23 of the Most Influential Women in Hospitality, Passenger Transport, Travel and Tourism to Be Inducted To Women 1st Top 100 Club

Women 1st has announced that it will be inducting 23 new women into its prestigious Top 100 Club of the most influential women in hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism. Current members include Delia Smith CBE, Angela Hartnett MBE, Sandie Dawe MBE and Jill Stein. The Top 100 Club is designed to celebrate the very best in female achievement and to highlight the role models and leaders who have achieved success at the highest levels.

Last year’s inductees included Debbie White, chief executive UK and Ireland, Sodexo Ltd., Suzanne Jackson, executive director, The Hospitality Guild and Alison Gilbert, human resources director, CH&Co.

The new inductees to the Top 100 Club and the winners of the 2013 Women 1st Shine Awards will be announced at a gala dinner on 19 June 2013 at the London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square following the second annual Women 1st Conference.

Sharon Glancy, founder of Women 1st says: “Despite our industry being one of the most vibrant and dynamic, women continue to struggle to climb up the career ladder.  The Top 100 Club gives us the opportunity to showcase the visible impact and inspiration women in our industries provide and in turn, encourage others to follow such success and become the role models of tomorrow.  Women continue to make an outstanding contribution to our industry and their efforts should be recognised and celebrated.”

Tickets for the Women 1st Conference, including joint tickets for the conference and Shine Awards, can be booked at www.women1st.co.uk/conference.

Women 1st is the brainchild of sector skills council People 1st, which set up the initiative in 2009 after it found that whilst almost 60 percent of the hospitality workforce is female, only six percent of board director positions are held by women. To date it has supported over 1,000 women through its training and mentoring programmes.

Get your thinking caps on for hospitality action’s great british quiz – just three weeks left to book your places!

Industry charity Hospitality Action, will host the ultimate test of all things British at its first ever Great British Quiz, on Tuesday, 9^th July.

Taking place at Emirates Stadium, this challenging evening out will be the perfect evening to network, entertain colleagues or treat your team, as guests battle it out over questions from categories including music, sport and entertainment. The funds raised at the quiz will go towards helping those most in need across the hospitality industry.

Penny Moore, CEO, Hospitality Action, said: “From William Shakespeare to JK Rowling, Sir Bruce Forsyth to Sir Chris Hoy, our Great British Quiz will be a celebration of all things our Fair Isle has to offer! We are excited to be at Emirates Stadium for the first time and are looking forward to crowning our 2013 Great British Quiz champion.”

Guests will enjoy a three-course meal, including a starter of Cornish lobster salad and a main course of homemade steak and mushroom pudding with seared calves’ liver and poached fillet of beef. Guests will also have the opportunity to bid on some very exclusive lots in the charity auction, including:

• A cabaret evening of dinner and dancing for four at The Ritz, kindly donated by Unilever Foodsolutions
• Four tickets in the Delaware North Suite at Emirates Stadium for a Premier League fixture including full hospitality, kindly donated by Delaware North
• A round of golf for four people at Stoke Park Golf Club, Buckinghamshire, kindly donated by Baxter Storey.

Tickets cost £110 each or £1,000 for a table of 10 and include a drinks reception, three-course meal and half a bottle of wine per person, goody bag and quiz entry. For further information, visit www.hospitalityaction.org.uk/events, email fundraising@hospitalityaction.org.uk or telephone: 020 3004 5504. The evening is being sponsored by 3663 and Delaware North Companies.

For more information about Hospitality Action or to register your interest, visit the charity’s website www.hospitalityaction.org.uk

Today, consumers know what they want, when they want it. They’re looking for products they trust, and want suppliers to be transparent in their communications and behaviour.

In line with its commitment to operate effectively, efficiently and responsibly, in 2010, Unilever launched its Sustainable Living Plan. It’s a 10-year strategy to embed sustainable values into every part of the business. The overarching goals include: halving the environmental footprint of its ingredients; sourcing 100% of its agricultural raw materials sustainably; and helping a billion people take action to improve their health and wellbeing.

The plan is very unique because it applies to Unilever’s entire portfolio of brands, across all 170 countries in which they are sold, guaranteeing that the company will drive global change. Unilever also recognises that it has a responsibility across the entire supply chain, ensuring it supports the livelihood of millions. From introducing more sustainable packaging to reworking classic recipes to make them healthier, Unilever promises to improve – always.

Unilever Food Solutions – a specialist provider of modern professional ingredients for the hospitality and foodservice industry – has announced its own set of targets to contribute to Sustainable Living Plan.

