BII appoints Steven Alton as chief executive elect: The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has appointed Steven Alton, managing director of Vianet, as its chief executive elect. Alton, who has been at Vianet for almost nine years, will join the BII on Monday, 30 September as chief operating officer. During the first few months he will be responsible for the Farnborough headquarters and oversee a strategy to ensure the BII is “modern and well placed to support the challenges facing licensees and staff in the hospitality industry”. Chairman Mark Robson said: “We are pleased Steven has agreed to join the BII and, being known across the industry, he is well placed to take over from Mike Clist, who will continue in his full-time role until late 2019. He will then continue as chief executive on a part-time basis until Steven feels he is in a position to take over the chief executive’s role. This will ensure a smooth transition and help the BII’s relationships with key companies and bodies.” Alton added: “I am looking forward to leading the BII into the future, building on the great work by Mike and his team. The hospitality industry is hugely exciting and challenging right now. The BII is uniquely positioned to provide essential, independent and trusted support to its members to help them thrive.”

Bill’s partners with Press to become first restaurant to serve its juice: Bill’s Restaurants, owned by Richard Caring, has agreed a deal with Press to become the first restaurant to serve its cold-pressed juice. Following a month-long trial of five juices across four sites, Bill’s noted increased sales, positive customer feedback and operational efficiency, which has led to the roll out across all 81 Bill’s restaurants in the UK. Bill’s founder Bill Collison said: “Our dedication to fresh produce runs throughout our restaurants and ensuring not just our food offers the best nutritional value but also our drinks is important to us. We’re really excited to roll out Press and work with its team.” Press co-founder and chief executive Ed Foy added: “Teaming up with Bill’s after the successful trial is a really exciting step for our brand. It’s an unreal opportunity to continue growing Press to reach more people as we continue to expand our product portfolio.”