Monday 14/9/15
The Guardian: Restaurants Have Started Googling You Before You Arrive – Here’s Why: If your waiter seems to know an awful lot about you – such as your birthday, and where you’re from – there could be a simple explanation. Posh restaurants have begun to Google their customers before they arrive – to deliver ‘personalised’ service. Restaurant reservation service OpenTable says that the practice began in New York – but is now filter through into the UK. Restaurants use it to ‘match’ people with a waiter from the same area, for instance – or to find out if a chef or food inspector is visiting. OpenTable’s report – aimed at restaurateurs – advises, ‘If sensitively done, restaurants still stand to provide a heightened level of hospitality by doing some pre-shift sleuthing. ‘But be careful not to blurt out the names of your guests’ kids unless you want them running for the door.’
Morningadvertiser: Sales at wet-led pubs up 2.8%
By Emily Sutherland, 14-Sep-2015
There is good news for wet-led pubs after it was revealed sales were up 2.8% compared to last August, but down at restaurant pubs and London-based casual dining chains. Read More
Bighospitality: Facebook update helps restaurants boost mobile bookings
By Sophie Witts, 11-Sep-2015
Facebook has updated its Pages function to help boost bookings for businesses such as restaurants and bars through mobile devices. Read More
Tuesday 15/9/15
Propelinfonews.com: Chestnut hires first group general manager: Chestnut Group, the operator of two gastro-pubs in East Anglia with a third planed for Bury St Edmunds next year, has hired Steve Smith as its first group general manager. He was most recently a general manager with Sodexo Prestige looking after the St Edmundsbury Collection group of five contracts. Chestnut Group currently operates The Packhorse Inn in Moulton, near Newmarket, and The Rupert Brooke in Grantchester. Chestnut owner Philip Turner said: “As we continue to grow at a rapid rate, pivotal to our future success is the focus on developing our people. There is a real opportunity to position the Chestnut Group as one of the best employers regionally in this sector and Steve joining the business, is a huge step in the right direction.” Smith added: “It is always exciting to be a ‘first’ and in at the beginning of a business clearly going somewhere fast. I am really looking forward to being able to bring to bear all my past experiences for this broad-ranging and central role.” The Chestnut Group central core team includes Turner as owner and managing director, David Minchin, director responsible for finance, and Nick Bridges as business development manager.
Reuters (London): Higher UK minimum wage to hit hospitality hardest – report: British businesses in the hospitality, retail and social care sectors are likely to be challenged by a planned rise in the minimum wage and will need to find ways to boost productivity, an economic think tank said on Tuesday. The Resolution Foundation, which researches low pay, said finance minister George Osborne’s plan to raise the hourly minimum wage to 9 pounds by 2020 from its current 6.50 pounds could lead to lower hiring and profits and higher prices. “Past warnings about the negative effects of the minimum wage on employment have been wide of the mark, but the size of the increase in the new wage floor will certainly be challenging in sectors such as hospitality, retail and care,” Conor D’Arcy, a researcher at the Resolution Foundation, said. Businesses such as Whitbread, which operates hotels and coffee shops, and clothing retailer Next say the bigger-than-normal increases may cost jobs. Osborne is seeking to boost work incentives and cut the cost of welfare for the low-paid. Britain’s independent budget forecasters estimate the new minimum wage will result in 60,000 fewer jobs and project the cost to business would amount to 1 percent of corporate profits. The higher minimum wage will directly affect around a quarter of British workers, the Resolution Foundation said, and raise employers’ wage bill by 0.6 percent by 2020, plus higher employer social security and pension contributions. In the hospitality sector, which relies on low-paid staff, the pay bill will rise by 3.4 percent and the government will need to find an extra 1.3 billion pounds to pay for social care, the report said. “While some (employers) may opt to reduce hours or new hires, past experience tells us that most absorb the pressures via some combination of small increases in prices, a dip in profits and productivity gains,” D’Arcy said.
