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SMALL TALK

Jason Atherton: "Any chef that says they feel confident over the next five years is a liar"

16-Jun-2017 By Sophie Witts

Chef Jason Atherton heads up the 17-strong Social Company restaurant group with his wife and business partner Irha. He spoke at Restaurant magazine’s Restaurant Congress about empowering staff, Brexit, and what’s next for the business.

UberEats: Restaurants need to adapt to online delivery

15-Jun-2017 By Sophie Witts

Restaurants need to adapt to to create more of a balance between their delivery offer and dining room, the UK general manager of UberEats has said.

Noble Rot: How to interest customers in good wine

09-Jun-2017 By Joe Lutrario & Hannah Thompson

As a new poll shows the British to be clueless about wine, we asked Mark Andrew, co-founder of Noble Rot wine bar and restaurant for his tips on how to change that

People on the move in hospitality: May 2017

25-May-2017 By Sophie Witts

It’s been another busy month in hospitality, we round-up some of the movers and shakers taking on new roles.

Asian restaurants warn of curry crisis over immigration plans

19-May-2017 By Sophie Witts

Conservative plans to double the charge on employing non-EU staff could prove dire for the UK's curry houses, trade bodies have warned.

Chef Tristan Welch to head up new Cambridge restaurant

16-May-2017 By Sophie Witts

Former Launceston Place head chef Tristan Welch is returning to the UK to open a new Cambridge restaurant.

Restaurants must be ‘authentic’ to attract younger customers, says report

15-May-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Restaurants should offer a genuinely authentic, immersive, personalised, and locally focused food experience if they want to attract younger generations, according to a new study.

From fancy flavours to marvellous mocktails: 6 summer soft drinks trends

09-May-2017 By Hannah Thompson

From the sugar levy to new flavours, theatrical serves to creative cocktails, soft drinks are having a moment. We round up some of the trends in the industry today, and consider how soft doesn't have to mean sad

The Burlington Restaurant switches to four-day working week

08-May-2017 By Sophie Witts

The Burlington Restaurant at The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa has switched to a four-day working week ahead of the departure of head chef Paul Evans.

Tom Griffiths leaves Brighton's Pascere ahead of opening

04-May-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Pascere, the Brighton Lanes restaurant opening this spring, has announced Johnny Stanford as its head chef in place of Tom Griffiths, who was previously set to take the role.

Santo Remedio to re-open as it launches £40k crowdfund bid

02-May-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Santo Remedio, the Mexican-style ‘cantina’ that was forced to close its Shoreditch site after just five months of business, is to re-open pending the success of its new crowdfunding campaign and guest chef series.

Simon Rogan to leave Fera at Claridge's and re-open Roganic

26-Apr-2017

Chef-restaurateur Simon Rogan is to leave his Michelin-starred Fera at Claridge’s restaurant in a 'mutual agreement', and is in talks to re-launch his Roganic concept elsewhere.

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Seven ways to run an effective loyalty program

19-Apr-2017 By Tim Brown

Tim Brown, senior director, sales consulting for food and beverage EMEA Oracle Hospitality, shares the results of a recent survey conducted by the hospitality technology solutions company on restaurant loyalty schemes.

Restaurants could keep EU staff under "barista visa" plans

18-Apr-2017 By Sophie Witts

A new "barista visa" could be introduced to ensure the UK’s restaurants, pubs and coffee shops do not struggle for staff after Brexit.

Charles Smith named head chef at Lords of the Manor

11-Apr-2017 By Sophie Witts

Former Young National Chef of the Year (YNCOTY) winner Charles Smith has been appointed head chef at the Michelin-starred Lords of the Manor hotel and restaurant in the Cotswolds.

Claire Clark to open patisserie academy with professional courses

06-Apr-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Pastry chef Claire Clark has confirmed she is to open a patisserie academy with Milton Keynes College.

