Hotel & Catering Review - July 2015

JULY 2015

Destination WILL VISITOR NUMBERS FOLLOW?

ON THE

EDGE OF FOOD

GLORY

IN GALWAY

CAPITAL CRISIS

Desperately

Seeking

#TRENDING

FOOD | ONLINE | STYLE OFC_H&C_July 2015_Cover.indd 1

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JULY 2015

Destination

Go to issuu.com/ ashvillemedia for the online edition

JULY 2015

CONTENTS

WILL VISITOR NUMBERS FOLLOW?

ON THE

EDGE OF FOOD

GLORY

IN GALWAY

CAPITAL CRISIS

Desperately

Seeking

#TRENDING #TRENDING

FOOD | ONLINE | STYLE

Hotel Rooms

IN THIS ISSUE

08 14 18

FOOD ON FOCUS

Cover Story:

Tourism Chief Criticises State Investment in Industry

Online Trends: New Opportunities to Engage in the Digital Age

Business Matters: Crowded Old Town - Time for New Supply in Dublin

27Local Heroes: Craft Butcher Builds Sustainable Future Through Food

28 FUTURISTIC

FOODIE The Gathering in Galway - Chefs Hear About Different Futures for Food

There is no reason why chefs in Ireland can’t create food destinations within their areas, even in remote areas, or in towns or villages that have never been thought of as typical places where foodies might gather.”

JP McMahon, chef & creator of Food on the Edge

NEWS

17

KEY TO THE DOOR

20

ON THE

MOVE

34

SUPPLY LINE

Mark’s Signature Dish Puts Him on Top of the World

29 Marketing: Big

Little Milk

Cheese G Let the golden alchemy that transforms organic milk into sensational cheese work its magic in your kitchen.

Are Chefs Making the Most of Their Big Asset?

#INGREDIENT

reat chefs select the finest ingredients, produced by skilled craftspeople, to create distinctive dishes with provenance. A well sourced, carefully matured cheese is a prime example of an ingredient that can elevate the most humble dish to stellar heights. These are also the reasons why the cheeses from the Little Milk Co. are our trending ingredient this month.

The Little Milk Co. is a cooperative of organic dairy farmers, producing a range of distinctive cheese with a group of experienced Irish farmhouse cheesmakers. The quality of the milk combined with the expertise and artisanal techniques has resulted in a selection of multi-award winning cheese that could grace the most distingushed menus.

31 33 36 Fred Duarte #Ingredient:

THE LITTLE MILK CO. MILD CHEDDAR Don’t let the name mislead you, this handturned pasteurised cow’s milk cheddar is matured for 6-9 months producing a distinctive flavour and creamy texture.

TIP: An excellent melting cheese and a great all-

rounder. Add character and local flavour – and an extra selling point – to burgers and sandwiches

THE LITTLE MILK CO. VINTAGE CHEDDAR A complex and sophisticated, hard, raw-milk cheese aged for a minimum of 18 months, rich and tangy with nutty tones.

Let Award-Winning Cheese Transform Your Kitchen

TIP: Bring to room temperature to release the flavour and aroma before serving. Excellent shaved thinly over salads or in cooked dishes with eggs and spinach.

Superb addition to a local platter or a ploughman’s.

THE LITTLE MILK CO. BREWER’S GOLD Semi-soft washed rind cow’s milk cheese rubbed with Irish craft beer, producing an amber rind and a rich, nutty, sweet flavour and creamy texture.

TIP: Brewers Gold is a pungent washed rind cheese

that will appeal to the connoisseur. It makes an exceptional tartiflette or adds a fresh dimension to cheese sauce or gratin dishes.

THE LITTLE MILK CO. BRIE This smooth, soft cheese, is firm and mild when young, softening as it matures, eventually becoming runny and strongly flavoured.

TIP: Purchase it at the stage of development that suits For more information or to discuss your requirements please contact:

Conor Mulhall 058 68555 info@thelittlemilkcompany.ie www.thelittlemilkcompany.ie

your preference. When young, melt in sandwiches for delicious creaminess. Or serve whole baked brie as an alternative cheese course - at 150g each it’s portion perfect!

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A Quick Chat With

Head Chef at Sash

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#StyleTrends:

Restaurant Makeover Maximises Stunning Views

REGULARS

03

Main Course: I

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Editorial & Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Art Director: Alan McArthur Stock Photography: Thinkstock.com Infographics: www.flaticon.com Production: Nicole Ennis Sales Director: Paul Clemenson Managing Director: Diarmaid Lennon Published by:

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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 2015. 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

VIEW H

otel guestrooms without baths, counties without restaurants, and chefs cooking on wooden tables were all features of the Irish hospitality industry in 1965, according to ‘Serving the Caterer’, a new book by Frank Corr, former editor of ‘Hotel and Catering Review’.

Published by the Irish Foodservice Suppliers Alliance to mark its 50th anniversary, the book provides a detailed account of the development of the tourism and hospitality sectors over the past half century. The topsy-turvey nature of Irish tourism is recalled, from its rapid growth in the Sixties to the trauma of the Troubles, the impact of economic and political turmoil, the spectacular gains of the 1990s, and the devastating setback following the implosion of the economy in 2008. The book also traces the evolution of tourism development and marketing, from Bord Fáilte to Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland.

One of the most interesting parts of the book charts food’s humble beginnings on the fringes of the tourism and hospitality sectors to its current position where it is playing a pivotal role in the industry’s, and the nation’s, fortunes. We have come a long way from a time when prawn cocktails and Mateus Rosé wine were the essence of sophistication in Irish restaurants. That journey has been made possible by a host of culinary pioneers such as Myrtle Allen, talented chefs and owner/operators who established the original and now growing number of Michelin-starred restaurants, and the explosion of ethnic cuisine.

This month we begin what we hope will be a monthly ‘Focus on Food’ which will report on the exciting developments that are happening in the market and the chefs that are driving them. In this issue JP McMahon talks about his unique ‘Food on the Edge’ symposium in October - watch out for profiles of the impressive list of speakers at this event in the next couple of issues. We will also be looking at those artisan food producers in different parts of Ireland who are in the vanguard of culinary innovation and are growing their list of credits on the nation’s restaurant and hotel menus.

@HC_Review

HOTEL

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

Maev Martin www.hotelandcateringreview.ie

2

Editor: Maev Martin

@

info@hotelandcateringreview.ie

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To sign up to our online newsletter please go to www.hotelandcateringreview.ie

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IRELAND HIGH ON

COMPETITIVENESS INDEX

NEWS

Ireland ranks at number 19 in the world, out of 141 countries, in the World Economic Forum’s 2015 global ‘Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index’. That is up from number 21 when the index was last compiled in 2013. In the ‘effectiveness of marketing and branding to attract tourists’ category, Ireland has moved from number nine (in 2013) to number five in the world – ahead of France, Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy. Ranking the performance of 141 countries across 14 different categories, the report measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector in a country. Ireland is ranked number two in the world for ‘environmental sustainability’ (after Switzerland).

Some of the other key findings relating to Ireland in the TTCI include: number 3 for cost to start a business; number 4 for government prioritisation of the travel and tourism industry; number 5 for international openness; and number 12 for quality of the natural environment.

Stephanie Roche with Managing Director Margot Slattery.

Stephanie is

SODEXO AMBASSADOR Irish football star Stephanie Roche has been named as Health & Wellbeing Ambassador for Sodexo Ireland. The ‘teaming up’ was revealed at a breakfast at the Bord Bia offices in Dublin and marks the beginning of a three-year partnership between Stephanie and Sodexo.

Stephanie will be supporting the company’s ‘Healthwise’ initiative across its 200 site locations in the Republic and Northern Ireland.

FITZPATRICK IS TOPS

FOR FAMILIES Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel has been named among the Best Hotels for Families by TripAdvisor’s family travel site Family Vacation Critic. Along with five other Irish hotels named among a total of 20 hotels listed in the ‘Europe’ category, Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel met the criteria for a mixed panel of judges, including experts from the site itself, and user experiences and reviews.

1M INVESTMENT DELIVERS

FOUR-STAR RESULT

A 1m refurbishment project at Fitzgerald’s Woodlands House Hotel & Spa has led to Fáilte Ireland adding an additional star to the rating of the Limerick hotel. The family run property, which is a founding member of the Irish Country Hotels collection, began life 40 years ago as a four-bedroomed bed and breakfast (B&B) run by Mary and Dick Fitzgerald as a way to supplement their farming income.

Today, it is an 89-room four-star hotel employing 200 people. The hotel is also introducing an ‘executive package’ for people staying with them on business.

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(l-r): Mary, Richard, Conor, Elaina and David Fitzgerald.

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PERFECT 10

FOR CLARION CORK

HEALTHY EATING

AT THE GIBSON

The Clarion Hotel in Cork recently held a stylish event to celebrate their 10th year in business.

Invited guests sipped prosecco and enjoyed a special ‘Taste of the English Market’ canapé reception before a four-course dinner and a fashion show in The Pegasus suite overlooking the River Lee, hosted by the RTE Today Show’s Maura Derrane.

Visitors to The Gibson Hotel can enjoy tasty guilt free treats at its hemi bar and coda eatery this summer, followed by one of the hotel’s signature cocktails on the terrace. Dishes include Kenmare hand dried cured salmon, a salad of cantaloupe melon, cos lettuce, red radish and avocado salad, fillets of sea bream a la meuniere, Camargue red rice risotto with chilli, marinated boilie goat’s cheese bonbons, and a simple cos and walnut salad.

Daragh Brady, General Manager, Clarion Hotel Cork, Maura Derrane of RTE Today Show, and Ray Kelleher, Marketing Manager, Clarion Hotel Cork, at the birthday celebrations for the hotel.

