Fine Dining

Chef Simon Hopkinson to consult on new boutique hotel chain

22-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

A new chain of boutique hotels is set to launch in the UK next month, in collaboration with former Bibendum chef Simon Hopkinson

After Hours with… Matthew Tomkinson

22-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Matthew Tomkinson worked his way through the lowest to the highest kitchens, gaining a Roux scholarship and several Michelin stars along the way. Thirteen years after setting off on his culinary journeys, he is now head chef at the Montagu Arms in Beaulieu,...

People 1st looks for 100 most influential women in hospitality

22-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Women working in the hospitality sector could be recognised for their achievements in a new initiative by People 1st, which will next month start a search for the 100 most influential women in the industry

Extortionate Olympics hotel prices could damage sector in long-term

21-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Hotels are set to more than double their prices during the 2012 Olympic Games, but doing so could cause long-term damage to corporate business an expert has claimed

Stinchcombe strikes again at Young Chef Young Waiter

21-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Mark Stinchcombe, the inaugural Young National Chef of the Year, has now also been named as the winner of this year’s Young Chef Young Waiter competition alongside Ben Dantzic from Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles

Government spending cuts will hit hospitality, says expert

21-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Hotels are likely to be hard hit by the Government’s £80bn spending cuts announced yesterday, according to a hospitality expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), who predicts that tightened economies will have a knock-on effect on business travel

Anthony Demetre and Will Smith open Covent Garden brasserie

20-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

The duo behind the Michelin-starred Arbutus and Wild Honey this week opened a third restaurant in Covent Garden, described as an “informal, quality” French Brasserie

VisitBritain reviews operations to optimise Olympics tourism plan

20-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Following the £80bn worth of spending cuts announced by the Government today, national tourism agency VisitBritain will need to review its operations if its Olympic tourism strategy is to remain on track

London Restaurant Festival names best menus

19-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Dishoom, Juniper Dining, L’Anima and Bistro Bruno Loubet offered the Best Festival Menus during the London Restaurant Festival (LRF), which has drawn to a close this week

Chris Hutcheson resigns from Gordon Ramsay Holdings

19-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Gordon Ramsay Holdings’ chief executive Chris Hutcheson has resigned from his position at the restaurant group

Hospitality leaders back government spending cuts

19-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

The heads of pub, hotel and restaurant operators Whitbread and Fuller’s have joined leaders of some of the UK’s largest companies in a strong show of support for the government’s proposed spending cuts

Hotels’ double-digit growth won’t last, say experts

18-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Hotels across the UK delivered double-digit revPAR growth in the third quarter of the year, although experts warn the positive performance will not last into 2011

FSA’s food hygiene scheme should be compulsory, says government report

18-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Restaurants and food businesses across the UK may soon be faced with compulsory food hygiene rating, following recommendations from a government report that the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) scheme becomes mandatory

Pearls of Wisdom: Jun Tanaka

15-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

The Saturday Kitchen stalwart and head chef at Pearl Restaurant in London is near to finishing a month-long Street Kitchen tour with Mark Jankel, as part of the London Restaurant Festival

1985 prices at The Waterside Inn and The Good Food Guide dinners at Harvey Nichols

15-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants hotels and pubs, including The Waterside Inn and Fifth Floor Harvey Nichols tell us about the extra activities they're planning to attract customers

Business Profile: Drake & Morgan

15-Oct-2010 By William Drew

Inspirational and driven, entrepreneur Jillian MacLean is rapidly expanding her young company, Drake & Morgan, to be the envy of the bar-restaurant sector

Me Love Sushi opens third site at Imperial Wharf

15-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Me Love Sushi has opened its third restaurant in London, with plans to expand the brand with another two sites by the end of next year.

6,300 bars, pubs and restaurants to close by 2015

15-Oct-2010 By Martyn Leek

Two new studies released today have claimed that 6,300 pubs, bars and restaurants will fail by 2015 and that some 6,685 companies in the leisure sector are currently struggling with “significant or critical” financial problems of £57.5bn

Most small businesses doubt usefulness of social media

15-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

More than half of small businesses now use social media, although most of them doubt the value of networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

The Observer names The Kitchin as Best Restaurant 2010

15-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

The Kitchin in Edinburgh has been voted the Best Restaurant in the Observer Food Monthly Awards 2010

Bournemouth hotel could present redevelopment opportunity

14-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

A 102-bedroom hotel up for sale in Bournemouth could be operated in its current form or knocked down to make way for a purpose built hotel, according to the agency representing it

Three new sites let at Mermaid Quay on Cardiff waterfront

14-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Three new restaurant and bar sites have been let at Mermaid Quay on Cardiff’s waterfront as part of an asset management programme designed to accommodate new operators

Devon gastropub and Sussex Indian restaurant win Restaurant Show challenges

13-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

The Millbrook Inn in Devon has been awarded the top prize in the Gastropub Challenge, while Brighton’s Chilli Pickle won best overall restaurant in the Indian Restaurant Challenge at The Restaurant Show today

Challenging food journeys are the future of fine dining, say top chefs

13-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Putting thought and sensibility into food, and taking customers on a "dining journey" is where the future of fine dining lies, according to top chefs speaking at The Restaurant Show today

Britain remains fourth most admired country in the world

13-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Britain has maintained its position as the fourth most admired country in the world, falling only behind the USA, Germany and France

Bangladesh Caterers Association announces best UK curry houses

13-Oct-2010 By Rachel Johnson

The Bangladesh Caterers Association (BCA) has announced the winners of its Caterer of the Year Award 2010, as it urges the government to help preserve the industry.

