Scottish catering and hospitality news in Scotland

Edinburgh's Balmoral Hotel is celebrating after winning the Scottish Hotel Innovation Award for its Five-star Kids programme at the HotelReviewScotland.com Awards on 23 April.
Launched last October, the programme was the brainchild of General Manager Debbie Taylor, who had noted a growing number of families staying at The Balmoral for both leisure and business purposes:
'The service is designed to recognise children and make them feel extra special from the moment they arrive at The Balmoral,' she says. 'Highlights include kids' customised robes and slippers, a teddy turn-down service, junior toiletries, rubber ducks for bath time and children's menus.'

The criteria for the award included a new product or service that had demonstrated imagination, guest focus and successful implementation.

'We were very taken with the Five-star Kids programme from the moment we heard about it,' says Gary McLean, Editor of HotelReviewScotland. 'This is a great example of innovation: looking at things from the customer's perspective and then seeing what can be arranged to make them feel very much wanted and special'.

The programme is proving to be a big hit with families. The hotel looked after 40 children over Easter weekend, with a wide range of children's treats and activities on offer.

Saltire Taverns, the fast growing Scottish leisure group, is planning a £60m expansion for its Le Monde bar and hotel concept. The 1,250 capacity £12m development in George Street in the Scottish capital features a bar, brasserie, nightclub and 18-room hotel.

The managing director of Saltire, Tony McGrath, said the success of its Le Monde in Edinburgh, which only opened in February, was such that the company had decided to change strategy and they believe 10 UK cities could sustain a similar outlet.

Saltire is owned by Edinburgh entrepreneur Billy Lowe. As well as Le Monde, Saltire's interests include other licensed outlets including the Frankenstein theme bars. Among the other projects is the Rutland Hotel.

A Glasgow takeaway has grabbed a 'pizza the action' by becoming the 100th establishment in Scotland to receive a prestigious food hygiene award.

Pizza Mario, on the city's Crookston Road, is the 25th business in the Glasgow City Council area to receive an Eat Safe Award for excellence in food hygiene and food safety management.

Launched in January 2005 by the Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS), the award scheme aims to improve public confidence and consumer choice in catering establishments across the country.

To date, 14 local authorities have presented Eat Safe awards to establishments within their areas, while other councils are working towards their first presentations to local businesses.

Pizza Mario owner, Stefano Verra was delighted to receive the award and said it was particularly special to be the landmark recipient.

Mr Verra said: "To receive an Eat Safe award is a real achievement for a small establishment like ourselves, and hopefully our success can encourage other small businesses in the Glasgow area to attain the Eat Safe standard by demonstrating to them that their hard work will be recognised.

"Receiving this award would not have been possible without the efforts of my dedicated team of staff. They have all really focused on maintaining high standards and building on the food safety procedures we already had in place. It has been a real team effort and everyone has been buzzing since hearing we had achieved the Eat Safe standard."

Peter Midgley, Head of the FSA's Local Authority Food Enforcement Branch, said he had been delighted with the response to the scheme in Scotland so
far.

He said: "It is just over 14 months since the scheme was launched here in Scotland and to reach the 100 award milestone already is extremely encouraging. We have been delighted to see a real enthusiasm across the country for the Eat Safe Award - from catering businesses, their customers and local authorities."

Another Glasgow establishment - The Living Room, on St Vincent Street - was the first in Scotland to receive the award last year, while more recent recipients in the city have included Pizza Express on Queen Street, and Bella Italia on Hope Street.

Councillor David Stevenson, Convener of Glasgow City Council's Environmental Protection Services said he was delighted with the positive response shown to the award scheme by local businesses.

He said: "I'm very proud that Glasgow's name is on both the first and the hundredth Eat Safe awards. This latest accolade shows our businesses are keen to set the high standards that people are looking for when they eat out in the city."

Thirty one of Scotland's 32 local authorities have given their backing to the Eat Safe scheme, launched after discussions between the FSAS, the Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health of Scotland, the Scottish Food Advisory Committee (SFAC), Scottish Local Authorities and the FSA in Northern Ireland, where the scheme was launched in 2003.

Eligible establishments are assessed for the Eat Safe Award as part of scheduled food hygiene inspections carried out by environmental health services. The issue and control of certificates is regulated through local authorities and reviewed at every planned food hygiene inspection.

