Hotel & Restaurant Times 201309 Aug/Sep

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ‘13

THE

BUSINESS

PUBLICATION

FOR

THE

HOTEL

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RESTAURANT

€3.65

INDUSTRY

NORTHSIDE STAR

IN WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW AT THE NORTH STAR

REBEL WITH A CAUSE

OLIVER DUNNE OF CLEAVER EAST

WIND OF CHANGE PATRICK COYLE OF WINDWARD MANAGEMENT

CRAFT BREWING

CRAFT BREWING MEETS FINE DINING

www.hotelandrestauranttimes.ie

Linen suppliers to the North Star Hotel

Unit C3, Zone B, M1 Business Park, Courtlough, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, Ireland Ph: 00353 1 6902073 • Fax: 00350 1 6902072 e-mail: info@linendirect.ie • web: www.linendirect.ie

CONTENTS

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P. 14

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CONTENTS

COVER: North Star Hotel

NEWS

5

CLEAVER EAST

11

PATRICK COYLE, WINDWARD MANAGEMENT

14

BOOKASSIST

16

FÁILTE HOSPITALITY MANEGEMENT

18

NORTH STAR HOTEL

20

RAI NEWS

25

BIM SEAFOOD

29

TOURISM IRELAND NEWS

30

CROWE HORWATH SURVEY

32

NOEL MCMEEL

34

FÁILTE IRELAND NEWS

36

IFSA NEWS

38

SAVILLS’ HOTEL REPORT

40

GMIT NEWS

42

PAUL LENEHAN & RONAN KINSELLA

44

CRAFT BREWING

46

STEPHEN HANNA, CAMDEN COURT HOTEL

48

FOOD & HOSPITALITY IRELAND 2013

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P. 30

P. 44

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 (01-6285447, cyril@hotelandrestauranttimes.ie) Business Development: Alan Doherty (01-2842909, alan@hotelandrestauranttimes.ie) Contributors: Pavel Barter, Cynthia Bifolchi, David Cantwell, Crowe Horwath, Caroline Gleeson,Des O’Mahony,

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

IFSA, Restaurants Association of Ireland, Tourism Ireland & Fáilte Ireland Printing: GPS All paper used in the production of this magazine comes from certifiably sustainable forestry.

PEFC/01-31-70

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Don't stop believing The recent Crowe Horwath report reinforces the belief that the industry is on an upward trajectory regarding recovery. This, coupled with more positive news regarding the latest CSO tourist figures, is a welcomed break from the often continuous negativity from mainstream media. Latest official data on overseas travel from the Central Statistics Office reported an increase of 5.4% in overseas visits to Ireland for the first half of 2013, compared to January-June 2012.

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In the Crowe Horwath report it shows Dublin leading the charge. Hotel sales are at 76% of 2007 peak levels and average occupancy is 63.8% - up 2.4 percentage points on 2011 levels (from a low of 59.4% in 2009). Importantly, it sees the average room rate increased by €2.05 to €74.72 and food sales are up 8.3% on 2011 levels. The one aspect that may cause concern is the realisation that it’s a two speed recovery, with the regions still lagging behind the capital. The overview of the report is optimistic about continued growth and cites the Gathering as a key component in reducing the effect of the sluggish domestic market. However, the IHF sees the report as questionable and believes most hotels are just breaking even, and struggling to service debt.

One hotelier who has cause to feel positive about the future is Brian McGettigan of the North Star. In an ever-challenging environment, he set out to position the property as a serious competitor in the Dublin scene. In a few short years, he has achieved just that, as well as the impressive feat of securing a four star classification for the hotel. Most recently the hotel’s new gastro-bar McGettigan’s Cookhouse opened, marking the full completion of the property’s refurbishment.

Others within the hospitality arena are making their respective marks. Noel McMeel of the Lough Erne Resort recently had the unenviable task of catering for the culinary needs of the G8 summit. Noel took it all in his stride, which is testament to his character and experience. He is no stranger when it comes to the need for attention to detail, something he credits to his youth in Toomebridge and his parents influence, hard work, and an appreciation of the farming seasons and local produce

Equally refreshing and encouraging is the opening of Oliver Dunne and Rory Carville’s Cleaver East restaurant. Oliver states, “The atmosphere is key. Serious thought has gone into every aspect of the restaurant; the menu, the staff, the kitchen, the music.

The design of the restaurant was chosen by the partners to move away from the stuffy environment of the typical Michelin Star restaurant. The waiters are friendly and the menu is refreshing”. Let’s hope it gets the following it deserves. Keeping with the theme of ambitious entrepreneurs, it’s refreshing to see two other young men collaborate and create a stir in the gastro pub scene.

Paul Lenehan and Ronan Kinsella have transformed a number of properties into must go eateries and recently scooped the title of Best Gastro Pub for their Harte’s Bar & Grill.

Another interesting and innovative area of growth is craft beers, which is coming into its own as a complement to food menus. Craft beers may in time rival wine. The customer now can experiment with a variety of products that truly enhance and create a culinary experience.

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Cyril McAree Editor

NEWS Tánaiste launches Wild Atlantic Way and Tourism Ireland’s new Chinese language website

NEWS

Ireland or bust

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore launched the Wild Atlantic Way and Tourism Ireland’s new Chinese language website, at an event in Shanghai organised by Tourism Ireland which was attended by about 120 influential Chinese travel agents, travel media and airline representatives.

A group of Italian journalists and a leading tour operator specialising in the gay travel market enjoyed a three-day fact-finding visit to Dublin recently, as guests of Tourism Ireland. Pictured are: Calogero Urruso, Lui magazine; Roberto Rambaldelli, Guida Viaggi; Valentina Salaris, Tourism Ireland; Giovanni Carlo Rossi Barilli, Pride; Ivan Pertusi, Twizz (tour operator); and Paolo Giovanni Bianco, Lui magazine, having fun at Dublin Airport after their fact-finding visit to Dublin.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore with members of the Chinese travel trade including (l-r) David Rose, Country Manager China, Virgin Atlantic Airways; Liu Haiping, United Event Company; Zhao Dexiang, Shanghai China International Travel Service; Yu Weihua, Shanghai China Travel International Ltd; Zhou Yingfeng, Shanghai CYTS Tours Corporation; Han Li, U-Tour International Travel Service (Shanghai office); Wu Jiang, JinJiang Travel; Jim Paul, Tourism Ireland’s head of Australia and Developing Markets; Barry Lin, Tuniu.com; Tang Yi Cheng, Shanghai Intellectual.Co; Chen Min, Country Manager - China, British Airways; Hou Cangzhou, East Shanghai International Travel Service.

Riverdance record breaker Ireland broke the Guinness World Record today when 1693 people from 44 countries gathered on the banks of the River Liffey to perform the Riverdance - The Gathering Longest Line. The event was watched by an audience of thousands, who lined the quays from Samuel Beckett Bridge to the Sean O’Casey Bridge, cheering on the participants as they danced into the record books. The previous record of 652 people dancing in a continuous line was held by Nashville, Tennessee.

Gathering tourism figures The Restaurants Association of Ireland today welcomed the latest official data from the Central Statistics Office, which reported an increase of 5.4% in overseas visits to Ireland for the first half of 2013, compared to the same period of 2012.

Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Adrian Cummins, said; “The official figures confirm what many of our restaurant members have reported- that visitor numbers are up. When a tourist visits the country, they must eat out at least three times a day, and giving them positive experiences in our restaurants is a great way to secure a repeat visit. These figures aren’t just specific to urban areas either, as tourists typically travel around to see the countryside, so every corner of the country benefits from initiatives like The Gathering.”

San Fran on schedule Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) welcomes today’s announcement from Aer Lingus that it will launch new direct routes from Dublin to San Francisco and Toronto from next April.Aer Lingus will fly five times per week to San Francisco and is also launching a new daily service to Toronto, which will offer passengers additional choice and flexibility on this popular route.

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NEWS

ARAMARKable turnout

L-r: Prof Nollaig Mac Congáil, Registrar and Deputy-President, NUI Galway, Grainne Kelliher, VP Food Services, ARAMARK Ireland, Dr Kieran Conboy, Head of J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, NUI Galway Ger Turley, J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, NUI Galway. ARAMARK Ireland, the country’s leading integrated services provider, has announced it will sponsor a number of student prizes, study scholarships and an International study bursary at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Chef challenge champ

Mixed emotions

Shay Livingstone, General Manager and Cillian Fox, Mixologist at the new Cocktail Bar in the Connacht Hotel, Galway. Cillian has made it to the final of the Absolut Bar Smarts Competition and will represent the Connacht Hotel in the competition to win a trip to New York to attend a 5 day B.A.R course in September. Cillians winning creation limited edition cocktails are available at the Connacht Hotel Cocktail Bar now to sample.

Food and beverage companies generate combined revenues of €17 billion The 2013 edition of the Top 250 Exporters in Ireland and Northern Ireland was launched recently by the Irish Exporters Association (IEA), in association with Investec, a leading specialist bank and wealth and investment manager.

Food and Drink companies listed on the ISEQ generate combined revenues of €17 billion, accounting for 25% of the total market value of the (l-r): Frank Hayes, Kerry Group; Aisling Dodgson, Investec; Eamon index.

Indigenous food Gilmore, T.D., Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade ingredients and preparations and John Whelan, CEO, IEA. firms Kerry Group and Glanbia featured in the Top 20 in the list, respectively 8th and 17th.

Aisling Dodgson, Head of Treasury, Investec, said: “The export sector has a key role to play in helping the economy to grow and allow Ireland emerge as a global player into the future. The continued expansion of the indigenous Irish sector is very encouraging.”

Donegal greets German journalists

Donegal native Zack Gallagher is one of only 10 winners of the UK and Ireland Knorr Create More Challenge Steve competition. Zack challenged Steve to pole dance using the recently launched Knorr Create More Concentrated Sauces, which judges deemed a fun and inventive use of the sauce. Zack is the only Irish winner of the UK and Ireland competition. Along with having his challenge videoed for the Knorr Create More website (www.knorrcreatemore.ie) and dedicated Knorr Create More YouTube channel, Zack also won an Apple iPad mini.

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Bob Wheeler (left) and Mark Wheeler (fourth left), both Rathmullan House Hotel, with (l-r) Evelyn Steinbach, Tagesspiegel Berlin (newspaper); Brenda King, Fáilte Ireland; Jutta Vahrson, freelance; Judith von Rauchhaupt, Tourism Ireland; tour guide Ute Daly; Reinholde Christiansen, Schleswig-Holstein am Sonntag (newspaper); head gardener Joe Whelan; Hilke Segbers, dpa/gms-Themendienst (news agency); Bettina Louise Haase, Potsdam am Sonntag (newspaper); and Danuta Schmidt, Mitteldeutsche Zeitung (newspaper).

NEWS

Famine museum opens

Pictured at the officially re-opening of the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park is President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins and Mrs Sabina Higgins with Declan Jones, Jim Callery and John O’Driscoll, Strokestown Park.

Such a towering feat The Tower Hotel & Leisure Centre in Waterford has received the Mark of Best Practice award from Fáilte Ireland’s Continuing Professional Development Manager, Liam Campbell.

Message in a bottle

Money for jam

Celebrity chef Neven Maguire is stirring the pot again for those in need, and this time with a traditional Irish home-cooking twist, as he tries to find the most special homemade jam. The proprietor of the award winning McNean Restaurant in Cavan is calling on jam makers around the country to put the harvest of blackcurrants, raspberries, strawberries, et al, to good use for some of the poorest people in the world. The Money for Jam fund-raiser is Maguire’s latest effort to support international aid agency Bóthar, which has gets huge support from across the West of Ireland, as it raises funds to build a creamery for an impoverished Rwandan community. To register for the Bóthar fund-raiser, contact Bóthar who will provide a full information pack including sample recipes and labels. Contact: Money for Jam, Bóthar Office, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo.

Email events@bothar.ie or phone 071 91 20100.

Fishing for compliments Mad Fish at Cronin’s Pub, Crosshaven, Co Cork, was the Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month for July. The Just Ask! Campaign encourages diners to look for information on where the food on their plates comes from when eating out and the monthly award is given to restaurants that demonstrate best practice in providing customers with this information.

The two Canadian girls behind the message in a bottle which washed up in Passage East, Co Waterford, last October, arrived in Ireland today. They will spend the next week exploring Ireland, as guests of Tourism Ireland.

Last year, schoolboy Oisín Millea found the m y s t e r y message in a bottle, which had been tossed into the Atlantic Ocean in Canada in June 2004, by two twelve-year-old friends while on holiday in Grande Vallée, Québec. The girls included their first names Charlaine Dalpé and Claudia Garneau - as well as a plea to contact them if the bottle was ever found. Tourism Ireland in Toronto tracked down the girls, now grown up, through both traditional and social media, and invited them to visit Ireland in this special year of ‘The Gathering Ireland’.

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NEWS

Pedalling to success

China in our hands

(l-r) Christine Littlefield, Senior Fundraising and Communications Manager, Depaul Ireland; Cormac O’Tighearnaigh, CFO; Deirdre Connolly, Jurys Inn; and John Brennan, CEO, Jurys Inn. Over 200 employees from 32 Jurys Inns hotels across the UK, Ireland and Czech Republic have covered over 2013 miles in the group’s first charity cycle challenge, to raise funds for its charity partner Depaul and other local charities in Ireland, the UK and Prague.

Gorta launches €5,000 raffle The first Gorta €5,000 raffle has launched across Ireland. The overall winner of the raffle will receive a total prize of €5,000 with second and third prizes set at €2,000 and €1,000 respectively. There is a cash prize of €1,000 for the person who sells the most tickets. Gareth Crowe, Gorta’s Community Fundraising and Volunteering Manager said, “This raffle will make a very big difference to four lucky winners with cash prizes to be won for the top three out of the hat, as well as for the best ticket seller.

The prize fund of the raffle is derived wholly from tickets sales and any money raised will go directly towards those most in need. Our work enables men, women and children in subSaharan Africa improve their well-being and create healthy futures for themselves.”

The raffle closing date is Monday 14th October with the winner being announced on Friday, 18th October. Tickets cost €5 per ticket or a book of 6 for €25. For more information call 01 661 5522 or visit www.gorta.org for full terms and conditions.

Fáilte 360˚ Fáilte Ireland has published its most comprehensive examination of what holidaymakers really think of Ireland and its regional destinations - the Fáilte 360: Holidaymaker Survey 2012. Analysing the views of nearly 10,000 overseas and domestic holidaymakers who visited eleven holiday areas across the country last year, the report is an indepth insight into what visitors experienced and thought about tourism’s key regions.

Visitors explained why they chose a certain destination, how they researched their trip and sourced their information as well as where they stayed, chose to eat and what attractions they visited. The research also asked visitors about the likelihood of them recommending Ireland as a holiday destination and, encouragingly, most would recommend Ireland for a holiday and over six out of ten would highly recommend Ireland to their friends and family.

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Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland CEO, with Brenda He, TLM - Tourism Ireland’s newlyappointed representative in China, at a China seminar in the Gibson Hotel in Dublin, organised by Tourism Ireland.

