Hotel & Catering Review - September 2017

SEPTEMBER 2017

Technology

FOOD HEROES

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE POWERS IRISH HOSPITALITY

FOLLOW THE BIG GLOBAL CULINARY TRENDS

Howard’s Way:

Meet Cork’s green caterer

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SEPTEMBER 2017

Technology

FOOD HEROES

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE POWERS IRISH HOSPITALITY

Go to hotelandcatering review.ie for the online edition

SEPTEMBER 2017

FOLLOW THE BIG GLOBAL CULINARY TRENDS

Howard’s Way:

Meet Cork’s green caterer

#TRENDING BUSINESS MATTERS | PROFILE | RENOVATION

Cover image:

(l-r) Judy Howard, Conrad Howard, and Tracey Sweeney, partners in the Market Lane Group.

CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE

COVER STORY

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MARKET TRADER A CATERER ROOTED IN COMMUNITY

Conrad Howard with Ellie O’Donovan of Green Space

We’ve always stressed the provenance of our ingredients, so being able to invest in an urban farm... growing herbs and leaves for our four businesses enables us to put our money where our mouth is.

Conrad Howard, MD, Market Lane Group

REGULARS

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NEWS

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ON THE

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STYLE

MOVE TRENDS

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On the Menu A prestigious dining experience brings unique coastal flavours to Dublin city.

Profile Deirdre Nix on a postexaminership success story at Kilashee Hotel & Spa.

Renovation Ireland’s largest hotel now offers a complete conference and residential solution.

Technology Avvio launches world’s first booking platform powered by artificial intelligence.

Food Heroes Chefs go au naturale as diners seek more personalised and social experiences.

Business Matters Ryan and Roberts top tips on delivering meaningful photography that connects customers to a brand.

A Quick Chat with Gregory Wincenty-Cichy UCC Coffee Ireland’s barista and coffee trainer.

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

Published by: Ashville Media, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7.

Tel: (01) 432 2200 ISSN: 0332-4400 All rights reserved. Every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate. The publishers cannot, however, accept responsibility for errors or omissions. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © Ashville Media Group 2017. All discounts, promotions and competitions contained in this magazine are run independently of Hotel & Catering Review. The promoter/advertiser is responsible for honouring the prize.

Editor’s

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alata Hotel Group’s market experience, revealed in its recently published results for the six months to the end of June, mirrors what is happening in the wider tourism industry since the Brexit vote last year.

Dalata, which reported an 80% jump in profits and revenues rising by 24.4%, noted that Dublin, one of its key markets, has experienced a drop off in visitor numbers from the UK due to the weakening of sterling since the Brexit vote. But this has been more than offset by an increase in visitor numbers from North America and other European countries.

Speaking at the launch of their ‘Get Brexit Ready’ programme to help businesses at risk or struggling with the loss of trade created by Brexit, Fáilte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly stressed that the volatility generated by Brexit during the last year would have led to significant revenue and job losses had Ireland’s other traditional markets, particularly the US, not performed so well. He also emphasised that the tourism industry can’t always assume that other markets will continue to compensate for fall offs in trade from the UK. That’s why Fáilte Ireland is working with the industry on other programmes to allow businesses to weather an uncertain Brexit environment. These include a cross border itinerary competition in partnership with Tourism Northern Ireland, enticing domestic tour operators to develop new itineraries along the border counties in both the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland. This has led to the development of seven new itineraries across the northern stretch of the island. Looking much further afield to an emerging market, Fáilte Ireland has launched its ‘China Welcome’ readiness programme, in partnership with Tourism Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland, to position tourism businesses to be attractive to the Chinese traveller.

The aim is to help businesses to successfully adapt their products and services and communicate their ability to do so to selected Chinese tour operators and self-organised travellers. The organisation is also currently conducting research to develop a strategy to grow visitor numbers from the lucrative luxury tourism sector, valued at 172bn globally, and is researching opportunities for Ireland in the outdoor activities and adventure space, a market valued at 260bn worldwide.

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

So how are individual businesses in the tourism and hospitality space gearing up for the potential consequences of Brexit? At Hotel & Catering Review we would love to hear from our readers about how they are getting ready for the Brexit challenge. You can share your experiences, and tips, by contacting me at 01 432 2271 or emailing maev.martin@ ashvillemediagroup.com

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NEWS Aled Jones with Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons

ALED JONES LAUNCHES AUTUMN PROMOTION Welsh TV and radio presenter Aled Jones joined Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons on September 4th to launch the agency’s global autumn promotional campaign, aimed at boosting late-season travel to Ireland from around the world. As part of the campaign, Welsh TV and radio presenter Aled Jones arrived in Dublin to film a new online video for a promotion in Britain that will reach about 7.5 million potential holidaymakers. The September to December period usually yields as much as 30% of Ireland’s annual overseas tourism business.

HONG KONG DIRECT BOOSTS HOTEL INVESTMENT

TOURISM AGENCY BUDGETS NEED 20M INJECTION The Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC) is calling for a 20m injection in tourism agency budgets to help mitigate the impact of Brexit. In its pre-budget submission to the government, ITIC estimates that Brexit will cost Irish tourism at least 100m this year. The Confederation is calling for improved competitiveness and the retention of the 9% tourism VAT rate. ITIC’s pre-budget submission also makes the case for increased capital investment in the tourism product and infrastructure to ‘develop new experiences of scale and international appeal’ so that Ireland remains a compelling destination for tourism. The Irish Times reports that the Confederation has incorporated a proposal in its pre-budget submission to government to commit to spending 60m annually over a 10-year period to create new tourist attractions in Ireland.

It wants the government to supply the requested funds to the tourism sector for the duration of the State’s Capital Plan, which starts in 2019 and ends in 2028.

JLL Ireland is expecting the Irish hotel investment market to experience a significant boost following the recent announcement that Cathay Pacific will operate a new direct Dublin to Hong Kong flight four times per week from June 2018. Hotel occupancy, demand and revenue per available room are all expected to benefit. Dublin Airport’s first direct route to the Asia-Pacific region will also open the pathways to connecting flights and locations such as Australia, Japan, mainland China and south-east Asia. “The Irish hotel market is already experiencing a significant influx in Asian hotel investors, particularly in Dublin,” says Dan O’Connor, Senior Vice President at JLL Hotels. “JLL has recently brokered two Dublin hotel transactions with Asian hotel buyers in the past nine months, one with a major Asian REIT and the other with a private Asian hotelier. The recent sale of the InterContinental Hong Kong for USD 938m, also brokered by JLL, (pictured), is one of the largest ever hotel sales in Asia.”

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DUBLIN HOTELS GAIN TOP RETURNS An analysis of 106 cities worldwide has found that Dublin has outperformed in recent years in terms of hotel occupancy, demand and revenue per available room. The JLL report was undertaken using scale, demand growth, construction, investment and performance, which allowed JLL to identify five dynamic groupings of cities with different opportunities and risks with hotel investors and operators. Dublin, on the back of high levels of demand and low levels of supply, has seen revenue per available room achieve substantial growth, promoting development in the capital, with a robust pipeline planned. “I am delighted to see that Dublin has outperformed in recent years in the global hotel industry and is on a par with Melbourne, Seattle and Vancouver,” said Daniel O’Connor, Senior Vice President - Hotels at JLL, commenting on the report. “It is fantastic that Dublin is thriving once again, with its global status growing and with 3,000 hotel bedrooms set to be created in Dublin before 2020, this will further enhance its position.”

STYLE COUNCIL AT THE WESTBURY The Westbury has partnered with the Council of Irish Fashion Designers and some of the country’s top milliners to create ‘The Art of Millinery’ afternoon tea, a limited-edition afternoon tea that has been served at the hotel since August 31st.

Established Irish milliners Aoife Kirwan, Davina Lynch, Leonora Ferguson, Margaret O’Connor and Wendy Louise Knight created bespoke head pieces exclusively for The Westbury and executive pastry chef Ray Encarnacion took his inspiration from the style and intricate detail of each head piece to craft a selection of desserts and sweet treats. Guests can enjoy The Art of Millinery Afternoon Tea until October 1st.

(l-r): Ben Scott, Head Chef, Joanne O’Donoghue, Wedding Co-ordinator, and Lorraine Scott, Sous Chef, celebrate the hotel’s four star accreditation.

FOUR STAR RECOGNITION FOR MIDLETON PARK 4

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The Midleton Park Hotel was recently awarded its four star rating by Fáilte Ireland. During the past year, in excess of 2.5m was invested in a full ground floor refurbishment at the east Cork hotel, which included the restaurant, communal areas such as the lobby and reception, and the ballroom. Two floors of bedrooms have also received a modern makeover, with plans to continue this across the remaining rooms. The extensive hotel overhaul included a redesign of the bridal suite, as well as the development of a presidential suite and two superior suites. Apart from the refurbishment and four star accreditation, Janice McConnell was appointed General Manager at the hotel in May and the menu at Midleton Park has also been revitalised, with head chef Ben Scott introducing a new offering that prioritises freshness and traceability, and changing many of the hotel’s suppliers to source local produce, where possible. Midleton Park Hotel’s new four-star rating rounds off the Talbot Collection’s rating as four star across the entire collection.

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STONEHOUSE JOINS FOOD & BEV LIVE The Stonehouse Trade Show will run alongside the two-day IFSA event, Food & Bev Live at Citywest Events Centre, Dublin. Food & Bev Live is taking place on February 6th and 7th 2018. The Stonehouse trade show will take place on February 6th 2018 and will be on the second floor of the events centre in the Lakes Suite where its White Hat brand and product portfolio will take centre stage. “Taking place alongside Food & Bev Live, our 2018 event is set to capitalise on a revitalised foodservice sector,” says White Hat Brand Manager & Foodservice and Alcohol Coordinator at Stonehouse, Brian Elliott. “With an abundance of promotions available at the show, from over 45 suppliers, the Stonehouse event will complement all that Food & Bev Live has to offer to the foodservice and hospitality industries.” Expected to be the biggest show to date, Food & Bev Live is the only event in 2018 with all industry support. In a first for the sector, Food & Bev Live and new event partners, the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), will host the Global Hospitality Tech Summit 2018, which is set to be Ireland’s only conference dedicated to examining recent trends in technology which are forming the future of the hospitality industry.

NEW FOODSERVICE COMPANY Apleona, the UK and Ireland Facilities Management and Workspace company, launched its new FoodSpace division to customers across Ireland on September 7th. The division will focus on providing foodservices underpinned by sustainable practices, either as a standalone caterer or as part of an integrated facilities management model. Pauline Cox, Director of FoodSpace, brings 20 years’ experience working with both Sodexo and Compass Group to the FoodSpace brand. FoodSpace will be seeking suppliers in the areas local to cafés and restaurants who share beliefs in quality fresh produce and ethical, sustainable practices. To assist with this process, FoodSpace has already developed a relationship with the Sustainable Restaurant Association.

The FoodSpace ‘50-mile Menu’ is made from the freshest ingredients that FoodSpace chefs can buy on the day, all from within 50 miles of their kitchen. All FoodSpace chefs are personally selected by Executive Chef, Conor Spacey to ensure consistency of delivery across all existing and future sites.

THE MICHELIN STARS FOR 2018

Brian Elliott, White Hat Brand Manager & Foodservice and Alcohol Coordinator at Stonehouse, Niamh Kenny, Food & Bev Live Show Manager, and Mark Murphy, Head Chef at Citywest Hotel & Conference Centre.

Restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland receiving prestigious new Michelin stars will be revealed at a live event on Monday, October 2. The unveiling of the new stars will coincide with the publication of the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2018. Michael Ellis, International Director of the Michelin Guides, will announce the news live on stage at The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London.

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NEW LOOK FOR CAFÉ DU PARC The opening of the newlyredeveloped Café du Parc, located on the site of the original Killarney House, took place recently. The rebrand was inspired by cafés in Paris as well as its location next to the Killarney National Park. The first phase of the development sees the opening of a new café and cocktail bar. “In this phase, we have introduced a new coffee bar featuring Badger and Dodo coffee, under the expert guidance of our new café manager Silvia Villena Gasco,” says bar manager Igor Krno.

“We also have new menus featuring homemade pastries, toasties and tasting platters, as well as ‘The Weekend Funky Brunch’ every Sunday. At night, we have introduced new drinks menus and a special cocktail list, and we have a lineup of some of the best DJs to create a cool and unique atmosphere.”

The new look was designed

by Quinn Casey & Company, led by their interior designers Myra Costelloe and Eoghan O’Cathasaigh. The next phase of the development will see the introduction of ‘Juicery @ Cafe Du Parc’ and further refurbishment of the bar.

Igor Krno, Head Barman, and Silvia Villena Gasco launching the newly-refurbished Café du Parc in Killarney.

