Casual Dining

Restaurants urged to keep line-caught mackerel on the menu

22-Jan-2013 By Emma Eversham

Chefs and restaurateurs who serve line-caught mackerel from areas outside the north east Atlantic should keep the fish on their menus and be proud to do so.

Snug Bars to add two new sites in 2013

22-Jan-2013 By Emma Eversham

Cambridgeshire and Chilterns-based pub company Snug Bars has unveiled plans to open two more sites this year following a record Christmas trading period.  

Cocktail X10 Hi-Fi for bars, restaurants and hotels with limited space and time

22-Jan-2013 By Emma Eversham

New mini sound sytem the Cocktail Audio X10 is being aimed at hotels, restaurants and pubs who want to play a variety of music to guests without having to dedicate too much space or time to the cause.

Wet-led ethos 'pays dividend' for Amber Taverns after profitable Christmas

21-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

The founder of Amber Taverns believes the shift of focus towards food by rival pub operators has paved the way for his wet-led community pub group’s success, with sales across the Amber estate growing by 16 per cent during the 12-day festive period.

Peter Borg-Neal reveals 2013 plans for Oakman Inns and The British Larder

21-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Peter Borg-Neal, the chief executive of Oakman Inns & Restaurants, has outlined his 2013 plans for the company and declared his intention to remain as chairman of The British Larder when Oakman is no longer the majority shareholder of the Suffolk-based...

New web service launched to help restaurants run events in low periods

21-Jan-2013 By Emma Eversham

Software start-up Okurso has launched a web service which enables restaurants and pubs the chance to bring single people, business travellers and expats together for an event or meal out during periods of low trade.

Every hospitality business must make job creation pledge, says Ufi Ibrahim

21-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Ufi Ibrahim has told hospitality businesses across the UK that they must ‘walk the talk’ when it comes to job creation by making more opportunities available to young people if they want to receive more support from the Government in other areas.

Welcome Break successfully completes £350m refinancing

18-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Motorway service area operator Welcome Break has announced it has successfully completed a £350m refinancing of its debt facilities allowing the company to continue the development of the brand. 

Planglow launches range of deli-style packaging and labelling

18-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Product details:Label and packaging provider Planglow has launched a new compostable collection – Gastro - which showcases a range of premium...

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.

Long-awaited Gary Rhodes restaurant now ready to open in Plymouth

16-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Rhodes @ The Dome, celebrity chef Gary Rhodes' latest restaurant project located at the Plymouth Dome site on Plymouth Hoe, is set to open on 25 January after a delay caused by a theft of metal from the building. 

Business Outlook 2013: What’s next for hospitality?

16-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Smaller, up-and-coming pub operators will have more opportunities to expand, restaurateurs will begin to divert away from the high street and more hoteliers will begin actively preparing for recovery.

Strong Christmas trading for Spirit and Wetherspoon as pubs outperform restaurants over festive period

16-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Spirit Pub Company and JD Wetherspoon are the latest pub groups to report a very profitable Christmas and New Year as the latest industry sales barometer reveals that pubs outperformed restaurants over the festive period.

The Pastry Room launches 'freeze’n’flow' instant pastry

16-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

In the third of our week of news stories featuring products launching at The Hospitality Show, we preview the debut of The Pastry Room and its new product - a frozen pastry crumb which creates an instant pastry with the addition of water.

How to market your hospitality business better using photo and video

16-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

A picture might tell a thousand words but getting the right photo and video to market your hotel, restaurant, pub or bar is often not as simple as penning some winning prose - so what top tips can hospitality businesses take to improve their imagery?

Pesto reveals plans to open at least ten Pesto in a Pub restaurants in 2013

14-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Pesto, the Italian restaurant and pub-restaurant chain founded by La Tasca creator Neil Gatt, has announced two key appointments to its board in order to support expansion plans which see the company doubling its portfolio in 2013.

Hospitality businesses to make new recruitment pledges at second BHA Summit

14-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has revealed the second Hospitality & Tourism Summit will be held on Tuesday 11 June 2013 and will focus on promoting careers in the industry.

Christmas sales boost for Greene King

14-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Greene King has posted a record set of results for the Christmas and New Year period, helping the group’s overall like-for-like sales increase by 3.7 per cent for the 36 weeks to 6 January 2013.

