Contents Thelatestnewsandexclusivesfromacross Norther nIrelandbusinessandbeyond
JohnMulgrewsitsdownwithEconomy MinisterCaoimheArchibald
AndrewMuirspeakstoJohnMulgrewabout threatsandfreshwaterimprovementplans
38
Top100analysis JonathanCushleybreaksdownallthekey figuresfromthisyear’stopbusinesslist
43
Top100 The UlsterBusiness Top100Norther nIreland Companies2025,inassociationwithKPMG 69
Top50employers We lookatthelargestemployersinNorthern Irelandrightacrossthesectors
SecretaryofStateHilaryBennonhowfarNI hascomesincetheBelfastAgreement
152 Review JohnMulgrewgetshandsonwith Tudor’s latestandgreatesttitaniumdiver
155
Motoring PatBurnsisinelectricmodewith anew speedierPeugeotandtopsmallKia
164
Photocall Alookatwhat’sbeenhappeningacross Norther nIrelandthissummer
174
Travel OstuniinItalyistheperfectsummerchill-out holiday,writesRoslynDee
176 Technology TheheadofsafetyatGoogleisproudofher workbuttheriseofAIposes anewpuzzle
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EDITOR’S COMM EN TS
Top100 shows improved margins We’vehad someupsanddowns overthelast12monthsorso.
Companieshavefacedchallengessuch asrisingcosts,fuelledinpartbyNational Insurancecontributionsandminimumwage increases,whilethe WindsorFramework continuestoplayitspart inthecomplex worldofbusiness,andglobalpolitical headwindscontinuetoplay arolein impactingtradeandoverall growth.
Butasthe UlsterBusiness Top100Northern IrelandCompanies2025,inassociationwith KPMGshows,manyofourbiggestand best businessesareincreasingtheirmarginsand postingimprovedbottomlines.
Youcan readallaboutthisyear’sleading businesslistthroughthis specialdouble
editionofthemagazine,andhearfrom expertsfromacrossthesectors,andpolitics, aboutthecurrentstateofNorthernIreland’s economy,andwhatliesahead.
Inside,webreakdownallthekeyfigures andprofilesomeofthecompanies,and chiefs,makingthisyear’slist.
Ialsospeaktotwogovernmentministers, Caoimhe ArchibaldandAndrewMuir,about keychallenges,andplans,withintheir respective roles,andwhatthatwillmean forbusinessesacrossNorthernIreland,and beyond.
TheTop100continuestobe asignpostfor thestrengthofNorthernIreland’seconomy, showcasingthestrongperformancesof someofourindustrystalwarts,while
shining alightonsomeofthosewhich haveonly recentlyjoinedthelist,andare continuingtoenjoygrowth,rightacrossthe sectors.
I’dliketothankeveryonewhohashelped putthiseditiontogether,andsupportedus alongtheway
Inparticular,I’dliketothankKPMGforits supportassponsorofthiseditionforthe lastthreeyears.The Top100 remainsan importantpublicationinthe UlsterBusiness calendar
So,pleaseenjoythisspecialdoubleedition of UlsterBusiness,andwe’llcatchupvery soon. ■
JohnMulgrew
Publisher UlsterBusiness c/oMediahuisUKLtd Belfast TelegraphHouse,33ClarendonRoad, ClarendonDock,BelfastBT13BG
Printer W&GBaird GreystonePress,CaulsideDrive, AntrimBT412RS www.wgbaird.com
Editor JohnMulgrew,john.mulgrew@mediahuis.co.uk
Advertising JudithMartin,judith.martin@mediahuis.co.uk
Graphicdesign SusanMcClean,MediahuisIrelandDesignStudio
@ulsterbusiness www.ulsterbusiness.com
Profilephotography ElaineHill MediahuisUKLtd ©2025.Allrights reserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybe
Top100 profitsperformance impressive amidglobalbackdrop JohnnyHanna,partnerinchargeofKPMGin NorthernIreland
The releaseofthe UlsterBusiness Top 100Norther nIrelandCompaniesacts asanimportantbenchmarktothe corporateyear.
Itholds amirroruptoourlargestfirms, givesusinsightintoourmostimportantsectors andtakesthetemperatureoftheeconomyas awhole.
Thefirstimpressionthisyear’slistgivesis thatthatthepastyearhasbeenonewhere companieshavebeenputtingin asolid performance,managingtomaintainturnover –themetricusedtorankthelist –inwhat couldbedescribedas arelativelychallenging economicenvironment.
Astandoutperformanceusingthatmetric isthelargestcompanyonthatlist,Pilgrim’s Europe,whichextendeditsleadatthetopand nowbecomesNorther nIreland’sfirstcompany tobreakthe£2bnturnovermark.That’squite anachievementwhenyouconsideritisoneof onlysevenfirmsbasedontheseshoreswith morethan£1bninannualturnover.
Digging alittledeeperintothelistand there’sgoodnewswhenitcomestothemost importantmetricofall,profit.
Collectivelythe Top100companiessaw profitsrisebymorethan aquarteryear-onyear,aparticularlyimpressiveperformance giventheshakygeopoliticalenvironment, risingwagebillsandfragileconsumer confidence.Ifthe Top100was acompanyin itsownright,thecombinationofrisingprofits andsteadyturnoverwouldleaveshareholders extremelyhappy.
Whilethereisnodoubtchallenges remain, therearereasonsforoptimismintheeconomy inthefuture.Thatpositivitycomesfromthe factNorthern Ireland,uniquely,ispositioned forgrowthonseveralfronts.
Forinstance,wehaveunfetteredaccess toboththeUKandEuropeanUnionmarkets underthe WindsorFramework.In apost-Brexit
world,thatabilitytotradefreelyintwoofthe world’sbiggesteconomiesishugelyvaluable andonewhichnoother regioncanlayclaim to.Lookingfurtherafield,beingpartoftheUK customsterritorymayleadtoadvantagesfor Norther nIrishbusinessessellingintotheUS marketduetotheUS/UKEconomicProsperity Deal.
We alsohavethepotentialtocut corporationtax.TheUKgovernment hasalreadysanctionedthedevolutionof corporationtaxsettingpowerstoStormont, powerswhichifimplementedwouldallowus to reducetherateto12.5%,on aparwiththe RepublicofIrelandandwellbelowtheUKrate of25%.
Other regionswouldbedelightedtohave justoneoftheseleversattheirdisposal; wehaveseveral.Enactedproperly(acrucial detail)theyhavethepotentialtosupercharge thefortunesofmanyofthe Top100and subsequentlyNorther nIreland’seconomy.
Eventhechallengesoverthelast12months aren’tinsurmountable.
Yes,companiesfacechallengesinthelabour marketbutwealsohaveoneofthebest,most flexibleeducationsystemsintheworld,tuned intotheneedsofbusiness. Yes,weoperate in avolatilegeopoliticalenvironmentbutour unfetteredaccesstobothEUandUKmarkets leavesuswellinsulatedcomparedtoother regions.Andyes,consumers remainjittery, butinflationhasfallenandinterestrateshave eased.
Forbusinesses,thereismuchtobethankful forandmuchtobeoptimisticabout.
So,aswelookatthelistofourlargest companiesweshouldcongratulatethemfor asterlingperformancein recentmonths,in particulartheupliftinprofit.
Bymakingthemostoftheunique opportunitieswhichNorther nIrelandhasatits feet,wecanbuildonthatsuccessandallow the Top100andwidereconomytoshine. ■
Asummer innumbers £1.86bn
Thetotalpre-tax profitsofthefirms makingthisyear’sTop 100list,inassociation withKPMG.
100
Thenumberof businessesonthis year’s UlsterBusiness Top100.
£2bn
Theturnoverof Pilgrim’sEurope,which headsupthisyear’s Top100listing.
£35.6bn
Thetotalcombined turnoverofbusinesses makingtheTop100, remainingflatyearon-year.
Top100 profitssoar by 26% NorthernIreland’sbiggestbusinesses haveseenprofitsrisingbymore than26%, UlsterBusiness can reveal.
The UlsterBusiness Top100Northern IrelandCompanies2025,inassociationwith KPMG,chartsthesuccessstoriesofourlargest businesses–rankedbyturnover Sales remainedalmostflat,comparing results year-on-year –sittingat atotalof£35.6bn.
Butpre-taxprofits roseto£1.86bn –up 26.1%,from£1.47bn.
AndPilgrim’sEuropehastoppedthelistthis year –thepoultrygiantwhichformerlytraded asMoyPark.
“Thisyearhasseenanincreaseinyear-onyearprofitwithprofitmarginforthe Top100 companiesincreasingfrom amarginof4.1% to amarginof5.2%,withtotalprofitsnow sittingat£1.86bncomparedto£1.47bnforthe correspondingcompaniesintheirprioryear,” JonathanCushley,whocompiledthelist,said.
JohnnyHanna,partnerinchargeatKPMGin Northern Ireland,said:
“The releaseofthe UlsterBusiness Top 100NorthernIrelandCompaniesactsasan importantbenchmarktothecorporateyear. Itholds amirroruptoourlargestfirms,gives usinsightintoourmostimportantsectorsand
takesthetemperatureoftheeconomy.The growthinprofitsoverthelastyearistestament totheinnovationandtenacityofthe Top100 andbodeswellforthefuture.
“Withtheaddedbenefitofdualmarket accesstotheUKandEuropeanUnion, expectationsof amorefavourableenvironment forbusinessessellingintotheUSandthe potentialfor acutincorporationtaxin NorthernIreland,thetableissetforcontinued successinthecomingyears.”
Someofthenewcomerstothisyear’s listincludeMCMUHoldingsLtd,Nelipak HealthcarePackagingLtd,andHuhtamaki FoodserviceDeltaLtd.
JohnMulgrew,editorof UlsterBusiness,said: “Thisyear’slistshowsstrongperformances frommanyofourleadingfirms,andin particular,indicatesimprovingmarginsinsome cases, resultinginmoresubstantial pre-tax profits,whilesalesareessentiallyflat.
“Whileit’snot aracetobillion,wenowhave sevenfirmscrackingthatturnovermark,while Pilgrim’sEuropeistheonlyfirmheretohitthe £2bnsalespoint.
“Butit’salsothemanyotherfirmsmaking thelistwhicharekeytoNorthernIrelandand, alongwithourSMEsandmicrobusinesses, remaintheengineofoureconomyhere.”
JohnnyHanna, partnerin chargeofKPMG inNorthern Ireland,with UlsterBusiness editor,John Mulgrew
£2bnpoultry giantenjoys ‘comfortable’ performance following restructuring Norther nIreland’slargestcompany sayithasenjoyed a“comfortable” performanceinthelastyear following amajor restructuringand rebrandingofthebusiness, UlsterBusiness can reveal.
Pilgrim’sEuropeisthenewnameforpoultry giantMoyPark’soperationshere–replacing theoldMoyParkbranding –anditfollowsa restructureofthebusinessoverthelastcouple ofyears.
It remainsNorther nIreland’sonly£2bn company –postingpre-taxprofitsofmore than£70minitslatestpublishedaccounts.
Itonceagaincomesinatthenumberone spotonthe UlsterBusiness Top100Northern IrelandCompanies2025list,inassociation withKPMG.
“Thelastpublished results[showed] abig recoveryfromCovid,”JustinColeman,director, Pilgrim’sEuropesaid.
“Therewasmegaexecutionofthe strategy –keycustomerfocus,growinginthe categorieswhichwehavebeensuccessfulin, and abigfocusincontrollables.
Lookingbackatthelastsixto12months, Justinsayshe’s“comfortable”withthe performance“bearinginmindwe’ve integratedthreeverydifferentbusinesses together”.
“Wecertainlycouldn’tcomplainaroundthe firstyearofoperations,”hesaid.
“Ithinkwherewelooktoforthefuture nowis,istoembedthatandgoforgrowth.It’s certainlyintheDNA.Andsohowdowetake ourscaletoleveragegrowth?”
Readthefullinterviewonpage56-57
JohnMulgrew
Justin Coleman
US investmentpipeline remains despite‘unhelpful’ tarifuncertainty Thereisstill adesireforUSfirmsto investinNorther nIrelanddespite “erratic”and“unhelpful”uncertainty aroundtariffs,theEconomyMinisterhas said.
Therecouldbe a10%levyonmostUK goods,whileUSPresidentDonald Trumphas threatened30%tariffsontheEU.
“WiththeconversationsthatI’vebeen havingwithbusinessesfromtheUS…there isclearlystill adesiretoinvesthere,anda pipeline,”DrArchibaldtold UlsterBusiness
“Ithinkthattheuncertaintythathasbeen created –bothbythetariffannouncementsand reversals–andallofthelackofclaritythereand howerraticithasbeen,is reallyunhelpful.”
Norther nIreland,theRepublicofIreland,and theUKas awholeiscontinuingtodealwith theuncertaintyoverwhatpotentialUS-related tariffscouldhave,bothonwithtradehere, andintermsoftheimpacttoforeigndirect investment.
Askedwhethershehasconcernsthatthose tariffs,orwiderglobalturmoil,suchasthewar inGaza,couldimpactinvestmenthere,she said:
“Ithink alotofcompanies,whetherit’sUS companiesorothers,willbelookingattheir investmentlandscapeandmakingdecisions aboutwhethertheygoaheadorwhetherthey holdoff.
Quotes of the summer “Obviously,our relationshipwiththeUSin particularis along-establishedone.
“Wehave reallystrong relationships. Iwas outtherebackinMarch –inBostonandNew York. Imetwith anumberofcurrentinvestors andpotentialinvestorsandotherbusiness leaderswhen Iwasoutthere,andthereisstill areallystrongandpositive relationshipand viewofthisplace.
“Iwouldbeconfidentthatwillcontinueto manifestitselfhere…so Ithinkwehave avery strongoffering.”
“Thearrivalofthe Ulster BusinessTop 100 is areminderthat,for Northern Ireland’s business communit y, progressisnot parity.“
RoseannKellyof Women inBusinesswritinginthis editionofthemagazine.
OnthecurrentUSadministration,and whetherit’ssomethingshebelievesweshould engagewithinitscurrentform,theSinn FeinMLAsaidwhilethereremains“alotof uncertaintyaboutthedirectionoftravelfrom thecurrentadministration”thatthe“wellestablishedandgoodworking relationships wehavewiththeUS…transcendparty boundaries”.
Readthefullinterviewonpage20-21
“Itwouldhavebeen difcult to imagine 30 yearsago thatwe’d havesuchvibrant businesses .aswedohere today.”
Norther nIrelandSecretary ofStateHilaryBennwriting inthisspecialeditionof UlsterBusiness.
“Wehaveanextraordinar y innovationheritage....Ulster menandwomanhave proven that thereisproblem solving inourDNA.”
ManufacturingNIchief executiveStephenKelly speakingaboutthestrength ofthesectorhere.
JohnMulgrew
EconomyMinister DrCaoimheArchibald
Losses widen to £376m atSpirit AeroSystems inNIaheadofBoeing basetakeover JohnMulgrew thepreviousyear.
Norther nIrelandaerospacegiant SpiritAeroSystemshasseenlosses soarby50%to£376maspartofits Belfastbaseisexpectedtobetakenover byBoeinglaterthisyear.
Thecompany,formerlyBombardier,has postedsignificantlossesoverthelastfew years.
Lossesincreasedto$504m(£376m)inthe latestpublishedaccountsendingDecember 2024 –upfrom$339m(£255m).
AndBoeingnowlookssettotakecontrolof thefirm’s Belfastoperations.Airbuswilltake onthefirm’sA220wingprogramme.
Butbecause athird-partybuyerforthe remainderoftheBelfastsitehasnotbeen found,it’s expecteditwillnowtransferto Boeing.
“AsofJuly2025,nosuitablebuyerforthe remainingShortsoperationshasbeensecured andaccordinglyitisexpectedthatthenon-
AirbusBelfastoperationswillcomeunder Boeingownershipinthesecondhalfof2025,” thelatestaccountsforShortBrothersplc,said.
“PertheAirbus-SpiritandBoeing-Spirit agreements,theA220wingprogrammeis expectedtotransfertoAirbus,andif athirdpartybuyerforthe remainderoftheBelfast (Shorts)sitewasnotsecured,theA220mid fuselageprogrammewouldalsotransferto Airbus –withthe remaining(non-Airbus) BelfastoperationstransferringtoBoeing.”
Thelatestaccountsshow acreditfacility withSpiritAeroSystems(Europe)Limitedwas extendedto$875m(£653m)inApril2025.
Tradeunionshavepreviouslyvoicedconcerns forthefutureofthousandsofjobsofworkers atSpiritAeroSystems,afterAirbusconfirmedit wasgoingtopurchaseonlycertainpartsofthe currentbusiness.
Director remunerationsincreasedduringthe year.
Thehighestpaiddirector received$492,000 (£367,000) –upfrom$286,000(£213,000)in
Staffnumbersatthecompanyincreasedfrom 3,403to3,533,accordingtothelatest results.
Thefirmalsosaysitiswideningitsdefence work.
“Togenerate revenuegrowth,andsecure nationaland regionalfundingfromthespace anddefencesector,thecompanyisfocusing onwideningitsdefenceactivitybyexpanding bothworkcontenton Team Tempestactivity, missionized,newunmanneddesignwork andhypersonicaerothermalanddesign workstreamwiththeMoDandtheEuropean SpaceAgency.
“Atthecloseof2024,SpiritAeroSystemshas enteredseveralnewteamingarrangements withinternationalDefencePrimesthereby consolidatingourapproachtoincreasing revenuegrowth.Inaddition,wehavealso increasedourUKSpacesectoractivityin ordertoprovidedesign,testandmanufacture servicesforEuropeanandUKSpacesector companiesengagedinlaunchactivity.”
SpiritAeroSystemsemploys around3,500inNorthernIreland
Onlineabuseanddeaththreat ‘doesnot intimidateme’ Aspateofonlineabuseand a deaththreatwillnotintimidate Stormont’s AgricultureMinister, he hassaid.
AndrewMuirsayshewassubjectedto online abuse,alongwithmembersofhisteam,earlier thisyear
Itfollowedthepublicationof aconsultation intonewplanstotacklewaterpollutionhere.
“I reallyamappalledto seethosecomments, thecommentsin relationtomyselfandthen thedeaththreattomyselfare disconcerting –yes –butI’llnotbeintimidatedbythat,”he told UlsterBusiness
“Sincethedayandhour Icameinas minister,I’vebeenwelcomedbymany[people] acrossNorthernIrelandintotheirhomes. We’vehad respectfuldialog,andthat’sthe farmcommunity Iknow,andthissocialmedia
commentarydoesnot reflectthepeople I know.
“Also,manypeoplewithinagrifood, professionalleaders,whohave reachedout tomeon apersonalbasistoexpresstheir abhorrencetothat.That’stheNorthernIreland Iknow.That’stheNorthernIreland Ilove,and thekeyboardwarriorsdonot reflectthat.”
MrMuiralso received adeaththreat,which he saysis“nowunderactiveinvestigationby police”.
“Thisseemstobe atraitthatpeoplefeel isacceptabletopoststuffonline…whichis threatening...I’mverythankfulforthepolice andthe response.
“Toseecommentsonsocialmediaabout them[colleagues]whicharederogatoryand misogynistichas really,reallydepressedme… asmallminorityareincapableof arespectful dialogaroundwhatis akeypolicyissuein Northern Ireland.”
Andontheonlineabusewhichhe received –including adeaththreat –MrMuirsaidhewill “notbeintimidated”.
Ontheminister’swiderClimateActionPlan –whichhehopescouldgobeforetheExecutive nextyear –MrMuirsaid“weneedtodomore toimproveourenvironment,butwedothatby bringingtogetherfinancialandenvironmental sustainability,becausebothgohand-in-hand.”.
“Agricultureandfarminggoinharmony withtheenvironment,”hesays.“That’showit issuccessful.
“Intermsofagriculture,wehavegot a successstorytotellaspartoftheClimate ActionPlan,whichisintermsoffarmingand agriculturecomingforwardwithsmarterand moreproductivewaysofworking,which deliverprofitabilitybutalso reducethose greenhousegasemissions.”
Readthefullinterviewonpage36-37
AgricultureMinister AndrewMuir
JohnMulgrew
Property values inNIup 40% sincepandemic HousevaluesinNorther nIrelandhaveincreasedby40% sincetheCovidpandemic,outpacingotherUK regions.
Themedianhomevaluejumpedfrom£151,500inJune2020 to£212,700byJune2025 –ariseofmorethan£61,000overfiveyears.
Zoopla’sanalysisalsoshowsthat15%ofhomesinNorther nIreland, oraround39,000properties,sawtheirvaluerisebyatleast50%during thisperiod.
Bycomparison,just1%ofhomesinLondonand2%inthesouth eastofEnglandsaw asimilarincreaseduringthatperiod.
AccordingtotheOfficeforNationalStatistics(ONS)averagehouse pricesinNorther nIrelandclimbedby9.5%year-on-yearduringthefirst quarteroftheyear –thesharpestincreaseofanyUKnation.
CausewayCoastandGlenssawthestrongestannualpricegrowthat
15.4%,whileLisbur nandCastlereagh remainsthemostexpensivearea withanaveragepriceof£221,029.
The rentalmarketisalsorisingrapidly.ONSdatashowstheaverage private rentinNorther nIreland reached£848 amonthinMarch2025, anannualincreaseof7.8%.
AccordingtoZoopla’sestimates,acrosstheUKapproximatelyone millionhomeshaveincreasedinvalueby50%ormoresinceJune2020.
Onaverage,housevaluesnationwidehaveclimbedby20%since 2020 –halfthelevelseeninNorther nIreland.
Rolexopens new £5.5m boutiqueinBelfastcitycentre Rolexhasopened alavishnew£5.5m boutiqueintheheartofBelfastcity centre.
Theshop,whichhasbeenopenedfollowing amulti-millionpoundinvestmentbyfamily owned-jewellersLunn’s,islocatedinQueen’s Arcade.
Theproject representsaninvestmentof £5.5mbyLunn’sbusinessandalsoseessixnew jobscreated.
TheRolexbrandandLunn’shavebeen workingincollaborationforover50years, withthejewellerybrandservingasRolex’s officialnetworkforshoppersinNorthern Ireland.
In2018,Lunn’sopeneditsownwatch servicingworkshopwith aRolex-trained watchmakerandin2019,Lunn’sandRolex partneredontheopeningof anewRolex showroomatQueen’sArcade.
“TheRolexShowroomdeliversinbeauty, knowledge,andtheverybestclient
experience,”itsaid.
“Withmarbleflooring,walnutwood panellingandbespokeRolexfurniture,the RolexShowroominQueen’sArcadeprovides aluxurioussettingwhereclientscanimmerse themselvesintheworldofRolex,withthe unparalleledguidanceofourwatchspecialists.
“WithRolex-trained Watchmakersonsite, wecanensureyourRolexcontinuestoperform itsfunctionsovertimewithoutstanding reliabilityandexceptionalbeauty.”
Thenewshowroomhasledtothecreation offiveadditionaljobs,bringingtheamountof jobscreatedbythebrandto40overthelast fiveyears.
AccordingtoQueen’sArcade’sofficial descriptionoftheshowroom,bothLunn’sand Rolex“sharethesamemission: apursuitfor excellence”.
Lunn’stheJewellersmanagingdirector,John Lunn,said:“We’rethrilledtounveilournew RolexshowroomjustaheadofTheOpen.
“We’veenjoyedworkingwithRolexto createthisfabulousstorewithinthelandmark Queen’sArcade,allowingustoofferourclients anevenbetterexperience,fullyimmersedin theworldofRolexwithexceptionalhospitality andservice.”
RicharddeLeyser,managingdirectorof RolexUK,said:“Thisexpansionmarksa significantmilestoneforRolexinNorthern Irelandandour relationshipwithLunn’s,and reflectsoursharedcommitmenttoexcellence, heritage,andinnovation.
“Weare proudtosupportLunn’sinbringing thisworld-classshowroomtotheheartof Belfast,offeringclientsanelevatedexperience thattrulyembodiesthespiritofRolex.”
InsidethenewRolexstore
Pollution planpresents‘very significant challenge’to agrisector Freshgovernmentproposalstotackle waterpollutionherewouldpresent a“verysignificantchallenge”toNI’s agrisectorand requirefarmerstoinvestin additionallandtomeet requirements,it’s beenclaimed.
Thebigdebateandconcer namongthe farmingsectorisaroundStormont’sproposed NutrientActionProgramme(NAP).
Whileinanearlyform,theproposals–whichhavebeendraftedbyAgriculture MinisterAndrewMuir –are linkedtothe LoughNeaghplan,with recommended revisionsincludingmakinglowemissionslurry spreadingequipmentmandatory,andplacing restrictionsontheuseofphosphorusfertiliser.
“Theagri-foodsectorisveryfocusedonthe
currentNAPproposals,” TrevorLockhart,chief executiveofdairyco-operativeFane Valley,told UlsterBusiness.“Theproposalsintheircurrent formpresent averysignificantchallengeto agriculture.
“Theagri-foodindustryisverywellawareof theissuesthathavetobemanaged,andvery wellawareof[working]towardssolutions.But theproposals…arenotproperlygroundedin science.”
Theprimaryconcernsarecentredaround thelevelofsurplusphosphorus,generatedby theagri-sector,andhowthatisdealtwith.
“Inessence,mostintensivefarmsin Norther nIreland –tocomplyinthecurrent form –would requireverysignificantamounts oflandtosustainandbeabletomanagethe wasteormanurethatarrivesfromfarming activities,”MrLockhartsays.
Someleadingagri-foodsectororganisations inhavecalledfortheimmediatewithdrawalof thepublicconsultationontheproposedplans.
Readthefullinterviewonpage60-61
TrevorLockhart
JohnMulgrew
VanMorrison childhoodhome ‘to becomemuseum’to Belfastmusiclegend TheBelfastchildhoodhomeSir Van Morrisonisbeingturnedintoa museumtotheworld-famoussinger, itcanberevealed.
Sir Vangrewupinandlivedin aterraced houseat125HyndfordStreetineastBelfast. Now,thereare planstoconverttheproperty foruse amuseum.
Aplaquecurrentlyadornsthewallofthe house,whileit’sunderstoodit’salreadya popularpilgrimageforfansoftheartist –with touristsandtaxitoursstoppingoutsidethe propertytohavetheirpicturestaken.
Workwasunderwayinsidetheproperty recently.It’sunderstoodthepreviousoccupant ofthehousepassedawaysometimeago.
Sir Vanlivedat125HyndfordStreetwithhis fatherGeorgeandmother Violet,whilefriend
andfellowmusicianGeorgeCassidygrewup just afewdoorsdown.
Theplans,ifsuccessful,couldseesmall groupsofpre-bookedtouristsarrivingbyminibus,accordingtothosebehindtheproposed scheme.
“Themuseumwillbeoperationalduringthe dayonly,thereforewhendemandforon-street parkingislowest,”theysay.
Thetwo-storey redbrickbuildingisaround 730sqftinsize,locatedclosetotheComber Greenway,andnotfarfromCyprus Avenue, thetitleofoneofhismostfamoussongsfrom theclassic1968albumAstral Weeks.
Sir Vanalsowrote asongaboutthestreethe grewupon,called‘OnHyndfordStreet’.
Thosebehindthenewplansareseeking permissionfor achangeofusefrom residential touse amuseum.
Insupportingdocuments,developerssaythe operationalhourscouldbebetween9amto 6.30pm,MondaytoSaturday.
“Whilethereison-streetparking,the proposaldoesnot relyonsame –themuseum willbeusedbyappointmentonlyandcomprise adrop-offandpick-uparrangement,”they said.
TheplanshavebeenmadebyRichard Waring,withtheapplicationsubmittedby planningconsultancyBellRolston.
Mr Waringislistedas adirectorofThe Van MorrisonOfficialBelfastRhythmandBlues Foundation,while VanMorrison’sdaughter, Shauna,isalso adirectoroftheorganisation, accordingtoCompaniesHouse.
Sir Vanwasgivenhisknighthoodbackin 2016,and recentlyannouncedhewill return tothestageinBelfastthissummerfor a“onenight-only”celebration,justweeksafter arun ofconcertsmarkinghis80thbirthday.
Originallyannouncedas asingleconcerton Sunday,August31, aseconddate –Saturday, August30 –wasaddedlastmonthafterthe firstsoldout.
HisdaughterShaunahasfollowedinher father’sfootstepsandisalsoanacclaimed singer-songwriter.
Sir Vanwas recognisedforhisaccolades byBelfastCityCouncil,whichawardedhim theFreedomoftheCityin2013,andhe wasappointedQueen’sUniversityBelfast’s inaugural‘ArtistinResidence’thisyear. ■
VanMorrisonperforms
JohnMulgrew
US firmsstillhave desireto investhere despite ‘erratic’and ‘unhelpful’tarifuncertainty DrCaoimheArchibald tookoverfromherpredecessorConorMurphyasEconomy Ministerthisyear,afterholdingthefinancebrief. Shespeaksto JohnMulgrew abouthermajorGoodJobsproposals,unhelpfultariffsfromtheUS,profoundchange atInvestNI,andwhythere’sstillinterestininvestinginNorthernIreland
UncertaintyaroundUStariffs iserraticandhasbeen“really unhelpful”,accordingtothe EconomyMinister.
Atthetimeofwritingthatcouldsee a10% levyonmostUKgoods,whileUSPresident Donald Trumphasthreatened30%tariffson theEU,whichleadersinEuropehavewarned couldeffectivelyendtradewithAmericaaswe knowit.
“Ithinkthattheuncertaintythathasbeen created –bothbythetariffannouncements and reversals –andallofthelackofclarity thereandhowerraticithasbeen,is really unhelpful,”EconomyMinisterDrCaoimhe Archibaldtold UlsterBusiness Norther nIreland,theRepublicofIreland, andtheUKas awholeiscontinuingtodeal withtheuncertaintyoverwhatpotentialUSrelatedtariffscouldhave,bothonwithtrade here,andintermsoftheimpacttoforeign directinvestment.
Askedwhethershehasconcernsthatthose tariffs,orwiderglobalturmoil,suchasthewar inGaza,couldimpactinvestmenthere,she said:
“Ithink alotofcompanies,whetherit’sUS companiesorothers,willbelookingattheir investmentlandscapeandmakingdecisions aboutwhethertheygoaheadorwhetherthey holdoff.
“Obviously,our relationshipwiththeUSin particularis along-establishedone.
“We have reallystrong relationships. Iwas outtherebackinMarch –inBostonandNew York. Imetwith anumberofcurrentinvestors andpotentialinvestorsandotherbusiness leaderswhen Iwasoutthere,andthereisstill areallystrongandpositive relationshipand viewofthisplace.
“WiththeconversationsthatI’vebeen havingwithbusinessesfromtheUS…there isclearlystill adesiretoinvesthere,anda pipeline.
“Iwouldbeconfidentthatwillcontinueto manifestitselfhere…so Ithinkwehave avery strongoffering.”
OnthecurrentUSadministration,and whetherit’ssomethingshebelievesweshould engagewithinitscurrentform,theSinn FeinMLAsaidwhilethereremains“alotof uncertaintyaboutthedirectionoftravelfrom thecurrentadministration”thatthe“wellestablishedandgoodworking relationships wehavewiththeUS…transcendparty boundaries”.
Onthe recentGoodJobsconsultation, theMinisteranddepartmentwentasfaras iteverhasintermsofattemptingto revamp employmentlegislationhere,with afocuson improvingworkerrights.
“Icertainlywouldsayitisthebiggest upgradeofourworkers’rightslegislationina generation,”theministersaid.
“[That’s]bringingforwardproposalsacross awholerangeofareastogiveworkers
morerightsin respectofwhetherit’sfamilyrelatedleave,whetherit’stheirvoicewithin theworkplace,intermsoftradeunion membershipandaccess,and awholerange offamily relatedleavesin relationtocarers, leave,neonatalcare,leave,paternityleave,the endingofexploitativezerohourscontractsand strengtheningworklifebalance.
However,whileitalsoincludesthe“ending ofexploitativezerohourcontracts”,the proposalsdonot removethementirely. Workerscandemandanemployerissuesthem acontract,whilesome‘zero hour’contracts willstillexistforcertaincasualorseasonal work.
DrArchibaldsayswe“havelistenedto businessesandthe representationsthatthey havemadethatincertaininstances,work isgenuinelycasualorseasonal,andweare recognisingthatbyallowingforthatinterms ofwhatwe’rebringingforward”.
Thefirst reportfromInvestNIwas recently published,followingitsmajoroverhaulinthe wakeof acritical reviewoftheorganisation fromSirMichael Lyons.
Theinvestmentfigureshavebeenpositive –withtheagencysaying1,334businesses receivedoffersofsupportworth£630mtothe localeconomy,potentiallycreatingmorethan 3,000jobs.
DrArchibaldsaysit reflectsthe“profound change”whichhashappenedoverthelast year,whileshesaidInvestNIcommunicates
betterwiththedepartmentthanitoncedid.
“Ithinkitis astrongsignalthatthatthat changeisbeingimplemented,”shesaid.
“Thereisreallygoodtieinwiththe department,and Ihavehadtheopportunityto beon anumberofengagementswithInvestNI bothinBerlin,andintheUS,butsupporting someoftheworkthattheydoherelocallyas well.
“Iamparticularlyheartenedbytheincreased investmentoutsidetheBelfastmetropolitan area.”
ThathasseenInvestNIhitting a59%target forinvestmentoutsidethewiderBelfastarea, whileaimingtohit65%.
Somethingwhichhasbeendiscussed byMLAsandministersalikeoverthelast fewyears,andispartofourstrategygoing forward,ishittingtheambitioustargetof
80% renewableenergyby2030.That’sless thanfiveyearsaway,andNorther nIreland’s generationlevelsareonlyat43% –and falling.
“Ithinkthatthetargetisambitious,andit willbechallengingtomeetit,”DrArchibald said.“It’sastatutorytarget.Soweare legislativelyboundintermsofdeliveringupon it.
“…whatwearetryingtodoasa departmentisensurethatwehavetheright baselinetheretosupportwhatis requiredto hitthattarget.
“Itwouldalsobe remissofmetonotbe veryclearaboutthefactthatitwon’t[just] beusas adepartmentthatdeliversonour own –itisoneofthoseareaswherethereis verymuchcross-departmentalworkingand requirementtoworktogether,particularly
whenitcomesto,forexample,planning, whichwillbecrucial.”
Whilethecourtdecisionquashingthe go-aheadforthe£1.2bnA5upgradehadjust comethroughatthetimeofourinterview, DrArchibalddescribeditas a“really disappointingoutcome”.
TheStormontgreenlightforthescheme wasturneddownasitbreacheditsown legislativegoalofcuttinggreenhousegas emissions.
“Ithinkitwillbedevastatingforfamilies whohavelost alovedone,”shesaid.
“The reasonswhythejudgmentwasmade asitwas –the[Infrastructure]ministerand herofficials –willbeconsideringindetail,and IassumethatwillcomebacktotheExecutive atsomepointforanupdateastohowwe moveforward.” ■
EconomyMinister
DrCaoimheArchibald
Asimpleapproachfor mutualbenefit ProgressiveBuildingSociety continuestogrowitsbusinessby doingthesimplethingswell,lookingafterthecommunityinwhichit operatesandplacingsustainabilityatitsheart
Simplicityinthefinancialsystemis hardtofind.
Alltoooftenfinancialinstitutionsfind themselvestiedupincomplexityintheraceto driveprofitsandpleaseshareholders.Fewopt forthesimplest route,northeonewhichdoes themostgood.
StepforwardProgressiveBuildingSociety,an organisationwhichforthelast111yearshas builtitsbusinessaround averysimplemodel knownasmutuality.
Inessence,Memberssavemoneywiththe SocietywhichitlendstootherMembersto buyhomes.
Itisthisverystraightforwardapproach whichhasbeenthebackboneofNorthern Ireland’sonlylocally-runbuildingsocietyand whichhasensuredithas remainedprofitable foreveryyearofitsoperationsincefirst openingitsdoorsin1914.Thatincludesduring thecreditcrunchandsubsequentdownturn from2007,withProgressivetheonlyfinancial institutionontheislandofIrelandto remainin theblackduringthatperiod.
Perhapstellingly,underthemutualmodel theprofitswhichitmakesaren’tgoingintothe pocketsofshareholders,rathertheyarebeing investedbackintothebusiness,saysGareth Robinson,financedirectoratProgressive BuildingSociety.
“In recentyearswehaveundergone adigital transformationwhichhasstreamlinedour internalprocessesandimprovedourdigital offeringforcustomers,”hesaid.
“Andwhileotherlendershavebeenclosing branches,wehaveembarkedon arenovation programmewhichhasinitiallyseenthe refurbishmentofourNewtownards,Bangorand Lisburnbranches,soontobefollowedbyour Portadownbranch.
“Wehavebeenabletofocusonthese investmentsbecauseourprofitsgostraight backintothebusinesstoimproveareasofour
operationswhichweknowwillbenefitour Members,andalsotomaintainourcapital strength.
With13yearsworkingfortheSocietyunder hisbelt,Garethknowsfirsthandthebenefits ofthemutualmodel.“TheProgressivemodel andethosmakessensefromeveryangle,”he said.“Weholdsavingstolendtoborrowers tobuyhomes;welookafterthecommunities inwhichweoperate;andwelookafterthe environment.It’ssimpleanditworks.”
Certainlytheapproachhaspaidoff.
Accountsforthemost recentfinancialyear showtotalassetsattheSocietyhaveexceeded £2bnforthefirsttime.Thatcomesassavings anddepositbalanceshave reached£1.911bn, grossmortgageassetshavehit£1.717bn,and £31mofnewlendinghas beenmade.
“We’reparticularlyproudofthefactthat wehavehelpedover700firsttimebuyersonto thepropertyladderlastyear,eachonenow ahomeowner.Thatissomethingwe’revery muchproudof.”
Inanagewhenotherlendersare increasinglymakingdecisionsusingrigid onlinecriteria,theSociety’smoreconsidered, personableapproachispayingdividends,as theincreaseinthelendingbookhasshown.
Savers,meanwhile,areabletogetbetter returnswithProgressivethanwithother financialinstitutionsbecauseofthemutual model.ProductsincludeitsRainyDaySaver whichpaidaninterestrateof7%formuchof 2024,itsFlexibleBondwhichallowsaccessto 20%offundsduringtheterm,anditsBusiness savingsaccountshelptoencouragesavings amonglocalbusinesses.
Progressive’sfocusonprovidingsustainable productshasalsofoundfavour,whileat thesametimeplaying abigpartinhelping Norther nIrelandmeetfastapproachingnet zerocarbontargets.
TheSocietyencouragescurrenthomeowners toinvestinincreasingtheenergyefficiencyof theirproperty.
Existingmortgagecustomerscanapplyfor additionalborrowingbetween£3,000and £15,000ifmakinghomeimprovementssuch asinstallinghomeinsulation,solarpanelsor boilerupgrades.
Secondly,Progressivehas reducedthe carbonfootprintofitsownoperationsthrough arangeofpracticalmeasures –suchas sourcinggreenelectricity,installingsolarpanels andensuringsustainablefit-outofitsbranches –andaimstobecarbonneutralby2030.
Whileenvironmentalconcernsarehighup theagenda,theSociety,byitsverynature,also holdsits rolewithinthecommunityas akey priority.
Lastyearitdonated£133,000tolocal charitiesincludingTheAlzheimer’sSociety, AutismNI,NIHospiceand WoodenSpoon initiatives.Meanwhile,itspartnershipwith DisabilitySportNorther nIreland(DSNI)has blossomedsincebeingestablishedin2019.
To date,thispartnershiphashelpedmore than10,000localdisabledpeopleaccessa rangeofsportsand recreationalopportunities acrossNorther nIreland.
“Wetakeour responsibilitytothe communityextremelyseriously,”Gareth said.“Asocietywhichhelpssociety,weare incrediblyproudofourworkwithDSNIand theothercharities,andwillcontinuetomake them apriorityinthefuture.”
Suchanapproachtothecommunityhas alwaysbeencentraltoProgressive’sethos,a memberoftheBuildingSocietiesAssociation, andinthecelebratory250thyearanniversary ofthefirstBuildingSociety,themodelis obviouslyonearoundwhich asustainable –in everysenseoftheword– financialinstitution canflourish.
It’ssimple,anditworks. ■
GarethRobinson
PROF IL E
MountCharles: asecond generation familybusinessputting itsteam’sfuturefirst Family-ownedandrunfacilitiesmanagementbusiness
MountCharles isdevelopingitsleadersofthefuture, engagingwiththelocalcommunity,preparingforthe nextgeneration,whilealsoplanningsizeablegrowth, rightacrossIreland
MountCharlesis abusinesswhich bothfirmly remainsfamily-owned andrun,whileisalsofocusing onitsownstaffdevelopmentaswellas eyeinggrowthrightacrosstheisland.
It remainsaleadingfacilitiesmanagement company,foundedinBelfastby TrevorAnnon backin1988.
Andit’snowevolvingintothenext generation –withTrevor’ssonsGavinandChris leadingMountCharlesintofurthergrowth andexpansion,whileensuringitspeopleare frontandcentre,andremainatthecoreofthe business’ssuccess.
That’s beenfuelledbytheappointment of MarkDormanin anew roleaslearningand developmentmanager –buildinganambitious leadershipandmentoringacademytohelp teammembersexcelandgrowintheir roles acrossthecompany
“Businesshasbeen reallygood,”Gavin Annonsays.“We’vebeenon abitof agrowth spurtagain.”
MountCharlesGrouphasevolvedinto a combinedservicessolutionwhichincludes catering,cleaning,vendingandmultiscale events.Theyoperate350+contractsin1,000+ sitesacrosstheislandofIreland.
MountCharlesnowboasts3,500team
members,and remainsoneofNorthern Ireland’stop10employers.Butaccordingto Gavin,it’saimingtoincreaseteammember numberstomorethan5,000by2030.
“Forus,it’saboutmakingourpeoplefeel important,”Gavinsays.“It’saboutmaking themunderstandwhytheywanttobehere, whatevertheywanttodo:part-time,full-time, orbuilding acareer
“Wecanbuildonthatandlight afire under thatexcitement –it’saboutgettingupinthe morningandmaking adifferenceandhavinga realimpact.”
Overthelastfourdecades,it’sexpanded toinclude abespokeeventsbusiness,Craft EventCo, acasual recruitmentagency,Werkit, corporatehospitalitybusiness(andjointventure with YellowDoor),Pan &Pour,andin2023, acquiredtheConceptGroup, aBelfast-based “one-stop-shop”forfacilitiesmanagement companies.
GavinsaysMountCharleseyesthreecore areaswithinthebusiness,andthe reasonsfor itssuccess –greatpeople,greatservice,and greatfuture.
“Ifweattractandtrainexceptionaltalent, inturn,theyshoulddeliver agreatservice,and have agreatfuturetogether,”hesays.
MountCharlesistakingitsteamandits
developmentseriously
MarkDormanjoinedtheteamlastyear, andhasbeeninstrumentalinimplementing anewlearningplatformacrossthebusiness, whichhasbeenkeyfortrainingnewstartsand maintainingthehighstandardsexpectedof MountCharles.
Andhe’sdeveloped aChartered ManagementInstitute(CMI)recognisedthreetiermanagementtrainingacademy –keytothe organisation’steamdevelopment.
“Wehaveintroducedourmentoringand leadershipacademies,managersandaspiring managersbeginwithtrainingatthementoring level,andthentheycanprogresstobronzeand silverleadershiplevels,”Marksays.
“Wewereabletoidentifycoreskillswhich MountCharleswouldneedforitsfuture leaders.
“It’sbeenanamazingjourney –showcasing thetalentwhichiscomingthroughthe business.”
Theleadershipacademiesare basedon hands-on, reflective,on-the-joblearning.
“Itaboutshowingpeopleinthissectorthat
MarkDormanandGavinAnnon
thereisaveryclearcareerprogression,”Gavin says.
“Youmayhavesomeoneworkingin cleaningwhowantstobecomeanoperational manager,forexample. We have apathwayto thattrajectory.”
