Fifty top hospitality professionals have been honoured as the best in their industry in the North of England, as part of the 2013 Northern Restaurant & Bar show, being held at Manchester Central.

The second NRB Top 50 list was chosen by panel of industry experts from the Russell Partnership. Winners were recognised for their influence, impact and overall eminence within the sector.

In addition to the top 50, three special achievement winners were honoured for their exceptional accomplishments.

They were: Carlo and Marcello Distefano, owners of the San Carlo Group of restaurants; two-Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan, who runs L’Enclume, Rogan & Co and the Pig & Whistle pub in Cartmel, Cumbria, as well as Roganic in London and is about to open two new restaurants at the Midland Hotel in Manchester; and Stephen Miles, general manager at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Manchester.

The 50 were:

• Martin Ainscough, Co-Owner, Ainscough Restaurants
• Paul Askew, Chef Patron, The London Carriageworks
• Mohammed Aslam MBE, Owner, Aagrah Group of Restaurants
• Tim Bacon & Jeremy Roberts, Managing Director & Commercial Director, Living Ventures
• Craig Bancroft & Nigel Haworth, Joint MD & Chef Patron, Northcote Manor
• Jonathan Barker, Joint Managing Director, Mitchells of Lancaster
• Simon Berry & Tim Berry, Managing Director & Director, English Lakes Hotels
• Tessa Bramley, Chef Patron, The Old Vicarage
• Andrew Buchanan, Operations Director, Daniel Thwaites
• Ken Buckley, Managing Director, Bravo Inns Ltd
• Marie Carter & Beau Myers, Owners, Beautiful Drinks
• James Crawfurd Porter, Managing Director, Tadcaster Pub Company
• Lynne D’Arcy, Managing Director, Trust Inns Ltd
• Morgan Davies, Co-Owner, Barburrito
• Carlo Distefano & Marcello Distefano, Chairman and Managing Director, San Carlo Group
• Sarah Dunning, Chief Executive, Westmorland Ltd
• Roy Ellis & Neil Macleod, CEO & Director, Inventive Leisure
• Mal Evans, Owner, Mojo Bars
• Cleo Farman, Owner, Odd Bar
• Ged Feltham, Managing Director, Leelex Ltd
• Jobe Ferguson & Ross Mckenzie, Directors, Black Dog (and TNQ Restaurant & Bar for Jobe)
• Duncan Fisher, Owner, The Apartment Group
• Anthony Flinn, Chef Patron, Anthony’s Restaurant
• David Fox & Nick Jeffrey, Owners, Tampopo
• Jonny Heyes, Owner, Port Street Beer House
• Richard Kershaw, Managing Director, Joseph Holts
• Terry Laybourne MBE, Chef Patron, 21 Hospitality Group
• William Lees Jones, Managing Director, J W Lees
• Colin Manning & Gary Manning, Directors, 60 Hope Street
• Vince Margiotta, Director, Il Forno & Sapporo
• Eammon Mcloughlin, Owner, Eclectic Hotels
• Stephen Miles, General Manager, Radisson Blu Edwardian Manchester
• Dave Mooney & Paul Newman, Owners, New Moon Pub Company
• Si Ord, Owner, Sandinista
• Steve Perez, Chairman, Casa Hotel
• Andrew Pern, Chef Patron, The Star at Harome
• Steve Pilling, Director, Damson
• Clive Preston, Chairman, Amber Taverns
• Peter Robinson & Oliver Robinson, Chairman and Managing Director, Frederic Robinson
• Simon Rogan, Chef Patron, L’Enclume
• Jonathan Slater, Managing Director, The Chester Grosvenor
• Humphrey Smith, Owner, Samuel Smiths
• Nick Taplin, Managing Director, Sanguine Hospitality
• Lorna Tyson MBE, Owner, Mere Brook House
• Richard Smith, Chef Patron, Relax Eat & Drink
• Steven Walker, CEO, Individual Restaurant Company
• Roger Ward, Owner, The Victorian Chophouse Compay
• Joel Wilkinson, Owner, Trof
• Martin Wolstencroft, Managing Director, Arc Inspirations
• Stewart Yip, Owner, Red Chilli

Thom Hetherington, managing director of Northern Restaurant & Bar, said: “Many congratulations to our three special achievement winners and the NRB Top 50 victors who have worked tirelessly to push boundaries and excel in their respective trades.

