Friday 9th May 2008




EDINBURGH OFFICE

LOCHINVAR HOUSE 38 Dryden Road, Loanhead, Midlothian. EH20 9LZ Tel: 0131 440 1960 Fax: 0131 440 4577 E-mail: info@xpressrecruitment.com

National Recruitment News - Friday 9th May 2008

RESTAURANT GROUP ENJOYS GROWTH HIKE

Posted 09/05/2008

RESTAURANT Group, the owner of the Frankie & Benny's and Garfunkels chains, said it has seen like-for-like sales grow at a faster rate than earlier in the year.

The group said same-outlet sales improved by five per cent in the 18 weeks to May 4 – up from four per cent in the first nine weeks of the year.

New openings meant total revenues were 21 per cent ahead of the same period of 2007.

The company said its "value-for-money offerings" positioned it well during tougher economic times.

It added: "This is a solid start to 2008 and represents very satisfactory progress compared with the same period last year."

But analysts at Panmure Gordon said it was too soon to upgrade profit forecasts given that year-on-year comparatives would toughen in the second and third quarters.

In March, the company said it increased pre-tax profits by 24 per cent to £43.5 million in 2007, with revenues ahead 17 per cent at £367m.

Restaurant Group, which has more than 280 sites and 50 concession outlets, said it opened seven new sites so far this year, including four in Heathrow Terminal 5.

Source: Edinburgh Evening News

DE VERE RESTRUCTURES ITS TEAM AS SENIOR MANAGERS MOVE ON

Posted 01/05/2008

Hotel group De Vere has insisted it is "business as usual" at the company, despite a series of senior management departures since the start of the year.

In January, Niels Sherry quit as chief operating officer of the De Vere Deluxe brand. Jeremy Rata, general manager of De Vere's flagship hotel, the Grand in Brighton, departed in March, and Andrew Coney, general manager of Slaley Hall, in Northumberland, left a week later.

March also saw Colin Bailey, who worked at De Vere Group for 22 years and Stephen Littlefair, finance director at De Vere's sister brand, Village Hotels, both poached by luxury operator Von Essen. In addition, parent company Alternative Hotel Group announced "a number of redundancies" in head-office operations

But De Vere's new chief operating officer, Brian McCarthy, who joined in February this year from gym chain Esporta, told Caterer that all the decisions to leave had been "amicable" and stressed that the restructuring of the head office was "completely unlinked" to the senior departures.

McCarthy has appointed two new general managers as part of the company's management restructuring: Neal Crocker, who will join the group from Thistle Hotels to become resort director for Slaley Hall, and St David's Hotel and Spa's Tim Price, who has been appointed as general manager at Grand Harbour in Southampton.

De Vere, which is split into two brands, Collection and Deluxe, currently has 12 properties across the UK.

The group is in the process of refurbishing Cameron House, Loch Lomond. It has made Stephen Carter, director of operations for the Deluxe brand, managing director of the hotel to oversee the development. McCarthy said the company planned to invest significant sums across its other properties.

Source: Caterersearch

SKELWITH GROUP PLANS £100M LUXURY HOTEL

Posted 25/04/2008

York-based developer The Skelwith Group has unveiled plans to build a £100m luxury hotel with rooms for sale to investors.

The five-star Flaxby Country Club will comprise 300 rooms, four helipads, three restaurants, a luxury spa complex, bar and conference facilities.

Work on the hotel, located between Harrogate and York, will start later in the year and is set for completion in 2011.

Individual rooms will be sold to investors with prices for a standard room starting at £90,000, in a model piloted by GuestInvest. The company is promising “guaranteed returns” of 7.5% for eight years.

Paul Ellis, managing director of the Skelwith Group, said the development would “boost local and regional economy” as well as offering “the opulence and service of a Park Lane hotel”.

Article continues below
“Our investment concept will offer a one-off opportunity to invest in five-star luxury and be part of something unique and groundbreaking, whilst also being financially an exceptional deal,” he added.

The Skelwith Group was founded in 2004 and currently has over £115m of development under construction.

It is working on the Woolston Warehouse in Bradford, a £25m scheme to convert a derelict warehouse into a new homes and leisure facilities. It is due for completion in 2009.

Source: Caterersearch

UK HOTEL SECTOR PERFORMS WELL IN 2007

Posted 11/04/2008

The UK hotel industry had an impressive 2007 and is in a strong position to weather the global economic downturn, according to a new report from consultancy PKF.

Hotel Britain 2008, released today, revealed that the hotel sector achieved consistently high occupancy and average room rate levels in 2007, with London reaching record-breaking levels.

In the capital, occupancy reached close to 83% over the year. Average room rate increased 8.9% to £130.17 and this meant revenue per available room (revpar) increased 10.3% to £107.96.

These figures are the highest the capital has seen since PKF started collecting data in 1974, while occupancy was the highest since 1997.

Hotels in the regions had a good year with steady increases in average room rate over the year, the main driver behind the 3% rise in revpar.

Robert Barnard, partner at PKF, said that while the UK's hotel industry may see slower growth in 2008, strong investment and new concepts will shape and drive the market.
“The variety and key product quality invested into the budget sector may be a key driver for a positive performance in the UK hotel market,” he said.

“Continued investment within the industry will ensure interest in UK hotels; however, the economic forecasts predict lower consumer spending due to the credit crunch and a slowdown on the housing market.”

Source: Caterersearch

INSTITUTE OF HOSPITALITY APPOINTS GM FOR HOSPITALITY ASSURED

Posted 07/04/2008

The Institute of Hospitality announced the appointment of Philip Stanley MIH to the newly created position of General Manager for Hospitality Assured – the Standard for Service and Business Excellence in hospitality.

Philip brings with him over 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry – working at properties that include the 1,000 bedroom Cumberland Hotel in Marble Arch, London; and the luxury Belfry hotel and leisure complex in Warwickshire. In the last 11 years, Philip has occupied a variety of senior sales roles – more recently as Head of Sales and Business Development for Travelodge.

Over the last year, Philip has developed and delivered numerous training courses on customer service and sales to clients in and out of the hospitality profession – including KPMG, Shell UK and British Airways. Combining his experience in training and hospitality to head-up Hospitality Assured seemed to be a natural step. Hospitality Assured is solely focused on the customer experience, providing a relevant and flexible framework that will assist in achieving consistent service excellence.

Philip joins the Hospitality Assured team with immediate effect and will be part of the senior management team, reporting to the Institute of Hospitality’s Chief Executive Philippe Rossiter FIH. Commenting on the appointment, the Chief Executive said: “I am delighted to welcome Philip as the General Manager of Hospitality Assured. He joins the Institute with a rich pedigree in the industry, and this has equipped him perfectly for the role. At a time when the Standard is becoming more and more valued as a business excellence tool, we could not have wished for a better experienced and accomplished person to take it forward to the next stage.”

For his part, Philip stated: “I am excited to be part of a project that will help businesses focus on their most valued asset, the customer. After all, it is the customer who will have the final say as to whether a company succeeds or fails. My focus will be to raise the profile of, and modify, the Standard to ensure that it continues to be relevant not just for today, but for the future.”

Source: Travel Daily News

HOTELS AND CATERERS SET TO MISS OUT ON LONDON OLYMPIC BENEFIT

Posted 04/04/2008

Hotel and catering companies could miss out on a share of £21b of Olympic related contracts and business unless they take action now.

