Hotel & Catering Review Issue 6 2021 by Ashville Media Group

ISSUE 6 2021

Ventilation

required Why action is needed on air quality standards

Refurbished &

Refreshed Glenlo Abbey gets a makeover

New In with the

Meet Luxor Leisure’s new CEO, Madeline Riley

The Catering Boss

Caterboss MD

Ciaran Kilbride

OFC_HCR_September 2021_Cover_V2.indd 1

on turning a faulty fridge into a multi-million euro business

21/09/2021 15:05

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…

Untitled-4 1 1C_Tech Hotel_JM_HCR June.indd 1

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.

21/09/2021 22/06/2021 17:48 12:55

ISSUE 6 2021

Ventilation

required Why action is needed on air quality standards

Go to hotelandcatering review.ie for the online edition

Refurbished &

Refreshed

New In with the

Meet Luxor Leisure’s new CEO, Madeline Riley

The Catering Boss

Caterboss MD

Ciaran Kilbride

on turning a faulty fridge into a multi-million euro business

OFC_HCR_September 2021_Cover_V2.indd 1

Contents ISSUE 6 2021

Glenlo Abbey gets a makeover

21/09/2021 15:05

IN THIS ISSUE

09 11 13

I think the most recent lockdown has been challenging for everyone and has brought a new meaning to the word ‘team’. We’ve always had a strong team, but I can’t express how different it is now within the culture of our hotel Madeline Riley, CEO, Luxor Leisure Ltd

REGULARS

NEWS

A QUICK CHAT

20 22 24 27

INGREDIENTS

Stuart Heeney on why Tres Leches perfectly showcases the versatility of milk

MEASURING UP

Pinergy is getting businesses back to work safely and sustainably, thanks to its new measurement service offering

REFURBISHED & REFRESHED A huge multi-million refurbishment programme has just completed at Glenlo Abbey

VENTILATION KEY IN FIGHT AGAINST COVID

Urgent action is required on air quality standards for Irish indoor spaces

TALKING TO… CIARAN KILBRIDE

The founder and Managing Director of Caterboss talks about turning a broken fridge into a multi-million euro business

GREENING THE IRISH MACHINE

Bord Bia’s new survey is intended to help the industry better understand how customers and consumers view sustainability

ME AND MY… THERMOMIX

It’s the iPhone of kitchen gadgets with a price tag to match. But does the Thermomix live up to the hype?

ISSUE 6 2021 | HOTEL

001_HCR_September 2021_Contents_V2.indd 1

CATERING REVIEW

21/09/2021 17:26

Editor: Denise Maguire Creative Director: Jane Matthews Art Director: Áine Duffy Designer: Lenny Rooney Stock Photography iStock Infographics: www.flaticon.com Production: Nicole Ennis 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 6 of Hotel & Catering Review 2021 This month, I caught up with Madeline Riley, the new CEO at Luxor Leisure Ltd. Previously the General Manager at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Dublin, Madeline took up her new role just as the hotel reopened its doors on the 1st of September. Madeline has been with the Radisson Blu since it opened 15 years ago; she began her journey at the hotel as Director of Sales & Marketing, progressing to Executive Assistant Manager before taking up the position of General Manager in 2014. Her appointment as CEO reflects the instrumental role she has played in the hotel since its opening. She’s now being tasked with the mammoth responsibility of spearheading probably the largest projects undertaken by the hotel to date – the construction of a new meeting and event space and the creation of Le Pole Square, which will link Chancery Lane to Ship Street and connect Dublin Castle to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christchurch Cathedral. Both projects are scheduled for completion by October 2022. It’s a big ask but there’s no doubt Madeline is up to the job. Elsewhere in this issue, we also chat to the founder and MD at Caterboss, Ciaran Kilbride. Ciaran’s journey is a true rags to riches story; when a bottle cooler broke down in his takeaway a few years back, he endeavoured to purchase a new one from a UK company. Not being in the refrigeration business and unable to take advantage of the cheaper price across the water, he registered a new trade name and inadvertently set up a catering equipment business. A few years on, Caterboss is turning over €2.5 million a year. For more on Caterboss and how Ciaran is weathering the Covid storm, turn to page 22.

