Casual Dining

Boris Johnson gets behind new BII Apprenticeship scheme

21-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

London’s re-elected Mayor Boris Johnson is challenging the licensed hospitality sector to get 5,000 apprentices working in the pub industry within the next 12 months, as part of a joint initiative with the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII).

Smeg Foodservice Solutions launches commercial warewashing range in UK

21-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Experienced commercial appliance manufacture Smeg Food Service solutions has launched its range of warewashers in the UK adding to its trade portfolio of products that includes cooking equipment.

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How hotels can comply with fire safety laws

21-May-2012 By Geoff Wilkinson

Geoff Wilkinson, a building inspector, fire engineer and managing director of Wilkinson Construction Consultants, explains what hotels and other hospitality businesses need to do to stay within fire safey laws following recent prosecutions.

Martin Grant replaced by Bernard Brindley as BII chairman

18-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Martin Grant has stepped down as chairman of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) after 10 years of service and is to be replaced by long-standing BII Council member Bernard Brindley.

Mitchells and Butlers sales rise but profit dips as brand rollout continues

18-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), which operates the Harvester and All Bar One brands, has reported positive sales growth in its half year results driven by food although profit for the business has dipped and poor weather has hit recent sales. 

Classic Cuisine launches Jubilee-inspired fish, chip and pea pie

18-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Foodservice ready meal supplier Classic Cuisine has launched a fish, chip and pea pie 'inspired by everything British', available to restaurants, pubs and bars in time for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

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The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Special: What's your business doing?

18-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

To celebrate The Queen's Diamond Jubilee next month, BigHospitality has spoken to restaurants, hotels, pubs and bars from across the UK to find out about the Jubilee-themed special offers and promotions they're running to capitalise on the increased...

Lucy Haines: Career Profile

18-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Lucy Haines joined London wine tasting venue Vinopolis as managing director earlier this year, following senior commercial roles at Compass, Mint Hotels and TUI Travel. Haines is now responsible for all Vinopolis enterprises, including the restaurants,...

Cold and wet April hits pub and restaurant sales

17-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

April proved to be a washout for the eating and drinking-out market as unusually cold and wet weather hit like-for-like sales, according to this month’s Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

Food and family focus drives pub sales up for Marston's

17-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Marston's has reported strong half year sales with an increased focus on food, families and female customers helping to drive pre-tax profits up by nearly 15 per cent.

Glass crusher to be rolled out to more pubs, restaurants and hotels following trial success

17-May-2012 By Emma Eversham

An engineering firm has partnered with recycling company Ekko to roll-out a glass crusher to more pubs, restaurants and hotels following a successful trial in 100 companies, including pub-restaurant chain Mitchells & Butlers.

The Coach and Horses & The Smithfield Tavern become London's first vegetarian pubs

16-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The Coach and Horses in Soho and The Smithfield Tavern in Smithfields market have become London’s first ever vegetarian and vegan pubs, following a successful trial period of the new concept from the owner.

King's Cross restaurants and bars help new concourse post record sales figures

16-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Network Rail has revealed it expects to post record retail figures from its newly-launched Western concourse at King's Cross station driven in part by the restaurants and bars on site including Leon and the Fuller's pub The Parcel Yard.

Hall & Woodhouse grows pub estate with four acquisitions

16-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Dorset-based brewer and pub operator Hall & Woodhouse has revealed it has acquired four new sites to add to its pub portfolio including two new builds and an established operation in Bristol.

National Chef of the Year 2012 semi-finalists announced

15-May-2012 By Emma Eversham

The 40 chefs who have made it to the semi-finals of the 2012 National Chef of the Year (NCOTY) competition have been revealed by the Craft Guild of Chefs. 

Enterprise Inns slows pub disposal as profits drop

15-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Enterprise Inns has reported a drop in profits but revealed it was slowing its pub disposal programme and was looking to refinance after cutting its levels of debt.

Kona Kai: Tiki-inspired cocktail bar opens in Chelsea

14-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The owners of The Sugar Cane cocktail bar in London’s Clapham Junction have officially launched Kona Kai – a Polynesian-style destination bar located on the Fulham/Chelsea border.

UK pubs benefit from more than £40m in international visitor spend

14-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

UK pubs are estimated to have benefited from the 13.8m international visitors who visited a pub in 2011 to the tune of more than £40m, according to new figures released by the national tourism agency VisitBritain.

BHA restructures in bid to raise hospitality industry’s influence on Goverment

14-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has restructured its organisation, with the creation of a Board of Directors to replace the former BHA Council and National Executive. 

Alcohol minimum pricing: Scotland seeks 50p a unit

14-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The Government in Scotland has confirmed it will push for a minimum price per unit of alcohol of 50p if its proposed legislation to introduce minimum pricing north of the border is approved by the Scottish Parliament.

English wine's marketing board gets new look

14-May-2012 By Emma Eversham

English Wine Producers (EWP), the marketing board for English wine, has redesigned its logo as part of a move to better promote what it feels is a modern, growing industry to the trade. 

Shepherd Neame's Jonathan Neame named BBPA chair

11-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Jonathan Neame, the chief executive of Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame, has been named as the new chair of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

Cozy Pubs continues Essex expansion

11-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Cozy Pubs has increased its foothold in rural Essex with the acquisition of The Saracens Head Hotel in the market town of Great Dunmow.

Diageo debacle provided great media potential, says BrewDog PR

10-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

A major row between Scottish-based independent brewer BrewDog and global drinks giant Diageo provided ‘great media potential’ for the pub group, with its Twitter followers able to escalate the issue into a global trend overnight.

Public lends support to VAT cut for pubs, restaurants and hotels

10-May-2012 By Emma Eversham

A large percentage of the public has supported calls for a VAT cut for the hospitality sector according to the results of a new survey.

