News

Leon boosts staff perks ahead of US expansion

09-May-2016 By Sophie Witts

Healthy fast food chain Leon is bucking the hospitality trend by boosting staff benefits ahead of plans to open in Amsterdam and the United States.

ASK THE EXPERTS

How to cater for customers following gluten-free diets

09-May-2016 By Kathryn Miller

On the first day of Coeliac UK Awareness Week, Coeliac UK's head of food policy Kathryn Miller, outlines the practical steps hospitality operators can take to cater for customers following a gluten-free diet.

Tate Modern opening new restaurants in £260m extension

05-May-2016 By Sophie Witts

The Tate Modern is seeking 120 staff to work in five bars and restaurants as part of its new £260m extension.

The Chestnut Group launches training academy as business grows

04-May-2016 By Emma Eversham

The Chestnut Group, the owner of the Packhorse Inn in Moulton and The Rupert Brooke in Grantchester, has launched an in-house training academy to help equip staff with the skills they need to help the business grow.

Hospitality industry urged to be 'decent' over tipping report

03-May-2016 By Sophie Witts

Trade Union Unite has urged the hospitality industry to ‘do the decent thing’ and accept that staff should take home 100 per cent of their tips.

Brits find phones in restaurants ‘rude’…but still post food photos and demand Wi-Fi

29-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

The majority of Brits would welcome a ‘no phone zone’ in restaurants, and find it rude when others use phones during a meal, despite widely using them to post photos and updates themselves, according to a new poll.

Report: Restaurant staff not taking allergy requests seriously enough

28-Apr-2016 By Emma Eversham

Restaurant owners are being urged to do more to educate their staff on the subject of food allergens after a survey of diners with allergies found that a quarter had suffered a reaction when eating out since allergen legislation was introduced in 2014.

VIEWPOINT

Harry Cragoe of The Gallivant on why banning tips is good for business

22-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

Harry Cragoe, owner of The Gallivant restaurant with rooms in Camber, pays all his staff a minimum of £9 per hour and has launched the #toohiptotip campaign to ban service charges in restaurants. He believes more hospitality businesses need to use a similar...

Lords report recommends greater transparency for OTAs and reviews websites

21-Apr-2016 By Emma Eversham

A report by the House of Lords is calling for an urgent investigation into the way online platforms, such as online travel agents (OTAs) and reviews websites are allowed to operate to ensure greater transparency for consumers and fairer competition for...

Compass Group UK & Ireland: By 2020 50% of chef workforce will be female

20-Apr-2016 By Emma Eversham

Compass Group UK & Ireland is working to tackle the shortage of female chefs in the industry by pledging to have at least 50 per cent of its chef workforce made up of women by 2020.

Jason Atherton admits ‘bullying still needs to be addressed’ in hospitality

15-Apr-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Chef Jason Atherton – of sites including the Michelin-starred Pollen Street Social and City Social in the UK ‒ has said that bullying in restaurants is still an issue in today’s industry.

Montcalm hotels launches free Handy smartphone for guests

15-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

The Montcalm London Marble Arch has become the first hotel in Europe to launch Handy - a free smartphone service for guests.

Marriott launches hospitality training academy in Manchester

13-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

Marriott International has launched a training academy in Manchester to help young and unemployed people in to work in hospitality.

Liverpool names first autism-friendly hotel

06-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

The Shankly Hotel in Liverpool has been named the city’s first autism-friendly hotel.

Restaurants and pubs see surge in higher value contactless spending

05-Apr-2016 By Sophie Witts

Contactless spending in restaurants has more than doubled since the limit rose to £30 in September last year, according to Visa Europe.

How to ensure coffee quality and consistency as popularity grows

30-Mar-2016 By Michelle Perrett

The coffee market is booming and consumers are demanding even more in terms of quality and consistency of serve.

Crème de la Crème judge: BBC show will inspire new pastry generation

29-Mar-2016 By Hannah Thompson

The new TV show Bake Off Crème de la Crème, which aired on BBC Two last night (29 March) will inspire a new generation of pastry chefs and will bring new recognition to the industry’s skills, according to one of its three judges.

Jamie Oliver apprenticeship scheme to go nationwide

24-Mar-2016 By Mark Wingett

Jamie Oliver’s flagship apprenticeship scheme is set to go nationwide with its incorporation into the high-profile chef’s Jamie’s Italian chain, MCA has learnt.

Hospitality industry backs National Apprenticeship Week 2016

14-Mar-2016 By Sophie Witts

Hotel du Vin, Greene King and Starbucks are among the hospitality businesses announcing new training programmes to mark National Apprenticeship Week.

Sharing economy: Could the stage help boost chef retention?

07-Mar-2016 By Emma Eversham

Staff retention in many professional kitchens could be improved if more chefs completed stages in other kitchens and welcomed others into theirs, according to HIT Chef Academy principal Paul Mannering.

Brexit will worsen Britain's chef shortage, recruiter claims

03-Mar-2016 By Sophie Witts

Quitting the European Union would worsen the ongoing chef shortage in the UK, a hospitality recruiter has warned.

Why are so many female chefs leaving the industry?

24-Feb-2016 By Sophie Witts

The number of female chefs in the UK is falling with nearly two in five women considering leaving the industry, so what needs to be done to reverse this trend?

Three innovative ways to use tea

22-Feb-2016 By Emma Eversham

Tea. It’s a small word that stands for a lot. However, when it comes to using the leaf to its full potential many hospitality operators are still falling short.

