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RISING STAR OF 2014
Patrick Ryan of Firehouse Bakery
OlIver Dunne
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...
Cleaver East | Bon Appetit
THE EVOLUTION OF RESTAURANT MARKETING
Katie Gilroy of Urbun Cafe
Olivia Collins of Food PR shares her expertise
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IN THIS ISSUE
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Agenda
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What’s happened and what’s happening in the industry
The Main Course
BUNZL Bunzl MCLaughlin gives us a sneak preview of Food and Bev live 2014
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Des Doyle chats with cover star this month Oliver Dunne of Cleaver East and Bon Appetit
Ciara Warnock Visits... The culinary delights ofTemplebar
Wine/Cocktail of the Month For drinks ideas, let Findlaters show you the way
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A Day in the Life of...
Katie from Urbun gives Service an insight into her typical day
2014’s Rising Star
One to watch Patrick Ryan of Firehouse Bakery answers our questions
CONTACTS
EDITOR Des Doyle / des@page7media.ie 01 240 5528 DESIGN Deirdre Fitzpatrick / deirdre@page7media.ie CONTRIBUTORS Elaine Clancy Aideen Kerr Ciara Warnock PHOTOGRAPHER Ruth Medjber www.ruthlessimagery.com MENUPAGES QUERIES admin@menupages.ie / 01 240 5590
The Evolution of Restaurant Marketing Olivia Collins (Food PR) gives advice on how to sucessfully market your business Published monthly, Service is distributed free of charge to the key decision makers in every restaurant on the MenuPages database. A further 450< senior decision makers in suppliers to the hospitality sector, as well as other related parties, are also on the distribution list. All material copyright 2012. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior consent of the Publisher. Opinions and comments herein are not necessarily those of the Publisher. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that all information contained in this publication is factual and correct at time of going to press, MenuPages cannot be held responsible for any inadvertent errors or omissions contained herein.
MenuPages, The CourtYard, Carmenhall Road, Sandyford Industrial Estate, Dublin 18, Ireland.
New Arrivals to
Forest Avenue is a neighbourhood dining room situated on Sussex Terrace in Dublin 4. The restaurant is run by husband and wife team John and Sandy Wyer. It is named after the street where Sandy grew up in her native Queens, New York. They serve modern food using excellent seasonal ingredients in relaxed, informal surroundings. The menu changes frequently and features a 5 course tasting menu. A “Residents Menu” is also offered with a choice of two or three courses, which runs Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
Leading Suppliers
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A seafood extravaganza on two floors at Drury Street Car Park, in the heart of Dublin city centre, Super Miss Sue is a 65 seater seafood and sushi restaurant with a Camari and Gin bar This is the latest venture of restauranteur John Farrell, who has 777, The Buthcher’s Grill and the re-creation of Dillingers under his belt. SMS hopes to fill the void of a high end seafood restaurant in the city centre.
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is month... th y tr s u d in e th g in What’s happenin
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inTernaTiOnaL reaL eSaTe FirM acQuireS SHeLBOurne HOTeL DeBT
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nternational property investment firm Kennedy Wilson announced that the company completed the purchase of notes with an unpaid principal balance of approximately $230 million secured by the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, Ireland.
“We were able to buy the debt on the Shelbourne at a significant discount to the unpaid principal balance in a complex transaction involving multiple sellers,” said Mary Ricks, president and CEO of Kennedy Wilson Europe. “The notes are secured by an iconic asset located in the heart of Dublin with significant value enhancement potential.” Originally founded in 1824, the Five Star landmark Shelbourne Hotel is located in on St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2 and is comprised of 265 rooms, including 19 suites. Additionally, there are 12 meeting rooms, two bars, a restaurant, and a health club which includes a newly renovated spa and swimming pool. Kennedy Wilson, together with its institutional partners, has acquired approximately €8.25billion of property and real estate related debt globally since the beginning of 2010, including over €1 billion in Ireland.
varaDKar aiMS TO aTTracT Over QuarTer OF a MiLLiOn eXTra TOuriSTS in 2014
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ransport and Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar is setting a target of attracting at least 260,000 extra tourists this year following the success of The Gathering in 2013.
Tourism officials are confident that there will be further growth due to a 25% increase in the number of seats on transatlantic air routes since the Budget. And there will be a heavy marketing campaign to promote new tourism projects such as the €8m ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ – a signposted 2,500km driving route from Donegal to Cork which aims to become like South Africa’s ‘Garden Route’. Mr Varadkar said his new target would be to grow the number of tourists by 4% on last year – when over 6.4m people visited during the first 11 months. “There will be a strong focus on sports tourism and outdoor tourism,” he said. The forthcoming events include the hosting of the first stage of the prestigious international cycling event, the Giro d’Italia, and the opening game of the American college football season in Croke Park. Tourism numbers increased by 7.1% in the first 11 months of last year, bringing the overall figure to the highest level since 2009. A 4pc rise would require tourism numbers to increase by at least 260,000 this year.
Varadkar expects increase in tourism
in 2014
taste the difference www.echowater.ie Leading Suppliers
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PePPeR BRaSSeRie Chef inClUDeD in inDoʼS ʻone to WatChʻ FOr 2014
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eter Clifford, the son of the late, Michelin-starred chef Michael Clifford, has been singled out by The Irish independent in their annual ‘ones to watch’ list for 2014.
The talented young chef from Tipperary has been generating a buzz since taking over the position of head chef at Pepper Brasserie and Grill at Dublin’s Bram Stoker Hotel, Clontarf at the end of last year, earning a mention in John and Sally McKenna’s Guide’s Megabites awards and recently the recipient of Lucinda O’Sullivan’s Young Blood Award in her Gastro Gongs for 2013.