Food service giant Compass Group has appointed Ian El-Mokadem as chief executive officer at its UK and Ireland division. Mr El-Mokadem was managing director of telecommunications company Onetel, which is a subsidiary of Centrica.

He replaces Trevor Briggs who became interim chief executive in January after Gary Green, head of Compass's Americas division, returned home to focus on his primary role.

Sir Roy Gardner, incoming Compass chairman, said: "Ian is one of the most able young businessmen I know. His talents will be invaluable in leading the continuing turnaround and cultural change in the division."

El-Mokadem joins the company on the 8 May, after which Briggs will return to his original role as executive director specialist markets.

CCK Bars are to launch a new bar/restaurant/club complex, called Amicus Apple, on Edinburgh's Frederick Street later this year.

Callum Mackinnon, a Director of CCK Bars Ltd, commented: "We are extremely excited about the prospect of opening our first style bar within Edinburgh city centre. Frederick Street is one of the best known locations within the city centre linking George Street and Princes Street and we expect to be open for business by June 2006."

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has bought 46 Marriott hotels in the UK for £951.4m from Condor, the joint venture set up between Whitbread and Marriott.

Condor was established in March 2005 as an interim holding company for the hotels after Whitbread decided to exit the four-star hotel sector and relinquish the UK franchise for the Marriott brand.

Whitbread will receive £237m from the sale, on top of the £710m it received last year when the joint venture was set up. The transaction will enable the company to pay out another £400m to shareholders in addition to the £400m special dividend it deliverd last May.

RBS has earmarked £65m to upgrade the hotels over the next five years. Marriott will continue to run the hotels under a long-term management agreement.

The sales leave Whitbread free to focus on its budget Premier Travel Inn brand and, say industry rumours, to pursue the rival Travelodge budget chain.

The Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish) is launching a new theme for Seafood Week 2006 to encourage people to eat seafood 'Twice a Week'.

A new logo will feature on all marketing and point of sale material such as posters, recipe cards and price tickets featuring the 'Twice a Week' message. The identity will be available for use by retailers, bars, restaurants, mongers, fish and chip shops, wholesalers and processors.

Seafood Week runs from 6-13 October 2006. Now in its sixth year it's the biggest celebration of seafood in the UK with a track record of boosting industry sales by up to 65 per cent.

Thousands of companies including seafood processors, wholesalers, fishmongers, supermarkets, fish and chip shops, contract caterers and seafood restaurants took part last year. And celebrities such as Antony Worral Thompson, Gordon Ramsey, Carol Vorderman, Ken Hom and Raymond Blanc have supported previous campaigns.

John Rutherford, chief executive of Seafish said: "Seafood is growing in popularity as consumers recognise its health benefits. This year's theme reinforces the Food Standards Agency's recommendations to eat seafood twice a week and Seafood Week is the perfect platform for communicating its health values."

"We are urging everyone in the industry to get behind our new Twice a Week campaign and help show how easy seafood is to cook and make the even a bigger success than ever before."

Sunday night saw the biggest annual gathering of Scottish hoteliers, as more than 400 guests descended on The Radisson SAS in Glasgow for the announcement of The Scottish Hotels of The Year Awards 2006. It was possibly the biggest-ever event purely for Scottish hoteliers, who came from every corner of Scotland, and was 25% up on the attendance last year.

The awards, organised by Scotland's most-read hotel guide HotelReviewScotland.com and supported by the Scottish Tourism Forum and VisitScotland.com, plus other national tourism bodies and companies, cover every facet of the hotel hospitality business, including awards for design, housekeeping, dining, innovation and management.

The awards, now in their third year, pioneered online voting and with enormous success this year: almost 25,000 votes (up from 11,000 votes in 2005) were received for these prestigious awards, making this the biggest ever public vote on hotels in the UK.

A panel of 16 judges, made up of industry experts and critics, including Marco Truffelli, CEO of VisitScotland.com, Gary McLean, Editor of HotelreviewScotland.com, David Young, former Chief Hotels Inspector of the AA, and Wendy Barrie of the Scottish Food Guide and ex CEO of Taste of Scotland, then made the final decisions for the winners of the 61 award categories.

The top awards were presented by Presiding Officer of Parliament, George Reid, while Phil McHugh, a VisitScotland 'Hot Scot', took on the MC role for the night. The Fellowship 2006 was presented to Professor Eddie Friel, until recently the Chief Executive of the Greater Glasgow Tourist Board.

