Casual Dining

Ed Balls to headline 2017 hospitality summit

27-Apr-2017 By Sophie Witts

Former shadow chancellor and Strictly Come Dancing star Ed Balls has been announced as keynote speaker at this year’s hospitality and tourism summit in London.

People On The Move: April 2017

27-Apr-2017

From Simon Rogan leaving Claridge's, Neil Moffitt stepping down from Hakkasan, and new senior roles at The Principal Hotels Group and Hotel du Vin, it's been an eventful month. We round up the key movers

Cottons Caribbean restaurant to open two new sites

25-Apr-2017

Caribbean restaurant group Cottons is to open two new sites, one in Shoreditch and one in Vauxhall.

UK chosen as Top 5 country for 2019 Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie

25-Apr-2017

The United Kingdom has been selected as one of the Top 5 countries granted automatic entry to the 2019 Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie.

Restaurants urged to apply for business rates relief

25-Apr-2017 By Sophie Witts

A £300m relief fund set up to help operators hit by rising business rates is now available for local councils to share out, the government has said.

MONTHLY COLUMN

Pub design? It’s no small beer

24-Apr-2017

As pubs scramble to reposition themselves for the 21st century, too many are embracing ruinous interior design

Opening of the week: Ginza Onodera

21-Apr-2017 By Joe Lutrario

The Onodera Group has put teppanyaki stalwart Matsuri out to pasture and replaced it with a restaurant aimed squarely at London's luxury market

Margarita cocktail contest comes to London’s Mexican restaurants

20-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

London restaurants and bars such as Wahaca, El Patron and DF/Mexico are to compete for the title of ‘best margarita in town’ in the city’s first ever ‘Margarita Rumble’ competition.

What does a 2017 general election mean for hospitality?

18-Apr-2017 By Sophie Witts

The hospitality industry has welcomed the announcement of a general election on 8 June as a chance to challenge politicians on the issues facing restaurants, hotels and pubs.

Philip McGuinness of Tootoomoo on suburban sites and running restaurants like retail

13-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

We talk to Philip McGuinness, owner of pan-Asian suburban group Tootoomoo, about the secret to suburban restaurants, appealing to everyone, and doing takeaway before it was cool

Opening of the week: Florentine

13-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

We check out the all-day British-European-style restaurant near London's Waterloo, taking in its day-to-night chic and penchant for massive fried eggs

Former Providores chef to head up new London gastropub

11-Apr-2017 By Sophie Witts

Karl Calvert, former head chef at Peter Gordon’s The Providores, is to head up the kitchen at a new London gastropub.

Drake & Morgan reveals more on new site The Bothy

10-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

More details have been revealed about The Bothy, the new Drake & Morgan (D&M) restaurant and bar set to open in West India Quay, east London.

Third Back To The Floor event raises £92k for Hospitality Action

10-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Industry charity Hospitality Action has raised £92,000 in its third annual Back to The Floor event.

Californian-style Roof Deck Restaurant & Bar to open on Selfridges' rooftop

07-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Roof Deck Restaurant & Bar, a Californian-inspired concept from the Des McDonald restaurant group, is to open on Selfridges' rooftop, with chefs from Soho House and The Ivy.

Restaurant Eats Out: Behind The Scenes – Thomasina Miers, Wahaca

06-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

As part of the latest Restaurant Eats Out food tour, we checked out some of London’s most exciting taco purveyors, including Wahaca, Breddos, El Pastor, and Temper.

Restaurants urged to innovate on tea, as sales drop vs coffee

05-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

There are big opportunities for restaurants and food businesses to grow their tea and iced tea offers, as customers continue to choose coffee instead when eating and drinking out.

Licensing Act in need of 'radical overhaul'

04-Apr-2017 By Sophie Witts

The 2003 Licensing Act is ‘fundamentally flawed’ and in need of a complete overhaul, according to a House of Lords Committee.

Brighton's The Chilli Pickle set to expand across the south

04-Apr-2017 By Joe Lutrario

Renowned Brighton Indian restaurant The Chilli Pickle has launched a equity crowdfunding campaign in a bid to open four new restaurants in the south of England.

Craft Guild launches Young National Chef of the Year 2018

04-Apr-2017 By Sophie Witts

The Craft Guild of Chefs has launched its annual search for the Young National Chef of the Year (YNCOTY) 2018.

Saiphin and Alex Moore open new Thai concept

04-Apr-2017 By Joe Lutrario

Saiphin and Alex Moore, the husband and wife team behind Rosa’s Thai Café and the newly-opened Lao Café, have launched a third Thai restaurant concept, Saiphin’s Thai Kitchen.

Champagne Taittinger plants its first Kentish sparkling wine vines

03-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

French Champagne house Taittinger is to launch officially the planting stage of its English sparkling wine, in the fields of its vineyard project in Kent.

Seafood Pub Company announces second Yorkshire site

03-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

The Seafood Pub Company (SPC) is to open its second venue in Yorkshire, after acquiring The Fleece in Addingham village as part of its continued expansion push.