Great Danes Ballyknocken’s very own sheepherders, Pat and Jess, show Danish chefs and media how it’s done in Ireland. Bord Bia and Tourism Ireland coordinated a three day tour of Ireland for a group of Danish chefs and media. Highlights of the trip included a visit to James Whelan Butchers, Monkstown; a talk by Pat Nuthall, Sheep farmer in Roundwood, Co.Wicklow; and a cookery demonstration by Chef Catherine Fulvio at Ballyknocken House.

Muck of the Irish Muckross Park Hotel & Cloisters Spa has partnered with leading international Spa brand, Pevonia Botanica. The hotel joins the exclusive Pevonia 5* family in Ireland that includes The Spa at Dromoland Castle, Monart Destination Spa & The Spa at The Shelbourne.

Ireland’s tourist hotspots announced Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism authority, has published its listing of Ireland’s top visitor attractions for 2012 and for the second year running the Guinness Storehouse has topped the bill with an increase of 61,532 visitors on 2011.The Dublin attraction grew its visitor numbers by almost 6% to 1,087,209 to hold on to the top spot for the fee-charging attractions followed closely by Dublin Zoo with 1,029,417 (up 3% on 2011) and the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience attracting 873,988 visitors (up 8% on 2011). The National Gallery of Ireland continued its dominance of the free attractions listing - recording over 660,000 visitors last year followed by the National Botanic Gardens at 544,685.

NEWS

View from the roof

(l to r) Doireann O’Neill; Marketing Executive for the Gibson Hotel, Speedy Model James Murphy and Adrian McLaughlin Manager Gibson Hotel.The newest rooftop and completely weatherproof lounge Dublin has been unveiled for the summer season in the Gibson Hotel. The Speedo Lounge at the top of the Gibson Hotel, with views over the Dublin Docklands and River Liffey, has its very own Speedo and summer apparel exhibition.

New websites from Bunzl McLaughlin Bunzl McLaughlin has announced the launch of their new website, which promises to inform customers of the latest trends and innovations in the catering and hospitality industries.

With a Meet the Team section, customers can now log on and see who they need to contact and also put a face to the name. The website blog is regularly updated with the latest company and industry news. Customers can also take advantage of the latest offers from Bunzl McLaughlin by visiting the “Special Offers” section of the website. Bunzl McLaughlin is a supplier of non-food catering and cleaning supplies to businesses in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

For more information, visit: www.bunzlmclaughlin.com

Ready to do business in Brussels

Pictured is Ronan Flood, Advantage ICO; Karen Cronin and Danielle Neyts, both Tourism Ireland; Christophe de Patoul, Irish Horizons; and Jodie Gilpin, Druids Glen Resort, at a business tourism networking event in Brussels.

French new wave

Renowned French kite-surfer and triple World Cup winner Bruno Sroka, who set off on his newest challenge - the first ever crossing from France to Ireland by kitesurf, sponsored by Tourism Ireland - in July.

World of Coffee ends on a high Europe’s largest coffee industry event, SCAE World of Coffee, Nice 2013, ended on a high note with the announcement of the winners of the four world coffee competitions, which took place at The Acropolis - Palais des Expositions.

The three-day event was packed with workshops, competitions, the World Roasters Summit, forums and the trade fair also produced a number of other winners throughout the show including the New Product of the Show Awards, the SCAE Awards for Excellence and the SCAE Coffee Photography Competition.

Luxair to resume DublinLuxembourg route Luxair is to resume a direct Dublin-Luxembourg service from next March. Luxair’s decision to resume the route came after extensive contact from Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) to demonstrate demand for the service. Luxair had previously ended the service in 2011.

“We are delighted to welcome Luxair back to Dublin Airport, said DAA Strategy Director, Vincent Harrison. “We were convinced there was a market for a direct service between Luxembourg and Dublin and have been in contact with Luxair regularly over the past two years to show them the benefits of operating to and from Ireland,” he added Luxair will operate its new DublinLuxembourg route on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays for the 2014 summer season, which begins on March 30.

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NEWS

Bollywood you believe it Ballynahinch Castle played host to some of the top names in Bollywood. An elite group of producers and directors from the Indian Film industry visited the ancestral home of the Maharajah Ranjitsinghji to scout for possible film locations. This trip was part of a countrywide visit organised by the Irish Film Board, Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland.

Pictured, back row, (l-r): Arivin Singh Grewal, Ballynahinch Castle; Vikesh Bhutani, Excel Entertainment; Amar Butala, UTV Motion Pictures; Huzan Fraser, Tourism Ireland; Patrick O’Flaherty, Ballynahinch Castle; Kulmeet Makkar, The Film & Television Producers Guild of India Ltd; Mitali Mahajan, Ashutosh Gowariker Productions Pvt Ltd.

Shanghai surprise

Martin Mangan has picked up the Award for Conrad Hotels and Resorts Worldwide General Manager of the Year. Martin is pictured in Shanghai recently for Conrad’s Regional EMEA and APAC Luxury Brands Update and Gala Awards.

iWalk this way Six new free Dublin iWalk guides have been added by Fáilte Ireland to their Visit Dublin series of themed audio guides. Now available for visitors to download from VisitDublin.com, the iWalks are podcast audio guides which tell the story of Dublin through a variety of themes.

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APPOINTMENTS PLUS

Thank you, Mr President Nicky Logue, General Manager and Director of Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney, has been appointed the new President of the Irish Hospitality Institute for a two year term. Nicky has been GM and Director of Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel for 9 years and was on the Irish Hospitality Institute Council for the last 7 years. Nicky is also Chairman of the Dalkey Business Group. A native of Co. Clare, Nicky trained at Shannon International College of Hotel Management and following his training worked in Switzerland, Russia and the UK for 11 years.

New General Manager appointed to Hilton Dublin Airport Hilton Worldwide has announced the appointment of Chris Douglas as general manager at Hilton Dublin Airport.

Douglas, from Edinburgh in Scotland, brings 16 years of experience to his new role and has been part of Hilton Worldwide since 2007, most recently spending two years as hotel manager at Hilton Milton Keynes.

Into the Westbury The Doyle Collection, a group of eight luxury boutique hotels, has announced the appointment of Vincent O’Gorman as General Manager of The Westbury Hotel. Formerly the General Manager of The Kensington Hotel, Vincent is thrilled to have the opportunity to return to his hometown of Dublin.

Rebel

with a cause

Beef Curry

Black Forest Gateaux

NEW RESTAURANT Some might say he is a modern day Robin Hood, an innovative restaurateur who caters for the rich and the poor. One thing is for certain, Oliver Dunne’s latest new venture, Cleaver East, is set to be the smash hit from the Celtic Tiger backlash.

Hotel and Restaurant Times caught up with him as he put the finishing touches to Cleaver East.

Two Michelin Star chefs have put their heads together to create a menu which has all the finesse of a high class Michelin Star restaurant without the fancy forks and the frightening figures. “You pour your own wine and there’s one knife and one fork,” says Oliver Dunne, which sets the tone of what is on offer.

The idea behind Cleaver East is to provide excellent food and service with great value for money. Oliver Dunne and Rory Carville are not interested in Michelin Stars or the snobbery that revolves around the Michelin Star restaurants. The passion in these two business partners comes from the desire to provide good food and a great place to be. The atmosphere is key. Serious thought has gone into every aspect of the restaurant; the menu, the staff, the kitchen, the music. The funky design of the restaurant was chosen by the partners so as to move away from the stuffy environment of the typical Michelin Star restaurant. The waiters are friendly and the menu is refreshing. “We got rid of all that terminology... fricassee? What’s that?!” exclaims Oliver

“ I’m shocked.You’ve a great set of hands and I’m sorry to see you go. Get yourself into a good kitchen, get your head down and work your arse off.

Gordon Ramsay to Oliver Dunne

With twenty-five years of experience in top Michelin Star restaurants, Oliver and Rory make a formidable pair and with this innovative new approach to eating out, the restaurant is sure to draw in the masses.

Oliver explains, “instead of catering for the 1% we are going to cater for the 99%”. The menu is varied with twenty savoury dishes and six sweet dishes, all created by these two talented chefs. Furthermore, the menu is a tasting menu which will allow customers to try a variety of the dishes in one sitting at affordable prices. A meal for two could cost €93 with a starter drink, food and a bottle of wine. You could also just have one or two of the tasters and, according to Oliver; you will be shocked by what you will get for just €6.

Oliver started out as a commis chef at sixteen where he worked in a small cafe on H&RT AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ‘13

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NEW RESTAURANT St. Anne’s street. Pretty soon he found himself working in the kitchen of Gordon Ramsay in London with a team to be reckoned with. Neil Ferguson, David Dempsey, Angela Hartnett and Mark Sargeant were just some of the chefs Oliver bumped rolling pins with. According to Oliver, when leaving Ramsay’s kitchen, Gordon said to him, “I’m shocked. You’ve a great set of hands and I’m sorry to see you go. Get yourself into a good kitchen, get your head down and work your arse off.”

Since then that is exactly what Oliver has done. If anyone knows a hard day’s work it is Oliver. While working in London, when he wasn’t in the kitchen, he spent his time reading cook books. He is known to have worked hours on end and has always pushed himself to be the best he can be in the kitchen. “Personal sacrifice and repetition is what gets you places” enthuses Oliver.

Oliver’s life has been dedicated to the food experience; indeed he even met his wife Sabine while working in a restaurant.

He is also the owner of Bon Appetit which he bought in 2006 and after a mere thirteen months of its opening it was awarded a Michelin Star. “I have a brilliant team there; the place pretty much runs itself”, says Oliver. When things took off at Bon Appetit it gave him some time to think about what he wanted to do next and what he really

wanted to achieve. “My goal was to find a place that seats one hundred people with a kitchen on one floor that can cater for that amount... Cleaver East,” Oliver states, “is it”.

Although Oliver does criticise the Michelin Star extravaganza in Ireland, he is not opposed to the process itself. Good food should be recognised and that is something that he does acknowledge. He argues that there are not enough Michelin Star restaurants in Ireland and as such they are out of reach. They are too expensive and have become lost in unnecessary decadence which creates a formal atmosphere, often intimidating to many people. “The Michelin Star Award is a genuine award for genuine consistency but the star stops in the kitchen” notes Oliver, “you could win a Michelin Star in a phone box!, that’s what the chief editor of The Michelin Star Guide told me that.”

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NEW RESTAURANT

Cleaver East interior design

So, enough with amuse bouche and a water glass that never empties, Cleaver East is going for something a little more relaxed but with the same high quality standard of food. “We are serious chefs but we want to bring the fun into it.” The doors are now open and time will tell if the consumer agrees with Oliver and Rory and their promises to create an inviting and new style of dining.

Words Caroline Gleeson Photography David Cantwell

When the former Tea Rooms at The Clarence Hotel became available for a new restaurant concept, Oliver Dunne and Rory Carville saw its location being ideal for a desirable and endearing Urban Restaurant concept.

Working closely with award winning Creative Interior Architects and Designers, O’Donnell O’Neill Design Associates, the interior design concept for CLEAVER EAST was developed.

Oliver’s Design Brief was to create a less formal space, that would be intimate, comfortable and visually stimulating. Integral to the new design, an island service bar was proposed for the centre of the space that would create animation and the hustle and bustle of staff in the middle of the room as they prepare cocktails, coffees and light food bites. In order to visually connect the gallery level to the main restaurant floor, a rusted steel cage structure sits overhead this bar, housing additional wine storage and glasses. The bar has been designed to encourage customers to sit at the counter and engage with the staff whilst dining.

To reduce the height and create a more human scale to the room, large salvage pitch pine beams were suspended from the ceiling on industrial chains. Suspended filament bulbs are woven around and suspended from these beams creating a canopy of soft lighting over the seating areas.

The predominant materials and finishes used include mosaic flooring, metro brick tiling and up cycled painted timber wall cladding. The seating both fixed and loose is comfortable and inviting, upholstered antiqued leather.

The large windows to Essex Street picture frame the rows of chef’s cleavers spanning their openings.

The Concept for CLEAVER EAST was simple, to create a dining environment that would be a fun, casual, relaxed and non pretentious dining experience and that would compliment and not compete with the quality food offer available.

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ONLINE MARKETING

Technology trends that are changing hospitality In the evolution of the hotel business, the guest is the driver and the dominant change in guest behaviour in recent years has undoubtedly been in the realm of technology. Guests are increasingly techsavvy leading them to demand higher and higher standards. These fast-changing standards are increasingly difficult for hotels to reach. But they are a key factor in guest choice.

It was a truism in the restaurant business that a customer would be disappointed if presented with food inferior to what they could reproduce at home. The analogous problem for hotels now is that guests often have far superior levels of networking and technology at home, leading to a disappointment factor with the hotel.

Here are just some of the areas that we see as crucial to hotels today, based on customer searches we monitor, customer reviews we collect, and general industry commentary.

Guests expect speed Guests are now traveling with their own technology, and prefer to choose and consume their own media. This has a number of immediate implications.

Wireless broadband connections in rooms and throughout the hotel must now be fast, easily accessible and preferably free. On the speed end, many hotel customers would now routinely have 50Mb or 100Mb fibre connections to their homes, so inferior speeds at hotels leads to frustration. It is not an exaggeration to say that the lack of quality high speed wifi is an inhibitor to your business. At Bookassist, we see “wifi” and “free wifi” to be a dominant search term for our hotels online.

Multi-device guests are the norm A mistake that many hotels make is “rationing” of wifi connections. Providing access to wifi based on guest name and room number log-in is commonplace, but often it is restricted to one or two simultaneous logins per room. This is crazy in the modern age.

It’s not just business travelers who need connectivity. Most of your guests will have two or more wifi devices. It’s not uncommon for one person to have a laptop, iPad and smart phone all on the go 16

H&RT AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ‘13

at the same time and with a couple or a family in a room, the number of devices required to be connected can quickly mushroom. Even cameras can now use wifi to transfer photos to computers and iPads. Expect guests’ smart watches to be adding to the connectivity list by this time next year.

If you are aiming to deliver an experience that is even better than “home away from home”, then your network architecture is an area that needs to be seriously and quickly addressed.

Are you investing in pointless provision?

Traditional in-house entertainment is rapidly fading as a service. On-demand TV movies are increasingly ignored. A guest with an iPhone likely has their entire music collection with them, or can access it from the cloud. With a tablet or phone, it is likely your guest has movies with them, or access to a cloud movie store with far greater choice than you can offer. Ensuring that your wifi can handle this traffic is therefore critical. But you can go further and ensure the guests’ experience can be enhanced by what you provide.

Docks for iPhone/iPod are already problematic since Apple’s devices have multiple connectors and many guests are not Apple users. But both Apple and Google have cheap wifi devices that connect to HDMI flat screens and sound systems and allow content to be “beamed” wirelessly to them from smartphones, tablets and laptops. The AppleTV device is a small wifi device that also shows the iTunes store, and Netflix, for renting movies with a choice that would be unrealistic and impractical for a hotel to attempt to provide. Google’s new Chromecast similarly allows any smart device running the Google’s Chrome web browser to feed its screen wirelessly to an equipped TV. Guests may indeed increasingly be bringing these devices with them.

