Hotel & Restaurant Times 201207 Jun/Jul

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JUNE/JULY ‘12

THE

BUSINESS

PUBLICATION

FOR

THE

HOTEL

AND

RESTAURANT

TOP QUALITY FOOD

€3.65

INDUSTRY

IN SEARCH OF IRELAND’S BEST CARVERY

MENU MANAGEMENT

NEW TOOLKIT FOR INBOUND TOUR GROUPS

RAI AWARDS THE BEST OF THE BEST FOR 2012

BOOKASSIST

FROM GOOGLE PLACES TO GOOGLE+ LOCAL

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CONTENTS

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COVER: West coast walks from Fáilte Ireland

CONTENTS NEWS APPOINTMENTS THE GATHERING MENU MANAGEMENT TOURISM IRELAND NEWS FOOD SERVICES IRELAND’S BEST CARVERY SELLING DUBLIN CLODAGH’S KITCHEN RAI NEWS KELSIUS FOODCHECK RAI AWARDS BIM FLEXIBLE LEARNING FROM DIT TOP TIPS FROM CARTON HOUSE KNORR BLUE DRAGON AWARDS BOOKASSIST CLOUD COMPUTING FROM PFH SALTHILL HOTEL EUROTOQUES AWARDS WINE COFFEE COGNESCENTI HOLIDAY HOMES SELF-ASSESSMENT MARKER HOTEL BUSHMILLS LIVE

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Hotel & Restaurant Times is circulated on subscription to Chief Executives, Directors and Proprietors of Hotels and Restaurants in Ireland along with Architects, Interior Designers and Suppliers to the Hotel and Restaurant Industry.

Managing Editor: Cyril McAree Contributors: Pavel Barter, Cynthia Bifolchi, Paul Counter, Frank Corr, Grace McAree, Dr. Des O’Mahony, Restaurants Association of Ireland, Tourism Ireland & Fáilte Ireland Design, Layout & Production: Andy Ryan @ DIA - 086 8050464 Printing: GPS All paper used in the production of this magazine comes from certifiably sustainable forestry.

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ALL CONTENTS OF THE MAGAZINE ARE COPYRIGHT OF HOTEL & RESTAURANT TIMES: H&R HOUSE, CARTON COURT, MAYNOOTH, CO. KILDARE. TEL/FAX: 01 628 5447.

E-MAIL: editorial@hotelandrestauranttimes.ie WEB: www.hotelandrestauranttimes.ie H&RT JUNE/JULY ‘12

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From Bloom to bust So we are set for the Gathering. Some initiatives come and go, but it looks like this one is getting legs and finding a real niche in the psyche of the people and the country.

Already a number of meetings have taken place, with real engagement and proposals emanating from them. Be it families organising reunions for relatives around the world, international employee’s arranging workforce gatherings, groups like the IFA, GAA, Scouting Ireland etc., all getting on board to ensure a collective shoulder is put to the wheel to make this a reality.

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Of course, the vulgar issue of money is never far away and there are rumblings from certain quarters about funding. But in fairness, most government agencies are weaving the message into the marketplace whenever possible, as are our travelling politicians, using foreign trips to "sell" the event. So hopefully when the event is reviewed in 2014 we will give ourselves a round of applause for a job well done.

The recent CSO figures are a signal we are getting things right. It seems the message that we are a value destination is slowly and consistently getting heard in the right places. And the most evident example of this is the fact Dublin has gone from one of the top 10 most expensive cities in the world to 72 in the recent Mercers 2012 survey.

The industry has listened and responded despite some of our erstwhile media commentators. I wonder will Joe Duffy take a call on this!

Hopefully, a bit more planning with local authorities will go into the "Gathering"than went into the recent events which took place in Dublin during the May Bank Holiday weekend. The list for that weekend was as follows: Bloom, Bavaria Road Race, Dublin V Louth football match and Flora Woman’s Marathon. It was somewhat farcical and some of the blame must be taken by the organisers of one or two of the events which took place.

What guru thought it a good idea to make Dublin city centre a no-go area during this long weekend period? It began with the closing of roads for the infamous "road race" on the Thursday and continued into the Monday with the staging of the Flora Woman’s Mini Marathon. The Bavaria Road race seemed to create the most ire. Numerous restaurants, pubs and hotels were all promised around 100,000 attendees at the event with a major financial spin off anticipated. It was somewhat shambolic in its delivery. A number of businesses have contacted the magazine expressing their annoyance at what transpired. The fact no one could access their properties, due to barriers and restricted access and heavy handed private security personal, was one area of contention. Some of these businesses had ordered extra food; staff and entertainment.

In all my years covering this style of event I was left with a sour taste in my own mouth given what I experienced. So maybe the Bavaria Company might have a rethink if they are considering staging the same for next year.

On a positive note, the Bloom event was again a major success and has to rank up there with one of the must attend events of the year. From entering the Phoenix Park to arriving at the main entrance this event was a joy to attend. And the increase in figures is testament to well organised events benefit everyone concerned. So take a bow all concerned. Another welcome initiative is the Failte Ireland Tour Menu Toolkit. It has become apparent from groups involved in the tour side of tourism that one major flaw with our industry was the lack of imagination with menus offered.

International tour operators have been reporting relatively high levels of satisfaction from the customers with their touring experience of Ireland with one exception… food.

Food is a very important part of the visitor experience in Ireland and is considered to be a key selling feature and component of a holiday programme. As result of this Failte Ireland has implemented the toolkit programme and so far has had a positive response from the industry.

There is no doubt that the implementation of the Toolkit will add to the variety offered by hotels nationally to the touring customers and deliver a food experience to these clients that reflects the reputation that Ireland has and deserves for our food internationally.

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Cyril McAree Editor

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NEWS Dublin to Become European capital of rugby

Pictured at the press conference to announce details of Dublin becoming the epicentre of European club rugby, with the staging of both the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup finals in May 2013, were (l-r): Leo Varadkar, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport; Philip Browne, IRFU chief executive and Derek McGrath, ERC chief executive.

Going Dutch at Powerscourt

NEWS

Making pastry perfect

Marion Dony, Pastry Chef at Patrick Guilbauds restaurant, has won the 2012 Valrhona Pâtisserie Championship. Marion’s recipe, The Sunbeam, was chosen out of the six finalists who competed in D.I.T. Cathal Brugha Street.

Marion faced stiff competition from a line-up of top restaurants, including Chapter One, The Farm Restaurant, The Killarney Park Hotel, Oriel House Hotel and Locks Brasserie, to win this prestigious award.

Gay old time

Images of Powerscourt Gardens and Co Wicklow will be seen by about 500,000 viewers across the Netherlands later this year, after scenes for the popular gardening TV show Robs Grote Tuinverbouwing (meaning “Rob’s Big Garden Renovation”) were filmed here last week - courtesy of Tourism Ireland in Amsterdam.

Footage was captured here for a special, Irish-themed episode of the programme, which will air on the national Dutch TV station, SBS 6 TV, this autumn.

Kilkenny’s newest four star boutique Pembroke Hotel welcomed Gay Byrne for his first visit to the hotel. Pictured is Gay Byrne with Paul Broderick, General Manager and John Ryan, owner of the Pembroke Hotel.

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NEWS

Great grub in Galway

Hiking with Vikings Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar with the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague, and Viking characters, are pictured at the announcement of a €4m million tourism development for the capital.The Dubline will be a cultural and heritage walking trail, running across the city from College Green to Kilmainham. Tourism is currently worth over €5bn to Dublin. The Dubline aims to grow this by incorporating technology, dynamic signage including wi-fi links, and dedicated branding.

Enda drops into Fitzpatrick Castle Pictured on a recent visit to Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney, is An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny T.D. with Eithne Fitzpatrick, Owner and Nicky Logue, General Manager, Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel.

EatGalway has been awarded Bord Bia’s Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month for June. This is the first time that the award goes not to a restaurant, but to a group of establishments, all based in Galway city, as a result of their dedication to sourcing ingredients locally.

Cava, Galway’s only Spanish restaurant, was opened in 2008 by husband and wife team JP McMahon and Drigin Gaffey. Cava was soon followed by the terroir-based restaurant Aniar (2011) and subsequently by Eat @ Massimo (2011). The trio sits under the EatGalway banner with the mantra. “Three restaurants, One philosophy: Good Food, Local Suppliers and Artisan Produce”.

“We are committed to showcasing local and speciality Irish foods, albeit with international interpretation,” said JP McMahon.

Miami Vice

Pictured are Fiona Dunne, Tourism Ireland; Enda O’Coineen, Let’s Do It Global; Paul Gleeson, Consul General of Ireland; Hildegarde Naughton, Mayor of Galway City; Fiona Monaghan, Fáilte Ireland; and Ruth Moran, Tourism Ireland, at a reception for travel trade and media organised by Tourism Ireland at the Ocean Club in South Beach, Miami. To whet appetites for the forthcoming finale of the Volvo Ocean Race, a delegation from Galway joined Tourism Ireland in Florida last week, during the Miami stopover of the race.

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Energy Solutions Bord Gáis Energy has announced a partnership with Siemens Ireland that will allow Irish businesses, including those in the food and drinks industry, to avail of a full, end to end energy efficiency service for the first time. The two brands will combine their extensive expertise to the benefit of Irish companies looking to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

By combining their respective expertise and experience, Bord Gais Energy and Siemens expect to deliver significant benefits for client companies help them implement energy savings of up to 20%.

The first partnership of its kind, Bord Gáis Energy and Siemens are offering Irish businesses a unique opportunity to improve energy efficiency through assessment, design, implementation and management, without incurring additional costs.

The significant advantage of this service is that Bord Gáis Energy and Siemens can tell a customer how much they can save before they ever spend a cent.

Dave Kirwan, managing director of Bord Gáis Energy explained, “The energy market in Ireland has become one of the most competitive in the world and we are constantly looking for innovative ways to differentiate ourselves from competitors.

This partnership extends the products and solutions that we can offer our business customers and, in turn, add value to their bottom line and competitiveness.”

Announcing the partnership Paul Lynam, CEO Siemens Limited, Dublin commented, “Globally Siemens has completed more than 1,000 energy efficiency projects which have reduced energy costs by some €2 billion, while CO2 emissions were also reduced by around 1.2 million tons.”

David Kirwan continued, “There is increasing pressure on Irish businesses to reduce their energy consumption, both from government and from an outlay perspective. Under the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan, there is an onus on private businesses to reduce energy consumption by 20% by 2020. Bord Gáis Energy recognises these challenges and is providing Irish businesses with a solution.

Ryanair takeover would harm Irish tourism, hoteliers warn A takeover of Aer Lingus by Ryanair would harm the long-term interests of Irish tourism, the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) have stated. Michael Vaughan, President of the IHF said the proposed takeover would result in serious competition issues around air access into Ireland and called on the government to ensure a suitable buyer is found for the airline, to copper fasten competition and ensures Aer Lingus Heathrow route remains available to Ireland in the future.

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NEWS

Café en Seine shoots and scores When spirits were still high about Ireland’s prospects in the European championships, Café en Seine, Dublin, hosted a Euro 2012 Preview sponsored by Carlsberg.

Mark Lawrenson and Niall Quinn were joined by former TV3 sports editor Stephen Cullinane and Evening Herald Sports Journalist Aidan Fitzmaurice.

Ally MacBeal on the loose in Carlow

French writers put Donegal in the news Calista Flockhart, best known for her role as TV lawyer Ally MacBeal, was visiting Ireland with her family when a friend suggested she should visit Huntington Castle in Clonegal, Co. Carlow.

She arrived with her son Liam and her parents Kay and Ronald. They all enjoyed a guided tour of the recently renovated castle and grounds from the owner Alexander Durdin Robertson and his wife Clare (pictured).

Landmark event for Dublin Convention Centre

French journalists at Donegal Castle with Anne Zemmour, Tourism Ireland (right).

Morgan and Beacon’s Tripadvisor accolade The Morgan Hotel and The Beacon Hotel have received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award. The Morgan and The Beacon Hotel managers, Eddie Sweeney and Raja Kamran, thanked their teams for their hard work and dedication.

No change for overseas visitors Visitor numbers to Ireland for the period February-April 2012 remain unchanged compared to the same period in 2011, according to stats from the CSO. Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “The global economic landscape has presented a challenging environment for travel and tourism, but our tourism industry and travel trade partners are generally quite positive about quarters two and three - with reports of enquiries and advance bookings being well up on this time last year. We welcome, in particular, positive figures from Germany (+4.3%), Italy (+12.5%) and Benelux (+5.7%).

The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) has celebrated its 500th event with the international conference TM Forum Management World.

Since its opening in September 2010, The CCD has hosted over 240,000 delegate days at a range of events, including international conferences, corporate meetings, banquets, exhibitions, award ceremonies and entertainment.

Irish midlands takes to the skies Tourism Ireland has welcomed Ryanair announcement of a new flight between East Midlands and Cork, commencing 1 September, which will provide a welcome boost for both business and leisure travel to Cork and the south of Ireland from the all-important British market.

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NEWS

Ireland means business in Germany

The Gathering builds pace Pictured at the Gathering Roscommon Community Meeting are (l-r): Tony Greally, The Abbey Hotel; Michelle Peake and Tim Hayes, Hodson Bay Hotel; and Jim Miley, The Gathering Ireland.

On the Tourism Ireland stand at IMEX in Frankfurt were (l-r): Orla Kraft, Tourism Ireland; Sam Johnston, Dublin Convention Bureau; John Costelloe, Event Partners; and Fiona Burns, The Morrison Hotel, Dublin.

Social media steering British couple’s Irish adventure

A Keane interest in Radisson Roy Keane recently stepped out to launch the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind’s SHADES fundraising campaign, marking his 10th year as a supporter of the event. Sponsored by the Radisson Blu St Helen’s Hotel in Dublin, this year’s SHADES campaign raised funds towards the provision of services for people living with sight loss or autism.

