Scottish catering and hospitality news in Scotland

A group of 80 Chinese tourists were given a welcoming dram of The Famous Grouse as the first leisure tour from China arrived in Scotland.

Hosted by VisitScotland, the visitors are spending two nights north of the border as part of a week-long trip organised under new Approved Destination Status (ADS) visas. Previously, Chinese citizens were only able to visit the UK on business or as students but the new rules mean they can now obtain UK visas for holiday groups of five or more.

The group also includes key travel agents who will have the chance to experience the best Scotland has to offer so they can encourage more of their countrymen to visit.

'The team at The Famous Grouse Experience were delighted to be part of this historic trip,' said Stephen Stewart, Duty Manager, The Famous Grouse Experience.
'Although our Chinese visitors only had time for a flying visit they were able to appreciate the hospitality we pride ourselves in at The Experience. They were each presented with a special bottle of Scotland's favourite whisky to ensure they have a taste of Scottish hospitality to take back home.'

About 1.3 billion Chinese citizens are now able to travel in Scotland and the UK, in groups of five or more, since the UK was granted ADS in January. Forecasts suggest that by 2020 there will be 100 million Chinese citizens travelling overseas.

A gala dinner at Edinburgh Castle, sponsored by VisitScotland and attended by its chairman, Philip Riddle, marks the end of their visit tonight.

In a deal worth over 450 million pounds, 3663 First for Foodservice has won the exclusive contract to supply all UK-based Pizza Hut restaurants for a five-year period, commencing January 2006.

(Right) Darrell Osbourne, Pizza Hut (UK) seals the deal with Fred Barnes, Chief Executive, 3663 and Martin Dickinson, Business Development Director, 3663.

The contract covers food, beverages and disposables for the 635 Pizza Hut restaurants that are spread across the UK.

It is vital to the success and growth of our business that we have a reliable service provider,' says Darrell Osborne, Supply Chain Director of Pizza Hut. '3663 has proved itself to be more than capable of delivering the goods and our shared values of operational excellence, teamwork and customer service made the company the obvious choice. I am confident that our working relationship will be a long-standing and successful one'.

The Grill Room restaurant at Edinburgh's Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa has picked up the prestigious 'Gold Award 2005' at the Edinburgh Restaurateurs' Association's Capital Restaurant Awards. The Sheraton's Santini Ristorante also received the Recommended Award.

A total of 106 restaurants entered this year, all of which were visited by an independent panel of judges and marked on a number of criteria including the quality of food, wine and all aspects of service. The Grill Room offers fresh local ingredients with an international twist, while the wine list enables diners to choose from a wide selection by grape rather than country or region.

Santini Ristorante offers real Italian food with a strong Venetian flavour prepared by Executive Chef Richard Glennie. Simple cooking using traditional recipes and quality ingredients are among the secrets of the restaurant's success.

'We are delighted the Grill Room won the Award and this accolade reflects the innovative dishes that Executive Chef Philip Garrod has created, together with the exceptional level of service,' said Andrew Henning, Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa's Executive Assistant Manager.

ESS Support Services' offshore division in Aberdeen recently established an education industry partnership with Fraserburgh Academy.
Through the initiative, the company is assisting with the production of the school newsletter, providing CV and interview technique workshops, curriculum support for the Home Economics department, financial and marketing support for the school drama production.
Executive Chef Robbie Robertson is also assisting with the development of a food challenge initiative.

The tie-in with the school is ESS's contribution to the Scottish Executive's Determined to Succeed initiative, which highlights the importance of developing the potential of Scotland's citizens and encourages the next generation of Scots to see the value in work-based vocational, enterprising and entrepreneurial learning.

'Since the partnership started six months ago, the enthusiasm that we have received from Academy pupils and our own staff has been inspiring,' says Peter Bruce, Managing Director of ESS Aberdeen and a former pupil of Fraserburgh Academy.

'I would highly recommend getting involved in such an initiative as it helps develop the potential of young people and provides great motivation for employees.'

