Human Resources

🍴 Senior Food & Beverage Editor Bret Thorn has been with Nation’s Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality since 2016. He launched the podcast "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" and wrote "Kitchen Dish" for The New York Sun from 2005 to 2008. Educated at Tufts University (BA in History, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and Le Cordon Bleu Paris, he also studied in China and worked for ABC News during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award and authored entries in the Oxford Encyclopedia and Companion in 2012 and 2015, respectively. He's a Disciples d’Escoffier inductee as of 2014.

🚿 Ansie Turner, Executive Housekeeper at City Lodge Hotel at OR Tambo International Airport, leads a 365-room hotel's team. Started her career at The Don Hotels and joined City Lodge Hotels on 1 September 1999. The hotel features a #Café restaurant, bar, three boardrooms, fitness room, and pool. It operates 24/7 due to close airport proximity. Turner's nurturing leadership has shaped a disciplined yet caring team, starting her day at 4am to align with her staff.

🍴 Chef Taz Sarhane was appointed head chef of Shoreditch restaurant Cycene in January 2023. Cycene, part of James and Christie Brown's Blue Mountain School, is ranked 48th in the UK. Sarhane plans to evolve the restaurant’s 10-course tasting menu, priced at £155, using seasonally available ingredients and preservation techniques. The Browns will update the restaurant's aesthetic in the coming month, including uniforms, artwork, and crockery. Cycene, launched in 2022 and earning a Michelin star within five months, seeks to highlight seasonal British produce under Sarhane's leadership.

💸 Hospitality industry faces a high employee turnover rate, estimated between 70-80%. Hospitality America, led by Corporate Director of Operations Justin Deyo with 20 years of experience, addresses this issue through mentorship, aiming to create a culture of value, support, and empowerment. Mentors will convey guest service protocols and best practices to mentees. Statistics show 90% of mentored workers feel content, mentoring increases promotion chances by five times, and 76% of workers believe mentorship is essential for career success. Since the pandemic, mentoring initiatives have increased by 30%. Hospitality America's mentors embody the company's PEACH culture to foster success. CEO Ben Campbell emphasizes mentorship's role in career progression and leadership development within the hospitality industry.

📖 Joanna Fantozzi, with over seven years in the industry, is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since August 2021. Holding a bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey and a master’s from CUNY, she joined Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018. Fantozzi has written for The New York Times, Forbes, and Vice, and has previously worked for Insider and The Daily Meal. Her expertise spans restaurant news, operator solutions, and political/cultural issues.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, writes on food trends and F&B coverage. Host of "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast and columnist for The New York Sun from 2005 to 2008. Magna cum laude from Tufts University, studied French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris. Won 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award, inducted into Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014, and authored entries in Oxford food reference works (2012, 2015). Lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.

🍴 Ben Murphy, head chef since 2017 at Launceston Place, a D&D London restaurant in Kensington, West London, is set to depart on October 31, 2024, without specifying his next move. His career started at Koffmann’s at The Berkeley in 2010, followed by roles in France and other prestigious London restaurants. In 2022, Murphy was named National Chef of the Year. Launceston Place opened in 1986 and D&D London acquired it in 2017. Murphy’s successor is not yet announced.

🍴 Allegra, a restaurant located in East London, will close after five successful years. General Manager Ashley Shaw cites 'inextricable changes' in London's culinary scene as the reason. The announcement follows the departure of Patrick Powell, who launched Allegra in 2019 and achieved a listing in the UK's Top 100 Restaurants. Allegra's final service is scheduled for Saturday, 31 August. The Stratford hotel will soon announce a new dining concept to replace Allegra.

🍽 Seamus Sam, having led Muse to its first Michelin star, will helm Evelyn's Table starting September, succeeding James Goodyear who departed on July 13. The Michelin-starred Soho restaurant, previously guided by Goodyear since November 2022 after Luke Selby's exit, will reopen on September 4 following a closure from August 17.

🍴 Chris Eden, appointed executive head chef at Gidleigh Park in 2019, regained the Michelin star for the Chagford property in 2023. Before Gidleigh Park, Eden earned a Michelin star at Cornwall's Driftwood in 2012 and maintained it until his move to Devon in 2019. Gidleigh Park had two Michelin stars under Michael Caines until 2016. Eden plans to leave Gidleigh Park in autumn 2023 to spend more time with his family. The search for his successor is currently underway.