http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/ Every month Bar, Hotel, Restaurant Magazine brings together a comprehensive round-up of news, features and views from the hospitality world, as well as the pick of all the best new products hitting the marketplace. en-uk Copyright Wharncliffe Publishing Limited 2008 2008-09-10 16:54:17 2008-09-10 16:54:17 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/ http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/images/rsslogo.gif http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-09 A LAKE District hotel has launched a 'Designer Doggy Package' for pets and their owners. Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel - who's guests clients include Hollywood actresses, footballers, singers, politicians and royalty - is charging from £150 per person, per night on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis. The Doggy Designer Package includes a Michelin-star food menu with rabbit, beef and pork, a 'doggy' bag containing treats and chews, a special bowl for mealtimes, blanket for bedtime and a gift for dogs to take home. BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-09-10 16:54:17 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-09 AN independent restaurant in Lancashire has celebrated its 15th birthday with an extravagant party. Andrew Nutter, owner of Nutters Restaurant - based in Rochdale - was joined by celebrity chefs Brian Turner, Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi from BBC 2's Return to Tuscany, David Myers and Simon King. Guests indulged in some of Andrews's specialities all taken from the restaurants 15-year journey, including seared diver caught scallops, Goosnargh duck and St Asaph lamb. BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-09-10 16:53:24 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-08 CITY Inn's Manchester-based hotel has launched a new exhibition by three sibling artists from the Northwest. The 'Triptych Artists' exhibition will run to October and be on show in the hotel reception. It is open to all visitors, including guests at City Inn's Blue Bar and City Cafe. Darren Townsend, general manager of City Inn Manchester, said: 'City Inn supports the arts proactively throughout the Northwest and is committed to showcasing the work of local artists. 'We encourage visitors to enjoy this exhibition in our relaxed surroundings.' BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-08-05 10:11:57 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-08 PUNCH Taverns has introduced a new training initiative to help licensees deliver beer in the best possible way and invigorate their trade. With the on-trade beer market in a decline of 8.6 per cent over the last 12 months, the Profit Through Beer course (PTB) is geared towards helping licensees to drive beer sales, maximise profit and increase footfall in their pubs through a quality, well served and merchandised product. The course follows on from the Spring into Action and Profit Through Quality courses which work on the principle that small changes can make a big difference. BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-08-05 10:11:14 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-07 By Dominic Musgrave ONE in four top British restaurants has banned breastfeeding in public according to a new survey. Seven per cent of establishments questioned, which included a range of eating establishments across the nation from Italian, Spanish and Chinese restaurants to celebrity hotspots, cheap eateries, wine bars, country pubs and vegetarian restaurants, said they placed an outright ban on breastfeeding in their establishments. Lucy Symons, spokeswoman for Kamillosan, which carried out the survey, said: 'It is ridiculous that in 2008 a mother cannot do one of the most natural acts and feed her baby in a restaurant while she eats. A baby is just as entitled to eat in a comfortable, clean environment as an adult, so it's just not acceptable for his or her mum to be forced to feed in the toilet and this is no way to encourage a new mum to keep persevering with breastfeeding.' BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-07-01 13:41:35 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-07 By Dominic Musgrave THE results of a study into the relationship between happy hour promotions and binge drinking will be released in the summer. The Department of Health has commissioned an independent review of the relationship between pricing, promotion and harm, which is being carried out by the University of Sheffield. Pubs and bars have been criticised for encouraging dangerous drinking through heavily discounted prices and special offers including happy hours. Shumon Rahman of The Department of Health told BHR: 'We know that there is increasing public concern that harmful drinking is fuelled by the sale of alcohol to the public at heavily discounted prices, in combination with other promotional tactics." BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-07-01 13:40:36 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-06 A RESTAURANT opened for business on top of one of