Friday Wrap: A round-up of the week's hospitality

**Story of the week: **Spanish celebrity chef Ferran Adrià dominated the news this week with the announcement at Madrid Fusion that he is to close his three-Michelin-starred restaurant El Bulli for two years.

Still on the theme of iconic chefs, French patissier-chocolatier Pierre Herme confirmed that he is to open a boutique patisserie in London this year. The shop, which will open in Knightsbridge in the spring, will be called Pierre Hermé Paris.

Jamie Oliver is expanding his high street restaurant chain Jamie's Italian, with four new sites set to open in as many months.

Acclaimed London restaurateur Mourad Mazouz, co-owner of the Michelin-starred Sketch and founder of Momo, is expanding the North African restaurant concept to Lebanon.

Selin Kiazim, junior chef at London restaurant The Providores, has been named the 2010 Spanish Young Chef of the Year, winning a 10-day stage at Ferran Adrià's three-Michelin-starred restaurant El Bulli.

Staff who have barricaded themselves into the Foley Arms hotel in Malvern, Worcestershire, after the owner suddenly closed the business have been told that they will now receive their unpaid wages.

London hotels enjoyed a strong boost to profitability during December 2009 as trading recovered strongly, according to the latest HotStats survey from TRI Hospitality Consulting.

Sir Rocco Forte confirmed this week that a new financial arrangement to ensure the future operation of his 13-strong luxury hotel company had been secured.

WSH, the UK's largest independent food services management operator, has weathered the turbulent economic conditions of 2009 with a 10% trading uplift and revenues in excess of £300m. Meanwhile its leading division, BaxterStorey, has been awarded a contract worth £10m, to provide catering and facilities management services at four sites of global reinsurance firm Swiss Re, Caterer has learned.

A London council is considering the implementation of a ‘No Fry Zone' around its 65 primary schools in a bid to curb the growing obesity trend in the region's children.

In the meantime, ‘Grow your own school dinners' is Mayor of London Boris Johnson's suggestion to help tackle childhood obesity in the capital.

Former Gordon Ramsay Holdings head of operations Gillian Thomson is to ‘leave her position as managing director of Company of Cooks after only seven months in the job.

Care caterer Caterplus has won a £35m contract to provide kosher catering and services to Jewish Care, the largest health and social care charity serving the Jewish community in the south east of England.

Mitchells and Butlers (M&B) chairman Simon Laffin has been ousted from the company's board at yesterday's annual meeting, after he lost his battle with billionaire Joe Lewis. Earlier in the week Laffin had likened the ongoing spat between the company's board and its major shareholders to "a John Grisham novel".

UK beer sales could be about to turn a corner, according to new figures released by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

Greene King's tenanted Pub Partners division has launched a new campaign to encourage more pubs to attract more women aged 35 and above.

Editor's Pick
The deadline for the 2010 Acorn Awards is looming large - get your entry in before 26 February Enter now for the 2010 Catey Awards!Â
The closing date for the 2010 Roux Scholarship is this weekend!
Win an Adande single drawer chef base worth more than £2,500!

Quote of the WeekÂ
“I don’t want to go and sit on a beach in the Bahamas but I think we deserve to lead more normal lives, because for 25 years we have been focusing on the restaurant”
Ferran Adria on his decision to close El Bulli for two years