Rooms to roam

Tourism Ireland has launched a new social media campaign in Great Britain, offering Facebook and Twitter communities the chance to determine the places a British couple will visit.

Tyler and Amy Slade, from Brighton, are throwing caution to the wind by taking a mystery tour of Ireland, relying on the public to steer their itinerary and help solve clues about their next destination. They don’t know where they’re going or where they’re staying; that’s down to social media communities around GB - and their skill at solving the various clues.

People are sending tips and suggestions about where the couple should go and what they should see.

New London-Dublin route to boost tourism A new Aer Lingus Regional flight between London Southend and Dublin has been announced, offering an Irish boost for leisure and business tourism from Great Britain, particularly the East London and Essex region.

Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “The introduction of this new route is more good news for Irish tourism; it will help expand travel options for people living in and around East London and Essex who wish to visit Ireland for a holiday or short break or on business. As part of our ongoing co-operation with key carriers and airports, Tourism Ireland will undertake advertising and other promotions in GB together with Aer Lingus Regional, to maximise the demand for this new route and boost tourism.”

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The Grand Canal Hotel has completed the refurbishment of over 70 Executive Rooms. Facilities now include Egyptian cotton duvets, Smart TV’s - with complementary access to Internet including Facebook and Google, Recliner Chairs, Complimentary 12Mbps Wi-Fi, Professional Hair-Dryers, Laptop Safes, CD Players and Bathrobes. The refurbishment is part of a larger project to update the hotel, which opened its doors in 2004.

Excellent result for Aghadoe Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honours hospitality excellence, is only given to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Approximately 10 percent of accommodations listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award.

Woods you believe it Best Western has welcomed its third Best Western Plus hotel in Ireland, located in the heritage town of Westport. Hotel guests can enjoy complimentary parking and a free transfer to and from Westport train station. The hotel offers a leisure and relaxation paradise in the Beech Health Club & Spa, with 18m swimming pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, fully equipped gym with numerous treatments and outside hot tub.

The hotel offers adventure activities in the grounds, the space to relax and enjoy a holiday break and the regular evening entertainment in the Bench Cafe Bar.

Wild Atlantic way The first phase of a major new tourism initiative for the west coast, including funding of €1.8m, has been announced by Minister of State for Tourism & Sport Michael Ring. The Wild Atlantic Way is set to be Ireland’s first long-distance driving route for tourists, featuring a 1,400km driving route from Donegal to West Cork. It aims to rival similar projects in Australia and South Africa, with the aim of drawing more tourists to the west of Ireland by linking destinations and attractions under a single theme.

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NEWS

Executive Development Programme 2012-2013

The Pembroke Hotel Kilkenny was the venue for the 2012-2013 Fáilte Ireland’s Executive Development Programme. Twenty six participants: Owners, Directors & General Managers representing hotels and restaurants from across the country convened for Induction. Now in its 8th year the Programme offers a curriculum that addresses most aspects of the business with an emphasis on Strategic Leadership: Strategy, Marketing, Finance, Planning, Innovation, Dynamic Management as well as the softer skills associated with managing and leading a team. Participants will apply the concepts being taught back in their workplaces and the impact of their learning will be assessed throughout the course and on its conclusion. The Programme will culminate in June 2013 with graduation in Trinity College. The intensive action-oriented programme includes a series of day and residential workshops held regionally and a module of which is held in Ithaca, New York, at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. In addition participants will undertake a series of web-based learning courses from Cornell. The duration of each course is 3 weeks during which time participants can work at their own pace but meeting the date deadlines for project submissions. Speaking at the Induction Mary Hall, Programme Manager urged the participants to make the most of this investment in terms of their time as well as financially,” she continued, “ this programme is a collaboration between ourselves in Fáilte Ireland and Cornell and is at the cutting edge of developments within our industry-use the combined resources of Failte Ireland & Cornell and avail of their expertise & mentoring.”

Rita Bonn wins Spa Therapist of the Year

Rita Bonn, Natural Therapist at The Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa was crowned Spa Therapist of the year at the annual Irish Tatler Spa Awards 2012. Now in its fourth year, The Irish Tatler Spa Awards commend the best spas, treatments and therapists in the country.

This year’s award ceremony was held at The Westin Hotel in Dublin.

Armada Hotel helps Irishman reach Everest summit

That sinking feeling An Taoiseach Enda Kenny with Amy and Alex Buckley, from Cobh, and Gillen and Sonia Joyce, from the Titanic Experience, at the opening Titanic Experience in Cobh.

Castle Hotel goes for award hat trick The boutique 4 star Castle Hotel Macroom, Co. Cork has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award. The Castle Hotel is no stranger to awards and was recently ranked within the top twenty five hotels in Ireland in the “family” and “bargain” hotel awards by Tripadvisor

Armada Hotel’s support of local and national sporting pursuits rose to new heights when Dublin man Cian O’Brolchain reached the summit of Mount Everest. The 31-year-old’s expedition was supported by the Spanish Point hotel, which also supports a range of other sporting organisations including Miltown Malbay GAA and the Clare Senior Ladies Football team.

Low VAT rate maintained for tourism Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland chief executive, has welcomed news that the VAT rate of 9% for tourism services will remain in place until the end of 2013. “Value for money is a key message in our advertising and promotions around the globe - the announcement today by Minister Varadkar, that the special 9% VAT rate for tourism and hospitality services will be maintained until the end of 2013, is good news indeed,” he said.

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NEWS

Keeping the faith

APPOINTMENTS

Collector’s items The Doyle Collection has announced the appointment of Aidan Dempsey as Rooms Division Manager and Richard Huggard as Food and Beverage Manager at The Westbury Hotel, Dublin.

Aidan Dempsey joins The Westbury Hotel from the five star Fitzwilliam Hotel where he was employed as Front Office Manager in Richard Huggard Aidan Dempsey 2011.

Richard joins from his most recent position as General Manager of Residence Private Members Club & Restaurant on St Stephens Green, Dublin.

Nolan’s Homecoming Liam Moran has been appointed General Manager at the Faithlegg House Estate in Waterford. Liam has moved to Faithlegg from The Ashdown Park Hotel in Gorey, Wexford, where he spent over 10 years as part of the management team since its opening in 2001.

Des courts the best Robert Nolan has arrived back home to Ireland, after leaving for America 16 years ago, to take up the position of General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Dublin and is already planning a number of innovations to the Hotel, which will launch over the summer.

New Head Chef at Herbert Park Hotel Kevin Ramen has been promoted to Head Chef at the four star Herbert Park Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

Kevin, who hails from Mauritius, has worked at Herbert Park since 2006. Prior to this he worked in various hotels in Mauritius before moving to Ireland.

Des McCann has been working in the Hotel Industry since 2004, where he started his career with the Jury’s Hotel Group. He gained experience working in Jury’s Hotel, Washington DC as well as the Burlington Hotel and Jury’s Croke Park, Dublin.

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Dunne deal The Newpark Hotel, in Kilkenny has announced the recent appointment of Mark Dunne as General Manager of the hotel. Fresh from his role as Deputy General Manager of The Westbury Hotel, Dublin, Mark has arrived at the Newpark, part of the family-run Flynn Hotel Group, with plenty of enthusiasm and fresh ideas for the coming year.

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THE GATHERING

Can The Gathering meet expectations?

Frank Corr is hopeful for the 2013 Tourism Fest Let’s be positive about ‘The Gathering’, billed as ‘The biggest tourism festival every held in Ireland’. Unless you count the 1932 Eucharistic Congress.

The two may not be comparable - ‘The Gathering’ is after all a year-long event with a target of 300,000 additional visitors and an extra €220m in revenue. A more appropriate comparison might be made with ‘An Tostal’, the Springtime festival which ran from 1953 to 1958 in hundreds of communities throughout the country.

Among other benefits, it spawned the Tidy Towns competition and highlighted Irish culture.

I was 13 when the inaugural An Tostal took place. We had an ‘An Tostal’ flag and I duly collected the special stamps issued to commemorate the event. I remember an operatic concert held on a raft in the middle H&RT JUNE/JULY ‘12

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THE GATHERING of the Shannon river at Limerick- and of course the accompanying rain.

These pleasant memories make me want ‘The Gathering’ to succeed. It is a bright, if not entirely original idea, and it has the potential to harness communities, organisations and businesses across the country in the promotion of tourism.

At a basic level we are all being invited to talk relatives, friends, business colleagues, kindred clubs and anybody else we can think of, into spending some time in Ireland during 2013 and we are told that we can offer them a good time and lots of festivals and ‘craic’.

So far however the list of new attractions is fairly thin. It includes an International Music Day, an International GAA tournament, a Food Festival and a new show from the producers of ‘Riverdance’.

Hardly the stuff to make diaspora hearts skip a beat. Of course we will also have the existing calendar of Festivals and some of these will probably be bigger and betterprovided of course that funding is forthcoming.

And this is where another anti-climax has become apparent. When ‘The Gathering’ was first mooted last year there was much talk from Ministers about the provision of ‘special funding’. Indeed we were led to

“ So far however the list of new attractions is fairly thin. It includes an International Music Day, an International GAA tournament, a Food Festival and a new show from the producers of ‘Riverdance’.

expect a major announcement by St. Patrick’s Day when Ministers were despatched around the world to announce the ‘Good News’. Instead we have had a very low-key comment from Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar that he has secured additional funding of €5m. in 2012 for ‘The Gathering’ and is hopeful of a similar allocation in 2013. This, we can assume, depends on the generosity of Finance Minister Michael Noonan and the mood of the Troika. This sum is in addition to the €140m which the Government is investing in tourism this year, but it is nevertheless puny in the light of what it is expected to achieve. You would be hard put to run a weekend rock gig these days on €5m., never mind a year-long festival involving an entire nation, which hopes to earn an incremental €220m. in tourism revenue.

The task of ‘making it happen’ falls to ‘The Gathering Ireland’, a private company established by Failte Ireland. It is funded by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and is staffed by a dozen Failte

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Ireland specialists who have been seconded to the project, and some staff from outside of the public service. The project director is entrepreneur Jim Miley, who cofounded the property website MyHome.ie and who was general secretary of Fine Gael from 1995 to 1999.

He now heads a project which offers communities and businesses an opportunity to devote some of their own resources to the promotion of tourism. A multinational company for instance might lobby to have its annual sales conference here, a sports club could stage a tournament involving clubs from overseas, all the Corrs could meet up somewhere or we could organise a School Re-Union. The joy of the idea is that thousands of Irish people can make direct contact with family, friends or colleagues overseas , inviting them to Ireland on a ‘one on one’ basis, provided of course that they are prepared to pay for the experience.

Jim Miley has wide experience in electronic media and it comes as no surprise that ‘The Gathering’ is highly active on the internet and in social media. Its busy website offers suggestions on attracting visitors including ‘Ireland Reaching Out’- a ‘reverse genealogy’ project in which Irish people could identify emigrants, track them down and give them ‘The Gathering’ sales message. Communities are invited to contact their ‘Twin Town’ for a meet-up, to revive lost traditions, to celebrate ‘Local Heroes’ and to link up with groups overseas who have a shared interest such a gardening, walking, archaeology or any of a myriad of activities.

In order to stimulate interest and to get the show on the road, Tourism Minister of State, Michael Ring is planning to tour the countryside with a series of ‘Town Hall Meetings’ at which local groups and individuals will be encouraged to become involved. The first in the series, in Roscommon, attracted a large crowd, a positive attitude and some creative ideas. The Roadshow has already rumbled through

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THE GATHERING

Mayo, Clare, Kerry and Carlow and other counties will be visited over the coming weeks. The project team has been busy establishing Steering Groups (usually existing tourism organisations, sports clubs and voluntary organisations) in advance of these meetings and it is hoped that a crowded calendar of events will be ready for 2013.

‘This is a people’s project. It is extremely important that this initiative is not confined to big cities but is an event that will happen across the country and show off Ireland at its best. Everyone can help by doing something as simple as sending an e-mail or postcard to a relative or friend abroad inviting them to Ireland in 2013,” Minister Ring said at the Roscommon meeting.

So far the response from Communities has been positive and there is evidence that ‘The Gathering’ is capturing the imagination of people who are hit by our current economic woes. One Irish family which recently returned from the US is already organising an O’Dea clan gathering for 2013. Government funding is also available for suitable projects. A ‘Season Yeats’ festival recently announced for Sligo has So far the response from attracted €200,000 from Michael Ring’s Communities has been Department while Failte Ireland has positive and there is strongly hinted that ‘The Gathering’ events evidence that are likely to be looked upon kindly when ‘The Gathering’ is grants under its ‘National Festivals and capturing the Participative Events’ grants are being imagination of people allocated. who are hit by our ‘The Gathering’ has also recruited some of the most influential voluntary current economic woes. organisations to the cause. The GAA is to organise a football tournament which will see home-based clubs play visiting overseas footballers at venues around the country culminating in a final at Croke Park. Scouting Ireland which has 42,000 registered members is to stage an ‘International Scout Jamboree’, the ICA will encourage its 11,000 members to support local initiatives, Comhaltas Cheolteoiri Eireann is inviting over members of its 415 overseas branches and the Irish Farmers Association is asking its 90,000 members to get involved. ‘The Gathering’ is also currently featured on dozens of Irish websites including ‘The Great Limerick Run.’

“

Local Authorities are coming on board.

Kerry and Waterford County Councils have established dedicated local groups to drive the initiative forward and all local authorities have been briefed on ‘The Gathering’.

Carrick-on Shannon is holding a special town and community event to celebrate its 400th birthday next year.

‘The Gathering’ has also appealed to the corporate world with Google, Facebook and Microsoft among the leading IT companies operating here signing up to the project while KPMG and PwC have confirmed they will hold their international alumni events in Ireland, bringing 1,000 international visitors.