Le BOn cruBeen re-OPenS aFTer Fire
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e Bon Crubeen on Talbot Street, Dublin 1 reopened after suffering an electrical fire in early December. The electrical fire gutted the kitchen and caused the evacuation of guests from the adjacent Celtic Lodge Guest House at 5am in the morning. The mammoth effort to reopen in time for the busy Christmas period included around the clock repairs and cleaning, the complete stripping of the kitchen back to its concrete shell and re-fitting all the services, fabric and brand new equipment. The smoke damage involved the whole restaurant including the newly-opened upstairs private dining room and several bedrooms of The Celtic Lodge.
DeaneʼS of BelfaSt annoUnCe eXPanSion One of Northern Ireland’s best-known restaurants is to undergo a £500,000 expansion. The overhaul at Deanes in Belfast city centre is creating 30 jobs, bringing the workforce to 150 in total. New and extended restaurants will include a seafood bar, a grill and the Eipic Restaurant. Managing director Michael Deane said: “Deanes has had a successful few years and I am delighted to be in a position to invest further, not just in our business but in our city. “Despite recent setbacks, Belfast remains vibrant and our customers have continued to endorse our passionate belief in it as a city to be enjoyed by both local people and tourists.” A champagne bar is to open as part of the expansion while the seafood bar will be extended to seat 100.
Leading Suppliers
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MuSGrave MarKeTPLace acQuireS FOOD Service DiviSiOn OF aLLieD FOODS
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usgrave MarketPlace has announced the acquisition of one of the leading operators in the Irish foodservices sector and recognised expert in ambient, chilled and frozen food distribution, Allied Foods which supplies a large number of restaurants and fast food outlets across Ireland. Commenting on the acquisition, Noel Keeley, managing director, Musgrave MarketPlace said: “This acquisition will continue the long term sustainable growth of Musgrave MarketPlace and strengthen our offer in Ireland’s foodservice sector, where we already supply over 45,000 pubs, hotels, restaurants and hospitality businesses. We are looking forward to working closely with our new colleagues who will join the Musgrave MarketPlace team in delivering best in class products, value and service to our customers.” John Raleigh, managing director, Allied Logistics said: “The sale of Allied’s foodservice division will free up capacity for use in our well established and growing frozen and chilled logistics business. We look forward to continuing to grow Allied Logistics over the coming years.”
Padraic Og Gallagher has focused on
educating youth with new competition
rai LauncH aLL-iSLanD ScHOOLS cOOKery cOMPeTiTiOn
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he Restaurants Association of announced the partnership with St. Angela’s College, Sligo, in delivering the Fine Dine at Mine All-Island Cookery Competition 2014. The Fine Dine at Mine cookery competition is open to all students in post-primary schools and Youthreach Centres in the Republic of Ireland.
Noel Keeley, MD of Musgrave’s
The competition gives students an opportunity to create tasty, healthy and affordable restaurant meals at home. Students are asked to submit their favourite restaurant meal. President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland and owner of the Boxty House, Pádraic Óg Gallagher spoke with great pride in the initiative; “Educating the youth of Ireland on cookery as a career and not just a pastime has become an important focus of the Association. Not only that, but this competition aims to promote healthy eating through the creation of lower cost and healthier option meals in conjunction with their local restaurants. We look forward to working with St. Angela’s on this exciting partnership and also to recognising the young culinary talents of Ireland.” The All-Island Cook Off will be held on the 6th & 7th May 2014 in St. Angela’s College, Sligo. The final is judged by a panel of experts including award winning chef Paul Flynn of the Tannery, Dungarvan.
Leading Suppliers
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BUNZL MCLAUGHLIN Sneak Preview for Food and Bev Live 2014 Bunzl McLaughlin is Ireland’s most trusted non-food catering supplier to the hospitality and food industries. Supplying the hospitality trade since 1874 as Thomas McLaughlin, they are now part of Bunzl PLC, a FTSE 100 company and are able to draw on global expertise in product sourcing, working with top international brands as well as local suppliers. Bunzl McLaughlin has the largest range of catering equipment in Ireland, from tableware, glassware, barware to cleaning products and heavy/light kitchen equipment. With access to over 50,000 products from the world’s leading catering manufacturers, products can also be sourced and ordered to need.
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unzl McLaughlin, Ireland’s most trusted non-food catering suppliers, is delighted to announce the launch of their new cocktail equipment range. Always first with new and innovative products, Bunzl McLaughlin have ensured their new barware and cocktail equipment selection contains the latest new products to hit the market. With unique ways of serving cocktails, such as a Japanese teapot, any bar owner can make more profits and stand apart from their competitors. Bunzl McLaughlin will be located at the Bunzl Pavilion this year and will have a selection of barware equipment on display. Around the corner will be Bunzl Catering Design Solutions (CDS) who will be displaying the new Glass Frosting machine, along with glasswashers and other useful bar equipment. They will also have some key bar furniture on offer such as the Frog bar stools by SCAB Design. Bunzl CDS who specialise in offering clients a full catering design concept right through to installation can offer advice to anyone who is thinking of upgrading their restaurant or bar, or even starting out in the catering market. Bunzl are the title sponsor of Food and Bev Live this year. Sean Martin, Bunzl McLaughlin Sales Director says, “Bunzl McLaughlin are delighted to be once more associated with Food & Bev 2014 following the success of the inaugural event back in 2012. At Bunzl Ireland it is our strong belief that events such as Food & Bev Live and CATEX act as a stimulus to our Industry at a time when we all work hard to drive our sector out of recession and into growth. The events organised by the members of IFSA over the last number of years have proven that when we bring people together, not only is business conducted, but also these events have the effect of lifting us all and help build a more positive landscape for our industry.”
