Hotel and Catering Review - Issue 3 2022

ISSUE 3 2022

World’s first

GREEN HOTEL MANAGER (in Tralee) ODRAN LUCEY at the Rose Hotel completes new green programme

TIME FOR A

REBOOT

CLEVER SOLUTIONS FROM HOSPITALITY TECH PROVIDERS

Rising costs from suppliers takes its toll on hospitality

Talking to..

ROISIN O'CONNOR

MEET THE NEW HEAD CHEF AT THE CLIFF HOUSE HOTEL ISSUE 9 2021 | HOTEL

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ISSUE 3 2022

World’s first

GREEN HOTEL MANAGER (in Tralee) ODRAN LUCEY at the Rose Hotel completes new green programme

TIME FOR A

Go to hotelandcatering review.ie for the online edition

Contents

REBOOT

CLEVER SOLUTIONS FROM HOSPITALITY TECH PROVIDERS

ISSUE 3 2022

Rising costs from suppliers takes its toll on hospitality

Talking to.. .

ROISIN O'CONNOR

MEET THE NEW HEAD CHEF AT THE CLIFF HOUSE HOTEL ISSUE 9 2021 | HOTEL

CATERING REVIEW

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IN THIS ISSUE

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Cost increases have rocketed. I’ve been in this business for 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s on everything – packaging, waste, raw materials, the whole lot. For our farmers, the price of fertiliser and feed has gone through the roof so they’re passing on those increases Sarah Kelly, Owner, The Village Butcher Ranelagh

REGULARS

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NEWS

12 15 16 21 22 24 25

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DRINKS CART

The latest releases, news and all things drinks-related

INGREDIENTS

Mark Anderson on the depth of flavour and versatility of Irish honey

SUSTAINABILITY

Odran Lucey at The Rose Hotel is the first person in the world to complete a new Green Manager qualification

TECHNOLOGY

Stay ahead of the game with the latest technology available to hospitality businesses

TECH THAT WORKS

Clever technology from Net Affinity has helped boost revenues at Killeavy Castle

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES

Mona and Picasso Digital from Techotel are helping hospitality businesses stand out from the crowd

TECH-FORWARD SOLUTIONS

Enable the digital guest experience with enterprise-level solutions from Shiji Group

EQUIPMENT

Thanks to his new docker roller, fork poking is a thing of the past for Damien O’Callaghan

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Editor: Denise Maguire Creative Director: Jane Matthews Art Director: Lenny Rooney Designer: Neasa Daly Stock Photography iStock Infographics: www.flaticon.com Production: Claire Kiernan Sales Director: Trish Murphy Managing Director: Gerry Tynan Chairman: Diarmaid Lennon

Published by: Ashville Media, Unit 55 Park West Road, Park West Industrial Estate, Dublin 12, D12 X9F9.

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 2022. All discounts, promotions and competitions contained in this magazine are run independently of Hotel & Catering Review. The promoter/advertiser is responsible for honouring the prize.

Editor’s View Welcome to issue 3 of Hotel & Catering Review 2022 Hotels and restaurants are facing increased costs from their suppliers on an almost weekly basis. For this issue of Hotel & Catering Review, we spoke with business owners from across the country to find out how they’re coping with the extraordinary price rises from suppliers, who are themselves trying to cope with an unprecedented situation. Paul Grealish at The King's Head talks about the exorbitant price of lemons and having to turn down group bookings due to a lack of staff. Emer Murray, owner of Goyas in Galway, has thus far avoided pushing her menu prices up but with margins so tight, that’s the route she’ll be forced to take in the near future. Costs have risen by at least 35%, says Jason Horkan at The Red Bank Restaurant. Although he hasn’t adjusted menu prices, the kitchen team are trying to be clever about the way they cook and prepare food; trimmings from steak are used to make burgers and menus have been adjusted to reflect what’s available on the market.

Elsewhere in this issue, we caught up with Odran Lucey, Executive Chef at the Rose Hotel in Tralee. Odran is the first person in the world to complete a new qualification in environmental sustainability management, a programme created by Fifty Shades Greener (FSG) and the Confederation of Tourism & Hospitality. The ambition, says Odran, is to reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint by at least 10% in 2022. Green credentials are much sought after in the industry right now. According to Sue Duke, Head of Global Policy and Economic Graph at LinkedIn, there’s been a 70% increase in customer service job roles requiring three or more ‘green skills’. People who have green skills are also recruited one and a half times faster than those who don’t. Being green isn’t just good for the environment – it might also land you that dream job a bit faster.

Editor: Denise Maguire Email: denise.maguire@ ashvillemediagroup.com

As always, there’s plenty to enjoy in this issue. If you have any thoughts or opinions on this month’s content, please do drop us a line.

Denise Maguire www.hotelandcateringreview.ie | info@hotelandcateringreview.ie @HC_Review | facebook.com/hotelandcateringreview

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QUALIFIED CARBON OFFSETS

When it comes to water for your business Echo Water becomes the obvious choice. It makes sense logistically, financially and environmentally.

Echo Water helps their customers save time, money and space as they cut back on labour, ordering and storage, all the while protecting the environment as a product with a significantly lower carbon footprint than bottled water.

T +3 5 3 1 8394138 | E in f o @echowa t er. i e | w w w. e ch o wa t er. i e

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News

Your monthly round-up...

APPOINTMENT

RECRUITMENT AWARD FOR CORK HOTEL The Cork International Hotel has been recognised by the Irish Hotel Federation for excellence in recruiting, retaining and developing its staff, winning the Intermediate Hotels Category at the national Quality Employers Awards 2022. The hotel says it has successfully introduced initiatives to reduce the turnover of new staff, including appointing ambassadors and tailoring training programmes to cater for team members with different abilities. It also offers flexible hours which suit all demographics, from students to parents and those wishing to return to the workplace. Commenting on the win, Kathleen Linehan, Strategic Director of Human Resources at Trigon Hotels said: “The ability to recruit, develop, empower and retain great people is vital in the hospitality industry. We take great pride in our team members and this award is for them. It is important that everyone has a voice and we aim to engage, motivate and inspire our team members. In fact, some of our most successful initiatives, like the onboarding ambassadors, were suggested during our focus group meetings.”

Musgrave MarketPlace has appointed Declan Flood as its Head of Foodservice Sales.

Bringing over 20 years’ experience of sales leadership to the business, Declan will be responsible for maintaining the wholesaler’s partnership ethos and supporting customers as they continue to emerge from the pandemic. He will also take the lead on migrating and recruiting customers to the new online store, the business’s fastest growing channel.