By 2020, Unilever Food Solutions globally will:

1. Help chefs make 200 million meals daily healthier, tastier and more enjoyable.
2. Help chefs to run a more efficient kitchen and reduce their waste.
3. Source 100% of agricultural raw materials sustainably.

In the UK, Unilever Food Solutions will support these global targets by achieving the following over the next 12 months:

• Helping chefs to achieve at least a 5% reduction in food waste.
• Helping chefs to provide more healthy and nutritious meals to at least 1 million people, including students.

The goals are ambitious, but over time and by working together as an industry, they can be achieved. What’s more, it gives Unilever Food Solutions the opportunity to develop the great work it’s already started in these areas.

Today, it’s launching an industry’s first, free ‘Wise up on Waste’ mobile app to revolutionise the way chefs manage avoidable food waste – challenging them to cut waste by at least 5%. Packed full of tips, advice, videos and resources to manage a bespoke waste audit, it will improve efficiently and profitability.

In addition to this, Unilever Food Solutions is continuing to provide free tools to help chefs reduce calories in their dishes, without compromising on taste. From online Calorie Calculators to a range of ‘500-calories or less’ recipes, these resources complement Unilever Food Solutions’ training programme that was launched last year to help lecturers raise awareness and improve catering students’ knowledge of nutrition in the workplace.

For more information on Unilever Food Solution’s Sustainable Living Plan, visit: http://www.sustainable-living.unilever.com/

On the eve of the British Hospitality and Tourism Summit, the hospitality industry which employs 10% of the UK workforce, is calling on the government to take more seriously the growth opportunities that can be provided by hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions.

Less than a year after the greatest global advertising campaign for the UK, the Olympic Legacy is in danger of being forgotten according to the BHA. The BHA believes that the government must act, rather than just talk about four key issues on which the success of the hospitality and tourism industry depends:

• Structural organisation at the highest level of government to create a cross-ministerial task force to shape the growth strategy for the hospitality and tourism industry and then oversee its delivery across all government departments.
• Make a step change to improve the UK visa application procedure and the current perceptions of inbound visitors on the exorbitant cost airport taxes and the complexity of getting a UK visa.
• Take decisive action on increasing airport capacity.
• Cut VAT on tourism to 5% so UK visitor accommodation and attractions aren’t further priced out of the market by European competitors.

The hospitality and tourism industry is ideally placed to create employment in every corner of the UK and also to tackle youth unemployment. At the British Hospitality and Tourism Summit, the BHA will announce that the UK’s hospitality and tourism industries have been able to create over 30,000 new job opportunities for young people which will become available by 2015.

Ufi Ibrahim – Chief Executive of the British Hospitality Association said:

“We present a clear choice for the Government and the hospitality industry. Either we are content with a ‘steady as she goes’ approach or we jointly pilot a path for a more ambitious strategy. Growth is getting harder to maintain because of international competition and the weak economy.

“Hospitality and tourism is a great British success story demonstrating huge economic potential for export and staycations. Feasts and festivals, hiking and heritage, picnics and parties, rollercoasters and rock music – hospitality and tourism businesses deliver all of these enjoyable activities. But these have a serious side and that is generating growth and jobs for the UK. The government must aim to take global competition seriously and act like a major competitor in the global hospitality and tourism marketplace.”

Grant Hearn, Travelodge Chief Executive said: “The BHA is demonstrating real leadership in bringing the tourism industry together and providing an agenda for growth. However, without proper Government support, it is difficult to know what else the industry can do. Despite operating in a demanding environment, tourism continues to be one of Britain’s most successful industries, generating over one quarter (27%) of all new jobs created since 2010.

We cannot unleash the true potential of the industry until the Government prioritises tourism, and takes steps to remove some of the issues and barriers that prevent growth. I urge the Government to take immediate action and to start treating the industry as the fourth largest in the country and the key provider of new jobs.

Simon Vincent, president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Hilton Worldwide said:  “The hospitality industry is the UK’s fifth largest sector, worth well in excess of £100bn a year, and as such it needs to be viewed by the Government as an export industry. Government and industry working together is essential to increasing our global competitiveness in areas such as visa reform, infrastructure development and investment in young people to ensure the UK remains best in class. With over 100 hotels in the UK and 23 in the pipeline, Hilton Worldwide looks forward to working with Government to drive forward the necessary reforms to ensure the industry realises its potential.”

Hot on the heels of being awarded a second AA Rosette for The Lakes Restaurant, Suffolk’s family-owned Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa has been awarded Four Star hotel rating.  

The accolade from the AA reflects the consistent high standards and superb facilities on offer at the Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa, as well as the excellent service provided by its staff.

