Casual Dining

Hand and Flowers and Lancaster London chefs make Hospitality Guild's Apprenticeship Awards 2013 shortlist

21-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

Apprentice chefs from the Hand and Flowers in Marlow and the Lancaster London hotel are among those who have made the shortlist for the final of this year's Hospitality Guild Apprenticeship Awards. 

'Career colleges' will give hospitality industry the skills boost it needs, says People 1st

21-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

The introduction of dedicated hospitality and tourism training courses for 14 to 19-year-olds through so called 'career colleges' will help give the industry the skills boost it needs, says sector skills council People 1st. 

ONE Group plans STK UK expansion

21-Oct-2013 By Mark Wingett

The ONE Group, owners of international restaurant group STK, has announced plans to further expand the premium steakhouse brand within major cities across the UK after attracting $44.3m (£27.3m) of new investment.

Pizza and cocktail concept to open on reserved Covent Garden site

18-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Chuck’s Clubhouse, the New York-style pizza restaurant that was set to open in Covent Garden this month, will instead open in another, ‘better suited’ location in London next year due to complications with the building.

Business rates increase would cost pubs £58m

18-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Licensed hospitality businesses may be hit with an increase in business rates that could cost the sector up to £58m, after figures released earlier this week revealed that the Retail Price Index (RPI) has risen to 3.2 per cent.

First-time managers given extra support with new training programme

17-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Hospitality business employees taking their first step up from team member to manager will now have access to additional support from People 1st Training Company which has launched its Management 1st training programme.

Revere reveals two more pubs with rooms

17-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Revere Pub Company, the premium pub format created by Marston's, is continuing with its plans to open more pubs with rooms having acquired two more sites, in Kent and Sheffield.

Global Payments: How improving the payment process boosts customer satisfaction

17-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

Improving the payment process within your hospitality business can have a direct impact on customer satisfaction, according to card processing company Global Payments. 

‘Super Tuesday’ for pubs: Three councils vote against EMRO plans

16-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Retailers have today welcomed decisions from three local authorities to ‘see sense’ and vote against the imposition of Early Morning Restriction Orders (EMROs) on licensed premises.

Mason House nightclub set to open in the West End

16-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Three nightclub entrepreneurs have joined forces to launch Mason House, a 5,000 sq.ft, multi-room club situated in the vaults of the London Palladium in the West End.

Jason Atherton backs new hospitality traineeship

16-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Jason Atherton, the Michelin-starred chef-proprietor of Pollen Street Social, was among those in attendance at the recent launch of a new, nationwide Traineeship Programme from hospitality apprenticeship provider HIT.

NatWest and RBS add £150m to Leisure Fund following demand from industry

16-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

NatWest and RBS have added an extra £150m to their hospitality-dedicated Leisure Fund after receiving what they said was 'incredible demand' from the industry.

Steam & Rye: Gatsby-style bar and restaurant coming to London

15-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Nick House, the entrepreneur behind famous London nightclubs Mahiki and Whisky Mist, has teamed up with model Kelly Brook for the launch of Steam & Rye, a Prohibition era-themed bar and restaurant in the heart of the City.

VIDEO: The National Restaurant Awards 2013

15-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

The National Restaurant Awards 2013 took place in London last week, where 100 of the nation's top restaurants heard their place on the prestigious list and picked up a handful of special awards.  

Hospitality skills shortage predicted to continue until 2020, say industry experts

15-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

The industry will continue to experience a skills shortage over the next few years, according to foodservice consultants and senior executives as an absence of younger workers makes it harder to fill vacancies.

Tourism boost for Britain as Osborne confirms relaxed visa rules for Chinese

14-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement that visa applications for Chinese visitors to the UK will be simplified has been welcomed by hospitality and tourism organisation’s alike, after years of campaigning about the issue.

Chris Galvin backs HTP’s new hospitality training initiative

14-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Your Future in Hospitality, a new Isle of Wight-based initiative from HTP Training which looks to attract more young people into the hospitality industry, has been welcomed by Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Chris Galvin.

