Catering Scotland NewsScottish catering and hospitality news in Scotland

Paul Wilson, Director of Xpress Recruitment who recruit for the hospitality and retail sectors, is to become the first non-hotelier to chair The Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland's Glasgow Lunch Committee.

The first Glasgow lunch was launched three years ago and the industry event has quickly become a permanent and popular fixture in the Trust's calendar of events.

David Cochrane, Chief Executive of HIT Scotland says of the new appointment: "We are delighted that Paul, who has sat on the committee since its creation, has been voted chairman for the 2006 lunch. His motivation and enthusiasm will prove invaluable in delivering another successful P.O.E.T's (Push Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday) lunch where industry members can catch up with friends and colleagues; enjoy good food and entertainment and start the weekend on the right note."

Although Paul Wilson, is a non hotelier his experience in the sector is considerable. He began his career at Glasgow Metropolitan twenty years ago and continued to work in the food industry until 1997 when he moved to recruit people into it. In 2003 Paul decided to establish Xpress Recruitment Ltd and fill a gap in the market by providing a Scottish rather than London based agency for the sectors in which he specialised - Hospitality and Retail.

This year's HIT Glasgow Lunch will be held on Friday 22 September at the Radisson Hotel in Glasgow and will once again be sponsored by Davidson Asset Management.

For further information or to book tickets, visit Hit Scotland's website.

The Scottish Tourism Forum, organisers of this year's first ever Scottish Tourism Week, have hailed the initiative a great success.

Alan Rankin, the Forum's Chief Executive, said "Scottish Tourism Week was developed with three aims in mind - to bring the public and elected sectors closer to the private sector, to raise the awareness of the importance of tourism to the Scottish economy and debate key issues that will allow for growth in our industry."

"500 businesses have participated in Scottish Tourism Week's 13 events and, importantly, we have engaged with over 40 MSPs, both at a reception in the Scottish Parliament and by inviting politicians to meet with tourism businesses in their constituencies. Two events were attended by Patricia Ferguson, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport. This great participation has shown the level of interest among businesses in improving their own industry and a real commitment from the elected sector in understanding the issues surrounding the development of tourism in Scotland."

Scottish Tourism Week was organised by the Scottish Tourism Week, the industry's representative body, and was supported by VisitBritain, the Caravan Club and the Royal Yacht Britannia.

More than 16,000 licensed restaurateurs are now eligible for simpler VAT - only filing a single annual return, and paying their tax bill monthly.

From 1 April, businesses with a turnover up to ?1.35 million are able to join the Annual Accounting VAT simplification scheme. More than one million businesses can now join the scheme, allowing them to spread their VAT payments throughout the year instead of grappling with a lump sum every quarter.

"We know a lot of businesses find a quarterly VAT bill difficult to manage in terms of cashflow, says John Brandwood of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). "Membership of the Annual Accounting Scheme is designed to make those outgoings more manageable."

"Adopting the Annual Accounting Scheme is also cheaper for businesses - we estimate that completing only one return a year instead of four will save businesses more than ?100 annually."

Before 1 April, only businesses with a turnover up to ?660,000 could join the scheme.

The Annual Accounting Scheme is just one of several designed to help small businesses. The Cash Accounting Scheme allows businesses to pay VAT only when they receive payment from their customers, while the Flat Rate Scheme allows businesses to calculate their VAT by applying a flat rate percentage to their total turnover.

The HCIMA Annual Lunch is to be held on Monday 22 May, at one of the country's top five-star deluxe hotels. The Jumeirah Carlton Tower, set in the heart of Knightsbridge, London (nearest tube: Knightsbridge), is noted for its fine cuisine.


The HCIMA is delighted to announce that the celebrated writer and broadcaster Charles Mosley, Editor-in-Chief of Debrett's, is to be the Guest Speaker at the 2006 Annual Lunch. Internationally recognised as the arbiter of etiquette and behaviour, Debrett's is regarded as the authority on significant individuals in British society - as publisher of Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage, and People of Today.

"Open to HCIMA members and non-members alike, the 2006 HCIMA Annual Lunch provides an excellent opportunity for fine dining, socialising and networking in fantastic surroundings with fellow professionals from the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry," said Petra Clayton AHCIMA, HCIMA Director of Marketing and Communications.

"In addition, we are very pleased to welcome our Business Affiliates who kindly support the Association throughout the year - including organisations such as Delice de France, Consult GEE and Fourth Hospitality."

The 2006 HCIMA Annual Lunch will start at 12 noon with a drinks reception, followed by the lunch itself at 1pm. Tickets cost ?70 for HCIMA members; ?85 for non-members; and ?700 for a table of ten. Bookings can be made by contacting the HCIMA on the Association's event hotline: + 44 (0)20 8661 4948; or emailing: david.golder@hcima.co.uk

When the Dunfermline Building Society set out to upgrade the catering facilities at its Fife headquarters, innovative solutions were top of the list. Now a touch of the High Street has been incorporated into the staff restaurant at the society's Dunfermline head office.

And for chef Roddy MacKinnon (46) the up-graded facilities have also brought an opportunity to be centre stage, meeting his customers face-to-face while completing the cooking of many dishes at a new 'theatre' counter.

The contract to provide the catering at the society's Caledonia House has been retained by Sodexho Scotland, the catering and support services company, against fierce competition.

Karen Edwards, Sodexho account manager responsible for the Dunfermline Building Society, explained: "We have been providing a service for Dunfermline Building Society staff for 17 years, so we were delighted to retain the contract - which also involves all corporate entertaining by the company."