Clifton Food Range launches centrifuge for chefs at The Hospitality Show

14-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

In the first part of our week of product news stories featuring products set to launch next week at The Hospitality Show in Birmingham, we introduce readers to the Clifton Foodfuge, a centrifuge for chefs, which will launch later this month and will be...

Hall & Woodhouse reports surge in number of former management operators applying to become pub tenants

11-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Dorset-based brewer and pub operator Hall & Woodhouse has reported a growth in the number of former managed pub operators who have successfully become tenants with the company.

Life after the pub: 2012 sales figures reveal alternative uses after being sold

11-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

With 18 pubs closing every week across the UK, leisure property specialists Fleurets has released its Alternative Use Report, analysing 2012 sales figures to reveal what happens to these 'community hubs' after they are sold.

'Excellent news' for hospitality businesses as Government extends Apprenticeship Grant

11-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

The hospitality industry has wholeheartedly welcomed the Government’s decision this week to extend the Apprenticeship Grant for employers of 16 to 24-year-olds to March 2014.

MPs slam efforts to self-regulate the pubco-tenant relationship

10-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

MPs yesterday debated Government plans to introduce an independent adjudicator to enforce a statutory code regulating the relationship between pubcos and tenants with some members criticising those in the industry who had backed self-regulation.

La Tasca unveils first unbranded concept, eyes rollout

10-Jan-2013 By Mark Wingett

La Tasca, the casual dining chain led by Simon Wilkinson, is set to unveil the first of a new unbranded tapas bar concept called Bar y Tapas in Brighton this month and has identified a further eight sites for possible conversion to the format, according...

Kalton & Barlow eyes UK expansion following record Christmas sales

09-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

North West-based pub company Kalton & Barlow (K&B) is looking forward to a prosperous 2013 after reporting record food and ale sales over the Christmas period, with plans to open a fourth pub in early Spring and 15 sites within the next five years.

Behind the scenes at Whitbread’s Food & Beverage Skills Academy

09-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

In an industry where staff training is paramount, the UK’s largest hotel and restaurant operator Whitbread is leading the pack, having set up a number of Food and Beverage Skills Academies across the UK in a bid to improve the abilities and brand awareness...

BBPA criticises Government plans to regulate 'unfair practices' in the pub industry

09-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

There has been mixed reaction from the pub industry to Government measures announced yesterday to greater regulate against what it calls 'unfair practices' in the sector with the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) describing the plans as...

Punch Taverns presses on with pub disposals, 65 venues up for sale

08-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Punch Taverns is continuing with its pub disposal programme after putting 65 sites across the country up for sale through specialist property agent Christie & Co. 

Joule's Brewery to open more pubs following £1m investment

08-Jan-2013 By Emma Eversham

Joule's Brewery is planning to open a further six pubs this year and expand the brewery it re-opened in 2010 after receiving a funding boost of £1m from the Co-operative Bank. 

Foodservice consumer confidence and eating out spend expected to rise in 2013

08-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Restaurant operators have become 'resigned' to the economic downturn and are focusing on survival rather than growth but 2013 could be the year that changes, according to foodservice consultancy Horizons.

Hospitality businesses asked to share their food waste strategies for SRA Awards

07-Jan-2013 By Emma Eversham

Unilever Food Service (UFS) is encouraging all hospitality businesses to share their food waste strategies for the chance to become a 'sustainable champion' by entering the Sustainable Restaurant Association's (SRA) newest category in this...

ASK THE EXPERTS

How to turn emails into return visits

07-Jan-2013 By Matt McNeill

Matt McNeill, chief executive of email and mobile marketing platform Sign-Up.to, gives his top tips on how best to use email marketing to build repeat business at your restaurant, hotel or pub. 

Embrace events: Hospitality operators give their 2013 event catering predictions

04-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Following a year littered with event catering opportunities - from the Queen's Diamond Jubilee to the London 2012 Olympic Games - 2013 can be as successful, if not more so, for mass caterers or those looking to move into catering for events.

The Hospitality Show 2013 preview

04-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

The hospitality industry’s 2013 events calendar kicks off with one of the UK’s largest foodservice and hospitality exhibitions later this month as over 350 exhibitors descend upon the NEC Birmingham for The Hospitality Show 2013.

