Casual Dining

Restaurant and pub sales increase while retail sales fall

18-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The UK’s major pub and restaurant groups have recorded a slight increase in sales last month, demonstrating that consumers are still eating out despite spending less at the supermarket.

Tattoo Challenge at Polpo and Hawksmoor, and Gull’s eggs at Boisdale

15-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels, including Hawksmoor, Polpo and Boisdale, tell us what promotions they’re running to attract customers.

Police pub clampdown is ‘abuse’

14-Apr-2011 By Graham Ridout

Licensees are being threatened with arrest and pubs with closure in a clampdown by police forces across the country, which has been labelled “an abuse”.

RSPCA awards open for restaurants and pubs that source ethically

14-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Pubs, restaurants and caterers are being called on to enter the RSCPA Good Business Awards, which recognise companies for their contribution to animal welfare by offering higher welfare products on their menus.

Sommelier of the Year 2011 finalists revealed

14-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

The Academy of Food and Wine Service (AFWS) has revealed the 16 finalists of this year’s Sommelier of the Year competition.

Barracuda grows Smith & Jones chain to 150 pubs

14-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Pub operator Barracuda Group is to open the 150th pub in its Smith & Jones portfolio later this month, following the conversion of some of its other pubs into the new brand format.

Cider is only alcohol to escape drops in consumption

14-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Consumption of cider in the UK has increased marginally over the past year, although volumes were down for beer, wine and spirits, according to the latest data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Hospitality salaries and jobs remain stable, reveals government data

13-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Average weekly salaries in the UK hospitality industry were just under £300 a week in February 2011, while the number of jobs available in the last quarter have remained stable, according to data released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Restaurants and pubs urged to enter Taste of the West awards

13-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Restaurants, pubs, cafes and food producers are being invited to enter this year’s Taste of the West awards, which recognise food and drink produced and served in the south west of the country.

Compass, Roux and Orrery appointments

12-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Foodservice supplier Compass Group has appointed a new managing director for its Ireland division, while Roux at Parliament Square appoints and new bar manager and Marylebone’s Orrery appoints a new restaurant manager.

UK baristas break espresso record at London Coffee Festival

12-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

UK baristas broke the world record for the speed of espresso-making at the London Coffee Festival this weekend.

Eighty former Laurel pubs to hit the market

12-Apr-2011 By Mark Wingett

Over 80 properties that were part of the former Laurel Pub Company are set to come to the market over the next 12 months as investment opportunities.

Daniel Thwaites acquires The Fleece Hotel as character inn

12-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Brewer Daniel Thwaites has acquired The Fleece Hotel in Cirencester as part of ongoing plans to create a 25-strong group of character inns by 2016.

Springboard’s Great Wall of China trek raises funds for hospitality careers

11-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Springboard, the charity that promotes careers in the hospitality industry, has raised £150,000 from a 70km trek along the Great Wall of China.

Thirty-two winners named in 2011 Annual Awards of Excellence

08-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

The winners of the 2011 Annual Awards of Excellence have been announced, with staff from Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire claiming the most awards.

Capital Pub Company buys two more pubs

08-Apr-2011

Capital Pub Company has added another two sites to its portfolio of pubs, investing nearly £3m in its latest acquisitions.

Marathon fuel at Wahaca and free burritos at Chilango

08-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including Wahaca and Chilango tell us what promotions they’re running to attract customers.

Morgan’s Spiced rum gets Captain rebrand

08-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Diageo has rebranded the Morgan’s Spiced rum as Captain Morgan’s Spiced, to bring the drink back in line with the global Captain Morgan brand.

VisitLondon becomes London & Partners after agency reshuffle

07-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

VisitLondon, the capital’s marketing organsation, has merged with other promotional agencies to create one flagship group – London & Partners – as part of the government’s efforts to cut costs and streamline activities.

York’s Michael Ibbotson named Publican of the Year

07-Apr-2011

Michael Ibbotson, who runs the Durham Ox in York, was named Publican of the Year last night at the 20th Publican Awards.

How to run a pop-up restaurant

05-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Running a pop-up restaurant or bar can be an overwhelming and challenging experience, but do it properly and you’ll find the benefits make up for the labour. In this feature series, we uncover how to run a pop-up restaurant successfully.

London voted top destination for US travellers

05-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

London is the top European destination for US travellers this year, although the Royal Wedding is not one of the attractions drawing the extra tourists, according to a survey by TripAdvisor.

ASK THE EXPERTS

How to survive periods of low trading

04-Apr-2011

Richard Moore, director of consultancy CBRE Hotels EMEA, tells BigHospitality readers how they can steer their hospitality business through periods of low economic growth and adverse trading conditions.

Top fish swaps for sustainable menus

04-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A new guide aims to help chefs make simple seafood swaps to improve the sustainability of their menus and businesses.

Tea café launches with expansion plans to rival Costa

04-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Tea Monkeys, a new “tea café” with plans to expand nationally and rival Costa and Starbucks, has opened its first venue in Milton Keynes.