Wednesday 16/9/15
Hoteldesigns.net: First Westminster Hospitality & Tourism Day: 33 MPs from across the UK took part in a day in Parliament today, Wednesday 16th September, highlighting the importance of the hospitality and tourism industry to the British economy. The event – which brought together politicians, policy-makers and businesses – was organised to celebrate the contribution the sector makes to Britain’s economic wellbeing. Industry leaders asked the government for policy reforms to help make it more competitive with rival tourist destinations, particularly in Europe. According to an independent Oxford Economics study commissioned by the British Hospitality Association and launched today, Hospitality is Britain’s fourth largest industry, supporting 14 per cent of total employment and delivering £143bn a year to Britain’s economy. It has also created one in five of all new jobs since 2010. However VAT is still levied at 20% – almost twice the European average. No fewer than 25 out of 27 EU countries have reduced rates for hospitality. Industry leaders are campaigning for a lower rate of 5% on hospitality in the UK. The British Hospitality Association (BHA) – which organised the Westminster Hospitality and Tourism Day – also called on the Government to speed up and simplify the VISA application process to encourage more visitors from growth markets such as China. They also want to ban ‘Rate Parity’ clauses – which mean online travel agents receive the same rate as guests who book rooms with the hotel itself. They argue that rate parity limits savings that hotels can pass on to guests who decide to book directly. Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association told MPs that: “Hospitality is a wealth generator across the country, not just London and the South East, and we can contribute a lot more to this country in new well-paid jobs, exports and increased tax revenue. “But we need government support to fully unleash our industry’s potential; on tourism VAT, on visas, deregulation, aviation capacity and on creating a fair digital marketplace by banning so-called ‘Rate-Parity’ agreements.” The day included a Parliamentary reception hosted by Brighton Pavilion MP, Caroline Lucas and Nick Varney, chairman of the BHA and CEO of Merlin Entertainments PLC and a series of meetings between MPs and hospitality business owners and managers. Read More
Golf Club Management: Two more golf clubs saved from closure: Two more golf clubs have had their futures secured despite entering severe financial difficulty.Mentmore Golf and Country Club in Bedfordshire ceased trading this summer while Wrangaton Golf Club in Devon had entered liquidation earlier this year. A newly formed company, Mentmore Golf Corporate, backed by the golf club’s previous owner, after a proposed members’ buy-out failed to happen, has purchased the golf club.The venue ceased trading due to financial difficulties in June and was placed into administration in July. In June Mentmore’s director Matthew Bees emailed the members to say: ‘The golf club industry has suffered immensely in the last few years. ‘The operating costs are evidence of the tremendous overheads, which has led to some deterioration in the upkeep and maintenance of this club. ‘The low cost of membership is not justified with the high overheads of the upkeep of the buildings and maintaining the good quality of the facilities. ‘We have done our utmost to provide the best facilities possible, but regretfully could not increase the membership numbers or fees as this would have adversely effected membership numbers. ‘Additionally, a large reduction in footfall, revenue and members’ spend over the last few years has increased the pressure on the business to a position where the model is untenable.’ The club’s members have told its local newspaper, The Bucks Herald, that they have concerns about the new buyer. Club captain Martin Cowling said: “Many members have paid out considerable sums in five year membership deals – some as recently as last September, and they could be left high and dry by this potentially controversial deal. “Whilst we are naturally pleased that the ownership of the club has been resolved, we are keen to hear the owner’s plans, as it is essentially the same people running the club as under the previous regime.” Meanwhile the future of Wrangaton Golf Club has also been secured following its sale to nearby Bovey Tracey Golf Club. Wrangaton experienced declining membership subscriptions and a liquidator was appointed earlier this year. The purchase by a former rival golf club means that members and visitors to both facilities will be provided with an enhanced golfing experience, said a spokesman. A statement from new owners, the Barter family, of Bovey Tracey Golf Club, said: “We are delighted and honoured to be taking on ownership of Wrangaton Golf Club and will be working hard, together with our staff, to ensure its future success. Being located in such a beautiful part of the world, we know there is real potential for the club to increase its membership and attract golfers from across the country. “Crucially, we see Wrangaton as complementary to Bovey Tracey, the two clubs will each retain their own identity, but members will have the opportunity for dual membership if they wish, enabling them to play both courses.” Wrangaton was formed in 1895 and five members of staff were made redundant after it entered liquidation. Earlier this year Llangefni Golf Course in Wales was saved despite being earmarked for closure.
