Hotel & Catering Review - May 2017

MAY 2017

TECHNOLOGY HOW TO GROW YOUR DIRECT BOOKING CUSTOMERS

IrishNeedsHospitality Investment FOOD HEROES

SODEXO SUPREMOS MAKE THEIR MARK STATESIDE

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Boost #TRENDING TRENDING PROFILE | LEGISLATION | TRAINING

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CALLING ALL SPONSORS NOW Entering it’s 29th successive year, the Gold Medal Awards are Ireland’s only independently adjudicated and site inspected awards for the Hospitality and Catering sectors in Ireland. Held in association with Hotel & Catering Review, they reward and recognize best in class, excellence and innovation throughout the industry

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your corporate presence by supporting and encouraging the industry by sponsoring a category and attending.

with influential decision makers at this prestigious black tie event that includes a gala dinner and presentation ceremony.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact: Sarah Richards, Sales, Marketing & Sponsorship Manager Email: sarah.richards@ashvillemediagroup.com Tel: 01 432 2212 Mobile: +353 (0)85 800 6151

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MAY 2017

TECHNOLOGY HOW TO GROW YOUR DIRECT BOOKING CUSTOMERS

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MAY 2017

IrishNeedsHospitality Investment FOOD HEROES

SODEXO SUPREMOS MAKE THEIR MARK STATESIDE

Boost #TRENDING TRENDING PROFILE | LEGISLATION | TRAINING

Cover image by: Fáilte Ireland

CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE

COVER STORY

12

MAKING THE CASE FOR GREATER TOURISM INVESTMENT

Tourism cannot be outsourced or offshored...it is here to stay...and needs capital and infrastructural investment if it is to cater for increased demand and deliver on its rich potential.”

Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, ITIC Chairman

REGULARS

03

NEWS

16 18 KEY TO THE DOOR

ON THE

MOVE

36

A QUICK

CHAT

20 22 23 24 26 28 35

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Profile Ivan King on Luttrellstown Castle’s big facelift and further plans for the property.

Gold Medal Awards 2017 In the first of a series of previews, we profile some of our award sponsors.

Foodservice Musgrave MarketPlace recently announced major store investments in Dublin and Belfast.

Technology Find out how your hotel can better drive direct bookings, increasing stays and revenue.

Legislation The Food Safety Authority of Ireland explains why your business must be food allergen aware.

Food Heroes Sodexo’s finest culinary exponents showcase classic Irish dishes Stateside.

Training Sign up for Cliff Academy’s introduction to a career in hospitality.

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Editorial & Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Editorial Assistant: Orla Connolly Art Director: Alan McArthur Creative Director: Jane Matthews Stock Photography: Thinkstock.com Infographics: www.flaticon.com Production: Nicole Ennis Sales Director: Paul Clemenson Managing Director: Gerry Tynan Chairman: 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 2017. 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.

Editor’s

VIEW T

he drop in the pound versus the euro now makes Ireland an expensive destination in the eyes of the UK and Northern Irish traveller. This means that the Irish tourism industry has to focus on increasing visitors from key markets other than the UK. Hotel booking engine provider Net Affinity recently published an interesting article

by Gemma Hynes featuring tips for hotels on how to maintain and grow direct bookings in the wake of Brexit. These included using Google Analytics and the hotel’s booking engine to gather intelligence. “Are you targeting guests in new markets?” she asked. “Remember that your booking engine is full of useful data and using it can give you a major competitive advantage.”

She also advised hoteliers to know where their OTA bookings are coming from. “Look at who is booking your hotel on third party channels at a higher cost - you might find new markets as future targets for your hotel.”

Hotels were urged to ensure that their website can sell to various markets by including translation and currency convertor features to help convert those markets directly, rather than have them leave the hotel website and go to an OTA. Gemma also advised hoteliers to follow one type of price display method. “We have found that hotels that use a total price display method have seen a 20% increase in conversion over other pricing methods, so make sure you’ve a consistent, ideally total pricing, display in place,” she said.

Finally, she recommended investing in paid online activity and in relevant content. “Blogs and news feeds help your guests feel in touch with you, give you a perfect place to showcase different elements of your hotel, and give your site new content for search engines to crawl,” she said. All of which helps the hotel to secure more organic traffic and direct bookings.

Above all, hotels must stay flexible and ready to adapt as the snap election in the UK looms and the negotiations for Brexit grow more contentious.

Maintaining direct bookings in an uncertain market requires careful monitoring - and planning.

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@

info@hotelandcateringreview.ie

www.facebook.com/hotelandcateringreview

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

RETRACTION & CLARIFICATION The April 2017 edition of Hotel & Catering Review featured ‘A Quick Chat With’ Loughlin Druhan, Director of Culinary at Adare Manor. However, the heading on the page featured Wade Murphy’s name instead of Loughlin Druhan’s name. Hotel & Catering Review wishes to apologise to Loughlin Druhan, and to the staff at Adare Manor, for any distress that this error may have caused, and for any confusion that this may have created in the industry. Wade Murphy is, of course, the Chef/ Proprietor of 1826 Adare.

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PROMOTING WOMEN IN BUSINESS

NEWS

Hotelier Eithne Fitzpatrick, Proprietor of the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, spoke at the recent ‘Women in Business’ Alliance and Dun Laoghaire Chamber lunch, which was held in the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel in Killiney, Co Dublin.

The theme of the lunch was ‘Well-being, Work and You!’ and attendees included RTE’s Kathryn Thomas and Pat Neill, President of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Chamber of Commerce.

MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS ON THE INCREASE While hotel lease contracts have traditionally been very popular in Europe and continue to be preferred by many institutional investors, management contracts have become increasingly prevalent as many other investors have sought to share further in their hotel’s trading profit.

At the same time, most major international hotel operators have become far less willing to offer leases.

This is according to a new report by global hotel consultancy HVS London.

The report also reveals that the nature of management contracts is becoming more complex, they are taking longer to negotiate, and contain a wider variety of terms and restrictions, often requiring the assistance of a specialist advisory firm.

As hotels are becoming more mainstream assets, a number of alternative operating models have emerged, including the growing use of third-party operators agreements.

These offer more flexibility to the owner, usually for shorter periods, and there is a greater willingness on the part of the operator for the contract to be terminated prematurely. Hybrid lease/ management contracts are also becoming more common, as are franchises.

(l-r): Kathryn Thomas, Pat Neill and Eithne Fitzpatrick

PALLAS REVEALS A NEW NAME FOR FRESH PRODUCE

Pallas Foods revealed a new name, Pallas Green, for its fruit and vegetable produce on April 27th. “Formerly named Keelings Farm Fresh, Pallas Green’s brand ethos, product quality and experienced and knowledgeable staff remain unchanged,” says Dan Geary, CEO of Pallas Foods. “Pallas Green distributes hundreds of lines of fresh fruit and vegetables to customers around Ireland. Mouth-watering meals begin in the fields, and Pallas Green continue their dedication to sourcing and supplying the widest range of produce from trusted producers and growers. At Pallas Green, we believe in supporting Irish and buying local where possible. We do this to support Irish jobs, Irish growers and Irish producers, and to ensure that we deliver the freshest of produce to our customers’ doors.”

Pallas Foods’ parent company, Sysco Corporation, acquired the UK-based foods specialist, Brakes Group, in 2016 and in February 2017 Pallas Foods and Brakes Ireland began the process of bringing the two companies together.

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Dan Geary, President of Pallas Foods, and Leo Jones, Head of Produce Sales

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ANIAR CELEBRATES SPRING

Oyster, cabbage and sorrel; carrot, elderflower and chervil

The arrival of local, in-season produce is the catalyst for a new daily fivecourse spring menu at Michelin-star Aniar Restaurant in Galway.

Examples of the type of dishes on the new menu are oyster, cabbage and sorrel; carrot, elderflower and chervil; and celery and pear sorbet.“Many people think February is the start of spring but spring at Aniar really starts in April because that’s when local, new-season vegetables and other produce become available,” says Aniar Chef-Patron JP McMahon.

The five-course spring menu costs 55 and is available each evening from 6pm and during a new lunchtime service on Saturday from 12 noon to 2pm.

NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR #TASTEKILKENNY

TALBOT WINS MAJOR TOURISM AWARD The AA Courtesy & Care Award 2017 was presented by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Patrick O’Donovan to the Talbot Hotel Stillorgan at a ceremony in Dublin on April 6th. “Attentive and good-natured service delivery are some of the main criteria for the AA Courtesy & Care award,” said the AA’s Director of Consumer Affairs, Conor Faughnan. “The team at the Talbot Hotel Stillorgan fit the bill in this regard and are great ambassadors for the industry as a whole, which is why we are delighted to be presenting them with this award.” General Manager Daragh O’Neill said that the award was recognition for every member of The Talbot Hotel team and showed that they were achieving the service promise of ‘excellent friendly service by exceptional people’ that they make to their guests.

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RTE’s Helen Carroll and Julie Calder-Potts of Highbank Orchards at the taste kilkenny launch

#tastekilkenny, a collective of Kilkenny-based food producers and outlets, launched the next phase of its national and international marketing campaign at a launch event at Highbank Orchards & Distillery on April 24th. Helen Carroll of RTE’s ‘Ear to the Ground’officially launched the new #tastekilkenny website, www.tastekilkenny. ie, five new showcase videos featuring local chefs, a suite of images, bags, and a set of producer postcards, all showcasing Kilkenny’s food offerings. Guests from Kilkenny and further afield were treated to a lunch of local food prepared by Ryeland House Cookery School. Funded by the Department of Agriculture, under the CEDRA Rural Tourism initiative, this AgriFood Tourism marketing project raises the profile of artisan Kilkenny and provides a toolkit to showcase the county as a food destination of international standing. It is supported by the Local Enterprise Office, Kilkenny County Council and LEADER and promoted by Kilkenny Tourism.

Membership of Kilkenny Tourism automatically includes listing on both the www. visitkilkenny.ie and the new www.tastekilkenny.ie websites.