SHERLOCK SISTERS TO OPEN DROGHEDA’S MARCY HOTEL Sisters Valerie and Sabrina Sherlock, who have spent their careers working in the Irish hotel industry, are planning to open The Marcy Hotel (formerly known as The Westcourt Hotel) on West Street in Drogheda town. Valerie spent the past 23 years as General Manager at the Westcourt and together with Sabrina, plans to open the Marcy Hotel in phases throughout 2022. “Both Sabrina and I have been in hospitality all of our working lives. We know that the difference between a ‘hotel’ and ‘hospitality’ is the experience you have, the people you interact with and how they unlock the secrets of the local area for you.

Drogheda is a wonderful location for tourists and we look forward to offering our visitors a great experience to help them make the most of their stay.”

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News

APPOINTMENT

TOURISM IRELAND SPONSORS DERRY GIRLS Channel 4’s smash hit comedy Derry Girls returned to our screens on the 12th of April and for the third and final season, Tourism Ireland is sponsoring the highly anticipated final instalment of the show. The sponsorship involves Tourism Ireland ‘idents’ (short video snippets) running immediately before, during and after each episode. The various short videos will highlight the historic walled city of Derry, Mussenden Temple, the Giant’s Causeway, Culdaff Beach, Mount Errigal and Slieve League. The sponsorship also involves inclusion in Channel 4’s advance promotional activity and social media campaign. The short videos have been created with the show’s humour very much in mind and have adopted the style of a school project, filmed using a 1990’s camcorder and voiced by two ‘classmates’ of the main Derry Girls characters.

Trigon Hotels has announced the appointment of Carmel Lonergan as Director of Group Operations.

The position is a new role for Trigon Hotels which operates the Cork International Hotel, The Metropole and the Cork Airport Hotel. A Tipperary native, Carmel has extensive experience in the hospitality industry in Ireland and internationally. She began her career as a trainee manager at the Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare, before moving to Grosvenor House in London. Carmel also spent time in the US before returning to Ireland 15 years ago. She was part of the opening team of the Cork International Hotel in 2007 and has held numerous leadership roles at the hotel since then across events, sales and operations. In 2016, Carmel was appointed General Manager of the Cork International Hotel.

60 JOBS FOR NEW CARRIGALINE BAR Cork-based hospitality operator, The Emporium Company, is planning to open a new €4 million bar in Carrigaline later this summer and is also actively recruiting for staff across all positions.

Replacing the former O’Cogáin’s’ pub on Main Street Carrigaline, Mabel Lane promises to bring ‘an upscale neighbourhood feel with good food, classic cocktails, live music and good vibes’. The new bar is set to open in June 2022 and will provide a further 60 jobs to the local economy, bringing their total staff across the group to 180. Those interested in applying for a position are advised to sign up to the newsletter through the website - www.mabellane. ie - to view all available positions.

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News

MANAGERIN-TRAINING PROGRAMME AT ADARE MANOR Adare Manor is accepting applications for its Manager-In-Training Graduate programme, due to commence in June 2022.

The 18-month programme allows hospitality graduates to gain experience in every department across the hotel including guest service, food and beverage and administration. This year’s participants will also gain the experience of working at the JP McManus Pro-Am golf tournament later this summer. Commenting on the programme, current Manager-In-Training at Adare Manor Hannah Mason, said: “I chose to do the Manager-In-Training Graduate programme at Adare Manor as the 18-month programme offers me the chance to grow and develop my understanding of the various areas that hospitality entails. The management experience I am gaining throughout the programme is crucial to my future progression within the hospitality industry.”

Applications are now open at https://adaremanor. talentplushire.com/jobs/

IRELAND’S FIRST CONSTITUTION CELEBRATED AT THE SHELBOURNE Ths year, Dublin’s Shelbourne is celebrating the drafting of Ireland’s first Constitution 100 years ago in room 112, known today as The Constitution Suite. Under the chairmanship of Michael Collins, the Constitution Committee met in room 112 to write the Constitution of the Irish Free State. The room is still furnished with the original table around which the committee members met to draft Bunreacht Shaorstát Éireann. To celebrate the centenary of Ireland’s first Constitution, the hotel is offering a private dining experience in The Constitution Suite, complete with historical introduction, musical accompaniment by a harpist and a carefully designed menu, full of classic dishes chosen to reflect the era. Menu highlights include a consommé en croute, chicken terrine, a Star Gazey fish pie, roast lamb with a Madeira jus and a Cox’s apple tarte fine with vanilla ice cream.

APPOINTMENT Eamonn Casey has been appointed General Manager at Powerscourt Hotel Resort Spa. Prior to graduating from Shannon College, Eamonn was selected to join the Marriott Graduate Development programme in 2003. After completing his college training, he began his hotel career working at various Marriott properties in London. In 2007, his talent was recognised with a Caterer & Hotel Keeper “Acorn Award” and in 2010, he returned to Ireland to take up a position as Director of Food & Beverage and Front of House Manager with Shelbourne Dublin. In 2016, he took on his first general management position at The Westin, Dublin.

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News

BALLYMASCANLON HOUSE HOTEL PURCHASED BY TMR TMR Hotel Collection recently confirmed its purchase of the 97-bed, 130-acre four-star Ballymascanlon House Hotel and estate in Dundalk, Co. Louth. Having acquired three hotels in 2019, Ballymascanlon House Hotel is TMR’s first hotel purchase since the onset of Covid. Further hotel acquisitions are planned over the coming years. A multi-million investment is now planned for the hotel, focused on upgrading the bedrooms and Food & Beverage areas, infrastructure and investment in staff.

Maeve O'Malley

NEW RESTAURANT FOR RATHGAR After closing Coppinger Row at the end of 2021, Marc and Conor Bereen have embarked on a new venture at 8 Orwell Road in Rathgar. Described as a modern Irish restaurant offering casual fine dining with just one aim - that everything must be delicious - the new restaurant is headed up by Chef Dan Hannigan. Local Irish producers and ingredients dictate the menu, while the interiors are reminiscent of sister restaurant Charlotte Quay; a bright fresh space, with the focus very much on the food.

SPRING IS IN THE AIR AT WINEDOWN Maeve O’Malley and the team at Winedown have launched a new spring summer menu along with a new-look space. Created by Head Chef Damien O’Callaghan, the new menu features tapas-style small plates, large plates and sharing plates as well as desserts, cheeses and wine pairings. “It’s exciting to see the city buzzing with life again and we wanted to create a warm, relaxed space and a menu that can be enjoyed whether it’s a special occasion or simply a glass of wine and a bite to eat after work. Our focus has been and remains on quality food using seasonal produce and the new menu reflects this approach.

We’re looking forward to welcoming customers old and new again to enjoy their time here – unrestricted,” said owner Maeve O’Malley.