ESS helped end the school's term with a special dinner to celebrate the achievements of over 200 pupils in a wide range of national and local competitions over the past year. A team of fourteen Hospitality and Home Economics students, led by Robbie Robertson, prepared a three-course gourmet meal served by senior pupils and Fraserburgh Academy and ESS staff.
'The pupils involved in preparing the meal impressed everyone, including our own top chefs,' said Peter. ' The experience linked the school curriculum with the workplace in a very practical way and already a number of the pupils have expressed a strong interest in pursuing a career in professional catering.'

www.cateringinscotland.com features more than 100 vacancies in the Scottish hospitality and catering sector. From waiters and supervisors to chefs and managerial positions, cateringinscotland.com is the one-stop-shop for all your recruitment and staffing needs. Choose from a varied selection of leading agencies, consultants and businesses working in the Scottish catering and hospitality marketplace, and with easy-to-use features like keyword and regional search terms, our jobs pages give you all the information you need at the touch of a button.
So, if you're looking for the perfect candidate or job, look no further than the cateringinscotland.com jobs pages.

Edinburgh-based North British Trust Group (NBTG) has announced it plans to sell 20 of its Scottish and English properties to Kent-based Swallow Hotels and Inns by 1st August.

'The decision was taken to reduce the size of the group and have a fewer number of higher quality hotels which are well-placed to take advantage of the worldwide trend for 'adventure tourism,' says Paddy Crerar, Managing Director of NBTG.

'The sale of these hotels is ahead of our strategic schedule. Of those being sold, 75 percent are at their peak and could only grow in profit terms if aligned to a much larger group that can provide significantly greater purchasing power. Swallow will be able to apply their scale to them and growth will start again. The remaining 25% of sold hotels have a great growth opportunity and Swallow is acquiring them at exactly the right time to reap the benefits of the work already carried out by NBTG.'

NBTG will be retaining four key destination hotels on the Isle of Mull, Strathpeffer, Inverary and Oban and a further four land development sites with a view to moving its core hotel activity into 'adventure tourism'. Ultimately it is planned to build up NBTG to the same size as previous but based on the new concept.

The first new-build site will be in Glencoe, where an 80-bedroom four-star hotel with full leisure/spa, conference facilities, bar brassiere and a full service restaurant is at planning stage.

It is expected that up to ten NBTG senior hotel executives currently based at the head office will join Swallow at the point of handover. This includes Paddy Crerar, who will take on the role of Operations Director Scotland and be based in Edinburgh.

NBTG is also in consultation with 14 people at the Edinburgh office to try and establish positions for them with Swallow or with the remaining NBTG business.

The hotels being sold in Scotland are in Thurso, Wick, Ullapool, Skye, Fort William, Inverness, Grantown on Spey, Ballater, Pitlochry, Oban, Arrochar, Callander, Edinburgh and Gretna, plus Harrogate, Scarborough and Doncaster in England.

George Shaddick has joined Major International as Business Development Manager and is responsible for identifying new business leads ensuring the company's current Scottish clients are being looked after. A chef by trade, George spent many years working in various executive London restaurants and was responsible for a team of 19 kitchen staff, experience he fells has helped him at Major International: 'I can recommend Major's products from both a sales and chef's perspective,' he says. 'I know the timescales and pressure chefs are under and I understand their needs.

'I like working for Major because it is a small company and there is always help at hand. David Bryant's passion for the business is infectious and you can really see how your efforts and hard work are contributing towards the company's growth and progression'.

The Living Room Glasgow, the 140-cover restaurant and bar which opened last July, has appointed Gemma Laidlaw as General Manager. Gemma, 26, joins the 30-strong team and is the only female General Manager in the Living Venture's showcase of bar/restaurants, which totals 15 units in major cities across the UK.

Gemma, who holds a Hospitality Management Diploma from the Glasgow College of Food Technology (now Glasgow Metropolitan College)in addition to a Walt Disney Food and Beverage and Event Management Degree from Florida, proved her worth while working under the former General Manager, Ewan Thompson.

In her early years she helped open both Glasgow & Edinburgh Malmaison Hotels and was appointed General Manager for The National Piping Centre, a four-star visitor attraction.

