Casual Dining

Still time to enter Great British Pub Food Awards 2011

19-Nov-2010 By Jo Bruce

If your pub offers a fantastic steak, all-day dining, Italian food or Indian food then don’t miss the chance to enter the food pub categories in the Great British Pub Food Awards 2011

Entry level hospitality training course launched

18-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

A new training programme preparing the general public and unemployed for a life in the hospitality industry has been launched

Royal Wedding to provide two-year tourism boost for UK

17-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

The royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton next year is expected to bring a two-year boost for hospitality operators, as tourists from across the globe flock to the UK ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games

Downey's Milk & Honey voted Best Bar in the World once more

16-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

Milk & Honey, the London speakeasy owned by Match Bar Group founder Jonathan Downey, has been voted the best bar in the world for the second year running by Drinks International magazine

The Star Inn is Britain's top gastropub

16-Nov-2010 By Jo Bruce

The Star Inn at Harome, North Yorkshire, has been named as the number one gastropub in the UK at the “Old Speckled Hen” Top 50 Gastropubs 2010 awards, organised by BigHospitality's sister title, The Morning Advertiser

Ask The Experts: How can I get more tax relief?

15-Nov-2010

BigHospitality puts one reader's question about how to minimise the tax effects of recent legislation affecting the hotel industry to Shirley Smith, Partner at business, tax and wealth advisors Reeves

Michelin-starred meals for £1 at Von Essen, and local game at the Rattlebone Inn

12-Nov-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants hotels and pubs, including Von Essen and The Rattlebone Inn, tell us what promotions they are running to attract customers

JD Wetherspoon buys Victorian site in Somerset

12-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

JD Wetherspoon is planning to open a new seafront site in Somerset, following the purchase of the former leisure unit Cabot 5 Bars

Customer service training project to reach 200,000 by Olympics

12-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

People 1st has launched a new campaign to train 200,000 hospitality and tourism staff in time for the 2012 Olympics

Hibiscus's Claude Bosi to open Wimbledon pub

11-Nov-2010 By Joe Lutrario

Claude Bosi, chef patron at two-Michelin star Mayfair restaurant Hibiscus, is to take on a pub-with-rooms with brother Cedric, BigHospitality can reveal.

Turnover and sales up at The Restaurant Group

11-Nov-2010 By Martyn Leek

The 380-strong Restaurant Group, whose brands include Frankie & Benny's, Chiquito and Garfunkel's, has reported an 8 per cent increase in turnover for the 45 weeks to 7 November on last year

Raymond Blanc protégés take over Leamington pub

10-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

A pair of Raymond Blanc’s protégés have acquired the lease on a pub and grill venue in Leamington Spa, which they plan to rejuvenate with a “new cuisine flair” at affordable prices

Victoria pubs and restaurants launch online crime watch system

10-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Restaurants, pubs and cafes in London Victoria are trialling a new crime reporting system that aims to create a crime watch network between businesses in order to deter potential thieves

Waffle chain opens in Notting Hill with more expansion planned

09-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

The Belgium-inspired waffle specialist Wafflemeister will be opening its third store in London next week, with plans to double its UK sites early next year

Extreme cheeseboards at Vivat Bacchus and wine discounts at the Vineyard at Stockcross

05-Nov-2010 By Joe Lutrario

Restaurants hotels and pubs, including Vivat Bacchus and the Vineyard at Stockcross, tell us what promotions they are running to attract customers.

Women leaving hospitality costs industry £3bn, finds report

03-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Every year, over 300,000 female workers leave the hospitality industry, a turnover that comes at a cost of almost £3bn to businesses, according to a new report

Good Pub Guide criticised for entry charges

02-Nov-2010 By Jo Bruce

Award winning licensees in the Good Pub Guide 2011 have criticised the guide's decision to introduce charges for the book's main entries

Music venue on Charlotte Street up for sale

02-Nov-2010 By Lorraine Heller

The freehold of a music venue on London’s popular Charlotte Street is up for sale, with interest expected form both investors and operators

Ask the Experts: How can I protect my business from the spending cuts?

01-Nov-2010 By NULL

Robert Barnard, partner for Hotel Consultancy Services at PKF Accountants & business advisers, tells one reader what he can do to protect his business as the impacts of the spending cuts start to be felt

What you’re doing: Christmas special

29-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Christmas in hospitality this year will be all about adding value to your services so you attract – and keep – new customers, while at the same time keeping your costs down. If you’re stuck for ideas as to how to go about doing this, take a look at what...

Hospitality benchmark names top brands for customer service

29-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

A hospitality benchmarking survey has named Living Ventures, John Lewis cafes and restaurants, Wagamama, Premier Inn and Maison Blanc as the top five multi-branch brands for customer service

Profitable Christmas: Data capture for January

28-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Christmas is a time for good cheer, plenty of treats, and general jolliness. But if you’re in the hospitality industry, Christmas is all about welcoming those extra people who come through your doors, and making sure you find ways to bring them back.

JD Wetherspoon lets diners plan personalised menu online

28-Oct-2010 By Jo Bruce

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) is giving customers with special dietary requirements the opportunity to plan their pub meal online

Profitable Christmas: Adding value to hospitality

27-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Tightened consumer belts over the Christmas period need not be as damaging to the hospitality industry as you might fear. Despite the expected slowdown, here are some simple measures that can keep people coming through your doors.