Sean Martin
‘With unique ways of serving...any bar owner can make more profits and stands apart from their competitors...’ Frog Stool Japanese Teapot Leading Suppliers
Service January 2014
E H T R O F S D N E R T Y E K
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Lagoon Glass
COCKTAIL MARKET 2014 in
ting Manager, Bunzl McLaughl
Marie-Claire O’Hagan, Marke
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eople may not eat and drink out as much as they used to, but when they do, they want to do it right! As they are now looking for elegant, sophisticated and creative drinks, Ireland has seen an upscale in the cocktail market. Cocktail bars such as The Exchequer, The Liquor Rooms and 37 Dawson Street in Dublin and hotels such as the Merchant Hotel, the Fitzwilliam and Malmaison in Belfast, are putting as much effort into their cocktail menus as their food menus. If you are a bar owner and are interested in adding value to your business and your drinks menu, some of the key cocktail trends below may help you work out what equipment you will need, in terms of barware, glassware, equipment and furniture
VINTAGE STYLE Thanks to the blockbuster film, The Great Gatsby, there has been a revival in the 1920s prohibition-era fashion trends. Authentic ‘vintage’ cocktails have certainly enjoyed renewed success. Key pieces such as the Winchester glass range from Bunzl McLaughlin fits well with this theme.
DRINKABLE DESSERTS AND INNOVAT IVE REC IPES Some places in London are now offering a dessert themed cocktail menu. Key items such as Blueberry Cheesecake, Lemon Meringue Pie and Tiramisu. Bunzl McLaughlin offer a large range of glasses that suit these type of drinks, such as the Hurricane or the Lagoon glasses
ICE ICE BABY... Ice is now getting as much focus as the other ingredients in a cocktail! “Ice spheres” are the new “Ice cubes”. Bunzl McLaughlin have a new machine available which creates ice spheres for the cocktail glasses and other drinks.
Hurricane Glass
“Pure Ice” – some places are using filtered glacial water for their ice, to give it that crystal clear look. “Ice with a Twist” – Some mixologists are now adding herbs, spices, smoked flavours, coffee, honey, berries, flowers or petals. These elements not only help with the look of the drink but the taste can also evolve when the ice starts to melt.
Vintage Glassware
TAILS BOTTLED COCK Some venues are now pre-batching their cocktails into bottles to ensure consistency. This gives the bar plenty of preparation time to make the best drink that they can make, using their best mixologist. These cocktails are made up, bottled and then stored at the optimal chill levels. This trend has been catching on steadily over the years. Some bars are printing their own labels and using waxed seal stamps.
Leading Suppliers
For more ideas for presenting your cocktails, visit www. bunzlmclaughlin.com
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ith the spectacular opening of his latest creation Cleaver East in the heart of Dublin City and the continuing success of Bon Appetit in Malahide, last year proved to be a good year for Oliver Dunne. To top it all he made headlines the world over and gained cult-hero status after his spat with food writer Lucinda O’Sullivan. 2014 promises to be even better with the opening of another restaurant rumoured to be in his sights, there seems to be no stropping this serial entrepreneur. Des Doyle meets him for a no-nonsense chat, something that comes naturally to this Michelin starred chef.
What did you find were the main differences of opening Bon Appetit in 2006 to opening Cleaver East last year? I’ll put it simply; back then our world was a different place, it was booming. We all thought we were invincible. Bon Appetit is one of the most expensive stand-alone restaurants that has ever opened in Ireland, in terms of set up cost, building and its interior. The preparation and the budget were huge. I bought the building in Malahide at the height of the boom in March 2006, then we refurbished it for over 8 months, demolishing the kitchen, extending up a story and putting in an internal lift, basically there was no expense spared. For example the chairs in the restaurant are custom made Italian worth €860 each. The setup of Bon App was in the millions! So what is the difference between then and now? The difference is huge. Has marketing a restaurant changed since then too, with the advent of Facebook, twitter and the likes? I think social media is okay, because it’s relatively free and it’s a good tool to get your name out, but I also think sometimes that it’s a complete load of rubbish! It’s probably a bit of both. Marketers nowadays have a tendency to put all their eggs in the social media basket, but I think the majority of us just flick through social media, and it just blends into obscurity. Don’t get me wrong it has it benefits, however, there’s far too much emphasis on it these days. Yourself and your brother Graham manage both of your restaurants, was it always planned that he would be general manager in Cleaver East too? When we first opened Cleaver East I had a manager in place, who I hired for the pre-launch and the official opening; however it didn’t work out. I have a philosophy in business that once you recognise a problem, no matter what or who it is; you need to address it head on, because in the end it will damage your bottom line. It was very quick; we parted ways within a week and that’s when Graham took over the reins. He saved the day. He was here 7-days a week, morning, noon and night. That made me realise what it’s like to have someone like that on your side. Like me, the running of both restaurants is not just a job for him, it’s a major part of his life. After Graham launched Cleaver East and things were running in an order that we liked, we agreed that he should go back to concentrate solely on Bon App, so I hired another manager. I couldn’t believe it, but the same thing happened again, the new manager only lasted a week! Would it be fair to say you might be a harsh taskmaster? Very much so, I admit that. When I interview someone for a job my exact words are ‘the manager should lead by example’, I firmly believe that and it’s something I adhere to. If there’s a job to be done I like to think I’ll do it quicker and better than anyone else, and that’s the attitude I expect from my staff, especially a manager to have too. Do you think you’re equal parts an entrepreneur and a chef? It’s sort of evolved like that naturally. With each passing year I always look back at the year before and think “I didn’t have a clue”, it’s very progressive. In the past I always felt that wherever I worked my main job was to make my employer money, the food was a by-product of that. I don’t know why I think like that. I look out for little things to help a business, and some people think I’m mad because of it. For instance I remember cutting bottoms off four-litre cream containers and milk jugs instead of buying €5 containers. I just couldn’t see why I would pay that amount when I could use something that does as good a job for free. The recession reinforced that attitude and was a good thing for me. When I opened the Brasserie in Bon Appetit I had nine full-time chefs ,we would spend an hour each day making sure something as insignificant as the chips would be in a perfect rectangle, this something not one of our customers cared about, in hindsight it was totally ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not like that in my personal life. Do you have a favourite moment since opening Cleaver East? I’d like to say I have one, but I don’t and maybe that says something about me, it’s certainly