JUST ASK MURPH’S

NEW DUBLIN DISCOVERY TRAILS

Murph’s Tavern, East Ferry, Co Cork is Bord Bia’s ‘Just Ask’ Restaurant of the Month for June. Siblings Michael and Laura Cashman re-opened this famous waterside pub in 2012. Bord Bia’s Just Ask campaign encourages diners to look for information on where the food on their plate comes from when eating out. The Restaurant of the Month award is given to restaurants and cafés that demonstrate best practice in providing customers with this information.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Christy Burke, and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, recently launched Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Discovery Trails, the first in a new series of themed walking trails in Dublin City.

The four new tourist routes are: Rebellion: retracing the dramatic events of the Easter Rising 1916, which includes Dublin Castle, Trinity College, the General Post Office and the Garden of Remembrance; The Story of Dublin: a journey through Dublin’s 1,000-year history with stops including City Hall, Christ Church Cathedral, St. Audoen’s Church and Smock Alley Theatre; Echoes of War: stories of war and rebellion, with stops including the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Kilmainham Gaol, the Irish National War Memorial Gardens and Collins Barracks; and Empire, which will take visitors back in time to the streets of Dublin when it was one of the most important cities in the British Empire, with stops including Dublin Castle, Bank of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

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Did You Make the

GREAT CARVERY

SHORTLIST? Voting for this year’s ‘Great Carvery of the Year’ has closed. The public have created a shortlist by voting for their favourite carvery pub and hotel venues and a team of mystery shoppers will now visit the shortlisted venues in Dublin, Offaly, Wexford, Donegal, Cavan, Derry, Limerick, Waterford, Kerry, Mayo, Sligo and Galway. The Great Carvery Hotel of the Year 2015 finalists in Leinster are Whitford House Hotel, Wexford and Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore, Co Offaly, the finalists in Munster are the Granville Hotel in Waterford and Heights Hotel in Killarney, and the Connacht finalists are the Castlecourt Hotel in Mayo and Murphys Hotel in Sligo. The Clanree Hotel, Conference & Leisure Centre, Donegal and Harvey’s Point Hotel in Donegal will be representing Ulster in the final. The provincial winners from Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster will be revealed at the Grand Final in Dublin in September, along with the overall winners of the Great Carvery Pub of the Year and Great Carvery Hotel of the Year.

Dan Mullane of The Mustard Seed.

MUSTARD SEED CELEBRATES

30 YEARS

Ireland’s Blue Book member The Mustard Seed restaurant in Co Limerick is celebrating 30 years of fine dining and country house hospitality this year. The Mustard Seed first opened as a fine dining restaurant in Adare in 1985 and 10 years later it moved to country house Echo Lodge, which is close to the village. The Mustard Seed was included in TripAdvisor’s Top 25 small hotels in Ireland 2015.

FINALISTS REVEALED, PUBLIC VOTING COMMENCES

We are nearing the end of the judging process for the Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Awards and the feedback from the judges has been excellent.

The following is a short reminder of what is to come.

AUGUST 6TH Finalists Announced.

AUGUST 7TH Public Voting commences. The public will decide who the winners are in the following categories: Ireland’s Hotel Breakfast, Ireland’s City Hotel, Ireland’s Family Friendly Hotel, and Ireland’s Premium Value Hotel.

SAVE THE DATE:

The awards will be presented at a black tie gala dinner and awards ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Northwood, on September 29th.

For event enquiries and to book your tickets: Contact: Tara Brady, Event Manager Tel: + 353 (0) 1 432 2232 Email: tara.brady@ ashvillemediagroup.com

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

FOR HOLY ISLAND

Clare Co Council is seeking tenders from professional experts to produce an implementation strategy for visitor management and sustainable tourism development on Holy Island. The successful tenderer will be required to prepare proposals in relation to improving access to Holy Island and the provision of tourism facilities on or near the island, as well as proposals on the marketing and promotion of the island as a visitor destination.

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Interested in sponsorship & advertising opportunities?

Contact: Hilary O’Shaughnessy Sales & Marketing Manager Tel: +353 (0)1 432 2231 Mobile: +353 (0)86 3808 177 Email: hilary.oshaughnessy@ ashvillemediagroup.com

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TITANIC CENTRE TO HOST

IFEX 2016

Fresh Montgomery, the event organisers of IFEX, recently confirmed that the trade expo will take place at the new Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast from March 8th to 10th 2016.

Confirmed show attractions include the Salon Culinaire, which includes the ChefSkills Theatre, La Parade des Chefs and a display of Edible Art. ChefSkills will feature hundreds of young culinarians who will be competing over the three days and La Parade des Chefs will see rival teams from Northern Ireland’s catering colleges go head-to-head.

‘FREE CUP OF TEA IF YOU CYCLE TO ME’ Several businesses in the Burren, all members of the Burren ecotourism network, are offering free cups of tea to anyone who arrives to their business on a bike. This is the first initiative of its kind in Ireland and is highlighting the fact that the best way to see the Burren is on a bike. Developed by the Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark and An Taisce Green Schools Travel officer Roisin Garvey, in conjunction with the Burren Ecotourism Network, the ‘Free cup of tea if you cycle to me’ scheme will see cyclists offered a free cup of tea when cycling to participating businesses. Irish Champion pro-surfer Fergal Smith, himself a keen cyclist, launched the initiative with members of the Burren Ecotourism Network at Poulnabrone Dolmen in the heart of the Burren on June 2nd. Among the local business offering the free cup of tea to cyclists are Aillwee Cave and Birds of Prey centre, Doolin Hostel, The Burren Smokehouse, Wild Kitchen, The Burren Centre, Hotel Doolin, The Boghill Centre, Kilfenora Hostel, Burren experience guided walks, Kilshanny House and the Farmyard in Corofin.

(l-r) Sean Owens, Salon Culinaire Director, and Caroline McCusker, Event Manager, IFEX.

KILLYHEVLIN HOTEL OPENS NEW RESTAURANT UTV presenter Sarah Travers joined the team at the Killyhevlin Hotel recently to host a dinner to mark the launch of the hotel’s new restaurant, Kove.

The opening follows a £200,000 Art Deco style make-over which takes full advantage of its views of Lough Erne. Dinner guests, who included former Coronation Street star Charlie Lawson, the BBC’s Julian Fowler, and representatives from the tourism, food and drink industries, were treated to a taste of Kove’s new menu which has been designed by Head Chef Kevin Watson and Senior Sous chef Trevor Shannon. The menu is a celebration of local and regional produce, comprising dishes made with the ingredients from the land, loughs and sea.

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KERRY TOPS WITH

LONELY PLANET

Cathal Geoghegan

MOUNT CHARLES WINS HOSPITAL CONTRACT The Mount Charles Group has won a new six-figure contract to provide 66 vending machines across the Western Health and Social Care Trust area, which spans the five council areas of Limavady, Derry, Strabane, Omagh and Fermanagh, for three years, with an option to extend for a further two years. The Group has also retained its contract to deliver catering, vending, cleaning and ancillary services for the Bangor and Newtownards campuses of SERC, catering for approximately 16,000 students and 700 members of staff, for another five years, following a competitive tendering process.

Kerry has been named as number two on the list of best places in Europe for family holidays 2015 by Lonely Planet.

Describing Kerry, Lonely Planet says: “Mysterious islands off a craggy coastline; mist-wreathed mountains and lakes; castles, abbeys and other ruins to explore… no wonder County Kerry appeals to the imagination of travellers of all ages. Better still, the popular Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry – part of the Wild Atlantic Way (ireland.com/en-gb/wildatlantic-way) – have roadside attractions every few miles to keep those with short attention spans engaged.”

ADARE ENTERS TRIPADVISOR

HALL OF FAME Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort has been recognised as a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence ‘Hall of Fame’ winner. The Certificate of Excellence award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve great traveller reviews on TripAdvisor. The ‘Hall of Fame’ was created to honour those businesses that have earned a Certificate of Excellence for five consecutive years.

TripAdvisor uses a proprietary algorithm when selecting Certificate of Excellence winners that takes into account the quality, quantity and recency of reviews and opinions submitted by travellers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period, as well as a business’s tenure and ranking on the popularity index on the site. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews, and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

SOUTH-EAST LAUNCHES CAPITAL OF CULTURE BID

Launching the South East’s European Capital of Culture South East 2020 bid website www.threesisters2020.ie - are three sisters Anna, Lucy and Cathy Dillon pictured at The Three Sisters Marina in New Ross.

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Having joined forces to bid for the 2020 title of European Capital of Culture, the Three Sisters Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny officially launched their website for the bid, www. threesisters2020.ie, on May 28th. The South East’s bid brand and website name draws on the three rivers of the three counties, The Barrow, The Nore and The Suir.

It re-affirms the connection among the three South East counties and sets the unique regional bid apart from the other single city bids. The chosen city will selected by a jury nominated by the European Commission and the selection process will get underway in the coming months.

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COVER STORY

Is IRISH TOURISM

losing its

If the Government continues to slash tourism marketing budgets, Ireland’s profile in overseas markets will plummet. This is one of a number of concerns that the newly-appointed Chair of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC) will be raising with government.

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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

“In

media marketing terms, Ireland’s ‘Share of Voice’ has been falling in our key markets over the past four years – visitors’ recall of Ireland is diminishing,” says Paul Gallagher, ITIC Chair and General Manager of Buswells Hotel. “That is because we are being outspent in the communications media that we are using so our market penetration level is falling significantly.

This means that the funding of tourism agencies is now a major issue that needs to be addressed in the next Budget.

Funding for Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland has been slashed in recent years. Their budgets have been cut by 25% yet visitor numbers have grown by 25% over the last two years.

There is a danger that the Department of Finance might decide that if visitor numbers can grow despite a cut in funding that they might as well cut further.

That would be disastrous because Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland are competing with other agencies that have much greater funding. If investment from government in the marketing spend of these agencies isn’t increased it could have a serious impact on visitor numbers.”

The Tourism Satellite Account is a standard statistical framework and the main tool for the economic measurement of tourism. Most European countries monitor their spend on tourism, with the details Paul Gallagher, ITIC Chair and General Manager of Buswells Hotel. being made available for public consumption, but not Ireland.

