Charles Forte, Baron Forte
Encyclopedia
Charles Forte, Baron Forte (26 November 1908 – 28 February 2007) was a British caterer and hotelier. His obituary in The Guardian
obituary stated that: He created a worldwide empire of restaurants and hotels from virtually nothing
, Casalattico
, in the province of Frosinone
, Italy in 1908.
He emigrated from Italy to Scotland
at the age of four.
and then St. Joseph's College, Dumfries as a boarder followed by two years in Rome
.
After Rome Forte rejoined his family, who had moved to Weston-super-Mare
, where his father ran a café with two cousins. Charles's main training at the age of 21 came in Brighton
, where he managed the Venetian Lounge for a cousin.
At 26, he set up his first "milk bar" in 1935, the Strand Milk Bar Ltd, in Regent Street
, London, having thoroughly researched the location. Soon he began expanding into catering and hotel businesses. After the war, his company became Forte Holdings Ltd, and bought the Café Royal in 1954. In the 1950s he also opened the first catering facility at Heathrow Airport and the first full British motorway service station for cars at Newport Pagnell
, Buckinghamshire
on the M1 motorway
in 1959.
Sir
Forte was knighted
by the Queen
in 1970 and awarded a life peerage in 1982 as Baron Forte, of Ripley in the County of Surrey
. He was also a knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
Trust Houses Group Ltd and Forte Holdings were merged in 1970 to become Trust House Forte or THF. Through mergers and expansion, Forte expanded the Forte Group into a multi-billion pound business. His empire included the Little Chef
and Happy Eater
roadside restaurants, Crest
, Forte Grand, Travelodge
and Posthouse hotels, as well as the wine merchant Grierson-Blumenthal and a majority (although non-controlling) stake in the Savoy Hotel
.
The Grierson-Blumenthal stake was a "forced" acquisition by the group; it had originally been a personal holding of Charles Forte and fellow directors of the group, supplying liquor to Forte restaurants and hotels at substantial personal profit until concern in the late 1970s about prosecution under the Companies Act
obliged the directors to incorporate Grierson-Blumenthal as a subsidiary.
Forte was the CEO
from 1971 and Chairman from 1982 (when his son Sir Rocco Forte
took over as CEO) of the Forte Group. Happy Eater and the five Welcome Break
service areas were bought from Hanson Trust PLC on 1 August 1986. In the 1990s, the company was renamed as Forte Group plc.
Lord Forte passed full control to Rocco in 1993, but soon the Forte Group was faced with a hostile takeover bid from Granada. Ultimately, Granada succeeded with a £3.9 billion tender offer
in January 1996, which left the family with about £350 million in cash.
His granddaughter is Alex Polizzi
, an hotelier
and the presenter of Five's The Hotel Inspector
.
Lord Forte died in his sleep on 28 February 2007 at his home in London, aged 98.
, north London. They worshipped at the Roman Catholic chapel of St Mary's in nearby Holly Lane, Hampstead
.
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
obituary stated that: He created a worldwide empire of restaurants and hotels from virtually nothing
Early life
Sir Charles Forte was born as Carmine Forte in Mortale, now MonforteMonforte
-Places in Italy:*Monforte d'Alba, a commune in the province of Cuneo*Corleto Monforte, a commune in the province of Salerno* A Lazio village near Casalattico, formerly called Mortale but renamed in honour of the Forte family-Places in Portugal:...
, Casalattico
Casalattico
Casalattico is a comune in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio. The village is located about 110 km southeast of Rome and about 30 km east of Frosinone.- Emigration to Ireland :...
, in the province of Frosinone
Frosinone
Frosinone is a town and comune in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the Province of Frosinone. It is located about 75 km south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples Autostrada A1...
, Italy in 1908.
He emigrated from Italy to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
at the age of four.
Education
He attended Alloa AcademyAlloa Academy
Alloa Academy is a six-year state-funded comprehensive school, serving the town of Alloa in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It is not known as a 'good' school and in a recent league table published by The Herald it was revealed that only 4% of pupils leave this school with 5 Highers, the lowest in the...
and then St. Joseph's College, Dumfries as a boarder followed by two years in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Career
Early daysAfter Rome Forte rejoined his family, who had moved to Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
, where his father ran a café with two cousins. Charles's main training at the age of 21 came in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, where he managed the Venetian Lounge for a cousin.
