22/11/04 - Old world v New world
Mention olive oil and the next question is always "Italian, French or Greek?"
Well now its time to start looking further a field - how about New Zealand, Australia, California and even Argentina.
Where Australia used to import their oils from Europe and then export, they have spent the past 6 years putting their abundance of fertile land, water and scorching climate to good use with the planting of an incredible 1 million olive trees per year.
California is following suit with an olive oil council of 300 members, and the same approach to marketing as they employed with Chardonnay to give it fashion status in every wine bar around the globe.
One of the most exciting olive oil producers seems to be Neil and Carol Walton with their Serendipity Olive Oil from the Marlborough hills of New Zealand. They planted their first main crop in 1997 and now have 10,000 olive trees over 80 acres of olive groves making best use of the long hot summers and cool autumn nights to give an olive oil with a unique mouth filling fresh and grassy Marlborough flavour. After winning gold at the Los Angeles county fair, beating off 149 world wide oil producers they are showing the world that sauvignon blanc is not the only quality product to come out of these hills.
16/11/04 - Smoking ban to be enforced
The goverment is to put forward a ban on smoking in many public places and a crackdown on television advertising of "junk food" aimed at children.
Health Secretary John Reid will detail for parliament the policy paper on public health, taking aim at obesity, sexually transmitted infections and unhealthy workplaces as well as tobacco.
Last week, the Scottish parliament decided to ban smoking in public buildings from 2006. It is expected to be implemented in bars, restaurants and other enclosed public spaces.
For England and Wales, Reid wants a ban covering all places that serve prepared food, including many pubs, , but stopped short of a total ban on smoking in public places.
Tobacco and alcohol companies, including pub management firms, fear the proposals will cost them trade. Food companies and supermarkets have equal reason to be interested.
Officials said the government wants to stop any adverts pushing unhealthy foods appearing on television before 9 p.m.
And supermarkets and food manufacturers will be encouraged to adopt voluntarily a clearer labeling system for their goods.
The government, conscious of accusations it is running a "nanny state" dictating how people live their lives, has shied from a complete ban.
"What most people have told us is they do not want to take away the right of people to do that which remains legal but they do not want people to have the right to damage other people's health or to inconvenience others," Reid said Sunday.
Reid, a former heavy smoker, is thought to have accepted a ban in workplaces and restaurants but will leave some leeway for bars, allowing them to apply for licenses to permit smoking to continue as long as their eating areas are smoke-free.
Eight months ago, Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in restaurants and pubs. Since then others, including Norway and Malta, have imposed similar bans and even heavy-smoking Russians face a clampdown on puffing in public.
A report last week found that despite efforts to get people to kick the habit, about 28 percent of men in England and 26 percent of women smoke. The Health Development Agency estimated smoking still kills about 106,000 people each year in Britain.
16/11/04 - Lycopene: An Antioxidant for Good Health
11/11/04 - Whitbread sells Courtyard
Whitbread was set to exit the mid-market hotels sector today after agreeing to sell the Courtyard by Marriott chain for £79 million.
Contracts have been exchanged with investment group Chiltern Mondiale on the 11 properties, which are located around the UK at sites including Northampton and Coventry.
The Courtyard hotels have been up for sale since Whitbread said in May that it wanted to focus on its budget and luxury chains.
Whitbread will keep the rights to the four and five-star Marriott hotels in the UK as well as having sole ownership of budget chains Premier Lodge and Travel Inn.
Chief executive Alan Parker said: "The value of this deal reflects the strength of the Courtyard by Marriott brand as well as the trading performance of the individual properties." The sale of Courtyard was a key plank of the £800 million asset disposal programme announced by Mr Parker last month.
Whitbread revealed it was planning to sell and "manage-back" 12 of its Marriott hotels next year and dispose of its German hotel and restaurants. Other changes included the sale of its historic former headquarters in Chiswell Street in London, which is on the site of the original Whitbread brewery founded in 1742.
Savings of £30 million a year are expected through increased efficiencies and surplus cash will be returned to shareholders.
The strategic review came against a backdrop of difficult conditions in the hotels industry, with chains such as Marriott recovering from a drop in high-spending business travellers since September 11 and the Iraq war.