England's highest mountains as part of the Cumberland Ale Keswick Mountain Festival. For two days local chef Peter Sidwell served three course lunches on top of Skiddaw in the Lake District. All 60 tickets were sold for the high altitude meals, which were served in specialist tents on the 3,000 foot peak, with people visiting from as far afield as Surrey, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle. Peter, who owns the Good Taste cafè and deli in Keswick, said: 'We'd read that William Wordsworth enjoyed a proper meal on top of Skiddaw with his friends after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. It got us thinking and we decided it would be a nice idea to give walkers the chance to have a special lunch on the fell during the Keswick Mountain Festival. BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-06-03 09:19:14 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-06 A LICENSEE is giving a huge economic boost to the industry by organising star-studded music festivals which draw thousands of people to Cheshire. Phillip Martin, owner of The Crown Hotel in Nantwich, has organised the town's Jazz and Blues Festival for 12 years and in August he is hosting an event which will see more than 20,000 fans descend on the area for concerts by Katherine Jenkins, Girls Aloud and McFly. All will take place in the glorious countryside setting of Dorfold Park on the outskirts of the historic town, with the Welsh opera beauty taking to the stage on August 1, McFly on August 2 and Girls Aloud the next night. Hotel space is selling out fast and pubs and shops are stocking up with extra supplies to deal with a mass influx of fans from across the country and Europe. BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-06-03 09:18:15 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-05 GREENE King Brewing Company is championing CAMRA's Mild Month campaign by encouraging beer-lovers to try its award-winning XX Mild during May. By writing to more than 2,000 of its pubs, Greene King is encouraging licensees to support CAMRA's campaign throughout the month and to stock XX Mild, which has recently been crowned 'Champion Mild of East Anglia' by CAMRA's expert tasting panel. Licensees who place orders for Greene King XX Mild will receive a joint Greene King and CAMRA promotional kit including a poster, drip mats and tentcards to help promote the campaign to their customers. BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-05-02 09:32:07 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-05 MANAGED pub operator Spirit Group, the managed division of Punch Taverns, is seeing green as a scheme for saving energy in pubs delivers results. All 800 Spirit pubs committed to reduce their carbon footprint, in an initiative designed to illustrate both the business and environmental benefits of reducing energy consumption. In an industry first, Spirit Group has installed smart meters across its managed estate. The first step in reducing pubs' carbon footprints, the smart metering system offers a real time view of water, electricity and gas consumption. The results are then analysed to identify exactly where savings can be made. BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-05-02 09:31:28 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-04 By Dominic Musgrave BARCELO Redworth Hall hotel has 25 new rooms up for grabs - but not for their usual kind of guest. The luxury Newton Aycliffe hotel takes its responsibility to the environment very seriously and has recently installed dozens of bird boxes in the grounds in the hope of encouraging nesting. The boxes have been created especially for the hotel by Ian Floors of Sunderland's Herrington Park and are part of the hotel's on-going commitment to going green. Maintenance manager Gavin Burnicle has been appointed the hotel's green champion and has organised the creation of the boxes and their installation. 'We have grey tits and blue tits in the grounds and they are most likely to use them,' he said. The hotel is situated in hundreds of acres of woodland which is a home to all kinds of wildlife including squirrels, rabbits and badgers and a number of bat boxes have also been created. Gavin is now in the process of creating a nature walk around the grounds and is planning to bring in a tree expert to identify the many types of trees. 'We have a handkerchief tree which is really unusual and named because when its in bloom it really does look as if hundreds of hankies are hanging off it,' he added. Visitors to the hotel will also be given information on using public transport to visit local attractions rather than use their cars and energy conserving lightbulbs are also used throughout Redworth. The hotel is also committed to recycling and has its own cardboard compressor and paper shredding boxes on site. 