The Scottish Hotel 2006 winners included:

Summer Isles Hotel - The Scottish Hotel of the Year

Norman Springford, Apex Hotels - The Scottish Hotelier of the Year

Costley & Costley Hoteliers Ltd - The Scottish Hotel Group of the Year

MacDonald Pittodrie House - Country House Hotel of the Year

Kohler Waters Spa, Old Course Hotel - Hotel Spa of the Year

Michael Caines Restaurant, ABode - Hotel Restaurant of the Year

Inverlochy Castle - Luxury Hotel of the Year

Peebles Hotel Hydro - Family Hotel of the Year

Balbirnie House Hotel - Wedding Hotel of the Year (lrg)

Hilton Glasgow - Business Hotel of the Year

Rocpool Reserve - Boutique Hotel of the Year

Kinloch House Hotel - Country Sports Hotel of the Year

St Andrews Bay, Golf Resort & Spa - Golf Resort of the Year

Highland Cottage - Island Hotel of the Year

Glenapp Castle - Castle Hotel of the Year

Ardanaiseig - Romantic Hotel of the Year

Malmaison Glasgow - Sexiest Hotel of the Year

Le Monde - Hotel Design Award

Balinakill House - Hotel Green Award

Kevin MacGillivray, Ballathie House Hotel - Hotel Chef of The Year

Philip Mahoney, Radisson SAS Glasgow - Hotel Manager of the Year

It has been announced that One Devonshire Gardens, one of Scotland's best known hotels, is for sale. David Reid of Christie + Co is handling the deal for the hotel's owners, Citrus Hotels.

The hotel, which occupies a series of Victorian townhouses at the heart of Glasgow's West End, is a firm favourite with celebrities - as a glance at its glittering guest list testifies. George Clooney, Justin Timberlake, Gwyneth Paltrow and Britney Spears are amongst recent guests to have enjoyed the hotel's intimate and opulent atmosphere.

Under the ownership of Citrus Hotels, which acquired the hotel in 2002, One Devonshire Gardens has won a string of awards, including Conde Nast 'Most Excellent City Hotel' 2005. It has also been extensively refurbished to offer 35 deluxe bedrooms, many of them suites, and recently launched one of Scotland's largest and most luxurious suites - the £1,000 per night duplex 'Mews Suite'.

Citrus Hotels recently acquired house number 4, which means that for the first time in its twenty-year history, One Devonshire Gardens now occupies the entire terrace of five Victorian townhouses. House number 4 is currently undeveloped but provides a rare opportunity for new owners to extend the number of rooms to 50, and perhaps install an upmarket guest spa.

Citrus Director and General Manager at the hotel, Stephen McCorkell commented: "The last few years have seen some really exciting developments for the Hotel. As a result of a £2 million refurbishment programme and the hard work the team and I have put in, turnover has grown rapidly and the business is thriving. With a string of recent awards recognising our efforts and the purchase of House Four complete, there is scope for expansion and all of us at One Devonshire Gardens are excited about the next stage in the Hotel's development."

David Reid, Director of Christie + Co concludes, "There is no question that the market for the sale of hotels in Scotland is better now than it has ever been. One Devonshire Gardens is one of the best townhouse hotels in the UK. It is in a different league to most of Scotland?s other hotels and I know there will be huge levels of interest. The hotel occupies five of Glasgow's best townhouses and shows outstanding levels of turnover growth and profits. It is therefore likely to appeal not only to wealthy investors in Scotland, but also to operators with similar 5 Star hotels."

The 9th Annual Skills for Chefs Conference 26-27 June in Sheffield puts a whole host of leading chefs under the spotlight.

David Mckown, Director of the conference commented "We expect over 300 chefs representing all sectors of the industry will attend this year and I am delighted with the support we have received from all the chef associations who have endorsed the conference".


In addition to the conference providing a platform for presenting chefs to showcase their culinary talents the opportunity to debate issues affecting the industry are not to be missed.

One of the key sessions at the conference is entitled "Current Affairs" and this will be chaired by David Mulachy, Vice President of the Craft Guild of Chefs. A panel of industry key figures is promised and the agenda will focus on the new craft qualifications offered by City and Guilds, ethical purchasing, a dietary vision of the future plus other items that may become topical over the coming weeks. Outcomes of these panel sessions are communicated to senior influential figures, politicians and trade bodies.


