United Kingdom

Carluccio's celebrates 'record year' as profit and new openings exceed targets

27-Mar-2013 By Emma Eversham

Italian restaurant group Carluccio's is celebrating a 'record year' after its annual results brought pre-tax profits of £6.8m, a 15 per cent rise on the previous year. 

Cyrus Todiwala launches competition to help sustain future of Asian restaurants

20-Feb-2013 By Emma Eversham

Chef Cyrus Todiwala has devised a competition for catering students to get more of them to consider a career within the Asian restaurant sector in a bid to help plug a future skills shortage.

Thai restaurant raided by UK Border Agency after false accusation of illegal workers

14-Feb-2013 By Luke Nicholls

The Giggling Squid in Crawley was raided last night by the UK Border Agency over what turned out to be false claims that the Thai restaurant has been employing illegal workers.

The Bocuse d'Or 2013: Putting Britain on the culinary map

07-Feb-2013 By Emma Eversham

International chef competition The Bocuse d'Or took place in Lyon, France last week with the UK team taking fourth place and winning two of the five special prizes. 

Hilton Hotels & Resorts named best meetings provider

06-Feb-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Hilton Hotels & Resorts, which operates 70 hotels in the UK, has been named as the best provider of meetings services by market research firm BDRC Continental.

The Beer Story: BBPA premieres film celebrating brewing and pub industry

01-Feb-2013 By Peter Ruddick

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has premiered a new film which showcases the UK brewing and pub industry in a bid to promote calls for a freeze in the controversial beer duty escalator.

Wexiödisk unveils ‘super-efficient’ warewashing machine for UK foodservice businesses

31-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Scandanavian warewashing machine supplier Wexiödisk has turned its focus to the UK market for the launch on the new WD-6 Duplus machine which utilises just one litre of water per cycle – up to four times more than other leading models.

FriFri Vortech high-efficiency fryer receives UK launch at The Hospitality Show

17-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

The FriFri Vortech, a new, high-efficiency gas fryer for caterers, is to be displayed in the UK for the first time at The Hospitality Show next week.

Airwave Europe to distribute platform allowing hotel guests to control bedroom using their mobile phone

15-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Airwave Europe has chosen The Hospitality Show to introduce a mobile platform it will now be distributing in the UK which allows hotel guests to control everything in their bedroom and communicate with hotel staff using their smartphone.

New Year Honours for Hospitality Action's Dick Turpin and Francis Brady of La Mon Hotel & Country Club

02-Jan-2013 By Emma Eversham

Dick Turpin, vice chair of industry charity Hospitality Action and Francis Brady, managing director of La Mon Hotel & Country Club in Belfast, were among those who were recognised in the 2013 New Year Honours list. 

BigHospitality's 2012 look-back: Catering for diners with special dietary needs and the London 2012 Olympics

19-Dec-2012 By Emma Eversham

The third instalment of our 2012 look-back feature sees us take a closer look at two big stories from the year, including one about the impact of the London 2012 Olympics on the hospitality industry and another about how restaurants are better catering...

MKN introduces improved Salamander 'energy-saving cooking unit' to UK

18-Dec-2012 By Peter Ruddick

German cooking technology manufacturer MKN has introduced an improved version of its Salamander energy-saving cooking unit to the UK.

Pub industry descends on Parliament for mass lobby on beer tax

12-Dec-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has today organised the biggest campaigning event in its 40-year history as over 1,200 of its members and other key figures from the beer and pub industry descend upon Parliament for a mass lobby calling for an end to...

Accor undertakes major restructure of European business to focus on individual hotel brands

06-Dec-2012 By Peter Ruddick

France-based global hotel operator Accor has announced it has carried out a major restructuring of the management of its European business - from January each brand will be run by an individual chief operating officer and team to an individual business...

MKN removes need for extraction hoods with new HoodIn technology

05-Dec-2012 By Emma Eversham

MKN has introduced new technology into its HansDampf Compact and Junior model ovens which will enable chefs to do away with extraction hoods above ovens in their kitchens.

VisitBritain hails ‘spectacular year’ for UK tourism but 2013 outlook remains uncertain

30-Nov-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The London 2012 Olympics and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee have contributed to a record-breaking year for inbound UK tourism, injecting 18.7bn into the national economy. But the outlook for 2013 ‘are inevitably uncertain’, according to VisitBritain.