“Agriculture is well measured and it would only require one statistician in the Revenue Commisioners to do this for the tourism industry, yet we are making no headway with the government on getting this appointment made,” says Paul.

“It seems illogical that we don’t measure our performance.

We rely on CSO data which can be wrong and is usually two years out of date by the time we get it.”

The nine per cent VAT rate is another key issue that ITIC would like to see addressed in Budget 2016. “The rate shouldn’t be up for renewal on an annual basis,” says Paul. “It is correct and should stay as it is. Those countries with a nine per cent or lower rate are all experiencing tourism growth so it should remain that way and any uncertainty about changes to it should be removed.”

The government’s policy document – ‘People, Place and Policy – Growing Tourism to 2025’ sets out a vision of 10 milion overseas visitors annually spending 5bn.

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GROWTH TARGETS The government’s policy document – ‘People, Place and Policy – Growing Tourism to 2025’ sets out a vision of 10 milion overseas visitors annually spending 5bn and supporting 250,000 jobs in the industry by 2025. “We welcome the Government’s latest policy document but we think it could be more ambitious, particularly the target of 10 million visitors spending 5bn,” he says. “We are near

eight million this year so why would it take 10 more years to get another two million visitors, especially since the Destination Dublin plan is aiming to get from 4.5 million to 6.5 million people into Dublin by 2025? People come to Dublin but never seem to see a reason to return. Dublin requires investment to address the ‘old, grey and dusty’ image of the capital, as identified in the Grow Dublin Taskforce’s research, to drive incremental growth for new and repeat visitation to the city.

However, we are particularly pleased about the establishment of the Tourism Leadership Group. The work of this group could prove to be extremely important and influential in the industry. The Wild Atlantic Way packaging is a great hook for tourists. That packaging garnered a lot of media footage for Ireland as a destination and that corridor has now been strongly positioned and will lead to new and innovative tourism businesses emerging along and adjacent to the route. 80% of our visitors go to 20% of our tourist locations – we need to look at key areas where we can make tourism spread a bit further such as the Midlands, Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, Sligo, Donegal, Athlone and Louth. These areas are driven mainly by the domestic market and we need to change that dynamic if the country is to really make the most of what it has to offer and of the market opportunities that are out there.”

STATE INVESTMENT Irish tourism got 17m from the State in 2015. The agriculture and marine sector got 168m. “We will spend 300,000 on Buswells Hotel this year so that puts the level of government investment in tourism into perspective,” says Paul. “I know that the State coffers are tight but existing infrastructure needs to be renewed and refreshed. New areas need to be developed and more money has to go into R&D. The OPW budget for 2015 is 370,000, which is tiny. In addition, local authorities have a lot of tourism infrastructure that they need to take care of, such as access to beaches and other public areas and amenities. The case for capital investment in tourism is compelling. In our pre-Budget submission to Government, ITIC is proposing that a capital budget equivalent to at least one per cent of annual export earnings from tourism be provided in each of the next five years from 2016.”

THE WEAKEST LINKS The physical weaknesses in the Irish tourism product are self evident, says Paul, but what isn’t always highlighted enough are the technological weaknesses. “There is a

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COVER STORY Most European countries monitor their spend on tourism

There is a major hotel capacity issue within the Dublin canals.

Guinness Storehouse

requirement for modern technologies to be installed at a lot of our visitor attractions to allow tourists to acquire a better understanding and interpretation of what the product has to offer because stories exist that aren’t being told,” he says. “Capacity is also a huge issue, and not just for hotels, but in terms of public transport and the volumes going through key visitor centres, especially the Guinness Storehouse where they are running out of capacity. There is a major hotel capacity issue within the canals. Dublin extends from Dalkey to Howth and Malahide and out beyond the canals – if you sell it like that, which is a big part of what the new Destination Dublin campaign is trying to do, then there isn’t a capacity issue. However, that isn’t how Dublin has been sold or is currently being sold. Also, there is a shortage of houses, apartments and sites and that is all driving up price. If that trend continues it will cause serious problems in the next three or four years because we will switch off the market.”

AER LINGUS SALE IAG formally announced its offer for Aer Lingus last month, valuing the airline at 1.4bn. Following the government’s approval of the bid at the end of May, IAG plans to buy the airline through a new subsidiary company. ITIC welcomes the Government’s decision to dispose of its minority stake in Aer Lingus. “Aer Lingus, and consequently Irish tourism, will be in a much stronger position as a result of this sale,” says Paul. “Ireland’s global connections can now be expanded in a manner and scale that was unimaginable, even a short time ago.

Investment by IAG in Aer Lingus will grow the airline’s network, significantly boost tourism, and create more jobs. The commitments given to enhanced connectivity for Irish airports, and the assurances on the Heathrow slots, are considerable, and well beyond what is normally part of such an acquisition.”

A recent ITIC poll of tourism business leaders, as part of ITIC’s Outlook Survey, showed that 70% supported the proposed IAG bid with 20% opposed and 10% undecided. ITIC has been supportive of the proposed IAG offer since January 30th. “We believed then and stated in our submission to Minister Donohoe that there were considerably more benefits than downsides to the proposal from IAG.” POSITIVE OUTLOOK ITIC’s Outlook Survey also revealed that there is an almost unanimous expectation of sustainable growth in tourism to Ireland over the next two to three years. A total of 60% of those who responded to the survey think the growth impact will be ‘modest’, with 40% expecting ‘significant increases’. More than four out of five businesses are changing how they do business and adopting new marketing strategies, as almost 70% anticipate a change in their customer profile. Almost two out of three are planning to expand their business over the next three years to cope with anticipated profitable growth. Two out of three businesses foresee the number of employees increasing by five per cent and 20% within three years, with a minority of businesses (8%) delivering more than a 20% increase in employment.

Tourists in Temple Bar, Dublin

THE FUNDING OF TOURISM AGENCIES IS NOW A MAJOR ISSUE...

IF INVESTMENT FROM GOVERNMENT IN THE MARKETING SPEND OF THESE AGENCIES ISN’T INCREASED IT COULD HAVE A SERIOUS IMPACT ON VISITOR NUMBERS.

ITIC welcomes the Government’s decision to dispose of its minority stake in Aer Lingus.

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Commercial

PROFILE

Pictured are Vivienne Lillis, Aer Lingus, Tara Kerry, Fáilte Ireland, Andrew Murphy and Neil Pakey, Shannon Group, Suzanne Trehy, Fáilte Ireland, Tony Brazil, Shannon Group, Mike Moloney and Katie Shanahan, Aer Lingus.

IRELAND OF THE WELCOMES

OFF TO A FLYING START AER LINGUS TAKES WILD ATLANTIC WAY TO NEW HEIGHTS

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IT’S BEEN AN ACTIVE FEW WEEKS FOR FÁILTE IRELAND AS THE WORLD’S TOP AVIATION LEADERS LAND AND TAKE OFF IN DUBLIN, AER LINGUS TAKES THE WILD ATLANTIC WAY TO NEW HEIGHTS, AND THE ORGANISATION ANNOUNCES NEW STANDARDS FOR INNOVATIVE, QUIRKY AND UNUSUAL TOURISM ACCOMMODATION.

áilte Ireland recently launched a newly branded ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ Aer Lingus Boeing 767 aircraft in partnership with Shannon Airport and Aer Lingus. The plane, which is branded for 12 weeks, flies the Boston’s Logan International Airport/ Shannon Airport route. The aircraft itself has a capacity of 213 per flight, flies twice daily between Boston and Shannon, and will fill an estimated 7,000 seats in total inbound and outbound for the 12 weeks. Last year passenger numbers on US services at Shannon grew steadily, with the latter half of the year showing a 22% rise on the same period in 2012.

AVIATION HIGH-FLIERS

CHOOSE DUBLIN FOR

2016 AGM

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áilte Ireland’s Dublin Convention Bureau, together with Aer Lingus, recently announced that Dublin has been chosen as the destination for the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) AGM next year. One of the most prestigious events on the travel calendar, the AGM will be hosted in the RDS, Dublin, from June 1st to 3rd 2016. IATA is the trade association for the world’s airlines and its gathering will attract more than 1,200 delegates and is estimated to be worth 1.6m to the local economy.

‘BIENVENIDO’ FOR

MEXICAN

SAILORS

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áilte Ireland rolled out the green carpet for over 225 Mexican sailors who arrived in Dublin on board the Cuauhtémoc, one of the world’s largest tall ships. It is intended that the ship will visit 15 ports and Dublin was its first port of call in Europe. The visit marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Ireland in 1975.

Ciara Sugrue, Fáilte Ireland, with The Mexican Ambassador to Ireland, Carlos Garcia de Alba, Captain Mata, Commander of the ‘Cuauhtemoc’, and Rear Admiral Jose Aguayo, Naval Attaché.

In association with

HOTEL

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Commercial

PROFILE

TEEING OFF WITH TOP GOLF WRITERS Minister of State for Tourism & Sport, Michael Ring T.D. launches Fáilte Ireland’s new ‘Welcome Standard’ with the help of Sam and Emilia Walsh, Dun Laoghaire.

NEW ‘WELCOME STANDARD’ PROVIDES

SEAL OF APPROVAL FOR QUIRKY ACCOMMODATION

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áilte Ireland have launched a new ‘Welcome Standard’ that is targeted at innovative, quirky or unusual tourist accommodation businesses (such as glamping, pods and log cabins) which do not fit into its existing approval frameworks.

This new standard has been introduced to recognise the significant changes in both consumer tastes and the range of accommodation types that are now available.

The new Welcome Standard will bring many more tourism operators into tourism’s ‘approved’ family as complementary additions to existing traditional tourism accommodation stock such as hotels and B&Bs. Businesses that are judged to have attained the‘Welcome Standard’will be allowed to display the Welcome Standard’s logo on their property and on their marketing material. These businesses will also be featured prominently in Fáilte Ireland marketing activities, including the Discover Ireland website.