The warning comes from Lloyds TSB Commercial & Corporate, who surveyed 800 businesses with a turnover of up to £500m and found two-thirds (66%) of hotel and catering firms in the sample had not yet looked into the opportunities around the 2012 games.

While 57% of survey respondents said that the games would have a positive economic benefit, only just over a quarter (26.2%) hotel and catering businesses said they planned to look into the opportunities around the London Olympics within the next twelve months.

Paul Evans, area director of Lloyds TSB Commercial, said: “London and the UK as a whole are expected to see a major rise in visitors as a result of the Games. Many of these visitors will extend their stay and visit other parts of the country, providing a boost to tourism and the hospitality sectors.

“This will have a knock-on effect within the hotel supply chain in particular, providing a boost to all sorts of businesses ranging from catering equipment and linen suppliers to the wines and spirits trade.”
Lloyds TSB is an official sponsor of the 2012 Olympics and has estimated that the games will boost the British economy by £21b.

Source: Caterersearch

MOTHERCARE SALES SEE BOOM IN YEAR OF “TRANSFORMATION“

Posted 03/04/2008

Sales at Mothercare rose in the year ended March 29th, a “transformational” year for the Mothercare and Early Learning Centre, according to the company. The integration of the Early Learning Centre was “progressing well” according to a trading update. Meanwhile, group sales for the full year rose 35.1%, up 4.5% on a comparable basis. A “solid” performance from the UK stores and a particularly strong performance from Direct in Home saw UK like-for-like sales up 2.9% for the year, with total sales up 36.1%, up 2.7% on a comparable basis. Direct in Home sales for the full year rose an impressive 106.7%, up 19.7% on a comparable basis.

Commenting, Ben Gordon, chief executive said: “The multi-channel UK business has performed well, particularly Direct in Home, and the integration of the Early Learning Centre is on track. International continues its strong momentum, further strengthened by the addition of the Early Learning Centre brand, with a total of 494 franchise stores operating today in 48 countries”.

Source: retailnews@theappointment.co.uk

TO TASTE SUCCESS WE MUST LEAVE SHORTBREAD IMAGE IN THE TIN

Posted 01/04/2008

Ditch the kitsch to attract more people to Scotland, says Fraser Niven.
SCOTLAND Week under Alex Salmond has lost the kitsch. It is now about modern Scotland – technology, business enterprise; a more sophisticated sell.

Included in this has to be a different picture of Scotland as a luxury tourism destination. It is time to move on and build upon the tartan, shortbread and Fringe imagery and present Scotland as a place for the discerning traveller where he or she will find high-quality service, five-star facilities and a luxury experience.

We have to provide new reasons for people to come to Scotland. Alex Salmond is right that such things as Tartan Week, cannot stay the same, we have to evolve to compete.

We have a huge advantage because the Scottish diaspora is spread across the globe and our heritage is celebrated in many corners of the world.

The appeal is there, but can we convince these people that they will get the experience that most travellers now come to expect? The answer should be yes – hotels, exclusive stays, shopping and dramatic scenery.

By wholeheartedly embracing the luxury traveller there are also wider economic benefits to be had. They bring with them far greater business opportunities for local golf courses and restaurants, not to mention the money they spend in our shops. They draw on local services from whisky through to kilt makers; from providers of outdoor sports to helicopter charters.

Five-star venues are gearing up to receive these visitors and, Lennoxlove House, which opened nine months ago, is welcoming guests from the US and Russia.

But while success in glossy marketing can entice tourists to spend their time and money here, we want them to return again and again and this can only be achieved from providing outstanding levels of service.

While it is said that we do not have the "service culture" here, through Hospitality Scotland and the European Quality awards, we can actually achieve our own unique Scottish service culture. We're already known for our friendliness, so this has to be something we can build on.

Scotland must be both passionate and ambitious when it comes to developing its tourism industry as well as unique business and investment opportunities.

Not only has VisitScotland set its sights on a 50 per cent growth target by 2015, but Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Jim Mather also seems to have brought a spirit of business enterprise to his tourism remit.

We have to harness that confidence and focus it on raising our game to ensure we genuinely impress the type of visitor looking our way. As £60k is being spent to encourage business and investment links to attract tens of thousands of visitors to Scotland, let's hope Scotland Week does the trick.

Source: Edinburgh Evening News

INTERCONTINENTAL TO CREATE 4,000 UK JOBS

Posted 27/03/2008

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.”
IHG has also revealed details about an apprenticeship programme for existing staff to fast-track them into supervisory and management roles.
Talented individuals will be offered a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in hotel management with a guaranteed management job on successful completion of their studies.

Source: Caterersearch.com

ALWAYS EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES TO NEGOTIATE THE BEST TERMS

Posted 14/03/2008

Preparation is what gives you the upper hand in negotiations. The trick is working out what the best alternatives to a negotiated deal are for you and for the opposition.

Negotiation is about gaining power and preparation is how we generate information that gives us power. A skilled negotiator would not enter any negotiation unprepared. And exploring all the alternatives to make sure you get the desired outcome is the key.

A Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement or BATNA is your contingency plan to protect you from accepting an agreement that is unfavourable. Your BATNA gives you a benchmark with which you can compare the negotiated outcome with one you could get elsewhere.

Imagine this scenario. A retailer has a gondola end available for a promotion. It contacts one supplier to negotiate terms for that gondola end. The retailer must consider what alternatives it has available should it not agree terms. If it only has one supplier, what are the consequences of not coming to an agreement?

It can’t have an empty gondola end. If the retailer has contacted three or four suppliers, alternatives could have been suggested and the best would have been selected. This would give it BATNA, putting it in a stronger position to negotiate better terms with the other two or three suppliers.

So how do we establish our BATNA? Part of the preparation must be to carefully consider all eventualities and predict what the response would be to certain outcomes. Where is the balance of power before the negotiation; who needs whom the most? What are the most important issues to you and them? What will be the impact of not coming to an agreeable solution on these important issues? And so on.

Consideration must also be given to the type of relationship and what deadlines are in place. This will also allow accurate understanding of what the best alternative is for the given circumstances. Once we have these questions answered we must identify, then decide on the best options.

You should gauge what the BATNA of the other party is through effective questioning and by valuing all issues in its terms and considering what your response would be if it introduced its BATNA.

In negotiation the balance of power swings like a pendulum between both parties. Preparing your BATNA will increase your balance of actual and perceived power. The timing of when to exert this power is critical. Don’t position your BATNA too soon as you could give the other party too much information, transferring power to it, or it could be seen as a threat and therefore destroying the relationship.

Whatever preparation you do or don’t do before your negotiation, consider your best alternative to a negotiated agreement.

Source: The Grocer

BRITISH DISHES FACE ‘EXTINCTION’

Posted 10/03/2008

Classic British dishes such as spotted dick and toad in the hole are facing “extinction”, according to a Tesco survey of 1,000 adults that found traditional favourites had plummeted in popularity in just one generation. Most endangered was spotted dick, which had been prepared by just 5% of under-40s, representing a fall of 64% across a generation. Also at risk were Beef Wellington (made by just 6% of the survey), jam roly-poly (9%), steak and kidney pie (13%), coronation chicken (15%), sherry trifle (16%) and Lancashire hotpot (25%). The supermarket, which has created an ‘endangered recipes’ section on its website, said younger people’s growing taste for ethnic foods had seen the number of people preparing all at-risk dishes fall by between 31% and 62% in a generation.

