Casual Dining

Number of hospitality company insolvencies soar

03-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

The number of pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels that have gone out of business since 2006 has almost doubled

Boost business through the web

03-Nov-2008 By Emma Eversham

Online specialists give their top tips on hospitality web marketing to help boost trade at your restaurant or hotel

World Vegan Day announces UK cook-off winner

01-Nov-2008 By Becky Paskin

The winner of the Vegan Day Catering Challenge has been announced at the West Midlands Vegan Festival in Wolverhampton

Time to step up in the down turn

31-Oct-2008 By Stefan Chomka

Exclusive research unveiled at the R100 seminar last month gave an insight into the future state of the restaurant industry. Here are the findings

Hotels outnumber pubs with 24-hour licenses

31-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

The amount of pubs with a 24-hour license to sell alcohol are far outnumbered by hotel bars and supermarkets, according to new figures

Canteen to open fourth site at Canary Wharf

31-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

The British diner is to open a fourth outlet at Canary Wharf, just as Tom Aikens withdraws plans for a second Toms Kitchen

Aiden Byrne to leave The Dorchester for pub venture

31-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

The Dorchester Grills Head Chef will be moving back up North in 2009 to open his first pub in Cheshire

Fifty restaurants unveiled at Westfield London grand opening

30-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

The launch of Westfield London today unveils 50 new restaurant outlets, including eight brand new UK openings

Marcus Wareing to train ARAMARK caterers

30-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

Marcus Wareing has teamed up with ARAMARK to train its staff to the standard of his restaurant at the Berkeley

Scalzo brothers launch all-day brasserie and gallery

30-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

The brothers behind caf? chain Patisserie Valerie open a brasserie and art gallery in London’s Belgravia

Ambassade de I’lle, English Lakes Hotels and Ramada Jarvis appointments

29-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

Ambassade de I’lle appoints a new sommelier, English Lakes Hotels adds a new director to its board, while Ramada Jarvis gets a new Regional Director

Raymond Blanc receives OBE

27-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

The French chef will be officially presented with his honorary award by Culture Secretary Andy Burnham later today

Travelodge pushes forward with development

27-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

The budget hotel chain unveils ambitious plans to open 22 new hotels by the end of the year and create 450 new jobs

Russian Goodman steakhouse to open in Mayfair

24-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

The Mayfair branch of Goodman steakhouse will be the first outlet to open outside of Russia

Workers entitled to just one 20-minute break

24-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

Hospitality workers may be the worst affected in a legal decision to give staff just one 20-minute break a day

Draught beer may be served as two thirds of a pint

24-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

A consultation was launched today to decide whether to serve draught beer and cider in two-thirds of a pint measures

Marketing rewards for Vegan Day pizza restaurants

23-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

Restaurants that can create a healthy vegan pizza for this year’s vegan day could be rewarded with a bundle of free marketing

Innovative pubs giving cheap or free meals to beat recession

23-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

Pubs are turning to extreme measures to draw in diners during the credit crunch, even giving meals away for free

Le Manoir team wins wine and dessert trophy

23-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons Pastry Chef Anne Coquelin and Assistant Sommelier Thibaut Panas devise the winning dessert and wine match in the Wines of Roussillon Dessert Trophy 2008

WEST bar/restaurant and InterContinental appointments

22-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

WEST bar/restaurant appoints a new German Head Chef, while a new GM joins the InterContinental hotel on Park Lane

Cash in on growing gluten and dairy-free trends

21-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

Chefs should start creating menus geared toward diners with food intolerances as the trend for dairy and gluten-free food continues to grow rapidly

Last Smollensky's London sites to be sold off

21-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

The two remaining Smollenskys sites in Londons Canary Wharf and on The Strand have been put on the market

Pubs should beat coffee shops at their own game

21-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

As coffee is the most popular drink in the world, pubs should take a step in Starbuck’s direction and cash in on the high margin market. Here’s how.