“This stellar line-up of restaurateurs, chefs, bartenders, entrepreneurs and business owners has helped to shape our region’s hospitality landscape, making it profitable, sustainable and visionary. I’d like to thank all those who entered this year’s awards – the standard was exceptionally high – and we look forward to hosting the third NRB Top 50 in 2014.”

Colliers International has appointed Paul Barrasford as a director in its London and South East hotels team. Paul joins the company with 15 years’ experience following previous roles at Savills and Christie & Co.

Julian Troup, Head of UK Hotels Agency at Colliers International said: “Paul brings a wealth of hotels experience and will complement our 40-strong existing team well. Client demand is increasing in the South East and we see a real opportunity to expand our business in that area.”

Colliers International has the largest wholly dedicated Hotels team in the UK, and, having sold more than 80 hotels during 2012 and is one of the most successful.

Paul Barrasford added: “There are some superb opportunities in the current market and demand is particularly strong for hotels within striking distance of London.

“Colliers has brokered some major corporate instructions in recent times and this side of the business is set to grow further as the benefits of the company’s globalisation firmly take root.”

Craig Bancroft said, “We are thrilled that Wayne is joining Ribble Valley Inns. It is exciting times and Wayne’s expertise will be vital in the growth of Ribble Valley Inns as we expand the group and move forward.”

In his previous role Wayne was Brand Director for SSP UK and Ireland responsible for the development of their bars, restaurants and franchise brands. During his time with SSP he was responsible for the successful opening of more than 150 bars and restaurants as well as introducing high street brands, such as Starbucks, into the travel sector.

Commenting on his appointment Wayne said, “I am absolutely delighted to be joining such a successful brand with a great team behind it that is highly revered by its peer group. We are committed to continue with the ethos of using local artisan suppliers to provide the finest food and drink ensuring we deliver a premium pub experience. I really look forward to improving our current estate and to further expand our brand and allow many more customers in different geographic areas to experience the Ribble Valley proposition.”

Bolton-based linen manufacturer and supplier – Richard Haworth – has launched an aggressive business growth strategy that will see it targeting airlines in a bid to expand on previous successes in that sector.

Virgin Atlantic has utilised Richard Haworth’s linens in its Upper Class airport lounge in Heathrow for over five years, so this is a natural next step for the company.

The business development department has been tasked with growing this sector in 2013 and has set itself an ambitious target of securing contracts with a minimum of one Middle Eastern and one European airline by Christmas.

Raj Ruia, managing director, said: “This is a really exciting new area of growth for us, at a time when air travel has become far more widely used, for both business and pleasure trips. The expansion of first class lounges and the increasingly competitive nature of aviation providers means there’s a wealth of untapped growth for us here.”

Richard Haworth, which provides high-end and budget linens to the hospitality sector, enjoys long-standing relationships with hotel groups, such as Radisson Blu and Crowne Plaza, as well as Holiday Inn. It operates one of the UK’s last remaining cut and sew manufacturing floors at its Victorian Mill headquarters, which is where it has been based since the Industrial Revolution in 1906.

Raj added: “We’ve already secured some warm leads and are confident it won’t be long until we’re able to confirm our next airline partner.”

Richard Haworth’s continued support of UK manufacturing shows no sign of abating and is demonstrated by the company’s focus on solely having British operations.

The management arm of the hotel development and ownership company Sanguine Hospitality has been acquired by the US-based global hotel management business Interstate Hotels & Resorts.

Interstate will take over the management of 10 hotels across the UK, including properties under Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn Express, Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton and Days Inn brands, with some featuring branded Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill and Frankie’s New York Italian Bar & Grill restaurants.

In total, the 14 hotels comprise more than 1,900 bedrooms. With the new hotels on board, Interstate now manages 51 hotels across Europe.

Jim Abrahamson, chief executive of Interstate Hotels & Resorts, said he was looking forward to the new alliance with the “exceptional teams” behind Sanguine.

