Monday 25/4/16
Bighospitality.co.uk – Are you ready for new EU data changes? Lawyers warn hospitality risks penalties
By Hannah Thompson, 22-Apr-2016
The hospitality sector risks heavy penalties for non-compliance when rules surrounding the EU General Data Protection Regulation change, a law firm has said. Read More
Tuesday 26/4/16
Bighospitality.co.uk – Restaurants already make tap water freely available
By Emma Eversham & Hannah Thompson, 26-Apr-2016
Restaurateurs have responded to demands from the Local Government Association (LGA) to make tap water more freely available to diners by saying it already is.
Propelinfonews.com – JD Wetherspoon successfully applies to have condition removed for beer garden noise meter at new St Ives pub: JD Wetherspoon has successfully applied to have a planning condition removed for its new site in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, which required the company to install a noise meter in the beer garden. The company was granted permission by Huntingdonshire District Council to convert a vacant shop unit in Market Hill in February, despite concerns from neighbours about noise. As part of the permission, the council added a condition that required JD Wetherspoon to install a noise meter in the beer garden to monitor the level of noise generated by revellers and to ease the fears of residents. However, head of development and acquisitions Jon Randall successfully applied to have the condition removed because it was deemed not to be practical, reports the Hunts Post. A report to the council said: “On the face of it, a noise monitor seems like a good idea, however it would only be possible to find out if the guideline level of 50 decibels was exceeded at the end of a 16-hour period.” It also noted if a noise meter was installed, there would be no way of telling the specific noise that triggered it, suggesting a nearby bird or a dog could inadvertently do so. The council agreed and removed the planning condition but ordered JD Wetherspoon to provide a noise management plan – to be approved by officers.
Propelinfonews.com – Owners of Lincoln-based brewery lodge plans for micro-pub in city: The owners of Lincoln-based Cathedral Heights Brewery have lodged plans to open a micro-pub in the city. Steve Marston and his wife Sammi have applied to the city council to convert a health and beauty store in High Street. They hope to open the micro-pub by the middle of next month and said it would be separate to the brewery business. Steve Marston told the Lincolnshire Echo: “There will be local real ales, at least one local beer on, and at least three others on from around the country. There will also be a selection of real ciders and craft beer. As the business grows we will start changing it. The floor will be redone, for example. It is a separate venture between me and my wife, and we have put a lot of thought and effort into it.” The Marstons launched the brewery in 2013 at Churchill Business Park in the south of the city.
Wednesday 27/4/16
Hospitalityandcateringnews.com – Coaching Inns operator expands further following acquisition: Independent coaching Inns operator, The Coaching Inn Group has further strengthened its expansion programme with the acquisition of The Golden Lion in St Ives, Cambridgeshire. The deal, worth more than £2m, is part of the Group’s £20 million expansion plan, which has now seen them acquire five sites in the past 12 months. The 18th Century, 25-bed Golden Lion offers a blend of historical architecture with modern practicalities in the heart of the picturesque riverside market town of St Ives, Cambridgeshire and is well known in the community for its freshly prepared, seasonal menu. The Coaching Inn Group Founder and Managing Director, Kevin Charity, said: “Over the past 12 months we have expanded The Coaching Inn Group with the acquisition of five new inns and have plans to add another four to the estate this year. “The Golden Lion is a great example of the kind of property we want; great market town locations and businesses that will draw in locals and visitors from further afield alike. Victoria and the team have obviously done a fantastic job over the past decade and we look forward to continuing to work with them to build on the business’s fantastic reputation.” The latest acquisition follows the news that The Coaching Inn Group has reported a 29% increase in sales and 60% rise in profits as turnover tops £13 million. The Group is on track to reach its target of 15 sites before the end of the year. The Coaching Inn Group has eleven well- known hotels across Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire, Cambridgeshire and Wales and has built a strong reputation in the industry for transforming high quality coaching inns and revitalising their offer across food, drink and accommodation.
