Hotel & Catering Review - March 2014

Hotel

& Catering

Review March 2014

News: Dublin Could Double Tourism Revenue to €2.5bn by 2020 Profile: Expanding the Fota Collection Wild Atlantic Way: Journey of a Lifetime is Officially Launched Technology: Are You Using YouTube to Generate Bookings?

hotelandcateringreview.ie

can Irish tourism

finally call time on the recession?

I r e l a n d ’ s p r e m i e r m ag a z i n e f o r t h e h o s p i ta l i t y & c at e r i n g i n d us t ry

CONTENTS 2 Editor’s View 3 News & Views 11 I nterview The Ballsbridge Hotel’s John Conmee talks to Valerie Jordan about winning the Event Industry’s Banqueting Manager of the Year award.

16 Key to the Door Openings, Closures, Refurbishments & Acquisitions.

18 Profile

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Cover Story: CAN IRISH TOURISM FINALLY CALL TIME ON The RECESSION? If the findings of a recent survey of more than 800 members of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) is anything to go by, I think the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Maev Martin reports.

Fota Island Resort’s Director of Marketing Seamus Leahy talks to Maev Martin about how the Kang Family Worldwide Group is looking to acquire further hotel properties in Ireland.

21 CELEBRITY CHEF Paul Flynn, Chef and Owner of The Tannery Restaurant in Dungarvan on modernised dining, celebrity cheffing and the Irish restaurant scene.

26 DINE Castle Leslie’s Head Chef Andrew Bradley shares his Smoked and Barbecued Salmon recipe.

27 TECHNOLOGY

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FEATURE: There’s Something About Kelly’s

Kelly’s Hotel in Roslare has been welcoming guests for 120 years.

As the fifth generation of the Kelly family joins the business, Valerie Jordan talks to its owner Bill Kelly about his future plans and about what it is that makes Kelly’s so special.

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FEATURE: ‘Journey of a Lifetime’ is Officially Launched

Ireland’s first long distance touring route and the world’s longest touring route - the Wild Atlantic Way - was officially launched by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring on February 27th.

- Marker Hotel Launches Concierge Style App - Jurys Inn Pilots Online Check-In - Are You Using YouTube to Generate Bookings?

30 Supply Line Essential Product Knowledge.

32 Food Tourism ‘Boyne Appétit’ Dinner Promotes Valley Tourism.

36 Five Minutes With The Limerick Strand Hotel’s General Manager Sean Lally.

hotel & catering review

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EDITOR’S VIEW The findings of the recent Irish Hotels Federation survey were, in the main, positive, (see Cover Story Page 12). However, while 83% of hotels and guesthouses that were surveyed said they were trading profitably, 54% were still concerned about the viability of their business because of overhanging debt. This unsustainable amount of outstanding debt means that many hotels will not break even in 2014.

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

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And while cities such as Dublin and Galway, and towns like Killarney and parts of the southeast and west, are doing well, many businesses in the midlands, the Shannon region and the northwest are still struggling. One company in every three is reporting a static business level and nine per cent are seeing an actual decrease in business from the domestic market.

Another very worrying trend is the ongoing skills shortages.

Speaking at the IHF conference, outgoing IHF President Michael Vaughan said the industry was experiencing ‘serious difficulty’ in recruiting suitably qualified craft and entry level staff. And the skills shortage is getting progressively worse as the sector returns to growth.

Stephen McNally, the new President of the IHF and Deputy Chief Executive of the Dalata Hotel Group, says the industry can achieve an ambitious target of 10 million overseas visitors a year by the end of the decade. However, he also points out that the restoration of the marketing budgets that were cut during the economic downturn is crucial to the achievement of this target.

The allocation of Government funds for tourism marketing fell from €47m in 2009 to €37m this year. The IHF is also calling for an annual capital investment fund of €30m to be ringfenced for tourism development.

However, there can be no doubt that the high cost of doing business in Ireland is the single biggest obstacle to achieving the ambitious but achievable growth in visitor numbers. Some hotels are paying local authority rates of up to €3,000 a room, regardless of occupancy. It is vital that the government comes to some accommodation with industry representatives regarding the local authority rates issue. This has been a major concern for all sectors of Irish industry so maybe a cross-sectoral approach is required if this issue is to be satisfactorily resolved. Such a cross-sectoral group could also talk to government about other costs that are outside of the hotelier’s and restaurateur’s control, such as water and energy-related levies.

The industry acted quickly to restore its competitiveness during the recession and now it is beginning to reap the rewards. It would be a pity if the progress that has been made was undone by a lack of funding from government and a refusal to recognise the devastating effect that unfair rates and levies can have on the viability of businesses, particularly SMEs, in the tourism sector.

hotel & catering review

“ Speaking at the IHF conference, outgoing IHF President Michael Vaughan said the industry was experiencing ‘serious difficulty’ in recruiting suitably qualified craft and entry level staff.”

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www.facebook.com /hotelandcateringreview Editor: Maev Martin Editorial & Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Design: Gabriel German Carbone Layout: Alan McArthur Advertising Design: Séamus Neeson COVER IMAGE: ©iStock/Thinkstock.com Stock Photography: Thinkstock.com Production: Nicole Ennis Sales Director: Paul Clemenson Managing Director: Diarmaid Lennon Published by: Ashville Media, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7. Tel: (01) 432 2200 ISSN: 0332-4400 All rights reserved. Every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate. The publishers cannot, however, accept responsibility for errors or omissions. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © Ashville Media Group 2014. 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.

News & Views

NEWS & VIEWS

Sodexo Chef Wins Gold at Chef Ireland

(l-r) Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar, Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons and Beena Menon, Tourism Ireland India, at the seminar.

Targeting Indian Tourists for Ireland Tourism Ireland’s first-ever India seminar took place in Dublin’s Westbury Hotel for the increasing number of Irish tourism enterprises interested in welcoming Indian tourists in 2014 and beyond. The event was attended by Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar and HE Mrs Radhika Lal Lokesh, Indian ambassador to Ireland, as well as 100 tourism companies from around Ireland, including airlines, hoteliers, B&Bs, visitor attractions, film companies, golf tour operators and destination management companies. Tourism Ireland aims to capitalise on the fact that India is now one of the fastest-growing touristgenerating countries in the world and grow the number of Indian tourists to the island of Ireland from the current estimated 21,000 per year. India is expected to reach 50 million outbound travellers by 2020. Factors in our favour include increased access to Ireland, particularly the increased services for 2014 by Etihad and Emirates via the Middle East, as well as the Visa Waiver Scheme. The scheme makes it easier for tourists from emerging tourism markets like India who are visiting Britain to also visit Ireland, without the cost or hassle of applying for a separate visa. Reflecting the growing interest among Indian travellers in Ireland as a holiday destination, one of the world’s top tour operators, Kuoni India, launched a new, dedicated Ireland brochure for 2014 at the seminar - the first Ireland-only brochure ever produced by an Indian tour operator.

Derek Reilly, Executive Chef for Sodexo Ireland, took home a gold medal in the Irish Pork Class in the Chef Ireland National Salon Culinaire at Hospitality Expo 2014 in the RDS, Dublin, on February 7th. Chef Ireland is the largest and most prestigious competition for professional chefs in Ireland, attracting competitors from the country’s top hotels and restaurants. The Salon was judged by the World Association of Chefs so the rules, criteria and expectations were at the very highest level. The competition for the Irish Pork Class was particularly intense with no less than 12 chefs vying for the top spot. Derek prepared a pan-roasted fillet of Irish Pork with Black Forest Ham, apricot and black pudding Boudin, pickled candy beet, pea volute and a freshly salted hazelnut, sweet potato and wild mushroom foam. The judges commented that it was “beautifully executed in terms of balance, flavour and presentation”.

Commenting on his win Derek said: “It was very tough, a really good culinary competition and because it’s a national one you are always going to get the best of the best competing. It’s an excellent way of keeping my own skills sharp and up to date as well and I enjoy the excitement and energy that these events generate. I am constantly encouraging our chefs to enter competitions so it’s important to lead by example and practise what you preach!”

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News & Views Dublin Could Double Tourism Revenue to €2.5bn by 2020

(l-r): Ed Cooney, Executive Chef at the Merrion Hotel, Joy Beattie, Head Chef & Owner of The Hot Stove, Sunil Ghai, Executive Chef of Ananda Restaurant, and Pádraic Óg Gallagher, RAI President & Owner of the Boxty House are all looking to take home gold at the Irish Restaurant Awards 2014.

RAI Launches ‘Food Oscars’ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014 were launched last month in the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin. Food bloggers, journalists, sponsors, associate members, and the national council of the Association travelled from all over Ireland to raise a glass to the hospitality industry and officially kick off the 2014 awards season. Organised by the Restaurants Association of Ireland in association with the Sunday Independent ‘Life’ magazine, the awards started in 2009. 2013 was a significant year for the event as the number of nominations doubled because of the transfer to an online nomination process. Almost 10,000 online votes were received last year.

(l-r): Minister Varadkar, Shaun Quinn, Fáilte Ireland, Paul Gallagher, General Manager of Buswells Hotel, Nicola McGrane, Managing Director of Conference Partners, and Brendan Flynn, Managing Director of The Church.

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hotel & catering review

A new plan for tourism in Dublin envisages a best case scenario where visitor numbers could grow by 7% a year, visitor spending increases by 8.6% a year, and spending by international visitors would almost double to just under €2.5bn by 2020.

The plan, Destination Dublin - A Collective Strategy for Growth to 2020, was developed by the Grow Dublin Taskforce - representing tourism and business interests in the city - and was launched in Buswell’s Hotel in Dublin last month by Oisín Quinn, Lord Mayor of Dublin, and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar. The report finds that the capital is underperforming and has slipped behind its main city competitors in Europe. It identifies five sectors that offer the best potential for significant growth and the best return on investment for Dublin: Holidaymakers, identified as ‘Social Energisers’ - young couples and adult groups looking for excitement, new experiences, and fun, social getaways to novel destinations; Holidaymakers, identified as ‘Culturally Curious’- mostly older couples or solo travellers with time (and money) to spend; Business Tourism - where visitor expenditure is among the highest of all visitors and who are more prone to visit in times when cash flow for Dublin businesses is critical - in the shoulder and off-seasons; Cruise Tourism - who come to Dublin as part of a European cruise; Event Tourism - coming to Dublin specifically to attend an event or festival, whether sporting, cultural, business or any other type of event. Sectorial and cross-sectoral programmes of work targeting these five key groups have been developed by the Grow Dublin Taskforce to achieve significant tourism growth between now and 2020.

The Grow Dublin Taskforce was established by Fáilte Ireland in late 2012.

News & Views

(l-r) James Shepherd, SCAE Irish National Coordinator and WCE Chair from Beyond the Bean; Tom Rooney, General Manager, Robert Roberts; Annemarie Tiemes, SCAE, and Matthew Johnston from WBC.

Robert Roberts Hosts World Coffee Delegates

(l-r): Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons, Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar.

‘Global Greening’ Expands for 2014 Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at DisneylandParis, the Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra in Jordan joined Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative for St Patrick’s Day this year. And, in another major coup for Irish tourism, the Pyramids of Giza went green once again this year around March 17th.

