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For the 24th year running, a group of 30 young hospitality talents gathered to be honoured as members of the elite band of Acorn Award winners.

Christophe Hesbert, Operations Manager at ABode Chester, and Laura Morgan, Cluster HR Manager (Northwest) for ABode Hotels and Michael Caines Restaurants, were among this year's select group that represents the hospitality industry's elite ‘top 30 under 30', joining a group of rising stars who are considered its future leaders.

Christophe joined the ABode group in 2006 and has worked at ABode Exeter and ABode Manchester before taking over as Operations Manager at ABode Chester. Christophe believes in the value of training and apprentice programs such as the one in place at ABode as they provide great opportunities for young people in the hospitality profession. Says Christophe, "The industry can guarantee you a job for life and the opportunities are varied - whatever your strengths, you can find something to suit you."

Laura has also been with the ABode group since 2006. Her achievements at ABode include helping to introduce an apprentice scheme and working with JobCentre and a local college on a scheme to encourage people back into work.

The 2010 Acorn Awards weekend was hosted by ABode Chester, the latest addition to the ABode hotel group launched in 2005. The hotel is located in the HQ Building, a circular new-build on the southwestern edge of Chester's historic city centre, and yields stunning views of Chester Racecourse and the hills of North Wales.

As in all ABodes, Michael Caines' cuisine lies at the heart of the hotel. The ground floor boasts the AbarMC lounge bar and casual dining at the MC Café Bar & Grill while the fifth-floor Michael Caines Restaurant, under Executive Chef Stuart Collins, offers a high-level dining experience in every sense, inspired by Caines' acclaimed, award-winning modern European cuisine.

Chester, May 13th, 2010 ABode Chester, the spectacular modern flagship of the ABode group, launched officially with a gala, red carpet Champagne reception for invited guests. The launch marked the culmination of more than three years work as the circular HQ building, located opposite the famous Chester racecourse, was newly constructed on the site of the former Cheshire Constabulary. The building is fabulous architecturally, with its 360-degree outlook taking advantage of its position overlooking city and country alike, with stunning views across the racecourse to the rolling Welsh hills beyond.

While previous hotels within the ABode group have combined history, tradition and modern style, ABode Chester breaks the mould with a vibrant and quirky design that is utterly contemporary. Bold colours and patterns, creative use of curved space, modern furnishings and lighting, and striking photography by Brian Aris combine to create a bright, exciting and youthful ambience that sits well within a town with such a rich and multi-layered history, dating down the centuries from the Industrial Revolution to medieval and Roman days.

ABode Chester may be strikingly modern yet it combines all the best, traditional British values that lie at the heart of the ABode group. The bedrooms, at whatever level, offer comfort with style, with trademark Vi-Spring beds, in-room entertainment centres, imaginative wet rooms and more. Michael Caines dining, as in all ABodes, is at the heart of ABode Chester, with a truly fabulous 5th floor Champagne Bar and Michael Caines Restaurant as the centrepiece of the hotel. Here modern contemporary design complements perfectly Michael's highly acclaimed modern European cuisine based on classic techniques honed at Gidleigh Park, utilising the finest produce from the North West. This clearly is an unbeatable recipe for success. Equally important is the professional yet not overly formal ‘service with style' that is a hallmark of all of Michael's restaurants. Meanwhile, downstairs, the light, casual MC Café Bar & Grill offers informal dining throughout the day and evening, with outdoor tables located on the central HQ piazza, while ABarMC is a late night lounge bar serving cutting edge cocktails, wine, champagne and more.

At the launch, Nick Halliday, ABode Managing Director, paid tribute to Andrew Brownsword and Michael Caines for their vision and productive energy and investment which has led to the creation of five ABodes in just six years. He thanked all of those involved in the creation of ABode Chester, from the construction workers and interior design team of Plumtreemee, to all of the ABode employees who have worked so hard to get ABode Chester up and running already so smoothly.

Andrew Brownsword related the story of how a chance lunch in the Michael Caines Restaurant in the Royal Clarence Hotel, Exeter led to a meeting of minds and a remarkable shared vision of hospitality that resulted in the creation of the ABode group. While other properties are in historic and traditional buildings, he was thrilled at the opportunity to create something entirely from scratch, and said that Chester would be the start of bigger and better things for the ABode group.

Michael Caines said that the defining moment of his career was when Andrew Brownsword came to lunch in his Exeter restaurant in 2003. The two entrepreneurs immediately hit it off and they have not looked back. "I'm hugely excited about the future," said the two-star Michelin chef. "ABode Chester demonstrates what can be achieved with creativity, vision and hard work. My thanks to all the team and to everyone who helped us to achieve this."

There are now ABodes in Exeter, Glasgow, Canterbury, Manchester and Chester. ABode Salisbury will be the next ABode to open its doors in 2012. As Andrew Brownsword said, "ABode is moving onwards and upwards."

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We're delighted to report that Executive Chef Craig Dunn has won Chef of The Year 2010 at the prestigious Scottish Hotel Awards  while Alan Brady has scooped the Restaurant Manager of the Year 2010. Many congratulations to Craig and Alan and to all their hardworking teams.

Michael Caines MBE has put his support behind the Peros appeal to help those affected by the recent tragic events in Peru. Floods and landslides have devastated the Cusco region, a major coffee-growing area, and emergency aid is desperately required. Public awareness of this disaster is currently very low making fund raising difficult - a situation Michael would like to change.

