HOSPITALITY IN BRIEF


Green light for Nottingham hotel plans Plans for a new 65-bedroom


hotel in the Lace Market area of Nottingham have been approved by Nottingham City Council. Proposals put forward by Maber Associates on behalf of Inderjit Johal include a renovation of Catherine House and the part-demolition of an adjacent 1960s property. The six-storey hotel will feature a reception area, a breakfast lounge and a bar on the ground floor, with Catherine House – dating back to the Victorian era – forming part of the scheme.


Grant to help improve Swansea 'gateway' A scheme to extend and


improve Swansea's Grand Hotel


– located opposite the city's railway station – has secured funding from the local authority. The property underwent a £2.3m renovation in 2003 but owner High Street Hotels now plans to take over neighbouring sites to meet growing demand from both leisure and business travellers. Swansea Council has approved a grant through its Building Enhancement Programme.


Liverpool hotels report 'record' demand Demand for hotel rooms across


the Liverpool region in July reached "record-breaking" levels, according to a study released by The Mersey Partnership (TMP). Nearly 95,000 rooms were sold in July, which is a 22 per cent increase on July 2009 and an 11 per cent growth on July 2008 – the year Liverpool was European City of Culture. LJ Research conducted the study on behalf of the City Region's tourist board – part of TMP – and also found that demand for rooms for the first-half of the year increased by 17 per cent compared with the same period in 2009.


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news & jobs at www.leisureopportunities.co.uk Calls to end kitchens' 'macho culture'


Michelin-starred chef urges sector to offer the right training for female workers By Tom Walker


Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines has called on employers in the industry to stamp out the


'macho culture' that is 'inhibit- ing kitchens’ across the UK. At the launch of the Women


1st Female Chefs' Development programme, he said: "Some of the discriminatory practices that hinder the progress of female chefs don't belong in the 21st century workplace and should not be tolerated. "Chefs are one of the hardest


positions to fill and the industry needs to secure the best talent rather than shun part of the workforce. It is therefore crucial for employers to provide the right training for their female chefs to help take their careers to the next level."


M&B to offload 333 properties


Mitchells and Butlers (M&B) is to sell 333 of its late-night, "non-core pubs" to the Stonegate Pub Company for £373m. The deal is in line with


the company's strategy, announced in March, to withdraw from the lower price, drinks-led market and the late night high street bars and venues. M&B chair John


Lovering said: "The cash resources released by the sale programme will allow the company to accelerate growth into the informal eating out market." The proposed sale is


subject to the approval of the company's sharehold- ers, but is expected to have been completed by the end of November.


People 1st revealed that more than 60 per cent of chefs are male The Female Chefs' Develop-


ment Programme, founded by sector skills council People 1st, aims to deliver chef training and help bridge the manage- ment and personal skills gap among female chefs. Research from People 1st, found that more than 60 per


cent of chefs are male, a percentage that significantly increased within fine dining restaurants. The research found that unconventional working hours, coupled with a lack of training and suitable role models, have hampered the progress of female chefs.


Prezzo acquires Caffè Uno sites


Most of the newly-acquired properties are in south east England By Martin Nash


Italian restaurant chain Prezzo has bought 11 sites owned by Caffè Uno Brasseries for £3.1m. Three of the outlets currently


operate under the Caffè Uno brand, in addition to six Brasserie Gerard and two Il Bertorelli-branded properties. Prezzo has also acquired –


for an undisclosed sum – the Caffè Uno trade mark from its parent company, Paramount


Read Leisure Opportunities online www.leisureopportunities.com/digital


Restaurants, and has granted Paramount a licence to use the brand name for one year. Most of the newly-acquired


properties are located in south east England and the Home Counties. Although they will initially continue trading under their original brand name, the sites will ultimately undergo a refurbishment programme and be reopened in early 2011 under one of Prezzo's existing brands or as Caffè Uno.


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