Hotel & Catering - April 2015

HOTEL

& CATERING

REVIEW

Profile INUA TAKEOVER SIGNALS MAJOR BOOST FOR MUCKROSS Innovation NESPRESSO & THORNTON’S: A MATCH MADE IN COFFEE HEAVEN Conference Report FORGET CALORIE COUNTING, SAYS UK RESTAURATEUR The Chef’s Table BBC STAR CHRIS MCGOWAN’S GREAT CATEX MENU

APRIL 2015

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CONTENTS 2

EDITOR’S VIEW

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NEWS & VIEWS

13

KEY TO THE DOOR Openings, Closures, Refurbishments & Acquisitions.

16

ON THE MOVE New Appointments, Promotions and Recruitment.

26 DINE

Hotel & Catering Review’s Dish of the Month comes from Philip Gleeson, Head Chef at Killashee House Hotel in Kildare.

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COVER STORY BORD BIA & COMPASS GROUP IRELAND BOOST FOR FLEDGLING FOOD HEROES

Eighteen Irish food companies are participating in a ground breaking new Bord Bia and Compass Group Ireland programme that seeks to help small and medium-sized Irish companies get their product ranges listed in the food service market.

PROFILE

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INUA TAKEOVER SIGNALS MAJOR BOOST FOR MUCKROSS

Muckross Park Hotel and Spa General Manager Sean O’Driscoll tells Maev Martin about their expansion plans under new owners iNua Hospitality.

32

CONFERENCE REPORT

FORGET CALORIE COUNTING – GET THE CHEFS IN SCHOOLS High profile UK chef backs the Restaurants Association of Ireland’s campaign to fight the proposed implementation of calorie counts on menus.

28 INNOVATION

Nespresso Business Solutions announced a collaboration with Michelin starred chef Kevin Thornton in advance of last month’s Catex exhibition. Maev Martin spoke to Kevin and to Nespresso’s Ian McDonald about the unique partnership.

36 THE CHEF’S TABLE

Chris McGowan has trained with some of the most talented chefs of our time but, having made his mark on the BBC’s Great British Menu programme, he is striking out on his own.

Maev Martin caught up with him between masterclasses at Catex.

40 SUPPLY LINE

Essential Product Knowledge 42 FIVE MINUTES WITH

Philip Gleeson, Head Chef at Killashee House Hotel

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EDITOR’S VIEW

EDITORS

Editor Maev Martin Email: maeve.martin@ ashvillemediagroup.com Telephone: 01 432 2271

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I

t was a case of good news for Longford this month, so good, in fact, that many people thought it was an April Fool. The Center Parcs plan to build a €200m tourist resort on the outskirts of Ballymahon in Co Longford will bring 1,000 permanent jobs and 750 construction jobs to the south Longford area, which is close to the Westmeath border. Once open, the resort will have the capacity for up to 2,500 guests.

Although the development of the 375-acre site is subject to planning permission, Center Parcs says it will open in 2019, bringing about €32m a year to the Irish economy. Along with up to 500 lodges, it will have over 100 varied indoor and outdoor activities, including a domed subtropical swimming pool, and a range of cafés and restaurants. Similar Center Parc resorts in the UK boast 95% occupancy on a year-round basis.

The prospect of long-term tourism jobs in the middle of the country is an extremely positive development for Ireland’s tourism industry. Like the west, this is an oft neglected part of Ireland and one of the areas that suffered the most during the recent recession, particularly after the collapse of the property market. The announcement is also extremely timely, given that Fáilte Ireland will soon be rolling out its new tourism initiative for the east and south of Ireland. We will be reporting on this in full in the May issue. A key objective of this initiative is to ensure that parts of Ireland that have not been viewed as traditional tourism hotspots but still have a lot of hidden treasures to offer tourists are brought centre stage and marketed strongly to international audiences. No doubt the Center Parcs development will play a major role in this initiative and in the achievement of the Government’s plan to grow overseas visitor numbers to 10 million per annum by 2025. This would increase annual revenues from overseas visitors to €5bn and result in an additional 50,000 jobs, bringing total employment in the sector to over 250,000.

The tourism industry has made significant progress in recent years, creating over 33,000 jobs since 2011. However, as IHF President Stephen McNally recently pointed out, we are only at the beginning of the recovery in Irish tourism. “Our industry has significantly upped its game on the marketing front in recent years, with targeted programmes from Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland achieving strong cut through in reinvigorating our tourism brand and Ireland’s image as a holiday destination,” he said. “We have become more imaginative in developing our tourism product and in giving holidaymakers new and compelling reasons to visit. However, a lot more can be achieved, as outlined in the Government’s new tourism strategy, building on the unprecedented levels of collaboration that now exist between tourism industry partners, including closer coordination among businesses, local communities, state agencies and local authorities.”

“ A KEY OBJECTIVE OF THIS INITIATIVE IS TO ENSURE THAT PARTS OF IRELAND THAT HAVE NOT BEEN VIEWED AS TRADITIONAL TOURISM HOTSPOTS BUT STILL HAVE A LOT OF HIDDEN TREASURES TO OFFER TOURISTS ARE BROUGHT CENTRE STAGE.” VISIT US ONLINE

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www.facebook.com /hotelandcateringreview EDITOR: Maev Martin EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION MANAGER: Mary Connaughton DESIGN: Alan McArthur LAYOUT: Alan McArthur COVER IMAGE: Courtesy of Bord Bia & Compass Croup Ireland STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY: Thinkstock.com INFOGRAPHICS: www.flaticon.com PRODUCTION: Nicole Ennis SALES DIRECTOR: Paul Clemenson MANAGING DIRECTOR: Diarmaid Lennon PUBLISHED BY: Ashville Media, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7. Tel: (01) 432 2200 ISSN: 0332-4400 All rights reserved. Every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate. The publishers cannot, however, accept responsibility for errors or omissions. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © Ashville Media Group 2015. All discounts, promotions and competitions contained in this magazine are run independently of Hotel & Catering Review. The promoter/advertiser is responsible for honouring the prize.

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NEWS & VIEWS

NEWS & VIEWS

Pictured (l-r): are Liam Moran, General Manager, Faithlegg House Hotel & Golf Resort, David Kelly, CEO, FBD Property and Leisure, Alicia Maguire, General Manager, Tower Hotel, Stephanie Roche, and Guy Thompson, General Manager, Castleknock Hotel and Country Club

FBD HOTELS SIGNS STEPHANIE ROCHE

FBD HOTELS AND RESORTS RECENTLY SIGNED UP FOOTBALL STAR STEPHANIE ROCHE AS BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR THE GROUP. As part of this new role, Stephanie will take part in a series of events over the coming 12 months within the Irish and Spanish properties, as well as a trip to the Ploughing Championships in September. The partnership is the first of its kind for FBD Hotels & Resorts as Stephanie signs up as the first ever official ambassador for the brand. The development coincides with the 10th anniversary celebrations of Castleknock Hotel & Country Club, one of five properties in the group portfolio. FBD Property & Leisure Group (FBDPLL) is a joint venture

between FBD Holdings plc and Farmer Business Developments plc. Based in Dublin, Ireland, FBDPLL operates under the FBD Hotels and Resorts brand, and owns and operates a collection of five hotels and resorts in Ireland and Spain. In Ireland, the group operates three hotels, including the four star Castleknock Hotel in Dublin, the three star Tower Hotel in Waterford city, and the four star Faithlegg House Hotel and Golf Resort in Co Waterford. In southern Spain, the group owns the four star and award-winning Sunset Beach Club Resort in Benalmadena, Costa del Sol, and the well-known golf, hotel, spa and residential property La Cala Resort in Mijas, Costa del Sol.

KERRY TO DUBLIN

ROUTE GROWS BY

59%

Aer Lingus Regional’s Kerry-Dublin route grew 59% in February 2015 compared to the same period last year, according to figures released by the airline on March 12th.

The airline said that it was the route’s 12th consecutive month of growth, fuelled in part by connecting traffic to North America via Dublin Airport’s transatlantic hub.

In February 2015, 2,855 passengers flew on Aer Lingus Regional’s KerryDublin route, an additional 1,059, or 59% more, than the same period in 2014.

Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Stobart Air, was awarded the tender to provide air services on the Public Service Obligation (PSO) routes from Donegal to Dublin and Kerry to Dublin last November. The airline has a strong track record on the Kerry-Dublin service, with passenger numbers growing month-on-month over the last 18 months.

“The Kerry-Dublin route is hugely important to Ireland in terms of regional connectivity, with over 875,000 overseas tourists visiting Kerry every year,” says Peter O’Mara, Business Development Director at Stobart Air. “News of this passenger growth is particularly exciting, given that we are now entering peak tourism season, during which time we expect to grow the route further.”

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NEWS & VIEWS

DUBLIN IS FOR REVPAR

is on to find the Nation’s

BEST CARVERY Registration opened on March 2nd for the sixth annual Great Carvery of the Year competition, an All-Ireland competition that searches for the best pub and hotel carvery. In its sixth year, the competition recognises the best carvery fare that pubs and hotels across the 32 counties have to offer. Registration is open to venues across the island of Ireland until April 26th – venues can register at www.greatcarvery.com. The public vote will be open from May 5th; people can vote for their favourite venue by text or online at www.greatcarvery.com/vote.

Once the public has determined its shortlist of venues, a team of mystery shoppers will travel around the country to whittle this list down to the top three pub and hotel finalists from each province. The provincial winners and overall Great Carvery Hotel of the Year and Great Carvery Public House of the Year will be announced at a gala awards presentation in Dublin in September. The overall winning venues will each receive PR to the value of €2,500 and marketing support valued at €2,000 for each venue.

The winners’ prize also includes a specially commissioned wall plaque to remind customers that they are about to sit down and enjoy the best carvery in Ireland.

Pictured at the launch of the Great Carvery of the Year competition are Tristan McKenna (7) and Ella O’Neill (8).

The competition recognises the best carvery fare in pubs and hotels across the

32

counties

Dublin recorded the fastest increase in hotel transactions and revenue per room of seven European cities in 2014, according to a recent report by Savills.

The survey ranked Dublin first in terms of growth in the amount of revenue hoteliers raised per available room (RevPAR).

RevPAR growth of 11.3 per cent was achieved in Dublin hotels in 2014.

The next best performing city was Madrid, with 10.2 per cent RevPAR growth.

This was followed by Amsterdam and Berlin, with the major tourist capitals of London, Rome and Paris showing much lower rates of growth.

SHANNON HERITAGE Wins GPO Contract An Post has appointed Shannon Heritage, part of the newly established Shannon Group plc, to operate and manage the €7m GPO Witness History Interpretive Exhibition Centre. The contract was awarded following a competitive tender process. The world-class visitor centre is currently under construction in the inner eastern courtyard of the iconic building and is expected to attract up to 300,000 visitors annually following its opening at Easter 2016.

The GPO Interpretive Exhibition Centre is one of seven major public projects being developed as part of Ireland 2016, the Government’s initiative to commemorate the 1916 Rising.

Pictured at the announcement outside the GPO in Dublin are (l-r): John Ruddle, CEO, Shannon Heritage; Barney Whelan, Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, An Post; Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys; and Neil Pakey, CEO, Shannon Group plc.

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NEWS & VIEWS Graduates Rachel Nolan (left) Tralee and Siobhan Casey (right) Killorglin with Mary Fitzgerald, Owner of Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel after the Annual Graduation Ceremony at the Shannon College of Hotel Management.

SOCIAL MEDIA CAN’T REPLACE

THE PERSONAL TOUCH

MARY FITZGERALD, OWNER OF THE WOODLANDS HOTEL IN ADARE and the Vienna Woods Hotel in Cork, has advised graduates coming into the industry not to put too much faith in social media as it will not replace traditional sales methods.

Speaking at the 2015 graduation ceremony at Shannon College of Hotel Management, she said that the volume of sales driven by social media is minimal.

“There has been a rush onto social media but it’s not a sales tool and certainly not worth the time that many businesses, particularly hotels, are putting into it,” she said in her address

Shannon College is celebrating its 64th successive year of

100% graduate employment

at the ceremony. “Yes, it’s useful for public relations but the proportion of sales that are directly attributable to social media is quite small. My advice to graduates today is that they need to concentrate on pressing the flesh a lot more than the key pads when it comes to sales.

You can’t post a handshake on Facebook. What we find is that people still call directly. Yes, they may go back and book online but there is typically a call directly to us. That’s when you can really let people know your personality or the personality of the hotel.

That’s when you can give them the real assurance that looking after their

needs will be your priority.

Social media does not afford you the opportunity to do that.”

Mrs Fitzgerald, who is also Chairman of the Manor House Hotels Group, said that while the market is improving outside Dublin, the sector is very much two-tiered “like much of the economy. If you look at the average room rate for Dublin, it’s almost twice that of hotels here in the Shannon region. There are green shoots for sure but they are really thriving in Dublin and in clusters like Killarney and Westport but the rest are lagging behind. The Wild Atlantic Way has been a huge success already and that

is set to grow further but the IAG bid for Aer Lingus has huge implications and assurances need to be put in place so it does not affect connectivity from Shannon and Cork, as well as Dublin, if it is to go ahead.”

The Co Limerick woman also said that the demand for a family run hotel is stronger now than ever.

“I think there is a greater opportunity now for family run hotels,” she said.

“There are 800 hotels in Ireland and less family run ones than before the crash because a lot of owners had invested heavily. But every family run business is a lot stronger coming out of the recession. The international traveller may be accustomed to a particular brand but more and more people want the family run hotel now.” Mrs Fitzgerald, who was patron of the 2015 Shannon College graduating class, also presented an award in memory of her husband Dick Fitzgerald, who died last year, for the student who demonstrated exemplary people skills. The Dick Fitzgerald Memorial Award went to Stephen Quinn from Garryowen in Limerick, who is currently working in The Savoy in London. Shannon College is celebrating its 64th successive year of 100% graduate employment as 71 students graduated, all with employment secured in leading Irish and international hotels.

