Casual Dining

The Italian Job to expand after overreaching crowdfunding target

20-Apr-2016 By Emma Eversham

Italian craft beer specialist The Italian Job has overreached its crowdfunding target of £350k by £72k giving the company the chance to push forward with plans for its second site. 

Caspian-style Iranian-Turkish restaurant Jan to open in London in June

19-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Jan, a middle Eastern-style restaurant inspired by the Caspian flavours of Iran and Turkey, is set to open in south west London’s Clapham in June.

TRAVEL TRENDS

Staycations increase as overseas safety fears rise

19-Apr-2016 By Emma Eversham

The number of short breaks Brits intend to take within the UK is set to increase this year as worries about personal safety overseas curb appetites for holidays abroad. 

Drake & Morgan announces trio of new sites, including first two in Manchester

19-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Restaurant and bar group Drake & Morgan is to open three new sites over the next 12 months, including its first and second openings in Manchester, and a venue in West India Quay.

Seafood Pub Company acquires eighth pub

18-Apr-2016 By Emma Eversham

Lancashire-based food, drink and accommodation business The Seafood Pub Company will open its eighth site this summer after acquiring former pub The Forest Inn in Pendle. 

SteakOut launches £400k crowdfunding campaign towards expansion

18-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

A restaurant which wants to turn steak in to the ‘next big thing in casual dining’ has launched a crowdfunding campaign towards its expansion.

ASK THE EXPERTS

Five ways hospitality operators can make more of guest Wi-Fi

18-Apr-2016 By Andrea Calcagno

Andrea Calcagno, CEO of Cloud4Wi lists five ways the hospitality sector can benefit from the Wi-Fi they offer their customers. 

Ceviche founder Martin Morales to open Casita Andina

18-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Ceviche founder Martin Morales is to open Casita Andina, a new restaurant in London’s Soho on 28 July.

Craft Guild of Chefs announces 2016 Chefs Awards nominations

15-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

The Craft Guild of Chefs has announced its 2016 Chefs Awards nominations, including top chefs Allan Pickett from the newly-opened Piquet, Steve Groves from Roux at Parliament Square, Will Holland at Coast Restaurant, and James Mackenzie at the Pipe and...

The top 5 stories in hospitality this week 11/04 - 15/04

15-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

What were some of the top stories in hospitality this week? Here's our pick.

TripAdvisor reviews generate £2bn a year in hospitality spending

15-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

TripAdvisor reviews generated £2bn in visitor spending in the UK in 2014 alone and sustained 55,000 jobs, according to a study by Oxford Economics.

Hello Kitty-themed café to open in London bakery

15-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

A café honouring the Japanese cartoon Hello Kitty is to come to London for three months this summer, hosted within the Soho bakery Cutter & Squidge.

Purecraft Bar opens in Nottingham with former Restaurant Sat Bains chef

13-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

A craft beer and food bar from a former Restaurant Sat Bains chef, a former chef restaurateur at the Cross in Kenilworth, and a former director at Mitchells & Butlers restaurant group, has opened in Nottingham.

ALMR and BBPA join forces in campaign to reduce hospitality VAT

13-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) and the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) have joined forces to campaign for a reduction in VAT in the hospitality industry.

Spa Esprit Group puts cafe and beauty brands under one roof in London

12-Apr-2016 By Emma Eversham

Singapore-based Spa Esprit Group has opened a new 'beauty block' concept in London, where food and beverage is combined with beauty services. 

Former Restaurant Gordon Ramsay chef to open solo venture Oxford Blue

12-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Steven Ellis, former chef at three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, is to open a high-end pub in Windsor named Oxford Blue in late May.

Mele e Pere founders to open second site Gotto in London’s Stratford

12-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Gotto, a new restaurant from the founders of London Soho Vermouth bar Mele e Pere, is to launch in London’s Stratford in May.

The Power List: The Boardroom

12-Apr-2016 By Restaurant magazine

Details of the 20 'boardroom bigwigs' chosen for The Power List: Restaurant magazine's 100 most powerful people in the restaurant industry. 

The Power List: Power pairings

12-Apr-2016 By Restaurant magazine

Details of the 10 'power pairings' chosen for The Power List: Restaurant magazine's 100 most powerful people in the restaurant industry. 

The Power List: Chefs

12-Apr-2016 By Restaurant magazine

Details of the 20 chefs chosen for The Power List: Restaurant magazine's 100 most powerful people in the restaurant industry. 

The Power List: Disruptors

11-Apr-2016 By Emma Eversham

Details of the 10 'disruptors' of the restaurant world chosen for The Power List: Restaurant magazine's 100 most powerful people in the restaurant industry. 

The Power List: Investors

11-Apr-2016 By Restaurant magazine

Details of the 10 investors chosen for The Power List: Restaurant magazine's 100 most powerful people in the restaurant industry. 

Listen: Gary Usher’s top 5 tips for successful crowdfunding

11-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Listen to the straight-talking Chez Bruce-trained chef tell us how he managed to crowdfund not one but two new restaurants

Marco Pierre White launches Bardolino Pizzeria and Espresso with two new sites

11-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Marco Pierre White is to launch a new Italian concept called Bardolino Pizzeria and Espresso Bar, firstly in Birmingham, followed by Bristol.

The top 5 stories in hospitality this week 04/04 - 08/04

08-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

What were some of the top stories in hospitality this week? Here's our pick.

Eclectic Bar Group buys Brighton Pier for £18m

08-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

Eclectic Bar Group – owner of the Lola Lo club chain - has bought Brighton pier in a multi-million pound deal.

