Hotel and Catering Review - Issue 1 2022

ISSUE 1 2022

LITTLE BOOKS BIG VOICES

From Survival to

Blasta Books is reinventing the Irish cookbook

RECOVERY Fáilte Ireland’s plans for hospitality

Boundary

EXPORTS

ON THE RISE Food and drink exports bounce back in 2021

MEET THE IRISH SUPPLIERS DOING THINGS THEIR WAY ISSUE 9 2021 | HOTEL

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ISSUE 1 2022

Go to hotelandcatering review.ie for the online edition

LITTLE BOOKS BIG VOICES

From Survival to

Blasta Books is reinventing the Irish cookbook

RECOVERY Fáilte Ireland’s plans for hospitality

Boundary

EXPORTS

ON THE RISE

Food and drink exports bounce back in 2021

MEET THE IRISH SUPPLIERS DOING THINGS THEIR WAY ISSUE 9 2021 | HOTEL

CATERING REVIEW

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Contents ISSUE 1 2022

IN THIS ISSUE

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10 11

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“To quote Star Wars, it’s a new hope. If I can develop this and turn it into a sustainable business, I’ll be happy. To be able to make a living out of the sea, something I’ve been staring at for the past 48 years, is really something special” Brian Farrell, West of Dingle Sea Salt

REGULARS

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NEWS

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THIRD HOTEL FOR TALBOT COLLECTION Clonmel Park Hotel has been acquired by the Talbot Collection, its third hotel in Munster

INGREDIENTS

Pork shoulder is the star of the show in Lily Ramirez-Foran’s slow roasted Pork Pibil

THE (AFFORDABLE) HEAT IS ON

Thanks to Energia’s Cash for Kilowatts scheme, Donegal’s Sandhouse Hotel is open all year round

FROM SURVIVAL TO RECOVERY

Fáilte Ireland plans to support the industry as we move towards a period of sustained recovery

LITTLE BOOKS WITH BIG VOICES

Blasta Books is changing the way cookbooks are published in Ireland

EXPORTS ON THE RISE

Irish food and drink exports enjoyed a record year as value of sales up 4% to €13.5bn in 2021

ME AND MY… SOUS VIDE

Henry Jonkers on the virtues of sous vide cooking

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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: Ciara Murray 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 2021. 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 1 of Hotel & Catering Review 2022 Pub tills are ringing and restaurants are buzzing across the country as we finally bid goodbye to Covid restrictions. While the reopening of the sector has been warmly welcomed by all, skills shortages are threatening the viability of its recovery and casting a shadow over the potentially lucrative summer trading period. New research from Fáilte Ireland shows there are 40,000 vacancies across the industry, with 24% at senior level. A lack of chefs, restaurant and bar managers and wait staff is forcing some businesses to shorten menus or cut opening hours, while three in 10 have stated they’ll be forced to close their doors if they’re unable to recruit skilled staff. According to Fáilte Ireland, four in 10 tourism and hospitality workers on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment have not returned to their pre-pandemic employers. So, after almost two years of financial loss and uncertainty, Irish hospitality once again finds itself in a precarious situation. However, there are measures that, if taken, could ease staffing pressures. The Restaurants Association of Ireland has called on government to initiate the automatic renewal of all current work permits and visas due to expire in the next six months for a period of two years. The organisation has also called for an extension of the Stamp 2 to 30 hours. If government is serious about reinstating the 180,000 hospitality jobs that were lost during the pandemic, effective and practical measures need to be implemented now before the industry hits peak summer trading.

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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News

Your monthly round-up...

APPOINTMENT

FRESH NEW LOOK AT FREDDY’S Freddy’s Italian restaurant on Quay Street in Galway has unveiled a new look after embarking on an extensive refurbishment and rebranding exercise. Formerly known as Fat Freddy’s, the restaurant has been owned and operated by the Coyne family since 1990. The new vision for Freddy’s is backed by son Dara Coyne and his partner Sophie McLaughlin. “Freddy’s is a fresh take on what Fat Freddy’s did so well for so long. We want to welcome customers old and new to experience the modern comfort of Freddy’s, to enjoy great, quality food, wine and beers with friends and family, all lovingly prepared and served by our brilliant new team,” said Dara. Head Chef, Ivan Marchitto, originally from Naples, developed the new menu with a passion for authentic Italian cuisine. Freddy’s lunch menu includes sandwiches made from Italian focaccia bread that has been fermented for 24 hours and baked fresh each morning. The evening menu includes small plates, pizzas made fresh with cold fermented 48-hour dough with classic and eclectic toppings, as well as freshly made pasta and elegant Italian desserts.

The Montenotte Hotel has announced the appointment of Frits Potgieter to the role of General Manager. Frits is a seasoned hotel manager, with over 22 years international experience in the hospitality sector working with a variety of luxury properties.

Originally from South Africa, he has held senior management roles within The Red Carnation Hotel Collection and The Doyle Collection in London. Most recently he was GM at Muckross Park Hotel Killarney and before that, was GM at the Imperial Hotel Cork. “This is a vibrant, destination hotel in a city that I love. I am looking forward to leading such a diverse and talented team across many different departments, as well as making my own contribution to the hotel’s exciting plans. ”

NEW FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES AT GATHER & GATHER Gather & Gather Ireland has announced a range of enhanced family benefits for every employee. The new family-friendly policy offers greater support for employees and their families, over and above the current statutory minimum entitlements from maternity leave and paternity leave to adoption leave, parental leave and flexible working. As part of CH&CO, the move by Gather & Gather Ireland is part of a company-wide people and culture transformation. All policies, procedures and employee benefits across the business are being reviewed and improved to reflect the value placed on employees, increase the appeal of hospitality careers and to attract and retain the best people in a highly competitive market. Pauline Cox, MD of Gather & Gather Ireland said: “We aim to be one of the best companies to work for and to attract and retain talented individuals through actively supporting and encouraging a good work-life balance. It’s important that our benefits reflect our diverse and inclusive culture and this can be seen in these new family-friendly policies which support all our people, whatever their family circumstances and needs may be.”

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News

COMPASS IRELAND LAUNCHES FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY-FIRST Compass Group Ireland has unveiled plans to launch its first fully “frictionless” store in a workplace in early 2022. A first for the foodservice sector, the Irish store is set to open in Dublin early this year and will be followed by sites in the UK during 2022. Frictionless units will be established within corporate clients’ offices, as well as in the sports and leisure sectors. The new stores will utilise AiFi’s AI-powered computer vision technology, which allows shoppers to purchase items in-store without having to wait in line or stop to scan or pay. The stores will typically stock a selection of both hot and chilled ‘grab-ngo’ dishes, drinks and confectionery. Customers ‘check in’ when entering and then freely wander through the store selecting from the wide assortment at their leisure; no scanning and no queuing to pay. They simply leave with their purchases and a receipt is delivered directly to their phone moments later. Facial recognition is not needed with this technology, so customer anonymity is assured. Once inside, computer vision cameras anonymously track the shopper, adding the selected items to a virtual shopping cart.

The frictionless stores will be established either at clients’ sites where vending-only food solutions exist currently or where the new format can be part of a suite of solutions, including a mix of self-service and serviced meal options. A Compass Ireland client workplace in South Dublin was selected as the first location for the new foodservice solution and is expected to open as soon as working from home advice is lifted.

APPOINTMENT

SMALL BATCH IRISH GIN FROM CITY OF THE TRIBES Inspired by Galway and by ingredients local to the West of Ireland, Tribe Irish Gin was developed in March 2021 by Galway natives Adam Scally, Cormac Commins, Ciarán O’Domhnaill and Michael Allen. The vision for the brand – to create a gin that would appeal to the modern day ‘tribal beat’ of the city – came together during lockdown, when time was on their side. “It was during the months of lockdown that the four of us came together and developed the idea to launch a gin brand in Galway, as well as the city's first Gin School. We wanted our gin brand to showcase some ingredients local to the West of Ireland, while the Gin School would underpin the fun, exciting and creative aspect of the City of the Tribes,” said Adam Scally. Tribe Gin is distilled at Listoke Distillery, where they worked closely with the team to hone the recipe with its unique blend of native Galway botanicals and seaweed. Tribe Gin School is set to launch in early 2022, offering guests the chance to learn about the distilling process and create and distil their own personal bottle to bring home.