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

HOTEL

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2021

002_HCR_September21_Editor's View_V4.indd 2

21/09/2021 17:31

Save date 15*02*22 the

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.

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

For more information visit: hotelandcateringreview.ie/awards or contact Jill Thornton, Senior Event Manager Phone: 01 640 1700 | Email: jill.thornton@ashvillemediagroup.com Untitled-4 1 1C_GMA 2022_Save the Date_AMA_HCR_Sept 2022_V1_REV.indd 1

Limited number of Category Sponsorships remaining, for more information contact Trish Murphy, Sponsorship Director Phone: 086 837 9246 | Email: trish.murphy@ashvillemediagroup.com 21/09/2021 16/09/2021 17:49 09:23

News

Your monthly round-up…

TRANSITION FROM PUP TO JOBSEEKER’S DELAYED

HARRISON CHAMBERS OF DISTINCTION WINS NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AWARD Melanie Harrison and her team at The Harrison Chambers of Distinction in Belfast had cause to celebrate recently after winning an award in the National Geographic Traveller Hotel Awards 2021. The hotel scooped the ‘On the Money’ award, an accolade that champions its real ‘bang for your buck’. The judging panel praised the hotel and Melanie Harrison’s attitude and approach, saying: “Taking inspiration from her travels, she transformed a 19th-century merchant’s home near the city’s Botanic Gardens into a chic shrine to local authors, lavish antiques and frisky design. It’s a welcome, quirky addition to Belfast’s hotel scene: expect freestanding baths on reclaimed floorboards, rooms named for local heroes like C S Lewis and singer Ruby Murray and Bridgerton-style four poster beds beneath lush wallpapers. It’s personal and playful.” Melanie Harrison has worked hard to create a unique property that’s ﬁlled with character and stories and she’s thrilled that this has been noticed and awarded by National Geographic Traveller UK. “Everything about The Harrison Chambers of Distinction celebrates what is great about this city. It’s the kind of place I’d like to stay myself. Our design ethos is all about local craftsmanship and talent, covering three centuries from the Victorian era to the present day and every object and element has been chosen because of its interesting history and what it brings to the story of The Harrison.”

HOTEL

The government has stated that Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) recipients will not be transitioned to jobseeker’s payments before October 22. That’s despite previous plans to move PUP recipients whose payment was at or had been reduced to €203 over to jobseeker ’s payments in September as part of a wind down plan for the scheme. According to reports, the Department of Social Protection has said: “This has now been deferred until after all sectors have started to reopen in line with the roadmap announced on August 31 and all affected customers will continue to receive their PUP payment until October 26 when the process of their possible transition to a jobseeker’s payment will begin.” PUP rates have been cut by €50, with the change being reflected in payments from September 14, as part of the government’s wind down of the scheme. Payments to PUP recipients receiving €250 will fall to €203, which is the maximum rate for Jobseeker ’s Beneﬁt and Jobseeker’s Allowance and recipients whose payments fall to €203 will be gradually moved over to a jobseeker’s payments. Further €50 reductions in PUP rates will take place on November 16, 2021 and February 8, 2022.

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2021

004_008_HCR_September 2021_News_V4.indd 4

21/09/2021 17:38

News

Kevin Thornton

APPOINTMENT

NEW DIRECTION AT COMPASS In an effort to recognise the company’s Irish team as a distinct business unit, Compass Group is rebranding as Compass Ireland. The news was announced by newly appointed Irish MD Deirdre O’Neill, who is spearheading a client-centred innovation programme with sustainability and local sourcing at its core. “This is the next generation of foodservices, built around customer needs and employee wants and espousing the local agri-food sector and sustainability as key business drivers,” O’Neill told clients and suppliers at the trade launch. Kevin Thornton was also revealed as a new company mentor. His role will include supporting food philosophy, menu development, training and teambuilding, along with Culinary Director, Shay Kendrick. Compass Ireland is the ﬁrst foodservices company to publish a commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions in its own operations and value chain, by 2030. Ambitious targets include promoting ‘plant forward’ meals, with a 30% switch from animal proteins by 2025, as well as reducing imports by 20% as part of its journey to net zero.