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NEWS & VIEWS

ARTISAN AFTERNOON TEA

AT THE ARDILAUN

Galway’s Ardilaun Hotel has introduced a new afternoon tea menu featuring artisan producers.

Head Chef David O’Donnell has chosen local artisan ingredients to produce an afternoon tea menu that combines classic delicacies in a contemporary style. Scones, a staple of afternoon tea, have been reinvented and are now Cuinneog buttermilk sultana and chocolate scones served with Irish Mist and berry jam, vanilla mascarpone and Cuinneog butter. Finger sandwiches take a classic and elevate it to include local producers McGeoghs air dried lamb, Cornamona smoked salmon, while the humble cheese sarnie is transformed into chargrilled cereal bread with beetroot and pink peppercorn hummus, Aran feta cheese, arugula leaves, caramelised apple and pumpkin seed oil.

“Over the years, I have learned that guests come to expect sweet menu items, including afternoon tea, to be more creative, so you can push the boat out a little more and design dishes that are daring and imaginative,” says David O’Donnell. “Starters and main courses are generally eaten for sustenance, whereas sweet menu items are considered treats. So I am of the mindset that if our guests are treating themselves to a dessert or an afternoon tea experience, I want to treat them with something special, unusual and memorable alongside a selection of specialty teas and coffees”.

Sweet treats are indeed special and include Grand Marnier cheesecake verrine with nutty biscuit crumbs, condensed milk crisp, and Galway Bay Brewery chocolate milk stout cake with muscovado and malt cream. The Ardilaun Afternoon Tea has been available every day since Saturday, March 14th and must be booked in advance. It is available between 3pm and 5pm and costs €35 for two, or for an extra indulgence add two glasses of Prosecco for €50.

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BEST WESTERN LAUNCHES

NEW URBAN BOUTIQUE BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL IS LAUNCHING A NEW HOTEL CONCEPT AND A SOFT BRAND. The announcement, made during the brand’s 2015 press conference at the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin, comes as Best Western continues to see historic growth in the brand’s North American and global development pipeline. Best Western’s newest hotel offering, Vb (pronounced Vibe), is described as “a stylish and technology-centric hotel concept created to meet the needs of today’s connected traveler.”

Vb, which is short for “Vibrant,” is a hotel prototype designed for urban markets. Best Western says that Vb’s high-density concept will be cost-effective to build and operate, making it an attractive option for owners and developers.

The boutique Vb concept features vibrant and modern design with a focus on convenience, technology and social engagement. Vb hotels will have large, interactive lobbies that incorporate the local flavour of their individual markets, as well as comfortable and chic guest rooms. Guests will find ample USB and power ports for electronics, a media wall with custom content in the lobby, smart TVs in the rooms to stream on-demand content and LED mood lighting throughout the hotel. Additional Vb amenities include: grab-n-go stations serving premium food and coffee 24/7; a bar and cosy fireplace where guests can unwind and make themselves at home; a 700 square foot Zen Zone on the lobby mezzanine for relaxation; gaming pods with stylish, comfortable seating; expanded 24/7 fitness centres and modern work spaces in all guest rooms. Also announced at IHIF in Berlin was Best Western’s first soft brand offering, the BW Premier Collection. The BW Premier Collection will consist of highquality hotels in primary markets. All of the soft brand properties will be required to maintain a TripAdvisor rating of four or above and AAA/ CAA rating of three Diamonds or above. Hotels within the BW Premier Collection will not be part of the official Best Western membership but they will be listed, and can be booked, on the Best Western website. BW Premier Collection hotels will also have the option of purchasing additional Best Western brand services such as design and sales support.

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NEWS & VIEWS

SODEXO TEAM WINS CATEX CULINARY CHALLENGE

NEVEN FILMS

Sodexo won the inaugural Contract Caterers’ Culinary Challenge at Catex 2015. Sodexo’s chef trio comprised Cathy Adamson, Development Chef, Northern Ireland; David Fountain, Head Chef at PayPal, Dundalk; and Dennis McCarroll, Head Chef at Almac, Craigavon. They won Gold and Best in Class for their pan-seared salmon with teriyaki and chilli glaze, Irish rack of lamb, and slow cooked lamb shoulder in a savoury pie crust, followed by rhubarb and ginger cheesecake with a white chocolate disk. Sodexo’s winning team had to create a three-course meal for selected guests and an independent judging panel. Each team had two hours to prepare and serve six covers in total. Their gold medal dishes won out over stiff competition from other companies that included Aramark, Two and You, the Mount Charles Group and With Taste.

Sodexo played host to TV chef Neven Maguire when he dropped into the GPO in Dublin to film for his 2015 TV series, Neven Maguire: Home Chef. Neven visited several cultural and historically significant Dublin venues that had catering facilities to watch the head chef prepare one of the venue’s most popular dishes. Sodexo manages the An Post staff restaurant at the GPO, which was buzzing on the day of filming. Catering Manager Stephane Pejus and Head Chef Derek Daly ensured that everything and everyone was perfectly turned out for the cameras. Neven even found time to serve behind the counter before recreating one of his most popular dishes in the GPO’s busy public office, with the help of the Flogas mobile demo unit.

The winning team at Catex 2015, l/r: Cathy Adamson, Development Chef, NI; Dennis McCarroll, Head Chef at Almac, NI and Dave Fountain, Head Chef at PayPal Dundalk.

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AT GPO

TV chef Neven Maguire with Sodexo Head Chef Derek Daly and Catering Manager Stephane Pejus at the GPO in Dublin, where Neven was filming for his 2015 TV series.

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NEWS & VIEWS

GROWING LOCAL GASTRONOMY

Skeffington Arms Wins Quality

EMPLOYER AWARD THE IRISH HOTELS FEDERATION (IHF) recently announced the winners of its inaugural national Quality Employers Awards, celebrating standards of excellence in human resource management across the hotel and guesthouse sector. The awards, which were presented at the IHF’s annual conference by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, recognise hotels and guesthouses that attract, empower and develop employees in line with the overall

DALATA TO ACQUIRE

MALDRON HOTEL WEXFORD 8

goals and objectives of the Quality Employer Programme. Three awards were presented to winners according to the size of the premises: Large Hotel Quality Employer Award: The Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim; Medium Hotel Quality Employer Award: The Glenview Hotel, Delgany, Wicklow; and Small Hotel Quality Employer Award: The Skeffington Arms Hotel, Galway.

The award announcement coincided with National Employment Week 2015, which is supported by the IHF.

Michael Ring, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport, presents Siobhan Callanan from the Skeffington Arms Hotel with the IHF Quality Employer Award 2015 (small hotel category) at the IHF conference. Also pictured are, from left: Tony Lenehan, Chair of the Judging Panel, IHF Chief Executive Tim Fenn, and IHF President Stephen McNally.

Dalata Hotel Group plc has entered into an agreement to acquire the Maldron Hotel Wexford. The company has agreed to acquire the freehold interest in the Maldron Hotel Wexford for a consideration of €3.53m.

The consideration is payable in cash. Maldron Hotel Wexford is a three star hotel located at Barntown.

The hotel, which has recently completed a full refurbishment, contains 108 bedrooms, a bar and restaurant, a leisure centre and four conference rooms.

The hotel has been operated by the group since August 2007 under the terms of a 33-year leasehold agreement with a current annual rent of €0.3m per annum, subject to upward-only rent reviews at five-year intervals. The next rent review is due in January 2019.

The link between tourism and local gastronomy is the theme of Fáilte Ireland’s seventh EDEN Competition, which seeks to recognise the region in Ireland that has best used its local food potential to grow visitor numbers. EDEN is an EU project promoting sustainable tourism development models across the European Union. The bi-annual competition is being held in 29 member states. It focuses on a different aspect of tourism each time and this year’s theme is ‘Tourism and Local Gastronomy.’ The winning destination will receive a promotional photoshoot to market itself, as well as €5,000 towards highlighting its attractions. The winning entry will also represent Ireland at a ceremony/ exhibition in Brussels later this year. “Throughout Ireland, the growth of food activities and attractions has regenerated local economies and communities,” says John Mulcahy, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Hospitality. “Therefore, I would encourage participation in initiatives such as this European Destination of Excellence Competition, which can only boost the profile of these destinations further.”

Fáilte Ireland are looking for emerging tourism destinations in Ireland that have developed a specific tourism offering based on their local gastronomy, balancing sustaining the local environment with the promotion of viable tourism.

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NEWS & VIEWS

COMPASS SIGNS COFFEE DEAL Compass Group Ireland has appointed UCC Coffee UK & Ireland as its preferred coffee supplier. This new contract will see the coffee company supply 23 tonnes of coffee per year, equivalent to 2.8 million cups, to 230 of Compass Group’s units across the island of Ireland. The three-year contract took effect last month.

UCC Coffee has worked closely with Compass in the UK for many years and are now delivering their unique coffee offering to Ireland. The company will deliver Compass exclusive coffee beans, made just for Compass sites. “The Irish coffee market is growing quickly and becoming highly competitive as a result, so we’ll be working closely with the Compass Group Ireland team on its strategy to ensure customers receive the highest standard of products and services,” says Marcus Swift, Sales and Marketing Director, UCC Coffee UK & Ireland.

INAUGURAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD The National Hygiene Partnership (NHP) marked its 20th anniversary by launching the inaugural NHP Student of the Year Awards on March 4th. This perpetual award, sponsored by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, celebrates the achievements of students who have excelled in the NHP’s Management of Food Safety programme.

The current partners of the NHP are the Environmental Health Association of Ireland, Excellence Ireland Quality Association, Fáilte Ireland, Irish Hospitality Institute, NSAI, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Safefood – The Food Safety Promotion Board, Restaurants Association of Ireland, Catering Management Association of Ireland, Teagasc, Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and the Vintners Federation of Ireland.

Left to Right: Minister for Health Leo Varadkar, Joelene Minogue, Winner of the NHP Student of the Year from AIT, and Clodagh Fitzgerald, Chairperson, NHP.

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NEWS & VIEWS

GOLF GROWTH TO THE FORE AS

IRELAND WELCOMES TOP TOUR OPERATORS Fáilte Ireland recently hosted 40 top international golf buyers and media in Ireland who were attending the 2015 Golf Ireland Convention and negotiating overseas business for 2015 and 2016.

Fáilte Ireland, in conjunction with the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO), Tourism Northern Ireland and Tourism Ireland, arranged the forum for key overseas golf operators to meet directly with over 50 Irish golf industry members from all around Ireland to learn about the world-class golf and world-class value that Ireland has to offer to the overseas golfer. The international buyers were selected from core golf tourism markets, including Great Britain, Germany, the Nordics, the US and Canada and represent some of the biggest producers of golf business, as well as those with the most potential to grow golf tourism into Ireland. Prior to the event itself, Fáilte Ireland in conjunction with IAGTO and the Dublin East Coast Golf Alliance hosted a major five-day ‘familiarisation trip’ for these top overseas operators, showcasing Irish golf.

The workshop afterwards took place on March 25th and 26th in Druids Glen, Co Wicklow – a member of the Dublin East Coast Golf Alliance which won the European Destination of the Year accolade at the IAGTO awards during the International Golf Travel Market in November 2014.

“Golf plays a big part in Irish

FIVE STARS FOR SEA VIEW

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tourism,” says Paul Keeley, Director of Business Development for Fáilte Ireland. “There are more than 400 golf courses throughout Ireland, many providing a great showcase for our spectacular scenic landscapes. Indeed, Ireland is famous for having a third of the world’s links courses and our parkland courses have hosted some of the world’s biggest golfing events.

That is why we are happy to support the development of golf tourism as we very much believe that golf can deliver increasing numbers of tourists into Ireland. We will ensure this happens by concentrating on developing relationships with the strongest buyers in our core target markets and this event is one example of how are growing those relationships.”

Golf is one of Ireland’s most significant tourist activities, with over 200,000 overseas visitors taking part in golf during their visit to Ireland every year, contributing almost €220m to the economy. “The buyers have access to tens of thousands of potential clients in their respective markets and they present Ireland’s golf suppliers with a direct sales link to those clients,” says Paul Keeley. “We know we can provide world-class golfing, great value for money and fantastic holiday experiences to our international visitors.

We look forward to seeing concrete results from the week’s activities in the shape of many more golfers travelling to Ireland over the next year or so.”

Ireland’s Blue Book member Sea View House has been awarded five stars by Fáilte Ireland in the Individual Self Catering Cottage category. The luxury holiday home is located on Rosses Point in Co Sligo and offers guests wonderful views of Drumcliff Bay and Benbulben. Sea View is nestled in 14 acres of wild meadow, cleverly hidden away in a sheltered bay with private access to a pebbled beach.

DUBLIN BIDS

WILLKOMMEN

TO GERMAN BUYERS

Fáilte Ireland recently welcomed eight German corporate meetings and incentive travel buyers on a three-day visit to familiarise themselves with what is on offer in Dublin city and county.

The trip is intended to grow MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) business from the German market. Overall the MICE sector is worth €576m to the Irish economy per year.

Fáilte Ireland gave the buyers a look at Dublin’s meeting and incentive product in a three-day whirlwind tour. The trip included a visit to the Convention Centre Dublin as well as to a number of leisure and cultural activities, including a Gaelic games lesson and a tour of Trinity College, Dublin. As part of the trip, 16 Irish providers (including BEM Ireland, The Marker, Castle Leslie, Citywest Hotel, and Fitzwilliam Hotel) had an opportunity to network with the buyers at a networking reception tailored to build greater working relationships and to generate new business. This event is being organised under the Meet In Ireland brand with Fáilte Ireland hosting these key leads which were identified and invited over

by Tourism Ireland. The Meet in Ireland banner is the official MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) brand for the island of Ireland. It comprises three tourism authorities – Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, who work in partnership to promote Ireland as a leading conference and meeting destination.