Tifco Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Stephan Ernest as General Manager of Ireland’s first Travelodge Plus hotel, the new Travelodge Plus Dublin City Centre in Dublin 2. A Dutch native, Stephan commenced his hospitality studies with a Hotel & Catering Degree at Zadkine Hospitality Management in Rotterdam, finishing his Bachelor’s Degree in International Hospitality Management in Breda in 2006.

Moving to Dublin after graduating, Stephan started his professional career as a Junior Duty Manager in The Burlington Hotel. In 2008, he joined Tifco Hotel Group, initially in Crowne Plaza Hotel and Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport. He successfully open The Hendrick Smithfield where he was General Manager from 2019 until taking up his new role at Travelodge Plus Dublin City Centre.

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APPOINTMENT Sysco Ireland has announced that Mark Lee has been appointed CEO, following a handover period with outgoing CEO Peter Jackson, who has been appointed as the new CEO of Sysco in Great Britain.

Mark joined Sysco Ireland in December 2018 as Commercial Director, responsible for sales, marketing and customer engagement. His achievements include overseeing the rebrand of Pallas Foods to Sysco Ireland, the largest foodservice business with over 10,000 customers and 7-day delivery coverage nationwide. He also led the growth of Sysco’s independent customer business, managed the rollout of Sysco’s World Food customer proposition and launched a new e-commerce platform, Sysco Store.

FIVE STARS FOR CARTON HOUSE Carton House, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, has been officially recognised as a five-star hotel by Fáilte Ireland. The classification follows the unveiling of an extensive two-year, multi-million euro renovation which was completed in the summer. “We are delighted to have achieved this milestone by meeting the high standards of quality required to fulfil Fáilte Ireland’s criteria for five-star classification. Our wonderful team deserve this recognition and it could not have been achieved without the support and vision of our owners who together with our operator, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, have delivered a truly wonderful resort. We very much look forward to welcoming many regular and first time guests to help celebrate our new status,” said Martin Mangan, General Manager of Carton House.

GRIOLLADH OPENS IN DUBLIN 8 Griolladh has opened its first bricks and mortar café on Dublin’s Thomas Street, just 18 months since Jacob Long and Jack Brennan launched their lockdown-inspired concept of serving up gourmet hot sandwiches. From a converted trailer in a suburban front garden, there are now four locations across Dublin with food trucks in Malahide at New Street, Dundrum Town Centre and on Grand Canal Street. Griolladh offers breakfast, baked goods, sausage rolls, hot drinks and indulgent treats, but the perfect hot gourmet sandwich is at the heart of the success of the venture. “This café and kitchen is going to change everything for us. We’re already really passionate about our ingredients, provenance and quality, but we now have the space to get even more inventive! We’re delighted to be based in The Liberties – an historical and thriving community! We feel very much at home,” said Jacob and Jack.

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Partner Profile

Support when it’s needed ETB upskilling programmes are supporting the hospitality and tourism sector

T

he 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) around Ireland provide a broad range of training programmes specific to the hospitality and tourism sector that deliver upskilling and reskilling opportunities for employers and their staff. In 2021, two new highly subsidised ‘Skills to Advance’ programmes were introduced to complement existing provision, delivering critical team leadership and supervisory management skills to the sector.

Over the past two years, 243 Skills to Advance courses were delivered to the hospitality sector to 1389 employees across Ireland, with employers availing of training and upskilling in a wide variety of areas such as Training Needs Identification and Design; Implementing Food Safety Management Systems; Patisserie and Confectionery; Barista, Customer Service & Hospitality Skills; Fifty Shades Greener and Social Media for Business.

In 2021, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD, launched two national upskilling programmes for employees in the sector, which were developed by SOLAS and the ETBs in consultation with the Irish Hotels Federation, Failte Ireland and the Regional Skills Fora. The

two Developing Leaders for Hospitality and Tourism programmes were positively received, with employers recognising that investing in people and their career development is a vital element in retaining talent and in attracting talent, which are critical factors in rebuilding the industry.

Speaking of the benefits of the Developing Leaders programme, Barbara Robinson, HR Director with the Glenroyal Hotel, Kildare said: “‘The development of our leaders is crucial in how engaged our team members are in their roles and how satisfied our customers are in the service we provide. This programme develops skills in employee engagement, customer service, digital capability, the green agenda and how to effectively lead a team. Our industry will continue to reap the benefits of this long after the course is completed.”

ETBs work with employers across the sector to help them identify their future skills requirements and to encourage them to avail of training programmes to upskill their staff, which will positively impact their business recovery.

Find your local ETB contact at skillstoadvance.ie

Skills to Advance Make skills work for you

Developing Leaders for Hospitality and Tourism

Boost the retention and development of key talent Avail of highly subsidised training for enterprise Contact your local Education and Training Board or visit skillstoadvance.ie

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News

Clonmel Park Hotel joins Talbot Collection Talbot Collection acquires its third hotel in Munster The Talbot Collection has announced the acquisition of one of Tipperary’s favourite hotels, the Clonmel Park Hotel. Situated on the doorstep of the Comeragh Mountains, in the heart of Ireland’s Ancient East and part of the Munster Vales, this acquisition will be the third hotel in Munster for the Talbot Collection. The group currently has seven sister hotels located in Cork, Carlow, Wexford and Dublin; the addition of the new Talbot Hotel Clonmel brings that number up to eight properties in total.

The Clonmel Park Hotel has been under the management of Tetrarch for the past seven years. With 120 staff, it’s one of the biggest hospitality employers in the county. According to the Talbot Collection, its central location and geographical base to all the other Talbot Hotels makes this acquisition a very strategic move for the group.

Commenting on the acquisition, Philip Gavin, Managing Director, The Talbot Collection said: “We are thrilled to be able to announce our acquisition of the Clonmel Park Hotel. We have long admired this hotel, not only for its fantastic location but also its

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commitment to delivering exceptional service to its customers. We have been working alongside Tetrarch and CBRE to make the transition as smooth as possible and would like to extend our thanks and credit to both.”

A key employer in the region, he also paid tribute to the 120 staff within the hotel. “The team is the biggest asset to the hotel and the Clonmel Park Hotel has an incredibly skilled and dedicated team that we as a group look forward to working alongside.”

Cormac Pettitt, Managing Director of the Pettitt Group, the family-owned group who own The Talbot Collection, said: “This is a major acquisition for us as a group. We have grown our Talbot Collection brand from our original property, the Talbot Hotel Wexford.

We are delighted to extend this now to Tipperary and to the thriving town of Clonmel. Our team prides itself on delivering a 4-star hospitality experience and we are very excited about doing this in Clonmel for many years to come.”

The Clonmel Park Hotel boasts 99 bedrooms, bar, restaurant, a leisure centre, spa and extensive conference & banqueting facilities.

Since opening its doors in 2006, it has been an integral part of the community, for both employment and leisure. Maciek Szczepaniec, General Manager at the Clonmel Park Hotel said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for the Clonmel Park Hotel as we join the Talbot Collection family. They have an outstanding reputation in the hospitality industry and we already align on many things as a business. Ensuring security for our staff and delivering amazing service to our guests is our key priority and we know we can continue to do this as part of The Talbot Collection.”

The Talbot Collection has stated that the hotel will continue its ongoing relationship with local schools and colleges. Only recently, 19 chefs graduated from the Talbot Chef Development programme.

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Partner Profile

Paying homage to Ireland’s Ricky O’Brien, Foodservice Director at BWG Foodservice, talks about the pride he and his team feel in sponsoring the ‘Chef of the Year’ category at this year’s Gold Medal Awards

chefs

I

t is not an exaggeration to state that the hospitality sector has been one of the industries hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and the effects of the resultant yo-yo restrictions. It has been the most challenging of times for us all but now, following the lifting of the restrictions, the industry is experiencing a very welcome resurgence.

Now that the sector can fully open with no time restrictions, it is opportune to celebrate our wonderful industry and all that it has to offer. As we move forward with confidence, it is absolutely appropriate to also celebrate the extraordinary chefs who are the creators and innovators of the foodservice industry. That’s why when BWG Foodservice was presented with the opportunity to sponsor one of the most prestigious awards of the Gold Medal Awards – Chef of the Year – we simply had to do so.

This accolade is one coveted by every chef in the industry and to have this chance to stand with them as a whole and honour the standout Chef of 2021 is truly humbling. One of our driving motivations at BWG Foodservice is to provide chefs with the best of raw materials and ingredients so that they can weave their magic and create spectacular dishes for their customers. We understand all that goes into this and through the sponsorship of this prestigious award, we can show that support in a public and meaningful way.