Beyond accessing online movie content, another major advantage of these inexpensive connectivity devices is that they allow for large screen gaming. As family vacationers know, gaming is a critical time filler for the kids much appreciated by their parents. But gaming is also strongly embraced by adults of all ages. Connectivity should facilitate it.

It may not be necessary to equip all TVs with these gizmos, but having a stock of them available and advertised at check-in is something you should consider.

Some hotels have gone further, with the provision of in-house iPads for guests, loaded with local info and hotel information, but the cost of this service and the speed at which these devices are superceded would indicate that this is not a trend to follow. With guests bringing their own technology, connectivity is the key focus area.

ONLINE MARKETING

Figure 1: Examples of recent hotel guest trends. Multiple devices are the norm and the number per person is sure to grow. The expectation of wifi services is now a key decider in booking trends. (Data above is extracted from SmartBrief Media Services White Paper on Top Hospitality Tech Trends June 2013, smartbrief.com)

Mobile and social feed each other Of course you can capitalise on all this connectivity you are providing too. Ask guests to share pictures online of their happy moments in your hotel. Post signs and have your check-out staff remind them to request their positive comments online if they are enjoying their stay. Give rewards for the best meal photo of the week shared on your Facebook page. Be creative in encouraging social media in a positive way. Most of all, ensure it is being monitored on the major channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, TripAdvisor so that you can fix issues arising instantly.

Remember that the impact of social media on hotels is not just all about TripAdvisor. Private social media is even larger, where people check-in or comment on Facebook or Google+ or other such services. When guests post pictures and comments about your hotel to their friends, you do not have the opportunity to interact at all. But the influence of a friend’s comments on you are far more persuasive than those of hundreds of anonymous TripAdvisors.

Digital guest interaction Evaluating an in-house internet channel, or in-house app service, specifically for guest interaction and information provision is something well worth considering.

Digital concierge is a fast growing area, and is a natural but powerful evolution of the old TV-driven in-room information system. For example, having multilingual room service menus on such a channel, as well as ordering capability, is something that is trending well in larger hotels and has a place in smaller ones too. Couple this with clear and regularly-updated information on services available in the hotel (like your stock of AppleTVs or Chromecasts available on request) and you are providing information right where your guests expect it. Your app could even suggest services based on the type of device the guest is using, or the usage pattern in the hotel.

This is a strong area for the future.

There is a popular trend towards automated check-in and check-out, which is desirable in larger properties and business properties to avoid queues. Such services are probably far less necessary in boutique and family hotels with the

personal touch, but are nevertheless worth watching. It is also the point at which services can be advertised and upsold in simple touch-screen format.

Bottom line Guests are highly connected and multidevice dependent. They are increasingly bringing and consuming their own media.

Hotels must deliver high speed connectivity, online services, and allow guests to optimise their own digital experience. It is no longer just the business guest that requires technology, though the requirements for business and conference capabilities have just as seriously grown in recent years. The question for you is, is guest-facing technology a true priority for your hotel?

Dr Des O’Mahony is CEO and Founder of Bookassist (bookassist.org), the leading technology and online strategy partner for hotels. Bookassist provides Site Builder web design, Traffic Builder online marketing and Booking Engine services to drive direct business to hotels and was recently voted World’s Leading Booking engine Technology Provider by the industry.

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HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

Right on course…

Devising an online strategy for growth; managing change in corporate alignment; introducing innovation into the organisational structure; harnessing team potential to ensure customer focused culture, developing a vision and roadmap for a sustainable business; these were some of the presentation titles delivered, prior to graduation at Trinity College, by Fáilte Ireland/Cornell Executive Development Management Programme class of 2012/13.

Now in its eight year, the 2012-2013 Programme began with an induction in June 2012 culminating in the graduation of twenty-six top hotel and restaurant owners and senior managers from across the country on July 10th 2013 at Trinity College Dublin. Participants who demonstrated through their project presentations how they implemented the learning, were awarded a Fáilte Ireland/Cornell Certificate and those who successfully completed all six eCornell courses were awarded a Certificate in Strategic Hospitality Management, accredited by Cornell University, USA.

“ This programme represents an opportunity to gain knowledge, upgrade skills, and get re-inspired.

The managers in the programme demonstrated outstanding interest in making their already successful careers even better.

Mr Tom Kline, Director of Executive Education at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, USA, attended and presented the graduates with their certificates said: “This programme represents an opportunity to gain knowledge, upgrade skills, and get reinspired. The managers in the programme demonstrated outstanding interest in making their already successful careers even better. This joint effort with Fáilte Ireland and Cornell, eight years running, delivers exceptional value for the benefit of the attendees and their companies.”

The programme covered a range of jobrelated topics including strategy, marketing and finance, a video conference with Cornell on Creating Successful Business Strategies in Difficult Times, a module at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York together with a workshop in the RitzCarlton on how they Operationalise their Strategy.

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Pictured at Cornell University, USA were Ruari O Connor, River Lee Hotel, Dean Panter, Fáilte Ireland, Paul Byrne, Zuni Restaurant Kilkenny, Michael Griffin, Griffin Group and Aidan Cotter, Summerhill House Hotel, Wicklow

Commenting on the Executive Management Programme, Kevin Moriarty, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Operations, said: “I would firstly like to congratulate the graduates who have successfully completed this prestigious course in Executive Development Management and hope it will enhance their business by helping them think differently about how they do things in the future. I would also like to express Fáilte Ireland’s admiration for the commitment of the group to focus on their development and business improvement at this challenging time in our industry. We are delighted with this blended learning approach, which allows us to work closely with Cornell University in the USA and tap into their wealth of knowledge and cutting-edge thinking, all of which will ultimately benefit Irish tourism.”

Tom Kline, Cornell University, USA, Mary Hall and Kevin Moriarty, Fáilte Ireland with the group of graduates at Trinity College

The Programme now represents a serious opportunity for anyone working in the role of general manager in the hospitality sector to both develop and better themselves and their business.

According to Maura Harris of Aghadoe Heights Hotel, Killarney: “We can become so engrossed in the day to day running of our business, that it is possible to lose

HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

Tom Kline, Cornell University, USA and Mary Hall, Fáilte Ireland presents a certificate to Maura Harris, Aghadoe Heights Hotel, Killarney, Co Kerry

sight of what is happening in the world around us. This course emphasised the need to regularly remove ourselves from our business and coldly analyse the direction of the company. Plus it gave us the tools that allow for structured analysis, decision-making and implementation.”

Ruari O’Connor, General Manager, River Lee Hotel, Cork, said: “Participation in Fáilte Ireland’s Executive Management Programme has assisted me in tapping into fresh strategical approaches to our industry, it has exposed new thinking by industry leaders and has allowed me to benchmark and adapt for the benefit of my business. As a result of completing the course the programme has made me have a more strategic approach to how the hotel operates”.

Class of 2013-2013 Fáilte Ireland Executive Management Programme on Cornell Campus with Professor Bruce Tracey

“There is no doubt but that the international modules add greatly to the programme and indeed are very strong enticements to participate on the Programme” says Mary Hall, Fáilte Ireland’s Manager & Coordinator of the programme since its inception. She continued, “being exposed to legendary professors like Dr. Cathy A. Enz, Professor of Strategy at the Lewis Schaeneman Jr. Professor of Innovation and Dynamic Management and other luminaries at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration is a fantastic learning experience”.

Speaking on Innovation & Dynamic Management, Dr. Enz discussed the tyranny of success within organisations. She also spoke on Innovation, Strategic Thinking and Managing Change. Dr. Enz has published over 80 journal articles, book chapters and four books in the area of strategic management and strategic human resources.

Strategic Marketing for Hotels was delivered by yet another prolific author, Rob Kwortnik, Ph.D. Prior to attending Cornell, participants had to perform a Strategic Marketing Audit for their own hotel or business and submit. This audit, focusing

on core marketing concepts was explored in more detail throughout Dr. Kwortnik’s presentation.

The third presenter in Cornell was Dr. Bruce Tracey who presented on Leading & Motivating in Challenging Times. A frequent contributor to the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly his work has been widely published in human resources and management journals. Professor Tracey reminded participants that they were important role models-they set the standards for others and suggested that they don’t get what they expect... they get what they inspect and reward.

The programme also included a benchmarking visit to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Central Park South, New York where the graduates were welcomed by the area Vice President and General Manager, Scott Geraghty and his management team. Scott Geraghty, whose ancestors hail from the Midlands, provided an overview of the industry and the Ritz-Carlton with presentations by Human Resources and the Sales & Marketing team. Mr Geraghty explained that in 2012 New York had its largest influx of visitors - 52 million. This influx was accommodated by the addition of 12, 500 new rooms added to New York stock since 2008 and a further 45,000 new rooms in the pipeline. While Mr Geraghty states that business is robust he acknowledges these new additions will hurt.

According to Aidan Cotter, Deputy General Manager Summerhill House Hotel, Wicklow, “The biggest benefit for me is the management of change throughout the property resulting in new actions to fit the business and marketplace. From a personal point of view, it’s made me manage in a way and with a level of awareness that I did not have previously” Perhaps the last few words should go to Elio Capolupo, Operations Manager in La Cucina di Nonna Valentina Ltd. who said of the Programme - “Having completed this course I feel more comfortable in prioritizing. I have a much clearer idea on what’s going on in comparison to a year ago. I have been given new tools, new system of analysis and many inputs and sources to look at. All these elements contribute to my personal and professional growth. I suggest this programme for the above reasons but also because I have had a chance to meet with other people in the same position and share with them without being afraid of being judged. Despite that I still think that there is a lot to do and there is certainly always more to learn in this industry.”

Subject to demand, the programme will run in 2014. To find out more please contact: Mary Hall, Fáilte Ireland, 01 8847756 or email: mary.hall@failteireland.ie H&RT AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ‘13

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REFURBISHMENT

Northside Star Mentioned in James Joyce’s epic Ulysses and one of the oldest hotels in Dublin, Georgian city centre hotel The North Star Hotel Dublin has a natural position in the city’s history and culture. It was imperative so, when considering a redevelopment, to ensure this history was preserved, while at the same time modernising the design and facilities to meet the needs of a contemporary city and customer.

In a few short years owner Brian McGettigan has achieved just that, as well as the impressive feat of securing a four star classification for the Hotel. Most recently the Hotel’s new gastro-bar McGettigan’s Cookhouse opened, marking the full completion of the property’s refurbishment.

Hotel and Restaurant times were delighted to catch up with Brian at this exciting time to talk about the redevelopment, facilities and service delivery of The North Star.

Brian is no novice to the hospitality industry. His twenty-five years of experience began in the successful Regency hotel chain built up by his father, with Brian working alongside his siblings in all departments from a young age. He then went on to do a degree in Commerce in H&RT AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ‘13

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Suppliers of quality furniture to the hotel-restaurant and hospitality sector Pleased to have supplied bedroom and occasional furniture to the North Star hotel Tel 028 877 5811 ROI (048 877 5811) Email bprcontracts@hotmail.com 60 Tullreavy Road, The Rock, Dungannon, Co.Tyrone, BT 70 3JJ

REFURBISHMENT

UCD and upon finishing worked as GM in The Regency Hotel and then Group GM for the four Dublin hotels in the chain. During that time he also worked with the family businesses in Dubai and the United Kingdom, something he continues today. It is this balance of practical experience and academic theory that he says proved invaluable when the time came to redevelop The North Star Hotel.

He says of his decision to invest in the North Inner City Dublin hotel: “I knew the Hotel as I was managing it for years with the other hotels. When I came in it didn’t need a lot of work although it was a bit tired. It had great potential; the area was up and coming and we were opposite Connolly station and the Luas, near Croke Park, ten minutes from O’ Connell Street and in a great location for getting to the airport.

The Convention Centre and the O2 were also coming along around that time so there were lots of opportunities with these big iconic buildings bringing business. I wanted the hotel to be stylish and position it décor-wise to maximise those opportunities”.

With an ambitious €13 million expansion and a subsequent rise in rating from three stars to four Brian has certainly achieved his aim. The biggest change to the hotel was

the addition of three floors onto the existing four, with the 140 state of the art premier rooms on these floors fitted with floor to ceiling glass, air-conditioning, fridges, marble bathrooms, pillow top beds, inhouse movies and top of the range carpets and furniture. The rooms in the main house were also fully renovated and enlarged. The new accommodation was then complemented by a gym, two changing rooms, two saunas and a dedicated breakfast room for 120 people, and the reception and foyer were fully refurbished with all interiors skilfully chosen by Brian’s wife.

“We also have meeting rooms for the corporate market and a ballroom for 120 people for a sit down meal so there’s a lot going on,” adds Brian. “There’s a premier lounge on a separate floor with panoramic views of Dublin and complimentary tea, coffee, water and papers, and in the evening we will start to do cheese, crackers and wine. It’s a really peaceful space that’s beautifully kitted out with the best of furniture. Additions like this offer a nice pregoing out on the town experience and another sense of exclusivity and hospitality.”

The latest development to The North Star, gastro-bar McGettigan’s Cookhouse, has also contributed in positioning the property as a four star hotel offering with an impressive range of facilities. The

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REFURBISHMENT

Cookhouse, based on the same concept as the family’s award-winning gastro-bars in Dubai, is a relaxed eatery with an open kitchen serving Irish cuisine and international favourites with a gourmet twist.

Brian says of the recent addition: “The Cookhouse offers good quality Irish food with well sourced ingredients. North County Dublin has some of the best farmers and 24

H&RT AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ‘13

producers in the country so we work closely with Ray Collier Butchers, Artisan Food, Kish Fish, Brendan Guinan and Iona Fruit Farm. There aren’t many options like this in North Inner City Dublin for the offices and tourists and this offers a good extra choice with a competitive price and good quality, which is really important. We also have a great team of chefs.”

A good team, Brian says, is the cornerstone of the Hotel. “The product is vitally important,” he insists, “but it’s secondary to the level of service, hospitality and professionalism. Customers want smiling staff where nothing is a problem. With a four star there is definitely an expectation of service.”

Brian aims to overshoot these expectations to mark the Hotel out as different from other four star properties, and to this end staff training is an ongoing consideration.

He says: “Training is huge and HR is huge; a lot of hotels don’t give that enough seriousness. We do courses with Fáilte Ireland; they could be to do with the website, sales, marketing, front of house selling- they cover all departments. In-house training is great but it’s nice when staff can go offsite and get a different perspective and learn something new. We also do a mystery shopper once a month and they do a very comprehensive report on their experience on the hotel which we bring to management meetings. It’s all about improvement of service and offering the best experience possible for guests. You have to do it with review sites like Trip Advisor.

You have to be on your toes; everything has to be perfect.”

With The Cookhouse adding the final flourish to the Hotel the transformation is complete. “We’ve made sure everything is high standard,” Brian finishes, “people don’t realise how big the Hotel is or how fantastic the finish looks. We’re now 100% sure it’s done, it’s the full package and we’re ready to get the message out there!”

FOOD

forTHOUGHT Keep VAT at 9% Campaign Update

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN?

Restaurants Association of Ireland 11 Bridge Court – Citygate - St. Augustine Street - Dublin 8 - Registered Company No. 56224

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Chef Training Funding Secured!