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CLARE HAS BEST RESTAURANT IN IRELAND

The Earl of Thomond restaurant at Dromoland Castle in Co Clare won the ‘Best Restaurant in Ireland’ award at the Good Eating Guide Awards 2017, which were held in the Conrad Hotel, Dublin recently. “The Earl of Thomond is 53 years old and I have been the Head Chef here for over 20 years, so it is brilliant to continue to be recognised for all of our hard work and commitment to classical fine dining,” said Executive Head Chef David McCann. The Good Eating Guide Awards annually launches the publication’s guide to the best dining in Ireland. This year’s 76 page guide features over 150 hotel, restaurant and public house eating establishments in virtually every county in Ireland. 20,000 copies have been printed and are available free of charge at local tourist information offices or at any of the Guide’s featured hotels, restaurants or participating pubs.

SALES BLITZ TO BOOST US TOURIST NUMBERS Tourism Ireland’s ‘Jump into Ireland’ sales blitz in the US kicked off in April. The organisation, along with 12 Irish tourism companies Adams & Butler, B&B Ireland, Ballynahinch Castle Hotel, Culture & Heritage Tours Ireland, EI Travel Group, EPIC Ireland, Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa, Lough Eske Castle, Manor House Hotels & Irish Country Hotels, Monart Destination Spa and The Merrion Hotel - met travel professionals based in Austin, Chicago and Boston. The schedule involved a 60-minute TV show format highlighting the island of Ireland, as well as networking sessions with travel and lifestyle journalists. Similar ‘Jump into Ireland’ events will take place in San Diego and San Francisco and in Houston in November, with a total of nine US cities being visited this year as part of the programme.

(l-r): Paddy McCarthy, Good Eating Guide, Tony Frisby, Restaurant Manager, Dromoland Castle, Anthony Smith, Dawn Meats, David McCann, Dromoland Castle, and Liam Campbell, The Taste.ie

TARGETING GERMAN FOODIES FOR IRISH HOLIDAYS Tourism Ireland has teamed up with Kerrygold and Bord Bia to promote Ireland’s culinary experience to German ‘foodies’ and potential holidaymakers to Ireland.

Irish-Austrian chef, Shane McMahon, who owns Shane’s Restaurant in Munich and is a brand ambassador for Kerrygold, was invited to come and film nine different videos in Ireland recently. Following an itinerary designed

by Fáilte Ireland, the pair travelled around counties Cork and Limerick, preparing traditional Irish dishes with top chefs and using local produce. Their busy itinerary included Ballymaloe Cookery School and the English Market in Cork, as well as Limerick city (where Shane is originally from) and the 1826 Adare restaurant. The films will Irish-Austrian chef Shane be shared on the social channels of Kerrygold, McMahon, Chef Rory O’Connell, and German food blogger Maja Nett Bord Bia and Tourism Ireland (Tourism Ireland has over 286,000 fans on Facebook in Germany).

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ITALIANS FIND IRELAND ‘ECCELLENTE’!

Representatives of one of Italy’s biggest tour operators, Francorosso, together with 17 of its topproducing travel agents, visited Ireland as guests of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland. The group was on a fact-finding visit to experience first-hand what Ireland has to offer Italian holidaymakers. The group’s packed itinerary included the Rock of Cashel, Dingle Distillery and Gallarus Oratory. They also visited Glendalough, Powercourt Estate, Malahide Castle and the Guinness Storehouse. “Fact-finding visits like this are an important element of our overall promotional programme,” says Niamh Kinsella, Tourism Ireland’s Manager Italy. “Our aim is to enthuse them about the destination and ensure that when they return home, they are better equipped to advise their clients about Ireland, when planning and booking their holidays.”

Italian travel agents with Valentina Salaris, Tourism Ireland (back, right), at the Dingle Distillery.

FOOD FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 10TH BIRTHDAY

Stephen Harris, Chef-Patron of The Sportsman in Kent (left), with Paul Flynn, The Tannery, during the West Waterford Festival of Food 2017 in Dungarvan

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Tourism Ireland supported the 10th birthday of the West Waterford Festival of Food, bringing renowned English chef Stephen Harris to Dungarvan recently. Stephen, who is the chef-patron of Michelinstarred pub The Sportsman in Kent, created a special pop-up dinner event in The Tannery, titled ‘The Sportsman at The Tannery’. “Food is a vital element of the holiday experience nowadays, so gastronomy and the extremely high quality of Irish produce is one of the key themes being promoted by Tourism Ireland,” says David Boyce, Tourism Ireland’s Deputy Head of Great Britain. “Great Britain is an important market for tourism to the island of Ireland and Tourism Ireland is undertaking an extensive programme of promotions throughout 2017, to highlight Ireland to British travellers. We continue to monitor developments around Brexit closely, to better understand and plan for its implications for travel.

Competitiveness and value for money are more important than ever this year, given currency fluctuations and the decline in the value of sterling.”

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MERRION SERVES BEST FIVE STAR BREAKFAST

Adrian Cummins, CEO, Restaurants Association of Ireland, Niamh Kenny, Show Manager for Food and Bev Live 2018, and Larry Smith, Chairman of IFSA

SERVING UP TECH SOLUTIONS AT FOOD & BEV LIVE Food & Bev Live is returning to Citywest, Dublin on February 6th to 7th 2018 and, in a first for the sector, the show will host the largest Hospitality Technology Forum in Ireland, bringing the world’s latest hospitality and tourism technology start-ups to Ireland. Food & Bev Live is now a joint venture, owned by the IFSA and the RAI and organised by EventHaus Ltd. “The RAI will join IFSA to host a new element to the event, the Hospitality Tech Forum, which will feature some of Europe’s leading providers of technology solutions to the foodservice and hospitality sectors,” says Larry Smith, Chairman of IFSA. “With technology advancements helping to streamline processes within the restaurant sector, the show’s organisers are expecting the new addition of the Technology Forum to be a major draw for restaurant owners and proprietors of hospitality businesses.” Adrian Cummins, CEO, Restaurants Association of Ireland, said that the association was delighted to be involved in the show for the first time. “Technology now plays a key role in hospitality, from online reservations and taking orders, to measuring and controlling food waste, and it has become a vital part of our members’ businesses. Therefore, to be able to host the largest Hospitality Technology Forum in Ireland at Food & Bev Live is of great benefit to our members and other businesses operating in the sector.”

The Georgina Campbell Irish Breakfast Awards 2017, in association with Fáilte Ireland. took place recently at the InterContinental Dublin. The new national awards scheme highlights the importance of the Irish breakfast to international visitors to Ireland and domestic travellers. The Merrion Hotel in Dublin took the top honours in the five star hotel category for its breakfast offering, Ballynahinch Castle Hotel in Recess, Co Galway was victorious in the four star category while Gougane Barra Hotel in Macroom, Co Cork claimed the top prize in the three star hotel category. The Best Guesthouse award went to Newforge House in Magheralin in Co Armagh and the Bed and Breakfast award was won by Corrib House Tea Rooms & Guest Accommodation in Galway. The Welcome Standard award went to Burren Glamping in Kilfenora, Co Clare, the Visitor Attraction Award went to Overends Restaurant at Airfield Estate in Dublin, and the Best Brunch award was claimed

by Rua restaurant in Castlebar, Co Mayo.

John Mulcahy, Head of Food Tourism, Fáilte Ireland, Georgina Campbell and Sinead Hennessy, Food Tourism, Fáilte Ireland at the Georgina Campbell Irish Breakfast Awards 2017

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HOTEL HEATER WINS SUSTAINABLE AWARD A wood bioenergy system used by some of Ireland’s most well-known hotels has won the top award in Ireland for sustainable energy usage.

The Forest to Heat Biomass system, designed, supplied and controlled by Clearpower in Tallaght, Dublin, won the Product of the Show Award at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Energy Show at the RDS in April. Clearpower also won the Best Services Provider Award.

The system is currently installed in Kelly’s Hotel Rosslare, Brooklodge Hotel and Monart Spa. Clearpower, established in 2002, is one of Ireland’s leading wood bioenergy companies.

Its Forest to Heat Biomass system is a fully customisable heating system for commercial customers. Clearpower is a corporate partner member of Engineers Ireland, a member of the Wood Fuel Quality Assurance Scheme (WFQA) and accredited to ISO9001, ISO14001 and ISO18001.

Anthony Mulligan, General Manager, Clearpower, with Majella Kelleher, Head of Energy Demand Management, SEAI

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Launching the study is Michael Kelleher from Goodness Grains with Orla Donohoe, Bakery Sector Manager, Bord Bia

GLUTEN FREE GOES MAINSTREAM Gluten free has now gone mainstream with one in five (20%) Irish people shopping for gluten free food regularly, according to new research by Bord Bia. The gluten free market in Ireland is estimated to be worth 66m, experiencing a 36% increase since last year (Kantar Worldpanel). “There is a lot of noise around the topic, whether it is from celebrity advocates such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Novak Djokovic, or chefs, nutritionists and bloggers,” says Paula Donoghue, Bord Bia’s Consumer Insight Manager. Despite only one per cent of the Irish population having been medically diagnosed with coeliac disease, the research found that a gluten free diet is particularly popular among the upper and middle class earners, over indexing in the Munster area. Bord Bia believes that a huge opportunity exists for the Irish food industry in the gluten free sector. Their research found that baking and cooking ingredients such as sauces, frozen foods, noodles and alcoholic drinks were the areas shoppers indicated as having poor offerings. “Now is the time for food producers to increase availability as demand is there,” says Paula. “Consumers have high expectations around quality so we recommend that companies work towards positioning products and brands that are natural and taste great but just happen to be gluten free. Bread is the barometer product for gluten free as fresh bread is the product they miss most. There is considerable scope to move beyond ambient offerings and to expand snacking and convenience lines in particular. Consumers are also wary of what is lost in terms of nutritional content and what replaces gluten. This presents an opportunity for food manufacturers to meet longterm dietary needs of these shoppers through fortification in calcium or fibre.”The research involved interviews with key influencers, a nationally representative online survey, face-to-face interviews with 15 consumers of gluten free products, and analysis of existing reports and information.