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NEWS & VIEWS

NEW YORK LAUNCH FOR

TOURISM IRELAND’S US CAMPAIGN Tourism Ireland launched details of its marketing plans to promote the island of Ireland in the US in 2015 at an event in New York in February. The event was attended by 100 leading travel trade and media, as well as key airline contacts, based in New York and the wider Tri-State area. Tourism Ireland aims to build on the success of 2014, which was the best year ever for tourism from the US, with visitor numbers increasing by +13% over 2013 – 134,000 additional American visitors during the year. “Our ambition for 2015 is to grow visitor numbers from the US by a further +6% and we look forward to working closely with our valuable industry partners, in both the US and Ireland, to achieve that target,” said Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America. “The outlook for 2015 is very positive, particularly given that the number of airline seats from the US to Ireland is set to grow by +14% in the peak summer season months, making it that much easier to get to the island of Ireland from 11 gateways across the US.” Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland; Nico Zenner, DH Enterprise & Associates; and Barbara Jones, Consul General of Ireland, at the launch of Tourism Ireland’s marketing plans for 2015 in New York.

UCC HAS IRELAND’S

MOST SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANT KSG at University College Cork was recently named Irish Sustainable Restaurant of the Year. The award was presented by Raymond Blanc, President of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, at a gala lunch event for 250 of the best chefs and restaurateurs in London. The strong focus on healthy eating at the restaurant was a major factor in its success, helping it to beat the two runners-up – Made in Belfast and Two and You. Students and staff can keep track of their calorie intake, as well as fat and sugar consumption, with the detailed information provided on the menu. But they don’t need to measure the salt, as the kitchen has a policy not to cook with it. The healthy eating ethos is also evident in the health clinics, where nutrition advice is on offer and

students can top up their fruit and vegetable consumption at the market days run in the restaurant. Fairtrade products, certified sustainable fish, and locally produced meat and dairy further contribute to the sustainability of the menu and the restaurant uses renewable energy, recycles food waste and offers apprenticeships to local catering students. Thomasina Miers’ popular Mexican restaurant group Wahaca, which has been serving grasshoppers to demonstrate how they can be a tasty and sustainable alternative protein source, won the award for Sustainable Innovation. The theme of the event was the Future of Food and the 250 guests were served cricket canapés prepared by Wahaca, before sitting down to enjoy a two-course menu prepared by James Golding, Chef Director of The Pig pub.

KNOCKRANNY BAR MANAGER

WINS AGAIN!

Knockranny House Hotel & Spa’s Bar Manager Owen Hughes collected the prestigious National Cocktail Champion 2015 award for his aperitif cocktail called St Clements East. The National Cocktail Championships, organised annually by the Bartenders Association of Ireland and sponsored by Edward Dillon & Co, took place at Catex in February. Owen’s cocktail was made with 40ml of Bombay Sapphire East Gin, 5ml of Bols Maraschino Liqueur, 5ml of Bols Red Orange Liqueur, 5ml of Re’al Agave Syrup, 20ml of egg white, and 5ml of lemon juice. He will now compete at the World Cocktail Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria (October 10th to 15th). St Clements East can be enjoyed in the bar at Knockranny House Hotel in Westport where it is available for €7.

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NEWS & VIEWS

Michelin Star Chefs Confirmed FOR SLOW FOOD FESTIVAL

John Sheedy of Sheedy’s Restaurant, Birgitta Hedin Curtin of Burren Smokehouse, Jason Horner of Leen Organics, and Gerry Sweeney of Burren Seafoods, photographed in the Burren.

THE RISING POPULARITY OF THE SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT IN IRELAND will be demonstrated in Co Clare in May when Michelin star chefs and food producers come together for the Burren Slow Food Week Festival 2015. Supported by the Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark and featuring members of the Burren Food Trail and the Burren Adventure, the ninth annual festival will feature 34 food events, ranging from workshops and demonstrations to food sampling and foraging walks throughout the Burren.

The theme of this year’s extended festival from May 16th to 24th is ‘Land and Sea’, which will be the central focus of cookery demonstrations by Michelin star chefs Derry Clarke of L’Ecrivain and JP McMahon of Aniar in Galway. Using local ingredients – Burren beef and lamb and New Quay lobsters and crab – the chefs will highlight the range and quality of local food produce available in the Burren. The demonstrations take place in the Lisdoonvarna Pavilion Theatre on May 23rd and 24th. Other highlights of the week include a talk by Sally and John McKenna of McKennas’ Guides (formerly The Bridgestone Guide), a Food Producers Forum, a guided walk outlining the history of family farming in the Burren, a wild food foraging walk, a farmers’ market, a food history lunch focusing on the history of food preservation in Ireland, and a family grow it yourself demonstration and workshop. Other festival participants include Richard Donnelly of Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), organic gardener and food writer Kitty Scully, local award-winning chefs John Sheedy and Aidan McGrath, lamb producer Donal Monaghan, Erik Robson from the Ely Restaurant Group, craft butcher Neil Hawes, Oonagh O’Dwyer from Wild Kitchen, Kasia Connolly of Hazel Mountain Chocolates, master brewer Peter Curtin, and Thomas Galvin of Moyasta Oysters.

HAT TRICK FOR SHANNON IN SKILLS AWARD Shannon College of Hotel Management was chosen as the host venue for the prestigious Ireland Skills Restaurant Service Final 2015. The competition, which showcases the traditions of craft training in the area of restaurant service, took place over three days from March 18th to 20th. Shannon College was selected to host this year’s final because of its success in the Ireland Skills competition over the past two years, with its students winning the Fáilte Ireland perpetual trophy on both occasions.

This year saw two Institutes of Technology (WIT and LIT) compete alongside students from the Shannon College of Hotel Management. Over the course of the three days the competitors demonstrated craft skills in the areas of fine dining, banqueting, beverage service and guéridon service. An added attraction this year was the opportunity for the top three finalists to go forward for interview for the right to be chosen as part of Team Ireland at the forthcoming 43rd World Skills Competition in Sao Paulo, Brazil in August 2015. The competition finished with a closing awards ceremony on March 20th where Alina Sile from the Shannon College of Hotel Management won the overall competition.

Competitors Paul Geissel and Alina Sile of Shannon College of Hotel Management.

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ON THE MOVE

AGHADOE HEIGHTS APPOINTS GENERAL MANAGER

GERALDINE DOLAN

The Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa, Killarney, has appointed Geraldine Dolan as General Manager. The Leitrim native has made her mark on both the Irish and international hotel scene during her 20-year career in the industry. A graduate of Hotel Management at Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (formally Galway RTC), Geraldine spent her formative training years in hotels in London, including the Park Lane Hilton (Hyde Park Corner) before moving to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates where she spent five years at the Abu Dhabi Hilton. She enjoyed a year in Russia as Food and Beverage Manager at the Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg before returning to Ireland in 1999 to take up a position as Deputy General Manager at Jurys Hotel & Towers. In 2003 she became General Manager of The Berkeley Court Hotel. Geraldine was also General Manager at The Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire and Jurys Inn. She worked in the UK for Devere Hotels & Venues and was General Manager at The Glasshouse in Sligo.

NEW EXECUTIVE CRAFT CHEF FOR SODEXO IRELAND

ENNIS HOTELIER APPOINTED CHAIR OF CLARE TOURISM

Julianne Forrestal is the new Executive Craft Chef for Sodexo Ireland, one of the country’s largest on-site services providers.

Her role will focus on the development of craft and culinary skills for its 500 chefs in the Republic and Northern Ireland.

Julianne began her career as a Pastry Chef at Shanahan’s on the Green in Dublin and moved from there to Thornton’s and on to Chapter One restaurant.

Following a year’s experience as Head Pastry Chef at a top French restaurant in Montreal, she returned to Ireland in 2006 to join Sodexo as Chef Manager at An Bord Bia in Dublin. She has won many internal and external awards and has been a judge at the Sodexo Salon Culinaire since 2011. Julianne holds a professional chef qualification from the Institute of Technology in Tallaght and a BSc (Hons) in Education and Training from Dublin City University. She is currently undertaking a Masters in Environmental Health and Safety at DIT Cathal Brugha Street.

Ennis hotelier Paul Madden has been appointed as Chair of Clare Tourism. Paul, who is General Manager of the Temple Gate Hotel and a founding member of Clare Tourism, assumes the role held by Donnagh Gregson since 2013. Paul says that Ennis’ hosting of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2016 will act as a “significant showcase event” for the entire county. “The continued improvements in connectivity at Shannon Airport and the increasing popularity of the Wild Atlantic Way will encourage people to consider extending their stay in Clare before and after Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann,” he says. Paul Madden is one of seven representatives that have been appointed to the new Clare Tourism Forum Group. The other members are Cathal Blunnie of Doonbeg Adventures, West Clare, Maurice Walsh of Durty Nellys, South Clare, Eoin O’Hagan of Clare Virtually, East Clare, Martin Waldron of the Burren Ecotourism Network, North Clare, Ger Dollard, Clare Co Council, and Maureen Cleary, Clare Tourism.

JULIANNE FORRESTAL

PAUL MADDEN

ON THE

MOVE New Appointments, Promotions and Recruitment

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CÉAD MÍLE

FÁILTE FOR GLOBAL MEDIA

60 GLOBAL MEDIA WHO TRAVELLED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO IRELAND TO WRITE, FILM, INTERVIEW OR TWEET ABOUT THE ST PATRICK’S DAY FESTIVAL AND DUBLIN RECEIVED A WARM IRISH WELCOME FROM FÁILTE IRELAND.

MORE CONFERENCE

WINS 14

T

he international media experienced for themselves the engaging and friendly welcome that Ireland is so famous for during their four days in Ireland.

During their stay, they had the opportunity to visit many attractions in the capital and surrounding countryside. The broadcasters, print journalists and bloggers came from countries as diverse as the US, the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, India, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Brazil and the Gulf States.

These travelling international media have a collective traditional and social media reach in the hundreds of millions.“With a world famous event such as St Patrick’s Day, Ireland is uniquely placed to have a celebration of its traditional and modern culture and personality, which has always been an

irresistible magnet for international visitors,” says Ciara Sugrue, Head of International Publicity with Fáilte Ireland. “The St Patrick’s Festival gives Irish tourism a compelling reason to invite and host key foreign media and gives them the opportunity to absorb the atmosphere and enthuse about Ireland in their coverage as a must-visit destination just as the tourism season gets into gear.”

The importance of these press visits cannot be underestimated. Fáilte Ireland welcomed over 1,400 journalists to Ireland throughout 2014 with a combined circulation of over a billion, generating coverage worth an estimated €86m in equivalent advertising value. Last year, the St Patrick’s Festival alone generated publicity worth an equivalent advertising value of €7m and reached an audience of over 300 million.

F

áilte Ireland recently announced that three international conferences, totalling 1,400 delegates and worth almost €2m to the Irish economy, have been won for Dublin with the assistance of its Conference Ambassador Financial Support Programme.

Following on from other recently announced wins, the amount of conference business confirmed in the past month now represents a potential financial impact of €10m. The conference wins are: Fire Safety for All in Buildings Conference - April 2016; Life Cycle Assessment of Foods Conference – October 2016; International Network of Basin Organisations European Conference on the Water Framework Directive – November 2017.

“The average business traveller tends to spend two or three times as much as a leisure tourist,” says Miriam Kennedy, Head of Business Tourism with Fáilte Ireland. “Therefore, wins such as these are incredibly important for many of those hotels and venues who cater for such large events, as they sustain and grow jobs, as well as revenue, in the sector.”

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COMMERCIAL PROFILE

COMMUNITY TOURISM

INITIATIVE F

áilte Ireland has once again joined forces with IPB Insurance and the local authorities to continue support for the Community Tourism Initiative for the Diaspora. The initiative, launched last year, builds on the community involvement legacy of The Gathering 2013 and applications for funding are being sought. Now in its second year, the scheme provides an annual fund of €1m (€3m in total) to support local communitybased events and festivals each year. Last year, the 376 local events which were supported attracted up to 40,000 visitors from overseas.

Administered by local authorities, the application process for 2015 is now open and interested parties are advised to contact their local authority to apply.

“We witnessed during ‘The Gathering’ an appetite out there among thousands of communities to get involved in building links to the Irish diaspora,” says Fáilte Ireland Director Paul Keeley. “Indeed, at times, we were pleasantly surprised by the level of enthusiasm and creativity that we encountered. For that reason, we were very keen that there would be some lasting footprint from all that work in 2013.

The Community Tourism Initiative allows us to sustain many of those grass roots

networks which sprang to life during The Gathering and to create an infrastructure of events and relationships that will have long-term tourism and social benefits for many years to come.”

The Community Tourism Diaspora Initiative is administered at county level where local authorities seek applications for support from local community events.

The objectives of the initiative are: to provide support in the form of small-scale funding incentives to communitybased tourism events that have the capacity to carry through on the legacy of The Gathering; to create a national network of local events with the capacity to deepen diaspora links and networks that were developed or re-activated during The Gathering year; to foster the growth of strong county diaspora networks on the basis that diaspora relationships are rooted in ‘people and place’. Local authorities throughout the country are now seeking applications from interested parties and will ultimately select those local events with the best potential to make a difference and have a long-term impact. The initiative is being administered at county/city level, with grant applications and awards being decided in accordance with agreed national criteria.

“ THE COMMUNITY TOURISM INITIATIVE ALLOWS US TO SUSTAIN MANY OF THOSE GRASS ROOTS NETWORKS WHICH SPRANG TO LIFE DURING THE GATHERING AND TO CREATE AN INFRASTRUCTURE OF EVENTS AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT WILL HAVE LONG-TERM TOURISM AND SOCIAL BENEFITS FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.”

FESTIVAL FUNDING

BOOST

F

unding of €564,000 has been approved by Fáilte Ireland for regional festivals and events taking place this year. With an average grant of €3,000 each, a total of 187 local events will be supported through the Regional Programme of the Festivals and Events Initiative, following earlier announcements of almost €2.3m for 27 large national festivals throughout Ireland in 2015. The huge range of festivals includes: • 1 05 festivals to boost tourism activity along the Wild Atlantic Way, including Sligo Live, the Westport Arts Festival and Dingle Tradfest • A diverse and exciting collection of 54 festivals throughout the rest of the country, including the Carlow Arts Festival, the Cork Folk Festival and the Bray Jazz Festival • 28 local events in Dublin city and county, including Bloomsday, the Hard Working Class Heroes event and the Dalkey Book festival.