The building society carried out a face-lift to the staff restaurant. "The idea was to bring a feel of the High Street into the building and we have created a Costa Coffee bar as part of that," said Ms Edwards. "The new theatre counter allows Roddy to be front-of-house, demonstrating his skills to the 300-plus staff that use the restaurant."

And the move has been welcomed by Roddy McKinnon from Methil who has been Sodexho?s chef-manger at Dunfermline Building Society for six years. "I enjoy meeting my customers and being able to demonstrate a bit of flair to them," said Roddy who has twice beaten fellow chefs from more than 200 commercial catering contracts to become Sodexho Scotland?s Chef of the Year.

Thursday 18 May will see the 3rd annual CIS Excellence Awards ceremony being held at the Hilton Glasgow. Hailed as the Oscars for the catering, hospitality and tourism industry in Scotland, the Awards aim to recognise and reward both emerging and established talent througout the country.
There are a total of 12 awards to enter this year, including two all-new categories for Event Caterer of the Year and Restaurant Newcomer of the Year.

Full award criteria, entry forms and dinner-booking forms are available at the CIS Excellence Awards website.

Entries close on 14 April, so don't delay. We look forward to seeing you on 18 May.


Categories and sponsors for the CIS Excellence Awards 2006:


Restaurant Manager of the Year Award, sponsored by Avenance Plc

Culinary Excellence Restaurant of the Year Award, sponsored by Almond Catering Ltd

Hotel of the Year Award, sponsored by ARAMARK

Independent Event Caterer of the Year Award, sponsored by Ceramic Tile Distributors

Development Chef Award, sponsored by Charlton House Catering Ltd

Food Tourism Award, sponsored by Host Contract Management Ltd

Chef of the Year Award, sponsored by BaxterStorey Ltd

Contract Catering Chef of the Year Award sponsored by Major International Ltd

Restaurant Newcomer of the Year Award sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions

Healthy Eating Award sponsored by Mitchell's Scottish Quality Chicken Ltd

Innovation in Training Award, sposnored by Chess Partnership

Lifetime Excellence Award, sponsored by Braehead Foods Ltd

At 6am 26th March 2006, Scotland became the latest country to end smoking in enclosed public places. 13 000 Scots die every year as a result of smoking and up to a further 1000 non-smokers are killed by second-hand smoke. Joining the ranks of countries such as New Zealand, Ireland and Norway, it is now an offence to smoke in an enclosed public place in Scotland.

The law was passed by the Scottish Parliament in June 2005 following extensive public consultation and debate about the damage that cigarettes cause and the need to improve health in Scotland.

Maureen Moore, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland said, "In later years, people will look back on the legislation for smoke-free public places much in the same way that today we look back on the laws that got rid of industrial smog or provided for clean drinking water. ASH Scotland is very proud of the new law on smoke-free enclosed public places. By going smoke-free, we are taking a huge step forward."

The smoking ban is perhaps the most radical innovation for Scotland since devolution in 1999. ASH Scotland believes that persuading the Scottish Executive and so many of Scotland's politicians to back smoke-free public places, against the vigorous opposition of the tobacco industry and the hospitality trade, can be attributed to the strength of the evidence of the dangers of second-hand smoke.

Over 250 tourism leaders will pack Perth Concert Hall today to brainstorm innovative ways to improve the Scottish tourism experience.

Product development, new visitor experiences and improving customer service are likely topics in a number of sessions taking place throughout Tourism Innovation Day which seeks to teach business operators that innovative thinking can transform business performance.

Organisers have secured two of America's leading tourism experts to host sessions at the event. Terry Jones, the founder of Travelocity.com and Chip Conley a Californian hotelier, are both flying into Scotland to assist with the debate and to teach some of their lessons learnt in multi-million pound businesses.

The event is organised by the Tourism Innovation Group (TIG), a national body dedicated to showcasing innovation and collaboration within Scottish business to improve success.

Sue Crossman, Director of TIG, commented:

"This is an opportunity for businesses to take time out of their normal business day to create ideas about new innovative products and tourism experiences. So much of this is down to changing people's mindsets and we hope to stimulate some debate, and host some open, freethinking sessions to create ideas with real commercial value."

Creative workshops which stimulate a number of early stage ideas will then be assessed by a Dragon's Den style interview panel. The panel include guest speakers Colin Burns, former Head of Studio, IDEO - USA, Clare McFarlane, founder of a highly successful coach and tour business in Australia and David Sharp, Managing Director of British Airways London Eye.

Tourism Innovation Day sponsors, BT, will showcase a number of emerging technologies which will affect the tourism sector. The event is funded by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is also supported by Learndirect Scotland for Business, VisitScotland and British Airways.

In its first year the Scottish Food Scholarship received a large number and caliber of entries of chefs under the age of 25. The Michelin star chefs chose eight contestants from each region of Scotland to participate in Regional Semi-Finals where they were tested on preparation, timing and presentation.

Presenter, Viv Lumsden, started the evening's proceedings introducing all of the eight finalists before announcing Kevin Sutherland, from Latheronwheel, Caithness as the winner following the Awards Dinner held at the Corinthian in Glasgow.

The prestigious judging panel of the Scottish Food Scholarship Final included Martin Wishart, Tony Borthwick, Keith Braidwood, Allan Donald, Jeff Bland, Matthew Gray and Chris Firth Bernard, who were looking for competence, an ability to work with seasonal ingredients and individual flair in a designated time frame.