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DEEP RIVERROCK LAUNCHES NEW VITAMIN BOOST DRINK Deep RiverRock has launched Deep RiverRock ViTAL, a juicy vitamin boost containing vitamins and minerals that support mental performance, cognitive function and for energy boost throughout the day. The new drink is available in three flavours - Prickly Pear & Redcurrants, Pink Grapefruit with Green Coffee, and Mango & Passionfruit. Coca-Cola HBC Brands Marketing Manager Shane McQuaid said: “Whether you’re juggling too much and need to give your brain power some TLC, want to recharge your energy levels or fancy clearing some cobwebs, Deep RiverRock ViTAL is the juicy vitamin boost full of flavour that will support your mind and body. We’re delighted to be adding Deep RiverRock ViTAL to our portfolio of drinks and are excited for consumers to try it for themselves!”

SOLE OPEN ALL WEEK SOLE Seafood and Grill has announced it will be opening seven days a week. “With life returning to normality, we noticed a lot more demand for dining out on traditionally quieter days in the industry – there is an incredible desire for people to celebrate and come together. We also have an extremely talented new Beverage Manager, Iulian Voicu, who has created a fantastic new spring cocktail menu and our Head Chef, Oscar Chen, has developed a number of wonderful new seasonal dishes,” said SOLE's Marketing Director Sabrina Egerton.

ANIAR MARKS 10 YEAR MILESTONE Awarded its first Michelin star in 2013, Aniar in Galway’s West End is celebrating 10 years in business. Created by JP McMahon, the restaurant’s micro-seasonal 18-course tasting menu seeks to challenge most peoples’ perception of Irish food, consisting of delicate dishes often with just two or three key components. Although 10 years on, the journey is far from over says JP. “I would like to thank the amazing chefs, floor managers and staff past and present who have contributed to Aniar’s success to date – we wouldn’t be here without you. I look forward to leading our team into the next chapter and our bid to achieve a second Michelin Star.”

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Hi-Spirits is one of Ireland’s leading spirit distributors with a diverse portfolio of award winning brands. We work very closely with bars, retailers and distributors to create effective, bespoke brand support that really drives customer demand and builds sales.

For more information see www.hi-spirits.ie

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News

Talking to

Roisin O'Connor

What are you most excited about in your new role as Head Chef at the House Restaurant?

A lot of things! I’m excited for the team and building a strong bond. I’m excited about building relationships with the local suppliers and I’m excited to see how the menu and restaurant develops over the next few months while we find our feet.

Will you be changing up the menu?

Yes, the menu will change regularly and with the seasons. Our current menu was changed in full about three weeks ago and we’re constantly tweaking and developing our dishes.

What’s the ethos in your kitchen?

Keep pushing, improving and developing, keep the team morale and spirit high and most of all, enjoy the work and the journey.

How did you get into cooking?

I was always into cooking, my mom and grandmothers were all big influences for me in the kitchen growing up.

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Roisin O'Connor and Restaurant Manager Alex Raitaneva, Cliff House Hotel

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?

To stay focused and have strong self-discipline.

What should a customer expect from dining at The House Restaurant?

I want my customers to experience and expect good quality cooking, friendly staff and excellent service.

What’s your favourite dish on the menu?

At the moment my favourite dish would be the asparagus. It’s fresh, seasonal and something a little different!

Ambitions for the future?

To reach for the stars and see what we can achieve.

Roisin O'Connor is the new Head Chef at House Restaurant, Cliff House Hotel

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News

Drinks

Cart

The latest releases, news and all things drinks-related

REINHEITSGEBOT IN CORK Cork’s Elbow Lane Micro-Brewery, probably the smallest brewery in Ireland, is doubling its brewing capacity with match-funding from Cork City’s Local Enterprise Office. This development, which will see a €60,000 investment in its tiny site on Oliver Plunkett Street, will help the micro-brewery keep up with existing demand and help develop its distribution within the region. Elbow Lane is one of the few Irish breweries that strictly adheres to the principles of the ancient German Purity Law, “Reinheitsgebot”, which means that only four ingredients are used – malted barley, hops, yeast and water.

There are no additives, the fermentation of the beer is not artificially accelerated, nor is it filtered – so it’s all totally natural. www.elbowlane.ie

PURE & SIMPLE

WRITERS’ TEARS

Produced in a traditional copper pot still, Sugarloaf Beverages has released istil 38 Pot Still Irish Vodka. istil 38 is slow distilled four times, thus leaving the vodka so pure that it needs no further filtration. Using reverse osmosis, the Vodka’s ABV is reduced down to 38% using natural spring water taken from the Boyne Valley, sourced 200 feet below ground. This lighter ABV also gives it a softer, smoother mouthfeel and a brighter grain character. istil 38 is available in two flavours, Pink Berries and Vanilla. www.istil38.com

The 2022 vintage of Writers’ Tears Cask Strength whiskey, the 12th edition of the super-premium expression from Walsh Whiskey, has been released. It’s a unique cask strength whiskey crafted through a marriage of aged Single Pot Still and Single Malt Whiskey. Both whiskeys are triple distilled, natural non-chill filtered and aged in American Oak Bourbon barrels. This year’s vintage is bottled at 54.6% ABV. Each bottle is individually numbered and carries the signature of Writers’ Tears creator and Walsh Whiskey co-founder, Bernard Walsh. www.walshwhiskey.com

DOUBLE GOLD The Connacht Distillery has been awarded a coveted Double Gold medal for Batch 1 of its Connacht Single Malt Irish Whiskey at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Winners of the Double Gold medal are considered among the finest products in the world.

The Connacht Distillery’s Single Malt Irish Whiskey is the first whiskey to be distilled in Co. Mayo in over 150 years.

Crafted using 100% Irish malt barley, aged in ex-bourbon casks for four years and finished in ex-Oloroso sherry casks, it is then double distilled from the distillery’s own copper pot stills. www.connachtwhiskey.com

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Partner Profile

Premium service from

echo water

Providing bespoke solutions to clients old and new, Echo Water is helping the hospitality industry up its sustainability game in measuring the reduction of carbon emissions in their supply chains.

Providing premium water filtration systems to some of the world’s best-known hotels and businesses including leading Ireland’s top Hotel Groups, Blue Chip Companies Semi-State bodies, Echo Water also helps its customers save time, money and space as they cut back on labour, ordering and storage.

The company’s commitment to its clients in terms of product quality, service, support and willingness to develop new bespoke solutions to suit their specific needs is something that has always set Echo Water apart.

If you’re looking for a premium filtered water solution for your business that delivers in terms of sustainability and cost savings, visit us at www.echowater.ie or call us on 01 839 4138

E

cho Water has established itself as a leading brand in the hospitality industry. With a proven track record when it comes to delivering cost savings, revenue generation and sustainability, the Echo brand has gone from strength to strength, with a growing presence across the whole of Ireland and the UK. Relationship-led, quality service and increasingly innovative products have ensured Echo Water has retained and grown our client base year on year. Its products assist customers in reducing their environmental impacts to deliver a lower carbon, more efficient water solution.