Ensuringit remainsa familybusiness –witha widerfamilycultureandatmosphereextending toitsteam –iskeyforGavinandthewider MountCharlesbusiness.
“It’stheonly reasonwe exist,”Gavinsays. “Wehavetomaintainthatasweget bigger andstaytruetoourvalueswhichare–do the rightthing,takepride inwhatyoudo,have fun andgrowtogether.Thesedefineusandtellthe worldweareoneof akind.
“Weare noton acrusadeformassmarket domination. We aretheonlybusinessoutthere whichiscompetingwiththeverylarge ones. It’simportantthatwe remainstrongandensure everyoneisonthesamepathandjourney.”
MountCharlesisfocusedonitscontribution towidersociety– ensuringitplaces environmental,social,andgovernance(ESG) frontandcentreofitsstrategy.
It’salsodeliveringkeyinsightsfromsome 45ofitsexecutivecommittee,throughtoline managers.
“Wehave adutyaroundESG,becauseof our size andscale,”Gavinsays.
“It’snotjust anicethingtodoanymore,it’s nowkey,anditfiltersdowntothesuppliers whichweworkwith.
“ESGisaround40%ofourcurrentstrategy. Whenyoucanseethedirectimpactyouare havingithelpsthecompanyandtheteam –there’sfulfilmentindoingtherightthing.”
Marksays:“WehavesigneduptheBelfast BusinessPromise,andhopetomoveto memberstatus.”
Thatincludesadoptingeightpledges, helpingthefirm,andothers,network,andplay abigger rolewithintheircommunity
“It’saboutmakingstrategiccommunity partners,”Marksays.Thatincludesworking withlocalcommunitygroups,includingUSEL (UlsterSupportedEmployment).It’salsoheavily involvedwithindustryorganisationssuchasthe IoD,NIChamber,BelfastChamber,CBI,and Ibec.
Andlookingaheadtowardsfurther expansionandgrowth,Gavinsaysthatwill comethroughorganicexpansion,while MountCharlesisalsoactivelylookingat making asizeableacquisition,togiveit considerablymoremarketshare.
“It’snot araceto alargernumber,”Gavin says.“Weare aheavilypeople-orientated business,andcan’tfunctionwithoutthem
“Whatweareworkingon –andwhat Markisfocusedon –iskeepingourpeople foraslongaspossible,andinvestingourtime inthem.
“Weare wellonourwaywithourfive-year strategy –developingourleadershipacademy andensuringourteamhas agreatfuture. We arealsodevelopingandadaptingmore integratedsystemstomakeusmoreefficient
“Wewillcontinuetokeeppushing forwardwithourstrategyoverthenext12 months –keepingpositive,andkeepingon path.
“All-islandgrowthis apriority.We aren’tlookingatnewmarkets,butplanon becomingbigger,better,andstronger.” ■
PROF
Belfast gymshutting doorsafter Belfasthotel extension concerns PureGymisshuttingone ofitscitycentrelocations justmonthsafterit warned ahotel’splanned extensioncouldforce ittoclose,writes John Mulgrew
ABelfastgymisclosingitsdoors thissummerjustmonthsafterit warned ahotel’sexpansionplans couldforceittoshut,itcanbe revealed.
PureGymhascontacteduserstosayitsSt Anne’sSquarelocationinthecitycentrewould beclosinginthemiddleofAugust.
ItcomesaftertheBelfast Telegraph revealed backinMarchthatthebusinesshadwarned theRamadabyWyndham’splanstotur nits gymsiteinto anew restaurantaspartofits extensionwouldforceitsclosure.
Thefirmsaidit“will resultinthelossof theexistinggymthatmakesanimportant contributiontotheavailabilityofhealthand fitnessfacilitieswithinthecitycentreandthe healthandwellbeingofits residents,workers andvisitors”.
Thehotelisbasedatthecornerof Talbot StreetinBelfastcitycentre,besideStAnne’s Square.
Plansshowthegymareabeingturnedinto another restaurant,closetotheEdwardStreet sideoftheStAnne’sSquarebuildingbeside themainhotel.
PureGymhastoldmembersoftheStAnne’s Squaregymofitsclosure,butnotspecifieda reasonforitshutting.
Ithassaidmembershipwillbemovedto anotherPureGymlocationatAdelaideStreet, arounda 15minutewalkaway.
“WecanconfirmthatPureGymBelfastSt Anne’sSquarewillcloseonMonday,August 18,howevermemberscancontinuetraining
withusatnearbyPureGymBelfastAdelaide Street,” aspokespersonforPureGymtold UlsterBusiness
“Allmembershipswillbeautomatically transferredonthedayofclosureandasa tokenofourappreciation,existingPureGym BelfastStAnne’sSquarememberswillbe offeredanexclusivediscountonmemberships atthenewlocation.”
In aletterin responsetothenewhotel plans,PureGymhadsaidithasoperatedits gymsince2010,andthereare “noalternative arrangementsareinplacetoeither relocate PureGymortoprovidealternativehealthand fitnessprovision”.
“[PureGym]providesaccessiblehealthand fitnessfacilitiestocitycentreresidentsand workers,extendingopportunitiesforphysical exerciseandsocialinteractionthatpromote goodhealthandwellbeing,”Jonathan Wadcock, adirectorofUrbanAgile,onbehalf ofitsclientPureGym,said.
“Itsaffordableandflexiblememberships
appealtoallsectionsofthecommunity includingthoseonlowerincomes,thereby supportingeffortsto reducehealthinequalities.
“Thelossoftheexistinggymaspartof thecurrentproposalwillleadto asignificant reductionintheavailabilityofhealthand fitnessfacilitieswithinthecitycentreand,in particular,larger,affordablegymswithgeneral appealtothosewholive,workandvisitthe citycentre.”
SpeakingabouttheclosureofitsSt Anne’sSquarelocation,andthemovingof membershipstoAdelaideStreet,PureGym said:“AdelaideStreetwill receivesignificant investmentandbeupgradedinthecoming months,withbrandnewchangingfacilities currentlybeinginstalledandmuchmoretobe revealedforexistingandtransferredmembers toenjoy.
“Weapologiseforanyinconveniencecaused bythistransitionandwouldliketothank membersfortrainingatPureGymBelfastSt Anne’sSquare.” ■
PlansareunderwaytoextendtheRamadabyWyndham
Korean restaurantand studioopening inBelfast AnewKorean restaurantandstudio hasopeneditsdoorsinsouth Belfast,itcanbe revealed.
SeoulFood &Studioistakingoneofthe unitsattheformerBankofIrelandbuildingon theOrmeauRoad.
ItwilljoinCharlie’spizzaspot,DuckDonuts, andthenewlocationof aCoDowncoffeeand brunchspot.
SeoulFood &Studiodescribesitselfasa Koreancaféandculturalspace.
“WeservecarefullypreparedKoreandishes in arelaxed,welcomingsetting,whileoffering anenvironmentwhereguestscanalsoengage withKoreancultureinmeaningfulways,”it saidin apostadvertising aroleatthebusiness.
It recentlywasactively recruitingforstaff, including afrontofhouseandeventscoordinator.
That rolewillinclude“excellentservice atthecountertohelpingshapetheenergy ofthespacethrougheventsandeveryday interactions”.
“You’llbepartof asmallteamthatvalues professionalism, respect,andthespiritof hospitality,”itsays.
It’salsoactivelylookingfor achef role.On arecruitmentaditsays“we’relookingfora cookwithsomeexperiencewhoiseagerto developtheirskillsandbepartofsomething freshandexciting”.
“Whetheryoualreadyhave abackground inKoreancookingorareenthusiasticabout learning,this roleoffersthechancetowork closelywith ateamthatvaluesquality, tradition,andcreativityinthekitchen.”
AstalwartofKoreanfoodhere,Cafe ArirangonBotanic Avenue, recentlyshutits doors.
Elsewhere,GogiBelfasthasbeenhostinga seriesofpop-upKoreanbarbecueeveningsat venuessuchasBananaBlockineastBelfast.
SeoulFood &Studioisthelatestmajorfood additiontotheOrmeauRoadareain recent months.
ItwilloccupythesamebuildingasUSchain DuckDonuts –openingitsfirstlocationhere soon –andCharlie’s, apizzashopwhichwas foundedbyMartyDuggan,andfocuseson sellingbytheslice.
DuckDonutsstartedoutinNorthCarolina, withfounderRussDiGilioopeningthefirst locationin2007.
Thebrandhasmorethan100locations acrosstheUS.
Italsohasseveralgloballocations,including thoseinEgypt,CanadaandthePhilippines.
PizzaspotCharlie’sopeneditsdoorscloseby just afewweeksago.
ThejourneybeganafterfounderMarty Dugganwascookingpizza –afteran
impromptupurchaseof aGozneyoven –in hisbackyardbeforecateringforhisfriends’ Newrydistillery.
Whatthenfollowedwas asuccessfulpopupattheformer Trademarketfoodmarket–tradingasPiGuy –beforeexpandingintothe OrmeauRoadarea.
IttakesitsstylefromtheNew York,with biggerpies,thin, alittlechew,and acrust withmorecrunchthan aNeapolitan.
Youcanbuypizzabytheslicefromaround £5-£6,oranentirepieineachofthestyles, settingyoubackinandaroundthe£30 mark.
Meanwhile, anumberofotherfood businesseshaveopenedupintheOrmeau Roadareainthelastcoupleofyears.That includesAsianstreetfoodspotMizo,and coffeeshopDrip. ■
AnewKoreancafeandrestauranthasopenedupinBelfast
Legacy orleverage? Making pensions work harder Chieffinancialofficerswillhaveanopportunityto turnpensionsfrom acostcentreinto astrategicasset, oncethePensionSchemesBillcomesintoforce, accordingtoexpert Isio
Pensionshavelongbeensomething of aheadacheforchieffinancial officers(CFOs) –treatedasa businesscost,ratherthan astrategiclever. Butthetideisabouttoturn.
TheUK’snewPensionSchemesBill,setto comeintoforcein2026,willfacilitatedefined contribution(DC)innovation –particularly regardinghow retirementsavingsare structured,communicated,andinvested.It willalsomakeiteasierfor asponsortoaccess itsdefinedbenefit(DB)schemesurplusand identifyotherusesforthatmoney.
WithmanybusinessesinNorthern IrelandnowsittingonDBschemesthatare comfortablyfundedandincreasinglyderisked,thisnewflexibility representssignificant growthpotential.
“We’re at apointwherepensionscan becomea sourceoffinanceforbusinesses. Releasedsurpluscouldbe reinvestedto
support acompany’swiderplansand ambition,”MarkShimmons,directorinIsio’s Belfastoffice,says.
Employeebenefitspackagesforcurrentand futureemployeescouldalsobestrengthened bytheseadditionalfunds,asMarkMcClintock, partnerinIsio’sBelfastoffice,pointsout. “Sayyouhave a£100mscheme –thisnew legislationcouldfreeup£15mto£20mof surplusover10years”hesays.“Someofthis couldbeusedtosupportbetteroutcomesfor employees.
“TheBillencourages amindsetshift.Rather thanviewingDBpensionschemesas aburden, theycanbeconsideredvaluablestrategic opportunities.”
Onethingthatwillbecomesimplerisusing DBsurplustobolsterDCfunds.Asthings stand,DBsurpluscanbeextractedandput into asame-schemeDCsection;theBillwill enableittobe redirectedintoanentirely
separateDCscheme.Thisshouldhelpmitigate concernsabouttheunderfundingofDC schemesviaautoenrolment.
“We’llseemorecasesofpeopleusing definedbenefitsurplustofundDC contributions,”MrMcClintocksays.“It’s alreadyhappeningin alimitednumberof casesanditdoesn’tcostthebusiness apenny more.”
Get readytoact Pensionsnolongerneedtositonthefinancial sidelines. Withtherightinsight,governance andinnovation,theycanbecomeanengine forworkforcevalueandfinancialagility.
IsiohasbeenhelpingNorther nIrish businesses rethinkthepensionconversation –fromde-riskinglegacyschemestocreating betterfuturesfortoday’sworkforce.Our growingpresenceinBelfastisheretohelpyou makepensionsworkharder. ■
Formoreinformationpleasevisitisio.com/ pensionsoremailcurious@isio.com
HowDanskeBankis supporting businesses from start-upstothe Top100 ShaunMcAnee,managingdirector,corporate andbusinessbanking,DanskeBank
Likemanyother readers,I’malways intriguedtoseewhichofNorthern Ireland’sbiggestbusinessesmake itintothe UlsterBusiness Top100listing –admiringtheconsistencyofthosewho havebeenrankedformanyyearsand pleasedtoseenewnamesbreakinginto the100eachyear.
We providebankingservicestomanyofthe Top100businessesandare privilegedtohave afront rowseattoseehowtheyaredriving growthasleadersintheir respectiveindustries.
Ourcorporateteamhashad astrongyear helpingthesebusinessesgrowandmeet challenges,byofferingcustomers arangeof solutions,accesstodedicatedlocalexperts andeasytouse,customisableonlinebanking. Allbusinesscustomerscanaccessouronline platform,District,whichmakesiteasierfor businessestotradeinternationally,access cross-currencyservicesandviewalloftheir accountsinoneplace.
We’vebeenhelpingNorther nIreland businessesfortwocenturiesandwe’re proudtohavemany Top100mainstays aslongstandingcustomers.Lastyearwe supportedthelocalbusinesscommunitywith around£750minbusinesslendingapprovals.
The Top100alsoservesas areminderthat alltheleadingNIbusinessesstartedoffassmall businesses.Whilethatmighthavebeenmany decadesago,it’sstilltruethattoday’sstart-ups, micro-businesses,scale-upsandSMEscould wellbetheTop100companiesofthefuture.
It’softensaidthatsmallbusinessesare thebackboneofthelocaleconomy,and I’mproudthatDanskeBankhaswelcomed 2,800newsmallbusinessescustomerssince wefirststartedofferingtwoyearsoffee-free
businessbankingtobusinesseswhoopena SmallBusinessDigitalAccountwithus –this hasalsohelpeddrivelendinggrowthtosmall businesses.
Thesecompaniesareineverysectoryou canthinkof,anditishugelyencouragingto seethemgrowingdespitethemanyobvious headwindsforbusinessestoday.
Smallbusinesscustomersaresupported bybusinesschampionsinour24branches andouraward-winninglocalcontactcentre. Thosewithborrowing requirementsarealso supportedbyourteamofsmallbusiness advisers,availableacrossNorther nIreland.
Listeningtoourcustomers,weknowthat accessibilityandconveniencearekeypriorities. To supportthat,we’veinvestedintechnology andautomationtosubstantiallyshortenthe time requiredtoopen abusinessaccountand toenhanceself-serviceoptions,includingthe abilitytoapplyonlineforanoverdraftofupto £25,000.
Assmallbusinessesgrowintoestablished mid-sizedcompaniesandneedmorestrategic
advice,theyaremanagedthroughourthree regionalBusinessCentres.Ourbusinesscentres offerSMEcustomers relationshipmanagement throughnamedcontacts,whogettoknow thebusinessanditspeoplecloselyinorderto supportthemintheirgrowthplans.
We knowthatamidstthecurrent geopoliticalandeconomicuncertaintiesin 2025,manyoftheseambitiouscompaniesmay becomemoreconservativeaboutinvestingin expansion,enteringnewmarketsandmaking acquisitions.
ButatDanskeBankwecontinuetoinvest inourowncapabilities,and Ibelievethatwith manycustomersstillsittingonhealthycash reserves,ourcustomerswilldosotoo.
Progressivebusinesseswillalwaysstriveto spotopportunitiesandtakecalculatedrisksto growtheircustomerbaseandmarketshare, whatevertheexternalcircumstances.At DanskeBankwe’recommittedtosupporting thesebusinessesandhelpingthemtoidentify andcapitaliseonthoseopportunitiestoday andinthefuture. ■
ShaunMcAnee
HendersonGroupsales grow to £1.39bnfor 2024 HendersonGroup,oneofNorthern Ireland’sleadingfoodgroups,has posted aturnoverof£1.389bnfor 2024 –anincreaseof3.8%on2023.
The reportpublishedonCompaniesHouse saystheincreaseinturnoverisdrivenbysolid likeforlikeperformanceinbothindependent andcompanyownedstores,supportedby Groupcompanyinvestmentsthroughout its retailestate,includingacquisitionsby HendersonRetail.
TheGroupalsoattributesthepositive results toitscontinuousfocusoncustomerservice, aswellasmorefrequentmissionsbyshoppers whowishtominimisewaste,whilewarehouse facilities,strongstockavailabilityandthe Group’sinvestmentinwholesalepricingmakes themanattractivewholesalepartner.
HendersonFoodservice,whichsupplies toover4,500customersthroughoutthe hospitality,educationandhealthcaresectors acrosstheislandofIrelandpostedpositive growthof10.8%to£250mcomparedto 2023,thankstoitsexclusivenewcontracts withK&GMcAtamneyWholesaleMeats, PremierWholesaleProduceandKoffmann’s/ TheFoodHeroes.Thecompany’sretailcoffeeto-gobrandexperiencedsignificantgrowth andnowhasover800Baristaunitsin620 retailsitesacrosstheUK.
Profitbefore taxfor2024was£63m, approximately£6mlowerthanin2023, largelyduetotheGroup’sstrategicinvestment inwholesaleand retailpricing,aswellas continuedinvestmentinstaffremuneration plus awiderangeofotherinitiativesdesigned toimprovecolleagueengagement.
NeilGamble,chieffinancialofficerat HendersonGroup,said:“Thegrocerymarket remainshighlycompetitive,therefore in2024, weconcentratedoninvestingprofitsback intothebusinesstomaintainourcompetitive positiondespitevariouseconomicchallenges.
“Ourco-investmentstrategywith retail partnershasbeenkeytoestablishing abest-in-
NeilGamble,chieffinancialofficerat HendersonGroup
classportfolioofsupermarkets,forecourtsand conveniencestores,whichhasfacilitatedthe strongsalesperformanceacrossallourbrand formats.”
Intotal,theGroupinvestedover£26m acrossnewandexisting retailandproperty locationsin2024,whilealso renewingits partnershipwithMaxoltocontinuetosupply 30HendersonRetailoperatedservicestations withbrandedfuel,withHendersonWholesale continuingtosupplytoMaxol’scompany ownedservicestationsundertheSPARbrand forthenextfiveyearsonanexclusivebasis.
HendersonRetailopenedfiveEUROSPAR supermarketsin2024,aheadofcelebrating thebrand’s25thanniversaryinNorthern Irelandthisyear.Theyearendedwiththe companyoperating110SPARandEUROSPAR storesinNorther nIreland.
“Theimpactofinflation,higherinterest ratesandgeneraldeteriorationinconsumer sentimentmadefor amorechallengingstart to2024,”MrGamblesaid.“Thedirectors
continuedtoinvestin retailandwholesaling pricestodeliverbettervalueforboth retailersandshoppers,whileourstorerefit, developmentandnewopenings,logistics, ITinfrastructureandpeopledevelopment investmentsbuilt agoodfoundationforfuture sustainablegrowth,whichwearemaintaining at asatisfactorylevelofprofitsofarin2025. We areencouragedbythevolumegrowth thatwehaveexperiencedin2025 reflecting growingpopularitywiththeconsumerforour proposition.”
TheGroup’semployeenumbersatthe endof2024 reached5,354,with awagebill of£147mandalmost20%ofemployees engagedinPayrollGiving.
HendersonGroupcontinuedtofundraise forkeycharitypartnersin2024including MarieCurie,CancerFundforChildren,Age NI, Tearfund,FareShare,ActionMentalHealth, NIChildren’sHospice,PIPSandJack &Jill Children’sFoundation,raisingapproximately £1.7m. ■
Planning appealsdecisionnumbers upalmost 50% Thenumberofplanningappeals decidedinthelastyearhasincreased byalmost50%, ithasemerged.
Some309casesweredealtbythePlanning AppealsCommission(PAC)during2024/25 –upconsiderablyon213duringtheprevious year
However, theaveragetimetakentoclear appealshasincreased –upto72.7weeksfrom 71weeks ayearearlier
“Wehaveincreasedthenumbersofappeal decisionsissuedyear-on-year,”thePACsaid in itsannual report.
“Wehavealsoimplementedanaction plan toleadtomore timelydecisions.”
ThePACsaysthatthecommissionhas movedtodealwithother‘hearand report’ cases,followingthesuspensionofthemajor publicinquiryintoDalradian’splansfora gold mineinCoTyrone.
However,itwas revealedinOctoberlastyear thatfreshplanningappeal requestsformajor schemesfromStormontwere“onhold”until a reportintothegoldmineiscompletedormore
inlast year resourcesbecomeavailable.
Theinquirywaspostponedearlierthis yearaftertheDepartmentforInfrastructure requestedthatthecommissionsuspendthe inquiriestoallowtransboundaryconsultationto takeplace.
“The resourcingimplicationsoftheDalradian Inquirycontinuetopose achallenge,”the PAC saidinitsannual review
“Itisimportantthattheinquiry recommencesattheearliestopportunity, butthisislargelyoutsidethecontrolofthe commissionandissubjecttoexternalfactors whichhavecauseddelay
“Whilewehavetakenstepstoallocate other‘hearand report’casesinlightofthe suspensionofallworksontheInquiry;we mustbemindfuloftheimplicationsofits recommencementoncommission resourcesin allforwardplanning.”
Speakingaboutitsperformanceoverthe lastyear,the PAC’schiefcommissioner,Andrea Kells,saidbythestartofthisyearit returnedto afullworkforceofcommissioners.
“Thisisthefirsttimethatwehavebeenin thispositionsince Iwasappointedin2017,” shesaid.
“Accordingly,andgivenongoingtraining anddevelopment,wehaveseensignificant improvementsinperformance.
“Wehavemadesignificantprogressthis yearandcanlookforwardtothefuturewith a positivemindset. We willcontinuetodeliverto thebestofourabilityinlinewiththe resources wehaveavailable.”
The PACsaidoutofthe109casesinthe systematthestartofthefinancialyear“asmall number remain”.
“Ofthese,themajorityhavebeendelayed forjustifiable reasons,suchasthesubmission ofupdatedenvironmentalinformation
“Oneactionplanobjectivewasto reduce thein-handcasesdowntopre-Covidlevels (201cases)bytheendofthe2024/25financial year.ThiswasachievedbyNovember2024 with191casesinhand. We continueto improvein reducingthenumberofin-hand caseswith149casesatyearend.” ■
Oneofthemajorplanning appealinquiriesinto aCo Tyronegoldminehasbeen delayedonceagain
‘Keyboardwarriors’ whoposted homophobicslursanddeath threat ‘won’t intimidateme’ ShortlyafterAllianceMLA AndrewMuir tookuphispostasMinisterof Agriculture,EnvironmentandRuralAffairs(DAERA),hewadedintooneoftheworst environmentaldisastersherein ageneration.Hespeaksto JohnMulgrew about whywemusttackleLoughNeagh,dealingwithhomophobicabuseand adeath threat,andhowfinancialandenvironmentalsustainabilitygo‘hand-in-hand’
AndrewMuirsaysthe“keyboard warriors”whopostedhate-filled homophobicslurs,andinonecase adeaththreattowardstheminister,don’t reflecttheagricommunitywhichhe’s knownovertheyears.
Itwasinthedaysfollowingthepublication ofplansbytheDepartmentofAgriculture, EnvironmentandRuralAffairs(DAERA)to tacklewaterpollutionthattheAllianceMLA received adelugeofonlineabuse.
Andwhilehesaysthereremainsanopen policeinvestigationintoonedeaththreat, MrMuirsaidwhat reallyimpactedhimwere theonlineattacksoncolleaguesandstaff members.
“Toseecommentsonsocialmediaabout themwhicharederogatoryandmisogynistic has really,reallydepressedme… asmall minorityareincapableof arespectfuldialog aroundwhatis akeypolicyissueinNorthern Ireland,”hetold UlsterBusiness
AftertakingupthepostasAgriculture Ministerinearly2024,thedevastationof LoughNeaghbecame aclearcrisispointfor him,andthewiderExecutive.
Andwithblue-greenalgae returning onceagainthisyear,MrMuirsaidnotonly istacklingtheissuesomethingwecando “butwemust”describingitasthe“biggest environmentalcatastropheinNorthern Ireland”.
“Notonlyareweseeingthecollapseof
natureandbiodiversity,but40%ofour drinkingwatercomesfromLoughNeagh,”he said.
Andonwaterqualityingeneral,hesaidthe problemsare“notjustLoughNeagh…we’re decadesinthemaking,andwe’reallgoingto bedecadesinthefixing”.
“…there’sabroadsphereofinfrastructure weneedtoinvestin,andthatneedsto betakenforwardaspartofaninvestment strategyforNorther nIreland,whichisstill waitingforpublication,”hesaid.
Then,thisyear,theminister releaseda consultationintohisNutrientsActionPlan.This iterationaimstotacklewaterquality,linkedto LoughNeagh,including reducingphosphorus levels.
Thewideragrisectorhassinceexpressedits ownconcernsandwarneditcouldhavemajor consequencesformanyfarmershere.
“Iunderstandtheconcer nexpressedbykey actorswithintheagrifoodsector,andalsothe complexityoftheproposalsthatareoutfor consultation,”MrMuirsaid.
“Iwould reiterateagain,thesearedraft proposals.Nofinaldecisionhasbeentaken, andthisis aconsultation.
“Ialsowantto reiteratemycommitment tosettingup asmallstakeholdergrouponce theconsultationcloses,forustoconsiderthe responsesandtomap awayforwardtogether.
“Whatwehavetodoiswehaveto navigate awayforwardwhichimproveswater
qualityinNorther nIreland,butalsodelivers thatsuccessfulandsustainablefuturefor agriculture.”
TheMinisterhadbeenurgedtowithdraw thecurrentpublicconsultationonthe NutrientsActionProgramme2026-29,which finishedattheendofJuly,withtheAssembly backing amotionopposingthecurrent proposals.
OntheMinister’sClimateActionPlan–whichhehopescouldgobefore theExecutive nextyear –MrMuirsaid“weneedtodomore toimproveourenvironment,butwedothatby bringingtogetherfinancialandenvironmental sustainability,becausebothgohand-in-hand”.
“Agricultureandfarminggoinharmony withtheenvironment,”hesays.“That’showit issuccessful.
“Intermsofagriculture,wehavegota successstorytotellaspartoftheClimate ActionPlan,whichisintermsoffarmingand agriculturecomingforwardwithsmarterand moreproductivewaysofworking,which deliverprofitabilitybutalso reducethose greenhousegasemissions.
“…there’smoretodo. Iknowthere’smore todo,butI’veseenpeoplewhoareupforthat challengeandunderstandthatgoingtogether onthis,byworkingwithourdepartmentand workingwithagri-foodsector,wecandelivera successfulfutureahead.”
Turningtothe recentdecisiononthe long-awaitedA5 roadsupgrade –wherebya
greenlightwasquashedby acourtasitwould breach alegislativegoalofcuttinggreenhouse gasemissions,outlinedintheClimateChange Act(Norther nIreland)2022,MrMuirsaid:
“Itwilltake awhileforittobeconsidered full,andobviouslyit’sprimarily amatterforthe InfrastructureMinister,”hesaid.
“Myinitialviewofthisisthatthere’sa varietyofissuesinthejudgment,whichwe’re goingtotaketimetowalkthrough[them].
“Butwejustneedtotake abroader perspectiveonthis –thefirstis…thethoughts arewiththefamiliesofthosepeople[killedon the road].
“Andsecondly,thatweshouldn’tlose sightoftheimpactofthecollapseofthese institutionswiththeclimatechangelegislation, whenitwaspassed.
“Iftheseinstitutionshadbeensitting,we wouldhavebeenverywelldowninterms oftheroadandtakingactiononclimate change.”
Renewablegeneration remains ahottopic here. We’resupposedtobehittingthe80%
markby2030butareactuallygeneratingless greenenergy –some43% –thanwewerea yearago.
So,andI’veaskedthisquestiontoother ministers –isthatfigurecompletelyunrealistic?
“We’vegot anumberoftargetstomeet, andour roadtonetzero,”MrMuirsaid.“They arechallenging,buttheywouldn’tbeproper targetsiftheyweren’tchallenging,andthis requires awholeExecutiveapproach.
“So,while Ihavelead responsibilityfor climatechange,it requiresothersectorsand otherministerstostepupanddeliverupon that.”
Hesaidthatincludes afasterandmoreagile planningsystem,anddealingwithourgrid capacity.Hesays ahiatusontheStormont Executivefortwoyearsalsoimpactedwider decision-makinghere.
Andontheonlineabusewhichhe received –including adeaththreat –MrMuirsaidhe will“notbeintimidated”.
“I reallyamappalledtoseethose comments,thecommentsin relationto
myselfandthenthedeaththreattomyself aredisconcerting –yes –butI’llnotbe intimidatedbythat,”hesaid.
“Sincethedayandhour Icameinas minister,I’vebeenwelcomedbymany [people]acrossNorther nIrelandintotheir homes. We’vehad respectfuldialog,and that’sthefarmingcommunity Iknow,andthis socialmediacommentarydoesnot reflectthe people Iknow.
“Also,manypeoplewithinagrifood, professionalleaders,whohave reachedout tomeon apersonalbasistoexpresstheir abhorencetothat.
“That’stheNorther nIreland Iknow.That’s theNorther nIreland Ilove,andthekeyboard warriorsdonot reflectthat.”
MrMuiralso received adeaththreat,which hesaysis“nowunderactiveinvestigationby police”.
“Thisseemstobe atraitthatpeoplefeel isacceptabletopoststuffonline…whichis threatening...I’mverythankfulforthepolice andthe response.” ■
AgricultureMinister AndrewMuir
NorthernIreland’s topcompanies see 26%surge inprofits The UlsterBusiness Top100Northern IrelandCompanies2025, inassociationwith KPMG,showcasesthe performanceofourbiggest andbestbusinesses.
Ouranalyst, Jonathan Cushley,breaksdown thenumbersandfigures fromthisyear’sleading businesslist
Ourbiggestbusinesseshaveseen pre-taxprofitsrisingbymorethan aquarterinthespaceof ayear, accordingtothisyear’s UlsterBusiness Top100Norther nIrelandCompanies,in associationwithKPMG.
Figurescompiledonbehalfof Ulster Business magazineshowthatNorthern Ireland’sTop100companiesimprovedpre-tax profitabilityfortheirlastfinancialyearby 26.1%to£1.86bn.
The UlsterBusiness Top100isthelongestestablishedlistingofcompanyperformance providinginsightontheperformanceof Norther nIrelandbasedcompanies,either Norther nIreland registeredatCompanies House,orwhereasignificantportionoftheir businessistransactedinthe region.
The2025editionofthe Top100 incorporatesanalysisoffiguresfiledateach company’syearendandforthisyear relates tofinancialperiodsendinginlate2023,2024 and2025.
Eachyearturnover(sales),pre-taxprofit, tangiblenetworth(shareholdervalue)and numberofemployeesarereviewed.
SUMMARY Forthefirsttimeinover35yearsofcompiling the UlsterBusiness Top100,turnover/saleshas remainedflat.Salesinthe2025listamountto £35.621bn.comparedto aprioryearfigurefor thesame100companiesof£35.623bn.
Pre-taxprofitshaveincreasedto£1.86bn, from£1.47bn –anincreaseof26.1%.
Shareholdervalue(tangiblenetworth)for the Top100sitsat£10.6bn.
SALES/TURNOVER Sales revenueistheincome receivedby acompanyfromitssalesofgoodsorthe provisionofservices.
Theperformanceofthe Top100 reporting aflatyear-on-yearperformancewouldtend toindicate adifficulttradingenvironmentand
thiswouldbebackedupbythefactthat34of thecompanies reported adecreaseonyear-onyearsales.
MoyParkHolding(Europe)Ltd,nowtrading asPilgrim’sEurope,continuestoholdswayat thelist,withturnovernowinexcessof£2bn and reporting a£160mincreaseinsaleson prioryear.W&RBarnettLtd retainssecond placewithturnoverof£1.57bn,thoughdown onprioryearof£1.81bn.
JohnHendersonHoldingsLtd,LCCGroup LtdandJohnGrahamHoldingsLtdholdplaces three,four,andfive.
And Top100stalwartAlmacGroupLtdhas exceededthe£1bnbarrierforthefirsttime.
Whiletheyearhasobviouslybeena challengeforthe Top100companies,itis importanttonotethattheturnoverfigure
JonathanCushley
requiredtogainaccesstothe UlsterBusiness Top100isatitshighestever,withMBNI HoldingsLtdpostingyear-endsales resultsof £105m.Thisisthefirsttimeall100companies havebreachedthe£100mmark.
PROFITABILITY Sincethe UlsterBusiness Top100’sinceptionin 1988,wehaveidentifiedthe‘top’companies bymeasuringturnover,whilstalsoaccepting thatbothprofitabilityandtangibleshareholder valuearealsokeymeasuresofperformance.
TOP100 Thisyearhasseen averysignificantincrease inyear-on-yearprofitwithprofitmarginforthe Top100companiesincreasingfrom amargin of4.1%toamarginof5.2%,withtotal profitsnowsittingat£1.86bncomparedto £1.47bnforthecorrespondingcompaniesin theirprioryear.
Nineofthe Top100companiesposted lossesbetweenthem,amountingto£371m.
TANGIBLENETWORTH Tangiblenetworthismostcommonlya calculationofthenetworthof acompanythat excludesanyvaluederivedfromintangible assetssuchascopyrights,patents,goodwill andintellectualproperty.Tangiblenetworth is asimplecalculationof acompany’stotal tangibleassetsminusthecompany’stotal liabilities.
Abusiness’stangiblenetworthprovidesa snapshotofitsfinancialsituationatthispoint intime.
Thecurrenttangiblenetworthofthe Ulster Business Top100currentlysitsat£10.6bn –as the Top100listingisfluid,withcompanies enteringandleaving,thelistanycomparison withpreviouslistingcanbedistorted.
However,comparedtothe2018 Top100 listing,tangiblenetworthhasincreasedby £800m.
Nineofthecompanieswithinthe Top100 haveliabilitiesthatoutweightheirassets –the tangiblenetworthdeficitofthesecompanies amountsto£754m.
Increasingthetangiblenetworth/ shareholder Valueisofprimeimportance forthemanagementof acompany.The
RayHutchinson
TOP100YEARONYEARPRE-TAXPROFIT(£000M) managementmusthavetheinterestsof shareholdersinmindwhilemakingdecisions. Thehighertheshareholdervalue,thebetterit
isforthecompanyandmanagement. Theshareholders retur nforthe Ulster Business Top100equatestoprofit/tangiblenet
NOTES 1. LCCGroupLtdprioryear results relateto an18-monthperiod.
2. McLaughlin &HarveyHoldingsLtdprior year results relatetoan18-monthperiod.
3. ShortBrothersplc,SchraderElectronics Ltd &Seagate Technology(Ireland)allfile accountsinUSdollar.Foranalysispurposes USdollarvalueshavebeenconvertedto sterlingatthe relevantexchangerateat financialyearend.
4. LakelandDairiesLtd filesaccountsin euro.Foranalysispurposeseurovalueshave beenconvertedtosterlingatthe relevant exchangerateat financialyearend.
5. BothSSEAirtricityEnergySupply(NI) LtdandSSEAirtricityGasSupply(NI)Ltd areseparatesubsidiariesofSSEplc.SSE AirtricityEnergySupply(NI)Ltdhas restated 2023profits.
6. R&HHall TradingLtdis ajointventure betweenW&RBarnettLtdandOrigin Enterprisesplc.
7. AdateoftheJune24,2025hasbeen usedasthecutoffforthe filingoflater accountsfortheinclusioninthisyear’s UlsterBusiness Top100.
worthandas apercentagesitsat17.5%
Thesalestoequityratiodefinedasturnover/ tangiblenetworthprovidesanindicatorof
howmanypoundsaregeneratedbythe businesswitheachpoundinvested.Forthe current Top100thisamountsto3.35.
8. Thelistinghasbeencompiledbyusing datasourcedfromCompaniesHouse.
EMPLOYEES Atotalof107,396peopleareemployedby Norther nIreland’sTop100Companies. Eachemployeewithinthe Top100 accountedfor£331,679turnover –sales/ employeeandaccountedfor£17,300profit–profit/employee.
LOCATION Sincetheinceptionofthe Top100wehave periodicallylookedatthegeographiclocation ofthecompanieswithinNorther nIreland–historicallytheeasthasheldswayoverthe west –however,weare beginningtoseea shiftwithcurrently64businessesbasedin Belfast,CoAntrim,andCoDown. ■
JustinColeman
Mulgrew
PhotographybyElaineHill
NI constructiongiantposts sales overmorethan £1bn Norther nIrelandconstructiongiant Grahamhasposted ajumpinpretaxprofitswithturnover remaining abovethe£1bnmark.
Thecompany,whichisbasedinHillsborough inCoDown,saiditsfinancial resultsforthe yearendingMarch31,2025showed“strong profitability”.
Itsaidithadbeen ayearof“strategic progress”withinvestmentcontinuingin innovation,sustainabilityandleadership.
Thegroupsaidtherehadbeen a6%decline in revenueto£1.06bn,downfrom£1.12bn theyearbefore,atitsmainlimitedcompany JohnGrahamHoldings.
However,pre-taxprofitsjumpedby71%, risingto£25.2m,upfrom£14.8m.
It’sthethirdyearin arowinwhich revenue atGrahamhaspassed£1bn,joiningother bighitterslikeHendersonGroupandPilgrim’s Europe,formerlyMoyPark,inaneliteof Norther nIreland-basedcompanies.
In astatement releasedaheadofthe publicationofits resultsatCompaniesHouse, GrahamGroupsaidgrossprofitfortheyear was£73m,whichwasupfrom£62m,while cash reserves reached£192.5m.Lastyear,cash atbankandinhandwas£151m.
Itsaiditsstrong reserves reflected “disciplinedcontractselection, robust commercialmanagement,and afocusonlongtermvaluecreation”.
Overtheyearitsaidithadsecured significantprojectwinsacrossitsconstruction, facilitiesmanagementandinvestmentdivisions.
InNorther nIreland,itwonthe£90m contracttobuild adeep-waterterminalfor BelfastHarbourCommissioners –thelargest biggestcapitalinvestmentintheharbour’s history,
AndinGreatBritain,itwasappointedbythe DepartmentofEducationfordeliveryofschool projectsacrossEnglandaspartoftheUK Government’sSchoolRebuildingProgramme. Italsocontinuedtosecuremajor residential
projectsincluding a£124.5mstudent accommodationschemeinGlasgowfor accommodationcompanyUniteand a£100m mixed-usedevelopmentinLeedsforhousing companyLatimer.
IthadalsobeenincludedinNational Highways’multi-billion-pound road renewals framework.
AndinFebruary,itwasappointedby CausewayCoast &GlensBoroughCouncilto buildthenewBallycastleLeisureCentre.
AndrewBill,groupchiefexecutive,said: “Ourperformanceinthe2025financial year reflectsthestrengthofourpeople,our strategicfocus,andourcommitmentto deliveringlastingimpact.
“Weare encouragedbytheprogressmade andexcitedabouttheopportunitiesaheadas
wecontinuetobuild aresilient,sustainable future.”
Thecompanysaidithadalsobolstered itsleadershipteamwiththeappointmentof JohnnyHallaschiefoperatingofficerinMay. MrHallhasworkedwiththecompanysince 2002afterfirstjoiningas aquantitysurveyor.
Aspokespersonforthecompanysaid: “With arecordorderbook, ahealthyforward pipeline,and astrongbalancesheet,the groupiswell-positionedforcontrolledgrowth.
“Itsstrategicfocus remainsonsustainable construction,digitalinnovation,andlong-term partnershipsacrosstheUKandIreland.”
Thecompany’sfinancialstatementsfor theyearendingMarch31,2024saidit had aworkforceof2,352,and apaybillof £145.1m. ■
AndrewBill
Northern Ireland’s hear thealthcrisis NorthernIrelandisfacing ahiddenhealthemergency –demandingactionnow toavert acrisis. FearghalMcKinney,headofNorthernIreland’sleadingheart charity, BritishHeart Foundation(BHF),speaksaboutitsnewstrategytohelp combatcardiovasculardisease
Despitedecadesofsuccessesand hard-wonprogress,theprevalence ofmanyheartdiseasesandrisk factorsisat arecordhigh.
Acombinationofrisingchronicillness, stretchedhealthservices,andmissed opportunitieshaspushedusto atipping point–onethatcouldgoontoclaimlives unnecessarily.
Thestartofthisdecadehasseen arecord numberofpeopleinNorther nIrelandaffected byheartdisease We areatacriticaltipping pointforhearthealth –demandingurgent, boldaction.
ThestatisticsforNorther nIrelandarestark with arecordnumberofpeoplehereaffected bymanyheartdiseases:
● 21,701peoplearenowlivingwithheart failure–up12%since2020.
● 47,101peoplehaveatrial fibrillation, aheart rhythmdisorder –up14%.
● 114,673adultsarelivingwithdiabetes,a majorcardiovascularriskfactor –up10%.
● Around410,000adultsareclassifiedas obese.
● Cardiacwaitinglistshavegrownbynearly 30%since2019.
● In2023,4,227peopleinNorther nIreland diedfromheartandcirculatorydiseases –the mostsince2012.
● Tragically,500working-ageadultsdied fromthesediseasesin2023,anaverageoften deathseveryweek.
Thesearen’tjustnumbers –theyarelives
cutshortleavingfamiliesandcommunities devastated.
DECLINEINHEARTHEALTH Onceseenas apublichealthsuccessstorythe figuresnowshowthatcardiovasculardisease inNorther nIrelandis reboundingatpace. Expertspointtostubbornlyhighobesityand inactivitylevels,wideninghealthinequalities, thelongshadowoftheCovid-19pandemic, and alackofmeaningful,co-ordinatedaction overthelastdecadetoaddressmanyofthe causesofheartdiseaseandstroke.
Atthesametime,thehealthsystemis bucklingundertheweightofrisingdemand. Over3,000peoplearenowwaitingfor cardiacsurgery,appointmentsortreatment
–a backlogthatforsomecouldmeanthe differencebetweenlifeanddeath.
BOLDAPPROACH TheBritishHeartFoundationislaunchinga boldnewstrategyaimedathaltingthistrend. Theplanisgroundedinscience –andfiredby asenseofurgency.
We’reenteringaneraofimmensescientific opportunity.Ifweseizeit,wecan reversethe damage,savelives,andprotectthefutureof hearthealthinNorther nIreland. Here’showtheBHFplanstofightback:
1ReimaginePrevention ByharnessingthepowerofAI,datascience andbehaviouralsciences,theBHFaimsto detectandtreatthoseatriskmuchearlier.
2BoostResearchInvestment TheBHFisinvesting£100m ayearin cutting-edgecardiovascular research –and wantsotherstostepup,too.Cardiovascular
disease remainsoneofthemostunderfunded majorhealththreats,despitebeingoneofthe UK’sleadingcausesofdeath.
3Focusoncare TheBHFwillworkwiththeNorthern IrelandExecutiveto rethinkhowheartpatients aresupported,findinginnovativenewways tohelppeoplebettermanagetheirhealth, livehealthierlives –and reducepressureon hospitals.
RESEARCHDRIVENINNOVATION Research-driveninnovationintheprevention andtreatmentofcardiovasculardiseasehas beenoneofthegreatsuccessstoriesof moder nmedicine.
BackwhenBHFbeganfunding research63 yearsagosevenin10peoplesuffering aheart attackintheUKdied.Nowmorethansevenin 10survive.
Yetheartdisease remainsoneofthebiggest yetmostpreventablecausesofpremature
TheBritish Heart Foundationiscallingonthe NorthernIreland Executive, as awhole,totreat thisas the emergencyitis, recognise thatcardiovascular research remains chronically underfunded compared to thedisease’s impacton society,and workto deliver thefuturethatscience promises.
deathandillhealth. We needtoactnow topreventthehard-wonprogressof recent decadesbeinglostforfuturegenerations.
