Table talk
l How to give guests some get up and go
THE 58-bedroom Milestone hotel in London's Kensington has come up with a bizarre alternative to chocolates on the pillow. Instead of the sweet treat, housekeepers are leaving a small parcel of prunes. A label attached to the gift explains that prunes are an "excellent source of soluble fibre which prevents constipation and in turn helps reduce cancer risk". The note continues: "They have heart-protecting qualities as well, and their high potassium regulates blood pressure."
Tijen Edwards, assistant housekeeper, says: "I like prunes but when I tried them they made my stomach work quickly." Brings new meaning to the phrase "regular guests".
l Chinese take-away gets a new meaning
STAFF at the 60-seat Golden Panda Chinese restaurant in Tiverton, Devon, were taken aback when a couple asked not for dinner, but a translation service.
According to an article in The Mirror, Simon and Sara Bor of Tiverton had spent two years arranging to adopt a Chinese baby named Aimei. But when they received the child's details they were written in Mandarin. So they took the papers to the restaurant and asked staff to translate them. Two weeks later the pair flew to China to collect Aimei. Fuchsia Hong, an assistant at the restaurant, says: "I think it was the most unusual request we have ever had."
l Just as mama used to make?
ONLY a hard-bitten cynic would say that branding a product means lying about it, but it can mean presenting the facts in a peculiar fashion. Costa Coffee is no different from a dozen other British coffee-shop chains in its desire to promote a strong identity, in this case an Italian one. But "the real Italian coffee experts" may be going a little over the top by calling their latest staff discussion meetings "Partecipare in Costa" (get involved in Costa). Lest we forget, Costa is owned by Whitbread and roasts its beans in south London. Not exactly Milan, but perhaps this is what they mean by "brand truth".
l Canny canine saves the day
HOTELIER Colin Stokes had a lucky escape when Beethoven, his St Bernard, dug up a bomb on Walmer beach in Kent. Stokes, owner of the five-bedroom Roast House Lodge in Deal, grabbed the bomb and carried it to the top of the beach where it was inspected by a bomb-disposal unit. The team found it was live and took it out to sea to detonate. Stokes says: "I used to work in the coal mines where I handled explosives so I wasn't too afraid, but when I found out it was live I realised I could have killed myself." He adds: "The dog was the hero. I was just the silly fool who carried it up the beach."
l This way to the powder room…
Much excitement at the Steinberger Park hotel in Dsseldorf, according to a piece in Top Hotel, a sort of Teutonic Caterer. TV company ZDF spent 17 days there recently, filming a romantic comedy. But in the confusion of the shoot, the hotel's head doorman made a rare error. He mistook an Arab guest for one of the actors and ushered him straight into make-up.