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Commercial

PROFILE

BRAND BUILDING ATTRACTS

11.5M FUNDING FOR OPW SITES

BIG BUSINESS F

APART FROM PROVIDING BESPOKE TRAINING FOR FRONTLINE STAFF, FÁILTE IRELAND, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER ORGANISATIONS, RECENTLY SECURED MAJOR SPORTING AND CONFERENCE EVENTS FOR IRELAND, AND IS CONTINUING TO DEVELOP THE IRELAND’S ANCIENT EAST BRAND VIA FUNDING AND THE CREATION OF PRACTICAL RESOURCES FOR TOURISM OPERATORS.

STORYTELLING TOOLKIT FOR OPERATORS

F

áilte Ireland has published a toolkit for tourism stakeholders and operators within the Ireland’s Ancient East region to provide guidance on what works best when attracting visitors. ‘Ireland’s Ancient East – A Toolkit for Storytelling Interpretation’ seeks to assist attraction managers, tourism businesses, accommodation providers, local authorities, planners and designers to find their best stories and tell them in an engaging way to visitors.

GET TO KNOW

YOUR VISITORS

F

áilte Ireland’s Business Intelligence team have published a series of short market guides to provide Irish tourism businesses with greater insight into what our key overseas markets Germany, France, Great Britain (GB) and the US - are looking for from a holiday in Ireland. These new concise guides focus on how likely they are to choose Ireland for a holiday and when they decide and book their holidays, as well as when they are most likely to come to Ireland, and how long they tend to stay. For example, Germany holds great potential for growth with 95% of tourists stating they would visit Ireland. 91% of potential visitors from GB state that they would visit Ireland and, unlike other markets, they are most likely to visit in the early part of the year.

áilte Ireland has announced 11.5m in funding from its capital grants budget for 10 key OPW projects in Dublin and within the Ireland’s Ancient East region. This investment is part of Fáilte Ireland’s strategic partnership with the OPW to assist in the refurbishment and enhancement of key visitor attractions. The funding includes investment in a new museum and viewing platform in The Record Tower at Dublin Castle, which will make one of the city’s most impressive medieval buildings more compelling for visitors, as well as significant investment for the Rock of Cashel, Newgrange, Knowth and the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre.

Launch of the new Fáilte Ireland and OPW Strategic Partnership

Download the new market books at www.failteireland.ie You can download your copy of this handy new guide at www.failteireland.ie

HOTEL

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Commercial

PROFILE

DENTISTS

CHOOSE DUBLIN

D

Asian tour operators Mr Larry Su, Guangzhou Ugolf; Mr Luo Jianghua, Chengdu New Planet Tour and Mr Wang Yan, Vista Travel, China, with Paul Mockler, Fáilte Ireland (2nd left) at Waterville Golf Club, Kerry

TAILORED TEE OFFS FOR ASIAN MARKET

F

áilte Ireland have been working with the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) and Tourism Ireland to tap into the growing golf market in Asia by showcasing some of Ireland’s best courses to a visiting group of top golf tour operators from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and Korea. The tour operators were accompanied by a representative from Golf Digest China which has a monthly circulation of 450,000 among that country’s avid golfers.

Maria Christie from Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin team celebrates with two of Dublin’s new champions.

NEW AMBASSADORS

FOR IRELAND

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ourism representatives from across the country have been completing our bespoke Champions Programme, which enhances the knowledge of front line staff who are showcasing Ireland’s tourism offering in order to help tourists experience the best of what we have to offer. Most recently, our Champions workshops have taken place in Cork Airport, Dublin, Kerry and Sligo, with more scheduled before the end of the summer.

ublin is set to receive a significant revenue boost of almost 1.3m as the European Federation of Periodontology confirmed it would hold its March 2020 Masterclass Conference in the RDS in Dublin.

The event attracts over 800 international delegates. Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Convention Bureau worked with the Irish Society of Periodontology to bring the event to Dublin. This latest conference win brings the total value of new business confirmed

by Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Convention Bureau to 24m so far in 2017.

IRELAND TO HOST MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS

T

he Laser Masters Worlds (2018 World Championships) was launched at a special event in Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company’s historic Harbour Lodge recently by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, and Olympic medal winner Annalise Murphy. This is the second time in three years that Ireland has been chosen to host a Laser Worlds event.

The Laser Radial Worlds were held in Dun Laoghaire last summer.

Annelise Murphy, 2017 Olympic Silver Medalist in the Laser class at the Rio Games, Shane Ross T.D. Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and Paul Keeley, Director of Business Development with Fáilte Ireland.

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COVER STORY

As various commentators continue to speculate about the likely impact of Brexit on the Irish economy, major tourism industry representative organisations have been active in making their case to government for increased investment in tourism - and in the wider economy.

Making the Case for

GREATER TOURISM INVESTMENT 12

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COVER STORY

The Rag Trader, one of the pubs visited as part of the Dublin Whiskey Tours.

DIGI is calling for the creation of an Irish Whiskey Trail.

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COVER STORY

This

month the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC) made a submission to the Government on the need for more capital investment in tourism. “The current review of the Government’s capital expenditure plan – Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021 – is an opportune time to allocate additional capital money to the Irish tourism sector,” says ITIC Chairman, Eoghan O’Mara Walsh. “Due to the improved economy, the government has stated that there are additional capital budgets to be allocated. The current allocation of €106m over a six-year period is wholly inadequate for tourism’s needs, amounting to just 0.4% of the state’s capital envelope of €27bn. However, with appropriate policies and investment strategies, ITIC is confident that Irish tourism can generate €7bn annually in overseas earnings by 2025.”

The confederation believes that 50,000 additional sustainable jobs can be created if the following recommendations are enacted.

TOURISM CANNOT BE OUTSOURCED OR OFF-SHORED...IT IS HERE TO STAY...AND NEEDS CAPITAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL INVESTMENT IF IT IS TO CATER FOR INCREASED DEMAND AND DELIVER ON ITS RICH POTENTIAL.

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• Increase capital expenditure for tourism to circa 350m over the next six years.

• Assign multi-annual capital funds to the sector reflecting timelines and planning cycles.

• Use Public Private Partnership to leverage and maximise exchequer funds.

• Improve Ireland’s comparison to other nations in terms of tourism capital investment.

• Review and improve the grant scheme dispersed by Fáilte Ireland, to enable it to deliver more targeted capital supports.

• Increase resources and evaluation techniques within the dispensing body, Fáilte Ireland.

• Prioritise enabling tourism infrastructure such as airport rail links, town renewal and broadband.

• Establish a Tourism Product Development Forum operating under the strategic direction of Fáilte Ireland, and including the tourism industry and key stakeholders.

Irish tourism is performing strongly, with expenditure by overseas tourists now over 4.6bn per annum and the sector is Ireland’s largest indigenous employer, providing 220,000 jobs throughout the country. “Tourism cannot be outsourced or off-shored,” says Eoghan O’Mara Walsh.

“It is here to stay and has the potential to offer regional balance, jobs and economic activity throughout the country.

ITIC stresses that the sector cannot be taken for granted and needs capital

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and infrastructural investment if it is to cater for increased demand and deliver on its rich potential for the country.”

Also this month, the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) made a submission to the government’s National Planning Framework 2040, which called for specific measures to boost the drinks industry and the broader society and economy. “Over 40% of overseas tourists to Ireland originate from the UK, and there has already been a significant drop in the number visiting as a consequenceof a weaker sterling,” says Padraig Cribben, DIGI member and CEO of the Vintners Federation of Ireland. “In many rural towns and villages, hospitality businesses are the bedrock of the community, whether it’s the local pub, hotel, restaurant or off-licence. Brexit risks causing a repeat ‘recession effect’ on rural Ireland and the hospitality sector.”

DIGI’S NINE POINT PLAN The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government should liaise with the Department of Finance to ensure that the necessary financial instruments and financial policies are designed to support key industries central to rural development.

1.

2.

The Department of Transport should consider piloting a late-night rural transport scheme for pub-goers in rural communities that are not currently serviced by public transport.

3.

The government must consider growth areas of the drinks industry that support regional economies and deliver balanced development. DIGI would like to see the government use the agencies of the state, such as Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland and Tourism Ireland, to support and promote emerging growth areas of the drinks industry, including distilleries and microbreweries.

In particular, they would like to see government support for the creation of an Irish Whiskey Trail, as set out in the Irish Whiskey Association Tourism Strategy.

4.

The government should develop a scheme to bring ‘over-the-shop’ units back into use to assist in increasing the population in town and village centres.

5.

The government should increase the funding available under the Village and Town Renewal Scheme to improve the streetscapes of our towns and villages.

A gin and tonic with lemon at the Urchin restaurant in Cliff Townhouse

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COVER STORY

Chatting to punters - the Palace Bar’s Willie Aherne

Chefs at work in Fitzers restaurant

as the economy and population grow in size.

“The overall economic recovery of The government the last several should review the A dish from years has not Derelict Sites Act to the Limerick been felt equally ensure that sites that Strand Hotel across the country,” have fallen into a state of says Padraig Cribben. dereliction are brought back “DIGI believes that these into use. proposals, if implemented, will help to bring people back to Ireland’s towns Approved Housing Bodies should be and villages, and help to develop local business encouraged to build/buy housing units through the Capital Acquisition Scheme communities and tourism. Next month, DIGI will launch Support Your Local 2017 – the in urban centres that can be used for an DIGI campaign, which seeks to highlight the ageing poulation to encourage better positive contribution that the industry makes social inclusion in towns and villages.

6.

DIGI BELIEVES THAT BREXIT RISKS CAUSING A REPEAT ‘RECESSION EFFECT’ ON RURAL IRELAND AND THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR.

7.

