It’s not often that a beer can celebrate half a century in production – still less often that it reaches 90 years! So H & C News was delighted to seize the opportunity to learn more about Wadworth’s famous 6X, as well as to sample both the original brewing recipe (or as close to it as possible) and its modern successor. Our conclusion? We favour the modern version, but … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2013
BBQ style food sales set to soar in UK Pubs
To mark the 17th National BBQ Week, new research from food & drink consultancy, CGA Strategy highlights the importance of BBQ style food to UK pubs. 6% more sales per week In total, revenue from BBQ (Burgers, Steaks and Ribs) leaps 30% in spring/summer compared to autumn/winter. This equates to at least 6% more sales per week in summer versus the rest of the year, … [Read more...]
VisitEngland Awards: hospitality winners
VisitEngland Awards were announced at a ceremony in Manchester, including Tourism Pub of the Year, Large Hotel of the Year, Small Hotel of the Year, and best Bed and Breakfast, Taste of England, and Sustainable Tourism. The 32 Gold and Silver winners were selected by a panel of tourism industry experts including VisitEngland Board Member David Orr and travel broadcaster … [Read more...]
My Rational! One Lucky Caterer Will Win £8,000 Combi Steamer
UK’s leading combi steamer brand celebrates 40th anniversary by giving away latest model The company that invented combi steaming, Rational, is 40 years old in 2013. Now Rational is celebrating the anniversary by giving UK caterers the chance to win the world’s most popular combi steamer – the Rational SelfCookingCenter® whitefficiency®. The prize, a six-grid model, is … [Read more...]
Start planning for Cask Ale Week!
For pubs up and down the country, now is the time to start planning for Cask Ale Week, running from 27th September to 6th October. THE GREAT BIG TASTE CHALLENGE The theme, the Great Big Taste Challenge gives plenty of scope to highlight each pub’s cask offer, run promotions and put on events. Chef can recommend cask ales to match each dish on the menu; local CAMRA branch … [Read more...]
Little Chef in danger of disappearing
The familiar – though much reduced - Little Chef brand is in danger of disappearing, its owners have warned. Little Chef had 234 outlets until 2007, when it went into administration, and has been highly visible besides Britain’s A roads for over fifty years. Owners RCapital have been working to revive the brand, reducing the number of outlets to just 83, and employing … [Read more...]
CBI survey reports growing confidence in service sector, led by hospitality
Business activity in the service sector improved over the three months to May and optimism rose, according to the CBI’s quarterly Service Sector Survey. Sharp turnaround for consumer services such as hospitality Although business and professional services saw weaker growth than expected, consumer services experienced a sharp turnaround in business volumes. The … [Read more...]
Henley Ale Trail flourishes in the sun: would yours?
The weekend’s sunshine delivered a boost to this year’s Henley Ale Trail, with hundreds of customers visiting one of the 10 Brakspear pubs on the route and starting the trail with a pint of Brakspear ale: it’s clearly popular with customers, but surprising that more breweries and towns don’t develop their own Trail? Over 1,000 Ale Trail maps have now been handed out since … [Read more...]
BaxterStorey awarded prestigious Food for Life Catering Mark
BaxterStorey, the UK’s leading independent provider of workplace restaurants, delis and coffee bars, has been awarded the Soil Association’s prestigious bronze Food for Life Catering Mark in recognition of the fresh and healthy meals it serves to students and staff at the University of Gloucestershire. The Food for Life Catering Mark brings together all of the … [Read more...]
Chef’s Recipe of the Week, by Alfred Prasad
This week’s Chefs Recipe of the Week is Hyderabadi Lamb Shanks by Alfred Prasad and courtesy of Great British Chefs. Alfred Prasad's popular lamb shanks recipe slow-cooks the meat with browned onions, ginger, garlic, yoghurt and ground spices, creating a heartening and warm main course that's perfect for impressing dinner party guests or for a lovely meal with your … [Read more...]
LoCooker, a totally new and distinct approach to cooking
H&C News meets with suppliers regularly to keep up to date with the latest product and service innovations, aiming to get the inside track on what companies offer to the market and how it is delivered. This week, we met with Mr Alun Board, CEO of Clyne Energy who designed LoCooker to gain a better understanding of the product and business behind it. We were looking … [Read more...]
Appetite Direct wins Independent Event Caterer of the Year in Scotland
Appetite Direct has been named Independent Event Caterer of the Year in the coveted Catering in Scotland CiS Excellence Awards. The award comes on the eve of the Edinburgh company’s 10th anniversary, gving Appetite Direct even more reasons to celebrate this year. Owner Nigel Kennedy comments: “This year is shaping up to be our busiest yet, not only has the company grown … [Read more...]
Footprint Awards Winners for 2013
Recognising sustainability throughout the entire foodservice supply chain, Footprint Awards is the leading indicator of responsible business best practice within the industry, and Anne Pierce, the CEO of The Springboard Charity, was revealed on 23 May as the winner of the Footprint ‘Special Achievement’ award 2013, for her contribution to the social sustainability of the … [Read more...]
Adnams launches a truly Britt-ish beer
Adnams, the Suffolk brewer, has launched ’Native Britten’, a limited edition beer, to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Suffolk-born composer Benjamin Britten. ‘Native Britten’ is a golden wheat beer with a 4.5% abv. Made solely from ingredients sourced within Suffolk, the beer has been brewed using First Gold hops, local malted barley and wheat and then finished … [Read more...]
Young’s in strong position to grow
Young & Co’s Brewery PLC has reported its preliminary results for the 52 weeks ended 1 April 2013, with Stephen Goodyear, Chief Executive, commenting: “An exceptional year in a number of ways, with one-off events such as the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic and Paralympic Games helping us to deliver strong like-for-like performance in the first half of the year despite … [Read more...]