Source: Daily Express

ABERDEEN TOPS LEWIS PUSH

Posted 07/03/2008

Retail giant John Lewis has seen sales grow to £6.8 billion in the year to January 26, with Scottish stores leading the way. Aberdeen was the group's top performing store on a UK-wide basis, with the Granite City outlet recording turnover up 8.8 per cent. Meanwhile, Glasgow's turnover was up five per cent, placing it fourth in the UK, while Edinburgh was in sixth with a four per cent increase. Chairman Charlie Mayfield commented: "The partnership has had a successful year in a challenging trading environment. The key to our success is the commitment of our partners who consistently deliver the customer service and professionalism that underpin our reputation." He added: "What we can clearly see now is that some of the turmoil in the banking sector has spilt over into the consumer market. We think conditions will remain tough for most of the year, possibly into 2009.

Source: The Scotsman

LOTHIANS VENUES NAMED AS OLYMPIC TRAINING CAMPS

Posted 06/03/2008

FOUR Lothians venues were among more than 600 sporting facilities earmarked as Olympic training camps for the London 2012 Games.
The Pre-Games Training Camp Guide, which includes all the venues which can act as a base for international athletes, has a total of 28 facilities in Scotland.

The local centres are Heriot-Watt University, Centre for Sport and Exercise – fencing, football, judo, taekwondo, wrestling; Peffermill National Hockey Academy – hockey; the Royal Commonwealth Pool – swimming, diving, synchronised swimming, water polo; and the Scottish National Equestrian Centre, at Oatridge, West Lothian – equestrianism.

Launching the guide in London today, 2012 organising committee chairman Lord Coe said: "We said that we wanted the London Games to be for athletes and the facilities listed in this Guide will really help overseas athletes prepare well.

"It also provides a great opportunity for towns throughout the UK to get involved in our plans."

There were 1000 applications for the places in the guide, although Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell warned it was no guarantee of success.

She said: "There will be fierce competition to host foreign teams and individuals and now it is for every nation and region, every venue to sell itself internationally".

Source: Edinburgh Evening News

BRITONS TO SPEND £1.6 BILLION ON MOTHERS

Posted 29/02/2008

Mother’s Day 2008 will be worth £1.6 billion to UK retailers according to the British Retail Consortium, an increase of 6% on 2007.
An estimated £85 million worth of greeting cards will be sold in preparation for this Sunday, with flowers remaining the most popular gift at a total cost of £230 million.
The BRC also estimates that £65 million worth of chocolate will be sold, with boxes of assorted chocolates being the most popular.
New BRC director general Stephen Robertson commented: "It feels like non-stop cards and flowers so far this year. Little more than a fortnight after Valentine's Day, millions of us will be with our mums on Sunday showing how much she's appreciated. With an early Easter too, three celebration days in quick succession presents a supply and restocking challenge for retailers as they try to keep up with whether customers want hearts, rabbits, roses, pot plants or chocolate eggs”.
Data from Nielsen for supermarkets and convenience stores has shown that more greetings cards are sold for Mothering Sunday than for Valentine's Day, with sales in the two weeks before Mothering Sunday double the normal weekly average.
Added to that, even more cut flowers are sold for Mothering Sunday than for Valentine's Day, with 8% of annual sales in supermarkets and convenience stores being made in the two weeks leading up to Mothers' Day, more than twice as much as normal.
Mike Watkins, Senior Manager, Retailer Services, Nielsen, said: "These figures seem to show more of us want to spend on our mothers than our lovers. Cut flowers will be the nation's number one gift choice this Mothering Sunday, with mixed bouquets the most popular. With purse strings tight, competition will be even tougher this year. There will be some good deals for customers wanting to make their mothers feel special”.

Source: Retailnews

APEX'S GOOD EXPERIENCE

Posted 22/02/2008

APEX Hotels, the Edinburgh-based hotel group, has been shortlisted for the finals of the National Council for Work Experience's annual awards.

The company, which runs the Apex International and Apex City hotels on the Grassmarket, and the Apex European on Haymarket Terrace, is nominated for best work experience provider.

Source: Scotsman

UK’S FIRST EXPRESS BY HOLIDAY INN SOLD

Posted 15/02/2008

The first Express by Holiday Inn to be opened in Europe has been sold for an undisclosed sum.

The hotel, in Strathclyde Park, opened in April 1996 and will now be operated by Geminax Hotels & Leisure, the hotel arm of Festival Healthcare.

It was previously owned by consortium LRG Acquisition, which owns more than 70 UK hotels and the deal was brokered by property agent Christie & Co.

No official price was given, but estimates put the value of the Strathclyde Park disposal along with a second LRG sale of a 129-bedroom hotel in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, at £18m.

Geminax already operates three Express by Holiday Inn hotels in London and the South-east and plans a refurbishment of the 120-bedroom Strathclyde Park.

There are currently 108 express by Holiday Inns in the UK, with a further 70 in Europe and 1,583 in the USA. The first opened in the USA in 1991 before coming to Scotland in 1996.

Express owner InterContinental Hotels Group unveiled details of a three-year $1b (£489m) global overhaul of its Holiday Inn brand in October 2007

Source: Caterer.com

ZAFFERANO CUSTOMER SENDS BACK £18,000 BOTTLE OF WINE AS FAKE

Posted 11/02/2008

Zafferano customer sends back £18,000 bottle of wine as fake
A diner at Michelin-star restaurant Zafferano in London’s Knightsbridge sent back an untasted £18,000 magnum of Pétrus as a potential fake because the cork was not stamped with the standard mark of provenance. The restaurant was so alarmed that it might have been the victim of fraud that it called in Corney & Barrow, an upmarket City wine bar chain that acts a agents for Pétrus in Britain which sent in its managing director to investigate. Although there was no evidence it was fake, the bottle’s authenticity could not be proved as the vineyard did not use cork stamps before 1964. However, the customer was satisfied with his second choice - a magnum of Mouton Rothschild 1945 at £20,000

Source: The Daily Mail, 9 February

SUPPLIERS FACE BATTLE WITH EU OVER MINIMUM FONT SIZE RULE

Posted 08/02/2008

A row is looming between Brussels and the food industry over plans for a minimum font size for text on labels.

On Wednesday the European Commission will produce the final version of its Regulation on the Provision of Food to Consumers, which covers labelling.

It is believed the regulation will contain obligation for suppliers and retailers to use text no smaller than 3mm for mandatory information.

In its draft proposal in November, Brussels had originally said information should be printed in a font size no smaller than eight point. “Studies show small print size is one of the main causes of dissatisfaction with food labels,” it said.

However, during consultation it was pointed out that fonts varied, and eight point in one may be much larger or smaller than in another. In response, the commission is expected to demand the 3mm rule – which has horrified the industry. “The size of packaging varies and the approach needs to be more tailor-made,” Sabine Nafziger, director of consumer information at CIAA, the umbrella body for food associations in the EU. “We think the rule should be applied taking account of the surface area of the label.”

CIAA planned to produce mock-up labels of well-known products to show the EC the impact a 3mm minimum would have on suppliers and retailers,” said Nafziger.

The new regulation is also expected to contain tighter rules for front-of-pack labelling. The EC said it wanted front-of-pack GDA’s to be mandatory. However, it also said national governments should be free to demand additional information.