Reimagininghowwepreventandtreatheart diseaseandstrokeiskeytotransformingthe nation’shealth.Researchandinnovationare howwe’llachievethis,andtherapidadvances inAI,datascience,technologyandadvanced therapiesofferus aglimpseintowhat’s possibleifwecapitaliseonthiseraofscientific opportunity.
We can’tdothisalone,soworkingwith allfourUKgovernmentsandpartnerswillbe criticaltounleashthepotentialoftheUK’slife sciencessectortohelpunlockthelifesaving treatmentsandcuresmillionsarestillwaiting for.
Ifthisstrategysucceeds,thereare great potential rewards.By2035,wehopeto:
● Helpprevent125,000heartattacksand strokes
● Help reduceearlydeathsfromcardiovascular diseaseby25%
● Helpcutthenumberofyearslosttoheartrelatedillnessby aquarter
Butwithoutdecisive,coordinatedaction now –fromgovernment,funders,andthe public -thecostcouldbemeasuredinmany morepreventabledeaths.
TheBritishHeartFoundationiscallingon theNorther nIrelandExecutive,as awhole,to treatthisastheemergencyitis, recognisethat cardiovascular research remainschronically underfundedcomparedtothedisease’simpact onsociety –andworktodeliverthefuturethat sciencepromises.■
YoucanlearnmoreabouttheBHFStrategyat www.bhf.org.uk,andyoucangetintouchwith BHFNIatni@bhf.org.uk
HE
NIfirms markEmployee OwnershipDay CelebrationswereheldinfirmsacrossNorthernIrelandto markEmployee OwnershipDay,whichtookplacerecently Heldtoshowcasethebenefitsofemployeeownership(EO), eventsweregivenanextraboostasNorthernIrelandEconomyMinister, DrCaoimheArchibald,pledgedalmost£100,000offundingtoEmployee OwnershipIreland.
Thisfundingwillbeusedbythenewlyestablishedbusinessboardto raiseawarenessoftheemployeeownershiptrustmodelandtosupport thosebusinesseswhoareintheprocessoforinterestedintransitioning toemployeeownershipthroughfundedfeasibilitystudies.
TheannouncementwasmadeontheeveofEmployeeOwnership DaywhenMinisterArchibaldvisitedS&WWholesale,a Newry-based wholesalerwhichbecameanEOTinJanuary2023.
Meetingwithcolleaguesandlocalbusinessleaders,theeconomy ministertookpartinS&W’scelebrationsforEmployeeOwnershipDay, whichwasthebiggestcelebrationtodate ofEODayinNorthernIreland.
Currentlythereare 16Employee-ownedbusinessesacrossNorthern Ireland,andthisincludesfirmsfromallsizesandsectorssuchasFMCG wholesalerS&WWholesale,manufacturingfirm,GilbertAsh,WhiteInk architectsandtrainingproviders,PeopleFirst.
This representsover1,100employeeownersnowinNIandisinline withEmployeeOwnershipIreland’saim ofcreating10,000employee ownersby2030.Themodelis atransformativeapproachtobusiness whereemployeeshold asubstantialfinancialanddecision-makingstake intheorganisation.Thismodelcantakevariousformsincluding: EmployeeOwnership Trusts(EOTs): Atrustholdsthecompanyshares onbehalfoftheemployees,ensuringlong-termstabilityandcollective benefit.
DirectShare Ownership:Employeesindividuallyownsharesinthe company,eitherpurchasedorgrantedaspartofareward scheme.
Makingthefundingannouncement,MinisterArchibalddescribedthe benefitsofemployeeownership asprofoundandfar-reaching.Businesses oftenseeimprovedperformance,employeesexperiencegreaterjob satisfactionandfinancial rewards,andsociety benefitsfromstronger, moreresilientlocaleconomies.
MinisterArchibaldsaid:“Thebenefits ofemployeeownershipare welldocumentedandare stronglyalignedwithmyeconomicplans. Employee-ownedbusinessespay,onaverage, ahigherwage.They aremorelikelyto remaininthesamelocationandinvestintheirlocal economy,andimportantly,theyare 8-12%moreproductive
“Thiafundingannouncementwillhelpincreaseawarenessof employeeownershipandsupportbusinessestransitioningtoemployee ownershipthroughfundedfeasibilitystudies.”
AidanO’Neill,boardmemberofEmployeeOwnershipIrelandsaid:
“Wewelcometheminister’sannouncementtodayandareencouraged thatthisfundingwillnowbeavailableforbusinessesacrossallsectors whoareinterestedinbecominganEOT.Muchofthisfundingwill bedirectedtowardsprovidingfeasibilitystudiesforfirmswhoatthe beginningoftheEOjourneyandwillenabletheEOIboardtocontinue offeringmentorship,peer-to-peersupportanda bankof resourcesat crucialearlystages.
“Itisparticularlywelcomethatthisannouncementwasmadeonthe eveofEmployeeOwnershipDaywhentheEOCommunityacrossNIis comingtogetherandcelebratingthemomentumbehindthemovement. Thereare nowaround1,100Employee-Ownersworkinginthis region andas aboard,weareworkinghardtoincreasethisfigureevenfurther andtoshowcasethemanybenefitsEObringstobothbusinessesandthe localeconomy.”
AnthonyMcVeigh,chiefexecutiveofS&WWholesale,said:“It waswonderfultowelcomeMinisterArchibaldandherteamtoS&W Wholesaleandspeaktothemanypositivesofbeing abusinessoperating forthebenefitoftheemployees.” ■
To learnmoreabouttheEmployeeOwnershipIrelandandthesupportthey canofferbusinessessearchEmployeeOwnershipIrelandwhereyoucan alsofindinformationonhowtoapplyfor afullyfundedfeasibilitystudy
AneventtomarkEmployeeOwnershipDaywasheldatS&WWholesaleinNewry. PicturedareAnthonyMcVeigh,chiefexecutive,S&W,EconomyMinisterDrCaoimhe Archibald,andAidanO’Neill,EmployeeOwnershipIrelandboardrepresentative
JustinColeman
1Pilgrim’sEurope There’safreshnameatthehelmof thisyear’sTop100.
Butit’scertainlynonewcomertothe Norther nIrelandmarketplace,ortheannual businesslist.
Pilgrim’sEuropeisthenewnameforthe firm’soperationshere–replacingtheoldMoy Parkbranding –anditfollows arestructureof thebusinessoverthelastcoupleofyears.
It remainsNorther nIreland’sonly£2bn company –postingpre-taxprofitsofmore than£70minitslatestpublishedaccounts.
“Thelastpublished results[showed]a big recoveryfromCovid,”JustinColeman, director,Pilgrim’sEuropetold UlsterBusiness
“Therewasmegaexecutionofthe strategy –keycustomerfocus,growinginthe categorieswhichwehavebeensuccessfulin, and abigfocusincontrollables.
“Themarketisthemarketforeverybody, you’reuporyou’redown,butcontrollingwhat youcangetholdof:cost,customerfocus, quality…weput alotofeffortintothat.
andEnniskillen.Thecompanyhasalso recently opened anewsharedservicescorporateoffice inCraigavon.
“We’restillveryproudlyNorther nIrish. WhatwehavejoininginNIisthebusinessin Enniskillen.
“Soin aanutshell,inNorther nIreland,we employjust alittleover5,000peoplenow.” AndwhileMoyParkisnolongerbeingused fortheoverallbusinesshere,Justinsaysthe branditselfwillnotdisappear.
“ComingoutofCovidwasmassively disruptingforeverybody,coupledwithall sortsofmarketdynamicsaroundmega inflation…westucktowhatwedoas abusiness,growthecategorieswhich wearereallygoodat,lookafterkey customers,andfocusoncontrollables. It’snotmorecomplicatedthanthat.”
TheNorther nIrelandoperationof Pilgrim’sEuropeincludespoultryand preparedfoodsproductionfacilities inBallymena,Craigavon,Dungannon
Lookingbackatthelastsixto12months, Justinsayshe’s“comfortable”withthe performance“bearinginmindwe’ve integratedthreeverydifferentbusinesses together”.
“Wecertainlycouldn’tcomplainaroundthe firstyearofoperations,”hesaid.
“Ithinkwherewelooktoforthefuture nowistoembedthatandgoforgrowth.It’s certainlyintheDNA.Andsohowdowetake ourscaletoleveragegrowth?
“Weoperateinsomanymorecategories now –it’snotjustchicken,it’snotjustpork, it’snotjustlamb,it’snotjustmeals,it’snotjust nonmeat.
saysthewidermeatalternativesector“isnot settingtheworldon fire”.
“Butwe’renotseeingitgobackwards,”he says.“Soit’sgot afollowing.”
Lookingahead,Justinsaysgrowth remains onthehorizon,with afocusacrossitsvarious productlinesandcategories.
“There’sarangeofcategoriesnowwhere wecanleveragegrowth.Andsoourfocusfor the restofthisyearandintonextyearishow wewescaleupandexecuteourgrowthplan acrossUK,theislandofIreland,andEurope.”
Onmeatfreeproducts,somethingPilgrim’s Europehas asmallerinvestmentinwith productssuchasitsRichmondvegan sausages,forexample,Justin
“Ifwebreakourbusinessintocategories: poultryis akey.Itisakeygrowthproteinfor allthe reasons –it’sversatile,it’shealthy,it offersgreatvalue,evenwithinflationlinked toit.
“We’vedefinitelygotopportunitiesacross ourbrandedportfolio,somealsandmeats, aroundofferingthingslikepremiummeals–weseeas agrowtharea –andcertainlybeing moreaggressiveinthingslikecookedsliced meatsaroundbaconas apotentialgrowthfor usinthatarea,andnotexcludingfreshpork andlamb.” ■
Solarfix: reducing energy costsand carbonacrossNI Sinceopeningin2015,SolarfixhasbecomeNorthern Ireland’sleadingsolarcompany,withover2,000 installationsgeneratingmorethan16millionunitsof electricity.
Solarpanelsareasmartinvestmentforbusinessesandhomes, providingelectricityat alowercostthanthegrid.Mostcommercial systemsfromSolarfixpayforthemselveswithinthreetofiveyearsand comewith25-yearperformancewarranties,offering returnsexceeding 20%.
Inadditiontofinancialsavings,Solarfixpanelssignificantly reduce carbonemissions,savingNorther nIrelandoverfourmillionkilogramsof carboninthepastnineyears. Trustiscrucialforlong-terminvestments likesolarenergy.W ithover20yearsofindustryexperience,Solarfixis dedicatedtoexcellentcustomerservice,supportedbypositive reviews and ateamofover10full-timesupportstaffinMallusk.
SpecialisngexclusivelyinSolarPV,Solarfixprovidesexpertadvice
tailoredtoyourneeds.As aDuracellEnergyPlatinumPartnerand SolarEdgePreferredPartner,andwithanannualturnoverexceeding £3m,theyhavetheexpertisetomanageanyproject.
Solarpowerofferssignificantbenefits:it’slessexpensivethan gridelectricity,environmentallyfriendly,reducingfossilfuel reliance, andprovidesenergysecuritywithlesspricevolatility.Giventhese advantages,whynotconsidersolarpowerforyourproperty?Solarfix standsoutasoneofNorther nIreland’squalitysolarcompanies.
ContactSolarfixnowfor acomplimentaryquoteat08002465198 orvisitwww.solarfix.co.uk
DanskeBankposts£118.4m profits forfirstsixmonths DanskeBankhaspostedpre-tax profitsof£118.4mforthefirst halfoftheyear.
Italso reportedincome£207mhere–a 10%increaseonthebusinessitdidinthe sameperiodlastyear.
ThenumberofloansmadebyDanske Banktocustomersalsosaw anotable increaseinthefirsthalfofthisyear.There was£6.6bninloansgivenoutbythebank, a7%risefrom2024’sfirst-halffigureof £6.2bn.
Depositsalsosaw anotableincreaseatthe bankintheopeninghalfof2025,goingup 9%from£10.8bnto£11.8bn.
DanskeBank recentlyannounceditwill bemoving40stafftoanewnorthwest officeinEbringtonPlaza,Derryafterleaving thelistedbuildinginShipquayPlaceithad occupiedsince1867.
VickyDavies,chiefexecutiveofDanske BankUK,saidthebankis“continuingto
growbothinNorther nIrelandandacrossthe restoftheUK”.
“Inpersonalbankingweareworkinghard toensureweare anattractivebankforyouth customersaswellasadultcustomers.
“Inthefirstsixmonthsoftheyearwe welcomedover7,000newpersonalcurrent accountcustomerstoDanskeBank,anditis greattoseethataround40%ofthemare under18yearsold.”
VickyDavies
Fane Valley 30 Thelast12monthshaveproved amixed pictureforNorther nIreland’sagrisector.
Lastyearbeganwithpoorweather,and farmgateprices,whichcreated“challenges”for customersandshareholdersofdiaryco-opsand producers,suchasFane Valley,accordingtoitschief TrevorLockhart.
“Assummerturnedintoautumn,theweather improved,andfarmgatepriesbeganto recover–thatperiodthroughautumnintowinterprovedtobe apositivetradingperiod,forfarmers,”hetold Ulster Business
Thathelpeditincreaseitssalesandbusiness performance.
It’slatestpublishedturnoversitsat£342.4m,for theyearendingDecember2023,withpre-taxprofits ofjustover£10m.Thatputsitinthenumber30spot inthisyear’sTop100.
Fane Valley remainsoneofNorther nIreland’s largestdairyco-ops –withsome1,100farming shareholders.
“[Therehavebeen]positivefarmgateprices,and demandhascontinuedinto2025…farmersand businesseshavebenefitedfromthatpositivetrading environment.
“Wehave1,100farmershareholdersand relatively steadyturnoveroverthelast10years...between £350mand£400m,beforeweincludeReadyEgg group.
“Thestrategyofthegrouphasbeentofocus oninvestmentinhighervalue-addedactivities. Turnovertodayislowerthanitwas10yearsago, whenwewereheavilyinvestedin redmeatand dairyprocessing,butourprofitshaveimproved significantly.”
It’salso recentlyinvestedintheeggpackagingand processingsector,withaninterestintheReadyEgg group –anotherfirmmakingthisyear’sTop100.
Butchallenges remainforthefirm,andthe widersector.Thebigdebateandconcer namong thefarmingsectorisaroundStormont’sproposed NutrientActionProgramme(NAP).
Whileinanearlyform,theproposals –which havebeendraftedbyAgricultureMinisterAndrew Muir –are linkedtotheLoughNeaghplan,with recommended revisionsincludingmakinglow emissionslurryspreadingequipmentmandatory,and placing restrictionsontheuseofphosphorusfertiliser.
“Theagri-foodsectorisveryfocusedonthe currentNAPproposals,” Trevorsays.“Theproposals intheircurrentformpresent averysignificant challengetoagriculture.
“Theagri-foodindustryisverywellawareofthe issuesthathavetobemanaged,andverywellaware of[working]towardssolutions.Buttheproposals… arenotproperlygroundedinscience.”
Hesaidtheplansdon’ttakeintoaccountthe impacttheycouldhavetheindustry.
Theprimaryconcernsarecentredaroundthelevel ofsurplusphosphorus,generatedbytheagri-sector, andhowthatisdealtwith.
“Inessence,mostintensivefarmsinNorthern Ireland –tocomplyinthecurrentform –would requireverysignificantamountsoflandtosustain andbeabletomanagethewasteormanurethat arrivesfromfarmingactivities,” Trevorsays.
Asforwidermarketdemands, Trevorsayshe believesthereisagrowingdemandfornatural-based products,asconsumerdemandforheavily-processed plant-basedalternativesbeginstoplateau.
“Ibelievethere’sareflectionasconsumers understandsupplychainswhichsupportplant basedalternatives,which[often] relyonproducts suchassoya-basedsubstrateforprotein.Theinitial perceptiondidn’tfullymatchwithexpectations.
“Thatbusinesspacks30millioneggs aweek,” Trevorsays.“[Weare seeing]increaseddemandfor egg,andegg-basedproductsasconsumersinvarious demographicsseektoenhanceproteinintheirdiets.
“Peoplehave apreferencefornaturalandlessprocessedfood –andthat’splayingoutonaislesin oursupermarkets.” ■
TheCavern: anew eraofprivate diningatTheGrandCentralHotel TheCaver nattheGrandCentral Hotelis anewexclusiveprivate diningexperienceledbythehotel’s renownedexecutiveheadchef,Damian Tumilty.
Hiddenbehind agrandslidingpiece ofartworkonthefirstfloor,TheCavern represents a£150,000investmentfrom HastingsHotels.
Thebrandnewprivatediningspace accommodatesupto12peopleandhasbeen carefullydesignedwithluxuriousmaterials, layeredtexturesandanatmosphericlighting schemetocreateanintentionallymoodyyet invitingspace –anintimatebackdropforbold flavoursandfineconversation.
Tumilty,whohasover25yearsculinary experienceincludingworkinginMichelinstar restaurants,hasbeenexecutiveheadchef ofthefive-starGrandCentralHotelsince itopenedin2018andwasalso recently appointedasexecutiveheadchefoftheworldfamousEuropaHotel.
InhistimeatHastingsHotels,Damianhas been responsibleforpushingtheboundaries oftheculinaryofferingacrossthegroupand hasbeenkeyinhelpingtoattractexperienced chefsaswellasencouragingyoungcheftalent
toconsider acareerintheindustry,witha growingnumberbeginningtheircareerinone ofthegroup’ssixhotels.
TheCaver noffersanunforgettablefivestardiningexperienceforsmallpartieswith thoughtfullycurated,bespokemenus,topend finewinesandexceptionalservice.Itpromises todeliver aheightenedsenseofoccasion–whetherhostinganexclusivecelebration,a businessdinnerormeeting,oranintimate privategathering –ensuring atrulymemorable experienceforguests.
“TheGrandCentralHotelhasfirmly establisheditselfas apremiumfood destination.Sinceweopened,foodhasbeen attheheartofthevisitorexperience,from thecasualdiningintheGrandCafé,to afine diningexperienceintheSeahorseRestaurant,
and auniqueAfternoon TeaintheObservatory onthe22ndfloorofferingthemostincredible viewsofBelfastandbeyond.
TheopeningofTheCaver nwill“elevatethis evenfurtherandwe’reexcitedtobeoffering oneofthemostuniquediningexperiences inBelfastwhichwillbringprivatediningto unparalleledheights,”Damiansaid.
“Workingalongsideourguests, Iwill curatetheirveryownbespokeseven-course menuusingthefinestlocalproducesuchas Kingsbury Wagyubeef,CarlingfordOysters, TurbotcaviarandBallycastlelobsters.Our culinaryteamwilluseclassicFrenchtechniques combinedwithsubtlemoder ntouchesto create ahigh-endexperienceunlikeanything wehaveofferedbefore.Itwillalsoallowmy pastryteamtoshowcasesomemenuitems rarelyseeninNorther nIreland.
“WithTheCavern,theGrandCentralHotel is redefiningwhatprivatediningis –combining exceptionallocalcuisinewithFrenchclassical roots,exquisitesurroundings,and adeeply personaltouch.Whetheryou’recelebrating amilestoneorentertainingkeyclients,this extraordinarynewspaceoffersnotjust ameal, but afullyimmersivediningexperiencethat lingerslongafterthefinalcourse.” ■
HastingHotels’newprivate diningexperienceTheCavern
Damian Tumilty
Championing wellbeingfor the multi-generational workforce Leadersinworkplacewellbeing havegatheredinBelfastforCalibro Workspace’s‘InspiredSession,’to discussthemulti-generationalworkforce anddata-drivenwellbeing initiatives.
Theeventwasco-hostedbysocialenterprise LenabyInspire,whichoffersmentalhealth supportforcompaniesandindividualsthrough training,counsellingandmediation.Panellists includedleadersfromLenabyInspire, NIWater andWork Transformers.
“Lifestagesandtransitionsshouldbecentral tohowweapproachwellbeing,”said Alex Bunting,groupdirectorofTherapeuticServices atLenabyInspire.“We seeitwithyounger peoplecomingoutofuniversity –they’re values-basedwithhowtheyseetheircareers. When Istartedmyfirstjob30yearsago, I thought Iwasgoingtobetherefor alifetime. Nowthat’snotsomethingyoungpeoplethink aboutwhenmappingtheir lives.Theycare moreaboutwhotheyworkwithandthevalues they’rebuyinginto.”
Panellistsagreedthereare nowhigher expectationsplacedonmiddlemanagers,who aredealingwithpolicies thataren’tchanging as
quicklyastheorganisationitself.
AlisonSweeney,cultureandengagement manageratNI Water,said:“Workingat a companywithanagerangespanningfrom 16-73meansyouhavetoknowhowtolisten There’salso auniquechallengeforgovernment organisationsneedingtopresentbusinesscases forwellbeinginitiativesandproving return-oninvestment,”shesaid.
AlisongavetheexampleofNI Water’s reversementoringscheme,whereyoung apprenticesbuild relationshipswitholderstaff andviceversa.
“Throughthisprogramme,oneofourolder employeeswasteaching ayoungapprentice howtocook.Itwaslovelytosee,”shesaid.
Foremployers,effectivelisteningcomesin differentforms.Oneoftheseistheuseofdata.
SamSahni,workplacestrategydirectorat Work Transformers,said:“Inthesamewaythat bloodtestsindicatenextstepsinthecourse ofhealthtreatment,employeedatashouldbe usedtocreateworkplacesthatactuallywork foryourstaff.”
Samsharedhowheencourageshis employeestomapouttheiravailabilityin a
centralshareddocument.Employeeshighlight hoursofthedayasgreen,amberor red, dependingontheiravailability
“Thisexerciseenablesstafftoschedule importantworkbyaligningthegreensand ambers,leadingtoincreasedproductivityand stronger relationships,”hesaid.
“OurGen Zcolleaguesareactivebetween 8amand5pm,butdifficultto reachoutsideof this.Incontrast,ourMillennialandGen Xstaff, someofwhomareparents,findtheirmost productivehoursarebetween4pmand6pm.”
Samemphasisedthatpredictivemodelling willbethefutureofworkplaces –oneclientof hisusedswipecarddatafrompeoplecoming inandoutofdoorsto remodeltheirspaces, reducingthenumberofunused roomsand improvingworkflow
“Wellbeingisatthecoreofeverythingwe doatCalibro,”RonnieCrawford,managing director,CalibroWorkspace,said.“We’re proudtofacilitatetheInspiredseriesaspart ofourpartnershipwithLena –it’sallabout encouragingimportantconversationsbetween businessesonhowwecreateculturesthat workforpeople,throughdesign.” ■
AlexBunting,LenabyInspire,AlisonSweeney,NIWater,SamSahni,Work TransformersandJarlPorter,Calibro Workspace
You’reconsiderablymorelikelyto bumpintosizeableGilbertAsh hoardingincentralLondonthan youareclosertoitshomeinsouthBelfast.
It remainsoneofNorther nIreland’smost successfulconstruction firms,with araftof specialisms,includinghigh-endartsandculture workwithsomeofthehighest-profileclients acrosstheUKandIreland.
Andwhilesaleswill remain relatively flat whenthenextsetofaccountsispublished –turnoverforthepreviousyearending December2023was£267m –itschief,Ray Hutchinsonsaysprofitsareup.
“That’sclearlyverygoodnews,”hetells UlsterBusiness
Inaccountspublishedafterthe Top100 deadline,Gilbert-Ashsawpre-taxprofitsrising to£6.8m.
GilbertAsh 41 Raysaidwhilethewidersectorcontinues todealwithchallengeswhichhavehitbottom linesinthelastfewyears,profitsarebeing “restoredtolevelswhichwehaveseenin previousyears”.
“Weare notoutofitalljustyet…thereis continuingvolatilityinthemarketplace –the MiddleEastforexample.Long-termcontracts arenowcomplete,andwearenowintoa phaseofworkswhereincreasedbuildingcosts havebeenproperlycaptured.”
Thefirmemploysaround185workers directlyandcontinuestoworkonhigh-profile projects.
Thatincludesthe recently-completed£30m NationalPortraitGallery revamp –whichwas shortlistedfortheStirlingPrize –alongwithan equallyambitiousschemeatthe TateLiverpool.
Thatwillincludeworksencompassingall areasofthebuildingincludinggalleriesand publicspaces,staffrooms,kitchensandplant spaces.
“Wecontinuetoperformverywellinthe artsandculturesector,”Raysays.
It’salsothemaincontractorfortheTheatr ClwydinMold,north Wales,whichwillseethe major redevelopmentoftheexistingtheatre includingcompletestripouttoshellandcore, refurbishmentand remodellingoftheexisting
buildingsandthenewbuildconstruction of atimberfoyerextensiontothefrontand carpentryworkshoptothe rear.
“Hospitalityalso remainsimportanttous,” Raysays.“Wehavehotelschemes, acouplein Dublin.”Hesaysthe firmhas recentlysetupa newIreland-registeredcompanytodealwith theincreasingworkloadsouthoftheborder.
ThathotelworkintheRepublicincludestwo PremierInnsinDublin.
Gilbert-Ashwasalsotheleadcontractorto developIreland’sfirstcitizenMhotel:citizenM DublinStPatrick’s.
“Theotherkeysectorincludesschoolsand studentaccommodation,”Raysays.
Thatincludesworktodesignandbuildthe new120bedboardinghousedevelopment at WinchesterCollege. Worksalsoincludes landscapingtoKingsgateParkandinstallation of anewall-weatherpitch.
Raysayslandmarkschemes,suchasthe NationalPortraitGallery,remainimportantto thefirm.
Lookingahead,hesaysthechallengeisto
“continuetogrow asustainablepipelineof work”.
“Wecanseeopportunitythereandthe opportunityforgrowthinIreland,too.
“In2024,wesawprofits restored… in2023therewas adowntur ninprofits, primarilydowntochallengingconditionsin themarketplace,suchasthewarinUkraine, increasedenergycosts,risinginflation,and materials.
“Thelong-termnatureofabuildingcontract –aroundthreetofouryears –isalongtime, and alotcanhappeninthemarketplace.”
Hesaysgrowthwilltake a“double strandedapproach” –withGB,andEnglandin particular,being afocus.
“Londonandthose[neighbouring]areas continuetoprovideopportunities,”hesays.
“Weforeseegrowthin[theRepublicof Ireland].Asitstandswedon’thaveanyin Norther nIreland.
“It’scertainlyverydisappointing. We are headquarteredinBelfastandmoststaffare in Norther nIreland.”
Hesaidthetype,natureandscaleofthe projectswhichGilbertAshworkson“aren’tin thismarketplace”.
“WehadtolookoutsideofNorther nIreland todothesetypesofprojects…wewilllook atopportunitiesinNorther nIrelandasthey arise.” ■
RayHutchinson
PaulGillow, SHSGroup chiefexecutive
SHSGroup HowhasSHSperformedoverthelastyear?
Overthepast12months,SHSGrouphas delivered astrongand resilientperformance acrossallourdivisions,despitetheindustry challengesofcostinflation,supplychain pressuresandshiftingconsumerbehaviours.
We havecontinuedtodrivegrowthby investingininnovation,operationalexcellence andcollaborativepartnerships.Ourstrategy hasfocusedonstrengtheningbrandequity, respondingwithagilityto marketconditions andmaximisingopportunitiesacrossourfood, drinks,householdandagencydivisions.
Aswepreparetocelebrateour 50th anniversaryin2025,thisyearhasbeenabout buildingonourlegacywhilesettingthestage forthenextphaseofgrowth.Ourfocus remains rootedinourmissionof‘greatpeople growinggreatbrands’,combiningcommercial performancewithlong-termbrandbuilding, innovationandgrowth.Thisisunderpinned bythestrengthofourSPIRITvalues,which continuetoshapeourcultureandinspireour teamsacrosstheGroup.
Whatproductsare withinthecompany portfolio?
SHSGroupoperatesinthefast-moving
consumergoodssectoracrosstheUK,Ireland and internationalmarkets,with adiverseand growingportfolioofbrandsandproducts
Ourdrinksdivisionincludesleadingbrands suchasWKD,Shloer,bottlegreen,Merrydown and Rocks. WerecentlywelcomedShandy Shack,alowalcoholshandybrand,supporting consumersseekingtomoderatetheir alcoholintakewithinnovativeandenjoyable alternatives
Inourfooddivision,weownbrandssuch as Meridian,whichleadsinthenutbutter category.CrucialSaucesis amuch-loved householdnameknownforitsboldflavours and broadappealacrossbothretailand foodservicechannels.
Inthehouseholddivision,ourZipignition productsandSunnyJimfirelightersalongside ourMaguireandPatersonmatches,continue to performstrongly. Inadditiontoourowned brands,SHSalso representsanddistributes over100leadingproducts,includingHighland Spring,Marsdrinksandtreats,Finishand Tunnocks,throughouragencydivision.
We arealsothemarketleaderinprivatelabel herbsandspicesinGreatBritainandsupplya widerangeofcondimentsandsaucesforboth brandedandownlabelcustomers.
Whichareperformingparticularlywell?
Severalofourbrandshaveperformed exceptionallywellin2024.WKDdelivered oneofitsstrongestperformancesinnearly a decade,itsthirdstrongestperformance,driven bythesuccessfullaunchofnewvariants,and theintroductionofour0%alcoholrange.
ShloerdeliveredanexceptionalChristmas tradingperiod,andwecontinuetodrive awarenessoutsideofkeyseasonalperiods withcollaborationssuchasAntandDec’sTaste MatesandTheMumClub.
OurRockssquasheshavesecured anumber ofnewlistingsandourpartnershipwith GiovannaFletcher’s “HappyMum,HappyBaby” podcastwilldrivefurtherbrandawareness.
Meridian retaineditsleadingmarketposition throughcontinuedinvestmentinthebrandand manufacturingcapabilities.
CrucialSauceshasintroducednewlistings andformatsincludingsachetsandseasonings. Thefooddivision’spartnershipwithAngus & Oinkbringsnewbold,globallyinspiredflavour profilestotheUKmarket.
Whatchangeshavetherebeeninthe marketplace?
Themarketcontinuestoshiftsignificantly, shapedbycost-of-livingpressures,legislative changeandevolvingconsumerpreferences. Valueandaffordability remainkeyconcernsfor shoppers,buttheyalsocontinuetoseektrusted brands,better-for-youoptionsandproducts withsustainabilitycredentials.Theintroduction ofpackaginglegislation,increaseddemandfor transparencyandgreaterfocusonwellbeing haveall reshapedcategorydynamics.
Whatdoestheyearaheadhaveinstorefor thecompany?
AsSHSGroupentersits50thyear,weremain firmlyfocusedonthefuture.Ourprioritiesare shapedby aclearfocusonsimplifyinghowwe operate,unlockinggrowthacrossalldivisions, andcontinuingtoinvestinourbrands,our people,andthelong-term resilienceofthe business.
We willcontinuetopursueinnovationthat respondstoevolvingconsumerneeds,deepen strategicpartnerships,andstrengthenour role as aresponsiblebusinessmaking apositiveand lastingimpact.Thiscommitmentwas recently reaffirmedthroughthepublicationofourlatest ResponsibleBusinessreport.
Whiletheexternalenvironment remains complex,weareconfidentinourabilityto adapt,leadanddeliversustainablesuccess acrosstheGroup. ■
EMPLOYERS 2O25 TOP Sponsoredby
Familiar challenges facingNI’s leading employers in 2025 JohnMoore,managingdirector,HaysNI
Iamalwaysencouragedwhen Iseethe widerangeofsectorsandindustries thatarerepresentedinthe Ulster Business Top100Companiesedition andtheaccompanyinglistofthe Top50 EmployersinNorther nIreland.
Assomeonewhohasspent alotofmy careerworkingcloselywithcolleaguesand organisationsinEngland,Scotlandandthe RepublicofIreland, Icansaywithsome experiencethatnotevery regionthesize ofNorther nIrelandhassuchdiversityof employers.
ThechallengesfacingNorther nIreland’s owneconomyarewelldocumented,with longstandingproblemssuchashighlevelsof economicinactivity,pressureonpublicservices andtheimbalancebetweenprivateandpublic
sectoremploymentunlikelytobesolvedinthe shortterm.
Butthatshouldn’ttakeawayfromthefact thatthelistof Top50employersfromthis partoftheworldincludesanimpressivearray ofcredible,successfulorganisationseach employingover1,000peopleandfuelling economicgrowth.
Thisyear’slistincludesorganisationsin education,technology,retail,wholesale, telecoms,banking,construction,engineering, manufacturing,healthcare,energy,foodand drink,pharmaceuticals,diagnostics,logistics, professionalservicesandthecharitablesector.
Asthesebusinessesheadintothesecond halfof2025,globalgeopoliticaluncertainty andrisingcostshavecreated amixedoutlook forourlocaleconomy.ArecentHayssurvey, which receivedover8,200 responsesfromUK employersandemployees,suggestslong-
termconfidenceintheeconomy remainslow withlessthan aquarterofemployersand employeessayingtheyareoptimisticaboutthe long-termoutlook.Thisisinstarkcontrastto thefindingsfromtwoyearsago,whenover 40%ofbothemployersandemployeeswere optimistic.
Hasanywheregottalent?
Whileoptimismabouttheeconomymaynot behigh,thelabourmarkethas remained relatively robustthisyearanddemandinmany ofthesectorsHaysservesisstrong.
Accordingtotheaforementioned Employment TrendsSpringUpdatesurvey, 94%oforganisationsintheUKfacedskills shortagesintheprevioussixmonthsand76% ofemployerssaidtheyintendtohirefor roles inthenextsixmonths.
Thesurveysuggeststhereisnoshortageof
jobopportunitiesforthoseseekingtomove rolesoradvanceintheircareers –with63% sayingtheirmainchallengewas alackof suitableapplicantsforthepositionstheyhave open.
Theskillsgaphasbeen atalkingpointfor yearsbutitisonlynowthatweareseeing moreemployerslookingtopluggapsby tappingintoalternativesourcesoftalentand hiringforpotential.Only31%ofUKemployers areusingapprenticeshipstohelpaddresslongtermhiringchallenges.
Employeepower Aroundthistimeeveryyear Igetsuckedinto keepinganeyeonthefootballtransfermarket, seeingwhichplayersmyteamandothersare bringinginandshippingout.
Wellpaidasprofessionalfootballisatthe upperechelons,thereare fewprofessions
wherethereissuchuncertaintyaroundwhere youmightplyyourtradefromoneyeartothe next.Whilesomestarscancommandhuge feesandchoosetheirnextteam,otherplayers oftenhavenosayinbeingsoldorloanedto otherclubs.
Inthe realworld,theprocessofapplyingfor ajob,goingthroughinterviews,negotiating terms,andbeingonboardedisverydifferent. Butlikefootball,thepowerbalancebetween employerandemployeeisalwaysshifting.
It’sfairtosaywehavebeeninanemployee ledmarketforthepastfewyears.Employers havehadtoworkhardatattracting prospectiveemployeeswithgeneroussalaries andbenefits,flexibleworkingandclear developmentpathways.
Inourspringsurvey,61%ofemployerstold ustheyhadincreasedsalariesintheprevious sixmonthsand64%saidtheyplantodoso inthenextsixmonths.However,twoinfive employers(43%)alsocitedunrealisticsalary expectationsasoneoftheirbiggestbarriersto hiring.
Ontheflipside,thedataonemployees indicatesitwillonlygethardertokeeppeople, withtwothirdsofprofessionalsexpectingto changejobsinthenextyear,comparedto 57% ayearearlier.Only59%ofemployees weresatisfiedwiththeirsalaries,downfrom 68%in2024,whileonly44%felttheirpay wasalignedwiththe responsibilitiesoftheir job,suggestinggrowingdissatisfaction.
Alackofprogressionopportunitiesisthe drivingforcebehindmanyemployeedecisions andculturealsoplaysanimportant role,with 85%ofemployeessayingthatwhethera companyhas astrongorganisationalpurpose is aconsiderationforthemwhenassessing jobs.
Our researchhasalsoshownthat40%of professionalsunder30nowexpecttochange jobseverythreetofouryears –soemployers mayhavetogetusedtostaffnotsticking aroundaslongastheyusedto.
Permanentflexibility Oneofthefactorsaffecting recruitmentin recenttimeshasbeentheissueofflexible working,whichishighonthelistofimportant issuesforyoungerpeopleinparticular.
ForlotsofemployersinNorther nIreland,
hybridworkingpatternsarenowthenorm, with77%sayingtheirstaffworkthisway–themostpopulararrangementbeingthree days aweekintheoffice.Theseorganisations don’tbelievelocationimpactsproductivity andhaveadjustedaccordingly,withonlya smallproportionoforganisationspushing foremployeesto retur ntotheofficemore frequently.
There’sgood reasonmostdon’tplanto altertheirhybridapproach. Amassive84% ofpeopleworkingthiswayfeeltheywork moreeffectivelythiswayand48%saidthey’d considerleavingtheirjobiftheiremployer mandated afull retur ntotheoffice.
Whilesalaryisstillthekeyconsideration formany,post-pandemicworkingandcareer choicesaregenuinelybeingdrivenbyculture, wellbeing,work-lifebalance,valuesand purpose.
IsAIfor real? In acolumnatthestartoftheyear,Ispoke aboutthepotentialbacklashagainstArtificial Intelligenceuseintheworkplace.WhileAIis undoubtedlychanginghowweliveandwork, makingsometaskseasierandenablingpeople togobeyondtheirexpertise,thereisstill uncertaintyaroundhowtouseAItoolsand whattheymeanforfuturejobs.
Oursurveyshowstherehasbeenanupliftin employers recommendingtheuseofAItoolsin theworkplace -56%vs39% ayearago -but actualuptake remainslow,withonly27%of employeessayingtheyuseitaspartoftheir job,upfrom24%in2024.
Thedisconnectisclearlydowntogaps inknowledge,with85%ofprofessionals surveyedsayingtheyhaven’treceivedtraining fromtheiremployertoadoptAIforwork, eventhough47%ofemployerssaytheyare offeringAItraining.Morepositively,although 39%ofpeoplesaidtheydon’tyethavethe rightskillstouseAIwell,that’sdownfrom 44% ayearago.
Clearly,wehave alongwaytogobefore everyoneunderstandsandtakesadvantageof AI.Butasmoreorganisationsintegrateitinto howtheyoperate,clearcommunicationon howandwhythesetoolsarebeingintroduced, andtrainingonhowtousethem,willbe criticaltotheirsuccess. ■
TOP50E MP LOYE RS
Call foraction: the carbon conundrum JacquelineGibson,directorwith International SynergiesNI,iscallingonallbusinessestocut carbon,buildbusinessresilience,stimulatetheNI circulareconomyanddemonstratesocialvalue –all throughitsfreeservice
FundedthroughtheUKGovernment, InternationalSynergiesishelping leadthewayinwhatitterms ‘industrialsymbiosis’
Whatisindustrialsymbiosis?
Ifyousearchthetermonline,youwillfinda directlinktoInternationalSynergiesasglobal leadersinthisspace.
Atitscore,industrialsymbiosisisabout shiftingfrom alineareconomy –where resourcesareusedanddiscarded –toa circularone,wherematerialsarecontinually repurposed.
Akeyprincipleofindustrialecologyiswhen diverseorganisationscollaborate,byusing eachotherswasteorby-products,asvaluable inputs.Thisdriveseco-innovationandcultural transformation,whiledeliveringmutual economicbenefits.
Increase Businessopportunitiesandcollaborations Localand resilientsupplychains
Reduce Environmentalimpact –carbonemissions Operatingcosts
Thebigwinneristhatthis reducesupto80% ofcarbon,byaddressingScope 3emissions.
StillunclearaboutScope 3emissions?
You’renotalone.
Whilemanycompanieshavemadeprogress ontheirScope 1and 2emissions,Scope 3–
thoselinkedtothewidervaluechain,both upsteamanddownstream, remains amajor blindspot.
Thisincludeseverythingfromrawmaterial sourcingandwhereyouareinvesting,to disposalofwasteandendoflifeofyour goods,postconsumeruse.Thisaccounts forthelargestshareofacompany’scarbon footprint,asmostcompanies relyonthe extractionofvirginfinite resourcesandsend wasteoffsite.Boththesepracticesincurhuge carbonintensiveprocesses, releasingboth carbonandmethaneintoouratmosphere.
TacklingScope 3canbesimplewithus aswehavetherighttoolstofind resources upstreamandfind ahomedownstream.
Howitworksinpractice We connectcompanies(facilitatesynergies)to sharesurplusmaterialsand resources,sothat waste(a resourceinthewrongplace)turns intoaneconomicopportunity.
ThishappensatResource Workshopsheld acrossNIandbydirectlygettingintouch withourteam. We useSynergiesoftwareto automatematches,soallweneedtodois maketheintroduction;oftendescribedasa matchingmakingappfor resources.
An industrialecosystem whereunusedor residual resourcesfromone company areused by another
Somematerialsonourdatabase:
■ StoneandSoil
■ MDFandinsulationboard
■ Timber
■ Foam
■ Foodwaste
■ Solarpanels
■ Plasticpalletwrap
■ Coffeesacks
■ Hopandyeastslurry
■ Facemasks
Lastyeartheteamdeliveredoverallcost savingsofmorethan£566,000,£403,000in additionalsales,privateinvestmentof£16,200, diverted19,095tonnesawayfromlandfill,and reduced6,590tCO2eofcarbon,across60 companies.
OurSynergieplatform –essentiallya matchmakingtoolfor resources –lets businessesfindhomesforsurplusmaterialsor sourcesustainableinputsdirectly.
Readytotakeaction? CometothenextfreeResourceMatching Workshopstoefficientlyprocure,tapinto grantsupport,hearcasestudiesfromindustry, expandsustainabilityknowledgeandultimately repurposeyourwasteintoaneconomic product.
ThenexteventisattheCraicTheatre& ArtsCentre,Coalisland,onSeptember2, followedbyEncircinDerrylin,onNovember 19. Workshopsstartat9amfor registration and abusinessnetworkingbreakfast,followed byindustryspeakersonwidersustainability strategy,withnetworkingattheend. ■
Jacqueline Gibson
‘Fairchance’of repeatingstrong investmentfigures: InvestNIchief BusinessandeconomicdevelopmentagencyInvest NIsaysit’searmarkedsupportworth£630minthelast year,thepotentialtocreatemorethan3,000jobs,inits firstyearamidsubstantialorganisationalreform,writes JohnMulgrew
InvestNI’s bosssaysthere’sa“fair chance”of repeatingstronginvestment andemploymentcreationfiguresin thecoming12monthsasitundergoes itsfirstyearof“prettyfundamental reorganisation”.
Theagencysaid1,334businesses received offersofsupportworth£630mtothelocal economy,potentiallycreatingmorethan 3,000jobs.
Theorganisationofferedadviceandsupport, including£88mofassistance,tobusinessesto support2,062growthprojects.
It’sthefirstyearof athree-yearstrategy, whichhasbeendevelopedamidmajor reorganisationofhowtheeconomic developmentagencyoperates.
InvestNIchiefexecutiveKieranDonoghue told UlsterBusiness:“Ithinkwehavea fairchanceof repeatingthesenumbersinthe yearahead.”
Butheaddedthereremained a“lotof volatilityanduncertaintyinthemarketplace”, and“somecompaniesandinvestorsaresaying [theyare]slowingdownmakinginvestments untiltheyhavegreaterclarityaboutthewider businesslandscape”.
“Thefirstyearwas agreatfoundationto buildon,”headded.
“Onaverage,wearelookingat a20-25% increaseacross alotofthekeyperformance indicatorsfromlastyear.”
InvestNIassisted19newinwardinvestors duringtheyear.
And158companies receiveditssupportfor thefirsttime.
OnconcernsAmericanfirmsmay reconsider investinghereamiduncertaintyaroundtariffs, hesaid:“Weare hearingfromUSclientsthat theyarestill
persuadedintermsofthebusinesscaseand meritsofinvestinginNorther nIreland.
“Somehavesaidtheyarewaiting awhile untiltheymaketheirfinaldecision,butarestill persuaded.”
Headdedsomecompaniesmaynotmake majorpublicannouncementsaroundsetting uphereorinvesting,orperhapsannounce moreconservativejobcreationfigures.
