Fine Dining

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.

Pub groups criticised over “dangerous” salt usage

18-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Wetherspoons, Punch Taverns and Hungry Horse Pubs have been criticised for using too much salt in their pie dishes, after research revealed levels exceeded the recommended daily allowance.

Corinthia London opens in Victorian-era luxury hotel

18-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The international family-owned hotel brand Corinthia will next month open its first UK site in a historic building that was last used as a hotel before World War II.

Predictions for next generation of celebrity chefs

18-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Jason Atherton, Nathan Outlaw and Tommi Miers are amongst the chefs most likely to become the next big celebrity chefs, predicts the retail sector’s leading publication, The Grocer.

Accor to open first MGallery luxury hotel in UK

17-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Accor is to launch its first upscale MGallery hotel in the UK following the refurbishment of London’s St. Ermins hotel under new owners.

Whitbread: Why eco-friendly hotels are good for business

17-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Whitbread has invested millions of pounds into developing a strategy that will safeguard its hotels and restaurants against rising energy costs and discerning consumers in the future.

Hilton to open two hotels in FA’s new National Football Centre

16-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Hilton Worldwide has secured sites for two hotels in the Football Association’s new National Football Centre, which is currently under construction in Burton on Trent.

Noma fails to get third Michelin star in Cities of Europe Guide

16-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Rene Redzepi’s Danish restaurant Noma has failed to acquire a third Michelin star in the latest Michelin Guide to the Main Cities of Europe.

Construction begins on new Liverpool Holiday Inn Express

16-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Holiday Inn Express is taking on a new hotel in Liverpool, with refurbishment now underway on a 56-bedroom historic hotel near the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

Whitbread considers scrapping baths at Premier Inn

15-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Whitbread is considering plans to scrap baths at new Premier Inn sites, in a bid to conserve water and improve its carbon footprint.

Restaurants and pubs back Responsibility Deal

15-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Department of Health has published full details of its Responsibility Deal, as well as a list of 170 companies and organisations that have already pledged their support on measures to help tackle poor diets and alcohol misuse.

Pubs and restaurants report rise in February sales

15-Mar-2011 By Mark Wingett

Pub and restaurant groups reported a rise in like-for-like sales in February against a strong comparative period in 2010, helped by a month of fair weather and families eating out during half term.

Savoy Educational Trust pumps funds into hospitality training

15-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Savoy Educational Trust has pumped almost £60k into education and training initiatives in the UK hospitality sector with the aim of boosting college efforts in the face of university budget cuts.

Novus completes Balls Brothers acquisition

15-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Restaurant and bar operator Novus Leisure has acquired Balls Brothers and Lewis & Clarke out of administration.

Women 1st reveals Shine Awards shortlist

14-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Women 1st has announced the shortlist for its 2011 Shine Awards, which recognise the success of women in the hospitality industry.

Service standards: A day at Galvin at Windows

14-Mar-2011 By Stefan Chomka

Restaurant magazine’s Stefan Chomka joins the front-of-house team at Galvin at Windows for a glimpse into the service secrets of the Michelin-starred restaurant.

Roux Scholarship 2011: finalists announced

14-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Six finalists have been announced for this year’s Roux Scholarship, narrowed down from the 18 regional finalists that competed in week’s regional heats.

Chain hotel market stabilises, boosted by budget demand

14-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Accor hotel group is by far the market leader in the European chain hotel sector, although Carlson was the chain to see most growth over the past year, according to the latest data from MKG Hospitality.

Waldorf Astoria launches second UK hotel London Syon Park

14-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Hilton’s London Syon Park Hotel, the second Waldorf Astoria property in the UK, has now opened in West London.

Pearls of Wisdom: Charlie McVeigh

11-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

The founder of pub group The Draft House is on his way to opening his fourth pub in under two years. He is also co-owner of high end Notting Hill restaurant Le Café Anglais.

UK hotels reveal trends to beat competition in 2011

11-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Most UK hoteliers don’t plan to increase room rates in 2011, but a more competitive landscape is prompting them to invest in renovation, mobile marketing and social media, according to a new survey by TripAdvisor.

Sapphire afternoon tea at Hilton Park Lane and Memorabilia swap shop at Renaissance Pubs

11-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotel including Hilton Park Lane and Renaissance Pubs, tell us what promotions they’re running alongside the Royal Wedding hype.

Great British Pub Food Awards winners announced

11-Mar-2011 By Jo Bruce

Paul Salisbury, the managing director of gastropub operator Lovely Pubs has won the Great British Pub Food Awards' 2011 Special Achievement Award.

Hospitality sector welcomes interest rate decision

10-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Bank of England is holding its interest rate at the record low of 0.5 per cent, a decision that allows the UK’s restaurant, pub and hotel sector more time to recover from a hit to consumer spending.

Graduate interest in hospitality jobs soars following Michel Roux’s Service

10-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

TV show Michel Roux’s Service may have inspired a growth in student and graduate interest in hospitality jobs of almost 200 per cent, signalling a shift in the perception of the industry as a worthwhile career route.