The industry fears suppliers could be forced to produce different labelling schemes for all 27 nations. However, it is understood the final regulation will include a clause giving the right to harmonise labelling across the EU if it feels there is too much divergence at a national level. The College of Commissioners is expected to adopt the new regulation next month.

Source: Richard Clarke – The Grocer

FRANCIS MACKAY TO LAUNCH NEW CATERING FIRM

Posted 07/02/2008

Sir Francis Mackay, the architect of the modern Compass Group, is backing a new team of industry heavyweights who are poised to make a spectacular return to contract catering, Caterer has learnt.
Mackay, who led the acquisition of Compass from Grand Metropolitan in 1987 and floated the company on the London Stock Market in 1988, left the world's largest caterer in February 2006 with a pension pot worth £15.76m.
He is now the figurehead of a new caterer, to be called Graysons Hospitality Associates (and Graysons Restaurants), and has recruited Philip Nash, the former head of Compass Group's fine-dining arm, Restaurant Associates (RA), as chairman.
Graysons, which is believed to take its name from an old and now-defunct hospitality brand, was registered at Companies House last July with an office in Weybridge, Surrey.
The company secretary is Ronald Morley, who was the former company secretary for Compass. Ian Summers, previously sales director at Catermasters and briefly with Avenance, has joined Graysons as sales director and Chris Pearce, who worked under Nash at RA, is operations director.
Rowena Edwards, who was managing director of Compass's ESS division and held a centralised sales role before leaving the company recently, has also been consistently linked with Graysons. Trevor Biggs, most recently interim chief executive of Compass, is also believed to be in the frame.
Nick Thomas, who left his role as Compass commercial director before Christmas, has also been linked with the new business.
Graysons is believed to be targeting clients in the business and industry market. Industry observers believe a takeover of an existing caterer will be the preferred route into market. The company was thought to have been in advanced talks late last year with a medium-sized contract caterer, but speculation suggested a price couldn't be agreed and the takeover was scrapped at the eleventh hour.

Source: Caterersearch.com

NEW FOOD POLICY TO BOOST SCOTTISH TOURISM

Posted 06/02/2008

A new Scottish food policy that will boost tourism has been announced by Rural Affairs and Environment Minister Richard Lochhead.

The policy, to be finalised later this year, will join up work across the Scottish Government and cover every aspect of the food chain.

Ministers hope that drawing up a comprehensive strategy will boost food tourism and exports, as well as find ways to minimise the industry's impact on the environment.

Plans also include finding out more about the food served in schools, hospitals and public-sector canteens as part of a bid to improve the nation's health.

MrLochhead will kick off a "national discussion" involving producers, retailers and consumers when he visits a school breakfast club tomorrow.

"We want the freshest, finest future for Scottish food, " said Mr Lochhead.

"We need to tap into the potential of Scotland's worldfamous produce to secure a healthier, wealthier, greener Scotland.

"Supporting food production and manufacturing in Scotland is in our national interest."

The minister is expected to outline the proposals to industry chiefs in a speech to the Scottish Food and Drink Federation on Wednesday.

Mr Lochhead added: "Food is about so much more than what we eat.

"It is about jobs, businesses, the environment, tourism and the health of our nation.

"The time is right to start this debate and I hope as many people as possible will have their say about the future of Scottish food, " concluded Mr Lochhead.

Source: The Herald

PIERRE BACK IN CITY 'OLDER AND WISER'

Posted 04/02/2008

FLAMBOYANT French chef Pierre Levicky says he is back in Edinburgh "an older and wiser" man following the collapse of his Pierre Victoire empire.

The 48-year-old restaurateur is set to return to the Capital's dining scene after ten years tonight with the opening of a new venture, Chez Pierre.

The Canonmills restaurant is registered in the name of business partner Donald Thow, as Mr Levicky was banned from running a UK limited company for 13 years in 2001.

However, the chef has had a major hand in crafting the menu and will be in charge of the kitchen, including cooking many of the signature dishes.

He said: "When the first Pierre Victoire worked, it quickly led to other restaurants being set up and the whole thing grew very fast.

"This time, however, I am a little older and wiser and I'm not looking to do the same thing. I don't want another Pierre Victoire, so this new restaurant will be on a much smaller scale.

"It's been ten years since I've been involved in the restaurant scene in Edinburgh and things have changed. There are so many cafes providing good food nowadays, so you couldn't do the same thing as we did before."

Chez Pierre is located on Eyre Place, next door to Malcolm Duck's restaurant, and Mr Levicky said he hoped the area will become a popular dining destination.

He added: "I'll be taking a very hands-on role in the kitchen while we try to create a friendly, popular new place to eat.

"However, I also have a restaurant in Spain so I will eventually be travelling between the two countries when everything is up and running smoothly."

The concept is "great European food at friendly, affordable prices", said Mr Levicky, rather than the French cuisine he became known for.

Following the collapse of the Pierre Victoire chain in 1998, and the subsequent 2001 court case, Mr Levicky reportedly claimed he would never return to Scotland, where he felt "villainised".

However, he insisted today that he has always loved Edinburgh and was delighted to be back in the city where he first started as a restaurateur.

He said: "I never had a problem with Scotland and I love Edinburgh. It's a beautiful city and I have very fond memories of my time here.

"It was lucky that we came across the Eyre Place site, as it was a perfect location.

"There are a lot of people who I knew and worked with more than ten years ago who are still here, so it doesn't feel like I've been away. Even some of my old customers have been phoning up to see when the restaurant is opening."

THE FACTS

Pierre Levicky arrived in the UK in the 1980s as a young chef, reputedly with less than £100 in his pocket.

He opened his first bistro-style outlet in Edinburgh in 1988.

After rave reviews, Levicky won financial backing for a rapid expansion programme. His Pierre Victoire chain opened 147 branches across the UK.

Mr Levicky became a multi-millionaire, but the firm went into receivership in June 1998 with debts of almost £6 million.

Following the collapse, Levicky was taken to court and in 2001 was disqualified from having any involvement in a UK limited company for 13 years.

He then spent several years running restaurants in Paris before setting up the Chez Pierre brand in Andalusia.

Source: Edinburgh Evening News

CLOUD HANGS OVER HOTEL'S CIGAR SHACKS

Posted 01/02/2008

AFTER initially falling foul of Edinburgh's licensing laws, the £10 million Hotel du Vin development is now facing a headache from Scotland's smoking laws.

The historic College of Physicians laboratory on Bristo Square is currently being transformed into a plush new hotel, offering fine wines and Cuban cigars.

One of the hotel chain's main selling points are its unique "cigar shacks" – comfortable smoking lounges in a heated outdoor shelter.

However, the crowded Old Town architecture and the laboratory building's enclosed courtyard have meant the Edinburgh team has now had to return to the drawing board. Before the UK-wide smoking ban, Hotel du Vin – a sister company of the Malmaison group – became known for hosting lavish cigar parties in its bistros.

When the smoking laws were introduced, hotel bosses came up with an innovative design for a partially-walled shelter which employs "warm air curtains" at the open end to keep it cosy.

But it has now emerged that the existing cigar shack design would not be suitable for Edinburgh.

Stephanie Briggs, director of interior design for Hotel du Vin, said: "The courtyard is completely enclosed on all sides and is quite compact, to the extent that it's less of a courtyard and more of a meeting place.

