Casual Dining

BigHospitality at Hotelympia 2012

24-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Hotelympia kicks off on Sunday at the ExCel centre for five days (26 February-1 March) of awards, product launches, chef demonstrations and more. As a media partner, BigHospitality will be there reporting on all the news as well as providing exclusive...

Reviews site Qype removes thousands of misleading posts

24-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The consumer reviews website Qype has removed over two thousand ‘fake’ posts in the last month, just weeks after an Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ban on TripAdvisor from suggesting its reviews were ‘honest, real or trusted’.

Oldham council considers plans for hospitality training academy

23-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

Oldham council is planning to build a hotel and hospitality training academy in the town which it believes could become a blueprint for more academies across the UK in the future.

Beer tax hikes threaten jobs of 300,000 young people, says BBPA

23-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

A new report commissioned by the British Beer& Pub Association (BBPA) shows that 300,000 young people are directly employed in the beer and pub industry, fuelling concerns that plans for huge beer tax hikes in next month’s budget will put more young...

JD Wetherspoon founder among speakers at the 20th anniversary ALMR conference

23-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Tim Martin, the founder of JD Wetherspoon, is among the pub and bar industry personalities headlining the annual Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) conference in May celebrating the organisation’s 20th anniversary.

Kitchen Equipment: Top chefs reveal their must-have kitchen kit

22-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

In the latest instalment of our Kitchen Equipment Special Feature we asked chefs working in pub, restaurant and hotel kitchens to tell us the one bit of kit they couldn't live without and we filmed three of them showing us exactly what made the equipment...

BII 2012 Licensee of the Year: Semi-finalists revealed

21-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The British Institute of Innkeeping has revealed the 21 semi-finalists for its 2012 Licensee of the Year Awards.

AFWS UK Sommelier of the Year competition open for entries

21-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The Acadamy of Food and Wine service (AFWS) has this week launched its 2012 UK Sommelier of the Year competition and is calling for sommeliers and wine waiters nationwide to test their knowledge and skills by entering.

Kitchen Equipment: When its time to replace or invest in key items

21-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

Installing a completely new kitchen is great if you have the funds and the time to do it, but for many, a dream kitchen can remain just that.

‘We were a great pub’: The Devonshire Arms in Chiswick closes in first year

21-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The Devonshire Arms – Gordon Ramsay’s failed pub in Chiswick, London – has closed with immediate effect having only re-opened under new ownership in July last year.

Les Routiers reveals Restaurant, Hotel and Pub of the Year winners

21-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Ten hotels, restaurants, pubs and inns have been awarded by guide Les Routiers UK for demonstrating ‘exceptional service, hospitality and quality of food’ throughout the year.

Pesto plans three more Pesto in the Pub openings

21-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Pesto, the Italian restaurant chain founded by La Tasca founder Neil Gatt, is to open three more sites under the Pesto in the Pub concept in the next six months after the first under the brand was successfully opened at a Punch Taverns site in Cheshire...

ASK THE EXPERTS

How to keep your hospitality business free of pests

20-Feb-2012

Savvas Othon, technical director at Rentokil Pest Control, advises hospitality businesses on how to keep pests at bay during busy times.

Kitchen Equipment: When it's time to refurbish

20-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

Replacing a kitchen is not something you consider every day. When margins are being squeezed in every area of the business it can be hard to see how spending a five or six-figure-sum on new kit will have an immediate effect on your profit margins.

Last orders: Pub industry urges Government to cut beer tax ahead of budget 2012

17-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

As hospitality businesses are gearing up for next month’s announcement on the 2012 budget, the British beer and pub industry is unanimously demanding a freeze in the Government’s controversial beer tax escalator.

Government urged to appoint 'hospitality minister' to promote industry and tackle unemployment

17-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Stephen Kyjak-Lane, general manager of the Lancaster London hotel and the new chairman of the London advisory board of hospitality careers charity Springboard, has said a Government minister for hospitality is needed to promote the industry to jobseekers...