“Festivals and events complement the beauty of our landscapes and the friendliness of our people with a rich variety of spectacle and experiences,” says Fáilte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn.

“These events will be the backbone of the tourism calendar in communities throughout the country and add to our ability to grow overseas visitors and revenue.”

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KEY TO THE DOOR

KEY TO THE

DOOR

Openings, Closures, Refurbs and Acquisitions GALWAY HOTEL BOUGHT IN MULTI-MILLION DEAL Well-known entrepreneur and experienced investor Tom O’Gorman has bought the 92-bedroom Clybaun Hotel in Knocknacarra, Galway, in a deal valued in excess of a3m.

The Hotel Clybaun was offered for sale on the instructions of the joint receivers, Patrick Dillon and Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton. While he is a majority shareholder in the deal, Tom O’Gorman has co-invested in the Clybaun Hotel with property asset management specialists Capital Assets.

Capital Assets advised on the purchase deal and will spearhead the a1m hotel refurbishment and the management team.

Commenting on the acquisition of the Clybaun Hotel, Tom O’Gorman said that the announcement on March 13th is great news for the 35 staff at the hotel and also for the local community of Knocknacarra. “I’m delighted to be working with the Capital Assets team and we are looking at deploying further investment capital into the leisure sector,” he said. “We are targeting the transformation of under-performing midrange hotels in good locations into high-performance hotels with profitable trading profiles.” Dermot Curtin of CBRE Hotels, sole selling agent for the Clybaun Hotel, said that the sale of the Hotel Clybaun attracted over 70 direct inquiries, leading to a very competitive bidding process.

LONE STAR COMPLETES JURYS INN ACQUISITION The acquisition of Jurys Inn by an affiliate of Lone Star Funds, which was announced on January 26th, has now been successfully completed. This follows the clearance of the transaction by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in Ireland on March 5th. The Jurys Inn Hotel Group’s strong market positioning and positive trading performance has been underpinned by a programme of continuous investment and innovation, including an ongoing a50m investment programme to enhance its hotels. The company has also recently acquired three existing leasehold properties as part of its strategy to strengthen its portfolio of hotel assets and provide greater flexibility around their future development.

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KEY TO THE DOOR

MALONE PARTNERSHIP TO BUY INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL A John Malone Partnership ( JMP), comprising John Malone, Paul Higgins and Lalco, has agreed to acquire the InterContinental Hotel in Ballsbridge (formerly the Four Seasons Hotel) from London & Regional Property for an undisclosed sum. JMP in conjunction with InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) will invest over a5m in the five star hotel. Subject to approval by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the transaction is expected to complete within 30 working days. JMP already owns the Westin Hotel as well as the Trinity City Hotel, The Hilton Dublin and the Limerick Strand Hotel. The InterContinental Hotel, which had traded as the Four Seasons Hotel since it opened in 2001, was acquired by London & Regional in mid 2011. Since January 1st it has operated as the five star InterContinental Hotel, Dublin, under a franchise agreement with IHG. John C. Malone is the driving force behind JMP. He recently bought Humewood Castle, Castlemartin Estate and Ballylinch Stud. Lalco Hotel and Hospitality Group operates seven hotels and two hostels in Dublin, Galway and Limerick. Its directors include Lalco founder John Lally and Paul Higgins.

NAMA TO SELL GRESHAM NAMA is lining up a sale of the 300-bedroom Gresham Hotel on O’Connell Street in Dublin. New accounts for Precinct Investments, owner of Gresham Group, show that the Dublin hotel has increased in value by a9.6m because of improved trading and increases in hotel values. The group, which also owns the Gresham Metropole Hotel in Cork, values its two hotel properties at a48m. It has been reported in the national media that the Gresham Hotel is likely to be worth a40 to a50m. Precinct, headed by Bryan Cullen, took the Gresham Hotel Group private from the stock exchange for a117m in 2004. The group has a129m in debt owed to NAMA, which is repayable on demand. It also owes nearly a27m to its shareholders, though their debt ranks behind the NAMA borrowings. The company has agreed a business plan with NAMA and its directors said trading had improved through 2013 and 2014. The group made an operating profit of a1.8m in 2013, excluding the a9.6m gain on revaluation. Revenues were a17.2m, up from a16.5m the previous year. The Gresham underwent a major refurbishment in 2013, with the addition of new bedrooms in adjoining buildings.

SUPERMAC’S FOUNDER BUYS CORK HOTEL Pat McDonagh, the founder of the Supermac’s fast food chain, has bought the Charleville Park Hotel in north Cork and is planning a a1m upgrade. The Irish Examiner reports that Pat McDonagh bought the hotel in a move which, he said, would safeguard more than 100 jobs in the town. It is the third hotel to have been bought by the businessman in recent times, following the purchase of the Castletroy Park Hotel in Limerick and the Lough Rea Hotel and Spa in Co Galway. The four-star hotel has 91 rooms and five executive suites, as well as a conference centre and 25 metre swimming pool.

DALATA HOTEL GROUP REVENUE UP 30% Dalata Hotel Group revealed a strong operating performance when it recently published its annual results for the year ended December 31st 2014. Revenue was up 30.4% in 2014 and group RevPar increased by 15.7% on a ‘like for like’ basis, primarily due to a 13.4% increase in average room rate. The group also completed the acquisition of three hotels for a total consideration of a35m and invested a3.5m in ongoing capital refurbishment of leased hotels. Since the end of last year, Dalata Hotel Group has completed the acquisition of nine Moran Bewley hotels, the Clayton Hotel in Galway, Whites Hotel in Wexford and the Pillo Hotel in Galway for a total consideration of a495m. The new Clayton brand is being rolled out to 13 of the Dalata Group hotels over the next six months. On March 10th the group announced the acquisition of the Holiday Inn Hotel in Belfast for £18.5m (a25.7m). The group raised a further a48.6m net of costs to part-fund the hotel acquisitions.

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COVER STORY

BORD BIA & COMPASS GROUP IRELAND BOOST FOR FLEDGLING

HEROES Eighteen Irish food companies are participating in a ground breaking new Bord Bia and Compass Group Ireland programme that seeks to help small and medium-sized Irish companies get their product ranges listed in the food service market.

18

he inaugural Bord Bia Compass Group Ireland Supplier Development Programme is aimed at providing participants with tailored support and guidance to assist them to secure, grow and maintain business with Compass Group Ireland at home and overseas.

This is the first time that Bord Bia has partnered with a leading food service industry operator to deliver a comprehensive and practical programme for fledgling Irish food producers. Launching this month, the programme comprises three day-long workshops, a market study visit to London, and eight hours of bespoke mentoring for each company.

Workshop themes will focus on ‘understanding the Compass Group Ireland procurement framework’ and ‘working with your route-tomarket partner to drive sales’, along with ‘food service key account management’. This will give each of the 18 companies in the programme the skills, knowledge and tools to pitch their products to Compass Group Ireland, and to potentially secure listings.

Representatives from Compass Group Ireland will participate in all three workshops, sharing practical insights with participants to help them better understand Compass’s processes, procedures and requirements. Real examples and case studies of how Irish companies have successfully grown their business with Compass Group Ireland will further illustrate the growth potential of this channel to the companies involved.

Brakes Ireland, Compass Group Ireland’s principal route-to-market partner, will further expand on the requirements for securing distribution in the food service channel.

“We’re very excited to partner with Bord Bia on this fantastic initiative,” says Mark Lee, Commercial Director, Compass Group Ireland. “At Compass Group Ireland, we are focused on working with Irish suppliers and on delivering a first class product to our customers. We’re looking forward to working with these companies and sharing our knowledge and experience to help them grow.”

The total out-of-home market in Ireland was valued at w6.13bn in 2014 and is delivering better

than predicted, with growth forecast to reach almost w6.5bn by the end of 2017. That’s according to Bord Bia’s 2014 Irish Foodservice Channel Insights Report. The organisation has identified significant opportunities for companies providing high quality, healthy and innovative grab-and-go snacks.

“Food service in Ireland is benefiting from improved economic conditions, increased consumer confidence levels and greater tourist numbers,” says Maureen Gahan, Food Service Specialist, Bord Bia. “Bord Bia has been delivering food service supplier development programmes on an annual basis since 2010, but this is the first time that we have partnered with a leading operator.

We’re delighted that Compass Group Ireland will be on hand to share their practical knowledge and industry insights with participating suppliers.”

The Market Study Visit to London will incorporate an on-site visit to one of Compass Group UK’s Centres of Excellence that operates in London city and feeds up to 5,000 employees on a daily basis, in both casual and formal dining settings. It will

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provide participants with a firsthand overview of best-in-class menu and concept development in practice. Competing against ever-changing high street food offerings on a daily basis, Compass Group has a full culinary development team of experienced chefs, nutritionists and consumer insight specialists who are putting clients and consumers at the heart of everything they do.

In addition to this supplier development programme with Bord Bia, Compass Group Ireland continues its ongoing support of Irish suppliers through The Idea Works!, an initiative that was launched in June 2014.

The aim of the programme is to encourage SMEs operating in the food service, hospitality and facilities management industry to step forward with cutting-edge products, solutions, applications and innovations. The initiative involves a pre-screening process whereby a short-list of contenders is invited to pitch their big idea to a Dragons’ Den type expert panel from Compass Group Ireland. The Idea Works!

2015 initiative will launch in May.

Pictured above (l-r): Robert Bullock, Le Patissier; Rosie McLoughlin, Rosie & Jim; Mark Lee, Compass Group Ireland; Maureen Gahan, Bord Bia; and Jimmy McLoughlin, Rosie & Jim.

Compass Group Ireland, Ireland’s leading food and support services company, employs over 4,000 people on the island of Ireland, serves over 100,000 meals a day, and manages over 250 units, including the Aviva Stadium where Compass Group operates all the food and beverages available in the stadium, in addition to hospitality and corporate entertainment packages.

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THE CREAM OF THE

CROP

The following 18 Irish food manufacturers are participating in the bespoke training and support programme in an effort to build their sales in the competitive Irish food service market.

BLANCO NINO Authentic corn tortilla manufacturers Philip Martin T: 026 189 723/087 788 3744 E: phil@blanco-nino.com W: www.blanco-nino.com

CLONAKILTY CHOCOLATE Hand-crafted range of stoneground chocolate products Allison Roberts T: 085 757 4338 E: allison@clonakiltychocolate.com W: www.clonakiltychocolate.com

FUSCO FOODS Specialists in meringuebased desserts Nicky Fusco T: 01 295 3024/086 818 6810 E: nickyf@fuscofoods.com W: www.fuscofoods.com

GOOD 4 U Producers of healthy sprouts, seeds and snack mixes Laura O’Sullivan T: 071 918 0031/087 630 4900 E: laura@good4u.ie W: www.good4u.ie

HONEST BAKERY Gluten and wheat-free bakers Mark Molloy T: 090 662 5940/087 780 1434 E: info@honestbakery.ie W: www.honestbakery.ie

LE PATISSIER Premium patisserie specialists Robert Bullock T: 01 640 2222/086 826 8317 E: info@lepatissier.ie W: www.lepatissier.ie

MALONE FOODS Cooked meat specialist Des Malone T: 042 974 5102/087 996 8621 E: desmalone@malonefoods.ie W: www.malonefoods.ie

NEWGRANGE GOLD Premium Irish seed oils from the Boyne Valley Jack Rogers T: 041 982 4278/085 728 8416 E: jack@newgrangegold.ie W: www.newgrangegold.ie

NOBÓ Award-winning dairy-free ice cream producers Brian Nolan T: 01 533 1926/087 148 0377 E: hello@nobo.ie W: www.nobo.ie

NÜSLI Award-winning Bircher muesli Dermot Hanley T: 01 548 4273/086 049 0549 E: dermothanley@nusli.com W: www.nusli.com

PAGANINI Ice cream and dairy dessert specialists Barry Murphy T: 091 47222/086 172 4305 E: bmurphy@paganini.ie W: www.paganini.ie

THE PENNY LOAF COMPANY Producers of yeast-free traditional soda breads Louise O’Donohue T: 057 932 1411/086 355 8873 E: louise@pennyloaf.ie W: www.pennyloaf.ie

ROSIE & JIM Specialists in ready-to-cook chicken products Jimmy McLoughlin T: 01 460 5900 E: jimmy@rosieandjim.ie W: www.rosieandjim.ie

SEERYS BAKERY Specialists in baking traditional cakes and puddings Mags McKenna T: 059 914 2461/087 380 0998 E: mags@seerys.ie W: www.seerys.ie

SUSHI KING Award-winning sushi and Asian dishes Audrey Gargan T: 01 875 0066/086 831 9566 E: audrey@sushiking.ie W: www.sushiking.ie

TIPPERARY CHEESE CO LTD Farm-based manufacturers of milk, yoghurt and dairy-based products Donal Hayes T: 0504 44325/087 928 0757 E: donalhayes@tippcheese.ie

VALEO PROFESSIONAL Leading producer of branded food products Sean Lynch T: 086 020 6983 E: sean.lynch@valeofoods.ie W: www.valeofoods.com

WALSH’S BAKEHOUSE Waterford Blaa bakers since 1984 Dermot Walsh T: 051 378 0800/087 264 5014 E: info@manddbakery.ie W: www.manddbakery.ie

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THE SUPPLIERS OR FOR GENERAL QUERIES, PLEASE CONTACT MAUREEN GAHAN, FOODSERVICE SPECIALIST, BORD BIA: M: 087 668 6129 E: MAUREEN.GAHAN@BORDBIA.IE

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PROFILE

iNua Hospitality’s purchase of the Muckross Park Hotel and Spa for over a6m further expands the hospitality investment company’s hotel asset portfolio. General Manager Sean O’Driscoll tells Maev Martin that it has also given an already profitable hotel the resources to further expand its operation.

iNUA TAKEOVER SIGNALS MAJOR BOOST FOR MUCKROSS

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he 68-bedroom hotel with 18 self-catering apartments is located in Killarney National Park and is the oldest hotel in the town, dating back to 1795. In 2006, the property was significantly redeveloped following a multi-million investment. Over the last three years, led by its experienced General Manager, the hotel has established itself as one of the country’s leading five-star hotel resorts.

