Fine Dining

Daniel Thwaites to launch new ‘character hotel’ chain

23-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Daniel Thwaites, the brewer and pub operator, will be creating a new chain of coaching inns and character hotels throughout the country.

Village London to open third venue in Fitzrovia

23-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Independent restaurant operator Village London is to open a third venue in the West End in April.

Iron Chef winner takes over Harvey Nichols Taste Lab space

22-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Franck Pontais, winner of Iron Chef UK 2010, is to launch a pop-up tasting bar at Harvey Nichols’ flagship store in Knightsbridge next month.

Loyalty cards go digital with Stampfeet smartphone app

22-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Restaurants, bars and coffee shops are trialling a new mobile loyalty scheme that allows customers to collect loyalty points on their smartphones, while businesses get a new way to communicate with their clients and detailed analytics on their loyalty...

Breakfast: Is it right for your restaurant?

22-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Some restaurant operators have been serving breakfast successfully for years, while others are only just beginning to understand the potential revenue stream afforded by the early morning mealtime.

Soho House goes west with Pizza East

21-Feb-2011 By Mark Wingett

Soho House Group, the bar, restaurant and private members club company owned by Richard Caring and headed by Nick Jones, has acquired a second site in London for its pizzeria concept, Pizza East.

Roux Scholarship 2011 regional finalists announced

21-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Eighteen finalists for this year’s Roux Scholarship have been announced and are now due to compete in regional heats in March, followed by the national final in April.

Travelodge reports “robust” performance

21-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Travelodge is on track to operate 1,100 hotels by 2025 after delivering a strong trading performance in 2010.

Quarter of UK hoteliers absorb VAT increase, finds survey

21-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A quarter of UK hoteliers have decided not to pass on the VAT increase to their customers, while another 27 per cent are only passing on portion of the rate hike, according to a new HotStats report.

Ask the Experts: Preparing for the 2012 Games Part II

21-Feb-2011

In the second part of this series on how the hospitality sector can prepare for the 2012 Games, Vince Fihosy, Director of London 2012 City Operations, tells BigHospitality readers about transport changes, engaging staff and preparing for special events.

Martin Blunos to open Cardiff restaurant with Crown and Thistle

21-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Celebrity chef Martin Blunos is to oversee the new restaurant at The Parc by Thistle in Cardiff, following a new partnership between the hotel and South Wales-based Crown Hotels and Restaurants.

Charity bike ride at Exclusive Hotels, and Gluten-free menus at Le Bistrot Pierre

18-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including Exclusive Hotels and Le Bistrot Pierre, tell us what promotions they’re running to attract customers.

Town & City invests in chef training schools

18-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Town & City Pub Company, operator of Yates’s and Slug and Lettuce, has launched its own chef schools to help chefs and kitchen managers improve their skills.

Career Profile: Morag Stark

18-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Morag Stark is the general manage of the MacDonald-owned Cardrona Hotel in Peebles, but had started her career in hospitality with the NHS, which gave her the basic skills she needed to succeed.

Wine drinkers spend more but go out less, finds research

17-Feb-2011

Restaurants are the most popular destination for British adult drinkers when they go out, according to new research by the Wilson Drinks Report (WDR).

Heston’s Mission Impossible TV series tackles NHS food

17-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A new TV series with Heston Blumenthal will see the Michelin-starred chef take on the kitchen dilemmas of the NHS, British Airways, the Royal Navy and Cineworld cinemas.

New campaign urges small firms to ‘Get Britain Trading’

17-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A new campaign is calling on small business owners to join forces and help revitalise the British economy by cutting through red tape and complex tax laws to make it easier for businesses to grow.

Mrs Paisley’s Lashings to feature at Real Food Festival 2011

17-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Mrs Paisley’s Lashings, the pop-up restaurant devised by chef Arthur Potts Dawson and environmentalist Jo Wood, will be appearing at this year’s Real Food Festival as it returns to Earls Court on 5-8 May 2011.

No hotel CSR could cost you business, say Considerate Hoteliers

16-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Hoteliers not thinking about social and environmental responsibility will likely face losing some business as the consumer and corporate market becomes increasingly more demanding in the field, says the Considerate Hoteliers Association.

Draft House and Bennett’s appointments

16-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Charlie McVeigh’s Draft House has appointed a new operations director to oversee its three existing venues in London and future openings.

Restaurants and pubs forced to close by Victoria redevelopment

16-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A project to redevelop the area around London’s Victoria Station will force a number of hospitality venues to close down as land is claimed for new developments.

Hartnett, Jones and Ibrahim lead in search for hospitality’s top women

15-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Chef Angela Hartnett, CH&Co founder Robyn Jones and BHA chief executive Ufi Ibrahim all stand to be voted amongst the hospitality industry’s most influential women through a new initiative launched by Women 1st.

ACA announces 2011 Excellence Awards semi-finalists

15-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

The Academy of Culinary Arts has announced the kitchen, pastry and service semi-finalists in its 2011 Annual Awards of Excellence.

Date set for S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2011

14-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

This year’s S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards are due to be announced on 18 April, marking the tenth year for the restaurant industry’s most influential awards.

Extended opening hours for Royal Wedding

14-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The government intends to grant extended opening hours to restaurants and pubs during the Royal Wedding, allowing venues in England and Wales to serve food and alcohol until 1am on the festive weekend.

