Fine Dining

Livebookings partners with London Restaurant Festival

04-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

The London Restaurant Festival is set to return on 3 October following a new partnership with Livebookings, which is expected to extend the annual event’s marketing reach to more diners than ever.

Torridon hotel named Scottish Hotel of the Year 2011

01-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Torridon hotel in the western Highlands of Scotland has been named the Scottish Hotel of the Year 2011 in the Scottish Hotel Awards held earlier this week.

BHA, BBPA win legal battle against compulsory food hygiene displays

01-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Restaurants and pubs in London will not have to display compulsory food hygiene ratings after the trade groups BHA and BBPA won a legal battle against the proposal.

Drake & Morgan founder named Outstanding Entrepreneur 2011

01-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Jillian MacLean, managing director of the rapidly expanding bar-restaurant firm Drake & Morgan, was nominated Outstanding Entrepreneur of the year in Women 1st’s Shine Awards held last night.

Career Profile: Allan Pickett

01-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Once divided between cooking or gardening for a career, Allan Pickett, head chef of Plateau in Canary Wharf, has since retained a Michelin star, competed in international competitions and worked with the likes of Michel Roux, Chris and Jeff Galvin.

Thai New Year party at Mango Tree and water throwing at Street Thai

01-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including Mango Tree and Street Thai, tell us what they’re doing to attract customers this April.

Cadogan hotel sold; new owners plan upgrade

31-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Cadogan Hotel in London’s Knightsbridge has been purchased for £15.4m by the Cadogan family Estate, which plans to refurbish the site and open a new restaurant in the hotel.

Steven Doherty leaves cook school to focus on Lakes

31-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Chef Steven Doherty is to leave his position at the Cook School Scotland to focus on his business at Lakeland in Windermere, Cumbria.

UK hotel performance improved, but future uncertain

31-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

UK hotels saw a significant recovery in 2010 following a challenging environment the year before, but the road ahead remains uncertain, according to an annual hotelier survey from PKF.

Vertigo Lounge café bar to open in Hornchurch

30-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A new café bar concept, Vertigo Lounge, is to open in Hornchurch to target over 25 year-olds looking for a more ‘sophisticated’ social venue in the suburban northeast London town.

José Pizarro opens neighbourhood tapas bar near Borough market

30-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

José Pizarro, who co-founded Brindisa Tapas Kitchen, is planning to open his own tapas venue near London’s Borough market, which aims to become a neighbourhood restaurant.

London’s first Hampton by Hilton to launch in 2012

30-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

London’s first Hampton by Hilton is to open near Waterloo station, after Shiva Hotels acquired the adjacent Partnership House site for an undisclosed sum.

German Steigenberger hotel group eyes UK expansion

30-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The German hotel group Steigenberger is looking to expand its luxury and mid-market hotel brands into the UK as part of its wider international growth strategy.

Michelin-starred Martin Wishart to open Edinburgh brasserie, with plans to roll out

29-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Scottish Michelin-starred chef Martin Wishart is to open an informal brasserie in Edinburgh this summer, and plans to roll the concept out if successful.

World’s most ethical hotel companies named

29-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Hotel giants Marriott, Rezidor and Wyndham have been named the World’s Most Ethical Hotel companies by a leading international think-tank.

World’s 50 Best Restaurants launches inaugural Female Chef Award

29-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

The S.Pellegrino Worlds 50 Best Awards will this year see the launch of a brand new award category – the Veuve Cliquot World’s Best Female Chef Award.

Service Standards: How to give great hospitality service

28-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Improving your own service skills, as well as those of your staff, can make a noticeable difference in your business and the satisfaction of your customers.

Brian Turner to open Butlins restaurants

28-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Celebrity chef Brian Turner is to open his first restaurant in three years at Butlins in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, the first of three collaborative hotel restaurants planned for the group.

Jason Atherton hopes Pollen Street dessert bar will shine limelight on pastry chefs

28-Mar-2011 By Stefan Chomka

Jason Atherton is hoping to reignite the UK’s desire for desserts when he opens his much-anticipated debut solo venture Pollen Street Social in Mayfair this month.

ETM to open two pubs at London Montcalm Hotel

28-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Tom and Ed Martin, owners of the eight-strong ETM Group, are to open two new pubs this summer on the site of Montcalm Hotels’ new five star property in the City.

Prezzo, M&B and Compass big winners at Menu Innovation Awards

28-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Prezzo, Mitchells & Butlers and Compass’s Nick Vadis have all been named winners in the Menu Innovation Network’s annual Menu Innovation and Development Awards (MIDAS).

Food most disappointing budget hotel experience, finds survey

28-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

The food and drink operation at budget hotels has been named the biggest disappointment when it comes to meeting customer expectations, with many consumers believing it should meet the quality of a midmarket hotel.

Pearls of Wisdom: Mickael Weiss

25-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Mickael Weiss has been executive head chef at the City restaurant Coq d’Argent for a decade, after a career climbing the ranks in establishments like Le Gavroche, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, The Walnut Tree Inn and The Intercontinental.

Fat Duck sommelier named Young Sommelier of the Year 2011

25-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Sommeliers at that The Duck in Bray have scooped up the top three awards in the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’ National Young Sommelier of the Year competition, held this week.

