Tanguy Martin of Hotel TerraVina in Hampshire has been named the Moët UK Sommelier of the Year 2015, after a tough final at the Savoy Hotel in London, where he competed against Romain Bourger of the Vineyard at Stockcross, and Arnaud Bardary from Maze in London. Bardary was placed second, while Bourger was third in the competition, organised by the Academy of Food and Wine … [Read more...]
PizzaExpress acquires Franchise Partner in China
PizzaExpress has announced the acquisition of its franchise partner in China, PizzaExpress (Hong Kong) Limited. The first PizzaExpress franchise opened in Hong Kong in 2001 and, since then, the franchised estate has grown to 13 in Hong Kong, 13 in Shanghai and 1 in Shenzhen. The transaction will allow PizzaExpress take full control of the 27 franchise restaurants, in … [Read more...]
Manchester Corn Exchange signs Pho and Byron
Pho, the popular Vietnamese street food restaurant, has completed on its contract at Corn Exchange this week, as did Byron – the famous ‘proper’ hamburger restaurant. As Corn Exchange gears up to become the North West dining destination, Pho has already started fitting out and Byron is due to start later this month. Manchester – one of the UK’s hottest dining … [Read more...]
April tourism figures see return to growth in 2015
International tourism has returned to growth with record results in April, including increases in both nominal spend and visits across Britain. According to figures released by the Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey, the UK welcomed 3.14 million visits in April, 6% more than in the same month last year. Visits hit a new record for the first four … [Read more...]
C’est arrivé! Bistrot Pierre opens its doors on George Street, Bath
Independently owned French restaurant group Bistrot Pierre has brought its great value French cuisine to the city centre of Bath. Heading up the new bistrot are Hinde Bouchayeb, general manager and Frederic Fetiveau, head chef (pictured below). Originally from southern France, Hinde joined Bistrot Pierre in 2012 and has progressed through the group’s internal training … [Read more...]