Industry news from Scattergoods Agency Ltd.

May News

Blanc's The Restaurant winners quit after seven months

Jeremy and Jane Hooper, winners of Raymond Blanc's TV series The Restaurant, have quit Eight at the Thatch after just seven months running the business.

The pair, who were victorious in the BBC Two reality TV series last October, are now looking to return to their home county of Cornwall where they will open their own restaurant.

They moved to Thame in Oxfordshire to run Eight at the Thatch after winning the reality TV show.

In a joint statement the Hooper's said: "We feel very disappointed that this hasn't worked out. We feel that we did not have the chance to make our concept work in the environment of a pub.

"Having said that, we were thrilled to win the prize and we have learned a lot. It has not proved possible to continue at Eight at the Thatch but we have not lost our dream."

Raymond Blanc said: "Jeremy and Jane worked very hard to make a success of Eight at the Thatch. I am happy that we were able to give them this chance and delighted that they have gained the experience and the confidence to start a new business.

The second series of The Restaurant is set to air on BBC Two later this year. The BBC said that the pair were "admirable winners" of the show.
Eight at the Thatch will now become a gastropub called The Thatch, run by Caterer adopted business Peach Pub Company who acted as consultants to the winners.

Sara Bates will act as the general manager.

It emerged that head chef Christian Cillia has been sacked from the restaurant less than three months after joined the site.

Source: CatererSearch.com

School meals recovery underway at primary level, say experts

Leading school meals providers and sector experts believe the worst is now over for the primary school dinners service post Jamie Oliver.

At a Caterer round table debate held last month, supported by Apetito, the participants from both local authority direct service organisations and food service companies said the primary school food service was now heading into a period of growth.

Last summer the Local Authority Caterers Association reported uptake at primary school level had fallen to a low of 40%, although it added that the rate of decline appeared to be bottoming out.

Successes highlighted at the debate included the London borough of Ealing, where Harrison Catering Services operates the contract in 60 primary and special schools.

Bill Graney, manager of the Harrison contract in Ealing, said: "We have had a 3% growth in uptake this year."

Alan Bowey, operations director of Sodexho Education, reported a dramatic rise in take up numbers in another London borough, Richmond, despite being described by the previous contractor as unviable.

In the eight months the contractor has run the service it has seen a 70% increase in the number of meals served across the borough each day from 2,100 to 3,700.

"By demonstrating that the quality of the food we serve is high, we gained the confidence of parents and teachers and take-up numbers started to rise rapidly," he said.

Source: CatererSearch.com

April News

Gordon Ramsay reveals location of first chef academy

Gordon Ramsay has revealed the location of his first "chef academy", a venture first reported by Caterersearch in January.

The multi-Michelin starred Gordon Ramsay has teamed up with Absolute Taste owner Lyndy Redding to buy the Tante Marie School of Cookery in Surrey, along with Andrew Maxwell.

Maxwell, who is currently assistant to the principal at the school, will take over as principal as part of the deal replacing Marcella O' Donovan.

Ramsay "jumped at the chance" to buy the cordon bleu school of cookery after Redding approached him when the previous owners decided they wanted to move on.

At 50 years in the business Tante Marie is one of the oldest cookery schools in the UK and runs diploma and certificate courses in cordon bleu cooking for school leavers and those pursuing a change in career.

Ramsay and Absolute Taste's chefs plan to offer advice and teach classes at the school alongside the current teachers.

Executive chef for Gordon Ramsay, Mark Askew, will also be involved looking at the courses and encouraging students, according to Redding.

Redding, who trained at the school, said: "Having trained at Tante Marie myself I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to pass on my knowledge to a new generation and ensure it always operates within a contemporary framework. We are in desperate need of good solid training and new talent amongst the industry and we want to be part of that and spot talent early on."

Source: CatererSearch.com

InterContinental to create 4,000 UK jobs

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has unveiled plans to create 4,000 jobs in the UK over the next three-to-five years in a self-styled "war for talent".

The recruitment drive by the company behind the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza will help fill vacancies at the 44 properties the company has in development across the UK.