Aramark has announced the appointment of Terry Woods as Commercial Director for its food business in Ireland. The newlycreated appointment will see Terry responsible for growing the company’s food business and client portfolio across the island. Terry has a strong record with over 25 years’ experience in the food industry in Ireland. He has held roles at companies including Compass Group, Baxter Storey and Mount Charles. Commenting on his appointment, Terry said: ‘I’ve watched Aramark closely over the last few years, so I am delighted to be joining such dynamic sales and operations teams. I’m focused on supporting our clients, business partners and potential clients to ensure that we have the most innovative market strategies to take this business to the next level."

DALATA’S STEPHEN MCNALLY TO RETIRE Dalata Hotel Group has announced that Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer Stephen McNally is retiring from his executive role and the Board. McNally was a founding executive of Dalata and has held his current position since 2007. He will remain in his executive position as the Group completes a succession process and will step down from the Board in early 2022. Pat McCann, Group CEO said: “I have worked with Stephen for over 30 years, initially in Jurys and later in Dalata where Stephen became one of the founding directors. Not alone has he been a colleague over all those years, he is also my friend. His passion and commitment to Dalata and its people have played a big part in the success of the Group. Without him, Dalata would be a much poorer place. I would like to say a big thank you to Stephen for all the support he has given me over the many years and wish him well in whatever direction life takes him over the coming years. He still has a lot to offer. I am sure his wife Edel, his daughter Roisin and son Luke are looking forward to seeing much more of him.”

Centre: Stephen McNally

ISSUE 6 2021 | HOTEL

004_008_HCR_September 2021_News_V4.indd 5

CATERING REVIEW

21/09/2021 17:38

News

APPOINTMENT

INUA COLLECTION LAUNCHES NEW COOKERY TRAINEESHIP The iNUA Collection is launching a new two-year Professional Cookery Traineeship in association with Limerick Clare Education & Training Board, designed to lead to a QQI Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Professional Cookery. With the first uptake of students this September, the traineeship is a two-year full-time course, including 13 weeks per year classroom-based learning at the College of Further Education and Training Hospitality Campus in Roxboro, Limerick and workplace learning within the iNUA Collection. Topics covered as part of the college blocks in the first year include culinary food safety management, culinary techniques, gastronomy, pastry baking and desserts and work practice and in the second year, international cuisines, hospitality business systems, menu design and applied nutrition, producing a culinary event and work practice. The iNUA Collection plans to send two students per each of their hotels on this programme and for each two-week block, they will be given full board in the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Limerick. The target audience for this programme is the group’s current team of employees who wish to access a career path into chef and culinary roles. However, The iNUA Collection is also recruiting externally to fill these traineeship opportunities. The entry criteria require that you have either successfully completed a programme leading to a QQI Level 5 Certificate or can demonstrate the levels of knowledge, skill and competence associated with NFQ Level 5. For more information, go to https://www.inua.ie/learning-development/ or email careers@inuahospitality.ie

Kerry native Doiran Kavanagh has been appointed Director of Operations at InterContinental Dublin. Previous roles include four years at The Westin and seven years at The Shelbourne Hotel. Doiran’s background in hospitality started at an early age as his parents ran the well-known bar and restaurant D O’Shea’s in Sneem. He went on to study Hospitality Management at Cathal Brugha Street and gained valuable experience in ﬁve star properties, working at Turnberry Resort in Scotland and Le Meridien Etoile in Paris.

Nicky Logue, General Manager at InterContinental Dublin and Doiran Kavanagh, Director of Operations

NEW FAMILY CONCIERGE AT CORK HOTEL The Cork International Hotel is aiming to make the mid-term break away as enjoyable as possible for children and parents. It has appointed a Family Concierge Team to book tickets, reserve the best family activities as well as providing directions and information. The hotel

HOTEL

will contact guests when they book to get an idea of what they would like to do and explore during their trip to Cork. The Family Concierge Team can also put together a possible itinerary for families based on the ages of the children and the activities they enjoy.

