Hotel Services SUPPORTING YOUR BUSINESS PLUS... TOP WINE PICKS FOR 2014 INTERVIEW WITH TOM KERRIDGE ZINE A G A M Y RTERL A FRESH START IN ASSOCIATION WITH PRING 2014 PRING S NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS YOUR EXCLUSIVE AA QU AA EXCLUSIVE YOUR ISSUE 33 33 ISSUE Informed... Window stickers for 2014 Annual You will have recently been classification sent the Hotel, B&B and Gold Star 2014 window certificates stickers featuring the cover By now, all establishments will of the 2014 Hotel/B&B have received, where applicable, Guide or Gold Star/s and their annual classification highlighting theAA.com certificates for 2014-2015. and available mobile apps. Please direct any queries regarding your certificates to HotelServicesCustomerSupport@ theAA.com or call 01256 844455. Enter the AA Hospitality Awards 2014 AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year consumption, waste and recycling to make AA Wine Award A popular and coveted title, this unique award a positive contribution to reducing the impact All AA Rosette-awarded chefs can enter offers all AA Rosette-awarded chefs the chance on the environment. The winner will receive for the Wine Awards. Send us a copy of to decide which of their peers deserves this their award at the AA Hospitality Awards, to your current wine list to be entered. The respected recognition of their performance be held on Monday 22 September at Grosvenor winner will receive their award at the over the past 12 months, and their continued House, A JW Marriott Hotel. AA Hospitality Awards, to be held on commitment to the profession. Download the nomination form at Monday 22 September at Grosvenor House, The AA’s inspectors have chosen the www.aahospitalityawards.com/awards. A JW Marriott Hotel. nominees based on the recommendations The deadline to submit your nomination The deadline for entries is Friday of our chefs, and the winning chef will feature is Wednesday 7 April 14 March. If you would like an in the 2014 edition of the AA Restaurant Guide. editable nomination form, email The winner will receive their award at the AA Spirit Award [email protected] AA Hospitality Awards, to be held on Monday Introduced this year, this award will recognise 22 September at Grosvenor House, the professional promotion, education and Housekeeper of the Year Awards A JW Marriott Hotel. service of spirits in the hospitality industry. Do you have an excellent housekeeper? Download the nomination form at It is open to any AA-recognised establishment For the seventh year, AA Hotel Services, www.aahospitalityawards.com/awards. that serves spirits. The award seeks to highlight in partnership with Northmace & Hendon The deadline to submit your nomination a hospitality business that really champions (designers and manufacturers of professional is Friday 11 April spirits through its product offerings and service, hotel bedroom products) with customers promotes customer awareness and knowledge in more than 100 countries worldwide, will be AA Eco Hotel and Eco and is passionate about both pre-dinner and awarding the title of AA Housekeeper of the Group Hotel of the Year after-dinner guest experiences. The winner Year to one individual. The award recognises The AA Eco Hotel awards acknowledge one will receive their award at the AA Hospitality outstanding commitment and performance, independent hotel and one hotel group that Awards, to be held on Monday 22 September identifying a housekeeper who goes above have both demonstrated a clear commitment at Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel. and beyond the call of duty. to sustainability. Download the nomination form at Download the nomination form at Eligibility for the award must be proven www.aahospitalityawards.com/awards. www.aahospitalityawards.com/ through good practice and policy in a variety The deadline to submit your nomination housekeeper-year. The deadline to submit of areas that include improving efficiencies in is Friday 11 April your nomination is Friday 28 March Contact details Follow us on Twitter AA Hotel Services, 14th Floor, Fanum House, Basing View, See @TheAA_Lifestyle, @AAHospitality and Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 4EA @Caterertweets for updates to the scheme, General enquiries 01256 844455 hospitality news, stories from our establishments, Fax 01256 491647 updates on awards events and much more. Email [email protected] Web AAhotels.com Comments from the AA Comments from Caterer 2 | AA Hotel Services | Spring 2014 AAhotels.com CONTENTS Welcome notes Welcome to our first edition of In Touch for wine tasting in London. A comprehensive 4 Top hospitality stories from 2014, your quarterly magazine produced in range of 350 wines will be on show, plus Caterer and Hotelkeeper conjunction with Caterer and Hotelkeeper. lots of different workshops aimed at As we look forward to another busy year helping businesses improve. There is an for the hospitality industry, the magazine open invitation to all AA establishments, 5 On-trend wines for 2014 is