Hesaidtherewasscopeto reviewitsplans ifnecessary.
EconomyMinisterCaoimheArchibaldtold UlsterBusiness thatthefiguresarea“strong indicationthatchangeisnowbeingfeltatan operationallevel”withinInvestNI.
“TheInvestNI reviewcalledforprofound change,”shesaid.“Ithinkthatwhatwehave seenintermsofthisfirstend-of-year report, is astrongsignalthatthatchangeisbeing implemented.”
Shesayssincetheorganisationhas undergone reform,itisworkingcloserwithher department.
“Whenyou’remakingthatlevelofchange throughanorganisationthesizeofInvestNI, itdoestakeitstime,andso Iwouldanticipate therewillbecontinuedchangeoverthenext coupleofyears.” ■
DunluceLodge: theperfect location fora corporateretreat DunluceLodge,Northern Ireland’s newestfive-starhotelistheperfect placetorewardyourteam,boost moraleandstrengthencompanyculture
OverlookingtherestlessAtlanticOcean,the hoteloffersanintimate,unparalleledsanctuary forthemind,bodyandspiritandtheideal locationforincentiveorcorporate retreats.
With35stunningsuitesanditsprivate annex,TheStookan,housing afurthereight luxurysuites,DunluceLodgenestlesintothe ruggedCausewayCoastandoverlooksthe fourthfairwayatRoyalPortrushGolfClub.
Guestshavetheopportunitytoexperience àlacartedining,tastingmenusandsharing plattersthatcanbe enjoyedinthe restaurant, theatmosphericvault,thelibraryor aprivate dining roomthatcancaterfor12.
Withbuilt-in AV equipment,TheStookan, thelibrary,winevaultandtheprivatedining roomalsomaketheperfectvenuesfor board meetings,corporate retreatsorbrainstorming sessions
And,aftertheworkisdone,whynotunwind intheindulgentspa –withpedestrianaccessto WhiteRocksBeachandtopfitnessfacilitiesitis tailormadefor rejuvenation.
StephenMeldrum,generalmanager, DunluceLodgesaid:
“Ourgoalistodeliver anunrivalled, refinedexperiencethatbuildsonNorthern
Ireland’sworld-renowned reputationfor sincerehospitalityanddeliver aresortthat isintrinsicallyintegratedwiththelocal community
“Ourlocation,privacyofourbeautiful groundsandonsitefacilitiesmeanDunluce Lodgeistheidealplacefor acorporate retreat.”
With adeterminationtobecomethe CausewayCoast’spremierwellnessdestination, DunluceLodgehas recentlylaunchedimmersive experiencesinpartnershipwithlocalproviders.
Oneoftheseexperiencesis apartnership withCrindleBespokewhichseesguestsenjoy aluxuryhorsebackrideonWhiterocksBeachat sunset.Ridingbeneaththecliffsandbreathing inthesaltairis afantasticformofequine therapy.It’sgreatforemotionalhealingand personalgrowth.
Thehotelalso recentlylaunched awellness retreat,‘ChapterOne –CoastalCalm’in partnershipwithSeabodyandPortrush’s Seascape WellnessStudiofor atwo-day retreat packedwithwellnessactivations.
Thehotelpridesitselfoncuratingbespoke experiencessuchasateamtourtolandmarks suchasCarrick-a-Rederopebridge,the picturesqueIsleofIslay,GlenarmCastle,the iconicGiant’sCausewayandtheworld’soldest licensedwhiskeydistillery,BushmillsDistillery Withanonsiteputtinggreen,designedby
renownedgolfarchitect,MartinEbert,and complimentaryprivatetransferstothenearby helipadandclubhousesatRoyalPortrushand PortstewartGolfclubs,DunluceLodgeisalso a havenforgolfers.
JustoveranhourfromBelfastand underthreefromDublin,thisjewelinthe CausewayCoast’scrownisoperatedby Valor HospitalityPartners, aglobal,full-servicehotel managementcompanyinpartnershipwithUS basedLinksCollection.
Withinweeksofitsgrandopening,Dunluce LodgewasnamedintheIrishIndependent’s prestigious Top50PlacestoStayinIreland listingand recently receivedfivestarstatusfrom TourismNorthernIreland. ■
Formoreinformationontherangeofbespoke corporateoptionsthatcanbetailoredtosuit yourbudgetvisitdunlucelodge.com
Family-runhaulagefirm building majornewdistributionhub The‘substantialinvestment’willprovideexpansionforexpectedgrowth JohnMulgrew Afamily-runhaulagefirmis expandinganddeveloping amajor newdistributionhubatitsCo Antrimbase.
WoodsideLogisticsGroupisplanning anew distributionwarehouseatitsheadquarterson theCarrickfergusRoad,Ballynure,closeto Ballyclare.
Theplansalignwiththe recentgrowthof thecompany,andthe“substantialinvestment in anewbuildingwillprovidethe required storagespaceforcurrentdemandand provideexpansionforprojectedgrowthofthe companyintheyearstocome”,itsays.
“Theexistingsitehasbeenthehometothe familyrunbusinesssinceitsinception,”the firmsaysinsupportingdocuments.
“Thecontinuedgrowthandexpansionof thecompanywithintheindustryhasledtothe needfor anewbuilding.
“Thisapplicationistoprovide anew standalonedistributionwarehouse.
“Theproposalfor anewdistribution warehouseprovides astoragepremisesand allowsoperationstocontinuewhilebuilding worksarebeingcarriedout.”
WoodsideLogisticsGroupis afamily-owned transportandlogisticsprovideroperating acrosstheUKandIreland.
Ithasdeliveredservicesthroughfive divisions,includingambienttransportand warehousing,cartransport,tankers,freight forwarding,andcustomsclearance.
The WoodsideGroupheadquartersare basedontheBallynuresitewithadditional satelliteofficesanddepotslocatedacross
IrelandandtheUK.
“Theaspirationforthenewdevelopment reinforces acompanyandfamilydesiretostay attheexistingheadquarterssiteandcontinue toinvestanddevelopinthecurrentsiteand thelocalarea,”itsays.
EarlierthisyearattheBelfast Telegraph Business Awards, WoodsideLogisticsGroup triumphedinthecategoryofFamilyBusiness ofthe Year,sponsoredbyAbbeyAutoline,for itsworkindeliveringprofessionaltransport andlogisticssolutions.
The Woodsidefamily’sbusinessbeganover 55yearsago,whenthreebrothersbasedon afarminBallynuresawanopportunityto expandthefamily’ssmallfleetoflorries.Robert Woodside,groupdirectoratthecompany, saidmaintaining a“greatteam”was a“huge factor”intheirsuccess. ■
WoodsideLogistics Groupisplanning anew distributionwarehouse
Technology andAIhelpingdrive thenextgenerationofsales FromadvancedCRM systemstosocialmedia andartificialintelligence, technologyisassisting thesalesprocessfor individualsandbusiness acrossNorthernIreland, accordingtoNb1founder NoelBrady
Technologyandtheadventof artificialintelligence(AI)will irrevocablychangehowindividuals andbusinessesselltheirproductsand servicesthroughoutNorther nIrelandand beyond.
Andforthoseworkinginsales,nowisthe timetogetinvolvedandutilisetheleading technologyavailabletothem –orriskgetting leftbehind,accordingtobusinessmanand salesexpertNoelBrady.
NoelisthefounderofNb1,and recently markedtwodecadesinbusiness,withanother twodecadesworkingacrossboththepublic andprivatesectors,alongside awinatthe BelfastTelegraphIT Awards.Heisalsoa memberofthepublicsectortaskforcelooking atAI.
“Thetoolsavailabletopeopleworking insaleshavechangeddramaticallyoverthe periodinwhichI’vebeeninbusiness,”hesays.
“We’vegonefromRolodexcards,hardcopy files,andlittleblackbooks,tospreadsheets, dealapplications,CRM,andnowAI.
“Thespeedofchangehasbeenaccelerating fasterandfaster.But, Istillfirmlybelievethat peoplebuyfrompeople.However,there’sabig shiftinhowweconnectwithpeople.”
Noelalsocontinuestoworkwithmajor firmsandFDIcomingintoNorther nIreland, aswellashisnon-executiveandchairmanship rolesacrossthesectors.
Andlookingatthechangesintechnology
acrossthesalessector,Noelsaysitcovers severalkeyareas –includinge-commerce, customer relationshipmanagement(CRM) software,andAI.
“E-commerceandtheuseofthesocial mediahaschangedhowwebuyandsell products,”hesays.“Anditalsointegrates otherpiecesoftechnologyandAI.
“Itcanbeusedas asaleschannel,andit’s aboutmanagingthatchannel.It’salso avery richdatasourceforindividualsandbusinesses.
“Thingscanbedonecheaperandfaster, allowingthe releaseofpeopletodoface-tofacework,withcustomercontact.
“AndwithAI,youcanutiliseittospeedup elementsofyourwork –whetherit’sdraftinga letter,oraproposal.
“UsingAIwithinthesalesprocessallows youtobetterutiliseyourvaluablesales resources –focusingmoredirectlyonhands-on selling,andmorecomplexcustomerneeds.”
AIisalsofindingitswayintomanyexisting programmeswhichmanypeopleinbusiness useon adailybasis.
NoelalsosaystheCRMtoolhasmovedon considerablyoverthelastfewyears –helping savetimeanddeliveringbetter resultsfor salespeople,andcustomers.
“It’sextremelygoodatbeingabletodevelop apipelinetohelpincreasesales,”hesaid.
“It’snotjustaboutcustomer records anymore–thereistheadditionofAIand specialisedsoftwaretakingthingsto anew level.Moder nCRMsystemswillhavepredictive analyticsandpersonalisedpropositions.”
Noelsaysutilisingtechnologywithinthe salesprocessiskeytoensuring astrongand securefuture–helpingdrivebusinessandsales and“givingyouthatcompetitiveedge”.
“Technologycanhelpyouachieveyour goals,“hesays.“Butifyoudon’tembraceit, youaregoingtogetleftbehind.” ■
www.nb1.co.uk
NoelBrady
Unlocking all-island aviation ‘willsupercharge NI economyandcreate jobs’ Aholisticapproachtotheaviation sectoracrosstheislandof Irelandcouldunlocksignificant investment,superchargetheNorthern Irelandeconomyandcreatethousandsof highlypaidjobs, aroundtableconvenedin BelfastbyKPMGhasheard.
AttendedbytheEconomyMinisterDr CaoimheArchibaldandotherindustry stakeholders,themeetingdiscussed anumber ofpolicyinitiativeswhichwouldallowthe all-islandsectortotakemoreadvantageof thedeepaviationmanufacturingcapabilities inNorther nIreland,aswellashelpingboost connectivityandcompetitiveness.
Theevent –Seizingthe AviationOpportunity –heardfromJoeGill,theco-authorofthe recentlandmark report APathfinderforIrish AviationalongsideEamonnBrennan.That reportsetout anumberofmeasuresaimedat boostinggrowthacrosstheall-islandaerospace andaviationsectorsandwascommissionedby Irelandia,theaviationgroupfoundedbythe formerco-founderof Ryanair,DrDec Ryan.
Amongstthefivepolicy recommendations initwereasuggestionfortheabolishment ofairportpassengerduty(APD)forflights fromNorther nIrelandtoprovide auniform costbenefitfortourismandbusinessacross theisland.Additionally,itrecommendedthe commencementofflightsfrombothBelfastto CorkandDerrytoDublinaspartofthepublic sectorobligationsoutlinedintheNewDeal NewApproachagreement.
ItalsosuggestedthattheAerospace TechnologyInstitute,EnterpriseIrelandand IrelandStrategicInvestmentFundcould developworldclassaviationprojectsonthe islandandcreate astrategicengineoverhaul facilityinDerryorShannonairports.
“Iwelcomedtheopportunitytohearmore onthePathfinderforIrish Aviation’ report,”Dr CaoimheArchibaldsaid.
“Itraises anumberofimportantissuesthat
mydepartmentwillwanttoconsiderfurther, particularlyasweworktodevelopthenorth’s firstaviationpolicy.Theall-islandpotential forthisindustryisalsoanexcitingprospect andwemusttakefulladvantageofthe opportunitiesitpresents.
“Connectivityisvitaltooureconomic development.Ourairconnectivityis akey enablerforincreasingourforeigndirect investment(FDI),tourismandopportunities forourindigenousbusinessestoexploitexport andinvestmentopportunities.Nottomention ourworld-classmanufacturingandengineering clustersinthenorth.”
JohnnyHanna,partnerinchargeatKPMG inNorther nIreland,said:“Weweredelighted towelcometheEconomyMinisterandindustry leaderstoour roundtablesessiontodaywhich exploredwaystogrowtheaviationsector acrosstheisland,with aparticularfocuson Norther nIreland.
“Bywayofexample,thedevelopmentofa majorworldclassaircraftmaintenance, repair, andoverhaul(MRO)facilityinthispartof theislandtoservicetheevergrowingneeds ofleadingglobalairlinesandaircraftlessors couldcreatemanythousandsofhighlypaid jobsandleave alegacyformanygenerations tocome.Thisisanopportunityforthe region whichshouldbegivenseriousandurgent considerationbyallstakeholders”
DrDec Ryan,executivechairandfounderof Irelandiaandcommissionerofthe report,said: “Webelievethese recommendationsneedto beprioritisedandenactedbypolicymakersand stakeholdersacrosstheIrishaviationindustry. Ifwearetoseizetheopportunityoffered by agrowingaviationsectorovercoming decadesaroundtheglobe,Irelandneeds leadershipnowtostrengthenandbroaden thefoundationsofthisstrategicallyimportant industry.” ■
JoeGill,authorofthereportandcorporateadvisoryatGoodbodyCapitalMarkets,EconomyMinisterDrCaoimhe Archibald,JohnnyHanna,partnerinchargeofKPMGinNorthernIreland,withAoIfeGallenand TimShattock, Irelandia
COMM ERCI AL PROP ERTY
Leadingagencyrelaunchesas Campbell Commercialamidbusinessgrowth OneofNorthern Ireland’sleading independentcommercialproperty firmshasenjoyedsignificant businessgrowthhavingrelaunchedas CampbellCommercial.
PreviouslyknownasCampbellCairns, Belfast-basedCampbellCommercialisbuilding on aproudlegacyofover25yearsinbusiness asitentersanexcitingnewchapterunder theleadershipofpartnersRonanandClaire Campbell.
Thehusband-and-wifeteam,whotogether haveoverfivedecadesofcombinedindustry experience,haveoverseenthe rebrandof thefirm,whichfollowed arelocationfrom ChichesterStreettonewcitycentreofficesin theScottishProvidentBuildingonDonegall SquareWest.
The refreshedbrand reflectsnotonly achangeinnamebut arenewedenergy, sharpcommercialfocus,andcommitmentto deliveringpartner-ledadviceacrossallareasof thecommercialpropertymarket.
Fromassetmanagementtoagency, valuationto retail,andprofessionalservicesto propertymanagement,CampbellCommercial offers afully-integratedservicetoclientsacross everysectoroftheindustry.W ith aclientbase thatincludesmajorbanks, retailgiantsand leadingconstructionfirms,thefirmcontinues togofromstrength-to-strengthsinceits relaunch.
Akeydifferentiatorforthenewly rebranded agencyisitscommitmenttopartner-level servicing –atailored,hands-onapproachthat ensuresclientsbenefitfromtheinsightand experienceofseniorprofessionalsthroughout everystageof atransactionorinstruction.
PartnerRonanCampbellsaidthelaunchof CampbellCommercialmarks aneweraforthe business –onedefinedbygrowth,ambition andexperience.
“Thisisanincrediblyexcitingtimeforour firm,with arenewedfocusonthethings that reallymattertoourclients –experience, serviceand results.Sincethe rebrand, we’veexperiencedsignificantgrowthand
the responsetoournewidentityhasbeen overwhelminglypositive,”hesaid.
“Withmorethan50years’combined experience,Claireand Iare proudtoleada businessthatbringstruesenior-levelinsightto everyinstruction.Whetherit’saninvestment acquisition, amajorassetmanagement portfolio, aretaillettingor astrategic valuation,ourclientsknowthey’regetting clear,commercially-focusedadvicefrom professionalswhounderstandthemarket.
“BeingbasedintheheartofBelfastis alsoimportantasitmeanswearecloseto ourclients,bothlocallyandacrossNorthern Ireland. We arehugelyexcitedforthisnext chapterand remaingratefultotheclientswho continuetoplacetheirbusinesswithCampbell Commercial.”
Thefirm’smovetonewcitycentreoffices addedfurthermomentumtoitsgrowth,witha seriesofnewinstructionsand repeatbusiness fromlong-standingclients.
PartnerClaireCampbellexplainedthatthe companyisfirmlyfocusedonfutureexpansion.
“We’vebeengenuinelyenergisedbythe
feedbackfromclientsandindustrycolleagues alikesincethe relaunch,”shesaid.
“People recogniseour reputationforhighqualityserviceandcommercialexpertise,and theCampbellCommercialbrandgivesusa strongplatformtogrowwhilestillstaying truetothevaluesthathaveunderpinnedour successoverthepast25years.
“We’reproudofourtrack recordand enthusiasticaboutwhatliesahead –notjust forusas afirm,butforthewidercommercial propertymarketinNorther nIreland.”
With anewlookand agrowingclientbase, CampbellCommercialisaimingtoconsolidate itspositionasoneoftheleadingindependent namesinthesector –offeringclientsdeep localknowledge,provenexperienceanda personal,professionalapproach. ■
CampbellCommercialpartnersRonanandClaireCampbell
Howisbusiness?
Businessisstrongandit’sagenuinelyexciting timeforusandthewiderindustry.We’reinthe middleofoneofthebiggesttransformations we’veseeninyears,withAI reshapingnotjust howwethinkaboutsoftware,buthowwe buildit.
Around ayearago,wesetout aclear strategyatGCD –toreducethecostof developingcustomsoftwareandmake itaccessibleto amuchbroaderrangeof businesses,notjustthosewithenterprise-level budgets.AIisacceleratingourabilitytodeliver onthatgoalfasterthanweimagined.
Whenwelookatourclients,particularly thoseinthelocalmarket,theoneswhothrive aretheoneswhoseetechnologyasmorethan just atool.They’reusingittodifferentiate themselves,togain acompetitiveedgeand insomecases,tocompletelydisrupttheir industries.That’sthespacewelovetoworkin.
Howdidyoubothgetstartedinthe industry?
We bothwenttoPortadownCollegeandthen ontoQueen’sUniversityBelfast –onestudying electronicsandelectricalengineering,andthe othercomputerscience.Inoursecondyearof university,someoneaskedifweknewanyone whocouldbuildane-commercewebsite.That questionsparkedourfirstcollaborationand whatstartedas asmallsideprojectquickly grewintosomethingmuchbigger.
We formed acompanyandbeforelong, itwastakingupmoretimethanourstudies. So,webothdecidedtotake ayearouttosee whereitcouldgo. We’veneverlookedback.
Entrepreneur Month OFTHE Backthen,wedidn’thave agrandplan,but wehadambitionand adrivetodeliverquality. That’sthefoundationGCDwasbuiltonandit stilldrivesustoday.
Typically,whoareyourclientsand customers?
Ourclientsareambitiousorganisationsthat seetechnologyas astrategicdriver,notjust asupportfunction.They’reusuallylooking toinnovate,differentiatethemselvesintheir marketorcompletely reimaginehowthey operate.Thatmindsetisfarmoreimportantto usthanthespecificsectorthey’rein.
We workacross awiderangeofindustries, butthecommonthreadisthatourclientsare readytoembracechange.Somehaveinhouse teams,butcometouswhentheyneedto movefaster,godeeperonproductthinkingor exploreemergingtechnologieslikeAI.Others arenon-technicalfoundersorleadershipteams whoneed atrustedinnovationpartnertohelp bringtheirvisiontolife.
Doyouenjoywhatyoudo,andwhatin particular?
Yes,andwestilllookforwardtoMondays,
whichweknownoteveryonecansay. Forus,it’saboutinventionandchallenge –understandingwhatmakesdifferent businessestickandhowwecanhelpthem dosomethingbetter,smarterorentirelynew, withtechnology.
Everybusinessisdifferent,butthereare oftencommonpatternsinthechallenges theyfaceacross awiderangeofindustries. It’sfascinatinghow,despitesector differences,thereare recurringthemesand similarwaystechnologycanbeappliedto solveproblems.
Whatarethechallengesfacingyour sectorandtheeconomyingeneral?
AIisthemosttransformativeshiftwe’ve seenindecades,bringingbothopportunity andchallenge.It’spromptingusto rethink howwebuildteamsanddeveloptalent.Our seniordevelopersareachievingstrong results byblendingAItoolswiththeirexperience. Butdevelopingjuniordevelopersismore complex.AIcan’treplacethehands-on learningthatbuilds realexpertise.Striking therightbalanceissomethingwe’reactively navigating. ■
AndrewGough andAndrew Cuthbert
GCD Technologies
BudgetnotholdingNIback InJanuary,MillarMcCallWylieconvened aproductive roundtablewithleadingaccountants.
We collectivelyassessedthelikelyimpactofthebudget, consideringopportunitiesandchallengesthatmayariseforbusinesses from afinancial,tax,andlegalperspective.
Whilethereare undoubtedlychallengesahead,wehaveseen notablegrowthincorporate/M&Adealsinthelastyear,mirroredby theexpansionofourcorporateteam –whichhasdoubledinsizeand achieved a150%increaseinturnover.Weexpectthistocontinuefor theforeseeablefuture.
We takeprideinhavingactedin awiderangeofcorporate transactionssofarthisyear,suchastheacquisitionofMcAllisterGroup by Vortex,theinvestmentby57StarsandothersinCirdanImaging, thepurchaseofGoldenGlenbyCamseng,theinvestmentintoRosie’s BakesbytheMartinGroup,andthesaleofUrbanHQServicedoffices byMagellGroup.Ourexpertiseistrustedbyanarrayofinnovative entrepreneurs,familyenterprises,andleadingbrands.
WiththebroadestrangeoflegalexpertiseinNI,weareideallyplaced tosupportbusinessesthrougheveryphase,frominitialformationto
transitionandbeyond. We increasinglyseemoreofourbusinessclients usingourservicesbothprofessionallyandpersonally.Building asolid relationshipbasedontrust,givesthemtheconfidencetocometousfor adviceateverystageoflife.
NI’sbusinessenvironmentisflourishing,andthecompaniesin the UlsterBusiness Top100standas atestamenttotheambition, innovation,anddrivecharacterisingthemarketplace.
DamianMcParland
DamianMcParland,director, MillarMcCall Wylie
PSDC Trailers 52 aulBrattonhasessentiallybeena liferatmanufacturerSDC Trailers. He’sbeenwiththefirm,whichhas itsheadquartersin Toomebridge,forsome30 years –with abriefsabbaticalalongtheway. Andduringthattime,he’sbeenthrough differentphasesofownershipofthecompany, whichhasbeenownedbyChinese firmCIMC Groupsince2016.
Thecompanyemploysaround450staffin Norther nIreland,with120inMansfieldanda further20inSouthampton.
investedin Toomebridgetoupdatemachinery.
“[Theoverallmarket]hasnormalised.The averageUKmarketfortrailerswas18,000a year –nowit’s13,000. Warrantiesarelonger andproductsarelastinglonger.
SDCsuppliestrailersto awiderangeof companiesandhasbuilt relationshipswith theindustry’sleadinglogisticsoperators, supermarketchainsandhirecompanies includingTIP TrailerServices,Hireco Trailer Rental, Ryderand TrailerResourcesLtd.
SDC Trailerscomesinatthenumber52spot inthe UlsterBusiness Top100Norther nIreland Companies2025list,inassociationwith KPMG.Itpostedturnoverof£229mandpretaxprofitsof£17.4mduringtheyearending December2023.
Establishedin1978,SDCoperatedfrom asmallshedinBellaghy.Ithasgrownfrom aonemanoperationtobetheUKand Ireland’slargestsemi-trailermanufacturer.It nowhasfourmanufacturingplants,based in Toomebridge,Magherafelt,Antrimand Mansfield.
“It’sbeendifficult,becausewehavebeen underattackfromcompetitors,”Paultells UlsterBusiness
“[Our]best resultswere2020/21and2022 –youcouldn’tbuildtrailersquickenoughfor people.”
Buthesaysthemarkethasnormalisedinthe yearssincethepandemic.
Demand remainshighforboxvansand curtainsiders –usedby araftofdelivery companieshereandbeyond.
“Ourchassisproductionisverymuch acentreofexcellence,”Paulsays“We’ve
“Ourownersboughtusonthedayof Brexit –[theinvestment]showstheirfaithin theNorther nIrelandeconomy.Ourbiggest problemisgettingpeopletoworkandbuilding thetrailers.”
Hesaidduringthe recessionthefirmwas downtoaround50trailers aweek.Now,it’sat asteady108.
Andhesaidtheconversationaroundstariffs, andthepost-Brexitlandscape,is aconstant.
“Post-Brexit, alotofsupplierscan’t gettheirheadsaroundit –it’samassive administrationalnightmare.Itdoesn’tgiveus trouble…butoursuppliers.[Theremaybe]the wrongcodes,whichcostsmoney.”
Withthat£14minvestment,Paulsays thefirmhastheabilitytotrainupexisting
staff,andhirenewworkerswhocan subsequentlybetrained.
SDC Truck &TrailerPartsisa subsidiaryofSDC,providing packagestokeepvehicles onthe road.
“Sinceopening ourfirstbranchat ourheadquartersin Toomebridge,wehave transformedtheparts industry,”thefirmsaid.
“Today,wehave ninebranchesin centrallocations and32vehicles onthe road daily,ensuring customer downtime iskepttoa minimum.” ■
PaulBratton
‘Itwouldbedifcult to imagine30yearsago thatwe’d havesuch avibrantbusiness environmentinNI’ Hilary Benn,SecretaryofStateforNorthern Ireland,saystheUlsterBusiness Top100,in associationwithKPMG,isacelebrationofthe tremendouseconomicgrowthintheyearssince thesigningoftheGoodFridayAgreement
The UlsterBusiness Top100isa celebrationofthetremendous economicgrowthwehaveseenin Norther nIrelandsincetheGoodFriday Agreementalmostthreedecadesago. ThetransformationofNorther nIreland sincethenshowshowpoliticalstabilityis notonlygoodforitspeoplebutgoodfor businesstoo.
Thissummermarksoneyearsince Itook officeasSecretaryofStateforNorthern Ireland.Inthattime Ihavehadtheprivilege ofmeetingsomegreatentrepreneursand businessleadersacrossthelengthandbreadth ofNorther nIreland.
Itwouldhavebeendifficulttoimagine 30yearsagothatwe’dhavesuchvibrant businessesinaerospace,lifesciences, manufacturing,andfilmandtelevisionaswe dohere today.Yetthesesectorsareatthe cornerstoneofNorther nIreland’seconomyand Ihavegreatlyenjoyedseeingfirsthandhow businessesaresuccessfullyattractinginward investment,innovatingandexperiencing
significanteconomicgrowth.
To movefrom aplacestrugglingagainst terrorismandinstabilitytobeing aregion whoseeconomygrewfasterthantheUKasa wholelastyear,showswhatcanbeachieved withpoliticalstability,co-operationanda strongeconomy.
TheNorther nIrelandExecutiveisnow workingconstructivelytogetherand Ibelieve theconditionsareinplacefortheExecutive tomakethemostoftheopportunitiesthat beckonforNorther nIreland.
With arecordsettlementof£19.3bnfor thenextthreeyearsfromtheUKGovernment, thereisnolonger afinancialcliffedgelimiting strategicinvestmentandplanning.
Thisfunding,thelargestinthehistory ofdevolution, reflectstheGovernment’s commitmenttodeliveryinNorther nIreland,as wellasunlockingand realisingthepotentialof itspeople,placesandproducts.
InsupportofNorther nIreland’sgrowing economy,thePrimeMinisterannounceda £1.6bndealinMarchwhichwillseeThales
inBelfastmanufacturemorethan5,000 lightweight-multirolemissilesforUkraine’s defence,creating200newjobsandsupporting 700highlyskilledexistingjobsatThalesin Belfast.
Therewillalsobeadditionalfundingfor Norther nIrelandbasedcutting-edge research, skillsandinnovationincluding£2mfunding forQueen’sUniversityBelfast’sCyberAIHub. Ourlocalaerospaceindustrieswillalsobenefit, securingjobsforover5,000people.Andthere willbe£310moverfouryearsforCityand GrowthDealstosupporteconomicgrowth
and regionaldevelopmentinBelfast,Derry& Strabane,CausewayCoast &GlensandMid South West regions.
Whilstglobaluncertaintymeanswemust find awaythroughturbulenteconomictimes, ourPlanforChangewillhelpeconomicgrowth tofurtherstrengthentheUK,andNorthern Ireland’,placeintheworld.
We havenowpublishedourIndustrial Strategywhichsetsout anew relationship betweenbusinessandgovernment,sothat theUKcanbe amoredynamicmarket,with businessfreeduptofocusonwhatitdoesbest
–creatingwealth.
Publishedalongsidethis,our TradeStrategy marks aresetinourapproachtointernational trade.Thisstrategyisdesignedtostimulate economicgrowth,throughdeliveryoftargeted businessbenefits.Andbuildingonthe recent tradeagreementswiththeUSandIndia,we wanttohelpNorther nIrelandbusinesses reach newmarkets,attractinternationalinvestment, anddrivesustainableeconomicgrowth.
Thesedealswillbeontopofthe advantageoustradingarrangementswhich alreadyexistthroughthe WindsorFramework.
Andoncefinalised,thenewSPSAgreement withtheEUwillalsofacilitatethesmoothflow ofagrifoodandplantsfromGreatBritainto Norther nIreland,protectingtheUK’sinternal market, reducingcostsforbusinessesand improvingconsumerchoice.
Norther nIreland’sprosperityistiedtoits relationshipwiththe restoftheUKand,as Ilookdownthislistofthe Top100, Iam evenmoreconfidentthatNorther nIreland’s economywillcontinuetoflourishas athriving andgrowingpartoftheUKformanyyearsto come. ■
SecretaryofState HilaryBenn
Nordicgroup to buyhotelchain with fourNI venuesfor £1bn TheboardoftheIrishhotelgroup Dalataisrecommendingthat shareholdersacceptanimproved bidforthecompanyfromaScandinavian consortium,sayingitis a“highlyattractive cashoffer”thatwilldelivercompelling value.
PandoxandEiendomsspar,whichhada bid rejectedsixweeksago,haveuppedtheiroffer forthegroup,whichhasfourhotelsinNI,by €0.40to€6.45pershare.
Thisis a35.5%premiumtowherethe Dalatapricestoodbeforethehoteloperator launched astrategicreviewandformalsale processonMarch5.Itwasthen€4.76
Theimprovedbidis a49.7%premiumto the12-monthvolume-weightedaverageDalata shareprice,andrepresentsanacquisitionequity valueof€1.4bn(£1.2bn).
Theearlierofferhadvaluedthecompanyat €1.3bn,butwas rejectedbytheboardonthe basisthatitmateriallyundervaluedthe group.
Theacquisitionmustnowbeapprovedby Dalatashareholders.In astatement, Dalata
pointedoutthattheequityvalueoftheoffer representsthehighestmarketcapitalisation forthecompanysinceitsflotationin2014. Italsopointedoutthatthepriceishigher thananythingofferedduringtheformalsales process,whichinvolvedtwo roundsofbidding frombothtradeandfinancialbuyers.
“Theoffer representscompellingvaluefor shareholdersfollowingthepersistentunder valuationofDalataoverthepreviousyears,” thecompanysaid.“Theofferprovidesinvestors withcertaintyofvalue,enablingthemto realise thevalueoftheirinvestmentincash.”
DalataownstheMaldronhotelsin Londonderry,BelfastcitycentreandBelfast InternationalAirport,aswellastheClayton HotelinBelfastcitycentre.
Eiendomsspar,oneofthelargestproperty ownersinNorway,withitsportfolioincluding 11hotels,alreadyhadan8.8%stakeinDalata atthetimeofitsfirstbid.Itcontrols36%of thesharesinPandox, aSwedishfirmthatowns 163hotelsacross11countriesinEurope,with about36,000 rooms.
BasedinStockholm,Pandoxdevelopsand thenleaseshotelstooperatorsunderlong-term deals.ItshotelsinIrelandoperateunderthe Leonardobrand.
LiiaNõu,thechiefexecutiveofPandox,said: “Dalata’sportfolioconsistsofwell-established andhighlyprofitablefour-starhotelsinstrong locations,whichwillfurtherexpandPandox’s footprintinseverallarge,dynamicandgrowing hotelmarketsinNorthernEurope.
“Thehotelpropertiesareofhightechnical standardandwillcontributepositivelytothe overallqualityofPandox’shotelproperty portfolio.”
Theofferwillbemadethrough anewly incorporatedcompany,PandoxIreland Tuck Limited.
PandoxownsBelfast’sLeonardoHotel,and thecitycentre’sHilton.
Theacquisitionisbeingfinancedfrom a combinationofexistingcash resourcesavailable tothetwocompanies,and aloanfacility providedtoPandoxbyitsexistinglenderDNB Bank. ■
Progressisbeingmade… butwe’re farawayfrom genderparity RoseannKellyMBE, chiefexecutiveofthe WomeninBusiness Group,sayswemust reach apointwherea woman’ssuccesscan standalone,celebrated forwhatitis,insteadof beingpigeonholedfor whatit’snot
Awoman’scareersuccessought tobecelebratedforwhatit is,ratherthanbeingshackled with acaveat.Notwhenwomen remain underrepresentedateverystageofthe corporatepipeline.Notwhenwearestill afull123yearsawayfromtruegender parityinourworkplaces,accordingto the WorldEconomicForum’slatestGlobal GenderGap report.
Thiscaveat,aninvisibleandofteninevitable asterisk,tendstomanifestin averbal‘but’ when recognisingtheaccomplishmentsof womenatthetop.She’slucky,butshehad help;shehasbuilt afantasticcareer,butshe’s notbalancingherfamilylife;sheis aleaderin herfield,butshe’stooambitious.
Thepathtoparityhasbeentooslowfor suchdoublestandards.Thenotionthata woman’scareerachievements requiresa footnotestemsfrompersistentstereotypes thatsuccessinleadership,businessorpolitics isaninherentlymasculinepursuit.Andso begets aculturaldiscomfortto‘explainaway’ awoman’ssuccess.Thatshemusthavehad alegup,orperhaps a‘househusband’or
partnerinhercorner,toenablesomesortof shortcuttotheC-suite.Rarelyis aman’scareer viewedthroughthislens –ifatall.
Nowhereisthismoreapparentthanthe motherhoodpenalty,wherebywomensuffer careersetbacksforchoosingtohavechildren on aproverbialplayingfieldthat’salreadytilted againstthem.Thechoicetobecome aparent –ornot –alsobecomespartofthecorporate conversationin awayitseldomdoesformen. Asuccessfulwomanwithchildrenisoften askedhowshemanagesto“doitall.”Now considerthis:haveyoueverheardthesame questionaskedof amaleexecutiveorleader?
Becausetheblunt realityisthat,nomatter awoman’schoiceaboutparentage,hercareer isseenthrough aprismwhereprioritiesand personalsacrificesarequestioned,ratherthan beingcelebratedpurelyonitsownmerit.
Howcanwechangethistune?Eliminating theinvisibleasterisk requiresmorethanjust applaudingindividualwomen.Itinvolvesa holisticapproachtoconfrontandinmany casesdeconstructthebarriersandthebiases thathavefortoolongbeenweightedagainst women.Theonusisonbusinessleaders andelected representativestostrivetowards creatingenvironmentswherewomen’s achievementsareacceptedatfacevalue.No caveatsnecessary.
Thesuccessofwomeninthecorporate worldhasbeenhardfought. Youdonotneed tolooktoofartofind adamningstatistic oftheprevailingunderrepresentationfor womenwithinseniormanagementteams.Itis hearteningtoseethenumbersclimb,thanks tobespokepathwaysandfocusedsupportthat organisationslikeThe WiBGroupprovidedayand-dailytoaccelerateinclusivity.
Yetwemustn’tbecomplacent.Thearrivalof the UlsterBusiness Top100is areminderthat, forNorther nIreland’sbusinesscommunity, progressisnotparity.Thatthereare only
sixcompaniesfeaturedwithwomenchief executivesspeakstothefragilegainsand persistentgenderimbalanceonourdoorstep. Sixpercentdoesn’tseemlikemuchwhen womenmakeup51%ofthepopulation.
Leadershiplimitedtoanyonegender leavesorganisationsmissingoutondiverse perspectives,betterdecision-makingand ultimatelyensurestheyareanattractive prospectforpotentialemployees.Thismust gobeyondsimplyensuringthatwomenhave aseatatthetable;it’saboutensuringthose samewomenareactiveplayersintheworkings ofanorganisation. Withtheirfingersonthe pulseandleadingwithpurpose.
The WiBGroupisworkinghardonthe groundtostrengthenthepipelineforwomen ateverystage,whetherthat’safemalefounder takingthefirststeptowardslaunchinga business, awoman returningtotheworkforce after abreak,or amanagerundertaking leadershipanddevelopmenttrainingto fast-trackhercareertowardsthenextlevel. Centraltoallofthisisourdriveforgreater inclusionanditsprovenbenefitsforbusiness, withDiversityMarkenablingorganisationsbig andsmalltostepforwardonthisjourneywith confidence. Towardssuccessthatissustainable andlong-lasting,andultimatelyhasthepower tobringabout apositiveimpacttothelocal economyandoursocietyas awhole.
We must reach apointwhere awoman’s successcanstandalone,celebratedforwhat itisinsteadofbeingpigeonholedforwhat it’snot.Doingso requirescallingoutallthe subtlewaysthatsocietyunderminesthese achievements.Becausethe realityis,our womenleadershaveworkedtoolongand foughttoohard,throughbiasandbarrier,to beovershadowedbyanasterisk.
Whattheyneedisthespace,supportand ultimately recognitiontothriveontheirown terms. ■
AllstateNI 83 Whileit’sknown asaninsurance giant,globally, inNorthern IrelandAllstateisfocusedon thedigitalandtechnologyendofthe internationalFortune100firm.
Itcomesinatthenumber83spotonthis year’s UlsterBusiness Top100NorthernIreland Companieslist,inassociationwithKPMG, withturnoverof£132.1m,andpre-taxprofits of£4.88m,accordingto accountsending December2023
ThecompanyprovidesIT servicesto insurancegianttheAllstateCorporationinthe US,anditssubsidiaries.
“Beingincludedagaininthe Top100is a fantasticendorsement,butit reflectsthehard workofourteamsacrossbothBelfastandthe northwest,”StephenMcKeown,managing directorofAllstateNI,said
“It’srecognitionofhowfarwe’vecome, andofthepeoplewho’vebroughtushere “We’vealwayssaidthatculture isas importantastechnology.W ithoutemployee buy-inandbeliefinthemission,these resultswouldneverhavebeenpossible.”
“AllstateNorthernIrelandisproudto serveastheEuropeanDigital Centreof Excellenceforoneoftheworld’slargest publiclyheldinsurancecompanies, a Fortune100constituentandglobal technologyleader.That’snotjust atitle;it’s aresponsibilitywetakeseriouslyeveryday
“Overthepasttwoyears,we’ve undergone aradicaltransformation, reimagininghowweworkthrough a product-centric,outcome-baseddelivery model.Asacloud-first,engineeringledorganisation,we’reusingmodern technologiestosolvecomplexchallenges anddeliver realcustomeroutcomesat scale.”
Despiteannouncingjoblossesatthe endof2023,Allstatestill remainsoneof NorthernIreland’slargestemployers,with a
headcountofmorethan2,000.
ThefirmwalkedawaywiththeBestUseof CloudServicesawardattheBelfast Telegraph IT Awards,andthisyear,reachedtwomajor milestones,Stephensays.
“Wewerehonouredwiththeprestigious TonyHsieh AwardatTED2025,celebrating ourpeople-ledtransformationandbold reimaginingofhowwework,”hesaid.
“Wealsorankedinthetopthreeglobally forAIinnovationamonginsurers, reflecting thehuman-centred,forward-thinkingwork happeningacrossourdigitalproductmodel. Theserecognitionsareatestamenttothe vision,leadership,andpassionofourteams, hereinNorthernIrelandandbeyond.
“Injustthefirsttwomonthsofthisyear,our digitalproductmodelhelpedusimprove4.3 millioncustomerinteractions,withoverone
millionofthosetranslatingintoeitherbetter productsorlowerprices.Whenyoudrive efficiencyatscale,customersfeelit,andthat’s exactlythekindofmeaningfulimpactwe’re strivingfor
“Wehaveoverseen ashiftinhowthe companyapproachestalentmanagement, especiallyduringperiodsofslowedhiring, whichtheentireeconomyhasbeen experiencinginthelastyearortwo.
“Lookingahead,ourambitionisclear.We’re heretolead,notjustintechnology,butin howwesupportourpeopleandcommunities. Allstateiswhereglobalambitionmeetslocal innovation,andwe’reproudtobuildthat futurefromrighthereinNorthernIreland.”
Hesaidthefirmis“committedtonurturing talentanddeepeningexpertiseinNorthern Ireland,investinginpeople,empowering
careers,andbuilding alastingimpactthrough knowledge”
“Oursignificantinvestmentin modernisingskills,andsupporting regionalbalance,particularly inthe northwest, reflectsourconfidence inthestrengthofthelocal talentpoolandourlong-term commitmenttoinnovation.
“We’re focusedonleading theinsurancesectornot justthroughtechnology, butthroughhowwetreat people,bothcustomers andemployees.Whether it’sAI,data,orcustomer experience,ouraimisto stayaheadoftrends,not reacttothem.” ■
StephenMcKeown
From thepneumatic tyre to theportabledefibrillator:NI manufacturing is world-leading StephenKelly, chiefexecutiveof ManufacturingNI, saysNorthernIreland hasanextraordinary heritagewhenit comestoinnovation, alongsidesomeofthe mostforward-thinking, advanced,andmodern firmsacrossthesector today,manyofwhich makeupthisyear’s UlsterBusiness Top 100,withKPMG
Wehaveanextraordinary innovationheritage.Whether it’s HarryFerguson’sthree-point linkagewhichtransformedagriculture, JohnBoydDunlop’spneumatictyre,the aircraftejectorseatbyJamesMartin whichhassavedthousandsoflivesashas FrankPantridge’sportabledefibrillator,for generations,Ulstermenandwomanhave proventhatthereisproblemsolvingin ourDNA.
Butit’snotjust agloriouspast.It’sthe reasonwhywecelebrateManufacturing Monthtocelebrate,cherishandchampionour greatmakers.
Despitehaveapopularfewerthantwo millionpeople,wemakeenoughfoodtofeed 10millionpeopleacrosstheseislands.Dairy production aparticularstrengthwithsome oftheUKandIreland’sleadingbusinesses likeDaleFarm,Fane Valley,LakelandDairies andLacpatrickdominatingshelvesandfamily fridges.
It’snotjustprimaryproducers,buttheir supplychainandpackagingwithEncricin Fermanaghmakingcloseto abillionglass bottlesaswellasleadingonindustrial decarbonisation.
We haveaparticularstrengthinbuilding materialsandoff-siteconstruction. Takefor instancethe TottenhamHotspurStadium, regardandindeedawardedasthebest stadiuminEurope.Almosttheentirebuilding wasmadeinNorther nIreland.Nearly10,000 eachuniquepiecesofpre-castconcreteto makethestadiumovalbeingmadebyMacrete in Toomewhichwas recentlyacquiredbyFP McCann.Thestructuralsteelforthe rooffrom SmythSteelinGarvagh,otherpartsfrom Hasson’sinKilreaandthe roofsheetingfrom BrettMartininMallusk.Allmadehere,shipped toLondonandinstalled.
We continuetodominatetheglobalmarket inmobilematerialshandlingequipmentwith some40%oftheequipmentacrosstheworld originatingfrommid-Ulster,west Tyroneand morerecentlyspreadingtothenorthwest andnorthAntrim.Thetechnologynownot solelyforminerals,butconstructionandwaste industriesasthecirculareconomy,getting morefromthe resourcesanddivertingfrom landfill,strengthens.