The conference this year will be opened by Brian Turner CBE who will give an insight into his career and at the same time comment on matters affecting the modern chef. Brian is a great ambassador for all things British and we can be assured he will be encouraging delegates to think likewise.

The finale of the conference is the Gala Dinner and this is being created by a team that includes Andrew Bennett Executive Chef of The Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, Ralph Porciani Executive Chef of The Westin Turnberry Resort, Mick Burke Senior Lecturer at The Sheffield College and The University of Sheffield Culinary team led by Tracy Carr.

For further information on the conference and details on how to book places call 0114 2228909.

A quartet of British beers came back from the World Beer Cup, Seattle at the weekend bearing gold medals, making the 2006 event the best outing for British brewers.

Tallest on the podium were Chiswick brewers Fuller, Smith & Turner whose ESB won the Extra Special Bitter class, but then this was the beer that inspired the style. They also came home with a gold for their Vintage Ale in the Old Ale category.

Across town, fellow London brewers, Meantime Brewing of Greenwich - the only British medal winners in the 2004 competition - took gold with a Coffee Beer, made with Fairtrade Rwandan coffee, typical of the company's flair for innovation and reputation for complex flavoursome beers.

Fittingly the winner of the remaining gold was Sean Franklin of Roosters Brewery in Knaresborough, whose Yorkshire Pale Ale beat off second and third places challenges from the US and Australia in the English-Style Summer Ale class. Sean has one of the longest serving attendance record of any British brewer at US brewing competitions and has judged at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) on many occasions.

The significance of the British medal haul is considerable, as the World Beer Cup is without doubt the Olympic Games of the brewing world, attracting over two thousand entries from pretty much every brewing nation on the planet.

The Royal Highland Show has announced a line up of exciting new exhibitors from the world of food and drink who will join this year's four-day festival in Ingliston, Edinburgh, 22 - 25 June.

Regarded as the UK's premier agricultural show and sponsored by The Royal Bank of Scotland, the Royal Highland Show provides a showcase of the very best from Scotland's natural larder alongside handpicked gourmet producers from across the UK.

So what will this year's show be serving up to tempt the taste buds?

Look out for one of Scotland's most well known chefs and a champion supporter of Scottish produce, Claire Macdonald from Kinloch on Skye, will be hosting her own stand for the first time where she will be selling her own luxury range of fine foods including a sumptuous selection of puddings, confectionary, preserves and sweet and savoury sauces. Her Rich Dark Chocolate and Tasted Hazelnut Sauce and 3 Fruit Marmalade are expected to be firm favourites with visitors to the show.

For more tips and recipe advice, check out the new Scottish Food and Drink Theatre which will be the centre piece of the Food & Drink Hall. A host of well known chefs from Scotland?s top restaurants and hotels as well as food agencies and other related organisations will be showcasing the best from Scotland's natural harvest.

Another high profile addition to this year's show will be one of the UK's top department stores. Harvey Nichols, will be highlighting their range of organic produce sourced from local producers. Waitrose, who will shortly be opening their first Scottish store, will also be at this year's show for the first time.

Scotland's marine harvest will be celebrated with first time exhibitors Downies of Whitehills just one of the many fishmongers in attendance. The family business of 120 years is based on the seafront at Whitehills overlooking the Moray Firth giving easy access to the major fishing ports across the North East of Scotland. Iain Spink also returns to the Countryside Area for a third year showing off the age old skills used to smoke his tasty Arbroath smokies.

Why not drop by the Sandyknowe stand to sample one of their newly launched, award winning Heavenly Yogurt Drinks. Produced in the Borders, it is currently available in three flavours strawberry, raspberry and blueberry. Made from milk courtesy of their 150 strong herd of happy Holstein/fresion cows - who are all known by name - this is a healthy and wholesome as well as delicious drink.

For something a little sweeter, keep an eye out for the launch of a brand new variety of strawberry from the strawberry fields of Scone's of Lethandy in Perthshire at this year's show.

The abundance and diversity of natural produce available in Perth, Kinross & Fife will also be celebrated as part of a 'Buy local, Eat Local' campaign being championed by the President of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society and his team. The aim of this pilot project is to show just how easy it is for people to connect with their local suppliers. A delicatessen, cooking demonstration area and meet the experts' zone will make up the main feature of this year?s food hall. The project will be rolled out across Scotland in the future.