Picture shows: (L-R) Su Hesketh, Kevin Sutherland, Martin Wishart & Craig Stevenson

The winner, Kevin Sutherland won a trip to Melbourne Australia to learn from Raymond Capaldi at Fenix in Melbourne and will carry out an internship at Restaurant Martin Wishart.

AWARD WINNERS

First Prize:

Kevin Sutherland from the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh

Second Prize:

Tristin Farmer from Enverdale House Hotel, Perthshire

Third Prize:

Lesley McQuiston from Loch Green House Hotel, Troon

Runners Up:

Christopher Turnbull from Roman Camp, Callander

Anna Collier from St Andrews Bay Golf Resort and Spa in St Andrews

Craig McWilliam from McMillan Hotels, Newton Stewart

Nigel Liston from Murrayshall House Hotel in Scone

Ryan Brady from The Bothy Restaurant in Perth

Youngest:

Lesley McQuiston from Loch Green House Hotel, Troon

A team of students from the Cookery & Hospitality section of Kilmarnock College were the triumphant winners of the Scottish heat of the Nestl? Toque d'Or Competition. SVQ Level 3 Professional Cookery students, Seonaidh O'Donnell, Carly Mulholland, Lindsay McDonald, Alexander McGhee, Keith Griegson and Alistair Gemmell competed against just under 100 other teams in the 18th year of the UK's premier student catering competition.

Students competing in this prestigious competition, previous winners include TV chefs Jamie Oliver and James Martin, are expected to use their imaginative, creative and teamwork skills to design not only a three-course menu, but also the restaurant itself.

In the first stage of the Competition, the Kilmarnock College team presented their winning concept of healthy, balanced and nutritious menus using local produce at their specially created "Esteln's Restaurant & Marina Terrace" to the highly respected judging panel of celebrity chef James Martin, Eddie Ward (Aramark Catering), and Ian Elliott (Lecturer, Grand Metropolitan College in Glasgow).

Having suitably impressed the judges with their ideas and creativity, the Kilmarnock team were then invited, along with 18 other teams, to put their ideas into practice by preparing and presenting their chosen mouth watering menu of Leek & Potato Soup (with a twice baked smoked haddock and Arran cheddar souffl?); followed by Pan-Roasted Quails Estelns Style (stuffed with a black pudding farce and spinach, served with sesame pak choi, potato rondelle with chutney and a port wine jus); and finishing off with Cr?me Chouboist (with a cascade of soft fruits) to the judges and 20 guest diners at the Grand Metropolitan College in Glasgow.

The standard of competition was extremely high and the Kilmarnock students were delighted to receive the phone call on 7 March 2006, advising they were successful in gaining one of the four coveted places at the Grand Final held at "The Home Show" in association with the Sunday Times and IPC Media, in London from 20-23 April 2006.

Kilmarnock College Catering Lecturer, Stephen Elby, said "I am extremely proud of Seonaidh, Carly, Lindsay, Alexander, Keith and Alistair who have put in a lot of effort and hard work to come up with the very original concept of Esteln's. Even the name Esteln has an original feeling to it and is a connotation of Nestle. The fact that our students have impressed such an esteemed panel of judges just goes to prove that Kilmarnock College has one of Scotland's leading Cookery & Hospitality departments".

Scotland's Hotels Of Distinction (SHOD), previously known as Scotland's Commended Hotels, is under the new management. SHOD member John Sloggie, Proprietor of Castle Venlaw in Peebles and Mark Forrester from the internet marketing company, Occupancy Marketing, will be taking over the running of the consortium, which promotes small hotels of particular character, and operating Scotland's Hotels Of Distinction as a commercial venture.

John Sloggie, Proprietor of Castle Venlaw Hotel in Peebles, commented: "This is a really exciting venture and one that will undoubtedly secure the future of the SHOD brand. It is very important to keep Scotland?s Hotels Of Distinction running effectively as it delivers substantial business to the hotels that are in membership as well as supporting the Scottish tourist industry".

Scotland's Hotels Of Distinction, is a collection of quality, four star hotels in Scotland, long sought-after by discerning guests from around the world for their authenticity and traditional Scottish experience. Each hotel is unique, independently-owned and distinctive in style, yet all offer hallmark qualities of a warm Scottish Hotel, comfortable rooms, award-winning food and the personal attention of your hosts.

The 9th Annual Sir Hugh Wontner Lecture took place at the Scottish Hotel School, University of Strathclyde last week. The speaker was Visiting Professor Dr Maurice V. Taylor; Managing Director of Glasgow based Chardon Leisure. The title of the lecture was 'Half brains, half luck' and was an autobiographical look at his rise to the top.

With over 40 years in the business, Maurice has been recognised by the Scottish Hotel School who made him a Visiting Professor, following on from his Honorary Doctorate, which he received in 2004.

Helensburgh resident Taylor - who's company own Holiday Inn Glasgow City Theatreland and La Bonne Auberge restaurant - has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the hotel industry, from night porter at Turnberry to overseeing a multi-million pound hotel management company.

The lecture was attended by 130 students, past and present of the Scottish Hotel School, as well as industry peers and was greatly received by all. Erwin Losekoot, a Sir Hugh Wontner Lecturer at the School, told us "Maurice's lecture was a complete success. The audience was keen to learn form someone with so much experience and success in the hotel industry."

North British Trust Group has acquired Scotland's Hotel in Pitlochry. The acquisition is part of the group's continuing strategy to offer high quality hotels in beautiful locations, and follows the decision to sell 20 of its portfolio last summer.