The other aspect of ‘The Gathering’ is its promotion around the world. While Tourism Ireland has not received specific funding to promote the festival, it will feature strongly in its 2013 marketing. Already Ministers travelling abroad have been briefed to ‘sell’ the event and a lot of this went on during the 2012 St. Patrick’s Festival jaunts when it was promoted in 27 cities to 17,000 ‘influencers’.

The ‘proof of the pudding will be in the eating’ of course, and we really won’t know just what ‘The Gathering’ will produce until it actually happens. Already however, it has generated a ‘Feel Good Factor’ in relation to tourism among local communities, national organisations and companies, and in these ‘challenging times’ that can only be for the good.

be part of it.

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TOOLKIT

Menu management Fáilte Ireland, have developed the new Menu Management Toolkit for hotels that specialise in catering for tour groups. The Toolkit has been designed to offer value, variety and profitability to the busy hotelier and contains an interesting and varied selection of recipes to include starters, main courses and desserts.

Rationale Over the past number of years ITOA members and international tour operators have been reporting relatively high levels of satisfaction from the customers with their touring experience of Ireland with one exception… food. Food is a very important part of the visitor experience in Ireland and is considered to be a key selling feature and component of a holiday programme.

Visitors holidaying on inclusive touring programmes continuously report on the lack of ‘variety’ they experienced in hotels and restaurants. Quality of the ingredients and produce is not the issue simply the experience of “sameness”: the tri-colour of veg, the darn of salmon, chicken presented on every menu in the same sauce etc.

Fáilte Ireland worked with the industry to address this ongoing issue.

The outcome is the Food Toolkit Menu Planner which was developed and tested

by Fáilte Ireland’s food expert, Martin Potts. Ruth Andrews ITOA stated “our members and our international Tour Operator partners are delighted with the Toolkit which provides the perfect solution and a terrific selection of recipes to add the key ingredients of ‘variety’ into tour group menus”. There is no doubt that the implementation of the Toolkit will add significantly to the variety offered by hotels nationally to the touring customers and 14

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deliver a food experience to these clients that reflects the reputation that Ireland has and deserves for our food internationally.

To further assist the Industry’s busy chefs, Fáilte Ireland is hosting a series of practical half-day workshops on a regional basis over the coming months. Details of these workshops have been circulated during the month of June.

During the half day workshop chefs will be lead through the Toolkit with supporting exercises and discussions to help them implement the various menu options focusing on local Irish produce that are costed effectively to fit tight margins on tour group menus. Now more than ever, chefs are being asked to produce great quality food on a budget and this toolkit and workshop will deliver practical menu options whilst maintaining gross profit percentages.

This workshop has been designed so that not only chefs but marketing and sales managers can gain a better understanding of how to cost menus effectively and what challenges chefs face in designing menus to tight budgets.

Participants at the workshop will explore the different and unique eating trends of international guests and how differing eating habits of foreign travellers can effect guest satisfaction during their stay in Ireland. Another benefit of the toolkit is a seasonal produce guide so that chefs are more aware of what’s in season and when, so that they can maintain cost effectiveness of their menus.

All attendees will receive their own copy of the Menu Management Toolkit to take home with them and support them in developing and implementing their new approach to Tour group dining.

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TOOLKIT

for inbound tour groups I’m a chef why should I attend?

• To gain a better understanding of International travellers dining preferences • To get your own copy of the tour group menu toolkit • To get new ideas of tour group menus I’m a sales and marketing manager why should I attend?

• To gain a better understanding of challenges in the kitchen in relation to food costings • To gain a better understanding of International travellers dining preferences • To be able to negotiate with tour group providers based on guests dining preferences Topics for the day include • Tour group menu design • Food costing and profitability • Purchasing guidelines • Waste management • Menu ideas for tour operators Please contact your local Fáilte Ireland representative for details

Venues and Dates 2 July 2012

Fáilte Ireland , Amiens St, Dublin 1

ClientServicesDublin@failteireland.ie

3 July 2012

Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork

Carmel.barry@failteireland.ie

4 July 2012

Muckross Park Hotel,Killarney

Carmel.barry@failteireland.ie

10 July 2012

Harlequin Hotel, Castlebar

Agnes.odonnell@failteireland.ie

11 July 2012

Pillo Hotel, Galway City

Agnes.odonnell@failteireland.ie

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TOURISM

Big Green Wave for Euro 2012 Tourism Ireland has been capitalising on the tourism potential of Euro 2012, particularly in Italy and Spain - two important markets for tourism and opponents of the Irish squad in Group C. The organisation teamed up with Ryanair to send Irish football fans off in style, with 2,000 giant green hands distributed to passengers travelling to Poznan, encouraging them to give a “big green wave” for tourism during the games.

Michael Cawley, Ryanair deputy chief executive (back, second left) and Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland chief executive (right) with football fans Dan Conroy, Keith Conroy and Gary Deegan; and (front) Elaine Brien, Ryanair cabin crew member, and Ger Conroy.

In Spain, Tourism Ireland leveraged the national devotion to football and the massive media coverage there around the Ireland v Spain game on 14 June. Radio ads aired on stations in Madrid and Barcelona that week, and during the match itself, urging Spanish football fans to come to Ireland to experience true sporting passion - through our Gaelic games. Advertising was also seen by about 665,000 football fans - or potential Spanish holidaymakers - in top sporting newspapers Marca and As and on major sports websites like marca.com, mondodeportivo.com and as.com.

Advertising in leading sports newpapers Marca and As on the day of the Ireland v Spain game.

In Italy, in the Tuscan town of Montecatini where Giovanni Trapattoni and Ireland’s Euro 2012 squad made their final preparations for Poland, the town was turned green by Tourism Ireland. A quirky “green windows” promotion ran in the local newspaper, encouraging shops and businesses there to compete for the best green windows in town! And Trap himself even dropped by to present the lucky winner with her prize!

A “green recycling” initiative was organised by the Commune di Montecatini, with 20 old bicycles painted green as part of a free bicyclesharing service during the week the Irish team was in town.

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni; Niamh Kinsella, Tourism Ireland; Manuela Schlemmer, winner of the “green windows” promotion; and Stefano Bortoli, SNAI, official sponsor of the Montecatini Terme training camp.

In Poland, Tourism Ireland targeted the Euro 2012 fans converging from across Europe, with “Jump into Ireland” ads running on the big screen during “Ireland Day” in the official fan zone in Poznan.

Posters, banners and brochures also helped highlight Ireland as a fantastic holiday destination.

Olympics campaign targets 8M+ Londoners This summer’s Olympic Games in London present a unique opportunity to showcase the island of Ireland. With a global audience of about 4 billion, the Olympics is the largest sporting event in the world and Tourism Ireland is working hard to maximise the potential for our tourism industry. While the Olympics will, undoubtedly, be a very exciting time in London, the event will inevitably draw huge crowds which will undoubtedly make commuting - and day-to-day life in general - more hectic for Londoners. An expected 18 million extra journeys will be taken on the London underground, alone, between the opening and closing of the games.

Tourism Ireland’s ‘Escape the Madness’ campaign is targeting more than eight million Londoners, promoting Ireland as a hasslefree holiday from the Olympics Games and the ideal ‘escape’ destination during this busy time. Over 200 large ads are running in underground stations across London in June, highlighting the wide open spaces and lack of congestion here. Commuters are seeing them during morning and evening rush hours. Millions of readers of the Evening Standard, the popular free daily newspaper, are also seeing ads urging them to ‘escape’ to the beautiful landscape and open spaces of Ireland. They are also seeing ads for Aer Lingus in the Evening Standard, highlighting attractive fares from London and encouraging them to book that escape straight away. Tourism Ireland is also working with hostelbookers.com, promoting B&B and hostel stays this summer.

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A specially-created web page on discoverireland.com is also promoting key sporting events and festivals taking place across the island this summer. Social media is also helping create awareness of all the great things to see and do here. Messages will be posted regularly on Facebook and Twitter before and during the games using the hashtag #Escapethemadness to encourage lively conversation about holidays here.

A busy PR and publicity programme is also under way. A series of itineraries for the thousands of accredited and non-accredited international media visiting London for the Olympics will encourage them to come here before, during or after the games.

Options being presented include programmes for 24, 48 and 72hour visits, great golf ideas and information on festivals and events across the island.

“Escape the Madness” ads are highlighting the open spaces and lack of congestion here

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Hollywood star Chris O’Donnell celebrates Irish heritage American film and TV star Chris O’Donnell visited Ashford Castle in Co Mayo recently. The actor, who has starred in blockbuster movies like Scent of a Woman and Batman Forever, and more recently, in the CBS TV crime drama NCIS: Los Angeles, was here to do a photoshoot for the successful CBS Watch magazine.

Regularly read by about one million people across the US, Watch is the official magazine of the CBS television network. Each issue features behind-the-scenes interviews with CBS stars, as well as spectacular photography and exotic destinations. Chris O’Donnell was here, with support from Tourism Ireland, Aer Lingus and Ashford Castle, to do the photoshoot for a 16-page feature which will appear in the spring 2013 edition of magazine - just as The Gathering 2013 will be really getting under way.

During his time here, O’Donnell - whose paternal ancestors hail from Co Donegal - was presented with a Certificate of Irish Heritage by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring.

Minister Ring said: “It’s a pleasure to be able to present Chris O’Donnell with a Certificate of Irish Heritage. I’m delighted that he has chosen to visit Ireland for his photoshoot, as his visit will generate significant coverage in the US. Events like this help to maintain Ireland’s profile as a tourism destination.”

Ireland wins prestigious American travel award For the second year running, Ireland has been voted the “destination with the highest client satisfaction” at the recent WAVE awards in the US, beating off strong competition in the same category from other destinations including Great Britain, France, Italy and Greece.

The gala awards ceremony, organised by TravelAge West magazine, took place in Beverly Hills, California, and was attended by hundreds of American travel industry leaders. Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “We are delighted that Ireland has been singled out for this award by TravelAge West. Tourism Ireland works closely with travel agents and tour operators across the US - to encourage them to sell more Ireland holidays and to feature more of our tourism products in their brochures and programmes; and it is wonderful to know that Ireland continues to deliver exceptional experiences for their clients.”

The WAVE (Western Agents Vote of Excellence) awards are presented annually to recognise the most outstanding destinations, tour operators, travel agents, airlines and cruise companies.

Kenneth Shapiro, editor-in-chief of TravelAge West; Willie Montano, CIE Tours International; Hillarie McGuinness, Tourism Ireland; Brian Stack, CIE Tours International; and Shannon Tiger, TravelAge West.

Golf to the Fore in GB Chris O’Donnell was presented with a Certificate of Irish Heritage by Minister Michael Ring; also pictured are Paula Carroll (left) and Niall Rochford (right), Ashford Castle.

Galway goes to Miami for Volvo Ocean Race To whet appetites for the marvellous spectacle of the forthcoming finale of the Volvo Ocean Race, a delegation from Galway joined Tourism Ireland in Florida during the Miami stopover of the race. They met with some of the key travel trade and media contacts in Florida, at a reception organised by Tourism Ireland at the Ocean Club in South Beach. The event was an excellent opportunity to showcase Galway and Ireland as a fantastic holiday Team Sanya crew members (behind) with (front destination and was part l-r) Enda O’Coineen, Let’s Do It Global; Fiona of Tourism Ireland’s Monaghan, Fáilte Ireland; Ruth Moran, Tourism publicity drive around the Ireland; Mayor of Galway city Cllr Hildegarde Naughton; Mike Sanderson, skipper of Team world during the nine- Sanya; Paul Gleeson, Consul General of Ireland; month race to reach a and Fiona Dunne, Tourism Ireland, at a reception huge audience of potential for travel trade and media organised by Tourism Ireland at the Ocean Club in South Beach. holidaymakers.

Golf is a major focus for Tourism Ireland in GB, and in other markets around the world, and the organisation has a busy schedule of promotions in place to grow the number of golf tourists in 2012 and beyond. Golf is the world’s largest sportsrelated travel market and, using the headline ‘Golf in Ireland Time to Play’, Tourism Ireland is working hard to drive home the message that a golfing holiday here is about much more than a round of 18 holes - the combination of Ireland’s world-class golf and our unique brand of hospitality plays a key role in attracting golfers to come here. Recent promotional activity has included a presence at Golf Live at the London Golf Club in Kent and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Pictured at Golf Live are Gary Posnett, Ardglass Golf Club, Co Down; Brigid Manley, Slieve Russell Hotel Golf & Country Club, Co Cavan; Sofia Hansson, Tourism Ireland; Marie Collins, Doonbeg Golf Club, Co Clare; and Áine Mangan, Dublin East Coast Alliance.

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FOOD SERVICES

Adding value to the €6 billion Irish foodservice market Bord Bia supplier development programmes 2012

2012 Market Entry participants pictured at a workshop in Pallas Foods, Newcastle West along with Eddie Heffernan, Purchasing Manager, Pallas Foods; Maureen Gahan, Bord Bia and James Burke of James Burke & Associates.

Building on the success of Bord Bia’s initial Foodservice Programme in 2011, up to 18 Irish food and drink suppliers are participating on two bespoke Supplier Development Programmes focused on developing relevant marketing and commercial skills and winning new business in the domestic foodservice market. This is a welcome initiative, aimed at ensuring that the range and quality of products on offer meets the needs of the hospitality industry.

The Market Entry programme is being run in partnership with Pallas Foods and is intended to support small and emerging companies. The Market Development programme aims to assist companies that are currently selling to the Irish foodservice market build on existing sales, while identifying potential opportunities in the UK foodservice market.

Each programme comprises 4 day-long workshops over a six month period and 10 hours of one-to-one mentoring per company.

Workshops involve presentations and insights from key foodservice distributors, operators and 18

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Irish suppliers that have valuable tips and advice to impart.

In addition, each programme offers access to an independent industry Taste Panel for feedback on product taste, packaging, pricing and general suitability for the foodservice market.