The Restaurant Group plans more expansion after strong 2010

10-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Restaurant Group, the operator behind Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito and Garfunkel’s, has shown a strong start to 2001 with a double digit increase in profits compared to last year.

Giraffe and Apostrophe open in Gatwick

10-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The restaurant chain Giraffe and the patisserie-café Apostrophe both opened new sites in Gatwick Airport this week as part of the airport’s strategy to attract travellers to a modernized food and drink offering.

London hotels more popular than New York and Paris

09-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Hotels in London boasted the third highest occupancy levels in the world last year, finishing ahead of those in Hong Kong, New York and Paris.

Ryan Murphy to leave head chef position at The Savoy

09-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Ryan Murphy, the head chef at The Savoy Hotel’s River Restaurant, is to leave his position at the end of April for a position in the countryside, in a bid to attain a Michelin star.

Sustainable fish to be focus of Dorset Seafood Festival

09-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Sustainable fishing will be the key focus this year at the Dorset Seafood Festival, in an effort to promote education on the use of less well known species of fish.

DoubleTree by Hilton opens in London’s West End

08-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

DoubleTree by Hilton has unveiled the latest UK addition to its brand, with the completion this month of its London West End site.

Beverage awards to recognise coffee quality

08-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Beverage Standards Association (BSA) is launching a new set of awards that aim to recognise high standards in the preparation and service of hot drinks.

Scottish restaurants lead list of top diner-rated venues

08-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Scottish restaurants Restaurant Martin Wishart and Piccolo Mondo have led a list of the UK’s Top 100 restaurants, based on the ratings of Toptable users.

Service standards: Why is British service so poor?

07-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Britain may be the second most popular country in the world, according to the recent BBC World Service Country Rating Poll, but when it comes to delivering a warm, hospitable welcome, we rank just 14th.

Restaurants and pubs invest in gaining market share, finds survey

07-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Leading casual dining and pub brands plan to invest more in marketing, branding and customer feedback in an effort to gain market share in 2011, reveals a survey of top CEOs in the sector.

ASK THE EXPERTS

Health & safety tips for kitchen refurbishment

07-Mar-2011

BigHospitality shares top tips from Mark Harrington, CEO at health and safety consultants Check Safety First, on what you should keep in mind when refurbishing your kitchen so you tick all health and safety boxes.

Hotels sought for new Channel 4 documentary series

07-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Channel 4 is preparing to launch a new television series that will reveal the life inside some of the UK’s hotels through an observational documentary approach.

Mayfair’s Tamarind to launch sister restaurant at Newport Beach, California

07-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

The owners of Mayfair’s Michelin-starred Tamarind restaurant are to open a second venue in California’s Newport Beach this summer, named Tamarind of London.

Government’s Tourism Strategy criticised for shortsightedness

04-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

The Government’s Tourism Strategy has been welcomed by the hospitality industry, but criticised for leaving too much to the private sector and for failing to detail how its recommendations will be realised.

Lonely Planet at Tampopo and Infiniti cars at Vineyard at Stockcross

04-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels, including Tampopo and The Vineyard at Stockcross, tell us what promotions they’re running to attract customers.

Career Profile: Ashraf Saleh

04-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Ashraf Saleh’s career began at eight years old stock taking for his family’s restaurant in Egypt. He is now head sommelier at Galvin at Windows and has aspirations of leading his own restaurant and hotel empire.

Jamie’s Italian’s Blagden claims top award

04-Mar-2011 By Mark Wingett

Simon Blagden, the man who has led the roll out of the Jamie’s Italian chain, has been singled out by his peers as the stand-out individual in the eating-out and drinking-out market.

Tourism Strategy to create “UK Day” and cut red tape

04-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

The Government has suggested moving the May Day Bank Holiday to create a new national “UK Day” and erecting a red tape task force as part of its long-awaited Tourism Strategy, published today.

Top restaurant operators reveal their service secrets

04-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Diners are becoming ever more scrutinizing when it comes to service, and less inclined to let a bad restaurant experience slide.

Living Ventures boss to unveil new businesses this year

03-Mar-2011 By Mark Wingett

Tim Bacon, the entrepreneur behind Living Ventures, will open four new businesses in 2011, including a coffee deli concept in Manchester and second sites for his Red Door and Alchemist formats.

Fast food gains market share from traditional restaurants, finds report

03-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The restaurant sector is showing some signs of recovery, although full service restaurants continue to suffer in favour of fast food options, finds a new study.

Mango Tree to open Thai fast food site in Harrods

03-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Thai restaurant Mango Tree will be opening a fast food-style branch in the food hall of Harrods department store in London, BigHospitality can reveal.

Mercure signs three-property franchise deal with London Town Hotel Group

03-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Accor hotels has signed a franchise agreement with London Town Hotel Group to operate three of its properties under the Mercure brand.

Boutique hotel opens in Northern Ireland’s Portrush

02-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A new 'boutique' style hotel will open its doors in Northern Ireland’s Portrush, following a £4m refurbishment completed this month.

Hotel room rates push up yield, PKF data confirms

02-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

An increase in hotel room rate has held up performance in the sector, according to the latest market data from PKF.