Like the other four Crerar Hotels, the new hotel will appeal to both the business and leisure traveller. Set in the heart of the Perthshire countryside, Scotland's offers extensive conference and meeting facilities as well as a leisure club with indoor swimming pool, gym, solarium and treatment rooms.

The hotel will operate as a Crerar Hotel with immediate effect but will undergo a renovation and refurbishment project in due course to ensure that it is able to compete effectively in targeting the key markets that have been identified.

Chief Executive of Crerar Hotels, Paddy Crerar, said: "I am delighted with our new purchase and feel confident that it has strong growth prospects and the flexibility to develop into the market we are now targeting"

The newly appointed General Manager, Geraldine McKay, commented, "Crerar Hotels has a very strong vision as to where the company is going and I am delighted that both myself and Scotland's are part of the group at such an exciting time."

The increasing availability of local quality foods is driving sales of more natural, fresher foods with a clear provenance, according to a new report by Food from Britain (FFB) unveiled at Food and Drink Expo, the main event in the UK's 2006 food and drink exhibitions calendar.

The exclusive research, conducted by international food and drink experts IGD, which asked 2,000 consumers for their views was commissioned by Food from Britain and supported by William Reed Exhibitions. It shows that since March 2005, the percentage of shoppers claiming to buy local food and drink has increased by 6% (year on year growth), with almost two-thirds of shoppers (65%) now buying local, and a further 9% expressing an interest in buying if availability was better.

The definition of 'local' differed by region according to consumers, with residents from the devolved nations being most nationalistic. Consumers in both Wales and Scotland described 'local' as being from their countries, while most participants from England related the produce to its county of origin.

Local produce merchandised in a supermarket continues to be the preferred place amongst buyers to get local food, with almost half of consumers citing this as their favoured retail outlet. A significant improvement in availability in these outlets is helping to drive growth. Farm shops (25%), butchers (24%) and farmers markets (21%) are still popular choices for local purchases, illustrating that there is a need for different purchasing channels when it comes to local food.

Whilst vegetables and fruit are still key categories, there is a move towards cross category purchasing with a demand for cooked meat products such as pies and pasties, and other fresh produce including meat, poultry and eggs. The purchase of more specialised products, such as frozen desserts, alcoholic and soft drinks is also on the increase offering significant future opportunities for producers.

Top of the reasons to buy local is still freshness, affecting the purchasing behaviour of 64% of shoppers, closely followed by support for local producers (31%) and a concern for the environment (25%). Other key triggers include taste (20%) and quality (16%).

The research highlights a few notable changes in purchasing behaviour, including a 14% (year on year growth) increase in consumers aged 24 to 34 buying local food and 32% more shoppers (year on year percentage point increase) in the A demographic group purchased local food, a group specifically identified as an opportunity last year. London still holds the biggest purchasing power for local and regional foods and also the greatest desire to purchase more.

A significant opportunity is being missed by many foodservice outlets, with almost three quarters of consumers wanting to see locally sourced foods named on menus, in particular, vegetables, meat and poultry. FFB is urging pubs and restaurants to adapt to this demand, while also alerting suppliers to the opportunity.

According to David McNair, Chief Executive of Food from Britain: "This research gives us a clear indication that the work being done to promote awareness of regional foods is having an impact. The increased availability of regional foods is having a clear impact on sales, but there are still significant opportunities out there for producers, retailers and foodservice professionals. These are exciting times for the country's small producers and farmers, but key to this success is continuing to provide access to places selling local foods, whether this is through supermarkets, convenience stores or restaurants."

A survey by online travel firm Hotels.com puts Glasgow just behind Budapest in a list of destinations providing the cheapest accommodation deals. The firm said that Glasgow offered some of the best value-for-money deals in Europe.

The average one night hotel price in Scotland's biggest city between October and December last year was ?64, an 11% drop on the corresponding period in 2004. The price in Budapest was ?60.

Edinburgh prices were down 5%, to an average ?87 a night in the same period. The average Manchester price was ?76, 4% lower.

Overall, European prices were 8.7% lower for the past three months of last year, compared with the corresponding period in 2004, while American prices rose 2.3%.

Tain will host the first Young Highland Chef of the Year competition this summer and next year the town will mark the Highland Year of Culture 2007 by hosting the Highland's first International Chef of the Year contest.

The events are being organised by Taste of Tain, set up following the first successful Tain culinary extravaganza two years ago. Organiser Carole Herd explained that Taste of Tain was introduced to promote the wealth of talent in the area in both food production and the arts.

Mrs Herd said they now wanted to give young chefs an opportunity to showcase their talents. She said she had contacted hotels throughout the Highlands encouraging young people to enter the competition, which will culminate in a cook-off in July, with first and second prizes of ?500 and ?250 respectively.

"Our aim is to encourage visitors to Tain and Easter Ross, to promote local producers, hotels and restaurateurs and to provide a venue to help up-and-coming young chefs."

The event will be held in a large double marquee on the Tain Links in co-operation with, and supported by Tain Gala Association on the final day of the gala week.

Budding young chefs will be asked to send in their original recipes for a three course meal from which 12 finalists will recreate their dishes for the judges on the day.

Entrants for the Young Highland Chef of the Year competition, who must be 26 years of age or under on July 1 this year, must submit application forms by May 1. Application forms can be obtained from Mrs Herd, at 16 Knockbreck Road, Tain, Ross-shire, IV19 1LX.

THE owners of the troubled Glasgow Science Tower have admitted that they have no idea when it will reopen. The ?10 million tourist attraction closed six months ago.

