Fine Dining

Gordon Ramsay Group to open Bordeaux restaurant

14-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

The Gordon Ramsay Group is opening a restaurant in Bordeaux through its partnership with the Financière Immobilière Bordelaise (FIB) Group. 

Consumers eating-out more but spending less

13-Apr-2015 By Sophie Witts

Consumer spending in restaurants rose 17 per cent year-on-year in first quarter of 2015, though average transaction values fell, according to the latest Barclaycard consumer spending report.

Hilton Worldwide to open Hilton Garden Inn at Emirates Old Trafford

13-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Hilton Worldwide has signed a deal with Lancashire County Cricket Club to open a Hilton Garden Inn at Emirates Old Trafford. 

Polpo secures sixth site, considers sale

13-Apr-2015 By Mark Wingett

Polpo Ltd, the London based restaurant group led by Russell Norman and Richard Beatty, has secured a site in Chelsea for the sixth London Polpo to open on 18 May as the co-founders look to a future sale.

Cooking with coffee: Nespresso launches new chef education programme

13-Apr-2015 By Sophie Witts

Nespresso have partnered with Michelin chef Phil Howard to encourage chefs to take a fresh look at the role of coffee in the dining experience, as part of a new ‘Science of Coffee’ programme.

Travelodge sees potential for 250 more UK hotels

13-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Budget hotel operator Travelodge says it has identified potential to open another 250 hotels across the UK. 

Employee of the month: How internal competitions help motivate staff

13-Apr-2015 By Joe Lutrario

Internal competitions are a crucial tool to motivate staff within all levels of a business and can also be used to drive menu development and promote sales of certain items.

Nando's launches speaking menu for visually impaired and dyslexic diners

10-Apr-2015 By Sophie Witts

Nando’s has joined Carluccio's and Pret a Manger in partnering with the Good Food Talks app to make their menus more accessible to visually impaired and dyslexic customers.

Shortage of skilled chefs and hospitality staff worsened in March

10-Apr-2015 By Sophie Witts

Staff shortages in the hotel and catering sector worsened in March 2015 with chefs singled out as remaining in demand, according to a monthly job report by The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG published today (9 April).

VIEWPOINT

Graham Long of The Chancery on the benefits of using seasonal produce

09-Apr-2015 By Michelle Perrett

Graham Long joined The Chancery in London last year as executive chef. After a two-year stint working in Hong Kong, where much of the produce is imported, Long became passionate about only using seasonal produce. 

Turners introduce pre-paid ticketing to make Michelin dining more accessible

09-Apr-2015 By Sophie Witts

A Michelin starred restaurant is offering guests who book through a pre-paid ticketing service up to 20 per cent off in an attempt to reduce no-shows and make Michelin level dining more accessible.

The Nestlé Professional Toque d'Or 2015 finals

09-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Follow the challenges undertaken by the finalists of the Nestlé Professional Toque d’Or 2015 competition in our exclusive photo gallery

IHG to open Hotel Indigo in Bath

09-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a deal with St James' Hotels Group to open a Hotel Indigo in the centre of Bath.  

Whitbread pledges 6,000 apprenticeships by 2020 and launches Costa training scheme

09-Apr-2015 By Sophie Witts

Whitbread will create 6,000 apprenticeships by 2020 and launch a new apprenticeship scheme for Costa, it was announced today (9 April).

Pret A Manger trials evening service

08-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Pret A Manger is trialling an evening service at its branch on The Strand following requests from customers for an early evening menu. 

UK hotel investment up 47 per cent year-on-year

08-Apr-2015 By Sophie Witts

Investment in the UK hotel market reached £1.89bn in the first quarter of 2015, up 47 per cent year-on-year, property expert Savills has reported. 

Simon Hulstone takes over tea rooms in Torquay

08-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Simon Hulstone, chef-owner of Michelin-starred Torquay restaurant The Elephant, has taken over Burridge's Cafe Tearooms in the seaside town. 