We have a simple goal – to be the best foodservice operator in

the country and to achieve that we are willing to go that extra mile, to share ideas and take risks. We want to be the trusted advisor to those at the forefront of the foodservice industry in Ireland – the chefs and purchasers. We are very conscious of the responsibility we have in supporting them in their endeavours.

We understand that every day is a different day for foodservice professionals and when you approach your job with that positive mindset, you can accomplish anything. We want to continue to grow, to push boundaries and bring more innovation and an even better service and range to our customers. Crucially, the business and the team share and inspire those ambitions, as does surely the Hotel & Catering Chef of the Year.

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INGREDIENTS Pork shoulder is the star of the show in

LILY RAMIREZ FORAN’S slow roasted Pork Pibil

I always think of Pork Pibil as the dish that conquered Irish hearts; first the hearts of my Irish family and later on, the hearts of every person who came to Picado’s tortilla class and fell in love with its simplicity and wonderful flavours. I normally make mine in a pressure cooker which, together with a blender, is an essential item in every Mexican kitchen.

However, I wanted to create a slow-roasted version of the dish. I dare you not to fall in love with this recipe too.

Pork Pibil Tacos Serves 4-6 • 1kg pork shoulder, skin left on, cut into three chunks • 350g ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters • 1 small onion, peeled and cut into quarters • 5 large garlic cloves, peeled and left whole • 1 x 7cm Mexican cinnamon stick • ½ tsp black peppercorns • 50g Mexican achiote paste • 75ml apple cider vinegar • Juice of 1 large orange • 1½ tsp flaky sea salt • 80ml water For the tacos • 16 corn tortillas, warmed • De árbol salsa roja • Red onion pickle

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Preheat the oven to 150°C. Place the pieces of pork in a large heavy-based casserole, skin facing up so they don't stick. Add the tomato and onion quarters, wedging them in between the pieces of meat and on the top.

Set aside.

Place the whole garlic cloves in a hot, dry frying pan over a high heat, turning them every minute or so; the aim is to have lovely golden garlic with plenty of charred bits and a sweet smell. This will take about six minutes. Halfway through, add the cinnamon stick to the same pan and toast it for 2-3 minutes before adding the peppercorns and toasting for 1 minute more, until they are fragrant.

The kitchen should smell beautiful by now.

Transfer everything from the pan to a blender followed by the achiote paste, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, salt and 40ml of the water.

Blend until smooth, then pour the sauce over the meat in the casserole. Use the remaining 40ml of water to rinse any leftover sauce out of the blender and pour this into the casserole too.

Cover with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit your casserole and cover the casserole with its lid. Transfer to the oven and roast for 3½ hours.

Take the casserole out of the oven and uncover the meat. Everything should be soft so using two forks, shred the meat and crush the tomatoes and onions, making sure to mix everything together – there should be enough sauce to coat everything well. I normally just carry the casserole to the table and let the meat rest and soak up all the flavours of the sauce while I get everything else together.

Set the table and bring over bowls of the de árbol salsa roja and red onion pickle to add a little heat. To assemble your tacos, add some pork to a warm corn tortilla, then spoon over some of the salsa and red onion pickle.

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Partner Profile

The

affordable heat Thanks to Energia’s Cash for Kilowatts scheme, Donegal’s Sandhouse Hotel is open all year round

is on

even more savings than we initially hoped for.” The process from start to finish was simple, user friendly and fast, says Paul. “We’re a small family-run hotel.

We don’t have a team of financial managers so the fact that Energia communicated all the workings of the system in such a clear, concise way was an important aspect of the process. It was their support and their belief in us that made us take the leap and go for the scheme.”

Energia’s Cash for Kilowatts scheme has reduced energy costs at the Sandhouse Hotel by up to 40%.

It’s allowed the business to open 12 months of

B

usiness is good at the Sandhouse Hotel in Rossnowlagh, Co. Donegal. Ever since restrictions were lifted its phone hasn’t stopped ringing, with guests eager to take advantage of the hotel’s beachfront location or kick off a trip along the Wild Atlantic Way. Bookings are currently being taken for 12 months of the year, but that wasn’t always the case. Crippling energy costs meant Sandhouse Hotel used to (reluctantly) close its doors every winter. It meant letting valued staff go in the hopes they would be available the following year. “Of course, they wouldn’t always be around and that was a huge difficulty for us. Sandhouse is an old hotel; it’s difficult to heat so about two years ago, we started to investigate how we could heat the hotel in a more cost-efficient, sustainable way,” said GM Paul Diver.

For any hotel, old or new, one of the biggest cost pressures is around energy. Implementing a system that would control costs and allow the hotel to operate all year round seemed like a tall order. “Controlling the temperature in individual bedrooms was at the top of our wants list. After going to market, we found a system that would give us that zoned heating facility and allow reception to control the temperature of each room. However, the initial costs were off-putting. We couldn’t justify such a large capital cost when we weren’t entirely sure if it would make financial sense.”

Paul and the team then heard about Energia’s Cash for Kilowatts scheme, which offers businesses a grant of up to 20% on an energy efficiency upgrade. Based on the annual kWh savings achieved from the upgrade, the grant seemed almost too good to be true. “We didn’t really think it would work for us, but we showed Energia our projections and they did some work on them. They felt the system would be ideal for the hotel and that we’d make

the year, thereby retaining staff and boosting revenue. “Really, it’s streamlined the whole operational side of the hotel.” The cloud-based system is intuitive and simple to use. “It’s taken the pressure off management in a massive way, especially during the winter months. If it’s a cold night or morning and you’re worried that your guests aren’t warm enough in their room, you can check and adjust the temperature on your phone. What we’ve got now is an energy efficient, comfortable, sustainable hotel which wouldn’t have been possible without Energia’s Cash for Kilowatts scheme.”

For more information about Cash for Kilowatts, go to www.energia.ie

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Partner Profile

Recovery FROM

SURVIVALTO

Paul Kelly, CEO of the National Tourism Development Authority, talks about the challenges and opportunities facing the sector this year and how Fáilte Ireland plans to support the industry in what they hope will be the transition from survival to a sustained and sustainable recovery

F

áilte Ireland unveiled its priorities for 2022 to support the recovery of tourism at a special in-person event attended by representatives from tourism and hospitality at the Convention Centre Dublin. Among the plans outlined is a doubling of the domestic marketing investment to drive short breaks year-round; further investment in the digital presence of tourism businesses; four Regional Tourism Strategies for Ireland’s Ancient East, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Dublin and Wild Atlantic Way; 27 local Destination Development Plans which will be critical to driving the long-term recovery of tourism across Ireland; and plans to reduce tourism’s carbon footprint.

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“The plans we have set out aim to maximise this recovery in inbound tourism while continuing to drive domestic demand”

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Partner Profile

Jenny De Saulles, Director of Sector Development, Fáilte Ireland, Paul Kelly, CEO, Fáilte Ireland and Ruth Andrews, Chairperson, ITIC, pictured at the ‘From Survival to Recovery’ event

with one in three employees now new to the sector. Central to the plans is a new Excellent Employer Programme to support tourism and hospitality businesses to demonstrate their commitment to being rewarding and appealing workplaces, that can compete for and retain skilled employees. Through the programme, businesses will have access to HR and people management training and the opportunity to become certified as a top employer through an employee survey.

“As the economy fully reopens, competition for skilled workers is at an all-time high, so our industry needs to drive immediate changes to retain existing and to attract new staff,” says Paul. “There are three key action areas where Fáilte Ireland will support industry.

Fundamentally they are about getting the people, keeping the people and upskilling the people – and each of these go hand in hand. If you have good retention and development programmes, people are more likely to want to work for you. The initiatives we have set will help businesses in their immediate recruitment efforts and help them to commit to driving long-term change to make the industry an appealing and rewarding workplace that can attract and retain talent.

Our new Excellent Employer Programme will ultimately give the wider industry a platform to build back bigger and stronger, creating a fundamental shift in employee perception that will support the longterm repositioning of the tourism and hospitality industry and ensure a future pipeline of talent.”