Other new sites that went green for the first time in 2014 included Canada’s famous ski resort of Whistler; one of the highest waterfalls in Europe, the Rhine Falls near Zurich; the distinctive Evoluon Eindhoven in the Netherlands; a host of sites in Chicago including Soldier Field stadium (home to the famous Chicago Bears team), the Trump International Hotel & Tower and the Wrigley Building and Millennium Park; four iconic skyscrapers in Philadelphia - including the second, third and fourth-highest buildings in the city; Kaprun Castle in Zell-am-See and the Skiwelt Söll (ski resort), both in Austria; the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai, India; the new SSE Hydro in Glasgow; and Hannover Town Hall.

g Hotel Galway Wins Prestigious Award The g Hotel Galway has been awarded the prestigious gold medal at the 2014 Irish Accommodation Services Institute (IASI) ‘Accommodation Awards’ which took place in the Carlton Airport Hotel Dublin recently. The hotel received this honour for housekeeping excellence at the national finals, organised by the IASI. The g Hotel joined a number of other well known hotels in Ireland to compete in a number of hotel inspections at their premises.

Delegates from World Coffee Events descended on Dublin recently for the Organisation’s WCE Summit 2014. With the World Barista Championships set to take place in Dublin for the first time in 2016, representatives from World Coffee Events were treated to a whistle stop tour of Dublin in preparation for the world’s biggest coffee event. Robert Roberts welcomed the representatives by sponsoring a reception on the Rooftop Bar at The Marker Hotel - a customer of Robert Roberts’ coffee. Guests included 25 official delegates from the WCE, members of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (Irish Chapter), Ric Rheinhart Executive Director of SCAA, Tom Gray, Managing Director of Robert Roberts, and Tom Rooney, General Manager at Robert Roberts.

Accommodation Manager Christine Schneider with her award-winning accommodation team at the g.

Image courtesy of Martina Regan.

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News & Views MOKA Crowns its Master Barista in Coleraine The University of Ulster has awarded Laura Harbinson from Coleraine the title of ‘2014 MOKA Master Barista’ at their first annual Barista competition, which took place at the Coleraine campus on February 26th. The event was organised by The Mount Charles Group, who operate the MOKA Independent Coffee brand at the university, in partnership with Johnsons Coffee. Five employees from MOKA’s three branches battled it out in a two hour-long challenge that tested participants’ skills in coffee preparation, presentation and taste. Competitors were invited to create their own signature coffee and the panel presented Magee branch Barista Kara Saunders with first place for her ‘MOKA-orange cappuccino’ while MOKA Coleraine took the Best MOKA Team Award. But it was Laura who took the overall ‘2014 MOKA Master Barista’ prize as the judges unanimously found her espresso, cappuccino and service to be of the highest standard and consistency.

Back row (l-r): the judging panel - Lucia Campbell from the Ulster Business School, Philip Mills, Group Sales Director of Johnson Coffee, Ciara Murray, Retail Sales Director at The Mount Charles Group, and three times UK Barista Champion, Simon Robertson with the winner Laura Harbinson.

Entries Open for Great Carvery of the Year Competition Entries are now open for the Unilever Food Solutions Great Carvery of the Year competition. A new category has been added for the venue that serves the best carvery only one-day-a-week and will run alongside the established Great Carvery Public House of the Year and Great Carvery Hotel of the Year categories. Once the public has determined its shortlist of venues, a team of mystery shoppers will whittle this list down to the top three pub and hotel finalists from each province and the top three ‘one-day-only’ venues in Ireland. The provincial winners and overall winners will be announced at an awards presentation in Dublin in September. The overall winning venues will each receive PR to the value of €2,500 and marketing support valued at €2,000 for each venue. The winners’ prize also includes a specially commissioned wall plaque to remind customers that they are about to sit down and enjoy the best carvery in Ireland. Registration has been open since March 3rd (venues can register at www.greatcarvery.com) and will close on April 27th. It will be followed by the public vote from May 12th until June 8th. The public can vote by text or online at www.greatcarvery.com/vote.

Couple Tie the Knot in ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ Garden An Irish-American couple, a teacher and a police officer from Philadelphia, tied the knot on March 5th in the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ garden exhibit, which was the centrepiece of Tourism Ireland’s stand at this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show. The garden features a replica of the Poulnabrone dolmen and has been designed to bring the wild landscape of our western seaboard to life for visitors to the show. The couple, Roxanne Wilson and Frank Kennedy, won the ‘Philadelphia Wedding’s Greatest Groom’ contest, which meant that they got to say ‘I do’ and exchange Claddagh rings in the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ garden at the renowned flower show. The bridal party also enjoyed a special champagne reception in the garden, with Irish salmon and brown bread prepared by David Corbett, Head Chef of the Absolute Hotel in Limerick. The couple’s honeymoon is sponsored by Tourism Ireland and will be to the West of Ireland, taking in a host of locations along the Wild Atlantic Way.

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Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland (second right), presents newly-weds Roxanne Wilson and Frank Kennedy with Claddagh rings in Tourism Ireland’s ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ garden at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Also pictured is David Corbett, Head Chef of the Absolute Hotel, Limerick.

News & Views

Members of Blackwater Valley Fine Foods at last year’s West Waterford Food Festival.

Tourism Board Meets in Limerick

West Waterford Festival of Food Celebrating its seventh year, the West Waterford Festival of Food returns from Thursday, April 10th to Sunday, April 13th. Dungarvan will play host to some of the best chefs, food producers and food stalls. The town is also the backdrop to the annual West Waterford Festival of Food Restaurant Trails and this year the trails will feature a series of informal talks about food called ‘Talking Food’ which will be popping up in bars, restaurants and venues throughout Dungarvan over the four-day festival. The West Waterford Festival of Food Farmer’s Market will take place over two days. There will also be dedicated buses, or Busanna Bia, bringing visitors to food producers in their places of work where they can meet cheese makers, bread bakers, juicers, local craft breweries, oyster farmers, venison and sushi suppliers.

The office of Limerick City of Culture, at Number 2 Pery Square in Limerick, was the venue for the February board meeting of Tourism Ireland last month. The board members took the opportunity to meet with various local tourism operators prior to the meeting to discuss the 2014 season and the extensive promotional programme which Tourism Ireland has planned to highlight Limerick and the Mid West, and in particular the programme of events for Limerick City of Culture around the world this year. In North America, Tourism Ireland will promote Limerick City of Culture through a programme of co-operative advertising campaigns in conjunction with Aer Lingus, United, Delta, US Airways and Air Transat. In Britain, print and online advertising campaigns will run in cities which have direct flights to Shannon. Limerick City of Culture will feature prominently on Tourism Ireland’s international website, Ireland.com, and a number of international journalists will be invited to visit Limerick during 2014.

Compass Group Wins New Contracts Worth €4.5m Compass Group Ireland continues to expand its education business with a number of significant contract wins. Operating under the Group’s education brand Chartwells, the group has been appointed by University College Dublin, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, and Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art & Technology following competitive tenders.

The combined value of these contracts is €4.5m and 100 people are employed across these sites, 40 of which are new jobs created by Compass Group Ireland.

In UCD, Compass Group Ireland will supply student restaurant and hospitality services in three locations; UCD O’Brien Centre for Science, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, and the UCD Sutherland School of Law. Compass will provide and manage all food services at Letterkenny Institute of Technology and at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art & Technology. Compass Group Ireland currently operates 18 education sites on the island of Ireland under the Chartwells brand, including NUI Maynooth, IT Tralee and LIT.

Neil Pakey, CEO of Shannon Airport; Keith Wood, former Ireland rugby captain and now founding director of W2 Consulting (which is bringing a large conference to Limerick in 2014); and Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland CEO, before the Tourism Ireland board meeting in Limerick.

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News & Views

(l-r): Mark Milliard, RMG, Cosette Byrne from Samsung, Roisin Lawlor, PHD, Ciara Gallagher, Fáilte Ireland, Aoife McEvoy, RMG, and James Nevin, RMG.

The Gathering Wins Digital Media Grand Prix The Gathering Ireland 2013 campaign scooped the Grand Prix Award at the Samsung Digital Media Awards last month. The Gathering Ireland 2013 also won the Best Travel and Tourism Award category. The winning agencies were PHD and RMG who worked on the campaign together. Determining the winning projects this year was an impressive line-up of judges, including industry experts from Facebook, Google, Dublin City University and Samsung, together with a range of leading Irish companies. With 24 categories split into different sections, the range and variety of digital businesses involved in the awards has grown exponentially year-on-year. For more information on The Samsung Digital Media Awards, including a full list of judges and finalists, visit www. digitalmedia.ie.

Discover the Lakelands On Your Phone Waterways Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and the Midlands Regional Authority have joined forces to launch a new free ‘Lakeland Treasures’ app for iPhone at Belvedere House in Mullingar. The app, designed to target the family market, highlights the range of heritage attractions that the Lakelands region has to offer. Established as a pilot, it is the intention to extend the Lakeland Treasures app to include over 100 heritage attractions across the region. A photo treasure hunt, Lakeland Treasures, is a fun way to explore 10 of the Midlands best known heritage attractions, including Clonmacnoise, Athlone Castle, Strokestown House, Emo Court and Ardagh Heritage Village. Start anywhere in the Lakelands and the app will take you to the nearest attractions. The guide section gives just enough information on the key heritage features and their beauty to enhance a visit to the Lakelands. The app links to places to eat, stay, and other attractions by closest proximity. Lakeland Treasures is free to download from the app store.

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(l-r): Tony Lenehan, Minister Ring, and Pádraig Harrington.

Harrington Begins Build Up for 2014 Irish Open Ireland’s Golf Ambassador Pádraig Harrington was joined by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring and Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Golf Tony Lenehan in Stackstown Golf Club recently to begin the build-up for this year’s Irish Open and encourage all golf fans to get behind the event. The 2014 Irish Open will take place in Cork at Fota Island’s Deerpark Course from June 19th to 22nd. Golf is one of Ireland’s most important tourist activities with 160,000 overseas visitors taking part in golf during their visit to Ireland every year, contributing €202m to the economy.

“Golfing is a big draw for high spending visitors to Ireland and the Irish Open is a great calling card to allow us to create awareness of the Irish golf experience globally and attract even more visitors to our shores – not only from our traditional golfing markets in the US and Great Britain but also from emerging golfing markets such as China,” says Tony Lenehan.

News & Views PayPal Chef wins Sodexo Challenge

Food & Hospitality Ireland Travels To City West Food & Hospitality Ireland exhibition, which is organised by Fresh Montgomery and its Irish partner, Irish Services Montgomery, will take place on September 17th and 18th at the Citywest Events Centre in Dublin. Returning to Food & Hospitality Ireland will be its trade partners - the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland and the Restaurants Association of Ireland. Features for 2014 include the Restaurants Association of Ireland’s Chef’s Table and the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland’s annual National Sausage & Puddings Final and Speciality Foods competition. The Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards will partner with Food & Hospitality Ireland and the shortlisted products will be announced on day one, with the winning products revealed on day two of the event. Hotel & Catering Review readers who would like to participate in Food and Hospitality Ireland should contact Caroline McGuinness by emailing Caroline.Mcguinness@freshmontgomery. co.uk or calling (048) 90431000, or alternatively emailing Victor Dunne at Victor@exhibitionsireland. com or calling (01) 288 8821.