e n n u D r e Oliv Cleaver East Bon Appetit
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I have a philosophy in business that once you recognise a problem, no matter what or who it is; you need to address it head on, because in the end it will damage your bottom line
not a reflection on the restaurant. I find it hard to live in a moment. You would think that after we opened Cleaver East I would have been overjoyed, but in reality that’s not what I’m like. I tend to look at the negative instead of the positive, but in many ways I think that attitude helps me get my businesses to a standard I want them to be. I always say to my staff that when you walk in here (Cleaver East) and you think it’s 99% perfect, it’s not your job to pat yourself on the back, it’s your job to find out the 1% that’s wrong. The Lucinda O’Sullivan incident had to be one of the highlights of the restaurant industry last year; it proved a major PR success, was that on purpose? It turned out to be 100% a PR stunt and the story went global. Everything I said on my blog post was true. That woman came in here that night and threw a wobbler, literally! The reality was her credit card was declined so the manager followed the exact procedure. When that happens it’s not nice, that’s obvious, but she approached it the totally wrong way; she had a “do you know who I am” attitude. Her entire meal was perfect and she admitted that, not that she would know much. I’d put my professional career on the line to say that it was perfect, Michelin Star standard. The review came out it was obvious that she wanted to annihilate us, but she couldn’t because the food was perfect. She left it to the end of her review to go for the jugular and I wasn’t willing to take her criticism lying down, no chance. When you set up a business that you’re emotionally involved in and someone comes in and slates us for no reason except that her credit card failed, it’s a disgrace and I felt obliged to put things right. You’ve had a lot of famous faces here in Cleaver East… Yeah we’ve had loads. Russell Brand was here recently with a big crew; all the U2 guys obviously, and every other Irish celebrity you can think of. Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin was here too, which was cool. Actually at that point I thought it might be a good idea for them to sign the Cleavers on the windows, kind of like the Top Gear cool wall, but I decided against it because I felt it would cause too much trouble and it might get awkward if some minor celeb that nobody has heard of wanted to sign one. Probably best to just leave it. There’s been an influx of new restaurants opening across the country, especially in Dublin, can they all survive? Absolutely, because when a new restaurant opens people just stop going to the older ones. The new restaurants can survive; the real question is can the old ones survive? If a restaurant has rested on its laurels too long, become stagnant and hasn’t reinvested into their business, then as cruel as this may sound, so be it, a business has to move with the times otherwise they’ll be left behind. My attitude has always been if people deserve to succeed then there will be people who deserve to fail. It’s vital in this industry to be constantly evolving. The build-up to awards season is nearly upon us; in your opinion how important are awards? I don’t think awards are important, I know I’ll probably never win one! If you ask the normal punter on the street to tell you who won the best restaurant award last year, they wouldn’t have a notion. If restaurants are clever about it, they can spin some good PR from receiving awards, but the benefits stop there. Put it this way, if I won the award for best chef in Ireland would I think I consider myself to be the best? Not a chance! I don’t like or need pats on the back like that. You worked in London in some top restaurants; do you think it’s necessary for ambitious chefs to work abroad?
When you set up a business that you’re emotionally involved with and someone comes in and slates us for no reason except that her credit card failed, it’s a disgrace and I felt obliged to put things right. It’s not a necessity, but it certainly helps. The main difference is the level of ambition from your colleagues is higher when you’re working in a Michelin Star restaurant in London. Those kitchens can be such a huge learning curve as everyone is driving for the same goal, sharing ideas about food, reading books, working together. You find yourself constantly immersed in a cocoon of food. The people you work with there have purposely targeted restaurants they want to work for, whether it be Gordon Ramsey’s or The Fat Duck, not because it’s in close proximity to their house. I admit that I was a nut-ball when I was in London, but because of that I rose through the ranks quite quickly. I went to London and I didn’t know a single person over there. There was no temptation because of that, I was there for one reason and one reason only, to learn my trade. When I was working City Rhodes I was only 21, but whenever someone did something wrong in the kitchen I would say, “I’m not over here living in this shit-hole for you to serve that crap”, so people soon learned that I wasn’t to be messed with, and the chefs there respected that. Are you able to switch off easily? If I’m in Ireland, never. As sad as it is, I find myself watching telly or eating dinner with my wife Sabine, but I’m just constantly thinking about work;, it’s definitely not a good thing. Even when I go abroad to a city or on a sun holiday, food and business is still very prominent in those places, so there’s no escape. However, around 4-years-ago I discovered skiing and for the first time I felt I could switch off. I suppose it’s because I’m at the top of a mountain and there’s no similarities to my job or my industry, and of course there’s the added danger of falling, so you have to concentrate on the task at hand. What’s your aspirations for 2014? 2014 will be a big year for me. I’m hoping to obviously keep the focus on Bon Appetit and Cleaver East and I’m hoping to open a new restaurant in Malahide which is going to be something different to what people are used to. It’s a project I’m really excited about and very confident of. It’s a concept that’s been on my mind for a long time and it’s something Ireland doesn’t currently have. It will have the same mantra as Cleaver East, a super cool place where people can go to eat amazing food and enjoy themselves.
@ OliverDunne
East Essex Street, Templebar, Dublin 2 T 01 531 3500
www.facebook.com/CLEAVEREAST
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Ciara Warnock visits...
Templebar Lying on the southern bank of Dublin’s River Liffey, the area known as Temple Bar is steeped in Irish history. Once destined to be a concrete bus depot, the indomitable spirit of Dublin locals fought to have this historic Dublin area rejuvenated, restored to life and so become Ireland’s premier cultural quarter.
