Forte thinks again on County title

Forte appears to be backtracking over its plans to use the brand name County for its new 80-strong hotel division after discovering that Queens Moat Houses (QMH) already uses the name.

Two weeks ago Forte announced the new grouping would trade under the County Hotels name. But Peter Cardnell, the division's managing director, said this week: "Most certainly the hotels will be given an external image, but it is undecided what that will be."

He added that "internally, the hotels will remain under the County name for the moment", pointing out that Forte had used the name County internally in the early 1980s.

Mr Cardnell said it was too early to guess what would happen to the 80 hotels - most of which are mid-range business and leisure properties that do not fit into Forte's brand structure - though disposal was one of the options.

"Everyone is aware that over the past few months there has been a positive movement from the commercial market, and even the leisure market is beginning to turn, so I see a strong market for them - it is a significant portfolio and an exciting job."

Mr Cardnell, who started with Forte as a management trainee 21 years ago, has taken on his new post after seven weeks at Stanford University in California, where he studied management techniques. Before that he was executive director at Forte Heritage for more than two years.

Elsewhere in Forte, Ian Pegler, executive director of Little Chef, left last week as part of an on-going reorganisation of the business.

Peter Smith, managing director of Forte Roadside Restaurants & Accommodation, told Caterer: "Over the past 18 months we have been strengthening our field management to enable greater focus on customer service. This has meant that we no longer require the position of executive director." There were no other senior management changes, he added.