Echo Water understands that environmental impact and sustainability of its clients’ own products and processes is increasingly important. For this reason, the company engaged Ireland’s leading carbon management consultancy to develop a calculation tool that allows it to estimate a customers’ carbon and environmental savings based on their profile of water usage which in turn, provides third party validation. Being first to market with this innovative calculator is a clear demonstration of Echo Water’s own sustainability commitment and its efforts to support clients

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News

INGREDIENTS MARK ANDERSON

on the depth of flavour and versatility of Irish honey

I have lots of jars of honey in my kitchen at home and in our various kitchens and test kitchen that we use in Gather & Gather. I love the versatility of Irish honey for its taste and depth of flavour, plus it's easy to find anywhere. Brands like Olly’s farm, Sliabh Aughty Honey and Mileeven are personal favourites.

My own personal style of food tends to have big flavours, the likes of onions, garlic, chillis, spices, so I'll throw in a spoonful here and there to balance the boldness. For instance, I'll mix a little with chili powder, salt and pepper to use as a sweet and spicy drizzle over a pizza with some spicy Nduja, which adds a nice depth of flavour. Honey also adds great body to sauces and vinaigrettes and makes for an awesome glaze on charred broccoli or sprouts, along with some Dijon mustard.

Roast Rainbow Carrot, St Tola Goat's Cheese, Toasted Pecan & Irish Honey This is a great dish that can be used as a side, put down in a large bowl and served family style or as a warm salad. The honey brings out the natural sweetness in the carrots with a hint of spice. Stupidly simple, but all good food is.

Ingredients • 700g heritage carrots, peeled and chopped on the angle into large pieces, or kept whole if small • 100g toasted pecans • 50g Irish honey • 50g watercress • 25g chopped Italian parsley • 8g/2tsp Ras el Hanout Spice • 100g crumbled goat's cheese • Pinch salt • Good Irish rapeseed oil Method Toss the carrots in the oil and season with salt and pepper and spice. If you have different coloured carrots, roast separately as the purple one’s bleed.

Roast at 170°C until tender and lightly coloured. Toast the pecans (10 mins at 170°C, lightly seasoned). Pick the watercress and chop the Italian parsley. Gently layer up the carrots

and greens, adding a dash of oil and a drizzle of honey between layers.

Finish with pecans and some crumbled goat’s cheese.

THIS DISH ALSO WORKS REALLY WELL WITH ROAST CHICKEN WITH SUMAC AND RED ONIONS Ingredients • 1kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve • 1½ tablespoons sumac, plus more to dust • Juice of 1 lemon • 4 garlic cloves, crushed • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2 large red onions (about 500g), finely sliced into half-moons

Slash the flesh of each piece of chicken diagonally a few times, around 2cm apart. Place the meat in a large bowl or plastic food container. Pour over the extra virgin olive oil, spices, lemon juice, garlic, 1½ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and rub into the meat. Add the red onions and toss everything together well. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 1-3 hours. When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/Gas 5.

Transfer the meat to a baking tray and roast for about 35 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear when pierced at their thickest part.

Mark Anderson is the Culinary Director at Gather & Gather Ireland

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News

Irish Chef

is world’s first

Green Manager

Odran Lucey at The Rose Hotel has become the first person in the world to complete a new qualification for Environmental Sustainability Management in Hospitality

F

ifty Shades Greener (FSG) and the Confederation of Tourism & Hospitality (CTH) joined forces in late 2021 to create the first Level 4 (Level 6 in Ireland) certificate in environmental sustainability management in hospitality. This is the first qualification of its kind to be regulated as an official qualification on the Ofqual framework of education.

In 2021 Odran Lucey, Executive Chef at the Rose Hotel in Tralee, implemented an environmental management system at the hotel with several reduction initiatives. Some of these included changing all bulbs to LED across the hotel, installing sensor lighting, replacing seals in all windows, collaborating with a local garden centre to utilise disposed coffee, provide training to all employees, forming a green team and actively monitoring their utilities and CO2 every month. So far, the hotel has achieved a reduction of energy of 16% and food waste by 26%.

“Sustainability is such an essential part of all businesses and I believe it will continue to be for a very long time. Last year, we decided we needed to be more proactive in what we were doing. We identified areas where we could make big improvements and so in May of last year, I embarked on the course,” said Odran. After establishing the hotel’s carbon footprint for 2019, it was gratifying to see reductions in energy and waste throughout 2021. “The programme has definitely changed how I view my role here at the hotel, as it has for all our green team. It’s also made me view what I do at home and as a result, I’ve made changes there too. I would definitely urge people in hospitality to take up this course; it’s amazing what you will learn but more importantly, you will see what a difference you can make when it comes to helping both the environment and your business.” Odran’s ambition is to reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint by at

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least 10 % for 2022 and to gain gold certification from FSG. “We’d also love to gain an Emerald award for our continuous reductions and great sustainability practices. We’re well on the road to that now.”

The labour market needs people with the skills to measure, monitor and reduce carbon emissions in the workplace. Sue Duke, Head of Global Policy and Economic Graph at LinkedIn, says that they have seen a 70% increase in customer service job roles requiring three or more ‘green skills’. People who have green skills are recruited one and a half times faster than those who don’t. Additionally, ‘green talent’ is likely to be two to three times better connected on LinkedIn than people without green skills. According to FSG, these trends are only set to increase in the years ahead.

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TourismCareers.ie

#BeThePulse

It’s time to try

TY

Help grow the next generation of staff your business needs at www.tourismcareers.ie.

It’s time to try TY, post your latest work placements to the smart, fast and easy to use online portal

Secure employment for the upcoming summer season Provide best practice mentorship and real world, on the job experience Help to grow the next generation of staff for your business needs Upload your placements at tourismcareers.ie/wep

go to the portal

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Your Business Waste Easily Sorted!

Go to mywaste.ie/business to download a FREE toolkit designed to help you better manage your business waste.

This toolkit includes posters, bin labels and a step-by-step guide to better business waste management.

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Waste

Your BUSINESS

WASTE sorted

recycle

Plastic bottles & containers

Plastic tubs & trays

Soft plastics

clean dry & loose Cans & tins

Aluminium cans

Cardboard

Cartons

Paper & magazines

Visit mywaste.ie for more information

food

Raw food

Cooked food

no glass no plastics no metals

Paper towels & napkins

Compostable bags

Compostable packaging

Certified to EN13432

Certified to EN13432

Unwanted leftovers

Tea bags & coffee grinds

general

Wet wipes

Soiled aluminium foil & containers

no food no recyclables no batteries Broken crockery

Floor sweepings

THIS GOVERNMENT-FUNDED INITIATIVE Providing a free and extensive suite of signage and training materials to help workforces make accurate recycling decisions, the new governmentfunded initiative has been designed to assist Irish businesses achieve greater Circular Economy performance through increased recycling and composting rates. A

practices, businesses could divert up to 350,000 tonnes of waste from the general waste stream annually.