Olympics boosted UK tourism but came at a cost for hospitality businesses

16-Nov-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Tourism figures released this week indicate that Britain is well-placed to build on encouraging inbound Olympic visitors, but a post-Games review by foodservice consultancy Horizons shows that the event actually came at a big cost for hotels, restaurants...

Brian Turner: UK Bocuse d'Or team should channel the London 2012 Olympics spirit

14-Nov-2012 By Peter Ruddick

With 75 days to go until the grand final of the Bocuse d'Or 2013, the UK team president Brian Turner has called on Olympics-inspired support for Adam Bennett.

Beer sales plummet as fight for fairer tax deal moves up a gear

23-Oct-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Despite a summer of sport which included the Olympics and the Euro 2012 football, Britons drank 117 million fewer pints of beer in the three months to September this year than in 2011, with pub sales down 4.8 per cent.

Three quarters of hotel general managers expect RevPAR to stabilise or increase after 2012

16-Oct-2012 By Peter Ruddick

While the global economy and the Olympic Games legacy remain concerns, a majority of UK hotel general managers expect revenue per available room (RevPAR) to stabilise or increase next year and into 2014.

Visitor numbers fall during Olympics, 'golden opportunity' remains for hospitality

12-Oct-2012 By Luke Nicholls

With yesterday’s disappointing figures showing that the number of visitors to the UK fell in August, despite the Olympics, leading members of the hospitality and tourism industries have been quick to highlight the positives, insisting ‘we still have a...

Sat Bains talks of what could be next, revealing secrets to his restaurant’s success

10-Oct-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Sat Bains has hinted that his next business venture could come in the form of a brasserie-style restaurant, but the two-Michelin-starred chef is still content with his eponymous site in Nottingham, claiming that the London dining scene isn’t always what...

New Sport & Tourism Minister Hugh Robertson delivers first speech to hospitality industry

08-Oct-2012 By Emma Eversham

In his first speech to the industry, new Sport and Tourism Minister Hugh Robertson claimed tourism will play a central role in the legacy for 2012 and that the Government considers the industry as an important driver of the economy, but failed to address...

The Clink reveals plans for two prison restaurants a year as it prepares to open a Cardiff venue

10-Sep-2012 By Peter Ruddick

As The Clink Charity prepares to open its second prison restaurant, this time on the grounds of HMP Cardiff, chief executive Chris Moore has revealed the charity has plans to open two restaurants every year until 2016 with Greater London next on the horizon. 

Hotel prices fall across the UK

07-Sep-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Despite price hikes in nearly two thirds of hotels in international destinations, nearly three quarters of hotels in the UK have seen prices drop in the first six months of 2012.

Fall in leisure guests during the Olympics build-up hit London hotel occupancy in July

03-Sep-2012 By Peter Ruddick

In July, during the build-up to the London 2012 Olympics, hotels in London suffered a drop in occupancy of 10.2 per cent as a result of a fall in demand from leisure and tour group visitors but the city still led the way among major cities in Europe.

August Bank Holiday: 3.6 million Brits plan holiday at home

23-Aug-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The forthcoming August Bank Holiday weekend will see 3.6 million Brits taking an overnight holiday in the UK, generating over £800m in tourism spend for the UK economy.

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and London 2012 Olympics ‘non-events’ for occupancy, claim hoteliers

30-Jul-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Despite showing signs of overall economic optimism and strong profitability during the first half of 2012, Britain’s hoteliers and B&B owners believe that the nation's time on the world stage this summer will have no lasting effects on business.

Park Regis Birmingham to open in 2014, first UK hotel for StayWell Hospitality Group

23-Jul-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Australian hotel management business StayWell Hospitality Group has announced it is to make its UK debut in 2014 when the Park Regis Birmingham opens with further hotels planned in London, Manchester and Edinburgh.

London hotels suffer 9% occupancy drop in June but capital's pipeline leads Europe

20-Jul-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Occupancy among hotels in the capital dropped 9 per cent in June as the Diamond Jubilee failed to cancel out growing economic problems in Europe, however London and the UK continues to lead the continent in pipeline terms.

Bad weather affects Fuller’s spring and early summer sales

18-Jul-2012 By Emma Eversham

The bad weather across the UK so far this spring and summer has been blamed for a drop in sales across Fuller’s 360 pubs.

The Big Conversation: Industry event highlights importance of young people in hospitality

11-Jul-2012 By Luke Nicholls

A joint initiative between Business in the Community (BitC), the British Hospitality Association (BHA) and Springboard today brought together an array of hospitality industry leaders with young people to stimulate a dialogue on employability skills, work...