The Restaurant Show 2010 continues

13-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Day two of The Restaurant Show has been even bigger than the first, with the culmination of the World Chocolate Masters UK final, the Compass Junior and Senior Chef of the Year competitions and even more chef demonstrations

School chef wins Compass senior competition

13-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Robert Dant of Christ Hospital School in Horsham has been named the Compass Group Senior Chef of the Year

Day one highlights from The Restaurant Show 2010

12-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

So far The Restaurant Show 2010 has drawn record crowds, with many restaurateurs and chefs descending upon Earls Court 2 to source new suppliers, see chef demonstrations, and watch their peers take part in industry competitions

M&S choc supplier wins World Chocolate Masters UK Finals

12-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

John Costello, innovation chef from Park Cakes in Bury, Manchester - which supplies Marks & Spencers - has been named the UK Chocolate Master 2010-11 after an “extremely close” competition held at the Restaurant Show yesterday and today

How ethical sourcing can make good business sense

12-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

A modest approach to ethical sourcing is good for customers and good for business, helping restaurants make and not break the bottom line, say industry experts

Sommelier’s top tips for wine service

12-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Sommelier Akos Hervai from Clusters to Wine presented his top tips for wine service techniques and etiquette at the Restaurant show today

Kyashii set for “food focused” re-launch on Kingly Club site

12-Oct-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Japanese restaurant Kyashii is to launch next week in London’s Covent Garden, in an attempt to shake off its predecessor’s “bling bling” image and focus on its food offering

Jason Atherton talks Pollen Street, Shanghai and dessert bars

11-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Jason Atherton is on the cusp of opening his first London restaurant apart from Gordon Ramsay Holdings, months after launching his first solo project in Shanghai.

The Ledbury named Restaurant of the Year at National Restaurant Awards 2010

11-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

The Ledbury has tonight been named National Restaurant of the Year, beating The Fat Duck and Bistro Bruno Loubet to the top spot in the National Restaurant Awards 2010

Lucknam Park chef named National Chef of the Year 2010

11-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Hrishikesh Desai from Lucknam Park has been named the National Chef of the Year 2010 following a final cook-off held at The Restaurant Show today.

The Restaurant Show 2010 kicks off

11-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Thousands of visitors have attended the first day of The Restaurant Show 2010, meeting hundreds of suppliers and experiencing numerous competitions and chef demonstrations

Pair wine with music to reach more people, says Mickey Narea

11-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Head sommelier at Launceston Place, Mickey Narea, says it’s time to go beyond pairing wine with food alone, and explore the way it can be matched with music

Young National Chef of the Year announced at Restaurant Show

11-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Mark Stinchcombe from the Lucknam Park Hotel, is the first up-and-coming chef to be crowned Young National Chef of the Year after winning the live cook-off in the new competition, held at the Restaurant Show today

Angela Hartnett buys Murano

11-Oct-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Angela Hartnett has bought Michelin -starred restaurant Murano from Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH), BigHospitality understands

Britain's top chefs unite to support Hulstone's Bocuse D'Or bid

11-Oct-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Britain's most high profile chefs have rallied round to support Simon Hulstone in his bid to win the Bocuse d'Or culinary contest, dubbed the "culinary equivalent of the Oscars", for the United Kingdom

French cuisine no longer King, says Albert Roux

11-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

French chef Albert Roux has claimed that French cuisine is no longer the ‘king’, claiming that some American, British and even Japanese chefs do it better

After hours with… Andy Barber

08-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

The head chef at The Forge in Covent Garden has been in the industry for over 30 years, working along the way with some of the best chefs in the last few decades

Charcoal grill is heart of new Fulham venue

07-Oct-2010 By L Heller

Operator Brenhan Magee has launched a new bar and grill restaurant in West London, which he says will be taking a “modern back to basics approach”

Prepare for onslaught of snow and ice, businesses warned

07-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Small hospitality businesses are being warned to prepare now for an onslaught of snow and ice later this year, as forecasters predict yet another freezing winter ahead

Salt Yard owner to open Covent Garden bar/restaurant

06-Oct-2010 By Joe Lutrario

The operator of London restaurants Salt Yard and Dehesa is to open a new concept in Covent Garden's Opera Quarter, Big Hospitality can reveal

National Restaurant Awards 2010 to be announced Monday

06-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Top chefs from around the UK will be gathering in London next week as results are revealed from the National Restaurant Awards 2010

Pre-register now for next week's Restaurant Show

06-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Chefs including Albert Roux, Jason Atherton, Ashley Palmer-Watts, Massimo Bottura and Chris and Jeff Galvin will head the line up at this year’s Restaurant Show, which runs next week from 11-13 October at London’s Earls Court 2

VisitBritain and BA campaign set to boost tourism

06-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

VisitBritian and British Airways today launch a new campaign designed to attract more tourists to the country, which includes special discount deals with hotels.

Cheshire hotel fined £75k by fire service

06-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Hoteliers are being warned to check fire safety equipment and procedures at their premises after The Belfry Hotel in Cheshire was fined £75k for breaching fire safety codes