Top five BigHospitality audio of 2012
Today's list follows on from yesterday's run down of the most-watched videos on site this year and comes as we continue our look back at 2012 as the year draws to a close.
We have discovered which of our many short audio podcasts we produced this year were most popular with our readers.
It was another packed year on site with advice for and analysis on the impact of London 2012, a review of the smoking ban in pubs and an investigation into the evolution of style in luxury hotels all featuring in our audio reports.
As we reveal the top five, take the opportunity to have another listen to the audio or hear the pieces for the first time and discover why they were so popular - simply click on the picture of the audio you would like to hear.
1. Gordon Ramsay shows us behind the scenes at Hotel GB
In October, Channel 4 teamed up with Gordon Ramsay and Mary Portas to put the hospitality industry in the spotlight as the doors opened to Hotel GB.
The show, set at the Bermondsey Square Hotel, generated a lot of discussion on the website this year with some praising the efforts of Ramsay and Co. to encourage young people to consider careers in the hospitality sector while others felt it wasn't truly representative of hotel work.
Ahead of the show, Ramsay showed us behind the scenes and explained why he had wanted to get involved.
2. Dinner for 2,000: How restaurants can learn from one of the UK's best event caterers
Shows like the Great British Menu have really brought event and mass catering into the mainstream - chefs and restaurateurs are increasingly keen to sweat their assets and getting involved with cooking on a big scale is one way to do just that.
No wonder then that our look behind the scenes at a Rhubarb-catered dinner for 2,000 at the Royal Albert Hall, alongside a special photo gallery, came in at number two on our list.
3. We ask how the industry can combat no-shows
Restaurant no-shows became one of the big talking points of the year - diners who reserve a table but don't turn up can cause chaos to any restaurant but especially those which are generally fully booked and can't rely on walk-ups.
Chefs, including Rene Redzepi of Noma, number one in the World's 50 Best Restaurants list, have vocally spoken out about the problem.
In April, BigHospitality investigated what restaurants could do to tackle no-shows.
4. Are three British restaurants in the World's 50 Best Restaurants list enough?
This year's World's 50 Best Restaurants list made for interesting reading - Dinner by Heston Blumenthal was the highest new entry coming in at number nine and The Ledbury retained its spot as the best British restaurant in the 50.
However only three restaurants made the cut - is that enough, why was there a poor showing and what can be done to get more home-grown talent on the list?
We asked Rene Redzepi, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal head chef Ashley Palmer-Watts, restaurant critic Jay Rayner, World's 50 Best UK & Ireland panel chair Richard Vines and The Ledbury's Brett Graham to give us their thoughts.
5. Marco Pierre White on why couples make the best restaurateurs
Taking the number five spot is another TV show about the hospitality industry - this time Channel 5, on restaurants and starring former Michelin-star chef Marco Pierre-White.
In a special audio report, BigHospitality spoke to Pierre-White and two successful contestants from the first episode to discuss whether the show and shows like it were a benefit to the industry.
Best of the rest...
A number of fascinating audio podcasts didn't quite make the cut so here are three we think stand out as must-listen reports.
Olympics in the spotlight - In a set of podcasts we investigated the specific impacts of London 2012 on restaurants, hotels and pubs and bars.
Rumble in the Kitchen - In September, Fred Sirieix gathered a motley crew of chefs, restaurateurs and industry professionals to fight it out in a boxing match for charity - BigHospitality was ringside.
The smoking ban five years on - The smoking ban and beer duty are having continued impacts on the pub industry - we investigated whether, now the smoke has cleared, the ban on smoking in pubs had been good or bad.
To listen to all the audio reports from the last year, including an investigation into how Jamie Oliver's restaurants are defying the recession, click here. You can still check out the top five videos of 2012 too - click here to watch all five.