The following statistics illustrate the public and private investment in tourism as a share of the economy Tourism and are published by the World Travel & Tourism Council. Neither Ireland nor the UK are members of WTTC: Capital Spend Austria Denmark France Greece Germany Italy Malta Netherlands Norway Spain Across 5% 5% 5% 13% 4% 4% 11% 3% 4% 6% Europe

8.

The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government should review planning regulations that allow for ‘out of town’ retail developments.

9.

The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment must ensure high-speed broadband access in rural Ireland to support business.

The National Planning Framework sets out the Government’s response to national challenges over the next 25 years, ensuring the country develops sustainably and efficiently

to the economic, cultural and social fabric of Ireland, nationally and locally, while also calling for Government supports to ensure the continued growth and development of the industry.”

DIGI members include the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland, the Licenced Vintners Association, the Vintners Federation of Ireland, the Restaurants Association of Ireland, the Irish Hotels Federation, and the National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA). The drinks industry employs 92,000 people while the hospitality sector as a whole supports 204,000 jobs throughout Ireland, purchasing 1.1bn worth of Irish inputs annually and exporting 1.25bn worth of produce every year.

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DOOR

KEY TO THE DOOR

KEY TO THE

Openings, Closures, Refurbs and Acquisitions

NISBETS OPENS FIRST IRELAND SITE Catering equipment supplier Nisbets opened its 25th store in the UK and its first store in Ireland at a new site in Belfast city centre on May 2nd. Over 3,500 products were available for catering professionals to choose from in store (and over 25,000 products available for next day delivery) at a special launch event on May 4th.

Those attending the occasion received 20% off everything in store, on top of existing offers, and took home a free goody bag with every purchase. The Belfast branch features chef knives and clothing, as well as furniture and refrigeration from top brands including Buffalo, Polar and Thor.

TRIDENT LAUNCHES NEW LOOK

The four-star Trident Hotel in Kinsale has relaunched following the completion of a substantial 1.5m investment and refurbishment programme. Over the last six months, the Trident has revamped its public areas and 75 guestrooms, including an executive wing comprising 30 rooms and a penthouse floor of nine luxury suites. Hotel General Manager, Hal McElroy, who is celebrating 30 years at the helm of the Trident this year, says that the hotel is an “intimate and sophisticated location for guests to relax, unwind and soak up the breathtaking views of the harbour and, of course, the enchanting town of Kinsale. The team here have worked very hard to create something really special.”

MUNIER RESTAURANT CEASES TRADING Avenue by Nick Munier ceased trading on April 22nd. The restaurant on Crow Street in Dublin’s Temple Bar closed its doors after two years in business. Nick Munier previously set up Pichet on Trinity Street before moving on following a buyout deal in 2014. The restaurateur and artist previously worked as a judge on RTÉ’s ‘MasterChef ’ series alongside celebrity chef Dylan McGrath from 2011 to 2013, when they also did a celebrity version of the show. He first found fame as the maître d’ on Marco Pierre White’s flagship show on ITV, ‘Hell’s Kitchen’. He moved to Ireland more than 10 years ago and went on to work in restaurants such as Peacock Alley and Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud.

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KEY TO THE DOOR

MAKEOVER COMPLETE AT CULLODEN Co Down’s Culloden Estate and Spa has undergone a major refurbishment to its garden and lough view wing accommodation. The work on the 60 new rooms, which took place between October 2016 and April 2017, has resulted in larger bedrooms and suite configurations and large bathroom suites.

The Hastings Family made the decision to make wide ranging investments in the property, starting in 2015 and running through to the current works. The latest phase involved an investment of approximately Stg£5.5m ($6.5m). Built in 1876, the five star Culloden Estate and Spa is located five miles from Belfast city centre.

Clockwise: Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort, Osprey Hotel, and Cahernane House.

11M REFURB FOR PREM GROUP

Prem Group is investing over 11m in the three Irish hotels that it has purchased within the past two years. Extensive refurbishment programmes have already begun at the four star properties - the Osprey Hotel and Spa, Kildare, Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort, near Blessington, Co Wicklow, and the Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney. All properties will remain open throughout the refurbishment, with the most significant work being undertaken during the off-peak season. Extra bedrooms will also be added at all three properties, subject to planning permission, along with new spa facilities at the Osprey and Tulfarris resorts. The 3.6m programme at Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort also includes extensive work on the hotel’s 18 hole championship golf course.

TETRARCH APPLIES FOR BUDGET HOTEL

PROFITS SURGE AT BALLYMALOE Profits at Ballymaloe Country House Hotel almost tripled last year. The hotel and restaurant, which is run by the Allen family in Co Cork, filed abridged accounts recently showing that the company recorded a 71,478 profit for the 12 months ending October 31st 2016, as accumulated profits rose from 2.16m in 2015 to 2.24m last year. The company recorded a 185,933 loss in 2013. Ballymaloe House employs 48 people with staff costs rising to 1.7m in 2016 from 1.6m in the prior year, with directors’ remuneration totalling 549,986.

Irish investment group Tetrarch has lodged a planning application with Dublin City Council for a 65m commercial development in the capital that will include a budget hotel, a restaurant, an aparthotel and 21 apartments. The application has been made by a company called Brigante Investment Ltd for a 0.4 hectares site bounded by Moss Street, Gloucester Street South and Townsend Street. It will involve the demolition of all of the existing buildings at the location and the construction of an eight-storey budget hotel with 393 bedrooms, an aparthotel of 202 units in two blocks, a ground-floor restaurant, and an apartment block of 21 units. The apartments will be handed over to Dublin City Council on completion.

HOTEL TO REPLACE MOUNT STREET CLUB A development company controlled by Paddy McKillen Jnr and Matt Ryan has sought planning permission to demolish the three-storey Howl At The Moon nightclub on Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2 and build a 53-room hotel on the site. The existing nightclub is to be replaced by a six-storey brick-fronted hotel. The layout of the Mount Street hotel, which will be similar to the others owned by the Oakmount group, will feature a bar and reception area at ground floor and a rooftop restaurant, complete with outdoor terraces. Oakmount owns one completed hotel, The Dean on Harcourt Street, Dublin, and has planning permission for two more in Ranelagh and North Wall Quay.

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ON THE MOVE

Move

On the

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New Appointments, Promotions and Recruitment

JOANNA DOYLE

MAEVE GOVERNEY

ROGER BRENNAN

NEW POSITION GROUP SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER

NEW POSITION DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR

NEW POSITION DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

EMPLOYER PREM GROUP

EMPLOYER WALSH:PR

EMPLOYER ARAMARK

Joanna Doyle has been appointed Group Sales and Marketing Manager, UK & Ireland, at Prem Group. A graduate in hotel management from DIT, Joanna has held various positions since joining the company in 1996, most recently as Business Development & Marketing Manager. In her new role, she will lead the sales, marketing, branding and PR strategy for Prem Group’s portfolio of 27 hotels and serviced apartments across Ireland and the UK and also for its subsidiary company, Trinity Hospitality Services, which provide bespoke hotel services to over 500 hotel clients across Europe. Joanna takes over from Phil Sweeney, who has directed the sales and marketing activity of Prem Group since its formation. Phil is stepping back from her fulltime role with Prem Group but will remain as a consultant to the company.

One of Ireland’s leading consumer and corporate PR agencies, Walsh:PR has announced the appointment of Maeve Governey as Deputy Managing Director. She will be responsible for client service quality and new business development.

An experienced and skillful PR practitioner, Maeve joined Walsh:PR in 2014 as a Client Service Director.

She previously held senior positions in a number of other Irish PR agencies, as well as managing her own business. Her wide industry expertise has been gained in both the corporate and consumer sector across retail, public sector, technology and financial. Walsh:PR has clients in the food, healthcare, travel & tourism, hospitality, not for profit and sustainability sectors.

Aramark has appointed Roger Brennan as the Managing Director of its Workplace Solutions business. Roger has led the growth of the Workplace Solutions business through the most difficult global economic conditions in recent history and, in doing so, has taken the Workplace Solutions Business from operating nationally to operating in 32 countries across EMEA. Roger’s appointment comes as Aramark implements plans for the continued growth of its Workplace Solutions business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Aramark has a broad facilities management portfolio across many sectors, including commercial, retail, pharmaceutical and health, and is planning continued expansion in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

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OPPORTUNITY

OF A LIFE TIME! Ambitious, talented, career Chef with or without franchise experience to manage and recruit a unique franchise opportunity.

LEONIE THORNTON NEW POSITION SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR EMPLOYER CLARION HOTEL DUBLIN LIFFEY VALLEY

Leonie Thornton is the new Sales and Marketing Director at the Clarion Hotel Dublin Liffey Valley.

Leonie brings a wealth of experience with her from top four and five star hotels around Dublin city and county. Leonie was previously Director of Sales and Marketing at Roganstown Hotel and Country Club and at Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa, where she also worked as Business Development Manager.

She held the position of Sales and Marketing Manager at Tallaght Cross Hotel and the Glashaus Hotel, Sales Manager at the Radisson SAS Hotel Dublin Airport, and Business Development Manager at Citywest Hotel. Leonie also worked in various roles within the Jurys Doyle Hotel Group.

This role would suit an Executive Chef or highly talented/ambitious Chef with "Fine Dining" experience for Plassey House in University Limerick.

This role is ideal for someone whom would love to grow and establish their own business but without all the kitchen fit out, equipment, financial, legal and insurance worries as these will all be taken care of.

Key attributes required include creative, passionate about food and creating a relaxed and inviting fine dining experience to both international and national guests of the President of the University but also to open this magnificent, recently refurbished Georgian building to discerning members of the general public and the corporate sector in and around Limerick city.

He/She would need to combine these attributes with the right commercial accumen to bring the business to the next level, grow and develop opportunities in this established business with an existing steady turnover.

Role to be filled ideally by August 2017.

This is the opportunity of a life time, for the rest of your career, for the right Chef.

