An honourable way to work
Looking at the industry headlines of late - recession, war and pestilence; failing investments; company restructures; government bureaucracy and the influence of Europe - it would be easy to think that our destiny, both personal and corporate, has spiralled beyond our control. We might as well give up trying to make a difference, because influences much bigger than we are will always swamp our best efforts.
Are you ever tempted to feel like that? If you are, you'll be refreshed to find the news this week dominated by the aspirational achievements of individual people.
The Queen's Birthday Honours list has once again highlighted the growing recognition in public and government circles that catering, hospitality and tourism are important components of the modern economy. There are 19 individuals from the sector listed in the latest dispatch from Buckingham Palace, and this follows the 18 named in the New Year Honours.
But, more than that, the honours highlight the part played by those people who plug away at a job and continue to contribute to the business community, even when times get tough.
OK, there is the usual sprinkling of high-profile personalities - such as Jamie Oliver, Loyd Grossman and Jancis Robinson - who, it could be argued, have won favour because of their TV exposure. But, in the main, recognition has gone to individuals for the day-to-day commitment that they have shown to their profession. Billy Hastings in Northern Ireland, Kui Man Yeung in Manchester and Ann Bowker in Cumbria - these are the kind of people who see a job through and "stick with it", no matter what pressures the outside world imposes.
We hear it so often that sometimes the message doesn't register - hospitality is a people business. No matter what the global economy is doing, what the City thinks or what wars are being fought 3,000 miles away, individuals can still - and do still - make a difference. As Plato noted, man is the measure of all things.
Forbes Mutch, Editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper
In this issue
All to the good The partnership between two-Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines and the Bristol Royal Marriott not only adds to the home-grown trend toward named-chef hotel restaurant deals, it makes commercial sense for both parties. Opening Restaurant Michael Caines in the hotel next month will involve minimal risk but maximum exposure for Caines, while Marriott gets the benefit of his name and culinary expertise and the services of top chef Shane Goodway. What could be better?
Helen Adkins, restaurants & Bars Editor
All for the best Careless talk among hoteliers could in future cost a lot of money. The well-established
ring-round by which hotels track how their competitors are doing, in order to determine prices, is under threat as the Office of Fair Trading clamps down on anti-competitive behaviour. For the hotelier, this might seem like another burden but, from a customer's point of view, any move toward transparent pricing can only be positive for the industry as a whole.
Jenny Webster, Hotels Editor