“The pandemic has had a profound impact on the industry’s skill base and the staffing shortage within the sector is a significant challenge” Members of the Tourism and Hospitality Careers Oversight Group - Padraig Cribben, VFI, Jenny De Saulles, Fáilte Ireland, Tim Fenn, IHF, Denise Brophy, AVEA, Tina Maree, IHI and Stephen Meehan, Dublin Convention Bureau pictured at the ‘From Survival to Recovery’ event “Forecasts indicate that up to 83% of 2019’s air passenger capacity could be re-established this year. Combined with the lifting of restrictions for tourism and hospitality businesses and an accumulation in savings, there is potential for a good recovery in both inbound and domestic tourism in 2022. The plans we have set out aim to maximise this recovery in inbound tourism while continuing to drive domestic demand. We’re focusing on the three key challenges facing the sector going forward – survival, staffing and driving demand and the three key opportunities – destination development, digital enhancement and sustainability,” says Paul.

“The pandemic has had a profound impact on the industry’s skill base and the staffing shortage within the sector is a significant challenge. Fáilte Ireland has published the largest and most robust research undertaken to date on staffing and skills in the tourism and hospitality sector. “30% of businesses surveyed are saying their business could face closure if recruitment challenges aren’t resolved. A major element of Fáilte Ireland’s work plan this year is a multifaceted tourism careers strategy to address the staffing and skills crisis,” explains Paul.

Fáilte Ireland has set out a range of initiatives to address the industry’s immediate recruitment efforts, including support focused on accessing local and international talent pools; practical supports on implementing a comprehensive recruitment strategy and onboarding for the long term,

Further priorities to support the recovery of the tourism industry outlined by Fáilte Ireland include: • Driving demand through a €10m investment in domestic marketing including sponsorship of the RTÉ weather, to encourage people to take additional short breaks in Ireland • Enhancing the digital capabilities of over 400 tourism businesses through Fáilte Ireland’s Digital that Delivers programme • Digital audit of over 800 hotels to be conducted and a suite of digital supports to ensure businesses are visible, searchable and most importantly, bookable • Leading the drive towards a more sustainable tourism sector by developing a carbon reporting framework to benchmark the performance of Irish tourism businesses and carbon calculators and supports to help businesses reduce their carbon footprint • Development and implementation of four Regional Tourism Strategies in Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands and Dublin and 27 localised Destination Development Plans, which will be critical to driving the long-term recovery of tourism across Ireland • Administering €50m through further phases of the Tourism Business Continuity Programme of funding, which will help sustain strategic tourism businesses in 2022 and drive the sustainable recovery of the sector

For more information and to access supports for your business, visit www.failteireland.ie

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Cookbooks

Little

Books with

Blasta Books is changing the way cookbooks are published in Ireland

Big Voices Kristin Jenson

“It was interesting to hear people agree with the ideas behind Blasta Books and say yes, it’s time to shake things up”

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lasta Books are to cookbooks what street food is to restaurants. That’s according to Kristin Jenson, freelance editor and food writer turned publisher and the founder of Blasta Books, a cookbook series that was launched through a Kickstarter campaign in May 2021. The idea for the venture sprang from two decades working in book publishing and a growing frustration around the lack of representation or diversity coming from Irish cookbooks. “Publishers are understandably risk-averse. Traditional cookbooks are

incredibly expensive to produce, but this often means that only high-profile people and the most mainstream topics or trends tend to get published. It’s the people with a TV tie-in or a national column that land the cookbook deal and that doesn’t reflect the broad spectrum and diversity of what’s actually available in Ireland in terms of our food offering. I felt that many voices and parts of our food culture in Ireland were just not being represented.”

Blasta Books was born out of that frustration, a niche publishing company that isn’t concerned about catering to mainstream trends. “Blasta cookbooks are targeted at people who already like to cook. We’re not publishing books for people who want to be in and out of the kitchen in 15 minutes. Once we flipped that idea on its head, we had way more scope to be creative in terms of what you’re publishing and who you’re publishing.” Last summer, the Blasta Books Kickstarter campaign raised over €55,000 towards the production of the first four books in what will be a quarterly annual series. Kickstarter allowed Kristin to put her idea out into the world and gauge its reaction. “I debated whether I should go to the banks for a loan, but I’m really glad I went the Kickstarter route. It was a great way to generate buzz around the project, as opposed to just arriving on the scene out of nowhere. People got on board from the start, the response was really positive almost straight away. It was interesting to hear people agree with the ideas behind Blasta Books and say yes, it’s time to shake things up.”

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Cookbooks

First up is ‘Tacos’ by Lily Ramirez-Foran, which will be followed by ‘Hot Fat’ by Russell Alford and Patrick Hanlon, ‘The United Nations of Cookies’ by Jess Murphy and Eoin Cluskey and lastly, ‘Wok’ by Kwanghi Chan. While they’re all standalone books, as a quarterly series they will also provide a more inclusive snapshot of Ireland’s modern and diverse food culture, from tacos to tapas, spice bags to sushi. They are, says Kristin, little books with big voices.

Once Kristin came up with the idea for Blasta Books, her first port of call for a chef was a no-brainer. “I’ve been friends with Lily for many years and I always had it in my head that if I ever started my own publishing company, she’d

“With the next series, we’ll still be prioritising new, previously unpublished voices in Ireland. I have high hopes for the longevity of Blasta Books and really making a difference to the Irish publishing landscape. It’s time to move the story forward”

be the first person I’d want to publish. So that’s what I did!” Lily is a prime example of how traditional Ireland’s publishing industry can be; a regular contributor and guest on national TV and media, Lily also has her own sales outlet. “Despite that, she has been unable to secure a traditional book deal. I think there was a worry that Mexican food wouldn’t appeal to the masses, but the reality is that our food landscape in Ireland is diverse and vibrant.

You would never guess that we have such a diverse range of food offerings as we actually do if you were just to look at our magazines and books and TV shows.” US born Kristin has been living in Ireland for over 20 years and gets frustrated at the stereotypes around ‘Irish’ food. “These cliched, outdated notions around Irish food still exist. We’re so much more multicultural than I think even a lot of Irish people realise. With this series, I’m hoping to start a bigger conversation about some of these issues.”

Each book in the series will be a hardcover, 72-page A5 cookbook illustrated by Dublin artist Nicky Hooper.

Limiting the size of the cookbook is helping to keep a lid on costs, while an illustrator is providing the graphics. “With traditional cookbooks you need a photographer, a food stylist, a home economist to cook the food for the shoot, you need to buy all the groceries etc. That’s a huge expense so by using an illustrator, I was able to avoid that cost, but also create something entirely different. Anyone who has seen them has said how charming the illustrations are, so that’s been a validating experience.” By keeping costs down, Kristin can sell the books for a purse-friendly €15. “You’re not talking about a huge outlay and because there’s only about two dozen recipes, you’re guaranteed that they’re going to be really good. Every one of those recipes has earned its place.”

With year 1 under her belt, Kristin has started working on series 2 of Blasta Books, due out in 2023. The plan is to keep the series going for as long as there’s an appetite for it. “With the next series, we’ll still be prioritising new, previously unpublished voices in Ireland. I have high hopes for the longevity of Blasta Books and really making a difference to the Irish publishing landscape. It’s time to move the story forward.”

‘Tacos’ will be available to buy on www. blastabooks.com and from all good bookshops from February

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Cover Story

Boundary

Ireland’s food industry isn’t short on innovation. Meet some of its most inspiring suppliers who are doing things their way

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Cover Story

WEST OF DINGLE SEA SALT Being made redundant in March 2020 presented chef Brian Farrell with a ‘now or never’ moment.

Based in Ballyferriter on the Dingle peninsula, he had always harboured hopes of pursuing a career as a food producer. After watching a YouTube video about Halen Mon Anglesey Sea Salt, he decided to go for it.

“Our electric shower had broken and we had about €300 to get it repaired. It was a toss up between fixing the shower or trying to make a go of the sea salt business. Luckily, we have a second shower so we decided to go with the sea salt idea! The next day, I bought a few buckets and a burner, went down to the beach and started the process. There was a lot of trial and error; there’s no online information on how to make sea salt or how to get those nice flakes that I was after. After about three weeks, we felt we had a solid quality product and West of Dingle Sea Salt was born.” Initially, the product was sold in a shop in Ventry. The day after it first appeared on the shelves, there were requests for more. Today, the West of Dingle Sea Salt range includes three products – 100% Natural Sea Salt, Sea Salt infused with Lemon and Rosemary and Old Smokehouse Dry Rub – all of which won gold at Blas na hÉireann 2021. The range will also be available shortly through La Rousse Foods. “La Rousse has requested a smoked sea salt so we’ve been collaborating with Dingle Whiskey and using their casks to create a new smoked product.” Increased demand has meant upping their capacity but despite the popularity of the range, Brian is adamant that the company stays artisan. “We have big ambitions, but I’d like us to remain a small batch artisan food producer. We started with sea salt and whatever food products that we make going forward, we’ll use our salt as an ingredient.” Starting the business is all about leaving a legacy for his children and creating employment on the peninsula. “To quote Star Wars, it’s a new hope.