Despite recent challenges, Foodservice in Ireland remains a large market (valued at €6bn p.a. at consumer prices in 2011), containing major opportunities for suppliers offering innovative products and solutions to meet changing consumer needs. The aim of Bord Bia’s programmes is to equip participants with the skills and competencies to realise those opportunities.

2012 Market Development participants pictured at a workshop in the Aviva Stadium along with Fiacra Nagle, CEO, Compass Ireland; Bren Gray, Lead Buyer, Compass Ireland; Maureen Gahan, Bord Bia and James Burke of James Burke & Associates.

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FOOD SERVICES 2012 Market Entry Participating Companies Name Aruna Sauces

Company Description Manufacturers of 100% natural Indian sauces

Featherbed Farm Foods

Artisan ice cream and sorbet specialists

Island Seafoods

Specialists in smoked fish

Jack & Keith Molloy

Cooked bacon specialists

O’Neill Foods Ltd

Award winning, dry cured bacon products

Kilfera

Specialists in powder based dairy ingredients

The Radical Food Company

Chilled snack product made with oats, cream and honey

Wokabout

Unique range of Asian relishes

Contact Sarah Nic Lochlainn T: 041 685 843 E: sarah@aruna.ie W: www.aruna.ie Simon Cooper T: 053 9177 581 E: simon@featherbedfarm.ie W: www.featherbedfarm.ie Michael O’Donnell T: 074 973 1216 E: michael@islandseafoodsltd.ie W: www.islandseafoodsltd.ie Keith Molloy T: 051 355 552 E: info@molloyribs.com W: www.molloyribs.com Pat O’Neill T: 053 9233 468 E: oneillfoods@eircom.net W: www.oneillfoods.com Paddy O’Neill T: 056 776 4044 E: kilfera@iol.ie W: www.kilferafoods.ie Miriam Cox-Monahan M: 083 424 9710 E: miriam@theradicalfoodco.com W: www.theradicalfoodco.com Henry Hegarty M: 086 023 4788 E: henry@wokabout.ie W: www.wokabout.ie

2012 Market Development Participating Companies Name Coole Farm Foods

Country Crest

Donnelly Foodservice

Gs James

Ingredient Solutions

Keeling Fresh Juices

Kilbeg Dairies

Killowen Yogurt

Kish Fish Solaris Botanicals

Company Description Suppliers of a range of innovative breaded pork products.

Contact Sean Og Duffy T: 091 648 007 E: sales@coolefarmfoods.ie W: www.coolefarmfoods.ie Leading manufacturer of chilled prepared meals Yvonne Neeson T: 01 843 7071 E: yvonneneeson@countrycrest.ie and vegetable accompaniments W: www.countrycrest.ie Specialists in fresh, ready to eat salads and prepared vegetables Ciara McCormack T: 01 890 8100 E: ciara.mccormack@wonderfoods.ie W: www.donnelly.ie Artisan producer of award winning Irish jams and chutneys Clive Gee T: 057 873 1058 E: gsgourmetjams@eircom.net W: www.gsgourmetjams.ie Premier supplier of commodity and speciality cheeses Ian Galletly T: 029 76981 E: ian@ingredientsolutions.net W: www.ingredientsolutions.net Producers of fresh, unprocessed fruit juices and smoothies Adrian Kavanagh T: 01 807 8700 E: adriank@keelingjuices.com W: www.keelingjuices.com Range of artisan cheeses, yogurts and smoothies.

Jane Cassidy T: 046 9244 687 E: jane@kilbegdairydelights.ie W: www.kilbegdairydelights.ie Specialists in premium quality artisan yogurts Pauline Dunne T: 053 9244 819 E: killowenfoods@eircom.net W: www.killowen.ie Specialists in fresh and frozen fish and shellfish Tadgh O’Meara T: 01 854 3900 E: tadgh@kishfish.ie W: www.kishfish.ie Specialists in whole-leaf, organic teas.

Joerg Muller T: 091 750 020 E: info@solarisbotanicals.com W: www.solarisbotanicals.com

The Supplier Development Programmes form part of Bord Bia’s wider foodservice programme which focuses on providing Market Information, building Company Capability and developing New Business for Irish food and drink companies in the Irish foodservice market.

For more information on any of the suppliers or for general queries, please contact Maureen Gahan, Foodservice Specialist, Bord Bia. Tel (01) 6142 235 E: maureen.gahan@bordbia.ie H&RT JUNE/JULY ‘12

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COMPETITION

Tommy Bowe in search of Ireland’s top carvery

Top international rugby player Tommy Bowe has swapped his rugby kit for a chef’s jacket to launch the third annual Great Carvery of the Year competition, a nationwide contest the Hotel and Restaurant Times is proud to partner with.

As the competition’s new ambassador Tommy is calling on pubs and hotels across Ireland, and for the first time Northern Ireland, to sharpen their carving knives in a bid to be crowned Ireland’s Great Pub Carvey of the Year or Great Hotel Carvery of the Year.

At the launch of the competition Tommy said: “On the rugby field we focus on getting the basics right and then building creativity, originality and innovation into our 20

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“

game. These same elements are crucial to success in the kitchen. There are a huge number of pubs and hotels in Ireland serving up top quality carvery every day and the Great Carvery of the Year On the rugby field we competition recognises this effort. As the newest member of the Great focus on getting the Carvery team I’m looking forward to basics right and then seeing what the competition serves up, whether it be exceptional value, firstbuilding creativity, class customer service, clever use of originality and local ingredients or all of the above.”

Tommy went on to say: “As an innovation into our Ulsterman I’m also delighted to see the game competition extended to Northern Ireland. Ulster is home to some fantastic pubs and hotels that I’m sure will be right in the mix come September’s Grand Final.”

Great Carvery of the Year was launched in 2010 by Unilever Food Solutions

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“

Ireland, and after a hugely successful first year expanded to create two separate categories of winner in 2011, the Great Carvery Pub of the Year and Best Hotel Carvery of the Year. Now entering its Once the public has third year the competition is set for even bigger changes; as well as chosen its provincial extending the competition to include shortlist, Mark and the Northern Ireland, a top three shortlist of Best Hotel Carvery and Best Pub Unilever team will have Carvery from each province of the country will be decided by public vote. the unenviable task of Commenting on the changes to this whittling entrants down year’s competition, Mark McCarthy, Unilever Food Solution’s Business to eight winners Development Chef, said: “The last two years of Great Carvery have been a huge success. We are consistently blown away by the standard of entries we receive and the calibre of our winners. I’m excited to build on the success of the previous two years to make this year’s competition the biggest yet. Central to this has been opening the competition up to Northern Ireland and I can’t wait to see and sample what the pubs and hotels up North have to offer.”

With the public determining a top three shortlist of both pub and hotel

carverys from each province, Mark shared his top tips for those looking to vote for their favourite carvery: “A great carvery meal is about more than just the quality of the food served. It’s about atmosphere, value and exceptional customer service and attention. So remember to consider the overall offering when casting your vote.”

Once the public has chosen its provincial shortlist, Mark and the Unilever team will have the unenviable task of whittling entrants down to eight winners. This will involve mystery visits to venues across the country before the Great Carvery Pub of the Year and Great Carvery Hotel of the Year winners will be unveiled at a Grand Final event to be held in Dublin in September.

The overall winners will receive PR and marketing support to the value of €5,000 each, as well as a specially commissioned wall plaque and commemorative chalkboard to remind customers they are about to enjoy the best carvery in Ireland.

The registration deadline for Great Carvery of the Year 2012 is Friday 13th July after which voting will be opened to the public.

For registration and voting details see unileverfoodsolutions.ie H&RT JUNE/JULY ‘12

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DUBLIN TOURISM

No summer holidays when it comes to selling Dublin

Following from its merger with Dublin Tourism, Fáilte Ireland is pulling out all the stops to develop Dublin’s tourism prospects for 2012.

Tourism in Dublin is currently worth €1.5 billion, welcoming approximately 3.5m overseas visitors every year, and as Fáilte Ireland takes up its new responsibility in Dublin, a range of new activities and initiatives promoting the capital as a destination for both business and leisure are starting to emerge.

Commitment to growing tourism to Dublin is apparent in Fáilte Ireland.

Recently referred to as “the strategic cockpit for overseas tourism to Ireland” by Fáilte Ireland CEO, Shaun Quinn, Dublin houses three quarters of overseas visitors at some point during their trip to Ireland, making it clear that Dublin is a central part of Irish tourism.

One new project in the offing, intended to build on Fáilte Ireland’s recent €5.5million worth of capital investment in the city, (which includes the development of Meeting House Square and The Book of Kells exhibition at Trinity College), is ‘The Dubline’.

‘The Dubline’ will be designed to transport visitors on a fully-interactive and innovative journey through Dublin city, telling the story of the city, its culture and heritage, in a new and exciting way. This new project will involve: • Further investment in visitor attractions and infrastructure, including the development of a significant new visitor meeting point along Dublin City • The development of themed walking trails based around the central route 22

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• Better access to the heritage of the area through online, mobile and traditional media • An improved pedestrian environment • High profile marketing of the Dubline to both domestic and international visitors.

Speaking about the project, Keith Mc Cormack, Head of Events Ireland and Visit Dublin emphasised, “In the digital age of the internet, iPads and smartphones, a successful tourism destination needs to be able to tell its story and to provide opportunities for visitors to engage with the narrative in new and interesting ways.

We believe that the Dubline will allow us to do just that and will help us to raise our game in marketing Dublin as a world class destination”.

The Dubline is only one project among a number for Dubiln currently in train by Fáilte Ireland. A new Visit Dublin unit has been established by Fáilte Ireland that will build on the success of the Visit Dublin brand, previously managed by Dublin Tourism, and focus solely on promoting Dublin as a leisure destination.

Explaining what the new Visit Dublin team are currently working on Keith Mc Cormack said, “The Visit Dublin team has a number of new initiatives planned for 2012 including an updated version of the hugely successful Visit Dublin App which is almost ready to hit the shelves.

A new Visit Dublin unit “Also in the pipeline is an extensive has been established by international marketing campaign which Fáilte Ireland that will build will be initiated along with a creative refresh which will take a fresh approach on the success of the Visit to promoting Dublin. A full schedule of Dublin brand, previously multi-media activity focussing on the key managed by Dublin markets of GB, France, Germany Tourism, and focus solely and the US is planned as part of on promoting Dublin as a this campaign.” leisure destination.

Business Tourism is another key area for growth for the Dublin tourism industry. In 2011, €50 million euro in economic revenue was delivered to Dublin by the Dublin Convention Bureau which translates into over 33,000 overseas visitors/delegates.

This year, business appears to be booming, as the Dublin Convention Bureau (DCB) announce that business is up by 30% on the same period last year with over €22 million in confirmed business for Dublin.

Promoting Dublin as an attractive destination for conferences and events, the DCB team has, this year already, completed 141 leads, conducted 20 site

“

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DUBLIN TOURISM

inspections, submitted 10 congress bids, and is on track to convert €52.5 million euro worth of business tourism to Dublin.

Keith McCormack continued, “It is business as usual for the DCB. We have just added a number of new resources to our website including the new 2012 Dublin Directory, a guide promoting 131 business tourism products and services such as professional conference organisers, destination management companies, hotels, venues and transport companies.

“Another great resource available is a new business tourism DVD for Dublin, which can be used as a promotional tool to encourage conference organisers to choose Dublin as their next conference destination.”

The DCB website can be accessed at www.dublinconventionbureau.ie and more resources can be expected from the team later in the year including a new online marketing toolkit which will provide support in boosting delegate numbers for conferences and it is envisaged this new uit will include template ezines, web codes to promote the VisitDublin.com App and promotional destination editorial on Dublin as well as access to image and video libraries all aimed at enticing delegates to not only come to Dublin, but to stay longer and spend more.

When it comes to promoting Dublin, the team in Fáilte Ireland are not only depending on ‘what was always done’. They are following a number of new leads to attract more visitors to the capital. McCormack explains, “We are exploring a number of new ways we can promote Dublin including developing our calendar of events. This will include building on the success of two new Dublin event initiatives

piloted last year - Dublin’s Festival Season, which took place last September/October, and Dublin’s New Year’s Eve festival. We are also looking at opportunities which exist within Cruise Tourism, and have recently commissioned a report outlining the opportunities that exist in this area for Dublin.”

Summing up Fáilte Ireland’s dedication to promoting Dublin as a destination Keith

“ The coming together of Dublin Tourism and Fáilte Ireland will ensure that Dublin is being promoted in a cohesive and unified manner that will work in its favour to attract even more visitors to our capital city.

McCormack stated, “The capital city is an important part of Irish tourism and following the merger of Dublin Tourism into Fáilte Ireland, we are now poised to vigorously promote Dublin as a destination of choice to a broad range of visitors.

“The coming together of Dublin Tourism and Fáilte Ireland will ensure that Dublin is being promoted in a cohesive and unified manner that will work in its favour to attract even more visitors to our capital city. We look forward to working closely with all of the tourism trade in Dublin to maximise the potential of our fair city.”

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REFURBISHMENT

Something’s cooking in Clodagh’s Kitchen Made-over restaurant re-launched at Arnotts Clodagh’s Kitchen, the top floor restaurant of Arnotts, has just had a complete makeover, following an investment of €300,000 from Capital Foods. The newly refurbished restaurant/bistro will offer seating for 80 in a warm and inviting atmosphere akin to the kitchen and dining room of Clodagh’s home, which evokes her unique chic style and personality.

Guests at the launch evening included Arnotts CEO Nigel Blow, Arnotts Chairman Mark Schwartz, Michael Andrews, General Manager, Clodagh’s Kitchen, Adrian Cummins, CEO, Restaurant Association of Ireland, TV presenter Sonya Lennon, TV presenter Brendan Courtney, event planner Tara Fay, Peter Gaynor, Director, Capital Foods and Clodagh’s parents Jim and Irene McKenna.