“We are delighted that an Irish company with expertise in the hospitality sector has purchased us and is investing in Irish hospitality,” says Sean. “We were in receivership for two years so this development provides certainty for our employees.

There are immediate plans to inject close to 2250,000 into styling and redevelopment work.

Already iNua are planning to refurbish the 12 two-bed apartments on the complex and to add three new suites to the hotel so that will help to grow the profitability of the business as well, which is very positive. Once the refurbishment and expansion programme is complete we will have 71 rooms, including 10 suites and, ultimately, they will refurbish all of our 18 twobedroom apartments. We have a wonderful spa facility that won a world luxury spa award last year and we are located in the National Park in Killarney.

We want to make this a resort about relaxation and we want to embrace what the National Park has to offer to make this a real getaway for guests. With this in mind, we have an adventure company, Outdoors Ireland, on site so people can do kayaking on the lakes or climb Carrauntoohil.

Outdoors Ireland’s offices are based at the hotel and they have been working with us for the past year. We have complimentary bike hire on site and we organise walks in the National Park where we take people through the nature and the history of the park.”

Sean O’Driscoll, General Manager, Muckross Park Hotel.

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PROFILE

EATING THE WILD ATLANTIC WAY iNua’s ambition is to enhance the service at the hotel and they plan to do this primarily by further developing and promoting their spa experience and their food offering. “We have just appointed a new Executive Chef, John O’Leary, who is a Kerry native from near Killarney. John worked as a Sous Chef in The Shelbourne and The Merrion, as well as in Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud. He has also worked in Nick Munier’s Pichet restaurant and, most recently, he was Executive Chef in the Morrison Hotel in Dublin, so it is great to have him on board. John is developing a Wild Atlantic Way menu. The hotel is located at the end of the Ring of Kerry so we are creating a menu with all of the ingredients being sourced along the Wild Atlantic Way, including Ring of Kerry lamb.

All the fish will be from the west coast so we are helping people not just to see the Wild Atlantic Way but to eat it as well! Despite the strong emphasis on the Wild

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Atlantic Way, the style in the restaurant won’t be traditional Irish. There will be a modern interpretation of the use of Irish ingredients. In addition, John is keen to develop the Yew Tree brand in Kerry. He has a strong restaurant background so he really wants to develop the restaurant as a brand in its own right within the hotel.” The other food and beverage outlets in the hotel are The Jarvey’s Rest pub where Muckross Park offers a “rustic Irish food” menu, and Monk’s Lounge, the hotel’s five star lounge, which caters for their spa guests as well as general hotel guests. The menu here is being designed with lots of healthy options, as well as a variety of afternoon tea selections.

Sean, who has a BA in Hotel Management from GMIT, began his career in hospitality in Geneva, Switzerland, as Brand Standards Co-Ordinator with the Crowne Plaza. On his return to Ireland he joined the Great Southern Hotel Group and worked as an Assistant Manager in the Great Southern

“WE HAVE A MEDIEVAL ATRIUM THAT IS A PURPOSE-BUILT CIVIL CEREMONY VENUE...

THE CIVIL CEREMONY MARKET IS GROWING RAPIDLY BUT THERE AREN’T MANY PURPOSEBUILT VENUES FOR THESE CEREMONIES SO THIS IS A STRONG SELLING POINT FOR US.” Hotels in Dublin, Galway and Parknasilla. He then completed a seven-year stint as General Manager of The Brehon Hotel in Killarney. “I became General Manager there at the age of 25,” he says. He joined Muckross in November 2011. “The first two years were challenging but I was aware of what needed to be done when I joined the operation,” he says. “There was no sales strategy and revenues were stagnant. Unfortunately, the Glencullen car business went into receivership in October 2012 and things went awry from there. The Muckross Park Hotel went into receivership in March 2013.”

A RETURN TO PROFITABILITY The hotel had a very high profile while it was owned by businessman Bill Cullen and his partner Jackie Lavin. However, since taking over the hotel in March 2013 the receiver has increased the turnover to more than a5m and the trading surplus to about a200,000. Did the hotel retain its profitability in 2014? “Yes, we took it to profit in 2013 and we have continued with that trend,” says Sean. “Since I joined in November 2011 the revenue has grown by 100%. Even after we went into receivership we still increased revenue by a further

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PROFILE

MUNIER MAGIC AT MUCKROSS

25% which is not normally what is expected when a hotel is in receivership. However, we have a very driven team. We doubled occupancy in the hotel to about 68% and we doubled our RevPar from where it was in 2011.

The asset wasn’t being sweated enough in terms of delivering revenue but we got it to a place where it was delivering.”

Sean says that the hotel made a small loss in 2012. “That was to be expected because I had a lot of adjusting to do in the property and investments to be made in order to ultimately double the revenue,” he says. “In 2012 we moved from 30 to 60 weddings a year. Since 2013 we have been doing 70 weddings a year and we are keen to grow our wedding business even further.

We have a medieval atrium that is a purpose-built civil ceremony venue, which we created in 2006, and it can accommodate up to 150 guests. The civil ceremony market is growing rapidly but there aren’t many purpose-built venues for these ceremonies so this is a strong selling point for

us. When I joined Muckross Park the business wasn’t well set up online but I was able to draw on my previous roles where I built up strong relationships with tour operators and incentives agents to develop our digital presence. In addition, I put in place an international sales strategy which had been absent from the business.”

Originally, only 20% of the hotel’s business was international but that percentage has grown to 40%, with 20% of that coming from the US. “We recently joined the Ensemble Travel brand in the US and they have hundreds of travel agents throughout the US and Canada,” he says. “We are Ensemble’s five star hotel in Kerry so we are keen to grow our US business further. 10% of our international business is from the UK and the rest is from central Europe. The new emerging market over the last year is Australia. Better European flight access and the flights coming down in price are making a difference so that is definitely a market for the future.”

AWARD-WINNING PROPERTY In 2014, the Muckross Park Hotel scooped a Trip Advisor Top 15 Luxury Hotels in Ireland Award, as well as the World Luxury Spa Award. “Also, our spa brand Pevonia was named

by Pevonia as their best hotel spa in the UK and Ireland,” says Sean. “We won the ISIA Gold Medal for Accommodation Excellence 2014, an AA Rosette for our Yew Tree Restaurant, and the hotel was named Munster Wedding Venue in 2012 by Southern Brides.” In addition, their Jarvey’s Rest traditional Irish pub received the Best Gastro Pub in Munster 2014 Award. “In the early 1990s the pub was well-known for running Irish music and dancing nights and we revived that in 2012. At a time when drinks revenues were in freefall we grew the revenue by 44% by reintroducing entertainment in the pub. From St Patrick’s weekend to the end of October we will run 160 Irish nights in The Jarvey’s Rest.”

Nick Munier of Masterchef Ireland fame showcased his new restaurant, The Avenue in Dublin, at a special event in the Muckross Park Hotel on March 7th. Over 100 guests were treated to a Prosecco drinks reception and a six-course tasting menu designed by Nick, which included cream of cauliflower soup and truffle oil with cheese straw, followed by tartare of salmon, spicy avocado with toast, celeriac remoulade with prosciutto, poached cod with clams and herb butter nage, and The Avenue 60-day aged rib eye burger

by Higgins butchers with brioche bun, beef tomato, pickle, mustard aioli and fries. Dessert was tarte fine of apples with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Nick Munier and Head Chef John O’Leary.

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COMMERCIAL PROFILE

OVERSEAS

TOURISM GETS THE

GREEN LIGHT FROM ROME TO RIO AND LONDON TO LAS VEGAS, MORE THAN 180 OF THE WORLD’S MOST ICONIC LANDMARKS AND SITES TURNED GREEN FOR ST PATRICK’S DAY 2015 AS PART OF TOURISM IRELAND’S BIGGEST EVER GLOBAL GREENING INITIATIVE.

Edinburgh Castle

IRELAND GOES UNDERGROUND

TO INSPIRE MILLIONS OF PARIS COMMUTERS

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Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne

V Sacré-Cœur basilica, Paris

The Colosseum, Rome

ast positive coverage was generated in print, broadcast, social and online media, as the greenings captured imaginations across the world at a key time for holiday planning and decisions. The Colosseum in Rome, the Sacré Cœur basilica in Paris, Edinburgh Castle, the Great Wall of China, Niagara Falls, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, and the famous ‘Welcome’ sign in Las Vegas were just a few of the sites that helped to generate in excess of €10m in positive publicity at this important time of year.

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illions of French commuters are seeing ads for the island of Ireland on large billboard posters as they pass through the busy metro stations of Paris. Tourism Ireland has teamed up with one of the main online French travel agents – Go Voyages – for its largest ever joint promotional campaign in France. More than 1,000 billboard ads are prominently displayed in metro stations across the French capital, grabbing the attention of commuters with beautiful images of the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coastal Route and featuring attractive offers for a weekend break – reminding them why they should put Ireland on their holiday wish-list for 2015.

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13/04/2015 11:33

COMMERCIAL PROFILE

ALL ‘TEE’D UP’

FOR GOLF TOURISM FROM BRITAIN

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ourism Ireland in Britain kicked off the 2015 golf season recently with a special media golf day at the West Sussex golf course of Goodwood. Twentysix leading British golf writers representing major titles like The Times, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Golf World and Golf Today attended the event, which was organised by Tourism Ireland to highlight our world-class golf,

this year’s Irish Open at Royal County Down, as well as links golf along the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coastal Route. Golf holidays in Ireland are a major focus for Tourism Ireland in Britain, and in other key markets around the world, and the organisation has a busy programme of promotions under way to grow the number of golf tourists in 2015 and beyond.

INTERNATIONAL

TOUR OPERATORS

GIVE IRELAND THE THUMBS

UP!

British golf writers taking part in Tourism Ireland’s media golf day with David Boyce, Tourism Ireland (front, centre).

T ‘WUNDERBAR’ Ireland is

IN BERLIN

ourism Minister Paschal Donohoe joined Tourism Ireland and 21 tourism companies from Ireland and Germany at ITB in Berlin recently in a bid to grow our share of the German travel market, the world’s second-largest outbound travel market. The five-day event provided a valuable opportunity for the participating Irish tourism companies to network, negotiate and exchange vital contracts with the influential international tour operators and travel agents in attendance. The Wild Atlantic Way, Causeway Coastal Route, Yeats 150 and ID2015 (the year of Irish Design) were just some of the key themes being highlighted by Tourism Ireland at this year’s ITB.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, Cathy Sullivan, Tullamore D.E.W Visitor Centre, Tourism Minister Paschal Donohoe, Ralf Michael Hubert, Irish Ferries, Claudia Tunek, Dertour, and Gerry Browne, Killarney Hotels, at ITB Berlin.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland (centre), with Sinéad McGowan, Lough Eske Castle (right), and one of the international buyers attending the inaugural ExploreGB workshop.

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s part of its ongoing partnership with VisitBritain, Tourism Ireland, together with 16 Irish tourism companies, took part in ExploreGB, VisitBritain’s new flagship international event which took place recently at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire. The Irish tourism companies attending the two-day workshop had the opportunity to meet and do business with some of the 250 carefully selected international travel buyers who had flown in from 37 different countries, including Australia, China, India, Japan, Brazil and Russia.

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13/04/2015 11:34

DINE

Baileys & Chocolate Panna Cotta

Served with Vanilla Custard, Almond Biscuit and Raspberry & Mint Hotel & Catering Review’s Dish of the Month comes from Philip Gleeson, Head Chef at Killashee House Hotel in Kildare.

SERVES

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PEOPLE

PANNA COTTA Ingredients: 125g of caster sugar 185 mls of milk 35 mls of Baileys 3.5 leaves of gelatine 500 mls of cream 12g of cocoa powder

Method: 1. Bring the sugar and the milk to the boil and leave all to one side.

2. Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft.

3. Bring the cream and the Baileys to the boil and add the softened gelatine. Whisk well.

4. Add the cocoa powder, the sugar and milk mixture to this.

5. Mix all together and pour into 7oz mould or martini glass if preferred.

6. Allow to set in the fridge for four to five hours.

7. When ready to serve, remove from the mould by dipping the mould into hot water to loosen the mixture.

VANILLA CUSTARD Ingredients: 1125 mls of cream 250 mls of milk 90g of egg yolks 75g of sugar 1 vanilla bean (scrapped)

Method: 1 Bring the cream and milk to the boil with the vanilla pod inside.

2. Mix the egg yolk and the sugar together and pour over the hot cream mixture.

3. Return to a clean pot and cook slowly until the mixture doubles in consistency.

ALMOND BISCUIT Ingredients: 25g of flour 25g of egg white 25g of icing sugar 25g of butter 10g of almond 2 tsps of almond essence 26

Method: 1. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg whites and then the almond essence.

2. Sieve the flour into the mixture. Leave to rest in the fridge for three to four hours before using.

3. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet and shape as desired.

4. Sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake at 165 degrees Celsius until golden brown.

Wine Recommendation: Killashee House Hotel’s Senior Restaurant Supervisor Ronaldo Burburan recommends an Orange Muscat Wine to accompany the dessert as the flavour of the organe will complement the Callebaut chocolate that is used in the panna cotta.

TOP TIP Make sure that the gelatine is fully softened before using in order to avoid lumps.

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13/04/2015 11:21

COMMERCIAL PROFILE

J&C KENNY’S WORLD

OF WINES & SPIRITS Hooked by the smoky, spicy flavours, Rioja wines have been a firm favourite with the Irish consumer for many years. Having secured the exclusive agency in Ireland for the Glorioso brand, J&C Kenny is set to showcase the delights on offer from this Spanish powerhouse.

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oming from the winemakers at Bodegas Palacio, the Glorioso brand is the market leader in wine from the Rioja.