“This relationship strategically positions Interstate for abundant future growth and opportunities throughout the region, and our global operating experience paired with long-standing, beneficial relationships with top international brands promise a successful future between Interstate and Sanguine,” he added.

Interstate will manage its new UK portfolio under long-term contracts, with dedicated, UK-based full-service operations, sales, finance, development, human resources and food and beverage services.

Simon Matthews-Williams, chairman of Sanguine Hospitality, said the new relationship with Interstate put the company on a new level, providing a platform for further growth. “From our initial meetings, it was clear that Interstate identified Sanguine as a progressive, successful and ambitious business,” he explained. “We are confident that this is the right move at the right time, not just for the business, but also for our excellent staff and loyal customers across our portfolio.”

Launched in 2005 by Matthews-Williams, Sanguine Hospitality intends to continue the development side of its business under managing director Nick Taplin. It has plans for future developments in Newcastle, Glasgow and London.

Interstate Hotels & Resorts is a 50/50 joint venture between subsidiaries of Thayer Lodging Group and Jin Jiang Hotels. It currently manages 344 hotels with more than 65,000 rooms in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, including six wholly owned hotels, and has agreed to manage a further 45 hotels under development.

The UK hotels that will now be managed by Interstate are: DoubleTree by Hilton Chester, DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol, Hampton by Hilton Birmingham, Holiday Inn Express Hoylake, Hotel Indigo Birmingham, Hotel Indigo Liverpool, Hotel Indigo Newcastle, Days Inn Liverpool and Days Hotel Chester North. Meanwhile, the hotels under development are Hampton by Hilton Sheffield, Hilton Ageas Bowl Southampton, Hampton by Hilton Exeter, Doubletree by Hilton Liverpool and Holiday Inn Express Birmingham.

Travelodge has started a £57m refurbishment programme  to transform the look of 30,000 of its rooms over the next 18 months.

The company, which said it would refit 50 rooms every day until the work was completed, hopes to have completed a makeover of 5,000 rooms by the end of May.

The first seven hotels to be renovated will be:

Travelodge London Covent Garden (641 rooms)
London City Road (392 rooms)
London Southwark (202 rooms)
Gatwick Airport (400 rooms)
Birmingham Yardley (64 rooms)
Hampshire Alton Fourmarks (50 rooms)
Lincoln Thorpe on the Hill (52 rooms)
The refurbishment programme is part of a £223m investment to help further grow the business Travelodge business.

Grant Hearn, Travelodge chief executive said: “Today is a momentous day at Travelodge, we are very excited to being rolling out our £57 million refurbishment programme across the estate. Refurbishing 30,000 hotel rooms is no easy task but our in-house maintenance team have been planning with military precision to ensure there is no disturbance to our day to day business, whilst this work is undertaken.

“This investment is a great leap forward in terms of our product offering, and it signals our intention to make Travelodge the smart choice for consumers as well as positioning us as the UK’s best value hotel chain.”

The new Travelodge room includes an upgraded “luxury” king size bed, known as the Travelodge Dreamer, produced by Sleepeezee, which has a 952 individual pocket sprung mattress. The Travelodge Dreamer also features two space saving truckle beds within its base, designed to replace the traditional sofa bed.

Other additions in the new Travelodge room include a larger desk, new carpet, artwork above the bed and a white contemporary en-suite bathroom.

The refit will also see a redesign of the hotel chain’s restaurants and public areas.

There is no escaping the fact the we are still experiencing tough times in the hospitality industry; looking back over my 30 year career in hotels I can scarcely remember a time when competition was so fierce. It is not all doom and gloom however: with high demands from clients comes the need to raise standards, and the hotel industry has responded to the challenge.

More and more at PH Hotels we are seeing long-term partnerships develop between our properties, such as Cranage Hall, and our corporate customers; this is particularly evident with training business. It’s not just about a great venue in a great location any more but about the expertise and specialist knowledge of the people at the hotel delivering excellence and innovation at every event. Recent BDRC research evidences this trend and I am proud to say that with our Inspirational Training offering we are blazing a trail, achieving the BDRC Venue Verdict Gold Standard for the last three quarters.