If I can develop this and turn it into a sustainable business, I’ll be happy. To be able to make a living out of the sea, something I’ve been staring at for the past 48 years, is something special.” info@westofdingle.ie

“We have big ambitions, but I’d like us to remain a small batch artisan food producer. We started with sea salt and whatever food products that we make going forward, we’ll use our salt as an ingredient”

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LEAHY BEEKEEPING Galway’s Dough Bros is one of Noel Leahy’s best customers. The beekeeper began supplying the award-winning pizzeria with Sliabh Aughty Hot Honey in 2016 in a collaboration that has yet to lose steam.

Collaborations and link-ups are the lifeblood of the business; they help build up contacts, get the products noticed in wider circles and open up conversations with chefs, restaurant owners and hotels. Right now, Leahy Beekeeping is collaborating with Galway Hooker Brewery on a honey beer. “There’s strength within those partnerships and in participating in events like Food on the Edge and the Galway Food Festival. Just going into restaurants and hotels and coming up with ideas with the pastry chef has often helped create something special. Last year, Glenlo Abbey created some amazing desserts with our Heather Honey. We do a lot of work with JP McMahon in Galway and with Aimsir in Kildare as well, all of which help bring awareness to our products,” said Noel.

For the Leahy family, beekeeping in the Sliabh Aughty Mountains goes back four generations. It’s a lifestyle that Noel loves. “With beekeeping, you’re really in a world of your own, totally immersed in nature and working at the bee’s pace because if you try and rush, the bees won’t be long telling you to slow down.” With 200 hives today, Noel is well “With beekeeping, you’re really in a world of your placed to supply honey 365 days a year. “We started out with just five or six hives. In 2014, own, totally immersed in nature and working at the we put our first pot of honey on the shelves in bee’s pace because if you try and rush, the bees McCambridge’s Of Galway and it took off from there.” won’t be long telling you to slow down” Noel always has about a tonne of honey in reserve for a bad year. What makes for a bad year? “The weather. Global warming and farming practices. We’ll never take on a new customer without ensuring we have enough stock for our existing customers. There’s a real bond there that we don’t take for granted.”

Collaborations add a point of difference to the Leahy business and will, says Noel, continue into the future. His daughter Aoife is about to take a more active role and plans are in place to branch out into agri-tourism.

“Our plan is to build a bespoke unit this year to facilitate bee tours. I’ll also probably add another 50 hives and we have secured funding from our Local Enterprise Office to upgrade some of our equipment. We’re excited to see where our honey will lead us this year.” www.leahybeekeeping.com, loughreahoney@gmail.com

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Cover Story

IRISH HEREFORD PRIME Characterised by fine grain marbling throughout, Irish Hereford Prime is considered one of the most succulent, tender meats available on the global market. IHP cattle are reared primarily on a grass-fed diet.

They’re lower in saturated fat, high in vitamins and big on taste. Producer Group Irish Hereford Prime is a farmer-led, farmer-owned company that promotes and markets IHP beef across the country. Since setting up in 1997, membership has grown “Prestigious hotels favour Hereford beef thanks to the to over 5,000 farmers. Michael Cleary, consistency of the product, the marbling and the flavour. an Offaly-based farmer and the Strategic Account Director and Procurement Officer Chefs have told me time and again that when they use for IHP, says Irish Hereford Prime is the beef IHP, it’s one less thing for them to worry about” of choice for obvious reasons. “Part of my role involves carrying out quality checks on farms or in factories. Quite often, I’ll also nip into the local hotel to answer any questions they might have. Prestigious hotels favour Hereford beef thanks to the consistency of the product, the marbling and the flavour. Chefs have told me time and again that when they use IHP, it’s one less thing for them to worry about.”

The Hereford animal is early maturing. It’s finished at an earlier age (24 months) than most other breeds. From a sustainability point of view that’s important, says Michael. “The animal’s carbon footprint is reduced because they’re eating less for a reduced amount of time.” Michael says chefs prefer plump, medium sized cuts of beef, with lots of marbling. “The actual carcass weight that restaurants want is between 260-330 kilos, a weight that the bulk of our cattle meet.” When Michael started farming 40 years ago, the advice from Teagasc was to house your cattle by the 1st of November. Today, warmer seasons mean extended periods in the field. “I didn’t house my cattle until the 5th of December and I actually have some of them on the grass at the moment because the weather is so good. That little bit of grass is growing the whole winter and it’s great to see cattle out as early as possible in the year.”

With Irish Hereford Prime beef the top choice for hotels and restaurants opting for premium cuts, ambitions going forward are focused on improving eating quality. “We’re trying to identify different traits of different animals that will improve the meat eating quality, but also the right fat score at a certain age. At IHP, we’re all committed to the Hereford breed and to the values and missions that our group are founded upon.” www.irishherefordprime.com, info@irishherefordprime.com

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PRALINE CHOCOLATIERS

“We’ve taken all of those experiences and combined them with our own unique style. We don’t take any shortcuts; from start to finish it takes three days to make our handmade chocolates. There are a lot of steps involved and each of the steps are vital to get the finished product”

Over the past two years, the pandemic has sparked bright ideas for new businesses, laying the foundations for alternative careers and a new way of living. Almost 18 months ago, Georgia Quealy and Daniel Linehan set up Praline Chocolatiers, a small artisan business specialising in handmade chocolates. The couple met while studying culinary arts at Athlone IT. When Covid hit, they decided to throw caution to the wind and set up Praline Chocolatiers.

“My parents own a café in Athlone so when it closed during lockdown, we used it as our production facility. Before setting up our own website, we started selling just to gauge interest and test the market,” said Daniel. The market was receptive and in 2021, the business moved into a bespoke unit in Athlone town. The Praline range includes a signature collection and a limited edition range that changes with the seasons. Premium ingredients include foraged blackberries from the local area, a rich, dark chocolate from Ghana and Oriel seasalt from Co Louth.

The pair learned how to make chocolate in college. For Daniel, a three month stint in Las Vegas just before Covid helped perfect his techniques. “I spent some time at a pastry school over there run by the famous pastry chef Amaury Guichon.” They’ve both worked in The Villager in Glasson with Cathal Moran, in Thyme Restaurant with John Coffey and with Garrett Byrne in Campagne in Kilkenny.

“We’ve taken all of those experiences and combined them with our own unique style. We don’t take any shortcuts; from start to finish it takes three days to make our handmade chocolates. There are a lot of steps involved and each of the steps are vital to get the finished product.”

Daniel and Georgia have cracked the consumer side of their business. Next up is securing a few bespoke wholesale clients. “High-end hotels or restaurants that are looking for handmade, quality chocolates would be great for us. We’re actually in talks with a number of establishments at the moment to get the ball rolling. We also plan on broadening our range and tapping into the export market.” There may not be a huge number of artisan chocolate producers in Ireland, but the ones we do have are excellent, says Daniel. “I don’t see why premium chocolate must always be associated with Belgium or Switzerland; we have equally good talent and produce in Ireland.” www.pralinechocolatiers.com, info@pralinechocolatiers.com

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BIASOL The question of what happens to brewers’ grain once it’s spent probably isn’t something you’ve ever paused to consider.

For food scientist Niamh Dooley and her brother Ruairi, it was a question that needed answering and one that has led to a successful and highly original business venture. BiaSol, a company headed up by the brother and sister duo, makes a nutritious food additive out of spent brewers grain. It’s a versatile ingredient that can be added to breads, pizza bases, soups and smoothies to add nutrition and a complexity of flavour. About 40% of BiaSol Milled Grains is fibre and 20% is protein.

When it comes to taste however, that’s where the product comes into its own, says Ruairi. “Any chef or baker that’s using it are adding it for its malty, nutty flavour.

We have two types of ingredients – a dark malt milled grain which is derived from stout or brown ales and a light malt milled grain which comes from pale ale or lager. The big difference between the two is taste and colour profile.”