The 416ft tower is Scotland's tallest free-standing structure and the only tourist attraction in the world that can rotate 360 degrees. However it has been plagued by mechanical failures since it opened in 2001 and has not been open for longer than six months at a time.

A spokeswoman for the attraction said: "I can't confirm any date. We are still placing pressure on the contractors and designers. Obviously, it's just as frustrating for us as it is for the public."

Carnoustie and St. Andrews are some of the Scottish courses expected to attract Chinese golfers to Scotland. First Minister Jack McConnell unveiled plans to tap into the lucrative Chinese market on a trip to Beijing.

Restrictions on Chinese tourists travelling to the UK were removed last year. New figures show that Chinese tourism could be worth about ?70million to Scotland over the next four years.

Golf is booming in China with the number of courses set to almost double this year and with the world's largest golfing complex located at Mission Hills in the south of the country.

Mr McConnell joined Visit-Scotland officials to unveil details of the new golfing holidays to Scotland.

British Airways have teamed up with three Chinese travel groups to offer three, four and five-night stays at hotels and courses including Carnoustie, St Andrews and Kingsbarns.

Paying tribute to the Chinese passion for the sport, Mr McConnell said: "The whole world is trying to target the massive Chinese tourism market that is opening up.

"We need to play to our strengths and golf is certainly one of them. The sport is hugely popular in China at the moment and I know that a trip to Scotland will appeal to many Chinese golfers."

He added: "There are many fantastic facilities being developed at present in China but I believe that any golfer who never plays in Scotland is a golfer unfulfilled. There is something special about playing at the home of golf."

Food Partners has won Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire's blue riband award for the Best Performing Business over 250 employees at its recent awards ceremony on 23rd February 2006 in Ayr.

The company beat off strong competition from other finalists including Excell Contact Centres LLC to achieve the top slot - an award it has won twice in the last 3 years. Also a winner of this prestigious award in 2004, Food Partners has demonstrated continued excellence in all aspects of its business to achieve success for a second time.



Allan Stirling (left) - General Manager for Food Partners Kilmarnock receiving the Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire Award for the Best Performing Business over 250 employees from David Crews of GE Caledonian, sponsors of the Best Performing Business over 250 employees award (right).


The judges looked for significant, sustained growth within target markets, coupled with a clearly defined vision for achieving that growth. Food Partners was nominated, because of its great strength in the sandwich market and its positive impact on the Scottish and wider UK economy. It demonstrated an enviable growth in turnover from ?28m on its creation in 2001 to ?56m today.

Food Partners impressed the judges by showing how it aims to delight its customers with innovative sandwiches delivered nationwide on a daily basis. It showed focus on achieving the business excellence required by the reviewing panel through staff motivation and training, innovative new product development, the effective marketing of its Fulfilled brand, and exceeding customer expectations. Of special commendation was the implementation of its new company wide IT system costing ?0.5m during 2005, providing enhancements to all areas of the business without any impact on service to its customers.

Food Partners will now proceed to the Enterprising Scotland Business Awards, to be pitched against 12 other Scottish regional finalists Hilton Hotel in Glasgow on 23rd June 06.

Food Partners is one of the UK's leading supplier of sandwiches to coffee shop clients, catering companies, and travel operators. It focuses on constantly developing innovative new products for its clients, and providing them with a first class product range. It employs more than 1100 people at its sites around the UK and delivers its fresh sandwiches nationwide every day.

Craig Wood, the original chef at The Hallion in Edinburgh, will launch a restaurant in North Queensferry at the end of March. The Wee Restaurant will offer 28 covers and serve simple food in unpretentious surroundings. Dinner menus will change weekly, reflecting availability of seasonal ingredients, with a simple lunch menu to compliment.

Wood, whose previous experience includes Martin Wisharts, Airds Hotel, the Royal Scotsman train and Charlie Trotters in Chicago, says: 'This will be a family-run restaurant with no ostentation. I want to serve simple good food and wines without formality and I'll be cooking in the restaurant everyday. I'm really pleased that Christophe de la Rue will be joining me to run front of house'.

Plans were confirmed yesterday for one of the world's first Missoni hotels to be built near the top of the Royal Mile.
Hotel Missoni Edinburgh will be located in the Bank of Scotland Bridge development on the High Street, George IV Bridge and Victoria Street.
Last year the Milan fashion house signed a licence agreement with Rezidor SAS Hospitality for a chain of luxury branded hotels.

The partnership also plans for 30 Missoni hotels either open or under construction by 2010, with target cities including London, Barcelona and Paris.
Hotel Missoni Edinburgh will offer 130 bedrooms, a Bar Missoni, Missoni Cucina restaurant, a spa and fitness centre and typically Italian styled boardrooms.

Glasgow's Graven Images has been contracted to implement the design at the Edinburgh hotel. Construction of the development will start later this year and it is expected to open towards the end of 2008. As well as the hotel, the new building will house a new HBOS branch and retail space.

Montpeliers (Edinburgh) has unveiled details of its latest multi-million pound venture offering eating, drinking, dancing and sleeping in the city.

TIGERLILY, due to open in June this year at 125 George Street, will be located over five-floors in the restored townhouse, boasting 27 bedrooms and six Georgian suites. Lulu, the nightclub on the basement floor, is destined to be one of Edinburgh's hottest nightspots. The development team are working with leading names on London's drinking and club scene to inject some fresh ideas into the capital for a memorable evening out.