IHG needs to finds 44 general managers, 350 heads of department, more than 500 supervisors and a workforce of 3,000, which will include kitchen porters, housekeepers, waiters and receptionists.

Tracy Robbins, executive vice president of global human resources at IHG, said: "We are facing a war for talent to find skilled, experienced hotel staff. We need to attract and inspire the very best people at all levels to support our company growth plans."

Source: CatererSearch.com

March News

Geronimo takes more care of you at Terminal 5

Pub operators Geronimo Inns and JD Wetherspoon opened their doors to customers in Heathrow's Terminal 5 this morning.

Geronimo's Five Tuns (pictured) can be found landside at T5, while the Wetherspoon Express bar and the Crown Rivers are located airside in the largest free-standing building in the UK.

The Five Tuns joins Geronimo's Tin Goose at Heathrow Terminal 1 and the Three Bells at Terminal 3.It is the first of four new sites the London-based operator is set to open in the next four weeks. The Five Tuns will be followed by the Crown in Hoxton, the Red Barn and Snowtes Farm Shop in Longfield, Surrey, and the Betjeman Arms in St Pancras station, which will open at the end of April.

Source: CatererSearch.com

Hélène Darroze is named as the new chef at London's Connaught

The Connaught has confirmed that two-Michelin-starred French chef Hélène Darroze is to take over at the landmark hotel in Mayfair, following its nine-month, £70m renovation.

Darroze, one of France's leading female chefs, succeeds Angela Hartnett who, together with Gordon Ramsay Holdings, parted company with the hotel last year.

Darroze, who runs her eponymous restaurant Helene Darroze on the Left Bank in Paris, will launch her restaurant, Helene Darroze at the Connaught, in June once the redesign of the room has been completed by Paris-based designer India Mahdavi.

In addition to the restaurant, Darroze will oversee all food service throughout the hotel including the Gallery, an informal dining room overlooking Carlos Place, and private and in-room dining.

She will also be responsible for the revival of the Connaught Grill which will be returning in the autumn.

Darroze will split her time between her two restaurants, initially focussing on the London operation and is expected to take a flat in Mayfair. She will be bringing a team of staff from her Paris kitchen to lead a brigade of local chefs.

Commenting on her appointment at the Connaught, Hélène Darroze said: "Expansion was not particularly on my agenda, but I visited The Connaught, and fell in love with the hotel both in terms of its history and its philosophy of offering the finest of everything. It felt like a perfect fit."

Stephen Alden, chief executive of Maybourne Hotel Group, owner of the Connaught, said: "This is a tremendous partnership. Hélène is a very talented chef whose intuition and creativity are second to none. She is also a perfect match for the Connaught where the French Gourmet heritage has always been a part of the hotel's exceptional legacy."

Darroze hails from a long line of chefs. Her great grandfather was a patissier and her great grandmother a cook. Her style of cuisine is based on the Landes region in the South-west of France, where she was raised. A protégé of Alain Ducasse, she launched her own restaurant in Paris in 1999, won her her first Michelin star in 2001 and her second in 2003.

Source: CatererSearch.com

February News

New Michelin star stands up to allegations of French bias

The Evening Standard's Fay Maschler has defended the Michelin guide against allegations of French bias after reviewing the newly starred Quilon.

Maschler claimed that any criticism that the inspectors felt they should give a new star to an Asian restaurant in order to stave off possible criticism of a French bias is nullified by head chef Sriram Vishwanathan Aylur's "progressive" cooking in the south-India themed eatery.

Meanwhile Bloomberg's Richard Vines leaves the London dining scene and heads off to Alain Ducasse's Le Jules Verne in the South Pillar of the Eiffel Tower where he becomes increasingly frustrated with the slow service and an empty glass but finds the food more memorable than Ducasse at the Dorchester.

Caterersearch.com

Surrey County Cricket gets green light for hotel

Surrey County Cricket Club has been given the green light to build a 170-bedroom hotel at the Brit Oval in Kennington, south London.

The club has proposed building a four-star hotel in partnership with Arora International, as part of the development of a 1,600 seat stand.