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Find the champion in your team 8 week Sommeliers Certificate Training Programme The Irish Guild of Sommeliers (IGS) in partnership with the Restaurant Association Of Ireland (RAI) are delighted to announce they will be running another modular 8 week Sommeliers Certificate training programme in wine service and product knowledge beginning in September and concluding with an exam in January 2014 This course introduces the learner to the study of wines, distilled spirits, and liqueurs both practically and theoretically. The course includes the marriage

Venue The Stephens Green Hibernian Club, 9 St Stephens Green Dublin 2

Time

11am – 4pm

Training Dates 2013 Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday

9th , 23rd September 7th, 21st, (29th October-DIT Cocktail room) 11th, 25th, November 13th January Exam 27th January Graduation

Please note that this is a members club and follows a no jeans policy.

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of food and wines and incorporates the elements of service, storage and tasting and their contributions towards enhancing the meal experience.

The course covers an Introduction to wine – Viticulture, vinification, labelling laws and tasting tutorial followed by lectures & tastings in Old World Wines, New World Wines, Sparkling Wines, Liqueur Wines, Distilled Spirits and Cocktails.

Training Costs

Member of both Restaurants Association of Ireland & Irish Guild of Sommeliers course fee: €250 Join the Irish Guild of Sommeliers: €75 Member of Restaurants Association of Ireland course fee: €500 Member of Irish Guild of Sommeliers only: €300 Non- Member course only: €1000

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Special Offer to non –members: Join both the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Irish Guild of Sommeliers and be included on the training course for €945.

If you require further information please contact Kim Leonard, ph: 01 6779901 or email info@rai.ie

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The Chef’s Table Food and Hospitality Show 2013 The Restaurants Association of Ireland is delighted to be a new show partner for the Food & Hospitality Ireland, incorporating SHOP, taking place on the 18th and 19th September at the Industries Hall in the RDS, Dublin 4. The RAI will be encouraging visitors to attend its Chef ’s Table event, which will be taking place daily.

Each day, four of the country’s most respected and award-winning chefs will be taking to the stage to showcase recipes developed using local products from their area. Demonstrating how to create Michelin-star dishes from the best of Irish produce, the line-up includes Kevin O’Toole Chef/Proprietor of Chameleon (Winner of Best World Cuisine at the Irish Restaurant Awards 2013, Sham Hanifa winner of Best Chef Leitrim from The Cottage in Carrick on Shannon. Other Chefs are to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

In addition to the Chef ’s Table feature, on day two of the show – Thursday 19th September – we will be hosting a discussion on the Spotlight Stage which will focus on ‘The Merits of Food Tourism’ and in the run up to the budget, we’ll also be seeking your support for our ‘Keep VAT at 9%’ campaign.”

Food & Hospitality Ireland is taking place on the 18th and 19th September 2013 at the Industries Hall in the RDS, Dublin 4. Become part of the conversation by following the show on twitter @FHIexhibition.

For further information and to preregister your attendance, please log onto www.foodhospitality.ie We look forward to seeing you there!

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SEAFOOD

Simple, delicious food This month Marilyn Bright talks to Tricia Kealy, owner chef of Kealy’s Seafood Bar, in Greencastle, Co Donegal, who is marking a quarter of a century in business this year The sun was glinting off the harbour and trawlers unloading dripping boxes of fishy goodness as the Kealy family marked 25 years in business in May this year. Kealy’s Seafood Bar has been an institution in this most northerly peninsula of Donegal, growing from a traditional family pub to an award winning restaurant attracting customers from both sides of the border and beyond.

Tricia Kealy and her late husband James had both trained as chefs in the Killybegs catering college and gone on to work in the Doyle Group hotels in Dublin when they decided to return to Donegal and re-open the old family pub that had been closed for several years. Tricia remembers that they started serving food at five tables set up in the bar, “and with fish being landed just paces from our front door, it made sense to feature seafood. It’s a huge advantage when you can look out of the window and see the fishing boats arriving back with your fresh ingredients.”

News of the simple delicious food spread by word of mouth, attracting locals and summer visitors alike. Although business was seasonal, competition for the five tables could be fierce at weekends Tricia recalls, “like a rugby scrum on Saturday nights, and in the summer we’d have to turn customers away.”

After four years, adjacent restaurant space was added to provide an extra 50 seats.

Kealy’s legendary seafood chowder is far and away the most popular order, made with a mixture of white fish and salmon in vegetable enriched stock with a subtle flavour boost of pink peppercorns and a dash of Angostura. bitters. It sells winter and summer, on its own as a hearty lunch with homemade wheaten scones or a dinner time starter. Mussels were eliminated from the chowder a few years ago to cater for customers with shellfish allergies. “We’re seeing more people with allergies now,” Tricia observes.

“In the past, you might have one coeliac a month, now we’d have someone with some sort of allergy nearly every night.”

On the plus side, today’s diners are more adventurous and willing to try something new. John Dory is now the most popular fish on Kealy’s menu, but Tricia recalls that in James’s day as a kid, it was used as bait. Travel has given people a taste for new flavours too - salmon might come as a Japanese crumbed fishcake with ginger infused mayonnaise, simply grilled with lime and dill butter or given a Mediterranean spin with smoked pancetta and crushed cannellini beans.

Eating habits have changed too, with informal bar food and tapas largely replacing the traditional four or five course dinner and demand for all-day food blurring meal times. “With the recession, people want value for money, so we’ve had to be more inventive and think of ways to get customers through the door. We have themed nights and curry nights which work especially well in the winter when it’s mostly locals.”

The biggest boost to business has been the reinstatement of the Magilligan car ferry which brings customers from the North across Lough Foyle and lands them a few minutes walk from the restaurant door. Running seasonally from St. Patrick’s weekend to the end of September, it marks the beginning of the summer season and means that, at holiday time, 80 per cent of Kealy’s customers are from the North. “Before the ferry, Greencastle was a cul-de-sac with no passing trade,” Tricia says. “ Now the Inishowen peninsula has opened up to visitors from all the North Antrim coast, and the past two summers have been our best ever.”

During the winter, Kealy’s opens for weekends and holidays, with Tricia and one other in the kitchen where everything is produced in-house, from from ice-creams and sorbets to relishes, toasted foccacias and their signature wheaten scones. In summer the brigade expands to four or five with sons Owen and Oisin returning from university studies and travel as far flung as Mexico. “They’ve become great little chefs,” Tricia boasts, “and bring new ideas like the seafood tacos that have gone down very well.”

Traditional classics never go out of favour, like the treat of freshly landed whole Dover sole on the bone, served with brown butter, parsley and capers. Grilled mackerel stars in the summer, along with mussels marinière and bountiful seafood platters made up from the day’s catch.

“When the business was smaller, I used to walk across when the fish came in and choose the fish myself. Now I’m too busy but our suppliers in the Foyle Fishermens Co-op know what we want and look after us very well. Lobsters come from Malin Head a few miles away and we get big juicy oysters from Foyle Mor just 15 minutes away - most of theirs are exported to Japan.”

The first bank holiday of the year has seen business booming and Tricia feels it’s going to be a good summer. “Even through thinner times, you have to be positive and not talk yourself down. We have good loyal customers who keep coining back and it’s the locals who keep us going when the summer visitors have gone. We still have the original five tables beside the bar and that’s where a lot of our regulars like to be.

After 25 years, they’re all friends.”

This article is taken from GCG syndicated portfolio.

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TOURISM

Keith Duffy returns to the streets of Manchester to call home the Manchester Irish Boyzone singer and Coronation Street star Keith Duffy flew into Manchester recently, joining Tourism Ireland to promote Ireland and a giant Manchester ‘Gathering’ in Mayo.

Keith was encouraging Mancunians with a connection to, or interest in, Ireland to come and join the Manchester Mayo Gathering and enjoy their rich culture, traditions and heritage.

There was an extra-special call-out to Irish sons and daughters from Levenshume, South Manchester, which has the largest Mayo community outside of the West of Ireland. As part of his support for The Gathering, Tourism Ireland arranged for Keith to talk to a number of media in Manchester, including BBC Radio Manchester and the Manchester Evening News, about The Gathering and the many great things to see and do on a holiday in Ireland.

Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “Tourism Ireland is delighted to support the Manchester Mayo Gathering, which looks set to be hugely successful. We were really pleased to have Keith Duffy on board, to help us reach out to the Irish Diaspora and promote Ireland in Manchester. The Gathering Ireland is a key focal point of all Tourism Ireland’s promotional activity around the globe in 2013, particularly in countries with a strong Diaspora connection - including Great Britain, the US, Canada and Australia.”

Bollywood producers and location scouts check out Ireland

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Keith Duffy (centre) promotes the Manchester Mayo Gathering, with festival co-ordinator Lawrence Hennigan (left) and Margaret Mellor, Tourism Ireland.

Tourism Ireland welcomes Canadian Message in a bottle girls to Ireland

Tourism Ireland in India, in conjunction with the Irish Film Board, invited a number of acclaimed Bollywood producers, directors and location scouts to Ireland recently - to explore the potential of numerous locations and scenic spots here for their next big Bollywood blockbuster. Last year, the Bollywood film shot on location in Dublin - Ek Tha Tiger - became one of the biggestgrossing movies ever in India and was seen by an estimated 100 million cinema-goers. Tourism Ireland is confident that the huge popularity of Bollywood films can deliver real benefits for tourism to the island of Ireland, with films shot here helping to significantly boost awareness of Ireland among India’s growing middle classes who have the potential to come here on holidays.

Claudia Garneau (left) and Charlaine Dalpé, the Canadian “message in a bottle” girls.

Bollywood producers, directors and location scouts enjoying a bird’s-eye view of Dublin, before embarking on a walking tour of the city, including (back, l-r) Naoise Barry, The Irish Film Board; Kulmeet Makkar, The Film & Television Producers Guild of India Ltd; Amar Butala, UTV Motion Pictures; Vikesh Bhutani, Excel Entertainment; Huzan Fraser, Tourism Ireland India; (front, l-r) Sarita Patil, Balaji Telefilms; and Mitali Mahajan, Ashutosh Gowariker Productions Pvt Ltd.

The two Canadian girls behind the message in a bottle which washed up in Passage East, Co Waterford, last October, arrived in Ireland recently and spent a week here - exploring Dublin, Cork and Waterford.

Last year, schoolboy Oisín Millea found the mystery message in a bottle, which had been tossed into the Atlantic Ocean in Canada in June 2004, by two twelve-year-old friends while on holiday in Grande Vallée, Québec. The girls included their first names as well as a plea to contact them if the bottle was ever found. Tourism Ireland in Toronto tracked down the girls, now grown up, through both traditional and social media, and invited them to visit Ireland in this special year of ‘The Gathering Ireland’.

The story of the message in a bottle has been covered extensively by the media across Canada. Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “We are delighted to welcome Claudia and Charlaine to Ireland and we wish them a really enjoyable holiday.

This heartwarming story has been covered extensively by the media in Canada - providing fantastic, positive publicity about Ireland and the friendliness and hospitality for which we are renowned. That’s the type of publicity that money can’t buy.”

H&RT AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ‘13

TOURISM

Tourism Ireland welcomes announcement of Croke Park Classic 2014 The University of Central Florida will take on Penn State in the American Football season opener at Croke Park, in August 2014.

Welcoming the announcement of the ‘Croke Park Classic’, Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland chief executive, said: “The University of Central Florida v Penn State season opener at Croke Park will provide a further, very welcome boost for tourism from North America.

It will undoubtedly be a great event for Dublin and will benefit the island as a whole. The GAA is to be congratulated on securing the event.

“Tourism Ireland is already working with Anthony Travel, the official travel company for both colleges, to maximise the tourism benefits from the game, targeting thousands of supporters, alumni associations, family and friends through online marketing including Facebook and other social media. Travel packages, including lots of suggestions for golf, city tours and longer-stay holidays will be promoted to fans in the United States. Sports-related tourism has emerged as a very significant element of the global travel business in recent years and this college football game is another wonderful opportunity to showcase Dublin and Ireland, and more generally the many attractions that the island of Ireland offers as a holiday destination.”

Tourism Ireland sponsors world-renowned kitesurfer

Lord Mayor welcomes vintage car enthusiasts

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Oisín Quinn, and Simon Gregory, Tourism Ireland’s director of markets (back, left) welcomed Rita Jonas, leader of the Bentley Drivers Club, and Seán Bramhall, chairman of the Bentley Drivers Club, to Ireland.

World-renowned kitesurfer Bruno Sroka was sponsored by Tourism Ireland, as he undertook the first ever crossing from France to Ireland by kitesurf.

Renowned French kitesurfer Bruno Sroka recently became the first person to kitesurf non-stop from France to Ireland - following an epic 250-nautical-mile journey from Aber Wrac’h in Brittany to Crosshaven, Co Cork.

To capitalise on the huge media exposure the crossing generated in France, Tourism Ireland sponsored Sroka, with the Ireland logo prominently displayed on all his equipment including the sail, board and wetsuit - as well as on all of the social media and publicity surrounding the high profile crossing.

An estimated ten million people saw that logo, with major TV channels in France lining up to interview Bruno and report on his challenge, including the most popular channels, TF1 and M6.

Tourism Ireland also highlighted the adventure on its website, Ireland.com, and through its social media and video channels, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Monica MacLaverty, Tourism Ireland’s manager for southern Europe, said: “We are delighted to be associated with Bruno Sroka’s latest challenge. The island of Ireland is known by the French largely for its stunning landscapes and friendly, welcoming people. However, with 5,600 kms of coastline, the island is also a superb destination for watersports such as surfing and kitesurfing. Our sponsorship of Bruno allows us to highlight this lesser-known aspect of holidaying in Ireland and to position Ireland as a fantastic destination for outdoor sports.”

A British vintage car enthusiasts club - the Bentley Drivers Club - enjoyed a week-long, deluxe touring holiday here recently. They travelled from east to west and back again, incorporating some of our tourism ‘hotspots’ including elements of the ‘Grand Tour’ of Kildare and Wicklow. Supported by Tourism Ireland in Great Britain, over 100 vintage car enthusiasts and Bentley owners undertook this touring holiday of Ireland in 46 vintage Bentleys.

Targeting Chinese tourists

Liz Godfrey, Adare Manor (left), with Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland CEO, and Ivy Gao, Tourism Ireland China, at a China seminar in the Gibson Hotel in Dublin.

A China seminar was organised by Tourism Ireland recently, for the increasing number of Irish enterprises interested in growing business from that market. Attendees - who included hoteliers, visitor attractions, golf marketing groups and destination management companies - heard the latest update on the Chinese travel market, information about how the travel distribution system works in China, as well as lots of practical advice and tips about how to promote effectively and ultimately to grow business from this market.

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SURVEY

Dublin region driving Irish hotel industry recovery • AVERAGE NATIONAL OCCUPANCY LEVELS AND ROOM RATES IMPROVE YET SALES REMAIN AT 76% OF 2007 PEAK LEVELS • SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN PROFIT PER ROOM WILL FACILITATE MUCH NEEDED INVESTMENT IN SECTOR Crowe Horwath, leading advisors to the Irish Hotel sector, recently launched its 18th Annual Irish Hotel Survey. The 2012 report provides the most comprehensive analysis available of the financial performance of Irish hotels and is the only published report which provides details of profitability in the sector. The report breaks down the performance of Irish hotels both by region (Dublin, Midlands & East, South West and the Western Seaboard) and by classification (Luxury, First Class, MidPrice and Economy). The analysis includes: room occupancy average; average daily room rate; revenue per room and profit before tax per available room.