'This has been our most challenging project since opening Montpeliers fourteen years ago,' says David Wither, Managing Director, Montpeliers (Edinburgh) Ltd. 'We wanted to bring something fresh and new to the city's vibrant social scene and to set ourselves apart from the rest of the crowd. The versatility of the space combined with the use of high quality modern materials will enable TIGERLILY to be enjoyed by a wide variety of clientele, from early mornings to late into the night.'

The Grade A listed building, a former derelict office, has been brought back to life by a team of architects and designers. Up to 200 jobs will be created across all areas of the project and a recruitment drive is currently underway.

Smiths at Gretna Green, Scotland's eagerly awaited £5m pound boutique hotel, celebrated its opening in style at a high-profile launch on March 8th.
The event was attended by a colourful mix of media executives, politicians, hospitality industry experts and local businesses.
Built and privately funded by Alasdair Houston through Gretna Green Group, the 50-room hotel offers 'city style and sophistication while remaining faithful to the history and architecture of the region'.

'I have no illusions,' says Houston. 'We do not pretend that we have suddenly become expert hoteliers overnight but I am determined that if we do make mistakes, we won't make the same one twice and our service pledge is to offer something relaxed, stylish and unpretentious. I have surrounded myself with a fantastic team with the passion and determination to make this hotel really special. I just ask that people come and stay with us so they can make their own minds up.'

Visit the Smiths website for more information.

Hotel room rates in Edinburgh are expected to rise by an average of 4.3 per cent this year, a report into the industry by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) has just revealed.

Overall, the average UK room rate is set to pass £80 for the first time in 2007, although Edinburgh is forecast to outstrip that average and hit a figure of £82.13.
Liz Hall, Head of Research and Editor of PWC's 'Hospitality Directions, Europe Edition,' said Edinburgh and Manchester were the 'big winners' in 2005.

'Strong growth is likely to continue in 2006, helped by increasing business travel and a four-five per cent increase in general global travel.
'Moderate economic growth and a continued recovery in corporate travel markets will mean strong room rate growth and, despite flat occupancies, will drive average UK growth of 4.8 per cent in 2006, with further gains of five per cent expected in 2007 and 5.4 per cent in 2008,' she said.

PWC said that last year's growth rates were a 'significant achievement' in the face of challenging conditions within the hotel industry.

Glasgow is this week celebrating handing out the 40 millionth piece of free fruit to its primary and nursery pupils.
Andy Kerr, Minister for Health and Community Care, will be visiting the city's Keppoch Campus to celebrate the occasion and speak to youngsters about the success of the groundbreaking Fruit Plus project.

Fruit Plus, a joint initiative between Glasgow City Council and NHS Greater Glasgow, was the biggest healthy eating initiative ever launched in the UK when it kicked off in 2001.
It sees every youngster in the city aged between three and 12 receive a piece of fresh fruit five times a week. Around ten million items of fresh fruit weighing 1.3m kilos are now distributed to Glasgow youngsters every year.
Councillor Aileen Colleran, convener of the city's Parks and Facilities Committee, which oversees Fruit Plus, said the project had been an amazing success.
'It is remarkable to think that our youngsters have enjoyed some 40 million pieces of fruit since it all started. However, this has never been simply about eating fruit. The programme also places a heavy emphasis on integrating the principles of healthy eating into various areas of the school curriculum.
'Children in Glasgow are now familiar at an early age with what healthy eating means and the benefits which it can bring them both now and in later life. That can only be a good thing.'

'This week is National Obesity Week which highlights that being overweight is a health issue that none of us can afford to ignore. By encouraging young people to make healthier choices we will make great progress towards conquering an issue that threatens the future health of our nation.'

The first ever Big Apple Ball, held on Saturday 11 March in Glasgow has exceeded all expectations by raising £30,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

The event, the brainchild of Sanjay Majhu, CEO Apple-Harlequin Group (pictured right, with Sanjeev Kholi), brought together hundreds of pharmacists from throughout Scotland for a night of entertainment in aid of a good cause.

'As someone who has had a measure of life's ups and downs, I've always felt it important to recognise the need to put something back into good causes,' said Mr Majhu. 'The aim of the Big Apple Ball was to give an opportunity for those of us fortunate enough to have our health, to take time out from our busy lives to think of the less fortunate and give generously.'

Entertainment on the night was provided by Sanjeev Kholi, in character as Naveed from BBC Scotland's 'Still Game', comedian Clem Dane and tribute band Beatlemania! Guests included Ultimo bra supremo Michelle Mone and curry legend Charan Gill.

In a message of thanks, Rosie Barnes, Chief Executive of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, said: 'The money raised by the Big Apple Ball will help fund vital research to enable doctors to care for those with Cystic Fibrosis more effectively. As a result, those with CF have longer and better lives than before, though, as yet, there is still no cure.
'Research to address the underlying causes of CF is well underway. The money raised by supporters of the Big Apple Ball, together with the constant support of the families of those with CF and their friends, children born with CF will soon be able to look forward to the same length and quality of life as the rest of us.'

Mr Majhu has confirmed his intention to make this an annual fundraising event for Scotland's pharmacists to give something back to those who need help most.

Crowne Plaza Glasgow has been crowned Hotel of the Year by Queens Moat House Hotels.
The four-star hotel, formerly known as Glasgow Moat House, was awarded the title at the QMH Awards in Stratford-Upon-Avon, after beating off competition from 20 other hotels in the group.
'This is a fantastic accolade and is testament to the hard work and dedication of every member of staff at the hotel,' said Dominic McVey, General Manager at the Crowne Plaza Glasgow. 'We've had a busy year. Since re-branding as Crowne Plaza Glasgow we have enjoyed much higher than expected occupancy, and feedback from guests has been extremely positive. The trophy has pride of place in our reception area as a reminder to staff of what they have achieved. It's a great start to 2006.'