'It is a fantastic opportunity to work for an employer who places training and development at the forefront of the organisation,' she says. 'Living Ventures has a great reputation across the UK and there are excellent opportunities available to staff who are keen to grow with the company.'

Paperino's West End has nearly doubled its staff since it opened just over a month ago. The Byres Road outlet, an offshoot of Paperino's in Sauchiehall Street restaurant, was launched at the beginning of last month with just 24 employees.

The new restaurant, which now employs 48 highly-trained staff, combines the extensive range of dishes found in the original restaurant with a new takeaway service, early-morning coffee, and a specially created children's menu.

'We would like to thank our staff for the fantastic contribution they have made to a Scottish success story,' says Stefano Giovanazzi, who owns the restaurant together with his wife, Sandro.
'We were born and raised in the West End and we hoped that the new restaurant would be a focal point for this exciting cosmopolitan community.'

Pub operators who have installed quality ventilation have received dramatic backing from the Fan Manufacturers' Association (FMA), who have written to all MPs and members of the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly with evidence that cheap and simple pub ventilation can be highly effective at clearing environmental tobacco smoke.

The evidence comes in a report that spells out the findings of a series of technical studies by Dr Andrew Geens and Dr Max Graham, University of Glamorgan, and clearly shows that ventilation has a dramatic effect on air quality.

'This report gives us an opportunity to present the real case for ventilation to regulators, and to address some of the uninformed comments that ventilation is ineffective,' says Geoff Lockwood, Chairman of the Fan Manufacturers' Association.
'Ventilation plays a vital role in protecting people from potentially hazardous substances in all sorts of processes. Once people believe that ventilation is ineffective against one pollutant they will start to question whether it is effective against others. It would be very damaging for workers everywhere as well as for our industry if this misinformed view gained currency.'

The tests were initially carried out on behalf of a family-run brewery in the North-west of England but following interest from a number of licensed trade organisations, subsequent investigations were run across a broad sample of pubs in Britain and Ireland. These confirmed the conclusion that ventilation reduces the concentration of a selection of tobacco-smoke contaminants.

Dr Geens said: 'We have now run tests in ten pubs for a variety of organisations, and the results are remarkably similar. A well-directed flow of fresh air will cut contamination by around 90 percent and keep it at very low levels and within any safety limits. In one of our tests we actually found that carbon monoxide was higher in a non-smoking pub than in a well-ventilated smoking one, which just goes to show that there are many other sources of potentially dangerous gases.'

As well as measuring carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate contaminants in the air, temperature and relative humidity were also recorded. This allowed the studies to identify what effect the ventilation system was having on room comfort conditions.

The Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland has appointed David Cochrane, previously Director of Springboard Scotland, as its Chief Executive.
The newly created position reflects HIT's increasingly active role within the hospitality sector:

'It has been an excellent year for HIT Scotland,' says Stephen Carter, Chairman of HIT Scotland. 'The Emerging Talent Conference, which encouraged young people to come along and contribute to the debate about how we could make our industry even better and more attractive, was a huge success. We have taken the suggestions on board and now it is time to start implementing them. To do this we needed a dynamic and influential personality who understands and is committed to the hospitality industry. David Cochrane delivers on all counts'.

'David's experience as Director of Springboard Scotland in which he worked to challenge and change perceptions of the Scottish hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries will be a real benefit because in many ways it mirrors what we are trying to achieve as a charity. We are confident that his appointment will also give HIT Scotland greater gravitas and help us drive progress, raise funds and encourage even more talented young people into the industry.'

David is delighted with his new position: 'HIT Scotland provides young people with invaluable support in completing their training courses and it motivates the industry by working hard to offer opportunities and raise standards.'

Gary Mallet, Head Barman at the Scotsman Hotel's North Bridge Brasserie cocktail bar will share his in-depth knowledge, tips and recipes on how to make the perfect cocktail. Guests are welcome to book a table for dinner after the event at the popular Vermilion Restaurant. Guaranteed to appeal to industry movers and shakers with a taste for the finer things in life.

