Caterer and Hotelkeeper – 31235

WATTIEZ JAILED

PETERBOROUGH-based furniture supplier Nicholas Wattiez was last week jailed for four years after admitting eight charges relating to fraud and running businesses while bankrupt.

Several hoteliers and restaurateurs lost money when Wattiez's businesses, First Furnishings and Seconds Ltd, folded in April 1990 having failed to deliver the goods ordered.

Leicester Crown Court heard how Wattiez ran up debts of more than £3m as a result of the "persistently dishonest" way he ran his businesses.

GUIDE WARNING

RESTAURATEURS are the latest group to be targeted by Cosmo-Net, a German publisher of spurious hotel guides, which may be using illegal methods to sell advertising space.

The company is requesting details of restaurants for its Europe's Restaurant Guide, but in the past businesses which have supplied details for its hotel guides have then been charged for advertising space.

RACISM COMPLAINT

A MEMBER of staff at London's Hilaire restaurant was this week suspended pending disciplinary action after ITV's The London Programme showed her turning down a job applicant because he was black.

Chef-proprietor Bryan Webb told Caterer he had been horrified at the woman's action, and said less than 40% of staff recruited in the past year had been white.

SAVOY SOARS

AMID renewed speculation over Forte's intentions, shares in the Savoy Group this week continued their upwards spiral of recent weeks, touching 1125p on monday compared to a low last year of 700p.