Profitable Christmas: Cut seasonal costs

26-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

With consumer spend expected to drop this Christmas, the last thing you’d want is for your business expenses to eat away at your potential profits, but there are several small, low cost initiatives you can implement now to tackle your growing outflow.

BBC’s The Restaurant winners open cocktail bar with Raymond Blanc

26-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

The winners of the BBC’s TV show The Restaurant – JJ Goodman and James Hopkins – will open a cocktail bar with Raymond Blanc at the end of November

Profitable Christmas: Attract spend-wary customers

25-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Although the hospitality sector is recovering well after the recession, and despite consumers’ traditional increase in spend during December, the Government’s £80bn spending cuts may mean that restaurants, pubs and hotels will need to work just as hard...

Chiller breaks at The Bonham in Edinburgh and Halloween Tea at Podium

22-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants hotels and pubs, including the Bonham Hotel in Edinburgh and Podium Restaurant at Hilton Park Lane, tell us about the extra activities their planning to attract customers this Halloween

People 1st looks for 100 most influential women in hospitality

22-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Women working in the hospitality sector could be recognised for their achievements in a new initiative by People 1st, which will next month start a search for the 100 most influential women in the industry

Government spending cuts will hit hospitality, says expert

21-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Hotels are likely to be hard hit by the Government’s £80bn spending cuts announced yesterday, according to a hospitality expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), who predicts that tightened economies will have a knock-on effect on business travel

VisitBritain reviews operations to optimise Olympics tourism plan

20-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Following the £80bn worth of spending cuts announced by the Government today, national tourism agency VisitBritain will need to review its operations if its Olympic tourism strategy is to remain on track

Hospitality leaders back government spending cuts

19-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

The heads of pub, hotel and restaurant operators Whitbread and Fuller’s have joined leaders of some of the UK’s largest companies in a strong show of support for the government’s proposed spending cuts

FSA’s food hygiene scheme should be compulsory, says government report

18-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Restaurants and food businesses across the UK may soon be faced with compulsory food hygiene rating, following recommendations from a government report that the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) scheme becomes mandatory

Three Regent Inn sites to be sold

18-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Three more former Regent Inns sites are coming onto the market, a year after the operator went into administration

Ask the Experts: How can I get the best rate on my pension?

18-Oct-2010 By NULL

Laith Khalaf, pensions analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, advises one reader on how to get the most of his pension plan as a self-employed, single operator

Background noise affects food perception, research shows

18-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

A new study has found that the level of background noise affects our perception of the flavour and texture of food, a theory that some chefs – like Heston Blumenthal – have already taken to their diners

Business Profile: Drake & Morgan

15-Oct-2010 By William Drew

Inspirational and driven, entrepreneur Jillian MacLean is rapidly expanding her young company, Drake & Morgan, to be the envy of the bar-restaurant sector

6,300 bars, pubs and restaurants to close by 2015

15-Oct-2010 By Martyn Leek

Two new studies released today have claimed that 6,300 pubs, bars and restaurants will fail by 2015 and that some 6,685 companies in the leisure sector are currently struggling with “significant or critical” financial problems of £57.5bn

Most small businesses doubt usefulness of social media

15-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

More than half of small businesses now use social media, although most of them doubt the value of networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

Britain remains fourth most admired country in the world

13-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Britain has maintained its position as the fourth most admired country in the world, falling only behind the USA, Germany and France

How ethical sourcing can make good business sense

12-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

A modest approach to ethical sourcing is good for customers and good for business, helping restaurants make and not break the bottom line, say industry experts

Punch Taverns facing strategy review following profit fall

12-Oct-2010 By Martyn Leek, The PMA Team

Punch Taverns, the leased and tenanted pub operator, is to carry out a "comprehensive" strategy review after a fall in profits

Kyashii set for “food focused” re-launch on Kingly Club site

12-Oct-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Japanese restaurant Kyashii is to launch next week in London’s Covent Garden, in an attempt to shake off its predecessor’s “bling bling” image and focus on its food offering

The Good Pub Guide 2011 blacklists bad service

08-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

The 2011 Good Pub Guide has blacklisted 381 pubs after receiving “serious criticism” from their customers, including rude staff and smelly dogs

Charcoal grill is heart of new Fulham venue

07-Oct-2010 By L Heller

Operator Brenhan Magee has launched a new bar and grill restaurant in West London, which he says will be taking a “modern back to basics approach”

Prepare for onslaught of snow and ice, businesses warned

07-Oct-2010 By Becky Paskin

Small hospitality businesses are being warned to prepare now for an onslaught of snow and ice later this year, as forecasters predict yet another freezing winter ahead

VisitBritain and BA campaign set to boost tourism

06-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

VisitBritian and British Airways today launch a new campaign designed to attract more tourists to the country, which includes special discount deals with hotels.

Wells & Young's loss of Corona and Red Stripe worth £85m

05-Oct-2010 By Robyn Black

The loss of Mexican lager Corona Extra and Jamaican lager Red Stripe is set to hit Wells & Young's hard as they account for 40 per cent of turnover — around £85m worth of business

Ask the Experts: How should my business handle the rise in wheat prices?

04-Oct-2010 By NULL

BigHospitality puts one reader's question about how their business can handle the rising price of wheat to Sharon Glancy, managing director of Stonebow, the training division of People 1st

Two pubs to share CAMRA Best Cider & Perry Pub title

01-Oct-2010 By Rachel Johnson

Two pubs, one in Cumbria and one in Hull, are to share this year’s National Cider and Perry Pub of the year title, as competition organisers said it was “impossible” to separate the two winners