Casual Dining

Restaurateurs urge BHA to lobby Government over 'ridiculous' planning laws

20-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

Restaurant operators are calling on the British Hospitality Association (BHA) to lobby the government over 'ridiculous planning laws' that they blame for halting the development of the restaurant sector on our high streets.

Restaurants, pubs and cafes now account for a third of high street shops

17-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and cafes now account for a third of independent high street shops in the UK, a study of 75,000 businesses has found.

Ideas from your Peers

Jazz photography at the Midland Hotel and Sprit masterclasses at Zenna Bar

17-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including The Midland Hotel and Zenna Bar tell us what marketing campaigns and promotions they’re running to attract customers.

Fuller’s £53.9m bid for Capital Pub Company rejected

17-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

Capital Pub Company has rejected a bid by Fuller’s to acquire the group for £53.9m and has refused to enter talks with the group, claiming such a price ‘substantially undervalued the business and its prospects’.

Hilton signs up to £100m VisitBritain marketing campaign

17-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

Hilton Worldwide has become a founding partner in VisitBritain’s £100m tourism marketing programme, which aims to attract an additional four million overseas visitors to the UK.

Wi-Fi in pubs would attract more customers, finds report

16-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A survey of customers in some of the largest pub chains around the UK has found that a decent Wi-Fi connection would encourage punters to visit more often.

IT spend to increase in hospitality sector in 2011, finds survey

16-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Over half of hospitality operators around the world are planning to increase their technology investment over the next year, with the main driver being improved customer experience, finds a new survey.

V8 Gourmet goes into administration again

15-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

V8 Gourmet, the troubled Indian restaurant group part-owned by Bollywood actress Shipa Shetty, has gone into administration again despite receiving last minute backing from new investors.

Business Profile: Pho

15-Jun-2011 By Joe Lutrario

Stephen and Juliette Wall’s Vietnamese restaurant concept Pho is on the expansion trail.

National Chef of the Year 2011 semi-finalists announced

14-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Craft Guild of Chefs has announced the 40 semi-finalists who will compete in the next round of the 2011 National Chef of the Year (NCOTY) competition.

Briefing to explore career roadblocks for women in hospitality

14-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Top female executives in the hospitality sector will be meeting next week to discuss what prevents women from rising to the top ranks in the industry.

Pubs and restaurants suffer post-bank holiday slump

14-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

Pub and restaurant chains suffered a slump in sales in May following April's bank holidays, but performed better than retail according to latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

CAMRA unveils Pub Design Awards winners

14-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), has unveiled the four winners of its annual Pub Design Awards.

No Saints fuels aggressive expansion with £2.1m investment

13-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

No Saints, the burgeoning bar and restaurant operator run by Luminar Leisure founder Stephen Thomas, has secured a £2.1m injection from investment vehicle Hotbed to continue its aggressive expansion.

Pubs continue to suffer as drinkers stay at home

13-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

Pubs are continuing to suffer from reduced drinks sales as cash-strapped consumers decide to stay at home because they can get better value from shop-bought alcohol.

Gerard Basset among hospitality stars on Queen's Birthday Honours list 2011

13-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

Gerard Basset has been awarded an OBE in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours list.

BAHA changes name to HOSPA

13-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

BAHA, the British Association of Hospitality Accountants, will be rebranding to reflect the changing nature of financial management in the hospitality industry.

ASK THE EXPERTS

How to secure funding for your hospitality business

13-Jun-2011

In today’s environment, how can a growing business be sure that it’s in the best possible position to secure much-needed financing? Mike Saul, Head of Hospitality and Leisure at Barclays Corporate explains how to access finance in the changing world of...

Ideas from your Peers

Fathers’ Day tour at Vinopolis and Spanish celebration at La Tasca

10-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including tell us what promotions they’re running to attract customers this Fathers’ Day (19 June).

Fuller's strong performance boosted by hotels and managed pubs

10-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Brewer and pub operator Fuller’s has seen sales and profits increasing in its managed pub and hotel divisions, although beer duty rises have hit performance in its tenanted pub arm and its UK beer sales.

Safer pint glass shatters into cubes to prevent crime

09-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Design and glassware firms have joined forces to launch a new pint glass, which they claim is the safest and strongest tumbler produced to date, designed to help cut crime in busy drinking environments.

Antic to expand with purchase of Clapham Walkabout

09-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

London pub operator Antic has bought the former Walkabout Bar in Clapham, with plans to develop it into a bar and music venue.

Orchid launches 'pizza pub' concept

09-Jun-2011 By Stefan Chomka

Managed pub operator Orchid is out for a piece of the ultra-competitive, but potentially lucrative, Italian casual dining market with the conversion of a Hertfordshire site to a new 'pizza pub' concept.

De Vere opens Greenwich Academy of Hospitality

08-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The hotel and event space group De Vere has opened its fifth Academy of Hospitality, which will train 400 young Londoners in cookery and customer service.

Food inflation reaches two-year high

08-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Food inflation in the UK has hit a two-year high, indicating that pricing pressures on hospitality operators are likely to continue into the near future.

American Express to promote UK as tourism destination

08-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

American Express has created an online portal designed to promote the UK as a tourist destination to its clients around the world.

