Restaurant

Masterchef’s John Torode to expand The Luxe restaurant concept

07-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Masterchef host John Torode has secured a £3m banking facility for developing the expansion of his Spitalfields restaurant The Luxe.

YO! Sushi and Pizza Hut lend weight to calorie counting

07-Apr-2011 By Joe Lutrario & Becky Paskin

YO! Sushi and Pizza Hut are to display calorie counts on menus across their nationwide estates, a move that suggests the branded restaurant sector is edging towards acceptance of Government recommendations on publicising nutritional information.

How to run a pop-up restaurant

05-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Running a pop-up restaurant or bar can be an overwhelming and challenging experience, but do it properly and you’ll find the benefits make up for the labour. In this feature series, we uncover how to run a pop-up restaurant successfully.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Antique dining at Roux at the Landau, and Iberico Pork at Opera Tavern

25-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including Roux at the Landau and Opera Tavern tell us what promotions they’re running to attract customers.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Art at The Butchers Arms and collagen menu at Gilgamesh

04-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including The Butchers Arms in Hepworth and Gilgamesh in Camden, tell us what promotions they’re running to attract customers.

Highlight healthier menu options before calorie counting, says expert

02-Feb-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants should add a “healthy eating” section to menus before fully calorie counting every dish, an expert has advised.

Food Trends 2011: Dining Trends

31-Jan-2011 By Becky Paskin

Vouchers and discounts have meant big business for restaurants over the last year, but with consumers increasingly looking for value in more than just their wallets, and with warnings that vouchers could permanently damage brands, restaurants will need...

Business Profile: Cote

10-Jan-2011 By Joe Lutrario

The mid-market veterans behind Strada and Côte discuss the benefits of cooking from scratch, refining existing concepts, and explain how to rollout at pace.

Food trends 2011: Popular cuisines

10-Jan-2011 By Becky Paskin

British diners have become more aware than ever of their expanding waistline and shrinking pockets, shifting their taste for out-of-home dining towards lighter, healthier meals that give value for money.

Healthy sharing menus at The Real Greek and VAT break at Zilli Restaurants

07-Jan-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including The Real Greek and Zilli Restaurants, tell us what they’re doing to attract customers during January, a notoriously quiet month.

Pubs advised to live life in the fast lane

22-Dec-2010 By Joe Lutrario

Food-led pubs can learn vital lessons from the burgeoning fast-casual sector this year by concentrating on increasing their speed of service, research from retail consultancy him! has shown.

Linking food preparation to flavour is key, finds diner survey

16-Dec-2010 By Lorraine Heller

As we look to the dining trends that are likely to pick up in the new year, a recent survey of UK diners suggests that people are especially interested in discovering new flavours that are linked to the way food is prepared.

Burger King launches UK dessert bar

09-Dec-2010 By Mark Stretton

Burger King has opened its first UK dessert bar at London’s Westfield shopping centre, the fast food chain has announced.

Christmas party bookings rocket by 73 per cent

08-Dec-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Restaurants are seeing the renaissance of the office Christmas party, with dining out bookings up by 73 per cent on last year, an online reservations agency has said.

D&D sets sights on Leeds for two new restaurant concepts

08-Dec-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Fine dining restaurant group D&D is to launch two new restaurant concepts in Leeds, the company's first UK venture outside London.

La Rosetta’s Riccioli to open London restaurant

07-Dec-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Italian chef Massimo Riccioli, chef patron of La Rosetta in Rome, is to open a seafood restaurant in London in April next year.

Cheap Hot Boxes at Leon, and BOGOF Burritos at Chilango

03-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels, including Leon and Chilango, tell us what promotions they've been running to attract customers through the snow and ice.

Thai street food concept launches in Brighton

29-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Street Thai has opened its doors in Brighton, with the aim of serving authentic Thai street food within a contemporary setting.

Jamie’s Italian named Restaurant Chain of the Year

24-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

Jamie’s Italian has been voted this year’s Best Restaurant Chain at the second annual R200 awards, run by Restaurant magazine.

The New Angel and Floridita chef appointments

19-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

The New Angel in Dartmouth and Floridita in London both appoint new head chefs

Irish restaurateurs urge government action to prevent daily closures

16-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Restaurateurs in Ireland are calling on the government to take urgent action for the struggling restaurant sector to survive

US trends shaping the restaurant market

09-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

The US restaurant scene, which is one of the most competitive and dynamic markets in the world, is giving itself a facelift to respond to changing consumer behaviour.  With the UK just several steps behind, restaurateurs here could gain valuable insight...

John Burton-Race joins Boisdale restaurants

05-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Chef John Burton-Race has teamed up with the Boisdale group of restaurants, where he will work alongside head chef at The Lamb at Hindon, Simon Harris

Brenham Magee launches Fulham grill restaurant

02-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Brenham Magee has opened his new grill restaurant, located above his newly launched bar in London’s Fulham

Jamie’s Italian to calorie count menus, Oliver confirms

22-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Jamie Oliver has confirmed to BigHospitality that his Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain will soon be introducing calorie information on menus across its 15 sites

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

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

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

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

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

Third of restaurant-goers say ‘no’ to calories labelling

01-Oct-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Over a third of British restaurant goers would not want calorie labelling on restaurant menus, with 44 per cent of these saying it would ‘ruin’ their restaurant experience, a new poll has revealed

Corporate Responsibility: Sam's Brasserie

28-Sep-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Being a responsible business isn’t just an extra, it’s an essential, says restaurateur Sam Harrison, owner of Sam’s Brasserie in Chiswick and Harrison’s in Balham.

Harvest Swap Shop at St. Paul's and Young Guns at South Lodge Hotel

24-Sep-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants hotels and pubs, including The Restaurant at St. Paul's and South Lodge Hotel tell us about the extra activities their planning to attract customers

Alan Murchison to buy The New Angel in Dartmouth

24-Sep-2010 By Becky Paskin

Alan Murchison’s 10 in 8 Fine Dining Group is to acquire The New Angel restaurant with rooms in Dartmouth, with a view to reopening the “destination restaurant” in January

Tom Aikens abandons Paramount restaurant purchase

23-Sep-2010 By Mark Stretton

Tom Aikens, the high-end chef, has walked away from a deal to buy six sites from Paramount Restaurants