David Fountain, head chef for Sodexo at PayPal in Dundalk, was the winner of the first ‘Sodexo Challenge at F&B Live’ on February 11th at CityWest, Dublin.

Derek Reilly, executive chef for Sodexo Ireland, commissioned Michelinstarred chef Derry Clarke of l’Ecrivain restaurant, a consultant for the company, to set a culinary challenge for six of its 500-strong chef team. For the Challenge, the chefs had to replicate some of Derry Clarke’s signature dishes yet add their own personal twist and style to it. They were Dennis McCarroll at Almac, Craigavon; Timothy O’Connor at Aughinish Alumina, Limerick; Diarmuid Murphy at EMC, Cork; Bartek Piatek at Leo Pharma, Dublin; Eoin Murtagh at Davy, Dublin and David Fountain at PayPal, Dundalk.

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Challenge winner David Fountain, second from left, pictured with Derek Reilly, Executive Chef, Sodexo Ireland, Margot Slattery, Managing Director, and Derry Clarke of l’Ecrivain restaurant in Dublin.

News & Views New Restaurants Enter McKenna Best 100 Guide John and Sally McKenna published the 2014 edition of The 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland – titled “Celebrating the Arrival of the ‘Creative Casual’ Restaurant” - on February 28th.

Restaurant 1826 Adare owners Wade and Elaine Murphy made it into the prestigious guide after only nine months in operation while Kelly’s Café in Co Wexford is also in there after only four months of trading. There were over 21 new entrants to the guide, including Restaurant 1826 Adare, which was the only new restaurant nominated in Limerick, and Kelly’s Café, which was the only restaurant in Wexford to be nominated.

“Wade Murphy’s 1826 is one of the defining examples of the modern creative casual Irish restaurant,” said John McKenna. “The cooking is serious and ambitious but the food is delivered without a jot of pretension and served in the most charming, relaxed style.” Regarding Kelly’s Cafe, John McKenna says it is likely to be “the hottest destination in the sunny south east” in 2014.

“From the day they opened their doors, the team, under Head Chef Stephane Rochard and Café Manager Nichola Dempsey, haven’t put a foot wrong.

And the alliance of superb food and a stylish room is unbeatable,” he says.

“The ‘Creative Casual’ restaurant has been the signature innovation of Irish restaurant culture for the last twelve months. It is about brilliant cooking where the focus is firmly on the ability of the kitchen to offer imaginative, original and unpretentious food, with a minimum of ceremony.”

Head Chef Stephane Rochard and Café Manager Nichola Dempsey at Kelly’s Café.

Elaine and Wade Murphy of Restaurant 1826 Adare.

Best Western Opens Hotel in Belfast

Neville Graham, Director of International Member Services for Best Western hotels with JJ Duff, General Manager of the Best Western Crescent Townhouse Hotel in Belfast.

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The latest member of the Best Western hotel chain - the Best Western Crescent Townhouse Hotel - opened in Belfast last month. The hotel is located in the Queen’s Quarter of Belfast, opposite the Botanic Railway Station, and is within walking distance of some of Belfast’s historic landmarks, including the Titanic building, The Empire, one of the finest live music bars in the city, and The Odyssey venue. The hotel features traditionally decorated rooms with modern amenities, including a flatscreen TV and free Wi-Fi. The suites are decorated in the Victorian style - fitted with dark mahogany canopy beds, floral drapes, and antique wing armchairs. They also feature a roll top bath and walk-in shower. A wide range of food is served at the hotel’s restaurant – the AA Rosette award winning Metro Brasserie - including specialities made with locally sourced ingredients. The Metro Bar offers weekly live entertainment.

INTERVIEW

Banqueting’s Top Brass Conference & Banqueting Manager at the Ballsbridge Hotel, John Conmee, won the Event Industry’s Banqueting Manager of the Year award in 2013.

He talk to Valerie Jordan about the win and his career to date.

John Conmee was exposed to the hospitality industry at an early age. His aunt and uncle owned hotels and restaurants that included The Dublin Sport Hotel, The Morehampton Hotel and the Oyster Grill restaurants in Stillorgan and Ranelagh, which is where he was introduced to the hospitality business, aged just ten.

John completed the Hotel and Catering course at Cathal Brugha Street’s College of Catering before embarking on a career which included positions in the Montrose Hotel and Citywest Hotel. He joined The Burlington Hotel in 1983 where he worked in various roles until his appointment as Conference and Banqueting Manager in 1986. He was recently appointed Conference & Banqueting Manager of Ballsbridge Hotel.

John has witnessed a lot of change during his 30 years in banqueting. “People really are looking for different things now,” he says. “The classic style with a stage and formal top table isn’t as common anymore. People are looking for a more relaxed situation, flexible layouts, more audio visual facilities, some of which are spectacular. Clients are always looking for a new angle now. Every day is a challenge in banqueting and every day is different - different clients,

John Conmee with his Event Industry’s Banqueting Manager of the Year 2013 award.

different demands, different set ups. One day you have a meeting for two people and the next day you’ve a meeting for over 1,000 people. That’s why I enjoy my job so much.”

Ballsbridge Hotel handles approximately 50 banquet-style dinners and 60 conferences each year. “We’ve a busy team,” says John. “I have three people working purely in banqueting, backed up by the reservations team. I could have up to fifty or sixty staff on the floor, depending on the size of the conference.”

John has headed up several

high profile events at the Ballsbridge Hotel since his appointment as Conference and Banqueting Manager late last year, including the IRB World Rugby Conference, Tourism Ireland’s marketing plan launch and the CCMA Jobs Fair which saw almost 3,000 people coming through the hotel’s doors.

Looking to the future, John’s aim is to put the Ballsbridge Hotel on the map and to build its reputation as a conference and banqueting venue.

Last year John won the Event Industry’s Banqueting Manager of the Year award, an accolade he’s thoroughly and justifiably proud of. “It was a great honour for me personally,” he says. “It’s not the people who work with you in the hotel who vote for you, it’s those people outside the hotel who vote - the other companies that we work with - so I was very honoured that people would think so highly of me.”

John’s success in the hotel industry has inspired his sons’ career paths. “One of my sons is the Conference & Banqueting Manager in the Westin Hotel in Calgary, Canada,” he says. “My other son is the Food & Beverage Manager in the Clayton Hotel in Galway so you could say that the cherry didn’t fall very far from the tree in both cases!”

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Cover Story

Can Irish Tourism Finally

Call Time on the Recession?

If the findings of a recent survey of more than 800 members of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) is anything to go by, I think the answer to that question is a resounding yes.

Maev Martin reports.

The IHF survey reveals that confidence in the hotel sector is rising, with four out of five hoteliers expecting business to improve over the next year. As a result, 67% of hoteliers plan to take on additional staff over the next 12 months. Early indications for 2014 show that city destinations such as Dublin (within the M50), Cork and Galway will benefit from a significant increase in event and business-related tourism. Half of the respondents said they were seeing an increase in bookings for bednights from Britain this year and hoteliers were positive about the US market, with 36% seeing an increase in business. The tourism industry employs almost 200,000 people and the Irish Hotels Federation is projecting that 74,000 more tourism jobs could be created by 2020.

This year’s IHF conference and exhibition at the Knightbrook Hotel in Trim (February 23rd to 25th) had something for everyone, in terms of both exibitors and speakers.

Delegates got advice on international design trends and on how Irish hospitality can innovate. And they were treated to a bullish presentation from Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary which was as entertaining as it was informative.

His topic was Air Access Drives Tourism. Broadcaster and journalist Olivia O’Leary,

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Michael Vaughan, outgoing President of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), at the IHF annual conference.

who chaired the conference, introduced him by saying that you could regard him as ‘the man who opened Ireland up to the world or the man who runs the world’s nastiest airline’.

Unphased by this introduction, he told delegates that 2014 was an important year for Irish tourism, for the IHF and for Ryanair because the government scrapped the travel tax effective from April 1st. “The country had transformed its hotel stock and its tourism product but, until the scrapping of this measure was

announced, entry costs on and off the island were high and that is why this government move is so significant,” he said.

To uproarious laughter, he said that Ryanair had ‘tightly defined’ what customer service is. “I’ve accepted now that we have to widen that definition!” he said.

“We are no longer the plucky underdog challenger brand so we have to behave differently. We need to soften our public image.

We will spend €35m this year on advertising and marketing.

We are commited to fixing the

“The IHF survey reveals that confidence in the hotel sector is rising, with four out of five hoteliers expecting business to improve over the next year. As a result, 67% of hoteliers plan to take on additional staff over the next 12 months.”

Cover Story

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary with Michael Vaughan and Minister Varadkar during the question and answer session with Olivia O’Leary.

things that people don’t like about Ryanair, to improving the travel experience and the digital experience when people are booking online. It is now easier to use our website – since November, the amount of time that it takes to make a booking has gone from 17 clicks to five. We are now allowing people to take a small second carry on bag, we have reduced boarding card fees,we are re-launching our website at the end of April, we are engaging in an active CRM campaign, we will have mobile boarding passes from the end of March, and there will be a new mobile app available from the end of June.”

The airline also has plans to target the corporate, family and business travel markets. “I will announce our first GDS deal by the end of March, making Ryanair more visible to travel agents all over Europe,” he said.

Ryanair will introduce nine new routes out of Dublin this year, eight new routes out of Shannon, and three new routes out of Knock. “We will create 300 new jobs in Ireland in 2014, including doubling our customer services team, and we will be operating 175 new aircraft from Boeing this year,” he said. “Our forward bookings into the summer are six per cent ahead of where they were this time last year.”

Aviation Policy During a question and answer session Michael O’Leary was asked about what he would like to include in Ireland’s aviation policy. He said he would include a section on deregulation. “We need more competition in the airline industry - the Dublin Airport Authority should be privatised.

Tourism and transport in Ireland would be better off in private hands and not controlled by a department of government. They have shown they are incapable of running transport efficiently.”

Michael O’Leary said that airport charges were the big high cost impediment for airlines. “Very few governments in Europe own their airports so we should be selling the DAA - break it up, make it more competitive and you will have more flights and more visitors coming to Ireland,” he said. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar said that this was not in the government plan at the moment.

Design Trends Mel McNally, Chief Executive, McNally Design International, highlighted some international design trends that are coming through in hotels around the world. These include multi-functional lobbys, spa-like bathrooms, lifestyle bedrooms, all day dining, mix and match furniture, light filled spaces, and a blurring of the indoor and outdoor areas. However, he said that “no one wants to wake up in Dublin or Donegal and think they are in Miami. Adapting international design trends to incorporate an Irish twist is the ultimate challenge in terms of hotel design in 2014.

You need to consider your cultural space and offer a USP in terms of style in each aspect of the hotel.”

Regarding the government’s stake in Aer Lingus, Minister Varadkar said that the government is “still willing to dispose of it at the

Stephen McNally, newly-elected President of the IHF.

“Very few governments in Europe own their airports so we should be selling the DAA break it up, make it more competitive and you will have more flights and more visitors coming to Ireland.”

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Cover Story

right time, at the right price and to the right buyer – we won’t sell the assets off cheaply. Aer Lingus is a great airline that is profitable and is paying the government a dividend.” Michael O’Leary said that the government didn’t want to sell Aer Lingus to Ryanair. “The price is right argument by the government doesn’t stack up and the government needs to come up with a strategy for Aer Lingus,” he said. “If Aer Lingus gets into financial trouble they will ask us to rescue it. I’d like to see Aer Lingus survive but I don’t think it will if the current government strategy is maintained.”