Sir David Michels to become IoH president

07-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The former Hilton Group chief executive Sir David Michels, who has received a knighthood for his services to the hotel and catering sector, was today named the new president of the Institute of Hospitality (IoH).

Chefs re-issued food safety advice after German E.coli outbreak

07-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

Chefs and caterers have been issued with advice on handling raw vegetables following the E.coli outbreak in Germany, which has killed 22 people.

Hotel du Vin founder to launch boutique country hotel chain

06-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

Hotel du Vin founder Robin Hutson is to launch a boutique country hotel in the New Forest as part of plans to create a multi-site concept focused on locally-sourced food.

Orchid boss to brief United Nations on corporate social responsibility

06-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

Orchid chief executive Rufus Hall will be flying out to New York later this month to address members of a United Nations conference on the subject of corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Novus in takeover talks with Duke Street private equity

06-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Novus Leisure, the owner of bars and night clubs including Balls Brothers and Tiger Tiger, has been holding takeover talks with the private equity firm Duke Street.

BHA task force to tackle damaging hospitality regulations

06-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) will administer an industry task force on deregulation, which will aim to cut through red tape that is holding back the hospitality sector.

Craft Guild of Chefs Awards 2011: The Winners

03-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Philip Howard from the two Michelin-starred The Square restaurant was yesterday awarded the top accolade at the Craft Guild of Chefs annual awards ceremony, joining another 14 chefs who were recognised for their culinary contribution.

Diamond Jubilee: event details revealed

03-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Buckingham Palace has issued details for the Diamond Jubilee celebration events next year, which will mark key dates in the calendars of hospitality operators set to benefit from extra footfall over the long weekend.

Pearls of Wisdom: Mark Fuller

03-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

The co-founder of Concept Venues, the umbrella company for global brands Embassy nightclubs, Sanctum Hotels and Geales restaurants, is about to embark upon a period of mass expansion. This year alone he is set to open Embassy Dubai at the Grosvenor House...

Diamond Jubilee double bank holiday to create business boost

02-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The extra bank holidays expected for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee next year are likely to provide the nation’s hospitality operators with a similar boost to that received during the Royal Wedding weekend, says the national tourist board.

Gordon Ramsay Holdings cuts overheads and boosts profits

02-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) made a pre-tax profit of £2m last year after it cut staff costs, scaled down expansion and sold off its Italian restaurant Murano.

Restaurants and pubs gear up for The Big Lunch street party

02-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Restaurants, pubs and chefs are preparing for a nationwide gathering of local communities for the annual lunch-based street party, The Big Lunch.

Yohann Jousselin wins UK Sommelier of the Year after six attempts

02-Jun-2011 By Becky Paskin

Yohann Jousselin, head sommelier at the Vineyard at Stockcross, has been named the UK Sommelier of the Year 2011 after six attempts at the title.

Bulldog buys Best Western in Horncastle

01-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Bulldog hotel group has purchased the Best Western hotel in Horncastle, marking the fifth property for the expanding firm.

Former Le Gavroche head chef consults at Hawkshead brewery

01-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

Former Le Gavroche head chef Steven Doherty has joined Cumbrian brewer Hawkshead as consultant chef to help develop its food offering.

People 1st merger to align hospitality and travel training

01-Jun-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The hospitality skills training group People 1st is considering a merger with its counterpart for the UK transport sector, GoSkills, in an effort to pool reduced resources and streamline customer service training efforts.

Loungers’ expansion pushes turnover up 55%

01-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

Loungers, the Bristol-based café, bar and restaurant group, saw turnover grow 55 per cent to almost £11m last year after adding an extra four sites to its estate.

Michelin Guide's early release provokes mixed reaction

01-Jun-2011 By Emma Eversham

Michelin is bringing forward the publication date of its 2012 Great Britain & Ireland Guide by more than three months, provoking a mixed response from the industry.

Strong hotel trade pushes growth for Young’s

31-May-2011 By Emma Eversham

Hospitality operator and brewer Young’s said it saw the strongest growth in the hotel sector of its business last year with revpar up 14.2 per cent to £44.11.

Summer drinks trends: Beer

31-May-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Local and premium beers will continue to be a priority for consumers this summer, but in order to make the most of sales and appeal to a range of consumer groups, publicans must promote beer as a respectable drink with a diverse history.

Travelodge considers pubs and offices for Metro expansion

31-May-2011 By Emma Eversham

Travelodge is pressing forward with the expansion of its Metro brand by converting pubs, office buildings and even snooker halls into small 20-40 bedroom hotels.

Ask the Experts

What are employer and employee rights when management changes?

31-May-2011

Management change in the hospitality sector often comes along with a new approach to employee shifts and benefits. But what rights do employers and employees have in this situation? Caroline Essex, employment specialist at the law firm Davenport Lyons,...

Paul Kitching named best chef in Scotland

31-May-2011 By Becky Paskin

Paul Kitching, chef proprietor of the Michelin-starred 21212 in Edinburgh has been named the best chef in Scotland in the Catering in Scotland (CIS) Excellence Awards.

Pubs could face heavy taxes under new gaming machine proposals

27-May-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Pub operators are facing new tax proposals for gaming machines, which could risk hiking up operation prices to prohibitive levels, warns an industry trade group.