It hopes to complete the development in time for the 2009 Ashes contest against Australia.

The proposal was initially rejected by Lambeth Council following objections from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

The HSE warned of the risk of a major incident because of the development's proximity to the Kennington gas holder the development be called in for review by central government, creating a further delay.. However, the HSE is now expected to demand that the development be called in for review by central government, creating a further delay.

Caterersearch.com

January News

Caterer's predictions for 2008

How will the changes to capital gains tax affect the hotels sector? Who's in line for a Michelin star? What will the Government do about binge-drinking? And will school meals recover? The Caterer team takes a look at the year ahead

Hotels - by Daniel Thomas

If you believe some of the media hype, consumer spending is going to collapse this year. But most experts believe the hotel sector will carry on as normal in 2008, particularly in London where the market has been very strong.

There will, no doubt, be some pain for hoteliers as people become more careful about splashing the cash, but this could work in the favour of branded hotels: consumers will look to names they trust if things get hard financially

Although there are likely to be fewer deals in the sector, property experts believe those expecting to pick up hotels on the cheap will find little to buy. Instead, there will be good opportunities for cash-driven buyers, with deals at sensible prices - rather than the "trophy prices" that were being paid in early 2007.

We can expect a spate of hotel deals in the run-up to April, as investors look to sell before 10% taper relief is scrapped under Alastair Darling's controversial capital gains tax changes.

Hoteliers will also be keeping a close eye on the chancellor's first Budget in March, which should contain further details of the abolition of Hotel Buildings Allowance by 2011 - but hopefully no more pain for the hospitality sector.

Restaurants - by Kerstin Kühn

Last year saw a number of high-profile restaurant openings, including Alain Ducasse's long-awaited eaterie at the Dorchester, and 2008 is set to be equally busy, despite the fears over consumer spending.

New London openings include former St Alban head chef Francesco Mazzei's L'Anima, Alan Yau's Cha Cha Moon, and eco-friendly Acorn House's sister venue the Waterhouse. Outside the capital we have Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan's new venture in Henley, Oxfordshire, and Paul Heathcote's new fine-dining eaterie, the Elliott, in Manchester. And, after more than a year of speculation, Richard Corrigan is expected to joinLondon's Grosvenor House hotel in the spring.

Jamie Oliver is spreading out into the high street with the launch of his new restaurant chain, Jamie's Italian, the first of which is set to open inBath in March. Gordon Ramsay is expanding his restaurant empire further with the launch of Angela Hartnett's new restaurant in London and his first venture in France in the spring.

Michelin star predictions include a number of newcomers such as London's Wild Honey, sister venue to Arbutus, and Glynn Purnell's first solo venture in Birmingham, as well as established names including Galvin at Windows and Theo Randall in London. Foliage at the Mandarin Oriental in London is tipped to pick up its second star, while Hibiscus is widely expected to retain its two stars after its relocation to the capital.

Pubs and bars - by Christopher Walton

The smoking ban dominated the pub landscape in 2007, changing forever the way that operators work. In 2008, alcohol will become the new tobacco as the Government continues to crack down on binge-drinking.

Pubs and brewers are calling for a tax freeze on beer to help boost flagging sales, while temperance groups are calling for a tax rise to stop binge-drinking. The Government will have to decide which side wins in 2008.

The debate won't help pubs, which are already tackling a wide range of legislative issues from the smoking ban to the Licensing Act. Liberal opening hours may well prove to be a flash in the pan if the Government decides there is a link with alcohol abuse.

It is hard to argue that the smoking ban is not transforming many pubs for the better, improving locations, outdoor areas and menus. These efforts will begin to pay off during 2008, attracting high-spending females, families and over-50s. Those that refuse to change their businesses will continue to struggle and see sales fall.

However, the uncertainty over consumer spending will be a big worry. Pub companies want a return on their investment for improving their offerings, but if customers are feeling the pinch, pubs won't get the money in the tills.

Contract catering - by Chris Druce

This year kicks off with a fifth major player joining the established forces of Compass, Sodexho, Aramark and Elior in the £3.8b UK contract catering sector, after the takeover of Holroyd Howe by BaxterStorey.