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2021

004_008_HCR_September 2021_News_V4.indd 6

21/09/2021 17:38

News

WAIVE GOVT CHARGES ON LATE NIGHT VENUES LVA

NEW MENU AT DUBLIN’S WINEDOWN Winedown, which opened in December 2020 on Montagues street in Dublin, is ready for a fresh start this season with a brand new menu. Owner Maeve O’Malley (also of Meltdown) is serving up a new menu of tapas-style small plates, sharing plates, cheeses and delicious wine pairings. Small plates include Irish Porcupine Prawns, Lemongrass and Chili Emulsion, Asian Marinated Bavette Steak Skewers and Chermoula Chicken Thighs. Suppliers include Carraignamuc Cottage, Fruit and Veg, Glenmar Shellﬁsh, McLoughlin’s Butchers, Little Italy and Sheridan’s Cheese Mongers.

Government imposed charges on late night venues should be waived for the next six months to aid the recovery of nightclubs and late bars, according to the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA). Any licensed premises who seeks to open late currently has to make an additional payment to government of €410 per night. For a late night venue that operates ﬁve nights a week, that represents an extra €8,200 per month. Late bars and nightclubs are not due to reopen until 22 October, meaning they will have been kept closed for a period of 585 consecutive days – more than 18 months in total. The LVA estimates there are about 300+ late pubs and nightclubs around the country who have been kept closed, employing approximately 5,000 people. Any pub or nightclub who wishes to open late must seek a Special Exemption Order (SEO) for each individual night they are looking to remain operating beyond normal closing time. This amounts to an additional two hours trading. Only venues who meet strict criteria around CCTV, security and public liability insurance are eligible to apply. The LVA proposal would work in a similar fashion to the current liquor license waiver for other hospitality businesses that has been adopted by the government for 2021. “While it is great that there is now a date when late bars and nightclubs will be able to open their doors again, it is also true that for many of these venues, it will take them a long time to recover,” said Donall O’Keeffe, Chief Executive of the LVA. “There is an opportunity here for the government to aid the revival of these venues simply by waiving the government charges involved in Special Exemption Orders. “Under the LVA proposal the application system would remain the same – any late bar or nightclub would still have to go to Court to secure their SEO and Gardaí would be able to voice any potential objections. The only alteration is that the extra expense imposed by the State would be waived for that period. In that way, it would be very similar to the liquor licence waiver the government has provided for the rest of the hospitality sector. This is a relatively simple step for the government to take and would also be an important saving for cash strapped businesses.”

EUROPA HOTEL CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY One of Ireland’s most famous hotels is celebrating its 50th anniversary and commemorating how it withstood the Troubles to emerge as a beacon of hope for Belfast. Often referred to as ‘the world’s most bombed hotel’, having been targeted 33 times due to its visibility as a landmark building, The Europa Hotel has been transformed into a powerful symbol of the city’s survival. “Today, we are seen quite differently - possibly as one of the world’s most resilient and famous hotels,” said Julie Hastings of operators Hastings Hotels. To mark its half century, guests and visitors will be able to enjoy an interactive installation in the lobby that will bring alive its history and central place in the peace story of Northern Ireland. Over the last 30 years, Hastings Hotels has invested over £40 million in continuous renovations, adding 88 new bedrooms to the existing 184. A new renovation programme currently underway will see the 90 front-facing superior bedrooms, 85 classic bedrooms and six suites redesigned and upgraded.

Above: Julie Hastings, Marketing Director of Hastings Hotels, Kyle Greer, Europa Hotel’s Executive Head Chef and Martin Mulholland, Head Concierge Right: At the height of the Troubles, a version of the famous bunny girls - the Penthouse Poppets - added some glitz and glamour to Belfast city centre as they mingled with guests in the Penthouse nightclub, situated on the 12th floor of the Europa Hotel