Date: 4 August 2005

Time: 6 - 7 pm

Venue: Vermilion at The Scotsman Hotel, North Bridge, Edinburgh

Price: Option 1: 10 pounds, includes event and a welcome drink:
Option 2: 25 pounds, includes welcome drink, event and two-course dinner in Vermilion

Contact: The Scotsman Hotel on 0131 556 5565

The Mad* Show, the UK's biggest showcase for fair trade, ethical, organic and sustainable products, services and organisations, has been confirmed for London's Earl's Court next summer.

With ethical travel on the increase and the UK consumer demanding more fair-trade and organic products, hotel chains and catering organisations are expected to use the event as a showcase for their latest products and services.

Make A Difference is intended to attract more than 20,000 people between June 2-4 2006 into four exhibition zones, providing a perfect platform for providers of high quality ethical products.

The 4,000 sq m event been described as an 'ideal world show' aimed at mainstream consumers and companies whose business plans aim at both commercial success and social responsibility.

'We believe that demanding quality doesn't mean people have to compromise on common sense issues such as healthy eating, protecting the environment, or caring for the welfare of others,' says Richard Bratton, Managing Director of the Mad* Group.

'There is no such thing as fair-ish trade, organic flavouring, or semi-sustainability, and we want to ensure that everything at the show truly supports our standards. Large multi-nationals down to sole traders all recognise the various association accreditation schemes which we are using to ensure the credibility of the event.

The aim of the show is to introduce consumers to the largest selection of ethical products and services available anywhere in the UK. This is, therefore, a great chance for companies, no matter how large or small, to reach their target market'.


The Mad* exhibition will comprise:

Food and Drink

Home and Garden

Travel and Transport

Fashion and Beauty


For more information, visit The Mad* Group website

Originally recruited to manage the Seafish Youth Marketing Programme, Karen has considerable experience in market research and analysis for the food and drink industry, including category management in the multiple retail sector:

'We intend to provide relevant and meaningful insight into market data that will provide seafood businesses with the required information to enter new markets, develop new products and enhance overall profitability,' she said.

Karen intends to use her hands-on experience to deliver a market research analysis service for seafood businesses that will aid their strategic decision-making processes and hopefully improve their profitability, in addition to managing the Youth Marketing Programme.

The Market Insight team provides market intelligence on a wide range of topics to help seafood businesses make informed choices, including the production of regular bulletins for different seafood sectors and summary documents of major market reports.

For more information contact Kirsty Innes on 0131 524 8656

Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises (S&NPE) has re-launched its Warm Welcome awards programme for 2005. The awards, which aim to recognise the company's outstanding lease-holders, also help operators to take a closer look at their business from the customer's perspective.

The 'Warm Welcome Best Pub 2005' is the ultimate accolade and is awarded to the pub judged to have fulfilled all the criteria, including an assessment of the pub's business objectives, innovations, staff development and general standards.

Last year's overall winner, the Mill House in Birtley, Durham, run by Carl McDonald, won 4,000 pounds-worth of holiday vouchers in recognition of his success in turning the pub around: 'Winning the award was confirmation that we are doing something right,' said Carl: 'Taking part in the programme has had a knock-on effect on trade and the sense of pride our team has in the pub they help run.'

S&NPE mystery visitors will be judging pubs from July, with regional winners announced towards the end of the year and overall winners revealed in 2006.

We know that running a pub is hard work,' says S&NPE Marketing Manager, Louise Dennett: 'Warm Welcome is a constructive appraisal that pubs can carry out to monitor how well they are already doing, and in the long term will help highlight areas that could be strengthened. We believe that's a win-win for our lessees and customers alike.'

There are also a number of other awards up for grabs including: Best Beer Pub, Best Marketing Pub, Best Food Pub, Best Music Pub, Best Community Pub and Best Bar Person.

For further information contact the Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises Press Office on 020 7072 4000.

Edinburgh's highly popular Monster Mash Cafe recently opened its second restaurant, with an outlet in Glasgow's Byres Road. Building on their successes to date, co-owners Terry and Joanne Soe have now appointed David Ramsden as Operations Director to progress the next phase of the company's growth.

