Casual Dining

Merry Christmas and happy new year

24-Dec-2008 By Emma Eversham

The team at BigHospitality would like to wish all our loyal readers a very merry Christmas and a happy new year

Blumenthal's Little Chef a revelation says food writer

23-Dec-2008 By Emma Eversham

The Good Food Guide editor Elizabeth Carter gives the Popham branch of Little Chef a glowing review and believes Heston Blumenthal could turn the ailing chains fortunes around

New managers join Relais & Chateaux's Kinnaird Hotel

22-Dec-2008 By Emma Eversham

Husband and wife team Max and Anne Schaeflien join the Kinnaird Hotel in Scotland as food & beverage manager and house manager respectively

Chef’s eBay Christmas lunch raises £5k

22-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

David Duverger, the chef that auctioned his services on eBay for Christmas day, has raised £5k for charity

London's Cafe Royal closes its doors

19-Dec-2008 By Emma Eversham

The 143-year-old venue will trade for the last time as the Cafe Royal on Sunday before work starts to turn it into a luxury hotel

Hotels rewarded for innovative marketing

18-Dec-2008 By Emma Eversham

Etap, Hilton, Holiday Inn and De Vere were among the hotel groups to be rewarded for their marketing efforts at the 2008 Hotel Marketing Awards

Weak pound is silver lining for hospitality industry

18-Dec-2008 By Emma Eversham

The Tourism Alliance renews its calls to the government to invest in tourism to help the industry benefit from the increasing number of foreigners visiting the UK to take advantage of the weak pound

Mario Batali freshens up his Crocs

17-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

The American chef has created a flamboyant new signature shoe for the Crocs Bistro work range

MEPs vote to impose 48 hour working week

17-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

British workers may soon be limited to working 48 hours per week, after MEPs voted against keeping the UK’s opt-out clause

Economic crisis continues to affect UK hotels

16-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

British hoteliers experienced a bleak November as room rate, yield and occupancy all fell

Albert Roux condemns foie gras

15-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

The influential chef has condemned traditional methods of producing foie gras, despite other top chefs, including his son Michel Roux Jr, continuing to serve the delicacy on their menus

Diners to spend 12% less this Christmas

11-Dec-2008 By Emma Eversham

Deloittes annual Christmas survey finds that people will make the biggest cutbacks on socialising this year with the average spend dropping 12 per cent to £126

Mayfair’s Cipriani restaurant must change name or close

11-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

The Cipriani family’s eponymous restaurant in Mayfair has been ordered to change its name by the High Court after infringing the trademark of the famous Hotel Cipriani in Venice

Varma creates new 'Chicken Tikka Masala'

08-Dec-2008 By Emma Eversham

The Gourmet Groups Andy Varma wins National Curry Weeks competition to find a new curry recipe that can rival the popularity of the Chicken Tikka Masala

Hilton appoints two AGMs in Scotland

05-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

Hilton appoints two new area general managers for Scotland, covering 10 regional hotels between them

Record London restaurant openings as economy takes downturn

05-Dec-2008 By Emma Eversham

Restaurant guide Hardens calculates a suspected record of 40 restaurant openings in London in the past quarter

BigTalent’s Steve Lowy tops Courvoisier 500 travel list

04-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

Steve Lowy, founder of Umi hotels who was featured on BigTalent last July, has topped the Courvoisier Future 500 travel list of upcoming entrepreneurs

Grana Padano wages war on Parmesan

03-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

Italian hard cheese Grana Padano is set to take on Britain’s current favourite pasta topper, Parmesan, after teaming up with chef Theo Randall

Earl of March, Sauterelle and R34 appointments

03-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

The Earl of March, by Giles Thompson, receives a new head chef, as does D&D restaurant Sauterelle, while Glaswegian restaurant R34 appoints a front of house manager

Hospitality careers guidance slated as ‘unsatisfactory’

03-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

While careers advisors are highly recommending jobs in hospitality, they are also criticised for giving poor guidance for school leavers

New mandatory rules restrict alcohol sales

03-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

The government has announced a new mandatory code of conduct for pubs and restaurants to ‘crackdown’ on the UK’s binge drinking culture

Protect staff and business from sexual harassment this Christmas

01-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

Employers should be aware of how changes to sex discrimination laws could lead to crippling compensation payouts over the Christmas period

Whitbread to convert Amstrad HQ into hotel

28-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

Premier Inn has applied for planning permission to turn the former headquarters of technology company Amstrad into a 120-bedroom hotel

Atul Kochhar and Olly Smith in P&O restaurant deal

28-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

Atul Kochhar and sommelier Olly Smith have announced a deal to open two restaurants on board P&O’s newest superliner, the Azura