Speaking on behalf of the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices, Kevin Swift, Connacht Ulster Region Waste Office said: “This initiative will empower small and medium size businesses, particularly those in the retail, hospitality, manufacturing and corporate sectors, to further improve how their waste is

This initiative will empower small and medium size businesses, particularly those in the retail, hospitality, manufacturing and corporate sectors, to further improve how their waste is managed.

Greenery & flowers

Visit mywaste.ie for more information

Non-compostable disposable cups

A new initiative designed to take the uncertainty out of waste segregation for businesses has been launched by MyWaste, Ireland’s official guide to waste

waste characterisation study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that almost 70% of materials being placed in the general commercial waste bins is waste that should be placed in the recycling or food waste bins. Targeted materials (those suitable for recycling) accounted for only 60% of the materials in the mixed dry recycling bins, with food waste among the contaminants. The study found that by improving waste segregation

managed. With clear language and visuals, the materials will make it easy for staff to quickly understand what waste goes in what bin. This should help significantly increase the amount of recyclables and food waste diverted from the general bin and correctly placed in the recycling and food waste bins.”

The toolkit is free to download or order from www.mywaste.ie/ business/

Broken glassware

Contaminated items

Disposable face masks & gloves

Visit mywaste.ie for more information

ISSUE 3 2022 | HOTEL

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CATERING REVIEW

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Available in SMALL,

MEDIUM and

LARGE

ISSUE 3 2022

World’s first

GREEN HOTEL MANAGER (in Tralee)

ISSUE 3 2022

ODRAN LUCEY at the Rose Hotel completes new green programme

World’s first

GREEN HOTEL MANAGER (in Tralee)

TIME FOR A

ODRAN LUCEY at the Rose Hotel completes new green programme

TIME FOR A

REBOOT

CLEVER SOLUTIONS FROM HOSPITALITY TECH PROVIDERS

REBOOT

CLEVER SOLUTIONS FROM HOSPITALITY TECH PROVIDERS

Rising costs from suppliers takes its toll on hospitality

Rising costs from suppliers takes its toll on hospitality

Talking to..

ROISIN O'CONNOR

MEET THE NEW HEAD CHEF AT THE CLIFF HOUSE HOTEL

Talking to..

ISSUE 9 2021 | HOTEL

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ROISIN O'CONNOR

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MEET THE NEW HEAD CHEF AT THE CLIFF HOUSE HOTEL

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ISSUE 9 2021 | HOTEL

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ISSUE 3 2022

World’s first

GREEN HOTEL MANAGER (in Tralee) ODRAN LUCEY at the Rose Hotel completes new green programme

TIME FOR A

REBOOT

CLEVER SOLUTIONS FROM HOSPITALITY TECH PROVIDERS

Rising costs from suppliers takes its toll on hospitality

Talking to..

ROISIN O'CONNOR

MEET THE NEW HEAD CHEF AT THE CLIFF HOUSE HOTEL ISSUE 9 2021 | HOTEL

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Ashville Media’s online digital publications are now available to view our website

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12/05/2022 10:57

Technology

TECH TRENDS IN 2022

Time for a

REBOOT Stay ahead of the game with the latest technology for hospitality businesses

K

eeping up to date with tech-led solutions for the hospitality industry is crucial for businesses that want to stay a step ahead of the competition. During Covid, customer expectations shifted; the rules around how to do business have changed so to avoid being left behind, the hospitality industry must adapt.

CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS One of the main technology trends in the hospitality industry in the past few years, contactless payments speed up payments and improve customer satisfaction. With Covid still making its presence felt, they also reduce human-to-human contact, helping to ensure peace of mind for customers. Mobile contactless payments are possible even if customers don’t have their wallets with them, or if their credit/debit card has been misplaced.

CHATBOTS Although chatbots have been around for several years, their importance in the industry is only growing, especially as people demand speedy answers to questions at all times of the day. Through a chatbot guests can check in, check out, make reservations and even ask for local restaurant recommendations. A good chatbot will answer the most common questions without the need for any human involvement and in more advanced cases, it can obtain information from the customer and pass the query on to a human staff member.

CYBERSECURITY A growing need for cybersecurity is among the most vital technology trends in the hospitality industry. Hotels and restaurants are more reliant on data than ever before and while there are huge benefits associated with being able to access this type of information, it also leaves businesses in a much more vulnerable position. Threats include phishing attacks, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, ransomware attacks and human error within the company. Hotels need to invest in cybersecurity awareness training, keep customer data secure and ensure data is backed up and recoverable.

VIRTUAL REALITY Virtual Reality allows customers to experience elements of a hotel or inspect the layout of a restaurant before booking. During Covid, lots of hospitality marketing managers gained an edge on their rivals by capitalising on VR technology and are now well placed to showcase VR tours to guests.

ROBOTS Several leading hotel brands have started using robots to improve the guest experience, leading to the rise of the robot hotel concierge and the robot butler. At The Crowne Plaza in San Jose, a robot called Dash delivers snacks, toiletries and other hotel amenities to guests through a unique Wi-Fi connection. It can even make a phone call to announce its arrival.

Some hotels have started to use robots for cleaning purposes, making an environment more Covid secure. Robots can free up the time of human staff and help personalise a guest’s stay and aside from the cost, their use is almost limitless.

MOBILE CHECK-IN Mobile check-in hospitality tech can help improve the customer experience at the point of their initial arrival. Mobile check-ins also avoid the need for face-to-face customer interactions, so customers can potentially have greater flexibility in terms of when they check-in, something that’s especially welcome for those who are nervous about Covid.

ISSUE 3 2022 | HOTEL

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Technology

Tech that

Clever technology from Net Affinity has helped boost revenues at Killeavy Castle

N

et Affinity has been collaborating with Killeavy Castle Estate in Armagh since 2019, providing the hotel with its award-winning booking engine, marketing services and a website platform. Initially, the goal was to increase Killeavy Castle’s presence online which Net Affinity has tackled from every angle, using the winning formula of both booking engine and marketing. According to the tech firm the fit was perfect right away, with stellar results across the board from revenue and website traffic to bedroom bookings and voucher sales. Specifically, there has been a 95% increase in website traffic, a 305% increase in bedroom bookings, a 421% increase in revenue and a 400% increase in voucher sales.

Commenting on the project with the hotel, Sara Antoszewicz, Net Affinity Senior E-commerce Manager, said: “Working with Killeavy Castle Estate through the very demanding time of Covid was a challenge but I’m delighted to see that all the hard work that has been done on both sides – between the hotel and Net Affinity – has really been paying off. There has been a great sense of teamwork!

