According to Construction News (cnplyus.co.uk), budget hotel chain Travelodge has announced a close to £61 million plan to build on ten new UK city-centre sites, following a five-year campaign to expand beyond the firm’s traditional roadside locations. This is expected to create 300 jobs (not to mention those required for construction work) and will add 1133 rooms to its rapidly increasing portfolio. Three of the hotels will be in London – in Bethnal Green, Bank and Ealing – as the group plans to become the largest chain in the capital before the 2012 Olympics. Others will be built in the MEN Arena, Manchester University, Bristol, Liverpool, Andover, Camberley and Cannock. The hotels should all open this year or next.

Last year, Travelodge expanded faster than any other time since it was founded in 1985, as business travellers turned to cheaper accommodation. Paul Harvey, managing director for development, comments, ‘During the recession we have taken the opportunity to grow where many have put their development on hold. In 2009 we secured more hotels than in any other year in our history and have been able to attain superior sites due to lower property prices.’

 

 

 

 

For nearly 90 years it has been the exclusive brew of Britain’s Armed Forces, but in April NAAFI (Navy, Army & Air Force Institutes) launched NAAFI Break brand tea in UK branches of SPAR, with 50 pence from every box sold donated to Help for Heroes.

Over 189,000 British servicemen and women on duty around the globe take time out for a NAAFI Break every day, but it is the first time in NAAFI’s distinguished 90-year history that the famous tea – which has been providing a taste of home to serving soldiers since 1921 – has been available on the UK high street.

As NAAFI CEO Reg Curtis comments, ‘In the context of Forces life, the NAAFI Break is much more than just a tea break – it’s a chance for our Servicemen and women to snatch some quality time during their working day, to wind down over a cup of tea and a snack, catch up with friends and think of home. With 50p from the sale of each box of tea going to Help for Heroes, Forces families and the general public will be able to enjoy our tea knowing that their purchase is going directly towards helping our troops on operations.’

 

 

 

 

Lee Cobley, Wg Cdr Royal Air Force, reports on his experience of the Culinary Cottage Advanced Cookery Course I attended the fiveday Advanced Cookery Course at the Culinary Cottage, keen to gain some new culinary skills and improve my repertoire, and that’s exactly what this course provided.

 

Starting promptly at 9 o’clock each morning, the highly knowledgeable instructor and acclaimed cook, Penny Lewis, warmed us up with some bread making. I was soon a dab hand at modelling bread rolls, granary bread, foccacia, puff pastry and croissants. Each day involved learning over ten new recipes, working through to 8 pm. I spent my lunch breaks strolling along the valley, taking in views of the magnificent Black Mountains. The ensuite accommodation has a fourstar rating and was very comfortable.

 

Penny is an excellent mentor, always giving positive encouragement and ensuring that I performed every step of the recipe. Patient and authoritative, her confidence soon transferred to me. In fact, many of her recipes are designed to take the panic out of cooking, so you can relax while you cook.

 

I completed the course with over 50 recipes under my belt, and with the skills to prepare a threeor fourcourse dinner party fit for royalty. I have impressed my inlaws with Parmesan baskets, stuffed trout on lemon risotto and sticky toffee puddings. My wife ordered homemade raised game pie for Christmas, and has asked for more of my apple frangipane tart.

 

If anyone in their resettlement period is considering doing a cookery course aimed at providing delicious dinner party dishes, then the Advanced Cookery Course at the Culinary Cottage comes with my highest recommendation.

 

Penny also runs Basics courses for the novice, to give a good grounding in all the culinary skills, as well as various shorter, themed courses.

 

To find out more, Tel: 01873 890125, email: penelope@theculinarycottage.co.uk or visit: www.theculinarycottage.co.uk, or write to The Culinary Cottage, Rose Cottage, Pandy, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 8DL

 

See Culinary Cottage advertisement on page 50

 

 

 

 

A report entitled Licensed Hospitality 2009 – A Labour Market Review of the Pubs, Bars and Nightclubs Industry, produced by People 1st in partnership with the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII), highlights how, over the past 12 months, publicans have taken the initiative to diversify into new areas, finding opportunity in the changing business landscape presented by the economic downturn. The report found that, among other enterprising ideas, many have added accommodation or extensive food offerings, while others have played host to community groups or introduced post office facilities.

 

Indeed, a recent poll among BII members revealed that some have introduced foreign exchange or camping facilities, while others even offer secure wetsuit and surfboard drying areas! Over half reported that they expected a return on their investment within six months, with a further third expecting dividends within a year. Brian Wisdom, chief executive of People 1st, commented that ‘This has been a challenging year for the licensed hospitality industry, [but] the report clearly highlights that those who innovate, diversify and match their offer to customer demand can do well.’

 

The major conclusion of the report, however, is that the structure of the licensed hospitality industry has experienced change on an ongoing basis over the past decade and that there is more to come, which of course has implications for skills development and recruitment. Several core skills are highlighted by the report as currently lacking in the industry, including team working and problemsolving, customer handling and technical. A shortage of financial and people management skills, in particular, seems to be adversely affecting the industry. A third of survey respondents reported difficulties in recruiting bar managers. While there is no shortage of applicants, many do not have the skills and attributes required. On a more positive note, training opportunities for staff are increasing year on year. Nearly threequarters of pubs, bars and nightclubs now provide or arrange training for their staff, compared to 64% in 2005.

 

Forthcoming major events such as the 2012 Olympics are being seen as major drivers of labour and skills needs for businesses located in certain areas. Concludes Brian Wisdom, ‘[The] businesses that will be best placed to leverage any opportunities are those that diversify, improve their marketing, and continue to train and invest in their staff.’ Quest took an indepth look at careers in the hospitality industry in our January 2010 issue.

 

 

 

 

Budget accommodation chain Travelodge is set to create 500 jobs this year by opening 26 new hotels, in an expansion plan costing £115 million, which will take the number of Travelodge hotels to more than 400 across the UK.

 

Company boss Grant Hearn commented that he wanted his company to come out of the recession with a strong programme of openings, saying ‘There’s no doubt that, in terms of the underlying trend, things are getting better.’

 

The announcement came as figures released in January showed that Britain’s services sector (which includes hotels) had enjoyed its best December for more than two years.