New appointments at Cliveden

28-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

Sue Crowley is appointed general manager at Cliveden as Chris Horridge is confirmed as executive head chef of the country house hotels three restaurants

Heston Blumenthal's Little Chef plans unveiled

28-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

The Popham branch of roadside cafe chain Little Chef has been given the Heston Blumenthal treatment as part of his mission to breathe new life into the brand

National campaign launched to ‘save the Great British Pub’

27-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

CAMRA and the British Beer and Pub Association have joined forces to save the pub industry with a campaign to Axe the Beer Tax

Q&A on ID cards for foreign nationals and the Points Based System

27-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

Find out more information about the governments new rules for employing workers from outside the European Economic Area and how it will affect your business

Surprise win in hottest curry challenge

27-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

Brighton chef Alun Sperring wins the XXX Mints Can You Handle the Heat Challenge in aid of National Curry Week, despite Rukon Latif’s infamous Curry Hell dish being named the hottest

The Sparling and TGI Friday's promotions

26-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

Ian Davies is promoted to head chef at The Sparling at Barton and TGI Fridays former UK MD, Ricky Richardson steps up to chief operating officer of TGI Fridays International

Chef creates Lincolnshire sausage Bhuna

26-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

A Lincolnshire chef has created a locally inspired sausage and potato Bhuna in aid of National Curry Week

A Day at El Bulli: an insight into the ideas, methods and creativity of Ferran Adri?

26-Nov-2008 By Carina Simon

Carina Simon finds out what Ferran Adria has to say about the book that takes us behind the scenes of his famous restaurant El Bulli

The Star Inn voted top Gastropub

25-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

The Star Inn at Harome in North Yorkshire is named the UK’s top gastropub by 400 industry professionals in the PubChef Top 30 Gastropubs awards

Industry asked to support Meal Appeal

25-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

The British Hospitality Association and the Restaurant Association call for the industrys support of new charity initiative the Meal Appeal

National Curry Week: Anirudh Arora of Moti Mahal

25-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

Anirudh Arora, head chef at Moti Mahal shares his top tips for making the perfect curry and a recipe for Rabbit Korma especially for National Curry Week

Get involved with National Curry Week

21-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

Be sure to log on to BigHospitality next week for cooking tips, curry recipes and news from around the country for National Curry Week

Chris Staines becomes Lufthansa’s first UK star chef

20-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

The Foliage chef has become the first British chef to join Lufthansa airline’s star chef programme, creating a proud British menu for its First and Business Class passengers

Doubletree opens in London

20-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

The Courthouse Hotel in Londons Regent Street is re-branded a Doubletree by Hilton as part of the expansion of the brand across Europe

Bob Cotton advises MPs how to revive industry

20-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

Bob Cotton, chairman of the British Hospitality Association, has called on MPs to defer NI and VAT payments for the industry, reinstate capital allowances, and stop introducing new regulations

Give us time to adjust, industry tells tips consultation

19-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

The British Hospitality Association warns the Government against further job losses and business failures as it begins its consultation on tipping policies today

Scientists create perfect Yorkshire pudding

19-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

The Royal Society of Chemists have developed a formula for the perfect Yorkshire pudding

Restaurants served gas oven warning

19-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

Restaurant owners are urged to get their ovens checked by gas specialists after diners at a Brazilian restaurant are taken to hospital with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning and imported Chinese duck ovens are put out of service

Call-Systems Technology branches into security

19-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

The hospitality communications specialist has launched a security division offering CCTV cameras and Virtual Turnstiles

Raymond Blanc shows support for Scottish fisheries

18-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

Scottish fisheries have received backing by Raymond Blanc after news of EU plans to cut catches casts uncertainty over the industry’s future

Cumbrian hotel restaurant serves up 21 course tasting menu

18-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

The Bray Restaurant at The Waterhead Hotel in Cumbria goes for a record-breaking 21-course tasting menu today to celebrate its first food festival

Trainee chef wins El Bulli placement

18-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

David Alun Powell, a catering student at Westminster Kingsway College, wins himself the chance to work with Ferran Adria at his Spanish restaurant El Bulli

Premier Inn continues Middle East expansion

17-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

The UKs budget hotel chain plans to open three sites in Oman by 2010 in its joint venture with Emirates

Fat Duck placement chef adopts techniques

17-Nov-2008 By Joe Lutrario

Aaron Craig returns to his own kitchen in North Yorkshire armed with new skills from his month-long stage at the Fat Duck

Rising Star: Katy Chapman

17-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

This months Rising Star on BigHospitality is hospitality management student Katy Chapman, who shares her inspirations and aspirations as she prepares for a career in the industry