Good Energy, the UK’s leading 100% renewable electricity supplier, will be reducing its gas prices for dual-fuel customers by an average of 5% from 1 August. This is partly due to a drop in wholesale gas prices, as well as a major increase in gas supply customers, which has allowed the company to buy more efficiently. Good Energy’s growth over recent years has been such that … [Read more...]
Archives for July 2012
Sustainability training for growing street food sector
The Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) and the Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS) has launched a new online sustainability training programme to meet demand from traders for knowledge and skills. There has been a huge expansion in street food across the UK, so the two membership organisations have devised an accessible and affordable course, accredited by City … [Read more...]
Novus Leisure gains new owners and expansion funding
Novus Leisure, the operator of 52 primarily London based premium bars and clubs, as well as Tiger Tiger in nine towns outside London, has secured new joint owners LGV Capital and Hutton Collins. LGV and Hutton Collins have backed the existing management team, led by Steve Richards (CEO), in a deal worth £100m. John Kelly will remain as non-executive chairman. The transaction … [Read more...]
Chef’s Recipe of the Week from Great British Chefs, by Marcello Tully
This week’s recipe of the week is Taste of the Isles from Marcello Tully and courtesy of www.greatbritishchefs.com Dan Saltzstein of the New York Times calls Marcello Tully’s cooking ‘restrained’ and ‘luscious’, while the Sunday Times’ Allan Brown remarked that ‘every mouthful was heaven’. This impressive bouillabasse recipe from Marcello Tully is regularly served at … [Read more...]
Genius soup cafe; genius promotion
Our thanks go to Boughtons Coffee House for bringing the initiative of Union of Genius to our attention this week. Union of Genius is the name of Scotland's first soup café, which serves up to 6 different homemade soups every day, flavour-matching them with locally-baked artisan breads and using fresh, locally-grown produce for a menu that changes daily and seasonally. And, … [Read more...]
London 2012: the green hospitality facts
The London Olympics are being hailed for their sustainable achievements, particularly where construction has been involved: the athletics stadium has utilised only 50% of the steel normally used, 33% recycled materials, and will use 60% less water than other stadia; the VeloPark is largely constructed of timber from sustainable sources; 90% of demolition waste will be re-used … [Read more...]
The Treehouses at Chewton Glen
Chewton Glen is described on their website as a luxury country house hotel and spa set in 130 acres of Hampshire countryside on the edge of the New Forest National Park. Their email newsletter arrived in our inbox this morning and one article caught our eye, Introducing The Treehouses... We clicked and took a look. Chewton Glen a member of Relais & Châteaux, is … [Read more...]
New restaurants and hotel in Croydon’s £1bn redevelopment
Developer Hammerson unveiled its £1bn plan to create a 1.6m sq ft shopping development in the centre of Croydon last week. The scheme would create shops, restaurants, homes, a hotel, five public squares and new car park. The existing Whitgift centre in Croydon is within Hammerson’s plan and is also being looked at by rival retail developer Westfield, who is also looking … [Read more...]
The search is on to find the Best British Roast Dinner
Are your roast dinners the talk of the town? If so, British Roast Dinner Week (1-7 October) wants you to enter its mystery diner competition to be in with a chance of taking the ‘Best British Roast Dinner’ title. In the run-up to its week-long celebrations, British Roast Dinner Week, sponsored by Knorr Gravy, is championing one of the nation’s favourite dishes by encouraging … [Read more...]
Good news for hospitality industry from 10 million Brits!
10.3 million Brits (21% of the adult population) plan to make the most of the summer (until the end of August) by taking at least one holiday or short break in the UK, with 8.9 million people (18%) planning to take that trip in England, according to VisitEngland’s Summer Trip Tracker. This is likely to generate some £2.3 billion in tourism spend for the UK economy, around … [Read more...]
Introducing Buell on Board
Buell Consulting, the consultancy business for the Hospitality and Leisure sectors launched back in February, has been busy in the last six months as it completes the line up of its Business Partners and Business Associates, signs up clients, and develops its services. Buell on Board This Programme has just been announced, in response to feedback from clients that … [Read more...]
Olympian sponsorship gaff for McDonald’s via Boris
Boris Johnson’s endorsement of McDonald’s as a bona fide Olympic brand back fired when he extolled the nutritional values of the fast food giant and in the same sentence admitted it’s not to his tastes. Speaking to the gathered media when asked about the heavy hand of Olympic sponsors Boris replied, “this is all just bourgeois snobbery about McDonald’s, it’s classic … [Read more...]
Hotel replaces the Bible with Fifty Shades of Grey
Most hotel rooms all over the world have a copy of the Bible but we suspect they don’t get too much attention by most guests. When was the last time you read yours before settling off to sleep? One hotelier in The Lake District recently had a Eureka moment and decided to replace the choice of reading matter in his guest’s rooms to Fifty Shades of Grey. A novel idea, excuse … [Read more...]
Minehead waterfront hotel for sale
The hotel, which overlooks the seafront with views over the Bristol Channel towards the Welsh coast, is being brought to market by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels for a guide price of £1.8 million. Located on The Avenue, to the east of the main town centre, the large corner property is set over three floors and comprises a bar which is currently under a 12 month tenancy … [Read more...]
Hudson London at Great Scotland Yard to open early 2015
Morgans Hotel Group has announced that its newest Hudson property will be located in Great Scotland Yard in St. James's, London. The Hudson London deal was officially announced by the boutique hospitality management company back in June, but the location of the project is only now confirmed. This opening follows Hudson's flagship hotel in New York, and marks the … [Read more...]