Irish Hospitality Can Innovate Food writer and publisher of the Bridgestone guides, John McKenna, talked about the Irish hospitality industry’s ability to innovate. “Irish hospitality is fundamentally about making an emotional connection with the customer - you can have all the bells and whistles and still leave the customer cold,” he said. “Personal touches create unforgettable moments for customers and are, or should be, at the heart of what the industry does. We have the best ingredients in the world and the hotel industry has shown it can innovate but we must maintain the Irish welcome. That has always been our USP. Staff are the key to creating the emotional connection.

Kellys Hotel in Rosslare had a 99.7% occupancy rate in July 2013. They are a great example of creating and maintaining a culture of hospitality. Your staff have to become experts - the barman is now a mixologist, the waiter is a barista and the waitress is a sommelier.

Staff must know about their product and its history because that is what customers expect. Also, you must know about everything that is available for people to do in your

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region that will keep them in your hotel for as long as possible.”

Exciting Cuisine John McKenna said that Irish food as a social or cultural concept didn’t exist in 1989. “There were pockets of excellence but it was fuel, not a part of our culture, but now Irish food is among the most exciting cuisines in the world,” he said. “Ireland is a hot destination for food. Why? Because we have the ingredients - our products, especially beef and lamb, are the best in the world. Our food has a strong identity and we have successfully innovated in recent years.” He reminded delegates that what is obvious to them in terms of food is special to someone else.

“The experiential thing is often the simplest thing - serving the local butter or veg or meat,” he said.

“Provenance is king when it comes to food - no local food = no local economy. Thirty years ago France was the culinary destination and then they lost their culinary crown to the Spanish. Noma is now the most famous restaurant in the world. It does 40 covers at lunch and 40 at night. The restaurant receives 100,000 table reservation requests each month. Its impact on the Danish economy is so great that there is a branch of economics in Denmark called Nomanomics.

Now the hip traveller goes to Noma, then to Sweden and then Berlin. Shanghai, New York, Peru and London are also happening food destinations. The popular places are always shifting because

Food writer John McKenna speaking at the conference.

people are looking for local and unique food experiences.” John said that Irish customers are now looking for creative casual dining.

“We are seeing an increasing number of restaurants opting for simple, low cost design spaces but they are serious about food, drink and service. It is all about coffee, craft beer and cocktails. There is a great deal of money to be made from serving coffee, there had been a revolution in craft beers over the past four years, and cocktails is a big growth area.”

Other speakers at the IHF conference included Michael Ring, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Vaughan, Outgoing President of the Irish Hotels Federation, Dr Patrick Dixon, Europe’s leading futurist, and Bob Gray, Memory Expert, Entertainer and Author.

“Irish hospitality is fundamentally about making an emotional connection with the customer... Personal touches create unforgettable moments for customers and are at the heart of what the industry does.”

Hotel

& Catering GOLD MEDAL

AWARDS

2014

Entries Open 2nd April 2014

Visit www.hotelandcateringreview.ie/awards/ for the latest details.

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key to the door

Key to the Door Openings, Closures, Refurbishments and Acquisitions

Philip Gavin, Managing Director of the Talbot Hotel Group, with Cormac Pettit, Group Owner, and Patrick Shields, General Manager at the Midleton Park Hotel.

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Talbot Hotel Group Buys Midleton Park Hotel The four-star Talbot Hotel Group announced the purchase of the Midleton Park Hotel in Cork on March 4th. The Wexford-based hotel group already has three four-star hotels in its 340 bedroom portfolio - the Talbot Hotel Wexford, The Talbot Hotel Carlow and the Stillorgan Park Hotel in Dublin. The sale was handled by Savills on behalf of David Carson, Receiver, Deloitte. The hotel was marketed by Savills in April 2013 with a guide price of a2.5m and was sale agreed in June 2013 for a figure believed to be in excess of the guide price.

With the sale now complete, the new owners have secured all 80 jobs in the hotel and have commenced an extensive refurbishment programme to bring the property to a modern standard. “We will be investing a significant sum in the region of a1m in the

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property,” says Philip Gavin, Managing Director of the Talbot Hotel Group. “We will be adding to that number of employees throughout the renovations and upping the number of seasonal workers during holiday periods. We are planning improvements for the function room, restaurant, bedrooms and lobby.

We will commence with substantial investment in the wedding and conferencing facilities and we have some very exciting and elaborate plans which have already been designed.”

The Midleton Park Hotel has 79 guest bedrooms, two executive suites and a presidential suite, conferencing and wedding facilities, and a gym and swimming pool, along with a hotel Spa. The hotel can cater for functions for up to 300 guests. The leisure centre, which was added in 2000, includes an 18-metre swimming pool, outdoor hot tub, sauna, steam room, and fully equipped gym.

key to the door

Charleville Park on the Market for a3.75m Charleville Park Hotel, the only hotel in the North Cork town of Charleville, is for sale. Property consultants Savills have been instructed to market the property with an asking price of a3.75m. The four-star hotel opened in 2008 and comprises 91 bedrooms, two bars, restaurant, conference and banqueting facilities, a leisure centre and nightclub.

Its large ballroom has a capacity for 800 guests.

The leisure centre, which opened in 2009, includes a 25 metre swimming pool and has approximately 1,300 members. It is situated on a high profile site of approximately 5.7 acres fronting the N20 Cork/ Limerick Road. BDL Ireland has successfully managed the hotel since May 2012 and the strong hotel trade is not impacted by the sale. The property is available free from the management agreement, if required.

Anner Hotel Thurles Sold Joint Receivers Padraic Monaghan and Kieran Wallace, KPMG, through Savills, recently agreed the sale of the Anner Hotel, Thurles, Co Tipperary, after a competitive tendering process.

The new owners are a well-known Thurles and Cashel family, the Maher’s. Brothers Michael, PJ and Seamus signed contracts at the end of February.

The property was guided on the market at a1.1m on January 16th and sold by tender on February 14th. The selling agent Denis O’Donoghue from Savills did not disclose the purchase price but said that there was a very strong level of interest both locally and nationally in the property.

The Anner Hotel features 95 bedrooms, a bar, restaurant, private dining room, air conditioned conference and banqueting facilities, and a leisure centre. It has a modern business centre with seven conference rooms and the main function room has capacity for over 250 guests (banqueting style).

The leisure centre opened in 1998 and has an 18-metre swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, as well as a modern gym.

The purchase should secure the 60 existing jobs at the hotel and the Maher’s have plans for a significant refurbishment of the property, including all of the ground floor areas and bedrooms.

Fitzwilton Hotel for Sale DTZ Sherry FitzGerald and Sherry FitzGerald Rohan have announced the sale of the four-star Fitzwilton Hotel in Waterford city, guiding in the region of a2m. The hotel is being sold on the instructions of receiver Stephen O’Donovan

of BDO. Built in 2006, the 90-bedroom hotel is located on the corner of Bridge Street and Mary Street within a two-minute walk of the city’s main shopping and entertainment district, the train/bus station, and a host of tourist attractions. The hotel is also a short drive from Tramore and Dunmore East. It includes a penthouse suite and ten executive rooms, as well as a business centre and meeting/ conference room. The Fitzwilton has won a number of industry accolades, including TripAdvisor’s ‘Trendiest Hotel Award’ 2012.

Charleville Park Hotel

Dalata Takes Over Carlton Hotel The Carlton Hotel on the Dan Spring Road in Tralee, Co Kerry, has been taken over by the Dalata Hotel Group, which owns the Maldron hotel chain. It is understood that no jobs will be lost at the Carlton Hotel in Tralee as a result of the takeover by Dalata and the hotel remains open for business The Carlton Hotel in Tralee first opened almost seven years ago as the Fels Point Hotel. A number of years later it was taken over by the Carlton Hotel Group. It is best known for its association with the Rose of Tralee festival and is the base for Roses when they come to Kerry each August. The Dalata Hotel Group operates 34 hotels in Ireland and the UK and has 2,500 employees.

Clarion Hotel Rebrands as Maldron Clarion Hotel Dublin Airport has been re-branded as Maldron Hotel Dublin Airport following a license agreement between the DAA and Dalata Hotel Group. Dalata has a ten-year agreement in place to operate the 248-bed four star property, making it the group’s 13th Maldron Hotel. The hotel will also undergo a a2.5m refurbishment which is due for completion later this year. Dalata launched the Maldron Hotels brand in September 2008.

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PROFILE

Expanding the Fota Collection When the Kang Family Worldwide Group bought Fota Island Resort last September the purchase marked their first investment in Europe. Now, according to the Resort’s Director of Marketing Seamus Leahy, they are actively looking to acquire further hotel properties in Ireland. Maev Martin reports.

The Club House at Fota Island Resort.

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“THE KANG GROUP HAVE AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR THE IRISH MARKET BUT THEY HAVE TO be the right properties,” says Seamus. “They are looking at acquiring properties across the island of Ireland in the four and five star bracket. The acquisition of The Kingsley in late 2013 was the start of the process - we will re-open that hotel towards the back end of 2014 under the Kingsley name but the Group’s intention is to operate under the Fota Collection Brand, which will consist of the various hotel interests of the Kang Group in Ireland.

For the moment, that is Fota Island Resort and The Kingsley. Fota employs about 280 people and there will be about another 100 employed in The Kingsley.

We will launch The Fota Collection brand three to four months before The Kingsley opens this year. “ According to Seamus, Fota Island Resort was in

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a strong position when it was bought by The Kang Group. “The resort went into receivership in March 2009 when we were owned by the Fleming Group but the operation was trading profitably when the Kang family bought it,” he says. “We sat down with the new owners and they asked us what we wanted to do and one of the first projects that we had planned was the ‘Believe’ project for Christmas.

This was a unique Christmas experience for families to go through a winter wonderland and meet Santa and it was designed by our team here at the hotel in association with Peter Kelly (aka Franc). We started work on it on October 1st when the Kang Group officially took over the hotel and the project attracted 40,000 visitors in the month of December.

The Kang Group gave us the financial support to make it happen.”

PROFILE

Fota Island Golf Club has three championship golf courses which are supported by a golf academy. In June 2014 they will be the host and cosponsor of the Irish Open Golf Championship. “The Group are supporting us in bringing the Irish Open Golf Championship to Fota,” says Seamus. “We have had massive support and good wishes from the golf community, from the Goverment, and from a number of organisations, and it is great to see other hoteliers getting behind us and congratulating us on being the hosts and co-sponsors of the event.

In addition, Tom Jones and Il Divo are playing in Cork the week of the Open so it will be a very busy and exciting time for the county and, hopefully, for Fota as well.” A total of 239 TV channels will be covering the Irish Open Golf Championships and approximately 400 accredited journalists from all over the world will attend the event. “We will host a couple of media days and we will work on how the event can benefit the region as well as Fota Island,” says Seamus. “

Self-Catering & Restaurant Expansion Apart from preparing to host the Irish Open, there are also plans to further boost their selfcatering stock by interally finishing out 40 of the approximately 120 lodges on the estate this year.