“Many successful, high quality accommodation businesses in Ireland are providing a great experience for their guests but sadly do not fit within the traditional Fáilte Ireland quality framework and, as a result, have been unable to work with Fáilte Ireland in the past,” says Fáilte Ireland Chairman Michael Cawley.

“This new standard will rectify this situation and

is designed to embrace these businesses for their benefit as well as for the benefit of visitors and the Irish tourism industry. The new standard is targeted at atypical tourist accommodation businesses who do not fit into existing Fáilte Ireland approval frameworks and 80 operators have already signed up to the initiative.”

Carina Mount Charles of Rock Farm explains what the new standard means for her business: “The primary benefit of having Fáilte Ireland’s Welcome Standard for us, as a small business, is that it gives us that stamp of credibility. When people see the sign in the car park, they know that they are not only welcomed by us but are also being welcomed by Fáilte Ireland. Having the sign outside the gate means that we have made it and we are now a fully-fledged tourism business.”

Dick Ridge, from ‘Pod-Umna’ Village, says that the Fáilte Ireland recognition will indicate to potential guests that they will be properly taken care of during their stay and helped in every way possible. “To sum up the new standard I would say it is about putting the real Fáilte first, second and third into the visitor experience and we are delighted to be a part of it.”

More information about the new standard can be viewed on www.failteireland.ie/ welcomestandard.aspx

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áilte Ireland, in association with Irish Ferries, welcomed a group of 14 influential UK provincial golf writers to Ireland on their annual golf weekend. This annual event, which is now in its 30th year, saw the group play a number of east coast golf courses, which included Woodbrook Golf Club, Wicklow Golf Club, and The Royal Dublin Golf Club.

Golf is one of Ireland’s most significant tourist activities with over 200,000 overseas visitors taking part in golf during their visit to Ireland every year, contributing almost 220m to the economy.

The group are pictured with Rory Mathews, Fáilte Ireland, and John Lahiffe and Ian Fenwick, Irish Ferries, at the Royal Dublin Golf Club.

In association with

HOTEL

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ONLINE TRENDS

THE

RISE

OF THE

Armchair

EXPLORER

Today’s holiday makers are increasingly going online during the research and booking stages of travel. Guy Chiswick, Managing Director of Webloyalty Northern Europe, looks at the opportunities for travel brands to engage with digital-age holidaymakers.

T

he use of digital platforms and services in Ireland is well established.

While there is a high level of activity on smartphones and tablets, PCs and laptops still take up a greater share of device time.

Despite being the leading channel used across the customer travel journey, the online experience requires significant refinement with customers often finding the process fragmented, time consuming and unintuitive.

Digital technologies provide an excellent opportunity for travelrelated brands, from hotels to vehicle hire companies, to create a ‘connected’ travel experience by understanding customer attitudes to travel, improving targeting and personalisation, and providing appropriate tools at relevant touchpoints. A ‘connected’, seamless travel experience can translate into benefits for both the customer and travel brands – from increasing satisfaction and building loyalty among engaged customers to allowing brands to upsell and generate repeat business.

Webloyalty’s recently published research report*, titled ‘Digital Destinations: How the Web is Shaping Today’s Holiday Experience for Irish Consumers’, finds that Irish holiday-makers are spending less time on research but are

looking at more sources to inform their booking decision than someone who is predominantly researching their holiday offline i.e. peer recommendations, resort brochures, or bricks and mortar travel agents.

Price, as may be expected, is a key influencer when it comes to selecting a holiday, according to 92% of research participants.

Ease of booking is deemed quite important for 49%, while one in four say online reviews are a very important part of their decision making process.

Brand loyalty scores low in the decision making process, with 65% saying that using a holiday company they have used before was not important to them and 62% saying that returning to a destination or a hotel they had previously visited is not important.

Also worth noting is that, despite the meteoric rise of smartphones and tablets in Ireland, mobile booking remains relatively low with only six per cent of research participants saying they have booked a holiday using a mobile app in the past two years. This highlights a need for better mobile optimisation of sites and more intuitive apps to bring the booking experience from desktop to mobile. In order for travel brands to get cutthrough with disloyal consumers during the crowded research and booking stage, it is essential to

#Booking Holidays

74%

of holiday makers who use offline sources for research...

TV Channel

Holiday Brochures

then go online to book their holiday

Holiday Websites

understand the different online consumer personalities at play: Digital Savvy Influencers; Social Media Connectors; Online Traditionalists; Technophobes.

By analysing and segmenting the online profiles of Irish holidays-makers, it is easier for brands to strategise their online approach to each group and to meaningfully connect with Irish consumers throughout the research and booking stage. The rise of the ‘Armchair Explorer’ is an interesting journey to watch and brands should continue to research the behavioural developments within each consumer sub-division because this is where the opportunity will present itself for the brand to align with the consumer journey.

Guy Chiswick, Managing Director of Webloyalty Northern Europe

*Webloyalty partnered with TNS to survey a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults online in Ireland in March 2015

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#Digital Savvy Influencers

#Social Media Connectors

#Online Traditionalists

#Technophobes

Digital Savvy Influencers (DSIs), mostly under 35s, live online, own the most tech gadgets of all profiles, and are typically highly vocal on social media channels, making them both highly influenced and influential. During the research stage of the travel journey, DSIs utilise both online and offline channels in planning their trip. Their research preferences include search engines (57%), friends and family (44%), destination specific websites (37%), and online price comparison sites (33%). When making a booking, DSIs are savvy about finding great deals and mostly book holidays or trips online. They are also early adopters when it comes to booking travel on mobile apps. Of all profiles, DSIs are most likely to engage with travel brands online.

Social Media Connectors (SMCs) are all about staying connected to friends and family on social media. Mostly under age 35, SMCs are likely to be found logged on to Facebook throughout the day. SMCs favour social media at the expense of all other online research methods, with one in 10 browsing through comments and promotions on travel brands’ social media sites to inform their decision.

22% also continue to use traditional holiday brochures to complement their research. When researching a trip online, they use travel booking websites (18%) and holiday price comparison sites (17%).

Of all the profiles, they are most likely to book their holiday travel and accommodation separately online.

Brands can engage this group by offering priority benefits or special offers that acknowledge these needs.

(OTs), mostly 35+, are the most thorough online researchers using search engines (74%), destination websites (47%) and online price comparison sites (36%) when planning a trip abroad. OTs are comfortable technology users but they show less enthusiasm for social media, favouring privacy and limited public access to their profile. They are likely to book holiday travel and accommodation separately online. OTs spend a large amount of time on the internet as they find it to be the greatest source of information and they take pride in figuring out a travel plan for themselves. They are some of the heaviest online researchers and they utilise user reviews to inform their own travel plans. Brands who wish to engage this group must focus their engagement efforts around functional benefits.

Technophobes are heavy consumers of traditional media with little interest in the online world or social media. They are over 45 and primarily research and book package trips through high-street travel agents, as they are anxious about the security of booking travel online. They can be attracted by the tangible practical benefits rather than the social uses of being online. For example, many within this group own an array of gadgets. However, the use is functional e.g. a tablet to read the news or a mobile phone to text or make calls. In order for online travel brands to engage with this group, they need to provide guidance and safety reassurance that equals or trumps the high-street retailer.

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• Boutique Style hotel • Suburb Location, minutes from Grafton Street and St. Stephen’s Green • Always assured of a warm & friendly welcome • Complimentary overnight car parking • Buswells Bar offering drinks and bar food throughout the day • Trumans Restaurant offering an elegant dining experience in Dublin city centre • Complimentary Wi-Fi

23-27 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 T: 01 6146500 • E: info@buswells.ie • W: www.buswells.ie

• Traditional & Contemporary Styles • Pre-folded + Boxed Napkins • Tailored Delivery Services • Clean, Crisp Linen’s available in a full range of sizes

• Wide Range of Styles • Reliable Nationwide Network • Tailored Service • Dedicated Customer Service • Reliable Delilvery

t: +353 1 636 2900 f: +353 1 636 2998 e: info@springgrove.ie Offering Laundry & Hygiene Solutions across the Hotel & Catering industry

016_H&C_July 2015_Adverts.indd 1

www.springgrove.ie

14/07/2015 15:43

DOOR KEY TO THE DOOR

KEY TO THE

Opening, Closures, Refurbs and Aquisitions

CLAYTON HOTELS

REBRAND Dalata Hotel Group announced on June 26th that 10 of its newly acquired hotels across the UK and Ireland will be rebranded as Clayton Hotels by the end of 2015. Six of the hotels previously traded under the Bewley brand. The Maldron hotels in Cardiff in Wales and in Cardiff Lane in Dublin will also be rebranded Clayton. Together with the existing Clayton Hotel in Galway, there will be 13 Clayton hotels in the UK and Ireland. With eight hotels and 1,900 rooms, Clayton Hotels will become the largest hotel brand in Ireland. Clayton Hotels focus on the corporate market, which is the principal distinction between Clayton Hotels and the more family-orientated sister hotel group, Maldron Hotels. 27m is being invested in the redevelopment and upgrade of both brands, including the roll out of the exclusive Clayton Hotel signature bedrooms.

Markree Castle

NEW ADDITION TO

CORSCADDEN

COLLECTION

Luxury Manor House Hotel owners, the Corscadden Family, have acquired Co Sligo’s historic Markree Castle for an undisclosed sum. The family is about to embark on a 5m restoration project which will see the castle re-open to the public in March 2016. The acquisition comes little more than a year after the family completed the restoration of Bellingham Castle in Co Louth. This is the first time that Markree Castle has changed hands since it was gifted to the Cooper family by Cromwell in the mid-17th century. It has been a 30-bedroom hotel and popular location for wedding celebrations for the last 25 years and is situated in 225 acres of parkland, home to the castle’s resident flock of rare-breed Wensleydale sheep. The Corscadden collection also comprises Ballyseede Castle in Co Kerry, Bellingham Castle in Co Louth, and Cabra Castle in Co Cavan.