Among the key findings of the 2012 survey are: • Hotel sales at 76% of 2007 peak levels • Average occupancy at 63.8% continues to rise, up 2.4 percentage points on 2011 levels (from a low of 59.4% in 2009) • Average room rate increased by €2.05 to €74.72 • Food sales up 8.3% on 2011 levels • Two speed recovery - Dublin outpacing regional markets • North Americans most likely overseas visitors to use hotels (8.2% of all hotel nights booked) • 37.4% of hotel reservations made via the internet • Outlook - growth to continue with 2013 outturn predicted to be similar to 2012 The Gathering likely to counteract continued weakness in the domestic market.

The Crowe Horwath Annual Irish Hotel Survey reveals that during 2012 the Irish hotel market experienced a further increase in occupancy levels to reach 63.8%, a 2.4 percentage points increase on 2011, while average room rates increased by €2.05 to €74.72, a 2.8% increase on 2011 levels.

The survey’s results clearly demonstrate that a two-paced recovery is taking place with Dublin outpacing the regional market.

However, while some urban centres such as Cork City and Galway City have fared well, the pace of recovery in other rural areas is restrained. In the last two years, Dublin has experienced three times the level of RePAR (revenue per available room) growth as the other regions in Ireland.

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RevPAR Dublin All Hotels excl Dublin

2012 €63.58 €42.73

2010 €53.03 €39.30

2 Year Difference €10.55 €3.43

Percentage increases in average room rates in the capital were twice that experience by hotels in the South West region (Cork, Limerick and Kerry). Hotels in the Western Seaboard area (Clare, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo) continue to have the lowest average room rates in the country.

Annual Room Rates Dublin Midlands & East South West Western Seaboard All Hotels (ROI)

2012 €86.04 €74.28 v73.54 €61.87 €74.72

2011 €81.01 €72.70 €71.36 €58.93 €72.67

Difference +6.2% +2.2% +3.1% +5.0% +2.8%

Occupancy levels remain significantly higher in Dublin with average levels in hotels in the capital - 38% higher than those in Midlands & East.

Annual Room Occupancy Dublin Midlands & East South West Western Seaboard All Hotels (ROI)

2012 73.9% 58.5% 62.1% 62.9% 63.8%

2011 70.5% 53.2% 58.9% 59.0% 61.4%

Difference +3.4% +5.3% +3.2% +3.9% +2.4%

Average room rates increased in all hotel categories bar the economy sector with the luxury market performing strongest, up 8.7% with 4 star hotels improving average rates by 5.6%.

Average Room Rate Luxury (5 star) Hotel First Class (4 star) Hotel Mid Price (3 star) Hotel Economy Hotel

2012 €139.50 €75.87 €57.10 €45.29

2011 €128.33 €71.87 €55.05 €45.39

Difference Up 8.7% Up 5.6% Up 3.7% No change

Increases in both occupancy levels and room rates have helped drive increased profitability within the sector. However, while the profit before tax has increased significantly it is important to note that after a number of lean years it has been necessary for hotels to strengthen balance sheets to facilitate investment in rooms and other hotel facilities. It is worth noting that almost 40% of all Irish hotel rooms were built between 2000 and 2007 and many now require investment to maintain standards.

Profit Before Tax (per Room) Dublin Midlands & East South West Western Seaboard All Hotels

2012 €10,038 €5,144 €5,260 €5,471 €6,497

2011 €7,690 €3,481 €4,452 €4,278 €5,220

Difference Up 31% Up 48% Up 18% Up 28% Up 24%

Commenting on the state of the Irish hotel sector, Aiden Murphy, partner at Crowe Horwath said: “It is encouraging to see sustained growth in the Irish hotel sector following significant decline since the onset of the economic downturn. However, it is clear from the analysis that a two speed recovery is in train with Dublin outpacing

SURVEY

Pictured at the launch of Crowe Horwath’s 18th Annual Irish Hotel Survey, the most comprehensive analysis of the financial performance of the Irish hotel sector including profitability levels, were, from left-right: Minister of State for Tourism & Sport Michael Ring TD; Aiden Murphy, Partner Crowe Horwath; Anne Walsh, Director, Crowe Horwath; and Christina Connolly, Crowe Horwath and “junior hotel assistants” Billie Barrett and Joey Leamy.

the rest of the country across all major industry metrics (occupancy, room rates and profitability).

With overall sales levels at 76% of activity in 2007 the market remains some distance off peak levels. While profitability has increased in the sector, substantial investment in hotels will be necessary to ensure that the product remains attractive both for domestic and international guests. The retention of the 9% reduced rate of VAT in the sector will aid price competitiveness and ensure maintenance of margins to enable the necessary reinvestment in the sector which, in itself, will lead to further job creation.”

The report also found that online discounts sites and social media platforms have become increasingly popular over the past few years. Over 85% of hotels have used an online discount site with an average of 3% of their total annual room sales being generated via this platform.

Furthermore, an estimated 37% of hotel room sales are being generated via third party intermediaries with an average commission payable of 15 - 20%.

Booking.com and Expedia are the top providers of third party bookings for Irish hotels. Hotels are also utilising online social media platforms to support their business development. Over 95% of Irish hotels use Facebook to promote their hotel, while a further 78% manage Twitter accounts. In turn, there has been strong growth in average room rates with premium hotels benefiting with increased numbers of overseas tourists to Ireland.

Speaking about the outlook for 2013, Mr. Murphy, added: “In 2013, we should see continued overall growth in the sector in line with 2012 levels. While domestic demand is likely to remain restrained, an increase in inbound tourist numbers particularly from North America with initiatives such as The Gathering should counteract this.”

For more information or for a copy of the Irish Hotel Survey, please log on to www.crowehorwath.net/ie

Statement from Irish Hotels Federation Commenting on the recent survey and report by consultants Crowe Horwath, the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) notes that the profitability figures cited in the report are ‘Before Finance’ and do not take into account interest payments made on outstanding debt in the sector which currently stands at €7billion.

The average cost of finance per hotel room in Ireland in 2012 was €6,500 per annum. When this is applied to the average Profit Before Tax (per room) figure of €6,497 cited

by Crowe Horwath, it shows that the hotels sector as a whole is just breaking even with profits generated going to service interest on outstanding debt.

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INTERVIEW

Leader of the pack Noel McMeel, Executive Chef at Lough Erne Resort in Fermanagh, on making food fit for Presidents at the G8 Summit, and his love of locally sourced ingredients and seasonal produce.

Noel McMeel is back on home turf in the restaurant at Lough Erne Resort in Fermanagh where he works as Executive Chef. The Antrim-born chef is just back from a whistle-stop visit to Downing Street, where Prime Minister David Cameron thanked him for dishing up locally sourced culinary treats at the recent G8 Summit at Lough Erne in June.

“It was more or less a private thank you,” says McMeel, who has responsibility for Castle and Hunting Lodge cuisine, Castle Leslie food products, and Castle Leslie Cookery School. “Prime Minister Cameron was very grateful. It was strange because when we walked in all the gang from Downing Street were there. It was like going into someone’s house that I knew.”

Over the course of his career, McMeel has travelled the world and cooked for many renowned people. In 2002, in his previous role as head chef at Castle Leslie in Castle Monaghan, he was responsible for the 30034

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guest vegetarian banquet at the wedding of Paul McCartney and Heather Mills. The G8, however, was the biggest challenge he has ever taken on. “It’s one thing to cook for an American President, but to cook for prime ministers and other heads of other states has been quite amazing.”

Preparation for the event began months in advance, in January of this year. McMeel visited Downing Street to conduct tasting sessions with David Cameron. The Prime Minister was hosting the party, after all, so everything was his call. “There was a huge amount of training, development, strengthening up our kitchen resources.”

By and large, McMeel had freedom to create his own menus. A sample menu includes Kilkeel Crab, Prawns & Avocado Salad for dinner. A main course of Roast fillet & Braised Shin of Kettyle Beef, with Violet Artichokes, Comber New Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables. A dessert consisting of Apple Crumble with Bushmills Whiskey Custard. “I was very fortunate that I did up the menus and they were happy with it.

There was very little change.”

Did the world leaders have any specific requirements? “No, but some of their assistants were vegetarians. That’s where the whole specification had to be tight, right down to what went on the plate, how it looked, and nutritional value. It was so stringent. Weeks before there was so much practice to make sure what was on the menu was identical to what was on the plate.

Logistically, the event was a massive challenge for the resort, since so many areas within the property had to provide food. In the space of two days, McMeel’s team were feeding around 6,000 people. The chef insists there was no food security in the kitchens.

INTERVIEW

“Coming up to the whole event, the media’s biggest question was how much security was going to be in the kitchen.’Will there be tasters in there?’ There was none of that. In fact, there wasn’t anyone tasting the food in the kitchens. I think there was an element of trust, which we were fortunate with. The scale of security was vast. I was fortunate - myself and my team - in that we were trusted so much.”

McMeel met the world leaders and says David Cameron and Barack Obama were particularly complimentary of the food. To the chef’s surprise, both name checked the Glens of Antrim Potatoes and Glenarm Organic Salmon.

McMeel was delighted. His goal was to showcase the best in local produce.

Sourcing locally and seasonally is an ethos by which he lives. “I do modern Irish food.

Plain and simple. It’s taking the best of local produce, cooking it as little as possible with the best skills of a chef and serving it. I look for suppliers who think the same way I think.”

The chef called upon the best in local food suppliers for the G8. These included Kearney Blue Cheese, Robert Ditty artisan bakery, Joanne Best’s strawberries and organic eggs, P McCann and Sons apples, and Pat O’Doherty’s Fresh Meats butchery shop in Enniskillen.

McMeel’s love of raw material - sourcing, preparing and serving fresh food in season - harks back to his childhood. The youngest of six children, he grew up in Moneyglass near Toomebridge, County Antrim. His father was a dairy farmer and stonemason, while his mother looked after the home. He recounts the story in his upcoming book, The Irish Pantry.

“Two of my brothers were mentally and physically handicapped. My mother stayed at home to look after them, but we never starved. We were self-sufficient. Even though during the summers it was a pain having to go out and pull ragweed for about a week in the fields, so the cows didn’t get poisoned.

“To this day, I understand the seasons. Why? Because I grow my own vegetables.

I’ve got my own chickens. Cabbages, lettuces, parsley, runner beans. I understand

the seasonality of things. Little did I know my parents were giving me the tools of life.

It’s only now, years on, that I am able to open the tool box and put those tools of life to use.”

In 1988, McMeel won a scholarship to the U.S. in colleges in Providence, Rhode Island and Boston University. This opened doors for him to work with some of the most respected chefs in the world, such as JeanLouis Palladin at the Watergate Hotel, Washington. He also landed a job at Chez Panisse in San Francisco.

Upon returning to Northern Ireland, he took up the position of Head Chef at the Beech Hill Country House Hotel in Derry. In the late 1990s, he opened his own restaurant, Trompets, which featured in the Michelin AA Guide. Learning about the restaurant business is crucial for any inspiring chef, he says. “Years ago, colleges educated people just to be chefs. Now they are educating them to be chef-business people, which is a much better. There are maybe more chefs now running their restaurants.”

Over the last decade, McMeel has become a recognisable face on television. In 2007, he starred on the BBC Two series, Food Poker, and the following year represented Northern Ireland in the Great British Menu. He contributed to RTE’s Afternoon Show and regularly contributes recipes and editorials to magazines and publications, including Bon Appétit, America’s Food and Entertainment Guide, as well as Food & Wine and Northern Woman.

His work as a chef comes before his role as a television personality. “I’m lucky enough to be able to go on television and enjoy it. If you want to go on television for fame and fortune, good on you, but that’s not for me.”

The chef has enough on his plate at Lough Erne Resort, a property that includes The Catalina Restaurant, The Blaney Bar, The Loughside Bar & Grill, and the contemporary Halfway House among its food offerings. The food at Lough Erne has the edge over competitors, he insists. “We don’t want to be followers; we just want to be leaders. We’re not copying anyone else.

The food we are doing is eclectic. It’s fresh.”

Not that McMeel is taking all the glory. At this year’s Irish Restaurant Awards, Catalina Restaurant won best restaurant in Fermanagh, while McMeel scooped the Best Chef award. Without the people around him, this would never have been achievable, he insists.

“I’m so proud of our team. Not just the leaders in the resort, but the people who work day in day out and don’t get the recognition they should. Something like this is a congratulations to them. The more we have great people around us, the more successful we will be.”

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FÁILTE IRELAND NEWS

Dubline app launch Latest mobile technology enables Dubliners to tell the real stories and hidden secrets to the city’s visitors Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar recently launched a new mobile phone app for Fáilte Ireland’s Dubline project - a tourism trail through some of the city’s key landmarks. The Dubline Storymap is a new and innovative app and website package allowing visitors to explore the city while watching or listening to stories, told by Dubliners, about the hidden history of people and places along the Dubline.

The Dubline Storymap collects the most fascinating stories for locals and visitors to enjoy as they explore the city centre. Along with the App, the Dubline Storymap website, http://dubline.storymap.ie, lets you explore the Dubline at your leisure.

Speaking about the development, Rory McCarthy from Fáilte Ireland said - “A successful tourism destination needs to be able to tell its story and to provide opportunities for visitors to engage with that narrative. 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.”

Minister Varadkar joins Laurence Foster (Dickens in Dublin), Deirdre Byrne (Fáilte Ireland) and Lesley-Anne Carey (Christchurch Cathedral) to launch the new Dubline App.

Listing of top visitor attractions for 2012 published Fáilte Ireland’s 2012 listing for top visitor attractions was published recently and for the second year running the Guinness Storehouse has topped the bill with an increase of 61,532 visitors on 2011.

The iconic Dublin attraction grew its visitor numbers by almost 6% to 1,087,209 to hold on to the top spot for the feecharging attractions followed closely by Dublin Zoo with 1,029,417 (up 3% on 2011) and the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience attracting 873,988 visitors (up 8% on 2011). The National Gallery of Ireland continued its dominance of the free attractions listing - recording over 660,000 visitors last year followed by the National Botanic Gardens at 544,685.

Commenting on the figures, Shaun Quinn CEO Fáilte Ireland said - “Our visitor attractions are a big part of the tourism offering and with the increase in visitor numbers to Ireland, it is no surprise that our top attractions have also enjoyed a busy year. In order to draw more visitors to our shores we need to ensure we are providing the right type of holiday experiences 36

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particularly for our overseas markets. In that respect, research like this is a valuable help to all of us in the sector as we continue to develop and improve Ireland’s tourism offering.”