Remember to stop off at Humphrey Errington's stand attending independently for the first time this year. He is renowned for being one of Scotland 'top cheeses' amongst the small cheese producers thanks to his famous raw milk cheeses which include Lanark and Dunsyre Blues.

Time for a tipple and another newcomer for 2006 is the Highlands-based winery, Moniack Castle. This unique enterprise run by the Fraser family uses natural ingredients growing around Moniack Castle to produce wines from wildflowers, fruit and tree sap as well as liqueurs, sauces and preserves. Look out for the Silver Birch Wine - a favourite of Queen Victoria?s when she stayed at Balmoral or the Moniack Mead rumoured to be the oldest alcoholic drink in the world.

For the more serious wine enthusiasts there will be tutored classes and an opportunity to sample wines from some of the great producers from Chile, Spain and France. Make sure you also don't miss the new wine bar.

The delights of the Mediterranean also return this year thanks to The Gift of Oil, the passionate enthusiasts and specialists offer carefully selected olive oils and genuinely matured balsamic vinegar. One to try is the rough but also slinky smooth Single Estate Greek Olive Oil from the island of Lesbos. It's made from the koroneki olives, grown in a tiny 5 acre olive grove; the olives are hand picked then crushed using a 200 year old donkey powered stone mill!

David Dunsmuir, Show Manager, Royal Highland Show said: "These new names from the food and drink scene will join over 1000 exhibitors who are already signed up to attend. From cars to cashmere, crafts to country pursuits - the show attracts a diverse range of exhibitors ensuring that there is something to interest everyone. It really is 'for all walks of life' making the show a great family day out.

With a packed programme of events, new exhibitors, and colourful new highlights, we are looking to build on last year's record breaking attendance numbers of over 155000 visitors."

Wine enthusiasts who want to take their interest to the next level will be pleased to hear that Edinburgh School of Food & Wine is now an Approved Programme Provider for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

ESFW will offer a one-day Foundation course for those looking for an introduction to wine, a four Day Intermediate Course for those wanting to broaden their wine knowledge, and a six Day Advanced Course with an increased focus on tasting, which runs for a full day every Thursday from 27 April ? 26 May.

The Intermediate Course costs £285pp and the Advanced Course £500pp.

Gift vouchers are also available to purchase.

Situated in a beautifully refurbished 18th century coach house on Newliston Estate, and located just 5 minutes from Edinburgh Airport, within easy access of the city centre, Edinburgh School of Food & Wine was established 19 years ago and offers a range of courses including One-Day Cookery Courses, Food & Wine Evenings, Certificate and Diploma courses.

For further information or to book call 0131 333 5001.

Want to do something exciting this summer that will make all your friends envious and earn great money along the way? That is exactly what Camp America offers. You will be able to travel The States during the summer taking part in a 'Cultural exchange Programme' and we will even pay for your flight as well.

The majority of Camps are on the East Coast of America where students will be expected to fulfil a 9 weeks work placement for Campower and 12-16 weeks work placement for Resort America. After this is completed participants are free to travel independently for up to 10 weeks. They will also receive free flights, food and accommodation with Camp America whilst working on Camps. The Campower and Resort roles do have entry requirements, that participants are full-time post-secondary student (English language school courses do not qualify).

"My Camp America experience was the best move I ever made it made me realise what I want to do as a career" - Luke Tremaine, UK. Placed at Wisconsin Badger Camp.

What You Will Be Doing

Campower and Resort America roles can vary depending on your skills:

o Kitchen areas cooking
o Guest Relations
o Administrative duties
o Bar & Beverage areas
o Dinning/Restaurant hall management

You will also get paid between:

US$800-US$1,200 for the Campower Role (9 weeks)
&
US$1,300 for the Resort America Role (12-16 weeks)

To qualify for both roles you need to be 18 by the 1st June 2006 and be available by the 26th June at the latest for a 9-12 week work placement.

As a participant you will be entitled to a J-1 work Visa, Medical Insurance for the duration of your stay in America and a 24hr Help Line.

Camp America not only helps build your CV but also will give you many life experiences to tell your grandchildren. So why spend summer in England when you can spend it earning great money and making many new friends along the way

You need to have attended an interview and completed an application form by the 30th April.

