Casual Dining

Discretionary service charges deter would-be diners

27-Oct-2009 By Becky Paskin

Mid-market independent and chain restaurants that ‘copy’ high-end establishments by automatically adding service charges to bills, are inadvertently putting diners off returning

Applications open for BCF Chef of the Year as Young Chef finalists revealed

27-Oct-2009 By Becky Paskin

Applications are now being invited for the British Culinary Federation’s 2010 Chef of the Year competition, as the finalists for the Young Chef competition are revealed

Brit named international Costa Coffee Barista of the Year

26-Oct-2009 By Hamish Smith

Costa Coffee has completed their search to find the world’s finest barista at their annual competition, with a British contestant taking first prize

Lively lunches at The Vincent Hotel and kids cookery classes at the Cookbook Cafe

23-Oct-2009 By Emma Eversham

BigHospitality rounds up the promotions, offers and marketing ideas being run by restaurants, hotels and pubs across the country

Hospitality businesses to get music licence refunds

22-Oct-2009 By Emma Eversham

Hotels, restaurants and pubs who have paid over the odds for music licences since PPL put fees up three years ago will get refunds after a tribunal decision found that tariffs had been set too high

London occupancy levels impressive despite downturn

19-Oct-2009 By Becky Paskin

London hotels’ occupancy levels remained ‘impressive’ during the first three quarters of 2009, despite a fall in the number of overseas visitors to the UK

Alcohol sales fall at fastest rate in 60 years

19-Oct-2009 By Becky Paskin

The amount of alcohol bought by UK consumers has fallen at the fastest rate for over 60 years, forcing hospitality operators to adopt inventive promotions

Restaurant and pub sales rise nearly 2% in September

19-Oct-2009 By Emma Eversham

Sales at leading pub and restaurant groups rise 1.7 per cent in September, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker

Park Plaza introduces the X-Factor and Galvin at Windows goes express

16-Oct-2009 By Emma Eversham

BigHospitality rounds up the promotions, offers and marketing ideas being run by restaurants, hotels and pubs across the country

Ned Conran takes El Camino Mexican café to Soho

15-Oct-2009 By Becky Paskin

Ned Conran, Terence Conran’s youngest son, has acquired a second site for his El Caminos Mexican Restaurant and Bar brand in Soho

Cherie Blair supports initiative to put more women at the top of hospitality

15-Oct-2009 By Emma Eversham

Cherie Blair joins People 1st for the launch of its Women 1st initiative which aims to double the number of women at board level in hospitality by 2015

Whitbread sales drop 3% in first six months of 2009

14-Oct-2009 By Emma Eversham

Premier Inn owner Whitbread said it was coming through a 'difficult period remarkably well' and was well-placed for the upturn despite seeing sales and profits drop nearly 3 per cent in the first half of this year

London Restaurant Festival award winners

14-Oct-2009 By Jennie Pick

The first ever London Restaurant Festival (LRF) drew to a close last night at an exclusive awards ceremony at The Street at Tea Building in Shoreditch, where new restaurant, Pizza East also opened its doors to selected guests for the first time.

Professional Cookery Diploma scoops top training award

14-Oct-2009 By Jennie Pick

The Professional Cookery Diploma has been recognised with a National Training Award for its outstanding contribution and commitment to training in the workplace.

Poker leaflet helps pubs play their cards right

14-Oct-2009 By Jennie Pick

The Gambling Commission and the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) are backing a new leaflet designed to help landlords keep poker legal in their pubs.

World Food Awards 2009 nominees announced

13-Oct-2009 By Jennie Pick

The nominees for the first ever World Food Awards have been announced.

Tootsies goes into administration

13-Oct-2009 By Jennie Pick

Struggling restaurant chain Tootsies has gone into administration but has already sold off 11 of its 21 restaurants.

UK Sommelier of the Year 2010: the search for a star starts here

13-Oct-2009 By Jennie Pick

The Academy of Food & Wine (AFW) has this week launched its prestigious UK Sommelier of the Year 2010 and is inviting entries from sommeliers and front-of-house professionals across the country.

Londoners called to vote for their best London Restaurant Festival menu

12-Oct-2009 By Jennie Pick

Londoners who have already taken advantage of the special London Restaurant Festival menus or who are about to sample them, are being asked to vote on their favourite menu before the final day of the festival on 13 October.

What you're doing: London Restaurant Festival special

09-Oct-2009 By Emma Eversham

BigHospitality picks out some of the events and promotions being run at restaurants across the capital for the London Restaurant Festival

Largest farmer-owned cheese producer to supply caterers

07-Oct-2009 By Becky Paskin

Milk Link, the UK’s largest provider of cheese entirely owned by British farmers, has launched a new foodservice division, supplying caterers with a wide range of dairy products

Cask ale continues to grow in popularity

05-Oct-2009 By Emma Eversham

The author of a report out today suggests that cask beer can offer publicans a 'lifeline' out of recession as it increases its share of the on-trade beer market

Swissotel London goes to the Alps and Bob Bob Ricard goes Baltic

02-Oct-2009 By Joe Lutrario

BigHospitality rounds up the promotions, offers and marketing ideas being run by restaurants, hotels and pubs across the country

Fuller Thomson buys seventh site

01-Oct-2009 By Marta Karcz

Scottish bar and restaurant operator, Fuller Thomson, has enlarged its estate to seven with the purchase of the freehold interest of the Doghouse in Dundee