PROMOTING CAREERS IN TOURISM

HOTEL RATES GROWTH TO LAST

Hospitality and tourism businesses around the country are looking to recruit over 6,000 entry-level employees each year across all areas of their operations and the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) is encouraging young people to consider a career in tourism. The IHF has a dedicated website, Get a Life in Tourism, supported by Fáilte Ireland, which offers comprehensive information on the many careers available in the sector, as well as information on how to get started, course and training schemes, and personal stories that offer a realistic picture of what to expect from a career in the tourism and hospitality sector.

Dublin hotel room prices are set to continue to rise strongly for the next four or five years, according to Aiden Murphy, a partner at Crowe Horwath. While the capital needs an estimated 5,000 new rooms to cope with increasing demand, he said there are currently only ‘shovel-ready’ sites for 1,400. He also said that predictions that there would be 4,000 or 5,000 new rooms in the system by the end of 2019 are likely to prove too optimistic.

Crowe Horwath recently launched a report providing analysis on hotel turnover, profitability and other performance indicators across the industry.

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STERLING COLLAPSE THREATENS TOURISM JOBS The continuing decline in the value of sterling against the euro will have a damaging impact on the Irish economy in the months ahead and will seriously impact the government’s ability to deliver on 50,000 new tourism jobs.

That’s according to Donall O’Keeffe, secretary of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) and LVA CEO. During the week of August 28th, sterling reached its lowest level against the euro since 2009. Global financial services company, Morgan Stanley has warned that sterling and the euro will reach parity by the end of this year. According to research conducted on behalf of Tourism Ireland, British people are less likely to travel in the wake of Brexit and, when they do, they intend to spend less. A report published on September 7th reveals that British tourists spent 1.1bn in Ireland in 2016, but states that the 6.2% drop in their numbers in the first seven months of 2017 compared to last year would equate to revenue loss of 68.2m if the trend continues. The report, entitled The Contribution of the Drinks Industry to Irish Tourism, was commissioned

by DIGI and authored by Dublin City University economist Anthony Foley.

“The government has targeted the creation of an additional 50,000 jobs in the Irish tourism sector in its ‘Realising Rural Potential’ action plan,” says Donall. “However, if our largest tourism market is finding Ireland too expensive to visit, it will undermine this target. We are calling for a Brexit Budget this October that will see the tourism and hospitality sector protected and supported.”

FRESHII TO OPEN NEW LOCATIONS Healthy fast food chain Freshii will open six new Irish restaurants by Christmas 2017, including outlets on Dame Street, The Point Village, Sandyford and Smithfield. The locations for two additional outlets, which are currently going through planning, will be announced at a later date. The announcement was made by Freshii’s founder and CEO Matthew Corrin who was in Ireland to speak at Ireland’s Convenience Retailer Summit at The Clayton, Burlington Road. The six new store openings will create 60 full-time and part-time jobs.

MARRIOTT TOPS OUT IN BELFAST

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The four-star AC by Marriott Hotel at Belfast Harbour’s City Quays development has been topped out. Work is now underway on completing the fit-out of the hotel’s 188 bedrooms and its Jean ChristopheNovelli restaurant.

Pictured are Belfast Harbour’s CEO, Roy Adair and GilbertAsh Managing Director, Ray Hutchinson. The hotel is due to open in early 2018.

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FOOD ON THE EDGE 2017

JP McMahon (left), director of Food On The Edge, and 2017 speaker Daniel Burns at the official programme launch.

The official programme for Food on the Edge 2017 was unveiled on September 8th in the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Galway, revealing the full line-up and schedule for the two-day global food symposium taking place on October 9th and 10th in the Black Box in Galway. Food On The Edge 2017 speaker, Brooklyn-based chef Daniel Burns, ex-Noma and The Fat Duck, was a special guest at the programme launch. This year, Daniel, whose restaurant Luksus is the only restaurant to earn a Michelin star while pairing only beer with the food served, will speak at Food On The Edge about his new project, Burns Gelato and expanding his business horizons by implementing what he has learned in fine dining in an ice cream shop. Burns Gelato is due to open in New York City later this year. The 2017 Food on the Edge line-up includes international cult chefs and stars of the Netflix series Chef’s Table, including trailblazer Niki Nakayama, owner of n/naka restaurant in Los Angeles. Irish chefs in the lineup include Niall McKenna, Domini Kemp, Anna Haugh, Robin Gill, Cúán Greene and the Eurotoques Young Chef of the Year finalists.The Food On The Edge 2017 sponsors, partners and friends are: EAT Galway, La Rousse Foods, Bord Bia, San Pellegrino, Estrella Damm, Gather & Gather, Findlater & Co, Bunzl McLaughlin, Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa Galway, Galway County Council, the European Region of Gastronomy, Food PR & Marketing, Egg & Chicken Food Projects, IOFGA, Chef Network, Heavy Man Films, Burren Food Trail, Fine Dining Lovers, Burren Smokehouse, The King’s Head, Brasserie on the Corner, The Dough Bros, Dooncastle Oysters, Hatch & Sons and 56 Central.

BRINGING A TASTE OF IRELAND TO CANADA Celebrity chef Clodagh McKenna brought a taste of Ireland to Canada on September 6th. Tourism Ireland invited influential Canadian food bloggers and journalists to attend a fun cookery demo with Clodagh and Justin O’Connor, executive chef at the Guinness Storehouse. “We are delighted to have Clodagh McKenna with us in Toronto this week,” said Dana Welch, Tourism Ireland’s Manager Canada. “It’s a great way of highlighting the superb culinary experience on offer in Ireland. Food and drink are vital elements of the holiday experience nowadays, so our message here in Canada is that the island of Ireland is a superb choice for ‘foodies’. In 2016, we welcomed a record 203,000 Canadian visitors to the island of Ireland.

Tourism Ireland is confident of continued strong growth for 2017 and in the years to come. A number of factors are working in our favour, including more airline seats than ever before between Canada and Ireland, with about 8,000 seats on 33 flights now available each week during the summer months, an increase of +26% over summer 2016.”

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Celebrity chef Clodagh McKenna (right) at the cookery demo in Toronto with (from left) Ian Colgan, Guinness beer specialist, Dana Welch, Tourism Ireland, and Justin O’Connor, Guinness Storehouse executive chef.

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Commercial

PROFILE

INNOVATIVE CAMPAIGNS

TARGET KEY AUDIENCES TOURISM IRELAND IS ENGAGED IN A VARIETY OF CREATIVE CAMPAIGNS TO GROW VISITOR NUMBERS FROM KEY MARKETS SUCH AS GREAT BRITAIN, THE US, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA, AS WELL AS EMERGING MARKETS LIKE CHINA.

KODALINE STAR IN NEW UK CAMPAIGN

CLARE MAKES TV DEBUT DOWN UNDER Images of Lisdoonvarna and Co Clare were beamed into the homes of 700,000 Australians in a recent episode of a popular Australian TV show called The Living Room. The show is presented by Dr Chris Brown (pictured in Co Clare), a well-known Australian TV personality and veterinarian. Filming took place last autumn at the Matchmaking Festival in Lisdoonvarna and at other locations around Co Clare. “Tourism Ireland is delighted that Dr Chris and the team from The Living Room chose to film in Co Clare,” says Sofia Hansson, Tourism Ireland’s Manager for Australia. “With an audience of about 700,000 viewers per episode, it is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Co Clare and the Wild Atlantic Way. TV and film are recognised as strong influencers for prospective holidaymakers and Tourism Ireland regularly works with TV and production companies around the world to facilitate the making of travel and lifestyle programmes and films around the island of Ireland.”

Tourism Ireland has teamed up with Vevo, the world’s leading music video and entertainment platform, to create a new video guide to Dublin starring Kodaline. The video is part of a novel promotion to showcase Dublin to British holidaymakers this autumn. The campaign will see Vevo create a new series of online videos, called Real Guides, fronted by well-known music acts in different cities.

The first of these video guides is all about Dublin and stars Kodaline.

Filming took place at various locations around the city, with the four band members taking viewers on a journey around their favourite places to shop, eat, drink and hang out. The video will be promoted across the Vevo platform in Britain this autumn, reaching about 10 million 18 to 34 year olds, or potential visitors for Dublin.

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PROFILE

TAOISEACH HELPS PROMOTE IRELAND IN TORONTO During his recent visit to Canada, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar took the time to support Tourism Ireland’s promotional efforts when he met some of the leading Canadian tour operators and airlines who programme and sell holidays to Ireland. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is pictured with (from left) Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland, Mary Heron, Aer Lingus, Denise Heffron, Air Transat, Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland, and Luigi Iannello, Air Canada Vacations. Canada is one of Ireland’s top 10 tourism markets and 2016 was the best year ever for Irish tourism from Canada - we welcomed 203,000 Canadian visitors, up +11% on 2015. In fact, visitor numbers from Canada have grown by almost 28% since 2014, correlating directly with a significant increase in direct flights from Canada to Ireland.

PROMOTING IRELAND’S ANCIENT EAST Tourism Ireland has teamed up with Expedia to promote Ireland’s Ancient East to British travellers for autumn and winter breaks.

The campaign is targeting Expedia customers who are part of our ‘culturally curious’ audience in Britain. It includes online ads on the Expedia website and a homepage ‘takeover’, all linking to a special Ireland’s Ancient East webpage featuring inspirational ideas and travel deals. Great Britain is a vital market for tourism to the island of Ireland. It delivers 47% of all overseas visitors and around 30% of all overseas tourism revenue. However, the decline in the value of sterling is certainly a challenge for Irish tourism from Britain right now, which means that competitiveness and the value for money message are more important than ever. Tourism Ireland is placing a greater focus on its ‘culturally curious’ audience, who are less impacted by currency fluctuations. The organisation is also undertaking an expanded programme with key partners, where it is communicating a strong, price-led message.

CHINESE GUIDEBOOK FEATURES

IRISH DRIVING ROUTES DIDI Car Rental, one of the largest car hire companies in China, has launched its first self-drive travel guidebook and it features three driving routes on the island of Ireland. Targeting Chinese travellers who want to take self-drive holidays overseas, it is an online guidebook and app which includes information about signature driving routes in different destinations.

DIDI Car Rental will be sharing this guide with its millions of registered users.

“China is an important emerging travel market and one that Tourism Ireland is committed to growing over the coming years,” says Tourism Ireland’s Manager China, James Kenny. “The fact that three driving routes on the island of Ireland feature in the new DIDI guidebook is good news indeed, helping to raise awareness among Chinese travellers about our spectacular scenery and the many things to see and do on a holiday here.”

TARGETING THE DIASPORA IN MILWAUKEE The 37th annual Milwaukee Irish Fest, the largest celebration of Irish culture and heritage in the US, took place recently. With a huge audience of about 150,000 visitors, the four-day festival was an ideal opportunity for Tourism Ireland to showcase Ireland as a superb holiday destination.

Ciarán Cannon, Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development, was at the festival, where he met with the Tourism Ireland team and a large delegation of tourism enterprises from around the island of Ireland. Minister Cannon (second left) is pictured with Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland, Robert Coyne and Anna Connor, both Mayo Tourism.

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COVER STORY

A Restaurateur

FOR ALL SEASONS Market Lane Group epitomises the modern hospitality operation, with its strong links to community and industry initiatives, passion for on-the-job training, and constant expansion of customer services.

Managing Director Conrad Howard updates Maev Martin on some recent initiatives and talks about their sourcing local and sustainable growing policy.

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COVER STORY

One

of Cork’s biggest restaurant groups, The Market Lane Group operates four restaurants - Market Lane, Orso, Castle Café Blackrock, and Elbow Lane. Each restaurant has its own identity and caters for a specific market - Market Lane is contemporary Irish, The Castle Café is Mediterraneaninfluenced, Orso is Middle Eastern/North African, and Elbow Lane offers contemporary, wood-fired grill cooking. “I met a guest last week who had breakfast, lunch and dinner in a different one of our venues in one day and I happened to see him in each!” says Conrad. “Our service ethos is friendly, welcoming, informed and professional, but casual. We want to scoop guests up when they walk through the door and let them leave their worries outside.” Market Lane also owns one of the smallest breweries in Ireland, Elbow Lane nanobrewery, which is one of two breweries operating on the central ‘island’ of Cork city. “We did a lot of research around craft beer and we decided that we wanted to brew beer that worked really well with food,” says Conrad. “Our beer is exclusive to us and it is another point of difference in our offering to guests across our four venues. We are lucky to work with two amazing brewers who not only produce these wonderful products, but also train colleagues from all departments so we can help the guests with any queries they may have.”

GREEN CUISINE Earlier this year, Ireland’s first commercial hydroponic garden, Green Space, created a commercial partnership worth 150,000 with The Market Lane Group. Green Space was set up by urban gardener, Ellie O’Donovan, who uses a combination of organic growing techniques and hydroponic systems to grow a range of produce for restaurants and cafés who

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favour a strong eco and low food mile offer.

