Caterer and Hotelkeeper – 14959
1. Monster problem for dinner ladies An all-points bulletin has gone out to school meals staff from the south-eastern region of the Local Authority Caterers Association. It appears that amid the mayhem of School Meals Week in April, they mislaid their mascot, Deano the Dinosaur. "If anyone knows of his whereabouts, please contact us," said chairman Chris Hillier at last week's AGM. So if you spot an 8ft, bright green, fluffy tyrannosaurus rex down the local high street, you know who to call.
1. Female image at steak Fine Line, the pub chain devised by Fuller's, marketed itself so strongly on being "female friendly" that it even wanted to ensure its menu suited women. Steak sandwiches, it deemed, were a little primitive for its target audience and a dainty alternative was called for. Slightly bemused by the request, catering consultant Paul Arkle at meat supplier Wilson's stepped in with the answer - pre-cooked sliced beef. "I gather this is much more female friendly because women don't want to be tearing away at big hunks of meat," he said. "They obviously haven't met my previous girlfriends."
1. Mineral water goes swimmingly Gin and Tonic, resident goldfish at Splinters restaurant in Christchurch, Dorset, have been living a life of luxury since their filter broke down three months ago. Owner Timothy Lloyd has been filling their 10-litre tank with mineral water to keep them from going green around the gills. At 55p a bottle, Lloyd admits it's rather a lavish lifestyle. "But they're worth it," he says.
1. Fund-raising fit to bust Drinkers at the James Street Vaults in Plymouth have clubbed together for a worthy cause. It seems barmaid Jess Atkinson was disappointed to hear hormone treatment wasn't suitable to increase the size of her 32in chest. Now management and regulars have started a collection to help her raise £2,000 for a proper boob job. Pub manager Matthew Bird said: "It's want the punters want."
1. Sticky moment at chocolate weekend Special weekends to attract more guests to hotels are all the rage, but the Foley Arms in Malvern found one of its brightest ideas had some messy disadvantages. The popular chocolate weekend at the Consort hotel includes a themed dinner, a visit to a chocolate factory and various other events along the same line. The problem came with the supply of chocolate body paint to couples. The more ardent guests were so enthusiastic that it was proving difficult to clean the paint off the carpets. Guidelines have now been issued so as to make the housekeeper's life less stressful.
1. Let them eat parsley Rick Stein got a taste of reality on a Bristol council estate during filming for a new BBC2 series of Fresh Food. At a community centre, where young mums are taught to cook on a budget, he suggested one dish could do with a sprig of fresh parsley to finish it off. Stein was somewhat taken aback when told bluntly by one woman: "That's far too expensive - it's 70p a bunch."