Baristas should be “as respected as top sommeliers” as demand booms

03-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Baristas should be as respected as “top sommeliers at the finest restaurants”, the chief executive of the Allegra Group has said, as figures show 40,000 new baristas will be required by 2025 to keep up with demand.

Restaurant Radar: Openings April 2017

03-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

From new tapas bar Little José, burger bars aplenty, and the much-awaited Lympstone Manor from Michael Caines, there's loads to look out for this April

ASK THE EXPERTS

10 things you need to know about the new Apprenticeship Levy

03-Apr-2017 By Katee Dias

Katee Dias, senior solicitor in the employment team at Goodman Derrick LLP, outlines the key points of the new Apprenticeship Levy that hospitality businesses should be on to off.

Academy of Chocolate Awards 2017 receives record number of entries

30-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

The Academy of Chocolate Awards has received almost double the entries for 2017 as it did for the 2016 competition, as it confirms pastry chef Sarah Hartnett as new chair of judges.

Cocktail demo: Chaophraya Newcastle’s gin with Thai-style kaffir lime

30-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Ben Escobar, bar manager at Chaophraya Newcastle, demonstrates a Reverse Reviver cocktail, one of the restaurant-bar’s most popular and distinctive drinks.

Social media for restaurants is not just for young people, says poll

29-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Social media should be a priority for all restaurants, not just those aiming at a younger demographic, new research has suggested.

BrewDog caught up in second copyright row

29-Mar-2017 By Sophie Witts

BrewDog has defended itself against claims it tried to threaten a second bar over copyright issues.

Browns Brasserie & Bar achieves gluten-free Coeliac UK accreditation

28-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Browns Brasserie & Bar, the 25-strong UK restaurant group, has achieved Coeliac UK accreditation for its newly-launched gluten-free menu.

“Sussex isn’t the ‘new Champagne’…it’s better”

27-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Alex Preston is sommelier at the Isaac At restaurant in Brighton, which offers not just an English, but an exclusively Sussex wine list. We caught up with him to talk the rise of English wine, what sommeliers should know, and why diners will all soon...

MONTHLY COLUMN

Trawling for seafood leaders: Restaurants should lead on fish sustainability

27-Mar-2017 By Tony Naylor

Consumer education could take a generation. It is high time that restaurants led with real vigour on seafood sustainability, writes Tony Naylor

The TMRW Project to host Women in Hospitality event

23-Mar-2017 By Sophie Witts

Does the hospitality industry need more female-focused awards, such as Best Female Chef?

People On The Move in Hospitality: March 2017

23-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

From a husband-and-wife team-up at Marcus at The Berkeley, to a new general manager at Ten Trinity Square, we round up some of the biggest career moves in hospitality this month.

English wine sommelier says Sussex is better than Champagne

21-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

A sommelier specialising in English wine has said that sparkling wine from England easily rivals traditional Champagne from France.

Pret launches Big Work Experience Week to address Brexit staff crisis

20-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Pret a Manger has launched a campaign to get more young people to apply for hospitality jobs, after the company claimed that just 1 in 50 of its applicants is British.

GBR restaurant to launch at Dukes London hotel with former South Lodge chef

20-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

An all-day British-style restaurant – aptly named GBR, or Great British Restaurant – from a former South Lodge and The Samling chef, is to open in the luxury Dukes London hotel in May.

The Apprenticeship Levy: What it means for your business

20-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

The new Apprenticeship Levy is set to roll out next month, and the changes will affect everyone. Here’s how to avoid missing out

“Women paid more” hospitality stats don’t apply to restaurants or pubs

17-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Statistics showing that women earn more than men in hospitality do not apply to restaurants or pubs.

Peg & Patriot bartender to open Scout cocktail bar in London’s Hoxton

16-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Bartender Mark Whiley, of the Peg & Patriot in London’s Bethnal Green, and the Talented Mr. Fox bar consultancy, is to open new cocktail bar Scout, in the city’s Hoxton on 11 April.

Bel & The Dragon wins Premium Food gong at 2017 Publican Awards

15-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Bel & The Dragon has won the Best Premium Food Offer Award at this year’s prestigious Publican Awards, in a night that saw The New World Trading Company (NWTC) win big in six categories.

Uncertain future for hospitality industry's EU staff

14-Mar-2017 By Sophie Witts

EU nationals working in the UK’s restaurants, pubs and hotels have been thrown in to limbo after MPs passed the Brexit bill on Monday, leaving the government free to kick start the process of the UK leaving the EU.

Rise in EU citizens applying for hospitality jobs since Brexit

13-Mar-2017 By Sophie Witts

The number of EU nationals seeking hospitality work in London has risen slightly since the Brexit vote, new data shows

FEATURE

In search of Skrei: fishing for the king of cod in Norway

13-Mar-2017 By Stefan Chomka

It’s a clear February morning and on a boat on the icy Norwegian waters around Sommarøy, a small island in the far north of the country, a group of chefs are dangling fishing lines over the side. Dawn has recently broken and the sun sits low in the sky,...

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