Ways to store wine with no cellar

My new restaurant has no wine cellar. How should I store my wines to keep them in good condition?

An easily accessible storeroom, situated as close as possible to the dispense bar, should be suitable. The room should be free from natural light and vibration and capable of sustaining a fairly even temperature - ideally 10-14¼C (50-57¼F).

Wine bottles should be stored on their side, thus keeping the corks damp, expanded, sealed and airtight. For ease of identification, lie them with labels uppermost. The storeroom should be lockable, with wine racks and an area for storing cases of faster-moving house wines.

We have just taken over a hotel as a family and seem to be getting into a muddle about who is doing what. Being a family business, we don't want to tread on each other's toes. Have you got any suggestions?

I am surprised you did not consider this earlier. We recommend that purchasers, as soon as contracts are exchanged, sit down and decide what jobs each would like.

Make sure you have covered all the necessary tasks, such as letting the draymen in at 6am or serving drinks to residents until 3am! Normally at least 80% of jobs can be allocated this way. Then divide up the rest by mutual consent.

Stick to those guidelines and don't interfere in each other's work. Have a review after six months and swap jobs or particular tasks where necessary.

Ultimately, everyone should have an opportunity to develop skills in different departments.

By law, do we have to fit fly screens at all our windows?

No, the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 state in Chapter 2.1(d): "Windows and other openings must be constructed to prevent the accumulation of dirt. Those which can be opened to the outside environment must, where necessary, be fitted with insect-proof screens which can be easily removed for cleaning. Where open windows would result in contamination of foodstuffs, windows must remain closed and fixed during production."

This means that, where windows do not need to be open, they can be fixed shut. Where they are unlikely to attract insects, eg, on the tenth floor of an office block where few insects ascend, windows may be used without breaking the legal requirement or putting food at risk.

If windows are situated in a high risk area, eg, next to the bins, you will need screens if you wish to open them during production. It is a good idea to ask your local EHO for advice before he makes an official visit.

My pub's reputation is suffering because of an incident that happened in the car park. Any security tips?

It's amazing how little attention is paid to car parks, yet activity in such places can seriously affect people's businesses.

The simplest way to improve security is the installation of closed-circuit television cameras. This is expensive but effective, and they need to be backed up with signs and good lighting. A well-lit car park is essential. How much safer would your clientele feel? How much safer would you feel going out to check it?

The biggest problem with car parks is the people who leave their cars in them. For some reason, tourists feel they are immune to car theft. Signs and verbal advice telling people not to leave items on display can be effective.

Encourage guests checking into hotels to remove their luggage from the car as close to the lobby as possible. If they leave things in the car overnight, tell them to put them in the boot and, where possible, park with the boot against a reasonably solid object such as a wall or hedge.

Cut back overhanging branches and overgrown bushes. Keep the car park clear of debris or anything that might make the area difficult to watch.