Show highlights at the recent Casual Dining Show included the winners of Casual Dining’s prestigious Design Awards. Reflecting the importance of design in conveying brand identity, creating ambiance, and ultimately attracting and retaining customers, the awards highlighted the abundance of creativity at work in today’s casual dining establishments. The shortlist included … [Read more...]
Who has the MIDAS touch…?
The Menu Innovation Network’s sixth Menu Innovation and Development Awards (MIDAS) were presented at the The Cumberland Hotel on Thursday 6 March with the menu for the dinner inspired, designed and cooked by Angela Hartnett MBE with the assistance of the Cumberland’s Executive Chef Mark Hollands and his team. The winner of each category along with a member from the sponsoring … [Read more...]
Flat February but underlying eating-out growth
Pub and restaurant groups had a flat February with collective like-for-like sales up just 0.2% on the same month last year. The London market performed best, with a like-for-like increase of 1.3%. Total sales, including the impact of new openings, were ahead 2.7% on this time last year. The latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker, the sector's leading sales … [Read more...]
Wetherspoon delivers and expects good growth despite costs rising
Wetherspoon ‘continues to expect to achieve a reasonable outcome in the current financial year and has a solid platform for future growth’ as the figures for the last six months (below) show – with the six weeks to 9 March showing total sales up 11.6%. Financial Highlights for J D Wetherspoon interim results for 26 weeks to 26 January 2014 • Revenue £683.2m (2013: £626.4m) … [Read more...]
London’s Best Bun Fight returns: Slider Decider 2014
Battle is about to commence at one of London’s top cooking challenges, The Slider Decider. Professional chefs are invited to display their culinary creativity to make signature sliders in what promises to be the cook-off of the season taking place at The Gun, Docklands from 6pm on Thursday 5 June 2014. Challengers will fight it out in the award-winning gastropub’s outside … [Read more...]