Calcot Hotels developing fourth site as restaurant with rooms

08-Apr-2015 By Sophie Witts

Gloucestershire based Calcot Hotels have acquired The Cotswolds88 hotel in Painswick as their fourth site.

Benugo to open wine bar and café at London Coliseum

08-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Benugo is planning to open a wine bar and café at the London Coliseum as part of a £1.2m renovation of the building's foyer. 

New business-focused diploma tackling chef skills shortage

08-Apr-2015 By Sophie Witts

Tante Marie Culinary Academy has launched the UK's first business focused culinary qualification to tackle the shortage of skilled chefs in the industry.

Value conscious consumers shunning independent outlets in favour of chains

08-Apr-2015 By Sophie Witts

Diners are shunning independent restaurants in favour of better perceived value and quality of food at larger casual dining chains, according to new research by NPD Group.

VisitEngland reveals finalists of 2015 Awards for Excellence

08-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

VisitEngland has revealed the list of finalists for the 2015 Awards for Excellence. 

Restaurant start-up project The Kitchens to launch at Manchester's Spinningfields

07-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

New restaurant start-up venture The Kitchens will launch at Spinningfields in Manchester next month, giving six new food and drink entrepreneurs the chance to test their concepts out on the public. 

Burger & Lobster turns to technology to manage customer journey at Cardiff

07-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Burger & Lobster has installed guest management technology at its Cardiff restaurant to allow it to better manage its reservations and give customers more accurate wait times. 

Hospitality named one of the most sociable industries to work in

07-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

The hospitality industry has been named as one of the most sociable industries to work in with almost half (49 per cent) of those surveyed saying they see colleagues socially at least once a month. 

Valentina Fine Foods to open flagship site at Tower Bridge

07-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Valentina Fine Foods has confirmed it will open its eighth restaurant and delicatessen at Tower Bridge next month. 

Beyond maple syrup: Why more Canadian food could be making it onto UK menus

07-Apr-2015 By Sophie Witts

While their American cousins have enjoyed a broadening popularity on UK menus, Canada’s cuisine has remained largely off the mainstream radar.

Center Parcs UK plans opening of first park in Ireland

02-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Center Parcs UK has announced plans to open its first holiday village in Ireland after signing an option agreement with state forestry company Coillte. 

Jam Tree group to launch dim sum and cocktail bar Fu Manchu

02-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Gastropub group The Jam Tree is opening a late night dim sum and cocktail bar which takes inspiration from Sax Rohmer's Chinese master criminal Fu Manchu.

Jason Atherton to open three new London sites and update Pollen Street Social

02-Apr-2015 By Stefan Chomka

Jason Atherton is set to shake up the London restaurant scene with three new venues in the coming years as well as an overhaul of his flagship dining room Pollen Street Social in the next 18 months.

More autonomy for restaurant GMs helps Ping Pong sales rise 10%

01-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Giving more autonomy to the general managers of its eight restaurants and investing in staff training helped make 2014 a ‘transformational’ year for dim sum restaurant chain Ping Pong, according to head of operations Michael Pearson.

Modern Greece: New wave of Greek restaurants casting aside ‘dated perceptions’

01-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Over the last year it seems that we have reported on the arrival of more Greek restaurants in the UK than any other type.

APRIL FOOLS

Costa to trial coffee and kip service

01-Apr-2015 By Emma Eversham

Costa is trialling a new service in its coffee shops which offers customers the chance to have an afternoon nap before drinking their coffee. 

Hospitality Openings: March 2015

31-Mar-2015 By Sophie Witts

March has seen a flood of restaurant and bar openings in the hospitality sector, including the first James Martin Kitchen at Stansted Airport, Vinoteca in King's Cross and Boozy Cow expanding within Scotland.