Michael has first-hand knowledge of the area following his 2008 visit there with Peros to see for himself how Cafédirect and Fairtrade contributions benefit local communities. "I was deeply moved by what I saw," he said. "Communities had only just recovered from previous natural disasters, and Fairtrade premiums were making a direct and positive impact on the lives of the people we visited. This latest disaster is a real tragedy for these welcoming and friendly people. They need our help and they need it now! Our industry is indebted to hard-working and often impoverished growers and producers around the world and this is a great chance for us to repay some of that debt. Because I personally know the people involved, I know that every pound we raise will go directly where it's needed," he added.

Peros has set up the Peros Cusco Emergency Appeal to receive donations directly. Peros is also receiving regular reports from contacts in the region and will continue to publicise these through their website, Facebook and Twitter updates.

Michael, acclaimed chef and driving force behind the ABode Hotels group, has worked with Peros over many years and in 2007 specified Cafédirect Fairtrade coffee across all his hotels and cafés. The Cusco region of Peru has supplied coffee to Cafédirect for more than ten years.

December 26, 2009 The Times newspaper predicts that in 2010 the popularity of destination hotels will only increase, with more than ever choosing to holiday in Britain.

In an article entitled 'The Top 40 hotels for 2010' the Times writes:

"Downturn? What downturn? It seems we'll be travelling more than ever next year, if the hotel boom is anything to go by.

In Britain, the popularity of 'staycations', the build-up to the the 2012 Olympics, and the pound's weakness against the euro have prompted hoteliers to spend vast sums on swanky new properties."

The article goes on to highlight what it considers will be the 'top 40 hotels for 2010', including ABode Chester (which is now open for business and taking bookings).

Read the full article here.

Congratulations to Ian Matfin, Executive Chef of Michael Caines at ABode Manchester, who was crowned "Manchester Chef of the Year" at the prestigious Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards. The Awards ceremony was a fitting end to the Festival, which has overseen a raft of foodie events taking place throughout the city over the past fortnight.

The full list of Manchester Food and Drink Festival 2009 Awards winners is as follows:

Chef of the Year
Ian Matfin, Michael Caines at ABode Manchester

Restaurant of the Year
The Modern, Manchester

Best Food and Drink Retail Outlet
Barbakan Delicatessen, Chorlton

Best Wine List
Gaucho Manchester

Best Coffee Bar/ Casual Dining
Folk Café Bar, West Didsbury

MFDF Award for Healthy and Sustainable Eating sponsored by Food Futures
Gabriel’s Kitchen, Manchester

Best Pub
Lass O’Gowrie, Manchester

Best Bar
Apotheca, Manchester

Best Newcomer
Damson, Heaton Moor

Outstanding Achievement Award
George Bergier, head sommelier at Sam’s and Tom’s Chophouses, Manchester

Investment in Skills Awards

• Professional Bartender Of The Year
Tom Lloyd, Obsidian

• Manchester Young Chef Of The Year
Michael Tate, Harvey Nichols

• Manchester Young Waiter Of The Year
Matthew Dutson, River Restaurant

Love Food Hate Waste Award
Mason Arms, Atherton

Producer of the Year Award, judged by Clarissa Dickson Wright
Mrs Kirkham’s Cheese

MFDF Cheese Challenge Winner
Garstang Blue by Dewlay Cheesemakers 

Best Beer Brewed in Manchester, judged by panel at the Greater Manchester Real Ale Festival
Dobber by Marble Brewery

 

The award, relating to hotel groups with 1-10 sites, was was gained in part by hotel staff completing a satisfaction survey conducted by Reed Business Information. It was presented at a gala lunch at One Whitehall Place on September 14th attended by the movers and shakers within the hospitality industry.

Says Nick Haliday, ABode’s Managing Director, “At ABode we concentrate on ensuring that our staff deliver exceptional customer service and satisfaction to our clients. It is particularly gratifying that our employees themselves are similarly satisfied with our working environment. As Managing Director, I take great pride in ABode being considered one of the best places to work in the hospitality industry.”

September 8, 2009 --  The prestigious Good Food Guide 2010 has honoured Michael Caines at ABode Manchester for creating a menu designed with the recession in mind. The guide, published today, has given the restaurant its Best Set Menu award.

The citation praised Executive Chef Ian Matfin’s “Amazing Grazing” lunch menu, which offers three courses for £12, and was awarded a cooking score of four. This menu demonstrated  “a dedicated, focused approach to cooking; good classical skills and use of high-quality ingredients.”

Elizabeth Carter, editor of The Good Food Guide, says “Greater Manchester has a wealth of top restaurants, but particular acknowledgment goes to Ian Matfin at ABode for creating such a luxurious yet affordable menu - a real accomplishment in these cash-strapped times.”

We do believe that our 'Amazing Graze' menu in the Michael Caines Restaurant at ABode Manchester is the best deal in town, and now it's been confirmed with this award in the prestigious Good Food Guide 2010.

Check out the menu here.

We are the champions - Cheshire Life Food & Wine Awards

Michael Caines at ABode Manchester has been named Manchester Restaurant of the Year at the Cheshire Life Food & Wine Awards.

Glitzier and more glamourous than ever, Life Magazines' Food and Wine Awards brought together 200 of the leading lights of the hospitality industry in Cheshire, Manchester, Liverpool, North Wales, Lancashire and the Lake District in enthusiastic celebration of the region's culinary excellence.

The event, staged in association with Matthew Clark, wine suppliers to thousands of hotels and restaurants across Britain, is now firmly established as one of the most important in the region's social calendar. And the awards themselves are acknowledged throughout the industry as highly coveted accolades recognising ever-rising standards of quality and distinction.