If you think you have what it takes, please send your C.V. to

Deirdre.Ryan@ul.ie www.ul.ie • /@UL •

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PROFILE

The castle features versatile reception rooms and lounges

KING T HEADS UP Renovated Castle Luttrellstown Castle Resort in Castleknock, Co Dublin, has just completed a major refurbishment programme.

Maev Martin talks to their new General Manager Ivan King about the works and his plans for the property.

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he castle renovations, which commenced early in the New Year and were completed at the end of March, included work on the castle foyer, six guest bedrooms, and the guest restroom facilities in public areas. “The bedroom renovations aimed to create a unique look and feel in each of the castle suites in tranquil, comfortable and luxurious surroundings,” says Ivan. “All 12 individually-designed and decorated bedrooms are furnished with a unique collection of 18th century Irish and English furniture and antiques. The renovations were led by Arlene McIntyre of Ventura interior design who combined linens, cottons and velvets with modern florals and botanical prints to create a synergy with the surrounding tranquil woods and parkland.”

The historic castle, which is understood to date back to the 15th century, features versatile reception rooms, lounges, and a library, as well as dining and ballrooms. “The castle offers guests an idyllic backdrop and privacy for every occasion,” says Ivan. “Our refurbishment programme this year aimed to further enhance these facilities for future guests to come. Great care and attention was taken with the refurbishment programme, including the six guest bedrooms, which are uniquely named and include The Guinness Suite, and the Aileen Plunkett and Queen Victoria rooms. Each room has its own unique identity and theme. The Castle attracts many local, national and international events, providing guests with conference, private dining and accommodation facilities. It is very important to us to be able to offer our guests the very highest standards that they have come to expect at Luttrellstown Castle.”

The 18-hole championship parkland course was completely redeveloped in 2006/7 - all 18 holes have been modified and enhanced. The Golf and Country Club is located on the eastern side of the estate and is bounded by mature woodlands. “The natural contours of the land have been cleverly used to maintain the integrity of this ancient landscape,” says Ivan. “The Clubhouse has been designed in the style of a Swiss Alpine chalet, with spacious interiors, luxurious facilities and panoramic views over the Wicklow mountains.”

GRACIOUS HOSPITALITY Situated in the heart of a 560 acre private estate, Luttrellstown Castle was originally built for gracious hospitality and entertaining. The resort is a

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PROFILE

The renovation work included upgrades to six guest bedrooms

popular location for private weddings, civil ceremonies, conferences, seminars and special occasions. Close to the Castle is the formal walled garden with its special rose display, an apple orchard and an arboretum with over 300 types of exotic trees and plants. The scale and maturity of the extensive Demesne allows guests a time-out or a complete escape from daily life, walking the woods and parklands, exploring and enjoying the many attractions the estate has to offer.

The Resort also includes a 20-acre lake, which is ideal for boating and angling.

NOTABLE GUESTS Over the years many notable members of the royal family and celebrities have spent time at Luttrellstown Castle.

Queen Victoria was a guest in 1849 and 1900 and other distinguished visitors include Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco, President Ronald Reagan, Fred Astaire, Paul Newman, Kelly Clarkson and her band, and rock bank R.E.M. The Castle hosted David and Victoria Beckham’s wedding. “The resort specialises in private events for many Irish and international guests,” says Ivan. “However, everyone is welcome at Luttrellstown Castle. We offer special surroundings which are perfect for all occasions, from intimate house parties or family celebrations, to weddings, business meetings and conferences, country

In addition sporting to the activities, renovations recreation to the guest and golf bedrooms, outings. public The tranquil restrooms and parkland public areas, surroundings Ivan King, all of our guests, offer an General Manager, Luttrellstown Castle Resort including those exceptional retreat at private occasions so close to Dublin and conferences, can city and the airport take advantage of our new which, combined with the high-speed internet wireless technology. tradition of luxurious hospitality at the resort, provides a truly special experience.” We have a lot of new and exciting plans for Luttrellstown Castle - we are also hoping to open the doors of the castle FIVE STAR CV to the people of Castleknock on a more General Manager Ivan King joins the regular basis, and we will be revealing team at Luttrellstown, which includes more about that shortly.” Has the resort’s renowned Irish golfer Peter Lawrie, revenue or visitor numbers been impacted who was appointed Director of Golf at

by Brexit? “The resort has been successful Luttrellstown Castle Resort last year, in the past at attracting local and having previously held the position international guests, and in particular, we of Director of Operations at Druids benefit from repeat business,” he says. “It Glen Hotel and Golf Resort. Prior is very important as a business to be able to that, Ivan held senior positions at to adapt to change and we must always The Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. be prepared for any external factors “I think I’m joining the operation at which might impact on the industry, a good time as we reopen the castle including trends, economic fluctuations, following renovations and prepare for the traditionally busy spring and summer and now Brexit. We are confident in the unique offering that we have here months ahead,” he says. “This is a at Luttrellstown. With the strong team beautiful resort and I look forward to welcoming many existing customers back and marketing initiatives that we have in place, we expect to see continued growth.” to Luttrellstown and many new guests.

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GOLD MEDAL AWARDS

Celebrating Excellence

in Irish Hospitality The Gold Medal Awards 2017, held in association with Hotel & Catering Review, will take place once again in the five-star Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny on September 26th. In the first of a series of previews, we profile some of our new and long-standing category sponsors.

IRELAND’S FIVE STAR HOTEL SPONSORED BY NOEL HOSPITALITY

Noel Hospitality is Ireland’s premier hospitality recruitment brand, with a proud reputation that has been earned by consistently delivering excellence to clients and candidates. Their team of specialist consultants combine a hospitality background with an in-depth sectoral knowledge. Noel Hospitality is the provider of choice to many of Ireland’s largest venues, including five star hotels and award-winning restaurants, and to many retail businesses where contract catering, food, and food preparation is increasingly significant. “Noel Hospitality are delighted to once again sponsor the Gold Medal Awards Five Star Hotel category,” says Noel Group’s James Weldon. “As the premier hospitality recruitment brand in Ireland, we are delighted to be associated with this category, which recognises and rewards excellence in hospitality and catering operations in five star hotels across Ireland.

The Gold Medal Awards are recognised as the leading independent awards programme for the Irish hospitality industry. The calibre of nominees and winners each year in the various categories reflects this, and highlights the high regard in which the awards are held by the wider hospitality industry.”

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IRELAND’S HOTEL SPA EXPERIENCE SPONSORED BY SODEXO IRELAND

Sodexo Ireland, part of the global Sodexo Group, the world’s largest services company, delivers services that improve the quality of life to clients in a range of sectors, including business and industry, education, finance and healthcare. It employs approximately 2,300 staff in 200 locations across Ireland and spent over 19m on Irish food in 2016.

“We are delighted to sponsor Ireland’s Five Star Hotel Spa Experience and Ireland’s Four Star Hotel Spa Experience categories in the Gold Medal Awards, held in association with Hotel & Catering Review,” says Margot Slattery, Country President, Sodexo Ireland. “As a provider of services that aim to improve the quality of life at work, we are delighted to recognise those hotels that aim to provide the best in a quality of life service for leisure time.”

IRELAND’S FIVE STAR HOTEL SPONSORED BY NOEL HOSPITALITY

Noel Healthcare is fast becoming the country’s leading healthcare recruitment provider, covering both permanent and temporary assignments.

It is Ireland’s only healthcare brand providing nationwide clinical and non-clinical recruitment solutions to both public and private hospital sectors, including from long-stay to home-stay care. Noel Healthcare is the specialist healthcare recruitment division of the Noel Group, placing candidates across various disciplines while offering bespoke training and staff incentive and retention programmes. “Noel Healthcare are delighted to sponsor the ‘Ireland’s Healthcare Caterer’ category in the 2017 Gold Medal Award for the first time,” says James Weldon.

“As a trusted and respected partner to healthcare providers throughout Ireland, we are proud to be associated with this category, which recognises and rewards excellence in healthcare catering operations. The healthcare catering sector has become increasingly complex and demanding, with staff receiving more comprehensive and specialised training for ever-evolving roles.

The role of caterer, particularly in the smaller hospitals, is more diverse, and we now see specialised, clinically trained catering and domestic staff taking on a much broader spectrum of duties and responsibilities.”

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FOODSERVICE

New Markets FOR DUBLIN & BELFAST Musgrave MarketPlace recently announced a €2.5m upgrade of its Robinhood store, located in Clondalkin, and a €1m revamp of its Duncrue store in Belfast.

T

his significant investment follows the re-launch of the Musgrave MarketPlace Ballymun store in November 2016. Features include new speciality areas and technology to offer retail and foodservice customers an enhanced visitor experience. The revamped 73,000 square foot store, which employs 80 staff, will officially open in August.

As part of the upgrade, four new roles will be created at the branch to ensure that customers receive expert information and advice. These roles will be created within the areas of fresh food, alcohol and equipment, along with a new in-branch butcher to advise on specific cuts of meat for customers.

Musgrave MarketPlace Robinhood will feature a range of new areas to assist foodservice and retail customers to access the information and products they need to drive their business forward.

These include specialist meat, cheese, fruit and vegetable counters, with experts on hand to advise on the latest culinary trends. There will also be a fresh fish offering with an extended seafood range to satisfy customers’ appetite for fresh fish and shellfish, and a culinary theatre to showcase the Musgrave MarketPlace offerings for customers.

Tailored classes will be hosted in this area aimed at creating menu solutions for customers with a full-time on site

Michelle Fennell, Musgrave MarketPlace Marketing Director, and Matt Lee, General Manager of Musgrave MarketPlace Robinhood

chef. Hundreds of new products will be available in the upgraded store, and customers will have online access to the full range. These products have been selected based on extensive international and local trends research commissioned

by MusgraveMarketPlace to ensure that customers are provided with the most up to date range.