Currently undergoing a multi-million-pound renovation of its 283 bedrooms and bathrooms, the hotel is also opening a new executive lounge. The refurbishment also includes opening of new restaurants and bars, upgraded conference and meeting areas and the addition of air-conditioning throughout the entire hotel.

The hotel has also been praised for its fundraising efforts for QMH's registered charity DebRA, having raised in excess of £8,300 last year for the charity, more than any other property in the group.

Edinburgh's International Conference Centre was this week among twelve companies from east central Scotland to be recognised for their success in implementing Green policies and for helping to create a sustainable future at an award dinner hosted by The Business Environment Partnership and Scottish Enterprise.

The dinner on Thursday 9 March at the Apex International Hotel, Edinburgh, rewarded companies that had achieved national and international recognition and success for good environmental management.
Since 1998, the Centre has made significant inroads into key target areas such as reducing the amount of waste produced during events, reducing the amount of power used and tackling the issue of carbon offset for itself and its clients.

'We have worked tirelessly over the last seven years, introducing a cross- functional 'Green Team' to establish and oversee the implementation of a strategy that benefits our customers, ourselves as a business and Edinburgh as a whole,' said EICC Chief Executive, Hans Rissmann. 'Being green makes excellent business sense. Our strategy has helped reduce costs for EICC, which in turn has helped hold prices for our clients. Without a doubt it has been instrumental in helping the company achieve an operating profit. This award is independent acknowledgment of our success to date and our continued commitment to drive through additional developments and key changes.'

The EICC is currently the only UK conference centre to be ISO14001 recognised, and holds a Green Tourism Business Scheme Gold Award from VisitScotland.

Edinburgh plays host today to Scotland's newest hostel, aimed at a new breed of discerning backpackers.
Smart City Hostel's £10m development is the first of a planned number of high- quality, branded hostels specifically designed to meet the needs of the expanding market for young people in key urban destinations throughout Europe.

With urban hostel users travelling on a limited budget and still demanding levels of comfort, choice of services, security and a city centre location, the new hostel on the city's Blackfriars Street is easily accessible to entertainment and visitor facilities.

'Smart City Hostels is an exciting development that is well founded on the changing consumer expectations and needs,' said Philip Riddle, Chief Executive of Visitscotland. 'Being located in the heart of Edinburgh, the Smart City Hostel is an ideal base for visitors to get out and about to experience everything from shopping to outdoor activities in the surrounding area. I am delighted that Smart City Hostels are aiming to achieve a VisitScotland five-star quality rating and I wish it well and look forward to its success.'

The development includes conversion of the five-storey Blackfriars House, plus former offices and a new eight-storey extension to create a 132-room hostel which is due to open in late May 2006.

UNIVERSAL Sodexho, one of Scotland's largest catering companies, has increased turnover by more than a quarter to ?70.5 million for the year to 31 August.
However, despite the recent growth, pre-tax profits almost halved to £1.2m after increased administration costs.

Peter Murphy, General Manager at Edinburgh's Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, announced that all 260 of the hotel's bedrooms will become non smoking. This will take effect from 26th March, making The Sheraton Grand one of the only smoke free five star hotels in Edinburgh.

Peter Murphy, General Manager, Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, comments: "Our decision to take the forthcoming smoking legislation in Scotland a step further to include our bedrooms as well as public areas, is a result of customer feedback and a clear demand from our guests for a healthy, smoke-free hotel experience.

The essence of a guest experience at a Sheraton hotel should be one of welcome and comfort, and increasingly guests are demanding a smoke free environment. It is inevitable that this demand will encourage more hotels to become completely non smoking in the near future."

Coinciding with the new legislation, the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa will be introducing some positive initiatives, including the eagerly anticipated 'Aroma Week,' the details of which will be announced shortly.

Workers in Scotland's £6 billion food and drink manufacturing sector will have new opportunities to increase their skills and their earnings, thanks to a ground-breaking scheme to revamp work-related qualifications.

For the first time, employees will be able to accumulate bite-sized units, or modules, of learning, building towards new-style vocational qualifications. The idea is part of a new Qualifications Framework for Achievement for Food and Drink Manufacturing, being developed by Improve, the food and drink sector skills council. It aims to make vocational qualifications more relevant, more achievable, and more attractive to employees and employers.

The scheme could benefit up to 37,000 people in Scotland, who work in more than 1,200 food and drink manufacturing businesses. Modules of learning will be especially helpful for those who, because of work, have limited time available for intensive study but who can accumulate knowledge and skills over time. Employees will be able to select from an extensive menu of module options so that the qualifications they gain will be tailor-made and will comprise learning in the skills most relevant to their individual needs.

"We have started working with the qualifications-awarding bodies and with employers to set up the framework by April 2007," said Kelvin Thomson, Scotland operations manager for Improve.
"At the top of our thinking is the need to make available a much broader range of study subjects, and establish clearer, more accessible pathways to success."

The Qualifications Framework aims to increase the take-up of all learning opportunities ? ranging from Level 1, through apprenticeships, and up to degree level; to increase the rate of successful completion of qualifications; and ultimately to increase performance and productivity throughout the sector. The framework will also become one of the key structures that help to shape the work of the new Skills Academy for Food and Drink, which the government has authorised Improve to set up by September 2006.