The Queen presents the 2016 Gold Service Scholarship Award

17-Feb-2016 By Sophie Witts

Jennifer Santner from the Fenchurch Restaurant at Sky Garden has been named the winner of the 2016 Gold Service Scholarship.

Are TV cooking shows contributing to the chef shortage?

12-Feb-2016 By Sophie Witts

Restaurant-related films and TV are more popular than ever, but are they contributing to the growing chef shortage?

Not finding enough skilled staff biggest threat for restaurant operators

09-Feb-2016 By Emma Eversham

Not being able to find enough skilled staff has been cited as the biggest threat to the restaurant sector for the year ahead, according to a poll of restaurant owners.

Make recruitment process more ‘youth friendly’ hospitality urged

04-Feb-2016 By Emma Eversham

Businesses in the hospitality sector are being advised to make their recruitment process more ‘youth friendly’ to help safeguard the industry’s future workforce after a survey of 18-24-year-olds found they faced barriers when applying for jobs.

Bar Soba adopts Living Wage early to support 'relentless' expansion plans

28-Jan-2016 By Sophie Witts

Asian restaurant group Bar Soba is to pay its staff the National Living Wage two months early in order to support its ‘relentless’ expansion plans.

Independent restaurants seen as 'most welcoming'

25-Jan-2016 By Emma Eversham

Front-of-house staff at independent restaurants are better at making diners feel welcome than their counterparts at chain restaurants and gastro pubs according to research by HospitalityGEM.

Restaurant chain Pho gains Gluten Free accreditation

25-Jan-2016 By Emma Eversham

Pho has become the latest restaurant group to receive Gluten Free (GF) accreditation from Coeliac UK.

The Gallivant scraps service charge and gives staff a cut of company profits

19-Jan-2016 By Sophie Witts

The Gallivant restaurant with rooms in Camber has scrapped its service charge and announced plans to share company profits with staff at the end of the financial year.

Catering staff union to tackle 'unfair' tipping policies with MPs

18-Jan-2016 By Sophie Witts

Catering staff trade union GMB is to meet with MPs to discuss ‘unfair tipping policies’ at Turtle Bay and other high street restaurants.

Could better staff engagement solve hospitality’s recruitment problem?

07-Jan-2016 By Emma Eversham

Despite its great prospects for growth the hospitality sector still has one of the highest turnover rates of any industry.

Michelin-starred Hibiscus cuts opening hours to improve staff work-life balance

07-Jan-2016 By Sophie Witts

Claude Bosi has announced that his two Michelin-starred restaurant Hibiscus has cut its opening hours in order to improve staff quality of life.

Service hiccups: Gold Service Scholarship finalists 2015

22-Dec-2015 By Liam Garrahan

Everyone can have a bad day every now and then, as the Gold Service Scholarship finalists have been discussing. In the latest in our Spotlight on Service campaign, we reveal to you some of the moments that left the best in the business rather red-faced.

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

Kellie Rixon of Macdonald Hotels: Good service is a conversation between two people

16-Dec-2015 By Emma Eversham

Good service should be regarded as a conversation between two people, with the guest remembering the person who served their meal or checked them in rather than the meal or the process itself, says Kellie Rixon MBE, brand director at Macdonald Hotels...

Sommelier role changes as restaurants embrace informality

10-Dec-2015 By Emma Eversham

Sommeliers in the UK are increasingly being hired for their ability to match more than wine with food say industry experts as restaurants seek to quench the nation’s growing thirst for drinks such as craft beers and boutique spirits and embrace a more...

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

Raymond Blanc: Service is no longer about servitude

09-Dec-2015 By Emma Eversham

As part of our Spotlight on Service series we speak to chef Raymond Blanc OBE for his views on life front-of-house.

Employers ‘unprepared’ for National Living Wage, Government warns

07-Dec-2015 By Sophie Witts

A majority of Britain’s employers are risking legal action by failing to prepare for the introduction of the National Living Wage next year, the Government has warned.

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

Paul Ainsworth at Number 6: Good service is about 'care, communication and balance'

03-Dec-2015 By Emma Eversham

Alex Tozer, restaurant manager at Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 in Padstow, winner of the National Restaurant Awards 2015 Service Award, talks through the restaurant’s relaxed and informal approach to service as part of our Spotlight on Service series.

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

Spotlight on service: How do you define good service?

27-Nov-2015 By Liam Garrahan, Emma Eversham

What is good service? Restaurant, hotel and pub operators often talk about making it a key focus of the business and how it is integral to its success, but how exactly do you define it?

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

Service Tips: Gold Service Scholarship finalists on how to give great service

25-Nov-2015 By Liam Garrahan

With our spotlight firmly on service and front of house we asked the finalists of the 2015 Gold Service Scholarship for their best tips for delivering great service.

BHA report: FSM companies take big steps to improve public health

25-Nov-2015 By Emma Eversham

Food Service Management (FSM) companies are leading the way in offering healthier meals outside of the home, a report by the British Hospitality Association (BHA) has shown.

The Big Issue partners with coffee chain to train homeless people as baristas

23-Nov-2015 By Sophie Witts

The Big Issue has partnered with a new coffee chain to train homeless people as baristas around London.

Three ways to shake up your soft drinks

23-Nov-2015 By Emma Eversham

Alcohol sales are continuing to decline, particularly within the Millennial generation, meaning more people will be looking for non-alcoholic options when going out.

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

Hotel 41: How personalised service took the boutique hotel to the top

19-Nov-2015 By Liam Garrahan

In the next installment of our Spotlight on Service campaign, Malcolm Hendry, general manager of London’s five-star Hotel 41, explains why front-of-house employees are integral to creating a positive guest experience.

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

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