Application form on: www.campamerica.co.uk

For further information contact: Shaun Geary, Campower, Camp America. Tel: 0207 581 7304.Email sgeary@campamerica.co.uk

Leading figures from the game and food industry are on the search for the most inspired use of game meat in Scotland's restaurants. Initiated by fine food specialist Braehead Foods, The WHAT'S YOUR GAME? Cookery Competition is launched on 20 April 2006 in collaboration with EatScotland, the Scottish Countryside Alliance, the Scottish Small Game Group and award-winning venison supplier Highland Game, to encourage and develop the creative use of game meat on restaurant menus.

In concurrence with the rising demand for game, The WHAT'S YOUR GAME? competition gives restaurants the opportunity to experiment with different meats and to introduce their clients to the broad range of game available.

Craig Stevenson, Managing Director of Braehead Foods, says: "We hope that, as well as nurturing chefs' knowledge of game and creativity in the kitchen, the competition will encourage customers to eat different kinds of game whether it's wood pigeon, rabbit, quail or venison. Game is a lean, healthy meat - and free range. It's just making people aware of the choice that's out there."

The competition will also be judging the knowledge of the front of house staff. In the same way that a sommelier offers expert advice to the customer about wine, the serving staff and maitre d' should be able to talk knowledgably about the game on the menu and its provenance. This will in turn inspire diners to explore and appreciate the many different kinds of game found in Scotland.

The finalists will be those establishments in which the creativity, knowledge and use of game is consistent throughout the year and game is actively promoted to customers on the menu and through front of house staff.

The winning restaurants will be invited to participate in a four-day deer stalking and pheasant, partridge and duck shooting experience on some of the best estates in Scotland. This follows the success of last year's 'estate to the plate' expedition organised by Braehead Foods for Gordon Ramsay's head chefs, Josh Emett and Simone Zanoni, and offers the winners the opportunity to take part in the shoot and follow the game supply chain from start to finish to illustrate how wild game reaches their kitchens.

Belhaven has announced a 9% rise in sales volumes for the year so far of its flagship brand, Belhaven Best. The Scottish brewer and pub owner was bought last year by regional brewer Greene King for £190 million,

The chief executive, Stuart Ross, said the new owners were already investing in the company's operation in Dunbar, and that he had just sanctioned new brewing and kegging upgrades at the site.

Belhaven has added ten pubs to its estate in Scotland since the takeover and now has 290 Scottish pubs. The company is the second largest owner of pubs in the country after Punch Taverns.

Scotland's only two star Michelin Chef, Andrew Fairlie, will be leading a brigade of chefs in preparing dinner for up to seventy guests at Glasgow's House For an Art Lover in Bellahouston Park on Wednesday 19 April 2006.

The occasion marks Andrew's first return to Glasgow since he was awarded his second star by Michelin, Europe's foremost gastronomic handbook, for his work at his restaurant at Gleneagles Hotel earlier this year. This is also the first time in five years that a Scottish restaurant has been awarded a second Michelin stars and represents a huge personal triumph for Andrew.

The evening, which is priced at £80 per head but was sold out weeks ago, is a reflection also of Andrew's relationship with House for an Art Lover Chief Executive, Garry Sanderson. The two worked together earlier in their careers at Glasgow's One Devonshire Gardens Hotel.

Said Garry Sanderson: 'This is the fulfilment of a dearly-held wish of mine that Andrew would host an evening at the House for an Art Lover; we're always trying to stage events which will appeal to as many people as possible but the demand for tickets to enjoy Andrew's cooking has outstripped anything we have ever done before'.

Andrew Fairlie added: 'Garry is an old friend and I'm delighted to have this opportunity to cook alongside the House for an Art Lover's talented chefs in what is a jewel among Glasgow's entertainment venues'.

Throughout the evening, sponsored by leading Scottish public relations business, Blueprint Media, the guests will be entertained by musician Katie Targett-Adams.

Work is due to start on a long-awaited £1.3million marina development at a north-east leisure harbour in two weeks. Contractors for the scheme at Banff will be on site on April 24 and hope to complete the project by the end of November.

Confirmation of the start date came at a meeting of the local marina steering group and was welcomed by supporters of the development. Banff councillor John Cox said: "The challenge now is for the community to respond and participate in helping make this work from a tourism point of view."

The users committee originally discussed the possibility of converting the harbour into a marina five years ago. The project won support from the Building Buchan New Beginnings group and a year ago European funding of £455,000 was secured.