Green Space is located in Cork’s inner city within 2.5 miles of the Group’s four restaurants, as well as their Elbow Lane nanobrewery. Initially, it will supply the group with salad leaves, herbs and micro greens, eventually extending its range to include hops for the nanobrewery and the group’s other plant-based needs. “This investment in Green Space reflects our ongoing commitment to reducing food miles and food waste, while guaranteeing the supply of the freshest, organic ingredients to our restaurants all year round,” says Conrad.

“The investment will also help to secure the future of this exciting new start-up as business develops.” Ellie O’Donovan has serious form as a gardener, learning her trade on the Mount Juliette Estate and, more recently, at Market Lane’s restaurant garden at Blackrock Castle while starting her own company. “We have worked with Ellie for the last four years with our hydroponic green house in The Castle Café,” he says.

“We’ve always stressed the provenance of our ingredients, so being able to invest in an urban farm that cuts out a pile of air miles by growing herbs and leaves for our four businesses enables us to put our money where our mouth is. Ellie is involved in food policy forums and has a restaurant background, so it’s a good fit for us in lots of ways. We think there should be a Green Space in every city.”

STAYING LOCAL The 8m Market Lane Group already works very closely with traders in Cork’s English Market, sourcing all meat and fish produce there, where possible, as well as with a host of foragers, artisan cheese makers and local producers in Cork and throughout Munster.

“This new investment further consolidates our policy of sourcing local, staying local and sustainable growing,” says Conrad. “There is a definite shift by consumers towards more locally grown produce and Green Space takes local and fresh to a whole other level for those who care about food. We realise that provenance and sourcing is as important to guests as it is to us, so the vast majority of our suppliers would be local.

Recently, we dedicated an entire page on our website to our suppliers so that guests can find out a little more about some of the amazing producers that we work with in Cork and beyond. The English Market was our original inspiration for Market Lane and we’ve dedicated an entire page to celebrating that, so that the many foreign visitors to our site can understand just why this amazing institution is so revered in Cork.”

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COVER STORY them. We wouldn’t say that we’re perfect, but it is an area that we are constantly tweaking and evaluating in a highly critical way.” The Market Lane Group also employs a panel of in-house experts in its four businesses who have educated themselves, with support from management, to offer on-site training in specific areas such as wine, whiskey, beer and coffee. “Yuliyan Andrianov (coffee), Russell Garet (beer), Mamun Ahmed Bhuyan (spices), Lynda Ahern (whiskey) and Daria Rigla and Ciaran Cummings (wine) help train the staff on an on-going basis, create menus, and work with the chefs to inspire dishes from the kitchens,” he says. “We plan to continue to add to these experts as there is an enormous amount of pent-up interest from colleagues who are eager to offer their expertise to others within the group.”

Conrad believes that the hospitality industry has to focus on up-skilling existing colleagues and supporting the third level colleges that are training the hospitality workers of the future. “We’ve got to bury the dated ‘angry chef ’ stereotype and work collectively to ensure that our industry is an attractive one for prospective entrants,” he says. “We should do this by telling our own career stories and stressing the opportunities that can be taken by those who might not be interested in an exclusively office-based career. I’m involved in the Future Food initiative, which is an initiative that brings food professionals into schools to talk about what they do, and this is exactly the sort of programme that I hope will produce longterm results.”

Conrad Howard with Ellie O’Donovan of Green Space

RECRUITMENT & TRAINING The Market Lane Group employs more than 150 people across its four locations, including up to 76 in their kitchens, depending on the time of year. “We’ve noticed a tightening in the labour market over the last 24 months and, to be fair, the RAI have been flagging it continuously over that period to those in power,” he says. “We are lucky in that we have a unique offering for candidates, and are mainly city centre-based, so we’ve not had to recruit chefs for a while now. However, we are constantly polishing our offering to ensure that, if we need to, we can present an enticing work environment for prospective colleagues.” The Group invests significantly in in-house training initiatives.

“We spend a lot of time and money ensuring that colleagues have on-going training in every department,” he says. “The training is varied and not exclusive to the department that the person is employed in, so we will often have chefs involved in beer training and baristas will attend butchery demonstrations. I think that the world of work has changed now and people are looking for non-traditional incentives and training to challenge

A DECADE IN BUSINESS 2017 marks the 10th anniversary of Market Lane Restaurant, the group’s first restaurant.

“We decided to do a rolling celebration to mark this milestone as opposed to doing a big bang,” says Conrad. “We started with a party for colleagues to underline the fact that we wouldn’t have made it this far had it not been for the amazing team that we work with. Our brewers have created a commemorative beer that has been so popular we’ve had to brew another batch! In addition, we have marked the milestone by rewarding colleagues who have worked with us for a decade with holiday vouchers and we have made our guests aware by noting it on menus and window advertising.” Market Lane Group has also funded a project with a city centre youth and community group that they hope will be the first of many, and they have a new business concept that is ready to go. “We are carefully searching for the right site in Cork to make it happen,” he says.

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FINALIST ANNOUNCEMENT The Gold Medal Awards, in association with Hotel & Catering Review magazine, are delighted to announce the finalists for the 2017 awards.

These awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of the hotel and catering sector throughout the country over the past 12 months. They also recognise and reward the high standards of excellence in terms of both the physical product and the level of service that is being delivered in our industry.

After 3 months of travelling all corners of the country and visiting every single property that entered the awards,hours of meetings and further discussions, the Gold Medal Awards Judging Panel are proud to announce the finalists in each category.

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IRELAND’S FIVE STAR HOTEL Sponsored by Noel Hospitality • Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo • Ballyfin Demesne, Co. Laois • Dromoland Castle, Co. Clare • Glenlo Abbey Hotel, Co. Galway • InterContinental Dublin, Dublin 4 • Killarney Park Hotel, Co. Kerry • Muckross Park Hotel & Spa, Co. Kerry • Sheen Falls Lodge, Co. Kerry • The Europe Hotel & Resort, Co. Kerry

IRELAND’S FOUR STAR HOTEL Sponsored by Sodexo • Absolute Hotel Limerick, Co. Limerick • Garryvoe Hotel, Co. Cork • Maryborough Hotel, Co. Cork • Mulranny Park Hotel, Co. Mayo • Slieve Russell Hotel, Golf & Country Club, Co. Cavan • The Brehon, Co. Kerry • The Malton Killarney, Co. Kerry • The Newpark Hotel with Escape Health Club & Aveda Spa, Co. Kilkenny • The Twelve Hotel, Co. Galway

IRELAND’S FOUR STAR RESORT • Castle Leslie Estate, Co. Monaghan • Galgorm Resort & Spa, Co. Antrim • Kelly’s Resort Hotel, Co. Wexford • Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa, Co. Roscommon • Mount Juliet Estate, Co. Kilkenny • Redcastle Oceanfront Golf & Spa Hotel, Co. Donegal • Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, Co. Down • The Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links, Dublin 13 • Waterford Castle Hotel & Golf Resort, Co. Waterford

IRELAND’S THREE STAR HOTEL • Arnolds Hotel, Co. Donegal • Celtic Ross Hotel, Co. Cork • Claregalway Hotel, Co. Galway

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•C onyngham Arms Hotel, Co. Meath •H eadfort Arms Hotel, Co. Meath •K illeen House Hotel, Co. Kerry •M aldron Hotel Belfast, Co. Antrim

IRELAND’S COUNTRY HOUSE & GUEST HOUSE

• The Spa at Kilronan Castle, Kilronan Castle Estate, Co. Roscommon • The Spa No 1 Pery Square Hotel, Co. Limerick

IRELAND’S HOTEL BREAKFAST Sponsored by Flahavan’s

• Ard na Sidhe Country House, Co. Kerry • Blackwell House, Co. Down • Gregans Castle Hotel, Co. Clare • Marlfield House , Co. Wexford • Moy House, Co. Clare • Rathsallagh House, Co. Wicklow • Roundwood House, Co. Laois • The Castle at Castle Leslie Estate, Co. Monaghan • Viewmount House, Co. Longford

IRELAND’S FIVE STAR HOTEL SPA EXPERIENCE • ESPA at the Europe, The Europe Hotel & Resort, Co. Kerry • Spa Solís, Lough Eske Castle, Co. Donegal • The Spa at Aghadoe Heights, Aghadoe Heights Hotel, Co. Kerry • The Spa at Castlemartyr Resort, Castlemartyr Resort, Co. Cork • The Spa at Dromoland, Dromoland Castle, Co. Clare • The Spa at Lyrath Estate, Lyrath Estate Hotel, Co. Kilkenny • The Spa at The Heritage, The Heritage Killenard, Co. Laois

IRELAND’S FOUR STAR HOTEL SPA EXPERIENCE Sponsored by Sodexo • Angsana Spa, The Brehon, Co. Kerry • Chill Spa, Ice House Hotel, Co. Mayo • Island Spa , Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa, Co. Cork • Nádúr Spa, Ballygarry House Hotel & Spa, Co. Kerry • Oceo Spa, Seafield Hotel & Spa Resort, Co. Wexford • Revas Spa, Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel & Spa, Co. Limerick • The Spa at Galgorm Resort, Galgorm Resort & Spa, Co. Antrim

• Blue Haven Hotel, Co. Cork • Clontarf Castle Hotel, Dublin 3 • Dylan Hotel, Dublin 4 • Heatons Guesthouse, Co. Kerry • Moy House, Co. Clare • Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin 8 • The Castle at Castle Leslie Estate, Co. Monaghan • The Malton Killarney, Co. Kerry • The Montenotte Hotel, Co. Cork

IRELAND’S FAMILY FRIENDLY HOTEL • Amber Springs Hotel, Co. Wexford • Diamond Coast Hotel, Co. Sligo • Dingle Skellig Hotel, Co. Kerry • Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel & Spa, Co. Limerick • Hotel Killarney, Co. Kerry • Kelly’s Resort Hotel, Co. Wexford • Mulranny Park Hotel, Co. Mayo • The Inn at Dromoland, Co. Clare • The Newpark Hotel with Escape Health Club & Aveda Spa, Co. Kilkenny

IRELAND’S CITY HOTEL • Dylan Hotel, Dublin 4 • Harbour Hotel, Co. Galway • InterContinental Dublin, Dublin 4 • Limerick Strand Hotel, Co. Limerick • Morrison A DoubleTree By Hilton, Dublin 1 • North Star Hotel, Dublin 1 • Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin 8 • The Glasshouse, Co. Sligo • The Montenotte Hotel, Co. Cork

IRELAND’S BUSINESS HOTEL • Absolute Hotel Limerick, Co. Limerick

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• Cork International Hotel, Co. Cork • Crowne Plaza DublinBlanchardstown, Dublin 15 • Crowne Plaza Dundalk, Co. Louth • Limerick Strand Hotel, Co. Limerick • Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Co. Galway • Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin 8 • The Croke Park, Dublin 3 • The Kingsley, Co. Cork

•J ohn Coughlan Catering, Irish National Hunt Festival Punchestown Racecourse •J ohn Coughlan Catering, The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open •N aomi’s Kitchen, Co. Dublin •S easons at Guinness Storehouse, Dublin 8

IRELAND’S SITE CONTRACT CATERER IRELAND’S WEDDING HOTEL • Ballygarry House Hotel & Spa, Co. Kerry • Belleek Castle, Co. Mayo • Fernhill House Hotel & Gardens, Co. Cork • Garryvoe Hotel, Co. Cork • Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa, Co. Roscommon • Maryborough Hotel, Co. Cork • Rathsallagh House, Co. Wicklow • Redcastle Oceanfront Golf & Spa Hotel, Co. Donegal • The Brehon, Co. Kerry

• Aramark, PWC • Brook Food Services, Co. Cork • Corporate Catering Services, Axa Shannon • Corporate Catering Services, Regeneron Limerick • Marqette, Dublin Airport, Co. Dublin • Sodexo, Allstate • Sodexo, Central Bank of Ireland • Sodexo, Hollister • The Q Café Company, Eurofound

IRELAND’S HEALTHCARE CATERER Sponsored by Noel Healthcare

IRELAND’S BEST HOTEL WEBSITE Sponsored by Digisoft.tv • Boynehillhouse.ie Boyne Hill House, Co. Meath • Castlewooddingle.com Castlewood House Dingle, Co. Kerry • Clontarfcastle.ie Clontarf Castle Hotel, Dublin 3 • Fotaisland.ie Fota Island Resort, Co. Cork • Greatnationalhotels.com Great National Hotels, Co. Clare • Northstarhotel.ie North Star Hotel, Dublin 1 • Portmarnock.com Portmarnock Hotel, Co. Dublin • Sheenfallslodge.ie Sheen Falls Lodge, Co. Kerry • Wyatthotel.com The Wyatt Hotel, Co. Mayo