Pizza Express to recruit 2,500 people and boost apprenticeship scheme

31-Mar-2015 By Emma Eversham

Pizza Express has announced plans to recruit 2,500 staff over the next five years and expand its apprenticeship scheme to ensure there is at least one apprentice in each of its restaurants. 

Hotelier turns to crowdfunding to raise refurbishment funds

31-Mar-2015 By Emma Eversham

The owner of Glen Rothay hotel in the Lake District has turned to crowdfunding to help raise funds for bedroom refurbishments and a restaurant re-launch. 

Thai Leisure Group secures £10m for expansion

31-Mar-2015 By Mark Wingett

Thai Leisure Group (TLG), operator of fine dining brand Chaophraya and street-food brand Thaikhun, has secured £10m of new funding from Santander to aid its expansion plans.

Ian Scaramuzza of Hibiscus wins Roux Scholarship 2015

31-Mar-2015 By Emma Eversham

Ian Scaramuzza, head chef at Hibiscus in London has won the Roux Scholarship 2015. 

Camino to open tapas bar at Bankside

30-Mar-2015 By Emma Eversham

Spanish restaurant and bar group Camino is to open a new site at Bankside in Southwark. 

London restaurant introducing ticketing system to combat no-shows

30-Mar-2015 By Sophie Witts

The Clove Club in Shoreditch is to become the first restaurant in the UK to introduce a ticketing system where diners pay for their meal in advance.

Kenny Atkinson to increase capacity at House of Tides

30-Mar-2015 By Emma Eversham

Chef Kenny Atkinson has started work to increase the capacity of his House of Tides restaurant to enable him to keep up with customer demand. 

Why hotel staff should be trained in deaf awareness

30-Mar-2015 By Ruthy Fletcher

Ruthy Fletcher, deaf awareness trainer and consultant at Support the Deaf People takes us through the reasons why staff at hotels should be trained in deaf awareness and how to go about it to ensure non-hearing guests feel just as welcome as hearing ones. 

SMALL TALK

Daniele Quattromini of ClubLounge39 on delivering top quality service

30-Mar-2015 By Emma Eversham

Daniele Quattromini, manager at ClubLounge39 at Canary Wharf and winner of the Gold Service Scholarship 2015, shares his top tips for providing quality service. 

Wine remains diners' top choice of drink

27-Mar-2015 By Michelle Perrett

White and red wine remain the most popular drinks for restaurant goers, new figures have revealed.  

Consumers spend more on eating out for the seventh consecutive month

27-Mar-2015 By Sophie Witts

Consumer spending on eating out grew for the seventh consecutive month in February, while drinking out saw a sharp month-on-month rise, according to Greene King’s monthly Leisure Spend Tracker.

James Martin opens restaurant at Stansted Airport as part of £80m redevelopment

26-Mar-2015 By Michelle Perrett

A raft of restaurants, including the first ever James Martin Kitchen and new concept Halo Fizz Bar from The Restaurant Group (TRG) have opened as part of phase two of an £80m redevelopment of Stansted Airport.

Beany Green opening flagship site in The City

26-Mar-2015 By Sophie Witts

Independent Australian coffee specialist Beany Green is opening its first flagship café in the Broadgate Circle. 

Kenny Atkinson urges fellow chefs to work with students to help fill future vacancies

26-Mar-2015 By Emma Eversham

Established chefs can help fix the industry's skills shortage problem by working more closely with colleges and their students, says House of Tides chef-owner Kenny Atkinson. 

Scottish hotels continue to capitalise on events

26-Mar-2015 By Michelle Perrett

Hotels in Edinburgh and Glasgow are continuing to capitalise on events, while demand continues to weaken in Aberdeen, according to the monthly LJ Forecaster Scottish Intercity Report.

Cut food and tourism VAT and improve hospitality staff training, Select Committee tells Government

26-Mar-2015 By Sophie Witts

The Government must cut tourism VAT and give the hospitality sector greater support, according to a report published today (26 March) by Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.