The wine had been present in the Irish market for a number of years, but the exclusive agency was acquired by J&C Kenny last year.

Glorioso began making wine in 1928 and continues to produce classic Spanish wines from the heart of Rioja.

Tempranillo grapes and ageing in French oak gives these wines their elegance and distinction.

Glorioso Crianza is bright and clean with a ruby red hue.

Aromas of intense black fruit with nuances of liquorice and fennel blend perfectly with notes of roasting coffee and chocolate. This, combined with ageing in French oak and bottling in a Bourguigonne bottle, transmits the essence of Rioja Alavesa. This wine is a hit with both wine drinkers and critics alike, winning gold medals in the Berliner Wine Trophy, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, and Mundus Vini, and it received 88 points from Wine Spectator. Glorioso Reserva is clean and bright with a complex array of ripe fruits, which are well balanced with notes of cinnamon, vanilla and cedar. The oak ageing leads to a robust nose

and intense flavours on the mouth, with a long, smooth finish. Elegant and stylish, hints of compote and balsamic notes come from the French oak. The Glorioso Reserva is an elegant example of classic Spanish wine making techniques combined with a dedication to elegance.

Glorioso Gran Reserva 2007 is a shining example of all that is good about Spanish wine.

This wine is robust yet elegant, full-bodied but delicate, a must try for all who love Spanish wine. Its complexity is consistent with the old vine Rioja Alavesa grapes used in production. It is round and

smooth with a persistent finish.

Complex and velvety, it is an assiduous representation of the winery.

Glorioso wines are an important addition to the J&C Kenny wine portfolio, bringing Spanish class and elegance to the Irish market. These wines are the perfect ambassadors to further enhance Ireland’s long-standing love affair with Spanish wine. Bodegas Palacio’s dedication and commitment to producing high quality wines and their attention to detail in wine making techniques make Glorioso the leading brand in the Rioja region.

J&C Kenny is a family-run company located in the west of Ireland. Founded in 1979 by John and Carmel Kenny, J&C Kenny Ltd offers customers a nationwide quality service at competitive prices that focuses on exclusive and quality agencies.

For further information, please contact aoife@jckenny.ie, or: J&C Kenny, Unit 9, Oranmore Business Park, Oranmore, Co Galway.

Tel: 091 794308 Fax: 091 794737 Website: www.jckenny.ie

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13/04/2015 11:35

INNOVATION

MATCH MADE

COFFEE HEAVEN Nespresso Business Solutions announced a collaboration with Michelin starred chef Kevin Thornton at a preview breakfast in Thornton’s Restaurant in advance of last month’s Catex exhibition.

Maev Martin spoke to Kevin and to Nespresso’s Ian McDonald about the unique partnership.

“I

am very happy to be collaborating with Nespresso,” says Kevin Thornton, who installed a Nespresso Aguila machine in Thornton’s in 2014. “The Grand Crus have a superior quality and carefully developed range of intensities and flavours. Nespresso ensures that I can offer my customers a consistently good quality coffee that suits their coffee preference, from a robust Ristretto Intenso to a lighter Lungo Leggero. It allows us to be bespoke with our coffee menu. My day starts with a Nespresso at home. I have my favourites and enjoy an intense espresso to start the day and then a longer drink such as the Fortissio Lungo later in the morning.

I like the consistently good quality and the fact that the coffee is sustainably and ethically sourced – that’s important to me in all aspects of business.

Customers that come to my restaurant

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expect a celebration of senses and the very best quality and taste. Enjoying a good coffee at the end of the meal completes that experience.”

So how did the partnership with Nespresso come about? “At Thornton’s we have always used coffee to flavour our dishes and we use it as a savoury – some of our venison dishes are flavoured with coffee and spice and finished with chocolate sauce,” says Kevin. “We look at coffee as a savoury and we will work with coffee in a range of dishes on our menu and we will continue to work with it and explore new applications. We prepared a 10 course dinner and every dish had coffee in it, including coffee and pigeon scallops. I am very much a coffee buff and have always had a very broad view of coffee in terms of how it is used in food. The original coffee comes from Ethiopia and that is a country that I visit a couple of times every year

to soak up as much of the national culture as possible, learn coffee-making techniques from the people there and impart some of my knowledge.The people from Nespresso called in to the restaurant and we discussed a potential partnership. We have been supplying Nespresso to our customers since October 2014. I’m 25 years in this business so it is part of our plan to keep moving our operation forward and it is about achieving consistency of quality and flavour with our coffee offering.”

Kevin joins a long list of the world’s most lauded Michelin-awarded chefs who have embraced Nespresso and its indulgent Grand Crus.

“Nespresso’s expertise in sourcing the highest quality coffee beans and delivering an exceptional coffee experience complements the work of internationally renowned chefs who bring the highest standards of provenance, taste and quality

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INNOVATION

to the dining experience,” says Ian McDonald, Commercial Manager, Nespresso UK & Ireland. “It is a perfect pairing of gastronomic excellence.”

Why did Nespresso select Kevin for the brand ambassador role? “It was really about shared values,” he says.

“Kevin loves food and we love coffee.

He is imaginative and passionate and puts feeling into what he does. His recipes and ways of presenting coffee are very creative. We have worked with Kevin for the past 18 months – he serves Nespresso in his restaurant and he makes choices based on quality.”

The Nespresso brand currently operates in the out-of-home hotel and restaurant sector in Ireland. Apart from Thornton’s, other major clients in the trade include the Castlemartyr Hotel, Sheen Falls Hotel and the Merrion Hotel. “We tend to work with a mixture of boutique and larger hotels

Ian McDonald, Commercial Manager, Nespresso UK & Ireland, with Nespresso Ambassador and Michelin starred chef Kevin Thornton of Thornton’s Restaurant.

but they are all generally four and five star properties,” says Ian. “Nespresso can be found in bedrooms or suites, as well as in meeting rooms, and in small bars and restaurants. We launched our Aguila machine 18 months ago and it completes our range. This commercial coffee machine is designed to combine the best of traditionnal coffee-making

“NESPRESSO RESEARCH IN RECENT YEARS SHOWS THAT ONLY A SMALL PROPORTION OF PEOPLE HAVE COFFEE AFTER A MEAL – IT IS AS LOW AS 25% AND EVEN LOWER – AND THIS IS EUROPE-WIDE RESEARCH SO THERE ARE HUGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESTAURATEURS TO GROW THEIR COFFEE BUSINESS.”

methods with the latest advances from Nespresso. The Aguila model is ideal for a main restaurant bar in a hotel and a main bar in a stand-alone restaurant.”

Ian believes that there is plenty of scope for hoteliers and restaurateurs to be more imaginative in how they promote their coffee offering to customers. “We work with hotels and restaurants to help them with their menus and we train their staff to present coffee,” he says. Nespresso enjoys strong brand recognition as a result of the George Clooney TV ads but it is a relatively new brand in Ireland. “We will focus on the quality benefits of the coffee and on the flavours and possibilities, for example, coffee matching with desserts and spirits and how the restaurateur can grow this aspect of their business,” says Ian. “Because the Nespresso machines are so easy to use, the waiting staff feel more confident about offering coffee to the customers. It is easy to make and easy to serve, and they can make lots of different coffees at the touch of a button. Nespresso research in recent years shows that only a small proportion of people have coffee after a meal – it is as low as 25% and even lower – and this is Europe-wide research so there are huge opportunities for restaurateurs to grow their coffee business. People can pay a lot of money for a good meal but feel underwhelmed by the coffee offering at the end of it so it is about opening the eyes of the trade to the possibilities of coffee in terms of enhancing their food offering and their bottom line – and capitalising on the growing interest in coffee among consumers. While we are well represented in the premiuim end of the coffee business in the Irish hotel and restaurant sector, the Catex 2015 event represented our big entry into the sector. There is huge scope for growth and now that we have the full range we are in a position to fully maximise our potential in the Irish market.”

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COMMERCIAL PROFILE

BARISTA

TRAINING TO DRIVE YOUR PROFITS

Bewley’s take great pride in having been the first coffee supplier to set up a dedicated training service for its foodservice customers and to offer barista training to the highest international standards. ewley’s have the largest resource of accredited coffee trainers in Ireland, with each trainer holding an SCAE accreditation, grade 2. Bewley’s also have a previous Irish Barista Champion and Former Latte Art & Cupping Champion working as part of their training team and can coach baristas on what it takes to succeed at competition level.

The belief at Bewley’s is that the difference between a good cup of coffee and a great cup is repeat business. If you want your establishment to earn a reputation as having the best coffee your baristas need to have the skills to produce a consistent cup of coffee even in the

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busiest periods. That is why Bewley’s have designed flexible, bespoke coffee training programmes for all types of operations, from hotels to small, independent cafés. Training sessions can take place in Bewley’s dedicated training facility in Dublin or on site in your own business.

Due to strong demand for intensive coffee training support outside of Dublin, Bewley’s recently visited Kilkenny for two days where they set up training workshops and invited foodservice operators from the area to take part in brewing, cupping and latte art training sessions with one of Bewley’s leading trainers.

“The two-day workshop held at the Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel was a huge

success because it was more convenient for operators in the area serving Bewley’s coffee to get involved here as opposed to travelling to Bewley’s training facility in Dublin,” says Maria Cassidy, Bewley’s Training & Quality Manager. “We plan to take our training workshops to other regions of the country this year and to help our trade customers in their preparations for the World of Coffee Exhibition that is coming to Dublin in June 2016.”

Operators who are looking for an edge in this competitive environment should contact the Bewley’s training team on 1850 248 484.

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driving your

profits with

tailored solutions With a World Barista Finalist and an Irish Latte Art Champion as part of our training team, we know what it takes to be the best. We can create barista training programmes for your staff that will give them the confidence and skills to serve great tasting coffee all of the time. And we know great tasting coffee drives repeat visits to your outlet.

Call us today on 1850 248 484 to find out how your business can benefit from working with our training team.

www.bewleys.com

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Andrius Valiauga Irish Barista Champion 2007 and Bewley’s Trainer

13/04/2015 11:36

CONFERENCE REPORT

FORGET CALORIE COUNTING

GET THE CHEFS IN SCHOOLS The Restaurants Association of Ireland’s campaign to fight the proposed implementation of calorie counts on menus received a welcome boost from a high-profile UK chef who lent his support at the association’s annual conference last month.

enry Dimbleby, co-founder of the award-winning Leon Restaurants and co-producer of the School Food Plan, which generated a massive transformation in the quality of school food in the UK, described the Irish government’s proposal to make calories on menus compulsory as “ridiculous”. He said that the proposed calorie law is not a way to “make good things happen in terms of improving the quality of the food on offer and tackling growing obesity levels. Most good things happen as a result of great leaders and motivated teams.” At the RAI annual conference he was asked by TV presenter Ella McSweeney, who chaired the day’s proceedings, if restaurants had a role to play in tackling obesity. “That depends on the type of restaurant that you are talking about,” he said.

“For example, calories on menus are not necessary in certain restaurants where people are eating occasionally as a treat or for a one-off celebration.

However, if someone is eating somewhere regularly, like in Leon where a lot of our customers eat with us four or five times a week, then it makes sense for them to get some information on calories. We have symbols on our website for good fats, carbs and vegetarian meals because our customers requested it, although we don’t have it on the menus in our restaurants because it is too complicated. Putting the calorie count requirement on new or growing businesses is an unbelieveable burden.”

According to Henry, 10% of children in the UK are obese when they arrive at primary school and 20% are obese by the time they leave school. Ella asked him how restaurants can help tackle the obesity problem if calories on menus aren’t feasible. “Schools that are located near restaurants can offer cooking lessons at the schools so I would encourage restaurateurs to engage with schools in their area and with their local communities,” he said.

“Restaurateurs in Ireland should say to the government that, instead of calories on menus, the industry will

The new President of the RAI, Anthony Gray, with his wife Eilish.

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CONFERENCE REPORT

“WE NEED TO PRODUCE A PRODUCT THAT ALLOWS EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT A COMMIS CHEF DOES – THEY ARE THE FOOT SOLDIERS OF THE INDUSTRY AND THE NEW APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME IS ABOUT PROMOTING AND SUPPORTING THAT.”

run a Chefs in Schools programme similar to the one that has been run successfully in the UK.” Food for thought surely? RAI CEO Adrian Cummins described Henry’s presentation on the UK School Food Plan as ‘refreshing’ and said that the association plans to run its schools cookery competition again in September, pairing up local schools with their local restaurant’s chef.

“We have initiated a Kids Size Me initiative that restaurants can sign up to and this involves restaurants serving half size portions of adult meals rather than the nuggets and chips standard meals. Many of the ideas that Henry talked about at our symposium should definitely be considered by Government.”

There are 23 Leon Restaurants in the UK and 12 more will open in 2015. “Each restaurant serves 2,000 people a day or more so portion control is very important to us and we control our portions very carefully,” he said. “Leon is a naturally fast food restaurant chain – we use good fats, and herbs and spices instead of salt.

The restaurants are about making good food fun and the natural, rather than the boring, choice. We took the same approach with our School Food Plan.” A former chef in a Michelinstar restaurant, Henry went travelling and after eating a lot of Kentucky fried chicken and cold sandwiches he and his business partner John Vincent

decided to try and change people’s perception of food, particularly fast food. “People feel that in being good, which they want to be, they can’t have fun,” he said. “The basis of our food concept, which we call The Good Life, is that we are offering people fresh fast food – a McDonalds in heaven.”

Also on the theme of good quality food, Fáilte Ireland’s John Mulcahy gave delegates an insight into what could be a major opportunity for the industry to solve the ongoing shortage of commis chefs and further improve culinary standards. Fáilte Ireland already supports culinary education through Institutes of Technology at Level 6 and 7 and currently has 1,600 students in the colleges. “But we have an opportunity to go lower on the framework and get in younger people at the commis chef level,” he said. “Fáilte Ireland is working with Solas and the RAI to compile a proposal for culinary apprenticeship which we are submitting to the National Apprenticeship Council for approval. This is an important stage in the development of a culinary academic path and it will go a long way towards solving the shortage of commis chefs. There is a gap at the vocational education phase and VECs are eager to come into this space but it has to be a partnership between the student, the educator and the industry.