IDEAS FROM YOUR PEERS

London Fashion week at The May Fair and Trendy Cocktails at The Fifth Floor Bar

17-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Restaurants, hotels, pubs and bars including The May Fair, The Fifth Floor Bar, The Mulroy and Jurys Inn tell BigHospitality about special events and promotions they're running to attract new customers.

Admiral Taverns introduces prize freeze for licensees

16-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Pub company Admiral Taverns is to freeze the prices of a broad selection of its draught beers in an attempt to hit back at imminent increases in the amount of duty levied against alcohol sold in pubs and bars.

Interior designer and DJ pair hit success with their first bar

16-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

An interior designer and international DJ from Northampton have hit success after opening their first bar, Borija, in the town with a business plan that sees them hit profit in the first year before looking at a possible second site.

Cameron: Pubs and bars need to work with Government on binge drinking

15-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The Prime Minister has called for more action from the drinks industry and pubs on binge drinking in a speech ahead of the publication of the Alcohol Strategy which may suggest some form of higher minimum alcohol pricing.

Final of AFWS Sommelier of the Year competition to be held at LIWF

15-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

The final of the Academy of Food and Wine Service's (AFWS) UK Sommelier of the Year compeition will be held at the London International Wine Fair for the first time this year.

Crime prevention scheme Facewatch to be made free to pubs and bars

14-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

Facewatch, the low level crime-reporting database created by wine bar owner Simon Gordon, is to be made free to UK businesses with a focus on the licensed trade and retailers.

Jamie Oliver makes airport debut at Gatwick: Union Jacks bar, Jamie's Italian and bakery planned

14-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

Jamie Oliver's restaurant business will make its airport debut with the opening of a Jamie's Italian and two new concepts - a Union Jacks bar and a bakery - at Gatwick this summer.

Boqueria tapas restaurant and bar opens in South London

14-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Boqueria, a new tapas restaurant and bar showcasing ‘the very best of Spain’, has opened its doors in South London.

Pubs and restaurants experience unusually busy January

14-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

Traditionally a quiet month for the hospitality industry, January is the time when many businesses plan for the year ahead or recover after the busy festive season, but evidence has shown that many restaurants and pubs have been experiencing an unusual...

Cozy Pub Company sets target of 10 openings in five years

13-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Essex-based firm Cozy Pub Company plan to open 10 more pubs in the next five years after successful re-launches of two Punch Taverns sites in and around Saffron Walden in the county.

The Wicker Man hotel up for sale

13-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The fictional 'Green Man Inn' from the iconic 1973 British film The Wicker Man is being offered for sale.

ETM Group's 10th pub to be showcase for British produce

13-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

ETM Group, the London-based pub company run by brothers Tom and Ed Martin will open its tenth pub next month on the site of The King's Head at the Barbican.

Former Pubfolio sites among package of 74 pubs put up for sale

10-Feb-2012 By Mark Wingett

A 74-strong package of closed freehold and long-leasehold pubs, which includes sites from the former Pubfolio and Goldtry estates, has been placed on the market, according to BigHospitality's sister publication M&C Report.

Bridge End Inn named Camra’s National Pub of the Year

10-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The Bridge End Inn has become the first ever Welsh pub to be unveiled as the best pub in Britain by the campaign for Real Ale (Camra).

Record-breaking 2011 for tourism, could 2012 be even bigger for hospitality businesses?

10-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Britain’s tourism and hospitality businesses are surfing on the wave of a record-breaking 2011 for overseas visitors and spending, making perfect preparation for a bumper 2012, packed full of iconic, once-in-a-lifetime events.

Enterprise Inns announces new chairman and slight trading boost

09-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Enterprise Inns has announced the appointment of Robert Walker as chairman and released its interim management statement ahead of an AGM with figures revealing a slight boost in trade as like-for-like income per pub rose by 1 per cent in the 18 weeks...

Business Profile: Peach Pub Company

09-Feb-2012 By Joe Lutrario

Nick Clegg's vision of a 'John Lewis economy' has caused much discussion of employee ownership in the wider media. It stands to reason that those with a stake in the business will put more in, and in the hospitality sector, where a venue...