At 26, he set up his first "milk bar" in 1935, the Strand Milk Bar Ltd, in Regent Street
Regent Street
Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
, London, having thoroughly researched the location. Soon he began expanding into catering and hotel businesses. After the war, his company became Forte Holdings Ltd, and bought the Café Royal in 1954. In the 1950s he also opened the first catering facility at Heathrow Airport and the first full British motorway service station for cars at Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes , England. It is separated by the M1 motorway from Milton Keynes itself, though part of the same urban area...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
on the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
in 1959.
Sir
Forte was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
by the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 1970 and awarded a life peerage in 1982 as Baron Forte, of Ripley in the County of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He was also a knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
Trust Houses Group Ltd and Forte Holdings were merged in 1970 to become Trust House Forte or THF. Through mergers and expansion, Forte expanded the Forte Group into a multi-billion pound business. His empire included the Little Chef
Little Chef
Little Chef is a chain of roadside restaurants in the United Kingdom, founded in 1958 and owned by the UK private equity group RCapital. Little Chef's previous owners were The People's Restaurant Group Ltd., a company belonging to British catering entrepreneurs Simon Heath and Lawrence Wosskow,...
and Happy Eater
Happy Eater
Happy Eater was a roadside restaurant chain in the United Kingdom, that ran from 1973 till 1996 and was notable particularly amongst a certain generation for the lego that was inside the restaurant for children to play with, and the imaginatively-shaped playground equipment outside.-History:Happy...
roadside restaurants, Crest
Crest Hotels
Crest Hotels Limited was a Bass-Charrington subsidiary operating the hotel interests of the brewery company in the United Kingdom. Crest's headquarters were in the former Hunt Edmunds brewery premises in Banbury, Oxfordshire....
, Forte Grand, Travelodge
Travelodge
Travelodge refers to several hotel chains around the world. Current operations include: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand and Australia...
and Posthouse hotels, as well as the wine merchant Grierson-Blumenthal and a majority (although non-controlling) stake in the Savoy Hotel
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by...
.
The Grierson-Blumenthal stake was a "forced" acquisition by the group; it had originally been a personal holding of Charles Forte and fellow directors of the group, supplying liquor to Forte restaurants and hotels at substantial personal profit until concern in the late 1970s about prosecution under the Companies Act
Companies Act
Companies Act is a stock short title used for legislation in the United Kingdom and South Africa relating to company law....
obliged the directors to incorporate Grierson-Blumenthal as a subsidiary.
Forte was the CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
from 1971 and Chairman from 1982 (when his son Sir Rocco Forte
Rocco Forte
Sir Rocco Forte is a British hotelier born in Bournemouth.After Downside School he went on to read modern languages at Pembroke College, Oxford, where he won a blue for fencing...
took over as CEO) of the Forte Group. Happy Eater and the five Welcome Break
Welcome Break
Welcome Break is a company which operates thirty-five motorway service stations in the UK. It is the second largest motorway service area operator behind Moto.-History:...
service areas were bought from Hanson Trust PLC on 1 August 1986. In the 1990s, the company was renamed as Forte Group plc.
Lord Forte passed full control to Rocco in 1993, but soon the Forte Group was faced with a hostile takeover bid from Granada. Ultimately, Granada succeeded with a £3.9 billion tender offer
Tender offer
Tender offer is a corporate finance term denoting a type of takeover bid. The tender offer is a public, open offer or invitation by a prospective acquirer to all stockholders of a publicly traded corporation to tender their stock for sale at a specified price during a specified time, subject to...
in January 1996, which left the family with about £350 million in cash.
His granddaughter is Alex Polizzi
Alex Polizzi
Alessandra Maria-Luigia O Polizzi Di Sorrentino is a British hotelier, and the presenter of the British TV series The Hotel Inspector on Channel 5, taking over from Ruth Watson....
, an hotelier
Hotel manager
A hotel manager or hotelier is a person who holds a management occupation within a hotel, motel, or resort establishment. Management titles and duties vary by company. In some hotels the title hotel manager or hotelier may solely be referred to the General Manager of the hotel...
and the presenter of Five's The Hotel Inspector
The Hotel Inspector
The Hotel Inspector is an observational documentary television series which airs on British terrestrial television station, Channel 5. The series is also broadcast by networks around the world....
.
Lord Forte died in his sleep on 28 February 2007 at his home in London, aged 98.
Family
From the 1950s Forte lived with an extended family including his parents and children at Greenway Gardens in FrognalFrognal
Frognal is an affluent area in North West London in the London Borough of Camden between Hampstead and West Hampstead. Frognal is also the name of the major road in the area.-History:...
, north London. They worshipped at the Roman Catholic chapel of St Mary's in nearby Holly Lane, Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
.