November 3, 2020
When I joined the hospitality industry in the mid-1980s it was with Bass plc. Bass at the time whilst well known for brewing and owning pubs also had a variety of other associated businesses under what I soon discovered was quite a large umbrella. During the 1980s and 1990s these businesses included Hedges & Read More…
October 6, 2020
Many years ago I visited a friend, who had moved down to London to work, for the weekend. Living in the Midlands at the time I had taken Friday afternoon off and had travelled down to meet up with him and a couple of other friends for drinks after work. He was working in the Read More…
September 1, 2020
Although the exact origin of the phrase “He who fails to plan is planning to fail” isn’t clear, what isn’t disputed is how such a simple statement can be applicable in so many areas of business and life in general. For me it is particularly important when looking at how operators plan and prepare Read More…
August 4, 2020
No matter who you are, at some point in your life you will have had situation when you or those with you have felt the need to complain about something while out in a restaurant or other hospitality venue. I would like to think that you handled the situation well and didn’t make too Read More…
July 1, 2020
Anyone who runs a pub, bar or restaurant knows that their staff are one of their most important assets. Unfortunately no matter what sort of outlet you run, from time to time you will encounter situations where your staff aren’t behaving or delivering in the way that you need them to. Over the last Read More…
June 1, 2020
Not that long ago I had the pleasure of attending a meeting held by the microbrewers that operate in the Midlands region. The meeting was held in the Brunswick Pub, a mere 5 minute walk away from Derby railway station and definitely worth a visit if you ever get the opportunity. After the meeting Read More…
May 1, 2020
A few years ago I was asked by a friend to help out at a local food fair that she was attending. My friends products were what is known as tray-bakes, the likes of brownies, flapjack etc. To say it was a nice day would be an understatement with the weather definitely having an Read More…
April 1, 2020
In 2010 Team Sky entered the world of professional cycling. Its stated ambition was to win the Tour de France with a British rider within five years. This was achieved in 2012 as Bradley Wiggins became the first British winner in the history of the race. This was followed up in 2013, 2015, 2016 Read More…
March 13, 2020
A few years ago I was doing some work with a licensed café bar. The bar was actually in an old church and as you can imagine the building was something very special including a number of stained glass windows. Due to the church’s size and a slightly complicated ownership structure the bar shared Read More…
February 3, 2020
A little while ago I was talking with one of my clients who told me that yet another chef had handed in their notice. It seems the writing had been on the wall for some time, with my client explaining that the chef had become disillusioned. Tell-tale signs included poor kitchen management, lack of Read More…