The week in brief: 26 January 2006
Clapham House buys new site Clapham House has bought a site in Covent Garden that will become its seventh Real Greek Souvlaki Bar and Restaurant. The group, which also owns the Bombay Bicycle Club and Gourmet Burger Kitchen brands, has acquired the ground floor and basement of the listed Kembles Head pub on Long Acre with a 25-year lease. The 50- to 60-seat restaurant will open just before Easter. The group will open new Gourmet Burger Kitchens in Kingston, Surrey, in May and in Brighton in June.
Barracuda nets £100m Pub company Barracuda has smashed through the £100m turnover barrier for the first time in its six-year history. The company saw turnover increase in the year ended 1 October by 15% to £108.8m (from £94.4m in 2004). Food sales at the group increased 30% over the year to £14m, compared with £10.8m a year ago. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation were 16% higher at £29.3m (£25.3m in 2004).
Northern Hospitality Awards Time is running out for entrants for Caterer's inaugural Northern Hospitality Awards, which will be held at a gala dinner on 27 March. There are seven awards, which will be presented to the best hotel, pub, bar, chef, manager and newcomer, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Category. Visit www.northernhospitalityawards.co.uk or contact Moorfield Media on 0161-2375155.
Silk relaunches Silk, the flagship restaurant at the Courthouse Kempinski hotel on Great Marlborough Street, London, has relaunched with a new chef and a new menu. The restaurant opened under the direction of head chef Elisha Carter, formerly of Lola's in Islington, in April last year but shut seven months later. The original menu, which offered a choice of Asian, Middle Eastern or Italian food, has been replaced with a mix of Indian and Thai cuisine under new head chef Bobby Kapoor.
The Compleat Angler
Caterer and Hotelkeeper would like to clarify that it was the Compleat Angler in Bimini, the Bahamas, that burnt down as stated on page 16 of last week's issue, and not the Macdonald hotel of the same name in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. We apologise for any confusion caused.
