Casual Dining

Michel Roux Jr promotes service careers in new TV show

06-Jan-2011 By Becky Paskin

Michel Roux Jr has taken a break from promoting chef careers on Masterchef: The Professionals to present a new TV show aiming to raise the profile of front-of-house careers instead.

Hospitality X Factor to raise funds for industry careers

06-Jan-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The UK’s hospitality industry is being offered the chance to show off its singing talent in an X Factor-themed night designed to raise funds for the industry’s careers charity, Springboard.

Olympics customer service training programme gathers support

06-Jan-2011 By Lorraine Heller

UK sporting venues such as Twickenham Stadium and Royal Ascot have signed up for a customer service programme introduced last year by People 1st to train hospitality staff ahead of the Olympics.

Tourism marketing campaign to create 50,000 jobs

06-Jan-2011 By Becky Paskin

A new four-year £100m marketing campaign devised by VisitBritain is estimated to create 50,000 tourism jobs and boost visitor spending in the UK by £2bn.

Small operators must plan ahead to survive spending cuts, say experts

04-Jan-2011 By Lorraine Heller

Smaller companies will face a tough year ahead, as higher tax and restrictive employment law create barriers to growth, according to the Forum of Private Business.

Ask The Experts: What accommodation rights do employees have?

04-Jan-2011

Christopher Ainsworth, partner in hospitality sector law firm Kimbells, helps one reader understand the legal rights of staff and employers when accommodation is offered with the job.

New Year’s Fireworks at Sky London Bar and cut-price rooms at Travelodge

24-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels including the Sky London Bar and Travelodge, tell us what promotions they’re running to attract customers.

Pearls of Wisdom: Andrew Pern

24-Dec-2010 By Joe Lutrario

Yorkshire-born and bred, Pern won a Roux scholarship prior to opening The Star Inn at Harome in 1996, aged just 25. Currently the Morning Advertiser’s Gastropub of the Year, it has held a Michelin star for 10 years.

Battersea Power Station development is go

23-Dec-2010 By Mark Stretton

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has given the green light to a new attempt to regenerate the capital’s Battersea Power Station, this time into a £5.5bn mixed-use development with homes, office space, hotels and restaurants.

Review of the Year 2010: The future

23-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

With 2010 almost over its time to look ahead to what the future brings. We’ve spoken to some of the industry’s key players to find out what they believe 2011 has in store for them and the industry, and look forward to the major openings hitting the UK.

Pubs advised to live life in the fast lane

22-Dec-2010 By Joe Lutrario

Food-led pubs can learn vital lessons from the burgeoning fast-casual sector this year by concentrating on increasing their speed of service, research from retail consultancy him! has shown.

Review of the Year 2010: Pubs

21-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

As 2010 draws to a close, we take a look back at how the pub sector has evolved in the past 12 months.

Winter cocktails at Radisson Edwardian and New Year’s party at Fifteen London

17-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels, including Radisson Edwardian Manchester and Fifteen London, tell us what they’re doing to attract customers.

Pub and bar failures up

16-Dec-2010

The number of pub and bar companies going bust is up nearly a third compared with last year, new research shows.

Small businesses urged to prepare now to avoid VAT complications

16-Dec-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Independent operators and small businesses in the hospitality sector are being urged to prepare for the VAT increase next year, to avoid complications with their accounting systems that could hit their bottom lines.

White Christmas could be “disastrous” for hospitality

15-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

Hospitality businesses are expected to suffer over the next few weeks, as a second wave of freezing weather hits the UK in the run-up to Christmas.

Business profile: Loungers

14-Dec-2010 By Joe Lutrario

Helmed by Alex Reilley, Loungers is turning heads across the industry with its blend of homely surroundings, genuine all-day dining offer and cleverly located units.

Pub and restaurant sales slow as Christmas approaches

13-Dec-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Pub and restaurant operators will likely face a tough trading environment as we head towards Christmas, as analysts say the latest sector sales figures reveal a challenging time ahead.

Ask the Experts: How can I save money on my business rates?

13-Dec-2010

Chris Barker, Senior Rating Consultant at business rates specialists CVS, explains what hospitality businesses can do to reduce the amount they pay in business rates.

X Factor takeaway at Pizza Express, and Tea Parties at Drunken Monkey

10-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, hotels and pubs including Pizza Express and the Drunken Monkey, tell us what promotions they’re running to lure in customers.

BigHospitality changes face!

10-Dec-2010

BigHospitality, your one-stop-shop for all news and information on the UK’s hospitality scene, today unveils its brand new website, making it easier for users in the restaurant, hotel and pub industries to stay ahead of the game.

Home grown talent could plug skills gap in industry, say recruiters

10-Dec-2010 By Rachel Johnson

A recruitment body has called on the hospitality industry to support home grown talent with apprenticeship schemes, which it says could help mitigate the damage caused to the sector by the government’s cap on non-EU immigration.

EcoPure Waters launches in-house water purification

09-Dec-2010 By Rachel Johnson

EcoPure Waters has launched a new purification system that will allow restaurants and cafes to serve pure filtered water straight out of the tap and into a refillable bottle for the customer's table.

Marco Pierre White returns to his roots at The Box Tree

08-Dec-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Marco Pierre White has returned to The Box Tree, the restaurant he trained in as a young chef, as a partner in the business.

