Casual Dining

Heinz finds Best of British winning chef

23-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

Heinz Foodservice’s Best of British competition found a winner at the Hospitality Show held at Birmingham’s NEC

Train staff and survive the recession

23-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

Businesses are warned if they don’t invest in training instead of making redundancies, they are more likely to fall victim to the recession

Chez Bruce named top drinking out venue

23-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

The restaurant founded by Bruce Poole and Nigel Platts-Martin has been voted the Overall Establishment of the Year at the Drinking Out Excellence Awards

Hospitality businesses’ worst fears confirmed

23-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

The hospitality and leisure (H&L) industry have had their’ worst fears confirmed’ today after news that the UK has officially entered a recession.

Hospitality 2009 Salon Display winners

22-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

The results of the Salon Display section of the Salon Culinaire at the hospitality show 2009 at Birmingham’s NEC

Salon Culinaire at Hospitality 2009 results

22-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

Find the results of all the competitions at Salon Culinaire at Hospitality 2009 here, including the Live Kitchen, Salon Display, and La Parade des Chefs

FishWorks restaurant chain goes into administration

21-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

Struggling restaurant chain FishWorks calls in administrators, blaming ‘current market conditions’ for its downfall

Adapt to changing market to survive recession, businesses told

21-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants, hotels and pubs are being advised to plan ahead, change their business model and expect to make a small loss in order to survive the recession

New £2.5m sister site for Bournemouth’s Connaught Hotel

21-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

A hotel adjacent to Best Western’s Connaught Hotel in Bournemouth is to get a £2.5m redevelopment

Four FishWorks sites rescued; six close immediately

21-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

FishWorks seafood restaurants have been rescued from administration, although six of the ten sites are to close immediately

Claudio Pulze's Osteria Dell'Angolo opens

19-Jan-2009 By Emma Eversham

Restaurateurs latest venture, Italian restaurant Osteria DellAngolo, opens in London today with Tuscan head chef Michele Brogi at the helm

AA announces new Restaurant Guide Rosette winners

16-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

The AA has announced 18 new additions to their higher Rosette awards, with The Latymer at Pennyhill Park Hotel scooping four AA Rosettes.

The top 10 must-have wines for 2009

16-Jan-2009 By Susy Atkins

Wine writer and broadcaster Susy Atkins finds the top 10 wine styles you should have on your wine list for 2009

Dorchester Collection to turn Surrey manor house into hotel

16-Jan-2009 By Emma Eversham

The luxury hotel group plans to open Coworth Park hotel in Surrey in 2010 as part of ambitious plans for growth across the UK and America

Tragus continues expansion despite festive sales slump

15-Jan-2009 By Emma Eversham

The Strada and Cafe Rouge operator continues with plans to open more restaurants in 2009 despite tough trading conditions

Tom Kerridge introduces £10 credit crunch lunch

15-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

Tom Kerridge’s The Hand and Flowers restaurant has introduced a £10 two-course lunch menu to lure in customers and beat the credit crunch

Making ends meat: Interview with Anthony Demetre

15-Jan-2009 By Joe Lutrario

Anthony Demetre’s two Michelin-starred restaurants have set menus that make even Pizza Express look expensive. And it’s not just down to using cheap cuts either. So how does he do it?

Government to give loans of £20bn to small businesses

14-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

The government has pledged to give loans of up to £20bn to help small businesses through the recession

High-end espresso machine removes need for specialist skills

14-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

The Verona TCS espresso machine makes coffee-making simple, eliminating the requirement for specialist barista skills

Beat the crunch: energy saving tips

14-Jan-2009 By Restaurant

The next installment of money-saving tips from Restaurant magazines Thrifty 50 looks at how restaurants can save money and save energy

Expect a continued decline, restaurants warned

13-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

As diners cut back on eating out in 2009, restaurants are warned by market analysts Horizons to expect a ‘continued decline’

Beat the crunch: more business tips

12-Jan-2009 By Emma Eversham

More business tips from Restaurant magazines Thrifty 50 list to help restaurants survive the recession

Master pastry chef Gaston Lenttre dies

09-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

Gaston Lenttre, the French master pastry chef whose catering business made him a household name, has died following a long illness

Tom Kitchin’s Haggis, Neeps and Tatties

09-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

Tom Kitchin, head chef at The Kitchin in Edinburgh has given us his modern recipe for Haggis, neeps and ttaties especially for Burns night

Blumenthal and Walkers unveil new flavours

09-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

Heston Blumenthal and Walkers unveil Cajun Squirrel crisps among six new varieties as part of their national search for a new flavour

‘Grumpy’ hoteliers threaten British tourism

08-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

Grumpy hoteliers who give bad service may be putting the industry at risk, warns the VisitBritain chairman

FishWorks suspends trading of shares

07-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

FishWorks has announced it will suspend the trading of its shares on AIM while it considers its financial position and strategic options

First self check-in only hotel launched by Premier Inn

07-Jan-2009 By Emma Eversham

Premier Inn is following in the steps of automated restaurant Vapiano by launching its first fully self check-in hotel

Going the extra mile: restaurateurs turned producers

06-Jan-2009 By Emma Eversham

An increasing number of individuals in the hospitality industry are growing, rearing and producing the ingredients they use in the dishes served in their establishments. Emma Eversham finds out the benefits to business from producing their own

Travelodge and Ibis shame at filthy hotel report

06-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

A Which? investigation into the cleanliness of the UK’s budget hotels uncovers soiled mattresses, urine streaked toilets and blood stained duvets

Isigny - At the heart of a quality breakfast

06-Jan-2009 By Emma Eversham

Advertisement feature: Isigny - At the heart of a quality breakfast

JD Wetherspoon launches cut-price food and drink menu

05-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

The pub chain today launches a cut-price food and drink menu including meals for £2.99 and Greene King IPA for under £1

Diners name their top 10 restaurant faux pas

05-Jan-2009 By Becky Paskin

Readers of the Good Food Guide have named their top 10 annoyances when eating out

Restaurant rescued by Ramsay falls victim to credit crunch

02-Jan-2009 By Emma Eversham

A lack of bookings has forced Brighton restaurateur Allan Love to close his fish restaurant Loves Fish which was given a makeover by Ramsay in 2007

New Year’s launch for Conran’s Boundary

24-Dec-2008 By Becky Paskin

Terence Conran’s first private venture in 20 years, Boundary in Shoreditch, set to launch on New Year’s Eve

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