12/09/04 - Claridge's Mayfair
The five-star Claridge's Mayfair, which Gordon Ramsey famousley said 'It's the best address in London.', has appointed a new general manager.
Michael Hoffmann formely of the Peninsula Group in both Hong Kong and New York, and also Ritz-Carlton in New York and Boston.
Hoffmann replaces managing director Christopher Cowdray, who left Claridge's in May to join nearby rival, the Dorchester.
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09/09/04 - Mis-shaped Strawberries ?
Spanish scientists are researching the problem of mis-shapen strawberries, aiming to reduce miss-shapes by half. The first full results are expected in two years time. Funding of the €63,000 has been forthcoming from the regional executive in Andulusia and El Monte for a research project being carried out by the University of Huelva with collaboration from the strawberry growers association Freshuelva.
The aim of the study is to reduce the instance of miss-shapen strawberries. This phenomenon affects early fruit particularly and can mean that up to 30% of the most lucrative volumes of the crop are unsaleable for purely aesthetic reasons. The problem has been hard to address in the past as it is the result of several factors.
Huelva scientists hope to reduce the percentage of affected fruit by 15% and are looking at developing better pollination, the role of insects in the process and the "combination of different growing techniques". The team expects to have early results within a few months although necessary trials will delay commercial application of any findings for a further two years,.
09/09/04 - Public Smoking
Five of the UK’s biggest pub chains, Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), Enterprise Inns, Punch, Scottish & Newcastle Pubs Enterprises and Spirit Group, outlined plans to ban smoking at the bar and limit smoking elsewhere.
The restrictions by the five, which between them own some 20,000 pubs, will be phased in over five years, although smoking at the bar will be banned by the end of next year.
They intend to make 80% of areas in pubs smoke-free, designating just 20% of floor space for smokers.
The Government is known to be following the experience of Ireland, which banned smoking in public places earlier this year, with interest.
It is thought to favour bringing in some form of ban, although it may leave the final decision to local authorities.
A spokesman for Punch said the trade realised something needed to be done on this issue. "What we do not want is a Government-enforced ban to kick in," the spokesman said.
05/09/04 - Le Gavroche in Mauritius !
The talented Michael Roux Jnr will be for the first time taking Le Gavroche restaurant abroad to the island of Mauritius, to open as Le Gavroche de Tropiques this November.
Le Gavroche opened at Upper bank Street in London in 1967, the two Michelin-starred restaurant is respected world wide, with its front of house staff able to boast more awards for excellence than any other.
It will become one of three restaurants at the Voile D’Or Resort and Spa, which boasts 198 bedrooms, villas and suites. The restaurant will seat 60 and open six nights a week, featuring a walk in wine cellar and a light menu for the hotels Vitality Spa.
La Gavroche’s current sous chef, Monica Faafti, will take the head chefs position and her husband, David Galetti, will be restaurant manager.
02/09/04 - Latest edition of restaurant guide pans Jamies Fifteen
Hardens London restaurant guide 2005 has hit the shelves and surprisingly, Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen does not get a good review. Despite an eight week wait for a table, a list of celebrity customers and a price tag of £70 per head, Jamie’s restaurant comes second to bottom in the over £65 per head category for ambience and food. The much hyped venue is described as "amateurish" with inflated prices for mediocre food.
The guide which is led by it’s independent reviewers quotes one diner as saying "Just because it’s a charity doesn’t give them the right to rip other people off" and another saying that it serves "average food at Gordon Ramsey prices"
Fifteen opened two years ago following the cringe worthy documentary series showing Jamie training a group of youngsters with no catering experience what so ever, who fancied the idea of becoming chefs. A spokesman for Jamie admits that though there have been problems in the past at the restaurant, these have since been resolved, and blame their bad ratings on the fact that it is based on reviews before they made the changes.
He also says that the higher prices reflect the quality of the produce which is meticulously sourced by Jamie and his team, which does lead one to wonder if the raw product is so good in the first place, how are they serving sub standard meals.
Clearly Jamie’s Fifteen has a lot to prove in the future to see whether it can be taken seriously amongst the serious London contenders, or whether it will always be a restaurant running on the back of it’s owners celebrity status.
Has Jamie’s public image affected his ability to be taken seriously as a chef? Or is it simply a case of the public not liking a success story? Post on our forum to tell us your views.
30/08/04 - corbin and king deny reports over Basil Street
Restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King have denied reports they are planning to buy London's Basil Street hotel.
Sources within the industry know of their desire to own a London hotel, but a spokeswoman for Corbin said there was nothing in the Basil Street hotel rumours and that she was unaware of any progress being made in the pair's plans to acquire a hotel.
The Basil Street hotel, behind Harrods in Knightsbridge, was put up for sale in January through agents FPD Savills with an asking price of more than £4.5m. With just 12 years left on its lease,sources said the pair were unlikely to touch the property.
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