FÁILTE IRELAND NEWS

Waterford’s Tower Hotel receives Mark of Best Practice Award

Dublin gets organised to grow

Liam Campbell, Fáilte Ireland presents the Mark of Best Practice Award to Alicia Maguire and Ellen Reidy from the Tower Hotel

One of Waterford’s top hotels, the Tower Hotel & Leisure Centre recently received the Mark of Best Practice award. Developed by Fáilte Ireland to support tourism businesses in becoming more profitable, more efficient and more competitive, the ‘Mark of Best Practice’ is awarded to businesses that complete a business process improvement programme.

Fáilte Ireland’s Liam Campbell, commented: “This is a great achievement for the team at the Tower Hotel who are now reaping the rewards of the many months of commitment and drive from all the staff. We, in Fáilte Ireland, are committed to working with the industry to overcome the challenges posed by the current economic climate. The Tower Hotel deserves to be proud of the results they have achieved in raising the profile of quality management within the Irish tourism industry.”

Alicia Maguire, General Manager with the Tower Hotel said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the Mark of Best Practice for an eighth year. The award represents a huge amount of hard work and dedication from all members of the team within the Tower Hotel & Leisure Centre. Our guests and team members are the lifeblood of the business and this programme supports us in delivering a value added experience to our guests while maintain our competitiveness within the industry.”

Adventure Conference to take place in September Fáilte Ireland’s annual Get Out There, Adventure Tourism Conference is taking place in the Falls Hotel Ennistymon County Clare on 9th and 10th September.

Most of us tend to think of bungee jumping, white water rafting and skydiving as adventure activities but 90% of adventure tourism is ‘soft adventure’.

It covers everything from walking, cycling, horse-riding and water sports through to archaeology, fishing and bird watching.

Are you an accommodation provider networking with local businesses offering outdoor experiences to visitors? Then you are working in Adventure Tourism.

The conference will take place over two days with the first day featuring speakers from home and abroad offering insights into and sharing experiences of adventure tourism. The second day will be a workshop format involving one-to-one meetings with international adventure tourism tour operators.

The level of interest from the international tour operators - the majority of whom are new to Ireland - has been remarkable. For members of the Irish trade this is a fantastic opportunity to meet international tour operators looking to package and sell Irish adventure experiences to their clients in the one location. For more information log on to http://www.promotionsireland.ie/

Members of the GDT include Wessel Badenhorst, DLR Co.Co; Paul Keeley, Fáilte Ireland; Lucy McCaffrey, Chair of GDT; Paul Carty, Guinness Storehouse and Eamon McKeon, ITIC.

The Grow Dublin Taskforce (GDT) a forum established in December 2012 to focus on the marketing and branding of Dublin city and region is now up and running. The forum, which is chaired by Lucy McCaffery, represents the coming together of all key interested parties including the Dublin Local Authorities, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Dublin City BID, the Tourist Industry and Development Agencies.

The GDT’s aim is to bring about extensive growth in tourism in Dublin city and region through three objectives: • Development and implementation of a collaborative Action Plan for Growth.

• Outline a collaborative Tourism Strategy for 2020.

• Outline a collaborative funding and implementation model.

Speaking about the GDT, Keith McCormack, Director Visit Dublin and Head of Events Ireland, Fáilte Ireland said “Given the multi-faceted nature of tourism in the capital and its extensive interdependencies across the Dublin economy, this task is best approached in a collaborative manner. We in Fáilte Ireland are determined to ensure that such collaboration is facilitated, we are committed to playing our part by ensuring that Dublin achieves its full tourism potential.”

A series of events are planned over the coming months that will allow the Dublin tourism sector to not only input into the development of Dublin’s tourism industry but also get involved in the implementation of the taskforce’s plan to grow tourism in Dublin.

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37

IFSA NEWS

Food & Bev Live 2014 The 2nd IFSA Golf Classic

Following the success of the first FOOD+BEV LIVE show in 2012, when over 50 of the top names in Irish Foodservice exhibited to more than 1,000 visitors, the event will once again take place in City West, Dublin on 11th February 2014. Each year the Irish Foodservice and Hospitality Industry host National skills competitions to seek out the very best to represent Ireland on the world stage.

Another competitive and friendly day with plenty of networking potential is planned for the 2nd IFSA Golf Classic on Friday, 30th August at Newlands Golf Club, Dublin 22. Alongside the general competition and in a first for this year, teams from the various association trade bodies will be challenged by a ‘crack IFSA 3ball grouping’ for the title of IFSA Association Challenge Champions. The day’s golfing will be following by a dinner and prize giving at 8pm.

Places can be booked for Golf and Dinner or for dinner only.

Book your place before 23rd August by logging on to the Upcoming Events Section at www.ifsa.eu.com.

New Websites from Bunzl McLaughlin

FOOD+BEV LIVE 2014 is designed to provide a professional and dynamic home for some of the top National Championships in the Irish Foodservice and Hospitality Industry in the off year from CATEX. FOOD + BEV LIVE 2014 is brought to you by the same team that organise CATEX, and is sponsored by Bunzl, and IFSA (Irish Foodservice Suppliers Alliance). Contact Garret Buckley (garret.buckley@eventhaus.ie) or Ciara Moffatt (ciara.moffatt@eventhaus.ie) or phone 01 8460020 for more details and to book your stand today.

IFSA Foodservice Trends Seminar

The next in the series of IFSA Seminars is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 19th September 2013. The session will cover Trends in Foodservice - Current Trends in Ireland, Europe and the US and the opportunities they present for your Business, highlighting recent developments in the key markets of Europe, the USA as well as the outlook for the industry at home. Speakers will include, John Jones, President of John Jones, President ProIntal Consulting, London, Maureen Gahan, Head of Foodservice at Bord Bia and Vanessa Carter, Head of New Product Development at Churchill among others. Places can be booked at a rate of €45.00 + VAT (members) and €70.00 + VAT (nonmembers) by logging on to www.ifsa.eu.com. The Seminar will run from 08:30 - 11:30 at Bewleys Hotel Dublin Airport and a continental breakfast will be provided. We will look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a must-attend session for those wishing to gain a competitive edge in Foodservice.

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Bunzl McLaughlin are delighted to announce the launch of their new website. This new website promises to inform customers of the latest trends and innovations in the catering and hospitality industries. With a “Meet the Team” section, customers can now log on and see who they need to contact and also put a face to the name!

The website blog is regularly updated with the latest company and industry news. Customers can also take advantage of the latest offers from Bunzl McLaughlin by visiting the “Special Offers” section of the website.

The new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bunzlmclaughlincateringsupplies also offers a way of customers interacting with the company and again, highlights news and latest events.

Bunzl McLaughlin’s Catering Design Solutions (CDS) have also got a new website at: www.cateringdesignsolutions.net.

Bunzl CDS is a division of Bunzl McLaughlin offering innovative solutions to the catering, hospitality and foodservice industries.

This includes consultation and delivering a full design concept to turnkey completion, tailored to suit the client’s needs. The new website highlights recent projects such as kitchen fit outs for hotels like the Radisson Farnham House, Red Cow Inn, Lough Rynn and Killarney Oaks. The division has also worked on “Grab and Go” style cafes in hospitals such as Altnagelvin.

Bunzl McLaughlin is the leading supplier of non-food catering and cleaning supplies to businesses in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. They specialise in providing a reliable service and delivering value, quality and innovation to customers. They have over 5,000 core items in stock available for next-day delivery and access to over 50,000 products from the world’s leading catering and cleaning manufacturers that can be sourced and ordered to requirement.

For more information on Bunzl McLaughlin, visit: www.bunzlmclaughlin.com We will be at Food and Bev in February 2014 come and visit us!

IFSA NEWS

Trinity Hospitality Services Trinity Hospitality Services (THS) is a fully owned subsidiary of PREM Group, an Irish hotel management company operating over 40 properties across Europe.

THS offers an ideal solution for independent or family run hotels as our experienced team can tailor individual support services to drive more business and reduce costs in your hotel. Hotel owners can tap into the resources of a professional hotel management company on an a la carte basis without the need for a full management contract.

Our areas of expertise include: Group Purchasing, Groups and Tours Representation, Franchising, Revenue Management, Guest Loyalty, Hotel Websites and Digital Marketing, Human Resources, Hotel Accounting and IT support.

We can support your business in these individual fields as required.

Contact Alan Cruite www.trinityhospitality.com info@trinityhospitality.com Tel: +353 1 639 1111

GM Marketing - Taking Your Product Places!

Over the last 18months GM Marketing have welcomed 10 new members to the team, diversified into new sectors, expanded further into R.O.I and the UK, acquired several exciting new brands and even had the time to develop some of their own. While they understand there is uncertainty and risk in the economy, their unique business model has allowed them to weather the storm better than most. Managing Director, Gerard McAdorey believes the company’s strength lies in its people, its relationships and its knowledge of the Irish Market, enabling them to adapt quickly to changes in an unstable economy. The model focuses on establishing and growing brands in the Irish market. A structured approach to selling with integrated account management allows their highly effective field sales team to drive distribution and rate of sale.

Each member of GM Marketing’s vastly growing sales team have Blue Chip FMCG training and have over 100 years combined retail experience. The company has trading accounts with all key retail and wholesale groups as well as a number of leading independents, covering grocery, pharmacy and foodservice. Recently the company has invested heavily in the latest technology in order stay ahead the competition, adopting an all in one I.T tablet solution to replace their traditional paper based product presenter. The software allows the whole team to stay better connected and on the go all of the time. Not only is the customer service more interactive and efficient for everyone, its better for the environment too.

GM Marketing’s approach to their principals is to function as an extension of their current operation as they know what it takes to be successful. GM delivers a full menu of sales and marketing services for each of their brands in order maximise distribution, leverage market share and remove the complexity in selling to Ireland. This intuitive strategy has seen a number of leading brands such as Tilda, Typhoo, Vimto, Levi Roots, Weight Watcher’s, Butcher’s Pet Care and just recently Guinness crisps and nuts, choose GM as the people to “take their products places.”

For more information on GM Marketing or the services they provide, please visit www.gmmarketing.ie or call 0044 2894 428801

Bewley’s Coffee - IFSA Member Bewley’s, Ireland’s Leading Coffee company are delighted to be members of the IFSA. As market leaders and experts in our field, Bewley’s continue to deliver the complete beverage solution and premier coffee and tea offering to customers throughout Ireland. At the heart of our success is an unflagging pursuit of excellence in all aspects of our operation, allied to a continuous commitment to ethical sourcing, expert roasting, product and service innovation, best-in-class barista training, and consistency in prioritising customers’ needs.

These customer needs are pivotal to our business, and as such we’ve always prided ourselves in offering exceptional customer service. We value your business which means a first class service is all part of the deal. That means a dedicated Account Manager, a designated Barista Trainer, a nationwide Service Team of engineers to hand and a Customer Care team ready to take your call.

Our passion for innovation and delivering profit to our customers’ is evident in our enhanced value added offerings for all foodservice operators: Hotels, Cafes, Restaurants, Licensed Premises etc. Our award winning coffees are sourced from around the world to satisfy any taste. We have everything from the purest hit of espresso, to the most exotic connoisseur cup; through a delightful and popular choice of filter coffees; the Bewley’s experience keeps your customers going - and coming back for more.

To find out more about how we can drive profit from coffee for your business, please visit our website www.bewleys.com or call us today on 1850 248 484

Exhibit Design Group Branding your Business Exhibit Design Group, is a leading Irish company, specialising in Interior Design, Exhibitions, Events and Brand Development and has worked extensively for their clients at home and worldwide.

Since Exhibit was established in 1990 our team has grown the business to become a market leader in Ireland that offers a broad range of design based solutions to our steadily growing list of clients.

The clients we work with represent the best in Ireland across many sectors from the Food Service, Hotel & Restaurant, Coffee, Bakery and Food Retail sectors. Exhibit Design Group launched its ‘BRANDIT’ range of rustic and artisan products at CATEX which has proved a great success as a product presentation solution to show our clients products at their very best, and it has proven to increase and drive sales while activating greater customer interest. The ‘BRANDIT’ range includes bespoke, A frames, Easels, individually branded crates, framed blackboards, and other graphic messaging systems.

The range is continually growing and can be tailored to individual clients requirements. This, combined with our Visual Merchandising solutions proves Exhibit Design Group to be a one stop solution for all your design requirements. We are happy to say we are working on a wide variety of projects further to making the initial contact at Catex. Combining our design and project management services, we are ideally situated to cater for all your design and build requirements, and we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your project requirements with you. For further information please contact Martin Durcan on 087 6223344 or martin.durcan@exhibit.ie

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REPORT

Hotel Transactional Market 2013 Following several years of inactivity the hotel transaction market in Ireland improved dramatically in 2012 and this has continued into 2013 with a number of landmark sales taking place.

21 hotels have sold or gone sale agreed to date this year, for a total in excess of €120million. This level of activity is set to continue for the remainder of 2013 with over €300million worth of transactions expected to take place by the end of the year. Transactional activity should be strengthened by the expiry of the Hotel Capital Allowances granted in 2005/06 and the limited remaining window to avail of the capital gains tax waiver which runs out on 31st December 2013.

Some notable transactions that took place during 2013 by Savills include the stunning Ashford Castle which sold for almost €250k a room, River Lee Hotel, Cork sold for €25 million at a yield of just below 8%, Jurys Inn, Parnell Street sold for €21million and Sheen Falls, Co Kerry sold for €5million.

Midleton Park, Carlton Atlantic Coast and The Ambassador Hotel have gone sale agreed by Savills at above their guide price reflecting the positive demand in the market. Trinity Capital Hotel has gone Sale Agreed at €35 million as well as Fota Island Resort and Spa at €20million.

Lough Erne Resort is also Sale Agreed at below its guide price.

Properties on the market include Clarion IFSC and Clarion Dublin Airport with asking prices of €30m and €10m, The Radisson Blu, Cork with an asking price of €8m and The Kingsley Hotel, Cork asking €6million.

In terms of buyers, international investors are showing a strong interest in prime city centre hotels and trophy assets in regional locations. It is also encouraging to see domestic demand back in the market with a strong focus on hotel opportunities outside Dublin.

A large portion of hotels being sold are receivership sales. These hotels are now coming to the market at a faster pace and with realistic asking prices. As a result of this and the stronger level of demand for hotel properties, hotels are being sold in a timely manner.

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Overseas Arrivals to Ireland 2013 Visitor numbers to Ireland in 2011 reached 6.5m, representing a 7% increase on 2010 results. However, 2012 showed only a marginal increase of 0.02% on 2011.

Following this, it is very encouraging to see that the first six months of 2013 reported an increase in visitor numbers of 5.4%. Total number of overseas visitors to Ireland during this period reached over 3m, an increase of 162,000 on the same period in 2012. This is the highest number of visitors for this period since 2009 and is very positive for the Irish economy as tourism drives exports - a critical component of GDP. Events throughout the country including The Gathering initiative along with the best summer weather in a decade are having a positive impact on visitor numbers and domestic tourism in Ireland.

Visitor numbers increased across all the major source markets apart from Britain (our largest source market - 46% of the total arrivals) for the first six months in 2013.

The strongest growth for the first six months was from Australia/New Zealand (+17%), driven by the volume of Irish emigrating. French growth was also strong up 16%, likely due to French rugby fans. Other areas with double digit growth include North America (+15.4%), the Nordics (+13%) and the Benelux (+10%).