King's Cross concourse restaurant and bars revealed

08-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Giraffe, Yalla Yalla, Benito's Hat and the pub operator Fuller's have been revealed as some of the food and drink businesses that are on track to take up residence at the new King's Cross concourse when the 27,000sq.ft retail, restaurant...

People 1st launches workshop to help ‘struggling’ new publicans

08-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Half of new publicans and nightclub owners admit they are ‘struggling’ because they don’t know where to go for specialist advice and guidance or setting up and running their own business.

Industry votes Hand & Flowers top gastropub of 2012

07-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

The Hand & Flowers in Marlow has been voted top gastropub by members of the industry in the 2012 Top 50 Gastropub Awards.

Diageo National Pubwatch Awards launched to encourage responsible drinking

07-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

National Pubwatch has teamed up with drinks business Diageo to launch an award to encourage and recognise safer social drinking environments.

Chefs invited to attend online chocolate masterclass with Will Torrent and Alan Murchison

07-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

Chefs, restaurateurs and anyone with an interest in pastry and chocolate, are being given the chance to get involved with a live and interactive chocolate masterclass with chocolatier and patissier Will Torrent next month.

Cork & Bottle wine bar closes in on two new London sites

07-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The Cork & Bottle wine bar in Leicester Square is close to agreeing terms on the first of two new sites in central London.

TV sport in pubs: size does matter, says new study

07-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Pubs planning to show the 2012 Olympics or European football championships on TV in their venue over the summer have been warned most sports fans intend to vist the pub less and publicans need to bear in mind the size of their screen and drinks prices...

Mary Portas Pilots: Hospitality industry calls for greater importance to be placed on restaurants, pubs and bars

06-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The role restaurants, pubs and bars can play in the rejuvenation of the High Street in the UK needs to be increased if the 'Portas Pilots' scheme for towns, as a result of the Mary Portas review, are to be a success, according to hospitality...

National Apprenticeship Week: How to get your hospitality business involved

06-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

With the fifth annual National Apprenticeship Week kicking off today, businesses from across the UK have told BigHospitality what they’re doing to take on more apprentices and increase the number of vocational opportunities in the industry.

ASK THE EXPERTS

How a hospitality business can improve its credit rating

06-Feb-2012

Simon Streat, managing director of SME, Experian UK&I, explains how restaurant, hotel and pub owners can improve their credit ratings to help give business a boost and make it easier to expand.

'No room for complacency' as hospitality administrations soar

03-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The number of hospitality businesses falling into administration increased by 19.3 per cent in 2011, indicating that the sector was one of the worst hit by the economic crisis.

Fuller’s acquires 15 pubs from Enterprise Inns in £23m deal

03-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Fuller’s, the brewer and pub operator, has announced they are to acquire 15 freehold, tied and tenanted pubs from the pubco Enterprise Inns in a deal costing the London-based company £22.9m.

Queen's Jubilee and Olympics to put focus on 'Great British' cooking in 2012

02-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

With two major events happening in Britain this year - the Olympics and the Queen's Jubilee, food trends agency The foodpeople is predicting a rise in demand for classic British dishes on menus in 2012.

Camra to launch Community Pubs Month

01-Feb-2012 By Luke Nicholls

In April, the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) is to launch a new national pubs campaign, Community Pubs Month, to champion local pubs which are at the heart of communities across Britain.

Aiden Byrne and Ben Spalding lead line-up at Northern Restaurant & Bar

01-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Chef demonstrations from Aiden Byrne and Ben Spalding feature in the line-up for this year’s Northern Restaurant & Bar show in Manchester alongside the announcement of the first NRB Top 50 list of industry operators in the North.

TripAdvisor banned from claiming reviews are ‘honest, real or trusted’

01-Feb-2012 By Emma Eversham

TripAdvisor has been told it can no longer claim that reviews posted on its website are from real travellers or are ‘honest, real or trusted’ following a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Number of vocational qualifications in secondary schools to be cut

31-Jan-2012 By Emma Eversham

The number of vocational qualifications being offered to secondary school pupils is to be cut to 125 from the current 3,175 to better improve students’ prospects, the Department of Education has announced.