Ouraerospace,withprimariesinSpirit AeroSystems,ThompsonAeroSeatingand CollinsAerospacehavefoundsuccessby growing aglobally renownedsupplychain aroundit.
Theysaydataisthenewoilsothe innovationsfromSeagate Technology, changingtheworldofdatastoragewithits newHAMRbreakthroughboostscapacity whileimprovingenergyefficiencyand sustainabilityand Vertiv,theformerE&I EngineeringbusinessagaininDerry(and Donegal)isoneoftheworld’sleadingsuppliers tothedatacentreindustry.
Inenergy,companieslikeCamlinhave developedandmanufacturethetechnology whichensuresthatnetzeropowergrids neverfail.
Elsewhereindecarbonisation,theArtemis Technologiesischangingtheworldofmarine travelandanticipatetheirzero-carbonemission ferryservicetobeoperatingbetweenBangor andBelfastintheautumn.
Pheonixlike,the Wrightbusbusiness, securedoutofadministrationbytheBamford companywith57employees 5yearsagoand nowemployingover2,300,havesecured ordersforzeroemissionbusesacrosstheUK andtheEU.Noneoftheirordersduefor2025 deliveryhavetraditionalcombustionengines.
Inmedicalandlifesciences,Almac recently becameNorther nIreland’slatest£1bnper
annumturnoverbusinesswithotherslike Randoxcontinuingtodominatemedical diagnostics,EakinHealthcare,themedical devicessavinglivesacrosstheworldandthe greatSeatingMattersinGreysteel’sawardwinningdesignssavingtensofthousandsof dollarsforhealthcareprovidersaspatients recuperate.
Theworld’sgreatchallenges–decarbonisation,anagingpopulationwith morecomplexhealthissues,feedingthe nationalandthecirculareconomy –seesour greatmakersprovidethesolutionslikethose whowentbeforethem.
Andthesearefirmsmeetingourown economicplantocreategood regionally dispersedjobsinmoreproductiveand decarbonisedindustries.
Ourmanufacturersagainemploy100,000 peopledirectlywith afurther170,000 jobselsewhereinoureconomybeingfully supportedbythesectormeaningoneinfour familiesacrossNI relyon amanufacturing wage. Awagebillofalmost£3bndirectlyand £3.2bninsupportedjobs.
Theysellalmost£14bnexternallybringing ingoodhardcashfromthe restoftheUKand acrosstheglobeandleadingtoa£3bntrade surplus,manymultiplesmorethananyother sector.Indeed,wearetheonlynationor region intheUKwhichcontinuestoseesalestothe EUrise.
Thesectorisfullyalignedtolocalstrategy andsolvingproblemsbymeetingrisingglobal demands.Greatpeople,greatproducts,great businessesas recognisedinthe UlsterBusiness Top100.
Alltheevidenceshowsthatwhen manufacturinggrows,theentireeconomy growswithit.Providingthepolicysupport forourmakerswillonlyleadtotheExecutive meetingits,andallour,ambitions. ■
Revenueatbroadcaster UTV increases to £27.6m Revenuesincreasedby£1.7mat
Northern IrelandbroadcasterUTVin 2024,itsaccountshave revealed.
Thecompany,whichprovidesthe regional channelthreetelevisionserviceforNI, reported pre-taxprofitsof£3.7m,downfrom£4.3ma yearearlier.
However,turnoveratthebusiness rosefrom £25.9min2023to£27.6m.
UTVhasbeenpartofITVplcsince2016.
AreportfiledatCompaniesHousebythe Belfast-basedcompanysaiditsadvertising revenuein2024hadincreasedby£2mfrom £25.3mto£27.4m.
Astrategic reportfiledwiththeaccounts saidkeyriskanduncertaintiesaffectingthe companyinclude“erosionoftelevision’sshare ofadvertising,fluctuationinthesizeofthe TVadvertisingmarket,declineinaudienceas competitionfromothercommercialchannels increases,theimpactofthecontractrights renewal remedy,andthe retentionofkey staff”.
The reportsaidstaffcostshadincreased duringtheyear,growingfrom£3.87mto £3.9m.
However,staffnumbersdeclinedbythree from84to81,withproduction,administration andsupportand‘otherdepartments’alllosing onepersoneach.Production remainedtheunit withthehighestnumberofstaff(55).
UTV’sthreedirectorsareSimonClemison,its headofnewsandprogrammes;SarahClarke, thechiefoperatingofficeratITV’smediaand entertainmentdivision;andKelly Williams, managingdirectorofthecommercialdivision.
ThecompanyisbasedatCityQuaysonthe BelfastHarbourestatesince relocatingfromits historicHavelockHousebasein2018.
AswellasshowingnationwideITV programminglikesoapoperasCoronation StreetandEmmerdale,UTVmakessome programmesforthelocalaudience,suchas newsprogrammeUTVLiveandmagazine showUTVLife,presentedbyPamelaBallantine.
TraditionalbroadcasterslikeUTVand BBChavefacedincreasedcompetitionfor audiencesfromstreamingserviceslikeNetflix,
Disney+andAmazonPrime,andwebsiteslike YouTube.
Accordingto regulatorOfcom’sMedia Nations reportfor2024,71%ofNorthern Irelandhouseholdssubscribeto astreaming service.
InMarchthisyear,ITVplc reported amore thandoublingofitspre-taxprofits,from £193m ayearearlier.Revenuesdeclined3% to£4.1bn.
Theplc’sfinancialshavebenefitedfromthe successofprogrammesmadebyitsITVStudios arm,includingMrBatesvsThePostOffice andRivals, aJillyCooperadaptationmadefor Disney+.
InMay,thisyear,ITVannouncedan unexpecteddeclinein revenuesof1%during thefirstthreemonthsof2025from£887mto £875m.
Thedeclinecameaspotentialsuitorswere linkedto abidforITVStudios,includingFrench mediagroupBanijayandAll3Media.
AccordingtoThe Times,Banijaywas considering atakeoverofferfortheentire grouporthestudiosbusiness. ■
UTVLife,presentedbyPamela Ballantine,isoneofthe programmesmadebyUTVinNI
MargaretCanning
BelfastHarboursees turnover rise to £88.1m BelfastHarbourhasposteda6.3%increaseinturnoverto £88.1mfor2024,alongwithdeliveryof£45mofcapital projects.
Thetrustportsaidconsolidatedoperatingprofit roseto£34.8m,up 0.9%year-on-year.
Therehadbeeninvestmentof£44.8minprojectssuchasanew logisticswarehouseandupgradestofreightandcontainerfacilities.
Theharbouralsoannouncedthe reappointmentofDrTheresa DonaldsonasthechairofBelfastHarbourCommissionerstoday.
Butitsaidthatwhileithadself-fundedinvestmentsof£374mover thelastdecade,itnowneededtheabilityto“responsibly”borrowmore frombanks.
However,that requirestheOfficeforNationalStatistics(ONS)to changetheaccountingstatusofNItrustports,whichalsoinclude Londonderryand Warrenpoint,withtheMinisterforInfrastructure launchingaconsultationintotheissue.
DrDonaldsonsaid:“Wehave aproudtrack recordofdeliveringfor thecityand region,buttounlockourfullpotential,we,alongwithour colleaguesacrossNI’strustports, requiretheabilitytoprudentlyborrow more.
“Weare encouragedthattheInfrastructureMinisterislookinginto thisconstraintandwewillcontinueworkingwithcolleaguesacrossthe trustportsandwithofficialsintheDepartmentforInfrastructure.”
ChiefexecutiveJoeO’Neillalsosaidithadalsobeenanother“record year”for roll-on roll-offfreight,deliveredbyStenaLine.Thathasrisen from610,000to617,000freightunits,whilepassengernumbers remainedsteadyat1.7million.
Therewere145cruisecallsduring2024,makingBelfastthesecond busiestUKportforcruisetourism.
As atrustport,BelfastHarbourisfundedbyitsprofitsanddoesnot
receivepublicfunding.
Aswellasspending£44.8moncompletedcapitalprojects,the report said£119.9mwascommittedfor“strategicallysignificant”capitaland infrastructureprojects.
That’spartof awider£313mtobeinvestedbetween2025-29 includingitsbiggesteversingleinvestmentof£90mtodevelop anew dual-purposecruiseandoffshorewinddeepwaterquay.
The reportsaidporttrade remained resilientwithcargovolumes increasing0.6%to24.1milliontonnes.
Ontheharbourestate,planningpermissionwasgrantedfor256 homesinCityQuays 4and69affordablehomesinSailortown,aswell asthemixed-useCityQuays 5building. ■
BelfastHarbour chiefJoeO’Neill
Co-operationbetweenpublic andprivatesectorscandeliver successamid tough times There’splentyof successoutthereamid thisyear’sTop100 andourwiderprivate sector,despitethe challenges,andthose firmsunderstandthe importanceoflooking forthelightattheend ofthetunnel,writes AngelaMcGowan, CBINorthernIreland director
InmyaddressatthejointCBI-Ibec All-IslandBusinessConferencethis summer,I referencedCharlesDickens’ famouslinefrom ATaleof TwoCities.
‘Itwasthebestoftimes,itwastheworst oftimes’ –thisquoteaptlycapturesthe dualityofthecurrentbusinessenvironment. Ononehand,wearewitnessingheightened geopoliticaltensions,tradebarriersanda globalarmsrace –itishardtobelievethatthe defencesectorhasbecome amajorindustry overthelasttwoyears.Ontheother,more positiveadvancementsarebeingmadeatpace withcompaniesadoptingnewtechnologies andartificialintelligencetoraiseproductivity. Therehasbeenanexplosionofawareness aroundenvironmentalimpactand asurgein investmentingreentechnologiesto reduce carbonfootprint.Furthermore,skillsdeficits haveheightenedcompaniesdesiretoenhance employeewell-beingwithbetterwork-life balanceandhealthperks.
Thereisnodoubtthatthisyear’sTop100 companiesarenavigatinganunprecedented period.Nassim Taleb’sbook,TheBlackSwan: TheImpactoftheHighlyImprobable,suggests thatweshouldexpectoneortwo‘black swan’eventsover20years.However,the businesscommunitymustfeelthattheyhave experiencedsucheventsat amuchhigherrate (probablyoneeverythreeyears)duringthe pasttwodecades.
Despitethebarrageofchallenges,successful chiefsunderstandtheimportanceoflooking forthelightattheendofthetunnel.Thriving companiessuchasthosefeaturedinthis year’sTop100listhavelearnedtoadapt, innovate,andkeeptheircustomersatthe heartofeverythingtheydo.Theycontinueto moveforwardwithpurposeeveninthiseverchangingandunpredictableenvironment.
Theeconomicoutlook
Cautionisthenameofthegamefornow. BusinessleadersacrossNorther nIreland recognisethattheeconomyisfacing considerabledomesticandinternational headwindsthataresettoweighongrowth
prospectsthisyearandinto2026.
AccordingtotheCBI’slatestEconomic Forecastpublishedmid-June,theUKeconomy began2025on astrongnote.However, ourlatestsurveyssuggestthatunderlying activity remainssluggishduetopersistently weakdemandandgloomysentiment.Higher employmentcostsfollowingtheAutumn Budgetarefeedingintodecisionsaround pricing,capitalexpenditures,andhiring,while higherUStariffsaresettocreateheadwinds forexportsandinvestment.Thoseelevated labourcostsandglobaleconomicuncertainty areexpectedtoweighonbusinessinvestment.
OurCBIsurveyforJunesuggestthat investmentintentionshavedeteriorated significantlysincetheAutumnBudgetand pointto anoticeablygloomierpicturefor investmentcomparedwithofficialdata.In quartertwo2025,firms reportedthatthey expectedto reducecapitalspendingoverthe next12months(comparedtotheprevious12 months)tothegreatestextentinnearly five years.UStariffsalsopose amodestheadwind totheUK’soutput,primarilythrough reduced exports,dampenedinvestmentand financial marketvolatility.Overall,GDPgrowthfor2025 and2026isnowforecasttobe1.2%and1% respectively.
Thesurveysshowthateconomicactivity isexpectedtograduallystrengthenas2026 progresses,withhouseholdspendingis supportedby realincomesgrowth.These forecastsarealsocontingentonlower
interestratesandeasinginflationin2026, butescalationofwarintheMiddleEastcould jeopardiseenergyprices.
Co-designingpolicyforbetter economicoutcomes
Therathergloomybusinesssentiment,and subduedinvestmentintentionsmeanitismore importantthaneverthatgovernmentpullsall theleversitcantosettheeconomyon apath tosustainablegrowth.
We allknowthatinnovation,investment andjobcreationwillcomefrombusiness, notgovernment.Butthepolicyenvironment mustenablefirmsto flourishandgrow –so collaborationbetweengovernmentand businessiskey.Togetherthepublicandprivate sectorsmustco-createtherightconditionsto shifttheeconomyoutofitscurrentlowgear.
ThereisanimportantopportunityfortheUK governmentto fireupthegrowthagendawith theirnewlydevelopedIndustrialStrategy.This strategycontainsUK-widesectoralfunding programmesforeight‘growth-drivingsectors’ whichincludeadvancedmanufacturing,clean energy,creativeindustries,defence,digitaland technologies, financialservices,lifesciences, andprofessionalandbusinessservices.
Norther nIrelandhas agoodshareof thesesectorsandwillnodoubtbenefitfrom thattargetedsupport.The Top100listis dominatedbymanufacturing(notalladvanced manufacturing) retail,constructionandenergy companies.
We allknowthat innovation,investment andjobcreation will come frombusiness,not government.But thepolicy environmentmustenable firms to flourishandgrow However,itisworthnotingthatthe cumulativeburdenofincreasedcostsisbeing feltbyfirmsacrossthewholeeconomy,and weneedtocreatethatthrivingbusiness environmentforthoseothersectorsthat Norther nIrelandvalueshighly,forexample: foodproduction,hospitality,retailand tourism.Intheprivatesector,conversations continuetopushforpolicymakerstoconsider fiscalsupportssuchas aVAT reductionfor hospitality,removingairpassengerdutyand planningfor adevolvedrateofcorporationtax inNorther nIrelandover amid-to-longterm timehorizon. ■
FoodfirmFinnebrogueacquired forundisclosedsum CoDownfoodgiant Finnebrogue hasbeensoldtoaninternational companywhichcountsCookstown Sausagesamongitsbrands.
Inananticipateddealwhichwasfinally announcedearlierthissummer, thebusiness co-foundedbythelateDenis Lynnbecame part ofSofinaFoods.
SofinaFoodsisoneofEuropeandCanada’s mostprominentfoodcompanies,withmore than13,000employeesacrossover40sites.
AsFinnebrogueitselfannouncedthedeal, theydescribeditas“animportantmilestone”. Thefirmcomesinatthenumber67spotonthis year’s UlsterBusiness Top100,withthelimited company Lynn’sCountryFoods.
Thebusinesswasestablishedin1991andwas knownfirstas aproducerofvenisonproducts
Butitlaterbranchedoutintobeefandpork sausagesandothermeatproducts,including wagyubeef,and recentlyinvestedheavilyinthe manufacture ofmeat-substituteproducts
ItlaunchedtheNakedbrandof nitrites-free baconandsausages,aimingtoremovesomeof
thenegativehealthconnotationsofthosefoods.
Ultimately,it’sgrowninto amajorenterprise whichnowemploysaround1,200peopleacross fourfacilitiesinCoDown.It’samajorsupplier ofsausagestosupermarketsallovertheUKand Ireland.
InaccountsfortheyearendingFebruary 2024,groupcompany Lynn’sCountryFoods reportedturnoverof£159.4mandpre-tax profitsof£7.4m.
Throughoutitsgrowth,thepersonalityand influenceofitsfounderandchiefexecutiveMr Lynnwas amajorfactorinitssuccess,withMr Lynnsynonymouswiththebusinesshecreated –andviceversa.
However,MrLynnwaskilledinanaccident involving aquadbikeontheFinnebrogue estatein2021,leavingthebusinessat amajor crossroads.
Speakingaboutthedeal,hiswifeandcofounderChristine Lynnsaid:“Mylatehusband Denis and IstartedFinnebrogue Venisonin 1991.
“WithDenis’svisionandinnovation,the
businessgrewintooneoftheleadingfood companiesinNorthernIreland,makingfood thebestitcouldbe,withoutbeingboundby thewayithadalwaysbeendone,andcreating over1,200jobsalongtheway
“InMay2021,myhusbandtragicallydied; fromthenon Ihavehadthesupportand backingoftheleadershipteamwhichDenis created,and IamsoproudthatFinnebrogue hascontinuedtoprosperandgrow
“Butthetimehasnowcomeformetohand overthebaton,andtodosotoSofinawho IknowwillupholdDenis’slegacyandtake Finnebrogueontoitsnextchapter.”
SofinaFoodsEuropeis amajorsupplierof bothbrandedandown-labelseafoodandpork products.
Itsporkdivisionisoneofthelargest processorsandsuppliersofproductsacross theUKandIreland.Theseafooddivisionisthe largestproviderofchilledandfrozenproducts acrosstheUK,includingthe Young’sbrand, andis amajorplayerinfrozenseafoodacross GermanyandFrance. ■
KingCharles,thenthePrinceof Wales,picturedwithChristine LynnandthelateDenis LynnofFinnebrogue
Co Antrimmanufacturer owed £26m by group companiesinadministration CoAntrimmanufacturingbusiness JansHoldingisowedalmost£26m byfirmsitownedthatwentinto administrationearlierthisyear,according to reportspublishedatCompaniesHouse.
JansComposites,JansOffsiteSolutionsand EtruxLtdeachhadadministratorsappointed fromKeenanCorporateFinanceinBelfastin May.
Allofthecompanies,andtheparentholding company,haveheadquartersatCaulsideDrive inAntrim.
Accordingtostatementsofadministrator’s proposalsfiledatCompaniesHousebyKeenan Finance,noneofthethreefirmsareexpected todeliver afinaldividendtocreditors.
And187peoplehaveeitherbeenmade redundant,orwillbeoncetheadministration processiscomplete.
The reportsbytheadministratorsintothe threeseparatecompaniesalsonotesthat JansHolding“required asignificantcashflow injectionandrecapitalisation” afewmonths agoinordertocontinuetotradeinitscurrent form.
Thecompaniesworkedacross avarietyof fields,includingthemanufactureofbuildings likecampervansaswellasvehicleconversion andhire.
Othercompaniesinthegroup,suchas JansLifestyle,whichspecialisesincampervan rentalsandsales,arenotaffectedbythe administration.
Theadministrators’statementsdescribethe foundingandbackgroundofthegroup:“Jans Groupwasfoundedinlate2019,followingthe acquisitionofthetradeandassetsfrom Wright CompositesLtd –inadministration.
“Followingthis,thegroupgrewsignificantly byorganicgrowthandfurtheracquisitions across adiverserangeofsectors.
“Thegroupwasfundedbyitsmajority
shareholderwhoinjectedloansviatheholding company,JansHolding.
“Sinceincorporation,theJansGrouphas incurredsignificanttradinglosses.”
JansCompositeswasthefirstofthefirms tobeincorporated,inOctober2019and “specialisedindevelopingglass reinforced plasticproductsfor adiverserangeof customersacrossconstruction,transportand infrastructuresectors”.
EtruxLtdwasincorporatedinJanuary2021, andprovidedcommercialvehiclehire,leasing andpurchasingoptions,alongwithconverting vehiclestozero-carbon.
ItsmajorcustomersincludedotherJans Groupcompanies,whichwould rentparts oftheirown“significantfleetofcommercial vehicles…whointur nthenhiredthemtothird parties”.
JansOffsiteSolutionswasfoundedin February2021and“specialisedinthe designandconstructionofbespokemodular buildings”.Thecompany’steamofengineers anddesignersworkedwithclientsto develop abuildingbeforeproceedingtothe manufacturingprocess.
“Thefinalproductsincludedglamping pods,luxuryholidaylodges,parkhomesand variousotherbespokebuilds,”accordingto thestatement.
Thethreestatementsofproposalsnotethat eachofthethreecompanieswere“historically loss-making”andall“made asignificant tradinglossoverthepreviousfinancialyears”.
“Thegroup required asignificantcashflow injectionand recapitalisationtocontinueto tradeoninitscurrentform.
Thethreecompanieswereplacedinto administration“intheabsenceoffurther fundingandfollowingconsiderationofall optionsavailabletothem,thedirectorsdecided itwasinthebestinterestsofallstakeholders” todoso.Onlythreeof187staffwerestill employedatthetimetheadministratorsfiled theirstatementsofproposalsforthethree companiesinadministration.
Nostaffwereemployeddirectlyby JansOffsiteHoldingsorEtrux,instead theworkforcewereemployeesofJans Composites. ■
CaptionOsaute quamustomaximent
JamesMcNaney
AworkeratJansGroup inAntrim
WithanothersuccessfulOpen Championship atRoyalPortrush nowinthe rearviewmirror, andtheoptimismthatithasgeneratedfor thefutureoftheNorthernIrelandtourism industry, nowdefinitelyfeelslikethe perfecttimetostepdownas TourismNI’s chiefexecutiveafteradecadeinthe role.
WhileIhavebeenchiefof TourismNI forthepast10years,myconnectionwith thelocaltourismindustrygoesbackmuch furtherto2002,whenas arelativelyyoung chiefexecutiveofDownDistrictCouncilI was appointedasa boardmemberofwhatwas thentheNorthernIreland TouristBoard (NITB).
Thoseweredaysofgreatoptimism.Peace hadbecomearealityandwithit arealambition to rebuildtheNorth’stourismproposition. Thatambitionwasmatchedwith apolitical commitmentandresourcestodeliverwhat werethenknownasthefivetourism‘signature projects’.
TitanicBelfast,TheGiant’sCauseway Visitor Centre,TheMournes,StPatrickandthe Walled CityofDerry. Theseprojectswouldultimately becomethebedrockuponwhichmuchof today’stourismindustrywasbuilt.
Notunlikethe recentdebatearoundthe MourneGatewayProject,thenaysayersand armchairtourismexpertsofthedaybranded TitanicBelfast a‘whiteelephant’and a‘waste ofpublicmoney’,onlyforittoveryquickly becomethecatalystforthetransformationof Belfastas a21stcenturytourismdestination.
My16yearsatDown andBelfastCity councilsprovidedmewith theopportunityto have a‘handson’ roleinthedeliveryofsome oftheimportanttourismprojectsoftheday includingtheregenerationofNewcastleinto amoderntourismtown,theconstructionof theInternationalConferenceCentre atthe WaterfrontHallandiconiceventssuchasthe MTVEuropeanMusic AwardsandtheGiro d’Italia.
Thisinvestmentinbothtourism infrastructure andevents,whichputNorthern Irelandontoaglobalstage,hassupportedthe localtourismindustrytogrowandtobecome
WiththeOpen in therearmirror now is aperfect time to stepdown aftera decade Ashestepsdownfromhisrole, JohnMcGrillen reflectsonhisinvolvementwiththetourism industryhere,including10yearsatthehelm of TourismNorthernIreland,andwherethe opportunitiesmightliefortheindustry inthedecadeahead
oneofthemostimportantsectorsofthelocal economy.
Thesectorhasgrowntobeworthover £2.3bn ayear,bringingwithitbenefitsand employmenttoeverycommunityacrossthe region.
Withoverthreemillionvisitorseachyear, wenowwelcomemorevisitorsthanwehave residentswithover225,000comingonaround 150cruiseshipseachyear,figureswhichwould havebeenunimaginable10yearsago.
Muchofthegrowthin recentyearshasbeen drivenbytheincreaseinvisitornumbersfrom theRepublicofIrelandandtheverylucrative golftourismsector
And alotofitisdowntothesuccessofthe Northern Ireland –Embrace aGiantSpiritbrand whichhasshapedtheauthenticexperiences
thatourindustrynowofferstheconsumer andtheassociatedaward-winningmarketing campaignsthathavechangedtheperceptionof NorthernIrelandas ashortbreakdestination.
Thegrowthofthegolfsectorissomething wecanbeparticularlyproudof.Themix ofworldclassgolfcourses,thestagingof worldclassinternationaltournaments –in particularthe returnoftheOpentoPortrush in2019 –andtheclosecollaboration betweentheindustry,TourismNIand Tourism IrelandinpromotingNorthernIrelandas a golfdestinationinoverseasmarketshasall contributedtothisgrowth.
In2019wecouldneverhaveimagined theOpenwouldbebackherejustsixyears laterorthatwe’dhaveseenthe recent investmentbyUSandlocalbusinessesinhigh
endaccommodationnexttoourleadinggolf courses.
Anotherphenomenonduringmytime hasbeenscreentourism,or‘setjetting’as it’sbecomeknown.NIScreenhasdone a magnificentjobinsupportingTVproductions whichhaveshowcasedourpeopleandour landscapeacrosstheglobe.
Thepastdecadehasalsoseengreat collaborationbetween TourismNIandthenew supercouncils,whichwereformedjustbefore Itookupthe roleofchiefin2015. We allhave limitedresources,soitmakessenseto work togethertomakethemostofwhatwe’vegot andtogrowtheindustry
Theothermajortrendintheindustryduring mytimeaschiefexecutivehasbeentheway digitaltechnologyhaschangedhowthesector
nowworks.
Tourismagencieshavehadto respond andmuchofourmarketingactivityisnow donethroughdigitalchannelsasopposedto traditionalmedia.
What Iammostproudofhowever,ishow the TourismNIteamandthetourismindustry collectively respondedtothechallengesposed bytheCovidpandemicin2019anddelivering the TourismRecoveryActionPlan.
Thetourismindustrywasthefirsttobe closeddownbythepandemicandthelastto reopen.Intheabsenceofoverseasvisitors, wehadtoconvincepeoplehereitwassafeto gooutandencourageenoughpeopleonthe islandofIrelandtotake astaycationnorthof thebordertoensureourbusinessessurvived We gothugesupportfromtheEconomy
MinisterandDepartmentfortheEconomyand weworkedhardwithbusinessestoimprovethe visitorexperienceand reducecosts.
I’malsoproudtohavebeeninvolved insettinguptheNorthernIreland Tourism Alliance,withtheassistanceofthecurrentand former TourismNIChairs,EllvenaGrahamand HowardHastings.
Lookingtothefuture,thesechallenges includethebarriersarisingfromthe introductionoftheETA.
Digitaltransformationwillalsocontinue atpace.AIisincreasinglybeingusedby consumerstocreatetheirholidayandshort breakitineraries.
Ifinternationalvisitorsnumbersanddwell timearetoincreasethendirectairconnectivity intoourlocalairportsalsoneedstoimprove.
Despiteincreasingclimatechangedenial,the focusonsustainableor`regenerative’tourism isheretostayandtourismbusinessesand agencieswillneedtocontinuouslyconsider theirsustainabilitycredentials,particularly theirimpactontheenvironmentandlocal communities.
To deliverontheExecutive’sTourism Vision andActionPlan, TourismNIneedssomeoneat thehelmwhohasthevision,commitmentand resiliencetodeliveroverthenext10years.
Theincoming TourismNIchiefLaura McCorrywillprovetobe abrilliantleader.She is astrategicthinker,withgreatexperienceand highly regardedbyeveryoneintheindustry
Thetargetswithinthevisionareambitious andachievable. To deliverthevisionhowever, theambitionmustbematchedwithinvestment andthecurrentstateofthepublicfinances makesthat arealchallenge.
TheplannedinvestmentintheCityDeal tourismprojects represents amajor financial commitmentandvoteofconfidenceinthe futurepotentialofourtourismindustrybyboth thelocalcouncils,andtheNIExecutivewhichis unmatchedanywhereelseintheUK.
Asmyinvolvementwith TourismNIcomes toanend, Ibelievetheseprojectscanbethe bedrockonwhichtheMinister’stourismvision canbedeliveredinthesamewaythesignature projectsdidinmyearlydayswiththeNITB almost20yearsago. ■
Retail footfall in NorthernIreland declines byover 5% FootfallinNorther nIreland’s shoppingdestinationsfellbymore than5%year-on-yearduringJuneas a“concerning”declinecontinued, areport saidtoday.
Andinshoppingcentres,therewasan evensteeperyear-on-yeardeclineof6%, accordingtothemonthlyfiguresfromdata firmSensormaticSolutionsandtheNIRetail Consortium.
Norther nIreland’soveralldeclineof5.2% haddeterioratedfrom ayear-on-yeardecrease of1.4%inMay.
Anditwasmuchmoreseverethan adecline of1.8%year-on-yearintheUKas awhole.
Itwasalsotheworstrateofdeclineacross the13UK regions –whiledeclineinBelfastof 5.3%wasthesteepestof11UKcities.
Belfast’srateofdeclinewasalsoa deteriorationfrom adropof1.9%inMay.
NeilJohnston,directoroftheNIRetail
Consortium,saidmoreshouldbedonebythe WestminstergovernmentandtheNorthern IrelandExecutivetohelp retail.
HesaidrisingemploymentcostsfromApril onwardshadplacedparticularpressureon retailers.
“Itisconcerningthatfootfallfiguresare continuingtofallon amonthlybasis.TheUK figureforJuneis1.8%lessthanJunelastyear whileinNorther nIrelandthefigureisdown 5.2%,”hesaid.
“Thenewgovernmententeredoffice ayear agoandmademuchofitsintentionto revive thehighstreet. To datewehaveseenverylittle tomakethatdesireareality.
“Indeed,theimpactofthenational insurancehikesintroducedinAprilthisyear clearlyisstillhaving anegativeimpacton retailersandthewidereconomy.”
MrJohnstonsaidwhiletheUKgovernment wasatleast“holdingout”theprospectof
rates reformtohelp retail,hospitalityand leisure,Norther nIreland retailwasleftwitha heavyratesburden.
“ThereisroomforStormonttodomoreto help,”hesaid.
Retailerswerealsobeinghitby “continuingburdens”underthe Windsor Frameworkwiththe“significantchallenge” of requirementsfor‘NotforEU’labelling sinceJuly1.
MrJohnstonsaid:“Retailershaveto dateensuredthatthebureaucracyofthe frameworkhasnotimpactedonthebroad rangeofchoiceandvalueformoney availabletoconsumersinNorther nIreland.
“Wecontinuetolooktothegovernment toensurethattheinternalmarketfor retail productsintheUKisprotected.
“WithUKgovernmenthelpanda proportionateapproachbytheEUwe hopetobeabletocontinuetoservethe consumersofNorther nIrelandinthewaywe haveinthepast.”
AndySumpter,retailconsultantfor SensormaticSolutions,said:“Junedelivered heatwaves,storms,andwhatcouldbethe hottestJuneon record—buteventhe sunshinewasn’tenoughtospark aretail revival.
“TotalUKfootfallwasdown1.8%yearon-year,agentlerdropthanthe2.3%seen inJune2024,butstill adeclineonlastyear’s decline.
“Norther nIrelandsaw asteeperdecline of5.1%, reflectingthebroader regional challenges.UKhighstreetsfell3.0%,while retailparksandshoppingcentresdipped 1.1%and1.6% respectively.
“Oneyearonfromthegeneralelection, withfootfallstillinthe red,itappearsthat consumerconfidencehasyettofindits feet.” ■
‘I tr ytobe humble and don’tlet ego getinway’ Coca-ColaHBCboss SimonFitzpatrick tells JamesMcNaney abouthisloyalty tothefirmandhishomevillageof Waringstown,andhis‘servantleadership’ethos
SimonFitzpatrick,thenewheadof Coca-ColaHBCIrelandandNorthern Ireland,hasshown remarkable commitmenttothecompanyhenow heads.
Sinceleavingschool,the42-year-oldhas spentnearlyhisentireworkinglifewithCocaColaHBC,evendroppingoutofuniversityfor it
Thisloyaltyismatchedbyhiscommitment tohishome:hehaslivedinWaringstown,Co Down,hisentirelife
“Iwasbornthere,grewupthere,boughtmy
firsthouse,mysecondhouseandmycurrent housethere,”heexplained.
“Iwentto WaringstownPrimarySchool, thenontoLurganJuniorHigh,andthen LurganCollege.”
AfterfinishingschoolSimonmovedon to adegreeineconomicsandpoliticsatthe UniversityofUlster
However,hequicklybeganthinkingabout a biglifedecision.
“I remainedthereforonlyoneyearbecause Iwas reallytemptedbyCoca-Cola, Iwas really temptedtogointotheworkplace,”hesaid.
“I reallyenjoyedmeetingpeople, Ireally enjoyedbeingwithcustomers.
“InmyformativeteenageyearsI was a milkman, Iworkedin aconveniencestore,I pickedpotatoeson aSaturdaymorning.
“Iwasalwaysusedtobeingveryactivein theworkplace,outmeetinganddealingwith people.”
AnopeningwithCoca-ColaHBCgavehima chanceto returntothatwayoflife,andsohe leftuniversityafter ayear
Hekeptonwitheducationpart-time,doing adegreeinbusinessstudieswithSouthern
RegionalCollege Itprovedtobe abigdemandonhistime, butSimonfoundthatthetwopartsofhislife fedintoeachother
Hesaid:“It workedforme. Iloveditbecause itwaseasierformeto relatetothestudy becauseyouwereworkingduringtheday and studyingatnight.
“Igot ahugebenefit,because Icould relate tothepractice,tothetheory.Also, Iwas young,soitwasmanageable.”
DuringthedayhisjobwaswithCoca-Cola HBC’swaterbrandDeepRiverRock,selling productsdirectlytobusinesses.
“WorkingforCoca-Colainthoseearlyyears gavemeanopportunitytomeetdifferent
peoplerightthroughoutNorthernIreland,”he said
“Itgaveme responsibilitytoworkfor a globalorganisationin alocalmarket.
“It reallyhelpedmemature,because Iwas 19when Istarted.
“Ithelpedmelearnalotofsocialskills, taughtme alotof reallycoresoftskillsthatare criticaltothings,likeemotionalintelligence, andithelpedbuild areallystrongworkethic.
“Itfilledmewith agreatsenseof excitement. Iwasdrivinghomeeveryevening with agreatsenseofpride.”
SimonmovedupthroughtheranksatCocaColaHBC,goingfromsellingDeepRiverRock tobeing abusinessdeveloper,andthen asales teamleader
Heisveryproudofhisassociationwith thecompany,buthehashad abreakfromit duringhiscareer,whenheheld apostatthe IrishFootballAssociation,workingasdirector ofsalesandmarketingforjustunder ayearin 2018
“I’m afootballfan,footballis asportthat’s veryclosetomyheart,”hesaid.
“Iwantedtotaketheopportunityto continuetogrowmypersonaldevelopmentat adifferentorganisation,becauseI’donlyever workedforoneorganisation –thatwasthe mainmotivatingfactor
“The rolewasascommercialdirector, executingthevision,missionandstrategy oftheIFA andbuildingstrongcommercial partnershipstofurtherthegameoffootballin Northern Ireland.Itwas reallyenjoyable.
“Ifeelveryluckythat Iwasabletohavethat timetogoandexploreandpersonallydevelop inanotherindustry.”
Simon received a“callbackto returnfor parttwo”atCoca-Cola,firstworkingas salesdirectorfortheislandofIreland,thenas groupcommercialdirector,arolethatinvolved workinginmarketsacrossEurope.
InFebruarythisyearhewasgiventhe role ofmanagingdirectorforCoca-ColaHBC, overseeing thecompany’sworkacrossIreland.
AsthestrategicbottlingpartneroftheCocaColaCompany,itisamajoroperationnorth andsouthoftheborder
Itslastaccounts reported aturnoverof £335m, apre-taxprofitof£43.7mand482 employees,withseveralhundredmoreworking intheRepublic.
Alongsidebottlingthewell-knownCoke
brands,CocaColaHBCalsoproducesand distributesMonsterEnergy,ownsFinlandia VodkaanddistributestheItaliancoffeebrand Caffé Vergano.
Ithasspentmorethan£125monitsplant inLisburnsince2008,thelatestofwhichwas a£17mexpansioninOctober2023,adding a newMonsterEnergycanninglinethatcreated 35permanentjobs.
Hesayshetriestoadopt a“servant leadership”ethos,inwhichhepromotes humilityand alackofego.
“Ifyou’rehumble,itmeansyou’vegotno egoandyoustaycurious.Whenyou’rehumble, youseeopportunities,becausedon’tletego getinthewayofwhoyouareasaperson –I believeitcreatesfairnessandequity,”hesaid.
TheCoca-Colabrandisubiquitousacrossthe world,butithasfoughtoffsomeblowstoits reputationin recentyears.
Itisoneofthebrandstargetedbythe Boycott,DivestmentandSanctions(BDS) movement,whichpromotesaneconomic embargoagainstcompaniesitsayssupports Israel’soccupationandoppressionof Palestinians.
Thecampaignhasseensomeuptakeacross IrelandsincethewarinGazabegan,leadingto venuesceasingthepurchaseandsaleofCocaColaproducts.
WhenaskedabouttheimpactoftheBDS campaign,hesaid:“We’refocusedonour operationsontheislandofIreland.
“Wewanttoensurethatourcustomersand consumersseevalueintheproduct,andthat thecommunitiesthatweservicegetthebenefit fromthepositiveimpactwemakeeveryday That’swhereourfocusis.”
HeaddedthatCoca-ColaHBChadnotseen any“impact”onitsperformanceas aresultof thecampaign.
Outsideofwork,Simonspendstimewith hiswifeHelenandhistwogirlsSarah(11)and Emma(9).
Heisalsopassionateaboutsport,andlike manyin Waringstown,is acricketfan,and creditsthelocalcricketclubwithkeepinghim connectedtothearea.
Simonsaysthereare parallelsbetweenhis loyaltytoCoca-Colaand Waringstown.
Hehasstayedatbothbecausehefeels “adeepsenseofbelongingtoboththe organisationandwhereIlive,forverydifferent reasons”. ■
SimonFitzpatrick
Thesky isn’t thelimit forNorthern Ireland’s risingspace sector KellyMurphy,advancedmanufacturing,engineeringandspacesector developmentmanageratInvestNI,looksathowNorthernIrelandhasalready established astrongbasefortechnologyaroundthespacesector
YoungBelfastengineer,Harry Ferguson,builthisownaircraftin 1909andflewitatHillsborough Park.
Shorts,basedinBelfast,wasthefirst companyintheworldtomakeproduction aircraft.
Fastforwardtothepresent,anditishighly anticipatedthatDrRosemaryCoogan,bor nin Belfast,willbethefirstastronautfromtheUK orIrelandtowalkonthemoon.
Norther nIrelandhasalwaysaimedhigh–andnowwehaveoursightssetonthestars.
Norther nIreland’scombinedaerospace, defenceandsecurityindustrygeneratesaround £2.2bninannual revenues.Now,ouradvanced manufacturingcompaniesareexploring opportunitieswithinthegrowingspacesector.
In2023,theUKSpaceConferencewas hostedinBelfastforthefirsttime.Almost 2,000industryprofessionals,academics,and governmentofficialsfromallaroundtheworld cametothecitytodiscussthefutureofthe spaceindustry.
InJune2025,theUKSpaceAgency,in partnershipwiththeSatelliteApplications Catapult,broughttheIn-OrbitServicing, AssemblyandManufacturing(ISAM) ConferencetoBelfast.
Theglobalspaceeconomyischangingat arapidpace,andISAMissettoshapethis economy.Norther nIrelandiswell-placed tobecome aleaderintheemergingISAM marketplace.
ConferencessuchasISAMandtheUKSpace ConferenceallowustoshowcaseNorthern Ireland’scapabilitiesinthespaceindustry, whichisvitaltoboostinginvestmenthere.
Thespaceindustryisdividedintotwo
sectors.Theupstreamsector refersto manufacturingandlaunching rockets andsatellites;thedownstreamsectoris ground-basedservices,suchasdataand communications.
Norther nIrelandhas astrongbaseforboth capabilities.Ouradvancedmanufacturing andengineeringsectorishometomany internationalcompanies.SpiritAeroSystems andThalesAleniaSpaceareleadingtheway inspacehardwareproduction.It’sexcitingto knowthatwithinthenextdecade,thrusters manufacturedbyThalesAleniaSpacein Norther nIrelandwillbetakingcargotothe moon.
Ourthrivingclusterofcyber-securityand technologycompaniesarewell-placedto protectcriticalspaceinfrastructure,suchas satellites,fromevolvingthreats.
Norther nIrelandcompanieslikeAngoka, adigitalinfrastructurecompany,are leading thewayincriticalmachine-to-machine communicationintegrityanddataprovenance, creatingtrustedconnections,evenin untrustworthynetworks.
Securecommunicationbetweengroundand satellites,droneandsatellites,andsatellites tosatelliteswillbeatthecentreofthespace economy,allowingforin-spacemanufacturing andassemblyandimprovedground-based datasecurity.
Investmentinthesectoriscrucialto remainingcompetitiveandinnovative.Invest NIhassupportedthegrowthofthesector byprovidingfinancialassistanceandaiding investmentdecisionsintheCityandGrowth Deals,whichwillbetransformationaltothe futureofthespaceindustry.
TheAdvancedManufacturingInnovation
Centre(AMIC),partoftheBelfastRegion Deal,launchedtheSpaceEnterpriseLabin collaborationwiththeSatelliteApplications Catapult.Partof aUK-widenetwork,the SpaceEnterpriseLabwillfostercollaboration betweenourlocalspacesectorandtheUK spaceecosystem.
Projectslikethe£37.6mDigital TwinCentre, which recentlyopeneditsdoorsinBelfast, willaccelerateindustryadoptionofdigital twintechnology.Adigitaltwinis adigital replicaof aphysicalasset,processorsystem thatcanhelpmanyorganisationssimulate realsituationsandtheiroutcomes,ultimately allowingthemtomakebetterdecisions.
DualmarketaccessalsogivesNorthern Irelandmanufacturingbusinesses acompetitive advantageoverGBandEUcounterpartsdue tofrictionlesstradingarrangements.
FreetradebetweenGBandtheEUwithout customchecks,origin requirements,ortariffs, allowsNIbusinesseswithinthespaceindustry tocompeteon astrongerfootingin amultitrillionpoundtrademarket.Thisopensupa wealthofpotentialandopportunitytotapinto supplychainsacrossEurope.
Thespaceindustryisvast,andits opportunitiesareplentiful.Norther nIreland’s contributiontothesectorisgrowing yearonyear,andifwecontinueto collaborate,innovate,andinvest inourcapabilities,thespace industrywillbecomea starplayerinour economy. ■
Open forbusiness: NIhotelsare teeing up foreconomicsuccess JaniceGault,chief executiveofNorthern IrelandHotels Federation, sayswhile2025willgo downas astrongyear forvisitorshere,the sectorcontinuestoface challengesalongtheway
Thissummer,thehotelsector, alongsidethewidertourismand hospitalitysector,witnessedthe retur nofTheOpentoPortrush.
WithglobalattentionfocusedonNorthern Ireland,thiswas atremendousopportunityto showcasenotjustourworld-classgolfoffering butalsoourwiderappealas amust-visit destination. With arecord278,000ticketssold –approximatelyhalftointernationalvisitors–thisevent represents asignificantboostforthe localeconomy.
Tourismhasbeenoneofthesuccess storiesofthepost-pandemic recovery,with tradinglevelsnowcomparabletothoseseen before2020.Thehotelsector,inparticular, has reboundedstrongly,enjoying arecord yearin2024.However,risingconstruction costs,changingconsumerpreferences,and delaysintheplanningsystemhavelimited expansionoverthepastfiveyears.Justfour newhotelsand ahandfulofextensionshave beendelivered,primarilyconcentratedalong thenorthcoastandintoDerry.Inresponse toevolvingguestexpectations,hotelshave diversifiedtheiraccommodationofferings, introducingindependentunitsthatcombine theconvenienceofhotelserviceswiththe benefitsofself-containedliving.
Buoyedbylastyear’s success,theindustryis enteringanothermajorgrowthphase.In2025, fournewhotelsarescheduledtoopen:Dunluce LodgeandTheMarcusinPortrushhavealready welcomedguests,whileThe WalledCityHotel inDerry,andTheBedfordare settoopenlater thisyear.Togetherwithongoingexpansions, thesedevelopmentswilladdapproximately250 bedroomstothelocalhotelinventory.
