Daily news update: our selection of food and chef news from the world's press

Call Time on Duty: Pubs, bars and restaurants face extra £100m alcohol tax bill

Britain’s pubs, bars and restaurants will be £100m worse off if the Government goes ahead with plans to hike alcohol taxes in this year’s Budget.

Read more from Big Hospitality

 

Gregg Wallace closes Wallace and Co in Putney

MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace has been forced to close his Wallace and Co restaurant in London's Putney and to sell its parent company Wallace Cafes.  The business is not thought to have attracted enough custom, and its closure comes after Gregg's Bar and Grill closed in Bermondsey in August last year, and his greengrocers business, West Veg, also collapsed in March.  A source close to the former market trader, told the Sun on Sunday: "Gregg’s not in a happy place - his business empire is collapsing around him.

Read more from Caterer & Hotelkeeper

 

West’s glorious food too great an opportunity to miss

If there is one song that everyone in the Westcountry should sing in unison it is one about our food glorious food.  Agriculture and the production of food is worth in excess of £1 billion to our region’s economy every year - and without any doubt many of the goods here are the best of their kind in the world.  Increasingly the unique qualities of much of the Westcountry’s produce are being recognised.

Read more from Western Morning News