NCOTY 2017: deadline for entries extended

07-Apr-2016 By Emma Eversham

The Craft Guild of Chefs has extended the entry deadline for the 2017 National Chef of the Year (NCOTY) competition to Friday 15 April. 

Drake & Morgan to open first airport site at Heathrow Terminal 4

07-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

London-based restaurant and bar company Drake & Morgan is to open its first airport site this summer, at Heathrow’s Terminal 4.

Brexit fears and skills shortages see hospitality growth slump

06-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

The UK's hospitality sector has seen a slump in growth during the first three months of 2016, according to a new report.

Steakhouse and liquor bar Hanger to open in west London

06-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Hanger, a new ‘steakhouse and liquor bar’ focusing on hanger steak and old-fashioned cocktails, and with a L’Enclume-trained chef at the helm, is to open in south west London this summer.

Swinger's Crazy Golf Club to open next month

06-Apr-2016 By Emma Eversham

Crazy golf-themed cocktail bar and food outlet Swingers – The Crazy Golf Club, is set to open its first permanent site next month following the success of a pop-up in Shoreditch last year. 

Robin Gill replaces Delicatessen with tapas bar

05-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Robin Gill, the chef behind the London sites The Dairy and The Manor, is replacing his Delicatessen with a new tapas bar concept called Counter Culture after admitting that the former venture didn’t work at the site.

Restaurants and pubs see surge in higher value contactless spending

05-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

Contactless spending in restaurants has more than doubled since the limit rose to £30 in September last year, according to Visa Europe.

Harry Guy from Eden Hotel Collection named Roux Scholar 2016

05-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Harry Guy from the Eden Hotel Collection in Stratford-upon-Avon has been named the Roux Scholar 2016.

Italian wine bar Enoteca Da Luca to open fifth and biggest London site

01-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

London-based Italian wine bar group Enoteca Da Luca is to open its fifth location, in the city’s Old Street, this month (April).

Last call for entries to Le Cordon Bleu UK Scholarship Award 2016

01-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

The deadline to enter Le Cordon Bleu UK Scholarship Award 2016 – with a prize including an internship at the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay ‒ is fast approaching.

APRIL FOOL

OpenTable app launches 'lickable' food pictures

01-Apr-2016 By Emma Eversham

Online restaurant reservations provider OpenTable has unveiled new 'lickable' technology which allows diners to taste dishes from their favourite restaurants.

Angela Hartnett and Giorgio Locatelli among star-studded charity dinner line-up

31-Mar-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Seven top chefs including Angela Hartnett, Giorgio Locatelli and Cyrus Todiwala are to take part in a fundraising dinner to raise funds for food charity FoodCycle.

Could the National Living Wage make eating out more expensive?

31-Mar-2016 By Sophie Witts

The National Living Wage (NLW) comes in to force on 1 April, but what does this mean for the hospitality sector?

Crème de la Crème judge: BBC show will inspire new pastry generation

29-Mar-2016 By Hannah Thompson

The new TV show Bake Off Crème de la Crème, which aired on BBC Two last night (29 March) will inspire a new generation of pastry chefs and will bring new recognition to the industry’s skills, according to one of its three judges.

Restaurants and hotels rank low on Twitter response survey

29-Mar-2016 By Emma Eversham

Restaurants and hotels have been criticised for taking too long to reply to Tweets sent by customers and giving a poor quality response when they do.

Close restaurants with no disabled access, says House of Lords

29-Mar-2016 By Sophie Witts

Restaurants and pubs which fail to provide facilities for disabled customers should be closed down, a House of Lords Select Committee has claimed.

ASK THE EXPERTS

How to protect your hospitality business from cyber crime

29-Mar-2016 By Oliver Pinson-Roxburgh

Oliver Pinson-Roxburgh, systems engineering manager for EMEA at Trustwave, looks at some of the steps hospitality business owners can take to protect their hotels, restaurants and pubs from the increasing risk of cyber crime. 

January 2016 breaks UK's international visits record

24-Mar-2016 By Emma Eversham

The number of international visitors arriving in the UK in January rose 6 per cent on the previous year, breaking a record for the month and marking an 'encouraging start to the year' according to marketing agency VisitBritain. 

Chefs under 30 encouraged to enter S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 competition

24-Mar-2016 By Emma Eversham

Chefs under the age of 30 are being encouraged to enter the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 competition for the chance to become Young Chef of the Year. 

Enterprise Inns launches Mash Inns concept with Laine Pub Co.

23-Mar-2016 By Sophie Witts

Enterprise Inns is teaming up with the Brighton-based Laine Pub Company to launch a new concept, Mash Inns.

Pub opening hours to be extended for Queen's 90th birthday

23-Mar-2016 By Sophie Witts

Pub opening hours will be extended on 10 and 11 June to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday, David Cameron has announced.

Hospitality employers turn to apprenticeships to tackle skills crisis

23-Mar-2016 By Sophie Witts

More than 30,000 apprenticeships have been pledged by employers as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2016.

Coeliac UK event to help foodservice businesses benefit from gluten-free market

23-Mar-2016 By Emma Eversham

Charity Coeliac UK is to hold its first networking event for food businesses looking to benefit from the growing gluten-free market. 

Quality tea offering could benefit hospitality operators, report finds

21-Mar-2016 By Emma Eversham

Hospitality operators with a quality and wide-ranging tea offering will benefit from growing interest in the category, a report into the habits of tea drinkers out-of-home has found.