"For this reason none of our current designs would be appropriate as they would obstruct the view of the courtyard from the overhanging rooms.

"We could probably still install one of our original shacks in the courtyard and remain within the smoking regulations, but we decided it would be better to do something bespoke specifically for the Edinburgh hotel."

Whatever the design, the cigar shack is likely to include features such as underfloor heating, wall-mounted plasma screens and leather armchairs for patrons to enjoy their stogies in comfort.

In a further complication, city planners have now said that as there was no provision for a smoking shelter in Hotel du Vin's original planning application, any further additions will probably have to be cleared through them.

The hotel firm has said it will submit its new designs in due course.

A spokesman for anti-smoking campaigners Action on Smoking Health (Ash) said: "As long as any proposed shelter stays within smoking regulations and does not present a passive-smoking danger to staff or customers, we would not have any objection to a cigar smoking shelter being built within the courtyard."

Two weeks ago, hotel bosses breathed a sigh of relief when the city's licensing board overturned the controversial original decision to block its drinks licence bid.

Source: Edinburgh Evening News

MICHELIN STAR HELPS RESTAURANT SHINE

Posted 28/01/2008

By ANDREW PICKEN
A RESTAURANT in West Lothian has joined the elite list of Scottish eateries to be awarded a Michelin star.

The Champany Inn, which has been run by Clive Davidson and his wife Anne for the past 25 years, has finally been rewarded by the inspectors from the famous eating guide.

Mr Davidson said last night he was stunned by the award, after almost giving up hope of ever winning a star for his restaurant near Linlithgow.

"I'm absolutely shocked and dumbfounded. After 25 years of being here I thought these things had passed us by, by now," he was reported as saying.

"It's fantastic news and shows what fantastic staff we have.

"I should imagine a drop or two will pass our lips later today."

He added that the star will not affect their approach to food, which centres on a reputation for first-class steaks and salmon dishes.

"Now that we have got this star, we are not going to change our approach, which is what we were awarded it for," he said.

"These things are easier to lose than they are to get."

Meanwhile, one of Edinburgh's top restaurants was awarded the coveted Bib Gourmand – one below a Michelin star, and signifying "good food at moderate prices"

Duck's at Le Marche Noir is one of only three new additions from Scotland in the guide, which is launched tomorrow.

The other was Ballachulish House, near Loch Leven in the Highlands, which won a star.

Owner Malcolm Duck said he was delighted with the award and said the success was partly due to new head chef Rob Mitchell, who joined their team from London three months ago.

He said: "We're the longest-serving Edinburgh restaurant in the Michelin Guide.

"Our quality has always been pretty high, and we've worked a long time to get this.

"I think staff deserve to be very pleased. There are a lot of good restaurants in Edinburgh and there's never been more competition."

Edinburgh's three restaurants with one star all retained their crowns this year.

They are the Kitchin, Restaurant Martin Wishart, both in Leith, and Number One at the Balmoral Hotel.

Martin Wishart, who is currently in Singapore at an event to celebrate Scottish cuisine, had been tipped to win a second star this year.

However, Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles remains the only Scottish restaurant with two stars.

Gordon Ramsay's Chelsea restaurant, Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck and Michael Roux's Waterside Inn, both in Bray-on-Thames, Berkshire, remain the UK's only three-star eateries.

The Wee Restaurant, in North Queensferry, was also awarded the Bib Gourmand for the first time.

It is run by chef Craig Wood and his wife Vikki, who is front-of-house manager.

They aim to serve simple, good seasonal food in a relaxed atmosphere next to the Forth bridges.

Source: Edinburgh Evening News

HOTELS MUST KEEP A TIGHT REIGN ON REVENUE

Posted 23/01/2008

Hotel operators will have to maximise their average room rates in 2008 to maintain growth, as occupancy levels have peaked, experts have warned.

Delegates at the Master Innholder’s 15th Annual Hotel General Managers Conference were told to evaluate their approach to revenue management and employ experienced people to keep a tight reign on their revenue streams.

The revenue manager has traditional been the mainstay of the five-star market but James Chappell, managing director of the Bench, urged the wider sector to embrace the role.

He warned that UK hoteliers should learn their lessons from the US market when it came to investing in occupancy, particularly with the credit crunch making it hard to access funds for expansion of room stock.

“The one thing the USA has not seen is a systematic increase in supply,” he said. “In 2006 and 2007 we saw $16b (£8.2b) of transactions take place which was hotels buying each other rather than investing in hotel stock. When the downturn does come it will be much more pronounced.”

UK revenue per available room (revpar) grew by 11% in 2007, compared with 12.5% growth in 2006.

UK revpar growth though remains among the strongest in the world with European hotels seeing just 8% growth in 2007 (2006: 11%) and US hoteliers struggling on 5.7% revpar growth (2006: 7.5%).

“If we are to see similar growth rates it will have to come from average rates. Is it feasible that we will get 11-12% growth in 2008 on average room rate alone? I think that is unlikely,” Chappell added.

Source; Caterersearch

HOTEL SECTOR IN THE PINK

Posted 17/01/2008

The Scottish hotel sector held onto its position as the most profitable part of the UK industry despite a decline in occupancy in November. Yield figures, the revenue per available room, saw Scotland hit £57.21 per night putting it ahead of England by £3.14. Aberdeen saw its yield rise by the largest of any city in the UK, up by 11.9%. Accountants PKF who carried out the poll called the rise remarkable, coming as it did on the back of a fall in occupancy of 4.2%. Meanwhile yields in Glasgow and Edinburgh were up 5.8% and 3.2% respectively. PKF partner Alastair Rae commented: "There is a bit of levelling-off within Scotland's hospitality sector in November and this may be the start of a slowdown for the sector. Hotels in Aberdeen continue to perform exceptionally well which must be, at least in part, due to the performance of the oil and gas sector which had a record year in 2007. The downturn in the economy, and the slight fall in occupancy levels in November may be a portent of things to come."

Source: The Scotsman

ABERDEEN'S FIVE-STAR SHOWING

Posted 16/01/2008

SCOTLAND'S hotel sector shrugged off a 1.6 per cent decline in occupancy in November last year, retaining its place as the most profitable part of the UK industry.
The all-important yield factor (the sector's measurement of revenue per available room) showed Scotland maintaining the lead at £57.21 per night, ahead of Wales and England by 78p a night and £3.14 a night respectively.

Aberdeen, which recently topped nationwide polls for house-price growth and retail sales increases, grew its hotel yield by the largest percentage of city in the UK, increasing by 11.9 per cent. This compares with a rise of only 3.2 per cent in Edinburgh and a fall of 5.8 per cent in Glasgow.

PKF the accountants and business advisors who prepare the poll, described Aberdeen's performance as "remarkable" since it occurred against a fall of 4.2 per cent in occupancy. Edinburgh's occupancy increased by 1 per cent and Glasgow's fell by 3.2 per cent.

Both Aberdeen and Glasgow have experienced sizeable growth in room yields over 2007, rising by 15.3 per cent and 11.4 per cent, with Edinburgh rising by 5 per cent.

PKF partner Alastair Rae said "There is a bit of levelling-off within Scotland's hospitality sector in November and this may be the start of a slowdown for the sector. Hotels in Aberdeen continue to perform exceptionally well which must be, at least in part, due to the performance of the oil and gas sector which had a record year in 2007."

He continued: "The downturn in the economy, and the slight fall in occupancy levels in November may be a portent of things to come."