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BUSINESS MATTERS

TIME FOR NEW SUPPLY

HOTEL MARKET

TO THE

Aiden Murphy, Partner at Crowe Horwath, addressed the recent Irish Hotels Investment Conference on the topic of hotel acquisition and expansion feasibility.

Aiden Murphy, Partner, Corporate Recovery Department of Crowe Horwath

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HOTEL

H

osted by the Irish Hotels Federation, the annual investment conference, which is in its third year, provides an important business and social platform for hotel owners, general managers, industry professionals, service providers and product suppliers.

As part of his presentation Aiden Murphy explained that the congestion in the Dublin market is stimulating room rate growth at a concerning level, with ARR for Dublin up 30% over the last 24 months. This pace of rate growth is unlikely to slow as demand for Dublin city centre accommodation exceeds supply. This level of demand is most prevalent in the core city centre market of Dublin 1, 2, 3 and 4 where occupancy levels at hotels were 81% for 2014. The data for 2015 is showing further year-on-year growth in occupancy of six percentage points. The periphery of the Dublin market is also experiencing strong demand, with high occupancy levels of 74% for 2014 and growth in occupancy of five percentage points recorded year-on-year for the first four months of 2015.

There is a clear requirement for new hotels to be built in the core city area and it appears feasible for an additional 2,000 rooms to be built in the city centre. An introduction of new supply would help to sustain the growth of Dublin as a location for international corporate headquarters, a location capable of fully exploiting the potential of the Dublin Convention Centre. It would also create

the capacity to accommodate the targeted 5.3 million international visitors to Dublin, which is the target specified in the Destination Dublin return to growth strategy. At present, Dublin has four million overseas visitors annually and this is targeted to grow to 5.3 million by 2020 if the five per cent growth target is attained. This segment alone is likely to sustain 2,000 additional hotel rooms in Dublin.

The challenge is the time needed to introduce new supply. The timeline for new builds - from site identification, through planning, and on to construction and fitout - can be up to three years before the doors open to guests. The delays expected in delivering these additional rooms are likely to inhibit future economic and tourism growth in Dublin.

To date, the main obstacle to projects commencing is the lack of development funding to undertake construction projects and of promoter equity to cover the associated risks. The business case post completion supports the cost but the market place is lacking in funded development companies that can carry the construction risk involved in the

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BUSINESS MATTERS

The Wall of Fame, Temple Bar

Food Market, Temple Bar

www.flickr.com/William Murphy

www.flickr.com/William Murphy Dublin Flea Market

Street art at the Tivoli Theatre car park Dublin Flea Market

Iveagh Gardens

#Breakdown of hotel supply in Dublin DUBLIN CITY CENTRE

86 Hotels

9,954 Rooms

DUBLIN PERIPHERY

66 Hotels

8,649 Rooms

money perception of our tourism product offering, which would be damaged if Dublin hotel rates were to become known as being expensive, was, he said, another key focus for Government. However, the sure fire way of maintaining a check on hotel room rate growth and maintaining our value for money proposition is to ensure that there is adequate competition in the market, and additional room supply in Dublin city centre is needed to make this happen. If the funding of new build projects is not addressed, either by the public or private sector, then the prospect of further tourism and economic growth for Ireland could be seriously hindered.

www.flickr.com/William Murphy

development of a hotel.

The short term answer will be the expansion of existing hotels and a significant opportunity now exists for existing Dublin hoteliers to add blocks of rooms that should be easily filled based on the current strength of demand and the future outlook.

Demand levels look set to grow further over the medium term and if the room shortage issue for Dublin is not urgently addressed it could be very damaging for the national tourism industry.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Pascal Donohoe, who addressed the IHF Investment Conference, confirmed that tourism growth is a key priority for the current Government. Minister Donohoe spoke about the Government’s commitment to support the tourism sector as it recognised the potential for further growth and job creation within the hotel and tourism sector, which will contribute to Ireland’s emergence from recessionary times. The Minister acknowledged that capacity in Dublin was now an issue for the sector and he said that it would be a focus of attention for the Government.

Maintaining the value for

#Destination

Dublin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aiden Murphy is a Partner within the Corporate Recovery Department of Crowe Horwath and deals primarily with hotel, tourism and leisure projects, and property and trading insolvency cases. Aiden is a qualified chartered accountant and financial advisor with 20 years’ experience.

Crowe Horwath have a dedicated hospitality team which offer business reviews, asset management, advice on acquisitions and disposals, and market feasibility reports.

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The Dodder Rhino, Milltown

With tourism being important to Dublin in terms of revenue and jobs, DESTINATION DUBLIN was launched to create the capacity to accommodate the targeted 5.3 million international visitors to Dublin.

At present, Dublin has four million overseas visitors annually and this is targeted to grow to 5.3 million by 2020 if the five per cent growth target is attained. This segment alone is likely to sustain 2,000 additional hotel rooms in Dublin. The campaign aims to drive tourism in the capital forward and allow Dublin to compete competitively for market share with other cities across Europe.

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ON THE MOVE

Move

On the

New Appointments, Promotions and Recruitment



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TOM BREEN

MARTINA GARVEY

MICHELLE MCDONNELL

NEW POSITION OPERATIONS MANAGER

NEW POSITION DIRECTOR

NEW POSITION DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING

EMPLOYER RADISSON BLU ROYAL HOTEL DUBLIN

EMPLOYER OLAS SOFTWARE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

EMPLOYER RADISSON BLU ROYAL HOTEL DUBLIN

Tom Breen has been appointed as Operations Manager at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel on Golden Lane in Dublin city centre.

He has worked in roles including Operations Manager for Finnstown Country House Hotel, Food and Beverage Manager for Highfield Golf & Country Club, and Resort, Conference and Banqueting Manager for the five-star Heritage Golf & Spa Resort.

His most recent role was as Hospitality Teacher at Queenstown Resort College in New Zealand. He acquired a qualification in hospitality management from Dublin Institute of Technology in 2005.

Martina Garvey is now a Director of Olas Software Training and Development, Ireland’s only accredited SAP Education Partner, based in Sandyford, Dublin.

Martina has been a senior project management professional with the company since 2012 and specialises in the food and drink sector where her clients include the Kerry Group and Irish Distillers. Martina holds a B.Sc. Degree in Information Systems from Trinity College Dublin, the National Diploma in Computer Programming and IT from Carlow Institute of Technology and the Diploma in Accounting and Finance from ACCA Ireland.

Michelle McDonnell has been appointed Director of Sales & Marketing at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Dublin and she has also been named as the Radisson Blu Sales Person of the Year for the UK and Ireland. A graduate of DIT with a degree in Hospitality Management, Michelle began her career with the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group in 2003. Starting out as an intern at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Galway, Michelle then joined the pre-opening team at the Radisson Blu Hotel Athlone where she was named Employee of the Year in the first year of trading. She later progressed from the position of Sales & Marketing Co-ordinator to Director of Sales & Marketing at the hotel.

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ON THE MOVE

SHEILA BAIRD

JOANNA DOYLE

NEW POSITION GENERAL MANAGER

NEW POSITION GROUP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING MANAGER

NEW POSITION BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP MANAGER

EMPLOYER PREM GROUP

EMPLOYER PREM GROUP

Joanna Doyle has been appointed Group Business Development & Marketing Manager with the Prem Group.

A graduate in Hotel Management from DIT, Joanna has held various positions since joining the company in 1996, most recently as E-commerce and Marketing Manager.

In her new role, Joanna will continue to lead the company’s marketing strategy as well as leading business development for Trinity Hospitality Services, which provides bespoke hotel support services.

Rebekah Lavelle has joined Prem Group as Business Relationship Manager. Her role will involve working on revenue growth strategies with the 15 Irish hotels operated and managed by the Prem Group. Prior to joining Prem Group, Rebekah was Digital Marketing Manager at The Camden Court Hotel in Dublin.

She began her career with Sunway Holidays and has held various positions with companies in Ireland, Spain and Australia, including with a Spanish digital marketing agency where she worked as an online marketing executive, and with meetingsbooker.com as European Account Manager. Rebekah is also the co-founder of the IHF Marketing Network.

EMPLOYER TEELING WHISKEY DISTILLERY

Sheila Baird has been appointed as General Manager of the visitor centre at the newlyopened Teeling Whiskey Distillery. She has over 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, having worked with a number of well-known hotels including the Quinn Hotel Group, the Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links, and the Marine Hotel in Sutton. Most recently, Sheila worked with the Cara Hotel Group as the General Manager across a number of their properties. She has taken part in an Executive Leadership Programme at Cornell University, New York, and has served as a branch officer of the Irish Hotels Federation. Sheila is also a member of the Irish Hospitality Institute.

REBEKAH LAVELLE

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FOCUS ON FOOD

GALWAY TO HOST

G8 (FOOD) SUMMIT International chefs and food leaders will debate the future of food in Galway on October 19th and 20th. The event is the brainchild of JP McMahon who tells Maev Martin about why he persuaded over 40 of the world’s top chefs to come to Ireland.

“C

hefs will come together to listen, talk, debate and network with each other at the ‘Food on the Edge’ symposium in order to create a better food experience worldwide,” he says. “Chefs everywhere have a responsibility to be in the vanguard of food education. Whether it is in the context of fine dining or street food, we all need to eat better and in order to do this we need to debate the issues in an open platform.”

JP is a member of the ‘Cook it Raw’ community, which comprises top-tier chefs, producers and artisans from around the world, and he is their ambassador in Ireland. His participation in international ‘Cook it Raw’ food events in the US, Mexico, Finland and Canada sowed the seed of an idea that would eventually become ‘Food on the Edge’. “I was always going abroad to events so I wanted to host something in Ireland because we have such a vibrant food scene and great produce,” he says. Will the ‘Cook it Raw’ theme be a major focus at the symposium? “Not so much. With that concept each chef produces a dish based on their understanding of what they have seen in an area and they also bring a bit with them from their own environment. With ‘Food on the Edge,’ the focus is more on creating a space where chefs can meet

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and talk in an egalitarian way. I didn’t want it to be about who you know. Anyone can attend and we have student discounts so I want to encouarge any chefs or anyone who is interested in food or the food industry to attend.”

