A bit of heat will keep it on the boil
With September upon us and the unmistakable whiff of autumn in the air, we can look back nostalgically on a very unusual summer. I'm talking about the weather, of course. With the sun shining relentlessly throughout August and temperatures reaching the 100s, we should have been worrying about global warming - most of us, I suspect, simply couldn't believe our luck.
There's nothing like a bit of sun to make one really appreciate one's country. Blue skies and a warm sun make the world generally look and feel better, and must surely have been among the reasons why so many Britons decided to holiday at home this year.
According to a report from VisitBritain - the new tourism body responsible for marketing Britain overseas and domestically - more of us (about 5%) decided to stay in the UK this summer than have done so in the recent past. That's four million extra holidays, an added £600m in revenue for the country and a much needed boost to the hospitality industry.
The uncommonly good weather, certainly, and VisitBritain's latest marketing campaign can both be thanked. This year, the Government gave the organisation £4m to sell England domestically - the first time for a decade, unbelievably, that the tourist industry has received any domestic marketing budget.
If the figures are anything to go by, the campaign has been a long time coming. It clearly helped persuade Britons to experience what England and its hospitality industry have to offer as a holiday destination. Who knows? It might even mean that those domestic tourists stay within these shores again next year, heatwave or not.
Maybe it will also make the Government realise that spending a bit of money on tourism has its rewards. After all, if the marketing campaign is responsible for £600m in new revenue, the Government will have more than got its money back through taxation.
So let's hope that those in Downing Street get the message that tourism and the hospitality industry deserve to be valued, and that a bit of advertising goes a long way. As one of the most important industries this country has, we should give it the best chance we can.
Helen Adkins
Restaurants & Bars Editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper
All the options
If you thought fast food stopped with deep-fried chicken or artery-filling fries, think again. There are a growing number of operators offering fast food which is fresh, wholesome and affordable. So while McDonald's is closing outlets, the space is being filled with a dynamic range of alternatives from pies to pasties to pasta. So what are you waiting for? Before you reach for yet another sandwich, consider your options.
Jessica Gunn, Deputy Restaurants & Bars Editor
Just one choice
Ferran Adrià holds the unofficial title of the world's most experimental chef - we're talking pink grapefruit paired with sesame, fennel with coffee and cherries covered in ham fat, served up in at least 35 different courses. Chefs have trouble getting their minds and taste-buds around his food, so what chance a sommelier? A wine man's nightmare? Wrong. Champagne is the way to go - even Adrià himself agrees.
Fiona Sims, Drinks Editor