Source: COLIN DONALD - The Scotsman

MACDONALD HOTELS WELCOMES MASTERPLAN APPROVAL

Posted 09/01/2008

An £80m master plan developed by Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort (MAHR) was given outline approval subject to conditions. It is expected the move will bring in excess of 500 jobs to the area over the next few years.

The announcement paves the way for the second phase of the Resort, which has already benefited from a £50m boost over the last 10 years. The plans were approved at a meeting by the Cairngorm National Park Authority and will result in a mix of commercial, retail, housing and leisure.

Donald Macdonald, Chairman of MAHR, said: 'This is great news for the Highlands. The future success of Aviemore will feed through to other parts of the Highland region helping to attract visitors and bring lasting prosperity to one of Scotland's most attractive destinations.

'More housing, commercial and retail developments will complement the growing leisure facilities which will benefit both local people and tourists alike. The need to balance the interests of the economy with our natural environment is a tough challenge, but with goodwill and the support of the local community, I believe we can achieve a positive result.'

The masterplan includes provision for a three-acre public park and car parking off Grampian Road, a 45,000 sq ft supermarket, office space, an increase in retail space of approximately 90,000 square feet and the potential for an ice rink, ice arena and climbing wall.

As the investment and development progresses, MAHR has pledged to encourage further public consultation on specific details such as design.

Donald continued: 'Progress made to date is in large part due to the unstinting support of Bank of Scotland. Without their input a project of this size and importance would not work.

'There is a growing appetite to make a success of this development, and a recognition that the competition in the tourism market is getting stronger, and demands a product of the highest quality that can compete on the world stage.'

Andy Seaton, Director of Corporate Banking, Bank of Scotland, said: 'We are pleased at the award of the planning consent which secures the future of the Resort.'

Source: Catering in Scotland

TUESDAY BLUES PEOPLE MOST LIKELY TO LOOK FOR NEW JOB ONLINE ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON

Posted 08/01/2008

Midweek blues are pushing the UK workforce into hunting for new career opportunities, according to research from online recruiter fish4jobs.

The report revealed that British productivity falls to its lowest point at 3.15pm on a Tuesday as workers rush online to hunt for new prospects.

Each job hunter spends an average of 8 minutes and 37 seconds surfing the internet for a new job once they have logged on to the site.

The fish4jobs (www.fish4jobs.co.uk) research also reveals that UK workers are becoming and over confident about their efforts to escape from their current job, with two-thirds (65 per cent) admitting to being caught out job hunting by their boss.

When it comes to concealing online job searches while at work, most workers are pretty savvy as a quarter admit to having an important looking spreadsheet tucked away in the corner of their computer screen in case the boss comes past their desk!

An incredible 5 per cent reported, however, that their boss didn’t mind staff searching the internet on the job.

Source Rec-con.co.uk

APEX LAUNCHES MINI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Posted 07/01/2008

To celebrate the launch of Kids@Apex programme, contemporary hotel group Apex Hotels has appointed a mini board of directors made up exclusively of 6 to 12 year olds.

The board directors will be asked their opinion on all aspects of the hotel’s new facilities and services aimed at children, showing that the hotel group takes the opinions of the guests, however young, very seriously.

Angela Vickers, managing director for Apex Hotels commented: “We always welcome customer feedback as this is what helps us to provide exactly what our guests want. It therefore made sense to get the feedback directly from children about what children want when they stay at a hotel. We are very much looking forward to what our new mini board of directors has to say.”

Amongst the things offered through The Kids@Apex programme is a free welcome pack containing a choice of DVD, a ‘Things To Do’ sheet and a duck lollipop, plus a new improved children’s menu.

The mini board of directors will be announced in 2008-01-03

Source: hospitalitymagazine.co.uk

SENIOR RETAILERS HONOURED IN NEW YEAR

Posted 03/01/2008

The chief executive of Marks & Spencer Stuart Rose has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s New Year Honours list for services to the retail industry. Sir Stuart joined M&S from Arcadia in 2004 and is widely recognised as being responsible for its recent revival after years of decline. At the time, Sir Stuart pledged to raise the company’s share price from 260 pence to match the 400 pence per share that had been offered by Sir Philip Green in an attempt to buy the company. Earlier this year, the share price exceeded 700 pence, driven by high profile food and fashion advertising campaigns and a new environmentally-friendly philosophy based around corporate responsibility.
Other recipients of New Year honours include designers Jasper Conran and Karen Millen as well as Neal's Yard Remedies founder Romy Fraser who were all awarded OBEs (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). Meanwhile, Richard Bradbury, chief executive of River Island and co-founder of the Oasis clothing chain Maurice Bennett were appointed CBEs (Commanders of the British Empire).

Source: theappointment.co.uk

CHRISTMAS FACTS

Posted 21/12/2007

Every year more than 400 million people celebrate Xmas around the world -- that makes Xmas one of the world’s biggest religious and commercial festivities. In approximately year 300 A.D., the birthday of Jesus was determined to be on December 25, the day that has been celebrated from then till this very day. The celebration on the 25th of December starts with Christmas Eve, the evening of December 24.

The religious festival is originally a blend of pagan customs. The Romans held a festival on December 25 called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, i.e. "the birthday of the unconquered sun.". Pagan Scandinavia celebrated a winter festival called Yule, held in late December to early January. However, it is uncertain exactly why December 25 became associated with the birth of Jesus since the Old Testament doesn’t mention a specific date of the event.

Source:allthingschristmas.com

DOM PÉRIGNON OFFERS KARL LAGERFELD ROSÉ GUITAR CASE FOR CHRISTMAS

Posted 20/12/2007

The Dom Pérignon champagne house, owned by luxury group Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, has launched an exclusive gift in the run-up to Christmas in association with designer Karl Lagerfeld. The Dom Pérignon rosé guitar case was inspired by Karl Lagerfeld's recent international advertising campaign for Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1996, featuring Eva Herzigova and Brad Kroenig. Entirely handmade, the case is covered in perch skin, with reinforced corners and pink lambskin lining and contains six bottles of some of the rarest Dom Pérignon rosé vintages: one bottle of Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1966, two bottles of Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1986, and three bottles of Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1996. Each bottle is set in lambskin moulded to the iconic shape of the Dom Pérignon bottle.
The exclusive cuvées were cellared for between 11 and 41 years before being released. Neither the Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1966 nor the Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 1986 is available on the market, creating a combination that represents “the ultimate in excellence and rarity” according to LVMH. The Dom Pérignon rosé guitar case is available by special order only and delivered personally to each buyer.

Source: theappointment.co.uk

NEW STORE BLITZ BY SOMERFIELD

Posted 19/12/2007

Somerfield, the grocery chain part owned by tycoon Robert Tchenguiz, has ambitious plans to open 250 stores over the next three years and to increase its 900-strong store portfolio by more than a quarter.

Paul Mason, Chief Executive of the Bristol-based chain, said ho hoped to open 100 stores a year in 2009 and 2010 on top of 50 already earmarked for next year. The new stores are in addition to 60 knock-downs and rebuilds in the 2007-8 financial year.

The company, taken private in a £1.8 billion deal in January 2006 by a consortium of Tchenguiz, Apax and Barclays Capital, has been trying to build a clear niche by focusing on the local grocery market rather than competing with the likes of Tesco and Asda. Its private-equity owners have carried out a restructuring of the business since the takeover.