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hen the Viking’s landed in Dublin in 795, Temple Bar was where they chose to call their home. Plenty of remains of their settlement are evident today at Dublin Castle, but it was the English Diplomat and Provost of Trinity College who bestowed his name on the area. Some 800 years after the Viking’s arrived, Sir William Temple had his residence and gardens in the area, and so Temple Bar was born. In 1707, a new Customs House opened (where the Clarence Hotel stands today), breathing life into the area, and resulting in a flurry of taverns, theatres and local businesses. Alas, the good fortune was short lived and when the Customs House moved into larger premises across the river, Temple Bar fell into disrepair and by the mid-20th century it had become an inner city slum. Fast forward to the 21st century and Temple Bar has transformed from a run-down ghetto to a vibrant, bohemian cultural quarter – it’s also a mecca for occasional hen and stag weekends. Whatever your opinion on the area’s reincarnation, one thing is certain, Temple Bar is home to some of Dublin’s best food and drink establishments. Whatever your budget, the vast number of restaurants that line the cobbled streets of Temple Bar ensure there is something for everyone. While quantity may not indicate quality every time, there is an array of special establishments that make this lively neighbourhood well worth a visit. As the name suggests, Skinflint (from those behind Jo’burger and the ever popular Crackbird) on Temple Bar’s atmospheric Crane Lane, appeals to diners on a budget. Don’t be fooled by the name however, the food is wonderful and the restaurant itself full of quirky little touches. The staff are beyond hip and the pizza toppings are refreshingly unique. My favourite? The Tess – Pulled Pork, Fennel Seeds, Braised Fennel with Mascarpone Cheese. Skinflint proprietors are also responsible for revolutionising table booking systems with the now infamous #tweetseats. Short on cash? Simply tweet the restaurant with your preferred time and date and two diners eat for free every hour. A marketing genius – take note.
Leading Suppliers
Sticking with the Italian theme, Toscana, on the Dame Street side of Temple Bar is ticking all the boxes. Winner of Good Food Irelands Best ‘Grow it Yourself’ Restaurant for 2013/2014, the proprietors grow up to 70% of their own organic fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs. They also use organic farm eggs for their dishes from the corn-fed hens on their Wicklow farm. Add gluten free pasta and a piano bar with live music to that and it’s no wonder that tongues are wagging about this gem. The interesting and well-known Crow Street is home to another Temple Bar favourite, Il Vicoletto. With a three course set menu for just £25.90 available all evening, dining here won’t break the bank. The aptly named ‘Amalfi Seafood Bowl’ with white wine, garlic, lemon, parsley with garlic bread should certainly recapture pleasant seaside memories. The newest kid on the block is Rory Carville and Oliver Dunne’s Cleaver East on East Essex Street. Well known for his Michelin Star restaurant Bon Appetit in Malahide, Cleaver East is Dunne’s newest venture. The premise is simple – tasting plates to share, allowing diners to sample many dishes in one sitting. Dunne recommends 3 – 4 plates per person (there are both sweet and savoury options) and prices range from just €4 per plate and up. I look forward to trying the Lemon Cannelloni with Raspberry Curd and Raspberry Sorbet. Reviews so far have been very favourable – apart from the whole Lucinda O’Sullivan debacle…… The last Italian on our tour is Caffe Italiano, also on Crow Street and well worth a pit stop. Since opening its doors as a small Italian café, it has blossomed and grown into a fullyfledged restaurant serving an array of traditional and tasty Italian dishes. They take their wine seriously too with wines from Sicily, Tuscany, the Roero, Selento, Piedmont, Montepulciano, and Puglia. Open from 8 am daily and the coffee is particularly good.
Service And finally, a Temple Bar favourite, the Chameleon Restaurant on Fownes Street has been serving authentic Indonesian Cuisine since 1994. Everything is made from scratch in-house and with The Chameleon celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, little more needs to be said. Downstairs houses the casual Asian Tapas bar, while upstairs you will find the more traditional restaurant – including Rijst Tafel (Rice Table) menus, a way of serving Indonesian food devised by the Dutch. Those who opt for Rjist Tafel receive several different dishes at the same time, plus condiments, perfect for groups of friends. There are plenty of options depending on your mood and for those in a hurry, take-away meals are also available. With more awards under their belt than you can shake a stick at, The Chameleon is a must when visiting Temple Bar. Although small in size, Temple Bar has plenty to offer Dublin diners; what we have mentioned here is just the tip of the iceberg. Who could forget the Elephant and Castle and their legendary chicken wings, or Tante Zoe’s for Cajun Popcorn Shrimp? Murphy’s Ice Cream on Temple Bar Square is perfect for that après dinner treat, or The Queen of Tarts for an afternoon pastry. There is a reason the crowds throng to Temple Bar – and it’s not just the great atmosphere. Perhaps it’s time for a visit?
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Interior of Chameleon Restaurant TOP RIGHT: Oliver Dunne’s Cleaver East RIGHT: Interior of Toscana RIGHT CENTRE: A firm favourite Il Vicoletto BOTTOM RIGHT: Exterior of Caffe Italiano LEFT: Joe Macken’s Skinflint
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Cocktail & Wine of month
WINE OF THE MONTH Santa Cristina
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roduced by the Antinori winemaking dynasty, the Santa Cristina range contains the red ‘Le Maestrelle’ and white ‘Umbria’ which are exclusive to the on-trade here in Ireland.
A miniature ‘Super Tuscan’ in its own right, Santa Cristina Le Maestrelle is 60% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and 20% Syrah, giving it a fresh and full flavour with chocolate and mint notes. It has just the right amount of acidity and tannin to make it perfect with food, but not too much so that it is also excellent on its own. Its white companion Santa Cristina Umbria is a blend of the native Tuscan white grapes Grechetto and Procanico, giving intense floral aromas of lilac and jasmine. Soft on the palate, it is light and easy drinking as well, so perfect as the aperitif to with lighter salads and white meat dishes. Both of these very Tuscan wines offer amazing value for their price and are the perfect house wine to have on any list. See www.findlaters.ie for more.
COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH T
A Winter’s Tale Spiced Cobbler
his is the perfect winter cocktail that combines a number of classic seasonal flavours, and A Winter’s Tale’s off-dry style and toasty flavours of hazelnut and spice is a perfect base for this deliciously warming drink.