Real ale pubs ‘missing a trick’ by not providing tasting notes

11-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

With the 2014 Cask Report revealing that real ale is now outperforming the beer market, new research has found that licensees can still do more to encourage younger drinkers to try the drink, simply by providing tasting notes on the bar. 

Reports find music is growth driver for UK's hospitality and tourism industries

11-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

Music has been found to be a powerful draw for UK tourists and restaurant and pub-goers, according to the results of two new reports, which quantify the value it has to the hospitality and tourism industries.

Drake's Restaurant owners take on Ripley pub The Anchor

10-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

Steve and Serina Drake, the owners of Drake's Restaurant in Ripley, Surrey, have taken on a 50 per cent share of the freehold of The Anchor, a Grade II listed pub situated in the same village. 

BBPA Awards 2013: Winners revealed at Annual Dinner

10-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

The winners of the second British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) industry awards were announced at the organisation’s Annual Dinner which took place at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge.

Hospitality and tourism associations launch Campaign for Tourism to gain Government support

09-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

Thirty-three of the UK's hospitality and tourism associations, including the British Hospitality Association and the Tourism Alliance, have joined together to put pressure on political parties to include the industry within in their manifestos ahead...

Hayden Groves named National Chef of the Year 2013

08-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

Hayden Groves, executive chef at BaxterStorey, has been named the 2013 National Chef of the Year following a tense final at The Restaurant Show. 

BaxterStorey's Janine Swales named AFWS 2013 Restaurant Manager of the Year

08-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

Janine Swales, a general manager for BaxterStorey, has been named the Academy of Food & Wine Service's (AFWS) 2013 Restaurant Manager of the Year.

AppOS Systems launches 360° restaurant management system

08-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

AppOS Systems has launched a new app which aims to make front and back of house communication and stock management easier within restaurants.

Alcohol consumption continues to plummet, finds BBPA Handbook

07-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

UK alcohol consumption dropped by 3.3 per cent last year and is now at the lowest level this century, according to a new industry stats handbook released by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

National Restaurant Awards: Hand & Flowers takes 2013 title

07-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

The Hand & Flowers, Tom Kerridge’s pub-restaurant in Marlow, has been voted the UK’s best restaurant at the 2013 National Restaurant Awards, snatching top spot from The Ledbury, which held the title for three years.

Provenance key for foodservice operators as British food grows in popularity

04-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

Provenance and transparency are key for foodservice operators wishing to engage their customers according to a new report, which has also found that British food is now more popular cuisine among UK consumers than previous favourite Italian. 

Local pubs diminishing as restaurants favoured for socialising

04-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

With the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) recently launching a new campaign to promote the significance of British pubs, a new survey from a separate organisation has discovered that the reality is bleak, as the majority of adults claim they no longer have...

Restaurant magazine launches Development Chef Club series

03-Oct-2013 By William Drew

Restaurant magazine is launching a new initiative – the Development Chef Club – aimed at informing, inspiring and interacting with the development chef and group executive chef community. 

Pubs in our lives: New Camra research highlights importance of local pubs

01-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Where would we be without the local? That’s the question posed by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), which has today released new research highlighting the significance of British pubs in people’s lives. 

Act NOW! Twitter debate reveals benefits of pre-employment training

01-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

The Hospitality Guild's recent Twitter debate about the benefits and usefulness of pre-employment training concluded that it can be one of the most effective ways of preparing young people for a career in hospitality.

Orchid’s ‘pubs and people’ focus helps deliver modest growth

30-Sep-2013 By Luke Nicholls

The Orchid Group has reported what it calls ‘a period of significant progress’ in 2012, with a modest underlying sales growth across its c240-strong estate following a refinancing of the business.

Restaurants and pubs backing Tax Parity Day report 20% sales uplift

30-Sep-2013 By Emma Eversham

Restaurant and pub operators backing last week's Tax Parity Day say cutting their prices by 7.5 per cent for one day helped boost sales by up to 20 per cent.

Restaurants championing local food and food festivals big draw for domestic tourists

30-Sep-2013 By Emma Eversham

Restaurants and pubs serving locally-sourced food and towns and cities hosting food festivals have become a major draw for domestic tourists, according to VisitEngland with more than three quarters of adults saying they want to dine in a restaurant, pub...