Restaurants hopeful at British Curry Awards

21-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

Tamarind and Tiffin Bites praised at British Curry Awards, despite growing pressure on Indian restaurant industry

Restaurant to become art installation

20-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

The team behind east Londons Bistrotheque restaurant create a temporary restaurant within a new exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts

Travelodge teams up with Aldi to develop sites

20-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

The two budget brands unite to develop their businesses with plans for dual sites in Middlesbrough and Newquay

Swallow Hotels to sell off nine properties

17-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

Swallow Hotels has put nine of its sites across England and Scotland on the market

New law means careless operators could be jailed

17-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

New legislation means restaurateurs, hoteliers and landlords that fail to keep up with health and safety regulations could be jailed if found guilty

Prisoners to serve haute cuisine in new public restaurant

16-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

High Down jail in Sutton is training prisoners to work in its new onsite restaurant to serve haute cuisine to paying guests

North outshines south in latest restaurant survey

15-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

Yorkshire has been identified as the county with the largest number of quality restaurants in the UK, helping to dispel the myth that a gastronomic divide exists between the north and the south.

Automated system provides missing link between front and back of house

14-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

Call-Systems Technology has launched an automated system that enables all areas of the restaurant to be linked electronically.

Whitbread sales remain strong

14-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

The Premier Inn and Beefeater owner reports a strong start to the first half of its financial year with profits up 24 per cent

Bournemouth Best Western launches Coeliac-friendly menu

14-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

Best Western’s Connaught Hotel in Bournemouth launches menu especially for coeliac sufferers after head chef finds son has disease

Anthony Demetre talks credit crunch and cookbooks

13-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

Arbutus and Wild Honey co-owner and Chef Anthony Demetre tells BigHospitality how the company’s ethos is helping it survive the economic downturn and the difficulty in writing his first cookbook

Benugo to open Museum of London cafes

10-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

Caf? Deli group Benugo are to open three new sites within the Museum of London over the next two years

Blackmore’s, von Essen and Theo Randall appointment news

10-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

Blackmore’s of Alnwick appoints Masterchef runner-up as Head Chef, von Essen also employs head chef for Mount Somerset, and Theo Randall at the InterContinental gets a new restaurant manager

Hilton opens first Doubletree hotel in Scotland

09-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

Hilton Hotels Corporation launches its first Doubletree by Hilton hotel in Scotland as part of expansion plans for the brand across Europe

Jun Tanaka teaches tricks of the trade with new cookbook

09-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

Jun Tanaka, Executive Chef at Pearl restaurant in London, has told BigHospitality he is penning his first cookbook to help inexperienced cooks turn simple dishes into restaurant-style food

Maze voted top UK restaurant

07-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

Gordon Ramsay Holdings restaurant comes first in Restaurant magazines top UK Restaurants 2008 list

Twinings follows growing trend for Redbush tea

02-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

The soaring popularity of Redbush tea has prompted Twinings foodservice to launch a brand of its own

Tottington Manor goes on sale and Landmark London gets new ballroom

02-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

West Sussex manor house hotel Tottington Manor is put on the market and the Landmark London unveils its brand new grand ballroom

Canary Island cheese crowned best in the world

02-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

The World Cheese Awards 2008 crowns Canary Island ‘Queso Arico curado pimenton’ best in the world

Brighton’s Gingerman sold to Drakes hotel

02-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

The Gingerman group of Brighton restaurants have sold the Gingerman at Drakes to the boutique hotel

Charity launched to address hospitality skills shortage

02-Oct-2008 By Emma Eversham

New charity the One & All Foundation launches in a bid to develop and nurture hospitality talent from all sectors of society and help overcome staff shortages

Reduce staff turnover through motivation and training

01-Oct-2008 By Becky Paskin

Becky Paskin discovers that with a little time invested to train and talk to their staff, restaurants, bars and hotels can easily reduce their staff turnover