in brief

Date with the crown

A Yorkshireman alleged to have stayed and eaten in a string of hotels without paying was committed to Crown Court last Friday after he was arrested at a Surrey hotel in July. Glen Waring, aged 30 and of no given address, has been charged on three offences of obtaining services from hotels by deception.

More students needed

The HCIMA has warned that the 9,000 students who enrolled on a further or higher education hospitality course this month will be insufficient to feed the leisure industry's demands. It calculates it will need 30,000 trained managers and supervisors each year until 2010.

The people's Paris

Zagat's first Paris Restaurant Survey has axed the elite gastronomic critics by getting 1,700 French restaurant-goers to rate 825 local eateries - a move Le Monde claims has "spread terror through (Paris) kitchens." Three restaurants dominated the tables for popularity and food: Taillevent was the top choice for both, while Arpege and Ambroisie alternated between the second and third places.

Jungle fever

The Restaurant Association is holding its 30th birthday party in a "jungle clearing" at Westway Studios on Monday 5 October.

Book tickets (whichare almost sold out) on0171-831 8727.