Still true to the ethos of ‘Homemade by Clodagh’ the goodness and warmth of her healthy home cooking is to the fore.

Clodagh will offer seasonal and locally sourced menus with a wide variety of choice for every palette. These menus will be complimented with wine suggestions from the restaurant manager, Michael Andrews.

A combination of bespoke materials were used to create the new look and feel of the restaurant including a decorative metal and painted wood panelling throughout. The new cooking area has been redesigned and will open up to address the dining room where diners can enjoy being part of the cooking experience of Clodagh’s working kitchen.

The interior and furnishings have been carefully selected using natural materials including dark stained wood, handmade light fittings, bespoke antiqued mirrors and furniture pieces. Diners will enjoy the 24

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comfortable buttoned leather banquette seating along with linen cushioned chocolate brown stylish wood chairs, at white marble topped tables. These have all been hand picked by Clodagh’s Architects Brazil Associates to reflect Clodagh’s unique style and personality.

Clodagh will also continue to run cookery demonstrations in this restaurant throughout the year where customers can watch the demonstration and then enjoy the meal that was demonstrated. The next demonstration, ‘Summer Alfresco Dining’ will take place on 21st June, followed by ‘Italian Summer Family Food’ on 19th July.

Parsons at Clodagh’s Kitchen, Arnotts In just nine days PARSON Building Services Ltd overcame the challenge of constructing Clodagh’s Kitchen, D1’s newest restaurant, located on Arnotts third floor. Given the complexity of the project and the time constraints and the work involving 24 hour shifts in a trading department store, it was the kind of project that required PARSON’s unique expertise and background.

The schedule was challenging in all aspects but with PARSON’s experienced site managers, a superb team of subcontractors and complete cooperation of the client’s expert design team, Brazil & Associates the project was completed successfully. At the opening ceremony the results were evident for all to see and a credit to those involved. At Clodagh’s grand opening in June the finished product spoke for itself.

“The end result is something the whole team can be proud of” said Eamon Groome MD of PARSON, as with every project we work to ensure the clients requirements are meet ensuring we achieve a facility in conjunction with the designers that works for both the client and the customer using the property.”

This was the third food related project managed and completed within Arnotts’ premises by PARSON and is a testament to the work ethos of the company. June 2011 saw the fit out of the Bewleys Café at the Abbey Street entrance and in October 2011 they oversaw construction of Capital Foods’ first space in Arnotts, Homemade by Clodagh.

PARSONS are currently working on a number of other projects including Bewleys and later in the year they working again with the UK restaurant chain Nandos for the 5thRestaurant fit-out with the company.

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FOOD SAFETY

Kelsius launch FoodCheck Kelsius, a company that specialises in food safety compliance, has developed a new wireless HACCP system that revolutionises the control and monitoring of food safety standards for food service organisations. The product, called FoodCheck, was launched by Ultan O’Raghallaigh, Managing Director of Kelsius and Paddy Hearty, Sales Manager at Kelsius at IFEX in Belfast recently having been successfully received at Hotelympia for the UK market earlier this year. The launch was conducted with the support of Tradewins, Kelsius official agent to the food sector in Ireland.

Food safety is a key management issue and FoodCheck offers real-time visibility of compliance and non-conformance across a chain of organisations; be they convenience stores, restaurants, hotels, fast-food outlets or catering companies. It is the only system of its kind in the market today.

Unlike paper-based systems, which require repetitive monitoring and are dependent on staff diligence, FoodCheck is web based and tasks such as temperature monitoring are completely automated. Because the system utilises systematic and preventative regimes it means that HACCP processes are fully followed. All data is stored electronically and alerts of non-conformance provide peace of mind, so that issues are flagged and can be actioned immediately.

Ultimately, this results in a more efficient and cost-effective process as well as significant cost and labour savings.

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Paddy Hearty, Director of Sales at Kelsius said, “Kelsius has already been working with a number of leading food service providers in Ireland, such as the Merrion and Shelbourne Hotels and there are a number of FoodCheck trials underway. So far the response has been The Kelsius system has overwhelmingly positive. worked brilliantly for us “We officially launched the product at the bi-annual IFEX in Belfast, where food in all our hotels. The service organisations saw demonstraindividual food and tions and learned in more detail the beverage management manifold advantages of the FoodCheck system.” teams are now working Patrick Baptist, director of food and more closely with the beverage at Clarion Hotel Group; the chefs on HACCP largest Irish hotel chain, has been working with Kelsius since 2006 and processes. said; “The Kelsius system has worked brilliantly for us in all our hotels. The individual food and beverage management teams are now working more closely with the chefs on HACCP processes.”

The three core modules which are combined within the FoodCheck system are: • Delivery - for checking safe food temperatures at goods inwards • Cook and cool - for food temperature monitoring in storage and during food service • Task management - for control management of staff hygiene-related tasks Reporting is also made simple with FoodCheck as the system is completely paperless, with all data being stored in the Cloud. As such it is accessible at any time and any place, and is also scaleable which is essential for multiple operators.

FoodCheck users are prepared for HACCP audits with information at their fingertips

and the secure and tamper-proof system gives peace of mind to managers throughout the organisation.

Kelsius have signalled their intent, with the recent appointments of Eamonn Quinn and Fintan Moran to their Board of Directors. Eamonn is a former Director of Superquinn the company founded by his father, Senator Fergal Quinn, joins as nonexecutive Chairman. Fintan Moran, Head of the Food Safety Management Programme in D.I.T, will act as advisor on food safety to the board. To add to this they have also recently become associate members of the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association.

Trials are currently being conducted in a number of locations throughout Ireland.

These include the Guinness Storehouse and O’Hara’s Spar Clontarf in Dublin and Brown’s Londis Kilcock in Kildare. Centra Riverstick in Cork, Super Valu Limavady in Derry and Boyce’s Centra in Dunfanghy and Falcarragh in Donegal are also hosting trials which have so far been very successful. With a number of prospective trials already agreed and ready to get under way in both Britain and Ireland, exciting times lie ahead for the Donegal based company.

For more information on FoodCheck or other Kelsius products visit www.kelsius.com.

Contact: Ciaran Gallagher at Kelsius, Phone: 074 91 62982, Email: ciaran.gallagher@kelsius.com

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SEAFOOD

Keeping it simple at The Crazy Crab Marilyn Bright reports on the Crazy Crab Café and Bistro in Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford, and its owner, Mike Crowley

They keep things simple at The Crazy Crab Café & Bistro, Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford, proving that you don’t need fancy dishes to please the punters - just really fresh fish that tastes of itself.

With its sprinkling of thatched cottages and sparkling harbour bustling with a mixture of sleek leisure craft and hardworking fishing boats unloading their catch, Kilmore Quay is a film-makers’ dream of a picturesque port. Crowds of visitors appear as summer approaches and at the Crazy Crab Café and Bistro, they’re gearing up for their third season serving up seafood so fresh it has literally travelled just the width of the quayside.

Chef-proprietor Mike Crowley says that no one was more surprised than himself when the Crazy Crab was named Newcomer of the Year in the BIM Seafood Circle Awards 2012. “We don’t do anything fancy,” he says, “just put up the 32

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best fresh fish every day and do very little with it - no sauces, just garlic butter or tartare sauce.”

Fish is what Mike knows, with a lifetime spent crab and lobster potting and working the fish auctions in Union Hall, the move into catering seems to have been a bit unplanned. “I think I got a bit bored with the fishing,” Mike muses, “and then this place came up. My wife works in the fish company across the way and I just thought why not?”’

Although the premises had been vacant for a year, it had been a full working restaurant left in good nick needing only “a lick of paint” and some minor equipment. On the cooking front, Mike’s sister is a chef and she came in to help at the beginning. Since then, Mike presides at the stove and directs the dozen or so staff needed during peak summer season.

Fresh fish comes in daily and is filleted in-house. “The biggest difficulty with fish is trying to hold it and that used to be more of a problem when supplies were scarce, but now the big boats can stay out in bad weather and supplies are more constant. We buy direct from Flaherty’s, who have 13 boats

We don’t do anything fancy, just put up the best fresh fish every day and do very little with it - no sauces, just garlic butter or tartare sauce.

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SEAFOOD

landing their catch in Kilmore. Freshness is key and that’s what keeps the customers coming.”

Although most of the fish landed at Kilmore is destined for the continental export market through the two local fish companies, Mike’s good relationships there ensure fresh stock every morning - with the odd dash across the quay mid-service if there’s been a run on a particular item.

Popular langoustines, or Dublin Bay Prawns, actually come from all around the coast, from Galway and Union Hall to Clogherhead and Howth, and the Crazy Crab gets through crates of them. Prawns in garlic butter “fly out the door” all summer and also appear as golden battered scampi or with the classic Marie Rose sauce and salad.

Kilmore is a major lobster port, but Mike is puzzled by the fact that this top-end shellfish hasn’t been much taken up in the café, even though lobster has been well priced over the past year “I just don’t fathom it,” he admits, “but customers much prefer their prawns in garlic butter.”

Kilmore Quay scallops are partnered with Clonakilty black pudding or simply turned in garlic butter to be served with the Crazy Crab sides of chips and salad, Mike’s fishcakes combine fresh cod and haddock and smoked cod seasoned with onion and parsley and set off with chilli salsa. Signature crab comes as crabmeat cocktail or garlic buttered claws or as part of the mountainous seafood platter that is the pièce de résistance for two hungry people.

“ I just don’t fathom it, but customers much prefer their prawns in garlic butter.

The Crazy Crab seafood chowder is an all-weather crowd pleaser, a creamy version with chunky white and smoked fish, prawns, scallops, onions and potatoes enriched with white wine and stock. Haddock and plaice are menu mainstays, with breaded haddock goujons a particular favourite for young customers. Constantly changing catch of the day is chalked up on the blackboard lemon sole, hake, monkfish or John Dory - whatever has just arrived.

Business starts to build gently in Kilmore in the spring and high season at the Crazy Crab kicks in with the June bank holiday. “Then it’s really crazy for three months,” Mike says, “It’s tough going, but I get a kick out of it when compliments come in. We only have a tiny kitchen, so everything we do is simple and fresh so that the fish speaks for itself.

People are happy with it and it’s their word of mouth that helps the business more than anything else.”

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EDUCATION

DIT pilot new flexible learning hospitality degree in September 2012 This autumn the School of Hospitality Management and Tourism, DIT Cathal Brugha Street are introducing a flexible learning delivery approach on a number of programmes, among them the popular B.Sc. ( Hons) Hospitality Management One-Year add-on degree. The course offers professionals the opportunity to combine work-practice and build on a prior Ordinary Degree qualification.

Course Tutor, Dr. Ziene Mottiar said, “We’re responding to a demand that has been identified previously from graduates of our Ordinary degree - from this September the course is being delivered four hours per week over two evenings, offering a real chance for students to start their career while building their qualifications further. Feedback from our students is that the course practical and thoughtprovoking and has helped them in their work in the hospitality industry providing a great grounding in a multitude of areas - from understanding how to read financial reports to HR issues to learning about new possibilities for ancillary services or activities. Being a fourth year course, class time included discussion of issues, themes and ideas and continuous assessment was directly relevant to areas of interest often with a wide choice of subjects. Furthermore, the thesis option allowed students to immerse themselves in a subject of their choice.”

The new approach is part of a broader drive by the new Head of School, Dr. Dominic Dillane to foster more flexible delivery formats in education. “Our Masters degrees in both Hospitality and Tourism can be taken on a part-time basis over two years which require attendance at lectures just one day per week. This is proving very popular with executives in larger hotels and tourism organisations who need to upskill their professional qualifications, but who have limited scope in terms of time to do so.” The School also offers the Masters qualification in a more traditional full-time format over one year. The Masters programme is highly applied in nature with good opportunities for students to develop real-world skills.

This year’s students worked closely with the Drogheda Heroes Branding team to develop a marketing communications plan for the town. Students paid a study trip to the town and presented their findings to the Mayor and tourism stakeholders.

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L-R Liam Kavanagh, Managing Director, The Irish Times, Fergal O’Connell FIHI, President IHI, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar T.D., Martin Mangan, General Manager, Conrad Dublin, Natasha Kinsella FIHI, CEO, Irish Hospitality Institute.

Among the School’s distinguished alumni is the current Hospitality Manager of the Year, Martin Mangan, General Manager, Conrad Hotel. Martin has worked his way up in the industry both in Ireland, the US and the UK and for the past 12 years has worked in Dublin. Ten years ago he was awarded the IHCI (previous name for the IHI) Young Hospitality Manager of the year award and was one of the first students to complete the the IHCI three year Day Release course in Cathal Brugha Street in the early nineties. Since then he has gained an MSc in Hospitality Management and Fáilte Ireland’s Executive Management Development Programme.

ifications. The Higher Certificate in Hospitality Services Management is a two year Level 6 programme which offers a programme well suited to those who already hold, or aspire to hold, trainee front-line manager and supervisory roles in the hospitality industry.

The hotel sector’s resilience in the face of the recession is particularly evident in Dublin where a staff shortage is already emerging. The School appears well placed to take advantage of the restoration in confidence among the capital’s hoteliers. One person who’s a good litmus test for the health of the market is the School’s placement officer, Oonagh Birchall. “We’re certainly seeing a pick-up in demand for our students this year - while Dublin hotels may not be achieving the rates they were a few years ago, the demand levels are certainly on an upward curve,” claims Birchall.

For more information on the School of Hospitality Management and Tourism’s courses contact Mary Dineen on 01 402 4352 or e.mail mary.dineen@dit.ie

Students from the M.Sc. Hospitality Management at the presentation of their marketing plan to Drogheda’s Mayor Kevin Callan.