Susanna Rendall, Managing Director of Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa, said: “Achieving Four Star AA rating reflects the investment and enhancements we have made in recent years to offer our guests an even more luxurious experience when they visit.  

“We pride ourselves on our excellent standards and personal attention to detail and this is a fantastic reward for everyone’s hard work at Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa.”

Located in a designated ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ on the Suffolk/Essex border, Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa is set in 300-acres of glorious Constable Country. The outstanding facilities include, two renowned 18-hole championship golf courses, a state-of-the-art fitness centre and spa, extensive conference and banqueting suites and 80 contemporary style bedrooms. There are also five exquisite self-catered Country Lodges in the grounds that were completed last year.

The recent award of a second AA Rosette puts The Lakes Restaurant in the top 5% nationally, and is a tribute to the consistent high standards of the food and the quality of ingredients.

The team at the restaurant, led by Executive Head Chef, Alan Paton, prides itself in using local seasonal produce, including apples, berries and asparagus, which are grown on the hotel owners’ adjacent family farm.

Ladies European Tour international golf event and Pro Am to be held at Stoke by Nayland this September

The Professional Golfers’ Association is increasing its support of the women’s game with the launch of a new tournament on the Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS). This exciting development in women’s golf will see The WPGA International Challenge supported by Stoke by Nayland Hotel Golf & Spa added to the LETAS schedule and played at the venue on September 26-28. The 54-hole tournament, which is the only event on the LETAS schedule to be played in the United Kingdom, will feature an international field of 120 players competing for a share of the €25,000 prize fund.  Entry for spectators is free of charge.

There will be an opportunity for 20 WPGA members to compete in the event.  In addition, with the support of England Golf, 20 elite female amateurs will also compete in the event.  The new tournament, which will provide additional playing opportunities for elite WPGA members and leading English female amateurs, has been widely welcomed by all involved in bringing the event to fruition.

Di Barnard, Tour Director LET Access Series said: “We are delighted to announce the addition of the WPGA International Challenge to the 2013 LETAS schedule. There is a very strong golfing community in the UK and a large representation of players from this region on both the LET and LETAS.

We are looking forward to working with the PGA and also the venue, Stoke by Nayland Hotel Golf & Spa, which will offer first class facilities for the players. The LET Access Series was formed to create additional playing opportunities for female golfers and also to provide an important link between elite amateur and professional golf. We are also delighted to have the support of England Golf and will welcome a number of elite English amateurs to compete in the event.”

The PGA’s chief executive, Sandy Jones, commented: “We have been discussing with LET for some time the concept and creation of this event. It therefore gives me much pleasure to now be able to announce the WPGA international challenge on the LETAS Schedule.   I am also very pleased to say that we are presenting the event at Stoke by Nayland, a venue that is well known to us and has partnered the PGA on many past occasions to stage great golf events. “

Situated in a stunning “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” on the Suffolk/Essex border,  Stoke by Nayland has the experience of staging worldwide televised  European Challenge Tour, European Senior Tour and PGA Europro events, and is looking forward to gracing the international golf stage once more as the only UK destination on the 2013 LETAS schedule.  Susanna Rendall, managing director of the family-owned Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa, said: “We are really excited to be hosting the WPGA International Challenge here this September and look forward to welcoming these talented golfers here from all over the world – and to playing our part in helping to promote Women’s international golf.  We are particularly pleased that one of our Stoke by Nayland members, Hannah Moul, who has been performing extremely well in National and Regional amateur events, will also be playing which I hope will encourage a local audience to come and cheer her on! ”

There will be a Pro Am tournament on Wednesday 25^th September followed by a Gala Dinner and prize giving, and keen amateurs are invited to take a team of 4, which will include one of the women professionals competing in the 3 day event.  For more details about the Pro Am please contact sales@stokebynayland.com or call 01206 265827/265801. Also visit www.stokebynayland.com

A meeting of minds at one of England’s finest stately homes chosen by G7 finance ministers & Central Bank Governors

Just over an hour from London, Hartwell House, part of the National Trust, is one of England’s most spectacular Stately Homes and the ideal destination for all manner of business & leisure activities. 2013 is the year the UK assumed the one-year Presidency of the G7, an informal forum of countries representing around half of global economic output. As part of the Presidency, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Governor of the Bank of England co-chaired a meeting at Hartwell House with G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors on Friday 10 May and Saturday 11 May.

Hartwell House is no stranger to people of influence: its most famous resident was Louis XVIII, exiled King of France, who lived here with his court for five years.  Built from the early 17^th century, this Grade I listed building in Buckinghamshire today has 52 bedrooms, all individually furnished with fine pictures and antiques. The house has both Jacobean and Georgian features with outstanding decorative plaster-work and panelling. Everything about Hartwell House creates an ambiance of greatness; from arrival – leading up to the house to the experience within the house; bedrooms, great hall, restaurant and spa.