Boutique pop-up at The Folly and groundbreaking Japanese guest at The Loft Project

25-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including The Folly and The Loft Project, tell us what promotions they’re running to attract guests.

Wagamama sale agreed, further expansion planned

25-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Lion Capital, owners of the fast-casual noodle chain Wagamama have agreed to sell the business to private equity group Duke Street.

BHA backs hoteliers after criticism of Olympics profiteering

25-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) yesterday refuted claims that the country’s hotels are profiteering by charging higher room rates during the Olympic Games.

Tom Aikens investment will expand Tom’s Kitchen brand

24-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens has secured investment from a Turkish restaurant group, which will help expand the Tom’s Kitchen restaurant brand in the UK.

UK hotels struggle through fourth annual decline in February

24-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

February has been the hardest month for business in hotels outside of London since the bout of bad weather in January last year, according to the latest data from HotStats.

London hotels rank 8th most expensive in the world

24-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

London hotel prices have increased by 7 per cent over the last year, making the capital the eighth most expensive city to stay in, finds a new study.

Free hotel service promises energy and water savings

24-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A new company launched this week is designed to help hoteliers improve water and energy efficiency, with the only payment required being a proportion of the hotel’s savings.

Marco Pierre White buys six rural inns

24-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Marco Pierre White has acquired the operator of six rural inns, the Maypole Group, after it fell into administration late last year.

Budget 2011: Impact on the hospitality industry

23-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Today’s budget has delivered good news for small businesses and lower level workers, but offers little hope for hospitality operators as a whole.

Bad restaurant service results in eat-and-run, finds survey

23-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Bad service in restaurants remains the biggest gripe for UK diners, but a new survey has revealed that it also leads many consumers to eat and run.

Budget: Beer duty to rise again, fuel duty falls

23-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

The price of a pint of beer is set to rise by 10p, after Chancellor George Osborne stuck to plans to increase duty to 7.5 per cent in today’s budget.

Pix pinxto bar to open in London’s West End

23-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The late night Spanish pinxto bar , Pix, is to open its third London site, located on the former site of a Korean restaurant in Soho.

VisitEngland guide highlights green hotels and restaurants

23-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

VisitEngland has launched a green map of London, which will guide tourists to hotels, restaurants, gastropubs and cafes that run their businesses along ethical lines.

EU rules zero VAT on take-away food

23-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A European ruling could mean that restaurants and pubs pay no VAT on take-away food and drink, and they could reclaim some of the tax paid over the past four years.

Fred Sirieix launches The Art of Service board game

23-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Fred Sirieix, general manager at Galvin at Windows, has designed a new board game to help restaurateurs and hoteliers train their staff to deliver the very best service.

Rasmus Kofoed: Business at Geranium has “exploded” since Bocuse d’Or

22-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Rasmus Kofoed, the Danish winner of the 2011 Bocuse d’Or and chef proprietor of Geranium in Copenhagen, has defied the odds and won a bronze, silver and now gold trophy in what is known as the Oscars of the culinary world.

Chaîne des Rôtisseurs names Young Chef of the Year 2011

22-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Garret Keown from The Bell Inn, Horndon on Hill, Essex, has been named the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Young Chef of the Year 2011 following a cook-off against seven other finalists last week.

Von Essen and Restaurant Associates appointments

22-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Von Essen appoints former Barcelo director Charles Prew as chief executive, while Compass appoints a new managing director for its Restaurant Associates arm.

InterContinental Hotel Group chief steps down

22-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The chief executive of InterContinental Hotels Group, Andrew Cosslett, is to step down at the end of June, to be succeeded by the group’s chief financial officer.

Restaurants launch Japan tsunami appeal

22-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Restaurants throughout the UK are launching initiatives to help raise money for Japan following the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country’s north-east region on 11 March.

Consumers distrust businesses’ green claims

21-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Only seven per cent of consumers trust companies’ claims to be actively reducing their carbon emissions, although more than half admit they would be more loyal to a brand if action was clearly demonstrated to them.

Service standards: How to raise the profile of front-of-house

21-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Michel Roux’s Service TV programme has put front-of-house on the map, but how can the hospitality sector sustain this momentum? BigHospitality takes a look at steps that can be taken to help raise the profile of a career in service.

Turtle Bay Caribbean restaurant concept eyes roll out

21-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Turtle Bay, the Caribbean restaurant concept founded by former Las Iguanas director Ajith Jaya-Wickrema, is set to expand to five sites by the end of the year.

ASK THE EXPERTS

How to best measure customer service

21-Mar-2011

Jules Murray, of sales and customer service consultants Spider on the Wall tells BigHospitality how restaurants, pubs and hotels can measure customer service in the most cost-effective and beneficial way.

Hospitality employers disliked and disrespected

21-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Hospitality employers have been criticised for the lack of support and motivation they lend to their staff, after research revealed over a third of restaurant, pub and hotel workers don’t respect or even like their manager.

Career Profile: Zack Saghir

18-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

The head sommelier of Roux at the Landau is best known for his 27-year service at The Savoy with restaurant manager Franco Becci, but after a 38-year career in hospitality is set to retire next year.