Opinion

Comment: Are you ready to get personal?

28-Mar-2022 By Olivia Fitzgerald

Personalisation has been shown to be a valuable revenue booster, but are hospitality businesses making the most of the opportunity?

Corbin & King, Five Guys and KFC at MCA’s Restaurant Conference

07-Oct-2021 By BigHospitality

Corbin & King CEO Jeremy King, KFC’s UK & Ireland MD Paula Mackenzie, and Five Guys CEO John Eckbert and are just some of the big-name speakers on the line-up at MCA’s Restaurant Conference next month.

Taking the arbitrary out of arbitration

27-Aug-2021 By Duncan Lillie

Arbitration between landlords and tenants might offer finality, but agreeing terms for the repayment of rental arrears before it gets to this is in everybody’s interest.

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New London developments are a capital idea

12-Jul-2021 By Nick Weir

London developers are giving millennials a new choice of affordable areas to live, work and play - and fresh opportunities for hospitality as a result.

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The West End is still where it’s at

24-Jun-2021 By BigHospitality

Substantial financial resource is making London’s West End more exciting than ever before.

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A settled hospitality sector is long overdue

24-May-2021 By Ted Schama

As hospitality venues begin to reopen, I can't wait for things to return to something much closer to the normal we once all took for granted.

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Service included - calling time on tipping

15-Apr-2021 By Ed Thaw

A well-run TRONC scheme might seem the most equable way to run a business, but there’s still too much grey and too much scope for abuse.

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Scrapping service charge? Be careful what you wish for

09-Apr-2021 By Peter Davies

Abolishing service charge and tronc might seem like a step in the right direction, but it’s a costly one-way street for hospitality operators.

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Comment - The Budget provides much-needed relief, but what good is it without a rent solution?

05-Mar-2021 By James McAllister

Sunak’s Budget delivered the some desperately needed support for hospitality this week, but without a solution to the sector’s growing rent debt, businesses remain on a cliff edge.

VIEWPOINT

Goodwood Estate's Darron Bunn on why hospitality businesses have a duty to invest in future talent

23-Sep-2016 By Emma Eversham

Darron Bunn has racked up more than 20 years' as a chef, working with Marco Pierre White and Nico Ladenis before running gastropubs, leading brigades at five-star hotels and more. As group executive chef at Goodwood Estate he oversees all food operations,...

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The Chestnut Group's Philip Turner on creating a business from the customer's perspective

03-Jun-2016 By Emma Eversham

Philip Turner worked in banking before taking the leap into hospitality to open The Packhorse Inn near Newmarket in 2012. His company Chestnut Group, which refuses to define itself as a pub, restaurant or hotel, will grow to at least four sites by the...

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Harry Cragoe of The Gallivant on why banning tips is good for business

22-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

Harry Cragoe, owner of The Gallivant restaurant with rooms in Camber, pays all his staff a minimum of £9 per hour and has launched the #toohiptotip campaign to ban service charges in restaurants. He believes more hospitality businesses need to use a similar...

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Edmund Inkin of Eatdrinksleep on why hotels don't always need to invest in the latest technology

12-Feb-2016 By Emma Eversham

Edmund Inkin is joint owner of Eatdrinksleep, the company behind the Felin Fach Griffin near Brecon and The Gurnard's Head and The Old Coastguard in Cornwall where technology takes a back-seat. He explains why.

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Chris Knights of Young's Pubs on the importance of developing pub chefs

29-Jan-2016 By Emma Eversham

Chris Knights, group executive chef at Young's Pubs and Geronimo Inns, launched Young's Chef Academy last year. He feels strongly that developing and recognising chefs within the company will help address the skills shortage and retention. 

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Brett Redman of Jidori on the Japanese cuisine explosion

17-Dec-2015 By Liam Garrahan

Brett Redman’s Japanese venture, Jidori, follows the trend set by its sister restaurants, Elliots and The Richmond, by being vastly different to each other, yet following the same principles of serving quality produce cooked over a wood or charcoal grill....