We need to produce a product that allows everyone to understand what

Henry Dimbleby, Co-Founder of Leon Restaurants UK.

a commis chef does – they are the foot soldiers of the industry and the new apprenticeship programme is about promoting and supporting that. Fáilte Ireland prioritises the ‘earn and learn’ approach over full-time education for commis chef apprenticeship training.

This is a time of huge change in the education sector, particularly in relation to the Institutes of Technology and the VECs, and changes in the structure of the education sector don’t happen very often, so this is a unique opportunity for us to introduce a training system that is responsive to the needs of the industry.”

Fáilte Ireland is also piloting a new accommodation standard to reflect the diversity in accommodation provision that now exists in the tourism industry. The organisation is hoping to launch the new standard in June. John appealed to restaurants who have rooms and want to be in the accommodation business to contact him. When it comes to promoting the culinary enterprise that exists in Ireland to a global audience, he said that the country has to deliver a unified message about the Irish food experience, while reflecting the explosion of artisan food producers and unique food offerings that are in the market. He highlighted the resources on the Fáilte Ireland website and referred delegates to three videos which help food businesses to effectively communicate their food story.

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CONFERENCE REPORT

MEET THE

RESTAURATEURS Dr Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, a lecturer in culinary arts in DIT, Cathal Brugha Street, chaired a discussion at the RAI conference on critical success factors for restaurants with Michael Deane of Deane’s restaurants in Belfast, Inishowen-based restaurateur Donal Doherty of Harry’s restaurant, KC Peaches founder Katie Cantwell, and Febvre Wines’ Noel McMahon. áirtín asked the panel what they believed were the most important factors in running a restaurant.

Michael Deane said that making money and attention to hygiene standards were two of the most important factors. “You must run a kitchen to the required hygiene standard,” he said. “I have 170 staff and 15 to 20 good lieutenants so staff are another key factor in success.” Donal said that the team that he is building is crucial to the success of the operation.

“Good service staff free me up to look at other growth opportunities for the business,” he said. Máirtín highlighted the latest research, which shows an 81% turnover level in the industry and he asked Katie if this was a big problem for her business. “Everyone in this industry has issues with high turnover so it is about how you mitigate those issues,” she said. “We are looking at hiring and motivating people properly. That is a big focus for us in 2015. We want our staff to have an interesting eight hour work day as a means of alleviating turnover.” Máirtín referred to some of the research being undertaken by his students, including a questionnaire that was emailed to 170 Irish head chefs (the findings will be available shortly, although there was only a seven per cent response rate to

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the email that was sent to RAI and IHF members), and a PhD that is being completed on the subject ‘Where Are All the Irish Female Head Chefs.’

Máirtín pointed out that only 14.7% of the 170 head chefs surveyed were female. Michael Deane said that they have five women in the kitchen and one female head chef. Referring to Clare Smyth, head of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, Máirtín asked the panel if women have to become macho to succeed as head chefs. Michael Deane disagreed with Tom Kerridge’s view of female chefs, which he shared with the UK media last autumn. Tom said that female chefs don’t have ‘the fire’ to make it to the top level but that he liked having female chefs in the kitchen as it makes the atmosphere less aggressive. However, Michael said that to survive in a predominantly male world female chefs certainly had to be assertive. Donal Doherty employs one female chef and he said that he wished he had more because she is excellent. However, they don’t receive many applications from female chefs. Máirtín pointed out that 35% of hospitality industry workers are not Irish born. “There is a problem getting Irish staff to work in front of house positions and that is probably because Irish people don’t see front of house work as a long-term career, unlike the culture that exists on the continent,”

he said. Katie said that securing and retaining great staff is the biggest challenge that she has experienced in running her business. Michael Deane said that chefs need to learn how to be

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CONFERENCE REPORT

up on a housing estate – you have to take something out of the business for yourself and for your family.”

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The full council of the RAI; Comedian Barry Murphy with outgoing RAI President Padraic Óg Gallagher of Gallagher’s Boxty House in Temple Bar, Dublin and new RAI President Anthony Gray; Padraic Óg Gallagher presents the Mike Butt Award to John and Sally McKenna of McKenna Guides.

businessmen and to learn about finance.

Máirtín asked Donal how important his accountancy background was to the success of his business. “In 2003 I was brought into the restaurant business to

fix financial issues,” he said. “I am very hands-on about what we are buying and spending and what our pricing should be. In a kitchen you need someone who can cook and who can run the books.”

Michael Deane’s advice to anyone opening up a restaurant was that you have to be passionate about what you do. “But you can’t just live your life and say I had two Michelin stars and end

KEEP VAT 9 Speaking at the AGM on March 24th, RAI CEO Adrian Cummins said that the RAI had over 1,200 members at the end of 2014 and the target is to have 2,000 members by the end of 2015. The association is embarking on a major associate members drive and is aiming to have a presence in every county in Ireland. The RAI will also increase its media profile in the months ahead. The CEO cited a number of challenges facing the association in 2015, including the proposed calories on menus legislation. “We thought it would be a voluntary code but the Minister for Health is planning to bring in legislation in 2016 and we will be working collectively with other organisations to stop it,” he said. “Our Keep VAT 9 campaign will continue.

The new policy document for tourism which was launched yesterday says that VAT will remain at nine per cent if prices don’t increase but the unions indicated today that they want to take it from us. Increasing the minimum wage and bringing back JLCs is the populist approach so we have a big challenge on our hands to stop that. The unions are trying to force the industry to the table on JLCs. Hotel prices have gone up by five per cent, according to the latest CSO figures, and restaurant prices have gone up by two per cent. However, we all know that there are costs that restaurateurs have to deal with that the public is completely unaware of so we need to engage an economist to look at the real cost of running a restaurant and get that message out to the public. Excise duty is another major challenge facing our sector. We need to ensure that it doesn’t increase in the next budget.”

Sligo native Anthony Gray of Eala Bhán in Rockwood Parade, and Trá Bán in Strandhill, was elected President of the RAI at the AGM. He succeeds Pádraic Óg of Gallagher Boxty House, Temple Bar, Dublin as the 18th President of the association.

The conference also heard presentations from Colleen Curtis, Vice-President of European Marketing for Yelp, and Ian Kingston, Management and Change Consultant, Essential Training.

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THE CHEF’S TABLE

CHRIS’S GREAT

CATEX MENU Chris McGowan has trained with some of the most talented chefs of our time but, having made his mark on the BBC’s Great British Menu programme, he is striking out on his own. Maev Martin caught up with him between masterclasses at Catex.

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R

ichard Corrigan’s former culinary apprentice hosted a range of cookery demonstrations at the Brakes stand at Catex in the RDS. Chris treated visitors to some of his favourite dishes using ingredients from Brake’s local suppliers including Keenan’s Seafood, Robinson Meats, Readychef, Manor Farm and Morelli’s Ice Cream.

“I worked in London for 20 years, first for Bruno Loubet in Lodeon Restaurant before moving to Gary Rhodes’ restaurant The Greenhouse,” says Chris. “After four and a half years there I went to work at Pierre Kaufmann’s La Tante Claire, a two star Michelin establishment, where I was sous chef.” Chris then made the big move to Great British Menu veteran Richard Corrigan’s Lindsay House. “I was head chef

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THE CHEF’S TABLE

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: (l-r):) Andrew Goldie, Brakes North Down Area Sales Manager, Chris McGowan, and Robert Johnston, Brakes Corporate Sales Manager, at Catex.

Chris McGowan in action during one of his masterclasses at Catex.

for eight years when it had a Michelin star and I was with Richard for 12 years in total, running Corrigan’s Mayfair for four years. I’ve been very lucky in my career to date because I got the opportunity to work with very talented chefs for significant periods of time.”

For the Catex masterclass Chris’s starter comprised slow cooked octopus carpaccio with tempura of oyster, with oyster mayonnaise and lemon confit.

The main course was braised short rib with beer onions, smoked bone marrow and burnt onion. Dessert was rhubarb and custard which consisted of a ginger crumble cluster with poached rhubarb and orange, rosemary and ginger, and a blown sugar sphere filled with ginger custard and rhubarb jam.

“The quality of produce from suppliers in Ireland has really improved in the past five or six years, as has the accessibility of produce,” says Chris. “In years gone by there was a struggle to get quality so there has been a marked improvement. When I open my new restaurant the use of seasonal ingredients will be one of the hallmarks of the operation. A lot of young chefs don’t understand seasonality and when they should use certain ingredients. I noticed that when I worked in London.”

Chris recalls his time working as a menu consultant to The Old Inn in Crawfordsburn, just outside Belfast. “They had a forest adjoining the restaurant which they weren’t using so I picked wild sorrel, garlic and nettles from the forest to use in their various dishes, including ricotta ravioli, for example. My work with this business was about getting them to think about food differently. There is so much produce that is readily available that you can use in season and if

“CHEFS ARE MORE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SUPPLIERS NOW AND THAT IS CRUCIAL TO THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF IRELAND’S INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AS A PRODUCER OF QUALITY FOOD.” young chefs do that they become more creative about food.”

Northern Ireland native Chris became involved in the Great British Menu TV show through his long working relationship with Richard Corrigan.

“Richard was involved with the programme for a long time and he was a mentor on the show so when the mentors were moved around they approached me to participate in the programme,” he says. “My involvement began in 2014 and we have recorded another series for 2015.” Chris’s menu celebrated the wartime government campaigns that ensured that the UK remained self-sufficient during a very difficult time. “In the regional heat I struggled with the brief,” he says. “It was the 70th anniversary of the war last year so I was trying to reflect that in the food and I struggled with that but the quality of my dishes in terms of the flavour got me through. However, I knew that I would have to address my presentation at the final stages of the competition. All of the chefs at the final stage are very talented so it is about how you interpret the brief. In terms of the impact on my career, participating in the Great British Menu opened me up to a customer base that weren’t aware of me and it helped me to step out of Richard Corrigan’s shadow. Richard is a big personality. We worked well together. He is robust and rustic and all about flavour and seasonality. I learned that from him and I’ve carried it with me. I’ve retained the flavour and seasonality but I’ve added a touch of my own finesse and refinement because people like to experience that when they dine out.”

Chris is currently working as a food consultant and is putting his own restaurant together in Northern Ireland. “I’m looking at two sites, either in Templepatrick or in the Moira area of Co Down,” he says. “I’m in the process of trying to secure a site and I would like to open before the end of the summer. I want my restaurant to have a relaxed atmosphere with the emphasis on using seasonal produce. The provenance of ingredients is key, as is producing them in a relaxed and contemporary way. We will source our ingredients locally but only if the produce is good.

What is important is that the quality is there.”

Are the TV schedules and the consumer over-saturated with food programmes and celebrity chefs? “I find the words ‘celebrity chef ’ cringeinducing but there is a huge hunger for food programmes,” he says. “People like to eat well, to know what they are eating, and if it is competitively priced.

I have no issue with food programmes on TV once they are informative and I believe that they have raised the standard of food in restaurants across the board. Restaurants have to move with the times and keep abreast of food trends. Ireland was always seen as behind everyone else when it came to embracing culinary trends but that has improved. We have an embarrasment of produce in Ireland. It is incredible the number of awards that Irish food companies have won in recent years. Also, chefs are more in partnership with suppliers now and that is crucial to the continued development of Ireland’s international reputation as a producer of quality food.”

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FOOD TOURISM

WRITERS ENDORSE

PROVENANCE AUTHENTICITY Ireland’s finest food products and producers were celebrated at the 2015 Irish Food Writers’ Guild awards on March 4 in l’Écrivain Restaurant. ood provenance and authenticity were top of the agenda as seven food producers were honoured for the high standard and quality of their products, as well as their commitment to Irish food. Special mention was also given to producers that embraced sustainable practices and techniques.

The 2015 IFWG Food Award winners are Cork’s On the Pig’s Back, Skeaghanore Farm Fresh Ducks from Ballydehob and Wexford’s Wild About Foods. A special Irish Drink Award was presented to Richmount Elderflower Cordial from Co Longford, while Foods of Athenry claimed the Guild’s Environmental Award, with the Guild recognising the integrity of the production methods in their ‘Free From’ product range. Birgitta Curtin of Burren Smokehouse was honoured

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for her notable contribution to Irish food, while Veronica Molloy of Crossogue Preserves won the Lifetime Achievement Award for her dedication to growing on the home farm and the consistent innovation of her range of artisan Irish preserves over 20 years.

Now in its 21st year, the annual Irish Food Writers’ Guild (IFWG) Food Awards is a firm favourite on the Irish culinary calendar. As well as celebrating homegrown producers, organisations or individuals, the awards also celebrate the heroes who have devoted – and are continuing to devote – their lives to supporting and promoting Irish food.

“The origin of food and drink products is becoming an increasingly important and influential factor for consumers,” says IFWG Chairperson Lizzie Gore-Grimes. “More and more we are seeing ‘local’ and ‘homemade’ as key factors in their decisionmaking process. What’s more, as the consumers’ knowledge and interest in

food provenance grows, so too does the need for complete transparency on the part of the producer. The stronger the story behind the brand and the more that is known about its origin, the greater the connection between the consumer and the product. All of our winners are wonderful ambassadors for Irish food and I am certain that they will remain key players in maintaining Ireland’s enviable reputation on an international stage.”

The IFWG Food Awards are supported by Bord Bia, which was commended by the Guild for its tireless support of the Irish food industry, both in Ireland and abroad.

ABOUT THE WINNERS ON THE PIG’S BACK: Isabelle Sheridan, Cork French-born Isabelle Sheridan has been a stalwart of the English Market in Cork since 1992. Initially selling local Irish farmhouse cheese and

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FOOD TOURISM BURREN SMOKEHOUSE: Birgitta Curtin, Co Clare Birgitta Curtin is not only dedicated to maintaining the highest standards for her own products at the Burren Smokehouse and Visitor Centre (which attracted over 30,000 visitors last season), but, as Chairperson of Slow Food Clare, Birgitta was involved in the Burren Food Festival and is active in the Burren Ecotourism Network. Birgitta is a member of the TASTE Council, which recently set up an artisan food production module for transition year students, and she is an energetic ambassador for Irish produce.