David, who previously owned and ran both Rogues and Fitzhenry's restaurants in Edinburgh, will be focusing on implementation of the ongoing development plans for Monster Mash.

'We're delighted David has joined us at Monster Mash,' said Joanne. 'His expertise will be a great asset as we continue to meet the growing demand for classic British food.'

Visit the Monstermash website for more information.

With the Scottish Parliament having voted to introduce smoke-free enclosed public places, there are far-reaching consequences for employers and employees in restaurants, cafes, catering companies and others in the hospitality industry. The Executive has developed a new dedicated website and a mailer is going out to all businesses to inform them of the implications of the ban, which comes into force from 26th March next year.

Passive smoking currently claims the lives of up to 1,000 non-smokers in Scotland every year and is also linked with lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory conditions and strokes.

Employers and managers will now have responsibility to ensure premises and staff meet all the requirements of the new law, and are being urged to consider how the legislation might affect their business. Businesses are also obliged to make reasonable efforts to ensure that employees, customers and visitors are aware of the legislation. All offices, hotels, pubs and restaurants will have to display 'No Smoking' signs that are clearly visible, and company vehicles will also be covered by the ban.

The Scottish Executive is keen to reassure catering and restaurant businesses about going smoke-free: 'This is the most important piece of public health legislation in a generation,' said Scottish Health Minister, Andy Kerr MSP.

'I understand why some in the hospitality sector have concerns over the incoming regulations, we've been working with them to ensure that they can be properly implemented and observed and I feel confident that Scotland's hospitality industry has the foresight and the entrepreneurial expertise to realise the business opportunities of a smoke-free environment.'

For further information visit the Clearing the Air website.

Glasgow-based Harlequin Leisure Group launched its online reservation service today, enabling customers to book tables in Harlequin restaurants through the internet.

The Harlequin website incorporates sophisticated technology to produce eye-catching 3D images of its restaurants: Ashoka, Spice of Life, Kama Sutra, Mister Singh's and Ashoka Shak - which enables diners to take a virtual tour of their restaurant of choice before deciding which table to reserve.

'With more and more diners going online to make their reservations, we decided to make a significant investment in a state-of-the-art website designed to encourage more online bookings,' said Sanjay Majhu, Chief Executive of Harlequin Leisure.

'We now want our customers to receive the full benefit of any special offers and promotions we run through the internet and they can now wander through the restaurant, pick and choose their preferred table, scan the menu and decide what they'd like to eat in advance.'

Scotland's Health and Food Co-ordinator has delivered a ringing endorsement of Scottish Food Fortnight, the annual event supported by the Scottish Countryside Alliance Educational Trust (SCAET).

SFF will highlight the best of Scotland's produce and aims to bring out the best in Scotland's larder with exciting recipes from some of the country's best chefs.

'Scottish Food Fortnight is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate Scottish food & drink and to encourage people of all ages to eat and buy local produce,' she says.

'It's great to see so many events taking place across Scotland, encouraging people to try out low-fat, healthy food options. Scottish Food Fortnight is good way for people to sample the unique quality and range of Scottish produce and I would urge everyone to get involved in it, either by running an event or simply by cooking a Scottish family meal with fresh seasonal produce.

There are more than 40 events across Scotland confirmed so far and more than 90 food businesses taking part which now recognised as the highlight in the Scottish food calendar. The patron of Scottish Food Fortnight is the renowned writer and award-winning cook Lady Claire MacDonald of Kinloch Lodge Hotel, Skye.

'Local food is not just for gourmets and chefs, it's about everyone reconnecting with the experience of real freshness and taste that locally grown food brings, while supporting the local community of growers,' continues Gillian.

Members of the public are also urged to organise their own events like community dinners and dances, farmers' markets, barbecues, or by asking schools or work canteens to serve Scottish food.

Scottish Food Fortnight: September 25th - October 3rd 2005

Scottish hospitality businesses are working to improve bottom-line profits while reducing carbon dioxide emissions as part of Hospitable Climates, a UK Government initiative.
Currently yielding yearly savings reaching around 2m pounds in Scotland while reducing annual carbon emissions by over 7,000 tonnes, the industry is placing
climate change and energy efficiency high on its agenda as the G8 Summit starts this week.