30ml A Winter’s Tale Amontillado Sherry 25ml aged gold rum 15ml fresh lime juice 40ml fresh orange juice A dash of Angostura Bitters 15ml sugar syrup infused with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & star anise Add all ingredients in to the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously Strain the into an ice-filled glass Serve with a slice of orange studded with cloves or a cinnamon stick
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.. f. o e f i L e h t n i y a D A Katie Gilroy of
Urbun Cafe
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s a coffee fiend, there really is only one way my day can start and that’s with an Americano made personally by our Head Barista,Vini Arruda. He scooped third place in the Irish Barista Championship last year and we’ll be rounding up the troops to cheer him on once again as he competes for the third time in February 2014. If we’re both on the 8am shift, our morning ritual begins with chat about the latest single origin bean claiming residency in the hopper – whether it’s Mexican Muxbal (Vini’s competition bean from last year) or a Colombian hell raiser by the name of Las Mercedes, I’m schooled by the Master in the notes and complexities of the latest bean before the doors open and the early risers descend for their fix. Until 11am, I’m usually found behind the counter dropping fresh berry scones into bags for take-away, cutting lemon drizzle and chocolate brownies into squares and serving customers at the till. If there’s an hour reprieve before lunch, I’ll escape to the office to sort out the wages, pay bills and tend to my social media duties. Twitter has a bad habit of distracting me from my urgent ‘To Do’ list but it’s a great way of keeping up with what’s going on beyond our little Cabinteely bubble. Another coffee down the hatch and we brace ourselves for a busy lunch. With two large Bank of Ireland centres in the Village, we rely on the working men and women in the area as well as local families to keep our heads above water. We know most of them by name and the rest by the coffee they drink or the way they like their scrambled eggs. We’re proud to say that a lot of them have been gracing these concrete floors since day one, almost three years ago. A bustling lunch and positive feedback reminds us all why we’re doing this. The new menu is going down well and with Christmas approaching, there’s great demand for home baked treats and cakes. When it’s safe to breath,Vini and I discuss coffee hampers and the approaching launch of our barista training courses before he ceremoniously hands the tamper over to his successor and catches his bus home. My partner Niamh and I use the post-lunch lull to hatch new plans of world domination, or at least to figure out our schedule for the next few weeks. The calendar fills up quickly as do the shelves of our retail section at the front of the cafe. We arrange any new deliveries from the likes of DP Connolly or Pandora Bell on the display table, price them up and enter them into the system so they’re ready for purchase. Whatever time I have left is dedicated to organising our Christmas Day pop-up – Christmas
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Service Cracker at the Bun which takes place on 25 December. Like most of my mad ideas, this one came to me when I was pumped up on caffeine and thinking about my friends in Australia and Canada who have spent many a Christmas away from home without their families or a decent home-cooked meal. My aim is to provide a sumptious feast and plenty more besides for anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation this year. A lot of work has gone into devising an exciting, non-traditional menu, hiring the right staff and marketing the event and this project will keep me busy for the next few weeks. I liase with my chef on the final draft of the menu before drawing up a list of ingredients for the triall tasting in a few days. By six o’clock, it’s time to close up shop. With my sister’s impending wedding and me on cake duty, I don my apron and channel my inner more virtuous Nigella (the one that gets high on coffee) and get cracking on a triple tiered mound of pure sin in the form of a 12” mars bar square as the base, a spiced plum cake in the middle and a lemon and chai sponge as the top layer. It will take three days of baking, kneading and strategically gluing sugar paste ribbons to the side of each tier before the cake is completed and I can then focus on being a good bridesmaid.
@urbuncafe
Old Bray Road Cabinteely Dublin 18 www.urbun.ie
www.facebook.com/urbun
T 01 284 8872
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Rising
star OF
Patrick Ryan
2014
It’s not every day you hear of someone exchanging a career in corporate law for chef knives, but that’s exactly what Patrick Ryan of Firehouse Bakery did. After completing a degree in corporate law he undertook a two year professional cookery course at GMIT. He honed his skills while training under the guidance of Michelin starred Kevin Thornton before taking time out to travel the world. Since crossing paths on his travels with Duncan Glendinning his star risen steadily and 2014 looks set to be his biggest yet. Patrick set up Firehouse Bread School on Heir Island in 2012 and opened his first mainland bakery, Firehouse Bakery in Delgany, Co. Wicklow in August 2013. He has also starred in the BBC’s ‘The Big Bread Experiment’ and in 2012 published his first book called ‘Bread Revolution’.
Service January 2014 Can you tell us briefly about your career to date? If I’m completely honest my journey into food wasn’t the most direct. It was only after my completion of a degree in corporate law that I chose to swap my law books for chef knives. Having trained at G.M.I.T I got the opportunity to work under Kevin Thornton which was an amazing opportunity. My travel plans then took me to Australia which resulted in my paths crossing with Duncan Glendinning on a Fijian beach of all places. It was this chance meeting that resulted in my move to Bath and the start of my journey to the world of Bread. How was your experience training under Michelin star chef Kevin Thornton? Working for Kevin was an amazing opportunity. It laid the foundations of my career to date. I was very lucky during my time at Thornton’s; Graham Neville was the head chef of Restaurant Forty One so I had the opportunity to work with amazing talent. You’ve already featured on TV in ‘The Big Bread Experiment’ on BBC2; is television something you would like to continue to do? It would be great to do some more TV work. I suppose you never know what opportunities might arise but yeah, it would definitely be interesting.
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Why did you decide on Heir Island as the location for your cookery school? For many years Heir Island has been the summer home of my girlfriend, Laura, and about 11 years ago it became her family home. Where better to start our bread revolution then the rebel county? What are you ambitions for Firehouse in 2014? It has been an amazing 18 months since we first opened our doors. This year I want to build upon that success and share our story with people so they know what we are about at Firehouse. I have a few little projects up my sleeve so I guess time will tell. Do you a have a guilty food pleasure? Yeah; it has to be a twister ice cream or a tangle twister as they use to be known. It’s my number one hangover cure. If you weren’t a chef, what career path would you have taken instead? I guess it would have been the world of Corporate law. What dish do you most like to make for yourself when you’re off duty?