I’m looking forward to continuing to work on Killeavy Castle Estate’s performance and future growth. The best is yet to come!”

Terry Kelly, Sales and Marketing Manager of Killeavy Castle Estate, said: “Having a fantastic product such as Killeavy Castle Estate is

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WORKS only half the formula in achieving online trading success. We initially partnered with Net Affinity to give us an online presence through a website and to sell our products through their booking engine platforms, but we also employed their digital marketing services and have been overwhelmed by the successes we have achieved together. We have attained significant increases across all our sales outlets and are continuing to see strong growth. This has been made possible by the Net Affinity online platform along with the support and direction received from their team. We also found great benefit from the series of masterclasses and podcasts and we have embraced all the learnings from these to make our website more compatible, optimised and user friendly. We look forward to a continued prosperous relationship with Net Affinity over the years ahead.”

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06/05/2022 12:51

Your sustainable taxi provider designed for the hospitality industry Every single trip is carbon offset Ireland’s largest fleet of eco vehicles Under 4 minute ETA on average Order online via our WebBooker in one click Track your driver’s arrival in real-time - Available in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and more!

Contact us

cormac.doyle@free-now.com

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11/05/2022 03/05/2022 14:22 10:54

Technology

Pushingthe

Boundaries Mona and Picasso Digital from Techotel are helping hospitality businesses stand out from the crowd

A

s the world of hospitality recovers from the devastating effects of the pandemic, hotels and guesthouses are constantly on the lookout for new and innovative ideas to make their premises stand out from the crowd, while at the same time easing the pressure on staff returning to work. Techotel is leading the way within the hospitality industry with its Property Management System – Picasso Digital and its Artificial intelligence (AI) module named ‘Mona’. Alistair Brown, National Sales Manager at Techotel said: “Mona is really leading the way in a contactless reception. No longer does a receptionist have to be looking down at a computer screen; they can be welcoming customers to the hotel, knowing that the payment, allocation of rooms, check-ins, invoicing and check-outs are automatically done for them. We have seen the evolution of the traditional role of front of house move from the computer screen to more meet and greet, adding the traditional extra touch to the guest experience that the Irish hotel market is well known for. Mona allows the hotel reception to do just that.”

Alistair acknowledges there is usually concern around introducing such drastic steps into how front of house operates.

“So far so good! Every installation has gone smoothly. It’s just a case of changing the mindset of both guest and staff. There are so many options with Mona - keys can be delivered to the phone, the guest inventory is now a digital download and payment can now be made via their phone, to name but a few.”

With 97% of reservations now coming from online channels, Techotel has not only taken its integrated website booking engine, Picasso Online, to a new level with its commission

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free website booking engine, but has also incorporated the automated system. Communication with the guest pre and post-booking is now done by Mona, including confirmation letters, invoicing and room allocation. Mona can do all or any part of the daily tasks usually performed manually in the back office, allowing staff more time to help guests. “It’s fair to say that Mona isn’t just a tool for check-in and check-out, it automates the entire reception area,” said Alistair.

While Mona certainly seems to tick the boxes for the next generation, it’s the holistic approach of the PMS that most users of Picasso enjoy. Picasso offers an all-in-one system, where everything can be controlled from one place. No longer does a hotel need to log in to the PMS, the bar and restaurant system, the channel manager, the online booking engines, the website booking engine. “With Picasso it’s one system, one staff log in, one set of reports, one set of accounts. It really does take the strain off the staff in what is an already stressful environment.”

The recent innovations within the Techotel portfolio are certainly ahead of the game. With over 200 new features released in the last two years alone, Techotel is pushing new boundaries when it comes to developing the property management systems of tomorrow. “We want to futureproof a hotels’ PMS by providing tomorrow’s system today,” said Alistair.

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 3 2022

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Partner Profile

TECH-FORWARD SOLUTIONS FROM

SHIJI

Enable the digital guest experience with enterprise-level solutions from Shiji Group

S

hiji Group provides software solutions and services for the hospitality, food service, retail and entertainment industries, ranging from hotel management solutions, food and beverage systems, payment gateways and data management to online distribution, golf and leisure management and digital guest solutions.

Within the food and beverage space, Shiji has been leading the way since 2016 with its cloud-based, but offline capable Infrasys Cloud POS, one of the most secure pointof-sale systems on the market today. The customisable system can be updated and

Our technology is built so our clients can focus on providing elevated services to ensure memorable digital guest experiences tweaked to best fit an organisation’s needs with features including enterprise reporting, 24/7 global support, payment integrations and the ability to work on any hardware.

Shiji Group has been connecting the global business of hospitality for decades. Our technology, developed and continuously improved from our tech hub in Poland, has allowed our customers to efficiently operate and strategically manage their hotels and restaurants through flexible and secure technology.

To contact our local sales representative Leane McKinley, email leane.mckinley@shijigroup.com

Connecting the global business of hospitality.

Hospitality is in our DNA. We understand your business and what it takes to keep it running non-stop.

+44 (0)7715 335 395

www.shijigroup.com/

leane.mckinley@shijigroup.com

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Cover Story

Squeezed hospitality businesses are feeling the pinch as supplier costs and utility bills go through the roof

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Cover Story

Stephen O’Connor, General Manager, Limerick Strand Hotel How are bookings?

Really positive. Our domestic leisure market is looking strong and overseas business is quite good. Our tour operators are telling us that they’re full. If it wasn’t for the challenges we’re facing around rising costs and inflation, we’d be happy.

How are those challenges affecting the hotel?

Gas and electricity prices have gone up by about 150%, food by about 30% and rising.

Even if we had some sort of indication of how much these increases will go to we could make a plan, but we don’t. There’s also a lack of available staff out there, which is putting pressure on the staff we have.

How are you combatting these increases?

We’ve had to look at prices on our menus, but probably not as much as we should do. Our customers are also facing huge cost of living increases so we don’t want to overdo it, but we have to try and maintain our margins as well; it’s a difficult balance to manage.

Are there particular items proving difficult to source?

Tomatoes are hard to get at the moment and when you get them, the cost has risen hugely. Raw materials for making bread have also shot up in price due to what’s happening in Eastern Europe. It’s across the board.

How are your local suppliers coping with the price increases?

We’ve built solid relationships with our suppliers over the years which are standing to us now. They’re being fair, but it’s difficult for them. They have to pass on the costs – it’s just a difficult situation all round. Our chefs have to be smart; they’re altering our menus to include different cuts of meat or using different methods of cooking to get over these challenges. The price of fillet steak for example has gone through the roof, so we’ve got to be smart.

“The price of fillet steak for example has gone through the roof, so we’ve got to be smart”

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Cover Story

Emer Murray, Owner & Head Baker, Goyas of Galway Have your raw materials gone up in price?