Understanding the requirements of the training, conferencing and meetings market is all about the skills and experience of the team. Customers are choosing to trust fewer venues with their business, and are seeking out the differentiators that set hotels apart from the norm. Inspirational Training at PH reflects just that: a one-stop, start-to-finish professional service that gives customers confidence and goes the extra mile. Clients such as Banks Sadler, a market-leading independent event management and venue finding service and car giants Rolls-Royce have remarked many times on how delighted they are with the hotel, the staff and the general atmosphere; it’s a pleasure for our team to make them so happy.

In my experience the bottom line is that if you don’t have an eye for detail you won’t get it right. Hotels should be asking themselves ‘What can we do that makes a real difference?’ Creating the right environment is key for success: we’re pleased to have developed a unique concept incorporating learning and business zones to support trainers and delegates plus all the comfort and technology you would expect from high-end venues. For added value we have also introduced alternative catering for attendees with a farmer’s market dining concept and unexpected extras such as car valeting which are always hugely popular.

It might be a lean market to operate in right now, but ultimately competition drives performance upwards which can only be a good thing. Meet the challenge head on and see where it takes you; you might even surprise yourself!

How great it is to see so much positivity in the hospitality industry this week! It’s such a welcome change to see a wave of good news after what’s been a dismal start to the year for other sectors – most notably retail. The big stories that grabbed my attention in the last seven days were Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant group getting back into the black; Tim Bacon and Aiden Byrne’s fine dining concept picking up pace in Manchester; and budget hotel chain, Travelodge, announcing £223 million of investment for 2013.

Creating 14 new Travelodge hotels, just months after going through a CVA, is an inspiration to us all. Most businesses have had to re-assess their strategies, or streamline their offerings to get through the difficult economic time – this should be seen as a great example of how to transform and excel in hospitality in 2013.

Most interestingly, the majority of its refurb budget is being allocated not only to the bedrooms, but more specifically to beds and bedding. We’ve done some in-depth research into this at Richard Haworth and found that customers place high importance on the look and feel of the bed. Ultimately, it’s what makes their stay most enjoyable and memorable, and is the reason they most likely select for their repeat custom – so, Travelodge gets a huge tick from me.

As a fellow Manchester business, it’s fantastic to read how well Tim Bacon and Aiden Byrne’s Spinningfields fine dining venture investment is shaping up. The fact that they’re aiming high, and hoping to bag Manchester its first Michelin star in 33 years, is great to see and I wish them the best of luck. Also, what’s pleasing for me is that they’re concentrating on securing the support of local investors and refraining from joining forces with London restaurateurs. I enjoy eating out and experiencing new eateries around the region, so I’m already looking forward to its summer launch.

Another well-known UK group, which it’s good to see come out of danger’s way, is Gordon Ramsay Holdings. After a turbulent few years, it’s proudly reported that UK turnover is up and it’s sounding excited about heading into a new era. Above all, it signals that we’re nearing the end of a difficult period for the hospitality industry, as Brits feel more confident in spending again. No doubt that will strike a welcome chord for us all.

As a well-established linen manufacturer and supplier, we are often among the first to notice when times are hard – equally this can be said for when they’re good. Our success relies in part on the prosperity of our customers, which is why we continually strive to innovate. Bringing new, harder working fabrics, styles and solutions to the table (excuse the pun) are at the core of our business model and always have been. Richard Haworth has been around since 1876 and continues to finish linens at its original – albeit modernised – Victorian mill in Bolton. We thoroughly enjoy creating products that will benefit hotels, restaurants and B&Bs, by helping them to secure steady and repeat custom.

So, let’s hope 2013 remains on this positive streak – onwards and upwards, I say!

Raj Ruia is managing director at Richard Haworth – a leading manufacturer and supplier of linen to the hospitality industry. As part of the family-owned and run Ruia Group, it also owns the UK licences for linen and knitwear brands, including Sockshop, Elle and Kickers.

Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant group Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) has enjoyed a turnaround in fortunes after a tough few years, as its pre-tax profit for the year to August 2012 leapt to £2m from a loss of £4.3m in the previous year.