“We are working closely with an outdoor pursuits company to create an outdoor activity centre in the resort which will offer team building activities for corporate groups,” says Seamus. “We have approximately 10 kilometres of walking trails and we want to enhance that during 2014 by installing seating and picnic areas. We will marry that with Fota House and Fota Wildlife Park to improve connectivity across the island.” There are also plans to develop The Fota Restaurant this year. “We want to expand it in terms of the physical layout and the

type of service we can offer,” says Seamus. “The Fota Restaurant takes about 100 covers and our other restaurant, The Cove, takes 40 covers. With this new development, the two restaurants combined will have the capacity for about 240 covers. We already have a positive reputation for food but we want to take it to the next level. This is all about making Fota a destination venue for food.”

The Chinese Market Fota Island Resort is working closely with Tourism Ireland and with tourism operators in China to bring more Chinese people to Ireland. “In 2013, 35,000 Chinese people came to Ireland on holidays and our aim is to significantly increase that figure in 2014 and beyond and that is not just to Fota and Cork but nationwide,” says Seamus. “We have great access to the Chinese market because of our ownership so we have the opportunity to bridge that really difficult awareness gap. Chinese tourists are very demanding.

They have specific expectations so if the hospitality industry in Ireland wants to attract that customer we will have to educate ourselves quickly and adapt to serve them. The Irish tourism industry wouldn’t be ready to service that market at the moment but we are making great strides and the Government has extended the waiver scheme for visas and that is a big help in getting Chinese visitors to come here.”

Key Challenges While acknowledging that we have a strong offering for visitors, Seamus feels that access to the country is a fundamental weakness in the Irish tourism product. “If I was talking to Enda Kenny or Leo Varadkar or to Fáilte Ireland I would be asking them to improve access to the country from certain parts of the globe,” he says. “The policy should be that we encourage airlines to bring people from more diverse locations around the world and to bring them into

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PROFILE

The operation is successful in attracting major corporations for events, international travellers and the leisure market, and there has been a major drive to attract families to the resort since 2009. “We run a very family-orientated operation and it has proven to be a good niche for us,” says Seamus. “Fota Wildlife Park is a big attraction for families. We also get a lot of sport-related business, weddings, and people on midweek and weekend breaks. Most of our visitors are domestic but I’d love to see more international visitors coming to the resort. “ the regions, not just Dublin. Cork Airport is a great facility but it isn’t busy enough - it should be hopping all the time. Of course, if we do succeed in persuading airlines to open these direct routes into some of our regional airports we will have to support them in their efforts to build up traffic on the routes.”

Seamus maintains that hotels need to stay on their toes regarding pricing. “As an industry we got a bit carried away and a few years ago we turned the international community off us because of our price structure,” he says. “But if we can sustain what we have been doing in recent years - providing a value for money product - then the industry’s outlook will be positive. We need to remain value conscious and ensure that the product isn’t too Dublin-centric. I’m optimistic about visitor numbers and the prospects for 2014 – I don’t envisage a major fall off in numbers this year.”

Visitor Profile Since 2009, Fota has experienced steady growth year-on-year in terms of room occupancy and room revenue and that is continuing.With a property the size of Fota Island Resort, which includes 70 to 80 self catering lodges and 131 hotel rooms, the ability to effectively target a variety of markets is crucial.

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Digital Marketing Digital marketing is a very important part of Fota Island Resort’s business. “We don’t do a hard sell via social media - we prefer to use it as a relationship building tool and as a way to converse with our customers,” says Seamus. “According to statistics from booking engine service providers, our website visitors per month is four times the industry average for five star properties and we believe that our social media relationship building is driving that traffic. Over 50% of our January revenue came from bookings via our website and that excludes third party website bookings. We have over 30,000 followers on Facebook and a very active Twitter account. We use Pinterest, we have profiles on LinkedIn and YouTube, and we have just started on Instagram. I hope to overhaul the backend of our website in the next 12 months to allow us to improve digital communications with the customer and to help us to target and talk to specific customer groups. These social media tools should help us to service each industry customer better on an individual basis. Social media should never become too intrusive. If you remember that social media is about serving the customer then you can really get great benefits from it for your business.”

Celebrity Chef

Contemporary Cooking Hotel & Catering Review met with Paul Flynn, Chef and Owner of The Tannery Restaurant in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, to discuss modernised dining, celebrity cheffing and the Irish restaurant scene.

Can you tell me about The Tannery, Townhouse and cookery school?

The Tannery is 17 years old. We added on the cookery school and the Townhouse rooms over the subsequent years so it’s three businesses in one.

The cookery school is around the corner from the restaurant in an old Georgian building. It backs on to three quarters of an acre of a garden sponsored

by Glanbia. It’s a small, leisure cookery school really. People don’t come for diplomas, it’s short courses - weekends, the odd day midweek. We try to be a destination so that when people come to a course they’ll stay with us and eat in the restaurant.

You have become quite a celebrity chef. How did that happen?

If people are going to travel, what is going to make them come? I started going on TV, not because I want to live in Beverly Hills, but you need people to come to you, particularly in the country. There are two jobs in what we do. One is the PR element and the other part is doing the job. If people travel they travel with expectations. You have to deliver those expectations. For years I thought it was enough to cook really good food but you also need to promote what you do.

I’ve was asked to work with Lidl so I do recipes and there’s a book coming out. That’s another thing that I enjoy but it is also important for the PR side of things. Every week there are a million or so leaflets printed with a recipe and the name ‘The Tannery’ on them. You have to get the name in to people’s heads.

You have to fight for your place in the market.

How has what people expect in terms of food changed in recent years?

The levels and standards have increased. That’s great. It’s what people like myself have been working hard to do. We came from a nation of people saying

‘that’s grand’. Now they expect more. There’s a lot of diversification - there are funky, brilliant restaurants opening up, particularly in Dublin. I love that.

We’ve adapted our business with a simpler menu - it’s two restaurants in one now. I do burgers. If you had said to me five years ago that I’d do burgers I’d have said ‘you’ve got to be joking me’. But it’s what people want. We do cocktails and craft beers too.

You find yourself being more creative when you have to be, otherwise you’re not going to be in business.

What are the challenges you face in the industry going forward?

I do think there are two countries in terms of our business. Dublin is so successful now. It’s got a buzz and an energy. Tourism makes a big difference. The country is in a very different place but you’ve got to fight for a slice of that cake. Why are people going to come to me rather than to Westport or Killarney? You’ve got to give them a reason and when they come you have to do your absolute best to deliver.

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Feature

There’s Something

About Kelly’s

Kelly’s Hotel in Roslare has been welcoming guests for 120 years. As the fifth generation of the Kelly family joins the business, Valerie Jordan talks to owner Bill Kelly about his future plans and what it is that makes Kelly’s so special.

ON ENTERING THE FOYER IT’S INSTANTLY OBVIOUS that there’s something very special about Kelly’s - the name is synonymous with hospitality, warm welcomes and exceptional service.

Kelly’s excels across the board and that’s what makes it so special.

Situated in the sunny southeast with direct beach access and perfectly manicured gardens the location is exceptional. In terms of facilities, the hotel has everything for unwinding, pampering or entertaining, and the SeaSpa offers a range of beauty and relaxation treatments. Kelly’s also houses an incredible art collection built up over 40-odd years.

“We sell an experience here, not

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a hotel bedroom,” advises owner Bill Kelly. “We want guests to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere, the good food, the nightly entertainment, the art on the walls - the whole experience.”

The food is outstanding delicious without pretension - and there is plenty of choice.

Executive Chef Eugene Callaghan believes in using fresh ingredients from local suppliers and artisan producers. “We are Good Food Ireland members so our produce is second to none,” he says. “We work with Wexford Creamery and Killowen Yogurt, Declan the Breadwinner, Skeaghanore Duck and Slaney Meats. Our shellfish is locally sourced as well - our fish is Kilmore-based and our smoked

fish is from Wexford town and Duncannon Seafood. We get fruit and veg from Tom Cleary in Arthurstown. We’ve great producers around us and we need to support them. The downturn has made us more particular about how we spend money but food doesn’t have to be expensive to be good.” Eugene’s impressive CV includes stints at Pier 3, Arbutus Lodge in Cork and at Paul Rankin’s Roscoff in Belfast.

In the 1990s he ran his own place, Eugene’s, and was in Kelly’s La Marine Bistro for 12 years before taking over as Executive Chef four years ago.

All meals at Kelly’s are part of the full board packages, including afternoon tea, and for breakfast

Feature

and lunch guests have a buffet option in The Ivy Room or a more formal service in Beaches restaurant. Bill is married to Isabelle, whose family produce the Clos des Papes wines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. That indepth understanding of French wine, in particular, is evident in the carefully curated wine list, many of which are from small vineyards and are unavailable elsewhere.

The service is superb - friendly rather than formal, and staff tenure is lengthy. “We have 210 staff with 1,870 man years,” says Bill.

“They’ve been here a long time, on average it’s about eight years per staff member. People don’t just go to a restaurant or hotel for the food, they go for the recognition, the interaction and the sense that they’ll be looked after.” It is this combination of factors that has earned Kelly’s its excellent reputation throughout Ireland. Did this reputation see them through the recession relatively unscathed?

“It certainly helped,” says Bill. “But there has been a challenge in the last five years. Where people had been coming for five nights they might now come for two or three.

We dropped our rates and tried to reach out to find new customers.

Occupancy has been good but the margins are very tight - there’s a lot of competition in the market price wise. The rising costs of operating, without the appropriate increase in rates, is the biggest challenge. Rates are dictated by the market so you’re limited in the current climate. Outside Dublin there has been very little increase in hotel prices. I would hope that we’d see an increase in the rate we can charge over the coming year or two.”

Despite increased pressure, Kelly’s are committed to investing in the hotel. “We’ve tried to continually invest in the product each year, to refurbish

and keep things up to scratch,” says Bill. “We have no plans to expand at the moment - we just want to keep monitoring our product offering and see if or where we can improve going forward. It’s a time to consolidate and get the market right. We don’t do any conferences or weddings so we’ve got to see if

Switzerland, the same school where her parents met, and studied Hotel Management. She trained at the Lancaster Hotel in London, spent a few months in the Grand Hyatt, Singapore, and six months in New York’s trendy hotel The Standard.

Before returning to Rosslare for the spring re-opening of Kelly’s, she spent some time with Club

our business model is viable in the long-term. We’re probably the only hotel in Ireland who do a full board package - we’ve got to look at that and see if it’s what the market wants. That offering has definitely stood to us over the last number of years and we’d be reluctant to change but the market might dictate a change as we go forward.”

Bill’s daughter Laura is the newest recruit to the Kelly team and the fifth generation of the Kelly family in the business. When Laura finished school she initially studied Commerce and Italian at UCD, studies that really made her realise that her heart was in the hotel business. She then went to the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in

Med in Turkey and Morocco.Bill is proud of the fact that his daughter represents the fifth generation of the family business. “It’s great to have someone new with great energy,” he enthuses. “She has worked in some great locations and has a lot of food and beverage and promotional experience. We need to animate what we do - to give an added value and a sense of family. We run a series of events, from wine tastings to cheese tastings to craft beer tastings, for non-residents as well as residents.

It’s about creating a continuous buzz and an energy. Laura will be instrumental in making that happen and we’ve a great team.

But, like all businesses, it needs to be re-energised.”

