hotel

Vongerichten to open Spice Market in London’s W Hotel

By Lorraine Heller

Three Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten will be bringing his East Asian-inspired restaurant concept to the UK, where he plans to open Spice Market London in the new W Hotel early next year.

Pub and bar failures up

Pub and bar failures up

The number of pub and bar companies going bust is up nearly a third compared with last year, new research shows.

Linking food preparation to flavour is key, finds diner survey

Linking food preparation to flavour is key, finds diner survey

By Lorraine Heller

As we look to the dining trends that are likely to pick up in the new year, a recent survey of UK diners suggests that people are especially interested in discovering new flavours that are linked to the way food is prepared.

John Penrose: Bigging up the Bocuse d’Or

John Penrose: Bigging up the Bocuse d’Or

By John Penrose, Minister for Tourism

John Penrose, Minister for Tourism, believes cooking is Britain's secret "tourism weapon", and urges the whole country to back Simon Hulstone and his bid for the 2011 Bocuse d'Or trophy...

Business profile: Loungers

Business profile: Loungers

By Joe Lutrario

Helmed by Alex Reilley, Loungers is turning heads across the industry with its blend of homely surroundings, genuine all-day dining offer and cleverly located units.

Pub and restaurant sales slow as Christmas approaches

Pub and restaurant sales slow as Christmas approaches

By Lorraine Heller

Pub and restaurant operators will likely face a tough trading environment as we head towards Christmas, as analysts say the latest sector sales figures reveal a challenging time ahead.

BigHospitality changes face!

BigHospitality changes face!

BigHospitality, your one-stop-shop for all news and information on the UK’s hospitality scene, today unveils its brand new website, making it easier for users in the restaurant, hotel and pub industries to stay ahead of the game.

Pearls of Wisdom: James Gingell

Pearls of Wisdom: James Gingell

James Gingell is executive development chef at Italian restaurant group Piccolino. He heads up the kitchen teams in 22 sites, and plans to keep re-inventing the dishes and brand.

EcoPure Waters launches in-house water purification

EcoPure Waters launches in-house water purification

By Rachel Johnson

EcoPure Waters has launched a new purification system that will allow restaurants and cafes to serve pure filtered water straight out of the tap and into a refillable bottle for the customer's table.

Burger King launches UK dessert bar

Burger King launches UK dessert bar

By Mark Stretton

Burger King has opened its first UK dessert bar at London’s Westfield shopping centre, the fast food chain has announced.

Christmas party bookings rocket by 73 per cent

Christmas party bookings rocket by 73 per cent

By Rachel Johnson

Restaurants are seeing the renaissance of the office Christmas party, with dining out bookings up by 73 per cent on last year, an online reservations agency has said.

After hours with... Taskin Muzaffer

After hours with... Taskin Muzaffer

By Becky Paskin

Taskin Muzaffer, the operations manager at rapidly-expanding bar/ restaurant group Drake & Morgan, speaks of a fast-paced career progression, working abroad, and keeping a cool head.

Hospitality industry resilient to ‘arctic’ weather

Hospitality industry resilient to ‘arctic’ weather

By Becky Paskin & Lorraine Heller

The snow and ice affecting many parts of the UK does not seem to have severely affected the hospitality industry, with most restaurants, pubs and hotels continuing to trade as normal.

TV's Piers Morgan buys Kensington pub

TV's Piers Morgan buys Kensington pub

By Becky Paskin

Britain’s Got Talent host Piers Morgan has bought the leasehold interest in his local pub, The Hansom Cab, in Kensington, and has employed former La Trompette chef Ollie Couillard.