The format of the symposium will give each chef 15 minutes to talk about the event’s theme, ‘The Future of Food’, and/or show videos. There will be no food demonstrations by chefs. “They would take too long,” he says. “I want it to be a bit more conceptual. Lunchtime will be a buffet showcasing produce from local farmers and suppliers. I contacted a lot of chefs via social media when I was organising this event and so far it has been extremely well received around the world.

In many ways it is an event that is a reflection of what is possible in this new digital age. It certainly wouldn’t have been as easy to bring together so many people who are at the height of their careers from different parts of the globe to a single event in a few months prior to the advent social media.”

The main ‘Food on the Edge’ talks will be held in a marquee tent located in Galway city centre and over 350 attendees are expected during the course of the summit. “About 60% of the delegates will be chefs and then 20% will be from the hotel/ retail/food sectors and 20% from the general

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FOCUS ON FOOD

THERE IS NO REASON WHY CHEFS IN IRELAND CAN’T CREATE FOOD DESTINATIONS WITHIN THEIR AREAS, EVEN IN REMOTE AREAS, OR IN TOWNS OR VILLAGES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN THOUGHT OF AS TYPICAL PLACES WHERE FOODIES MIGHT GATHER.

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FOCUS ON FOOD #Ones to Check Out FOOD ON THE

EDGE GALWAY , IREL AND

·

Sasu Laukonen

OCTOBER 2015

public,” he says. “We have people travelling from Asia to attend. It is important to bring chefs from overseas to Ireland so there is also a food tourism element to this event and that is why Fáilte Ireland are helping us to promote it.” JP started contacting chefs about the symposium last October. “British chef Nathan Outlaw, who has appeared on the BBC in Great British Menu and Saturday Kitchen, was one of the first people to come on board,” he says.

“I got in touch with Albert Adria in Spain, who was recently crowned best pastry chef in the world by Fine Dining Lovers World’s Top 50 Restaurants. I’ve worked with him and with a number of the other chefs that I contacted, including Finland’s Sasu Laukonen, chef and owner of Chef & Sommelier in Helsinki. We cook together in Ireland and in his place and he is a terrific lens for understanding Nordic food at the moment, as well as being a great educator. I’ve also worked with Mexican chef Jair Téllez. In fact there are about eight or nine chefs who will be speaking that I have worked with and/or developed a rapport with.”

#Family Affair

The EatGalway Restaurant Group (Aniar, Cava, Bodega, Eat Gastropub) is a family business:

JP’s wife Drigin Gaffey Mahon looks after the front of house, financial and administrative side of the business

JP’s brother Alex leads the front of house team in Aniar

Edel is the graphic designer for the restaurants

HOTEL

Jair Téllez

at the event. However, a lot of the speakers don’t have Michelin stars, half of them aren’t well known, and some are US and Canadian chefs like Connie DeSousa and John Jackson, who I met in Toronto. They are co-owners and coexecutive chefs of Charcut Roast House in Calgary in Alberta. My selection of speakers was influenced primarily by their culinary ethos and I also wanted a few high profile chefs mixed with emerging chefs like Mark Moriarty who will be addressing the gathering fresh from his victory in Italy where he claimed the S. Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year Award. I think that the Michelin stars are not what cooking is about. The human side of the cheffing business, away from all the labelling, is the most important side.”

DESTINATION IRELAND A lot of the ‘Food on the Edge’ chefs have set up and successfully run their own restaurants but they have also succeeded in turning their own locale or region into a food destination in its own right. “Jair Téllez is an excellent example of this,” he says. “There was no history of anyone in the Guadalupe Valley in Mexico eating fine food before he went there but he created a restaurant in a place with no restaurant culture. He developed the tourist market and then the locals embraced it so there is no reason why chefs in Ireland can’t create food destinations within their areas, even in remote areas, or in towns or villages that have never been thought of as typical places where foodies might gather. A food destination doesn’t have to be a capital city and it isn’t a given that when you get an award or a Michelin star that you will be full every night. It is about trying to encourage people to eat good food, not necessarily to embrace fine dining.

It is about the different futures that we can create by using ingredients that aren’t commonly used. For example, we have one of Australia’s best chefs, Phil

Mark Moriarty

Albert Adria

Wood, who is Head Chef at Rockpool at George in Sydney, and he uses a lot of Aboriginal ingredients that many people would never have heard of. Chef Sasu Laukkonen is also a farmer so he will talk about how chefs can engage more in the grow your own movement in small areas. Matt Orlando, chef/ owner of Amass in Copenhagen, will talk about taste and flavour and the responsibilities of chefs in terms of sustainability, while two star Michelin chef Tim Raue from Berlin will speak about the complexities and simplicities of flavour and food harmony, so delegates will hear an eclectic mix of talks all based around different futures for food.”

WHAT’S HOT? JP has noticed a move away from fine dining, with increasing numbers of high profile chefs trying to engage with the wider community. “American chef, restaurateur and food writer Daniel Patterson is a good example of this,” he says. “His Locol movement is aiming to revolutionise the fast food sector in the US by providing ‘food made with real ingredients to nourish the body, soul and community’.

His fast food outlets will make a nourishing and wholesome burger that can compete with the likes of McDonalds. Education is a big food trend. Chefs are increasingly trying to reach out beyond the people who have been converted and into other places, such as schools, or targeting people who eat their breakfast, lunch and dinner in fast food restaurants, to educate them about food and nutrition.

Whether it is fine dining or street food, it is all about food provenance and local suppliers and that ethos needs to filter down to all middle and low end restaurants. There are an elite of people in the food industry who have time to think about food but a lot of people just see food as fuel and we need to try and change that.”

JP Mahon & speaker images courtesy of Food on the Edge

SHOWCASING IRISH PRODUCE Apart from listening to a wide range of international chefs who are at the top of their game, the summit will showcase Irish produce to these chefs, many of whom have never been to Ireland before. “We want to create a business and information exchange network for the chefs attending the conference and for Irish chefs to form relationships with chefs overseas,” he says. “It is a two-day symposium with lunch so it is a good opportunity for young and older Irish chefs to hear what is happening elsewhere in the world. It is about inspiring people to push on and embrace some of the trends in other cities and regions of the world. Antrimborn Clare Smyth, who holds three Michelin stars at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, will be speaking

JP McMahon is Culinary Director

24

Clare Smyth

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13/07/2015 15:22

Partners in Food

PROFILE

SOURCING FROM A

Sustainable Supply Chain TIFCO HOTEL GROUP OWNS AND MANAGES A PORTFOLIO OF THREE, FOUR AND FIVE-STAR HOTELS AND RESORTS IN IRELAND AND GERMANY. THIS MONTH MAEV MARTIN TALKS TO GROUP PROCUREMENT MANAGER TOM COLEMAN, WHO IS BASED IN THE CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL NORTHWOOD, ABOUT BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH SUPPLIERS AND CHEFS. Q: How would you describe the hotel’s approach to food in terms of presentation and sourcing?

A: Food is a huge part of our business and has played a crucial role in our success over the years. Presentation and quality are a fundamental element of that. We must buy the best quality produce to achieve the best results. Our chefs are passionate about food, spending time preparing every dish with the utmost precision and sourcing the freshest ingredients that are farmed locally by Irish and local growers, where possible. We develop strong relationships with our core suppliers in a partnership approach that supports our relentless pursuit of quality and new innovations in our kitchens.

And meticulously agreed specifications ensure that we get the consistency we need. We are also focused on sustainability - we recently signed up to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply Sustainability Index.

All of our core suppliers must register with this index to show how sustainable they are with their own supply chain.

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Sourcing the right product for our chefs is an art in itself. We conduct competitive tenders each year and we have set up a chef’s council to taste each new product on our menus.

In that way we know that our food sourcing process is delivering the best food offering to our guests.

Q: What dish or dishes are proving popular in the hotel’s restaurant?

A: Singapore noodles and fish and chips are the perennial

favourites in our bar. As people are becoming more health conscious, the ‘build your own salad’ option is also becoming popular. In Touzai, our Asian/ fusion restaurant, we have a range of dishes that combine the best of fresh ingredients, with East meets West combinations.

Nasi Goreng, Asian pork belly ribs and the traditional beef fillet steak are the most popular dishes. All our menu items are now colour-coded to indicate potential allergens so guests can make an informed choice.

Q: What are your plans for the future of the Crowne Plaza Northwood?

A: The hotel has embarked on a programme of refurbishment and has recently completed an upgrade of the main ballroom and east wing meeting space, along with one floor of bedrooms. The remaining bedroom stock will be refurbished during the low season. As the conference segment has bounced back, the Crowne Plaza Northwood has upgraded its complimentary WiFi capacity to 400 mbps, which caters for up to 2,000 devices simultaneously. The hotel is looking towards the future by installing technology that will allow guests to check-in on their mobile phones and select their room in the same way that it is currently possible to select a seat on an aircraft.

Colm Bury (left), Managing Director, Keelings, with Tom Coleman, Group Procurement Manager, Tifco Hotel Group.

Dublin: +353 (0)1 895 5301

Wexford: +353 (0)53 9147447

Email: farmfresh@keelings.com

Cork: + 353 (0)21 4968088

Belfast: +44 2890324236

Web: www.keelings.com

13/07/2015 15:24

Catering for business for over 20 years No artificial additives Gluten free Suitable for vegetarians Virtually fat free

www.ballymaloefoods.ie

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2,000

Your ad will be featured in print and digital editions

TO WIN ANSWER THESE THREE SIMPLE QUESTIONS: 1. In what year did Ireland establish diplomatic links with Mexico?