Theconclusionofgovernmentcontractswill also releasefurtheraccommodationbackinto thetourismmarket.Lookingaheadto2026–27,anadditionaleighthotelsareexpectedto open,bringing afurther800bedroomsonline. ThiswaveofinvestmentwillincludeNorthern
Ireland’sfirstaparthotels, reflectinggrowing demandformorespaciousandflexiblelodging options.
Akeytrendin recentyearshasbeenhotel acquisitions,withtransactionstotallingaround £100moverthepast12months.Buying existingpropertieshasprovenmoreefficient andcost-effectivethannewbuilds,offering hoteliersgreatercontrolandspeedtomarket. Whileseveralsaleshavealreadytakenplacein 2025,otherproperties remainonthemarket. TheanticipatedsaleofDalataHotels,which ownstheClaytonandMaldronbrands,is generatingsignificantinterestamonginvestors with anumberoflocalhotelsstillonthe market.
Holidaysareadiscretionaryexpenditure, closelytiedtoconsumerconfidenceand sentiment –bothofwhichhavebeenaffected bytheongoingcost-of-livingcrisis. With disposableincomeunderpressure,many travellersareseekingdestinationsthatoffer bettervalueformoney.In2024,thisshift was reflectedin amarkeddeclineindomestic holidaymakerschoosingtostaywithin Norther nIreland.Theeasingofglobaltravel restrictionshasfurtherfuelledinternational wanderlust,drawingvisitorstowardsnewand moredistantdestinations.
Amidtheseshiftingtrends,uncertainty remainsthegreatestthreattothetourism sector.Domestically,economicinstability hasmadeconsumersmorecautiousintheir spendinghabits.Similarpatternsareevident inGreatBritainandNorthAmerica,where financialmarketvolatilityhasimpacted personalwealth –particularlyamongUS visitors.Concernsoverpotentialtariffshave alsobeguntoinfluencetraveldecisions. Meanwhile,escalatinggeopoliticaltensions andsecurityissues,particularlyintheMiddle East,couldfurthererodeglobalconfidencein travelandpresentsignificantchallengesfor internationaltourism.
Despitetheseheadwinds,growingour tourismindustry remainscrucial.Marketing oftheislandhasbeenstrong,evenifglobal eventsliebeyondourcontrol.Theoutlookis positive:hotelshaveinvestedinnewbrands, upgradedexistingproperties,anddelivereda significantpipelineofnewofferings.
Nevertheless,thesectorcontinuestoface well-documentedchallenges,particularly aroundrisingcosts.IncreasestoNational Insurancecontributions –especiallythelowering ofthethreshold –haveplacedconsiderable strainonbusinesses.Whiletheindustry remains committedtoprovidingqualityjobsandcareer paths,above-inflationincreasestotheNational Minimum Wagehaveproveddifficulttoabsorb, particularlywhenpassingoncoststocustomers isn’tfeasible.Inflationarypressuresonfoodand services,alongwithsoaringenergycosts,have furthererodedmargins.
Hotels representsubstantialcapital investments,designedforlong-termoperation. Thenumberofhotel roomsinNorther nIreland hasdoubledsincetheearly2000s,underlining thesector’ssignificancetothelocaleconomy. Importantly,hotelsarealso apowerful forcefor regeneration,creatinghigh-quality employmentopportunitiesacrossbothurban andruralareas.By2027,sectorinvestmentis projectedto reach£2bn, reaffirmingits roleas amajoreconomiccontributor.
Furthersupport –through amoreequitable taxframework,improvedaccessibility,and policiesalignedwiththeindustry’sevolving skillsneeds –wouldbewelcomed.The Tourism Vision &ActionPlan:10 YearPlan,launchedin January2025,setsanambitioustargetof£2bn inannualspendoverthenextdecade.The privatesectorisalreadyrisingtothechallenge, andhotelsstand readytoplayanintegral role indeliveringthisvision.Collaborationacross thesectorhasbeenstrong,butaswenavigate uncertaintimes,sustainedpartnershipwillbe moreimportantthanever. ■
HistoricBelfastpub linked to UnitedIrishmen ‘tobebroughtback’ Freshplansareunderway by aBelfastpubgroup tobringback ahistoric barwhichdatesbackto the1700s,writes John Mulgrew
Ahistoricpubwhichwasthe meetingplaceoftheUnited Irishmencouldbebroughtbackto lifeinBelfast,itcanbe revealed.
PeggyBarclay’sTavern,whichwasalso referredtoasDrFrankin Tavern,wasonce ameetingplacefortheSocietyofUnited Irishmen,backinthelate1700s.
ButtheBelfastpubandSugarhouseEntry –whereitwaslocated –wereextensively damagedduringtheSecond World War, beforetheentrywasshutin1972.
Thatentrywas recently reopenedtothe public.Now,plansareunderwaytoopena small‘snug’baratthelocation,aspartofthe widerNorther nWhigbar,whichfacesonto BridgeStreetinthecitycentre.
HoratioGroup,whichoperatestheNorthern WhigandisrunbyStephenMagorrian,is behindthenewplans.
HetoldtheBelfast Telegraphtheybelieve thenewpubwouldsitonthesamesiteasthe formerhistoricpub.Thesectionofthecurrent buildinghousestheNorther nWhig’sexisting coldstore.
MrMagorriansayshehopesto“tryand recreate”theatmosphereofthelate1700sas partoftheplansforthesnugbar.
“SugarhouseEntrywasthemostimportant entryinBelfast,”hesaid.
“PeggyBarclaywastheinnkeeperofthe pub,anditwasaffectionatelyknownasPeggy Barclay’s.”
ThecurrentapplicationshowthePeggy
Barclay’ssignageandbranding,whichMr Magorriansaysisyettobeconfirmed.
“Wereckonthatwasthelocationofthebar inthatarea,”hesaid.“Havingspokentolocal historians,it’slocatedmoreorlesswhereour storeis.
“[Itwillbea]smallsnugbarandwewilltry andcreatetheatmosphereofthe1700s,ina tastefulway –puttinguppicturesandother thingstoencouragepeopletounderstandthe history,andspendsometimethere.”
MrMagorriansaidplansforsomething intheentrywere“alwaysatthebackofhis mind”.
“Whentheentryopened,theycametothe frontofmymind,”hesaid.
“It’simportantfortheentrytohavesome animationtoit. We needittobemorethan ashortcut.It’sanattractivepropositionfor council.Ifwegetitright,thenitcouldbea reallyattractivehospitalityoffering.
“Aconversation-typebar,allowingtourists, andlocals,tomingle.”
Thebarwillsitonthegroundfloorofa three-storey retur ntothemainbuilding,facing onto WaringStreet.
SugarhouseEntry,whichrunsbetweenHigh Streetand WaringStreetontheedgeofthe CathedralQuarter,wasclosedbytheArmyin 1972.
SpeakingtotheBelfast Telegraph recently, astheentrywas reopened,historianSean Napier,whoisinvolvedwiththe1798Belfast andDublin Walking Tours,saidthatofallthe city’salleyways,SugarhouseEntryisthemost historicallyimportant.
“Peggy’sTaver nwas afamousplacewhere theUnitedIrishmenallusedtomeet.
“Mostofthebarsandpublichouseswere downalleywaysorbackstreets,astheywere seenasplacesofill repute –sothat’swhythey werehiddendownalleyways.” ■
Aswepassthemid-pointof ayear markedbysignificantchange, volatilityanduncertaintyinthe UKandacrosstheglobe,theeconomic landscapelooksdifferentcomparedto whatweoperatedinbefore.
Morechallengesarepresentandold challengespersist,butthereare also reasons foroptimismandwehaveseencontinued displaysof resiliencefromourbusiness communityacrossNorther nIreland.
Globally,escalatinggeopoliticaltensionsand theongoingdevelopmentsintradepolicyhave sharplyincreaseduncertaintyfortrade,supply chainsandglobalgrowthoutlooks.
RecentswingsinUKeconomicdatacan inpartbesourcedbacktotheuncertaintyof theglobaltradingenvironment,with astrong pickupinGDPgrowthinFebruaryandMarch likelydrivenbyincreasedactivityandpotential stockpilingaheadofthetariffannouncements, followedby arebalancingandassociateddrop inoutputinApril.Morewidely,globalgrowth forecastshavebeen reviseddown,withsome countriesexpectedtobemoreimpactedthan others.
TheUS-UKdealmayhaveunwoundsome ofthetightenedtradingrestrictionsthathave beenannounced,butfornowNIbusinesses couldstillbedirectlyimpactedbythebaseline 10%tariff,thelackofprogress(asofmidJune)onsteeltariffsandindirectlyfromthe widereffectsthattradedisruptionhasonthe globaleconomy.
On amorepositivenote,theEU-UK reset suggestsanearlysteptowardsincreasedcooperationinareasofmutualbenefit,witha newsenseof recognitionandprioritisationof somekeyareasofbureaucraticsimplification forNorther nIreland.
Therehavealsobeensignificantchanges closertohome.FromApril,businesseshave facedincreasedcostpressuresarisingfrom theUKautumnBudgetwhichwillhavesome impactoninvestment, recruitmentandfuture plans.
TheUKgovernment’sSpendingReview outlined asignificantincreaseincapital spending,whichisgoodnewsfor anumber
Business resilienceina yearmarked by challenges HannahMartin,Danske Bankeconomist,takes alookattheyeargone byandtheyearahead forbusinessesfromright acrossthesectors
oflong-terminvestmentprojects.However, returnsonthesewillnotbe realisedforyears, orevendecades.Meanwhile,day-to-day spendingwill remainsqueezed,andtherewas noamendmenttothe124%needs-based adjustmentforNorther nIreland.
Whiletheglobalandnationalenvironments changeat arapidpace,someofthebiggest challengescurrentlyfacingbusinessesherein Norther nIreland remainonesthathavebeen
knownforsometime.
Acrossallsectors, recruitmentchallenges persist.Skillsmismatchesand recordlowrates ofunemploymenthavemadeitdifficultfor firmstohire,withtheQuarterlyEconomic SurveybyNIChamberandBDO reporting aroundsevenintenmanufacturingand services firmshavingissuesin filling roles.
Somechallengesthataremoreheavily feltincertainsectorshavealsopersisted.For
construction,delaystoplanningpermission andinadequatewastewaterinfrastructurehave heldbackdevelopment.Hospitalitybusinesses facerisinglabourcostsandshiftingdemand trends,withalmosthalfeitheroperatingata lossorjustbreakingeveninthefirstpartofthe year,accordingto asurveyledbyHospitality Ulsterandotherindustrybodies.
Tourismcontinuestobeconstrainedby bureaucraticissuesincludingvisacomplexities
impactingonall-islandtravel.Inthe first threemonthsof2025,Begbies Traynor’sRed FlagAlertReportsuggeststhatthehotel andaccommodationsectorwastheworst affectedsectorintermsofearlydistresswhen comparedtothepreviousyear.
Butourbusinessesaren’tnewtofacing challenges,anddespitetheenvironmentof persistentissuesandincreaseduncertainty,our economyhascontinuedtogrow,businesses
haveexpandedandmoreentrepreneurshave setuptheirownenterprises.
Thenumberofbusinessesoperatingin Norther nIrelandinMarch2025wasup1.4% comparedtothepreviousyear,markingthe eleventhconsecutiveyearofincrease,andwith morebusinesses registeredacrossallareas oftheeconomy -production,servicesand construction.
Thispaints apictureofthe resilienceof oureconomy,thelocalpeopleandbusiness ownersinthefaceofconsecutivechallenges. Oncein alifetimeevents-Brexit,Covid,trade wars,geopoliticalescalations-havehappened concurrently.
Andlookingbeyondthe recentvolatility, thereare brightspotsintheeconomythat couldbeeasingsomeofthepressureson businesses.Inflationhashovered reasonably closetotargetformorethanayear(albeit withsomeslightupwardpressureinspring thatweexpectwilleaseoff), reducingsome ofthepricepressuresonbothbusinessesand consumersandpavingthewayforcontinued gradualdownwardmovementsinBankRate.
We areoptimisticthatthis resiliencewill continueintotheyearahead,with recent surveyssuggestinganappetiteforgrowth fromlocalbusinesses.Thereisstilldemand forfinancefromlocalbusinesses,withnearly halfofbusinessessurveyedfortheSMEAccess toFinanceReportbytheBritishBusiness BankandEnterpriseNIexpectedtoseekout additional financeinthenextyearandaround sixintenoftheseplanning financeforcapital investmentpurposes.
Intermsoftheoveralleconomy,ouroutlook fortheyearaheadisoneofsustainedgrowth, albeitat amodestpacethathasbecomethe recentnormacrosstheUK.Tomovebeyond thismodestgrowthoutlookwilllikely require furtherpolicy reform,large-scaleinfrastructure investmentandskillsdevelopment.
Andwhilechallengessuchas recruitment difficultiesandincreasedbusinesscostswill likelypersist,easingpricepressuresandthe ongoing resilience,growthandappetiteof ourlocalbusinessessignals apositivefuture ahead. ■
WATE RC RI SI S
£100 chargeto home ratesbills‘could tackle NI’s wastewatercrisis’ NorthernIreland’swastewatersystemremainsin crisis,withhomesanddevelopmentsnotbeingbuilt duetoalackofcapacity.But anewindustryreporthas suggested anumberofavenuestoplugthatfunding gap,includingaddingchargestodomesticratesbills, writes JohnMulgrew
Addingaround£100totheaverage homeratesbillcouldhelptackle Norther nIreland’songoing wastewatercrisis,it’sbeenclaimed.
Thewiderindustryiswarningthat a£2bn fundinggapforNI Wateroverthenexteight yearscouldseemorethan6,000homesunable tobebuiltinthenextthree,whiletheworst casescenariocouldsee ashortfallofupto 20,000houses.
“Norther nIrelandisnolongersimplyunder strain –itisfacing afull-blowncrisis,” afresh studysays.
ItwascarriedoutbyGrantThorntonand TurleyEconomics,onbehalfoftheNorthern IrelandChamberofCommerceandIndustry(NI Chamber),ConstructionEmployersFederation (CEF)andNorther nIrelandFederationof HousingAssociations(NIFHA).
“Attheheartofthiscrisislies afunding modelwhichisnotsustainable,”itsays.
“NI Wateris reliantoncontinuingsubsidies fromtheDepartmentforInfrastructure(DfI), without asignificantstreamof revenueagainst whichitcanaddresslong-terminfrastructure investmentandleavingitsfinancessubject tothelimitationsanduncertaintiesoftheNI Executive’sbudget.
“Now,asthecriticalinfrastructure investmentneededapproaches£3.9bn,we face astarkchoice:continuetodeferthe inevitableorconfrontitwithclarityanda commitmenttolong-term reform.
“Theevidenceisclear,continuingto rely solelyonpublicsubsidyisnotviable,unlessthe UKGovernmentstepsinandinjectssignificant
newcapital. We knowthisishighlyunlikely withoutjointpoliticalpressurefromallNI Executiveparties.
“Thescenariosmodelledinthispaper showthatpractical,fair,andlessfinancially challengingsolutionsarepossible –butall involvepoliticalchoices.Whetherthrough borrowing,rates-basedlevies,developer contributions,orinnovativefinancingmodels, addressingtheinvestmentbacklogisnow unavoidable.”
Amongthesuggestionsfor revenueraising aretheideaofdevelopercontributions–somethingwhichtheInfrastructureMinisteris consideringaspartof arecentconsultation.
However,thestudysays“theyarenot expectedtogeneratethebillionsofpounds requiredandcould resultintwo-tierhousing delivery”.
It’salsosuggestingdifferentmodelslinking NI Watertoourdomesticratesbills.
Norther nIrelandistheonly regionintheUK inwhichhouseholdsdon’tpaydirectlyfortheir water.
“ToenableNI Watertoaccessprivatecapital marketsonfavourableterms, a‘Hypothecated InfrastructureLevy’couldbeintroducedthat retainspublicownershipofNI Water,supports long-termstrategicinvestmentandminimises pressureontheNIExecutive’sbudget,”itsays.
Overthenextfewyearsitsaysadding around£95toanannualdomesticratesbill couldlargelyhelpaddressthe£2bndeficit.
“Ourmostconservativeestimateassumesa continuationofthecurrentdownwardtrend (around12% reductionyear-on-year)innew
homecompletionsand acontinuedfailureto bringforwardanyofthenecessarywastewater infrastructureprojectswithinthenextthree years(thecurrentpricecontrolperiod).This will resultin adramatic4% reductionin theoverallconstructionsectorworkforcein Norther nIreland(currentlycirca60,500)bythe endof2027.”
Thatcouldleadto“rising rentalcosts”and “housingstress”, resultingin alossof1,690 jobsinthewiderconstructionsector.
“Norther nIrelandisnolongersimplyunder strain –itisfacing afull-blowncrisis,”the reportsays.
“Acrisis,bydefinition,is acriticaljuncture markedbyanacuteimbalancebetween demandsand resources,wherefailuretoact leadstowidespreadnegativeconsequences. ThispreciselydescribesthesituationNIfinds itselfintoday.Aswithsomanycrises,thetrue costofinactionwillonlybeclearonceitis toolate.”
InfrastructureMinisterLizKimmins launched apublicconsultationonDeveloper Contributionsfor WastewaterInfrastructure, earlierthisyear.
Itproposestwooptions –voluntary developercontributions,tooffsetthecosts
ofupgradingor replacingthewastewater infrastructurepreventingnewconnectionsin thespecificareaswheretheyareunableto build,orcompulsorycontributions.
ButinaninterviewwithUlsterBusiness, InfrastructureMinisterLizKimminsarenoton thecards,whilesheisn’tsoldonmutualisation asanoptionforNI Water.
“[Theissueshavebeenthere]as aresultof yearsandyearsofchronicunderinvestment,” shesaid.“Forme,there’snotenough investment.
“Theonlyoptionsthathavebeenpresented tome,otherthanwhatI’mdoing,areoptions
thatwillleadtowatercharging…andthat’s notsomethingthat Iamwillingintodo.”
Thelatest reportsayswhile“muchofthe immediateimpactisnowunavoidable… whateverharmcanbeamelioratedinthe shorttermmustbe,andsolutionsagreed uponmatchedbycommitmentsthatprovide certaintyforthefuture”.
“Theprizeofaddressingtheproblem,is anadditionalnet£2.5bnGross ValueAdded (GVA)addedtooureconomy,stimulated byhousingledgrowthandenabledby thedeliveryofour requiredwastewater infrastructure.” ■
It’s not about food vthe environment…it’sabout betterwaystofeedusall NorthernIreland’sfoodsectorisn’tjust alocaleconomicdriverbuta nationalnecessity,asthelargestmanufacturingindustryhere,withmany featuredonthisyear’sTop100,writes MichaelBell,executivedirector, NorthernIrelandFoodandDrinkAssociation(NIFDA)
Inayeardefinedbybothchallenge andchange,Norther nIreland’sfood anddrinksectorcontinuestoproveits resilience,agilityandcriticalimportanceto oureconomy.
Astheregion’slargestmanufacturing industry,weare proudtoseemanyofour leadingproducersfeaturedinthisyear’s UlsterBusiness Top100 –atestamenttotheir enduringinnovationandcommitmentto quality.
Thisisfarmorethan astoryof regional success. With apopulationof67million andjust60%foodself-sufficiency,the UnitedKingdom’sindigenouslysuppliesfood anddrinkiscurrentlysufficienttofeed40 millionpeople.Norther nIreland’ssupply aloneaccountsforover10millionofthose –contributingapproximately aquarterof theUK’soverallfoodsupply.Aremarkable achievementfrom aregionthatpunchesfar aboveitsweight,contributingsignificantly, despitemakingupjust3%oftheentire population.
Inthiscontext,ourfoodanddrinksector isn’tjust alocaleconomicdriver,it’sanational necessity.AndwiththeUKpopulation projectedtoriseby afurther2.5millionby 2030,ourcontributionwillonlybecomemore vital.That’salotofmouthstofeed,andfor NI,thefuturelooksbright,notwithstanding thesignificantchallengesanduncertaintyour
industryfaces,includingconflictingsignalsat policylevel.
Ononehand,weareencouragedtoinvest insustainability,expand,andmodernise operations;andontheother,thereare pressurestoscalebackorevendecommission. Everyoneinthesectorwantsto reach amore sustainableposition –it’snot aquestionof willingness,butofpracticality.Firmslocallyare doingtheirbesttoabsorbincreasingpressures, butthespeedandcostoftransitionrisk outstrippingthecapacityofmanyproducers.
Thetruthis,we’ve reached apointwhere wearefacingtheconsequencesoflegacy systems,andwecanseetheenvironmental
To makemeaningful, lastingchange,weneed to reframe theconversation. Thisisnot about agri-food vs theenvironment. It’s aboutinvestinginsmarter, moresustainablewaysto feed agrowingpopulation.
impacts.Theindustryacceptsthatthiscannot beignored. Yet,thereremains aglaring gapbetweenambitionandaffordability. Reallastingchange requiresinvestmentin infrastructure,innovationandnewpractices. Butwithgovernmentfundslimited,that leavestheprivatesectorastheprimary route tofinancingchange;andwithoutclarity, consistencyamongdecisionmakersand confidenceinlongtermpolicy,theappetiteto investatscaleislargelyabsent.
Despitethesechallenges,thereare strong signsofprogressalreadyunderway.Northern Ireland’sfoodanddrinksectorhaslong demonstrateditsabilitytoadapt.Onemajor recentdevelopmentistheDepositReturn Scheme(DRS)whichisgaining realmomentum and represents asignificantstepforwardin ourjourneytowardamorecircular,sustainable system.Thesesuccessesshowwhat’spossible whenindustryisgiventhetoolsandspaceto lead,butweneedmoreofit.Moresupport, greatercollaborationandbetteralignment betweengovernmentandindustrytounlock furtherprogress.
To makemeaningful,lastingchange,we needto reframetheconversation.Thisisnot aboutagri-foodvstheenvironment.It’sabout investinginsmarter,moresustainableways tofeed agrowingpopulation.That requires partnership,notpressure.Collaboration betweenindustryandgovernmentmustgo
beyondconsultationexercises,itneedstobe rootedinco-design,wherepolicyisshaped withthosewhounderstandthe realitiesof foodproduction.
Thesectoris ready,wehavetheinnovation, talentandwilltolead.Whatweneedisa policyenvironmentthatempowersprogress ratherthanunderminesit. Withoutthis,we riskblightingthelegacyofNorther nIreland’s foodanddrinkindustry –environmentallyand economically.Ifcapitaldriesup,theremaybe nofundingleftforthevitalcleanupprojects. We’realsofacing amomentofgenerational responsibility.Thechoiceswemakenowwill shapethelegacyweleavetoourfuture ‘eating
ecosystem’ –impactingtheenvironment,rural economies,supplychains,113,000strong workforceandfoodsecurityacrosstheUK.
AstheUKpopulationcontinuestogrow andglobalpressuresonfoodsupplycontinue, ourimportancewillonlyincrease.The questioniswhetherwe’repreparedtoinvest inthatfuturetogether.Becauseonething isabundantlyclear:thisisnotjustNorthern Ireland’sfoodsystem.Thisis avitalnational resource.Itdeservestobeprotected,improved andsupported,notjustfortoday,butforthe generationstocome.
Thefoodanddrinkmanufacturersfeatured inNI’sstrongestperformingbusinessesembody
theambition, resilienceandinnovationthat defineourindustry.Butbehindtheimpressive statisticsandbigcompanynameslies somethingevenmoreimportant:people.
It’seasytofocusonoutputs,exportsand turnover,butatitsheart,thisis acommunity poweredbypeople,thatfeedspeople,andis allaboutpeople.Thesevalueshaveshapedthe successofthissectorandwill remainessential aswefacethechallengesandopportunities ahead.
AtNIFDA,we’llcontinuetochampionthis sector,notjustas akeypartofoureconomy, butas acornerstoneoftheUK’sfuturefood security. ■
‘I’m abelieverin letting youngpeople find their ownlifepath’ CarolFitzsimons,chiefexecutiveof Young
EnterpriseNI ,onhowshekepttheorganisation goingafteritlosthalfofitsfunding CarolFitzsimonsMBEhasbeenatthe helmof YoungEnterpriseNorthern Irelandfor adecadeand ahalf.
Theorganisationruns arangeofonline andin-personschemeswitharound90,000 youngpeople ayearinNorther nIreland.Their schemesincludepersonalfinancialeducation, insightintotheinner-workingsofbusinesses andsupportfordevelopingemployabilityskills.
It’sbeeninNIforover30years,andas Bangor-nativeCarolsays,itwasvolunteers whooriginallyoperatedit.
“Itwasgoingsortof60yearsinEngland, andthenitcameoverhere.Originally, localbusinesspeople,effectively,ranitas volunteers,”shesaid.
“Thenitbecamesopopular,slowlybut surely,theywerelike,okay,wecan’tmanage thisourselves.Theystartedtoemploystaff, andthat’showwearewhereweare today.”
“Whereyouhavealumnithatactuallydid itatschool,it’salwaysthebestthingforus iftheythengetinvolvedasmentorsoras volunteersbecausetheyloveit;theyjusttotally understandthevalueandwhattheygotout ofit.
“It’salwayslovelytoseethat.People really, genuinely rememberthisand rememberthe impactithadonthem.”
Carolhasbeenthechiefexecutivefor around15years,movingintothe roleafter workingasheadoflearninganddevelopment atGem,anoutsourcingcontractcentrein Belfastformostofthe2000s.
Caroldescribesherearlyperiodwith Young Enterpriseasoneofadjustmentandchange,
andhasfoundthoseskillsvitalforovercoming thedisruptionsbroughtaboutbythelastfew yearsofthepandemicandfundingcuts.
“Icamefrom alargeorganisationthat wasveryhightech. We wereworkingwith internationalcompanies’technology.
“Ihadseenhowsomeofthegraduates wouldoftenstrugglecominginasnew employeeswithpracticalskills.Theymaybe hadtheirdegree,buttheyweren’tverygood atcomingtomeetingsorunderstandinghow toengageinconversationsandstufflikethat.
“Ikindofthenbroughtthatpassionfor, whatwould Ilovetosee,somebodycoming fromschoolintowork,abletodoitpractically. Thatwasnice,tobringthatbusinesslens.
“Inthebeginningthebiggestchallengewas probablylearningabouthowthecharitysector andthenot-for-profitsectorworks,compared to averycommercialworldwhereyou’ll createanyproductinordertomakemoney, convertingtoanenvironmentwhereit’svery muchaboutthepurposeandthemission.
“Youraisemoney,butyou’reraisingmoney todogood,
“Thetransitionoverthelastfiveyears reallyhasbeenmassive.Covidwas ahuge disruption,andwehadnoclassroomdelivery.
“Wedidnotstepinto aclassroomforthat fullyearofthepandemic.Butthatwasthe firsttime,beforethefundingcuts,thatwe reallygottoseewhat afantasticteam Ihave internally.Theysteppedup.
“Wedecidedwewantedtodosomething onlinesothat,whetheritwasparentshomeschoolingorschoolssupporting,wecouldstill
bringthatexcitementof YoungEnterpriseinto school.
“Weranitallonlinefortheyear,andthat waswhenwestartedtodevelopouronline learningmanagementsystemthatwestilluse today.”
Theperiodafterthepandemichasbeen challengingfor YoungEnterprise,with opportunitiesbeingcoupledwithsetbacks.
ForthevisitofUSPresidentBiden,theUS Consulateasked YoungEnterprisetogather togetheralumnitocelebrateentrepreneurship.
“Itwasliterallythesameweekthat Igotthe calltosaythatallofourpublicsectorfunding wasbeing removed.
“Ourbudgetwasabout£1m,soitwas literallyhalfofourincome.Weknewthings weredifficultintermsofthepublicsector,so wehad alevelof reservesthatwehadvery consciouslybuiltup.
YoungEnterprisechief CarolFitzsimons
“Wefeltthatthere was ariskofprobably a20%or a30%cut. We certainlyhadn’t expected acompletecessation,butthereit is.That’sbeenthejourneyoverthelasttwo years.”
Carolsaystheorganisationhasfound “positives”throughitspivottowardsthe businesscommunityas asourceoffunding. DanskeBankhascontributed,alongwith therelocationandshippingcompanySend myBag,as YoungEnterprisehassoughtto broadenoutitsfundingbase.
Theyhavemadeuparoundhalfoftheir lostfundingthroughbusinesses,butthey nowhavetopassmorecostsontotheschools thatuse YoungEnterprise.Carolsaysthisis frustrating,asdespitedepartmentscutting fundingto YoungEnterprise,publicmoneyis stillultimatelybeingspentontheservice,now viaeducationbudgets.
Ithasbeen aworryingtimeforthe organisation,notleastseeingtheircolleagues in YoungEnterpriseScotlandbecuttoonethirdoftheiroriginalsizeandbethreatened withclosure.
Carolsaysthelastfewyearshavebeen “hugelychallenging”,andsheisgratefulthe boardhelpedhergetting amentor,anddoing adevelopmentprogrammearound responsible leadership.
“Thathasallowedmetomakesurethat Ihavegonethroughthisjourneyverymuch togetherwiththeleadershipteam,”shesaid.
“OneofthethingsI’mveryproudofover thelasttwoyearsiswe’vehardlylostany membersofstaff,becausethey’resoaligned tothemission.
“Theleadershipteamhave,steppedup inamazingwaystogetinvolvedinthings thattheyneverwouldhavedonebefore.
Everybody’srisentothechallenge.”
Despitetheworkdonetoamelioratethe fundingchallenges,Carolsaysthat,from thisSeptember,YoungEnterprisewillbe consideringwhethertheyneedtolookat redundanciesanddownsizing.
YoungEnterprisehasmovedtoan “affiliationmodel”,whereschoolscanchoose betweendifferentdigital resourcesthatare runbyteachersinclassrooms,alongside entrepreneurshipprogrammes.
Theextracostforschoolsiscomingwhen theorganisationgoestodofull-daysessions in-personatschools.Whereas,previouslythey wouldnothavechargedfortheservice,they nowhaveto“passon”thecosts.
Carolsaysthereis“noalternative”tothis arrangement,as“ithastobefundedfrom somewhere.”
ShestilllivesinBangor,withherhusband DavidandchildrenBen,18,andLaura,who hasjustenteredfirstyear.
Hersonwillbestudying ahigherlevel apprenticeshipincivilengineeringwithArup fromSeptember,andCarolsaysshebelievesin supportingherchildreninchartingtheirown course,allowingthemtobeexposedtothe opportunitiessheworkstosharewithchildren inherownprofession.
“I’m abigbelieverinlettingthemfindtheir ownpath. Iamobviouslyfortunateinmy positiontoseealltheoptionsthatareopento them.
“Thebigthing Iencouragedhimtodowas actuallytogoandspendsometimedoing someworkexperienceinlowersixth.Hespent aweekwithMatthewThompson,whodoes theBestofBelfastpodcast.
“Hespent aweekwithhimdoing podcasting,andthenhewentandspenttime withArupdoingengineering.
“Isaid,youcan readeverything,butgoand experiencewhatitsliketowork.
“HewenttoArup,andhelovedcivil engineering.Andthenfromthatpoint,hewas like, Ireallyenjoyedjustgettingonwiththe work. Ithink Iwouldpreferthatthangoingto university.
“Iwasopentoboth. Ithinkwhat’sso importantisthatit’saninformedchoice.It’s theirlives,andtheyhavetoliveit.” ■
More than aquarter ofhospitalityfirms here ‘operating at aloss’ MeasuresannouncedintheBudgetinOctoberare hittingpubsandrestaurantshard,a newsurveysays, andtheindustryisnowcallingforthemtobereversed, writes MargaretCanning
Morethan aquarterofhospitality businessesinNorthernIrelandare operatingat alossandatriskof failure, areporthassaid
SinceApril,andfollowingannouncements in theChancellor’sBudgetinOctober,businesses havebeenfacinghighemployernational insurancecontributionsand ahigherminimum wage –whilethethresholdatwhichnational insuranceispaidhasbeenlowered
AsurveybyindustrybodiesHospitality Ulster, UKHospitality,BritishInstituteofInnkeeping,
andtheBritishBeer &PubAssociationhas shownthetollrisingcostshavehadonthe sector.
Itfoundthat27%ofoperatorssaytheyare making aloss,while20%saytheyareonly breakingeven.
Just6%of respondentstothesurvey, whichwascarriedoutinMay,saidtheymade agreaterprofitatthisstagein2025thanin 2024
Theorganisationssaidthefindings suggestedtheambitionofStormonttodouble
tourismspendingto£2bnis“doomedtofail”.
Thesurveyfoundmorethan35%of respondentshadcancelledinvestmentsince April,while asimilarnumberhad reducedstaff numbers.
Only9%hadincreasedtheirworkforce overthelast12months,while51%saidtheir workforcehaddeclined.
Just22%saidtheywereoptimisticabout tradingprospectsinthenext12months,49% saidtheywerepessimistic,and athirdsaid theywereunsureiftheirbusinesswasatrisk offailing.
Operatorsaredemandingactionfrom both WestminsterandStormont,callingfor theemployernationalinsurancechangesto be reversed, areductionin VAT, and afaster deliveryoflowerbusinessratemultipliers.
IntheRepublic,pubsand restaurantsbenefit from alowerrateof VATat13.5%compared tothemainrateof23%.
However,hereVAT ispaidatthe uniform rateof20%,despite repeatedpleasfor acut HospitalityUlsterchiefexecutiveColinNeill said:“The resultsofthissurveyarefurther prooftowhatHospitalityUlsterhasbeen warningoffor alongtime:thatthecostof operatingissimplytoomuchforNorthern
Ireland’shospitalitysector,whichwillsuffer significantdamageunlessgovernmentsupport liftsthebootoffournecks.
“HowdoestheExecutiveexpecttodeliver theirProgrammeforGovernmentplanto doubletourisminthenext10yearswithoutthe policiesinplacetodeliverit?
“Putsimply,hospitalityaccountsforfourout ofeveryfivejobsintourismandtakestwothirdsofthetourismspend.
“Youcan’tdoubletourismwhilstyouallow thehospitalitysectortofail.
“Hospitalityisworth£2bnannuallytothe NorthernIrelandeconomy;itaccountsfor 72,000jobsandisthefourthlargestprivate sectoremployer
“Jobsarebeinglost,livelihoodsunderthreat, communitiessettolosepreciousassets,and consumersareexperiencingpriceriseswhen walletsare alreadyfeelingthepinch.
“Allofthiswillcausesignificantdamage toboththelocaleconomyandlocal communities.”
HesaidtheGovernmentandExecutive neededto“acturgently”
“Oursurveytellsusthatthemosturgent issuesforoperatorshereare aVAT at reduction forhospitality,the reversaloftheemployer
nationalinsurancecontributions,andthe alignmentofbusiness/non-domesticratesin devolvednationstomatchincoming reformsin England.
“In returnforthesesupports,thehospitality industrycan returntoinvestment,jobcreation, andgrowthincommunities.
“Withoutthem,thesesurveyswillgrow morepessimistic,morejobswillbelost,andthe localeconomywillbefurtherweakened.”
IntheBudgetinOctober30,RachelReeves announcedanincreaseinemployers’national insurancecontributionsof1.2%to15%.The changecameintoeffectonApril6.
Thenationallivingwageincreasedby6.7% to£12.21anhourforover-21s.
Risingcostshave resultedinmany restaurateursandpubownerscallingtime.
Recently,theGoSunChinese restaurant,an institutioninBallymenasince1966,announced itwillceasetrading.
AttheendofMay,awell-knownCo Fermanaghgastropubannounceditwouldbe closingitsdoors“after10incredibleyears”
TheownersofThe TaphouseinEnniskillen said:“Thesearetoughtimesforhospitality,and weencourageeveryonetokeepshowinglove toyourfavouritepubs, restaurants,cafesand
bars.Everyvisitcounts.”
Also recently,theco-ownerof aFrench restaurantineastBelfastsaidhewasselling upbecausemarginshavebecometootightly squeezed.
MarcelopenedonBelmontRoadaround18 monthsago,with asistervenueofthesame namefollowingonLisburnRoadinthecity
ButNiallDavishasbeenseeking abuyerfor theeastBelfastbranch,thoughitcontinuesto tradeinthemeantime.
Hesaidhenowintendedtofocusonhis group’svegan restaurantJumoninthecity centre,whiletheLisburnRoadMarcelwill remainopen.
SpeakingtotheBelfast Telegraph,MrDavis saiditwasgettingharderandhardertomake moneyfrom restaurants.
“There’snosecretthatmarginsaregetting squeezedleft,rightandcentre. We’reina positionwherethe restaurant’s actuallybusy andtradingquitewell,butforusasanoutside owner,it’sbecominglessandlessworthit.”
Foodcostswerestillgoingup,hesaid,even thoughheadlineinflationwasdown.
“Whatwe’redealingwithnow,andrightly so,is avery,verypricesensitivepublic,sowhen weworkedoutthatweweren’thittingthe marginweneeded,andgaveitasmallprice increase,youputoffthecustomers,”headded.
“About13yearsagowhenIstartedoutin thistrade –whichisn’tlongagocomparedto someoftheother restaurantownersinthe city –youwereaimingfor a10to15%profit marginoverallinthewholebusiness.
“Butit’sbeensqueezedandsqueezedand squeezedovertheyears.It’s hardtomakeit work.That restaurantisbusybutitexiststopay itself.”
InaninterviewwithBusiness Telegraph, BridgeneKeeley,adirectorofMcKeeverHotels, saidthechangestonationalinsurancehad addedabout£1minannualcosts.
“Isupposeeveryonewasexpectingtheliving wagetoincreaseandwewere allexpecting aweebittogoontonationalinsurance contributionsintermsofthepercentagerise,” shesaid.
“Butweweren’texpectingthethresholdto drop,and Ithinkthat’swherethebigimpact hashappened.
“Nowyou’repayingcontributionsfor someonewho’sworkingmuchfewerhours, insteadofforsomeoneworkingover16hours, soit’saffectingpart-timeworkers.” ■
No surprisesandno game-changers... SpendingReviewwasunderwhelming PaulMacFlynn,economistandco-directoroftheNevinEconomicResearch Institute,saysthelatestSpendingReviewshouldhaveofferedanopportunityforthe Executivetomakelonger-termplansaboutitsprioritiesbasedonfundingcertainty
ThelatestUKSpendingReview shouldhavebeenoneofthemost significantfiscaleventsofthis Labourgovernment.Itwastosetouthow governmentspendingwillevolveover thenextfiveyears.Butmoreimportantly
forNorther nIreland,itwasalsoexpected toannounce anewestimateofhowour shareofpublicfundingwouldbedecided.
In reality,theSpendingReviewontheday wassomewhatunderwhelming.Therewere nosurprisesandcertainlynogame-changers.
Whileonthesurfacethereappearedtobe lotsofannouncementsaboutnewmoneyfor verybigprojects,the realityisn’treallyallthat positive.
Yes,therehasbeen amarkedincrease incapitalspending,andthatiswelcome.
However,muchofthisissimplymakingupfor decadesofunderinvestment.Itwillprovidea boosttooverallgrowth,butthisimpactwillbe measuredinyears,ifnotdecades.
Intermsofday-to-dayspending,thereis goingtobeverylittlebreathing roomoverthe nextnumberofyears.Inmanycases,budgets willbarelykeeppacewithinflationand,in manycases,theymayfallbehind.Itisn’tquite austerity,butitisn’ttheseachangeinpublic servicesthatmanypeoplewerehopingfor.
Theaboveanalysismayseemharshandit hastobeacceptedthattheUKgovernment facesmanyconstraintsinshapingitsfiscal policy.ThisUKgovernmentinherited afiscal mess.
TheUKChancellor RachelReeves picturedduringthe SpendingReview announcement
The Trussgovernment,in averyshort amountoftime,managedtoeliminatealmost alloftheUK’sroomforfiscalmanoeuvre.Bond marketsnowcharge ahighpriceforsurprises.
Thatbeingsaid,thisUKgovernmentadded afurtherconstrainttothatwhichitinherited fromitspredecessor.Itcommitteditselfto theexistingsetoffiscalrulesandalsoto maintainingratesoftaxforthefourmain pillarsof revenue.Bothofthesechoiceswere voluntary.
Whilebondmarketswantfiscalcredibility, theyareopento adiscussionabouthowthat isimplemented.Marketswant aplan,butthey couldhavebeenpersuadedthat areappraisal ofthecurrentsetoffiscalrulesmighthave providedformoregrowthinthemediumterm andultimatelyincreasedfiscalsustainability.
Ontaxes,thisgovernmentconstrained itselfatthemercyoffocusgroupsratherthan bondmarkets.They reasonedthatnobody likestaxincreasesand,therefore,rulingthem outwouldbequitepopular.However,public opinion,likebondmarketsentiment,ismore nuanced.Inbothcases,people’smindscanbe changed,butyoufirstneedtomakethecase.
Allofthisistosaythatwhilewetendto focusinNorther nIrelandondecisionsthat relatespecificallytous,weshouldn’tdothis attheexpenseofthebiggerpicture.Thebig macrodecisionsmadebytheUKgovernment eventuallyfilterdowntous.
Turningtohomethen,whatdoesthis spending reviewmeanforNorther nIreland? Intheshortterm,apartfrom afunding announcementforthe redevelopmentof CasementPark,notmuchhas reallychanged. We knewwhatthebroadspendingtotals wouldbefromtheAutumnBudgetlastyear. Thelongertermis adifferentmatter.
We weretoldthatwewouldbegettingan updateonthecalculationofpublicexpenditure needinNorther nIreland.Thisisrathermore excitingthanitsounds.Itisanadjustment thatismadetothelevelofpublicspending madeavailabletoNorther nIrelandinorderto providepublicserviceshereonthesamebasis
astheyareprovidedinthe restoftheUK.
Thisfundingadjustmentwas akeypart ofthedealthatbroughtbackdevolved governmentatthestartoflastyear.Backthen, theUKgovernmentcommittedto afigurefor publicexpenditureneed,butalsocommitted toexaminingthatfiguretomakesureitwas therightone.That re-examinationhasnow takenplace.
Thelongandtheshortofitisthatthepublic expenditureneedhereisa goodbithigher thanpreviouslythought.Thismeansthatnot onlywereweunderfundedintheyearsleading upto2024,butwearenowlikelytobe underfundedinthefuture.
Whilethisestimateofpublicexpenditure needwaspublishedonthesamedayas theSpendingReview,itmadeabsolutelyno differencetothespendingdecisionsthatwere made.ThesettlementforNorther nIreland wascalculatedbasedonthe2024agreement with acommitmenttoenteranother roundof negotiationsforyetanotherfiscalframework.
Whilethismaysoundlikeanunfortunateset ofadministrativeerrors,itdoeshavesignificant implicationsforourbudget.Itmeansthat, inessence,thattheUKgovernmentwillbe underfundingNorther nIrelandinyearsto come,anddoingsoknowingly.Allwehaveisa vaguecommitmentto rectifythisunderfunding atsomepointinthefuture.
We shouldalsobearthisinmindbecause duringthemany,manymonthsthatledupto thedealto restoredevolutioninJanuary2024, wewereconstantlytoldthatallNorthern Ireland’sbudgetproblemswereofourown making.AtnopointdidtheUKgovernment everadmitthattheproblemwasinstead relatedtotheirunderfunding.
TheSpendingReviewshouldhaveoffered anopportunityfortheNorther nIreland Executivetomakelonger-termplansaboutits prioritiesbasedonfundingcertainty.
Byducking adecisiononourneeds adjustment,theUKgovernmenthave removed thatcertainty.Itismostcertainly acaseof opportunitylost. ■
Oneof NorthernIreland’s biggest eggbusinessesposts£201msales OneofNorthernIreland’sbiggest eggbusinesseshasreported revenueof£201m initslatest accounts.
Pre-taxprofitsatLoughErneInvestments, ownerofReadyEggProducts,were £15.1mfor theninemonthstoSeptember2024,compared to£16.2mforthe12monthsbefore.