“We are delighted to announce the upgrade to both the Robinhood and Duncrue stores following the hugely successful renovation of our Ballymun store,” says Noel Keeley, Managing Director of Musgrave Wholesale Partners. “The business of food and drink is constantly evolving and, as a business, we need to ensure that we continue to innovate and respond to growing trends that impact our customers’ needs. This investment is testament to our commitment to providing cash and carry stores of

THE BUSINESS OF FOOD AND DRINK IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING AND...WE NEED TO INNOVATE AND RESPOND TO GROWING TRENDS THAT IMPACT OUR CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS. the future. As well as providing our customers with the products they want, we will also be able to add value through our experts on hand in-store.”

The Belfast store will open in September 2017. The upgrades are part of an ongoing commitment by the brand to deliver refurbishments across all branches nationwide.

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TECHNOLOGY

Growing Your

BOOK DIRECT CUSTOMERS

Performance marketing engine Sojern opened its new office in Dublin on April 19th to offer its RevDirect booking solution to the Irish and European market.

Angela Canny, Regional Sales Director EMEA, talks to Maev Martin about why it’s important for travel brands to drive direct bookings.

A

ngela has over two decades of experience in the hotel and hospitality sector having worked with local, regional and global brands, including Marriott, Le Meridien, BDL Ireland, Guinness and Rezidor. For the past seven years, she has been working for BDL Capital Management where she was responsible for the asset management of 42 hotels of all stars in Ireland and the UK, as well as some in contintental Europe, on behalf of banks and receivers. “I worked on the commercial and sales and marketing side of the hotel industry for 20 years and more than 40% of my time was taken up looking after website traffic and marketing, so I genuinely believe that the Sojern product is a real problem solver for the hotel industry,” she says. “From an independent hotel’s perspective, it is very difficult for general manager to manage this function and it can be difficult to keep up to speed with all of the developments across the digital space – and that is on top of the 40% of time that you spend managing this area. Hotels want more direct bookings, but they are challenged to find the consistent marketing budget and digital

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expertise needed to make direct demand generation work in a complex online world and Sojern recognizes that.”

Sojern brings its specialised data set of 350 million global traveller profiles, including billions of predictive travel intent data points, to target travellers across multi-channels.

“We ensure that the hotel’s adverts are placed in front of the right consumers at the right time to drive direct bookings,” says Angela.

“We help to bring the hotel brand in front of real live travellers who are showing intent to travel at that moment and we drive an ad to that person based on their behaviours.

We match the behaviours we have from your profile with the customer requirements. Our RevDirect solution delivers potential travellers to the hotel’s website at no upfront cost, only charging the hotel if the traveller books direct and actually completes a stay. The ‘pay-onthe-stay’ model eliminates upfront advertising costs and creates a cash-flow friendly payment process. Hotels also gain access to state-ofthe-art multichannel optimisation technology, including a self-managed platform with audience, market and property insights to help them better understand their customers.”

Sojern work with 62 data partners in

the travel space, including airlines, OTAs, car hire companies, cruise lines and train companies to drive direct bookings. “They give us real data intent in real time to serve ads to those customers that are looking for specific destinations at a specific moment, so it is our bespoke travel intent data that sets us apart from our competitors in this space,” says Angela. Headquartered in San Francisco, they manage office locations in New York, London, Singapore, Omaha, Dublin and Dubai to support their global services. “Sojern works with all of the big brands in the hotel business, including Hilton, Starwood, Marriott, Ritz Carlton, Fairmont, and Disney,” says Angela.

“However, our Dublin office, which opened on January 2nd, is providing an offering that is bespoke to the independent hotelier that doesn’t have a huge marketing budget that would allow them to compete with the likes of Hilton or Marriott. We want to get the independent hotelier on the same platform as those big brands, but in a very cost effective way. We have numerous hotel clients in Dublin and a number of groups and independent properties, mostly in the four and five star market, have signed up throughout Ireland and the UK. In fact we signed up a group of 14 hotels in the UK last month!

STAY & REVENUE BENEFITS Lough Eske Castle outside Donegal town were early adopters of Sojern’s RevDirect technology. “We have been working with them since December 2015,” says Angela.

“The hotel was keen to market Donegal as the go-to destination spot above more traditional holiday destinations in Ireland, such as Kerry. Its goal was to appeal to

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TECHNOLOGY in-market travellers more effectively and drive bookings directly to their site. Through prospecting undecided in-market travellers, Lough Eske Castle can more meaningfully engage with potential guests, driving them to visit their site and book directly.” From December 2015 to February 2017, Sojern drove an additional 330 stays and 155,950 in revenue, as well as an additional 55 stays and 30,671 in revenue in future bookings beyond February 2017. “We are more than happy with the results of RevDirect,” says Lisa Marshall, Director of Sales and Marketing at Lough Eske Castle. “Quite simply, Sojern is giving us the most bang for our buck.”

Lough Eske Castle’s guests book largely via telephone but their online business is growing, particularly on mobile. “As part of our online strategy, the team works hard to offer competitive deals, ensuring our return guests have the best offer to drive direct bookings,” says Lisa. “We also partner with third parties, leveraging their scale to reach new customers. We do our best to ensure rate parity but, as is the case with many properties, it is a constant struggle dealing with many third parties. For tourists looking for a more novel, one of a kind experience, Donegal and Lough Eske Castle tick all the boxes, but not everyone knows how to go about finding these off-the beaten-track destinations. Access to real-time travel intent data, and 350 million travel audience profiles, means that Sojern can target people who are considering travelling to Ireland or Northern Ireland and inspire them to visit Lough Eske Castle.”

The hotel has a dedicated Sojern account manager who monitors and optimises the campaign to ensure the most effective marketing spend to drive results. “Perhaps just as important as performance are the insights that Sojern provides,” says Lisa. “By logging into our Sojern account online, it is easy to make data-driven decisions in realtime. Things are straightforward and simple to read and understand. You don’t have to sit there, sifting through the screen.”

GOING THE DIRECT ROUTE Angela says it is becoming too easy for hotels to use the big TripAdvisor, Booking.com or Expedia sites, but what people usually remember about that is their experience of the third party booking facility, rather than the hotel itself. “The hotelier needs to own the customer from the beginning of the journey by immersing them in the hotel’s experience from the get go while they are in the purchasing pattern,” she says. “The

cost of acquisition through third parties is becoming an increasing challenge for general managers to control. The cost of acquiring a guest through third parties is something that is looked at as a metric on a weekly, if not a daily, basis, so it is about minimising the cost of acquiring those guests through third parties. OTAs are growing significantly year-over-year and increasingly picking up hotel bookings market share in the EU via acquisitions and massive advertising budgets. It is predicted that they will have 54% global market share by 2018.” Mobile is now dominant for hotel search and mobile bookings are growing significantly. Digital advertising spend and inbound tourism in Ireland are growing at a rapid clip.

PwC predicts a 16.5% growth per year (CAGR) in Irish digital ad spend during the period 2016 to 2020. According to the Irish Hotels Federation, travel brands are targeting higher value and higher spending markets such as the US, Australia and China to offset a potential downturn in the British market due to Brexit and the sterling differential. “In addition, the continued expansion of direct air services coupled with the dollar riding at a 13 year high against the euro make long-haul regions a strong area of opportunity for Irish travel brands,” says Angela. “Sojern brings independent hoteliers the ability to target these affluent traveller audiences and drive direct bookings, while maximising marketing budgets and minimising risk.”

OUR REVDIRECT SOLUTION DELIVERS POTENTIAL TRAVELLERS TO THE HOTEL’S WEBSITE AT NO UPFRONT COST, ONLY CHARGING THE HOTEL IF THE TRAVELLER BOOKS DIRECT AND ACTUALLY COMPLETES A STAY.

From December 2015 to February 2017, Sojern drove an additional 330 stays and 155,950 in revenue at Lough Eske Castle

MAY 2017 | HOTEL

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CATERING REVIEW

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LEGISLATION

Aware BE FOOD ALLERGEN

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland tells Hotel & Catering Review why food businesses must be aware of the food allergens that they handle and track their use in products destined for caterers or the final consumer.

5

steps to help you comply with the law:

1.

Declare the use of the 14 food allergens in writing.

2.

Ensure the allergen information is legible and clear.

3.

Ensure the allergen information is easily accessible to your customers.

4.

Ensure the allergen information is up-to-date.

5.

Monitor your suppliers’ allergen information.

For more information on how your food business can comply with these legal requirements, visit the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s website at www.fsai.ie/allergens or contact info@fsai.ie

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F

ood allergens should be an integral part of the food safety management system in our food business, particularly the purchasing, handling and storage of ingredients. Businesses producing and preparing food should adopt practices to minimise cross contamination and ensure that food allergen declarations are accurate. Routine staff education and training should include a module on the identity and handling of the 14 specific food allergens and how to address consumer concerns.

The legal requirement to provide accurate written allergen information for non-prepacked food (loose) applies to all food businesses, including restaurants, pubs, takeaways, contract caterers, and food stalls, as well as businesses offering delivery services. This legal requirement comes under S.I. No. 489 of 2014. Retail outlets, such as shops and supermarkets selling pre-packed food, are also required to display allergen declarations for non-prepacked products. The written allergen information must be easily accessible to your customers without assistance from staff, and must be clear about which food items contain which food allergens.

Written food allergen information can be placed alongside each written menu item or, alternatively, can be provided centrally in one location, or in a number of conspicuous locations on the premises, in hard copy or electronic format. Where the location of allergen information is not conspicuous, it must be clearly signposted, e.g. on menus or other written material available on the premises, so that consumers can locate and access it easily. The precise manner in which the written allergen information is presented can vary, but it must be legible and easily understood by the consumer.

It is important that food allergen information is also included on minor components such as sauces and condiments, as well as beverages such as wine (by the glass), draught beer or cider, and juices or smoothies, where appropriate.

This provides valuable up-front information to vulnerable consumers about the food they are about to purchase. It also safeguards your food business by providing a verifiable system that demonstrates that you are in compliance with the law when your operation is inspected by an environmental health officer.

