Fat Duck's back yard is an eyesore, complain neighbours – For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say

01 November 2010 by
Fat Duck's back yard is an eyesore, complain neighbours – For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say

Fat Duck's back yard is an eyesore, complain neighbours Neighbours of the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, have complained to Windsor and Maidenhead council that the three-Michelin-starred restaurant's back yard is a noisy eyesore. Their complaints include protests about a canvas tent storing crockery, eight wooden sheds serving as larders and five trestle tables they allege are used for staff meals and food preparation - a point the Fat Duck denies. Residents also objected to swearing staff holding all-day parties and the clatter of pots and pans from early morning to early night. Chef-proprietor Heston Blumenthal has applied for planning permission to replace the sheds with a purpose-built kitchen extension, but the scheme was opposed by Bray parish as "overbearing, intrusive and unneighbourly". Windsor and Maidenhead council is expected to announce its decision on 5 November on a revised proposal which, said the Fat Duck, "took into consideration local opinion." - 30 October
Read the full article inThe Daily Mail>>

Hotel guest starved to death after telling staff not to disturb him A hotel guest was found starved to death two weeks after he ordered staff at a luxury London hotel not to disturb him. Kieran Toman, 39, booked into the Hyde Park Towers hotel in Bayswater on 9 July for a five-month stay and told staff not to enter his room without permission. He was discovered dead in his en-suite bathroom on 23 July after a cleaner reported an unpleasant smell coming from his room. Toman was said to have had all his worldly goods with him, including a notebook full of spidery writing in capital letters with ‘paranoid' content. Toxicology reports found nothing of note and police said the death was not being treated as suspicious. Assistant deputy coroner Dr William Dolman recorded an open verdict, giving the cause of death as emaciation. - 30 October
Read the full article inThe Daily Mail>>

West Dunbartonshire calls time on new liquor licences West Dunbartonshire has become the first Scottish council to call time on new liquor licences in a bid to tackle its chronic alcohol problems. One in 20 of its residents are alcohol-dependent, one of the highest figures in western Europe. It also has the second highest number of licensed premises in Scotland per head and the third highest rate of alcohol-related deaths in the UK. The council will refuse all future licence applications - excepting hotels and restaurants - in 15 of its 18 areas (including Clydebank, Dumbarton and Loch Lomond) and firms seeking a liquor licence in the three exempted locations would have to prove they would not attract customers from over-provided sectors. The announcement was condemned by the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, which anticipated a challenge. Glasgow authority has also concluded that some of its popular nightlife haunts have their full quota of venues, and Scottish Borders is expected to announce that it, too, has reached its limit of licensed premises. - 29 October
Read the full article inThe Herald>>

Protected status sought for Jersey cream Dairy farmers in Jersey are seeking Protected Designated Origin (PDO) status for Jersey cream from the European Union. They feel the cream should only bear the Jersey name if it has been made on the Channel Island and not if it has been made from Jersey cows in mainland Britain. Christopher Journeaux, marketing director at farmers' co-operative Jersey Dairy, argued that the cream made on the island had a ‘unique' taste. "Jersey cows are renowned for the quality of their milk but the ones over here enjoy a longer grazing period - from February to early November - than their cousins on British mainland soil," he said. "We believe that it is this long period on grass combined with the unique environment of Jersey with its long hours of sunshine and sea air makes our dairy products so sought after." Only a limited number of products have PDO status, including Champagne, Parma ham, Melton Mowbray pork pies, Cornish clotted cream, and Jersey royal potatoes. - 30 October
Read the full article inThe Daily Telegraph >>

Brazilian McDonald's manager wins £11,000 for obesity A former McDonald's franchise manager in Brazil has been awarded $17,500 (£11,000) over claims that he became obese during his 12 years' employment with the fast-food giant. The unnamed 32-year-old said he gained 65 pounds over this period because he was forced to sample the food each day in case he received a random visit from mystery clients hired by McDonald's to report on in-store standards. The manager also blamed his weight gain on the free lunches offered to employees. McDonald's, which has been given leave to appeal, is weighing its legal options. The company, which now sells salads and fruit as well as hamburgers, pointed out that it offers healthier food options and "balanced menus to cater to the daily dietary needs of its employees." - 30th October
Read the full article inThe Daily MailandThe Daily Telegraph>>

Indian hotel faces charges over noisy celebrity wedding The managers of a luxury Indian hotel face court action for breaching noise regulations during the celebrity wedding of comedian Russell Brand and singer Katie Perry last week. The couple got married at the Aman-i-Khas resort near the Ranthambhore wildlife park in the north west state of Rajasthan on 23 October. Their late-night wedding party broke laws against loud music after 10pm and exceeded the 45-decibel limit. Sawaimadhopur district official Ravi Kumar Surpur said the hotel management would be held responsible for the violations. According to criminal lawyer Samundra Singh, they could face a fine or a few days in jail. - 30 October
Read the full article inThe Independent>>

By Angela Frewin

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