IRELAND’S EVENT CATERER • Brook Food Services, Medieval Banquet • Copper & Spices, Co. Meath

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• Aramark, Mayo University Hospital • Aramark, University Hospital Galway • Marymount University Hospital & Hospice, Co. Cork • National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin 2 • Saint John of God Hospital, Co. Dublin • The Q Café Company, Sports Surgery Clinic

IRELAND’S FINE DINING RESTAURANT • 1826 Adare, Co. Limerick • La Fougére, Knockranny House Hotel & Spa, Co. Mayo • One Pico, Dublin 2 • Orchids, Hayfield Manor Hotel, Co. Cork • Pullman Restaurant, Glenlo Abbey Hotel, Co. Galway • Ristorante Rinuccini, Co. Kilkenny • The Dining Room, Gregans Castle Hotel, Co. Clare • The Edge, Redcastle Oceanfront Golf & Spa Hotel, Co. Donegal • The Lady Helen, Mount Juliet Estate, Co. Kilkenny

IRELAND’S CASUAL DINING EXPERIENCE • Hamlets Bar Kinsale, Co. Cork • La Côte Seafood Restaurant, Co. Wexford • Lock 13 Gastropub & Brewpub, Co. Kildare • Pickle, Dublin 2 • The Brasserie, The Europe Hotel & Resort, Co. Kerry • The Draft House, Co. Sligo • The Duck Restaurant, Marlfield House Hotel, Co. Wexford • The Ocean Bar, Armada Hotel, Co. Clare • Vanilla Pod Restaurant, Headfort Arms Hotel, Co. Meath

IRELAND’S WILD ATLANTIC WAY RESTAURANT • Cedars Grill, Lough Eske Castle, Co. Donegal • Eithnas By the Sea, Co. Sligo • Kealys Seafood Bar, Co. Donegal • Library Restaurant, Belleek Castle, Co. Mayo • Moy House Restaurant, Co. Clare • Roisin Dubh Restaurant, Renvyle House Hotel, Co. Galway • The Kingfisher Bar & Bistro, Celtic Ross Hotel, Co. Cork • The Tavern, Co. Mayo • West at The Twelve, The Twelve Hotel, Co. Galway

IRELAND’S NEWCOMER RESTAURANT • Dillisk on the Docks, Harbour Hotel, Co. Galway • John Keoghs - The Lock Keeper, Co. Galway • Panorama Bistro & Terrace, The Montenotte Hotel, Co. Cork • Saba Restaurant, Baggot Street Upper, Dublin 4 • The Holy Grail Restaurant, New Ross, Co. Wexford • Wild and Native Seafood Restaurant, Co. Wexford

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IRELAND’S WINE EXPERIENCE • Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo • Ballyfin Demesne, Co. Laois • Dunbrody Country House Hotel, Co. Wexford • Hayfield Manor Hotel, Co. Cork • InterContinental Dublin, Dublin 4 • Killarney Park Hotel, Co. Kerry • People’s Restaurant, Co. Cavan • Pickle, Dublin 2 • Sheen Falls Lodge, Co. Kerry • The Twelve Hotel, Co. Galway

IRELAND’S GUEST EXPERIENCE • Aqua Restaurant, Co. Dublin • Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo • Castlemartyr Resort, Co. Cork • Dromquinna Manor, Co. Kerry • Dunraven Arms Hotel, Co. Limerick • Killeen House Hotel, Co. Kerry • Muckross Park Hotel & Spa, Co. Kerry • Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, Co. Down • The Merrion, Dublin 2

IRELAND’S FRONT OF HOUSE TEAM MEMBER • Aidan Moynihan, General Manager, Hotel Killarney, Co. Kerry • Catherine Kenny, Rooms Division Manager, Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo • Deirdre Ryan, Senior Chef, Marymount University Hospital & Hospice, Co. Cork • Joyce Brownless, Owner, Blackwell House, Co. Down • Padraig Casey, Guest Relations Manager, Killarney Park Hotel, Co. Kerry • Rory Gallagher, Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, Co. Down • Treasa Joyce, Owner, Kilmurvey House, Co. Galway

IRELAND’S CHEF OF THE YEAR • Angel Pirev, The Mustard Seed, Co. Limerick • Chad Byrne, The Brehon, Co. Kerry

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•D avid Hurley, Gregans Castle Hotel, Co. Clare •G ary O’Hanlon, Viewmount House, Co. Longford •G reg Budzyn, Trump International Golf Links & Hotel, Co. Clare •J ess Murphy, Kai Restaurant, Co. Galway •P aul O’Gorman, Killeen House Hotel, Co. Kerry •S tephen Lenihan, Belleek Castle, Co. Mayo •W ade Murphy, 1826 Adare, Co. Limerick

IRELAND’S MENU PROVENANCE AWARD • Ballyfin Demesne, Co. Laois • Headfort Arms Hotel, Co. Meath • Limerick Strand Hotel, Co. Limerick • Moy House, Co. Clare • Pickle, Dublin 2 • Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, Co. Down • The Bay Tree Bistro, Co. Waterford • The Tavern, Co. Mayo

IRELAND’S EXECUTIVE CHEF OF THE YEAR

IRELAND’S INNOVATIVE SUPPLIER

• David

Porter, Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa, Co. Roscommon • Gary

Rogers, Lyrath Estate Hotel, Co. Kilkenny • John

O’Leary, Muckross Park Hotel & Spa, Co. Kerry • Justin

O’Connor, Seasons at Guinness Storehouse, Dublin 8 • Ken

Harker, Mount Juliet Estate, Co. Kilkenny • Odran

Lucey, The Rose Hotel, Co. Kerry • Peter Jackson, Armada Hotel, Co. Clare • Sam

Moody, Ballyfin Demesne, Co. Laois • Taweesak

(Tao) Trakoolwattana, Saba Restaurant, Dublin 2

• Avvio • Dobiquity • Inagh Farmhouse Cheese

IRELAND’S RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR • Cathal

O’ Dowd, Langton House Hotel, Co. Kilkenny • James Doyle, The Lobster, Co. Kerry • Jeff

Murphy, Marlfield House, Co. Wexford • Louise

O’Donoghue, Muckross Park Hotel & Spa, Co. Kerry • Niamh

Barry, The Bay Tree Bistro Co. Waterford • Nicky

Glendon, The Newpark Hotel with Escape Health Club & Aveda Spa, Co. Kilkenny • Pauline

McGovern, The Tavern, Co. Mayo • Sandeep

Bhoojedhur, Seasons at Guinness Storehouse, Dublin 8 • Stephen

Connolly, Clarion Hotel Dublin Liffey Valley, Dublin 22

IRELAND’S FAVOURITE PLACE TO STAY Sponsored by Irish Independent The finalists for this category will be revealed on the night of the Gold Medal Awards.

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD The winner of this category was chosen by the judging panel for their outstanding service contribution to the industry and will be announced on the night of the Gold Medal Awards.

SUPREME WINNER This award is the Irish hospitality industry’s highest accolade. The winner of this category is chosen by the judging panel after all site inspections are completed and is recognised on the night of the Gold Medal Awards

15/09/2017 14:26

Commercial

PROFILE

MICHELIN STAR CHEF CHOOSES

FRIMA TECHNOLOGY ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ACCLAIMED CHEFS HAS SELECTED FRIMA’S VARIO COOKING CENTRE TO POWER HIS LATEST HOSPITALITY VENTURE IN THE DEVONSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE.

M

ichael Caines MBE’s distinctive approach to cuisine has seen him become one of the most acclaimed chefs in the world and it earned him two Michelin stars during his time as Head Chef at Gidleigh Park.

For his latest venture, he has transformed Lympstone Manor, a beautiful Grade-2 listed building situated in the Devonshire countryside overlooking the Exe estuary, into his vision of contemporary country house hospitality. When it came to choosing equipment for his kitchen, he was confident about what was needed.

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“I was designing a modern kitchen, so I wanted the most advanced equipment that fitted within that workflow, as well as equipment that was flexible enough to accommodate our future plans,” he says. With those requirements, it’s no surprise that a Frima VarioCooking Center Multificiency found a home at Lympstone Manor. Michael chose the largest model in the range, the VarioCooking in one unit. On Center 311+. This is any given day, a single-pan unit with a the VarioCooking The Frima at Lympstone Manor Center could be capacity of 150 litres and it combines the functions of a used for a number kettle, fryer, griddle, bratt pan, of different purposes. “The key tilting pan and pressure cooker thing for me is that the Frima

Michelin Star Chef Michael Caines

puts full control in the chef’s hands,” he explains. “When you’re aiming to be the best, consistency and quality are paramount. With Frima, you’re guaranteed the best results every time.”

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Carlingford Oyster

Galway Oyster

Native Oyster

Flaggy Shore Oyster

The sixth annual Oyster Fest at Cliff Townhouse Achill Mayo kicked off on Oyster September 7th and runs until September 30th. The prestigious dining experience brings the delicious and unique flavours of Ireland’s coastal regions to Dublin’s city.

Waterford Oyster

s This Sep t ud

Subm er

T r a u ste o Y e B g

ber em

ON THE MENU

Carlingford Oyster

Galway Oyster

Waterford Oyster

Paired With Oxtail and Castlebellingham Cheese

Coupled with Galway Hooker and Blackcurrant

With Cucumber and Blackwater Gin

Carlingford Oysters are influenced by the freshwater that flows from the mountainside, giving them a sweet flavour followed by a tannic aftertaste. To complement this, a slow braised oxtail is paired with a salty and full-bodied Castlebellingham Cheese. Considered to be one of the best blue cheeses in the world, Bellingham Blue is hand-made, handstored and hand-pierced in the area, with the rind hand-rubbed and turned.

Malted barley is used to produce the region’s most popular beer, Galway Hooker. This lager is unusually bitter as it receives about three times more hops than the average, in order to balance the sweetness of the malt. This bitterness, combined with earthy blackcurrant and the salty and creamy sweetness of the oysters, creates an ideal balance.

The nutrient rich waters of the Atlantic and Irish seas combined with the local rivers and streams surrounding Dungarvan Bay create a sweet and meaty unique ‘speciale’ oyster. Oysters from this area are known for their salinity, sweetness and citrus notes, making it an ideal partner for local distiller Blackwater Gin and fresh cucumber.

Served: Warm Farmer: Michael & Diarmuid Kelly

Served: Cold Farmer: Ray & Shay Harty

Native Oyster

Native to the Irish shores, the Native Oyster is in season in September and is also known as the European Flat Oyster. Sourced from the wild oyster fisheries along the west coast of Ireland, the complex flavour is due to the fact that they are a relatively scarce species. They are served naked to preserve the flavour.

Served: Cold

Served: Warm Farmer: Kian Louet-Feisser

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ON THE MENU

I

n addition to the robust and varied oyster offering that has become a favourite for seafood lovers year round, a new signature dish has been created by Head Chef Sean Smith that focuses on the idea that ‘when you taste an oyster, you are experiencing the very place from where it was grown.’ Highlighting Ireland’s rich heritage and artisan producers, the Taste of Ireland platter includes six varieties of oysters served both fresh and grilled that bring taste buds alive with regional flavours from across the diverse coastal landscape, from the freshwater Carlingford Oyster, prepared with full-bodied Castlebellingham Cheese and oxtail, to Flaggy Shore Oysters, grilled with earthy tarragon and spinach.

“The food we serve at the Cliff Townhouse is a testament to the farmers, fishermen and local suppliers and producers that we work with all year round,” says Head Chef Sean Smith. “This Oyster Fest we wanted to create something different that celebrates the unique flavours of Ireland’s landscape using the ‘best of the best’ ingredients from those regions, while also providing a new way for people to experience the oysters themselves.”

Available for a limited time from September 7th to 30th, the Taste of Ireland platter, costing a16.50, includes one of each of the following below:

WHEN YOU TASTE AN OYSTER, YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THE VERY PLACE FROM WHERE IT WAS GROWN. Flaggy Shore Oyster

Achill Mayo Oyster

Paired with Spinach and Celery Pernod

With Bacon and Cream

Reflecting the greenery and abundant plant life in the region, the oyster has been paired with spinach, celery and tarragon to balance the saltiness with rich earthy flavours.

Based along the Flaggy Shore where the Burren Hills meet Galway Bay, oysters found in this part of the country are considered to be more delicate than others.

Served: Grilled Farmer: Ciara & Gerry O’Halloran

Traditionally grown in the sandy bay using trestles and bags, these oysters lie atop an ancient sunken peat bog, giving them a unique earthy taste. A new take on ‘surf & turf,’ the warm salty meat paired with the sweetness of the oyster creates a favourite and unrivalled flavour combination.

SAY HELLO TO OUR NEW LOOK Grand Cafe has a fresh new look, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

And that hasn’t changed. On the inside is coffee with a conscience and the same great taste.

