Fine Dining

SMALL TALK

John Metcalf of Strada on challenging customer perceptions of the chain

19-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Following its sale by Tragus Group to Sun Capital Partners in 2014 for £37m, the Strada restaurant group is looking to considerably up its game. John Metcalf, the brand’s new commercial director, spoke to BigHospitality about overhauling the menu and...

Hotel du Vin and Malmaison sold for £363m

18-Jun-2015 By Michelle Perrett

The Malmaison and Hotel du Vin chains have been sold by KSL Capital Partners to Frasers Hospitality UK Holdings for £363.4m.

Sir Ian Botham launches BEEFY'S restaurant chain

18-Jun-2015 By Michelle Perrett

Former England cricketer Sir Ian Botham is to roll out a new steakhouse and seafood concept called BEEFY'S after the launch of the first site at the Hilton Ageous Bowl in Southampton last week.

Flat Cap Hotels launches in the North of England

18-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

A new four-star independent boutique hotel brand has launched in the North West of England, with plans to open five sites by the end of 2018.

Hospitality career development app secures funding

18-Jun-2015 By Michelle Perrett

Rocco Forte Hotels has secured funding for a career development app called ‘Map My Future’.

Best Western adds first hotels to its Premier Collection

18-Jun-2015 By Michelle Perrett

The first UK hotels have joined the new BW Premier Collection just three months after the brand was launched by Best Western.

London Union to 'change capital's food landscape forever'

18-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

London Union, the new parent company of street food market Street Feast, officially launches today with the pledge of changing 'the capital's food landscape forever'.

Search for hotel developer for Redsands Forts

17-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

A hotel developer is being sought to turn seven WW2 forts in the Thames Estuary into a 44-bedroom hotel.

Ex-Gaucho chef to overhaul Beefeater's menu

17-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Steak specialist and former Gaucho head chef Paul Fletcher has been appointed by Whitbread to overhaul the food offering at Beefeater.

Former Ten Bells chef to open rooftop restaurant Brooksby's Walk

17-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Former Upstairs at The Ten Bells colleagues Giorgio Ravelli and Jarrod Cooke are opening a temporary rooftop bar and restaurant in Homerton on 2 July.

Beannchor plans £4m Belfast hotel

17-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

Northern Ireland based hospitality group Beannchor has announced plans to open a £4m 55-bedroom hotel in Belfast city centre.

What's on at Imbibe Live 2015

16-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

Imbibe Live, the annual exhibition for anyone who sources, buys or serves drinks in the licensed on-trade is back. Here's our round-up of what's on at this year's show.

TRENDS

Generation Y demands a marketing story

16-Jun-2015 By Ruth Williams

Sharing a brand story and telling customers why a product is special using imagery to create an emotional connection will increase sales and encourage brand loyalty.

Roti Chai owner to launch Chai Ki this month

16-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

Rohit Chugh, the owner of Indian street food concept Roti Chai, will fully launch his second concept - Chai Ki - in Canary Wharf this month.

Premier Inn expansion boosts Whitbread sales

16-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Whitbread has reported a strong first quarter of growth driven by the expansion of its Premier Inn brand.

Pop-up restaurant Oink to open in Shoreditch

16-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Porky pop-up Oink is launching a weekend residence on Shoreditch’s Commercial Street from 3 July.

Craft Guild of Chefs Awards 2015: The winners

16-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Sat Bains from two-Michelin starred Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms in Nottingham was awarded the top accolade at The Craft Guild of Chefs Awards held at the Hilton Park Lane in London last night (15 June).

Sales surge for pubs and restaurants driven by branded chain expansion

15-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

A boom in pub and restaurant operators opening new sites outside of London saw collective like-for-like sales across the sector grow 2.1 per cent in May against the same month last year.

Michelin chefs join forces to tackle skills shortages in ethnic restaurants

15-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Ethnic chefs are being offered the opportunity to learn from Michelin-starred names as part of a new skills-sharing initiative launching today (15 June).

Britannia Hotels acquire two further sites

15-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Cheshire-based Britannia Hotels has acquired two additional properties in Buxton and Hampshire, bringing its total hotel portfolio up to 49 sites.

Queen's Birthday Honours 2015: Who was awarded in hospitality?