ISSUE 6 2021 | HOTEL

004_008_HCR_September 2021_News_V4.indd 7

CATERING REVIEW

21/09/2021 17:38

News

€5.3bn hit to Irish hotel revenue due to Covid New research from the IHF suggests hotels are facing a challenging few months ahead Irish hotels have faced another exceptionally challenging year due to Covid, with average national room occupancy levels for 2021 standing at 22% year to date, according to the latest industry research from the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF). With the summer over, the sector is entering an uncertain nine months as booking levels fall sharply in the absence of overseas visitors, meetings and events, which would normally sustain the sector during the off-peak season. IHF Chief Executive, Tim Fenn, is urging the government to give a firm commitment to continue business and employment supports until international tourism recovery begins in earnest in summer 2022. Measures sought by the IHF include the extension of the current EWSS employment supports until June 2022 to help businesses retain and develop their teams over the coming months; the retention of the 9% tourism VAT rate until after 2025 to allow Irish tourism to compete internationally; and the extension of the commercial rates waiver until June 2022 when the summer season begins. Substantial additional funding is also required for international marketing and the restoration of air connectivity with overseas markets to 2019 levels. Tim Fenn says that while the domestic tourism market performed well over the summer months with average room occupancy of 59%, business has been exceptionally poor year-to-date with occupancy levels averaging 22% for the first eight months due to the sector being shut until June. The sector is still subject to a delay in full lifting of restrictions on hospitality and indoor events until October 22 as well as uncertainty around international travel, including travel advice from the US government against travel to Ireland which is impacting on forward bookings. Under the most optimistic scenario for the remainder of 2021, average occupancy is projected to reach 32% for year as whole – a significant collapse in activity compared with 2019, when room occupancy was 73% and is only a modest increase on the all-time historic low of 30% reached in 2020. “Hotels and guesthouses will have seen a combined €5.3

HOTEL

Occupancy Results Year to Date (Jan-Aug 2021)* National room occupancy 22% Dublin City and County 14% Other Cities 24% Border region 27% Mid-West 22% Midlands/Mid East 25% South East 31% South West 27% West 27% Advance Room Bookings for Sept-Dec 2021** National room occupancy Dublin City and County Other Cities Border region Mid-West Midlands/Mid East South East South West West

25% 16% 21% 32% 24% 29% 37% 28% 28%

* Figures for Jan-Aug 2021 represent actual bookings achieved ** Figures for Sept-Dec 2021 represent rooms currently booked in advance – these are likely to increase during the remainder of the year, bringing average annual room bookings for the country as a whole to 32% based on projected future booking patterns billion drop in revenues across 2020 and 2021 as a direct result of this crisis, with overall revenues dropping 68% in 2020 and 55% this year. In real terms that’s over 19 million room nights lost, billions wiped out in food and beverage sales and countless missed opportunities for hotels reliant on entertainment, business meetings and events – as well as the enormous impact on the many thousands of suppliers to our sector.” He added that it is critical that the government provides continued supports for the sector so that businesses have a ﬁghting chance of getting back on their feet over the coming years. “A failure to support tourism and hospitality now will have ramiﬁcations for the future of Ireland’s tourism offering and for the economy.” The research was carried out September 1st-6th and results are based on the response from 331 properties. These account for a combined stock of 34,300 guestrooms spread throughout the entire country.

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2021

004_008_HCR_September 2021_News_V4.indd 8

21/09/2021 17:38

News

INGREDIENTS STUART HEENEYon why Tres Leches perfectly showcases the versatility of milk

Tres Leches (3 milks) This recipe is taken from a traditional Peruvian dessert, made with sponge and then soaked in a mixture of three kinds of milk. I’ve adapted this dish to incorporate the fabulous dairy we produce here in Ireland. The dish consists of three different elements made with milk, full fat dairy milk being the main ingredient. Condensed milk and evaporated milk are also used in the classic dulce de leche. This recipe will serve eight people.

What you’ll need • Heavy based saucepan • Whisk • Wooden spoon • Ice-cream machine • Small Dario moulds 6.5cm • Electric whisk • Small spatula/lifter

Milk sponge Ingredients • 4 eggs • 260g sugar • 1 tsp vanilla essence • 290g flour • 2 ½ tsp baking powder • 300ml milk • 150g butter cubed Method In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed for ﬁve minutes until thick. Gradually add the sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder to batter on low speed. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter just until butter is melted. Gradually add to batter until combined. Bake at 170 for 30 minutes.

Honey and milk panna cotta Ingredients • 250ml milk • 250ml cream • 110g honey • 4 gelatin leaves • ¼ tsp vanilla essence

Method Soak gelatin leaves in water until soft. Heat milk, cream and honey up in a pot. When still warm, dissolve the gelatin in the liquid, add vanilla and set in the Dario molds.