Overall, visitor arrivals for the six months are almost back to 2009 levels and with recent positive newsflow regarding the UK economy it is hoped that this key market will also pick up in the second half of 2013.

Dublin Hotel Performance The Dublin hotel market showed positive growth in 2011 and 2012 which is continuing into 2013. For the first half of the year STR reported Dublin occupancy of 75%, ARR €86.75 and RevPAR €66.18.

In 2012, Dublin was ranked 2nd out of 19 European cities in terms of RevPAR growth. Dublin is an increasingly attractive destination for both leisure and corporate trade. Factors driving this include increases in overseas tourists; improved value for money; new venues such as Aviva Stadium, Grand Canal Theatre, The O2, and Convention Centre Dublin (CCD), as well as the range of events that are held in the city.

REPORT

On the market for a cool €30m is the Clarion IFSC

Ashford Castle sold for almost €250k a room

In 2012 approx. 2.4m visitors passed through Cork Airport and it is positive to see that Ryanair added 11 new routes to their schedule for summer 2013. Cork attracts both leisure and corporate business and is now recognised as the commercial centre for the south with a large number of MNCs choosing to locate there.

Galway attracts tourists from all over the world due to its vibrant culture, spirited art scene and numerous festivals while remaining a popular destination for domestic travel.

In contrast, Limerick continues to struggle with RevPAR for the first six months of 2013 at a very low level of €28 and occupancy down by 1% due to the large oversupply of hotels in Limerick.

Outside of the cities, hotel trade is recovering at a slower pace. The good summer weather, along with increased flights and destinations from North America and Canada into Shannon will aid the recovery process outside of the cities.

Trending H1 2013 v 2012 YTD Jun-13 Cork Limerick Galway Occupancy % 71.7% 56.1% 67.4% ARR € €68.00 €50.43

€66.75

RevPAR € €48.75 €28.27 €45.02 2013 v ‘12 Carlton Atlantic Coast has gone sale agreed by Savills

Dublin’s growing reputation as a leading European corporate city is supported by the number of EMEA headquarters here. This trend continues with the imminent opening of the Google Foundry expected to attract 15,000 visors a year from a number of global businesses ensuring continued growth in hotel performance.

Cork

Limerick Galway

6.7%

-1.3%

3.47%

2.4%

1.3%

2.4%

9.3%

0.0%

6.0%

Occupancy %

ARR €

RevPAR € Hotel Performance Cork, Limerick and Galway Similar to Dublin, Cork and Galway are showing positive RevPAR growth.

Trending.ie reported Cork RevPAR up 9% to €48.75 for the first half of 2013 and Galway RevPAR up 6% €45.02.

Tom Barrett, Head of Hotels & Leisure, Savills Ireland & Aishling Waldron H&RT AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ‘13

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TOURISM COLLEGE

College of Tourism & Arts, GMIT, Galway Welcome to the latest news from the College of Tourism and Arts in Galway Mayo Institute of Technology in Galway. For current updates do follow up on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/links.office and Twitter @GMITTourismArts. Graduates from the college are encouraged to connect with the LINKS office where the team, led by Bernie Merry will keep you linked in to all CTA events and stories. Bernie and the team can be contact at linksoffice@gmit.ie or call 091 742565.

The College of Tourism and Arts was formed in September 2012 when the Hotel School and the School of Humanities merged. Here, you can earn internationally recognised degrees in the fields of tourism, art & design, culinary arts, film & documentary, heritage, hotel management, event management, and retail & customer service.

The world of hospitality and tourism is a flamboyant and vibrant one. GMIT is a pioneer of education in this industry and graduates are instantly recognised and eagerly sought by employers all over the world. Specialist lecture rooms and laboratories provide the ideal environment for students to perfect their craft in culinary arts, restaurant & bar management, retail and customer service and hotel management. Accredited work placement module increases the employability of students by providing an opportunity to gain invaluable industry experience and enhance their professional skills. Lecturers are members of various professional bodies and have established working relationships with industry practitioners in the various industry sectors worldwide, these industry links are invaluable to students, faculty and curriculum review processes. Visit our new website www.gmit.ie/cta for further details.

THRIC 2013 – Tourism & Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference The 9th Annual Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference (THRIC) took place in Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology on June 6th and 7th 2013. Over 120 delegates from academia, industry and students discussed the theme of the conference - Celebrating Arts and Culture: A Gathering of the Tourism and Hospitality Family.

The delegates enjoyed two keynote speakers, Jim Murphy (PREM Group) and Mark Nagurski (CultureTECH Festival, Derry), a panel discussion and a range of presentations during three parallel sessions over both days of the conference.

CTA Lecturer, Jacinta Dalton Failte Ireland’s Food Ambassadors Jacinta Dalton, lecturer in the GMIT College of Tourism & Arts, has been selected as one of eight new influential food tourism ambassadors or ‘Food Champions’ by Fáilte Ireland and will join its Food Tourism Network Development Programme. Food Champions are selected for their resounding passion and belief in Irish food and for actively influencing and shaping the future of Irish cuisine and food tourism in their region.

Jacinta lectures in Food & Beverage Management in GMIT’s Galway campus and is the only academic among the eight selected 2013 Food Champions. A native of Galway and a graduate of GMIT, she has worked in GMIT’s Department of Culinary Arts since September 2010. She is a member of SKAL Galway and is the co-founder of The Foodie Forum.

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Speakers at the 9th Annual THRIC Conference held in GMIT from L to R-Tony Candon-National Museum of Ireland, Jim Murphy-PREM Group, John Concannon-Dir. Market Development, Failte Ireland, Cáit Noone-Head of College of Tourism & Arts, Eamonn Mc Keon-Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, Michael Vaughan-President of the Irish Hotels Federation, and John Crumlish, Chief Executive of Galway Arts Festival.

TOURISM COLLEGE

Community engagement Here in the College of Tourism and Arts (CTA), students are actively involved in essential community projects throughout the year.

Learners benefit from these endeavours and have ample opportunity to work alongside various community groups to better understand and appreciate the place in which they live. During these engagements , students not only enhance their skills and knowledge but this opportunity also allows them to explore their attitudes, values and aspirations in real world settings. By participating in such events, students forge bonds with each other as well as with other members of the community. These bonds enhance their interpersonal skills and increase their social network. The following is a small sample of the some of the community projects CTA students have been involved in this year.

Participating in the Connemara Mussel Festival, Tullycross, Connemara - May Bank holiday weekend. From left to right: Jacinta Dalton(CTA Lecturer), Mairin Ui Chomain (Food Writer), Joe Flaherty ( Head Chef, Brassiere on the Corner, Galway)( Grace Kirby, Cassandra Deegan, Claudia Titilincu CTA Students), Maria Conboy (CTA Lecturer) and Tim O Sullivan (Executive Chef Renvyle House Hotel) .

1st Year Culinary students, Maciej Tuczynski & Aaron O Neill winners of Gold Medal at the Sligo Food and Culture Festival, May 2013.

Westport Festival of Music and Food June 2013 2nd Year Culinary arts students Claudia Titilincu & Cathal Conroy with award winning Michelin chef Derry Clarke. Claudia and Cathal worked alongside a number of leading Irish culinary professionals including Dylan McGrath, Derry Clark, Seamus Commons and Oliver Dunne.

New development for culinary colleagues The Department of Culinary Arts, one of five departments in the CTA are currently developing a new special purpose award for budding pastry chefs currently working in the industry. In conjunction with Euro-toques colleagues Michael Quinn and Paul Kelly the new award is being developed to help with the current shortage of qualified pastry chefs throughout Ireland. The award will allow industry colleagues to attend college and work full time in industry. More details to follow in autumn but anyone interested in the programme can contact the college.

And finally… calling on industry colleagues, we need your help!

Earlier this year the CTA engaged in a process of programmatic review. Once every four years the college engages in a detailed review of all programmes. Industry colleagues play a crucial role in this process and if any industry colleague would like to contribute to this process please do contact Cáit on twitter @CaitNoone or email cait.noone@gmit.ie. Feedback related to programme content,design and any other matter you believe to be important and considered during this period of change, is most welcome College of Tourism & Arts Management Team Contact Details: Head of College – Cait Noone Tel: +353 91 742236 Email: cait.noone@gmit.ie Head of Culinary Arts, & The Service Industries – Gerry Talbot Tel: +353 91 742320 Email: gerry.talbot@gmit.ie Head of Heritage & Tourism, Humanities & Languages – Gerry O’Neill Tel: +353 91 742232 Email: gerry.oneill@gmit.ie Head of Centre for Creative Arts & Media – Sarah Searson Tel: +353 91 745419 Email: sarah.searson@gmit.ie

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GASTRO PUBS

Gastro economics The hospitality industry in Ireland is constantly evolving and adapting, with this evolution especially apparent in pubs, where the shift in focus has moved from drink to food. Ronan Kinsella and Paul Lenehan, who run Dublin gastro pub Ashtons and Kildare gastro pubs The Dew Drop Inn and Harte’s Bar and Grill, for which they won a Santa Rita Restaurant Award 2013 for Best Gastro Pub in Leinster, understand this better than anyone. We met with Ronan and Paul to talk about how they got into the industry, their experience running the businesses over the last seven years and how they’ve risen to meet this shift in customer expectation.

Paul studied Hotel and Catering in GMIT. His first experience of a business opening was the Atlantic Coast Hotel in Westport while on placement, and when he finished college he was involved in two more openings - The Talbot as Duty Manager and The Carlton Hotel in Bunclody as Deputy GM. It was in The Carlton that he met Ronan, whose own path into the industry was much more serendipitous when he took a summer job in Ashtons while studying Zoology and Genetics in UCD. Ronan’s first dip into management came when a local entrepreneur in his hometown was redeveloping a pub and needed someone to run it. After two years there he joined The Carlton as bar manager and when an opportunity came up for Paul to take the lease on Flanagan’s Mill in Sallins, Co Kildare Ronan enthusiastically came on board, their good working relationship in The Carlton and a shared ambition to open their own business was the catalyst to the partnership.

“When the opportunity came we grabbed it,” Ronan says. “Flanagan’s Mill was a two man job and a tough introduction to running our own business.”

In September 2007, the lease on Flanagan’s wasn’t renewed by the owner, so just three weeks later Paul and Ronan took on the lease of the first of their current ventures, The Dew Drop Inn. “When we first came in it was a very traditional Irish pub grub style restaurant,” recalls Paul. “It was a mine field. I remember thinking we’re going to need a lot of time energy and money to do this. We had a vision and luckily the owner gave us the funds to develop it. We took on a pub that was run by a family for 16 years and I’d say most people welcomed a change, the food side of the Dew Drop had gone flat so it was good to have two young lads bring something fresh and new into a place that had an already established name for food.”

The real test for Ronan and Paul was 44

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Prawn bruschetta on soda bread with lemon, parsley & tomato butter

Confit silver hill duck leg, pork & ham hock cassoulet, new season queens & savoy cabaage

proving themselves to the locals. “There were some sceptics,” says Ronan. “Some thought we were too young to run a business like this. We did have a lot of challenges, such as changing the style of food and decor and with that came some worrying times considering the amount of money we had invested, and all this at the beginning of the recession, quite a few sleepless nights were had.”

It was their tenacity to stick to their vision, and an understanding of the potential of the gastro pub concept which eventually made The Dew Drop Inn model, as well as their subsequent ventures based on that same model, a success.

Paul says: “We felt the business was edging more towards the food than the bar side; the trend of people wanting to go for a pint and some food in the pub was really taking off. The gastro pub model creates that one stop shop where people are enjoying quality food in a pub setting with a pint of draught in their hand. Pubs are now what restaurants were ten years ago, and the restaurants now are getting really good at certain cooking styles and cuisines, they’re gone quite singular, going after something niche and the gastro pub has moved into what they were. Fortunately for us you can’t have a pint of craft beer in most top restaurants and it’s that something that’s giving the gastro pub the edge. It’s my view that if most pubs are to survive they must look to food. We stuck to it and eight years on the food side of our business has never been better, it has seen a gradual growth in contrast to the drinks side of things.”

In December 2009 Paul and Ronan opened their next venture, Harte’s Bar and Grill in Kildare town and following that in February of last year the duo took over Ashtons in Clonskeagh, Dublin, where Ronan had started in the trade 15 years before.

GASTRO PUBS

Paul Lenehan and Ronan Kinsella

“The pubs all have the same feel, a familiarity,” Paul says. “But we understand each one is different, and as a result we plan their growth along the demographics they serve. Our customers are really helpful and good at making suggestions for the properties and where it offers an improved offering we’ve adapted but we’ve still kept our main focus on our core values and that’s good quality food and fresh produce. It’s restaurant quality food, cooked by enthusiastic teams of chefs, at pub prices.”

Cooleeney Camembert, roasted garlic and slow roasted tomatoes, toasted sourdough

Although Ronan and Paul say the gastro pub feel is casual, they’ve employed creativity, adding music evenings, cocktails and Irish craft beers to create a style people want to return to.

They also say they strongly believe in the importance of creating a visual experience for customers- at lunchtime hot sandwiches made with fresh ciabattas, blaas and sourdough baps are attractively served on boards and slates, and the introduction of a daily special sandwich seems to have gained a cult following. For dinner five core dishes appear on their menus in all three pubs - Clougher Head beer battered fish, lamb burger, Hereford beef burgers with Knockanore cheddar and Ballymaloe relish, chickpea and red lentil balti curry and steak on the stone cooking. What sets the rest of the menus apart are the different ideas of each head chef. “With Head chefs Barry Liscombe in Harte’s, Dan Leahy in the Dew Drop and Ben Morrison in Ashtons we are in good hands,” says Paul.

“People are very conscious of where they’re spending their hard earned money now”, Ronan says. “You have to offer them something different and if you don’t you’re going to fall by the wayside. We try things all the time here to see what will work, we change our menus seasonally, we have jazz nights, wine tasting nights, BBQ’s, We are always trying to engage with our customers.

We’re also getting into food pairings with craft beer as opposed to wine; again it’s trying to give people new experiences.”

Paul adds: “We have seen a big growth in craft beers. Now there are so many craft beers out there it’s not just one tap in the bar there are multiple taps. It’s full of flavour and not as bland as big brands. It’s just getting people to change that first time and have that first pint and get familiar with it. We have seen for example staunch Heineken drinkers trying the Irish crafts lagers such as Carrig or the IPA’s, the likes of O’Haras and Metalmans or the Dark Arts Porter from Trouble Brewing which are based up the road from us in Kill, Co Kildare.”

Although the three gastro pubs are doing well and seeing consistent growth Paul and Ronan say there is no danger they will become complacent. As Ronan stated, “we are relatively young lads, we both have young families but we have the energy and the will to move forward backed up by great teams in each place, We have surrounded ourselves with great head chefs and general managers whose inputs are vital to us. Our staff are the backbone of the trinity.

With a number of their leases coming to review in Kildare next year, it will be a crucial time for them and serious considerations and decisions will have to be made as to their next move. It will be a real challenge as to where they will channel their energies and resources next.