Propelinfonews.com – Innventure secures free-of-tie lease at its prime Cambridge site, set to launch ‘liquor loft’: Innventure, the gastro-pub operator led by former Mitchells & Butlers executive Chris Gerard, has negotiated a new free-of-tie lease with Greene King on its D’arrys site in Cambridge – and is to launch a bespoke drink-led “liquor loft” in an unused area above the existing restaurant. The area was the brewing headquarters of Cambridge Brewery owner George Scales, who brewed and owned pubs in Cambridge at the turn of the 19th century – it still contains much of the brewer’s equipment including mash tuns and a hot liquor furnace. The “liquor loft” will open in a month’s time with the site renamed D’arrys Liquor Loft and Restaurant. Gerard told Propel: “The level of capital investment in Cambridge at the moment is extraordinary – there are a huge number of cranes dotting the skyline. We’ve got to capitalise on our prime site.” The “liquor loft” will offer barrel-ageing, its own infusions and syrups, and stock a more interesting range of beers, including a link-up with Gerard’s former colleague at Vintage Inns, Jim Minkin, who has operated Purity Brewery since 2005. The “liquor loft” will also provide a second rooftop terrace at the site. “The ‘liquor loft’ will feel like somewhere you visit before or after you’ve been to a restaurant,” said Gerard.
Propelinfonews.com – Restaurateurs to launch roadside concept Meat Inc in Lincoln: The owners of American smokehouse restaurant Ribs ‘n’ Bibs in The Strait, Lincoln, are set to open a new roadside concept north of the city – Meat Inc. Business partners Adam Morgan and Charles Patrick have invested £150,000 to transform a former cafe, creating 20 jobs. Meat Inc is expected to open in the summer, from 8am to 8pm, and will offer burgers, all-day breakfasts, coffees and shakes. Patrick told The Lincolnite: “We wanted to try a roadside location and to raise the standard of roadside food. We’ve had the brand idea for a couple of years, which is registered as a trademark, and we’re now ready to go forward with it. It will be a drive-to location with a car park and we hope to attract people from the north of Lincoln and surrounding villages.”
Morningadvertiser – CAMRA revitalisation: Licensees urged to have their say as deadline nears
By Oli Gross, 27-Apr-2016
The Campaign for Real Ale’s first consultation to help shape its future is coming to an end, and licensees have been urged to join the 20,000 members and non-members who have already made their feelings known. Read More
Thursday 28/4/16
Golfclubmanagement.net – Kent club reduces annual subs following influx of new members: A Kent golf club is performing so strongly that it has become one of very few in the UK to reduce the cost of its annual subscription to be a full seven-day member. Sene Valley Golf Club, which recently introduced a flexible membership scheme for £295 per year that saw an influx of new members and new income, has said the reduction is another effort to make the game more affordable to local people. Manager Roger Hyder said: “We successfully launched a flexible membership last year and its popularity got us thinking about how we could make membership even more accessible for local golfers. “The club has taken the bold decision to scrap five-day membership and reintroduce just one main category, at just £875 per annum, and are releasing 50 more memberships for sale at the new price.” A spokesman confirmed the cost of being a seven-day member has effectively been reduced. “The club will continue to offer a wide range of memberships including Cotton [the flexible membership category], under 35 years and junior, but we do believe that our new full membership category will prove very popular,” added Hyder. According to the Folkestone Herald, Hyder said the club has made every effort to avoid the stigma often associated with many private golf clubs of being ‘snooty’ and unwelcoming. Several years ago, it became a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) committed to welcoming people from all walks of life, whatever their financial means, through the door. The course dates back to 1894 when it first started out as Hythe Golf Club and was played on until the army took it over for the duration of the Second World War, after which it fell into disrepair. A new course was designed by Sir Henry Cotton, which opened in 1967.
Morningadvertiser – More calls for roadworks compensation
By Oli Gross, 28-Apr-2016
Local councils have been urged to do more to help pubs suffering from loss of trade due to nearby roadworks or risk “shooting themselves in the foot”. Read More
Bighospitality.co.uk – Report: Restaurant staff not taking allergy requests seriously enough
By Emma Eversham+, 28-Apr-2016
Restaurant owners are being urged to do more to educate their staff on the subject of food allergens after a survey of diners with allergies found that a quarter had suffered a reaction when eating out since allergen legislation was introduced in 2014.
Friday 29/4/16
Morningadvertiser – Pubs asked to turn down the music for deaf customers
By Mike Berry, 28-Apr-2016
Pubs have been urged to turn the music down and the lights up to help create a better experience for the 10 million deaf and hard of hearing in the UK. Read More
Morningadvertiser – Nottingham Late Night Levy raises £150,000 less than expected
By Mike Berry, 28-Apr-2016
Nottingham City Council raised £150,000 less in the first year of its late-night levy than it originally estimated, new figures have revealed.
