BANISH THE BLUES

BRIEFS

n PAULO Tanzillo of Little Italy Coffee Shop, Glasgow has been judged the Brasilia National Barista of the Year, 253. Thomas Polti from The Chequers Pub and Restaurant came second, while Enrico Marcocchi of The Crystal Room Restaurant, Birmingham, came third.

n YOUNGSTERS, aged 14 to 18, from London schools will be invited to cook and serve at several London restaurants as part of the first ever London Restaurant Week, 254, from Friday 12 to Sunday 21 March. It will mark the start of London Tourist Board's year-long campaign "Eat London with American Express", to encourage visitors to experience the diversity of London restaurants.

n THE Padstow "Fish and Ships" Fish Festival, 255, will be held on 16,17 and 18 April, launched by film and TV star Edward Woodward. Chefs will compete for the title "Booker Cornish Fish Chef of the Year and during the festival, St Austell and Cornwall College catering departments will prepare fish and seafood dishes.

n BALLYGOWAN, 256, has produced its billionth bottle, attained ISO 14001, the international quality certification for Environmental Management Systems and reinvented itself with a new label redesign.

n ARE karaoke machines on their way out? The latest trend in American bars are machines that give Americans the chance to "talk along" to their favourite soap operas.

n The Millennium is comingÉIT staff at the Bluebird restaurant in London's Kings Road have attended a free course with the help of Focus Central London, 257 to make sure that non-IT systems such as the fire alarms and the building management system do not fail.