Latest data from Hospitable Climates reveals that the initiative is not only delivering major cumulative cost savings - around the 2m pound mark annually to the 250-plus Scottish hotel and pub businesses currently signed-up to the programme - it is also making significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, helping the Government to fulfil its Kyoto Treaty commitment.

A total of 7,632 tonnes of carbon dioxide is currently being saved annually by the programme in Scotland, and a total of 18,864 tonnes has been saved since the programme's launch in January 2001. This the equivalent to the amount of carbon absorbed by planting 90,000 trees in Scotland.

Managed by the HCIMA on behalf of the Carbon Trust, Hospitable Climates offers a free-of-charge advisory service designed to help reduce energy consumption in the UK hospitality industry by as much as 40 per cent â?? improving bottom-line profits and the customer experience.

'These statistics are very encouraging, especially since they do not include 137 food and service management outlets which have also signed up to the programme in Scotland,' says Dr Rebecca Hawkins, FHCIMA. 'They show how energy-saving contributions, no matter how small, can make a marked difference to the future well-being of our planet.

'Carbon dioxide is the main gas implicated in enhanced global warming. The aim of Hospitable Climates is to reduce these global warming gases by improving energy efficiency, and the benefit for our members is the significant cost savings that can be achieved.'

Tickets went on sale today for the HCIMA President's Ball.
Hosted by the HCIMA President, Robin Morden FHCIMA, this year's black-tie event will be held on 17 November at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, Piccadilly, London. Themed on Monopoly, the Ball will begin with a drinks reception followed by a sumptuous dinner where guests will be seated tables named after streets on the Monopoly Board.
Diners could either spend an evening at Mayfair, The Old Kent Road, or even in Jail! Whatever the outcome, the evening promises to be memorable, with revellers dancing the night away to an excellent live band, e2, and being invited to take a 'Chance' with the Grand Raffle.

What's more, as from today there is the 'Chance' to enter the online HCIMA President's Ball Prize Draw Competition which requires entrants to answer 10 multiple-choice Monopoly and HCIMA-themed questions. The first correct entry drawn at random on 1 September 2005, will win two free tickets to the Ball.

'Park Lane has always been synonymous with style and glamour but is equally famous for being one of the most sought-after properties on the Monopoly Board,' said Petra Clayton, Director of Marketing and Communications. 'It is only appropriate that the theme for the Ball is the world-famous game. In addition to what promises to be a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable evening, the event presents a great opportunity for networking.'

To book, call: 020 8661 4948 or visit HCIMA website

The Scottish Parliament has voted in favour of a Bill that means Scotland will be the first part of the UK to become completely smoke-free in all enclosed public places.
First Minister Jack McConnell announced that the new law will come into force on March 26 2006, after MSPs voted by a majority of 97 to 17 with one abstention to pass new public health legislation that aims to save thousands of lives.

He said the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill would improve the nation's health and significantly cut rates of smoking-related disease:

'Today is a historic day for Scotland. This legislation is one of the most important decisions that has been made since devolution and it is a decision that shows we are determined to change Scotland for the better.

'March 26 2006, will not just be the first day of summer, it will be the first day of a new future for our country. A healthier future. A future where Scots live longer, families are less likely to be touched by tragedy and our young people are fitter and better prepared to make the most of their ambitions. It is a future that we can all look forward to.'

Health Minister Andy Kerr said:

'By doing this we will save thousands of lives and help keep families together for longer. Smoking has wreaked a catastrophic toll on Scotland's people. Each year 13,000 Scots still die before their time as a result.

'We know that that 70 per cent of Scots don't smoke and of those who do 70 per cent want to give up. Stubbing out smoking is the right decision for the smoker, their friends and their families. I know, however, that it can also be a hard one - with taking the first step often the most difficult part. Having services out in the community - in places where people live and work will make that step easier.

'That is why we announced an additional 11 million pounds earlier this year to support people who want to kick the habit.'