LoughErneInvestmentsisownedby membersoftheCrawfordfamily,andledby CharlesCrawford
Theaccounts revealthatthegrouphas nowabsorbedLoughErneDairies,whichwas establishedbyCrawford familymembers.
Itstatesthatthegroupacquired100%of thesharecapitalofLoughErneDairiesinthe formof ashareforsharetransferfor£1.96m onSeptember30,2024.
LoughErneInvestments’ revenuefor theninemonthswas£201m,comparedto £235.2mfortheprevious12months
Itscostofsaleswere£169m,comparedto £200m,whileadministrativeexpenseswere £12.5m,comparedto£14m.
Andtherewas aslightincreaseinemployee numbersfrom299to309,withstaffcostsof £8.3m.
ReadyEggProductssuppliesthefoodservice andmanufacturingindustries.In2022,it announcesitsacquisitionofSkeaEggFarmsin Dungannon,Co Tyrone.
However,Skeacontinuestooperateas a separatebrandwithinReadyEggProducts
Lisnaskea-basedReadyEggProductsalso hasfacilitiesinDonaghmore,Co Tyroneandin Chesterfield,England.
Thecompany reportdescribesitsbusinessas eggprocessingandfarming,withthecompany structuredtomeetthedemandsofthemarket andbusinessenvironment.
Thedirectorssaidtheywereoptimisticabout futureprospectsalthoughtherewererisksand uncertaintiesinthefoodproductionprocess.
Thegroupstrategic reportsaid:“The levelofactivityinthefoodproductionand processingsectorisaffectedbymanyfactors includingcommoditymarkets,government andEUlegislationandchangesininternational agriculturalpractices…
“Thegroupworkswith arangeoffood productionandprocessingpartnerswithstrong recordsofdeliveryandcloselyexaminesits poolofsuppliersforqualityandconsistencyof rawmaterials,adherenceto relevantindustry legislationandsufficiencyof resourcesand solvency
“This,combinedwithexcellentpeople,welldevelopedsupplychainsandanestablished customerbase,allowsthebusinessto consistentlydeliverthegrowthenjoyedover recentperiods.”
Itsaidthatinthelong-term,thegroupwas keentoincreasemarketshareintheUKand Irishmarkets.
“Theeconomicenvironmentcontinues toevolveandismaking areturntorelative stabilityandcertainty,”itsaid.
“Overallinthecomingyearthegroupaims toincrease revenueandoperatingprofits.”
Thegrouphaddistributeddividendsof £95,000fortheperiodendingSeptember 2024,comparedto£85,000theyear before.However,afinaldividendwasnot recommended. ■
MargaretCanning
Theeightbest features from the Appledevelopers conference… and three bigdisappointments Amongthehundredsofnewfeaturesannounced foriPhones,Macs,iPadsandApple Watchesat WWDC2025,whicharethebest,andwhichseem alittledull,asks Adrian Weckler
STANDOUTFEATURES
1Spotlight
Foranyonewith aMacBookoriMac,this isprobablythebestnewfeatureannounced. It’sa bigupgradetothesearchfeaturewithin macOSthatnowletsyouhuntforthingsinside appsaswellasMacfolders,andcanalsotake directaction –likeansweranemail –without havingtoswitchtothatapp.Powerusersare goingto reallylikeit.
2Callandmessagescreening
Thishastobeoneofthemostpotentially usefulbasicupgradesannounced.TheiPhone willnowactlikemoreofasecurityguardon numberstryingtocallormessageyouthat youdon’trecognise.Forcalls,itwillanswer andshowyou alivetranscriptofwhateverthe voiceonthelinesays,allowingyoutodecide whetherit’srealorjust atelemarketer.Andit willalsocleanupyourMessagesinbox,moving likelyspamandotherclutterintosecondary foldersawayfromthemainscreen.
3Holdmusic Stillwithcalls,anotherusefulfeature mightbetheiPhone’sabilityto recognisehold music,letyoudosomethingelseandphone youbackwhensomeonecomesontheline.
4iPadwindows AnyonewhousesaniPadforwork orproductivityisfacing apotentiallybig upgradewithmacOS26.Thisismainly becauseAppleismakingitlook alotmore like aMacBookintheabilitytoopenmultiple windows,sizethemanywayyouwantand arrangetheminanyconfigurationonthe screen.Nomoresimplydividingthescreen intwo.
5On-deviceAIfordevelopers Thissoundstechnical,butitcouldmakea bigdifferencetoordinaryappsyouusevery soon.Appleisgivingdeveloperson-device AIaccesssothattheycanmakebetter,more powerfulAI-poweredappsforthephone.
Forexample, ademoshowedanappcalled Kahoot,whichletsyoumake aquizoutof apageofinformationyouphotographed.A bonusisthatbecauseit’salldoneon-device, there’slessofanysecurityorprivacyriskand usingtheAIappswillusemuchlessofthe grid’senergy,becauseit’snot acloud-basedAI process.WhileAppletriestosortoutitsown underlyingAIchallenges,thiscouldbe agood stand-in.
6Livetranslation Whilethishasbeenaroundfor awhileon somerivals –suchasSamsung –itcouldbea handyfeaturetohave,especiallyasitworkson callswhethertheotherpersonhasaniPhone ornot.Theonlypotentialdownsideisthat itseems alittlelaggy,with asecondortwo betweenwhatthepersonsaysandthevocal translationyouhear.
7UsingAirPodsas amicrophone Whilewe’vebeenabletouseAirPodsfor hands-freecallsforyears,Applehasboosted theirfunctionalitybyupgradingthemforuse asstandalonemicrophonesforotherapps. Thiswillbeniceforanyonewholikestomake occasionalvideosforwhatever reason —the audioqualitywillbemassivelyboosted.
8Newnaming ForanyonewhoownsaniPhoneandan iPad,Macor Watch,thesoftwareupdates areusuallyconfusing –it’siOS18.4,watchOS 11.5,macOSSequoiaandsoon.Fromnowon, it’sallgoingtobebasedontheyearahead.So itwillbeiOS26,macOS26,watchOS26and soon.Thishousekeepingwillmakeiteasier tokeeptrackofwhetheryourdevicesareup todatewithimportantsecurityandusability measures.
BIGDISAPPOINTMENTS 1NoiPhonemirroring Oneofthehandiestfeaturesthathasbeen availabletoUSandUKMacusersisiPhone mirroring,whichletsyouuseyouriPhone–includingitsapps –directlyfromyourMacBook oriMac.Applesadlyhasnotlaunchedthisin theEU,citing regulatory“uncertainty”from theDigitalMarketsAct.Alas,thereweresome reallyniceupdatesfromWWDCthisweekfor iPhonemirroring,including anewstandalone iPhoneappfortheMac.
2MerelyiterativeAI Applehastaken afairshareofcriticismfor thewayitannouncedexciting-soundingAI featureslastyear,especiallyaroundmakingSiri amorepowerfulpersonalassistant,andthen sayingitcouldn’tdeliverthemanytimethis year –orindeed,atall.Therewasn’tthatmuch
togetanyoneexcited,in relationtoAI,atthis year’sWWDC.Whilethejuryisstilloutonhow muchAIpeople reallyuseintheireveryday computing,Applenotbeinganywherenear theforefrontisnow anaggingsorepoint.
3Slowon VisionPro Whiletherewas aspecialsectionat WWDCforupdatesto VisionPro’soperating system,includingmuchmorerealisticvideo callavatars,thereisstillnosignyetofit beingavailableacrossmostofEurope,let aloneIreland.Atpresent,it’s onlysoldin12 countries,withGermany,FranceandtheUK theonlyEuropeanmarketsforthedevice. ■
TECH NOLO GY
Thegreatestpub foods revealed… and wheretofind them PubsacrosstheUKandIrelandserveup arangeof dishes,butsomemissthemark,whileothersarethe perfectaccompanimenttosomethingchilledand frothy. JohnMulgrew picksouthisfavouritepuband bistrodishesandwheretofindthem
WHAT: CROQUETTES
TheseareamainstayinSpainandother regionsas aperfectaccompanimentwitha glassofciderorcoldbeerforalltheobvious reasons.Whileweoftengravitatetowards thepotato-basedvarietyhere,theSpanish optfor aconsiderablymore unctuous versionwitharichbechamelsauce.Throw
insomechunksofcuredhamandyouhave yourself astunninglittledeep-friedhand grenadeofcrispnessandumami,whichwill pairparticularlywellwith apintofsomething coldandcrisp –maybeanIPAsuchas Kinnegar’sScraggyBay,orapilsnersuchas Staropramen.
WHERE: TheAmericanBar,Belfast
WHAT: OYSTERS
Idon’twanttosoundlikeanepisodeofoneof AnthonyBourdain’sshows,anadvertisement for TourismNI,or aclichedholidayprogramme doing adeepdiveonIreland.Butthesefresh, ozonic,andbrinyessencesoftheocean areatrulywonderfulthingtohavewhile enjoying adecentpintofGuinnessinconvivial surroundingsoneither ararescorchinghot day,orindoorswith afire onthego. We’reextremelyluckyherethatwehave CarlingfordOystersonourdoorstep. You’ll findtheminbarsand restaurantsrightacross Ireland –atvaryingdegreesofmark-up.But theyalsomaketheirwayontotop-endLondon menuswithconsiderablemargins.
Oystersworkwell with adecentpint ofGuinness
Butyoucangethalf adozenofthemon ice,andjust ashortdistanceawayfromwhere theyaregrown,for alittleover atennerin Carlingfordtownitself.
WHERE: TheCarlingfordArms, Carlingford
WHAT:
SCOTCHEGG Thiswasoncefashionable,thenbecame acutelyunfashionable,beforebecoming somethingof adoyenofthehip,modern UKbistro,andnow,isslightlywaningin popularity.
Theyaresurprisinglyhardtofindon Norther nIrelandpubmenusthesedays, soletmeknowifyouhaveyourown recommendation.
Whendonewell,youhave asticky,still slightlyrunny,yolk –encasedinwell-seasoned porkmeat,perhapswith alittleherbalbutnot overlyso,andwith acrispexterior.Theycan beeatenwithonehand,if required,orwitha knifeandforkifyou’refeelingfancy.
WHERE: CaféRoyal,Edinburgh
WHAT:
ANYSORTOFPIE Acoldorhotpiewithpropersidesanda bottomisn’tparticularlyenvogueherein Norther nIreland.Butitshouldbe.While you’llseetheoddsteakandalepie,oreven achickenandhamvariant,theseareoften glorifiedstewswith alittlepuffpastryhat atop.
It’sthedeep,crispandunctuouslard-based shortcrustvarietythatweshouldhavemore
ofhere. You’llfindthemalloverEngland,but theytendtobelesspopularhere.Butyoucan stillfind adecentbeefandGuinnesspiein Belfastifyoulookhardenough.
WHERE: TheMorningStar,Belfast
WHAT: TERRINE You’llperhapsfindtheoddhamhockterrine on abetterpuborbistromenuhere(Moira restaurant WineandBrinedoes asublime gameterrinethatanytop-endFrenchkitchen wouldbemorethanproudof),butweoften don’thaveenoughofthem,orthoseatthe slightlymoreadventurousendofthespectrum –incorporatingotherproteins,orperhaps partsoftheoftenlesspopularpartofthe animal.
Salty,curedmeat,withthepunchof agood pickleorwhackoffieryEnglishmustardisthe perfectaccompanimentto adecentbrownale. Whilemychoiceforonehereisarestaurant, not apub,I’dloveifmoreofourhostelries threw adecentterrineontothemenu. We’reprobablynottalking apressedhead terrine,whichispopularincountrieslike FranceandBelgium,wherebyyou’llsee somewhatunfamiliarsectionswithinwith texturesandshadessignificantlydifferentfrom thestandardleanprotein,butI’dbehappy withsomethingchunky,interestingandfullof porkyflavour.
WHERE: WineandBrine,Moira/LaMort Subite,Brussels
WHAT: PORTAVOGIEPRAWNS Lobstergrabstheheadlineswhenitfeatures onmenushereandbeyond.ButI’dstrongly arguethatlangoustines,orPortavogieprawns, reignsupremeintheworldofcrustaceans.
Whetherthat’sabigbowlofde-shelled prawnsin alemon-spikedbutter,withplenty ofdecentbread,orshell-on,theyarea perfectlydecadentadditionto apuborbistro menu –especiallyifyou’resittingoutside somewhereonthecoast,andgettingtheright weatherforit.
Whilenot apub, aplateofchilledshell-on langoustineswith asmallpotofhomemade mayonnaiseatMourneSeafoodmanyyears ago, remainsoneofthedisheswhichhas stayedwithme.
WHERE: DirtyDuck,Holywood/Mourne Seafood,Belfast
Aclassicporkpie
Scotcheggs withmustard
‘I’veloved the buzzof the hospitalit yscene sinceI wasyoung SimonMcCance,chef-ownerofBelfastrestaurant
Chefscanoftenberightatthe centreofpublicitywhenlaunching arestaurant –withtheirnamesas famousastheeateriesinwhichtheywork.
SimonMcCance,headchefofoneof Belfast’smostfamous restaurants,Ginger Bistro,isnotkeentofollowthecelebrity-chef example.
Hesaysthatrunning asuccessfulbusinessis notabout“theperson,thefigurehead,ithasto bethepeople...youcan’trun arestauranton yourown,youjustcan’t”.
’ GingerBistro,speaksto JamesMcNaney abouthow hestartedhiscareeranddealingwithpersonaltragedy
Simonspeaksfromexperience:hehas workedinhospitalitysincehewas14,andhas beenrunningGingerBistrofor25years.
FromLisburn,hewenttoschoolintheold WarrenEstateandthenLaganCollege,buthis culinaryeducationstartedinMontgomery’s fish andchipshopandicecreamparlour
Simon(53)says:“Iworkedthereafter schoolandonweekends.It’sfunny,because I
SimonMcCance
hadmoneyinmypocket. Ihadbeenworking allweekend,andthenyougotoschoolon Mondaymorningandsitingeographyclass thinking,‘Icouldbemakingsomemoneyhere’.
“Knowingthat Iwasn’tgoingtogodown theformaleducationrouteandgotouniversity, Ifocusedonheadingintohospitalityandbeing achef,alwayswith aviewtohopefully owning myownbusiness
“I’mdyslexic,so Ireallywasn’t goingto head downtheformaleducationroute. Iwasalways creativeandworkingwithmyhands.
“Veryrarely,backinthe70sand80s,for birthdaysmaybe,myparentswouldhavetaken usoutforsomethingtoeat.
“Ilovedthebuzzofthehospitalityscene, andIthinkthat’s whereitcamefrom.
“It’saprettynerve-rackingenvironment wheneveryoustart. Iworkedin achipshop, andthat’s prettystraightforward,butas my careermovedon,there’sadifferentsortof
language, adifferentattitude, adifferent pressure. Youhave alottolearnbesides cookery
“Iembracedit. Iputmyheaddownand workedaway.Ahardday’sworkisperfectly finewithme.”
Whenhewas17,Simonmovedfromthe chipshoptothe restaurant Wallace,where hegainedexperiencein“cooking reallynice food,workingwithtop-qualityingredients, gettingmyhandsonlangoustinesandlobsters andfillet.Andwemadeeverythinginthe premises”.
Heworkedat Wallaceforabout ayearand thenatdifferentvenuesbeforegetting ajobin 1992 atNick’sWarehouse,workingunderNick andCathyPricewherehestayeduntil1999. Itwastherewherehesayshe reallyfoundhis feet.
“Theyweregreattoworkfor.Oncethey realisedthat Iwas agoodandcompetentchef, theyletmetearaway.Nickand Iare stillfriends today.”
SimoncreditsthePriceswithgivinghimthe chancetostartGingerBistro.Aftercoming backtoNorthernIrelandfromtravellingaround south-eastAsiaandAustralia,Simonsaw aunit forsaleontheOrmeau road.
Afterviewingit,hecalledNickPricefrom a phonebox.Simonsays:“Hecameupstraight awayinhischef’s whites.
“Thepeoplewerelookingfor£7,000.
“That’snot alotofmoneyintoday’sworld, but Iwasjustbackfromanextendedholiday andhadnomoneyandnojob.
“Nickaskedme,howmuchwoulditcostto closethedeal?Theysaid10%andNicksaid ‘closethedeal,congratulationsyou’vebought arestaurant,comedowntogetthemoney’.
“Itliterallytookabout15minutes. Iwent home andtoldmygirlfriendatthetime that Ihadbought arestaurant.Thatwasan interestingconversation,I’lltellyouthat.”
GingerBistrocontinuedontheOrmeau Road asasmallBYOB[bringyourownbottle] locationfor anumberofyears,untilSimon suffered acollapsedlung.
Hehadtoclosethe restaurant,and continueddoingconsultancyworkwhilehis wife,Abby,becamepregnantwithtwins.
TheprospectoffatherhoodmadeSimonreevaluatehiscareergoals,andhedecidedto reopenGingerBistro,thistimeinthecitycentre.
Today,itisalargeandlong-running restaurantonGreat VictoriaStreet,onethat
expandedinto aneighbouringunit afewyears ago.
The restaurantisnowoldenoughtohave providedemploymenttohistwinboys,Zach and Teddy
Simonhasalsochangedoverthecourseof owningGingerBistro,includingmakingthe decisionaround12yearsagotostopdrinking, afterfeelinghedranktoomuch.
Findinghimselfwith alotoftimeonhis hands,hetookupceramics.He’sbecome investedinthecraft,andnowmakes,displays andsellshiscreations.Simondescribes ceramicsaspartly awaytounwind,butalso amethodofcopingwithgrief:helosthis sisterthepastyearand ahalf,andmakesblue ceramictreesinhermemory
GingerBistrohaslastedthrough avariety ofpotentiallyup-endingevents,includingthe financialcrash,thepandemicandthecost-oflivingcrisis.
Simonsayshisbusinessmodelhasstayed consistentoverthequarter-centurythathe hasbeenrunthe restaurant,focusingonlocal people.
“Youcanttakeitforgrantedandit’svery fragile.Anythingcanaffectyourbusiness, whetherthat’savolcanogoingoffinIceland orpoliticalunrest.
“Lastyear,whentherewas alotofcivil unrestinthecityfor aweekorso,ittotally affectsyou.
“WhatI’velearnedistonottakeitfor granted.I’mtryingnottosweattheweestuff somuch.”
Simonsayshehas“noplans”foranother restaurantatthemoment,butwantstokeep GingerBistrogoing.Keepinggoinghasbeen avictoryinitselfgiventhedifficultieshehas experiencedoverthelastyearand ahalf
“I’vebeenthroughanawful18months. I lostmysister,andthen10weeksafterthat, Ilostmydad,and afewweeksafterthat I lostmyclosestuncle.Anothermemberofmy familyhasbeengoingthroughsomeillhealth aswell.
“Ifmycareerwastostoptoday,Iammore thanhappywithwhat Ihaveachieved.I’m veryhappywiththethings Ihavedone,the peopleI’vemetandtheteamI’vebuilt.
“Overthelast18months,ifitwasn’tfor theteaminGingerBistro,itwouldhavebeen out.Theyhavekeptitgoingthroughallthe hardshipandthetrauma.Losingmysister totallybrokemyheart,itwreckedme.” ■
Review: is thisBelfast’s newtoppizzaspot? MartyDugganhasgone fromcookinginhis garden,topop-upfood market,andnowabricks andmortarbusiness.
JohnMulgrew paysa visitto Charlie’sPizza ontheOrmeauRoad
Alotofgoodpizzahasbeen spawnedherethroughsomewhat circuitous routes.
ForPeteThomson,itwasleavingbehinda heftycareerinadvertisingbeforeturningto focacciaandbringingDetroit-stylepizzatothe eastofcitywithFlout,alongside aplethoraof plaudits.
AndforMartyDugganofCharlie’sPizza,it wascookingafteranimpromptupurchaseof aGozneyoveninhisbackyardbeforecatering forhisfriends’Newrydistillery. Pizzabythe sliceisnowthefocusathisOrmeauRoadspot.
InsideCharlie’s,there’salittlegreeneryin themiddlealongsidesomepinefixturesand tables,browntilestowardsthefrontandon thefloors –pockedwiththeoddonesporting afewmutedcolours –darkgreensteelbeams, andbartableseatingwrappingaroundthe sizeablewindowswhichoverlooktheErrigle InnandouttowardstheOrmeauRoad.
During afirstvisiton abalmySunday afternoonthere’samodestqueue,butit movesapace,while asecondtripis alittle quieter,astheweatherquells.
It’sapleasantplacetositwhileyouwait.A raisedseatedareawithmoreofthoseshiny brownbricksgivesoffsomevintageNorthern Irelandleisure-centrevibes,andI’llallforit.
Thevodkasausagesliceis apunchinthe
faceofallthingssavoury –arich,blitzed apricot-huedsaucescatteredwithfennelspikedsausagemeat,gettingeversoslightly caramelisedaroundtheedges. Aprettycircular herbaceousdrizzledoes acapablejoboflifting things,aswellasadding alittlefreshnessand zest.
ThedoughitselftakesfromtheNew Yorkstyle –biggerpies,thin,with alittlechew,and acrustwithmorecrunchthanthesometimes cloyingpillowysoftnessof aNeapolitan.
Itallworksverywell.Littlepockedlight charmarkspepperthebottomof acrispand deckledbase.Ithasallofthebesttextures, withsomechew,and retainingenoughrigidity tokeepthingsfromflailingaround.Seasoning isspoton,too.
Youcanalsobuyanentirepieineachofthe styles,settingyoubackinandaroundthe£30 mark.
Patron-wisethereseemstobe ahealthy mixture,includingmuchofwhatI’llcall‘sports casual’. Ahoodieandtrackshorts,theodd
GAAtop,AirForce1s,orSambas.
It’searlydaysforCharlie’s,and Iimagine openinghoursaren’tyetsetinstone.
Pizzabytheslicein aheavingsuburb wouldmorethanmakethecaseforlunchtime openingduringtheweek –certainlyona ThursdayandFridayatleast,competing againstthemonotonyof apre-madewrapfor similarmoney.
Buttheseearlydaysareastrongindication that asuccessfulandlengthyfuturelies aheadforCharlie’s,whichissoontobejoined by aKoreancafeandsocialspace,anda popularCoDownbrunchspotasneighbours, alongsideDuckDonuts.
There’sastrongaesthetic,brand,back story,and,mostimportantly,averystrong product,here,which –despitethehuge swathesofpizzaspotsjust adanderaway –is offeringsomethingdifferentand astepabove, scratchingthatcasualwalk-in,walk-outvibe whichtheareawillcontinuetoembracewith openarms. ■
Vodkasausageand hotpepperonipizza fromCharlie’s
Place, peopleand product: thevision drivinga thirdgeneration family business McColgan’shasbeenmaking sausage rolls,piesandslicesfor decades.
From aStrabanetearoominthe1940s, ithasgrownintooneof Ireland’slargest, independentlyownedsavourypastry producers. Nowinitsthirdgenerationoffamily ownership,managingdirectorGrainne Hamptonandherbrother,director William McColgan,havebeenfocusingonculture, talentandinnovationsincetakingoverthe reinsin2022 –the resultsofwhicharealready payingoff
PLACE WilliamMcColgan, acurrentfinalistinthe 2025EYEntrepreneurofthe Year Awards,says: “AlthoughStrabanehasfacedunemployment challengesinthepast,it’snowhometo thriving,indigenousbusinessesandweneedto championthat.Weencouragelocaltalentto buildacareerwithus,here inthenorthwest, ratherthanseek ajobelsewhere.
“Wegottoworkshapingourcultureand employerbrand.Drawingonexperiencefrom
outsidefoodmanufacturing,wefocusedon makingourofferingappealing, rewardingand meaningfultothecommunity.Wewantpeople tofeelpartofsomethingspecialand remove theoldstigmaof‘workingatthelocalfactory’ asanuninspiringoption.Thereisavastarrayof rolesinthiscompanyandmanywaystomake adifference.”
PEOPLE Animprovementinstaffretentionin recent yearshasbeenachievedthroughthe business’approachtotalentdevelopment and recognition.GrainneHamptonsays: “Examiningskillsgaps,we realisedtheanswer to retainingthebestpeoplewascloserthan weimagined.Bycultivating aculturethat empowersourpeople,wecaneffectively‘grow ourown’talent. We encourageambitionand harness adesiretolearn,withmanyemployees completingoutsidequalifications,then returningwithbothskillsandmotivation.
“Wesupportourteaminmaintaining a healthywork/lifebalanceandofferbenefits likeprivatehealthcare,puttingwellbeingfirst.
Thesesteps,aswellasthegraduate roles, apprenticeshipsandplacementsweoffer, have helpedmaintain asteadystreamoftalentat everylevel.”
PRODUCT Whileknownformaking atraditionalproduct, McColgan’sembracestechnologytodosoin themostefficient,qualitycontrolledway
“Weseekoutaffordablewaysto adopttechnologytypicallyaimedatlarger organisations,” WilliamMcColgansays. “We’veimplementedanIoT(internetof things)systemtomonitorequipmentand a blockchainsolutionforlab results,enhancing foodsafetystandards.Collaborationswithlocal organisationshaveledustodevelopdigital productionprocessesandpredictivesales models.Allofthishashadalmostimmediate impact.”
THEFUTURE Thinkingaboutwhat’snext, WilliamMcColgan says:“Wewillkeepflyingtheflagforour business,ourareaandthelocalfoodsector Whatever rolesomeoneplaysinthisindustry, theyarecontributingto avibrantpartofthe localeconomyandliterallyhelpingputfoodon tables.Ifwecankeeppeoplehungrytopursue acareerinfood,wecancontinuetoevolveand thriveformanygenerationstocome.” ■
GrainneHamptonand WilliamMcColgan
From Bakewell tartstobeer: Whyeast Belfast’s foodsceneisbooming With alitanyofnewfoodanddrinkbusinessesopening upineastBelfast, JohnMulgrew takes atourofthe areatotakeinwhat’s onoffer
Youcouldcertainlyargueanarea hasbeentouchedbythehandof gentrificationwhenyoucanpick up asourdoughloaf,Bakewelltartanda MrBungleLPunderone roof.
EastBelfasthashadsomethingofa reawakeningandculinary renaissancein recent years.Littlepocketsinandaroundmanyofits arterial routesnowplayhostto aplethoraof eaterieswhichwouldhavebeenunheardofa decadeago.
BreadandRecords,locatedwherethe BeersbridgeRoadmeetsBloomfieldRoad, isessentiallytwocomplementarybusinesses workinginsynergy –decentvinyltoone
side,andhigh-qualitybakedgoodstowards theother.Expecttosee afewpairsofNew BalanceandAirMax90s.
ThataforementionedBakewelltartis atruly decadentandbalancedinterpretation,while sizeablecinnamonicedbunslooksuitably faultlessandequallyappetising.
It’sthankstooneofNorther nIreland’s leadingproponentsoflocalandindependent foodthatwe’rehereonthismuggySaturday afternoonwalkingtour,whichyoucanbook onitswebsite –highlightingsomeofitsbest newspots,andtheoddstalwart,helpingkeep thefoodscenealive.
IndieFüde –thatumlaut requiredtomake
thepronunciationwork –nowhasitsbase inbothComberandsouthBelfast’sOrmeau Road.JohnnyMcDowellisthemanbehind thescenes,andoneofthebiggestdriversin pushingforwardandshowingoffthetalents ofourbestproducers,even recentlybeing awardedanMBEforhisefforts.
It’sarguablythelastdayof aspateofbaking heat –cookingoutside,beersinthegarden andthelike.Butthetemperatureremains, withthatthreatofloomingpressureand humidityintheairduring adanderonwards.
OurtourguideforthedayisStephenStitt –someonewhoknowsthelocalfoodscene well,workingacrossdifferentarmsofit,and anindividualI’veknownforalmost20years.
AuntSandra’sisnotpartofthenewwaveof ‘artisan’businessesappeasingevolvingtastes anddemographicsintheeast.It’sinsteadbeen amainstayintheareaformore than70years, producingitsownraftofsweetsandother
Pizzaat VitaPizzeria atBullhouseEast
Bakedgoods atBreadand Records
confectioneryfromitsHolywoodRoadbase. It’sa spotworthyourtime,andsomethingofa nostalgiatrip,foralltheright reasons.
ThenexttriptakesusupandaroundCS LewisSquare.Ithasn’tbeenhereallthatlong inthegrandschemeofthings,butnowsports animpressivebronzestatueofAslanlooking downovertheshippingcontainers, repurposed asanAsianfusion restaurant,andmodern EastSide VisitorCentre.
Abackstreettotheleft recerntlypaidhost toBullapalooza –abeerfestivalouttheback ofBullhouseEast’sbar,thesecondbreweryto openinthislittlesectionoftheeastinjusta handfulofyears.
BananaBlock –thename anodtothe formerStrandSpinningMill,nowknownas Portview TradeCentre,onceownedbySirOtto Jaffe,and WilliamRichardson,headgardener toSirJaffewhosuccessfullycultivatedripe bananasineastBelfast –isnow aculturalhub.
Itplayshosttomarkets, arecordshop,pop-up foodevenings,andBodegaBagels,which produces asolidrangeoftorus-shapedbaked goods.
There’scertainly achangeintheair.The nearbytraditionallyloyalistformerEastBelfast ConstitutionalClubisnomore,forexample, destinedtobecomeapartments.Itnowsits adjacenttoBoundaryBrewing –thefourth stoponourtour –whichismarking adecade inbusiness.
It’sanotherbastionofthecomfortable,yet contemporary,youngtoearlymiddle-aged parentfashion. You’llfindthree-figureNikes, facialhair,Patagoniafleecesandshallow cottonbaseballcaps.
It’sawideopenspacewith alargeside room,tiled,withlongwoodentablesand benches,and abarandfridgestowardsthe rear.Adropofslightlysaltyandherbaceous gose –asour,oftenlow-alcohol,top-
ApastramibagelatBodegaBagels
fermentedGermanbrew –isofferedto accompanygrubfromStreetFoodAtelier, whichisparkedoutside.
ArturFronandJakubKielczewski’svan certainlypullsoncuisinesfromacrossthe globe,changingandadaptingthemenu frequentlytoincorporatedishesfrom regions suchasBrazilandSpainin recentweeks.
Alumpofporkbellyiswell-rendered, yet retainsenoughbite,wingsaresuitably balancedandsauced,whileBraziliancheese ballsbringforthsomewarmingstarchand chew.
It’sonwardstoBullhouseEast –the hospitalitystageof WillyMayne’sBoucher Roadbrewery.IfhazypalealesandIPAspique theinterest,thenthis relativenewcomerwill suitablyquench athirst.It’salsocreated alittle corner,calledNook,whichservesupdecent coffeeduringtheday.
Bullhouseisalsohometo VitaPizzeria, whichsportsitstakeon aclassicNeapolitan dough,giventhepropertimeinthehefty wood-firedovenouttheback.Thenduja optionbringsforthrich,crimsonfatandheat, pepperedwithsweetnessfromhothoneyand alittlegreeneryatop.
AdropofYerMadoubleIPA–ajuicydollop ofhazyfruitandcitrahops –worksparticularly wellasanaccompaniment. ■
Recipe: smokedroastbeef andpotatoes... andhowto dealwiththeleftovers JohnMulgrew looks atanelevatedbeefand potatoesrecipewithsome poultryflair,andwhatyou candowiththoseleftovers
SMOKEDPICANHA,COMBER EARLIES,CRISPYCHICKENSKIN I’vepreviouslyevangelisedabouthowkeeping thingssimpleinthekitchenisoftenthebest directiontotravel.Whetherthat’sgoodprotein orfreshvegetables,having alighttouchand
helpingthemainingredientshinethroughcan oftenyieldthestrongest results.
WithComberEarlies,or asimilargoodspud, you’llwantsomethingtocomplementthe fresh,waxyandnuttypotato,whileaddinga littleboost.
Smokedpicanha, ComberEarlies, crispychickenskin, andbeetroot
Chickengoesparticularlywell withpotatoes,butthebiggest poultrypunchintheface,both flavourandtexturewise,isthebird’s skin.So,it’stimetoembracethat with alittlebitoftechnique.
Astheprotein,we’regoingfor beefonthisoccasion,and apicanha roast.Thisisanaffordable,tender cutfromtherumpcap,popularin SouthAmerica,andworksextremely wellwhentreatedtosometimeover charcoal,lowandslow.
Startbyheavilysaltingyour beef roastatleastanhourbefore cooking,andaddingsomeblack pepper.Akiloormorewillwork well,andserveplenty.
Youcancookthisin a140C-150C oven,butyou’llmissoutonallthe workthatsmokedoes.
Ideallyyou’llwanttogetyour coalshot(don’tskimponcharcoal andgofor agoodqualitybagof largelumpwoodorbriquettes)and thenthrowontoyourgrill,onone side.
Placethe roastontheothersideandadjust yourventstoaroundthehalfwaypoint,until yougetitsteadyattheabovetemperature.
To gowiththebeefandpotatoes,get yourselfsomefreshbeetroot.Cutthestalks offand removetheleaves,beforeslicingvery finelyforlater.
Wrapthebeetrootbulbsintinfoilwitha goodknobofbutterandseason.Placethis alongsidethebeefonyourbarbecue.
Forthepotatoes,washgentlythenaddtoa potofcoldsaltedwaterandbringtotheboil. Whencookedthroughbutnotfallingapart, remove.
Now, herecomesthatlittleboost.
In asmallpotaddsomechickenfat,or butterwith atouchofoil,andaddinlotsof finelychoppedscallions.Heatgentlytoinfuse. Forthataddedwhackofsavoury,add alittle bitofchickenboulliontowardstheend.
Now,getyourselfsomechickenskins, removingthemfromchickenthighsorlegs,for example.
Useyourknifeto removeasmuchexcessfat fromtheinsideoftheskin,beforeseasoning
withsalt,thenplacinginanairfryerataround 180C.It’lltakearound10to15minutesand you’llbeleftwithcrispy,slightlypuffedand goldenbrownskin.
In apestleandmortar,grinduntiltheskinis insmallflakes,similartoseasalt,andaddina littledriedtarragon.
Thebeefwilltakearound45minutesto anhour,butusing aprobeisyourbestbet. Removeataround57Cformedium,or afew lessformediumrare. Takeyourbeetrootoff yourgrillandpeeloffthethinskinbefore slicinginhalf, readyforplating.
Whilethebeefis resting,sliceyourpotatoes inhalfandthengentlytosstheminyour scallionbutter,addinginsomeadditionalfresh scallions.
Fryupyourfinelyslicedbeetrootleavesina littleoil,seasoningwithsaltandpepper.These willcookveryquickly,soaminuteortwowill doit.
Plateupwithyourbeetrootleaves,thentwo slicesofbeefaround acentimetrethick.Add threeorfourpiecesofpotatoandthentop withyourcrispyskinmixture,beforeadding yourbeetroot,andserve.
Andfortheleftovers... SPICYCOCONUTBEEFNOODLES
Thisisquickandeasywaytodeliversomerich, heartyandintenseflavours.It’llalsofixany weekendcravingsfor atakeaway,particularlyif you’refeeling alittledelicate,andit’salldone inonepot.
Cutyourleftoverbeefintoverythinslices andsetaside.Pickyourfavouritepackof instantramennoodles.Neoguriseafoodand spicywillwork,anySamyangBuldakvariety,or anythingelseyouhaveinthecupboard.
Cookfor acoupleofminutesin apotof boilingwateruntilalmostdone,thendrain mostofthewater,butleavealittleinthepot. Retur ntoalowheatandaddinyourflavour packetsbutalso alittlebitofsoysauceand astockcube. Youmightbebetterusingone withzerosalttoavoidtoomuchsodium. You justwantthataddedpunchofumami.Add alittleMSGifyoulike.Foraddedheat,add inoneortwoteaspoonsofchillicrisp,and combine.
Finally,addinyourbeeftogentlyheat through,alongwitharound athirdofatinof coconutmilk.Serve. ■
Spicycoconut beefnoodles
Beefedup Tudor Pelagosisanatural fit fortheocean Tudorhasreleased araftofnewwatchesfor2025,includinglarger-cased varietiesofitsBlackBayandPelagosmodels. JohnMulgrew spendsa weekwiththePelagosUltraanddiscoversawatchmadefortheocean
Tudorappearstohavetaken aleaf outoftheMattDamonschoolof watchmakinginthelastfewyears. Downsizinghasbeenbroughttothefore.
Tudor really readthemarketcorrectlywhen itlauncheditssmaller39mmBlackBay58–alongwithanevensmaller37mmvarianta coupleofyearslater –andthenfollowedthat upwithother39mmdivers –includingthe Pelagos.
Thatnodateoption,tothisday,isprobably
thebesteverydaypieceI’vehadthepleasure ofwearing.Thetitaniumjustmakesthewhole watchdisappearontoyourwrist,weightwise –it’sperfectlybalanced,clean, robust, functional,whilestillstandingoutfromthe crowd.
Butnow,2025hasbroughtforwardrevised modelsandcasesizesacrosstwoofthemain lines –thePelagos,andtheBlackBay. Verylargewatchesusedtobein.There wasonce ademandfor46mmandlarger
timepieces,evenamongthosewithsmaller wrists,whocouldn’treallypullthemoff.
But Tudorisofferingsomethinginbetween thosechunkiercasesizesofold,andthe currentdemandforsomethingsmaller.It’s unveiledthenewBlackBay68andPelagos Ultra –bothboastinglarger43mmcases. Andit’sthePelagoswhich Ifindparticularly interesting.Theoriginalwasonly atouch smallerat42mm,but,aswiththisbeefedup generation,benefitsfromallthelightnessofa
fulltitaniumcaseandbracelet.
Infact,despiteitsdimensionsitdoesn’t weighmuchmorethanthesteel-cased39mm BlackBay58.
Whilemanyofthesediverswilllikelynever makeitintothewater,thePelagosUltra certainlyhastheclouttodojustthat.Itboasts a1000mwater resistancerating,alongsidea heliumescapevalue.Thisisverymuch Tudor’s perhapsmorefunctionalanswertoRolex’sSea Dweller.
Onwrist,it’sfamiliarterritoryforanyone whohasdealtwiththe Tudorline-up.While thelug-to-lugis52mm,itsitssnug,with perhaps alittlemoredepthandheftthan othermodels.
Themarkersandlumearemorepronounced thaninpreviousmodels –thedialhasbeen scaledupforlegibility,thehandsandmarkers arebigger,andtheminutehandboasts greenluminescencealongwiththepip toeasilytrackelapsedtime.
You’llnotmissthisonein adark environment.
Tudorhassteppedupthegameagain withits T-Fitclasp –offering,essentially,a self-adjustingfold-overclasp,withtonnesof micro-adjustment.
ThenewUltraalsoadds alittledotoflume luminousindicationintheclaspthatslides along ascale.
Thedialisn’tovertlybusy,butthereisa datefunction.Ifweweregoingfor atruly minimalistworkingdivewatch,it’sprobably somethingyoucoulddowithout,butit certainlyhelpswithday-to-dayfunctionality.
Thisisverysimilartotheoriginal42mm Pelagos,whileatthesametimeisdifferentin manyways.There’sanattentiontodetailwith theUltra,wherebysomeonehassatdownand evaluatedeachandeveryelementofprevious modelstoensurethatthisistheflagshipof theline,certainlyintermsoffeaturesand functionality.Whetherit’stoobigforyou remainstobeseen,butthereare plentyof similarmodelsinthelinewhichcouldequally meetthe requirements.
Youcantake acloserlookatthenew PelagosUltraatthe TudorboutiqueatQueen’s ArcadeinBelfastcitycentre. ■
Thenew Tudor PelagosUltra
Word FROMTHE Wise Howdidyoustartoutinyourcareer?
Afteruniversity,Iknew Iwantedtowork infinance,but Iwasn’tquitesurewhereto focus. Alotofpeople Ispoketogavemethe sameadvice:‘getyourcharteredaccountants qualificationfirst,thenfigureitout’.So,I tookthatonboardandlanded atraining contractwithKPMGinBelfast,workinginthe Restructuringdepartment.Itwasfast-paced, challenging,andexactlywhat Ineeded. Igot arealfeelfordifferentpartsofthebusiness, andthroughthatexperience,itbecameclear tomethatcorporatefinanceadvisorywasthe rightfit.
Whathaveyoufoundthemost challengingduringyouryearsinbusiness sofar?
Without adoubt,balancingworkwithfamily lifehasbeenoneofthetoughestchallenges. Familyismytoppriority,and ImakesureIget tospendqualitytimewiththem.Butmyjobis so rewardingandexciting,providingcorporate financeadvisetoSMEsacrosstheUKand Ireland,thatit’seasytogetcaughtupinit andbetemptedtotakeonextraprojectsor responsibilities.Whetheritishelping afamily businessasitseekstosecureitssuccession plan,oradvisingon astrategicacquisition, seeingprojectscometofruitionisimmensely rewarding.Inthisindustry,thelinebetween workandpersonallifecanblur,aswework alongsideand reallygettoknowourclients,so I’vehadtoworkonbeingdisciplinedwithmy timetomakesurefamilylifedoesn’tsuffer.
Howwouldyoudescribeyour managementstyle?
Idon’thave aone-size-fits-allapproachto
PaulGleghorne HNH managing.Everyoneisdifferent,and Ithink it’simportanttounderstandwhatworks bestforeachindividual.AtHNH,whereI’m partnerandheadofdealadvisory,we’ve got ateamthat’snotjusthighlyskilled butalsoverydrivenandmotivated,soit’s importanttohammerhomethatoursuccess isallabouttheteam,andweneedtomake suretorecogniseeveryone’scontributions. Also,lifeoutsideofworkmatters,so Itry tosupporttheteaminfindingthatbalance –because ahappy,balancedteamisa productiveteam.
Haveyoudoneitallonyourown?
Notevenclose. Ihaveworkedhardanddone mybit,butI’vebeenluckytohavesome amazingmentorsandcolleaguesalongthe way.Theirguidancehasbeencrucialtomy growth.Andlet’snotforgetthe rolethat familyandfriendsplayinsupportingyou behindthescenes –they’vebeen ahugepart ofmyjourney.Ofcourse,noneofthiswould
bepossiblewithoutourclients,andI’mtruly gratefultothemforputtingtheirtrustinus.
Howwouldyoulikeyourcareertobe remembered?
I’dloveforthepeopleI’veworkedwithtofeel thattheircareershavebenefitedfromourtime together.Inturn,I’velearnedsomuchfrom those relationshipstoo.Ifclients remember me,I’dhopeit’sforalwaysputtingtheirneeds firstandbeingsomeonetheycould relyon.
Whatpieceofadvicewouldyougivetoa 20-year-oldyou?
Iwasallaboutthetechnicalsideofthings backthen –learningthehardskillsand improvingmyknowledge.Whilethat’s obviouslyimportant,I’dtellmyyoungerself nottoneglectthesofterskills,likebuilding relationships,managingpeople,anddealing withconflict.Andmostimportantly,I’d remind myselftoenjoythejourneyandnotjustchase thenextachievementormilestone. ■
Motoring PatBurns
Unveiled:thethird generationQ3 TheAudiQ3hasbeen awellestablishedbestsellerinthe premiumcompactsegmentformore than10years.
Thethirdgenerationisexpectedtosetnew standardsinseveral respects.
ThenewQ3boastsgreatercomfortand safetyforthedriverthankstothemany assistancesystems.Inadditiontothenew suspension,thedigitalizationofthehead lightsalsoenhancescustomerbenefits.Highresolutionlightfunctionsaremadepossible withthenewmicro-LEDtechnologyinthe digitalMatrixLEDheadlights.Anotherfeature ofthenewAudiQ3isanefficient,petrol enginewithmild-hybridtechnologyanda plug-inhybridmodelwithanelectricrangeof upto74miles.
Inside,thenewsteeringwheelcontrol unitmeansmorestoragespaceinthecentre
console, anewuserexperience,and abetter senseofspace.Thesteeringwheelcontrolunit integratestwonewsteeringcolumnleversfor thefirsttime.Theleverontherightservesas agearselector,theoneontheleftas acontrol forthelightfunctionsandwindshieldwipers.
