Person of the Week

Holli Ugalde, new Savoy Grill Chef

The 24 year old earned the 6 month position, alongside head chef Andy Cook, at the Savoy Grill, after winning the US version of Hell’s Kitchen.

The former banqueting chef, from the town of Banning, California, will now work alongside current head chef Andy Cook, once the Savoy Hotel opens after its £200 million renovations are completed later this year.

Gordon Ramsay commented: "Holli won because she had grown more than any other chef. I am absolutely thrilled she will be working for me at the Savoy Grill."

Quote of the Week

Colleague on the phone with a customer service centre, had the call on speaker phone. The mono-tone female voice said:

"Your call is important to us and will be answered in approximately: twenty ... seven ... minutes"

Facts of the week

Intercontinental Hotels

Intercontinental (IHG) reported a pre-tax profit of $192m (£122m) in the first six months of the year, up from a $50m loss the previous year. In the second quarter, profit was $126m, compared to an $82m loss last year.

The company said demand for hotel rooms in London was strong, as business travel to the world's financial capitals picked up. The Intercontinental hotel in Park Lane raised its RevPAR by 15 percent.

"There's been a rebound from the big corporations, who for most of 2009 were downsizing and taking out cost," said Andy Cosslett, chief executive. "Now they're looking more and more at the top line so they are getting out of the office, selling their products and that requires hotels and meeting space."

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Economists predict no Double Dip Recession

A Reuters poll of 50 economists suggests that whilst they expect growth to slow there is unlikely to be a double dip recession.

The survey predicted the UK economy will grow 0.5 percent in the third quarter and then between 0.3-0.5 percent per quarter from there until the end of 2011, little changed from July's poll.

"Growth was unexpectedly strong in the second quarter, but we expect the rate of expansion to slow in the second half of the year and remain relatively subdued in 2011 as the fiscal squeeze begins in earnest," said John Hawksworth, head of macroeconomics at PwC.

Source: reuters.com

Article of the week

EP Condense is EP's weekly e-newsletter. But did you know that EP is also a quarterly magazine available via subscription? Our Article of the Week provides a sample of what we have featured in past issue.

In as far back as 2007 Peter Moody from Bevan Brittan LLP was looking at "Brands and the credit crunch"

It is not a new message to talk about brands and their importance to today's business world, and the leisure sector is no different. We could all reel off a number of brand names from McDonalds to Mandarin Oriental Hotels, which evoke certain values for us. Interestingly, the credit crunch may have some lessons for us in relation to brands.

Read the article here