BHA, BBPA win legal battle against compulsory food hygiene displays

01-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Restaurants and pubs in London will not have to display compulsory food hygiene ratings after the trade groups BHA and BBPA won a legal battle against the proposal.

Drake & Morgan founder named Outstanding Entrepreneur 2011

01-Apr-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Jillian MacLean, managing director of the rapidly expanding bar-restaurant firm Drake & Morgan, was nominated Outstanding Entrepreneur of the year in Women 1st’s Shine Awards held last night.

Thai New Year party at Mango Tree and water throwing at Street Thai

01-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including Mango Tree and Street Thai, tell us what they’re doing to attract customers this April.

Lottery funding to help pubs diversify

31-Mar-2011 By Graham Ridout

Licensees of rural pubs have been urged to look at the opportunities to improve their businesses via lottery funding.

Vertigo Lounge café bar to open in Hornchurch

30-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A new café bar concept, Vertigo Lounge, is to open in Hornchurch to target over 25 year-olds looking for a more ‘sophisticated’ social venue in the suburban northeast London town.

Peach takes on former Novelli pub in Harpenden

30-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Peach Pubs has taken on its 14th venue, the former Jean-Christophe Novelli pub The White Horse in Harpenden, following the departure of its most recent owners Urban & Country earlier this year.

Morning Advertiser and Publican to merge

29-Mar-2011

William Reed Business Media (WRBM), the owner of BigHospitality, has bought the Publican and will merge the magazine with sister publication The Morning Advertiser from 7 April.

Service Standards: How to give great hospitality service

28-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Improving your own service skills, as well as those of your staff, can make a noticeable difference in your business and the satisfaction of your customers.

ETM to open two pubs at London Montcalm Hotel

28-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Tom and Ed Martin, owners of the eight-strong ETM Group, are to open two new pubs this summer on the site of Montcalm Hotels’ new five star property in the City.

Prezzo, M&B and Compass big winners at Menu Innovation Awards

28-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Prezzo, Mitchells & Butlers and Compass’s Nick Vadis have all been named winners in the Menu Innovation Network’s annual Menu Innovation and Development Awards (MIDAS).

Fat Duck sommelier named Young Sommelier of the Year 2011

25-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Sommeliers at that The Duck in Bray have scooped up the top three awards in the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’ National Young Sommelier of the Year competition, held this week.

Boutique pop-up at The Folly and groundbreaking Japanese guest at The Loft Project

25-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including The Folly and The Loft Project, tell us what promotions they’re running to attract guests.

Marco Pierre White buys six rural inns

24-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Marco Pierre White has acquired the operator of six rural inns, the Maypole Group, after it fell into administration late last year.

Budget 2011: Impact on the hospitality industry

23-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Today’s budget has delivered good news for small businesses and lower level workers, but offers little hope for hospitality operators as a whole.

Budget 2011: The pub industry’s reaction

23-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

The continuation of the beer tax escalator will not only cost the Treasury money, but lose the pub industry ten thousand jobs this year alone.

Budget: Beer duty to rise again, fuel duty falls

23-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

The price of a pint of beer is set to rise by 10p, after Chancellor George Osborne stuck to plans to increase duty to 7.5 per cent in today’s budget.

VisitEngland guide highlights green hotels and restaurants

23-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

VisitEngland has launched a green map of London, which will guide tourists to hotels, restaurants, gastropubs and cafes that run their businesses along ethical lines.

EU rules zero VAT on take-away food

23-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

A European ruling could mean that restaurants and pubs pay no VAT on take-away food and drink, and they could reclaim some of the tax paid over the past four years.

Fred Sirieix launches The Art of Service board game

23-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Fred Sirieix, general manager at Galvin at Windows, has designed a new board game to help restaurateurs and hoteliers train their staff to deliver the very best service.

Chaîne des Rôtisseurs names Young Chef of the Year 2011

22-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Garret Keown from The Bell Inn, Horndon on Hill, Essex, has been named the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Young Chef of the Year 2011 following a cook-off against seven other finalists last week.

Consumers distrust businesses’ green claims

21-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Only seven per cent of consumers trust companies’ claims to be actively reducing their carbon emissions, although more than half admit they would be more loyal to a brand if action was clearly demonstrated to them.

Service standards: How to raise the profile of front-of-house

21-Mar-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Michel Roux’s Service TV programme has put front-of-house on the map, but how can the hospitality sector sustain this momentum? BigHospitality takes a look at steps that can be taken to help raise the profile of a career in service.

ASK THE EXPERTS

How to best measure customer service

21-Mar-2011

Jules Murray, of sales and customer service consultants Spider on the Wall tells BigHospitality how restaurants, pubs and hotels can measure customer service in the most cost-effective and beneficial way.

Hospitality employers disliked and disrespected

21-Mar-2011 By Becky Paskin

Hospitality employers have been criticised for the lack of support and motivation they lend to their staff, after research revealed over a third of restaurant, pub and hotel workers don’t respect or even like their manager.

Vince Cable pledges to cut red tape

18-Mar-2011 By Mark Wingett

Business secretary Vince Cable is to outline plans today on how the Government will cut red tape for small businesses, including no new domestic laws for three years.