GRH saw its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rise to £4.9m over the period, up from £2.5m the year before.

Meanwhile EBITDA between August 2012 to 30 November was up 10% on a like-for-like basis.

The group’s total sales were down slightly from £45.9m to £43.1m although UK turnover was up.

GRH was restructured in 2011 after a few years of turmoil which a reduction in the group’s estate in the UK and abroad, including the closure of the Devonshire pub in Chiswick, and the sale of Maze in Prague and Ramsay’s Michelin-starred restaurant at the London West Hollywood hotel in Los Angeles. The company’s chief executive Chris Hutcheson, who is also Gordon Ramsay’s father-in-law, also departed the business in October 2010.

Ramsay said: “It’s with great pride that we file these accounts which are our best year to date. We have negotiated a difficult path over recent years and I’m delighted all our hard work has paid off in what is still a challenging climate. We now have an extremely robust business which is only going to go from strength to strength, nurturing some of the best talent in the industry and offering amazing dining experiences around the world.”

Stuart Gillies, managing director of the group added: “I’m delighted with the financial performance of the group. Our success has been down to prudent planning and cost controls as well as strategic investment both in terms of systems and processes as well as new sites. Our growth and success in the US is just one example of this and we are looking forward to the future with confidence.”

The year has continued to see benefits from the restructuring of the group in 2011, as well as continued strategic growth strategy.

In the financial year, GRH opened is largest site in the UK, Bread Street Kitchen, as well as its first in Las Vegas, Gordon Ramsay Steak and two consultancies in Doha.

In 2012 it also opened the Fat Cow in Los Angeles in the US and Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill and Gordon Ramsay BurGR in Las Vegas in December 2012.

Budget hotel group Travelodge has announced a £223m investment in the brand, following the group’s financial restructuring last year.

Plans include the 14 new hotels, 420 jobs, a customer-focused new room concept and a £57m refurbishment programme across the 528-strong Travelodge portfolio.

In August 2012, the company entered a Compulsory Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) in a bid to put the company, which was struggling with debts of £635m, onto a more stable financial footing.

Travelodge’s chief executive, Grant Hearn said that the new investment will help the company grow and strengthen with the aim of making it the best value hotel chain in the UK.

Costing £141.5m to develop, the 14 new hotels – including two in Spain - will add 1,742 bedrooms to Travelodge’s inventory. They include four properties in London (Bethnal Green, Hounslow, Vauxhall and Walthamstow), as well as new hotels in Liverpool, Cambridge, Aylesbury, Southport, Kings Lynn, Sittingbourne, Manchester and Chertsey.

The two Spanish hotel openings – in Barcelona and Madrid - will boost the Travelodge presence in the country to six.

Hearn said that with a strong demand for value from customers, there is a great opportunity in the UK to expand the budget hotel sector. “The UK at less than 20% remains a growing market for branded budget accommodation, as it is still well behind matured markets such as the USA and France,” he explained. “In response to this growing opportunity, our growth strategy remains in the forefront of our new business plan.”

The 14 new hotels will create 371 of the 420 new jobs, with 30 new opportunities being created by the company’s management apprenticeship programme (JuMP) and 19 at head office.

Travelodge’s new room concept is described by Hearn as offering “more comfort, quality and style” with a “luxurious bed that is normally found in high end hotels” as its hero. Overseen by the company’s in-house interior designer, Frances Whitley, the room is the result of feedback from customers who have asked for “an inviting, functional, warm, relaxing environment, with the main focus of the room being an extremely comfortable bed”.

The new Travelodge bed – with an 800 pocket sprung mattress – is made by Sleepeeze. Two space-saving truckle beds in the base are intended to replace the traditional sofa bed and provide an enhanced service for families.

All new hotels being opened this year will incorporate the new room design, with 80% of Travelodge’s estate incorporating the design by autumn 2014.

Travelodge is now working with its customers to redesign its restaurants and public areas.

The £223m investment is split between the new hotels (£141.5m), refurbishment programme (£57m), marketing (£12m), new revenue management system and website (£2.5m) and maintenance (£10m).