Somerfield slimmed its store portfolio, selling off about 600 shops, including Kwik Save discount outlets; reduced head office jobs from 1800 to about 800 and closed six out of ten distribution centres.

Stores have been rebranded as Somerfield, and the group invested heavily in its remaining shops, brightening up fixtures and fittings and improving merchandise and signs.

The range has also been re-focused to concentrate on fresh produce. Non-food items have been cut back. The chain worked more closely with suppliers, arranging seven-day deliveries of fresh food to improve availability.

Since the start of March Somerfield has been dogged by rumours that its owners want to offload their investement. But Mason insists the company is back on a growth trajectory and performing well.

He shrugs off recent data from TNS that shows Somerfield has lost market share compared with a year ago, insisting the figures as skewed by store disposals.

Mason claims Somerfield has outperformed the industry in eight of the past 12 weeks. Like-for-like sales are up by a "mid-single-digit" figure during the last quarter.

He added that small stores are witnessing "high" single digit like-for-like sales growth.

Source: Jenny Davey - Sunday Times

NEW FASHION QUALIFICATION LAUNCHED

Posted 18/12/2007

The Faculty of Business at the Dublin Institute of Technology has announced the launch of a brand new Postgraduate Diploma in Fashion Buying and Management from January 28th next year.

The new programme, which is supported by the London College of Fashion and Mod'Art International in Paris, has already had an overwhelming response as the first offering of its kind at post-grad level in Ireland.

Programme participants will take modules such as Fashion Buying, Retail Operations Management, Sociology of Fashion, Materials and Fabrics, Fashion PR and International Fashion Retailing. The programme will also include international travel, an industry work placement and access to top class industry experts, who will provide students with the most up to date information in this field.

Source: Retailnews@theappointment.co.uk

CHRISTMAS RETAIL

Posted 14/12/2007

Demand by retailers for staff in the run up to the Christmas period this year plummeted by 120% compared to last year. Between August and November 2006, retail vacancies advertised via Broadbean’s AdCourier system rose by nearly 130%, compared to just 10% this year. Despite the lack of retail vacancies, there has been more interest from candidates with 36% more applicants competing for retail jobs than last year.
With doubt over the strength of the economy and predictions that consumers would avoid the cold weather and crowds by shopping online, it seems, retailers took early precautions on their spending this year.
“We are all aware that the economic climate has got tougher and consumer confidence had dropped,” comments Keith Robinson, former COO at Total Jobs. “One of the first areas to be cut in any slowdown is the need to hire and therefore recruitment budgets suffer.”

Source: The Recruiter

EDINBURGH’S BRAMBLE BAR NAMED BEST UK BAR

Posted 13/12/2007

Bramble, the boutique bar in Edinburgh, is officially the best bar in the UK. At a lavish ceremony at The Bloomsbury Club in London last week, more than 500 of the bar industry’s great and good gathered for the Bar Awards 2007 and saw Bramble creators Jason Scott and Mike Aikman collect the coveted prize.

Mahiki, the Tiki Bar in Mayfair, London, won the Best New Bar and Best Design awards, while Salvatore@Fifty picked up the gong for the Best Spirits Offering.

Charles Vexenat from Lonsdale, London was named Best Bartender and Declan McGurk from Leeds-based Arc Insiprations received Best Bar Manager, while Best Bar Brand went to The Elbow Room.

Restaurant Editor Paul Wootton was also honoured at the ceremony, with the Outstanding Achievement award for his work supporting and championing the industry during his six years editing CLASS Magazine.

Source: Restaurant Magazine

A BUMPER CHRISTMAS IS ON THE CARDS FOR RESTAURANTS AND PUBS

Posted 12/12/2007

Spending in pubs and restaurants during the critical Christmas period will be up by almost 20% in a spending spree that could result in a £6.8b boom, research published today (Thursday) will reveal. Despite operators' fears of a slowdown in customer spending, Brits will spend, on average, £143 per person eating and drinking out in the run-up to Christmas - a rise of 18% year-on-year. If everyone over 16 in the UK spends the predicted amount on socialising, operators will share a Christmas present of a £1b rise in takings. Last year, consumers spent £5.75b in pubs and restaurants over the same period. The research was conducted by TNS on behalf of Deloitte, with 1,000 adults aged 16 and above interviewed between 31 August and 2 September and again between 2 and 4 November. Glyn Bunting, partner in the hospitality and leisure team at Deloitte, said: "The surprising thing for us was that customers in the North-west will spend more than those in London and the South-east. It is difficult to put a finger on why that is." Bunting said a key trend for operators to note was a growing demographic split in customer spending, with those aged 35 to 54 spending the most on Christmas eating and drinking out. He urged operators to address the family pound. "Families are more likely to eat out since the smoking ban came in, and providing friendly service, affordability and sensible menu choices will help attract them. They are customers who know what they want, and operators need to be very careful with things like music. This might appeal to the younger age groups, but they are not spending as much as the older age groups."

Expected average Christmas spend

By region

North-west £178

Greater London £156

Yorkshire/Humberside £150

Scotland £148

North-east £146

South-west £140

Midlands £136

South-east £131

Wales £105

By age
16-24 £163

25-34 £153

35-54 £169

55-plus £100

By gender 2007 2006
Male £178 £153
Female £109 £92

Source: Deloitte

Source: Caterer.com

XPRESS RECRUITMENT - INDUSTRY NEWS!!! SODEXHO WINS £26M HOSPITAL CONTRACT

Posted 10/12/2007

Sodexho Healthcare has signed a five-year deal worth £26m in total turnover with Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust.

Under the terms of the £5.2m annual turnover contract, Sodexho will introduce a plated steam option for patient feeding in the new year as well as running staff and public restaurants at Hillingdon and Mount Vernon hospitals.

The company will also provide the Trust, which has 2,500 staff and 440 beds, with cleaning and other domestic services.

Sue Batty, head of estates and facilities at the Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust, said: “I am delighted with the innovative approach bought with the proposal, and look forward to building a strong partnership.”

Last month Sodexho announced it had won its first Private Finance Initiative contract in Ireland as part of a €300m (£211m) project.

The company has been awarded preferred bidder status as part of a consortium that will construct and run four secondary schools in the Republic.

Sodexho will provide facilities management services at each site including caretaking, cleaning and grounds management.

Source: Caterersearch

XPRESS RECRUITMENT - INDSUTRY NEWS!!! DRINK AND DRUG ABUSE IN THE INDUSTRY: AN ADDICT'S TALE DRINK AND DRUG ABUSE IN THE INDUSTRY: AN ADDICT'S TALE

Posted 07/12/2007

During 12 years in the hospitality industry, Chris Mordue found the perfect environment to take his drink and drug habits to the extreme. It was only an Ark Foundation seminar that eventually made him realise he had problems - and then address them. Here he tells his story to Tom Vaughan

Born in Newcastle in 1978, I was an active, happy child raised in a good family. I was outgoing, loved sports and was a successful junior athlete. Privately, though, I was nervous, felt a sense of pressure and could be over-sensitive and emotional.

I was aware of alcohol in my family and knew that my late grandfather and favourite uncle had been chronic drinkers. I grew up watching people drink in their spare time and saw it as a natural part of life. In fact I was quite amazed by the change it brought about in people and just how funny and different they seemed after a drink or two. Back then, I never saw any problems or negativity being a direct consequence of alcohol.

