Food file - What's up…
Yates Group has launched the first highstreet pub Atkins-style menu.
The chain will trial a menu based on the high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet in its 130 branches this month. Yates expects the Atkins-style menu to prove popular among the three million Brits believed to have attempted the regime, as well as other diet-conscious customers. It has been developed by Yates' new head of food, Richard Gornall, who joined the company last month from Virgin Atlantic. The group's new Atkins menu includes the Yates breakfast, a hot steak and mozzarella salad and the Yates burger.
HARDYS & HANSONS has launched its latest Slimming World menu. The dishes on the new menu have all been approved by the national slimming club. Menus highlight which foods can be eaten freely or which have "syn values", Slimming World's alternative to calorie or fat counting. The menu has been featured in Hardys & Hansons pubs for two years.
Trade groups have criticised a suggestion by the head of the country's leading food industry group that menus should be labelled with calorie and fat contents. John Sunderland, president of the FOOD & DRINK FEDERATION and chairman of CADBURY SCHWEPPES, wants to see nutritional information displayed in pubs, restaurants and takeaways.
The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers says labelling will be unworkable because of the difficulty in standardising portion sizes, and the British Beer and Pub Association says diners do not want to wade through a menu "the size of War and Peace". Mike Gottlieb, president of the Restaurant Association, said: "It may be possible for fastfood companies, however, there is no way a restaurant could come up with a calorie content of a particular dish which uses so many ingredients."
BOOKER has launched its search for the UK's most outstanding caterers in the Booker Prize for Excellence 2004. Now in its 12th year, the competition will culminate in an awards ceremony on 24 June. This year's prize includes best pub caterer, best young chef and best caterer categories. All individual category winners will be awarded £500 of Booker vouchers, with the overall winner of the Best Caterer winning an additional £750 of Booker vouchers. The awards are open to all independent caterers. Entry forms are available from all Booker branches and from the Booker Prize for Excellence office on 0121 7767788. Closing date for entries is 5 March.
SPIRIT GROUP has introduced a reward scheme for employees in its branded pubs division. Its "SAS superstar cheque" system aims to reward staff for their efforts. All retail managers have a "cheque book" and can hand over cheques to staff as a thank you for all their hard work. Each cheque is a £10 voucher that's valid anywhere in the former S&N Retail estate. Red Letter days, weekends in Europe and a world-wide trip worth £3,000 will be awarded throughout the year.