The combined company, with turnover approaching £180m a year, will no doubt elicit a few nervous backward glances from Elior, which has had a tumultuous 12 months, with its business restructured into three operating divisions and a slew of redundancies.

While Elior will be looking to put the challenges of 2007 behind it, Compass, which has been wooing investors and analysts alike recently, still has unfinished business. Chief executive Richard Cousins admitted in November that, although good progress had been made in reshaping the company's £2b UK business, work remained to be done.

School meals uptake hit rock bottom in 2007 but is on the up, at least according to the Government and Jamie Oliver. However, not all local authorities share this optimistic view and huge concerns remain about a lack of clarity over the nutrient-based guidelines for school dinners that will come into force in primary schools in September.

Care caterers will also expect to see results from the Government's stated commitment to tackling malnutrition in care homes.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper

Hotel staff in barricade protest

Two workers have spent three weeks barricaded in the bedroom of a closed hotel in protest at losing their jobs.
Assistant manager Mark Craig, 20, and kitchen porter Steven Black, 16, staged their protest at the Meldrum Arms Hotel in Oldmeldrum, Inverurie.

The pair live on food delivered in a bucket pulled up on a piece of string.

Their former employer Oxford Hotels and Inns said the duo have now been paid the £500 each in outstanding wages they are owed.

But Mr Craig and Mr Black said they would not be leaving the hotel until they had confirmation that the money was in their bank accounts.

They had both lived at the hotel until it closed for business on 9 December, but claim to have returned from a day out inAberdeen to find the locks on the doors had been changed and they could not get in.

Mr Craig said: "We called the hotel owners and they told us it had been closed down because the license had lapsed and we no longer had jobs.

"We were speechless, especially because of their timing, it was just before Christmas and they were leaving us homeless."

Mr Black added: "We are each owed around £500 in unpaid wages and there are another 12 members of staff who have also not been paid. It's been the most miserable Christmas ever."

They finally managed to gain entry to the hotel when they were met a few days later by a representative of the owners.

Mr Craig said: "We spotted an opportunity and we made a run for it.

"We closed the door behind us and rammed sofas behind it to stop them getting in. We have been here since."

The 20-year-old's mother gets the food to them on a bucket attached to a piece of string.

Mr Craig said: "We have not left the room since then and don't intend to.

"We are disgusted that the company would treat us like this. We will stay here as long as necessary.

"Mum brings over all our food and drinks, it's a bit like room service. We even had to eat our Christmas dinners from our room in case they came to get us out."

Police are understood to have warned their former employers to leave the heating on until the dispute has been sorted out.

A Grampian Police spokesman said: "This is a civil matter and unless a breach of the peace is committed we would not intervene."

Source: BBC

Glass eye, ashes and pet cat left behind at Travelodge

An urn of ashes, a pet cat and a blue glass eye have made it onto Travelodge's annual list of the most bizarre items left behind in its hotel rooms, published today.

Also included was, one suspects to the surprise of the housekeeper, a six foot by six foot remote control helicopter and a suitcase full of diamond jewellery.

Guy Parsons, Travelodge chief operating officer, said: "Each year our lost and found departments provide plenty of revelations. From a lucky charm Buddha to Bentley car keys, our customers' left behinds demonstrate what a cross section of people we serve."

Travelodge's near seven million annual guests most commonly forgot their mobile phones and chargers; items of clothing; books; toiletries; lap tops; MP3 players and Sat Navs; jewellery and watches; and false teeth and limbs last year.

The hotel company's lost and found office also recorded an increase in the number of misplaced electrical gadgets in 2007 such as the aforementioned Sat Navs, as well as Blackberrys, Playstations and handheld consoles such as Nintendo's DS.