Courvoisier launches on-trade cocktail marketing campaign ahead of Imbibe Live competition

10-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Courvoisier has launched a marketing and promotion campaign, Cocktails on a Grand Scale, to encourage the use of cognac in cocktails; bartenders are also being invited to enter a competition at Imbibe Live later this year.

Mark Hunter steps down as BBPA chairman

09-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Mark Hunter is to step down from his post as chairman of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) following a change in roles at brewer Molson Coors where Hunter has been UK & Ireland chief executive since 2007.

BII’s Licensee of the Year revealed

09-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Mahdis Neghabian, of The Camden Eye pub in London, has been named the 2012 Licensee of the Year by the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII).

Hospitality Action Week 2012: How to get involved

08-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The entire UK hospitality industry, from five-star hotels and country pubs to catering colleges, restaurants and industry workers, is uniting to take part in Hospitality Action Week from 14-20 May. 

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How to improve environmental and commercial sustainability

08-May-2012 By Robert Morrall

Robert Morrall, managing director of Route Organisation, explains how hotels, pubs and restaurants can gain commercial benefit from improving their environmental credentials.

Wear Inns receives £10m investment to fund expansion

08-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The northern pub chain Wear Inns has received an investment of £10m from the Business Growth Fund (BGF) and NVM Private Equity (NVM) to fund expansion plans for the company, which expects to make new acquisitions in the next few months.

Leeds-based Stew & Oyster opens second site

08-May-2012 By Emma Eversham

Stew & Oyster, the pub concept in Leeds which serves craft beers alongside a selection of stews and oysters, has opened its second site just outside the city.

Continuing divergence between managed and leased/tenanted pub performance

04-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

A new report from global ratings agency Fitch Ratings has concluded there is a growing divergence in performance of pubs in the UK between managed sites and those that are tenanted or leased.

Unexpected drop in hospitality administrations

04-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Accountancy firm Baker Tilly has analysed the latest figures from insolvency regulators The Insolvency Service and revealed the number of hotel and licensed businesses appointing administrators dropped unexpectedly in the first quarter of the year.

The Collection lounge bar launches new restaurant

04-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The Collection lounge bar in Chelsea has launched a new restaurant, Kitchen 264, headed up by Israeli executive chef Oded Oren offering a modern Mediterranean menu.

Cooks & Co launches new recipe pestos for foodservice

04-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The Cooks & Co brand, owned by fine food distributor R.H. Amar, has launched new recipes for its two pesto pasta sauces for foodservice operators.

Liverpool and Manchester competing with London for international tourists

03-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Liverpool and Manchester have experienced big rises in the number of international tourists they attract as cities in the regions begin to emerge as rivals to Edinburgh and London for foreign visitors.

Novus Leisure on track for record profits

02-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Bar and nightclub operator Novus Leisure has announced it is on track for record profits of nearly £20m for the 12 months to June in a financial update this morning.

Business Profile: ETM Group

02-May-2012 By Joe Lutrario

Attention to detail and a moulding of the product to suit specific markets has seen ETM Group become arguably London’s most successful pub-restaurant outfit.

Failing pub specialists add sixth pub to portfolio

02-May-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Quality Inns, the pub brand launched by the husband and wife team of Easton and Alison Hogben, has added The Floating Bridge in Dartmouth to its list of venues. 

JD Wetherspoon 'more cautious' as tax bill mounts

02-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

National pub group JD Wetherspoon has announced that it is to reduce the number of new pub openings in the next financial year as it grapples with a £50m increase in its annual tax bill.

The Merchant of Bishopsgate pub opens in Liverpool Street station

01-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Food travel company SSP UK has launched a new modern pub on the concourse level at London’s Liverpool Street train station in a bid to ‘completely overhaul and revolutionise the UK’s perception of a typical station pub.’

Restaurants have ‘work cut out’ as discount voucher use still rising

30-Apr-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Almost half of UK restaurant-goers – equating to some 15 million people - rate discount vouchers as ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important when deciding where to dine out, with the number continuing to increase. 

Craft Beer Co expands with second site in Brighton

30-Apr-2012 By Emma Eversham

Craft Beer Co, the specialist beer bar concept founded by Martin Hayes, is expanding its reach with the launch of its second site in Brighton and a third also planned for later this year. 

Online food safety management system launched by Hygiene Audit Systems

30-Apr-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Hygiene Audit Systems, a food and health safety consultancy, has launched Hawk, an online food safety management system designed to allow hospitality operators to store and view food safety monitoring records at a time and place that is convenient to...

Recruiting and retaining staff: How to develop employees and cut turnover rates

27-Apr-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Advertising in all the right places and whittling down prospective candidates for a job can seem wasted if you are forced to dig out the job description again after only a few months. So how can you ensure staff development supports the recruitment process...

Whitbread sees Costa Coffee sales boost and Premier Inn recovery

26-Apr-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Restaurant, hotel and coffee shop operator Whitbread has reported an 11.2 per cent increase in total revenue for the financial year to 1 March 2012, with Group like-for-like sales also up 2.6 per cent.

Recruiting and retaining staff: A guide to CVs and interviews

26-Apr-2012 By Luke Nicholls

So you’ve advertised a role in your business and the applications are beginning to pour in. But how do you effectively search through stacks of CVs and what questions should you be asking in the interview stage to make sure you’re picking the best person...

Service at 87% of hospitality businesses not good enough to generate recommendations

26-Apr-2012 By Emma Eversham

The latest findings from a customer service benchmarking survey show that 87 per cent of hospitality businesses are not providing good enough service to generate guest recommendations.

UK economy drops into 'double-dip' recession

25-Apr-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The hospitality industry has reacted to the news the UK economy has returned to recession and is now in a 'double-dip' recession, according to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).