Morningadvertiser: AB InBev to bid for SABMiller
By Ruth Williams, MC Allegra FS, 16-Sep-2015
Anheuser-Busch InBev – the brewer of Budweiser and Stella Artois – has informed SABMiller – which produces Grolsch and Coors among others – it intends to make a proposal to acquire the latter brewing brand in a deal that would make a joint market cap of £162bn. Read More
Bighospitality.co.uk: Michelin Guide 2016: New Stars for Lyles, Araki and The Man Behind The Curtain
By Sophie Witts, 16-Sep-2015
The Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland 2016 has awarded Two Stars to Japanese restaurants Araki and Umu, in a year that saw Lyle’s and The Man Behind the Curtain receive their first stars. Read More
LeisureManagement.co.uk: New training course aims to boost spa retail product sales – Moontide Consulting has launched a new online training course designed to improve retail sales results. “Increasing your retail selling: an online training class for spa managers” is also designed specifically for introverts – a prevalent personality type among spa therapists, according to Moontide president Linda Harding-Bond. The course includes eight video modules, a trainer’s guide, templates for therapist assessment, customer role-plays and customer engagement scenarios. Students are also able to participate in a live weekly video conference with Harding-Bond. “Without proper training, therapists will not be able to overcome the aversion that many have to selling,” said Harding-Bond. “Further, they won’t deliver advice to clients in a manner that naturally leads to increased retail purchases. And ultimately, this means the spa will be unsuccessful in meeting the revenue goals of the marketing and promotion initiatives often created by management, product manufacturers and distributors.”
Friday 18/9/15
Propelinfonews.com: Prestigious new award for pub chefs is launched: The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) and the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group are launching the Parliamentary Pub Chef of the Year award in partnership with Nestlé Professional. The prestigious new award seeks nominations from all MPs to recognise a pub chef or chefs in their constituency renowned for their great food. Entries will be judged by an expert panel and will be presented in the new year. Pubs serve almost a billion meals a year, with more and more pubs recognising that great food will attract more customers. Pubs are also vital to the local economy in every part of the country, offering valuable and flexible employment, with about 900,000 UK jobs dependent on the trade. With a national shortage of pub chefs, earlier this year the BBPA, in conjunction with the British Institute of Innkeepers and the Perceptions Group launched the Pub Chef Passion initiative, including a short film aimed at promoting the pub chef as a career option. This award seeks to build on that work, and encourage young chefs towards a career in the pub trade. Brigid Simmonds, BBPA chief executive, said: “I am delighted to be launching this new award. A career as a pub chef is exciting and demanding, and it offers young people development, rewards and a great working environment.”
Propelinfonews.com: Bermondsey Pub Company reopens Northampton site: Bermondsey Pub Company, one of Enterprise Inns’ managed segments, has reopened The Sevens pub in Northampton following a £160,000 revamp. The company has refurbished the Weedon Road pub, which is just a stone’s throw from Northampton Saints rugby stadium, creating seven new jobs. Food is provided by Franks Hamburger House, with the pub being its fifth site. Manager Dan Coles said: “With all the excitement building around the Rugby World Cup, it’s a great time to be relaunching The Sevens and we’re looking forward to establishing the pub as the place to be in Northampton, to meet friends and family in a fun, friendly atmosphere. As well as reaching out to new customers, we’ll be welcoming back old regulars, including members of the pub’s pool team.” The Sevens is the 14th managed pub to be opened by Bermondsey Pub Company and follows the opening of the nearby Mail Coach in May.
Propelinfonews.com: JD Wetherspoon resubmits plan for Downham Market site, eyes Lutterworth: JD Wetherspoon has resubmitted plans to turn a historic pub in Downham Market, Norfolk, (population: 9,994) into a new site. The company exchanged on the purchase of the White Hart in Bridge Street earlier this year. But last month it withdrew the plans, at the request of West Norfolk Council, which required more information, even though it said it still intended to move on to the site. And now it has resubmitted the planning applications, one for listed building consent, to the borough council for a single-storey extension at the back of the building and internal alterations. A JD Wetherspoon spokesman said: “As the building is heavily listed, the planners asked us to get a digital survey completed of the existing building to base the drawings on as opposed to hand-measured plans.” Meanwhile, JD Wetherspoon has lodged plans to open a large pub in Lutterworth, Leicestershire (population: 9,900). The company has applied to Harborough District Council to convert the historic former police station site on the corner of Leicester Road and Gilmorton Road, creating 15 jobs.