H & C News is introducing ‘News Bites’ as a regular, concise and quick way for readers to catch up with the many stories covering Cafes, Catering, Hotels, Pubs, Restaurants and more…that don’t make the headlines, but which are nonetheless important.
We hope that it will be useful to you – and look forward to learning in the weeks ahead how we can improve it.
Retro Feasts Opens In Mayfair
Luke Thomas and Mark Fuller have partnered up again to take over the ground floor restaurant at the infamous Embassy nightclub for a six month pop-up and some fun. Retro Feasts is being lead by emerging Chef Luke Thomas with a food and drink concept inspired by childhood favourites.
The venue has given Mayfair an injected of colourful nostalgia, an escape back in time from the hustle and bustle of London to enjoy some British classics and laughter. The design is a collage of classics – watch out for superman and hail the British flag!
29 Old Burlington Street, Mayfair, W1S 3AN
For more information click here
Lindley and Swindon Town FC
LINDLEY Venue Catering and Swindon Town Football Club have re-affirmed their joint commitment to developing the catering facilities and services at the npower League 1 club’s County Ground with the two parties both signing up to a new £13 million, 10 year deal which will see Lindley’s current public matchday catering remit extended to driving all aspects of matchday and non matchday catering, as well as event management at the 15,728-capacity stadium.
Lindley Venue Catering has had a catering team established at the County Ground since 2009. The new contractual arrangement will see Lindley Venue Catering provide all conference, banqueting, hospitality and retail services on matchdays and at events, as well as managing sales and marketing for non matchday events through to the 2022-23 season, while Swindon Town FC will continue to market matchday packages.
Royal Quarter Café to open near Buckingham Palace
The Quarter Group, launched by restaurateurs Doron and Valeria Zilkha in 2006, owns and operates Chelsea Quarter Café in the King’s Road, the River Quarter Kitchen in Plantation Wharf, Battersea, facing the Thames, and Heal’s Quarter Café and Heal’s Quarter Café Express. On 24 June 2013, They will launch Royal Quarter Café, near Buckingham Palace, in Wellington House, Buckingham Gate. The menu will be a modern mix of seasonal, healthy comfort food – including homemade bread and pastries, all-day breakfast, sandwiches and soups, sharing plates, hearty salads, afternoon tea, and cakes and tarts, all available to eat in or take-away.
The impressive 70-seat corner site will have a light and modern interior, white walls and floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing natural light to fill the room. The interior will feature tall bookshelves, wood panelled walls, oak tables, green leather chairs and brown banquettes. A two-tiered oak table will display freshly made pastries, cakes, and bread. Outdoor seating will be available.
Wellington House, 72-73 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6BE Tel: 0207 799 5050
For more information about the Royal Quarter Café click here
ESS strikes gold with RoSPA Awards 2013
ESS Support Services Worldwide, part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, has struck gold with its approach to occupational safety and health in the awards scheme run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
The catering and support services provider to the defence, offshore and remote markets has been presented with the Gold award for the third time as part of the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2013.
Dating back 57 years, the RoSPA Awards scheme is the largest and longest-running programme of its kind in the UK. It recognises commitment to accident and ill health prevention and not only looks at accident records, but also entrants’ overarching health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.
Metro Inns: hotels in administration
Annette Menzies, head of business recovery and insolvency at accountancy firm Haines Watts in Glasgow, has been appointed administrator of a number of Metro Inns’ hotels which will continue to trade whilst a buyer or buyers is sought.
The hotels are located in Derby, Chesterfield, Manchester, Gloucester and Hayes and operated under a number of companies, which are: Metro Inns A1 Ltd – Barnsdale Bar Hotel; Metro Inns (Gloucester) Ltd – Orchard Hotel; Shepiston Lodge (Hayes) Ltd – Shepiston Lodge; Rangemoor Park (Derby) Ltd – Rangemoor Park Hotel; Metro Inns (Manchester) Ltd – Altrincham Lodge Hotel; Metro Inns (Chesterfield) Ltd – Chesterfield Hotel; and Bexley Square Property Company Ltd – The Lord Nelson Hotel.
It is understood that Metro Inns hotels based in the north east are not involved in the administration.
Just Falafel appoints Gerard Murphy to boost UK food offering
Just Falafel, the largest falafel chain in the world, has appointed Consultant Chef Gerard Murphy, from Visionary Gourmet, to expand the UK menu with a range of lighter meal solutions.
Murphy’s role will focus on introducing a new range of fresh, nutritious salads and creating a full range of mini-wraps and lighter sandwiches to offer lower calorie meal options to health conscious consumers, which will be available in-store from July 2013. Murphy also review the current menu and update existing recipes, as well as developing a range of a healthy desserts and breakfasts.