Also,forthefirsttimeinthecompact segmentatAudi,acousticglazingforthe frontsidewindowscomesasstandardwhich makesfor aquieterinterior,particularlyathigh speeds.The488-litrebootalsodemonstrates thepracticalityoftheAudiQ3. Withtheseat benchfoldeddown,thestoragespaceforthe AudiQ3increasestoupto1,386litres.The seatbenchcanbemovedlengthwise,andits anglecanbeadjustedasstandard.TheSUV has atowingcapacityofupto2,100kg.
Theentry-levelmodelintheQ3rangeisthe TFSI 150PS,a four-cylinderpetrolenginewith mild-hybridtechnology.There’salso aTDI150PS
andane-hybridwith272PSwithanelectric rangeofupto74milesintheWLTPtestcycle.
Theentry-levelmodelhas afour-cylinder petrolenginewithmild-hybridtechnologyand standardseven-speed Stronic.Itdelivers150PS ofpoweranditshighlightistheCylinder-ondemand(COD)system,whichtemporarily shutsdownthesecondandthirdcylindersat lowandmediumloads. To beintroducedlater intheyearandpositionedabovetheentrylevelunitistheTFSIquattro204PS,which develops320Nmoftorque.
Themostpowerfulofthecombustion enginesistheTFSIquattro265PSwithquattro drive. A2.0-litrefour-cylinderenginewith theseven-speed Stronicis responsiblefor propulsion.Itdelivers265PSand400Nmof torquetoallfourwheels.
ThenewQ3willlaunchhereinlatesummer; orderscanbeplacedfortheQ3TFSIandTDIin July,andtheQ3e-hybridinAugust.TheTFSI 150PSwillbeavailableatanentry-levelprice of£38,300.Thee-hybrid272PSwillstartat £45,800. ■
Peugeot’snew electrichothatch TheGTilabelmakesits retur non oneofthemostsuccessfulcarsin thecompacthatchsegment,the PeugeotE-208.
With afocusondrivingexperience,the E-208GT iboaststhebestperformanceinthe electrichothatchmarket,with280hpand capableof0-62mphin5.7seconds.
Fortyyearsago,Peugeotmadeautomotive historybyintroducingthe205GTi.Inits1.6l version(1984)andthenin1.9(1986),the 205GT ipioneered anewconceptofthesmall sportyhatchback,combiningexceptional performanceanddrivingpleasurewith asporty yetsubtledesign,anduniqueversatility.
Overfourdecades,thePeugeotGT ilabel hasmarkedthehistoryofsportscarswith severalproductionmodelsacclaimedfortheir performanceanddynamicqualities –306, 206,207,208,toname afew –andthe historyofmotorsportwithnumerousvictories, particularlyinrallying.
Now,Peugeothas reinterpretedtheDNAof thisemblemin afun,modernandassertiveway
ThenewE-208GTiisthefirstall-electricGTi. LikeallGT imodelsfor40years,theE-208 GT iisdistinguishedfirstbyitsstrongstanceon the road,thanksto abodyloweredby30mm andtrackswidenedby56mmatthefrontand 27mmatthe rear.
Thewheelarcheshavebeenwidened toaccommodatetheincreasedtracksand highlightedwithanelegantandsporty red line,anothernodtothe205GTi.Thelower partisflaredtoclearthetyres.
Afrontspoilerhasbeenaddedtothe bottomofthefrontbumper.Thespecific aerodynamicdiffuserlocatedunderthe rear bumper,whichintegrates anewsmallLEDfog light,hasbeentintedinglossyblackformore eleganceanddiscretion.
TheE-208GT ireceivesanexclusivebright redbodycolour,whichis apowerfulnodto theiconic redpaintpopularisedonthefirst 205GTi.
Thebright redcarpets,floormatsandseat beltsoftheE-208GTi,likethoseofthe205 GTi,immediatelycreate asportyatmosphere
inthecabin.
Thesportyandelegantdesignofthespecific frontseats,withintegratedheadrests,pays tributetothedesignofthe205GT i1.9seats with acentral redtrimthatextendsacross theseatandbackrest,nottomentionthe red meshontherightsideoftheseats recallsthat ofthe205GT i1.6.
Thecompactsteeringwheelfeatures perforated redleathercombinedwithAlcantara and acentralemblemthatalsoturns red.
TheE-208GT iisequippedwithanelectric motorthatdevelops280hpandoffersan impressivetorqueof345Nm.TheE-208GTi thusoffersthebestperformanceofallmodels inthecompacthatchsegment;acceleration from0-62mphin5.7seconds,with alimited topspeedof112mph.
TheE-208GT ifeatures alimited-slip differentialandoffersthebestpower-toweightratioinitssegmentof175hpper tonne –that’s33hpmorepertonnethanthe original205GT i1.9andoffers arangeof217 miles. ■
EV3isontop oftheworld TheKiaEV3hasbeenvoted World Carofthe Year,andit’seasytosee why.
TheEV3boasts asegment-leadingrange ofupto375mileson asinglecharge(WLTP ‘combined’)andaninnovativeinteriordesign thatoptimisesspace,comfortandaccessibility. Kia’sfirstdedicatedelectriccompactSUVsets newbenchmarksfordesign,efficiency,range andperformancein ahigh-demandmarket segment.
TheEV3featuresthepremium-level technologiesofthemulti-award-winningEV6 andEV9in acompact,efficient,spacious,and comfortablecar.Itcanadapttoeverylifestyle andhastheflexibilityandaffordabilitytobe themaincarofthehousehold.Following extensivetestinginEuropeinalldriving conditions,themodelisproventoperform equallywellonmotorways,citystreets, windingcountry roads,andlongjourneys.This testingalsoincludedvalidationofrangeand charging,withtheEV3confirmedasoneof themostefficientEVsonthemarket.
TheEV3hasbeenawardedthehighest safetyratingfollowingextensivetestingby EuroNCAP,Europe’sleadingindependent
safetytestingorganisation.
BuiltonKia’sdedicatedEVarchitecture,the Electric-GlobalModularPlatform(E-GMP), theEV3isdesignedtoprioritisethedriving andownershipexperiencewhilemakingEVs availableto awiderrangeofcustomers.It ispartofKia’sstrategytohave11electric vehiclesonthemarketby2026,expandingto 15modelsby2027,withtheproductline-up inEuropefullyelectricby2035.
Thevehicle’slongwheelbase(2,680mm –thesameasthecurrentKiaSportage)and completelyflatelectricvehiclearchitecture providegenerousspaceforalloccupants,with lounge-stylecomfortinboth rowsofseating. Inaddition,theEV3featurespop-outandauto flushdoorhandles, apanoramicdisplayand premium relaxationseatsonthe‘GT-LineS’ modelforthedriverandfrontpassenger.
Atthefront,theEV3featuresthelatest generationofthecompany’sDigital Tiger Face.Activeairflapswithaircurtainsimprove aerodynamicefficiency.
Thecentreconsoleisequippedwith afast 15Wwirelessphonechargeron‘GT-Line’and ‘GT-LineS’models.Inadditionto aUSB-Cport toconnectmediadevices,thereare apairof
USB-Cchargingportsinboththefrontand rearoftheEV3.‘Air’modelsfeatureaversatile storageareaunderneaththecentreconsole, with‘GT-Line’and‘GT-LineS’gradesequipped with aslide-outtable,whichcanslideforward byupto120mmtocreate aflatsurfacewhen needed –idealwhenhavinglunchduringa chargingstop,forinstance.
TheEV3‘Air’isavailablewith achoiceof twobatterypacks.Thefirst,with a58.3kWh battery,ispoweredby asinglemotoronthe frontaxle.Itproduces150kW(201bhp)with amaximumtorqueoutputof283Nm. Witha topspeedof105mph,theEV3‘Air’Standard Rangecanacceleratefrom0-62mphin7.5 seconds.Ithasanall-electricdrivingrangeof upto270milesontheWLTP‘combined’cycle, andcanmanageupto362milesonthe‘city’ cycle.
Alargerbatterypackisalsoofferedto buyersofthe‘Air’model,withan81.4kWh batterypack,anddeliversthehighestdriving rangeofalloftheEV3models,witha ‘combined’all-electricdrivingrangeofupto 375miles,whileduringtheWLTP‘city’cycle itcanmanage479miles.Pricesstartfrom £33,000. ■
Freshupgradesforhybrid Vitara The Vitarahasbeen agreatsuccess storyforSuzukiandthisautumn willseethelaunchofthecompany’s firsteverallelectric Vitara.
Inthemeantime,the Vitararangehas receivedsomeupgradesandgoingforwardthe hybridversionwill remainonsalealongsidethe EVmodel.
The Vitarahybrid remains astrongselling modelintherangeandthe Vitaranowuses theMotionandUltragradenameswhich followsonfrombeingintroducedpreviously forS-Cross,SwaceandSwiftmodels.
The Vitarahasearnedacclaimforits stylish,cityorienteddesign,compactand easytomanagedimensions,goodon-road performanceandgenuineoff-roadcapability. Itisavailablewithbothmildandfull(higher voltage)Hybridtechnologythathelpslower CO2emissionsandfurtherimprovefuel consumption.
Variousexteriorstyling revisionshavebeen madetofullyupdate Vitarawith re-designed frontgrilleandbumper,rearupperspoiler incorporating rearwindowsidespoilers,new design17-inchalloywheelsandtheadditionof twonewcolourshades.
Afurtherimportantandstandardsafety featureforbothgradesnowincludesan upgradeddualsensorbrakesupportsystem using amillimetre-waveradar(previouslylidar) combinedwith amonocularcamera.This systemhasenhancedcollisionmitigationwith improvednighttimeandintersectionvisibility andwithitsimprovedfunctionalitycandetect pedestrians,cyclists,motorcyclistsandvehicles infront.
Standardequipmentlevelsforbothgrades haveincreasedtoowiththeadditionofa nine-inchmediadisplaywithnavigation, wirelesssmartphonelinkwithAndroidAuto andAppleCarPlay,keylessentryandstart, highbeamassist,auto-dim rearviewmirror, rearparkingsensorsplusSuzukiConnect connectedservicesthatincludesthreeyears freesubscription.
MovinguptotheUltragradeincreases standardspecificationevenfurtherwith newdesign17-inchpolishedalloywheels, panoramicslidingsunroof,suede /leatherseat fabric,frontand rearparkingsensors,electric foldingdoormirrorswithbuilt-inindicators andoverheadstorageconsole.
WLTPcombinedfuelconsumptionislower
forthelatestmodelwith2WDmildhybrid manualtransmissionmodelsofferingupto9% improvementat53.2mpg.Fullhybrid2WD modelswithAGStransmission(automated gearshift)offerupto6%improvementat 56.4mpg.CO2emissionsareimprovedtoo atjust113g/kmforthe1.5-litrefullhybrid Motionmodel –previously119gkm.
The Vitaracomeswithhybridasstandard. Manualtransmissionmodelsinclude a1.4-litre Boosterjetturbochargedpetrolenginewith 48Vmildhybrid,whileforcustomerswanting theconvenienceofautomatic afullhybrid optionwithAGStransmissionisavailable. UniqueinthesmallSUVsector,bothmanual andAGSdrivetrainsareavailablewiththe optionof4WDwith Vitara.
The1.5-litre(K15C)enginedevelopedfor the VitaraFullHybridisfittedtobothmodel grades.
Thefullhybridsystemhastwoswitchable modeswhichareEcoandStandard.Suzuki’s Allgrip‘Select’systemisavailableasanoption ontheUltramodelandincorporatesfour driver-selectablemodesfordrivingondiverse surfaces.Pricesforthe VitaraHybridstartfrom £27,299. ■
FullelectricCyberster putsthe‘ohMG’back intoanoldfavourite PhilipHedderman
Ican’thelpthinkingthatcardesigner CarlGothamis amassivefanofThe GreatBritishBakeOff.
Ieven reckonhe’sasticklerforexact recipes andfollowsthemwithmilitaryprecision.
ForhislatestMGcreation,theCyberster,he hastaken alargehelpingofBMWZ4,added ahalf-cupofPorscheBoxer,atablespoon ofMazdaMX-5and apinchofLamborghini Aventador.
Thedeliciousmixwasthensentoffto Shanghai,putintheautomotiveovenand deliveredjustintimeforthe100thbirthdayof thelegendaryMorrisGroup.
StayingtruetotheheritageoftheMG badge,thistwo-door roadsterbringsallofthe thrillandexcitement,butwith auniquetwist–it’sfullyelectric.
First,let’slookatthedesign,whichissimply stunningandisbest-dressedinDynamicRed metallicpaint.
Itperfectlycomplementsthepianoblack detailingintheairventsinthelowerapron, splitter,sideskirtsand reardiffuser.
Thesamedetailingfeaturesintheupper doors,wherethetraditionalhandleshave been replacedbytwoverysubtlebuttonsthat activatethosemagnificentscissordoors.
Dropthecanvas roofto reveal adriverfocusedcockpitbedeckedincognacsuedeand fauxblackleatherandmatchingflatbottomed steeringwheel.
Behindthewheelnestles atriplecurvedsplit screen –aninstrumentpanel,infotainment screentotheleftanddriverinfototheright.
Theindividualdisplaysmaybe alittletoo smallforsomedrivers,andthisisn’thelpedby thelargewheelobscuringpartsofthescreens eitherside.
Belowthatthere’sadigitalclimate-control panelrightnexttotheverycoolgearselect withthedoor releasebuttonsandelectric roof.
Theonlyflyintheointmentistheabsence of atraditionalpullhandletoopenthedoor, whichmaybe arealhassleifthebuttonfails. Iwasn’toverlykeenonthearrow-shaped rear LEDlightclusters,which Ifeltwereabitover thetop.
Irishcustomershavethechoiceoftwo models –theExclusive(singlemotorandthe
GT, dualmotor).
Bothcomewith a77kWhbatteryandthe entrylevelmodelgets340bhpand aclaimed rangeofover500km.
We testedthetopendmodel,whichgets anextramotorfor AWDandbooststhepower toover500bhpwhilemanagingtocover275 mileson asinglecharge.
Afterall,thisis asports roadster,andthe extragruntyougettransformsthisfroma greatcarto aphenomenalone.
Infact,it’ssopowerful,itwill rocketfrom 0-100kmhinaneye-watering3.2seconds.
Onmorechallenging roads,theCyberster is remarkablycomposed,andwhileit’snotas nimbleorasagileastheMazdaMX-5,itnever failstoput asmileonyourface.
Granted,theweightdoestakeitstoll,but that’sequalisedbythesheerpowerpulsating throughthefourcorners.
Thesteeringisalsoworthyofmentionand iswell-weightedandpreciseanddealtwith unevensurfacesadmirably.
Evenonthestonking20-inchJetstream alloysitneverlostitscomposure,butspeed rampsandpotholestell adifferentstory.
TheonlyotherdrawbackwastheAC charging,whichwas atadslow,andwhilethe 11kWhchargerwasatfulltilt,theCyberster wasdrawingdownjust5kWh.Notthecase withDC,whichisepic. ■
APPOIN TM EN TS
StephenMcMasterhasbeenappointed as apartneratDeloiiteinBelfast.Hewill continueasDeloitteUK’sengineeringchief technologyofficerandwillalsotakeupa newroleascloudstrategyandarchitecture leadfortheUKfirm.
RebekahDavidsonisnowassistant agriculturalmarketanalystattheLivestock andMeatCommissionforNorthern Ireland.Shewillworktodelivertimely andaccuratemarketanalysisthrough monitoringtrendsinthebeefandsheep sectors.
BarryO’Donnellbecomesassociatepartner atHarbinsonMulhollandinBelfast.Mr O’Donnellwillbepartofthefirm’sforensic team.
TheLivestockandMeatCommission forNorthernIrelandhasannouncedthe appointmentofJacquelineLiddicoatas headofmarketintelligenceanddata management.
ShreeBurnsbecomesdirectorofforensic servicesatHarbinsonMulhollandin Belfast.MsBurnswillbepartofthefirm’s forensicteam.
KyleGreerhasbeenappointedashead developmentchefatSysco’snewfacility inNorthernIreland.Hewillspearheada wide-reachingprogrammeofsupportfor thehospitalitysector.
SeanGilmourisnowchieftechnical officeratARCRegulatory.MrGilmour isanexperiencedtechnicalleaderand innovatorwithextensivemultidisciplinary experience,spanningtechnologies.
NicolaDavishasjoinedtheagencyteam atMediahuisasaccountdirector,where shewillleadandgrowthebusinessacross allMediahuistitlesandplatformsinthe NorthernIrelandmarket.Shebringsa wealthofexperiencefromhereight successfulyearsatITV.
Nora Tallonisnowassociatepartnerat HarbinsonMulhollandinBelfast.Ms Tallon willbepartofthefirm’sforensicteam.
1. ArdmoreGroupand UlsterUniversityhavecome togetherforaneventThe FutureofTalentinthe CommunicationsIndustry thatbroughttogether businessleadersandalumni tohearhowcreativity, education,andcollaboration areshapingthenext generationofleaders.
2. KPMGinNorther nIreland hasannounced anewsporting partnershipwithCiaraMageean. She’spicturedwithpartnerin charge,JohnnyHanna.
3. GlentoranFootballClubhas announced anewfour-year partnershipwithMacron.Pictured launchingthepartnershipis AndreaPalilla,Macron,and Tony Webster,chiefexecutiveof GlentoranFootballClub.
4. CommunitiesMinisterGordon Lyonshasannouncedtheapproval oftheNorth WestRegeneration Fund,whichmakesavailableup to£10moffinancialtransaction capitalloanfundingoverthenext fiveyears.
5. Norther nIrelandpizzeriabrand, Little Wingissettoopenits12th pizzaoutletinNorther nIreland thissummer.PicturedareJamie Mendez,operationsmanager Little WingandLuke Wolsey, managingdirector.
6. Coca-ColaHBCIreland andNorther nIrelandhas announcedtheRoyal NationalLifeboatInstitution (RNLI)asitsofficialcharity partneruntilDecember2027.
7. McKeeshasjoinedforces withnationallawfirm,Foot Ansteyfollowing aperiodof growth.PcicturedareChris Ross,managingdirectorofFoot AnsteyMcKeesandMartinHirst, managingpartneratFootAnstey.
8. Ballymena-basedClarkehas achievedthe regarded BCorp Certificationfor responsible business.PicturedareTony Convery,sustainabilitydirector, EugeneClarke,chiefexecutive, andLauraMitchell,environmental lead.
9. Freixenetaddedsomesparkle atTheFoundryinBelfastthis summer,with atwo-month takeoverofthebar’sbeergarden. PicturedareNicoleKane,The Foundry,andDavidGreenlees, United Wines.
10. PizzaCrewhasteamed upwithBoosttokeepthecity fuelled,fed,andfullyenergisedas partof ahostofmajorconcertsat OrmeauParkthissummer.
11. TheNorther nIreland EnergySummitissetto retur ntotheICCBelfast onSeptember24.Pictured areBarry Turley,Jonathan Martindale,FionaBrazill, PeterMcClenaghan,Ian Marshall,DrNeilHarrison, andKevinO’Neill.
12. Anewdedicatedsoftball diamondfacilityhasbeenopened atBangor’sWardPark.Pictured areMarcTaylor,DavidKelly, AshleyCathcart,AlistairCathcart, MayorofArdsandNorthDown, DrChristopher GStange, Will Gilpin,andPeterMaxwell.
13. A&LGoodbodyhas announcedKevinMurphyasnew partnerandheadofdepartment inits realestateteaminBelfast. He’spicturedwithMichaelNeill.
14. GlentoranFootballClubhas announcedthe renewalofits partnershipwithBetMcLean. PicturedarePaulMcLean, managingdirectorofBetMcLean, and Tony Webster,chiefexecutive ofGlentoran.
15. DownRoyalRacecoursehas helditsLadiesDayevent,as partoftheBoyleSportsSummer FestivalofRacing.Picturedis DownRoyalRacecourse’s Emma MeehanandhostRebecca McKinney.
16. Thirtyaspiringfilmmakers have recentlybenefited fromthe2025DigitalFilm Academy,deliveredby Cinemagicinpartnership withNorth WestRegional College(NWRC)andSouth Easter nRegionalCollege (SERC),andsupported bytheDepartmentfor theEconomy’sSkillUp Programme.
17. InfrastructureMinisterLiz KimminshasvisitedFoylePort. ShewasgreetedbyFoylePort chairman RyanMcCreadyaswell asmembersoftheexecutive team.
18. Family-ownedhospitality business,McKeeverHotels,has raised£20,930fortheNorthern IrelandChildren’sHospiceas itsCharityofthe YearPartner in2024.PicturedareEddie McKeeverandKellyRoulston.
19. GoSucceedhassecureda £9.2mfundingcommitment bytheUKGovernmentforan extensionoftheserviceforone year.PicturedareJosephRea ofLeo &LynCandlesandLord MayorofBelfast TracyKelly.
20. Ledcomhasmarkedits40th anniversaryandthedeliveryof approximately£119mofimpact ofjobcreationandbusiness start-ups.PicturedareArthur HendersonandCatherine Anderson.
21. EPICFuturesNI, aLocal PolicyInnovationPartnership ledbyUlsterUniversity,has announcedfundingawards of£250,000toorganisations andpartnershipscompleting researchinskillsand employabilityaspartofthe PolicyCommissioningCall.
22. ESBScienceBlast,anRDS-led initiative,is afreeandinclusive educationalprogrammewhich activelyencouragesprimary schoolstudentstoleadtheirown scientificinvestigations,taking placeatICCBelfast.
23. NHL,formerlyknown asNorther nHydraulics,has announced arefreshedbrand identity.PicturedareSeamus Morris,founderandBarryMorris, chiefexecutive.
24. A&LGoodbodyhas announced atwo-yearextension toitspartnershipasanofficial patronoftheEducationand HeritageCentrelocatedatthe Clearer TwistNationalStadiumat WindsorPark.
25. The2025O’NeillsFoyleCup Tournamenthastakenplace. PicturedareStJoseph’sBoys Schoolprincipal,CiaraDeanewith JohnMurphy,O’Neills,Mayorof CausewayCoastandGlensCiaran McQuillan,anddeputyMayorof DerryCityandStrabaneDistrict Council,DarrenGuy.
26. StenaLineisinvesting £17mintodevelopments atthe12Quays Terminal inBirkenhead.Picturedare AndrewDarnell,ItaBaird, AndrewKane,Christian Grossie,andPhilHall.
27. ArmaghObservatoryand Planetariumhasbeenofficially appointedastheSTEM AmbassadorDeliveryPartner forNorther nIreland.Pictured areKeremCubekandHanagh Winters.
28. ArmaghCity,Banbridgeand CraigavonBoroughCouncilis askinglocalbusinessestosign uptonewgiftcardinitiative, designedtoencouragepeopleto shoplocal,giftlocal,andspend local.
29. Holiday WorldShowBelfast hasannouncedthatNorthern Ireland’sbiggestannual celebrationoftravelandtourism willbe returningtoICCBelfastin January2026.
30. BGF,theUKandIreland’smost activegrowthcapitalinvestor, haspledged£100mtoNorthern Irelandbusinessesaspartofits wider£3bnUK-widestrategyto supporthigh-potentialcompanies overthenextfiveyears.
31. BoostSporthaspartnered onceagainwiththeAntrim CoastHalfMarathonasthe officialhydrationpartnerfor the2025event.
32. Applicationsarenowopenfor anewbusinesssupportscheme forpeoplewithdisabilitiesin Norther nIreland,calledtheSelf EmploymentforPersonswith DisabilitiesProgramme.
33. FormerTánaisteSimon Coveneyinconversationon stageatManufacturingNI’s AnchorHighLeadershipSummit, alongsidejournalistJamieDelargy.
34. Anewphotographyexhibition hasopenedattheICCBelfast, aimingtoraiseawarenessabout thethreatofhuman-madedebris inspace.
35. AdSustainabilityhelpsfirms achievecost reductionsand profitable, responsiblebusiness practicesthrough apackageof sustainabilitysupportservices. PicturedareLauraMcCourt,Noel Mulholland,AdrianandSarah Davis.
36. SHSGrouphas announceditsparticipationin BusinessintheCommunity’s (BITC) TimetoReadand Time 2Countinitiatives, reinforcingitscommitmentto responsiblebusinessandthe developmentoffuturetalent.
37. MorrowCommunications hasset atargetofbecoming Norther nIreland’s firstnetzero communicationsconsultancy. Picturedare KieranDonnelly, managingdirector,ClareDaly, companydirector,andDebbie Holland,officemanager.
38. The17thcycleofGoingfor Growthhascometo aclose. PicturedareOliveO’Donoghue, KPMG,JennieHaire,Gigi Supplements,CarolGibbons, EnterpriseIreland,Oonagh O’Hagan,GoingforGrowth.
39. EducationMinisterPaulGivan hascutthefirstsodon amajor capitalconstructionprojectat AbbeyCommunityCollege.
40. AdamMcGibbonhas received a‘Volunteerofthe Year’gong attheCommunityRelations CouncilGoodRelations Awards, afterraising£1,478tosupport integratededucation.He’s picturedwithDrMollyGoyer GormanandGarethMcElduff.
41. BelfastChamberhasleda 20-strongbusinessdelegation toNew Yorkfor atrade missionaimedatforgingnew commercialconnectionsand unlockingfreshopportunities fortradeandinvestment betweenNorther nIreland andtheUS.
42. HaganHomeshas renewedits sponsorshipofthe2025Comber Farmers’Market.PicturedareJoan Cowan,ComberRegeneration CommunityPartnership,JimBurke HaganHomes,andLizHamilton ComberRegenerationCommunity Partnership.
43. BelfasttechentrepreneurJerry Staple(right)hasteamedupwith tradecompliancespecialistMark FluketolaunchChainMill.He’s picturedwithDuncanEmeryand MarkFluke.
44. PamelaMcCreedy(centre) hasbeenelectedPresidentof CharteredAccountantsIreland. SheispicturedwithNiall Walsh andJoanCurry.
45. Preparingforthenewseason Comberpotatoeshittingthe shopsareW ilson’sCountry agronomistStuartMeredith,and salesandmarketingmanager, Joanne Weir,withNewtownards potatogrowerW illiamGilmore, andhisgrandsonJacob.
46. Markingthe15th anniversaryofPulsePR isJackieO’Neill,Belfast InternationalAirport,Karen McGarvey, Mediahuis, PulsePRfounderGrainne McGarvey,andJudithMartin, Mediahuis.
47. ComedianAndrew Ryan (right)joinsLorcanFlemingto launchthe2025CCUCGolf Classic,with TerryCross,headline sponsoroftheevent,whichtakes placeattheendofAugust.
48. Picturedattheopeningof TheCavern, aprivatedining experienceattheGrandCentral Hotel,areexecutiveheadchef, Damian Tumilty,foodand beverageassistant,Larni Williams, andgeneralmanager,Jake McHugh.
49. StephanieBiggerstaff,Marie Curie,andCiaraSkelton,nurseat MarieCurie(right)joinBronagh LukefromSparNIandAnne Hannan,partnershipmanagerat MarieCurie(centre)tolaunchthis year’sBloomingGreatSummer events.
50. BusinessintheCommunity Norther nIreland,inpartnership withAquaLibra,has recently hosted ahalf-dayworkplace wellbeingconference.Pictured Marie-LouiseConnolly,Lisa McIlvenna,Sian Young,and ClarkeCarlisle.
Paintingthe oldtown redinItaly’s WhiteCity Easy-going, greatvalueandfulloffriendlylocals,Ostuniis theperfectsummerchill-outholiday, writes RoslynDee
Will Ichanceit?That’swhat I’mthinkingas Istandon thethresholdoftheloveliest churchinOstuni,debatingwithmyself whethertogoinornot.
Whynotjustgoforit? Well, Ihavemydog withmeandI’mstillsmartingfrom arebuke
someweeksearlierin achurchinthetownof DesenzanoonLakeGarda.
Onthatoccasion Ididwhat Iusuallydo whenitcomestochurchesinItaly –Ipicked upmypoochandenteredthechurchwithhim inmyarms.Surprisedtofindeveningmass infullswing, Iquietlymademywayto apew
towardsthe rearandsatdownwithmygoodas-golddoglyingacrossmylap.
Withinminutes IrealisedthatmyItalian classeshadatleastbornesomefruit,forwhat wasthepriestdoingbutstaringinmydirection andloudlydeclaring –fromthealtar,noless –thatdogswerenotpermittedinthechurch.
Mortified, Igatheredmyfellabackupintomy armsandscuttledoutthroughoneoftheside doors.
Now, however,I’minOstuniinPuglia,right downintheheelofItaly,andwiththechurch inquestionnamedforStFrancisofAssisi–protectorofanimals –IreckonthatthistimeI mightbesparedmyblushes.
I’mright.Andas Iwanderaroundthelovely churchwithdoginarms,takinginitsinterior withitsstrikingstatuaryanditsbeautiful stained-glasswindows,I’mgreetedwith nothingbutsmilesfromeveryone.
It’sanincident,though,thatis reflectiveof thetownofOstuniitself,forit’soneofthe friendliestandleastpretentiousplacesI’veever visited.
Within adayofmyarrivalI’mbeing hailedonthestreetbypeople Ihavesofar
Traditionalwhite housesandtheold belltowerinOstuni encounteredonlyonce;byCristianowho grewuphereandnowworksinCafeParisi inthegorgeousOld Town;by Vivianaand herhusbandMarcofromNaples,whoowna street-foodoutletnearmy rentedapartment; andbyAntonio,oneofthetuk-tukdrivers whoplieshistradewithgreatenthusiasmand knowledgearoundhislocaltown.
Ostuniisnotknownasthe‘WhiteCity’for nothing(it’sactuallyonly atownofaround 30,000 residents).Approachingby roadfrom thetrainstation –whichislocatedamidthe olive-grovecarpetthatspreadsouttowards theseafromthehilltoptown –allyousee arewhitebuildings,smallhousesandother lime-washedbuildingsofallshapesandsizes climbingupandupthehillinfrontofyou.
That’stheOld Town, astunningmazeof perpendicularcobbledstreets –mostnot accessiblebycar –whereyou’llfindthe usualtouristenticementssuchasshops sellingceramicsandjewellery,pluscafesand restaurantsand,rightatthetopofthetown, thejewelinOstuni’sgodlycrown:the11th centurySantaMariaAssuntacathedral.
Thecommercialtourismvibe,though,is relativelymuted; relatively,thatis,forthelocals havetomake alivingafterall.
I’mstayingin asmallapartmentthat’sa four-minutestrollfromtheOld Townand evenclosertoPiazzadellaLiberta,Ostuni’s lovelymainsquare, aplacethat’scentralto thelifeofthePugliantown.It’shereyou’ll findtheFrancisofAssisichurch,somegrand municipalbuildings,thesmalltouristoffice,a fantasticold-fashionedbookshopand ahost ofcafes,gelaterieandallotherdifferentkinds ofeateries.
IhituponCaffeFanellipurelybyaccidenton myfirstday.Aspotfrequentedbylocalsand touristsalikeand aplacewith agreatpeoplewatchingperspective,itsoutdoorseating areaoffersgreatviewsofallthecomingsand goingsaroundthepiazza.
Icomeherefor alunchtimetunasaladand thenfindmyself returningeveryeveningofmy Ostunistayfor aglassofwine(€3.50).Andfor theincrediblyfriendlystaff.
Ostuniisaneasy-goingplace.Muchas Ilove itshistoricpartknownasthe“CittaBianca”, I’malsogreatlytakenwiththe restofthe town.Herethestreets –fullofeverydayshops and aplethoraof restaurantsandcafesthat sometouristsneversetfootin –spreadout from apleasantpublicpark, aplacewherethe
elderlylocalmenappeartomeetuptositon thebencheseverymorning,smokeandshoot thebreeze.Forhours. Yes,Ostuniisdefinitelya chill-outkindoftown.
Onmythirdday,andwiththepromiseof blueskiesandhightemperatures, Iheadfor thesea.
Twentyminutesand€3takesmefrom OstunitoMonopolionthetraintodiscover thatMonopoliis amuchbiggertownthan Ostuni.
It’salsobeautiful,itsownOld Townbeing lessof aclimbingfeatthantheoneinOstuni. And,becauseit’squitelarge,withitscrisscrossingstreetsstretchingbackbehindthe attractive,ancientharbour,you’llstumbleupon allkindsofquiet,flower-deckedcourtyards withclothesdryinginthesunonwashinglines hungoutsidemyriadhousesstillinhabitedby locals.
AlongtheseafrontinMonopolithereare gloriousviews,craggyinlets,anancientcastle and anumberofbeachesandbathingspots. AtPorta Vecchiabeach –anarrowribbonof sandthat’saccessedbysteepstepsordown aslipway –anarrayofbeautifulpeopleare baskinginalltheirfashionableswimwearglory inthemiddaysunshineontheday Ivisit.
Theyaresomewhatamused,itseems,to see awomanin alightsummerdressanda shaggy,short-leggeddogrunningtogether intothesea.Oh,thejoyofit.
Ifyou’relooking,though,for abitmore sandonwhichtodisplayyourbeautiful body,you’llneedtokeepwalkingeastfor another10minutesorsountilyoucometo thebeachesof,firstPortoBianco,andthen PortoRosso.Botharegreatfamily-friendly spotsandatPortoBianco arampalsomakesit wheelchair-friendly.
BeforemytriptoPuglia,andifyoudiscount theislandofSicily,Ihadneverbeenfurther southinItalythanNaples,which Iloved.The southofItalyis,inmanyways, aseparate countrytothelandthatliesfurthernorth. There’sadifferentvibe,there’sa“thisisthe wayweare”attitude;theydon’t,inother words,pretendtobesomethingthey’renot, don’tdressthemselvesupforthetourists.
Whywouldthey?In amoder ntourism worldwherewhatyouseeisnolongerwhat youalwaysget,itisgenuineauthenticitythat makesplacesincreasinglyappealing.Andfrom theexperienceofmyveryfirstforayintothe deepsouth,Pugliaisdefinitelythe realdeal. ■
TECH NOLO GY
‘Weblocked fivebillion adslast year ’ TheheadofsafetyatinternetgiantGoogle,Karen Courington,isproudofherwork –buttheriseofAI poses anewpuzzle,writes Adrian Weckler
Death,taxesandsocialmediascams. It’s oneoftheparablesofthe onlineera.
It’s thepoliticianapparentlysayinghe’sbeen gaggedfor revealingthetruth.Orthecelebrity seeminglyendorsingsomeweirdointment.Or thenumerousget-rich-quickcryptoschemes. Noplatformisimmune:Facebook,Instagram, YouTube,X.
Butinanerawhensomeofthebiggesttech firmsarecuttingtheirtrustandsafetyteamsto relymoreon“communitynotes”orAI,isitjust somethingweinevitablyhavetolivewith?
Hopefullynot,KarenCourington says.As Google’svice presidentfortrustandsafety, she’sthepersonresponsibleforbattlingscams andhoaxeson YouTubeandGoogle’sother public-facinginfrastructure
Karensaysthatit’salsotoughproblemto fight
“Iusedtojokethatmyinboxwas50%AI andinnovation related,andthen50%abuse related,”shesays.
“Alotofthathasbeenscams,giventherise andthesheerscaleoftheproblem.Ithinkthe momentum[tofightit]ismorethanwe’veseen inthepastfewyearsandthatmakesme really optimistic.
“Butthesearetransnational,highly networkedcriminalgroupsthatarebehindthis, it’s notjustlike ateenagerin abedroomdoing ascam.It’snot agameofWhack-a-Mole.”
Theissueofsocialmedia-relatedscams hasparticularresonanceinIreland.In 2023, then-TánaisteMicheálMartintooklegalaction
againstGoogletogetinformationaboutthe sourceofscamadvertsforcryptocurrencyusing hisnameandimageon YouTube.
Theadswereseenfourmilliontimesand turnedouttobeboughtusingGoogleaccounts basedinBelarus,Kazakhstan,Germanyandthe US.UnderIrishlaw,applyingtothecourtswas theonlywaytogetthatinformation.
Karenwasn’tpartytothatcase,butsaysthat thetechgiant’ssuccessrateatquashingsuch fakeadshasimproved.
“Ofthefivebillionadsweblockedor removedlastyear,400millionwererelatedto scamsandattachedtofivemillionadvertiser accounts,”shesays.
“Ofthatfivemillion,700,000orsowere relatedtothepublicfigureimpersonation scams,sowesuspendedthoseaccounts. Butwealso reduceduser reportsofscams, includingthecelebrityandpublicfigure impersonationscams,by90%,overthecourse of sixoreightmonths.
“Sobasically,thevolumeofuser reports we’reseeingonthisissueisvery,verysmall today.Whatwe’reproudofisthatonour publisherside,97%ofthesearedetectedand enforcedwithAI,sowe’releveragingthat heavily.”
Karensaysthatthisincreasedfocuson impersonationscamswas aconsciouseffort.
“We‘uplevelled’ourpolicies. We said that apublicfigureimpersonationisjustas bad asabrandimpersonationandshould bea suspension.Priortothat,itwasn’t. We broughttogether aconcertedeffortacross
thecompany,acrosspolicy,engineeringand product,andsaidthatwe’vegottotacklethis in anewanddifferentway.”
Martinisn’ttheonlyhigh-profileIrish figuretobeforcedtotheIrishHighCourt for relieffromscamads.Broadcaster MiriamO’Callaghanwassubjecttoyearsof impersonationfromscamadsandwasalso forcedintoHighCourtactionagainstMeta–ownerofFacebookandInstagram –whereshe receivedanapology
DespiteKaren’sfiguressuggestingan improvementinsuppressingsuchscamads, civilsociety’spatiencemayberunningout, evenincountriesthatusuallybackBig Tech. Earlierthisyear,theDepartmentofFinance sent asuggestedamendmenttotheEuropean CommissionforthelatestupdateoftheEU’s PaymentsServicesDirective.
Itproposedthatsocialplatformssuchas
Meta,Googleand TikTokshouldbemore directlyresponsibleforvettingadsand advertisers,tocutdownonsomuchfraudon theirplatforms.Inotherwords,theycouldn’t justclaimtobeshuttingthemdownaccording tohowfastorslowthecombinationoftheirAI anduser reportsallowed.
Buteventhough amajorityofEUstates arereportedlyinfavourofthemove,the commissionseemscoldontheidea,arguing thatitmightcontravenetheDigitalServiceAct principlethatplatformsshouldn’tbeforcedto pre-emptivelymonitorcontent
Karensaysshecan’tcommentdirectly on that,butsaysthatadverification,ingeneral,is takenseriouslyatthecompany
“Ithinkourpolicies,especiallyonad verification,areindustryleading,”shesays.
“Wewereoneofthefirsttohaveanad verificationprogramme,startingin2020.Then
westartedfinancialservicesverificationin2021 withtheUK,later rollingitouttoIreland,Spain, Germanyand anumberofothercountries.”
Inthemeantime,GoogleistryingtogetIrish institutionstogethertohelpfightscamsand fraud.
Onetypeofscamthathasn’tyetfullyhitits strideisfraudulentdeepfakevideo.Thatcould soonbesettochange,ironicallydue(inpart)to theprogressmadebyGoogle’sown recentlyupdatedgenerativeAIvideotechnology,Veo3.
Karensaysthatthecompanyknowsabout itspotentialforharmandhasbuiltinsome safeguardsfromthebeginning.
“We’vecommittedthatanyofourfirst partygenerativeAIproductsaregoingtohave SynthID,whichis asortofimperceptibledigital watermark.AndatIO[Google’sannualtech conference,heldinMay]wealsolaunched SynthIDdetectorrightafterourotherproducts
“Thisisussaying,‘here’sa toolandaway thatyoucanunderstandwhetherthevideo, audioorimageissyntheticornot’. Ithinkthese arethetypesoftoolsthatwe’regoingtohave atthe ready,bothembeddedinourproducts andbeingmadeavailabletouserstoseparate thesyntheticfromwhat’sreal.”
Butshesaysthatnomatterhowgoodthe techgets,scamsandfraudarelikelyhereto stay
“IdofeeldeeplyoptimisticaboutAIbecause ofitspowerintrendidentification,butsocial engineeringcontinuestobesophisticatedand thecircumventiontechniques[tobattleit]that weareseeingaregettingharder,”shesays.
“We’rehuman.Maybewhenwesee a messagethatwethinkwecantrust,weclick onthelink.Ifyoutrustit,there’sgoingtobe a scamaroundittotrytotrickyouanddeceive you.” ■
TECH NOLO GY
KarenCourington
my day MaeveFisher partner,litigationand headoflicensing, MillsSelig
7am
Thedaystartsearlyinourhouse –withtwo energeticboysagedsevenand10,there’sno suchthingasasnoozebutton.Morningsare awhirlwindofuniforms,debatesoverthe bestbreakfastcereal,andfootballkitsthat somehowmysteriouslyvanishand reappear overnight.
8.30am
We livewithinwalkingdistanceofschool, sounlesstheweatherisparticularlybad,the schoolrunisanenjoyablewalkwithplentyof chatand agreatchancetocatchupbeforethe day reallykicksoff.Oncetheschooldrop-offis done,it’sbacktothehouseand aquickswitch intoworkmode –Iwillcheckemailsbefore leavingthehouseandconsidermy responses duringthecommute.
9am
MyworkingdaykicksoffproperlyatMills Selig. Idoublecheckmycalendar,respond
toanypressingemailsandprioritisemytasks fortheday.Havingstartedoutandtrained withMillsSelig, Ihavewitnessedthefirm growsteadilyovertheyearsandevolveinto aclose-knit,talentedteamthat’sbusierthan ever.Leadingthelicensingteamwhilealso playing akey roleas apartnerinthelitigation practicemeansmydaysarevariedandoften fast-paced.It’sthisdiversityandchallenge acrosstwospecialistareasthatmakesmy role interestingandenjoyable –andnotforgetting mywonderfulandverytalentedcolleagues.
10am
Thedaymightstartwith aclientinstruction relatingto acommercialpropertydispute.I havedeveloped aparticularinterestinthis areahavingbuiltlongstanding relationships withlandlordsandpropertyagents,whilst myinvolvementontheNorther nIreland CommitteeofthePropertyLitigation Association(PLA)ensures Iremainwell informedonthelatestUK-widetrendsand updatesin relationtothisareaoflaw.
11am
Nextupmightbe acommitteemeeting.As apartneratthefirm,I’mcloselyinvolvedin firmstrategy,teamdevelopmentandclient engagement. Ileadthecharitycommitteeat MillsSeligwhichis areally rewardingpartof my role,helpingtomake ameaningfulimpact beyondourlegalwork. We haveworkedwith anumberoffantasticcharitiesovertheyears andmost recentlytheemployeesatthefirm chose Women’sAidNorther nIrelandasthe charitytosupportthroughout2025/26.
1pm
Itrytoalwaysgetawayfromthedeskforeven ashortbreakoverlunch. Iwillhave aquick bitetoeatwhilecatchinguponthecraicwith colleaguesandthenoutfor aquickwalkand somefreshairbeforegettingbackatit.
3pm
Licensingwork requires realattentiontodetail andstrategicthinking,especiallywhendealing withcomplexorhigh-valueinstructions,or whencontentiousobjectionsareinvolved.A meetingwith alicensingclientmightinvolve discussingapplicationsforbars,hotels,offlicencesor restaurants,amendments/additions topremisesorcommercialnegotiations/sales andpurchasesoflicences.
5.30pm
Theworkingdaywindsdownand Ilook forwardtoaneveningwithmyhusbandand thekids. We tag-teamthehomeworkand dinner routine,thenit’susuallystraightoutthe doorfortheboys’footballtraining. Withso manyactivities/sportsonofferlocally,ourboys liketotryeverything.
9pm
Withtheboysofftobed,myhusbandandI get acatchupontheeventsofthedayand perhapswatchthelatestboxset. Ireward myselfwith30quietminuteswith acupof teaandmyMillsSeligBookClubbookonce everyone’sinbedandlookforwardtoallthe actionkickingoffagaininthemorning. ■