Brian Turner welcomes Bocuse d'Or 2013 rule changes

10-Jul-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Brian Turner, president of the UK Bocuse Team and UK Jury, has welcomed the rule changes to the competition ahead of the world final in Lyon in 2013 which will see greater recognition given to regional specifics and originality. 

Diageo brings ‘super-premium’ Chinese white spirit Shui Jing Fang to UK

09-Jul-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Global drinks giant Diageo has brought Chinese white spirit brand Shui Jing Fang into the UK market as part of its bid to build its reputation as an internationally recognised brand.

Drinks 21 brings Ice Cognac to the UK on-trade

03-Jul-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Premium drinks importer and distributor Drinks21 announced the arrival of Ice Cognac by ABK6 to its growing portfolio of niche, boutique brands.

Search starts to find the most multi-lingual hospitality workplace

02-Jul-2012 By Emma Eversham

Does your hotel, restaurant or pub boast a large number of employees for whom English is their second language and who can communicate with guests from different countries in their mother –tongue yet also converse perfectly with other guest and employees...

UK tourism figures hit record levels ahead of London 2012 Olympics

14-Jun-2012 By Luke Nicholls

With the London 2012 Olympics just around the corner, hospitality businesses will welcome the news that a record number of internationals flocked to the UK in April, with a significant increase in both the volume and value of inbound tourism compared...

Liverpool and Manchester competing with London for international tourists

03-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Liverpool and Manchester have experienced big rises in the number of international tourists they attract as cities in the regions begin to emerge as rivals to Edinburgh and London for foreign visitors.

Black Garlic to be produced in UK

02-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Black Garlic Limited - the company which produces the first ingredient of its kind, transformed from local and European white garlic in 14 days – is to be produced in the UK and made more accessible for chefs.

UK and World’s 50 Best chefs visit Number 10 to promote ‘Great’ UK food scene

30-Apr-2012 By Emma Eversham

More than 150 chefs, restaurateurs and food producers operating in the UK, as well as some of the World’s 50 Best chefs, are visiting Downing Street today to launch a campaign to promote the UK’s food scene abroad.

The Noodle House makes UK debut with 27 sites to be opened by Jumeirah Restaurants

24-Apr-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The Noodle House, the South East Asian street food-inspired chain, is to launch in the UK this year after Jumeirah Restaurants announced it was planning to open 27 sites across England, Scotland and Wales with various cities being considered.

Hospitality industry steps up calls for VAT cut to boost business and jobs

23-Apr-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has revealed results of a new survey which show an overwhelming majority of operators support calls for a VAT cut. 

UK hotel investment the most active in Europe as more 'creative transactions' reported

19-Apr-2012 By Peter Ruddick

UK hotel investment remains the most active in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) but increasingly more 'creative transactions' are being considered over straight cash purchases, according to two new reports out today.

Richard Haworth celebrates best of Britain with Union Jack table linen collection

04-Apr-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Table linen supplier Richard Haworth has created a Great British collection for hotels and restaurants to celebrate the best of Britain in the run up to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics.

UK market remains key to Starwood's development plans

23-Mar-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced it plans to open 25 hotels in Europe over the next four years and the group's senior vice president for the region has suggested 'one or two' of those might be in the UK market which remains important...

Hospitality industry unites to support VAT cut for tourism

12-Mar-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The British Hospitality Association, Travelodge and Whitbread are among a number of leading hospitality businesses and industry bodies that have united to urge the Government to slash the rate of VAT for the tourism sector to five per cent. 

BHA calls on hospitality businesses to support VisitEngland’s Holidays at Home campaign

06-Mar-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) is urging hospitality businesses across the UK to support VisitEngland’s new campaign – Holidays at Home are GREAT.

Louvre Hotels introduces Tulip Inn brand to UK in Glasgow development

29-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

A 160-bed Tulip Inn hotel from France-based operator Louvre Hotels is at the heart of a new Glasgow development in the shadow of the Celtic FC football ground, plans of which were announced today.

Whitbread launches Olympics and Diamond Jubilee skills academies

20-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Premier Inn and Beefeater operator Whitbread is launching three skills academies across the UK to offer training for restaurant and kitchen managers in time for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the London 2012 Olympics later this year.

Record-breaking 2011 for tourism, could 2012 be even bigger for hospitality businesses?

10-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Britain’s tourism and hospitality businesses are surfing on the wave of a record-breaking 2011 for overseas visitors and spending, making perfect preparation for a bumper 2012, packed full of iconic, once-in-a-lifetime events.