Were you always interested in Baking? I always had a passion for food in general. I think most people can relate to baking; I always remember my mum baking in the kitchen and waiting to lick the spoon from the mixing bowl. Is it fair to say that the success of your book been one of the highlights of your career so far? To get the opportunity to write the book was amazing. It’s still such a buzz to see it in print and on a bookshop shelf. But the highlight of my career has to be moving home and kick starting my own bread revolution here in Ireland.
I am a comfort food kind of guy. I love a good roast, good friends and a cheeky beer; what is not to like? What the best thing about Irish Food? That’s an easy answer; it has to be the amazing producers. There would be no Irish food without them and the quality of some of the produce is the best in the world @firehousebread
Any regrets so far? Regrets aren’t worth having. I don’t believe in regrets, just in creating new opportunities.
www.thefirehouse.ie
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Year in Review Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins looks back at 2013 and forwrd to 2014
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hat a year 2013 proved to be for the industry.
Like any businesses, restaurants have seen their ups and downs throughout the year but I think 2013 will be looked back on with a certain amount of nostalgia. This year, the industry- every food business in the country- lobbied successfully for the retention of the special rate of VAT at 9% in the Budget. Here in the Restaurants Association of Ireland, we were proud to spearhead and facilitate such a powerful lobbying campaign that finally caused our leaders to listen to their constituents; the business owners who provide employment for 64,000 people in this country at a time in our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history when unemployment is rife.
extensively for the lowering of the excise duty on wine in the on trade. Our Pre-Budget submission outlined the need for the excise to be lowered or, at the very least, maintained. All of the wine suppliers were brought together to consult and lobby on the issue on your behalf. Unfortunately, the industry was targeted yet again and excise duty was increased in Budget 2014.You can be assured that the coming year will see further calls from the RAI to lower the excise duty on wine, and carry any increases on the off trade. The Santa Rita/ LIFE Magazine Irish Restaurant Awards, the biggest restaurant awards in the country, have gone from strength to strength since their inception five years ago. This year saw regional events take place in Cork, Belfast, Galway and Dublin, with the All-Ireland final event taking place in the capital in June.
The involvement of all of our members, non-members, Trade Partners and concerned consumers made all the difference to the Keep VAT at 9% lobbying campaign. Without the restaurateurs who put up posters and stickers, talked to TDs in constituency offices and took part in the virtual flashmob on Twitter, nobody would have noticed the pressure our industry is under.
Over 10,000 nominations were received, well in excess of previous years, and over 2,000 restaurateurs, staff and industry players attended the awards ceremonies around the country. Twenty National Academy judges whittled down the regional winners for the All-Ireland event which saw 800 people in The Burlington Hotel. Fifty-eight awards were presented, and five award winning chefs served up five amazing courses.
Instead, the issue of the 9% VAT was discussed widely, both in mainstream and social media. People took notice of our campaign, and for that, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate everyone involved, and thank you all for the work that you do day in, day out for the good of our industry.
Best Chef in Ireland was presented to Sunil Ghai of Ananda, and The Tannery in Dungarvan took home the award for Best Restaurant in Ireland. It is a huge testament to the quality of Irish food and restaurants that there was such competition for all fifty-eight awards. I would like to thank everyone who came on the journey of the Irish Restaurant Awards with us this year; our followers on Twitter and fans on Facebook engaged like never before and made the Awards process an exciting and dynamic one. The strength of the Santa Rita LIFE Magazine
While the Keep VAT at 9% campaign was happening in the public eye, the RAI also lobbied
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Service Irish Restaurant Awards reflects the strength of the industry, and we are glad to facilitate a celebration of your hard work. For our AGM and Conference last April, we undertook a survey of our members to better understand the challenges you are facing, and to draw public attention to those challenges. Ireland is already the most expensive country in Europe to run a restaurant, with water charges, waste charges and staff costs accounting for vast amounts of their expenditure. The top two issues facing restaurateurs facing into 2014 are rising wage costs and local authority rates. We are battling constantly with local authorities to bring down their charges for restaurants, and with the government to provide incentives to employ people. The RAI knows that restaurateurs want to give people jobs, want to boost local economy and want to support their staff and suppliers, and we will continue to find ways that will help you in doing this. Another problem that has been highlighted to us for the past number of years was the shortage of chefs in the country. After over 18 months of lobbying, this year saw the realisation of our efforts and the first ever Restaurant Association of Ireland Professional Cookery Programme was launched in Dublin, with more to be rolled out in Galway and Cork in the New Year. Again, this is an initiative that would not have been possible without your help, and the support both the office and course participants have received from restaurants has been overwhelming. Consumer demands are at an all-time high, another challenge that some restaurateurs are struggling to meet. Consumers want a high quality, low cost product, coupled with excellent customer service. They want to know where their food is coming from, and want lowalcohol purchase with their high quality meal. Add to that the desire for restaurants to go mobile and be available at their fingertips 24/7, and it seems a tough task for any business to undertake. However, it can be done. The restaurant industry in Dublin is bucking the trend and seeing new openings, while outside Dublin may tell a different story. It is encouraging to see that Irish consumers care about where restaurat eurs source their produce from. Many restaurants across the country now do a 10km, 12km or 20km menu, where everything on the menu is sourced within a certain range of the restaurant. While the price of food has soared by 18% in the last year, it is good to see that in the wake of the beef scandal that rocked the Irish agri-food business in early 2013, consumers really think about where the food they are eating comes from. We must all get into the frame of mind to think local, buy local and, most importantly, eat local. The RAI only has strength in numbers, and we are delighted to say that in 2013 we exceeded our target of 1,000 members. To all our new members, welcome on board and we look forward to working with you in the future. To our existing members, thank you for your years of loyalty and support in the work that we do on your behalf. Our work is funded 100% by our restaurant and trade members, and we always welcome input from our members as to how we can best represent you around