THE FOODS OF ATHENRY: Siobhan and Paul Lawless, Co Galway The environmental philosophy underpinning The Foods of Athenry bakery business is best illustrated by the integrity of the production methods in their ‘Free From’ product range. The ‘Free From’ range is home-baked produce for food lovers, the health conscious and those with special dietary requirements.

importing French artisan cheeses and charcuterie, Isabelle launched her own range of pâtés and terrines that were geared towards Irish tastes in 1995.

This impressive range includes classics such as duck and chicken liver pâté, pork and plum terrine, pork rillettes and glazed free-range hams – all based on local artisan produce. Isabelle has also developed an innovative gourmet range of terrines including venison with raisin and ginger, chicken and lemon, as well as duck and rosemary.

S KEAGHANORE FARM FRESH DUCKS: Eugene and Helena Hickey, West Cork Skeaghanore ducks are hand-reared, bedded on straw, and fed on a 100% natural cereal-based diet. The end product is exceptionally succulent and tasty. What’s more, chefs also point out another secret ingredient: the saltladen air from nearby Roaring Water Bay, which lends an intriguing salty taste to Skeaghanore ducks.

WILD ABOUT: Fiona and Malcolm Falconer, Co Wexford Wild About is an extensive, innovative range of handcrafted products made from wild and native Irish foods sourced in Co Wexford.

All the ingredients are sourced locally, either in the wild or from foods grown in Fiona and Malcolm’s permaculture garden and food forest.

RICHMOUNT ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL: David and Martina Burns, Co Longford Richmount Elderflower Cordial is a traditional, non-alcoholic product that is new to the Irish market. It is made from pure, natural ingredients without any concentrate or artificial sweeteners, flavourings, colourings, sulphites or other additives. 2014 was devoted to planning a new bottling plant to increase production, and experimenting with ingredients with a view to expanding the range of native flower and berry cordials.

(l-r, seated): Birgitta Curtin, Burren Smokehouse; Siobhan Lawless, Foods of Athenry; Fiona Falconer, Wild About; and Helena Hickey, Skeaghanore Farm Fresh Ducks. (l-r, back): Martina Burns, Richmount Elderflower Cordial; Isabelle Sheridan, On the Pig’s Back; and Veronica Molloy, Crossogue Preserves.

CROSSOGUE PRESERVES: Veronica Molloy, Co Tipperary Veronica Molloy is honoured for her dedication and for the consistent innovation of her range of artisan preserves over many decades. Veronica is committed to using only Irish-grown – and where possible home-grown – fruit and vegetables. The preserves are handmade in small batches of not more than 20 jars and are free from any preservatives or additives.

THE JUDGING PROCESS •N o company or individual can enter themselves for these awards.

• Every member of the Guild is invited to nominate products they believe are worthy of an award.

• The products must be produced in Ireland and the main ingredient must be Irish grown or produced.

• The producer must be trading for at least three years.

• Products are bought and paid for and a formal tasting meeting takes place where members vote, using proportional representation.

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SUPPLY KNOWLEDGE

PRODUCT

ESSENTIAL

LINE

PREODAY

RAPIDQ APP Rugby fans are now able to pre order their food and drinks thanks to a new app available at the Aviva Stadium calledRapidQ. Simply download RapidQ from the app store on a mobile and start ordering refreshments for collection before kick-off, at half time or after the final whistle. Once fans have downloaded RapidQ they pay for their order through their credit or debit card and then show staff at the pre-order collection point a code on their phone and walk away with their choices. RapidQ is available to download for iPhone and Android smartphones from the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store now.

For further information, visit www. preoday.com

RUBYBLUE

IRISH GRAIN SPIRIT LIQUEURS RubyBlue award-winning berry and Irish grain spirit liqueurs are experiencing a substantial boost in sales following their recent listings by major internet retailers Ocado and Amazon. The super-premium liqueurs, winner of a series of Spirit Masters and UK Great Taste Awards and a popular choice with mixologists, are produced in small batches from natural whole fruits, grain spirit and Irish spring water by the family-owned craft distillery. RubyBlue products are the first naturally bottle-aged liqueurs on the market and they can be used as an aperitif, an after dinner drink or in cocktails.

For further information, visit www.RubyBlueLiqueur.com

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SUPPLY LINE

CRAVE INTERACTIVE LTD

CRAVE TABLET

RDI

Crave Interactive Ltd recently announced the launch of Crave Tablet, the world’s first tablet designed specifically for use in a hotel room. Crave Tablet is a 10-inch tablet, with a quad core processor and HD IPS 1280 x 800 screen. It is pre-loaded with Crave OS, Crave’s proprietary operating system designed for hospitality. The software and guest data is secure, with the system automatically refreshed for each new guest. Silent remote software updates combined with Crave OS tools mean the tablet can be fully supported without the need to enter the guest room. The CraveTablet is being launched at £199 / US$299.

For more details, visit www.cravehospitality.com

AUTOMATIC TABLE LEVELLERS We have all experienced the annoyance of an unstable table in a bar or restaurant. The coffee spills, the glass falls over, trying to cut the juicy steak on the plate is a nightmare. That’s why there was a lot of interest in the RDI automatic table levellers at the recent Catex exhibition. Tom Gleeson who owns Bunsen Burger Restaurant in Wexford Street in Dublin was faced with the prospect of taking up his existing floor and replacing it. He has now installed the RDI automatic table levellers on all his tables, creating stable tables and saving the restaurant major expense. And RDI levellers are automatic - there is no need to adjust them when a table is moved to a different location.

For further information, visit www.rdisystems.ie, tel: (01) 6177963 or visit info@rdisystems.ie

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Could your Restaurant benefit from our work? ❊ Do you feel strongly on some legislative matter, and do you feel powerless to put your points over to the relevant authorities? ❊ Do your current Staff and Management need ongoing training? ❊ Could you benefit financially from all of the special packages arranged on behalf of the members with Utilities, Merchant Services, Insurance providers, reservation systems, HACCP training, and PPI? ❊ Would you benefit from networking with your colleagues at either a local or national level?

Join the Restaurants Association of Ireland today ❊ We are the professional body of the Irish Restaurant Industry with our primary function being to promote and defend the interests of our 1,400 members nationwide ❊ Avail of member only savings and discounted rates on Gas, electricity, telecoms, merchant services, insurance, PPI & much more ❊ Access to legislative updates on Allergens,VAT rates, JLC’s, Employment Law, Health & Safety, NERA Inspections, Revenue and more ❊ Access to employment advice and templates ❊ Access to training in Kitchen Management, Customer Service, Sommelier, Barista & more ❊ Hear from international and national speakers at our annual Restaurant Symposium on key restaurant trends ❊ Receive an outdoor membership plaque ❊ Post your recruitment needs on www.rai.ie ❊ The Association organise seminars and workshops, which address specific marketing issues ❊ The Association partakes in Catex, Hospitality Expo, and the Food and Hospitality Show with opportunities for members to run pop-up restaurants at these events.

If you would like to join the RAI, please contact Jacqui Simpson, membership@rai.ie or call 01-6779901 IRISH RESTAURANT AWARDS 25th May 2015, DT Hilton Hotel www.irishrestaurantawards.com #foodoscars

WWW.RAI.IE

@RAI_ie

Patrons:

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13/04/2015 28/01/2015 11:37 10:36

PARTNERS IN FOOD

THE WRIGHT ROUTE TO

Quality Produce This month Maev Martin talks to Sean McAuliffe, General Manager of Wrights of Howth, about the importance of food quality and provenance, as well as recent and planned expansions within the Wright Group.

HOW DID THE BUSINESS COME ABOUT? The Wright family began smoking fish in 1893. We still fillet the fish by hand and cure using only natural sea salt.

As wild salmon stocks have declined, we now produce organic Irish smoked salmon for which we won Gold in the Great Taste Award 2014. We opened our first Wrights of Howth shop in Dublin Airport in March 1989 and this has now grown to five businesses in both terminals – Wrights Food Fayre, Wrights Food Court, incorporating Diep, GBK, O’Brien’s Sandwich Bar, and three Wrights of Howth Great Irish Food shops. Our Wrights of Howth T2 shop was a finalist in the FAB awards 2013 Best Food to Go in an Airport for delivering exceptional food and excellent customer service.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN THE BUSINESS? I’ve been General Manager for the past seven years, working very closely with the Wright family. I currently oversee the retail, food service, and purchasing operations within the group. As part of my role, it is important that we deliver great Irish food, the highest level of customer service, and great value. We achieve this by having an experienced team in place throughout the group. Food

Wrights of Howth General Manager Sean McAuliffe (left) with Keelings Managing Director, Colm Bury.

quality and provenance is a vital ingredient in delivering this in all our businesses. We source our produce locally, actively pursuing and supporting artisan producers throughout Ireland, and building lasting relationships with our producers, growers and suppliers, such as Keelings, who have been our fruit and vegetable supplier for the past seven years. We only partner with suppliers that we trust.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE BUSINESS? We recently opened our new seafood restaurant, Crabby Jo’s in Howth, which has been nominated in five categories in the Irish Restaurant Awards 2015. We also started our new corporate/home catering business, providing for corporate functions, weddings, birthdays etc. We are always looking to source new locations that will continue to present the highest quality offer and service that our customers have come to expect from us.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR WRIGHTS OF HOWTH? We are always looking to keep up with the latest trends but are mindful not to take from the brand and what it represents.

Investment in facilities and training is always key to refreshing and enhancing the customer experience. Our team are the business and our future.

We aim to promote from within the company, as this rewards hard work and effort, while also underpinning the company and the values it embodies. We are actively looking at city centre, high street locations, but we will expand one step at a time, as we believe in ‘Getting a Unit Wright’ before looking at the next one.

Dublin: +353 (0)1 895 5301

Wexford: +353 (0)53 9147447

Email: farmfresh@keelings.com

Cork: + 353 (0)21 4968088

Belfast: +44 2890324236

Web: www.keelings.com

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5

MINS WITH

PHILIP GLEESON Maev Martin talks to Philip Gleeson, Head Chef at Killashee House Hotel, about his career to date and how the industry can address the ongoing shortage of qualified chefs.

Q: Can you tell me about your career in the industry before you joined Killashee House?

A: I have been working as a chef for the last 22 years in four and five star hotels in Ireland and Australia. Before travelling to Australia I worked in the Conrad Hotel and in the Morrison Hotel in Dublin.

I completed a five-year stint in Australia in the Palazzo Versace Hotel in Queensland and I also worked in a variety of fine dining restaurants.

During my time in Australia I won the Reviewers’ Choice Chef of the Year 2005. The awards were run by the Gold Coast magazine. I was Head Chef at Chicane Modern Dining on the Gold Coast, which was an 80-seater fine dining restaurant. I returned to Ireland to work in the five star

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Q: Describe a typical day at Killashee House?

A: A typical day in the kitchen for me would start with checking the produce that was delivered before we have a team meeting. Usually there is a wedding on or a function and we would meet to finalise the details for these events. I would be involved with lunch service for our bistro and at weekends I would be there to supervise and assist with the operation of our fine dining restaurant.

Q: Do you have any plans to make radical changes to the menu at the hotel?

A: I am currently revamping and designing our wedding menus for the coming months and I’m also changing our menu for Jack’s Bar and Bistro. We try to change our corporate menus twice a year but we change the menus for our restaurant on a monthly basis.

Q: W hat does the industry need to do to address the ongoing shortage of qualified chefs?

A: It is getting harder to attract young people to a career as a chef because the hours and pay are not great when they are starting out compared to other trades. However, I find that once I get young chefs into a professional kitchen and they see what really goes on compared to what they might have experienced in college, I have a better chance of converting them to the idea of a long-term career in the industry and they tend to buy into what it takes to be a successful professional chef. Maybe they should look at introducing longer work placements for trainee chefs and reduce the amount of time spent in college. Education is important but nothing beats being in a real kitchen. Working as a chef is a fantastic job because every day is different and brings with it a fresh challenge.

Marriott Hotel in Limerick.

I’ve been the head chef here at Killashee House Hotel in Naas for the past four years.

Q: What is your food philosophy?

A: My food philosophy is to work with the best in-season produce that is available to me. I try not to complicate the natural flavour of the product, only adding spices and herbs to enhance it.

“EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT BUT NOTHING BEATS BEING IN A REAL KITCHEN. WORKING AS A CHEF IS A FANTASTIC JOB BECAUSE EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT AND BRINGS WITH IT A FRESH CHALLENGE.”

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THE NEW 2015 CATEGORIES

Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way Restaurant 2015 Ireland’s Chef of the Year 2015 Ireland’s Event Caterer 2015 Ireland’s Site Contract Caterer 2015 Ireland’s Healthcare Caterer 2015 Ireland’s Education Caterer 2015 People Awards – Ireland’s Catering Team 2015 Ireland’s Innovative Supplier 2015 Ireland’s Supreme Caterer 2015 INTERESTED IN SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

THE 2015 GOLD MEDAL AWARDS WILL TAKE PLACE AT A BLACK TIE GALA DINNER AT THE CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL, NORTHWOOD, ON

Contact: Hilary O’Shaughnessy Sales & Marketing Manager t: 01 432 2231 m: 086 380 8177 e: hilary.oshaughnessy @ashvillemediagroup.com

www.hotelandcateringreview.ie for more information

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14/04/2015 09:12

KEEPING GUESTS THIS RELAXED TAKES THE RIGHT ENERGY. We understand that warm welcomes for your guests really matter for hotels and restaurants. That’s why our team of Calor energy advisors is here to work together with you. They’ll visit your business and offer their expertise to design energy solutions that exactly meet your needs.

Like all successful working partnerships, it takes the right energy.

SWITCH TODAY

Call 1850 812 450 or visit www.calorgas.ie

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