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ONLINE TIPS

Top tips from Carton House Carton House leads the way with the launch of an innovative series of expert videos

Carton House, one of Ireland’s leading luxury resorts, is once again an innovator in hospitality marketing with the launch of Top Tips from the Experts at Carton House - a series of 36 online masterclasses sharing the expertise and knowledge of the team at Carton House. Understanding in the early stages, the growing power of video, Carton House have incorporated video into their marketing strategy by creating 36 expert videos ranging in topic from gardening to beauty to fitness to cookery and to golf.

Carton House opened its doors in 2006 and since then many guests have commented on the high level of service and product they have received. Carton House identified that the perfect way to share its products and skills was through the medium of video by connecting their customers both old and new in a visually appealing way with an emotional impact. All of which are necessary to help promote the brand of Carton House and reach both a larger and more global audience.

Taking the expertise and knowledge that Carton House is renowned for Top Tips from the experts at Carton House covers golf, gardening, cookery, fitness & beauty and brings it straight into the homes of the customer. The videos demonstrate how Carton House does things and how their customers can replicate them easily at home and share with friends.

“Online video viewing has seen a sharp increase in recent times and it is only set to grow further as a smart way for people to learn new skills and stay informed. In many cases people prefer to watch videos than read a book - attention spans are shorter and we are constantly seeking out innovative ways to enhance our guests experience, share our expertise and allow people to enjoy the Carton House experience even when they’re not with us. We are lucky to have some of the leading experts in their fields on the team at Carton House and we recognised the power of video and how it can give greater exposure to our brand. Top Tips from our experts at Carton House was born from here.” commented David Webster, General Manager at Carton House.

Carton House has some of Ireland’s leading experts in their particular fields such as resident executive chef Cathal Kavanagh and Director of Golf Francis Howley who participated in the series. The online series is another innovative approach to showcasing the Carton House brand which already includes the most fashionable cafe in the heart of Dublin - Browns Bar and Café by Carton House in Brown Thomas, Grafton Street. The recent launch of the Carton House Cook Book, Bringing the Taste Home*, showcases luxury recipes based on a year in the life of one of Ireland’s busiest kitchens and was a top gift for Christmas 2011. The digital series introduces a fantastic cost effective way to share the Carton House brand and lend to its credibility while offering viewers expert knowledge that will work in the home and help to earn added prestige amongst family and friends.

Top Tips from the experts at Carton House offers a unique insight into Carton House and how their team exercise their expertise on a daily basis. For those whos next visit to Carton House isn’t imminent they just have to log on to the expert tips to taste the experience.

The digital series includes: Gardening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asLceaUjxBA Fitness & Beauty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4gQCudfZqA Cookery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWKOgdnp5mQ Golf: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u4c8Cel91U Wine and Cocktails:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNq7adcky_M

Top Tips from the Experts at Carton House is available free of charge on www.cartonhouse.com www.youtube.com the series will also be available through the Carton House App and Pinterest and will be shared with facebook followers on a weekly basis.

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COMPETITION

Roly’s Bistro chef wins Knorr Blue Dragon Culinary Competition Hugh Hyland, Head Chef at Roly’s Bistro Dublin, has been crowned winner of the Knorr Blue Dragon competition after a thrilling cook-off final at the Unilever Development Kitchen in Greenogue. The cook-off saw five of Ireland’s most talented chefs and student chefs from hotels, restaurants and catering colleges across the country go head to head in a tightly fought contest before Dublin man Hugh was crowned the winner.

Hugh has won a culinary trip of a lifetime to Phuket, Thailand where he and a friend will spend a week. While in Phuket, Hugh will take part in two professional masterclasses with expert chefs at the renowned Blue Elephant Cookery School, taking daily trips to the local markets to source his ingredients. To ensure he remembers the trip Hugh has also won a video camera to document his adventures.

“ The Knorr Blue Dragon competition asked chefs to get creative in the kitchen by making a culinary masterpiece using one of Knorr’s established Blue Dragon Oriental pastes…

The Knorr Blue Dragon competition asked chefs to get creative in the kitchen by making a culinary masterpiece using one of Knorr’s established Blue Dragon Oriental pastes or the newly launched Knorr Blue Dragon Create More concentrated sauces.

When using the innovative new sauces the chefs were asked to ‘just add water, fresh ingredients and your own inspiration’ with all chefs displaying their own creative interplay of these elements during the cook-off.

The Knorr Blue Dragon competition was an excellent opportunity for chefs to showcase their talent, love of food, creativity and innovation in front of some of Ireland’s leading food professionals, and a great way to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Dragon. The judging panel consisted of Mark McCarthy, Business Development Chef at Unilever Food Solutions, Kevin Hui, proprietor of China Sichuan in Sandyford, Dublin and Ken McGuire, writer of the food blog Any Given Food.

Despite the pressure of the cook-off the five finalists prepared an exceptionally high standard of dishes such as Thai Red Curry

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with Duck, Lychees and Asian Pear Salad. Creative fish dishes included Seared Rare Yellow Fin Tuna with Laksa Crust and Panseared Red Snapper with Crispy Tiger Prawns, Vegetable Salad, Spiced Tomato Jam and Laksa Foam.

Announcing the winner of the competition Mark McCarthy said: “The Knorr Blue Dragon competition showcases the The Knorr Blue Dragon incredible talent of Ireland’s chefs. The standard of food in Ireland is improving competition showcases year-on-year and judging by the calibre the incredible talent of of chefs here today the future remains bright. Not only did all five finalists show Ireland’s chefs. The creativity, confidence and ability in their standard of food in cooking, they also demonstrated a keen Ireland is improving appreciation and knowledge of oriental food. All were deserving finalists but year-on-year and the Hugh shone through for a superbly future remains bright. finished and excellently presented dish”.

Hugh prepared roast breast of Peking duck with char sui, butternut squash puree and confit of spring roll with hoisin sauce, which received rave reviews from the judging panel. Speaking after the final, Hugh said: “I was speechless when my name was called out. I was so proud to know I had

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won, especially on seeing the fantastic dishes the other finalists had created. I’m so excited to go to Thailand, especially for the masterclasses, and I can’t wait to start planning the trip.”

“I was delighted to be part of this year’s competition and was blown away by the talent that was on show in the kitchen, remarked judge Ken Hui, “the standard of finalists we saw was exceptional but for me Hugh stood out right from the start. From the complexity of his recipe and preparation technique to the execution of his dish and presentation, Hugh ticked all the boxes and was a pleasure to watch at work. I wish him all the best in his future career.”

Ken McGuire also was quick to praise winner Hugh- “The calibre of the dishes today was very impressive and all five finalists deserve high recognition for their

efforts. However Hugh’s dish was absolutely mouthwatering and his attention to detail was second to none. He has won a fantastic trip, and I hope he enjoys every minute of it.”

The winning recipe along with the four finalists and a selection of other entries to this Knorr Blue Dragon competition will be used to compile the Knorr Blue Dragon recipe book, which will give inspiration, advice and ideas to other amateur, budding and professional chefs.

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ONLINE MARKETING

Google Places becomes Google+ Local and changes the Search game yet again

Figure 1: The new Google+ Local page that replaces the former Google Places page, shown here for Bewley’s Hotel Ballsbridge.

In a potentially influential change in search norms Google has moved their Google Places business pages to the social media platform Google+ under the new moniker Google+ Local. All existing Google Places pages have been automatically moved to Google+ Local seamlessly so page owners do not have to worry about major profile updates. Business owners can still log into their Places account but will be gradually moved across over the next few months.

The Google+ Local page is intended to be a more rounded profile for businesses (see Figure 1). Visitors will see content like reviews, ratings and photos as before but now the page integrates social media also 38

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by offering Google+ account holders the opportunity to see what others in their own social “circles” have said about that business.

Businesses that have not yet created a Google Places account or a Google+ account are losing a valuable opportunity in search. Good interaction with, and management of, your Google+ Local profile will likely contribute to better search engine optimization and therefore higher positioning in relevant search results. With the integration of highlighted reviews and social media it will be increasingly important also to interact with your customers online, since much of this information will now be visible directly from search results.

The change is part of an increasingly strong push that Google is giving to its social network platform, integrating it throughout its services in an attempt to outsocial rival Facebook.

Changes Organic Search In tandem with the change, Google also now provides a much richer level of information in their organic search results. The new Google+ Local page will replace

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ONLINE MARKETING information for the searcher (see figure 3).

Under the usual search results they have added a bar with additional intelligent user information. Again they have integrated a Zagat rating that takes an average of user ratings from the Google+ Local business page and scores it out of 30. Next is a Google reviews link and finally a product price listing. This link has a drop down selection which compares prices accross multiple websites while highlighting the official website link. In the case of hotels, featured pricing sites are booking.com, Hotels.com etc., and one can compare rates on particular days through a check date selection box.

Figure 2: The extended info on the map section of Google’s search results page.

Figure 3: Additional information and interaction is now possible directly on search result listings.

the old Places page that can be accessed through the map feature on the right hand side of the search results.

The area below the map (see figure 2) contains useful information on the business such as Google+ Location pictures, Zagat ratings (Google’s recently purchased restaurant rating system), Google reviews, price comparisons, profile information and links to third party review websites. If the searcher is not already a Google+ member there will be a prompt to join for access to more information, evidence again of Google pushing the searcher towards their Google+ social platform.

On the left where the organic results appear Google has also integrated extra

What it means for Hotels Google+ Local looks like it’s going to be an essential element of a hotel’s online marketing efforts since so many hotel customers interact with social media and reviews when making a decision on where to stay. The new changes in search results integrating rich Google+ Local page information directly into organic results means that hotels direct booking potential will certainly be affected.

Interaction with the searcher, your potential customer, and good management of your business’s Google+ Local page will be essential in keeping your online reputation in good condition as search enquiries will bring up Google reviews and comments from members of the user’s personal Google+ “circles”. Such personal recommendations from others who are known to the searcher have a much stronger influence than reviews from strangers.

It is very likely that businesses who use the maximum potential of their Google+ Local page will be rewarded with better SEO and search engine rankings.

Finally a big factor is the price comparison feature that compares rates across other sites and online travel agencies for any given date selection. This means hotels will have to always keep best rates on their own site as price comparisons are easily and immediately viewable in search results.

These steps are likely to be just the beginning of the changes Google intends to integrate into Google+ Location pages. If your business hasn’t set up a Google+ Local or at least Google places page, now is the time to do it. The changes are intended to provide the searcher with richer and more transparent search results. Since it will directly affect hotels’ online presence and direct website sales there is no choice but to get involved and stay involved.

Cristian Petcu is an Online Marketing Specialist with Bookassist (bookassist.com), the technology and online strategy partner for hotels.

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CLOUD COMPUTING

On cloud nine with The Doyle Collection The Westbury Hotel is the first hotel in Ireland to embrace cloud computing services

The Westbury Hotel in Dublin has become the first hotel in Ireland to move all of its computing services to the cloud. Using CITRIX technology in conjunction with PFH Computers and Cable & Wireless, the Hotel has developed a private cloud solution. The Doyle Collection is a selection of eleven ‘collectively individual’ hotels set in the most fashionable quarters of six major cities worldwide, including London, Washington DC, Boston, Bristol, Cork and Dublin.

The Doyle Collection’s hotels are as follows: • The Westbury Hotel, Dublin • The Croke Park Hotel, Dublin • The River Lee Hotel, Cork • The Marylebone Hotel, London • The Kensington Hotel, London • The Bloomsbury Hotel, London • The Bristol Hotel, Bristol • The Back Bay Hotel, Boston • The Dupont Circle Hotel, Washington DC • The Normandy Hotel, Washington DC • The Courtyard, Washington DC

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This advancement marks the beginning of a two year digital plan to move all of The Doyle Collection properties in Ireland, the UK and the USA to cloud services.

The Marylebone Hotel in London will be the next within The Doyle Collection to be upgraded to the new system.

The Doyle Collection understands that implementing cloud computing offers a more flexible, efficient and secure platform to deliver better services to guests and business partners. It will also enable the global team to carry out business from anywhere in the world with full office functionality, accessibility and speed.

Commenting on the development, Chief Executive Officer Pat King said; “The improvement of IT services and transfer of our servers and PCs to the cloud builds on recent investments into our new property management and finance systems.This includes the recent replacement of SAP with Microsoft Dynamics NAV. The Doyle Collection continues to invest in its business andworks vigorously to streamline processes in order to provide the most effective structure from which we can deliver the highest standard of service to our guests.”

Understanding cloud computing The idea behind cloud computing is similar in that you can choose to use storage, computing power, or specially development environments, without ever having to worry how these work internally within your hotel or organisation. In a nutshell, cloud computing is Internet-based computing.

PFH Technology Group has been The Doyle Collection’s IT partner for many years. The planning and design phase of this particular initiative took place towards the end of 2011 and the system was implemented in February of this year.

Cloud computing enables The Doyle Collection to rapidly and securely deliver new or updated applications to any user, device or location, which improves productivity. Cloud computing facilitates increased efficiency and agility.

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GALWAY

One of Galway’s treasures

The Salthill hotel is famous for accommodating visitors to Galway from all walks of life, from those wishing to take long romantic walks on the Salthill promenade, to people who have come party in the Capital of the west; it also includes extensive facilities for those doing business. This hotel is set adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, with its breath taking views of the ocean and the cliffs of Clare this hotel could be mistaken for an island getaway however, it is located only ten minutes from Galway city centre. It is one of Galway’s most exclusive hotels with its own leisure facilities included for guests. The leisure facility has a sunlit pool including a sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. For those who are on a family holiday there is a child friendly pool. For those who are willing to brave the Irish weather to walk to Galway it’s a mere ten minute walk along the majestic Atlantic Ocean alternatively there is a bus stop located outside the hotel where buses run frequently.