Served: Grilled Farmer: Hugh O’Malley For more information on Grand Cafe coffee, please contact: Henderson Foodservice on 1800 805593

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DOOR

KEY TO THE DOOR

KEY TO THE

Openings, Closures, Refurbs and Acquisitions

GIBSON HOTEL BUILDING ON THE MARKET The four-star Gibson Hotel building in Dublin’s north docklands is to be offered for sale as a long-term investment for a figure expected to be in excess of 87m.

The 252-bedroom hotel is let to a subsidiary of Dalata on a lease which has another 17.8 years to run.

The Gibson has traded successfully since it opened seven years ago at the Point Village. Receivers Paul McCann and Stephen Tennant of Grant Thornton are overseeing the hotel sale, which will be handled by Fergus O’Farrell and Tom Barrett of Savills.

Neil Lane, General Manager at Radisson Blu St. Helen’s Hotel

MOTEL ONE PLAN FOR DUBLIN Solicitor and property developer Noel Smyth has submitted plans for a nine-storey hotel in Dublin city centre. His company, Fitzwilliam Real Estate Properties, plans to demolish several buildings on Liffey Street and Middle Abbey Street on the north side of the city. Motel One, a leading budget hotel chain in Europe, would be the operator of the 365-room hotel. The chain operates 57 hotels with more than 15,000 bedrooms in cities such as London, Newcastle, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Prague, Vienna and Zurich. It offers a flat rate all year round. According to documents submitted to Dublin City Council, there will also be a retail element to the development.

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A renovated bedroom

RADISSON REFURB NEARS COMPLETION Radisson Blu St. Helen’s Hotel in Stillorgan, Dublin, is in the final stages of a 6m refurbishment. Spanning over a two-year period, the investment involves the renovation of the hotel’s 125 bedrooms and 26 suites, has created 20 new in-house roles, and is part of the preparations for the hotel’s 20th anniversary celebrations next year. Located on four acres of gardens, St. Helen’s accommodates a variety of events each year, from weddings to corporate BBQs and team building events. These outdoor spaces have been upgraded with heating, additional seating and increased leisure areas. In addition, the hotel’s Italian restaurant Talavera has benefitted from the addition of heated outdoor seating which allows guests to dine al fresco and enjoy the grounds. All 12 meeting and event rooms have also been revitalised and the addition of outdoor seating to the hotel’s largest meeting room, the Pembroke Suite, now allows meeting delegates to enjoy the gardens during their coffee breaks.

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KEY TO THE DOOR

DALATA LODGES TOWERS PLAN Plans have been lodged with Dublin City Council for a multi-million euro redevelopment at the Tara Towers Hotel on the Merrion Road in Dublin 4. The proposed development will include the demolition of the existing structures and the construction of a new four-star Maldron Hotel with 140 bedrooms, bar/ restaurant and 70 residential units. Dalata Hotel Group purchased the hotel for 13.2m in 2016.

GREEN LIGHT FOR RADISSON BLU Floral afternoon tea at the G

G HOTEL IN EXAMINERSHIP The landmark G Hotel and adjoining Eye Cinema in Galway have been placed in examinership days after Deutsche Bank had a receiver appointed to the properties owned by developer Gerry Barrett. In an affidavit filed to the High Court on August 22nd, Mr Barrett applied for the appointment of an examiner after receiver KPMG had been dispatched to the hotel days earlier. Following the High Court’s appointment of Neil Hughes as examiner, the hotel and cinema have been granted the protection of the court for a period of 100 days, during which time the receiver can take no action. The latest accounts filed with the Companies Office show profits at ML Meyrick, the parent company of the two businesses, fell from 1.5m at the end of 2014 to just 144,176 a year later.

An Bord Pleanala has given the green light for a 35m expansion to the Radisson Blu hotel at Golden Lane in Dublin city.

The initial planning application was for an eight-storey extension that would have added 103 rooms to the hotel, almost doubling the overall room number to 255.

Dublin City Council had initially given the project the go-ahead. However, it was appealed by An Taisce, who questioned the height of the building in relation to the area. On appeal, the plans were revised down to six storeys. It is expected that work will begin on the extension before the end of the year and is expected to be complete by the second half of 2019.

SHANAHAN’S BUILDING FOR SALE

HARCOURT STREET BAR REJECTED Dublin City Council has rejected an application to turn a disused basement restaurant on Harcourt Street into a large scale bar and restaurant complex. This is the second time an application to redevelop the site has been rejected. The developer, Gambetta, had intended to turn 16 Harcourt Street, which corners onto Montague Street, into a multi-storey bar and restaurant. It also looked for planning permission to convert an adjacent mews and a former pizzeria on Montague Street into a licensed restaurant and café bar, with a mezzanine level constructed to link the complex together. The planning application was rejected following complaints that there were already too many establishments in the area with late night alcohol licenses. The council ruled that the plans constituted a superpub, which are discouraged under the Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022. There were also concerns that having such a venue on the corner of a narrow side street would create problems for the flow of people, and unnacceptable noise levels for local residents. The building’s basement formerly housed Saagar Indian restaurant, which has been closed since late 2016.

A Georgian house on Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green, owned by a business consortium and rented by Shanahan’s on the Green, is to be offered for sale on the instructions of receiver Ken Tyrrell of PwC. Colm Luddy of selling agents CBRE is quoting 4.5m for the building, which has been occupied

by Shanahan’s since 1989 and has a further 7.2 years to run on the lease. The restaurant company, run by John Shanahan, pays an annual rent of 240,000, which is due to rise to 290,000 in 2019. The four-storey over-basement building has an overall floor area of 600 square metres (6,458 square feet) with the basement, ground and first floors in restaurant use. The second floor is used as an office and the third floor serves as an apartment.

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15/09/2017 11:46

PROFILE

Local Loyalty,GROUP Following a period of examinership and under investment, the 141-bedroom Killashee Hotel & Spa is now thriving. General Manager Deirdre Nix talks about the growth in sales and profitability over the past three years, and the strong emphasis on employing from the locality and supporting local businesses.

SUPPORT The hotel reception and lobby area

Q: Tell us about your career prior to joining Killashee Hotel?

A: I studied in Shannon College for four wonderful years. During that time I was sent to The Sheraton Hotel at Frankfurt Airport where I worked as an F&B trainee for a year. In my final year, I was placed in the Cumberland Hotel in London where I held the positions of Restaurant Manager and Christmas Co-ordinator, which I loved.

The Cumberland Hotel was a 950 bedroom hotel with a vast food and beverage and conference and banqueting space. It was a challenge to fill all this space for Christmas but it was a very rewarding role. I then worked in Jury’s Hotel Cardiff during 1999 and 2000 where I was a Front Office Manager. This was a very exciting time in Cardiff as they were the host city for the Rugby World Cup and all the referees for the tournament were staying with us! I moved back to Ireland in 2000 and began working at Killashee prior to its opening.

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Dee Nix, General Manager, Killashee Hotel & Spa

Q: Describe a typical day as General Manager of Killashee Hotel?

A: No two days are the same. I try to structure my week so that I am office-based for two or three days of the week and the other days I am operationally-based. In the mornings, I like to go around and greet everyone who is working and check on them to ensure that they are set up and organised for their day. I will walk through the restaurant and check the

breakfast buffet and then follow onto reception to see how the team are there. Once I am happy that the floor is being managed I will go to my office where I will deal with a variety of matters. This could range from individual meetings with the managers in relation to reviewing their departments about standards, service offering and personnel, to a sales review, budgeting, forecasting, and rostering, as well as dealing with some guest requests, as required.

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15/09/2017 12:05

PROFILE Killashee is a very busy hotel, so the role of General Manager varies more than in other places in that it can be quite operational, which I love. We would get a lot of return guests here at Killashee for conferences, functions, leisure guests, and even weddings coming back for christenings, family gatherings etc! We have some very loyal customers at the hotel, so I always like to meet with them when they are here and say hello.

Q: Can you tell me about your supporting local and employing local approach?

A: Supporting local business is very important to us but I have to say that it cuts both ways.

It allows you to build relationships with the

developments at Killashee since Tetrarch took over. The impact of working with a corporate owner is reflected in how structured things have become, which makes it easier and more efficient to operate across all hotel departments.

There is certainly a stronger emphasis on regular and increased levels of reporting, but this is good for all sides as it facilitates better strategic decisions across the board. Also, given that Tetrarch own multiple properties nationally, being involved in a group does allow you to have access to more resources to help you in your role. And there are opportunities to work with other properties and, of course, this is more cost effective. When Tetrarch took over it was a time of change for us all, but it was

The original hotel exterior

KILLASHEE WAS THRILLED TO HOST TWO PRESTIGIOUS INDUSTRY EVENTS. Killashee fountain and gardens

Afternoon tea at Killashee Hotel & Spa

local businesses because nobody can do it on their own. We employ just over 200 staff here at Killashee and we love to be able to take local people on. We have a very good team here and a lot of them would introduce their friends to us and, indeed, some of their family members.

fantastic to have the support, both financial and from a resources point of view, to initiate a capital investment programme across the hotel that was badly needed following the period of examinership and under-investment.

Q: Has turnover and profitability improved

Q: How have things changed since Tetrarch

since the rebrand?

took over the hotel?

A: Killashee is definitely going from strength to strength - our sales and profitability

A: There have been a lot of positive

have grown in the last three years. The refurbishment that was completed at the hotel after the Tetrarch acquisition has restored consumer confidence in Killashee and has allowed us to be able to invest in the hotel, which in turn creates a better guest experience.

Q: Can you tell me about some of the major tourist events that Killashee hosted this year?

A: Killashee Hotel & Spa was thrilled to be chosen to host two extremely prestigious industry events this year for Meitheal and the Association of Irish Professional Conference Organisers. Organised by Fáilte Ireland, Meitheal is Ireland’s most important travel trade event. It was held in Punchestown in March this year, where 270 key overseas tourism buyers from over 19 different countries met and agreed future business with Irish tourism businesses. Killashee were lucky enough to host over 100 of these buyers during their stay in Ireland. It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase Killashee, our refurbishment and our service. The Association of Irish Professional Conference Organisers hold a business tourism conference annually, which is attended by over 200 guests. It is a forum where both DMCs and Directors of Sales can come together and learn about new trends in the business, while also being able to address any issues that they are currently experiencing and endeavour to resolve them collaboratively. Killashee Hotel was the chosen venue for their fifth annual conference in March and so this was yet another amazing opportunity for us to showcase want Killashee can do. Orla McCabe, our Sales Director, has been working extremely hard to try and put Killashee on the map for business tourism and it has taken time to break into that sector and be recognised as a hotel that can cater for such large events. To be given the chance to showcase Killashee was not only great for Killashee but for Co Kildare. At both events we were working hard to impress the agents from Ireland and around the world in order to secure further business from them. We wanted to showcase Killashee in the best possible light and these events allowed us to be creative, to think outside the box, and do things a little differently. That is one of the things that we love here at Killashee - a challenge!

Q: What is the hotel’s biggest asset?

A: The team that work here. I am so proud of them all. I couldn’t do my job without them.

I believe it is very important to have a good working environment. We are close here and we work well together. A happy staff leads to happy customers.

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Commercial

PROFILE

GET BREXIT READY WITH FÁILTE IRELAND

FÁILTE IRELAND HAS UNVEILED ‘GET BREXIT READY,’ A SUITE OF INDUSTRY SUPPORTS DESIGNED TO HELP BUSINESSES AT RISK OR ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH THE LOSS OF TRADE CREATED BY BREXIT.

T

he programme allows individual businesses to self-assess their exposures and risks and provides a range of interventions to match their needs. Underlining the necessity for the programme, Fáilte Ireland estimates show that, by the end of the year, Brexit will mean 300,000 less British trips here which, taken in isolation, would represent a88m in revenue and an estimated 1,900 tourism jobs lost had the fall in British numbers not been compensated for by a strong performance in other markets. Speaking at the launch on September 12th, Fáilte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly pointed to the volatility generated by Brexit during the last year, stressing that it would have led to significant revenue and job losses had our other traditional markets, particularly the US, not performed so well. He also emphasised that the tourism industry cannot always assume that other markets

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will continue to compensate in this fashion, particularly as we now face a challenge in those markets from a British tourism product made much more competitive by the lower Sterling value. So, while the ongoing Brexit

volatility underlines the extent to which tourism can be at the mercy of external factors beyond our control, it is increasingly important to focus on those factors within our control if we are to meet our current challenges - that’s

our visitor experiences, competitiveness, capacity and skills. This essential Brexit Recovery Programme is designed to support tourism businesses to achieve this in an innovative and accessible manner.