CATERING REVIEW | MAY 2017

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‘Take the next step in your career & gain an industry recognised Qualification in our state of the art facilities’ SCHOOL OF TOURISM & CATERING

FULL-TIME COURSES

PART-TIME COURSE

New Full-time Course

Tourism & Travel Studies • Option 1 – E - Travel

National Traineeship in Professional Cookery

• Culinary Arts Professional Cookery Level 5 & 6

• Option 2 – Eco & Adventure Tourism • Management & Marketing in Tourism – Year 2

• Failte Ireland Funded Earn & Learn programme for the Hospitality Industry.

• Open to applicants working full-time in a Tourism Catering Operation.

ENROLMENT & REGISTRATION Applications for all courses to be made directly to the College admissions office from January to September 2017

CRUMLIN COLLEGE OF FURTHER EDUCATION, CRUMLIN ROAD, DUBLIN 12 EMAIL: Enrol@ccfe.cdetb.ie, www.crumlincollege.ie | TEL: 01 4540662 | FAX: 01 4538855

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FOOD HEROES

US CHEFS taste GETof Ireland Chefs Julianne Forrestal and Dan Cruickshank flew the flag for Irish cuisine in the US recently where they showcased classic Irish dishes with a modern twist. Julianne talks to Maev Martin about Sodexo’s Global Chef Exchange programme.

Q: What is the objective of Sodexo’s Global Chef Exchange programme?

A: The programme gives our

clients an authentic experience of the international flavours of Sodexo. The onsite teams, managers and students all interact to bring to life the diversity and inclusion that the sharing of food and food traditions brings. There is also a huge peer-to-peer learning that derives from the interaction of the culinary brigades and it affords an opportunity for cross cultural collaboration. The participants get the opportunity to observe best practice in

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operation and the sheer scale and size demonstrates the practicalities that are necessary for operations such as this.

Q: How are Sodexo personnel in Ireland and in France selected to act as food ambassadors each year?

A: The ambassadors are chosen

based on their ability, not only in terms of the craft of cooking but also their ability to teach, communicate and work effectively as part of a team.

Q: What feedback did Julianne Forrestal and Dan Cruickshank get from diners who sampled their cuisine in hospitals and universities in the US? A: The feedback was wonderful.

Many of the sites enjoy the excitement and theatre that a global chef offers. The experience is genuine and authentic and provides an opportunity for engagement with facility members, students and board members. The emphasis on quality ingredients

and on traditional cooking methods did not go unnoticed.

I think what really captured people’s imagination was the simplicity of the food, but yet how flavoursome it was. I think people really appreciate the care and honesty with which Irish food is cooked. While the heritage dishes were popular, the fish-based dishes were really interesting to them. I think linking the food back to our island status and the provenance and seasonality upon which our cuisine is built really resonated with the guests.

Q: How will the US experiences of these Sodexo chefs impact on the Sodexo Ireland operation? Will they be incorporating anything that they learned in the US into their menus at the sites where they work?

A: The sheer volume of scale

always affords opportunities to learn from the best practice model, and some of the operational challenges they

CATERING REVIEW | MAY 2017

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19/05/2017 17:22

FOOD HEROES Julianne’s spiced black pudding with seared scallop and samphire, tomato and apricot chutney

Global Chef Exchange

Julianne’s Clonakilty black pudding with apple compote

Julianne’s duo of home-cured organic salmon with poached salmon rillettes, horseradish, pickled radishes, and a fish emulsion Sodexo Ireland Executive Chef Julianne Forrestal

LINKING THE FOOD BACK TO OUR ISLAND STATUS AND THE PROVENANCE AND SEASONALITY UPON WHICH OUR CUISINE IS BUILT REALLY RESONATED WITH THE GUESTS. have faced have been overcome quite successfully with simple adaptations. The cultural influences that impact on American food are also exciting and the fusion of all the ethnic cuisines can lead to great innovation. They have a number of concepts that could really work, especially with nods to the Mexican and Vietnamese flavour profiles, again mirroring what is evidenced by the increasing desire to try new global flavours and, indeed, the manner in which they are eaten. They do a Simply to Go Range that is really nutritionally-led and caters to the desire to eat lighter and more frequent meals. Their

Simple Servings concept, as the name suggests, is a very lean protein cooked in herbs and spices and is complemented by fresh vegetables, grains or pulses.

It is a very clean yet not overly prescriptive manner of eating.

Q: Did Julianne and Dan get any feedback about the perception of Irish food abroad or any interesting statistics that they will be sharing with organisations such as Bord Bia, Fáilte Ireland or Tourism Ireland?

A: Interestingly, Sodexo Ireland

has been accredited with Origin Green status and this is something that was of particular

interest to our American colleagues. The global desire for sustainability and best practice is evident in a lot of the sites over there, predominantly focusing on food waste and food procurement.

Of particular note was Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington State, who have their own 1,000 square foot hydroponic greenhouse facility.

Ranked by The Princeton Review as one of the 350 most environmentally responsible colleges, one of their initiatives is called the Real Food Challenge, which gathers data on the sourcing of food with a desire by 2020 to shift $1bn of university food budgets away from industrial farms and junk food and towards more local, community-based supply chains. Indeed, this work has commenced with a communitybased cooperative supplying locally grown vegetables, flours, chickpeas and dairy produce.

MAY 2017 | HOTEL

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Sodexo’s Global Chef Exchange Programme, where top chefs get the chance to work with colleagues in another part of the world, has been running for over 30 years, but 2017 was the first year that Sodexo Ireland was selected to be a part of it. In February, Executive Chef Julianne Forrestal, and Dan Cruickshank, Head Chef at St Andrews College in Blackrock, Dublin, went to the US to promote Irish food and heritage recipes.

Julianne catered in hospitals and universities in Arizona, Washington State, Idaho and Utah, while Dan was at universities and colleges in Texas, Louisiana and Georgia, as well as catering for the cast and crew of the Star Wars Experience in Disney World, Florida. Dan fed them traditional Irish soda bread, shepherd’s pie, beef and Guinness stew, and Dublin coddle.

Dessert was carrot cake, oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies, and a rocky road with Guinnessinfused cherries.

Julianne prepared dishes like pulled pork and sautéed cabbage sliders, blackened ash goat cheese and wilted spinach roulade, seared scallop on black sausage with tomato and apricot chutney, and seafood chowder shots served with Dublin Bay prawn.

CATERING REVIEW

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19/05/2017 17:22

FOOD HEROES Given the campus populace, this has had a significant impact on the procurement levels on site.

Another interesting observation was the real passion and desire to work with local artisan producers, which is akin to the growing body of Irish artisan producers. Again, the commonalities are striking - US chefs want to work with the best of local ingredients and let the natural environment impact on the flavour. Indeed, I believe that Americans are moving away from the typical fast food culture that they are often associated with. The move towards smaller scale operations is evident in all the farmers markets and food hubs. Two such producers were the Beehive Cheese Company in Utah, whose award winning cheddar is hand-rubbed in lavender and espresso. The flavour is just amazing and, coupled with the wonderful honey that is lovingly cultivated

A display of dark chocolate, biscuit and Guinness soaked cherries and carrot cake with cream cheese icing presented in Texas Christian University

by transporting the bees to Las Vegas in the winter to avoid the snow, it is just sublime.

The Bavarian Meat Company in Seattle produced a black pudding for me for my event and it was a black pudding that any Irish person would be proud of. The team there used techniques befitting a third generation sausage maker and the care and pride that they take in their work was really

Dan Cruickshank (2nd from right) meets the Sodexo team at University of Lafayette in Louisiana

A mini slow cooked lamb and root vegetable pie with mini homemade brown bread

inspiring. It reminded me of the wonderful Irish producers we have here such as Birgitta Hedin-Curtin of Burren Smokehouse, the Fergusons at Gubbeen Farmhouse Cheese, and all the others who strive to put our native

ingredients on the map. Back home, Sodexo’s global French chef Lionel Vandomme visited Clongowes Wood College in Kildare and the An Bhialann restaurant at the National University of Ireland in Galway.

His menu at Clongowes Wood was such a success that some dishes like chicken in cider and beef bourguignon are now menu staples and are being introduced into other schools.

Breathtaking food.

IT’S YOUR FOOD. IT’S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. IT’S THE LAW. Failure to provide accurate food allergen information in writing for your customers can result in their throat swelling and their airways being restricted.

Visit fsai.ie/allergens to learn how to comply.

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19/05/2017 17:22

Partners in Food

PROFILE

Savour

Seafood Tastes Overlooking the Irish sea, the Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links is located between the picturesque villages of Malahide and Howth. The four star hotel recently benefitted from a major refurbishment.

Head Chef Tom Walsh talks about the new look operation.

031_H&C_May 2017_Keelings.indd 31

at Seaside Sanctuary

Q: What areas of the hotel have been revamped?

A: The hotel has been completely renovated and a lot of money has been invested throughout. The addition of a new reception area with a glass corridor entrance gives guests a great first impression of the hotel, along with the bedrooms, which have been totally redesigned. All of our food outlets have also undergone a complete makeover, giving them a calm, earthy feel that is in keeping with our coastal setting.

Our famous Jameson Bar has also been refurbished but we have kept its distinctive wood panelling and curved ceiling.

the focus on fresh, Irish, local and artisan produce. Guests can experience good Irish food and great service from Derek and Sean and their team. In ‘The Sea View’ cocktail lounge we serve small taster plates, with dishes like razor clam with fennel, shitake mushroom, and citrus.

I’m particularly excited about our gastro bar, ‘The Jameson.’

This busy bar’s menu features a wide range of dishes, including great steaks and burgers, which are now cooked in our new Mibrasa charcoal oven, cooking at 230oC to 250oC, giving our meat a really authentic flavour.

Q: What are the main food outlets in the hotel?

A: We have ‘The 1780’ restaurant, which offers contemporary fine dining with

The hotel combines modern elegance with the grandeur of a 19th-century residence. Rooms all have views of either the ocean, gardens or the golf course, which was designed by Bernhard Langer and played host to the Irish Ladies Open in 2008 and 2009. The hotel also has direct access to the beach, a fitness room, and the Oceana Beauty & Treatment Rooms.