full of articles that we hope will both so I hope you can find time to attend. inform and help you and your business. Finally, we feature the fantastic new 6 Interview with Tom Kerridge We have various awards now open for Employee Assistance Programme launched nomination and application and I would by Hospitality Action, the benevolent encourage you to enter. We are delighted charity for the hospitality industry. We 7 Are you liable for guests’ to announce a new award this year, the all recognise the importance of looking injuries on your premises? AA Spirit Award, in partnership with the after the team of people working in your Balvenie, which seeks to recognise those business. Whether you employ a couple establishments who really champion of people or hundreds, this programme 8 Spotlight on the Merchant the service and education of spirits. provides an invaluable support system. Hotel, Belfast On 18 March our wine partner Matthew I urge you to speak to Penny Moore or Clark will be holding its excellent annual one of the team at Hospitality Action. 9 Big ideas for small spaces 10 Energy and cost-saving ideas for operators Simon Numphud Head of AA Hotel Services 13 Wise words from the Cateys at 30 Conference 15 Hospitality Action’s helpline 16 How to keep valuables safe Some spring! As this edition of In Touch Neither the AA nor Caterer and went to press, broad swathes of the Hotelkeeper can change the weather, country lay under water with record rainfall but we can offer support to businesses 19 Great hotel design and lashing storms causing widespread in the eye of the storm – and indeed, flooding and major disruption to the to all hospitality operators looking to 6 7 country’s utility and transport networks. raise their game and build a better As the waters rose and power failed, business. many hospitality businesses were forced This supplement contains a wealth to close. Even those situated on the dry of information that will give your business side of the sandbag walls saw bookings an edge over your competitors. And the fall off as wary guests chose not to travel. AA, through its publications and its awards The sun will no doubt return in the systems, can help you stand out from coming weeks, and the waters will recede, the crowd and attract greater footfall. but for those operators affected, the I hope you find this publication damage to their properties and their valuable – and I wish you a happy, profits will take a long time to rectify. prosperous and flood-free 2014. Mark Lewis Group Editor 8 Caterer and Hotelkeeper TAKE FIVE THE FUTURE FOR MID-MARKET HOTELS Shoot and share your The very best Neither budget nor luxury, what do struggling images online at our knives to buy from three-star hotels need to do to reinvent new Table Talk site TO SUBSCRIBE CALL those in the know themselves and grow their market share? www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk HOTELS ● RESTAURANTS ● FOODSERVICE ● PUBS & BARS 0845 077 7755 31 January – 6 February 2014 – 6 February 31 January CATERER AND HOTELKEEPER GET IT ON THE GO quoting code ‘AA13 ’ CATERER AND HOTELKEEPER IS NOW AVAILABLE ON YOUR TABLET OR SMARTPHONE. TAKE FIVE THE FUTURE FOR MID-MARKET HOTELS Shoot and share your The very best Neither budget nor luxury, what do struggling images online at our knives to buy from three-star hotelsbest need to of do to reinvent beyondnew essence Table Talk site those in the know themselves and grow their market share? extrwww.catererandhotelkeeper.co.ukActs from dAvid HOTELS ● RESTAURANTS ● FOODSERVICE ● PUBS &everitt-m BARS AtthiAs’s new book 31 January – 6 February 2014 31 January – 6 February sustainable fish CATERERwhAt to use And AND HOTELKEEPER whAt to Avoid AA MEMBERS MASTERCLASS WAGYU BEEF RIBS Hakkasan Group executive head chef Tong Chee Hwee recreates a Cantonese classic sweden’s rising stAr how mAgnus VIEW YOUR FREE SAMPLE NOW nilsson is mAking WORK SMARTER CHEFS BEHIND THE CHEFSwAves At fAviken Putting technology into hospitality Sat Bains & John Freeman on their culinary harmony profile Masterclasses SAVE 35% Jeremy Lee talks about MASTERCLASS pineapple by being back in Soho WAGYU BEEF RIBS Hakkasan Group executive head chef Tong Chee Hwee CH 310114 Cover.indd 1 24/01/2014 14:13 daniel clifford • April 2013 • recreates a Cantoneseburgers classic by bAr WORK SMARTER CHEFS BEHIND THE CHEFS • www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk • boulud & hAwksmoor Putting technology into hospitality Sat Bains & John Freeman on their culinary harmony WWW.CATERERANDHOTELKEEPER.CO.UK/DIGITALEDITION CHBOC 310114 Cover.indd Cover.indd 1 1 24/01/201418/04/2013 14:1317:11 TOP HOSPITALITY STORIES ISLE OF ERISKA HOTEL TO head chef, Will Hay, coming to help. ADD LUXURY LODGES Each week, Caterer and Hotelkeeper and “There won’t be anyone in www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk bring Scotland doing food like it, and I doubt anywhere in the rest of you the most important news from around Britain will be focusing on wild the hospitality industry.