Catering company Wilde Thyme Ltd has won the contract to provide all the hospitality for the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) at the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas. It will be serving a selection of meals, snacks and drinks for 1,200 people over the course of the event.

"For a company which is only in its third year this is a huge endorsement in how important a player Wilde Thyme has become in the hospitality sector," said Jamie Landale, Managing Director of Wilde Thyme. "This is a great opportunity for us to expand further into the booming sport and leisure industry in Scotland".

It is only the second time in forty years that Scotland has hosted a Davis Cup tie. Great Britain will be taking on Serbia & Montenegro at the Braehead Arena, Glasgow from 7-9th April 2006.

A survey by Enhance Media has revealed that most jobseekers are now applying for work online, which highlights a dramatic shift in how firms fill vacancies.

Of 19,000 people surveyed, just one in 20 posted a CV to a potential employer.

Catering in Scotland's website currently has 138 positions available on our jobs page from 13 of the country's leading recruitment agencies or top companies.

Oloroso, one of Scotland's top bar and restaurant venues has unveiled a new and extended bar food menu, putting a positive spin on the fast approaching smoking ban. Rather than fear the consequences the owners have grabbed this opportunity to help Scots re-discover the taste of great food and shake up bar eating for good.

The prestigious restaurant's new choice of food will be available in the bar area, in the restaurant at lunchtimes, or when summer-time arrives, out on the famous roof-top terrace. Whilst offering something to satisfy any occasion or palate, guests will now be able to choose from a one or two course snack to a full three-course meal in a more relaxed environment. This could include, organic Scottish salmon goujons to start, followed by a steak from the specialist grill, all finished off with chocolate torte and caramel oranges.

In usual Oloroso style, the menu is full of surprises. The gourmet nanza, designed by Tony Singh, Head-Chef Director is a 12" flat bread traditionally charcoal cooked in a tandoori oven to produce an earthy taste, then topped with the freshest produce of the day. With a range of flavours from garlic chicken to the hot and spicy punjabi, the innovative nanza promises to give the ubiquitous pizza, a run for its money.

With a new approach and menu coming into place Tony commented: "The restaurant has always been non-smoking and with the mandatory ban due to come into force next month we thought it would be a good idea to get our guests prepared, so as of this week the bar and terrace will follow suit".

He continues: "With the smoking ban causing a bit of a stir I decided to present a positive benefit and realised there was an opportunity to extend the bar food offering. Feeling inspired, I decided to launch a campaign to re-invigorate bar food and began by re-creating our bar food selection to not only present a full range of tastes for the smoke-free palette but to complement our comprehensive drinks selection. The non-smokers will enjoy the clear air and our guests who can no longer smoke can take comfort in our inspiring bar food!"

Organisers of Speyside's annual festival of its most celebrated product are hoping 'online nosing' will bring more whisky fans and connoisseurs than ever from all over the world enjoy the area's finest malts during this year's expanded Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival from Thursday, 27th April to Monday, 1st May. The festival, which is now in its 8th year, runs over five days during which visitors can experience the sights, sounds and smells of the ancient art of producing the world's best malts as well as sampling some of the fine tastes produced in the heart of Scotland's whisky country.

Events this year range from distillery tours, whisky masterclasses, whisky walks, whisky dinners and minibus tours to ceilidhs, real ale tastings, book signings, dolphin cruises, cooperage tours, live music and locally organised family friendly activities.

Once in the site visitors can then 'nose' their way around the world's finest whisky selection and choose from a selection including Aberlour, Balvenie, Benriach, Benromach, Glen Moray, Glenfarclas, Glenfiddich, Glenrothes, The Macallan, Strathisla, The Glenlivet. Once they've selected their favourite malt the link will then transport them straight into the aromatic heart of the Speyside distillery which produces it.

For more information all that is needed is a click on to www.spiritofspeyside.com or email them at enquiries@spiritofspeyside.com

Event organisers have won an extra ?1.12million funding for a year of events celebrating Highland culture in 2007, bringing the total budget to more than ?13million.

The money will go towards community groups across the Moray, Shetland, Orkney, Argyll and the Western Isles local authority areas to encourage as many people as possible to take part.

The councils of each of those areas came up with the money to encourage people outside the Highland Council boundary, but within the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) area, to organise their own celebrations of Highland culture in 2007.

The year of culture aims to promote the Highlands as a great place to live and to visit. Other events will take place throughout Scotland in 2007.

New figures have shown that 6,230 workers from Eastern Europe have joined Scotland's hospitality industry since the EU expansion in May 2004.

According to the Home Office, 23,940 migrants from countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Baltics, Slovakia and Slovenia have been working in businesses throughout the country.

Last summer 5280 workers from the former Soviet bloc arrived in Scotland although this dipped to 3685 in the last three months of 2005. But this is still more than 1000 more than in 2004.

Perth Racecourse helped bring in more than ?8million of tourist income to the area last year, according to a new report from Scottish Racing.

Detailed research, including interviews with more than 2,000 racegoers, found that an average of 20% of visitors to Ayr, Hamilton Park, Musselburgh, Perth and Kelso stayed overnight in the region surrounding the racecourse, but in Perth the proportion of overnight visitors was significantly higher than average at about 35%.

While the average number of people travelling farther than 50 miles to visit the five courses was 32% of the total crowd, the number went up to 55% at Perth.

The Scottish racing industry has an impact on the British economy valued at ?293million a year, mainly as a result of nationwide betting on Scottish races and the provision of racing opportunities for horses that are not trained in the country.