When entering the hotel you are immersed into the Salthill experience, at reception you are immediately made feel at home. The staff only add to the whole experience, each member greats you with a smile and some Irish banter. They are more than happy to help you with any trips or requests you may have and nothing seems out of there reach. You may dine in one of the two restaurants located at the hotel, the Amber or the Prom. The Prom is where dinner is served and is one of the most spectacular restaurants in the area. From its full length windows over looking the Atlantic Ocean to the outstanding staff, this restaurant creates a stylish ambience of relaxation and elegance. It caters for those wishing to embrace a

romantic dinner or larger parties as the restaurant can have many covers. The food in the restaurant is locally sourced and its main feature is either the catch of the day or the seafood which will take to another world.

The Hotel is one of Galway’s top wedding locations and how could it not be, only a short distance from such picturesque view to the fantastic banquet rooms which can accommodate up to 400 guests. This hotel offers a unique experience for those who want to make that special day a bit more special.

The Salthill hotel is one of Galway’s treasures with the city centre only minutes away, you may forget in the other direction you can experience the countryside. From the hills of Connemara to the Aran islands you can submerge yourself into the traditional Galway life.

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AWARDS

Chefs seek local farmers for ‘no-stringsattached’ relationship, maybe more…

Euro-toques used the recent Food awards ceremony to call on small and medium Irish farms to supply the restaurant trade, saying their chefs are willing to pay for quality.

Around 70% of food purchased by Eurotoques chefs is of Irish origin, but they want more. They say that more farmers could supply direct to market and that such farmers need to be taken more seriously and can have a significant place in Irish agriculture.

“We believe there is great potential for ordinary Irish farmers to supply restaurants, in combination with other direct markets, and get a better price for their product. We have seen many farmers, like two of the award winners, do this successfully,” said Ruth Hegarty, Secretary-General of Eurotoques Ireland “Farmers who choose to supply direct need to be taken more seriously. They are normal farmers who care about what they do and want to continue farming. They are just looking at alternative ways of making it viable. It is a legitimate business model and it can work. Irish restaurants can provide a platform to help them.”

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The farmers honoured at awards were: • Ronan Byrne, AKA The Friendly Farmer from Athenry, Co. Galway who took over his family’s 35 acre beef farm and now directly markets a range of meats, primarily his Pasture Chickens for which he won the Euro-toques award, and • David Burns of Richmount Farm in Co. Longford who grows Sweetcorn, in season for just 6 weeks a year. After a ‘bad experience’ trying to sell to a large retailer, he now sells direct, mainly to restaurants, and his corn is much sought after by chefs.

Two further Producer awards were: • Anna Leveque of Triskel Cheese who produces a range of French-style soft goats cheese from locally sourced milk in Portlaw, Co. Waterford, and • Manus McGonagle of Quality Sea Veg who hand-harvests seaweed on the Donegal coast. This award also included a Special Acknowledgement for Dr. Prannie Rhatigan from County Sligo, author of Irish Seaweed Kitchen, for her promotion of culinary use of Irish seaweed.

A Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Irish Food was made to former chef and founding member of Euro-toques Ireland, Gerry Galvin of Oughterard, Co. Galway for his contribution to the development of an Irish cuisine and to the education and training of many other chefs.

The EirGrid Euro-toques Food Awards are unique in that each potential recipient must be nominated by a Euro-toques member chef. The Euro-toques Food Council, made up of 10 chefs from all over Ireland, then tastes, investigates and carries out visits before choosing winners each year. All of today’s winners have products with outstanding taste and quality, which are produced or harvested with consideration for the environment and local food traditions.

Euro-toques Ireland has 180 Chef-owner and Head chef members, representing 150 restaurant kitchens and the approximately 2,200 chefs on their staff, all of whom are committed to quality local and seasonal food sourcing. A survey of

Manus McGonagle with Kelan McMichael & Aidan Corcoran

Prannie Rhatigan, Ruth Hegarty, Gerry Galvin

Ronan Byrne with JP McMahon & Aidan Corcoran

David Burns, Manus McGonagle, & Ronan Byrne

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AWARDS

Gerry Galvin with Evan Doyle & Aidan Corcoran

Anna Leveque with Michael Quinn & Aidan Corcoran

David Burns with Gary O’Hanlon & Aidan Corcoran

members carried last week showed they collectively serve almost 200,000 meals a week and have a combined food buying power of over €100m per year. When asked how much of what they buy is of Irish origin, members estimated they were buying on average 68% Irish goods. Those members who have actual figures for spend on Irish goods could show an average of 73% of food purchases were Irish.

But they say they would like to buy even more Irish produce and struggle to get certain items that could be produced here. The main items that Euro-toques chefs said they would like to source locally but cannot get are: poultry products, specifically poultry from small-scale outdoor/free range systems, free range and rare breed pork, and various varieties of vegetables, herbs and salads. Even different potato varieties, suited to specific culinary uses, are difficult to source commercially in Ireland.

“What we are looking for is taste and quality, and we know we can get this from Irish farms and food producers.

We are inviting Irish farmers Today’s winners are all meeting a into our kitchens. Tell us what demand that is out there from chefs, and consumers,” said you have, ask us what we are Gearoid Lynch, Chef/Proprietor looking for, and work together of the Olde Post Inn in County with us. For Euro-toques, chef Cavan and current President of Euro-toques Ireland, speaking at and producer are in an equal today’s reception. partnership. Our message to “We are inviting Irish farmers Irish farmers today is this: We into our kitchens. Tell us what can give you a market for your you have, ask us what we are looking for, and work together produce and we will pay you a with us. For Euro-toques, chef fair price for quality and producer are in an equal partnership. Our message to Irish farmers today is this: We can give you a market for your produce and we will pay you a fair price for quality.”

This is the third year that EirGrid has sponsored the Euro-toques Food Awards.

As operator of the national electricity transmission system, EirGrid engages with the farming community on a regular basis. Indeed, it could not carry out its function

“

without the co-operation of the farming community across whose lands much of the electricity transmission system is located.

“We share the same values as Eurotoques, fostering job creation and indigenous rural enterprise development,” said Dermot Byrne, CEO EirGrid, “EirGrid congratulates all the winners of this year’s Food Awards and commends Euro-toques for its ongoing commitment to enhancing Ireland’s culinary heritage.”

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WINE

Can Oz wine marry Irish food?

Australia produces some of the biggest, fruitiest, richest and most powerful wines on Earth.

This we know- but just how can Irish food stand up to all that for a pleasant gastronomic experience ?

The question was raised at the annual Wine Australia Trade Day which switched this year from the expanse of Croke Park to the Victorian claustrophobia of the Shelbourne Hotel.

As usual Australian producers and their Irish distributors were out in force- the former reeling from a succession of metrological shocks and the latter still punch drunk from the battering of the recession.

‘Just who would be a wine-producer ?’, we asked, bearing in mind the experiences of the Australians over the past four years.

First they had 24 months of severe drought which shrivelled up vines and severely cut yields. Then when the rains came in 2011 there was a Biblical deluge which drenched the entire East of the country, resulting in the well-reported flooding in Queensland and Victoria and a month-long delay in the vintage. This year has been a bit better, but some areas were again hit by monsoon rains and flooding.

Four successive years of low yields have forced up grape prices and this, coupled with a strong Australian dollar has put pressure on exports. On the one hand the Oz producers are happy with higher prices,

Jane Hunter

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but in a world market where supply exceeds demand, they cannot afford to lose market share in the US, UK, Europe or China, so if they remain competitive on price, then it is at the expense of profit margins. Respected author James Halliday reports in his latest ‘Australian Wine Companion’, that many producers are struggling to break even.

Australia continues to do well on the Irish market however and the purpose of the Food Matching Masterclass at the Shelbourne was to show restaurateurs , chefs and hoteliers that the Wines of Oz and the Food of Ireland can get along famously.

Damian Corr, manager of The Cellar Restaurant at The Merrion Hotel was one of the presenters. He has just returned from a study tour of Australian Wine Regions and is engaged in matching their wines with his menu. So what does he recommend to diners?

‘Let’s take for example Roast Chump of Donald Russell Irish Lamb with Lamb Neck and Ardsallagh Goat’s Cheese Pastie, Spinach Puree, Merrion Pantry Mint Jelly.’ I would choose a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with a little age, firm but not overpowering tannins and lush ripe mouth filling fruit. Wirra Wirra Dead Ringer Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 from McLaren Vale with its beautiful cassis notes and careful oak handling is perfect for this pairing.

Having visited the wine producing regions of Orange, Hunter Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Barossa, Eden, Clare and Coonawarra, Damian says that it was apparent how different the varietals produced in each region were and their ability to be matched with different styles of food. ‘Producers such as Keith Tulloch in the Hunter who makes a stunning “Field of Mars” Shiraz that would stand up to anything in the Northern Rhone is perfect for Roast Beef. Shaw and Smith M3 Chardonnay from Adelaide Hills is brilliant with Smoked Salmon and Horseradish Cream. Oysters are a perfect match with McWilliams Lovedale Semillon from the Hunter Valley. He also suggests Pipers Brook Vineyard Estate, Tasmania, Pinot Noir, 2009 as an accompaniment to Goats Cheese and Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz from Clare Valley to match roast venison ‘Australians take food and wine very seriously and love the pure joy of eating and drinking in company’, he says. ‘Service tends to be family style in many good restaurants which is conducive to trying new dishes, new flavours and new wine pairings. I really don’t think there is a definitive correct pairing of any particular food to a certain wine, only guidelines and experiences. I’d love to see more white wines recommended with cheeses and more Pinot Noir being served slightly cooler but it is all about personal preference and a willingness to experiment. That is why Irish food and Australian wines make an excellent pairing as Australia offers so many options, be it cool climate Shiraz, well handled Chardonnay, vibrant Riesling, silky Cabernet or gutsy Grenache.’

Wines Add Value to Thorn Clarke If you grow grapes, you will eventually want to make wine- and that is what happened to the Thorn Clarke family in Australia’s Barossa Valley. For six generations the family had been farming with grapes as its principal crop. They developed an enviable expertise in viticulture and their grapes were in high demand from local winemakers. They had a special interest in geology and this prompted them to explore areas where various grape varieties would realise their full potential.

Where they saw promise, they bought and cultivated the land, so that by the end of the 20th Century they owned more than 700ha of vineyards- very sizeable even

by Australian norms.

A new century brought a new departure for the family and in 2001Thorn Clarke released its first wines to the world.

‘It was the culmination of decisions taken some years earlier’, says the company’s ceo Sam Thorn, when we meet in Bray. ‘We knew that we grew some of the best grapes in the Barossa and it was a natural progression to convert them into wines. It involved a lot of planning and investment in a modern winery- but it decided the future of our family business.’

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WINE

Sam Thorn

Sam lives on the family’s Kabininge vineyard near Tanunda with wife Helen and daughters Hannah and Jasmin. An accountant by profession, he worked in industry before joining the family business which he co-owns with David, Cheryl and Nicole Clarke.

Thorn Clarke took a decision to enter export markets from the very beginning.

‘We launched on the home and export markets simultaneously’, says Sam. ‘We needed to establish our brand in the major markets and we did this by seeking out successful distributors of quality wines. Our initial target markets were in North America and Europe where we achieved success, but we have found the UK market to be very tough.’

With a large new winery and extensive vineyards Thorn Clarke is in the volume end of wine production, but it also places a strong emphasis on quality and delivery value to the consumer. ‘We specialise in selling through the on-trade and our wines are featured on restaurant menus in all of our export markets’, says Sam. The wines have been available in Ireland since 2003 when they were imported by Dennison Wines with the agency moving to Febvre in 2007. Currently Febvre lists four Shiraz wines from the Thorn Clarke range - Milton Park, Terra Barossa, Shotfire and the flagship William Randall Shiraz as well as the Shotfire Quartage blend (Cabernet, Petit Verdot,Merlot, Malbec). Whites available here include Milton Park and Terra Barossa Riesling, Terra Barossa Pinot Gris and Mount Crawford Riesling and Pinot Gris which are new to the list this year. Trade prices range from €10 to €17 per bottle with the William Randall Shiraz weighing in at €32.

Tasting a selection of these wines confirmed the commitment of Thorn Clarke to quality and the importance of terroir. The 2010 Shotfire Quartage had those long smooth tannins to be found in Bordeaux blends with blackcurrant aroma and some spice. The 2009 Shotfire Shiraz was a manly affair with an intense aroma and plumy taste, characteristics also to be found in a 2009 Terra Barossa Shiraz. Among the whites the 2009 Terra Barossa Riesling was outstanding. This is a single vineyard wine from Eden Vale and is everything an award-winning Riesling should be- pale straw colour, lime and perfume nose, crisp clean taste of lemons and limes and a memorable mouthfeel. A 2011 Mount Crawford Riesling also ticked all the boxes.

Tui Bird Symbol of Eco-Friendly Hunters The Tui bird has returned to Marlborough, New Zealand, thanks in some part to the conservation efforts of winemaker Jane Hunter, who planted a ‘native garden’ on the family estate in 2000. The mix of swamp, forest and wetland has re-created an environment which had largely disappeared from the region and it has encouraged native birds like the Tui to breed again.

‘The numbers are increasing’, says Jane, during a visit to Dublin. ‘The local Council has now joined in the programme and has set up a register of sightings.’

Like most New Zealand wine-makers Jane has a keen sense of preserving the environment. She is part of a large group which set out to achieve sustainable wine growing throughout the industry and she is pleased to report that they are on target to achieve their goal this year. ‘In addition to being good for the environment, it enhances the brand image of New Zealand wines’, she says.

Hunters is to the forefront of this movement and is now accredited as carbon neutral.

Born in Australia and trained as a viticulturalist, Jane moved to New Zealand in the 1980s and married Belfast-born Ernie Hunter who had bought a farm in Marlborough where he was growing a wide variety of grapes. They began to produce some acclaimed wines, winning awards in New Zealand and Europe. But tragedy struck in 1987 when Ernie was killed in a motor accident. Jane took over the running of his wine business together with winemaker Gary Duke and Peter McDermod who became general manager.