This money augmented £150,000 pledged by Aberdeenshire Council and £200,000 from Scottish Enterprise Grampian and other funding. The Scottish Executive finally approved planning consent in November last year and Morrison Construction Services were appointed principal contractors this spring.

Conversion work for an 84-berth marina will involve deepening the middle and inner basins to allow craft to float at all states of the tide. The outer basin will be unaffected while an undredged area will remain adjacent to the Old Quay for the mooring of small leisure and traditional boats. The contractors hope much of the deepening can be done by drilling out the rock not blasting.

Building Buchan New Beginnings estimate a marina could provide an annual £500,000 boost to the Banff area economy and act as a catalyst for business start-ups. Mr Cox appealed to the local business community to take advantage of an expected influx of visitors to the area.

If the conversion timetable is followed, the marina is expected to be open for business in spring 2007.

G1 Group has taken over the well-known Glasgow night spot China White. The group, owned by Stefan King, is set to transform the former nightclub on Bath Street into Kushion, a bar/club.

G1 said: "Positioned in the busiest leisure area of Glasgow, Kushion bar/club is an exciting prospect as, being local operators, we feel we can give Glasgow people what they are looking for on a night out. Offering a drinks pricing structure and entertainment package that will reflect our city, rather than reflect the former operator's London connections, Kushion aims to be inclusive, not exclusive."

Mr King's bar, restaurant, hotel and nightclub group currently runs more than 30 venues across Scotland. G1 opened its first Edinburgh bar, the Morningside Glory, in December 05. The majority of the groups premises are in Glasgow and include Belo, Corinthian and Arta.

Compass has agreed the sale of its railway station, airport and roadside catering division for £1.8bn. It is disposing of its Moto motorway services chain to a consortium led by Australia's Macquarie Bank, and is offloading its fast food brands - including Upper Crust and Caffè Ritazza - to a private equity group controlled by Sweden's Wallenberg family.

Compass said £500m from the sale, which is expected to be completed in June, is to be returned to shareholders through a share buyback. A further £275m will go to reduce the group's £577m pension deficit and £143m will fund the already announced acquisition of the 51% of Levy Restaurants, the US sports stadium catering business, not already owned by Compass. The balance, after £180m in tax and transaction costs, is earmarked to reduce debt.

The SSP business was bought by Compass in 1993, and quickly grew as a string of purchases transformed the British firm into the world's largest caterer. SSP employs 25,000 people in about 2,000 fast food kiosks, coffee bars and restaurants clustered in 600 transport hubs in 26 countries, mainly in Britain, continental Europe and the US. Last year SPP generated 14% of Compass's turnover.

The division's 43 British roadside service stations, now branded Moto, came as part of a merger with Granada six years ago. These sites, which are all freehold or long-lease properties, are to be sold to Macquarie for an undisclosed sum, thought to be about £600m.

The rest of SSP, which in the UK also includes Harry Ramsden's fish and chip restaurants, Millie's Cookies and a Burger King franchise operation, is to be sold to European private equity house EQT, controlled by the Wallenberg family.

Global hotel chains picked up more bookings from the internet than from travel agents for the first time in 2005, according to electronic marketing firm TravelClick.

Their survey of bookings at the central reservation offices of 30 international hotel brands found that 35.2% came from the internet, up from 30% in 2004. The hotels' own websites accounted for three quarters of these bookings.

Global distribution systems run by travel agents and airlines accounted for 34.6% of central reservation office bookings. Call centres accounted for 30.2%. Both channels have seen their market share drop, from 35.7% and 34.4% respectively, since 2004.

A new tourism group on the Moray Firth coast has launched an initiative to help local businesses promote their tourist credentials. The Banffshire Coast group has spent about £2,000 on a range of display stands for tourist-orientated leaflets.

An appeal has been launched for shops and businesses to supply material to fill the stands in time for the holiday season.

Banffshire Coast secretary Carla Angus said: "We have bought 17 display stands and the idea is that they will act as a balance to the national leaflet distributors. They mainly advertise businesses outwith the area in places such as Aberdeen, Aviemore and other parts of Scotland.

"Our stands are for local businesses with an interest in tourism and we have them in various hotels, cafes, shops and visitor attractions."

The stand types are carousel, wall-mounted and table-top and any business can make use of them at present. In the future, businesses taking space will be expected to be members of the Banffshire Coast group.

Mrs Angus is accepting leaflets for distribution and can be contacted at 01261 812276, and they also are being collected at the Banff and Macduff Towns Co-ordinator's office in Low Street, Banff.