Milk sorbet Ingredients • 220g caster sugar • 250ml water • 750ml milk • 2 tbsp lemon juice Method Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil for four minutes, making sure the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool completely. Add the milk and lemon juice, then churn in an ice-cream maker until ﬁrm. Freeze until required.

Classic Dulce de Leche Ingredients • 500ml evaporated milk • 425ml condensed milk • 500ml full fat milk • 1 tsp vanilla essence Method Pour the ingredients into a heavy based pan. Place over a medium heat and simmer, stirring until the mixture has thickened and the bottom of the pan can be seen when you draw the spoon across it. Remove from the heat, cool and refrigerate until the mixture is needed.

For the garnish, you will need toasted coconut, shop-bought honeycomb, whipped cream and ground cinnamon. To plate, spread the Dulce de Leche in a nice, neat rectangle down the centre of the plate. Gently place the Dario mould in warm water, ensuring not to get the water into the panna cotta, then turn out in your hands as a little bit of liquid will come out and you don’t want this on your plate. Place the panna cotta in the middle of the Dulce de Leche. Cut a 4.5cm in diameter square of the sponge and place to the left of the panna cotta on the Dulce de Leche. Pipe some of the whipped cream on top of the sponge. Sprinkle a small bit of cinnamon on the cream. To the other side of the panna cotta, sprinkle some toasted coconut; this is to keep the sorbet from rolling around the plate. Scoop a ball of sorbet and place neatly on the toasted coconut. Break some shards of honeycomb and place on the panna cotta. Stuart Heeney is Head Chef at Zampas Bar & Restaurant at the Hard Rock Hotel, Dublin

ISSUE 6 2021 | HOTEL

009_HCR_September 2021_Ingredients_V3.indd 9

CATERING REVIEW

21/09/2021 17:44

Commercial Profile

Your Business

WASTE 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

EASILY SORTED!

his government-funded initiative provides a free and extensive suite of signage and training materials to help workforces make accurate recycling decisions. It will assist Irish businesses to achieve greater Circular Economy performance through increased recycling and composting rates. A waste characterisation study in 2018 by the Environmental Protection Agency (report available on www.epa.ie) shows that 70% of recyclables and materials suitable for composting are currently lost through the general waste stream. 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 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 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 to 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/

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.

250336_2L_Southern Advertising_AMA_HCR Sept_V1.indd 1

2L_Southern Advertising Profile_HCR_Sept 2021_V3.indd 10

09/09/2021 14:48

22/09/2021 10:02

News

Measuringup Colm Foley, Channel Manager, Business at Pinergy

Pinergy is getting businesses back to work safely and sustainably thanks to its new measurement service offering

inergy, the smart energy supply and

solutions business, has announced that it’s now offering business customers, including hotels and restaurants, a brand new measurement as a service proposition. The announcement comes as businesses begin returning to the office in accordance with the new September 20th return to work guidelines. Through this service, Pinergy will give businesses the ability to allow them to measure the performance of their premises or buildings under various metrics. Pinergy will install a series of meters and sensors in the building that will enable users to measure electricity and gas usage (regardless of supplier), water usage, waste usage (with select waste companies) and most timely of all, the quality of the air in their buildings. In terms of measurable performance indicators, Pinergy will be able to offer businesses real time data, automated reporting, target and benchmark settings, carbon reporting and various other measurements across each of the categories covering energy, water, waste and air quality. Commenting on this latest development for

Pinergy, Colm Foley, Channel Manager, Business, said: “At Pinergy, we are constantly looking for new ways that our customers can make the most of not only their energy usage but how they can most efficiently manage their buildings and premises. Not only can we now give our customers the ability to measure sustainability KPIs such as their carbon footprint, but we can also show how well utilities such as electricity, gas and water are being used across their property portfolio. “As summer turns into autumn and people begin to return to offices, we anticipate signiﬁcant demand, in particular to measure the quality of air in a building. Being able to understand the quality of air in a building can really help to reassure people and to then make informed decisions on what actions are required in order to minimise risks from the spread of airborne viruses including Covid-19. Delivering our ‘Measurement as a Service’ offering is empowering our customers with data insights to make more informed decisions that are better for the business and better for the environment.” This latest initiative follows Pinergy’s recent announcement that it has acquired Solar Electric, Ireland’s leading designer and installer of solar renewables and energy storage systems. Pinergy’s aim is to make a difference in the energy sector. Today Pinergy supplies 100% renewable energy and sector-speciﬁc insights to thousands of businesses and homes across Ireland.