The 10 most bizarre items left behind at Travelodge in 2007 include:
1) A Lord Mayor chain
2) An urn of ashes
3) A blue glass eye
4) Pet Persian cat called Princess
5) A child (Parents were busy packing the car, they were in a hurry to leave and realised they had left their son behind just before leaving the hotel car-park)
6) Suitcase full of diamond jewellery
7) Lucky charm Buddha necklace
8) Keys to a Bentley
9) Six foot by six foot remote control helicopter
10) Antique gold necklace worth £12,000

Source: CatererSearch.com

December News

Hospitality and travel staff most likely to pull a sickie

People working in the hospitality and travel industries are among the most likely to stay home because of a cold or flu, research claimed today.

According to the study by Beechams, 21% of respondents working in hospitality or travel had exaggerated their condition so they could stay in bed, while 44% had played up their illness to avoid going to work.

Contrary to general perceptions, more men than women fight a cold or flu. Most likely to battle on are men aged 45 to 55 living in Newcastle and working in manufacturing, while women aged 18 to 24 working in media and living in Nottingham, Brighton and London were least likely to go to work.

The survey also revealed some bizarre excuses for missing work, such as "my cat is depressed"; "my hamster died"; "a bird pooed on my head" and "Watford got relegated so I couldn't face work".

Source: CatererSearch.com

November News

Raymond Blanc praises his TV show winners

Raymond Blanc has praised the "strength" and "desire" of Jeremy and Jane Hooper, the winners of his BBC reality TV show The Restaurant, as he revealed his reasons for choosing the victors.

Eight at the Thatch restaurant in Thame, Oxfordshire, which the couple will run with Blanc's backing, previews on 6 November, before officially opening its doors on the 15th.

The two Michelin-starred chef-patron of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons said chef Jeremy, and Jane, who looked after front of house, visibly grew during the nine-week competition.

"What I was looking for was two individuals who had strength in each of their departments. Equally - and perhaps it should have been first - desire," he told Caterer. "With those two I saw the strength of their desire. Jeremy gave up his job in the Marines. The whole idea behind the programme means it is a lot to relocate and move house. They had that commitment."

Blanc spent six hours developing the new restaurant's menu with Jeremy, but stressed that he wouldn't interfere on a day-to-day basis. "The food we're trying to do is not a Michelin-starred restaurant, it is Jeremy's restaurant and we want to give them the knowledge," he said. "After six months or a year they will want to decide to stay with us or move on. I want them to succeed."

The couple have spent the past week training with Blanc at Le Manoir and Brasserie Blanc in Oxford and at the Fishes pub in North Hinksey, owned by Peach Pubs, whose co-owner Lee Cash was a judge on the programme.

Blanc praised the losing finalists, identical twins Jess and Laura Tilli, for having a "brilliant concept" but suggested that they didn't always practise what they preached, by promoting their Brown & Green restaurant as organic, but sometimes using tinned and frozen produce.

Source: CatererSearch.com

October News

Burning chilli sparks terror fear

A pot of burning chilli sparked fears of a biological terror attack in central London the BBC news website reports.

Dessert too rich?

The manager of a top Sri Lankan hotel has defended the decision to charge $14,500 (£10,269) for what it calls the world's most expensive dessert.

Axel Jarosh, general manager of The Fortress hotel in the southern town of Galle, said that the chocolate pudding was not obscene in a poor country.

He said that the dessert contains a gemstone and was "especially designed for the hotel's exclusive clientele".

Aid workers say the idea is offensive when there is so much suffering.

"For many people in Sri Lanka it is a struggle of life or death, mostly because of the war but also because of the aftermath of the tsunami of 2004," one Colombo-based development worker said.

"In these circumstances such a publicity stunt is in extremely bad taste."

But Mr Jarosh insisted there was nothing excessive about his pricey puddings.

"We have had a positive reaction both locally and internationally to the dessert which we don't think is out of place, even in a country where there is considerable poverty," he told the BBC News website.

"This is not an idea imported by foreigners and imposed on Sri Lankans, nor is it a marketing gimmick.

"The idea was created by a local design team as suitable for guests staying in one of the country's most up-market hotels."

Mr Jarosh said that the dessert consists of a pedestal upon which is placed a model of a fisherman clinging to a stilt - an image for which Sri Lanka is famous. Ingredients include chocolate, champagne and caramelised sugar.