It’s only been a couple of years since Ruairi and Niamh set up BiaSol. In 2020 during lockdown, they decided to pool their talents and explore their shared interest in healthy food and sustainability. It’s made for an ideal partnership; Niamh’s got the food science knowledge while Ruairi’s financial and IT background satisfies the business side of things. Less than two years later, their products are being manufactured in a bespoke production facility in Tullamore and used in restaurants across the country.

“We’re also an official supplier to the IRFU, so teams competing in the Six Nations will be fed with it!” The aim for 2022 is to max out their current production capacity and in time, relocate to a larger facility. As a High Potential Start Up (HPSU) with Enterprise Ireland, there’s also very real potential for overseas expansion.

BiaSol is currently working with four craft breweries including St Mel’s in Longford, Dead Centre Brewing in Athlone, Ballykilcavan Brewery in Stradbally and BRÚ Brewery in Trim. Sustainability is very much at the heart of the business. “We want to continue upcycling as much spent grain in Ireland that we can. Instead of grain being used as livestock feed or going into the ground as waste, we’re putting it back into the human food chain so everyone can benefit from it.”

“We’re also an official supplier to the IRFU, so teams competing in the Six Nations will be fed with it!”

www.biasol.ie, info@biasol.ie

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Book: youSr e22*a03*t22s Venue

Lyrath Estate Hotel

Now in their 32nd year, the Gold Medal Awards are recognised as the leading independent awards programme for the Irish hospitality industry. Judged by industry experts, the Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Awards recognise and reward excellence in hospitality and catering operations across the island of Ireland. These awards encourage and applaud hotels, restaurants, guest houses, spa and leisure facilities, event caterers, healthcare caterers, site caterers, as well as individuals and teams, that achieve the highest standard of product and service in the industry.

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Cover Story

BUILÍN BLASTA

“We began selling them, initially to keep employment levels up. Today, dozens of retailers around the country stock the range and we’re expanding the cafe at the moment in order to grow that side of the business”

The motto at Builín Blasta is simple – keep it fresh, keep it wholesome and keep it tasty. Since taking over the Spiddal-based café in 2015, it’s an ethos that chef/owner Heather Flaherty has applied to not just the café, but also to the range of homemade products she makes and sells. Some of them, like the Smoked Onion Mayo, have attained an almost cult-like status across the country. “Our retail products grew organically from dishes we were creating in the café. We began selling them, initially to keep employment levels up. Today, dozens of retailers around the country stock the range and we’re expanding the cafe at the moment in order to grow that side of the business,” said Heather. Demand for the Smoked Onion Mayo has gone through the roof. “Previously we would have made maybe two batches a month; now, we’re trying to get two batches a day out of the kitchen. We’ve run out of capacity so we’ve got to expand. Our landlord is really supportive and happy for us to build a production kitchen so we can cater to that demand.” Once work at the café completes, establishing a route to foodservice is the next box to be ticked. “We’ll go down that route either through one of the major wholesalers or a food service provider, or maybe even directly. I’m already supplying to a few food trucks and sandwich shops in Galway.” It’s a move that Canadian-born Heather is confident about. “The Irish food industry really seems to want to support businesses that are that bit different. They’re looking for value added as opposed to just best value. We’re lucky too in that people seem to have a bit more money to spend at the moment.

They’re not as conscious of price. We create premium products and for that, you have to charge a premium price.”

After moving to Ireland in 2005 Heather travelled the country, working in kitchens along the way. Instilling and promoting the opposite of the ‘top down’ culture she experienced was a priority when she took over Builín Blasta. “I think you choose how you treat employees and how you create a culture of growth and development.

I’ve never wanted to just make food; I want it to be about the welcome, the place and the experience and equally, it’s about creating opportunities for young people to train and acquire new skills. If I can say I’ve achieved that, I’ll be happy.” www.builinblasta.com, info@builinblasta.ie

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Thankto ouryou

Sponsors

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Cover Story

CLONAKILTY GLUTEN FREE KITCHEN In 2017, the gluten-free food market in Ireland was worth €66 million, up 33% on the previous year.

Research for the intervening period up to 2021 is thin on the ground, but it’s probably safe to assume the market has expanded further. Despite the steady infiltration of GF products into the aisles of our supermarkets, there’s still plenty of room in the market for good quality products, ie food that doesn’t taste like it’s gluten free. That’s the ethos behind Clonakilty Gluten Free Kitchen, an artisan bakery headed up by Niamh Scally who’s on a mission to improve the GF offering in Munster. The Kitchen’s range of products is available in supermarkets across the Munster area and in about 10 hotels including The Europe, the Great Southern and The Dunloe. This year is all about getting more Munster hotels on board; after that, it’ll be all systems go for the rest of the country.

Clonakilty Gluten Free Kitchen has only been operating since October 2020. “We’re delighted with the success we’ve had so far. We’re learning as we go and we know we’re only starting out, but I think the quality of the range speaks for itself. Guests staying in hotels that we supply to will often contact us to find out where we’re “Guests staying in hotels that we supply to will stocked or how they can purchase our products. As a brand, that kind of often contact us to find out where we’re stocked exposure is invaluable; it’s helping to or how they can purchase our products. As a get our name out there.” For now, the focus is on Killarney and the surrounding brand, that kind of exposure is invaluable; region. Sensible sustainable growth is it’s helping to get our name out there” the priority, as is further expanding the range which currently includes white, multigrain, cornbread and brioche loaves, oat and yoghurt loaf, bread rolls, apple tart, tea brack and cupcakes. “Some of our hotels have started to buy our cupcakes and personalise the icing themselves, which seems to be going down well with guests.” In 2020, Clonakilty Gluten Free Kitchen won gold at the Blas na hÉireann Awards for its glutenfree white bread rolls and silver for its multigrain loaf.

“The awards are great, they’re an acknowledgement that we’re doing something right. We’ve worked hard to create a range that’s been developed by non-coeliacs for coeliacs, a range that can be enjoyed by everyone around the table. It’s taken our expert bakers time to come up with just the right mix of ingredients to produce the best-tasting breads and bakes and that’s something we’re really proud of.”

For any hotels in the Munster area interested in stocking products from the Clonakilty Gluten Free Kitchen, contact info@clonakiltykitchen.ie

Niamh Scally, Clonakilty Gluten Free Kitchen

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Smart decisions. Lasting value.

Ireland Annual Hotel Industry Survey 2020 25 years as the benchmarking standard for the Irish hotel sector

Crowe is delighted to publish its 25th edition of the Ireland Annual Hotel Industry Survey.

This edition features financial and operating results for 2019 which will now represent the recovery target for the sector.

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Through our extensive experience and unrivalled local knowledge, we can provide impartial expert advice on hotel, tourism and leisure projects at every stage of the lifecycle.

To find out how we can help your hospitality business succeed, contact: Aiden Murphy, Partner E: aiden.murphy@crowe.ie T: 01 448 2200 The 2020 edition of the Hotel Industry Survey is available to order for €200 by emailing sinead.orouke@crowe.ie

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www.crowe.ie

15/02/2022 16:06

Exports

Irish food and drink exports enjoyed a record year, with value of sales up 4% to €13.5bn in 2021

EXPORTS ON THE

Tara McCarthy, Chief Executive, Bord Bia

T

he value of Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture exports increased by 4% to a record €13.5 billion in 2021, despite the impact of Covid-19 and Brexit on trading. That’s according to new research from Bord Bia, which shows that Ireland exported the equivalent of almost €37 million worth of food and drink every day last year to customers in more than 180 countries worldwide. Bord Bia’s Export Performance and Prospects report 2021/2022 also showed that the value of Irish food and drink exports was 2% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

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HOTEL

The dairy sector, which was worth more than €5 billion last year, remains the largest element within Irish food and drink exports, followed by meat and livestock, which generated over €3.5 billion in export sales. Prepared consumer foods was worth more than €2.5 billion.

Bord Bia has also published ambitious new threeyear targets to further contribute to the growth in the value-chain of Irish food and drink exports as part of the launch of its new 10-year Statement of Strategy. The plan envisages a significant expansion in the value growth of Irish food and drinks exports during the period, including an 11% increase in the

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Exports

value of dairy, meat and livestock exports and a 14% jump in prepared consumer food exports.

Sustainability is also a core theme within the new strategy. As highlighted in Food Vision 2030, Origin Green has been instrumental in monitoring and driving improvements in environmental sustainability and demonstrating this to trade customers and consumers, both at home and abroad. The challenges ahead are significant, but Origin Green provides a strong base from which to position Ireland as a global leader in sustainable food systems.

