Chefs picked to cook for Queen … For more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say
Chefs picked to cook birthday lunch for The Queen
Food cooked by Richard Corrigan, Bryn Williams, Nick Nairn and Marcus Wareing will be served at a lunch for The Queen and 300 guests on 15 June, two days before the Queen's official birthday. Fourteen of Britain's best chefs took part in the TV programme *Great British Menu*The Times, 3 June
McDonald's criticised for launching 700 calorie Big Mac
McDonald's was criticised yesterday for launching a giant-sized World Cup hamburger with more than 700 calories. The limited edition Bigger Big Mac has 12g of saturated fat - more than half the recommended daily amount for a teenage boy - and 2.5g of salt. It contains 714 calories, the equivalent of more than three Mars Bars. - Daily Telegraph, 3 June
Thumbprints to run cashless payment system in schools
Schools in north Derbyshire are installing a technology-based way of paying for school dinners by scanning children's thumbprints to identify them. The system uses a photo-sensitive cell to recognise the thumbprints. - Yorkshire Post, 3 June
Free breakfast trial for Glasgow schoolchildren
Pupils are to benefit from free breakfasts at a Glasgow secondary school. The pilot scheme at Drumchapel High will see pupils getting fruit, cereal and yoghurt to start their day. Education chiefs believe that the initiative will improve the health and concentration of the 700 pupils aged between 12 and 18. The six-month pilot will begin after the summer and will see pupils fed before lessons, from 8.15-8.45am. - The Scotsman, 3 June.
Attempt to ban smoking in Scottish beer gardens
A councillor in Angus, plans to petition the Scottish parliament to give local authorities the power to extend the smoking ban to pavement cafés and beer gardens. "It is extremely unpleasant for non-smokers who are unable to sit outside to eat or in beer gardens because they are full of smokers," he said. - The Observer, 4 June
Richard Corrigan to open restaurant in Ireland
Chef Richard Corrigan is preparing to open his first restaurant in Ireland, saying it will be "the biggest food venture the country has ever seen". Irish-born Corrigan will open his new restaurant, The Old Mill, as part of a €50m (£34m) epicurean centre on the Co Kildare estate of Ryanair tycoon Tony Ryan. - Irish Independent, 4 June
Restaurateur savaged by Ramsay to open in Edinburgh A restaurant owner who clashed with Gordon Ramsay on the chef's kitchen makeover show, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, is to open a £55-a-head gourmet restaurant in Edinburgh. Barry Larsen, owner of the Abstract restaurant and bar in Inverness, plans to open an outlet in the capital by September. - Scotland on Sunday, 4 June
Warning of drop in inbound tourism in 2006
A five-year boom in the number of tourists coming to Britain could shudder to a halt this summer, killed by a strong pound and soaring oil prices. "We think it is going to be a tough summer," said Stephen Dowd, chief executive of UKInbound. He said the weak dollar was making Britain more expensive. - Mail on Sunday, 4 June
Glass ban in Glasgow pubs threatens closing famous bar
The most famous whisky bar in the world could be forced out of business under Glasgow's controversial plan to introduce a blanket ban on glass in the city's pubs. The owner of the Pot Still, said he would rather lose his licence than serve his vast selection of malts, which cost up to £250 a nip, in plastic cups. The glass ban, due to be introduced in all bars and pubs in the city from January, will also prevent people from buying bottles of wine or champagne. - The Observer, 4 June
