News round-up
Oxford hotel aims for four stars
The Oxford hotel has been relaunched by the Paramount Group after an £11m rebuild that has upgraded it to four-star status. The hotel, two miles from Oxford city centre, now offers 168 designer bedrooms, including four designated disabled rooms, 22 meeting rooms, a business centre, a conference venue for up to 300 delegates, and the Bodysense leisure club.
Catering Alliance has new regional office
Contract caterer Catering Alliance has opened a new regional office near Swindon, Wiltshire, to serve its growing customer base in the South-west of England and South Wales. The new office will be in Wootton Bassett and will house nine staff. It will be headed by director south-west Tony Cook. The company has 185 contracts in total and turned over £30m last year.
Fosters opens castle restaurant
Fosters Event Catering has opened a restaurant in Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, near Cheltenham, under an open-ended contract. The deal is worth £300,000. The 70-seat restaurant, which opened last week in the castle's baronial banqueting hall, will be open seven days a week from 10am to 4.30pm. There is seating for a further 70 guests outside.
The company had already been providing party and banqueting services in the castle. Fosters also does the banqueting at nearby venues including @tBristol, the SS Great Britain, Leigh Court, the Mansion House (Bristol), Bradley House and Goldney Hall.
Compass launches graduate scheme
Compass Group and Oxford Brookes University have got together to launch a graduate apprenticeship. Graduates aged between 22 and 25 who work for Medirest, Scolarest, Eurest Criminal Justice and Eurest Defence Support Services, all divisions of Compass, will be able to undertake study workshops and workplace learning over the next year as part of the apprenticeship.
McKerracher takes over Helyar Arms
Former Restaurant Association chief executive Ian McKerracher, who left the association last September to spend more time with his family, has a new job pulling pints in his local pub.
He has bought the six-bedroom Helyar Arms in East Coker, Somerset, a 15th-century pub with a 40-seat restaurant, a skittle alley and garden. McKerracher said the landlord approached him in the new year asking him if he would like to buy the pub. After a few months he decided to take it over. McKerracher says he plans to turn the pub into a "real food pub".
Medirest sets up English course
Healthcare caterer Medirest and union Unison have teamed up to implement an English language training programme to help catering and cleaning staff who speak English as a second language. Medirest workers at London hospitals in Hillingdon, Chase Farm, Kingston, Hammersmith, Ealing and Charing Cross will be able to take part in the course.