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(Hint: see page 35)

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(Hint: see inside back cover)

All entries to paul.clemenson@ashvillemediagroup.com by the 28th August 2015

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T&C’s: Winner will be notified on or after the 28th of August 2015. There is no cash prize but the winner will receive 2,000 of advertising space in Hotel & Catering Review at rate card value. Ashville will help design ad free of charge but will not be responsible for any photography costs. Prize is non-transferable. Closing date for all entries is the 28th of August 2015. Competition is not open to employees of Ashville Media Group. No cash or gift card will be awarded in lieu of prize. Winner will be selected at random and will be contacted by email. One entry per person. Competition is subject to all usual terms and conditions.

Ashville Media’s online digital publications are now available to view on Issuu. www.issuu.com/ashvillemedia

14/07/2015 15:44

FOCUS ON FOOD

PASSIONATE ABOUT

MEAT

Neil Hawes Craft Butchers is a perfect example of the quality of local produce that is being produced by businesses that are part of the Burren Food Trail. Like the other Food Trail members, Neil uses local ingredients and is committed to building a sustainable future for the region through food.

Q: When did you establish your

business?

A: I set up Neil Hawes Craft Butchers in May 2007. I am a graduate of Meat Marketing from DIT and GMIT and I have been a member of the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland for the past eight years. We trade as the Burren Craft Butcher and we are situated on the Main Street in Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare.

Q: What meats do you supply?

A: We source all of our lamb

and beef from local farmers in the Burren, which provides full traceability for the customer. All of our meats – bacon, poultry

and pork – are sourced from local Irish suppliers. This ensures that we are providing a consistent level of quality for the consumer.

Q: What is it that gives your

meats their distinctive taste?

A: The lamb and beef sourced

from the Burren where the animals graze throughout the entire year on herbal grass certainly provides a fragrant, unique flavour which sets the lamb and beef in this area apart from anything that is produced anywhere else in the country.

All of our beef is aged for a minimum of 28 days, ensuring tender, juicy textures and depth of flavour.

Q: Have you won any awards

for the quality of your produce?

A: In May 2014 we won ‘Gold’

for our American style six ounce steak burger in the National BBQ Competition, which is held annually by the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland.

Q: Who are your trade

customers?

A: We are delighted to supply

Moy House, just outside Lahinch, Gregan’s Castle Hotel in Ballyvaughan, and Kieran’s Kitchen in the Roadside Tavern in Lisdoonvarna.

Q: Are you involved in any

tourism or food-related groups?

A: We are extremely proud to be involved with the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark Food Trail. This is a group of artisan food producers and restaurateurs who are engaged in sustainable practices and are providing tourists with the unique taste experience of the Burren. The Burren Food Trail recently won the prestigious EDEN award in the Gastronomy and Tourism category. This award identifies the region as a European food destination of excellence, which is a marvellous achievement.

The West’s first food trail was established in 2013 and is supported by a schedule of food events (every Monday from May to October) that showcase the region’s unique cuisine.

JULY 2015 | HOTEL

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CATERING REVIEW

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14/07/2015 17:09

FOCUS ON FOOD

MARK MORIARTY S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF 2015

On June 26th in Milan, Mark Moriarty, representing the Ireland-UK region, was awarded the S. Pellegrino Young Chef 2015 award.

I

t started in Autumn 2014, with more than 3,000 young chefs submitting their applications and signature dishes on www.finedininglovers.com. Mark reached the top with his celeriac baked in barley and fermented hay, cured and smoked celeriac and toasted hay tea, and with the support of mentor Clare Smyth MBE, who has been at his side as a guide and advisor. “I feel extremely proud to have won a competition of this size and calibre, representing the whole of the UK and Ireland,” says Mark. “With my signature dish, I wanted to capture the essence of Ireland and present humble, locally sourced ingredients like celeriac and barley in a unique way. Ireland has a lot of potential to be a food destination and I would like to think that I can play a part in bringing innovation and excitement to the Irish food scene as I progress in my career.” Mark Moriarty was selected by a jury of seven famous international chefs, also called the seven sages - Gastón Acurio, Yannick Alléno, Massimo Bottura, Margot Janse, Yoshihiro Narisawa, Joan Roca and Grant Achatz.

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MARKETING

OPTIMISING YOUR ONLINE

PRESENCE Are food companies optimising the online appearance of their most important asset?

If the high profile customers of a new digital agency for the food sector are anything to go by the answer would appear to be no.

F

ood is most definitely the sexy end of our industry. The emergence of food photographers and PR agencies dedicated to food sector clients is indicative of the position that all things food-related occupies in the collective pscyche. And now a new and unique business

Nathalia Bianchi (left) and Anna Kozlowska of Insomnia Coffee Company.

Pictured at the launch of DigitalFood.ie, are (l-r): Jules Mahon and Keith Mahon of thetaste.ie, Ash Worth, Keogh’s Crisps, and Colm Healy, Skelligs Chocolate.

has launched to help food and beverage businesses with their domestic and international growth strategies online.

DigitalFood.ie is the brainchild of Conor Lynch, CEO of Connector.ie, an Enterprise Ireland-backed company which operates from Dublin’s Digital Hub. “We believe that we have the perfect digital solutions for food marketers at established brands, SMEs and food startups,” says Conor. “We are here to help and advise them on how to build their brands, raise awareness and drive sales. DigitalFood. ie offers a host of services including food branding, digital strategy, storytelling and content marketing, and social media. The services are outlined in the Digital Food.ie marketing cookbook, ‘The World’s Most Delicious Digital Marketing Cookbook’.”

Current clients include SonyFood.ie, Nature’s Best, l’Ecrivain and Cooks Academy. So what are these highly successful businesses doing wrong?

“Following the recession, you have businesses that were successful in the offline world but have neglected their online offering,” says Conor. “Some of our clients’ websites are three years old and not as slick as they might be. They aren’t mobile optimised so they really need an overhaul at this stage and, now that the economy has picked up a bit, people are focusing on that website that they had been neglecting. The standard of websites is rising, so food companies and food service providers have to keep up with their competitors just to stay in the game. Over half of consumers will go to a website

JULY 2015 | HOTEL

029_H&C_July 2015_Marketing.indd 29

Be #Inspired Conor Lynch is an award-winning marketer who set up Connector.ie in 2010. With a keen eye for global trends, Conor has created SocialMedia.ie, TheSnapys.com, PersonalBrand.com and Futurology.ie. Together with Connector.ie, these brands offer a wide range of specialist services, from digital, social and mobile training to creating digital platforms, as well as metrics and analysis, for SMEs, startups, Government agencies and individuals. Brands that Conor has worked with include Nokia, Coca-Cola, Powerade, Meteor, Glanbia, Vodafone, Toyota, Diet Coke, Canon, Jameson, Guinness, RaboDirect, Sony Mobile, Flogas, Allianz GAA, the Digital Marketing Institute and The Wheel.

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13/07/2015 15:39

MARKETING

WE ARE HERE TO HELP AND ADVISE THEM ON HOW TO BUILD THEIR BRANDS, RAISE AWARENESS AND DRIVE SALES.

on their mobile and if it looks terrible and isn’t mobile optimised they will walk out again unless they are really set on acquiring a product or visiting a particular business. L’Ecrivain.com was relaunched this month. We re-built the site from scratch with new photography and we designed it for mobile. Once the site is built you have to get traffic to it so we have more work to do with L’Ecrivain.”

For Cooks Academy, digitalfood.ie came up with a concept to celebrate their 10th year in business. “We organised an offline event and posted out an edible invitation, which we printed on rice paper, to food bloggers and journalists so once they had finished reading it they could eat it! At the event itself we created a series of activities, including molecular gastronomy games. Cooks Academy wanted to reach out to bloggers so

Organics…

Naturally Good For Business

Ian Mullin, Freshways, with Trish O’Malley and Eugene Langan of Eugene Langan Photography.

we complemented the offline marketing activity with increased activity on Twitter and we had them trending on Twitter so it was a very successful campaign.

Since then, we have helped Cooks with their Instagram presence

and we have doubled their Instagram following. We will be collaborating with them on other food-related projects. Some clients want us to focus on a particular marketing campaign, while others require ongoing support.”

THE LITTLE MILK COMPANY Conor Mulhall Tel: 058 68 555

Trade enquiries: info@thelittlemilkcompany.ie www.thelittlemilkcompany.ie

KINVARA SMOKED SALMON

Irish Organic Smoked Salmon Deirdre Heffernan Tel: 091 637489

Trade enquiries: info@kinvarasmokedsalmon.com www.kinvarasmokedsalmon.com

BEECHLAWN ORGANIC FARM

Home grown salads and vegetables Padraig Fahy Tel: 086 179 9007

Trade enquiries: info@beechlawnfarm.org www. beechlawnfarm.org Irish Organic Farmers & Growers Association – Certifying organic produce since 1982 www.iofga.org • Email: info@iofga.org • Tel: 090 643 3680

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08/07/2015 11:34

13/07/2015 15:39

Big

Little Milk

#INGREDIENT

G Cheese Let the golden alchemy that transforms organic milk into sensational cheese work its magic in your kitchen.

reat chefs select the finest ingredients, produced by skilled craftspeople, to create distinctive dishes with provenance. A well sourced, carefully matured cheese is a prime example of an ingredient that can elevate the most humble dish to stellar heights. These are also the reasons why the cheeses from the Little Milk Co. are our trending ingredient this month.

The Little Milk Co. is a cooperative of organic dairy farmers, producing a range of distinctive cheese with a group of experienced Irish farmhouse cheesmakers. The quality of the milk combined with the expertise and artisanal techniques has resulted in a selection of multi-award winning cheese that could grace the most distingushed menus.

THE LITTLE MILK CO. MILD CHEDDAR Don’t let the name mislead you, this handturned pasteurised cow’s milk cheddar is matured for 6-9 months producing a distinctive flavour and creamy texture.

TIP: An excellent melting cheese and a great all-

rounder. Add character and local flavour – and an extra selling point – to burgers and sandwiches

THE LITTLE MILK CO. VINTAGE CHEDDAR A complex and sophisticated, hard, raw-milk cheese aged for a minimum of 18 months, rich and tangy with nutty tones.