Deliveroo to open 30 delivery-only kitchens this year

06-Apr-2017 By Sophie Witts

Deliveroo plans to open 30 delivery-only 'dark kitchens' across the UK to bring its service to areas under-served by traditional eat-in restaurants.

Ben Tish to leave Salt Yard Group for solo venture

30-Mar-2017 By Sophie Witts

Chef Ben Tish is to leave the Salt Yard restaurant group to pursue a new solo venture.

Social media for restaurants is not just for young people, says poll

29-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Social media should be a priority for all restaurants, not just those aiming at a younger demographic, new research has suggested.

Pret promises to pay interns after online backlash

27-Mar-2017 By Sophie Witts

Pret A Manger has promised to pay teenagers on work experience its starting hourly rate following online criticism.

National Waiters' Day returns to celebrate front-of-house staff

21-Mar-2017 By Sophie Witts

The industry’s hard-working front-of-house staff are to be celebrated on National Waiters’ Day on 16 May.

Husband and wife team appointed joint chef patrons at Marcus

13-Mar-2017 By Sophie Witts

Marcus Wareing Restaurants has appointed Mark and Shauna Froydenlund as joint chef patrons at Marcus, at The Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge.

Alain Roux says lack of female chefs in Roux Scholarship is “disappointing”

01-Mar-2017 By Hannah Thompson

Chef Alain Roux, chef-patron at the three-Michelin-starred The Waterside Inn, has said the lack of female chefs applying to his family’s prestigious Roux Scholarship contest is “very disappointing”.

How the latest payment systems can help build a better business

27-Feb-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Paying the bill can often be the most frustrating and clunky part of the eating-out experience for both the restaurant operator and the consumer. 

UK won't 'shut the door' on EU workers

22-Feb-2017 By Sophie Witts

Brexit secretary David Davis has offered further hope to the hospitality industry by claiming the UK is not about to ‘shut the door’ on EU workers.

Nieves Barragán Mohacho to leave Barrafina

14-Feb-2017 By Stefan Chomka

Nieves Barragán Mohacho, head chef of Barrafina since its launch nine years ago, is leaving the group at the end of the month to open her own restaurant.

Norse hits £20k crowdfunding goal to relocate

10-Feb-2017 By Sophie Witts

Critically acclaimed Nordic restaurant Norse has raised £20,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to move to its first independent site.

UberEATS launches restaurant delivery app in Manchester

08-Feb-2017 By Sophie Witts

Uber is ramping up its challenge to Deliveroo with the launch of its on-demand meal delivery service in Manchester this week (9 February).

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How to gain customer insights from Wi-Fi

06-Feb-2017 By Gavin Wheeldon

Gavin Wheeldon, CEO of Purple, discusses the golden opportunity for owners and marketers in the hospitality industry to use insights gained when customers log into their Wi-Fi through a form or social media.

Simon Addison joins Chewton Glen as head chef

03-Feb-2017 By Sophie Witts

Simon Addison has been named head chef at the Dining Room at the five-star Chewton Glen hotel in Hampshire.

Brexit plan aims to secure rights of EU nationals in the UK

03-Feb-2017 By Sophie Witts

The government has sent a positive signal to the hospitality industry by setting out plans to allow EU nationals currently living in the UK to be able to legally remain in the country after Brexit.

Chefs' Secrets of Success: Ashley Palmer-Watts

25-Jan-2017 By Hannah Thompson

In the latest in our Chefs' Secrets of Success series, we caught up with Ashley Palmer-Watts, executive group chef of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. He talks advice to young chefs, learning the basics, and the importance of taste.

How restaurants are reducing no shows

23-Jan-2017 By Emma Eversham

Diners not turning up for bookings has a big impact on a restaurant’s revenue, but as BigHospitality has found, the number of no shows can be cut considerably if reservations are simply handled in the right way. 

