The Belfry Hotel & Resort, an award-winning luxury hotel and resort in Royal Sutton Coldfield, North Warwickshire, has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Kirsten Price as Head of People and Culture. Kirsten Price joins The Belfry as Head of People and Culture with over 20 years in the hospitality industry having previously worked sourcing and … [Read more...]
Archives for July 2021
VAT reduction savings passed on to restaurant team
Southern Wind Group, the team behind South American rodizio brand Fazenda, is rewarding all team members with an ongoing 10% pay bonus, passing on savings from the government VAT reduction to the people pursuing careers in one of the hardest hit industries by COVID-19. As part of Westminster’s support package for hospitality, VAT rates were cut to 5% on food and non-alcoholic … [Read more...]
Country Range Group announces first external Chairman
The Country Range Group (CRG) has announced that the vastly experienced foodservice and manufacturing stalwart Ton Christiaanse is to become its first external chairman and will begin the role in July. With over 30 years’ experience producing sustained revenue and business growth for FMCG companies, Christiaanse’s new role will see him work closely with Managing Director … [Read more...]
Dear England… Leadership – Integrity – Principles – Honesty
“Unfortunately for those people that engage in that kind of behaviour, I have some bad news. You’re on the losing side. It’s clear to me that we are heading for a much more tolerant and understanding society, and I know our lads will be a big part of that.” The quote above is taken from Gareth Southgate’s letter ‘Dear England’ where the England men’s football team manager … [Read more...]
First-hand hospitality business resumes
After many months of full, partial, semi and other variants of lockdown, Thursday 24 June saw 66 hospitality people get back to being social first-hand at The Belfry. The occasion was The Clink Charity Golf Day, in association with Meiko UK, that like many industry events was unable to be held in 2020. But this year it was back, and the unanimous feedback celebrated … [Read more...]
HOSPITALITY’S NIGHTMARE: Key historical issues facing hospitality compounded by Covid-19
Article by: PROFESSOR PETER A JONES MBE FIH There are currently not enough people available and/or sufficiently educated/trained to provide the human resources required for the hospitality industry to fully reopen. Skill shortages have been a major issue for the industry for decades but the current decline of human resources available to hospitality is now accelerating at … [Read more...]
PM rebuked by Speaker Hoyle for not answering Parliament on self-isolation
The spike in track and trace alerts forcing people to self-isolate for 10 days is further hampering hospitality’s ability to reopen. The government have signalled their intention to fully reopen society on 19 July but not scrapping self-isolation at the same time will limit the ability to do so. In Parliament today during Prime Minister's Questions the PM was pressed … [Read more...]
Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Awards of Excellence Lockdown Awards Winners Announced
The leading lights of the hospitality industry came together this afternoon on Zoom to celebrate the winners of the Annual Awards of Excellence Lockdown Awards (AAE). The ceremony was hosted by Brian J. Turner CBE, President, and John Williams MBE, Chairman of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. Honorary AAE President Jason Atherton also celebrated the winners. The candidate … [Read more...]
Clink Events to cater for London’s Woolwich Works
Clink Events, the external catering service run by prisoner training scheme The Clink Charity, will be partnering with Woolwich Works, London as an approved caterer when they open their doors 23 September 2021. Woolwich Works has transformed five historic Grade II and Grade II* listed buildings on the Royal Arsenal into what is set to become a thriving new space for events and … [Read more...]
Institute of Hospitality Southern, elect new chair
The Institute of Hospitality, the leading international professional body for current and aspiring leaders and managers in the hospitality industry, has elected Tim Seward MIH as the new chair of its Southern Branch. The election, which took place at the Balmer Lawn Hotel & Spa during the Institute of Hospitality - Southern Branch Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 5 … [Read more...]
Accor announce appointment of Managing Director, Raffles London at The OWO
Accor have announced the appointment of Philippe Leboeuf as Managing Director of Raffles London at The OWO, effective July 2021. Raffles London will open at The OWO on Whitehall, opposite Horse Guards and St James’s Park, in 2022. The much anticipated 125-room and -suite hotel and 85 branded residences sit within the former Grade II* listed Old War Office building, … [Read more...]
New research by Bartlett Mitchell shows well-being overtakes innovation
Workplace well-being will be more important to organisations than product and service innovation, according to research conducted by Bartlett Mitchell. Titled ‘Reimagining Catering post Covid’, the research also found that 80 percent of people are still formulating how their company will implement remote working practices, with a further 75 percent concerned about the … [Read more...]
Pride of Britain Hotels appoint new Chief Executive
Pride of Britain Hotels, the 50-strong collection of independently-owned hotels, is delighted to announce the key appointment of its new Chief Executive, Kalindi Juneja. Ms Juneja will replace current CEO Peter Hancock, who is retiring (a year later than planned due to the pandemic) after being instrumental in shaping the brand and growing the collection’s membership … [Read more...]
PM’s welcomed reopening plan is mixed messaging personified
The PM has set out his plans to completely lift all Covid restrictions from 19 July referring to it as a “carefully and balanced decision” advising people to “reconcile ourselves sadly to more deaths”. Johnson explained his view saying: “We must be honest with ourselves if we can't reopen our society in the next few weeks, when we will be helped by the arrival of summer, and … [Read more...]
David Moore: We’ll survive but I fear many others will not…
The people and skills crisis in hospitality is now impacting with ever more affect as the recruitment pool is not growing in line with human resource requirements for reopening. David Moore, founder of one of London’s oldest Michelin-starred restaurants, Pied à Terre, has made the difficult decision to close for lunch until further notice due to recruitment problems … [Read more...]