Absolutely. Eggs, cream, milk, meat for our lasagne, it’s all increased. We always use Brady’s, an organic butcher in Athenry; all their meat has gone up in price. There was a time when you’d get notifications of price increases from your suppliers three weeks before they would kick in. Usually, those increases would be on products that we don’t use all that often.

Now, we’re getting weekly emails from our “I’ll suppliers notifying us of price rises.

How are you coping with that?

have to sit down at the start of next week and increase my prices again; any kind of margin we had has been well and truly eaten up”

When this started about a month ago we increased our own prices, which is something I’m hypersensitive about. I could be walking through the shop and if someone isn’t happy about paying a higher price, they’ll tell you about it. I’ll have to sit down at the start of next week and increase my prices again; any kind of margin we had has been well and truly eaten up. I have to safeguard my staff and I also have to respect the fact that my clients will only pay X amount for our products.

Are you short staffed?

We definitely don’t have it as bad as hotels in the area. If I’m down a pair of hands in the kitchen, I can go onto the shop floor. It just means I have to work longer and harder.

I remember years ago staff shortages resulted in a massive recruitment drive. People from Eastern Europe in particular came to work in Ireland. We had a fantastic, highly skilled girl from Romania who stayed with us for 10 years. If a similar initiative could be implemented again, it would be great. Not for this summer as it’s too late, but maybe for next year.

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NationalTCS_A4Press_AD_FM_KR_210222_v7.pdf

1

03/03/2022

09:14

TOURISM CAPABILITY SUPPORTS

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

PLAN FOR SUCCESS IN

2022

Fáilte Ireland’s new schedule of Tourism Capability Supports for 2022 includes webinars and workshops across a number of priority areas:

CMY

K

• • • • • •

Commercial Planning and Finance Sales and Marketing Revenue Generation Digital Skills Climate Action HR and People Management

Access the schedule and plan your team's participation in these capability development programmes over the coming months now.

visit failteireland.ie/programmes-schedule

Scan for schedule

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Cover Story

ANTHONY GRAY, RESTAURANT OWNER How’s business at the moment?

It’s up and down. Rising costs are definitely impacting us; gas and electricity have gone through the roof, but so have prices from our suppliers. Just recently, my butcher told me he mightn’t be able to provide me with beef fillets. The price of chicken has also gone up. Previously you’d be paying €45 for a box of chicken but I could see that going to €100 later in the summer. A lot of chicken feed comes from Ukraine, so we’re in a very precarious position.

It’s so difficult for suppliers at the moment too It is. My butcher told me that with the price of trying to run a small suckler herd, it’s just not worth it. Fertiliser is nearly a commodity at this stage. I think consumers are opting for other dishes on the menu as beef has just gotten too expensive and I know some restaurants that have taken it off their menu altogether.

JOHNNY ROCKET, GENERAL MANAGER, McSWIGGANS Is it difficult to source certain products at the moment?

Yes it is. It’s hard to get Irish chicken. Even some beverages are difficult to source. I think that’s down to a variety of reasons – Covid, Brexit, Ukraine.

Everything is squeezed and we’re getting price reviews now on a weekly basis.

How do you balance increasing your own costs with retaining customers?

It’s not easy. We have to make ourselves attractive, so we can’t price ourselves out of the market. It’s about tightening up all the different areas of the business, which is of course hard with labour costs at a premium and escalating energy prices.

Have you changed your menu?

“We’ve made small adjustments to our menu; the last thing you want to do is scale back on the offering”

We have but we’re a quality-led venue. It’s all about the food here so if we’re altering the menu, we can’t let it impact on where we want to take the business or our offering to customers. We’ve made small adjustments to our menu; the last thing you want to do is scale back on the offering. It can be hard to hold a lot of products, especially when they’re significantly more valuable than they were two years ago.

Are you trying to recruit?

Yes and it’s so hard. The only option out there at the moment is going through a recruitment company. The issue there is that their commission has increased significantly - it could be anything from 10% up to 20%. On top of someone’s salary, that’s a lot. Demand is so high now that online recruitment services aren’t doing the job and you have to go to a third party. Obviously recruitment companies are running a business too, but it’s an additional cost that we wouldn’t have seen as regularly in the past.

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Can you see any light at the end of the tunnel?

As a restaurant, I think we’re in a very dark place. I do think we’ll bounce back, but it will take at least a year or even two. We need the government to step in. On a daily basis, I’m seeing price increases coming in. It’s not sustainable. Once the tax warehousing ends and with costs so high, we’re going to see businesses go to the wall.

Is it difficult to get staff?

Very. We ran an ad recently and got no responses at all. Instead, we put up an ad looking for staff coming from Ukraine.

We’ll train them and welcome them with open arms. So far, one girl has already started with me and at 1pm today, I’m talking to a chef from Ukraine. I think every restaurant in the country should do the same.

“We put up an ad looking for staff from Ukraine. We’ll train them and welcome them with open arms”

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Cover Story

“It hasn’t become a crisis yet but if this is the flavour of things to come, I think restaurants will have to shorten their menus”

PAUL GREALISH, OWNER, THE KING’S HEAD How’s business at the moment?

How much of an issue are cost increases?

Business is good, but that’s not necessarily a good thing!

Normally, you’d love to see customers coming through the door. But with staff shortages, there are times when you actually have to curtail the amount of business you can do.

It’s an issue and I can see it becoming a real problem in the coming months. I had a chat with our Head Chef Brendan this morning and he told me that overnight, lemons went from €15 a box to €35 a box. We use five boxes a week. So don’t be surprised if you get a slice of cucumber in your gin & tonic instead of a slice of lemon.

Crab claws are coming in around €1.40 as well, whereas previously we would have paid about 80 cents.

That must be very disheartening It is. We’ve had to turn down group bookings because we just don’t have the staff. We’re not too bad chefs wise, but we’re short on kitchen porters and cleaners.

Another issue is the cost of food. If we’re asked to price a three course meal for a group in August, you almost have to include a health warning; if one or all of those particular items go through the roof, we might have to swap them out for something else depending on what’s more affordable.

How concerned are you?

It hasn’t become a crisis yet but if this is the flavour of things to come, I think restaurants will have to shorten their menus. We print our menus in-house so we’re very flexible, we can react on a weekly basis to price increases. But if everything goes up, I don’t know where that leaves us, particularly with government supports being withdrawn. It’s a perfect storm.

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Cover Story

CAITRIONA CONSIDINE, OWNER, MOHER COTTAGE Have you considered changing suppliers to try and reduce your costs?

I’ve changed my coffee cup supplier. Part of our plan this year was to move to compostable cups. When we found the right supplier, we had to buy them in a higher quantity to bring the cost down. Packaging has also gone up; we have a gift shop here and I know that our suppliers’ costs have also risen, which of course they have to pass on to their customers. Costs have gone up across the board, it’s difficult to sustain them without passing them onto the customer.