15-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

Leon co-founders Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, Red Hot World Buffet director Helen Dhaliwal and the co-owners of The Riverside Restaurant in Dorset were among those awarded in the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2015.

Grind & Co launches crowdfunding drive to raise £1.5m towards expansion

15-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

London-based independent coffee and cocktail group Grind & Co has today (15 June) launched a CrowdCube campaign to raise £1.5m towards national expansion and allow the company to take control of its own supply chain.

Allergen laws: How technology can help businesses comply

15-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

BigHospitality takes a look at the back-of-house technology systems which can help in the compliance of allergen legislation.

In Operation with...CAU

15-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

In the first of our In Operation with... video series BigHospitality talks to Graham Hall, the managing director of CAU about the business, its aims and what helps to make it a success on a daily basis.

ASK THE EXPERTS

What to consider when joining an aggregator

15-Jun-2015 By Andrew Ball

Andrew Ball, head of hospitality at chartered accountants Haysmacintyre discusses what hospitality business owners should be considering when joining an aggregator.

Legacy Hotels expands UK portfolio

12-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Legacy Hotels & Resorts has acquired two Best Western properties and revealed plans to expand its UK portfolio.

Orient Chinese restaurant opening in Soho

12-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Chef and hospitality entrepreneur Patrick Cheung is opening an ‘authentic’ Chinese restaurant in Soho on 16 June.

Sat Bains opens new dining concept Nucleus

12-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Chef Sat Bains is today (12 June) opening Nucleus, a ‘restaurant within a restaurant’ at his two-Michelin starred flagship Nottingham venue.

VIEWPOINT

Ivo Stoyanov of Joel Robuchon on how restaurants can be more adventurous in their wine choices

12-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

Bulgarian-born Ivo Stoyanov is beverage manager and head sommelier at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in London where he has adopted an unconventional approach to the restaurant's wine selection. Here he talks about his choices and suggests how other...

Heritage Estates investing £1m in hotel refurbishment and staff recruitment

11-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Independent hotel group Heritage Estates is investing £1m over the next five years on an extensive refurbishment of Cockliffe Country House Hotel in Nottinghamshire.

Anna Hansen opening Modern Pantry Finsbury

11-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Anna Hansen MBE is opening a second Modern Pantry in Finsbury Square in July.

The Orchard Restaurant and Bar eyes expansion

11-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Former Claridge's chef Steven Mitchell has revealed plans to expand his Orchard Restaurant and Bar brand in the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire area.

Hotel trends: Demand for hourly micro-stays continues to rise

11-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Consumer demand for hourly daytime micro-stays in UK hotels is continuing to rise across the country, according to booking website dayuse-hotels.com.

People 1st supports hotel service standards following Hotels.info reports

11-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

People 1st has come out in support of service standards at hotels in London after they were slammed in reports by Hotels.info.

Restaurants and hotels must offer multi-platform online booking

10-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Hotel and restaurant brands must adapt their websites to work across multiple online platforms, according to new research from Google.

Young chef and landlord launches competition to encourage the next generation of talent

10-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

One of the youngest head chefs in the country is running a Masterchef-style competition to inspire catering students to follow in his footsteps.

Brew launches crowdfunding campaign to help put tea back on the high street

10-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

Tea concept Brew is launching a crowdfunding campaign to help it open its first permanent site and reclaim tea's place on the UK's high streets.

How to guarantee direct bookings through your hotel website

10-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

Including plenty of photos and displaying room rates in the right currency are some of the ways hoteliers can guarantee that guests book direct through their own websites rather than with OTAs.

Eating-out spend reaches 13 month high

09-Jun-2015 By Sophie Witts

Consumer spending on eating and drinking-out reached a record peak in May, according to the latest Barclaycard Consumer Spending report.

The Arora Group launches local recruitment initiative for InterContinental London - the O2

09-Jun-2015 By Emma Eversham

The Arora Group has partnered with Greenwich Council to launch a recruitment and apprenticeship campaign which is designed to encourage employment for its new hotel - InterContinental London - The O2 - from within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Bill Granger on why he wants to be seen as more than just a morning person

09-Jun-2015 By Joe Lutrario

Australian TV chef and food writer Bill Granger has achieved considerable fame with his intelligent yet laid-back approach to cooking and peerless breakfast dishes. But with an expanding international restaurant group he wants to be known for more than...

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