People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for the hospitality and leisure sector, has launched a new website, www.people1st.co.uk, for employers and employees.

It provides advice, support and information, including industry research for bosses and a career path planner for staff. On the site there are also business tools, industry news and research for employers, and a career path facility, skill and qualification information for employees.

Galashiels Mexican restaurant, Nachos Fiesta, is supporting the world famous Melrose Rugby Sevens. The event will see 20 teams from around the world taking part in a knockout tournament on 8 April 2006. Each team will have just fifteen minutes to beat their opponent; the competition will be aired live on BBC TV.

Rob Reeley, Managing Director of Nachos Fiesta has been a lifelong fan of the sport and is delighted to be supporting the event: "As our business is based in the Borders we are keen to support such a local and famous event. We shall definitely be cheering on the local teams."

Nachos Fiesta's sponsorship includes perimeter and exterior advertising. Their logo will also be placed on all of the referees and touch judges' jerseys.

The Melrose Rugby Sevens was founded in 1883, and rugby sevens has become a worldwide sport that has recently been featured in the Commonwealth Games.

A Glasgow restaurant has become the first premises in Scotland to be issued with a £200 penalty more than a week into Scotland's new smoking law.

Nearly 60 other establishments in the city have been found flouting the law since it came into force on March 26. Of these, 10 have been issued with formal warnings.

Among the establishments warned were three restaurants, three pubs, one nightclub, one snooker hall, one hot food shop and one hotel.

Owners and managers of enclosed public places face a £200 fine for allowing people to smoke or not conspicuously displaying no-smoking notices. Smokers who flout the ban risk a fixed £50 fine.

Figures published by the Civil Aviation Authority show that Inverness has topped the table of passenger growth for larger Scottish airports for the second year running.

Passenger numbers increased by 14% in 2005, placing it ahead of Aberdeen (8%), Edinburgh (5%), Glasgow (3%) and Prestwick (11%).

Although still ranked fifth in Scotland by total volume, Inverness handled an additional 75,266 passengers in the year, taking its annual throughput to 626,284. It was also ranked the fastest-growing Scottish airport in 2004, when it recorded passenger growth of 20% to a total of 551,018.

And the airport, which is the largest of 10 operated by Scottish Executive-owned Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial), is on target to handle a record 660,000 passengers in the year ending March 31, 2006. This will represent passenger growth of 90% since 1999 and Hial is aiming to achieve 1million passengers a year at Inverness in the next five years.

Inverness now handles more than 330 scheduled flights a week operated by British Airways, BMI, easyJet, Eastern Airways and Highland Airways to destinations including London, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stornoway. New routes to Dublin with Aer Arann and Leeds Bradford with Eastern Airways start this month.

A £1.6m, two-year Skills Agenda project, led by the British Hospitality Association, to develop support products and services for small and medium-sized businesses is currently being piloted with partnership funding from the European Social Fund (ESF), BHA, People 1st Sector Skills Council and the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

The programme aims to increase the quality of service among small businesses in the hospitality and tourism industry. It consists of wide-ranging support, including national research into the skills needs of small and medium-sized businesses, pilot work on improving food safety, and a range of support tools for people to use throughout the sector.

Already, in a pilot programme in Yorkshire, some 200 caterers have successfully undertaken a Safer Food Better Business workshop, with specialist follow-up support.

Initially, the programme will concentrate on establishing compliance modules in areas including food safety, nutrition and diet, fire safety, health and safety and employment law. It is expected they will be made available on a nation-wide basis by the end of this year.

Of the total cost, ESF funding comprises nearly 45 per cent, the remainder being match-funded by the BHA, People 1st and the FSA.

"This is a model for partnership working in the industry," says BHA's chief executive. Bob Cotton. "It brings together People 1st, which is the sector skills council for businesses working in hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism, with the BHA, which is the industry's national trade association."

"This is a programme in addition to our normal independent service to members. It is part of the BHA's commitment to raising the profile of the 'skills agenda' - we want to do something about it. We are committed to raising skills levels throughout the industry."

As part of the programme, which is being managed by the BHA, People 1st is focusing on researching the needs of small businesses and is looking at ways of combating poor perceptions of the industry.

"The programme initially is for two years, but we fully expect to extend it subsequently, partly on a commercial basis," said Mr Cotton.