ISSUE 5 2021 | HOTEL

011_HCR_September 21_Pinergy_V2.indd 11

CATERING REVIEW

21/09/2021 17:54

Get Finance Fit

EXPERT FINANCE SUPPORTS Taking time to review, revisit and recalculate your finances is important for your business. Fáilte Ireland has developed an extensive range of expert financial planning supports, customised for each sector, including practical videos, tools and templates to help tourism and hospitality businesses manage day-to-day finances and plan for the future.

Access the following supports: 1. P&L and Scenario Analysis tool 2. Meeting with the Bank - checklist and finance templates 3. Business Liquidity expert guidance 4. Cash Burn and Cost Reduction checklists 5. Business Planning templates To access our suite of financial planning supports, including practical videos, tools and templates, visit our Business Supports Hub at www.failteireland.ie/FinancialPlanning

Untitled-4 1 Ireland_Ad2_HCR Sept 2021_V1.indd 1 250557_Failte Get Finance Fit A4 Ad-Final.indd 1

21/09/2021 16/09/2021 17:49 09:27 09/09/2021 12:38

Refurbishment

Refurbished The Tapestry

and Refreshed

A huge multi-million refurbishment programme has just completed at Glenlo Abbey

The Ffrench Room

t’s fair to say that Glenlo Abbey had a busy lockdown. Last year saw the addition of a new restaurant, a spa, a new bedroom wing, major upgrades to existing bedrooms and a sensitive refurbishment of guest lounges including The Tapestry, The Ffrench Room and The Abbey. “I’d hazard a guess that we’ve been one of the busiest hotels in lockdown. We were lucky in that Millimetre Design was already engaged on site, so they started working on the spa interiors straight away. Carey Developments, a local Galway building contractor, carried out the works and we also had our own crew working on various projects. Lockdown gave us the opportunity to get into the bedrooms again

ISSUE 6 2021 | HOTEL

013_HCR_September 2021_Refurbish and Refreshed_V3.indd 13

CATERING REVIEW

21/09/2021 17:56

Refurbishment

and do some light refurbishments, along with a lot of groundworks outside. We were able to employ a fairly sizeable crew during the various lockdowns, which was great,” said General Manager Rónán O’Halloran. Glenlo’s new restaurant, Palmers Bar & Kitchen, is named after the Palmers who bought Glenlo Abbey in 1897. Almost €2 million has gone into Glo Spa & Wellness, a spa comprising four treatment rooms and a ‘Tranquillity Terrace’ boasting views of Lough Corrib. Refurbishment of the bedrooms has brought Glenlo up to a 73-bedroom hotel. “We made a huge effort to match the existing bedrooms and corridors with the new additions. We never wanted to have a new and existing wing. We replaced all the carpets in the existing wing to match the carpets in the new wing. The aim was to keep it as seamless as possible for guests.” Business is strong at the moment, says Rónán. “It has been fantastic to see so much support from the Irish domestic market. Traditionally, we would rely on North American guests and we’re starting to see a pick up in the international market – we’ll see our ﬁrst group bookings arrive in the next couple of weeks – but it has also been great to see Glenlo resonating so strongly with the Irish domestic sector.” A new website and booking engine helped attract more domestic visitors in 2020, says Rónán. “We were conscious that the typical route to market like for example the agencies and tour operators wasn’t going to work. It was important to establish strong links direct to the consumer.” With so much work completed at the hotel in the past two years, you might think now’s the time to reap the fruits of their labour. “There’s no time for that! We’ve just broken ground on a beautiful holiday lodge development; we’re adding 11 lodges to the estate which will include 29 bedrooms. Hopefully, they’ll be ready by spring 2023.” Additional rooms require more staff, something the Glenlo team are still working on. “In March 2020 we closed a 47 bedroom hotel knowing that the next time we opened, we’d be a 73 bedroom hotel with an in-house laundry, a brand new bar and restaurant and a spa. Even if we managed to retain 100% of our existing employees, we still would have been short on staff. Very early on we began meeting candidates and had great success, but there have certainly been challenges too. Hospitality in general is facing a recruitment challenge and I think that’s going to be the case for a while yet. We’re working hard on that at the moment.” Glenlo Abbey recently joined the Small Luxury Hotels of the World portfolio, a collection of over 520 of the best independent hotels in the world. “We’re constantly striving to enhance the guest experience and the recent refurbishments will allow us to compete with the very best of luxury hotels, not just in Ireland, but in the world.”