'We are working really closely with the Green Tourism Board to make the Redworth as environmentally friendly as possible,' said Gavin. BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-04-01 10:14:34 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-02 By Mary Ferguson A CALL to ban patio heaters could hit the industry hard, damaging profits already affected by the smoking legislation. Members of European Parliament are pushing for the heaters to be withdrawn, bringing significant cash loss to pubs, cafes and restaurants who rely on revenue from outdoor drinking and dining. There was heavy investment in outdoor heated areas following the introduction of the smoking ban last year, as licensees fought to protect their profits. And the hospitality industry has estimated that if only ten per cent of Britain's pubs offered outdoor facilities a ban on patio heaters could cost £250 million a year, or as much as £45,000 a year for a single business. Patio heaters produce 22,200 tonnes of CO2 a year in Britain, compared to 4.6million tonnes from plasma TV's. Euro MP's voted in favour of adopting of Lib Dem MEP Fiona Hall's report on energy efficiency, which called for the withdrawal of patio heaters from the market. Retailers including B&Q and Currys have said they will stop selling them once stocks run out and many garden centres are following suit. However Neil Williams of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) is doubtful a full ban would ever come into effect. He told BHR: 'The total emissions from patio heaters are extremely small and a ban won't do much to help combat climate change. 'There are no indications as yet that this is a serious proposal, and if there is then we expect the UK government to oppose it. 'It's not something the BBPA would support, and clearly a ban would be very unhelpful for businesses trying to offer a good customer experience - many of whom have already been affected by the smoking ban.' The proposals are still in the discussion stage and the debate will now move to the European Commission. n Should the industry be worried? Send your views to Mary Ferguson at mf@whpl.net BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-02-28 16:58:13 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-02 GREENE King's XX Mild ale has been crowned champion mild of East Anglia by CAMRA's expert tasting panel at the Colchester Winter Ale Festival.  The mild ale was judged the region's best by a panel of 12 CAMRA members from across East Anglia, who also awarded the beer Bronze in the overall champion beer regional competition. Greene King head brewer John Bexton was awarded the accolade at the Winter Ale Beer festival held at the Colchester Arts Centre. CAMRA's champion beer of East Anglia organiser, David Sherman, said: 'Greene King's XX Mild was a clear winner in the strong field, it was a unanimous decision by the judges based on the quality of the beer.'   Justin Adams, managing director for Greene King Brewing Company, said: 'We're really delighted that Greene King XX Mild has been recognised and awarded champion mild of East Anglia by CAMRA. As industry leaders in cask ale, we have been brewing a mild beer at Bury St Edmunds since the 1800s. The lower ABV of mild has a loyal fan base and we look forward to continue to serve them well.' He added: 'We are planning to take an active role in CAMRA's Mild in May campaign this year, and are in talks with our CAMRA liaison officer about how we can support this key time for mild.' BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-02-13 14:30:50 http://www.barhotelrestaurant.co.uk/?page=news&monthyear=2008-02 PUBS are being told to cash in as consumers turn away from alcohol and spend more on food and soft drinks. Data from the Office For National Statistics has shown average alcohol consumption is down 15 per cent from 2000, but sales of tea and coffee and food are increasing. Mark Hastings of the British Beer and Pub Association said: 'While people are buying less alcohol, they are spending more on other products such as soft drinks, food, tea and coffee. 'This represents a shift in trading patterns and it's something pubs can take advantage of by increasing their product offerings.' Bringing in specialty teas, better lines in soft drinks and revamping menus are just some of the ways operators can cash in on the change. 'It's too early to say exactly why this shift has happened but it proves that people are looking for more than just alcohol when they have an evening out.' Men's average alcohol consumption is now 18.7 units a week - below the 21 unit recommended guideline and women's consumption is now nine units - below the 14 unit recommended guideline. Consumption among the young is also sharply down. Among young men, weekly consumption fell by 37 per cent, from 25.9 to 16.4 units, between 2000 and 2006. For young women, the fall was 29 per cent, from 12.6 to 9.0 units. Mark added: 'It is clear that the nation's drinking habits are changing and the effect has been the opposite to what was predicted when the Licensing Act came into force over two years ago. 'There has been no 'free for all', and instead, the message about sensible drinking is hitting home.' The JD Wetherspoon pub chain has placed on hold its expansion plan because of a dip in sales of beer and wines, linking the drop to the smoking ban in public places. BHR Magazine - editorial@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk 2008-02-13 14:29:25