The sector’s ability to beat its 2019 performance and deliver a record year for Irish exports is truly impressive and Irish food and drink producers and manufacturers deserve huge credit, said Bord Bia Chief Executive Tara McCarthy. “While we understandably focus on the headline figures, it is worth remembering that within those billions and millions are businesses and farms in every county and indeed, almost every parish in the country.

Businesses that, whether large or small, are run by people who have faced tremendous challenges over the past 20 months, both professional and personal.

It is our privilege in Bord Bia to support these wonderful risk-takers, visionaries and innovators.”

EXPORT DESTINATION 2021

Export Destinations The medium-term impact of the sector’s strategy of diversification is further evidenced in this year’s data. Last year, 34% of Ireland’s food and drink exports went to international markets outside the EU and the UK, while 33% went to the EU and 33% to the UK. In 2016, 32% of exports went to international markets, 31% to the EU and 37% to the UK. The EU was the largest single regional destination for Irish food, drink and horticulture, as the value of exports increased by 2% to €4.5 billion last year.

The value of exports to the UK was €4.4 billion last year, which was a very slight decline on the previous 12 months. Some categories saw a shift in exports to Northern Ireland rather than to Great Britain, due to a combination of serving new customers in NI and also partly as a route for onward shipment to northern parts of Britain.

The US market rebounded strongly, with export values up 22% to €1.3 billion driven by strong whiskey and liqueur sales. The value of exports to Africa grew by 12% to €918 million last year, while exports to South East Asia increased by 20% to exceed €500 million for the first time.

Outlook and Prospects for 2022 Tara McCarthy said that the industry needed to be cognisant of a number of key trends for this year, which were a combination of emerging issues and a longer-term shift in consumer behaviour and attitudes. “Notwithstanding last year’s record performance, there are a number of challenges ahead for the Irish food and drink sector. These

UK:33% Down from 37% in 2016

“A tightening labour market has been reported by many companies in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors and this is driving increased costs, which is proving very difficult for producers to recoup from customers”

EU:33% Down from 31% in 2016

Rest of the World:34% Down from 32% in 2016

include increased supply chain and input costs, which are affecting producers and processors and the ongoing impact of Brexit, which has yet to be fully implemented. While the transition period ended on December 31, 2020, the UK has not yet started physical inspections of food and drink imports and this is due to begin at the start of July.

“A tightening labour market has been reported by many companies in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors and this is driving increased costs, which is proving very difficult for producers to recoup from customers.”

The increased focus on sustainability brings both challenges and opportunities for the food sector, she added. “Consumers want healthy natural food and Ireland can deliver on that demand, but we must also work collectively and collaboratively to reduce carbon emissions to meet our 2030 commitments and to further embed sustainability within all production, manufacturing and distribution activities. Our international research shows that

ISSUE 1 2022 | HOTEL

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CATERING REVIEW

29

16/02/2022 11:11

Exports

INPUT PRICES ARE PUSHING UP INFLATION 500

482

400

NOTE: Shipping costs refer to the China (Shanghai) containerised freight rate.

SOURCE: Refinitiv; and OECD calculations.

300

200 INDEX: January 2019=100

167 147 120

100

0

2018

■ Shipping Costs

6%

RECOVERY Overall exports of primary seafood returned to growth in 2021

19%

INCREASE Overall drinks exports increased to €1.62 billion

2019

2020

■ Metals and minerals

2021

■ Food

75% of consumers made efforts in the past year to buy more sustainably produced food. The Origin Green programme provides Irish exporters with that third party verified record that customers increasingly want. Last year, 71% of Origin Green companies, which are collectively responsible for the vast majority of Irish food and drink exports, said they believed Origin Green provided a competitive advantage for their business.”

Horticulture The export of horticulture and cereals from Ireland increased in value by 14% to €271 million in 2021.

The primary constituents of this export mix are mushrooms, primary cereals and amenity horticulture.

Irish dairy exports performed positively in 2021, with exports exceeding €5 billion for the third year in a row. Strong market returns across the core categories of butter, cheese and powders, coupled with a diversified market mix, sustained demand.

This demand, particularly in North America and Africa which saw exceptional growth, countered the dampening effect of softer demand for specialised infant nutrition in Asia.

PCF exports were valued at €2.5 billion in 2021, which represents a recovery of almost 3% on 2020 despite ongoing disruptions with some channels closed for significant periods of time. This performance reflects sustained strong sales across retail, most notably for the meal solutions category, but also bread and value-added pigmeat. Foodservice closures, due to the pandemic in the first-half of the year, continued to cause significant declines in processed cheese, value-added beef and sweet bakery.

Meat and Livestock

Drinks

As the second largest category for Irish food and drink exports, the meat and livestock sector saw varying trends in 2021, but strong prices and demand in the beef and sheepmeat sectors saw total exports reach €3.5 billion, a 4% increase YOY and a 7% increase when compared to 2019.

Overall drinks exports increased by 19% to be worth €1.62 billion – a strong recovery after the unprecedented difficulties for the sector in 2020.

This left the value of exports similar to 2019 levels.

That recovery was most dramatic in Irish whiskey and cream liqueur exports, notably to the US. The US market has long been the dominant destination for these export categories and the market emerged quicker from the Covid-19 related restrictions which have limited the rate of recovery in other markets, notably in the EU.

Overall exports of primary seafood returned to growth in 2021, recovering by 6% to €485 million, albeit with varying trends across species. Compared

HOTEL

to 2019, exports were 1% lower, a good result given the difficulties faced by the sector.

Prepared Consumer Foods (PCF) Dairy

Seafood

30

■ Brent Crude Oil

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 1 2022

000_HCR_January2022_BordBia_FINAL.indd 30

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Exports

value of dairy, meat and livestock exports and a 14% jump in prepared consumer food exports.

Sustainability is also a core theme within the new strategy. As highlighted in Food Vision 2030, Origin Green has been instrumental in monitoring and driving improvements in environmental sustainability and demonstrating this to trade customers and consumers, both at home and abroad. The challenges ahead are significant, but Origin Green provides a strong base from which to position Ireland as a global leader in sustainable food systems.

The sector’s ability to beat its 2019 performance and deliver a record year for Irish exports is truly impressive and Irish food and drink producers and manufacturers deserve huge credit, said Bord Bia Chief Executive Tara McCarthy. “While we understandably focus on the headline figures, it is worth remembering that within those billions and millions are businesses and farms in every county and indeed, almost every parish in the country.

Businesses that, whether large or small, are run by people who have faced tremendous challenges over the past 20 months, both professional and personal.

It is our privilege in Bord Bia to support these wonderful risk-takers, visionaries and innovators.”

EXPORT DESTINATION 2021

Export Destinations The medium-term impact of the sector’s strategy of diversification is further evidenced in this year’s data. Last year, 34% of Ireland’s food and drink exports went to international markets outside the EU and the UK, while 33% went to the EU and 33% to the UK. In 2016, 32% of exports went to international markets, 31% to the EU and 37% to the UK. The EU was the largest single regional destination for Irish food, drink and horticulture, as the value of exports increased by 2% to €4.5 billion last year.

The value of exports to the UK was €4.4 billion last year, which was a very slight decline on the previous 12 months. Some categories saw a shift in exports to Northern Ireland rather than to Great Britain, due to a combination of serving new customers in NI and also partly as a route for onward shipment to northern parts of Britain.

The US market rebounded strongly, with export values up 22% to €1.3 billion driven by strong whiskey and liqueur sales. The value of exports to Africa grew by 12% to €918 million last year, while exports to South East Asia increased by 20% to exceed €500 million for the first time.

Outlook and Prospects for 2022 Tara McCarthy said that the industry needed to be cognisant of a number of key trends for this year, which were a combination of emerging issues and a longer-term shift in consumer behaviour and attitudes. “Notwithstanding last year’s record performance, there are a number of challenges ahead for the Irish food and drink sector. These

UK:33% Down from 37% in 2016

“A tightening labour market has been reported by many companies in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors and this is driving increased costs, which is proving very difficult for producers to recoup from customers”

EU:33% Down from 31% in 2016

Rest of the World:34% Down from 32% in 2016

include increased supply chain and input costs, which are affecting producers and processors and the ongoing impact of Brexit, which has yet to be fully implemented. While the transition period ended on December 31, 2020, the UK has not yet started physical inspections of food and drink imports and this is due to begin at the start of July.