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Wild Atlantic Way

‘Journey of a Lifetime’

is Officially Launched Ireland’s first long distance touring route and the world’s longest touring route – the Wild Atlantic Way – was officially launched by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring on February 27th.

The Wild Atlantic Way stretches from the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal to Kinsale in Cork. The Minister described the route as the “journey of a lifetime” and the new attraction is already proving a hit in our key overseas markets like Britain, the US, France and Germany.

The Government had allocated €8m for the project this year (which was announced in the 2014 Budget) and, along with €2m previously committed from Fáilte Ireland’s Tourism Capital Investment Programme, a total investment of €10m will take place in 2014. The development of the Wild Atlantic Way is an evolving long-term development project, starting with the route and the Signature Discovery Points. Further interpretation and touring loops and various enhancements will come on stream over the next few years.

The Lure of the Wild The route offers the traveller a great amount to see and do including: over 500 visitor attractions; more than 1,500 activities to pursue; 580 festivals and events throughout the year; 17 trails and 50 looped walks; 53 Blue Flag beaches; and 120 golf courses, including some of the best ‘links’ golf in the world.

The wealth of things to see and do has also allowed Fáilte Ireland to customise experiences for different types of visitors. These

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Fiona Monaghan, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of the Wild Atlantic Way, with Fáilte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn and Minister Ring at the launch.

include propositions such as: • ‘Exploring on the Edge’showcasing the unique landscapes and micro-climates of the west coast, its flora, fauna, caves and mines, and incorporating activities such as whale and dolphin watching, exploring unique seascapes by boat, as well as local food experiences.

• ‘Culture at the Edge’ - opening up Ireland’s unique language, music and dance cultures, its unique Gaelic sports, traditional crafts, great festivals, island life (‘island hopping’), legends and folklore.

• ‘Active on the edge’ - promoting the west coast’s great surfing locations, world class links

courses, coastal walks, great sea and game angling, and horse riding.

In essence, whatever activities or whatever length of route they wish to pursue, there is a personalised Wild Atlantic Way for every visitor.

Trade and Community Engagement Fáilte Ireland carried out a series of community briefings along the route in February. It is estimated that 1,300 people attended these briefings in 13 locations across the seven counties along the route. Attendees came from a range of backgrounds including

“The 2,500km route from Malin Head in Donegal to the Old Head of Kinsale in Cork will be completely signed with the distinctive Wild Atlantic way ‘zig-zag’/ chevron branding by the end of March.”

Wild Atlantic Way

tourism businesses, stakeholders and community representatives.

“The enthusiasm out there for this project is impressive, not only among tourism businesses but also in the wider community,” says Fáilte Ireland’s Head of the Wild Atlantic Way, Fiona Monaghan.

“Fáilte Ireland is working with tourism operators and local communities to ensure that they can engage with the opportunities offered by the project and to assist them in ‘telling and selling’ and in bringing their stories to life along the route.” The 2,500km route from Malin Head in Donegal to the Old Head of Kinsale in Cork will be completely signed with the distinctive Wild Atlantic way ‘zigzag’/chevron branding by the end of March. A total of 3,850 signs will be erected.

Sea kayaking at Old Head of Kinsale lighthouse.

Discovery Points The Wild Atlantic Way will feature 159 ‘Discovery Points’ with €2m being invested in these throughout 2014. These points are distinct sites, large and small, each chosen for their potential to offer visitors an authentic and intimate experience of the natural and wild landscape and seascape. A Discovery Point is a viewing point at which the visitor can stop off along the route and learn more about that place by means of on-site information and interpretation. Ultimately, as the Wild Atlantic Way funding is invested, each point will have

Minister Ring officially launches the Wild Atlantic Way.

enhanced parking facilities which will serve as the arrival points for each site, as well as large scale information and interpretative signage and picnic facilities.

All of the 26 offshore west coast islands are Discovery Points and each of these will have branded ‘Embarkation Points’ on the route to provide direction and access to the islands. Along the Wild Atlantic Way, 15 of these 159 Discovery Points have been identified as being ‘Signature Discovery Points’ - in other words, iconic must-see sights along Ireland’s west coast. Of these 15 iconic sites, three are already well-established visitor attractions and will require minimal work to play their part - Sliabh Liag in Co Donegal, the Cliffs of Moher, Co Clare and Mizen Head, Co Cork.

It is envisaged that detailed plans will be commissioned for each of the remaining 12 sites by the end of 2014 and that implementation will begin in early 2015.

Signature Discovery Points (15) Malin Head, Co Donegal Fanad Head, Co Donegal Sliabh Liag, Co Donegal Mullaghamore Head, Co Sligo Downpatrick Head, Co Mayo Keem Strand, Co Mayo Killary Harbour (south), Co Galway Derrigimlagh, Co Galway Cliffs of Moher, Co Clare Loop Head, Co Clare Blaskets View, Co Kerry Skelligs View, Co Kerry Dursey Island, Co Cork Mizen Head, Co Cork Old Head of Kinsale, Co Cork n n n n n n n

n n n n n n n n

Marketing Activity Fáilte Ireland has developed a suite of Wild Atlantic Way digital content for online promotions which is also available to tourism businesses to assist them in selling their own Wild Atlantic Way holidays and tourism experiences.

Fáilte Ireland will also invite a series of international media outlets to travel along the Wild Atlantic Way throughout 2014 and will make the route its centrepiece when it hosts the international Adventure Travel Tourism Association’s (ATTA) global conference in Killarney in October. Fáilte Ireland is currently developing a specially designed Wild Atlantic Way app, designed for both Apple and Android devices, which will be available for visitors at the end of June. All businesses along the route will be encouraging visitors to download the app to ensure they maximise their Wild Atlantic Way experience.

“The Wild Atlantic Way will feature 159 ‘Discovery Points’ with €2m being invested in these throughout 2014.” hotel & catering review

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dine SERVES

4 6

Dish of the MOnth

to

Smoked and Barbecued Salmon

with Cured Cucumber, Horseradish Cream and Smoked Paprika Oil Hotel & Catering Review’s Dish of the Month comes from Castle Leslie’s Head Chef Andrew Bradley.

BBQ Salmon Mousse • 100gr BBQ salmon • 100gr cream • 100gr whipped cream • 1 pinch of cayenne pepper • 2 leaves of gelatine • 1 tsp horseradish paste • 200gr smoked salmon for roulade

Method • Put the gelatine in a little cold water to soften. While this is happening place the cream in a sauce pan and bring to the boil, reduce slightly, add in the barbecued salmon, and mix along with the cayenne pepper until it comes back to the boil.

Remove from the heat and blend until smooth. Allow to cool and then fold in the whipped cream and horseradish paste.

Smoked Salmon Roulade •L ay out cling film on the worktop and then layer a rectangle of smoked salmon on it approximately 12cm by 28cm.

Try not to overlap the pieces used. Place the mousse in a piping bag and pipe a thick line of mousse along the long edge of the smoked salmon. Take the ends of the cling film and roll it over tightly and then tie each end.

Refrigerate until firm and then cut the desired lengths.

top Tip: 26

Alternatively, you could spread the mousse evenly over the salmon and take the corners of the cling film and roll the salmon over the mousse to create a spiral effect once sliced.

Cured Cucumber • 1 /2 a cucumber peeled • 1 clove garlic chopped • 1tsp lemon juice • 2tblsp rock salt

Method •P ut the cucumber through a mandolin or use a peeler to make long ribbons until you reach the seedy centre. Place these in a container and mix with the other ingredients.

Leave to marinade for one hour and then rinse under cold water. The cucumber should be soft.

Paprika oil • 50ml sunflower oil • 2tblsp smoked paprika

Method • Roast the paprika over a high heat for a few seconds, add in the oil and heat slightly.

Remove from the heat and leave overnight to marinade. The paprika will settle to the bottom and oil can be poured off.

Horseradish Cream • 50cl whipped cream • 1 /2 tsp olive oil

• 1 /4 tsp lemon juice • horseradish to taste

Method •F old ingredients together and refrigerate. The cream will stiffen with the lemon juice.

Wine Recommendation Castle Leslie’s Food and Beverage Manager Kevin Kenny recommends Tio Pepe, Fino Sherry. This wine is bone dry, relatively soft and full-bodied but austere in texture. It is also fresh tasting despite its developed flavours. Its high alcohol gives it a bit of a bite, which energises the taste in a way that high acidity might in other wines.

or Chablis Domaine de bois D’Yver, Chablis 2012.

This wine has fresh aromas of white peaches, a hint of honeysuckle, and is subtle on the palate.

Only semi whip the cream for the mousse and when folding it in ensure the barbecued salmon mix is cool to the touch to prevent the mousse splitting or overworking the cream. When combining, this will ensure a light mousse

hotel & catering review

TECHNOLOGY

Technology Marker Hotel Launches Concierge-Style Web App The five star Marker Hotel on Grand Canal Square in Dublin recently teamed up with a young Dublin-based digital company called LikeWhere to launch an innovative, concierge-style web app that will engage with its guests across the full cycle of the users’ digital journey.

Users simply go onto the web app on the Marker Hotel website and pick the cities they are most familiar with i.e. London, New York, Paris etc. The user will then pick the area in the city that they like, for example Notting Hill in London, and the app will instantly gather the places most similar to that area in Dublin, including restaurants, bars and attractions, offering rich destination content which normally lies within travel websites, blogs and review sites.

While interacting with the web app on the Marker Hotel’s website, users remain on the website for significantly longer, increasing the likelihood of hitting the ‘book now’ button. Then, once physically on-site at The Marker Hotel, guests use the web app on their own device, or via the concierge team, to discover parts of the city that match their interests.

Jurys Inn Pilots Online Check-In Jurys Inn Hotel Group has launched a scheme to pilot optional online check-in at its hotels in response to changing consumer behaviours and the growing use of mobile technology by its customers. The new online check-in technology has already been implemented in Jurys Inn Islington, with a view to rolling it out in its 31 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Prague.

With revenues from mobile bookings at the Hotel Group having increased by 80% between 2012 and 2013, the pilot has been developed in response to customer demand for greater flexibility and control of their stay.

Guests who opt in to online check-in will receive a text message and email link in advance of their visit, enabling them to confirm their booking details and arrival time. A personalised QR code is then delivered via smartphone - guests simply scan the code at a mobile kiosk in the hotel lobby to retrieve their keys and head directly to their room. “Convenience is key, particularly for business travellers, and online check-in will provide a seamless experience so that guests can choose to check-in by smartphone, laptop or tablet at a time that suits them, meaning they spend less time at the check-in desk and more time enjoying their stay at the hotel,” says Group Marketing Manager at Jurys Inn, Suzanne Cannon.

Suzanne Cannon, Group Marketing Jurys Inn also recently launched a new responsive design website – the first hotel group Manager at Jurys Inn. in Ireland to do so - having seen visits to its desktop site from mobile devices increase by 110% in the last year, and bookings made via iPhone and iPad double. The new website allows visitors to navigate www.jurysinns. com quickly and easily, whether they access it via their desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. The pilot scheme follows a €2m investment in IT software and technology announced by the group earlier this year, as well as a recent €14m Islington hotel extension and refurbishment project.

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TECHNOLOGY

Are You Using YouTube to Generate Bookings?

Video conveys visual and emotional touch points, present in almost every travel offering, which drive bookings. So are you using video effectively? Digital marketing and social media engagement agency Lodging Interactive looks at the opportunities for hotels.