Greene King develops video training app for pub staff

27-Sep-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Cask ale brewer Greene King is bringing ‘the next generation of learning’ to its Hungry Horse pubs, with the launch of a series of training apps for its members of staff.

Real ale shakes off old-man image, fuels boom in new breweries

27-Sep-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Cask ale has lost its image as an ‘old man’s drink’ and now appeals to a broad range of drinkers, with the majority of licensees claiming the beer is bringing more young people and women into their pubs. 

People 1st to run free training session at Hospitality House

26-Sep-2013 By Emma Eversham

Sector skills council People 1st's training company is hosting a free training event at the Hospitality Guild's new training hub Hospitality House next month. 

Shepherd Neame’s pre-tax profits fall but managed like-for-likes grow

25-Sep-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Kent brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has this morning reported a ‘solid performance’ for the 52 weeks to 29 June, despite a drop in pre-tax profit, down by £2m to £7.1m.

UCB awards Simpsons chef-patron Andreas Antona honorary doctorate

25-Sep-2013 By Emma Eversham

Andreas Antona, chef-patron of Simpsons in Edgbaston, Birmingham has been awarded an honorary doctorate by University College Birmingham (UCB) in recognition of his dedication and contribution to education within the hospitality industry.

Fusion Group opens Dunblane hotel Old Churches House

24-Sep-2013 By Emma Eversham

Hotel operator and event management firm Fusion Group, has opened its third hotel in a former church meeting house in the Scottish town of Dunblane, close to Andy Murray's new hotel Cromlix House.

AA Hospitality Awards 2013-14: Tom Kerridge crowned Chefs’ Chef of the Year

24-Sep-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Hand & Flowers chef-patron Tom Kerridge picked up the prestigious Chefs’ Chef of the Year accolade in an evening which also saw Harry Murray, Medlar and Red Carnation Hotels take home some of the top gongs. 

Camra launches online national pub guide

23-Sep-2013 By Luke Nicholls

In the same month as the release of its Good Beer Guide, the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has launched its first ever national pub guide, dedicated to helping UK consumers find the best pubs to suit their needs.

Tax Parity Day: Industry set for national day of action

20-Sep-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Managed pub and bar operator TCG and North Yorkshire brewer Blacksheep are the latest hospitality businesses to pledge their support for Tax Parity Day, taking place next Wednesday (25 September).

Pre-employment training in Hospitality: Twitter debate

20-Sep-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Ahead of BigHospitality’s special feature on recruitment, the Hospitality Guild is encouraging employers to join a Twitter debate about the benefits and usefulness of pre-employment training, as part of the organisation’s ACT NOW! on apprenticeships campaign. 

Gerry Calabrese: Career Profile

20-Sep-2013 By Emma Eversham

Gerry Calabrese may be the son of world-famous bartender Salvatore Calabrese, but he has firmly made his own mark on London's bar and club scene, opening The Hoxton Pony in Shoreditch in 2008, before heading outside of his East End heartland to launch...

Geronimo founders launch new venture

19-Sep-2013 By Mark Wingett

The founders of Geronimo Inns, Rupert and Jo Clevely have set up a new venture called Greenwell & Tipple, which will launch its first site ‘The Cyclist – Refreshment Rooms’ at the soon to renovated Brighton train station.

Restaurant Manager of the Year: Finalists revealed

18-Sep-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Eight of the best restaurant managers in the UK have made it through to the final of the Restaurant Manager of the Year competition after a testing semi-final held in Staffordshire earlier this week.

Hospitality industry playing 'critical role' in reducing youth unemployment, says new report

18-Sep-2013 By Emma Eversham

The hospitality industry is playing 'a critical role' in reducing youth unemployment across Europe and is essential for jobs and growth, a new report by EY claims.

Fleurets Rental Survey suggests ‘return to growth’ for restaurants and pubs

18-Sep-2013 By Luke Nicholls

An increase in rent reviews among licenced retail premises and a flurry of transaction activity across the restaurant sector could mean that ‘we are at long last beginning to see an upturn in the market, or at least the end of the downturn’.