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Chef David Kelman of Ellenborough Park Hotel on why spending time out of the kitchen could help solve the chef shortage

27-Nov-2015 By Emma Eversham

Over the last few years David Kelman, executive head chef at Ellenborough Park hotel in Cheltenham has spent his spare time teaching secondary school pupils to cook and mentoring them for cooking competitions. He believes introducing students to cooking...

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Bedford Lodge hotel chief executive Noel Byrne on the benefits of hotels joining consortiums

13-Nov-2015 By Emma Eversham

Noel Byrne has been chief executive of Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa in Newmarket for the past 11 years. The hotel was recently accepted into the Pride of Britain Hotels consortium, a move Byrne is pleased with and proud of.  

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Keith Marsden on why all pubs should put experience before food and drink

16-Oct-2015 By Emma Eversham

Keith Marsden, winner of the BII Licensee of the Year 2015 award and owner of The Prince of Wales and the Dark Horse in Moseley talks about the benefit of winning awards and why it doesn't matter whether your pub is food or wet-led. 

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Chef Dave Pigram on integrating superfoods into menus

18-Sep-2015 By Emma Eversham

With superfoods predicted to be a growing trend for menus BigHospitality speaks to Dave Pigram, head chef at The Waterleaf Restaurant at Reynolds Retreat in Kent, about how he is using them in his menus and why they can be beneficial to health and business.

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Grace Wood of Barton Grange on why hotels should be adding events into their offering

21-Aug-2015 By Emma Eversham

Grace Wood, event manager at the 51-bedroom independently-owned Barton Grange Hotel in Preston, Lancashire, believes events can be big money-spinners for hotels and gives her top tips to running them. 

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King of #CookDaily on why vegan food is 'going to be massive'

09-Jul-2015 By Emma Eversham

Chef King Senathit has been serving his unique twist on vegan food from #CookDaily at Boxpark in Shoreditch since March and is on a mission to prove that vegan food doesn't have to be boring.

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Chef Kevin Tickle on why foraging is not a trend

26-Jun-2015 By Michelle Perrett

Former Rogan & Co head chef Kevin Tickle will head up the food offer at Forest Side hotel in Grasmere when it opens in September. Here he talks about his plans and why foraging, for him, is more than just a trend. 

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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...

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Ben Bengougam on Hilton Worldwide's careers programme and encouraging employee development

22-May-2015 By Sophie Witts

Ben Bengougam started his career washing pots in a hotel kitchen, now he is vice president of Human Resources at Hilton Worldwide. Following the launch of the company’s Youth in Hospitality month he spoke to BigHospitality about tackling the industry’s...

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Andrew Scott of Scott Hospitality Services gives his tips for success

08-May-2015 By Michelle Perrett

Andrew Scott of Scott Hospitality Services started working as a kitchen porter at the age of 13. Now, 27 years later he runs coffee shop brand Heaven Scent, Kinnairds restaurant at Knockhill Racing Circuit, a vending business, wedding company and an event...

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Paul Bayliss of Macdonald Hotels on how luxury hotels can survive the budget boom

24-Apr-2015 By Michelle Perrett

Paul Bayliss, the general manager of the Macdonald Manchester Hotel & Spa and Macdonald Manchester Townhouse and Chair of the Manchester Hotelier’s Association (MHA), talks about how the luxury hotel market can survive faced with such strong growth...

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Graham Long of The Chancery on the benefits of using seasonal produce

09-Apr-2015 By Michelle Perrett

Graham Long joined The Chancery in London last year as executive chef. After a two-year stint working in Hong Kong, where much of the produce is imported, Long became passionate about only using seasonal produce. 

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Bruno Zoccola of Valentina Fine Foods on why diversifying your business helps build success

13-Mar-2015 By Emma Eversham

Valentina Fine Foods opened its first site as a delicatessen in East Sheen in 1991 and is now operator of seven restaurants, delis and an online shop. Owner Bruno Zoccola talks about how adding to and adapting the business while staying true to its family-run...