Morningadvertiser – Punch: Tenants should go to trade bodies for MRO advice – not us
By Emily Sutherland, 28-Apr-2016
Punch has urged tenants not to turn to their Punch Development Managers (PDMs) for advice on the pubs code and instead consult independent trade bodies like the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) and Federation of Licensed Victualler’s Association (FLVA). Read More
ehotelier.com – Turn your data into action: Personalize guest arrivals: Guest arrival is a crucial moment in the guest journey that sets the tone for the entire hotel stay. By the time a guest actually checks in, they have likely undergone a long, tiresome and sometimes irritating travel experience. At this point, their typical mindset is along the lines of, “I can’t wait to get to my room, freshen up and start unwinding”. So it is no surprise that check-in is when a lot things can go wrong. The operational challenge is not how fast you can check the guest in, but how fast you can get the guest in their room without a break-down in communication or guest experience. Read More
Bighospitality.co.uk – Brits find phones in restaurants ‘rude’…but still post food photos and demand Wi-Fi
By Hannah Thompson, 29-Apr-2016
The majority of Brits would welcome a ‘no phone zone’ in restaurants, and find it rude when others use phones during a meal, despite widely using them to post photos and updates themselves, according to a new poll. Read More
Propelinfonews.com – Nottingham vegetarian and vegan cafe owner acquires pub in city: The owner of the Nottingham vegetarian and vegan Alley Cafe And Bar has acquired a pub in the city. Benjamin Rose has taken on the lease of the Old Angel Inn, which he will reopen at the end of next month as an organic gastro-pub and live music venue with a micro-brewery. It will be called The Angel Micro-Brewery, serving food made from organic locally sourced produce in the open kitchen. There will also be a large selection of organic wines. Future plans also involve setting up a micro garden where the pub will grow its own vegetables, fruit and herbs to ensure sustainability. Rose told the Nottingham Post: “Taking over such a recognised Nottingham venue is an honour and an absolute challenge at the same time. We have so many great plans for the building and it will continue to develop in so many different directions.” Associate solicitor at Fraser Brown Solicitors Joanne Ellis, who secured the lease, added: “It’s very exciting to see one of Nottingham’s most popular establishments being revitalised with a modern, fresh and ethical approach, whilst still retaining its roots as a music venue.” Rose launched the Alley Cafe and Bar 16 years ago.
Saturday 30/4/16
Propelinfonews.com – Tim Bacon dies following cancer battle: Tim Bacon, the chairman and co-founder of Living Ventures, has died aged 52. Bacon had been fighting a battle with cancer after being diagnosed with advanced melanoma in 2014. Living Ventures chief executive Jeremy Roberts said in a statement: “It is with incredible sadness that I have to announce the sad passing of Living Ventures chairman Tim Bacon, who died suddenly but peacefully in his sleep, on Friday night following a long illness. Tim has had many enduring friendships with people in his private and professional life because of his vibrant, honourable and generous spirit. He gave his all to everything he did, especially to his family and his friends who were incredibly important to him. I will greatly miss him as we all will and I’ve lost a true friend.” David McHattie, who was chief executive of the National Skills Academy for Hospitality when Bacon was on the board, told Propel: “Many people have stood on his shoulders and will for years to come – a genuine industry icon and all round good guy. He developed bars and restaurants but more importantly, and his greatest legacy, is all the fantastic people he has developed along the way. He saw talent where others didn’t and gave them the opportunity to be amazing, sharing his visions with the north west and beyond. I had the great privilege to work with him, proud to call him my friend, and will remember him and his amazing achievements with immense fondness. He gave me his time, his friendship, and my wife.” Speaking about his diagnosis in 2014, Bacon said: “I had three major operations in four weeks. They’ve got some new stuff coming through, so there is a path. It’s like a high-wire trapeze act without a safety net. I refuse to get fazed by it. It’s one of those things in life. You do what you do. I’ve changed my diet. I’ve changed my fitness regime.” Bacon and Roberts had overseen the growth of Living Ventures since its inception in 1999. The company topped £100m turnover last year. Last week it was revealed Bacon would again partner Chester-based entrepreneur Dave Hinds and former Living Ventures bar expert Lee Lynch to open Red Door to Deansgate in Manchester, located underneath The Botanist. It would be the third site for the concept following outlets in Chester and Liverpool. Bacon and Hinds’ business relationship stretches back to the early 1990s when they set up JW Johnsons, followed by Via Vita and Life Café across the UK, at which time they were joined by Roberts. Together, the trio spearheaded a revival of the dining scene in Manchester city centre. Those venues were sold to Whitbread in 1999 after which Hinds decided to concentrate on his property interests, leaving Bacon and Roberts to establish Living Ventures. The company has 34 sites across the UK with its various brands, including The Alchemist, Gusto, Australasia, The Oast House, and Artisan.