Entries flood in for perfect pub gong
Greene King has received more than 10,000 entries for its Abbot Ale Perfect Pub Award. The promotion, in conjunction with the Daily Telegraph, invited readers to vote for their perfect pub. Judges will shortlist 12 regional winners before naming the national winner.
Draught quality push by M&B
Mitchells & Butlers has developed a draught beer quality programme in a bid to deliver a consistent drinking experience to its customers. Newly appointed beer quality manager John Scaife hopes to develop a quality culture within the company through a combination of accredited industry training, education and a clear audit system.
Brewing Awards head to Munich
The Brewing Industry International Awards will be held outside Britain for the first time this year. They will take place at the drinks exhibition Drinktec 2005 at the Munich Trade Fair Centre in Germany from 12 to 17 September. The Morning Advertiser is sponsoring the Cask Ale category. The entry fee is expected to be the same as last year £170 plus VAT. For more information see www.brewingawards.org.
New recruits give Union thumbs up
Almost 90% of Union's new tenants would recommend the pubco as an easy one to deal with, according to the company's latest research. Training was "excellent", while 96% said their lease agreement and paperwork was easy to understand. A total of 93% rated the advice on food profitability as being average to very good compared to 56% last year.
FSA to test spice for illegal dyes
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is to test all imported spices including chilli powder and paprika for illegal dyes. The tests come in response to the recent Sudan 1 alert which led to the biggest food recall in Britain. Bart Spices is recalling its own-brand ground paprika and Co-op brand ground paprika due to its contamination with the illegal dye Para Red.
Pipped to the post in Hell's Kitchen
Pub chef Kelli Cresswell finished runner-up in ITV's cookery show Hell's Kitchen. Cresswell, of the Ship Inn in Lower Upnor, near Strood, was part of Jean-Christophe Novelli's team but lost out on the £250,000 top prize to catering boss Terry Miller.