He said the reason why the pudding is so expensive is because it contains an 80 carat aquamarine stone about the same diameter as the head of a soup spoon.

"We felt that there has been so much negative news emerging from Sri Lanka in recent months in relation to the war," said Mr Jarosh, "and wanted to come up with something that was upbeat and fun."

Mr Jarosh said that one serving of the dessert had already been made.

The general manager said that while the conflict had hit tourism in the country, most European countries are no longer warning their citizens against travelling to Sri Lanka.

"We are optimistic that when the high tourism season starts in December, bookings from abroad will be significantly up."

The Fortress is one of the most expensive hotels in Sri Lanka, charging up to $1,700 per night.

Galle, some 100km (70 miles) south of the capital, Colombo, is a popular destination for tourists. It also suffered badly during the Asian tsunami.

September News

London dining is 'most expensive'

London has leapfrogged Tokyo and Paris to become the world's most expensive city for dining out.

The average cost of a three-course restaurant meal for one is up 2.9% on last year to £40 including one drink, tax and service.

The research by restaurant guide Zagat is based on surveys of up to 10,000 people in 45 cities around the world.

Chez Bruce knocked Gordon Ramsay off the top spot as the best venue for food in a poll of 5,300 London diners.

Poor service

The average meal in Tokyo, which topped the 2006 survey, costs £35, putting in third place behind Paris where a meal costs £35.37.

Ramsay's eponymous Chelsea restaurant was named best for service while L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon was top newcomer and Wagamama was the most popular restaurant.

In a breakdown of the 20 most expensive restaurants in London, the average price of a meal per person was £88, up 6.1% on last year.

Londoners who took part in the survey ate out on average 2.5 times per week compared with 3.4 times for New Yorkers and 3.6 times for Tokyo residents.

Poor service was identified in the Food For Thought survey as the biggest problem of the London restaurant scene.

Tim Zagat, of Zagat guides, said: "It's astonishing to see how expensive the London dining scene has become but as indicated by this survey, the city still offers many great values - both in terms of quality and price."

Source: www.bbc.co.uk/news

August News

As Seen On TV

You may or not be aware that BBC2's "The Restaurant" starts tonight, 29th August, at 8pm. Most of the Staff in the Englefield Green restaurant were supplied by Scattergoods, if you keep a close eye out you will see us there. Darren & Ben were in the kitchen and the rest were front of house.

Award-winning top chef and restaurateur Raymond Blanc puts nine couples through their paces to see if they have what it takes to run their own restaurant in a brand new television event for BBC Two.

Incredibly, more than 1,000 new restaurants open every year in Britain; unfortunately, approximately 50 per cent close within two years.

The Restaurant features couples, some of whom have little or no experience other than cooking at home and throwing dinner parties, but whose dream is to run their own eatery.

They have to create their perfect restaurant and then open the doors to the paying public. Their first crucial decision - who will take on the kitchen and who is best equipped to run the front of house?

It's a dream that many couples have entertained. Secretly perhaps we all think we could run a restaurant.

It's so simple. Lots of us can cook. We have all been to restaurants. We all think we know what people like to eat. If only we had the money and the opportunity.

For one couple this programme will realise that dream.

Says Raymond: "It is a life changing decision to take part in this programme - it is not just a game. They are making many sacrifices without even knowing if they are going to win."

During the eight-week series every decision, every mistake the couples make, every argument they have, will be caught on camera. They are working and living together 24-hours a day, under enormous pressure.

Each of the nine couples takes over an empty restaurant, makes it their own and will open their doors to the paying public.

Every week each restaurant is visited by Raymond's panel of "inspectors" - restaurant industry experts Lee Cash, Sarah Willingham and John Lederer.

Raymond will then select the three restaurants he judges to be the worst performing. One of these restaurants will be closed at the end of the week.

The three selected restaurants are given a tough specific challenge. They must prove in this challenge that they are good enough to stay open.

Each week, one of the restaurants will be eliminated from the competition by Raymond, acting as judge and advised by his panel. The restaurant that fails the challenge will have its doors shut. Raymond's decision is the one that counts.