Whitbread has been trying to revive the fortunes of the Marriott brand without using large chunks of shareholder cash through managing other companies’ hotels. A contract to run the Victoria and Albert Hotel in Manchester has already been clinched, while Whitbread has also tabled proposals for developments at St Pancras in London and Twickenham Stadium.
Whitbread said the sale of nine freehold Courtyard properties was expected to take place on December 9. Disposal of the two leasehold hotels would be completed once the necessary consents have been granted.
Chiltern Mondiale will lease the assets to a company in the Kew Green Hotels Group, which will run the hotels under the Courtyard by Marriott brand through a franchise deal with Marriott International.
The Courtyard chain, which features 600 hotels worldwide, has its sites in Coventry, Ipswich, Leamington Spa, Leeds/Bradford, Lincoln, Milton Keynes, Reading, Rotherham, Slough and two in Northampton.
10/11/04 - Anthony Flinn a star in the making
Top Leeds chef Anthony Flinn has been officially named star of the British culinary scene.
Anthony's in Leeds was named the best new restaurant of the year in a prestigious national competition. 24-year-old Anthony, from Wakefield, who is its head chef,was named as the Excellence Winner 2005 at the annual Restaurant Rémy Awards.
Judges described him as "the next big star of British cooking."
Mr Flinn is champion of an emerging style of cooking at the family run restaurant known as "molecular gastronomy," which combines kitchen traditions with scientific principles.
Among the more unusual dishes at Anthony's, on Boar Lane in Leeds, are roast duck with olive-oil chocolate bonbons and onion risotto with parmesan and espresso.
Mr Flinn is a partner in the business with his father Anthony senior, sister Holly and girlfriend Olga.
Anthony said: "We have only been open eight months but we are very busy. Saturdays are now booked up right through to January."
He confirmed the growth in top quality cuisine emerging outside of London. He said: "People seemed to only look at London in the past, but the awards prove that great restaurants are opening across the UK."
The annual event commends the best newcomers to the restaurant scene based on comments from contributors to the Harden's UK Restaurants guide.
09/11/04 - Stuart Johnson named as Browns General Manager
Rocco Forte Hotels has announced the appointment of Stuart Johnson as General Manager of Brown's Hotel in London. He will assume his new role in January 2005.
Stuart is currently Publishing Director at Condé Nast Johansens, with responsibility for Great Britain and Ireland guides. Previously, however, he had a long and distinguished career as an hotelier.
Stuart started his career in London as a management trainee at The Savoy Hotel Group, before taking on the role of Assistant Banqueting Manager at Claridges. He then spent two years managing a country house hotel, before returning to The Connaught as Personnel & Purchasing Manager.
Stuart enjoyed his first spell at Britain's original stately home hotel, Cliveden, in Taplow, Berkshire between 1986 and 1990, when he held the position of Resident Manager. On leaving, the hotel had gained five AA red stars and was the highest rated Egon Ronay hotel in the UK with a score of 92%. He then became the youngest ever Hotel Manager at The Savoy in London at the tender age of 32 years.
After four years at The Savoy, Johnson returned to Cliveden to assume the role of Director & General Manager. During his time at Cliveden (1994-1999), the hotel won several important awards including Hotel & Caterer Hotel of the Year and Egon Ronay Hotel of the Year; it was also the third highest rated hotel in the world in the Condé Nast Gold List 1996.
On securing the role of General Manager of Brown's Hotel, Johnson was asked why he had decided to return to hotel management after a spell in the publishing industry. His response? "I am returning to hotel management because of Brown's. It's the most celebrated hotel in London and I am delighted to be seeing it through a very exciting period in its history."
That provides some indication of the special place that Brown's Hotel holds in the hearts of not just its loyal customer base, but also the hotel industry in general. Considered the epitome of elegant English hospitality, the hotel was established in 1837 and became part of the Rocco Forte collection in July 2003.
The property is currently closed as it is undergoing an extensive renovation. It will reopen in spring 2005 boasting a new design that pays homage to the property's historic significance and traditions, while offering a more contemporary feel. However, the comfort, privacy and understated service for which the hotel has become known, will remain in place.
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