They developed the international reputation of Hunter wines with an emphasis on consistently high quality and developed a close relationship with distributors in export market, including Gilbeys in Ireland.

After 25 years of producing some of the outstanding wines of New Zealand, Jane is thinking about the future of the business.

‘Luckily a younger generation is moving into place. Peter McDermod’s sons James and Edward have now joined our team.

James has a wine degree and has clocked up some valuable experience and Edward has a commerce degree. Gary Duke’s daughter Pania is our marketing coordinator. These young people have new ideas and are switched on to new marketing strategies such as social media.

They are also interested in producing high quality wines- so the future looks secure’, she says.

The world economic recession has affected New Zealand wines and the Hunter business, she says. ‘Prices have fallen around the world and exchange rates have varied. While we still command a premium for our wines, the task is becoming more difficult. Extensive planting in the early years of this century will result in an increase in production over the next few years, but we have also had lighter vintages which help to balance the market.’

Hunters currently produces around 85,000 cases a year and Jane says that they would like to remain at this level.

Winning the Rugby World Cup, she says, was a morale booster for New Zealand, but Marlborough missed out on much of tourism spin-off because of the cancellation of the Christchurch games.

‘Although, as an Australian, I had some mixed feelings’, she adds.

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COFFEE

Coffee Cognescenti The Irish competitor looked focussed. He had trained for years for this moment.

Whereas our movements would be clumsy and erratic his were sudden and exact, beautiful in their fluidity and economy of movement. His performance is one of charisma and verve, and a moment later Colin Harmon presented the fruits of his labour -a perfect cup of coffee- to a panel of world judges. The crowd in Vienna applauded every move, and last week Harmon, who gave up a high paid job in a professional investment fund, and sold his car in order to finance his dream of opening his own café, took bronze at the World Barista Championships.

Back home in Ireland, no one seemed to take much notice.

Ireland’s coffee cognescenti may be the vanguard of a new movement, but they are men ahead of their time. “There are probably a thousand people in Ireland right now who really get it” says Alan Andrews of Coffee Culture, who supplies artisan coffee and also advises café owners on all aspects of their business. Andrews is a man with a foot in two worlds. On the one hand he can tell you which specific bean Harmon used for his World Championship title shot, but on the other he’s able to talk in plain English about the benefits good coffee can bring to a high street business.

“A customer can try out any café for just two euro” he points out”and if the coffee is good though I might come back every day of the week.” That kind of consumer behaviour is completely different to what one might see in a restaurant, with coffee working as a key draw, bringing in customers who will then purchase additional food and beverages. In some parts of the country that might not matter so much, but in a busy south Dublin street with four or five cafés, he argues, a really superior coffee might see one café packed out while others stand empty.

Despite this small group of thoughtful committed citizens attempting to change the world, the fact remains that as a nation we are coffee ludites.70% of coffee revenue here comes from sales of instant coffee versus just 7% in the US. Starbucks may now be a familiar sight on Irish high streets, but even the all - conquering multinational had to close its doors to five of its twenty three Irish stores in 2009. It’s not just the type of coffee we drink either but the amount - Italians for example consume 5.9kg per capita per annum, whereas the Irish consume just 3.5kg. The Italian market supports nearly 200,000 coffee shops and bars versus a couple of thousand here.

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Andrews runs training sessions for both baristas, and also open sessions for the public to educate them on how quality coffee works. But if consumers still need educating on what a good cup of coffee tastes like, how much difference does the quality of your coffee really make to your business?

Gina Murphy runs Hugo’s, a restaurant and wine bar on Merrion Row in Dublin, which offers French and international cuisine. “Customers are discerning now. They know their coffee.” she explains, adding that she definitely sees that same passion for coffee amongst her staff. Java Republic provide a complete solution for Hugo’s, including beans, machinery and training, but Murphy says she commonly sees staff trying new techniques they’ve copied from baristas on sites like youtube. She sees quality coffee not only as a source of revenue but also as a key component of the customer experience. Serving good coffee, promptly is” important to tie up the meal properly” Murphy concludes.

Coffee culture has perhaps only really taken hold thus far in Dublin - Colin Harmon returned from placing third in Vienna to his café, 3fE (Third Floor Espresso) in Lower Grand Canal Street, Coffee Angel, another at the front of the new wave have their Head Office and Training Lab in Fairview D3. Coffee culture is blogged, streamed and twittered, it’s for the urban, sophisticated and techno savvy consumer. Alan Andrews believes the next generation, a generation of laptop using mobile workers, pushed out of pubs by stringent drink driving laws will usher in a new age of coffee appreciation. It’s then, that what currently seems like a specialised industry will become mainstream.

BordBia is also doing good work promoting the specialist coffee trade, which of course comprises far more than simply the point of sale. Whilst Ireland will never have the weather to grow coffee beans, more and more specialist companies like Twospotsroastery in Dublin and Café Lounge in Leitrim are taking control of the rest of the value chain, roasting and packaging the bean here in Ireland, ensuring fresher coffee for the Irish consumer, and of course adding value to the Irish economy.

Marco, another Irish brand, produces state of the art machinery for creating world class coffee, exporting internationally and competing in a market traditionally dominated by Italian brands. Research conducted by OIresearch on behalf of BordBiaais also good news for the industry with 74% considering coffee “one of life’s pleasures” and 62% agreeing they “love to try new types of coffee.”

The one major blip on the horizon for coffee enthusiasts is the price of the coffee bean itself. The International Coffee Organisation reported that the composite price of coffee leapt 40% in 2011 with a combination of a bad harvest and increased global demand leaving a projected shortfall of 131m 60kg bags versus demand of 135m 60kg bags globally. So far this cost hasn’t been borne by the consumer thanks to long term purchasing agreements, but if this can’t be mitigated it may just be that the Irish return in droves to their traditional cup of tea.

Bewley’s, the spiritual head of the Irish coffee trade were contacted with regard to this article but were unable to provide comment at the time of going to press.

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HOLIDAY HOMES

Self-assessment categorisation scheme New initiative will ensure future a better for self-catering operators A large number of Donegal’s top selfcatering operators recently attended the first in a series of ‘Holiday Homes in Ireland’ workshops, in the Mill Park Hotel, Donegal. The workshops, hosted by Fáilte Ireland, unveiled the ‘New Vision’ strategy to help support and reposition the Irish selfcatering sector. Included in the strategy is a new self-assessment ‘Categorisation Scheme’ whereby Donegal operators can choose to promote their property as Family Friendly, Walkers Welcome etc., as well as a number of revisions to the existing classification scheme in line with customer demand and a new 5 star option.

Fáilte Ireland has worked closely with the Irish self-catering Federation and the wider self-catering sector during 2011 on a sector review process which culminated in the development of a ‘New Vision for the Irish Home self-catering Sector’ report which was completed in January of this year. An industry led implementation body has been working with Fáilte Ireland since January to implement the recommendations of the report.

Tracey Coughlan from Fáilte Ireland said - “We were delighted to meet with Donegal’s self-catering operators who attended the workshop in the Mill Park Hotel. Fáilte Ireland realise how difficult the operating environment is for self-catering operators, something that is not helped by an over-dependency on the domestic market. The ‘New Vision for the selfcatering Sector’ strategy developed, by Fáilte Ireland, in conjunction with the Irish self-catering Federation, representatives from the industry and Tourism Ireland seeks to address sector specific issues and reposition the sector through the implementation of the recommendations contained within the strategy.”

A fundamental shift in how the sector is promoted will also be made as ‘selfcatering’ is re branded as ‘Holiday Homes in Ireland’ for domestic and international marketing purposes in conjunction with a new tag line ‘Your Holiday, Your Way’. A campaign will roll out throughout the summer season to promote the sector and new brand. Interestingly 70% of holidaymakers using self-catering/holiday homes accommodation stay an average of between 1-8 nights in Ireland and tour around extensively, having a wide reaching impact on the wider economy.

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added value. With such a strong focus on the home holiday market in Ireland this summer self-catering is an ideal accommodation base and option for Irish families.

If the friendliness of the Irish is the calling card of our tourism industry, then the self-catering sector is holding the ace and needs to play it as it markets itself in the future.”

To support the introduction of the new classification scheme, the Quality Assurance ‘Shamrock’ sign will be provided for the first time to all approved and classified self-catering operators who wish to display it. Work has also begun on targeting the unapproved self- catering sector via discussions with groups who promote it. This can only help ensure the self-catering sector is brought into line with all other strands of the industry and in the long term will ensure confidence with the consumer and improve and maintain standards.

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NEW HOTELS

Setting the Marker The launch of The Marker is testament to Dublin’s re-emergence as a thriving European capital city with a very broad appeal to local and international leisure and corporate travellers.

The Marker, Dublin’s newest luxury design hotel and residential complex, was recently launched in the heart of Grand Canal Dock. The complex is situated on Grand Canal Square, one of the most dynamic and vibrant public spaces in Dublin.

By completion over €120 million will have been invested in the complex, which will create 200 construction jobs over the next year and 100 hospitality jobs commencing upon the hotel opening in early 2013.

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar, and T.D., said: “The proposal for this hotel is a significant vote of confidence in Irish tourism, and in Dublin as a visitor destination. It further reinforces the Government’s commitment to tourism as an economic stimulus, and our focus in the Jobs Initiative on creating and protecting jobs through the 9% VAT rate on hospitality products, and reduced employers’ PRSI’.”

The hotel, which will be part of the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World family, features a stunning ground floor bar and restaurant as its centre piece, with 187 guest rooms over six floors above - the rooms include luxuriously appointed king, double queen, executive suites and the city’s most appealing presidential suite. The new development also offers 84 two bedroom residential apartments that will have full access to the amenities of the hotel.

The Marker, which will be operated by Interstate Hotels & Resorts, will appeal to both the business and leisure segments of the domestic and international markets.

The Marker’s spa features four spacious treatment rooms with a designated relaxation area and a 23 metre infinity pool. Further amenities include a large whirlpool bath, sauna and steam room. The spa also includes a fitness area that will have cardiovascular equipment, resistance equipment, free weights and personal training facilities. The spa and fitness area will be available to both hotel guests and apartment residents.

The Marker’s location in the heart of Dublin’s business district is ideal with its close proximity to the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), the new legal quarter of Dublin, the burgeoning technology corridor of ‘Silicon Docks’ and the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD).

Guests looking for entertainment will find The Marker is located in close proximity to Dublin’s newest cultural and entertainment venues such as the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, the O2 and the Aviva Stadium.

“The Marker’s location in the heart of Dublin’s business district is ideal with its close proximity to the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), the new legal quarter of Dublin, the burgeoning technology corridor of ‘Silicon Docks’ and the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD).”

Interstate Hotels & Resorts is a leading U.S.-based global hotel management company and operates hotels in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Paul Suy, Vice President of Interstate Hotels & Resorts for Europe said, “The Marker will set a new standard for luxury lifestyle hotels in Ireland. We will offer our customers a

consistently high level of accommodation, service and a standard of personalised care that will be unrivalled in the Irish market. The Marker will be the jewel in the crown of the city’s thriving Docklands area.”

Brehon Capital Partners, in a joint venture with Midwest Holding, completed the acquisition of the hotel and residences on December 22, 2011. Speaking at the launch, Kevin McGillycuddy, Principal of Brehon Capital Partners, said, “The launch of The Marker is testament to Dublin’s reemergence as a thriving European capital city with a very broad appeal to local and international leisure and corporate travellers. Dublin continues to attract investment from major multinationals from a variety of sectors and that brings with it the need to offer suitable, high quality accommodation. The Marker will be the best in its class hotel for the international business executive and its stunning design, interiors and breadth of facilities will appeal equally to the seasoned lifestyle traveller.”

The Marker will open its doors in February 2013 but is available for booking now. The hotel will prove to be an attractive venue for both the residential and business community for meetings, social events, weddings, conferences and exhibitions with nine meeting rooms and a ballroom/conference space that can host from to 20-400 people depending on the configuration (totalling 650 square metres).

Paul McDonnell, Head of Property Finance at Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking said, “We are delighted to support this significant acquisition by Brehon Capital Partners and their international partners. Completion of The Marker represents a strong vote of confidence in the Irish property market. It will provide a tangible stimulus to the local economy and will be a great addition to the built environment of the Grand Canal Square.

We are delighted to be part of it and wish the project every success.”

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FESTIVAL

Bushmills Live Global stars perform at landmark event

Clockwise from above: Snow Patrol, Foy Vance & Iain Archer

Global stars including Snow Patrol, Elijah Wood of DJ Wooden Wisdom, Foy Vance and Iain Archer, recently performed at Bushmills Live, the festival of handcrafted whiskey and music which took place at the Old Bushmills Distillery on Ireland’s north coast. The two-day festival was attended by more than 400 music and whiskey fans from around the world, including people from countries as far apart as the USA, Bulgaria and Russia.

Stars such as Gary Lightbody, more used to playing in front of sell out arenas, performed intimate gigs in age-old 50

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buildings at the Old Bushmills Distillery, where the art of whiskey making has been practiced for generations.

Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery, Colum Egan, said: “This was an incredible occasion for Bushmills Irish Whiskey and for everyone here.

“Last night, we welcomed artists that are both known and loved around the world. Their music like our whiskey, represents the very best in craftsmanship.

“It was fantastic to see so many people enjoying their music and of course sharing a glass of Bushmills.” Snow Patrol’s Jonny Quinn said: “Last night was pretty special for us as a band. We have played many gigs at home before, but this one, in a whiskey distillery was unique.”

Snow Patrol’s performance at ‘Bushmills Live’ will go some way to help establish a legacy for new music in Northern Ireland with their fee being donated in full to the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast, which was co-founded by lead singer Gary Lightbody to help to support up-and-coming local musicians.