Person of the Week

Angela Hartnett, Chef Patron, Murano

Angela's restaurant was named London's best new restaurant by the 2010 Harden's restaurant guide this week. Although four of Gordon Ramsay's venues took out places in the Top 10 of most disappointing cooking, the Guide's Co-Editor Richard Harden said, "Angela Hartnett is to be congratulated, and Murano's success shows the Ramsay group still has what it takes. The year's results, though, confirm some very deep-seated problems in the group."

Quote of the Week

"While my body was asleep, I think my soul rode on a triangular-shaped UFO and went to Venus. It was a very beautiful place, and it was very green."

Miyuki Hatoyama, wife of Japan's Prime Minister-elect, Yukio Hatoyama from her book Very Strange Things I've Encountered

and from a recent interview…

The 62-year-old claimed she also knew Tom Cruise in a former incarnation - when he was Japanese - and is now looking forward to making a Hollywood movie with him.

"I believe he'd get it if I said to him, 'Long time no see', when we meet.”

Facts of the week

Are development plans for Battersea Power Station under threat?

Owners face debts of £1.6 billion

• Having announced plans last year for a major development to the Thames-side location, owners Real Estate Opportunities, an Irish property company have announced a loss of £200 million in the first six months of this year, in addition to their debt.
• This has ignited the debate about how best to remodel a site, which is on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register.
• Plans for a 500,000 sq ft of retail and leisure facilities were part of the redevelopment project led by Treasury Holdings, who controls Real Estate Opportunities, the Irish owner.
• Robert Tincknell, Treasury Holdings stated that it was business as usual as far as their plans for the power station were concerned and that the business was confident of rolling over £750 million of debts due by the end of next year.
• However, Kevin Garner local architect and campaigner argued that "You have to ditch these ridiculous multi-billion pound single phase developments, they are too big, too complex and too difficult to fund."

Source: guardian.co.uk

Proctor & Gamble announced as sponsor of US Olympic team

In a deal worth a reported US$15 million, the partnership is a major boost for the US Olympic Committee

• Having lost key sponsors General Motors and Home Depot, P&G have signed up to sponsor both the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games and London 2012 Summer Games.
• Kirk Perry, P&G's Vice-President for North America, said the company was attracted by the Olympics' strong appeal for women, teens, 18-to-34-year-olds and other key demographic groups. "We always talk about meeting our consumers where they are, and this is certainly where they are," Mr. Perry said.
• As the USOC endeavour to renew deals with Bank of America and AT&T, it is hoped that this agreement could help to attract others.

Source: wsj.com

Article of the week

EP Condense is EP's weekly e-newsletter. But did you know that EP is also a bimonthly magazine available via subscription? Our Article of the Week provides a sample of what we have featured in past issue.

This week we feature a story from the EP archive. It is a people article entitled "Changing Perspective." The articles reflects upon the experience of Robin Sheppard, hotelier and entrepreneur, who diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome in December 2004. As Managing Director of Bespoke Hotels and author of a book documenting his experience, he has fought the debilitating illness with humour and courage. What was it like to have life as you know it altered beyond belief?