Industry urged to adopt tips code as new law comes into force

01-Oct-2009 By Emma Eversham

Restaurants, hotels and pubs are being urged to adopt a new code of practice on tipping and service charges as new legislation comes into force today banning the practice of using tips to bring staff pay up to minimum wage levels

D&D London abandons discretionary service charges

29-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

D&D London is to discontinue its practice of applying a 12.5 per cent discretionary service charge on customer bills in all its restaurants from October 1

AA awards Raymond Blanc lifetime achievement

29-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

Raymond Blanc is given the Lifetime Achievement Award while Marcus Wareing, Sat Bains, Von Essen and Exclusive Hotels are also among those receiving accolades at the AA Hospitality Awards 2009/10

Stephen Williams's BigTalent

28-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

Stephen Williams, head chef of The Harwood Arms in Fulham, was close to quitting life as a chef before he’d even begun, but six years later he’s receiving glorious reviews and awards for his very-British gastropub. Speaking to Becky Paskin in our latest...

Gov to allow more flexibility on alcohol measures

28-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

The government gives the green light to proposals for licensed premises to sell wine in smaller measures and beer and cider in two thirds of a pint glasses

Autumn 'critical time' for hotels

28-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

KPMG predicts that this autumn will be a critical period in the future success of the UK's hotel companies as summer holidays come to an end and corporate business remains slow

Peach Pubs aims to double estate

28-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

The pub company founded by Lee Cash and Hamish Stoddart is aiming for 22 sites over the next few years

Babylon Roof Gardens manager rewarded for excellence

25-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

Peter Avis, restaurant manager of Babylon at the Roof Gardens in Kensington, has been awarded the Academy of Food and Wine Dalmore Award for Excellence

Exclusive lager at Slumdog restaurant and stylish weekends at Greenway hotel

25-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

BigHospitality rounds up the promotions, offers and marketing ideas being run by restaurants, hotels and pubs across the country

Campo Viejo campaign invites chefs to match food to wine

24-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

Spanish wine brand Campo Viejo creates a new twist on food and drink matching by asking diners to choose a wine and then trust a chef to create a dish to go with it 

Phoenix-style hotel operators disbanded after owing creditors £140k

24-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

Two of a group of phoenix companies used to operate The Huddersfield Hotel in Yorkshire have been disbanded ‘in the public interest’ after leaving creditors facing unpaid debts of more than £140k

Brasserie Blanc pioneers new government business scheme

23-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

Raymond Blanc’s group of brasseries is the first restaurant company to sign up to a new government initiative that enables operators with multiple sites to deal with one local authority for advice and help

Firmdale Hotels sell two London properties to fund £90m flagship build

21-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

London-based hotel group Firmdale is to sell two of its London properties to fund a new flagship hotel build on the Ham Yard site in Soho, London

Hotel industry 'over the worst' predicts report

18-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

A report by PricewaterhouseCoopers suggests that the hotel market has seen the worst of the recession and should see the speed of decline slow at the beginning of 2010

Young Chef Young Waiter 2009 finalists revealed

18-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

The 16 finalists going through to compete in the last stage of the 2009 Young Chef Young Waiter competition, have been revealed

London’s Stafford Hotel sold for £77.5m

18-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

The Stafford Hotel in St. James’s, London, has been sold to Britannia Hospitality, the UK arm of an Egyptian construction and tourism company, for £77.5m

Stars of restaurant and art world unite in support of Action Against Hunger campaign

17-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

Musicians and artists rub shoulders with chefs and restaurateurs at the launch of Action Against Hunger's Figh Hunger/Eat Out campaign

Restaurants told to wean consumers off coupons

17-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

Discount vouchers risk cannibalising profit margins at restaurants and pubs in the future, warns business advisor Deloitte

Autumnal savoury and sweet treats launched by 3663

16-Sep-2009 By Marta Karcz

Four savoury dishes perfect for autumn and three sweet hot beverage treats have been launched by 3663 First for Foodservice

TV chef Keith Floyd dies aged 65

15-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

Keith Floyd, the flamboyant TV chef and restaurateur, has died aged 65 following a heart attack at his partner’s home in Dorset yesterday

Restaurant and pub groups report steady summer 2009 sales

15-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

Like-for-like sales at major restaurant and pub groups rise 0.8 per cent in August on the previous month and are up 4.9 per cent on the same period last year, according to the Coffer Peach Business Tracker

Ex-Bibendum manager to open second gastropub

14-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

Pierre Woodford’s Bristol-based pub company Flatcappers, is to open a second gastropub in Rode, Somerset next month

Guest chefs at The Pass and pub quizzes at Giraffe

11-Sep-2009 By Emma Eversham

BigHospitality rounds up the promotions, offers and marketing ideas being run by restaurants, hotels and pubs across the country.

Welsh hamlet pub named best in Britain

10-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

The Pen-y-cae Inn in Powys has scooped the prestigious title at the Morning Advertiser's Great British Pub Awards 2009

Bob Bob Ricard to cap wine markups at £50

09-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

The Soho restaurant has capped markups on its reserve wines at £50, undercutting some London restaurants by as much as £700 a bottle

Gerard Basset to compete in worldwide sommelier competition

08-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

The Master Sommelier has been chosen for the sixth time to represent the UK in the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) World’s Best Sommelier Competition