Fáilte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly, Martina Bromley, Head of Enterprise Development, Fáilte Ireland and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin T.D

15/09/2017 11:59

Commercial

PROFILE

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME The ‘Get Brexit Ready’ programme is based on four key pillars, positioning tourism businesses to be: • BREXIT READY working with businesses to assess their exposure to market uncertainty and their current competitiveness.

• BATTLING FOR BRITAIN assisting businesses to target best prospects in the UK and identify new opportunities there.

• SPREADING THE RISK working with businesses which are over-exposed to the British market to diversify their trade and win business in Europe and North America, and in new and growing markets like China.

• FIGHTING FIT providing the training and skills supports for tourism professionals to succeed in a Brexit environment.

Fáilte Ireland will be rolling out the first phase of the programme in an initial a1m package of interventions for up to 1,000 businesses in 2017, with further supports and budget to be earmarked for 2018.

ONLINE SUPPORTS A suite of dedicated ‘Get Brexit Ready’ online supports has been designed to provide a onestop shop for all the relevant information and insights that businesses will need. From development supports and training programmes to insights and market intelligence, it can all be found at www.FailteIreland.ie/ GetBrexitReady. The web portal includes a ‘Brexit-check,’ an online tool whereby an individual business can input their own data to determine how Brexit-ready they are. It also features links to a

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series of market insights, tips and research to help tourism operators to recalibrate their businesses appropriately so that they are in a position to navigate through Brexitrelated uncertainty in Britain and other markets.

THIS ESSENTIAL BREXIT RECOVERY PROGRAMME IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT TOURISM BUSINESSES TO ACHIEVE THIS IN AN INNOVATIVE AND ACCESSIBLE MANNER.

15/09/2017 11:59

RENOVATION

Transforming

CITYWEST

Ireland’s largest hotel has undergone a significant renovation programme that has impacted on all hotel departments and included refurbishments, upgraded facilities, and investment in staff retraining programmes.

C

itywest Hotel recently unveiled its newly refurbished premises, three years after it was acquired by Irishowned property investment company Tetrarch Capital and began its €13.5m investment programme. Building on its status as Ireland’s largest hotel and currently employing 435 people, Citywest Hotel has undergone phase one of their strategic redevelopment, including contemporary refurbishments, upgraded facilities and a staff retraining programme,

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to attract both national and international conference organisers.

“Citywest Hotel now stands as a clear alternative to conference options available in Dublin City Centre, most significantly through its unparalleled offering of a complete conference and residential solution in one location,” says Commercial Director, Seán Reid. “With a clear focus on the needs of modern conferences, Citywest Hotel now offers 764 spacious, high-quality bedrooms on site. Up to 2,000 delegates can be accommodated just a few metres from the conference facilities.” Over 177,000 square feet of meeting space is also now available, which can be divided into two

separate convention centres or eight plenary suites and can accommodate 4,100 delegates.

Twenty nine additional breakout rooms are also available, all of which are equipped with touchpad-controlled audio-visual facilities and an uncontended 1GB fibre optic link, to deliver Wi-Fi and wired internet service that can accommodate up to 4,000 users simultaneously.

“Tetrarch Capital’s vision for a property offering the highest standards in contemporary accommodation, dining, leisure facilities and conference management has become a reality,” says Seán. “However, feedback from organisers and delegates indicates that the Citywest Hotel’s character, hospitality and personal touch hasn’t been sacrificed.”

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RENOVATION

UP TO 2,000 DELEGATES CAN BE ACCOMMODATED JUST A FEW METRES FROM THE CONFERENCE FACILITIES.

FROM TOP: A conference suite at Citywest; The boardroom at Citywest Hotel. A hotel bedroom.

OPPOSITE: The hotel’s Woodlock Brasserie which was officially opened in July.

Combining a large scale conference venue with a residential option means Citywest Hotel offers something new in Dublin - a location where people can remain together for the duration of the gathering. “Unlike other conference centres, the focus and energy of an event is maintained because delegates can stay on site,” says Seán. “And during their downtime, they don’t have to go far to relax, thanks to our superb leisure club, Christy O’Connor Jnr-designed 18 hole golf course, and beautiful woodland walks.”

Among the visible enhancements are tastefully refurbished bedrooms, fully redesigned restaurants, which includes the new Woodlock Brasserie, as well as

a transformed foyer and enlarged reception area. An elegant new driveway and extensive parking facilities have also been incorporated as part of the redevelopment programme.

Complementary to the hotel’s investment in its physical infrastructure, a complete staff retraining programme has been implemented to raise and maintain superior service standards throughout the hotel’s facilities. With a proven ability to host large-scale meetings, Citywest Hotel now attracts many high-profile pharmacy, tech, education, and medical conferences, as well as national and international political gatherings.

Citywest Hotel attracts a strong mix of domestic (55%) and international (45%) guests and is expanding its position in the US and EMEA conference markets. The hotel has hosted major conferences and events including Disney on Ice, the Future Health Summit 2016, the GAA AllIreland Finals dinner, and World Darts Grand Prix, as well as the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Ard Fheiseanna. Major exhibitions and trade shows in 2016 included the Autumn Gift & Home Fair last August and The Wedding Journal Show last September.

Corporate conferences have been a major feature of growth activity for Citywest Hotel, having hosted annual and global conferences for some of the world’s leading blue-chip companies in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, retail, property and technology sectors, including Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s annual EMEA leaders conference, the BWG Trade Show, and extensive residential training programmes for another of the world’s largest software companies. Citywest also hosted some of the most prestigious conferences in the European calendar in 2016.

#the plan How Tetrarch is Transforming Citywest: ■ Over 140 hotel bedrooms refurbished to superior standard.

■ 100 more scheduled for completion by the end of 2017 ■ 10 new fully adapted bedrooms for guests of limited mobility.

■ All public areas refurbished, including lobby, lounges, bars and leisure centre.

■ New restaurant - the Woodlock Brasserie – opened.

■ Car parking facilities expanded and upgraded.

■ Access roads and driveway upgraded.

■ Dedicated lounges for conference and events centre now added.

■ Market-leading, uncontended, 1GB Wi-Fi connection with optional private network and bandwidth for individual conference and event in place.

■ All breakout meeting spaces now offering state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities.

About Tetrarch Capital: Tetrarch Capital has approximately 550m of assets under management, with approximately 60% of assets under management comprising investment and development properties in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors. Tetrarch Capital currently co-owns and manages assets with a combined 2.5 million square feet. Tetrarch Capital’s hotel and leisure investments include: The Marker, Powerscourt Hotel, Mount Juliet Golf & Spa Hotel, The Dawson Hotel, Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, Citywest Hotel, Killashee House Hotel and Spa, the Clonmel Park Hotel, and Jacob’s Inn.

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TECHNOLOGY

Hotels

Behaving

Intelligently Self described techie Frank Reeves, co-founder and CEO of booking engine and digital agency Avvio, tells Maev Martin about launching the world’s first direct booking platform powered by artificial intelligence and what it will mean for their hotel clients in Ireland and further afield.

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A

vvio has the distinction of being Ireland’s first hotel website booking engine. It was established in 2001 by Frank after stints working in programming in New York and then at East Point Business Park in Dublin.

Dromoland Castle was Avvio’s first client in the Irish market and they are proud to be still working in partnership with them. Other big names on their client list include Hastings Hotels, Great National Hotels, The Dylan and Adare Manor, for whom they are currently building a new online platform in preparation for their big re-opening this autumn. “We are the biggest players in the hotel booking engine space in Ireland in terms of the market share that we have of our target market, which is 4 and 5 star hotels,” says Frank. “Every hotel in the Irish market will know us and know what we do. We have in excess of 200 hotel clients in the Republic of Ireland and a further 40 plus in Northern Ireland.

Internationally, we are known for delivering 25% more website bookings than anyone offering similar services to us. We have over 200 hotel clients in the UK and we are now focusing on growing our client base in mainland Europe, as well as in the US.”

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TECHNOLOGY PROFITABLE ONLINE BOOKING One of the biggest challenges facing hotels around the world is delivering online bookings profitably. “The OTAs take such a lions share of online bookings - a lot of a hotel’s profitability is being signed away in a 20% commission cheque to these OTAs,” says Frank. “This is a global problem, so hotels have to learn to deliver bookings independently of these third parties and that is what we have been helping Dromoland Castle and hundreds of other Irish hotels to do for the past 16 years. Hotels need more direct bookings to ensure that they are independent of third parties who next year may charge a 30% commission. We took the Gresham hotel beyond 1m of direct bookings within their first year with us after they were sold for 92m to the Spanish Riu group last year. Expedia and Booking.com were way up there but we put Gresham.com at the top, while they continued to work with the OTAs. That was one of our big successes in the Irish market.

We were part of turning that hotel around operationally. The Gresham Hotel was being managed by Windward and we now work with Windward across their portfolio internationally as well.”

Great National Hotels and Resorts (GNH) has over 35 properties across the UK and 23 in Ireland. They partnered with Avvio in 2010 to improve efficiency and direct booking. Since then, Avvio has been providing GNH with a full digital marketing service, including pay per click (PPC) and search engine optimisation (SEO) management, web designs and on-demand reporting solutions. “Together, GNH and Avvio have put in place expert PPC and SEO campaigns while implementing key strategies that focus on mobile bookings and remarketing,” says Frank. “These initiatives have generated a 40% growth in year-onyear PPC revenue for the hotel group. In addition, Avvio’s efforts to maximise PPC on mobile devices has resulted in a significant rise in mobile bookings across their portfolio.

The Midlands Park Hotel saw a 112% increase in mobile PPC revenue in the year to date, while the Green Isle Hotel’s mobile PPC revenue has grown by 130%.”

EMPOWERING HOTELS Avvio will launch Allora, the world’s first direct booking engine powered by artificial intelligence (AI), in October. “Allora is an AI version of our current booking engine, so we are now taking a huge step forward,” he says. “With Allora, we are giving hotels the type of tools and technology that the

Frank Reeves, co-founder and CEO of booking platform and digital agency Avvio

OTAs such as Expedia and Booking.com are investing in. A huge amount of research and development has gone into developing a booking engine that self learns. Hotels task us to grow their direct bookings and we have been doing that with our booking engine for the past 16 years. But over the last 18 months we have worked at making that booking engine truly intelligent in order to do a better job for every visitor. AI does for booking engines what self driving does for cars. It is a major technological step forward.

We compete with huge brands internationally in the travel technology space, so we are very excited about this as it is a real game changer.

Allora is a new booking engine and it will learn something about every visitor on the hotel website, whether they book or not.

The next time they come back, Allora will recommend the right rate for them - it will evaluate every website visitor and think about how it can evolve its success rate with those customers or potential customers. Globally, booking engines are offering pricing and availability and are building up no intelligence or learning about the people that are visting their booking engines. What we have today is a passive online user experience, but Allora will orchestrate a more relevant conversation between the hotel and its online visitor or guest. Once we launch Allora it will get smarter, based on every interaction that it has.”

Avvio will be rolling out Allora with a number of early adopter clients in Ireland and internationally from October onwards. “We are currently in discussions with all of the early adopter hotels who we hope to be working with during the initial launch of Allora,” says Frank. “We expect that around a third of the initial hotels to use Allora will be from Ireland.

During this time we will continue to invest in and develop our other services, such as digital marketing, website design, and our current booking engine, Convert.”

WITH ALLORA, WE ARE GIVING HOTELS THE TYPE OF TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY THAT THE OTAS SUCH AS EXPEDIA AND BOOKING.COM ARE INVESTING IN. WE ARE THE FIRST BOOKING ENGINE IN THE WORLD TO EMPOWER HOTELS WITH AN AI PLATFORM. NETWORK LEARNING Allora uses machine learning to constantly improve the booking experience and increase conversions. It relies on learning models to analyse large volumes of data, and identify which variations will yield the best booking engine configuration. In an era of exponential data, hotels sit on large tranches of information that they typically don’t have the manpower to crunch. Allora does this for them, while building on insights from Avvio’s hotel network. This means that each hotel can learn from similar properties to improve their performance much more quickly than if they were to rely solely on their own data. “Hotels can benefit from network learning,” says Frank. “With bigger data you unearth better patterns more quickly, and rapid feedback leads to greater innovation. It enables each hotel to build on insights from across our network, and drive precision with their own data. This boosts direct bookings and delivers a more personalised online service that reflects the exquisite experience hotel staff give to guests in-house. Allora uses learned customer behaviour to create a unique conversation between the hotel and the guest by leveraging AI at the right moment, optimising and personalising their journey. It moves the booking journey away from the one-sizefits-all model of today by making it dynamic, relevant and tailored to each shopper’s needs and interests. This way, shoppers find what they’re looking for faster and will likely feel a stronger emotional connection with the hotel, increasing their incentive to book direct.

