Ramsay drops out of Rich List as Oliver leads the field – For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say

Ramsay drops out of Rich List as Oliver leads the field
Gordon Ramsay has dropped out of The Sunday Times Rich List, which rated his fortune last year at £50m, while rival chef Jamie Oliver is believed to have become the wealthiest celebrity chef with an estimated £40m fortune. The list, which will be published online on Tuesday, has been dubbed the ‘bonfire of the billionaires', with the total tumbling from 76 to 43. The global recession has slashed the Rich List'sThe Times and The Sunday Times >>

Fearnley-Whittingstall protests over chicken welfare
Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall joined members of Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) to protest outside the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) yesterday over new EU legislation that threatens the welfare of battery chickens. It would increase the density of birds per square metre from 17 to 24, which CIWF likens to adding 11,500 chickens to a shed that already holds 50,0000, leaving each with less space than an A4 sheet. "People have become increasingly concerned about the conditions their food has been raised in. Consumers, especially those on tight budgets, rely on the Government to ensure food they have access to is of an acceptable ethical standard," said Fearnley-Whittingstall. EU research shows a sharp increase in welfare problems, such as lameness and lung failure, in densities above 15 birds. - 25 April, Read the full article in the Independent >>

Punch plans cut-price pub makeover
Punch Taverns will this week announce plans for a cut-price makeover of up to a quarter of its managed pubs, including a new carvery pub format to compete with Mitchells & Butlers. If successful, the plan will earn Mike Tye, head of the Spirit Group arm, up to nine times his base salary in bonuses and incentives - a package unpopular with more than a third of Punch shareholders. However, Tye will have to turn around the under-performing Spirit pubs within the constraints of the 20% cut in the division's capital expenditure budget for the year to September that was announced in January. - 26 April, Read the full article in the Observer >>

Missing chef hunt now suspected murder
The investigation into missing York University chef Claudia Lawrence , who was last seen five weeks ago, has now been classified as suspected murder. Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway said: "At the moment we have no proof of Claudia's death. However, five weeks on from her disappearance we also have no proof of her life. The investigation is now being formally classified as one of suspected murder." Lawrence, 35, has not been seen since finishing work at Goodricke College in York on 18 March and police fear she may have come to harm after meeting up with someone she knew. Her father, Peter Lawrence, she he believed his daughter was still alive. Meanwhile, Crimestoppers has put up a £10,000 reward in connection with the investigation. - 25 April, Read the full article in the Independent >>

Jamie Oliver signs crockery deal with Churchill China. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has set up a licensing deal with Churchill China to produce Jamie Oliver-branded crockery. The china-maker, which is based in Stoke-on-Trent, acquired the rights from Royal Worcester, which went into administration in November and has now been bought by Portmeirion. A spokesman for Churchill said: "The plan is developing branded ceramics for mid-market and mass market in the UK and to export. Some will be manufactured in Stoke and Jamie will be involved in the design process." - 25 April, Read the full article in The Times >>

By Angela Frewin

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