The 90 acres of gardens and parkland are equally inspiring, laid out, at the start of the 18th century, in the formal style, with allées and garden buildings: temples, columns, an obelisk, garden statuary, canals and. They were later naturalised in the style of Capability Brown.

Dining at Hartwell House is a true Best of British experience which is why the restaurant has won several awards. Using locally sourced and home grown food the restaurant has established Aylesbury Duck as a must try dish at selected times of the year. Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea and Dinner are all offered here and several menus have been created. All meals are served in the principal dining room which was designed in the style of the eminent early 19^th century architect, Sir John Soane.

Guests can recharge by enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the Spa which offers an indoor pool lined with mosaic tiles, a steam room, sauna and a whirlpool bath. An extensive selection of spa treatments is offered using Aromatherapy Associates as the main brand, including a wide variety of body massages, facials, detoxifying treatments, bronzing treatments. A fully equipped gymnasium is also available.

Nearby Hartwell House, an abundance of historic sights await including Waddesdon Manor, Blenheim Palace and Stowe Landscape Gardens. For fans of shopping, Europe’s leading luxury designer outlet destination, Bicester Village, is located close by.

Whether you’re putting the mind to work or simply allowing mind and body to relax, Hartwell House & Spa offers the perfect setting for all. 

www.hartwell-house.com

Hartwell House, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP17 8NR, Tel: +44 (1296) 747444

Legacy Hotels and Resorts is spreading its geographical make-up following a sole and exclusive agreement to operate the rapidly expanding hotel assets of Surya Hotels.

The agreement brings an initial four, four-star hotels in the East of England under the Legacy banner with a total of 207 bedrooms.

The 79-bedroom Legacy Duke’s Head Hotel in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, is the largest of the properties followed by the 62-bedroom Legacy Mill Hotel in Sudbury, Suffolk, the 43-bedroom Legacy Great Hallingbury Hotel in Bishop’s Stortford, Essex, and the 30-bedroom Legacy Kingscliff Hotel in Holland-on-Sea, Essex.

Andy Townsend, chief executive officer at Legacy Hotels and Resorts which has its headquarters in Warwickshire, said: “We are delighted to have been entrusted with these great regional hotels – they are well positioned hotels with very enthusiastic teams.

“We are looking forward to operating in the East of England and developing each hotel which has benefited from significant investment over the past few years.

“Entering into business with Surya Hotels is an extremely exciting and significant development for us in our ninth year of trading – to have an investment partner with the desire and financial ability to acquire hotels assets and follow through with the funds to significantly refurbish and reposition the properties is a distinct strength to our growth plans.”

Surya Hotels’ former Commercial Director Brian van Oosten strengthens the Legacy senior team as Regional Operations Director.

Andy added: “Surya Hotels is continuing its expansion plans with the acquisition of another two significant hotels in Surrey with a combined total of 183 bedrooms – our teams are preparing for the completion and handover which is scheduled to be before the end of May.”

For dads who deserve a truly special treat this Father’s Day, five star ‘restaurant with rooms’ The Vineyard is offering the perfect way to celebrate the occasion.

Set in the heart of rural Berkshire, The Vineyard prides itself on its 30,000 strong wine cellar, with top class bottles from more than 20 countries. Guests can sample some of the most sought-after choices, including those home-grown by The Vineyard owner, Sir Peter Michael, on his estate in Sonoma. To compliment the wine, The Vineyard’s Executive Chef Daniel Galmiche (previously of Le Gavroche) has created a delicious tasting menu for guests to enjoy in the stunning setting of the hotel restaurant, which recently won Decanter/Laurent Perrier Restaurant of the Year 2012.

For Father’s Day, dads will be handed a complimentary drink of their choice to enjoy before dining on a sumptuous three course Sunday lunch. As an extra treat at the end of their meal, the hotel is also offering a fine bottle of Waterstone wine as a gift for each dad to take home.

For those who are left with a little extra time to indulge, The Vineyard’s stunning premises also feature the 5 Bubbles spa with full facilities. Dads can be fully pampered with special VitaMan treatments available on request, designed specifically for men and using deep relaxing massage techniques. Following an afternoon of indulgence, visitors can choose to extend their stay as long as they please in one of the hotel’s 49 boutique hotel suites from £279 including breakfast.

