The Academy of Food and Wine Service has relaunched its popular chef and front of house team menu competition as the AFWS Food & Beverage (FaB) Challenge 2011.
The competition, which includes a FaB College Challenge for students, requests entries from chef and a front-of-house teams either working in hospitality, or attending college. The teams are required to devise, cook and present a two-course menu with suitable accompanying beverages under the theme ‘Best of British’. Read More
As the boutique hotel sector continues to grow, both in the UK and internationally, operators must work harder to create a point of difference for their properties as well as to maintain a sense of exclusivity and aspiration, says a new report from hotel consultancy HVS London.
The report, Boutique Hotels Segment – The Challenge of Standing Out from the Crowd, says that as the boutique sector expands there will be an increasing need for operators to attract guests and customers with destination dining or bar facilities and with the use of direct marketing to loyal guests. Read More
The Academy of Food and Wine Service (AFWS) is inviting entries from hospitality employers and staff for its front-of-house AFWS Annual Awards 2011, being held at London’s Butcher’s Hall on 18 October 2011.
• Not wanting to cook is one of the key reasons for eating out
• Average spend on dining out (including drinks) rises to £12.69
• Money-off vouchers not a big influence on choice of venue
• Pub restaurants prove the most popular place to dine out
Consumers have cut back on the number of times they dine out, but despite the on-going economic gloom the British still love eating out and do so at least once every couple of weeks.
In a new QuickBite survey on eating out habits 70% of consumers say they had eaten out* at least once in the previous two weeks with 48% doing so at least twice. Some 32% of respondents considered it more convenient to eat out and 25% said they would rather not prepare food at home.
Edinburgh has become the in-place to open a hotel with nearly 1,500 new rooms coming on-stream in the next two years including two properties owned by international hotel chains, according to a new report from hotel consultancy HVS London.
Investors are attracted to Edinburgh by the city’s unique visitor mix which means hotels aren’t totally reliant on international tourists or corporate stays. A large number of visitors to Edinburgh come from within the UK, a fact that has helped the city’s hotels perform better throughout the downturn than hotels in the UK’s other provincial cities. Read More
“Speculation that South African-based conglomerate Bidvest has received approaches for its food distribution arm 3663 hails the beginning of what is likely to become further consolidation in the traditionally fragmented foodservice supply business,” says leading foodservice analyst Peter Backman, managing director of Horizons. Read More
Sacrifices, a fantastic support network, the help of mentors and role models and a gritty determination to succeed in a male-dominated environment are must-haves if women want to achieve senior roles in the global hospitality sector.
Women must also take the lead from their male counterparts and draw more attention to their successes, particularly when it comes to salary negotiations.
These were the conclusions from a topical breakfast briefing held at London’s Dukes Hotel yesterday [21 June 2011] where a panel of successful senior female executives discussed perceived career roadblocks for women in hospitality and outlined their own experiences in the route to success. Read More
Host, the national contract catering company now run by former Aramark chief executive Bill Toner, has this week launched a premium dining facility at Box Hill School in Surrey, designed to showcase the quality of its food and service.
Diners can book the Chef’s Table in advance and will be served a five-course lunch including an amuse bouche, starter and choice of four main courses from the school dining room menu, as well as a pallet cleansing pre-dessert and a dessert. Appropriate wines will accompany the food with front-of-house service provided by a specially-trained member of the Host catering team.
“The Chef’s Table is primarily for the use of governors, trustees, staff and guests of the school but will also be a useful training facility for our chefs,” said Box Hill School catering manager Des del Frate, who has masterminded the project. Read More
Trading remains tough but innovation survives, says Horizons
While sales in the UK’s foodservice sector have plateaued, restaurant, bar and café operators are keeping customers eating out by introducing new brands, changing their menus and broadening their food and drink offering.
This was the conclusion reached by Peter Backman, Managing Director of foodservice consultancy Horizons, at a breakfast briefing organised by the company on Friday [23 September] at London’s Barber-Surgeons’ Hall. Read More »