Video content site YouTube is claiming that more than one billion unique users visit its website each month, spending more than 6bn hours watching videos. This year, Cisco is reporting that 90% of all web traffic will be video based; online video users are expected to double to 1.5bn in 2016, and globally, online video traffic will represent 55% of all Internet traffic by 2016 as well. Nielsen has noted that YouTube reaches more US adults aged 18 to 34 than any cable network - this is mission-critical information considering that the Millennial or Generation Y demographic will become the core customer within the hospitality and travel industries over the next five to 10 years. If video marketing is the key to attracting the attention of hospitality’s biggest audience and driving guests to make bookings, why is video so underutilised by hotels today?

“The answer is simple - hoteliers need guidance as to how to create videos for search engine marketing and guest engagement,” says DJ Vallauri, Lodging Interactive Founder and President. “Just as marketers became proficient at using keywords - and now content-driven marketing - to maximise search results for their websites, they now need to engage in similar practices to optimise video. The key to turning lookers into bookers is found in delivering creative, yet relevant, content that informs and entertains travellers and prospective guests, and there’s no better vehicle to do that than video. Authentic, compelling and informative video content will entice travellers and convey a hotel’s unique experiences to online visitors.

A video embedded on the homepage of the hotel’s website and also uploaded to YouTube and the other leading social media channels can be what sets your property apart from other destinations. Video conveys visual and emotional touch points which are present in almost every travel offering, and that is what drives bookings. With the constant expansion of Internet advertising, hoteliers need to discover the impact that online promotion with video can have on travellers.”

DID YOU KNOW? Bookings are 67% more likely to happen when a video tour is available. n Internet shoppers who view your video are an astounding 89% more likely to book. n Google purchased YouTube in 2006 for $1.65bn dollars (and YouTube was just a year old). n Both Google and YouTube offer tools such as ‘Google Trends’ and ‘YouTube Videos Keyword Tool’ to help hoteliers identify keywords to use in video titles, and a ‘Google Keyword Planner’ which enables hoteliers to plug in a video title to determine effectiveness. n Google+ has taken over the Number 2 social media position from Twitter, and it may replace Facebook as Number 1 in a few years. n

“Bookings are 67% more likely to happen when a video tour is available.”

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TECHNOLOGY When uploading videos for the first time, careful consideration needs to be given to the file name, title and content description. Titles should be no more than 100 characters and only the first 40 to 60 characters will be displayed. Tags should always be used and feature the hotel and brand name. Sharing videos across all the hotel’s social media channels will increase eyeball frequency and duration. The more ‘likes’ a video has improves its ranking. Therefore, embed your video wherever and whenever possible. n Sound and video quality count in SEO effectiveness.

Create links within your video to other videos, encourage comments, choose syndication whenever possible, upload in 1080p HD whenever possible and in TV, Web and mobile formats. Select thumbnail images wisely - they can boost click-throughs. n

Don’t Overlook Google+ Hoteliers should not overlook Google+ as a critical social media outlet if they want to remain competitive. With integration between Google+ and YouTube, comments posted on YouTube about a video are being displayed and viewed across all G+ social groups or ‘circles’, giving the video even greater exposure. The Google/YouTube partnership not only aids search functionality but hoteliers that link their YouTube channel to their Google Analytics account will obtain additional data about video effectiveness. If the content isn’t working, or the keywords aren’t attracting the right eyeballs, marketers can then make adjustments accordingly.

“Watching a video of a hotel before checking in has such great value it’s been reported to increase conversion rates by up to 85%,” says DJ. “But as online video moves from being the exception to the norm, more innovative marketing and spend will be required. To be effective, video marketing must do three things - increase awareness, generate buzz and boost bookings.” Today’s Internet user has a limited attention span, therefore video marketing is designed to hook a website visitor in the first few seconds.

Video, when uploaded to YouTube and added to the hotel’s webpage, will help hotel marketers to engage their audience and deliver their messages more quickly and creatively. More videos means more search results, more search results will result in more clicks, more clicks will result in more sales, and more sales delivers more bottom line revenue. “The benefits of video marketing, when tied to YouTube and a social media campaign, are far reaching,” says DJ. “YouTube, for example, is helping travellers visualise their stay before they make a reservation. Whether it’s a video showcasing an exceptional convention facility, a hotel’s ‘green’ programme that encourages guest participation, spa services, loyalty club member testimonials, and even in-room technology or mobile app demonstrations, each provides engaging content to the right social media audience. When these videos are embedded on the hotel’s website - and shared on YouTube and other social channels - it increases visibility and ultimately leads to more bookings and revenues. When tagged and optimised for search engines, videos dramatically increase a property’s visibility and improve search rankings.”

©iStock/thinkstock.com

Generate a Buzz – And Boost Bookings

“A video embedded on the homepage of the hotel’s website and also uploaded to youtube and the other leading social media channels can be what sets your property apart from other destinations.”

Lodging Interactive - www.LodgingInteractive.com - can guide hoteliers through the video process and even produce videos for the hotel using its HotelWebShows.com service offering.

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SUPPLY LINE

SUPPLY LINE Essential product knowledge

Hat, bag, tie and napkins all by LinStyle.

Luxury Disposable Napkins LinStyle The makers of LinStyle luxury disposable napkins recently commissioned designer Celina Jones to create a series of fashionable accessories, including clutch bags, hats, ties and corsages out of LinStyle, folding and shaping the linen-look fabric into stylish pieces for the sophisticated couple. “We wanted to show that there is far more to LinStyle than your average paper napkin,” explains Rebecca Blake, Product and Segment Manager at SCA Hygiene Products UK who manufacture LinStyle Premium napkins under the Tork brand. As well as being a maintenance-free alternative to traditional linen, the LinStyle range has the advantage of being available in a range of 14 colours. This gives hotels the opportunity to dress their restaurants in their own individual style for themed events and to create the perfect mood and ambience for special occasions. “The best hotel managers know that it is not just what you offer your guests, it is how you offer it that makes the difference between a good hotel and an average one,” says Rebecca. “However excellent the menu, inferior tableware and accessories will let you down. LinStyle offers the practicality of a disposable napkin with none of the compromises the quality shines through.” LinStyle Premium napkins are available in a wide range of sizes and colours.

For a free sample of Linstyle and to find out more about the Linstyle range go to www.tork.co.uk/dresstoimpress

Samsung Snackmate SAMSUNG

Easy-to-use, versatile and not extravagantly priced, the new Hatco Therm-Max Salamander is designed to cook, grill, reheat or keep food hot. Energy conservation is of huge importance. Heating elements - ready for use in eight seconds - are strategically placed in order to reduce heat transfer to surrounding areas. The TMS-1H Salamander also includes a hold switch that offers power reduction to 25%. The Salamander is constructed from stainless steel for easy cleaning and durability and can be placed on a counter top or fixed to a wall.

Samsung’s new and updated range of commercial microwave ovens, including the CM1089/A, will make their début at Hotelympia 2014 in late April. Programmable, and featuring touch control, the CM1089/A is ideal for pubs and small cafés. The touch controls can be easily wiped clean and the microwave also features a digital display, a 20 programme memory, and an integral counter which keeps track of how often certain programmes are used. A bottom stirrer ensures even distribution of microwaves and, despite external dimensions of 297mm (height), 517mm (width) and 412mm (depth), the CM1089/A has a 26L capacity and a power rating of 1,100 watts. Designed to be easy to use, sturdy and reliable, the Snackmate range of ovens also comes with a three-year warranty from the manufacturer covering all parts and labour costs that might arise.

For more information, visit www.hatcocorp.com

More information is available at www.samsung.com

New Versatile Salamander HATCO

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hotel & catering review

SUPPLY LINE Tablet-Style Features for Combi Steamer MKN Claimed by MKN to be as easy to use as a smart phone, the company’s new combi steamer boasts a tablet-style touch/ slide feature and six cooking modes – SoftSteaming, Steaming, ExpressSteaming, Convection, CombiSteaming and Perfection. Other features include ClimaSelect, which ensures optimal humidity and temperature, VideoAssist, a virtual chef which gives demonstrable instructions throughout the cooking process, and a 40% more efficient fan motor when compared to previous technology.

To find out more, visit www.mkn.eu

Automatic Cutlery Polisher CATERSAVE A new fully automatic cutlery polisher is now available from CaterSave. The polisher offers labour-free cutlery polishing and eliminates noise and damage to cutlery. It is also simple to operate - a tray of washed cutlery is simply moved from the dishwasher directly into the polisher. Continuous polishing is available as staff are freed-up to work in other areas and the device also features a sanitising unit, and castors for portability. A patented technology, the polisher is manufactured here in Ireland.

To purchase, visit www.cutlerypolishers.com

Compact Pizza Oven CUPPONE The Donatello pizza oven is the latest offering from Italian brand Cuppone. The oven has been specially designed for pubs, restaurants and takeaways. It comes in four deck sizes which can be stacked to save space. The oven also features a new heat generation system, speeding up heating and recovery times when opening and closing the door. “Cooking pizza in just three to six minutes, this model is ideal for any gastro pub, restaurant or takeaway wanting to deliver authentic tasting pizzas to their customers quickly and without compromising on flavour and quality,” says Linda Lewis, Managing Director of UK-based Linda Lewis Kitchens. “The pizza industry is now worth £1.85bn and by 2016 it is expected to have grown by a further 22%. Hence, it is vital that any establishment wanting to improve their pizza offering invests in equipment that can accommodate such growth in demand.”

To find out more, visit www.cuppone.com

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Commercial PROFILE

Know Your Food From Farm to Plate The Just Ask campaign, first launched in March 2009, is celebrating its 5th birthday this year.

Just Ask Restaurant of the Month Award Bord Bia, in association with Georgina Campbell, selects a Just Ask restaurant winner every month. This rewards eateries across Ireland that demonstrate best practice in providing their customers with information regarding the origin of their food.

How can restaurants support Just Ask! • The ideal way to educate diners about where their food comes from is to simply list supplier and origin information on your menu.

• Ensure that your waiting staff are aware of where your ingredients are sourced, so they can handle queries with confidence.

Some Previous Winners “Our philosophy is to use local, seasonal ingredients from our land, sea and air which wouldn’t be possible without our fantastic producers and suppliers.

Winning the monthly Just Ask award back in March 2013 has really made a difference - our restaurant is busier and our customers are interested in talking with us about our sourcing and suppliers.”

Stephen Lenahan, Belleek Castle, Mayo 2014 Overall Winner. www.belleekcastle.com

“At Ard Bia we cook everything in house. We strive to provide food that is Great for Galway. When sourcing produce, we think local, think fresh, think forage, think sustainable, and are fortunate to have amazing suppliers who think as passionately about their produce as we do”.

Aoibheann McNamara, Ard Bia, Galway - 2013 Overall Winner. www.ardbia.com “Farmgate Café only uses beef, lamb, chicken, eggs and vegetables produced in Ireland. We place great value on the high quality production systems of our trusted suppliers. We work closely with English Market traders and local producers to bring tasty, affordable and nourishing food to the table”.

Kay Harte, Farmgate Café, English Market, Cork - 2012 Overall Winner. www.farmgate.ie “Our menu is basically a map of seasonal produce naming the towns and people that supply us. The whole trend towards simpler and tastier food suits us as we literally change our menus daily, depending on what’s best and available”.