The Jameson also offers flat breads and pasta dishes, along with mussels and fresh fish, and our braised short rib for those with a big appetite.

Q: In your experience, what are the big food trends at the moment?

A: The biggest trend in cooking at the minute is to use wild, foraged and great Irish produce, from small growers to artisan producers. The use of sustainable fish, and the creative use of lower class cuts of meat in dishes, is also a major trend.

About Portmarnock Hotel

Dublin: +353 (0) 1 556 5000

Web: www.keelings.ie/corporate

Email: freshorders@keelings.com

Keelings Market, 15 Little Green St. Dublin 7

22/05/2017 14:03

Commercial

PROFILE

FINDING THE

Right Ingredients FOR FOODSERVICE

SEVEN IRISH FOOD AND DRINK COMPANIES HAVE JOINED A NEW BORD BIA AND KSG CATERING INITIATIVE THAT SEEKS TO HELP SMALLER COMPANIES GET THEIR PRODUCT RANGES LISTED IN THE FOODSERVICE MARKET.

F

or the first time Bord Bia and KSG Catering have come together to form the ‘In.gredients’ programme, aimed at providing these businesses with tailored support to assist them secure and grow business in some of the 110 outlets run by KSG Catering around the country.

KSG Catering, an Irish owned company, currently employs over 1,100 people and serves food to more than 12 million customers annually.

Companies benefitting from the programme reflect the areas where KSG is looking to grow their supply base.

They range from natural and healthy snacks and indulgent hand cooked vegetable crisps, to premium Irish charcuterie and awardwinning spices, sauces and chutneys. “This programme offers me invaluable access to the necessary people and an insight into how companies such as KSG operate and choose suppliers,” says programme participant Sandra Burns from Joe’s

242350_CP_Bord Bia_AMA_H&C.indd 32

Farm vegetable crisps. “I am delighted to be taking part as foodservice is a sector I have not looked into supplying yet, so I hope I can open doors for the business and take it to the next level.”

‘OUT OF HOME’ FOOD MARKET The foodservice or ‘out of home’ market has grown to a record 7.5bn in 2016 and is forecasted to grow to over 9bn by 2020, according to

Bord Bia. Foodservice describes all food consumed out of home, from restaurants, hotels, coffee shops and bars to workplace catering, hospitals, education and vending. This market has benefited from better

Maureen Gahan, Bord Bia’s Foodservice Specialist, Nick Andrews, Group Head of Culinary Operations, KSG, Padraig Brennan, Bord Bia’s Markets Director and Simon Povall, Business Development Director, KSG

22/05/2017 10:02

Commercial

PROFILE

than anticipated economic growth, buoyant consumer confidence, a strong domestic and international tourist market (including business tourism), an unemployment rate that is now less than seven per cent, and the continuation of nine per cent VAT for hospitality. “Foodservice in Ireland offers major opportunities for food and drink companies providing innovative products and solutions to meet changing consumer needs,” says Maureen Gahan, Bord Bia’s Foodservice Specialist. “Through programmes such as this, we are equipping companies with the necessary skillset to target this growing industry.”

ABOUT THE IN.GREDIENTS INITIATIVE The six-month long workshopbased programme, coordinated

by Bord Bia, will support companies at varying stages in their development. In addition, participants will receive bespoke mentoring and access to relevant KSG personnel and route to market partners in order to gain an understanding of the

242350_CP_Bord Bia_AMA_H&C.indd 33

organisation’s processes and procedures. Clear objectives and targets are set for each company to help them achieve key opportunities that KSG identifies for their business.

KSG provides bespoke contract catering solutions to a broad range of clients operating in the following industry sectors - professional offices, healthcare, education, and travel. The company also operates a number of

restaurants in shopping centres around the country, including SoMa Burger, Noah & Co Bistro Café and Leopold Coffee Houses. In addition, the company has partnered with Michelin-starred restaurateur, Patrick Guilbaud, on a premium hospitality focused catering offering for corporate clients. KSG was also awarded Ireland’s Sustainable Restaurateur of the Year 2016. “As a 100%

Irish owned company, KSG is proud to partner with Bord Bia to support the development of local food producers,” says Nick Andrews, Group Head of Culinary Operations at KSG. “We are delighted that, through this programme, Irish companies will have the opportunity to use KSG’s scale to grow their business and learn from our foodservice experience and consumer insight.”

22/05/2017 10:02

Commercial

PROFILE

FORAGE & CURE

THE GALWAY FOOD COMPANY

This Dublin-based fourth generation Master Butcher produces a range of locally cured Irish pork charcuterie.

Rick Higgins M: 086 601 0592 E: rick@forageandcure.com W: www.forageandcure.com

A manufacturer of a range of shortbread biscuits that uses locally sourced ingredients, including Galway Bay lavender and Connemara seaweed.

Clare Colohan M: 086 326 6903 E: info@thegalwayfoodcompany.com W: www.thegalwayfoodcompany.com

Meet the

GREEN SAFFRON A multi-award winning family business producing spice blends, sauces and chutneys from spices sourced in India.

Arun Kapil M: 086 729 9992 E: arun@greensaffron.com W: www.greensaffron.com

PRODUCERS 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

JOE’S FARM CRISPS Suppliers of vegetable crisps, which are grown and cooked on their own farm in East Cork.

Sandra Burns M: 087 632 9334 E: sandra@joesfarmcrisps.ie W: www.joesfarmcrisps.ie

NATASHA’S LIVING FOOD

SYNERCHI

URBAN ARTISAN

Suppliers of a vegan and raw food snack range.

Natasha Czopor M: 087 974 3455 E: natasha@natashaslivingfood.ie W: www.natashaslivingfood.ie

A certified organic, naturally free from dairy and gluten range of refreshing, effervescent Kombucha drinks with only 59Kcals per bottle.

Ryan O’Hagan M: 086 014 9846 E: ryan.ohagan@synerchi.ie W: www.synerchi.ie

Owners of the Cracked Nut shop in Dublin and of a family-owned business, producing a range of 100% natural dairy-free and gluten-free raw energy balls.

Nikki Carruthers M: 086 835 4956 E: nikki@crackednut.ie W: www.crackednut.ie

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22/05/2017 10:02

TRAINING

Recruitment for Second Cliff Course Cliff Academy at Cliff at Lyons in Kildare is now enrolling for the second City & Guilds certified Professional Cookery Course for 2017/2018.

learn to cook when I was six years old! From the age of eight I had to cook all the food for my entire family every day - it is part of Thai culture. I never wanted to get into cooking professionally but I changed my mind as I grew older and now I love it. I’ve worked in kitchens here for seven years, he course is a hands-on introduction to a career in hospitality and from Commis Chef to Chef de Partie, and is suitable for school leavers who wish to pursue the culinary arts, my current role as Senior Chef. I wanted to amateur chefs taking the leap into the professional world, and those get a proper educational qualification and who are already working in the hospitality industry and wish to take when I saw Cliff Academy, the course had the next step in their kitchen career. Those on career breaks and in all the elements that I was looking for. I active retirement are also welcome. would recommend the course very highly. It Cliff is committed to nurturing and developing chefs that perform at the highest is hard work but fun too.” levels in the hospitality and catering industry. The first Level 2 Diploma in Food Cliff Academy offers a City & Guilds Preparation and Cooking (Culinary Arts) took place at Cliff Academy in early 2017 Level 2 Diploma in Food Preparation and and students are about to embark on their work placement modules at home Cooking (Culinary Arts) 8065-02. and abroad. Nine students are taking part in the first professional Led by Martin Potts and Patrick culinary course at Cliff Academy. Kanchana Wichajan is originally Flanagan, the 20-week course from Thailand and is now living in Lahinch in Clare. “I’ve lived will be based at Cliff Academy, in Ireland for more than 11 years now and I am passionate Cliff at Lyons in Celbridge, about food,” he says. “Growing up in Thailand, I had to Kildare, and runs from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Wednesday, weekly, from September 6, 2017. Course fees are 4,950 (1,000 deposit required to secure place). All students will benefit from a two-week work placement at a five star A Cliff Academy dish hotel property within the Relais Châteaux collection. Materials supplied include uniform, workbook and knife kit. This is a non-residential course. Transfers are available from nearby Hazelhatch train station. Students can also apply for a second year of schooling, commencing January 2018. Year 2 A will offer students a City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Food Preparation and Cooking (Patisserie) 8065-03. From summer 2018, Year 2 B will offer a City & Guilds Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Food Preparation and Cookery Supervision 8065-04.

T

A Cliff Academy chef tasting dishes with recruits at the end of class

MAY 2017 | HOTEL

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CATERING REVIEW

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A QUICK CHAT

“A lot of people are afraid of TripAdvisor and different forums like that, so I think awards are good for staff as they acknowledge quality in our industry.”

DAVID MCCANN

FAVOURITE DISH: WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO This is a family favourite. It is a very simple dish, it is easily prepared, and I always cook it when I’m off work.

“I trained in classical cooking because I felt that classical cooking was the foundation to what was going on, even in nouvelle cuisine.”

INGREDIENT: CHEESE

I love cheese. I have a fondness for St Tola and I’ve been working with the same cheese supplier since I started here.

“From a producer and purchaser point of view, the Wild Atlantic Way has been a brilliant crusade.”

WISH LIST: PACOJET

I have used it but not in this kitchen. It is a very efficient way of doing ice creams and sorbets, as well as other dishes.

INSPIRATION: KEVIN THORNTON

Having known Kevin from the beginning, he has inspired me, but I take my hat off to anyone who stays in this business and is successful.

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HOTEL

Hotel & Catering Review talks to Executive Head Chef David McCann as he celebrates his 22nd year at the Earl of Thomond restaurant in Dromoland Castle.

“Staffing has been the greatest issue facing our industry down through the years. In my early years at Dromoland I started an apprenticeship scheme, which has been a big help in retaining staff.”

CATERING REVIEW | MAY 2017

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