'Business as usual' for Admiral Taverns following acquisition by private investment firm

04-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Admiral Taverns has been acquired from Lloyds Banking Group by an affiliate of private investment firm Cerberus Capital Management with the new owners keen to maintain the positive momentum of the tenanted pub group.

Christmas trading results highlight importance of early planning and value for money

04-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Restaurants and pubs across the UK have generally reported strong sales over the Christmas and New Year period, with the majority admitting that any festive successes were down to early planning, effective menus and more price-sensitive offerings.

Beanies launches flavoured freeze-dried coffee range

04-Jan-2013 By Emma Eversham

Freeze dried coffee company Beanies has launched a range of flavoured coffees in 50g jars which it says are 'perfect' for the small cafe, bar or restaurant owner who wants to extend their hot beverage offering.

St John Chinatown hotel and restaurant sold, administrators confirm

03-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Unlisted Collection, the boutique hotel company behind the Town Hall Hotel and Nuno Mendes' Michelin-starred restaurant Viajante, has bought the St John Chinatown hotel and restaurant from administration, it has been confirmed. 

Artis launches Duralex tempered glass table and glassware range

03-Jan-2013 By Emma Eversham

Artis has launched a range of Duralex tempered glassware products - from tumblers and cups to plates and ramekins - in the UK after it was appointed master distributor of the French brand. 

Ben Spalding continues search for restaurant following John Salt departure

02-Jan-2013 By Emma Eversham

Chef Ben Spalding has ramped up the search for his own restaurant following his early departure from a six month residency at Islington bar and restaurant John Salt. 

JD Wetherspoon to create 1,200 jobs with 30 new pub openings in 2013

02-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon has unveiled plans to open 30 new pubs in 2013, creating 1,200 jobs and taking the firm’s estate to just under 900 venues across the UK.

Happy New Year: Why hospitality businesses should be confident about 2013

02-Jan-2013 By Luke Nicholls

Despite fears of an uneventful 2013 being a dead year for business, a number of leading hospitality and tourism bodies have given reasons for restaurant, hotel and bar operators to remain optimistic, insisting that the next 12 months could be even more...

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. 

Erlenbacher introduces two new flavours to Backhits range of tray-baked cakes

02-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

German-based frozen bakery manufacturer and supplier Erlenbacher Backwaren has expanded its Backhits range of tray-baked cakes to include two new flavours. 

Hospitality businesses prepare to take advantage of £2.1bn Christmas domestic tourism spend

21-Dec-2012 By Peter Ruddick

New figures released by VisitEngland show 12 million Brits, nearly a quarter of the adult population, are preparing to take a Christmas or New Year break in the UK - a trend which is likely to generate £2.1bn in tourism spend for hospitality and other...

Tork creates hygiene training packs for hospitality businesses

21-Dec-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Tork, a brand of Sweden-based tissue manufacturer SCA, has launched two training packs for caterers to download to help them train staff on important aspects of food hygiene.

BigHospitality's 2012 look-back: Ping-pong and Hotel GB

21-Dec-2012 By Emma Eversham

The fifth and final part of our 2012 look-back featuring our top 10 most-read stories of the year investigates the impact the Channel 4 show Hotel GB had on the industry and asks why the opening of bars with table tennis tables in has seemingly grabbed...

The British Larder book shortlisted for Gourmand World Cookbook award

21-Dec-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Less than a month following publication and just a couple of weeks after it was named the best cookbook by a UK female chef, The British Larder by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel has been named on the shortlist for the 2013 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

BigHospitality's 2012 look-back: The rise of Asian dining and the Michelin Guide 2013

20-Dec-2012 By Emma Eversham

As we move up our most-read list of stories on BigHospitality during 2012 to the top three and four articles of the year, we discuss the topics they approach, namely the rise of Asian dining in the UK and the Michelin Guide, in more detail. 

Damson restaurateur partners with Salford City College to create MediaCityUK hospitality training centre

20-Dec-2012 By Emma Eversham

Steve Pilling, co-owner at Stockport restaurant Damson, has gone into partnership with Salford City College to help set up a new hospitality and catering training centre which will be based at MediaCityUK.