BEACON, the Clifton Moor-based organisation which is the largest purchasing consortium for the UK hospitality industry, has launched its flagship publication - the Source Directory for 2003.

The annual publication features 150 nominated suppliers covering all areas associated with running a business in the hospitality industry.

The directory usually has five sections - food and beverage, liquor and soft drinks, housekeeping and soft furnishing, refurbishment and maintenance and utilities and services.

But new this year is a sixth section, which includes useful information, plus an index listed by product and supplier.

Beacon is the purchasing division of Best Western Hotels, the UK's largest group of independently-owned hotels, with which it shares an HQ in Amy Johnson Way.

It provides purchasing services for each of Best Western's 330 individual hotels as well as a wide-ranging membership of about 2,000 independent UK leisure outlets, including golf clubs, leisure complexes, pubs, inns and restaurants.

Karen Packham, director of Beacon, said: "Our members are offered access to thousands of products and services from leading suppliers for all areas associated with their business.

"The Source Directory has been designed so members can give different departmental managers the section most relevant to them."

Updated: 09:45 Tuesday, April 29, 2003