Ultimately, Allora isn’t a booking engine, it’s more of a conversation platform, which is genuinely trying to curate a more refined and more appropriate conversation with each website visitor, and that may be a conversation about loyalty, a booking or an upsell. We can’t continue to provide all customers with the same conversation.”

SEPTEMBER 2017 | HOTEL

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ON THE MOVE

Move

On the

New Appointments, Promotions and Recruitment

PAUL RYAN

ANDREW METCALFE

DAVID DOYLE

NEW POSITION HEAD OF SALES FOR IRELAND, FRANCE & NEW VENTURES

NEW POSITION CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

NEW POSITION HEAD CHEF

EMPLOYER GUESTLINE

EMPLOYER CONYNGHAM ARMS HOTEL

Global hospitality software business Guestline has appointed Andrew Metcalfe to the new role of Chief Technology Officer. He previously headed up Londonbased engineering at OpenTable, working for the company for over six years in roles including head of search engineering and head of international engineering.

He joins Guestline from Ve Interactive, an e-commerce technology company where he held the roles of development director and, most recently, chief technology officer, overseeing teams in the UK, Spain, Romania and France.

Established in the UK, Guestline provides property management, channel distribution, and digital marketing solutions to the hospitality industry. Founded on cloud-based technology, Guestline claims that its revenue generating solutions enable hotel groups, independents, serviced apartments and pub companies to achieve maximum occupancy at the most profitable rate.

The Conyngham Arms Hotel in Slane recently welcomed a new Head Chef, David Doyle, into the fold. He joined the Conyngham Arms team in July of this year, having spent nine years heading up the kitchen in Restaurant 104. David has been a chef for over 25 years, but his kitchen experience began in hospitality businesses in Temple Bar at the age of 14. After graduating from DIT, David worked in a variety of city restaurants, as well as industrial kitchens.

Since his move to the Conyngham Arms, he has made his mark on the menu, introducing some new and exciting dishes for both lunch and dinner, including Teriyaki beef salad and fresh field mushroom and leek risotto.

EMPLOYER SMARTBOX

Paul Ryan has been appointed Head of Sales for Ireland, France & New Ventures for Smartbox Group. Having started his career in the on-trade drinks industry with United Beverages and Gilbeys of Ireland, Paul was then appointed sales manager for Ireland with Dalcassian Wines & Spirits. He moved from the drinks industry to head up the Irish sales operations for Groupon in April 2010, having spent six years with the daily deal giant progressing through to regional sales director for Ireland, managing the business to 14m in turnover. He then joined Irish online restaurant booking platform Menupages.ie as sales director before taking up his latest role as head of sales for Ireland, France & New Ventures for Smartbox Group.

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Pat McDonagh, Owner Supermac’s, Trócaire Supporter.

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13/09/2017 11:43 15/09/2017 13:03

FOOD HEROES

Cultivate your

Culinary Credentials Personalised dishes, tapping trees to flavour water, and multi-sensory experiences are just some of the innovations being undertaken by the world’s leading chefs and restaurants. Maev Martin reports.

M

ichelin star chefs and high end restaurateurs, from London and Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town, Tokyo and New York, participated in Bord Bia research, which aims to better inform Ireland’s food industry about the flavours, ingredients and cooking techniques at the leading edge of the culinary world.

Bord Bia presented its findings to 100 food and drink brands at its Dublin HQ on August 31st and they form part of its new Culinary Inspiration magazine.

Some of the unusual innovations include the use of dream weavers, psychologists and flavour chemists to personalise diners’ meals, a menu containing emojis that impacts the lighting and music selection in the restaurant, edible candles made from beef dripping, and tapping birch trees for water to add freshness to dishes.

THE NEXT BIG THINGS “We are exploring culinary trends in cooking style, food preparation, ingredients, flavours, fusion and presentation among leading chefs and restaurants around the world to get inspiration for the next big trend,” says David Deeley of Bord Bia’s Insight Team. “For example, pulled pork emerged onto menus in Austin, Texas in 2008, emerging from the global trend towards smoked and BBQ’d and then went on to grow to global dominance in 2015 where it was on virtually every menu you saw and now today, on most supermarket shelves too.” According to

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HOTEL

Bord Bia, leading Michelin star chefs and restaurateurs are now embracing Nordic-style cuisine, sustainability, seasonality, nostalgia, story-telling, delighting the senses, and simplicity. “If we jump back to the early noughties, you would see that fine dining was all about molecular gastronomy, with foams, emulsions and science,” says David. “Fast forward 10 years, and we see organic farming, foraging and less cooking starting to emerge, with fine dining now seen as accessible to everyone.

The Maitre D’ culture is also regressing in place of more engaging, personalised and social experiences by using the environment, theatre and fun, to enhance taste. The world’s leading restaurants are paying closer attention to individual wants and needs, as opposed to dictating exactly what and how their guests will eat.”

Bord Bia’s first Culinary Inspiration study identifies four themes at play in the high-end culinary world - all natural, storytelling, adaptive cuisine and beyond taste.

ALL NATURAL High-end dining used to pride itself on a clinical approach to cooking, using ingredients imported from all over the world. Now chefs are making use of ingredients naturally found in their locale and allowing seasonality and natural processes to shape their menus. Limiting available ingredients has forced chefs to become more creative, and has led to an increase in foraging, reusing waste through fermentation, and using common ingredients in ways that are unexpected. For example,

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FOOD HEROES

THE WORLD’S LEADING RESTAURANTS ARE PAYING CLOSER ATTENTION TO INDIVIDUAL WANTS AND NEEDS, AS OPPOSED TO DICTATING EXACTLY WHAT AND HOW THEIR GUESTS WILL EAT.

“We’re seeing a big backlash in top restaurants, people wanting more natural food.”

Stefan Cosser, The Fat Duck, UK. Akelarre restaurant in Spain’s selection of meats, vegetables and herbs are sourced from its own on premises gardens.

Soil-baked potatoes from Centrale Restaurant in Lima

The Menu of Tomorrow is a collection of some of the dishes, flavours, ingredients and techniques shared by the Bord Bia experts.

Blue Hill Farm’s brioche and ricotta and spinach marmalade. Minimalist plating heroes the natural colours.

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Meat from a seven-year-old dairy cow, cooked there and then at the table on a hot stone, is the killer dish at De Librÿe restaurant in Amsterdam

“Jaw-dropping flavour..must be grown in the best soil – and be grown locally.”

Dan Barber, Co-owner, Blue Hill, New York.

THE MAITRE D’ CULTURE IS...REGRESSING IN PLACE OF MORE ENGAGING, PERSONALISED AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCES BY USING THE ENVIRONMENT, THEATRE AND FUN, TO ENHANCE TASTE. Restaurant Relae in Copenhagen is the only fully organic Michelin-star restaurant in the world, using products from its own farm. They have created a beetroot steak using monster red beets, which are baked overnight to achieve the colour and consistency of a rare steak. The restaurant is also using birch trees (abundant in Denmark), tapping them for water to add sweetness and freshness to some of their dishes. Blue Hill restaurant in New York roast their legs of lamb over lamb femurs, carbonising the leftover bones to infuse more flavour in the cooking process and reduce waste. Virgilio Martinez, a chef from Centrale Restaurant in Lima, is experimenting with the effect of altitude on flavour, baking potatoes in a traditional Peruvian ‘huatia’ soil oven in different locations, giving different degrees of woodiness and saltiness to baked potatoes.

THE PERSONALITY BEHIND THE PLATE Articulating your ‘story’ sees high end chefs drawing on the past to create dishes that can stand the test of time. Leading chefs

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are drawing on their own history and their heritage to present contemporary dishes that are inspired by nostalgia, provenance, and authenticity. Each element of the plate tells a piece of the story, and as a whole the plate is a reflection of the chef ’s roots. For example, the Michelin-starred Restaurant Story in London gives a nod to the past by placing a candle made from beef dripping in the middle of the table. The candle is lit and, as it melts, diners dip the accompanying sourdough bread in the salty, melted beef fat.

“A new trend in restaurants is for the chefs to be more hands on and in the front,” says Chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen of Restaurant Jan in Nice. “Taking the plates out and describing where it comes from.” Diners wouldn’t naturally associate mould with fine dining. However, in Noma in Copenhagen they have a flavour chemist on hand to bring traditional tangy and acidic flavours to their contemporary dishes through the use of climate-controlled incubators.

DINER-CENTRIC DISHES As culinary technology advances, chefs are able to precisely control every element of the

Bord Bia’s David Deeley (right) with John Wyer of Forest Avenue at the Culinary Inspirations event.

cooking process to ensure the ‘perfect’ plate.

Precision, paired with personalisation, is being used to optimise diner experience for every individual in the restaurant. The world’s leading chefs and restaurants are paying closer attention to individual diner wants and needs, as opposed to dictating what and how their guests will eat. This culinary trend gives diners the opportunity to take control of their own experience. Epitomising futuristic dining, Spain’s Food Ink is the world’s first restaurant to focus on 3D printing. Printing everything from the cutlery to the food, the chefs create intricate tailored designs for their diners, which can be personalised easily and quickly. The world’s best restaurant for 2017, New York’s Eleven Madison Park have employed ‘dream weavers’ in their restaurant to listen in to their guests’ conversations, which the chefs then cleverly integrate into the dishes they serve.

How would you like your steak? The French Laundry in California have taken this question to the next level by offering sous-vide cooking that facilitates extreme temperature precision. This enables chefs to exact their cooking of meat and

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FOOD HEROES seafood, offering 24 options between ‘rare’ and ‘well done’. Ever been unsure of what you’re eating? Sushi Taku in Tokyo, Japan, accompany every dish with a physical encyclopaedia, enabling diners to delight in researching the obscure and exotic ingredients the menu offers. If it’s a dark, cold, dreary day, the chefs at The Finch in New York will serve more warming, wholesome dishes than on a brighter day. Through menu flexibility, this tailoring method ensures that diners get a personalised, relatable experience and tastes that fit their current surroundings.

Meanwhile, Sublimotion in Ibiza takes personalisation to the extreme with its dessert course, with the diner constructing their own dessert from the dessert bar. This encourages flavour experimentation and leaves the diner in charge!

BEYOND TASTE The Bord Bia report found that cuisine cannot be separated from the dining environment in which it is served. To this end, many leading chefs are embracing a 360 degree dining opportunity. Moving beyond taste to stimulating other senses, they are creating surprising ‘share-worthy’ culinary pieces which engage the imagination and stimulate the senses. In more and more high end settings this food experience feels almost like theatre or art. According to Tom Sellers, Head Chef at Restaurant Story, “in terms of a dining experience, people are now looking for multi-sensory. Chefs are going beyond the food - thinking about sound, temperature, smell, art, culture, daylight, so many things. It is really brave ground to tread, and it hasn’t been taken to the next level it can go to yet.” At Kitchen Theory, Jozef Youssef pursues multi-sensory techno-emotional gastronomy, with the help of psychologists. His course of poached langoustine velouté is accompanied by his staff spraying a saffron scent around the diners, to engage the senses beyond taste.

Meanwhile, Gaggan, based in Bangkok and voted best restaurant in Asia three times, injects a sense of playfulness into its menu, which consists of 25 emojis signifying ‘moods’. The selection is then linked to lighting and music settings.

THE MENU OF TOMORROW • Restaurants of the future will ask diners to complete a short taste profile or personal questionnaire upon making a reservation or to simply speak to the chef on arrival.

Questions would focus on; their dietary needs and preferences, where they have

been that day, where they spent their favourite holiday, and how they would describe themselves in three words, ultimately creating a customised and more personal dining experience.

• Restaurants will seek to use diners’ nostalgia to evoke memories and emotions that will remind them of their own history and heritage.

• Menus will incorporate traditional ingredients presented in contemporary formats, and paired with surprising flavours.

IRISH TRENDSETTER Chef and restaurateur John Wyer established Dublin’s acclaimed Forest Avenue, a restaurant renowned for its creative and seasonal tasting menus, four years ago. The aim was to create a sophisticated fine dining restaurant that was available to the masses at an acceptable price. Forest Avenue started off with a tasting menu priced at 49 and comprising six or seven courses plus snacks. “We have increased the price since the early days but we are still a good 20% less expensive than our competitors,” he said. “However, sustaining that has been a challenge.” And one that he has met by getting creative in and outside the kitchen. “When it comes to training staff, we ensure that our waiters, sommeliers, kitchen porters and pastry chefs are all multi-skilled and capable of working in any area of the business,” he said. “Regarding waste management, we use all aspects of our ingredients, including bits that we might previously have binned, to create additional dishes for the customer, adding value to the dining experience.