How does that affect cashflow?

Badly! It’s crucial that we don’t run out of anything but that we don’t have our money tied up either. As a small business owner, it’s difficult. We’re juggling a lot of different challenges. Things have really changed since Covid; now it’s all about getting the head down and

getting through the year without looking too far ahead.

So you can’t really plan for the longterm?

You’re nearly afraid to look too far into the future.

There’s so much uncertainty. But we’re lucky; we’re in a beautiful part of the country and our doors are open every day. We’re five years in operation now and we’ve managed to survive, regardless of what’s come our way.

Are you looking for staff?

Right now, we’re fine for staff but it is challenging. We’re getting staff that are younger than what we would have gotten before. They require a bit more training and therefore more investment. We’re known here for our great welcome and service and we pride ourselves on our staff. We’re only as good as our people. Also, it’s as much about retention as it is about recruitment these days.

“There’s so much uncertainty.

But we’re lucky; we’re in a beautiful part of the country and our doors are open every day”

Caitriona Considine and her business partner and husband, Kevin

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Cover Story

SARAH KELLY, OWNER, THE VILLAGE BUTCHER RANELAGH How’s business?

It’s good. During Covid, we were run off our feet and although that has levelled off a bit now, we’re still busy. Cost increases have rocketed though; I’ve been in this business for 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like it.

Is it across the board?

It’s on everything – packaging, waste, raw materials, the whole lot. For our farmers, the price of fertiliser and feed has gone through the roof so they’re passing on those increases.

Have you put up your prices?

Rather than going down that road, we’ve removed the special offers. The price of beef is probably the highest I’ve ever seen it. Eighteen months ago, a cote de boeuf would have cost me €25. Now, it’s costing me €40.

Do you supply to restaurants?

We supply to one or two in the area but that’s it. I’m too nervous to go down that road at the moment. We get a lot of enquiries, but it’s not worth my while working on such small margins.

I know that a lot of restaurants and hotels are thinking about moving away from prime cuts; I had a chef in yesterday who’s been forced to take beef cheek off his menu. There is a cheaper cut available but it takes 10 hours to cook overnight – that’s not an option with electricity prices so high.

Are you worried about the future?

I’m not particularly. We’re open seven days a week now so we’ll do what we have to do. A lot of restaurants have talked about taking steak off their menu, so maybe customers will come here to buy steak to cook at home. It’s definitely tough. I’m asking customers to pay €40 for items they would have paid €20 for a couple of years ago.

“I know that a lot of restaurants and hotels are thinking about moving away from prime cuts; I had a chef in yesterday who’s been forced to take beef cheek off his menu”

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Cover Story

JASON HORKAN, OWNER, THE RED BANK RESTAURANT By how much have your costs gone up?

I’d say at least 35% and that’s across the board. We’re very aware that every household in the country is also dealing with increases, so up to now we haven’t really adjusted our menus too much price wise. We’re trying to be a bit clever in the way we purchase our food items but coming into the summer, we’ll have to pass some of the cost on.

Have you changed suppliers?

“We’ve been waiting since January for orders of cutlery, crockery, glassware, items that are proving really difficult to get”

We have. We pride ourselves on using local artisan produce and we wouldn’t change our beef supplier, but their prices have definitely gone up recently.

A fillet of beef went from €24 a kilo to €30 a kilo in December last year. We use the trimmings from the steak to make burgers, so in those small ways we’re trying to save money. Shortages are also affecting the business. We’ve been waiting since January for orders of cutlery, crockery, glassware, items that are proving really difficult to get. Production of steel has stopped in certain parts of Europe, materials are stuck in containers – all round, it’s difficult at the moment.

Are you optimistic about the summer period?

We’re taking it day by day, week by week and just trying to be as wise as we can while still offering a good product. We still buy fresh fish, we’re probably one of the few restaurants in the town to still do so every week, even though it’s gone up in price by about 30%. We’re lucky in that we’re very busy and I expect that to continue into the summer. The demand is there so it’s just about trying to find a balance between running a business and making a profit.

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Equipment

Me and

My SCHNEIDER ROLLER Thanks to his new docker roller, fork poking is a thing of the past for Damien O’Callaghan

Did you know…

M

y favourite instrument in the kitchen is an unconventional one. It’s called a Schneider roller. Let me start by saying we make our own crackers from scratch in Winedown, which I’m very proud of.

They’re so good, people never realise they’re homemade.

Considering the cost of crackers to buy, it’s something I’m happy we’ve taken on ourselves and adds a little extra flavour and interest to a plate.

Back to the Schneider roller! In order to stop the cracker dough from rising, the pastry needs to be perforated and before I knew of this niche but necessary tool, I used to have a fork in each hand to poke little holes in the dough.

Thankfully, my knowledgeable Sous Chef Fergal soon introduced me to this magnificent device which rolls right across your dough and perforates it in seconds. It genuinely made my year and has certainly saved me countless hours of fork poking.

A roller docker, rolling docker, dough docker, roto-fork, or simply docker, is a food preparation utensil that looks like either a small, spiked rolling pin or a small rotary tiller. It’s used to pierce bread dough, cracker dough, pizza dough or pastry dough to prevent over rising or blistering.

A specialized tool, it’s more commonly found in professional bakeries than in homes that only do light or occasional baking. Roller dockers come in a variety of materials, including nylon, plastic, and steel.

Damien O’Callaghan is Head Chef at Winedown, Dublin 2

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Call for more info or get a great offer:

Tel +353 96 22907

Always first

with new features Prepare yourself and the business for when the rebound comes.

Picasso Digital’s many contemporary, smart and innovative features will make your hotel a winner in the battle for reservations and earnings In 2020 alone, Picasso Digital added 140 new features to ensure a well driven hotel and increased revenue.

2021 will offer a similar high number of innovative solutions. If you want to be competitive, change your PMS to Picasso Digital.

Benefit from Picasso Digitals: Information and reports facilitating quick and easy application for corona assistance packages.

ONL20 – New online booking with high conversion rates and Google Hotel Ads integration.

My Search – New fast and efficient search in reservations.

Mona – Your digital assistant: Sustainable, time-saving and counteracts the risk of infection.

Mona handles: booking, prepayment, chat, SMS, keys, registration card, allocation of room, check in / out, invoicing, name list, long stay admin and much more, providing more time and a safe environment for you and your guests…

AK Techotel Ltd. | Unit 5 | Moyvalley Business Park Ballina | County Mayo | Ireland www.techotel.ie | techotel@techotel.ie

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Contact: Alistair Brown +353 96 22907 amb@techotel.ie

Picasso Digital is the best-selling Hotel Management System in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Ireland. Since its launch in 2002, we have installed 941 systems.

08/02/2022 11:54

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