Father’s Day (Sunday 16^th June)

Three course meal including a complimentary drink for dads

Bottle of Waterstone wine to take home (for dads)

£39 per person

For more information or images, please contact Miranda Pitt or Stephanie Murray on

020 7828 0118 or vineyard@raincommunications.co.uk

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) will announce that the UK’s hospitality and tourism industries will create over 30,000 new job opportunities for young people by 2015. The BHA will inform Mark Hoban MP, Minister of State for Employment of the pledge as it hosts its annual Summit at the InterContinental London Park Lane on Tuesday 11 June, 2013.

The job opportunities are 14,832 permanent roles, 11,103 apprenticeships, and 5,157 paid university work placements. The pledges have been made at a series of nine Big Hospitality Conversation events which have taken place over the last 12 months across the UK from Scotland to the South West. Over 1,200 industry representatives attended these events and made job opportunity pledges including the largest hospitality organisations in the UK such as Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, Accor, Hilton, Compass UK, Sodexo, Marriott, Bartlett Mitchell, BaxterStorey, SSP UK; small hotels, restaurants and catering organisations as well as the most prestigious names such as The Ritz, The Goring, Le Manoir aux Quait’ Saisons, The Savoy, and Belfry Hotel.

The Hospitality industry employs 10% of the national workforce and the BHA has coordinated the industry’s biggest job creation drive which aims to offer opportunities to unemployed young people in the UK. Hospitality is uniquely suited to getting young people on the first rung of a rewarding career ladder.

Mark Hoban, Employment Minister said:

“The collaboration between Jobcentre Plus and the British Hospitality Association has been extremely successful, and it’s fantastic to see the industry come together today with a further pledge to create 30,000 opportunities for young people.

“The hospitality industry provides a diverse range of career prospects for people of all ages, but particularly for young people who are starting out and still exploring what career path they would like to take. I’d encourage young people to seize these opportunities.”

Patrick Dempsey OBE, managing director of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, who is a driving force behind the campaign, says, “The industry has very many job vacancies for young people and the unemployed. The hospitality industry can give you a rewarding and meaningful career; if only more young people realised this.”

Led by the BHA, together with Business in the Community (one of the Prince of Wales’ charities) and the charity Springboard, the campaign involves a series of discussion-based events where industry leaders meet young people to find out what they have to say and to learn about the challenges they face in finding work, apprenticeships and work placements.

Alongside these events, the BHA is challenging every tourism and hospitality business in the UK to pledge to employ more people aged between 18 and 24 or to offer apprenticeships and paid university student work placements. The campaign will continue in the autumn.

Ufi Ibrahim, Chief Executive of the British Hospitality Association said: “The BHA is galvanising the industry to invest in our best resource – our young people – and from the response we have received so far this is happening. It’s a powerful message to take to government. ”

Angela Brav, IHG’s Chief Executive, Europe said: “Following the Olympics, we have a unique opportunity to build on this success and to keep showing the world just how innovative and ambitious we are. Equipping people with the skills to work in our industry is hugely important and vital if we are to fulfil this potential.  We are delighted to contribute to the BHA’s jobs pledge, by offering 400 apprenticeships in our 66 managed hotels over the next three years.  Our industry is brought to life by people, let’s work together to invest in them and in turn, our future.”

Anne Pierce MBE, CEO Springboard said: “Springboard is delighted to be part of the Big Conversation. We see this as a great way to bring together industry leaders and young people to create a meaningful dialogue resulting in many unemployed and disadvantaged young people gaining vital work experience, apprenticeship and employment opportunities. The number of pledges are amazing as they are leaving a legacy for job creation and growth for the UK hospitality industry.”

Simon Vincent, President EMEA, Hilton Worldwide said: “Increasing the competitiveness of the UK’s hospitality and tourism industry is key to a sustained recovery. With 112 hotels and 13,000 team members in the UK, Hilton Worldwide is committed to promoting employment opportunities for young people.  With relatively low barriers to entry, we are ideally placed to help tackle youth unemployment, provide lifelong careers, and ultimately stimulate and support growth in the UK economy.”

Nestlé Professional^® Managing Director Neil Stephens said: “As the fifth largest employer in the country, Hospitality has a collective responsibility to invest time and resource in nurturing and developing talent – in particular young talent – and creating opportunities that will either generate employment or make people employment-ready.  It’s for the greater good of both the hospitality industry and the wider economy.”

Karen Friebe, Real Estate Partner and Hospitality & Leisure Sector Head of international legal services firm DLA Piper commented: “We are highly supportive of the BHA’s initiative for 2013, which will build on the legacy of the Olympic games by bringing together key players in the hospitality and tourism industry to pledge jobs for young people, thereby creating new pathways to employment”