Quarter of operators fail to upsell wines

14-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

A quarter of hospitality operators are missing out on potential revenue by failing to encourage their staff to upsell wines, research has found.

Silvena Rowe’s Mayfair restaurant to launch in April

14-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Silvena Rowe’s modern, Eastern Mediterranean restaurant Quince is to open at the May Fair Hotel in April, replacing the hotel’s existing dining offer Amba.

Ask the Experts: Preparing for the 2012 Games Part I

14-Feb-2011

The eyes of the world will be on the capital as London hosts global events in 2012 and in the run-up to the 2012 Games. Vince Fihosy, Director of London 2012 City Operations, tells BigHospitality readers how the hospitality sector should prepare for the...

London experiencing luxury hotel boom

11-Feb-2011 By Mark Stretton

London is experiencing a luxury hotel boom ahead of the Olympics, new research suggests.

Royal Wedding at Copthorne Hotel and anniversary celebrations at Cinnamon Club

11-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including Copthorne Hotel Merry-Hill Dudley and The Cinnamon Club, tell us what promotions they’re running to attract customers.

Pearls of Wisdom: Ronan Sayburn

11-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

The Master Sommelier has been Hotel du Vin’s director of wine for 15 months, and previously oversaw the wine offer at Gordon Ramsay Holdings for eight years. He recently appeared on Michel Roux’s Service programme for BBC2, and is now concentrating on...

Be wary of Olympics ‘displacement effect’, warns Minister

11-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Minister of Tourism John Penrose has warned the hospitality sector to be wary of a ‘displacement effect’ that could be caused by the Olympics, saying it is crucial to treat the event as the hors d’oeuvre rather than the main course if the UK is to...

Australian coffee house to open 50 venues in UK

11-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

The first of 50 planned Australian coffee houses has opened in Liverpool, as part of a £12.5m investment by Green Cauldron Coffee to break into the UK market.

Former Clapham House boss in new venture

10-Feb-2011 By Mark Stretton

David Page, the restaurant industry veteran and former chief executive of Pizza Express, has teamed up with Giuseppe Mascoli, the Italian chef behind the fledgling Franco Manca pizza chain.

The Grove joins Great Hotels of the World collection

10-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Grove hotel in Hertfordshire has joined the Great Hotels of the World collection, becoming part of a club of some of the world’s most luxurious brands.

VisitBritain forced to withdraw marketing from 14 countries

10-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

VisitBritain is withdrawing its marketing campaign from 14 countries and cutting 70 jobs in reaction to the Government spending cuts in October last year.

Alyn Williams leaves Marcus Wareing for own venture

10-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Alyn Williams, who has made his name holding top chef positions with Marcus Wareing and Gordon Ramsay, will now be branching off on his own in a new restaurant in London’s Westbury Hotel.

Banks pledge to increase lending to small businesses

10-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

The UK’s biggest banks have agreed to increase lending to SMEs by 15 per cent, as part of the government’s Project Merlin initiative.

Bistro du Vin to launch at old Eastside Inn site

09-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Hotel du Vin is to launch its first standalone Bistro du Vin concept on the former site of Bjorn van der Horst’s Eastside Inn in Clerkenwell in April.

Samosa café opens first site in Reading

09-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

An Indian couple have opened their first Samosa café in Reading, with the aim of bringing ‘authentic’ Indian street food to UK consumers throughout the day.

Ramada Encore to target Newcastle business guests

09-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Quay Hotels has started construction of a new Ramada Encore hotel in Newcastle-Gateshead, which is due to be completed in just over a year.

Malcolm John opens fifth restaurant in Putney

08-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Chef Malcom John will be opening his fifth restaurant at the end of next month, a 100-cover seafood and grill site located in London’s Putney.

How to use apprenticeships to drive hospitality business

08-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

People 1st has launched an apprenticeship strategy aimed at helping hospitality businesses meet their staff needs and improving the long-term performance of the sector.

Bruno Loubet plans to open second London restaurant

08-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Bruno Loubet has plans to open a second restaurant in London, and is currently looking for a site, BigHospitality can reveal.

The Playboy Club returns with executive chef Judy Joo

08-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

The Playboy Club, which left London’s Park Lane in 1981, is to return to Mayfair this summer with Iron Chef and Market Kitchen regular Judy Joo executive head chef.

Saturday Kitchen’s James Martin to open Leeds restaurant

08-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

BBC’s Saturday Kitchen host James Martin has announced he is to open his first UK restaurant in 10 years – within Alea Casino in Leeds.

Breakfast: Can you afford to miss out?

07-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Hotels have benefited from the breakfast opportunity for years, but with the economic downturn biting at the heels of many hospitality businesses, restaurant and pub operators are now waking up to the potential revenue provided by early morning service...

OpenTable partnership offers fine dining phone booking

07-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Tablebook.me, an outsourced reservations service, has joined forces with the booking website OpenTable to help fine dining restaurants maximise their customer service and fill more tables through telephone reservations.

Hotel managers face chop from UK immigration list

07-Feb-2011 By Chris Druce

The experts that advise the government on work-based immigration have called for hotel managers from outside the EU to be struck off the Tier-2 list.

ACF calls for entries to pastry competition

07-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Professional and trainee pastry chefs are being invited to enter a chocolate desert competition, which organisers ACF hope will raise the game of the sector in the culinary world.