Caterer and Hotelkeeper – 6226

unfair dismissal

THE owners of Murrayshall Hotel, near Perth, were last week ordered to pay £1,800 compensation to Jacqueline Sangster, wife of the hotel's former head chef Bruce Sangster, after an industrial tribunal ruled she had been unfairly dismissed.

Mrs Sangster, who worked in the hotel's sales department, was made redundant in January last year. However, the tribunal ruled another member of staff with a poor work record should have been selected.

The award follows one of £1,500 to Mr Sangster, who was made redundant from the hotel a month before his wife. In his case, the tribunal ruled the hotel should have consulted Mr Sangster before taking its decision (Caterer, 11 November 1993).

financial wizards

MANAGERS from London's Cumberland Hotel have revived the fortunes of a loss-making, 80-bedroom provincial hotel, making £1.322m in the past two years despite the recession.

That figure, however, is only a paper profit in a computer business game held last week during World of Hospitality at Earls Court. Their real reward is a trip to Champagne courtesy of Moât & Chandon.

The Cumberland, represented by financial controller Amanda Newton, rooms manager Beverly King and deputy general manager Chris Rowlinson, was one of 31 teams taking part in the challenge, which was run by the HCIMA and the Total Simulator Company.

Runner-up was Compass Hotels, which made £1.316m, followed by Brighton College of Further Education.