We have also embraced the farm to fork approach – one farm supplies 80% of the vegetables that we use, our lamb comes from farms in the Ring of Kerry and the Comeragh mountains, our duck and beef comes direct from the farm, and our cheese is supplied direct from two farms. Now that we have gone down the farm to fork route, we are finding that the food production process at the restaurant is much more relaxed. In addition, I’ve become obsessed with being a better craftsman. It has taken us two years to perfect our sourdough bread that we serve in the restaurant to a point where we are serving it at the same consistency every day. My attitude now is, if I can do sourdough bread I can do charcuterie. With skills like fermentation and charcuterie you are honing your skills as a professional chef.”

#Get Inspired Bord Bia’s lunch menu, prepared by Michelle Daly and her team at Sodexo, and presented at the Culinary Inspirations event on August 31st.

Main • Hake fillet dusted with snail powder, barley and potato risotto, topped with brioche and bacon crumb.

• Fillet of beef with glazed turnip and herb salad.

Tasting • From the sea – tapioca crisp with dillisk mayonnaise • All natural – beetroot carpaccio with pickled wild mushrooms • Which is which? - carrot and orange jellies • Dripping candle – beef dripping candle with bread sticks • Sense shots – warm local honey, sea salt, wild Irish forager shrubs and cool cream top • Upside down at the beach – white chocolate mousse cones with shortbread crumb

Producers • Beef – Seamus Galvin’s Farm, Croom, Co Limerick • Hake – Kilmore Quay, supplied by McKenna O’Hanlon Fish • Bacon – O’Neills, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford • Turnip – Paudie & Mary Hanafin’s Farm, Tralee, Co Kerry • Potatoes – Kennedy’s, The Ward, Co Dublin • Herbs – McCormack Farm, Dunsany, Co Meath • Wild Mushrooms – Fancy Fungi gourmet mushrooms, Ballyhogue, Co Wexford • Beetroot – In Season Farm, Drogheda, Co Louth • Dillisk – AlgAran Seaweed Products, Glencolmcille, Co Donegal • Honey – Tara Hill, Co Meath

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BUSINESS MATTERS

Through A

Lens Lightly Ryan And Robert’s client list in the Irish hospitality industry ranges from local cafés to international hotels.

Here, one half of the duo, experienced marketeer, Martin Buckley, talks about the importance of delivering meaningful photography that connects customers to a brand.

M

aking the decision to commission professional photography for your business is an investment and one that, when done correctly, can yield considerable commercial benefits. The way a business visually communicates itself to its customers requires careful consideration. Some businesses do not attach the same importance to their photography as they do to the words they use and, in many cases, they believe that what they say is more important, which is a mistake.

The most commercially successful brands within the hospitality sector understand that there must be a harmonious marriage between text and imagery. They also understand that their outward communication should be an accurate reflection of their brand DNA and not themselves.

My business partner Dean and I were recently asked to look at a five star luxury hotel in the heart of Dublin. We immediately noted a short video post on the hotel’s social

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media feed, which was accompanied by a caption that focused on promoting the amazing view as a key reason for staying at the hotel. The video depicted a net curtain being pulled back to unveil what should have been an epic aspirational view. Instead, it was an out of focus shot through an unclean window and revealed an underwhelming glimpse of the city. The result was disastrous and could have discouraged potential guests from making a reservation and, in addition, could easily have steered them in the direction of a competitor.

All too often the food photography chosen for use on websites or social media falls far short of the quality that is needed to entice customers and truly reflect the character of a brand. While many smartphone users consider themselves to be professional photographers, the results can be staggeringly bad, not just in terms of quality but in terms of the detail, creative direction, styling, and overall translation of the brand identity. The aim of any outward communication is to capture the attention of a potential customer and encourage them to remember your

Vegetables like artichokes, corn, beetroot and asparagus are beautiful, almost artful, ingredients to shoot and are a lovely alternative to the standard plated approach.

business so that you are first in mind when they want to purchase what you’re selling.

A great way to do this is via storytelling people tend to be far more engaged by a story and therefore more likely to remember the message. The right photography adds another vital component to storytelling that text cannot - speed! In an instant you are capturing the imagination of your customer, making a direct and hopefully lasting memorable connection. It is estimated that we process a visual image sixty thousand times faster than we do text, which is incredible and confirms why high quality images need to be a true reflection of our business.

As we all know, customers consume with their eyes. However descriptive or beautifully written a menu may be, we are relying on them to visually translate the text. When it comes to online content, the right image can instantly make your mouth water, which is something words alone cannot achieve.

When it comes to food photography, don’t be afraid to take your brand apart somewhat, identifying what you do best or what is

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About Ryan and Robert: special about your offering. It isn’t just a plate of food, it is so much more, so try something new. Think conceptually and focus on the beautiful ingredients. This can be hugely engaging and allows you to present your produce in a whole new way. Vegetables like artichokes, corn, beetroot and asparagus are such beautiful, almost artful, ingredients to shoot and are a lovely alternative to the standard plated approach.

When it comes to the interiors, businesses make such an effort to ensure that their customers’ surroundings are just right.

However, it’s vital when having these spaces photographed that every detail looks perfect.

You must ensure that every chair and table is at the right angle, lamp shades are perfectly straight, napkins and cushions are correctly positioned, and glasses are sparkling. This will make all the difference in the final image. It’s important to use a photographer that adapts their style and is constantly evolving. Much like fashion, styles change and you run the risk of quickly looking outdated if you don’t keep up.

Established in 2017, Ryan and Robert founders Dean McDaid and Martin Buckley specialise in photographing food, drinks, product and interiors for social media, websites, advertising campaigns, print and in-house collateral. Dean is the co-founder of Nine Crows, a vintage clothing business with stores in Temple Bar and Galway, and co-founder of Not Another modelling agency.

He has a following of 180K businesses on social media and has developed his photographic style over the last 10 years. Martin spent seven years at Harrods, Knightsbridge and, after holding several senior management positions, he was promoted to the role of head of marketing and promotions. He went on to launch several businesses and in 2014 realised a lifelong dream when he opened his first restaurant, Sibling. Visit www.ryanandrobert.com for further information.

We are different from many photographers - we have owned and operated our own restaurant and we know first-hand the operational challenges that are involved in delivering a successful and engaging brand.

The feedback that we have received from our clients is that investing in the right professional photography has transformed their online interaction. Of course, it is not just about getting more website views or likes on social media - an increase in new and repeat customer bookings is the key objective.

When you break down the number of covers required to fund a shoot, you’d be surprised how few new customers you need to make it commercially viable. Fresh, high quality photographic content is key, as customers love newness, which in turn encourages new bookings and visits. Not surprisingly, all age profiles are online consuming content, so your image quality needs to be captivating to attract attention in this crowded space.

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INTERIOR TRENDS

Interior DESIRE

Roberta’s, Temple Bar

Ann-Marie O’Neill of O’Donnell O’Neill Design talks to Hotel & Catering Review about the stripped back transformation at Roberta’s in Dublin’s Temple Bar.

AMBER GLOBE WALL LIGHT

aprilandthebear.com

Ann-Marie O’Neill GOLD GLANCE MIRROR

GOLD FLYDER FLOOR LAMP

bocadolobo.com

oliverbonas.com

EXPOSED REAL BRICK EFFECT WALLPAPER

limelace.co.uk

Style Tip Consider where the space is located and if that can affect the interior.

TAN LEATHER CHAIR

puji.com

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Initially built as a print work warehouse, Ann-Marie wanted to restore the raw elements of the building, using Temple Bar and the River Liffey as a design backdrop. “We had these amazing windows with this fantastic view onto the Temple Bar side of a lovely old redbrick building,” says Ann-Marie.

“One prominent feature of the space is the eye-catching bar area, placed in the centre of Roberta’s, standing beneath a commanding glazed rooftop and separating two distinct dining areas. The Temple Bar side is an old warehouse building and the Wellington Quay side is a little bit more formal. The black leather furnishings create a dramatic contrast to the brickwork. Finally, expansive windows flood the space with natural daylight, while a subdued night time ambience is set by a considered lighting design.” Vertical globe lights are one of Ann-Marie’s favourite features in the space. “We designed these vertical globe lights, which create a striking contrast in the mirrors on either end of the venue,” she says.

GOLD TOWNHOUSE TROLLEY GOLD EFFECT WINE GLASSES

houseology.com

Next.ie

GOLD GRID WINE RACK

oliverbonas.com DOLLY TABLE

essentialhome.eu

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Partners in Food

PROFILE

LUXURY SEAFOOD RESTAURANT PROMOTES

Destination Charles Smith, Managing Director of Howth's Aqua Restaurant, talks about their Origin Green aspirations and plans to develop a visitor attraction and retail offering.

Menu Starter Dublin Bay Prawn & Salmon Risotto with Rocket Salad Main Course Bere Island Scallops with Clonakilty Black Pudding & Carrot Purée Howth Lobster with Grilled Aubergine, Garlic & Shallot Butter

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Q: You continue to trade sucessfully in a highly competitive dining pennisula.

What’s your secret?

A: We have continued to innovate over the years and we currently have a number of projects in hand that will allow us to further enhance our competitive edge. We are in the early stages of a farm to fork protocol with my own farm in Cavan. We keep grass-fed Hereford and Angus cattle and we plan to hang our beef and supply Aqua directly, ensuring complete transparency. We hope to become part of the Origin Green programme run by Bord Bia, which is focused on comprehensive and evidence-based food sustainability. Within Origin Green we are also looking to expand our current kitchen garden to include an extensive herb garden and increased vegetable production. In addition, Aqua recently acquired planning approval to develop Howth Smokehouse

in the old Custom’s House building next door to us as a visitor attraction with a retail offering. Our focus at Aqua is on further developing Howth as a tourist destination.

Q: What distinguishes Aqua from other seafood restaurants in Dublin?

A: We offer discerning diners the natural panoramic view complemented by the best of local produce cooked simply and elegantly. We are incredibly lucky to occupy the former yacht club building which gives us a magnificent vista over Howth Sound. On one side, Ireland’s Eye provides a stunning backdrop, while on the other, we have the bustling Howth Harbour. We designed

Aqua Restaurant's Managing Director Charles Smith with Head Chef Sumeda Loku Pathirage.

the restaurant with floor to ceiling windows to maximise the cinematic view across the water. In reviews, many of our guests have likened their dining experience to being aboard a luxury liner, something that is unique to Aqua Q: How much of the fish that you serve in your restaurant is caught locally?

A: Howth lobster is one of the most popular dishes on the menu. We sponsor lobster pots, with a local fisherman having the catch delivered daily to the restaurant in season. The other seafood served comes from local suppliers such as Doran’s on the Pier, Nicky’s Plaice, Wrights of Marino and Shellfish De La Mer in Cork

About Aqua: Aqua Restaurant has been trading under the same ownership and management since 1999. In July the restaurant was presented with the Luxury Seafood Restaurant award for the continent of Europe at the prestigious World Luxury Restaurant Awards in Hanoi, Vietnam. This follows their success at the 2016 awards where they won a global award for Luxury Seafood Restaurant.

Dublin: +353 (0) 1 556 5000

Web: www.keelings.ie/corporate

Email: freshorders@keelings.com

Keelings Market, 15 Little Green St. Dublin 7

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A QUICK CHAT

“As a barista, we need to be experts and reveal the secret world of coffee, all while explaining everything to customers in an easy and accessible way.”

FAVOURITE FOOD PAIRING: FRUITS I like all combinations of coffee with fruits, especially strawberries, raspberries, peaches and limes.

“There is no complicated magic to coffee; everything has a reason and it’s pretty logical. Most training is overly complicated.”

GREGORY WINCENTYCICHY INGREDIENT: THE COFFEE ITSELF

I think good coffee is perfect on its own. At home I like to brew lighter roasted beans using a filter method.

“Different types of coffee will fit with different foods. There is no one taste to coffee.

It’s like wine, there’s not only red and white but also dry, semi-dry, etc.”

WISH LIST: ESPRESSO MACHINE

I played with a number of small home ones but I’d love to get a ‘Dalla Corte Mina.’ However, it’s an extremely expensive toy.

“With different countries of origin, different batches, different roasters and different methods of brewing, there is enough to play with without adding any more ingredients to a good coffee.”

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Gregory Wincenty-Cichy at Dublin Coffee Festival.

Hotel & Catering Review chats with UCC Coffee Ireland’s Barista and Coffee Trainer, Gregory Wincenty-Cichy, about the magic bean that perks us up each morning.

INSPIRATION: COLIN HARMON

Four years ago I saw him at the Irish Barista Championships and, in my eyes, he became a God and I wanted to be like him.

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45 MAGAZINE TITLES ▲ 10 EVENTS ▲ 3.6 MILLION REACH

DID YOU KNOW

Ashville Media Group is Ireland’s largest publishing and events company.

You’ve almost certainly read our magazines or attended our events.

Our mission is to connect your brand with the largest audience in Ireland.

(01) 432 2200 ▲ info@ashvillemediagroup.com

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