TIP: Bring to room temperature to release the flavour and aroma before serving. Excellent shaved thinly over salads or in cooked dishes with eggs and spinach.

Superb addition to a local platter or a ploughman’s.

THE LITTLE MILK CO. BREWER’S GOLD Semi-soft washed rind cow’s milk cheese rubbed with Irish craft beer, producing an amber rind and a rich, nutty, sweet flavour and creamy texture.

TIP: Brewers Gold is a pungent washed rind cheese

that will appeal to the connoisseur. It makes an exceptional tartiflette or adds a fresh dimension to cheese sauce or gratin dishes.

THE LITTLE MILK CO. BRIE This smooth, soft cheese, is firm and mild when young, softening as it matures, eventually becoming runny and strongly flavoured.

TIP: Purchase it at the stage of development that suits For more information or to discuss your requirements please contact:

Conor Mulhall 058 68555 info@thelittlemilkcompany.ie www.thelittlemilkcompany.ie

your preference. When young, melt in sandwiches for delicious creaminess. Or serve whole baked brie as an alternative cheese course - at 150g each it’s portion perfect!

JULY 2015 | HOTEL

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CATERING REVIEW

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STYLE TRENDS

Interior DESIRE

Style Tip The creation of divided spaces that can be removed and relocated means that the space can be easily changed to suit differing client requirements.

TEALIGHT HOLDER

STEMLESS GLASS

Set of two 3.48 www.lsa-international.com

14 cm 20 www.lsa-international.com

Interior designer Raymond Kelly of By Raymond Kelly describes his makeover of the Killyhevlin Hotel’s new restaurant, Kove, which takes full advantage of its spectacular views of Lough Erne.

Kove at the Killyhevlin Hotel

WOOL RUG

1,700 www.rugcouture.com

DINING CUTLERY

24 Pieces 25 www.ikea.com/ie

Raymond Kelly

GRID MIRROR

W120cm D3.8cm H120cm 386 www.one.world

WINE GLASS

14 cm 20 www.lsainternational.com GLASS DIVIDERS The use of glass dividers creates a wow factor when entering the restaurant.

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“The brief from the client was simple – it was all about the view,” says Raymond. “So we set about trying to embrace this natural beauty and decided to introduce as many references as possible via the internal finishes. After establishing that the breathtaking views from the restaurant were going to be paramount to the success of the space, we introduced aspects of the landscape to the interior. On the chairs and banquette seating we used block colours of amber, moss green, heather and grey that reflect the flora and fauna found around Lough Erne, along with tables made from rich, dark wood.”

The 100-seat restaurant’s design features impressive Art Deco-style mirrored walls.

An entire wall features floor to ceiling windows, which perfectly frame the view across the water. “Bevelled mirrors and a lustrous padded vinyl wall panelling reflect both the new interior and exterior light,” says Raymond. “In the evening the ambience can be controlled by the mood lighting, which illuminates the subtle divider screens.

Overall, we have created a bright, colourful and flexible space which sits comfortably with the wonderful hotel setting.”

VIOLET PAINT

5ltr Matt Emulsion 58 www.ecospaints.com

BOX WALL LIGHT

12,598.37 www.touchedinteriors.co.uk

CLAVERTON DINING CHAIR

782 www.LuxDeco.com

JULY 2015 | HOTEL

GREY PAINT

5ltr Matt Emulsion 58 www.ecospaints.com

CATERING REVIEW

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13/07/2015 15:41

SUPPLY

LINE ESSENTIAL PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

KIKKERLAND

MICE CHEESE KNIVES For more details visit www.thegiftoasis.com

LSA

CHEESE DOME Natural ash, mouthblown glass and hand-knoted, natural leather create a balance of texture and tone that complements LSA’s Ivalo collection’s high quality finish and minimalist style.

For more details visit www.black-by-design.co.uk

MENU

BOTTLE GRINDERS Extremely stylish and highly functional, this limited edition set is perfect for salt and pepper but it is also suitable for grinding spices.

For more details visit www.black-by-design.co.uk

LABWARE

OIL AND VINEGAR This set of oil and vinegar flasks will be a perfect addition to your dining area. Just wait for the conversations to turn very scientific...

For more details visit www.presentindicative.com

LSA

LOTTA OLIVE SET Serve a selection of hors d’oeuvres elegantly with three porcelain pots nestled in a soft-grained ash base filled perhaps with olives, bread sticks, hummus or creamy Middle Eastern aubergine dips.

For more details visit www.lsa-international.com

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Commercial

PROFILE

INTRODUCING

Organic & Biodynamic Wines CONSUMERS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONSCIOUS OF WHAT THEY ARE CONSUMING, WHERE PRODUCTS ARE COMING FROM, AND WHAT PROCESSES ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN IN THEIR PRODUCTION. J&C KENNY HAVE INTRODUCED A HOST OF ORGANIC, BIO-DYNAMIC, SULPHITE-FREE AND VEGAN WINES FROM THE WORLD’S MAJOR WINE GROWING REGIONS.

W

hether it is organic or bio-dynamic, vegetarian or vegan, consumers are now demanding extremely high standards when they are sourcing consumable goods.

People are now focused on clean, green living. They are concerned about both the health impacts on their bodies and the wider environmental impact.

This is particularly evident in the wine industry, with customers now wanting their wines to be made from organically grown grapes, with no traces of pesticides or chemicals used in the production process. For a wine to be labelled organic, it must be made from 100% organically grown grapes, with no synthetic chemicals used at any stage in production or subsequent storage.

This focus on naturally grown, low intervention wines is hugely important to J&C Kenny and we are delighted to introduce a wide range of affordable organic, bio-dynamic, sulphite-free and vegan wines from all of the major wine growing regions of the world.

France is leading the charge in organic wines, with outstanding organic wines being produced all over the country. Château Ballandreau Organic Sauvignon Blanc, Château Ballandreau Cuvée Excellence and Château Guitar Organic Vin de Bordeaux AOP are three superb examples

from Bordeaux. Domaine du Château D’Eau Organic wines from the Languedoc comes in four varietals - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Viognier.

The Italian powerhouse, Sensi have reverted to ancient wine making techniques to bring a new range of ethically farmed, organic wines. From the 100% organic Chianti Campoluce, to the sulphite-free Nifato Sangiovese or the Vegante Vegan Chianti, old Tuscan wine making techniques are aiming to encourage people back to a healthier and more wellbalanced lifestyle.

Chakana wines from Argentina are undergoing a transition to

become an entirely sustainable vineyard and are committed to organic and bio-dynamic farming.

Their 2014 vintage Chakana Estate Malbec, Bonarda, Syrah and White Blend are all certified 100% organic and bio-dynamic, and the rest of the ranges will be certified within the next two years.

All of these wines are examples of how wine can be ethically and organically grown, remaining true to the terroir, without any compromise on quality or hefty price tags. This is a truly revolutionary and positive response by the world’s wine producers in what is now a very sensitive wine market.

For further information, please contact aoife@jckenny.ie, or: J&C Kenny, Unit 9, Oranmore Business Park, Oranmore, Co Galway Tel: 091 794308 • Fax: 091 794737 • Website: www.jckenny.ie

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29/06/2015 11:30

A QUICK CHAT WITH

CHEF: ALEXIS PELISSOU

I admire French chef Alexis Pelissou of Le Gindreau, a restaurant near my grandmother’s farm. As a kid I brought him vegetables and he gave me a summer job. He also gave me the passion I have for my job today.

FRED DUARTE

FAVOURITE INGREDIENT:

Given that I’m working on the island of Ireland and surrounded by fresh water, it has to be fish, including shellfish.

Customers are more health conscious and vegetables provide great nutrition, as well as colour, taste and varied textures.”

TREND: VEGETABLES

Vegetables of all sorts are definitely flavour of the month with our patrons. In fact, the vegetable seems to be taking centre stage on the plate.

It is important from a business perspective to support local and our guests like to enjoy local foods when they are visiting Limerick city.

WISH LIST: PALETTE KNIFE

I don’t have a wish list of gadgets or implements that I’m planning to purchase for use in my kitchen – all I know is that I couldn’t survive without a good palette knife!

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HOTEL

MEAL: IRISH SCALLOPS

Staying on the fish and seafood theme, my favourite dish is scallops. Fresh Irish scallops simply cooked with mussel mousseline and saffron cream frequently appears as a special on the menu in Sash.

Fred Duarte, Head Chef at Sash, the new restaurant in Limerick’s One Pery Square, grew up on a farm in France’s Dordogne region, but has lived in Ireland for 10 years. He talks about food provenance and the independent restaurant.

Food provenance remains a big issue for consumers because they are more aware and better educated about food than ever before. Incorporating the origins of your food into your menu is crucial for independent restaurants.

CATERING REVIEW | JULY 2015

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13/07/2015 15:49

vie e R g aterin

w

Ho

tel

i Catering Rev

ew

SAVE THE

DATE

A BLACK TIE GALA DINNER AND THE AWARDS CEREMONY WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE CROWNE PLAZA, NORTHWOOD, ON SEPTEMBER 29TH!

PUBLIC VOTE CATEGORY:

IRELAND’S HOTEL BREAKFAST

PUBLIC VOTE CATEGORY:

IRELAND’S CITY HOTEL

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6th August

7th August

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED!

PUBLIC VOTING COMMENCES!

FOR EVENT ENQUIRIES AND TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS Contact: Tara Brady Event Manager t: +353 (0)1 432 2232 e: tara.brady@ ashvillemediagroup.com

FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Contact: Hilary O’Shaughnessy Sales & Marketing Manager t: 01 432 2231 m: 086 380 8177 e: hilary.oshaughnessy @ashvillemediagroup.com

PUBLIC VOTE CATEGORY:

PREMIUM VALUE HOTEL

PUBLIC VOTE CATEGORY:

FAMILY FRIENDLY HOTEL

13/07/2015 16:16

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26/01/2015 13/07/2015 15:31 16:19