Ronan says: “We do have to make a decision and it’s daunting. We’d like to get into ownership and now is the time to strike, but we definitely want to get our hands on a property we can call our own... and who knows, we might even open a fourth!

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CRAFT BREWING

Craft brewing and distilling meets Master Chef and fine dining

By Caroline Gleeson The craft beer industry has been steadily growing in Ireland and indeed across the globe for the last fifty years. Less than a decade ago there were less than a handful of craft breweries here in Ireland, whereas today there are twenty-four microbreweries in existence and twelve in the planning stage. The significance of these entrepreneurial business ventures is that 2013 has seen a 42.5% growth in sales, €24 million from beer breweries alone.

According to Andrew Moore, member of the Irish Craft Beer Association, this figure is expected to reach €235 million by the end of 2017. Furthermore, Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech and widely recognised as an entrepreneur and an innovative industry leader, has advocated that fifty to sixty craft breweries would create six hundred to two thousand sustainable jobs here in Ireland, involving not only the brewing itself but the making of ingredients, packaging, marketing and transport of the product. He said “we see great opportunity for the Irish market to be the epicentre for Europe in craft brewing and distilling.”

Dr. Lyons is also very invested in the education on craft beers which led him back to Ireland this May in the form of the International Craft Brewing and Distilling Convention. The convention, organised by The Gathering, was held in order to provide a ground where a range of exhibitors could show off the different aspects of brewing and distilling. Also, food and drink exhibitions were showing how to pair the two together in an array of delicately thought out tastes demonstrating how the craft beverage industry is now synergizing with the food industry creating a whole new world in the taste experience.

The convention was just one casing point which highlights the growing market of craft brewing and distilling. There have been a number of organised events and movements to create awareness of the craft brewing industry over the last year.

The Irish Craft Beer Festival held in the RDS in September exhibited nineteen different craft brewers, sixteen of which were Irish. In regards to continued pro46

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CRAFT BREWING

active organisations, one example is Beoir, an independent group of consumers dedicated to supporting and raising awareness of Ireland’s native independent breweries. The organisation was launched in 2010 and seeks, not only to create awareness through news updates and articles on their homepage, but to assist and support amateur craft brewers in order to help them perfect their brew. Reuben Gray, incoming chairman of the Beoir organisation and John Duffy, treasurer, both agreed that craft beer complimented with food is on the increase. John Duffy said “Initially in 2008 restaurants were the vanguard behind craft beer... innovative restaurants bypassed the recession by being more in tune with what customers want.”

However, pubs are definitely taking the lead and, as John Duffy urged, restaurants need to treat craft beer as they would wine, he said “recently I was at a Michelin Star restaurant which I knew served craft beer, but it was listed on the liquor menu, something you look at at the end of your meal. There is still a lot to be done.” The Beoir is also aiding consumers and proprietors by providing a directory of Irish restaurants, pubs, off-licences, breweries and brewpubs dedicated to the supply of Irish craft beers and ciders.

Since launching in 2010 Dungarvan Brewing Company have advocated beer and food matching, working closely with restaurants and gastro-pubs on pairing dishes to the beers. “We put a lot of work into matching beer with food, and also cooking with beer and the change in attitude in restaurants and consumers over the last three years has been enormous,” says head brewery Cormac O’Dwyer. “Customers now expect that a restaurant will carry a selection of quality beers alongside their wine list, and it has become very acceptable to have beer with a meal. In a lot of instances, beer can pair better with a dish than wine which is finally being recognised by restaurants throughout Ireland.”

Some perfect examples of pairing beers and food are matching seafood with Dungarvan’s Helvick Gold blonde ale, which has citrus flavours coming through from the Cascade hops; pairing Copper Coast red ale with roasted meats which matches wonderfully with the caramel flavours of the crystal malt or matching Black Rock Irish Stout with chocolate or vanilla desserts.The time has come for restaurateurs’ to put as much thought into their wine list as they do their beer. The wine industry has been dominating this area of the food industry for years and now that the craft beer and spirit industry are developing more refined tastes, finding more and more innovative ways to join the food industry with the craft brewing industry has never been more exciting. It is no surprise that the four provincial

winners of the 2013 RAI Awards all supply craft beers. In fact, more and more pubs are deciding to specialise in craft beers which are proving increasingly popular.

According to the Beoir directory there are 451 pubs in Ireland serving craft beers.

However, it is not only pubs which are jumping on the craft beer wagon. Offlicense’s are now starting to dedicate their sales to craft beers and even Tesco’s is beginning to supply a range of craft beers, which exemplifies the move from niche market to mainstream market and the ever increasing need for restaurateurs’ to move with the market trends. In fact, according to the Beoir directory there are now 232 restaurants in Ireland supplying craft beer with food.

Innovative restaurateurs’ have begun merging traditional and non-traditional tastes together in order to find a combination of foods which blend well with craft spirits and beers. For example, cheese served with a light pale beer is currently being pushed onto the market.

Also, tiger prawns served with a side of caramel bourbon in a small shot glass for sipping has also created a new explosion of flavours which were eagerly tasted at the convention´s launch party on Thursday 18th of May at the Shelbourne Hotel.

According to the team down at Eight Degrees Brewing “Matching can be about contrasting flavours - the zippy, citrus notes of Howling Gale Ale point up the sweetness of caramelized onion or roast garlic. Or try a complimentary pairing: the sweetness of lamb works well with the caramel flavours in Sunburnt Irish Red.” Excellent and unique combinations have already been explored and these are just a handful of the number of dishes currently being designed. A grand table of flavours within the food industry and the alcohol industry in currently being awakened, the next few months will prove very exciting indeed.

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INTERVIEW

Training days

Stephen Hanna is a busy man. As well as General Manager of The Camden Court Hotel in Dublin city, he also holds the position of Chairman of The Irish Hotel Federation’s (IHF) Dublin branch. The Hotel and Restaurant Times sat down with him recently to talk about his early career, his experiences in these two roles, and the challenges the industry faces, particularly in terms of training.

Hanna’s beginnings in the hotel business stemmed from working in his family’s guesthouses in Tramore Co. Waterford as a teenager. Upon developing a love for the business he decided to study hotel management after leaving school, going on to train with Jury’s in the Trainee Management Development Programme, something he says has stood him in good stead throughout his career.

Stephen Hanna

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“I received incredible training at Jurys Doyle”, he says. “They thoroughly train their staff to the highest standard so they are ready to slot in anywhere. I have come across some decent managers in my time, but they simply lack the confidence in making key decisions and delivering results. The Jury’s training programme allowed me to realise these qualities.”

During his 12 years with the Jurys Doyle Hotel Group, Hanna worked in several Jurys Inns and Hotels before he moved to the Burlington as front office manager. He did a year there and following that, another year as Deputy Manager of The Westbury. He then returned to a Jurys as GM before taking up his current position in The Camden Court in 2006.

At the time of his appointment, the hotel underwent an investment refurbishment with a new restaurant and conference centre. Hanna credits this refurbishment with ensuring the business survived and indeed thrived during the recession.

Hanna says: “It took 2 years to establish ourselves in the residential conference market but we are now seeing consistent occupancy on accommodation and conference room hire. It has also contributed positively to business in the restaurant.

INTERVIEW

Conferences account for a third room hire, a third accommodation and a third F&B revenues per annum. The National Convention Centre has been fabulous too; a huge portion of Dublin’s city centre hotel rooms are occupied due to frequent overseas and residential events with delegates also opting to stay more than a few nights in some cases”.

Hanna realises the importance of research as well as intuition in understanding what the customer wants. Instead of making the hotel’s new restaurant a fine dining offering, the demand for lunches was taken into account, both locally and conference driven, and it was split instead into a carvery, salad and sandwich bar.

He also understands the importance of technology for today’s customer and has harnessed it in The Camden Court to strengthen the product.

We have a full time position dealing with all areas of digital marketing, Search Engine Optimisation, and suite of social media offerings, all focused at driving revenue to the hotel at the lowest ROI. I’m assuming every customer that walks in has a Wi-Fi enabled device so we decided we needed a fast reliable internet connection and invested in a 10MB service, you can see this reflected on Trip Advisor reviews- “great hotel, their WiFi actually works”. Something so simple but in today’s society it is a necessity for our guests, particularly business clientele using it on a more frequent basis. Our website is mobile ready so you won’t have to navigate through a full webpage if you want to book on the move. We’ve also developed an app for the iPad to showcase our conference facility in 3D. We understand that online presence is key in the booking process and that our customers are becoming more online savvy so we need to be able to give them what they want and need instantly” Hanna is in the second year of his two year tenure as chairman of the IHF, a role he is relishing. The IHF, he says, has adapted well to the changing need of the industry during a recession and been proactive. It is listening to what the members want and finding ways to cut their costs, including lobbying for the VAT rate and the JLCs and building a claims facility into the membership cost so IBEC don’t have to be paid an extra fee.

Once again Hanna reiterates the crucial importance of proper training, saying it’s an area the IHF are also becoming involved in due to a lack of options from State bodies such as Fáilte Ireland.

He says: “The Irish Hotel Federation are playing an active role in looking for colleges that are training, for example Colaiste Íde in Dublin, and we’re hoping to work closely with them. We have to do it ourselves because the State agencies aren’t doing it.

Colleges like this are dying for that sort of collaboration.”

So why does he feel the State bodies are falling short?

I came from the background of CERT, it was all about training but Fáilte has moved entirely away from the basic craft training and there’s a massive gap, who’s going to train for example, the next commis chefs now? Fáilte aren’t. It comes down to the brass tacks we need somebody training- who can cook your breakfast, who can serve a

decent pint. CERT really delivered on that and I’m not sure why they moved away from it.”

Employment within the tourism industry benefits from vocational and craft training, so it is a source of frustration for Hanna and indeed the IHF that the majority of Government jobs initiatives to date have focused on third level qualifications as a gateway to the jobs market.

Due to policy changes in relation to the former CERT activities, vocational training in the hospitality area has not taken place for over two years. Hanna believes that a Tourism Training Division should now be formed within SOLAS to address this demand.

There is opportunity with the creation of the Local Employment and Training Boards for the VEC’s to participate in this area. The IHF has examined this in depth and believes tourism businesses such as hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, pubs and bars could provide opportunities for over 3,000 long term and youth unemployed if a new structure was established.

Craft level training offers a valuable conduit to employment for young adults looking for work in today’s difficult jobs market. Our proposal would help stem the issue of longterm unemployment and provide young people, in particular, with possibly their first work experience and a valuable stepping stone in their careers.

With unemployment at over 14%, our overriding objective must be job creation, getting people into the workforce and providing them an opportunity to develop their skills. This would have an enormous impact, particularly in rural areas where fewer employment opportunities exist.

Hanna also feels strongly about restructuring the hotel classification system.

He says the lines have become too blurred and there is a lot of confusion about what constitutes for example a starred hotel, or guesthouse. If you look at tripadvisor, you have guest houses mixed in with hotels in the general search.

So what does Hanna see happening over the next few years? He recognises that other cities and towns haven’t seen as much growth as Dublin but feels the city is in a special position due to investment, world class facilities and a thriving domestic market.

He tells us: “We’re entering 10 years of strong growth in Dublin- that’s been echoed with investment in The Morrison, The Marker and The Burlington. We’re not seasonal so we are doing business all the time. We have also never seen so many events in Dublin. We have the Bord Gais Theatre, the Aviva, and The Convention Centre - all world class.

There’s more domestic business than ever coming to Dublin too- our car park is packed every weekend; it takes just two hours to come to Dublin from Cork, Galway or Belfast.

It’s great.”

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SEMINAR

A fresh welcome to Food & Hospitality Ireland 2013 The Organisers of world-renowned trade events, IFE and Hotelympia, Fresh Montgomery, and its Dublin office, Irish Services Montgomery, are about to open the doors to Food & Hospitality Ireland 2013 - a trade event that’s been specifically tailored to meet the needs of today’s retailers, restaurateurs, chefs, hoteliers and all of those in the food and drink sectors.

Taking place on the 18th and 19th September at the Industries Hall in the RDS, Dublin 4, the event - which incorporates SHOP - is expecting to welcome thousands of visitors over the two-days.

COOKING UP A STORM: New for 2013 is Food & Hospitality Ireland’s Chef’s Table demonstrations, hosted by show partner, the Restaurants Association of Ireland.

Each day, four of the country’s most respected and award-winning chefs will be taking to the stage to showcase recipes developed using local products from their area. Demonstrating how to create Michelin-star dishes from the best of Irish produce, the line-up includes Dublin’s Kevin O’Toole, Head Chef & Proprietor of Chameleon in Temple Bar and Shamzuri Hanifa from The Cottage Restaurant in Leitrim, winner of the RAI’s Best Chef, Leitrim, at the organisation’s 2013 awards.

Both Kevin and Shamzuri will be incorporating produce from their local county enterprise board’s food and drink producers, who will also be exhibiting at the show. For the full line-up of demonstrations, please refer to www.foodhospitality.ie TAKING TO THE STAGE: The Spotlight Stage at Food & Hospitality Ireland will include seminars, discussions and expert panellists from some of the industry’s most-respected experts.

The line-up on day one includes an opening presentation from CEO of Harmonia, Norah Casey, and a panel discussion on ‘The Role of Private Label in Ireland’. The Head of eTail Ireland, Sheila Buckley, will be focusing on ‘Retailing Online and Multichannel’ and Ruairi Doyle, General Manager of Grabone will be delivering information on how daily deals can grow your customer base.

Day two will open with Frank Gleeson, Chairman of Retail Ireland and Retail Director, Topaz and also featuring on the bill are Paula Donoghue from Bord Bia and Charlie Sheil, General Manager of The Marker. The full schedule can be viewed at www.foodhospitality.ie.

EXCITING EXHIBITORS: “This year, we’ve added hospitality to the bill as there’s huge 50

H&RT AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ‘13

Shamzuri Hanifa

Charlie Sheil

cross over within the industries and our vast range of exhibitors really will cater for everyone in the food, drink, retail and hospitality sectors,” comments Tim Graham from Irish Services Montgomery, organisers of the event.

For foodies, companies exhibiting include ChocoMe Ireland, Mrs Doyle’s Tea Company, Rosie & Jim’s Gourmet Chicken products and The Blue Haven Collection.

South Cork, West Cork, Kildare and Donegal County Enterprise boards are all attending and will be hosting some of the best artisan producers from their respective counties, as will Invest Northern Ireland.

Catering for visitors from the retail and hospitality sectors, exhibitors include United Wines, EPoS solutions provider, CBE, Milano Coffee Systems, United Wines, DWS Supplies, Airlux, Timepoint, AS Gaard, Cummins Allison and quality butchery and catering equipment provider, AR Systems amongst others.

COMPLETING THE LINE-UP: Hundreds of butchers are set to descend on the Industries Hall for the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland’s most prestigious awards, which includes its ‘Shop of the Year’ title.

There’s also the show’s partnership with the first-ever Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards. Food & Hospitality Ireland will become the exclusive home for the winning products on Thursday 19th September, with the award winners taking centre stage in a feature area at the show.

For further information and to pre-register your attendance, please log onto www.foodhospitality.ie. Become part of the conversation by following the show on twitter @FHIexhibition.

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