By the end of the series just one couple and one restaurant will be left open. The winning couple will be able to run their own restaurant financially backed and personally supported by Raymond Blanc. Raymond is investing a six figure sum in the new business.

The show is a brutal insight into the business of running a restaurant and the incredible pressure of living and working with your partner.

Competing for the top prize are Martin, a prison caterer and his fiancé Emma who works in a bingo hall; Jeremy, a chef in the Royal Marines and his wife Jane; Lloyd and Adwoa, an engaged couple who run market stalls selling food; jazz drummer Sam and his wife Jacqui, an actress/waitress; Eddie and his older brother Michael, a communications consultant; advertising copywriter Grant and his wife Laura; sisters and children's entertainers Jess and Laura; Nicola, a home cook and successful businesswoman, and her son Tom; and mature university students Chris and his partner Jade.

Says Raymond: "Opening a restaurant is one of the most popular start up businesses, everyone thinks they can do it. Likewise, our couples also think they know how to run a restaurant business, but most of them will soon realise how complex and tough it is.

"These inexperienced couples will be thrown in at the deep end as they go into an empty restaurant and in one week must open to the public; so they will have to learn fast."

The series is an uncompromising, but entertaining, insight into the business of restaurant management, bringing with it the incredible pressure of living and working with a partner, learning how to cook, managing staff and a reminder that the customer is always right.

www.bbc.co.uk/restaurant

Golden age for London diners as new restaurant openings soar

More restaurants opened in London in the past year than ever before marking a golden age for dining out in the capital, according to the latest edition of the Harden's restaurant guide.

Harden's London Restaurants recorded 158 openings in the capital in the past 12 months to August, marking an increase of more than 10% compared with the previous year, which saw 136 openings.

This beats the previous openings record of 142 in 2005.

However, the number of restaurants closing in London has also increased dramatically from 65 closures in 2006 to 89 closures in the 12 months to August this year.

Peter Harden, co-editor of the guide said: "London's restaurant scene continues to evolve faster than ever and we are now seeing new openings annually at about three times the rate of 15 years ago."

Harden warned that the current increase in restaurant failures would probably continue with a number of eateries likely to be forced into closing their doors permanently in the coming months.

Harden's London Restaurants is published on 28 August.

Source: Caterer

Marco Pierre White to open at Chelsea football ground

Marco Pierre White is to open a restaurant at Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club, Caterer can reveal.

Marco's, which is due to open in late September, will be a 75‑seat restaurant serving a classic menu featuring French, Italian and English influences.

Head chef will be Matthew Brown, former chef-proprietor of the now-closed Mayfair fish restaurant Wheeler's of St James's, which he acquired from White in 2004. Front of house will be overseen by restaurant manager Livio Italiani, who joins the restaurant from White's Italian eaterie, Luciano.

Tara Bernard, founder of design consultancy Target Living, has developed the interiors, which will combine classic and contemporary elements, including a marble mosaic at the centre of the restaurant surrounded by amber columns and wooden booths.

"It's the kind of restaurant that I like, and the menu will feature all of my favourite dishes," White told Caterer. "Interiors will resemble the old-fashioned style of the former Savoy Grill but will include contemporary elements, making the restaurant a modern, yet classic, environment."

Source: Caterer

July News

Up the Reds

The annual Scattergoods rounders /softball match took place last night (24/7/07) on the Shalford cricket pitch.

The question is really "to gloat or not to gloat" as the REDS team captained by Andy Vicos thumped home to victory. Full of vigour and good training the reds showed their full class and played the game with maturity and passion.

The BLUES lead by Stephanie Dubois put up a good show and very nearly pipped the REDS at the post however they ran out of gusto at the end, but they had some big hitters in the team, just could not capitalise on them. The Blues probably needed to look at the rule book to work out the difference between runners and ringers!!!! However, as usual the right team will always win and fly in the face of overt anomalies in the team sheet.

Valiant and professional was the watchword of the night with both teams putting in all with hearty shouts of "2nd base" and "Ruuuun". A special mention must be made to Helen who's shouts of "Ho god I've hit it" before running to first base brought us all out in laughter.