“A tightening labour market has been reported by many companies in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors and this is driving increased costs, which is proving very difficult for producers to recoup from customers.”

The increased focus on sustainability brings both challenges and opportunities for the food sector, she added. “Consumers want healthy natural food and Ireland can deliver on that demand, but we must also work collectively and collaboratively to reduce carbon emissions to meet our 2030 commitments and to further embed sustainability within all production, manufacturing and distribution activities. Our international research shows that

ISSUE 1 2022 | HOTEL

Untitled-14 3

CATERING REVIEW

29

11/02/2022 15:44

Exports

INPUT PRICES ARE PUSHING UP INFLATION 500

482

400

NOTE: Shipping costs refer to the China (Shanghai) containerised freight rate.

SOURCE: Refinitiv; and OECD calculations.

300

200 INDEX: January 2019=100

167 147 120

100

0

2018

n Shipping Costs

6%

RECOVERY Overall exports of primary seafood returned to growth in 2021

19%

INCREASE Overall drinks exports increased to €1.62 billion

2019

2020

n Metals and minerals

2021

n Food

75% of consumers made efforts in the past year to buy more sustainably produced food. The Origin Green programme provides Irish exporters with that third party verified record that customers increasingly want. Last year, 71% of Origin Green companies, which are collectively responsible for the vast majority of Irish food and drink exports, said they believed Origin Green provided a competitive advantage for their business.”

Untitled-14 1

Horticulture The export of horticulture and cereals from Ireland increased in value by 14% to €271 million in 2021.

The primary constituents of this export mix are mushrooms, primary cereals and amenity horticulture.

Irish dairy exports performed positively in 2021, with exports exceeding €5 billion for the third year in a row. Strong market returns across the core categories of butter, cheese and powders, coupled with a diversified market mix, sustained demand.

This demand, particularly in North America and Africa which saw exceptional growth, countered the dampening effect of softer demand for specialised infant nutrition in Asia.

PCF exports were valued at €2.5 billion in 2021, which represents a recovery of almost 3% on 2020 despite ongoing disruptions with some channels closed for significant periods of time. This performance reflects sustained strong sales across retail, most notably for the meal solutions category, but also bread and value-added pigmeat. Foodservice closures, due to the pandemic in the first-half of the year, continued to cause significant declines in processed cheese, value-added beef and sweet bakery.

Meat and Livestock

Drinks

As the second largest category for Irish food and drink exports, the meat and livestock sector saw varying trends in 2021, but strong prices and demand in the beef and sheepmeat sectors saw total exports reach €3.5 billion, a 4% increase YOY and a 7% increase when compared to 2019.

Overall drinks exports increased by 19% to be worth €1.62 billion – a strong recovery after the unprecedented difficulties for the sector in 2020.

This left the value of exports similar to 2019 levels.

That recovery was most dramatic in Irish whiskey and cream liqueur exports, notably to the US. The US market has long been the dominant destination for these export categories and the market emerged quicker from the Covid-19 related restrictions which have limited the rate of recovery in other markets, notably in the EU.

Overall exports of primary seafood returned to growth in 2021, recovering by 6% to €485 million, albeit with varying trends across species. Compared

HOTEL

to 2019, exports were 1% lower, a good result given the difficulties faced by the sector.

Prepared Consumer Foods (PCF) Dairy

Seafood

30

n Brent Crude Oil

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 1 2022

11/02/2022 15:48

Partner Profile

YOU Spoke, WE Listened Pigsback is tailoring its services to hoteliers and adapting to new challenges in 2022

H

aving undertaken extensive research and listening to hoteliers in 2021, Pigsback will be making a range of positive changes to its service throughout 2022. These changes will give your business even more benefits when working with Pigsback. Benefits such as achieving advanced business on the books, having the ability to tailor your daily pricing and increasing your brand awareness to a vast domestic, and international audience.

Established in 2000 and part of the Secret Escapes Group since 2019, Pigsback is a trusted partner of over 400 Irish hotels, helping them to acquire new and profitable customers.

For over 1.5 million Irish members, discovering great value destinations from quality hotels and leisure partners is just a click away on Pigsback. Over 80% of our members are female who want to treat themselves and their loved ones to the great value that a getaway in Ireland can provide.

Our extensive email marketing programme with over 600 million emails read by our members every year, is just one more benefit we provide to hoteliers. You will also be promoted through our social media channels, which have a combined following of c.800k. Pigsback offers a dynamic and tailored experience that targets the right members with your brand at exactly the right time. You can also gain access to over 62 million members worldwide through Pigsback’s parent company, Secret Escapes.

Pigsback is proud to be part of Fáilte Ireland’s ‘Keep Discovering’ campaign, promoting all properties that work with us under Failte Ireland’s regional experience brands.

The company is also an associate member of the Irish Hotel Federation, the Restaurant Association of Ireland and the Irish Spa Association.

Pigsback strives to deliver the highest standard of customer service to clients and customers alike and is proud to maintain an excellent Trustpilot rating from its customers. Each client has a dedicated portal to manage their availability, confirm reservations, see customer feedback and much more.

Our dedicated and experienced team of Barry McGrath, Annabelle Quinlan, Philip Kelly, Barry O’Meara and Colm Egan are happy to discuss the benefits of working with Pigsback and our multiple platforms.

Email them at marketing@pigsback.com or IM the team on LinkedIn today. Make sure to stay tuned to our social media channels for more exciting changes to come this year.

ISSUE 1 2022 | HOTEL

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Equipment

Me and

MySOUS VIDE

T

Henry Jonkers on the virtues of sous vide cooking

he equipment I really enjoy in the kitchen today is the use of the sous vide machine. I did not have this piece of equipment back in the day when I started in the food industry over 30 years ago. Modern day cooking methods make life easier for chefs in today’s busy kitchens. The technique of sous vide cooking has become very popular in the last few years. I started to use this method a few years ago in my homeland of South Africa, where I would make Pastrami spiced beef. I was amazed with the results. It was tasty and juicy and not dry at all. I have used this method of cooking ever since.

Sous vide is a French term that translates to “under vacuum”, a process of vacuum sealing food in plastic pouches and then cooking it slowly in a temperature-controlled water bath. It’s called an immersion circulator which keeps the water at the proper temperature, so the food cooks slowly at the allowed temperature. The only thing sous vide cooking needs is time and a low temperature to produce amazing, juicy and tasty food.

As chefs, we all have scars from oven or grill burns but with the sous vide technique, this will not happen. Sous vide is safer and healthier, while slow cooking preserves more nutrients. So, if you want to avoid serving overcooked meat, use the sous vide technique. It’ll save you time and money.

Henry Jonkers is Head Chef at Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa, Co Kerry

Did you know…

The man we can thank for the invention of sous vide is Benjamin Thompson, a physicist who conducted many experiments on the transfer of heat. Thompson stumbled upon the method almost by accident in 1799, attempting to see if he could roast meat in a machine which he had created to dry potatoes. He placed a shoulder of mutton in the machine and left it for three hours, before giving up and leaving the shoulder to the maids. The maids then left the mutton in the machine overnight, with the intention of cooking it the next day before finding the shoulder fully cooked, but more importantly, perfectly done!

In 1974, Chef Pierre Troisgros was looking for a new way to prepare foie gras at the Restaurant Troisgros in France. He enlisted the help of his fellow chef Georges Pralus, who wrapped the foie gras up in plastic and found that it now only lost about 5% of its weight. This is seen as the real birth of modern sous vide and Pralus went on to teach the method at his own school, Culinary Innovations.

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CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 1 2022

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Your Local Wholesaler For Over 50 Years

OUR STORY At BWG Foods wholesale division we’re passionate about quality, food safety and great value for money. Through our offering and expertise, along with our commitment to outstanding service, we aim to exceed customer expectations.

One of our key strengths is our local presence around the country meaning we are always close to you, no matter where your business is.

BWG Foods is a proud member of Bord Bia’s Origin Green sustainability programme since 2020. We are committed to the transition to renewable energy, to source our products more sustainably, and to reduce our carbon emissions and waste.

Industry leading storage and distribution ensures your order arrives in premium condition.

We deliver your order fresh, on time and in full, every time.

You’ll have peace of mind knowing we’re helping you serve the best.

At BWG Foods wholesale division, we continue to deliver for over 20,000 local businesses through our network of 22 cash & carry branches and our foodservice businesses. Please remember, we are here to support and serve you during

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