Cinnamon Collection launches chef training scheme

19-Jan-2017 By Sophie Witts

Vivek Singh, executive chef at The Cinnamon Collection, has launched a chef de partie training programme across the group’s four London restaurants.

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How to capture customer data to benefit the business

09-Jan-2017 By Olivia Fitzgerald

With the festive season behind us, Olivia Fitzgerald of LiveRES, talks hospitality operators through the ways they can use customer data captured at Christmas to benefit business in the year ahead. 

Half of diners unsure whether tips go to staff

05-Jan-2017 By Sophie Witts

Over half of British diners are unsure whether to leave a tip in restaurants in case it is not passed on to waiting staff, according a study by AA Hotel and Hospitality Services.

Harrods staff demand greater control over tips

04-Jan-2017 By Sophie Witts

Restaurant workers at Harrods are calling on the store to allow staff to vote on who distributes their tips in the latest row over the use of service charges.

Contactless spending rises in restaurants and bars

23-Dec-2016 By Sophie Witts

Contactless spending in restaurants rose 62 per cent in the past year, according to the latest data from Barclaycard.

Master Innholders seek new members

20-Dec-2016 By Sophie Witts

The UK’s top hoteliers are being invited to apply to join the Master Innholders in 2017.

Airbnb partners with Alain Ducasse’s Châteaux & Hôtels Collection

16-Dec-2016 By Hannah Thompson

The Châteaux & Hôtels Collection – presided over by chef Alain Ducasse – is to partner with Airbnb to offer a range of bedrooms, and gourmet experiences, on the sharing website.

Foreign nationals make up 43% of UK hospitality's workforce

15-Dec-2016 By Mark Wingett

Currently more than two-­fifths (43 per cent) of workers in the restaurant, QSR, hotel and pub sectors in the UK are foreign nationals, according to latest figures from Fourth Analytics.

Unite to hold fair tips protest outside Fortnum & Mason

15-Dec-2016 By Emma Eversham

Fair tips campaigners from Unite will gather outside Fortnum & Mason later today (Thursday) in protest at what they say is a 'Scrooge-like' raid on staff wages and service charge payments at the luxury store's restaurants. 

Home Grown Hotels appoints people director to support growth plans

13-Dec-2016 By Emma Eversham

Home Grown Hotels and Lime Wood Group, the owner of The Pig Hotels and Lime Wood, have appointed a people director to 'nurture and develop new recruits and long-standing team members'. 

Tom Byng to step down as Byron CEO

08-Dec-2016 By Mark Wingett

Tom Byng is to step down as chief executive of Byron, the better burger business he founded in 2007 and has grown to a £80m-­turnover, 69­-strong business.

Hospitality warned of 'significant' cyber attack threat

05-Dec-2016 By Emma Eversham

Staff at hotels and restaurants in the UK have been warned to be on high alert against potential cyber attacks as a sophisticated crime group turns its attention to the hospitality sector.

Gold Service Scholarship announces 2017 finalists

02-Dec-2016 By Sophie Witts

The Gold Service Scholarship has announced the eight finalists who will be competing to win the 2017 award.

Airbnb to impose 90-day limit on London rentals

01-Dec-2016 By Sophie Witts

Airbnb is to impose a 90-day limit on London users letting out properties through the site following concern it is contributing to the city’s housing crisis.

London hotel squares up to Airbnb with rental partnership

24-Nov-2016 By Emma Eversham

London hotel Bermondsey Square has started a partnership with short-term rental providers in its area in a bid to challenge the rise of Airbnb. 

Marriott to trial voice-activated room assistant

22-Nov-2016 By Sophie Witts

Marriott has announced the two tech start-ups it will be trialling in its hotels as part of an ongoing push to innovate its hotel operations.

Expedia to expand loyalty scheme to UK website

22-Nov-2016 By Emma Eversham

Travel website Expedia is launching its loyalty programme Expedia + in the UK next month to encourage users to book through the site and gain points in exchange for exclusive offers, discounts and upgrades.