With beer and Pimms flowing, BBQ full and the Sun out, it was good to see so many staff and temps come together for what was to be a great night of sport and social.

Well done to the REDS and commiserations to the BLUES again, hope to see even more of you next year.

Compensation for celebrity's chef

Rock star Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, have been ordered to pay their former chef compensation after losing a sexual discrimination case.

Jane Martin was awarded £24,944 in her case against the couple at an employment tribunal in Southampton.

She claimed she was sacked by Miss Styler from the couple's estate in Wiltshire because she became pregnant.

The estate named in the case, Lake House, has won the right to appeal against the ruling and damages amount.

For eight years Ms Martin, 41, from Winchester, cooked for stars such as Madonna at the couple's 300-acre estate.

She won her cases of unfair dismissal and sexual discrimination on 8 June.

Ms Martin had told the Southampton employment tribunal of her "cruel" treatment from her former employers, and said she feared losing her baby after she became pregnant.

The tribunal panel had ruled that Ms Styler's treatment of Jane Martin had been "shameful".

Source: BBC news

Britain's richest chefs

Gordon Ramsay has topped a list of Britain's richest chefs, released by The Independent.

Television earnings, book sales and restaurant turnover have all been taken into consideration for the list.

Ramsay, who is worth £67m, has nine restaurants in London and two abroad, although both are run by franchises.

He is expected to expand into the USA with restaurants in New York and Florida later this year. He has also written 12 books and starred in five television shows.

Star of Jamie's School Dinners, Jamie Oliver, comes second on the list. A string of television shows and books, as well as his advertising deal with Sainsbury's, which it is estimated earns him £1m a year, means he is worth £58m.

Other chefs on the list include owner of Norwich City FC Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal, whose restaurant The Fat Duck, in Bray, Berskshire was voted the best in the world by Restaurant magazine in 2005.

1.	Gordon Ramsay	£67m
2.	Jamie Oliver	£58m
3.	Rick Stein	£36m
4.	Delia Smith	£25m
5.	Antony Worrall Thompson	£21m
6.	Marco Pierre White	£10m
7.	Gary Rhodes	£8m
8.	Raymond Blanc	£7m
9.	Nigella Lawson	£3m
10.	Heston Blumenthal	£2m

Source: The Independent

June News

Compass Group unveils new fine dining brand

Caterer Compass Group has today officially unveiled its streamlined fine-dining identity that brings its many interests together as Restaurant Associates (RA), as reported in Caterer last week.
The decision by RA managing director Jason Leek, who was appointed to shake-up fine dining at Compass last autumn, will see the phasing out of the Baxter & Platts and Everson Hewett fine-dining brands.

In their place will be four operating divisions: RA Dining will handle employee feeding and public restaurant catering RA Hospitality will look after executive dining (and will include Roux Dining) RA Business Services will handle "soft services" such as reception and help- desk functions and RA Hotels will continue to look for opportunities such as the recent tie-up with Gary Rhodes for Rhodes W1 at the Cumberland hotel in London.

Leek is particularly keen to grow RA's share of the business management market and hotel food & beverage (F&B), which, he says, affords the greatest growth opportunity and complements the business as a whole.

He said: "I am delighted to be introducing the brand that will take our business forward. It defines our culinary excellence and the unique, bespoke service of which we are extremely proud of."

Source: CatererSearch.com

Rising Michelin stars

Rising stars are restaurants that are tipped to gain their first Michelin star, or increase their tally of Michelin stars, during the next round of awards.

The Foliage restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel in Knightsbridge, London, is tipped to rise from one to two stars in 2008. The following eight restaurants also look set to win their first Michelin star next time:

Galvin at Windows, City of Westminster, Mayfair
Fraiche, Birkenhead, Wirral
West Stoke, Chichester, West Sussex
Cotswold House, Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire
Combe House, Honiton, Devon
St Martin's on the Isle, St Martin's, Scilly Isles
Linen Room, Dumfries, Dumfries & Galloway
Abstract, Glenmoriston Town House hotel, Inverness, Highland

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