the country. Don’t be afraid to get involved at one of our nine branch meetings, and any questions you may have will be happily answered by our team in the office. While this past year may have been tough for many of you reading this, it may be a comfort to know that many people like yourselves see the benefit of joining together for the common good. Thank you all for allowing us to carry out vital work on your behalf. The Irish restaurant industry wouldn’t be the dynamic, innovative and exciting industry it is without the people who make it so. Coming to the close of 2013, I’d like to thank our Patrons; Java Republic, Unilever, Keelings, Febvre, NuaRange, O’Driscoll O’Neill, Calor, Vodafone, Frylite and San Pellegrino for supporting us throughout the year. While the industry has experienced some highs thanks in part to The Gathering, and unfortunately we’ve seen some lows and a few of our friends having to shut down the businesses they’ve poured their hearts and souls into, but the one trait that sets a restaurateur apart from any other kind of person, is their unwavering hope in the face of adversity. I hope you and your families all have a happy New Year that will bring success, and even more hope. www.rai.ie
@adriancummins
RestaurantAssociationofIreland
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The
Evolution
of Restaurant Marketing
‘Don’t tell me you are giving me more work to do’ pleaded the restaurateur. I had explained how crucial having a marketing content plan for 2014 was. He was not too concerned about coming up with the campaign ideas; between us we already had that nailed. It was my suggestion that he have a social media plan that caused exasperated sighs. I said ‘better content’, he heard ‘more work’. Once I explained, however, that he would need to spend a lot less time on his social media platforms than he had been in the last year, he perked up and took interest. It can be difficult for entrepreneurs to negotiate the ever-changing world of consumer marketing. A lot of the time it comes down to working smarter not harder; producing smart content is the key to marketing success.
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ot all restaurateurs are glued to Twitter: posting photos of their latest creations or awardwinning dishes. Many simply don’t have the time, inclination or inspiration for producing marketable social media content. The time and effort involved in producing funny, smart and engaging remarks is exhausting when you are out of ideas and you have a business to run. Fear not, the answer is at hand: marketing success just takes a little planning.
PR.ie Olivia Collins of Food
Ten years ago we were writing articles educating business owners on the value and importance of PR. Five years ago we were educating business owners on the value and importance of social media.
Now we are stressing the importance of smart content. Smart Content is the material generated by a business’s PR campaigns and distributed via their social media platforms. It’s engaging, it’s relevant, it’s true to their brand and it’s of interest to their regular clients. Here are some tips to get your 2014 marketing-game face on. Do it now and I assure you, while your competitors are scrambling for content, you will be reaping the rewards. Be smart about your marketing for 2014. Stop wasting money and think, predict, plan your campaigns and outcomes. Get creative with PR campaigns but not by forsaking all others. Think about what promotions worked last year, and how you can make them a little different this year. Add a unique twist or an element of quirkiness and you will be on to a winner. Develop a Communications Plan which includes simplified PR, Social Media and Marketing activities. There is little point putting resources into each area without having an overall master plan that underpins each activity. We carry out an annual overview that involves simply naming each campaign, and colour blocking it over the months that it will run. We break this down into each quarter, with a short list of activities under each campaign. Finally a social media activity sheet is generated each month showing what’s being posted by subject matter, and where. Develop a number of key PR campaigns - less is more. Give yourself at least 3-6 months for the planning and implementation of each to truly maximize the potential of each campaign. If you do not have an in-house PR or Social Media employee it’s safe to assume that running
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a constant stream of promotions is going to become difficult. I suggest choosing a select number of campaigns throughout the year. All PR campaigns will have a social media aspect, however not all social media campaigns will have a need for PR activity. For example, a new product launch, or a new restaurant opening will have lots of PR potential which will feed into social media. On the other hand a competition which is run online, may not require PR support. Choose a number of campaigns keeping this in mind, and above all less remember what the ultimate goal is; to increase the marketing exposure of your business and to expand your customer base, etc. Edit content for different platforms and think carefully about how each campaign can be used across each one. Develop the campaign with visuals which can be posted via Instagram and Facebook. Make a video series which can be broadcast via Youtube. Find an interesting business angle and post it on LinkedIn. Make sure that the content is suitable to the specific medium that you are using. Good campaigns become great when they are developed across various social media stream. However, choose a realistic number of platforms as your soapbox; spreading yourself too thinly will lead to poor quality content. Think of every PR campaign in terms of its online longevity. With each campaign and promotion think about how it will work online - before, during and after. Can you revisit it after it has run; can you get statistics from results etc. This is how you maximize the reach of your campaign, and ensure resources that are spent on campaigns are fully optimized. Quality content is re-usable. If you run a blog post about who you are and what you do you can recycle some of the content, but make sure to do this wisely. A few months later if you’re launching a new brand of sauces, for example, go back and dig out the piece on your introduction. Make sure you edit it for brevity and include it or link it to your new story. Smart bloggers and journalists know that writing is a commodity that can be shaped and used in different contexts. Creating content costs time, so it’s worth recycling but with relevance. Never repost old posts; it seems lazy. Why would customers check your social media platforms if the content is exactly the same? Give you customers a reason to go to your page and to stay on it. Respect your online followers.Your followers are now your editors. They are the ones who choose whether to cut, ignore or show interest in what you are pitching. Be proactive in responding to comments and questions. If you have low numbers of followers they deserve even more respect. Give it and watch your numbers grow. Take control of your message. Traditional PR was to write up a press release and pitch it to journalists. The better the story and pitch, the better the pick up by the media. With social media the story can now take many forms, and with editing and reusing it can reach a wider audience in different forms.You have control of what’s communicated and how, what image to use, whether or not to use a video and you can track any enquiries generated by it. www.foodpr.ie @MissFoodPR
FoodPRIreland
taste the difference www.echowater.ie