in brief

BHA AGREEMENT

The British Hospitality Association will represent the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation in Westminster and Brussels in an agreement similar to that signed with the National Council of Hotel Associations last year.

PERFECT CHIP SECRET

The recipe for the "perfect chip" will be unveiled next week between 19 and 25 February during National Chip Week. Britons eat 38,000 tonnes of chips each week, according to the British Potato Council. Details of events can be found on www.chipweek.co.uk.

SCANDIC SALES RISE

Scandic Hotels boosted pre-tax profit by 24% to SKr460m (£32.9m) in 2000, while sales rose by 14% to SKr5.97b (£426.5m). During the year, it bought Provobis Hotel and Restauranger, which has 16 hotels and four restaurants in Sweden.

OPENING DATE SET

Whitbread has pinpointed mid-2002 for the opening of its new Travel Inn Capital at London Heathrow, which will be the largest budget hotel in the UK and the third-largest in Europe. The 614-bedroom hotel announced late last year represents a £39m investment.

LICENSEE FINED

Joseph Concannon, licensee of Scottish and Newcastle's Hog in the Pound pub in London's South Moulton Street, was fined £1,000 at Horseferry Road Magistrates' Court last week for adulterating Strongbow cider by up to 20% with water. He was also ordered to pay Westminster City Council's legal costs of £6,500.