Christmas party bookings rocket by 73 per cent

08-Dec-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Restaurants are seeing the renaissance of the office Christmas party, with dining out bookings up by 73 per cent on last year, an online reservations agency has said.

Restaurant brands facing discount voucher “treadmill”

07-Dec-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Restaurants brands may be forced to permanently lower prices as consumers become accustomed to discount voucher spending, a food service analyst has warned.

Britain to target wealthy tourists with ‘fairytale’ offering

07-Dec-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Britain is primed to be a hotspot for the ultra luxurious ‘fantasy holiday’ market, as the UK’s tourist agency embarks on a marketing campaign targeting the world’s wealthiest people.

On-trade beer sales down 37 per cent on peak levels, says GMB

06-Dec-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Beer sales have fallen again in the year to September 2010, pushing on-trade figures down by 37.8 per cent on peak 2002 levels, figures released by the GMB union have revealed.

After hours with... Taskin Muzaffer

06-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

Taskin Muzaffer, the operations manager at rapidly-expanding bar/ restaurant group Drake & Morgan, speaks of a fast-paced career progression, working abroad, and keeping a cool head.

Hospitality: getting in shape for London 2012

03-Dec-2010

The 2012 Olympic Games will descend on London in just over 18 months.

Hospitality industry resilient to ‘arctic’ weather

03-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin & Lorraine Heller

The snow and ice affecting many parts of the UK does not seem to have severely affected the hospitality industry, with most restaurants, pubs and hotels continuing to trade as normal.

Cheap Hot Boxes at Leon, and BOGOF Burritos at Chilango

03-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, pubs and hotels, including Leon and Chilango, tell us what promotions they've been running to attract customers through the snow and ice.

England lose bid to host 2018 World Cup to Russia

02-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

England’s 2018 World Cup bid has been lost to Russia, an opportunity that would have boosted the UK economy by £3.2bn.

TV's Piers Morgan buys Kensington pub

02-Dec-2010 By Becky Paskin

Britain’s Got Talent host Piers Morgan has bought the leasehold interest in his local pub, The Hansom Cab, in Kensington, and has employed former La Trompette chef Ollie Couillard.

Living Ventures launches new Manchester bar

01-Dec-2010 By Martyn Leek

Living Ventures will this week launch new cocktail bar and restaurant The Alchemist at Manchester's Spinningfields business district, after a £500k investment.

Ian Payne leaves Bay and Town & City

30-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

Ian Payne, the industry veteran who recently acquired a £373m pub package from Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) as part of the new start-up Stonegate, has resigned as chairman of both the Bay Restaurant Group and the Town & City Pub Company.

National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme begins roll-out

30-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is encouraging local authorities to adopt its new national Food Hygiene Ratings System (FHRS), launched today at Bluewater shopping centre, to reduce the number of annual food poisoning cases.

Government urged to rethink London tourism cuts

29-Nov-2010

The tourism industry and the British Hospitality Association (BHA) have written to London Mayor, Boris Johnson, the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, urging them to consider the risks of funding cuts...

Ask the Experts: How can I recruit a good Sous Chef on a limited budget

29-Nov-2010

John Wood, director of hospitality recruitment firm John Wood Consultancy, advises one reader how to go about finding and retaining a qualified sous chef without forking out huge advertising fees.

Alternative staff training: The power of motivational speaking

26-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

No matter how skilled an employee is, if they don’t feel motivated to do their job, they won’t perform well.

Around 6,000 pub closures on the way

26-Nov-2010

Further closures are likely in the pub sector as we have only “hit the tip of the iceberg”, according to Christie & Co head of pubs and restaurants Neil Morgan, talking at the SIBA Conference.

Christmas Hampers at Caprice and helicopter menus at Hotel Verta

26-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants hotels and pubs, including Caprice Holdings and Hotel Verta, tell us what promotions they are running to attract customers.

Alternative staff training: Make everyone a salesman

25-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Personnel who are well trained in their discipline are key to the success of any hospitality venue. But if they also understand how to sell, the immediate results of successful business could start to shine through in your bottom line.

Alternative staff training: Get staff excited

24-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

Teaching your staff new skills in a static, boring environment will only succeed in ensuring information goes in one ear and straight out the other. Try some of these ideas to get your staff buzzing when it comes to teaching them new tricks.

Smithfields’ Vinoteca opens second wine bar in Marylebone

24-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Smithfields wine bar and restaurant Vinoteca has launched its second site, located in Marylebone, London

M&B outlines expansion plans

23-Nov-2010 By Martyn Leek

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the managed pub group, will open at least 120 sites in 2012 as it powers on with its conversions and new build programme

Alternative staff training: Neuro-Linguistic Programming

23-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) won’t equip you with the skills to become the next Derren Brown, but it may help provide your management team with the tools they need to motivate and communicate with their staff more effectively.

Restaurant magazine reveals R200 award nominees

22-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

Byron, Cote and Jamie’s Italian have all been nominated as the Best Restaurant Chain in Restaurant magazine’s R200 awards 2010

Research shows which tourists will be most drawn by Royal Wedding

19-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Foreign tourists most likely to visit the UK during next year’s royal wedding are visitors from Russia, Brazil, Malaysia and the Czech Republic, according to research on the appeal of the Royal Family to other nations

Nordic rooftop bars at Trafalgar Hotel and express Michelin lunches at Roussillon

19-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants hotels and pubs, including the Trafalgar Hotel and Roussillon, tell us what promotions they are running to attract customers