Donal Doherty, Harry’s Bar, Innishowen 2011 Overall Winner. www.harrys.ie

Stephen Lenahan, Belleek Castle, Mayo.

Aoibheann McNamara, Ard Bia, Galway.

Kay Harte, Farmgate Café, English Market, Cork.

Donal Doherty, Harry’s Bar, Innishowen.

If your restaurant would like to be considered for a future Just Ask Restaurant of the Month award, please email a copy of your menu to maureen.gahan@bordbia.ie highlighting reference to your suppliers. Alternatively, menus can be posted to: Maureen Gahan, Bord Bia, Clanwilliam Court, Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.

Your food is our passion

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Food Tourism

‘Boyne AppÉtit’ Dinner

Promotes Valley Tourism A two-day event showcasing The Boyne Valley as a unique tourism destination took place in Meath last month.

OVER 250 DELEGATES ATTENDED THE conference, exhibition and dinner hosted

by Boyne Valley Tourism on February 28th and 29th.

Commencing with a tour of the Battle of the Boyne site and a Civic Reception in the Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda on February 27th, the conference, exhibition and ‘Boyne Appétit’ Gala Dinner was held on February 28th in the City North Hotel, Co Meath.

The conference and exhibition focused on four different categories including: Food; Heritage & Culture; Leisure & Holidays; and Business. The exhibition that ran alongside the conference added an exciting element to the event, with over 40 local tourism businesses and food producers showcasing what they have to offer. The delegates included tour operators, travel writers, professional conference organisers, decision makers and representatives from the tourism trade within the region.

Mairead McGuinness MEP, who serves on the Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Committees in the European Parliament, officially launched an innovative food adventure called ‘The Boyne Valley Food Series 2014’. The concept was launched in Meath in 2013 and it captured the imagination of foodies countrywide with a summer long calendar of events, from food safaris to foraging days and restaurant trails to gourmet

Olivia Duff, Boyne Valley Food Series Coordinator and Fáilte Ireland Food Ambassador.

cycles. It resulted in a total of 51 food-related businesses working together in a cooperative marketing campaign to host 34 unique food events over the course of the summer months from June to September.

As Meath and Louth grow as a tourism destination under the Burke’s Farm Ice Cream was on the menu at the ‘Boyne Appétit’ dinner.

umbrella of the Boyne Valley brand, this innovative programme now incorporates the entire area to become the ‘Boyne Valley Food Series 2014’, bringing with it some wonderful new visitor attractions, producers and, of course, the coastline. “Food Tourism now represents the largest growing niche travel sector in the world (WFTA 2013) and the region has a real opportunity to carve out a significant tourism niche with the quality of its producers, food service providers and attractions,” says Boyne Valley Food Series Coordinator and Fáilte Ireland Food Ambassador, Olivia Duff. “Twenty-five years ago the concept of food tourism did not exist. Now Ireland is

“Twenty-five years ago the concept of food tourism did not exist. Now Ireland is recognised as ‘A New Culinary Nation’.” hotel & catering review

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Food Tourism

With all the produce freshly sourced in the Boyle Valley Region, the ‘Boyne AppÉtit’ menu included:

Pre-Dinner Drinks Reception Stameen Farm Apple Juice, Dan Kelly’s Cider & Slane Castle Whiskey Amuse Bouche Selection of freshly baked breads from Sweet Pea Barn with tastings - Derrycamma Honey-Mustard Oil, Newgrange Gold Camelina Oil, Oriel Sea Salt, Blast Black Olive Tapenade Butter, InSeason Farm Tomato Relish Smoked Salmon, Crab & Cucumber Salad - Coastguard Seafood, InSeason Farm Salads, Derrycamma Farm Lemon Rapeseed Oil Newgrange Gold Camelina oil was included in the Amuse Bouche at the ‘Boyne Appétit’ Dinner.

OR Honey Roasted Root Vegetable Soup - Chive Crème Fraîche, Sweet Pea Barn Bread Rolls, Blast Wild Irish Garlic & Pesto Butter, Lannleire Honey, Meade Potatoes, InSeason Farm, Kilbeg Dairies Crème Fraîche.

Sorbet Burke’s Apple Sorbet - Burke’s Farm Sorbet, Stameen Farm Apple Juice Main Course The Whole Hoggs’ Cider Braised Pork Belly, Wholegrain Mustard Mash, Thyme Jus, Dan Kelly’s Cider, Meade Potatoes, Derrycamma Farm Mustard

Stameen Farm apple juice and Dan Kelly’s cider were offered at the pre-dinner reception at the ‘Boyne Appétit’ dinner.

recognised as ‘A New Culinary Nation’. We have amazing ingredients, producers and people providing exceptional quality food. Authenticity is the number one important trait - the visitor wants to know the story of their food and experience it and that is what we offer in the Boyne Valley Food Series.”

The conference dinner ‘Boyne Appétit’- held on the Friday night, was a gastronomic experience, showcasing food and drinks produced in the Boyne Valley. Henry, The Marquess Conyngham, Olivia Duff, and Dermot Seebery, Food Writer and former international five star chef, spoke at the dinner.

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hotel & catering review

OR Coastguard Seafoods’ Pan Fried Hake, Crushed Purple Potatoes, Red Pepper Coulis InSeason Farm, Meade Potatoes served with InSeason Farm Fresh Vegetables, and Baby Roasters from Meade Potatoes Dessert Buttermilk Panna Cotta, Poached Rhubarb, Salted Caramel Ice-Cream, Scrunchy Muesli - Kilbeg Dairies, Burke’s Farm Ice Cream, Oriel Sea Salt Cheeses Selection of local cheeses - Boyne Valley Blue, Bellingham Blue, Glebe Brethan - served with Sheridan’s Crackers and Chutney, InSeason Farm Golden Beetroot Relish, Lannleire Honey Tea & Coffee Petit Fours Chocolates by Ferdia Fine Foods Digestif Coole Swan - Dairy Cream Liqueur

Keelings & Strawberries Keelings are the only Irish grower producing 100% table top strawberries, a method of growing strawberries that limits the build up of pests and diseases, thus ensuring the highest quality strawberries. In 2009 we built a new 50,508 square metre stateof-the-art strawberry glasshouse on our farm. This gave us the capacity to produce over 100 million Irish Strawberries for the Irish market and to extend the season into December. This ensures that Keelings are the largest soft fruit growers in Ireland and that we will produce the earliest, latest and tastiest strawberries in Ireland.

The Softfruit Growing Team Keelings’ Softfruit Growing Team has an international flavour in every respect. The senior growing team is made up of Andrew Wilson (Zimbabwe), Donal Counihan (Ireland), Igor Chpak (Belarus) and Grzegorz Bialek (Poland). The team has 50 years of growing experience between them and we believe that the international flavour is reflected in the prize-winning quality of the products that we grow. The team’s passion for the business is regularly commented upon by visitors to the farms. Matching quality, new crop development, and supply at the right price, are key objectives for the team.

Igor, Grzegorz and Donal’s goals are focused around outperforming themselves on an annual basis.

When in Season The Irish season runs from April to mid December. Imports are available year round.

How to Store Store in the refrigerator at 3 Degrees Celsius Health Benefit Strawberries’ high iron content makes them therapeutic for anaemia and fatigue. Five strawberries (or a half a serving) contain more antioxidant power than three apples or four bananas and provide more vitamin C than an entire orange.

FARM h C hil led Ir isFRESH Straw ber r y Mousse Ingredients

cheese • 400g low-fat cream whipped • 150ml cream, soft ly • 50g icing sugar fresh lemon juice • A squeeze or two of NGS IR ISH • 250g fresh KEEL I d sl iced in half strawber ries, hulled an ice a few dr ops of lemon ju in e ez ue sq , wl bo e rg la and sugar int o a hour or two ahead ). se an ee is ch th m do ea n cr ca e ou th (y ip T

y • cream spoon until smooth and en od wo a th wi at be d an ped cream.

Fo ld in the soft ly whip aked pink; taste re st is e ur ixt m e th l ti ries un fr idge ful of chopped strawber nd ha us ro ne ver well and chill in the ge co a s, in se ir as gl l al sm o • Gentl y st int on on juice if you like. Spo and add a little more lem for at least one hour.

Met hod

wber ries on to p.

• Ser ve with fresh stra

Notes

Ser ves 6. Ready in 1

hour

When only the freshest will do...

To order please contact: Dublin: +353 (0)1 895 5301 • Cork: +353 (0)21 496 8088 Wexford +353 (0)53 914 7447 • Belfast +44 28 9032 4236 • www.keelings.com

Five minutes with

Sean Lally The Limerick Strand Hotel’s General Manager Sean Lally talks about the hotel’s recent successes and about why things are looking up for Limerick.

How long have you been in the hospitality business?

I’ve been in the hospitality business for the last 30 years. I was brought up in my father’s bar and function room in Galway. I then went on to study Hotel Management in Galway RTC and after graduation I spent ten years with Trust House Forte Hotels, both in the UK and Ireland. I then went into my first general management position in the Imperial in Cork and subsequently moved back to Limerick where I spent seven years with the Clarion Hotel Group. I’ve been heading up the operationat The Limerick Strand Hotel for the last five and a half years.

Was 2013 a successful year for The Limerick Strand?

We had a very successful 2013 in terms of business and we also managed to win a number of awards such as the Georgina Campbell Award for Best Business Hotel and the Georgina Campbell Award for Best Hotel Breakfast in Ireland. We were also victorious across several categories at the National Hospitality Awards, including Best Value Hotel and Best Business Hotel. Our head chef, Tom Flavin, won Best Chef in Limerick at the Irish Restaurant Awards.

Can you tell us about your interactive Skype service?

We introduced the wedding Skype service a number of years ago – we found that, due to emigration, we were getting a lot of enquiries from Australia, Dubai, and the US and if you are based in Australia you’re not going to fly home to be shown around a hotel at the weekend! We have an iPad in the hotel and our wedding co-ordinator Olivia gives potential wedding customers a full show around with the iPad. It has proven to be very successful. We have got a lot of publicity from it and we’ve secured five weddings as a result of this particular service.

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hotel & catering review

Sean Lally with Georgina Campbell and The Limerick Strand Sales & Marketing Manager Ciara Hanley (far left).

How involved are you in the business life of Limerick?

I am a past President and currently a Director of the Limerick Chamber of Commerce, the founding Director of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, and Chair of the newly-formed Limerick Marketing Company, which has an annual budget of a300,000 for marketing Limerick City and County. I was also a founding member of the Limerick Hotel Association which is very active and consists of 15 hotels in Limerick city that work together to jointly market and draw in additional business into the city.

How do you think Limerick rates as a travel and events destination?

We have a newly-independent Shannon Airport and the expectation is that the numbers through the airport will grow by 20% this year. Limerick is also a hub on the newly-launched Wild Atlantic Way, and King John’s Castle has just undergone a a7m refurbishment programme. It has re-opened as a fantastic tourism product and will act as a magnet in attracting business to Limerick. We are also the first national City of Culture for 2014. I’m confident that the Limerick Strand Hotel will experience very strong sales growth in 2014. We will continue to grow our brand on a national and international basis and to cement our reputation as one of the top four-star hotels in the country.

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