Murphy brings with him 30 years of experience as a classically trained chef within the global food industry, working across independent and franchise restaurants, as well as gastro pubs and food service companies. He was previously Food Development & Application Chef at Kerry Foodservice, with wider experience working for restaurant chains including Little Chef and Harry Ramsden’s.
For more information about Just Falafel click here
Hand Picked Hotels expands with St Pierre Park Hotel & Golf Resort in Guernsey
Hand Picked Hotels has agreed terms for the acquisition of St Pierre Park Hotel & Golf Resort in Guernsey. The 4 star resort hotel is to be purchased from SandpiperCI for an undisclosed amount. St Pierre Park Hotel has 131 bedrooms, and major conference and banqueting facilities for up to 360 people, a leisure spa and a range of dining options.
The proposed acquisition is part of a strategic expansion by Hand Picked Hotels, created by former lawyer turned hotelier Julia Hands, to extend its presence in the Channel Islands, where it will complement Hand Picked’s L’Horizon Beach Hotel & Spa, St Brelade’s Bay, in Jersey. This will expand to 19 hotels in September when Bailbrook House Hotel in Bath, acquired last year, also joins the collection following a £10 million restoration.
Malhotra Group buys historic Grey Street Hotel, Newcastle
Grey Street Hotel, the 50 bedroom Newcastle boutique hotel went into administration in late 2012 but has now been bought by the Malthotra Group which plans to invest significantly in it. The Group is purchasing the complete Grade II listed building, including the part leased by The Living Room bar and restaurant, which is a separate business.
The Malhotra Group will now renovate the hotel, with the intention of reviving past glories and establishing it once again a s atop class venue in the city centre.
Malhotra already owns and operates leisure venues in Newcastle, including the Louis’ Restaurant, Osborne’s and Scalini’s in Jesmond as well as The Three Mile Inn in Gosforth, and is already working on plans for another five star hotel and leisure complex on Grey Street, believing that the iconic Grey Street Hotel can complement that development.
Head chef announced for One Canada Square
Jamie Dobbin has been appointed as the Head Chef of award-winning ETM Group’s new modern European restaurant and cocktail bar, One Canada Square, which opens in Canary Wharf in September.
Jamie joins ETM Group from The Club at The Ivy where he was Head Chef for five years since its opening in 2008. Prior to that, he had spent five years working first as chef de partie and then sous chef in the Ivy Restaurant under Chef Director Tim Hughes. Other experience includes stints at The Berkeley in Knightsbridge, The Connaught and The Savoy, as well as an apprenticeship under John Williams MBE while he was at Claridges.
Featuring a 30-cover bar and 100-cover restaurant with mezzanine floor designed by David Collins Studio, One Canada Square will be open from 7am for breakfast, business lunches, post-work cocktails and relaxed dinners as well as leisurely Saturday brunches.
For more information about One Canada Square click here
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Brakspear’s Ale Trail heads to the country
Brakspear is launching a Country Ale Trail, guiding walkers and cyclists round 10 of its rural pubs in the Henley area, taking in pubs in a number of local villages. It is being launched in response to requests from the many Henley residents and visitors who complete Brakspear’s Henley Ale Trail, now in its seventh year, and follows the same successful format.
Drinkers receive a stamp on their Ale Trail map when they buy a pint of Brakspear beer in a participating pub. Maps with a stamp from all 10 pubs can be redeemed for a free pint and a gift pack containing two bottles of ale and a Brakspear glass.
Brakspear chief executive Tom Davies said, “We’re delighted to be replicating our Henley Ale Trail around 10 of our country pubs. Many rural pubs have faced challenging trading conditions over recent years, so this is a way to put them literally on the map, both with customers living in and around Henley and the many visitors to the area.”
For more information click here
Pizza Hut Restaurants hire Paddy Mcguinness as Brand Ambassador
Comedian and TV personality Paddy McGuinness is to be Pizza Hut Restaurants UK’s new brand ambassador. The Bolton born star will be working with the brand to celebrate its 40th anniversary this year, perfect timing as he approaches the landmark birthday himself in August.
Pizza-fan Paddy will be applying his comedic flair and cheeky personality to the new role, which will be revealed in the coming weeks. “Pizza Hut has always led the pack for innovation so I’m looking forward making my mark and having a lot of fun with the brand as we celebrate the big 4-0,” said Paddy.
Kathryn Austin, Director of HR and Marketing at Pizza Hut Restaurants UK said: “Paddy is the perfect fit for Pizza Hut Restaurants, his fun-loving personality reflects our style and brand ethos so he was a natural choice. We are thrilled he’s come on board to help us with an exciting upcoming campaign to celebrate 40 years and the next chapter of Pizza Hut Restaurants – so watch this space.”