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Simon Jenkins on how we can improve prospects for pastry and pastry chefs

27-Feb-2015 By Emma Eversham

Simon Jenkins is the group pastry chef at Marcus Wareing Restaurants. He talks to BigHospitality about why giving pastry chefs more recognition could help make it easier to recruit and retain people in this sector. 

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Debbie Taylor of Macdonald Hotels & Resorts on why there is finally optimism in the regional hotel market

13-Feb-2015 By Emma Eversham

Debbie Taylor, managing director for Manchester and the North West at Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, talks about the general optimism for regional hotels and why investing in them and their people can help with continual growth. 

Sandra Kelly of Whitbread on plugging the skills gap in hospitality

23-Jan-2015 By Emma Eversham

Sandra Kelly, head of education at Whitbread, suggests ways the hospitality sector can best address its skills shortage.

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Josh Wyatt on Generator and the transformation of hostels

09-Jan-2015 By Melodie Michel

Josh Wyatt is a partner at Patron Capital, Generator’s primary investor. He talks about innovations within the hostel world and how the sector is now the 'next major asset class in hospitality'.

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Even Frydenberg on Aloft and mid-scale hotels’ need for change

12-Dec-2014 By Melodie Michel

Even Frydenberg is senior vice president of operations for Western Europe and global initiatives at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. He talks to BigHospitality about the Aloft brand and how mid-scale hotels need to change to remain competitive.

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Graham Corfield on Just Eat and allergen labelling

27-Nov-2014 By Melodie Michel

Graham Corfield is the UK managing director of Just Eat. He tells BigHospitality what impact the upcoming allergen labelling regulations are having on restaurants.

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Frédéric Bau on why chefs should be more adventurous with chocolate

13-Nov-2014 By Carina Perkins

Pastry chef Frédéric Bau, principal founder of the Valrhona Chocolate School and author of Chocolate Fusion, recently hosted a five-course chocolate dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard. 

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Robert Crook on Interstate and the modern complexity of running a hotel

30-Oct-2014 By Melodie Michel

Robert Crook is the UK managing director of hotel management firm Interstate. He talks to BigHospitality about the state of the market and the similarities between running a hotel and making a cocktail. 

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Charles Scudamore on HCP and the UK hotel market

18-Sep-2014 By Carina Perkins

Charles Scudamore is the principal and founder of Hetherley Capital Partners (HCP), a specialist hotel real estate investment and asset management firm, based in London. He talks BigHospitality about the current state of the UK hotel investment market...

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Will Thompson on Vivo and the rise of all-day dining

05-Sep-2014 By Carina Perkins

Will Thompson opened Italian café and bar Vivo on Islington's Upper Street with his brother Ben. He talks to BigHospitality about Italian food culture, the rise of all-day dining in London, and how restaurants can benefit from a more casual approach.

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Eric Partaker on Chilango and spearheading a new funding route for SMEs

22-Aug-2014 By Melodie Michel

Eric Partaker is the co-founder of Chilango, the Mexican chain that has raised £1.8m via a mini-bond hosted on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. He talks to BigHospitality about the success of this initiative and why crowdfunding is a great alternative...

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Andy Mackenzie on the Exclusive Chefs' Academy and the challenge of staff retention

07-Aug-2014 By Carina Perkins

Exclusive Hotels and Venues recently launched its Chefs' Academy, which offers aspiring junior chefs a two-year programme of intensive training to pave the way for a successful career in the restaurant industry. Executive chef Andy MackKenzie, the...

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Ian Daniels on City Marque and the evolution of serviced apartments

24-Jul-2014 By Melodie Michel

Founded in 2009, City Marque now runs nearly 200 serviced apartments across the capital. The company started outsourcing some of its front office operations in the Philippines three year ago and now has 60 per cent of its 80-strong staff based in Manila....