When I was 13 I drank to get drunk for the first time. That was my objective, and one can of Special Brew and another of Scrumpy Jack did the trick. I got drunk and was sick on my friend's mother. I lied to cover up what happened and was pleased when I got away with it. To be honest, I actually thought it was funny and liked the attention it gave me. I had no idea this would become the recurring theme of my drinking life. I'd drink to get drunk and to have a good time: most of the time I would lose control and something bad would happen, so I'd lie to try and get away with it.

During this period I started to experiment with drink, cigarettes, solvents, cannabis, LSD and amphetamines. It coincided with a difficult time in my life, including my parents' divorce and my losing some self-belief and belief in my family. Outwardly it seemed that everything was OK but I found it very difficult to make sense of my environment, struggled to relate to girls and was very self-conscious.

I looked up to people who drank and took drugs as they seemed like they had it sussed. And when I drank my personality changed. Given that I didn't like my personality, that was great.

I wanted to earn some extra money so took my first job in hospitality, working at a local restaurant. It was on the Quayside in Newcastle and, while I found it daunting, I loved it. I was nervous but thought the people were so much more interesting than my teachers and my mates at school. I was 16, a regular drinker and drug-user and quickly learnt how easy it was to get access to such substances. I spent time with older friends and became more and more disconnected from what was really important in life. Working late, picking up extra shifts, drinking and taking drugs was not conducive to school achievements and I ended up leaving before I had finished my A levels.

Over the next 12 years I bounced between front-of-house jobs in restaurants. Each time things would start off well, but then I'd push my use of drink and drugs too far - and end up leaving with no explanation, or when the restaurant had no choice but to sack me.

Working an evening shift I'd maybe sneak in a couple of vodkas from the bar at seven or eight o'clock, then do some cocaine maybe at 10ish. We'd kick out the customers just after midnight and settle in at the bar for a few hours, maybe smoking some weed to relax, before going back to someone's flat until the morning on a mix of drugs and booze.

The antisocial hours inherent in the industry meant I could sleep all day, get up, dash to work, use some amphetamines or coke to stave off the hangover then repeat the whole night again. To be frank, there was no way I could have afforded all that drink if I hadn't been taking it for free from the businesses.

I don't blame the industry for my problems because most of it was down to me, but a culture of constant drinking and recreational drugs meant that it was a dangerous place for those with little self-restraint. Colleagues were always drinking and I'm not against that, it's the nature of the industry, but employers never realised that some of us were taking it to the extreme. And in many cases owners and managers were setting the example.

I must have gone through more than 20 jobs in this period and restaurants never bothered to check up on my CV or references, so stayed ignorant of the fact I'd been sacked from my last job for gross misconduct. The problem was so endemic in some places that I even offered a manager a line of coke during one job interview and still got the position.

Eventually I achieved some success, was promoted to management, trained in wine with a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) course, despite my problem, and worked with some great companies. But the drink and the drugs always got the better of me. Every time the problem became too much for my employers I blamed someone else to justify my behaviour.

The sad truth is that, during all that time, I wasn't just coasting through the industry to get drink and drugs easily. I genuinely dreamt of owning my own restaurant and had great visions of how it would look, smell and feel. I knew where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do with my life but my actions never matched my intentions. I have since learnt that this is a common characteristic in addicts.

A growing realisation crept up on me that any new relationship I formed, be it a friend or a colleague, would eventually be damaged by my drinking. I broke trust, stole, lied and cheated, as I tried somehow to manage my drinking and drug-taking, and I surrounded myself with like-minded people. However, it was becoming clear to me that they all had some control I lacked.

I was drinking alone, hiding drinks and drinking in the morning and had growing debts as I tried to keep up with it all. I could be abusive and violent and had faced a custodial sentence for a very serious drink-driving charge but still couldn't relate to the seriousness of the situation. I knew I had a problem but was unaware of what to do about it and through a lot of the jobs no one picked up on the warning signs of my addiction.

It all came to a head in June 2004. I had lost every job I had ever had through drinking. I was working at Fifteen and was about to lose that job as well.

As a condition of my disciplinary process, Fifteen asked me to attend an Ark Foundation seminar. The speaker was former chef, alcoholic and drug addict Peter Kay, the chief executive of Sporting Chance (the charity founded by former footballer Tony Adams for the treatment of behavioural problems among professional sportspeople). As he described his life and drinking I identified with it all.

The speed with which he drank, why he drank, his feelings as a young person trying to overcome difficulties, how he moved and travelled within the industry was all a mirror of my past decade. It was a powerful story - drink and drugs nearly killed him. He had been in a life-threatening coma aged 31 and I was scared because I'd promised my long-term girlfriend I could stop at 30. Would I make it?

I knew that I would lose my job and relationship if I drank again but couldn't help myself. I loved my girlfriend, family and friends but I needed to drink alcohol. I had another blackout and it all became too much. I wasn't having fun I was hallucinating when withdrawing from the booze. I called Peter.

We met and he saw that I was in pieces, and as I had no way of funding it myself he gifted me a place at the Sporting Chance clinic. It all happened so fast. My self-esteem was so low and I was so paranoid that I thought I might be beaten up and punished when at the clinic. But it couldn't have been further from the truth, I was cared for and loved by all the therapists. Peter also liaised with Fifteen and they kindly agreed to support me and keep my job open, under conditions they agreed with the Ark.

I continued to get the right support and rebuilt my life through meetings, therapy and mentoring from Peter, and I have stayed sober since. It has been an amazing experience and my life has dramatically improved in all areas. I have been able to buy a flat, change career and set a wedding date with my girlfriend - all of which seemed impossible to me before that Ark seminar. I am very grateful to Peter, the Ark, Fifteen, Jamie Oliver and Sporting Chance for everything that they have done for me.

Once sober I continued to work at Fifteen and it was during this time that I became aware of how I had behaved while on the drink and drugs. It was a privilege when Peter saw potential in me and asked me to present seminars for the Ark. I now deliver to colleges and businesses all over the UK the same seminar that helped me so much.

It was always obvious to me that alcohol and drugs played a massive part in my life and the industry in which I worked. I had seen others experience difficulties and worked for people with heavy drink and drug habits, but at the time took it as normal. Mood swings, aggression, unreliability and other such unpredictable behaviour were all commonplace.

I had never seen a real way out and knew that there were others who were experiencing, or would experience, similar problems. I felt for a while that there was a shame associated with coming forward and admitting your problem, but it's not the case. It felt natural to want to support those people and the Ark offered me that opportunity.

When I was offered a job at Sporting Chance I left Fifteen. It's amazing to think that I had been treated there but now worked in that field. I am now being trained in psychotherapy and counselling, supporting the clinical staff as well as directing the education and training arm of the charity.

When working with Ark or Sporting Chance it's amazing to see the relief and satisfaction chefs, managers, other hospitality workers and even Premiership footballers get from talking about their problems.

The industry, in my experience, is perfect for a functioning alcoholic. I bent the truth on my CV and was never checked I was constantly exposed to alcohol and drank at work without getting caught out I finished late and slept all day and really had to do a lot wrong to get sacked. I was not alone and always found those who, like me, wanted to drink and we all covered for each other.

In the seminars, I say to colleges, employers and managers that, like the Ark, I am not against people drinking and that this is not a cure-all for the problem. I hope that participants can relate better to their use of alcohol and make better