The Abbey

Palmers Bar

“In March 2020 we closed a 47 bedroom hotel knowing that the next time we opened, we’d be a 73 bedroom hotel with an in-house laundry, a brand new bar and restaurant and a spa”

HOTEL

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2021

013_HCR_September 2021_Refurbish and Refreshed_V3.indd 14

21/09/2021 17:56

Thankto ouryou

Sponsors

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

LMITED SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE | FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Trish Murphy, Sales & Sponsorship Director | Phone: 086 837 9246 | Email: trish.murphy@ashvillemediagroup.com Untitled-4 1 1C_GMA 2022_Thank You_AMA_HCR_Sept 2022_V1.indd 1

21/09/2021 15/09/2021 17:51 17:49

Partner Profile

Bewley’s

Big COFFEE MORNING

SOCIAL

Miriam O’Callaghan has launched the 2021 Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice

HOTEL

ogether for Hospice, which represents 26 hospice and specialist palliative home care services throughout the country, has launched the 2021 Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice. The campaign was launched by journalist and broadcaster, Miriam O’Callaghan, who is calling on people across the country to support this important initiative by hosting a socially distanced or virtual coffee morning social on Thursday 23rd September. Now in its 29th year, Together for Hospice alongside its long-term partner Bewley’s want to make this year’s event bigger and better than ever and are asking the public to get creative with their coffee creations and host a coffee morning social at a time that suits them – morning, noon, or night to raise funds! Those taking part are encouraged to host socially distanced coffee morning socials and follow all government guidelines*. In 2020, the fundraising event raised over €1 million for local hospices and specialist palliative homecare services nationwide and contributed to a signiﬁcant fundraising milestone for the event which has raised over €40 million since its inception in 1992. The funds raised have enabled local hospice groups to fund front-line staff such as nurses and healthcare assistants who provide specialist, high

quality and loving care to patients and their families, fund on-going facility enhancements as well as purchasing crucial equipment. Funds raised locally stay local and go directly back into each local hospice service. Audrey Houlihan, CEO at Our Lady’s Hospice Harold’s Cross and Chairperson, Together for Hospice said: “We are delighted Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice is back for another year raising funds in support of Hospice inpatient and community services around Ireland. The ongoing support for this campaign over the last 29 years is a testament to the generosity of our coffee morning hosts, donors, ambassadors, and our long-time sponsor Bewley’s.” Jason Doyle, Managing Director at Bewley’s Ireland & UK said: “At Bewley’s, caring for people and the community is at the heart of our business. We are immensely proud of our 29 year partnership with Hospice and proud to have helped raise over €40 million in vital funds for hospices nationwide. We’re delighted to be back in 2021 for Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning Social For Hospice and this year we’re encouraging people to not only host a coffee morning but to think outside the box and create events throughout the day. After all, coffee can be enjoyed at any time.’ To register to host a coffee morning on Thursday, 23rd September, or on a date that suits you, go to www. hospicecoffeemorning.ie or call 1890 998 995. Hosts are provided with a Coffee Morning Pack containing Bewley’s coffee, posters and invitations free of charge. Remember, every cup counts! The public can support Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice on Thursday 23rd September 2021 by:  Hosting a virtual coffee morning social  Hosting a socially distanced coffee morning social with a small group of family or friends  If you can’t host or attend a coffee morning social, please consider donating to your local hospice online at www.hospicecoffeemorning.ie * Stay Safe - no matter what type of event you host – please always remember to stay safe and adhere to the current HSE and Government COVID-19 guidelines. Please visit www.hse.ie to see the most up to date guidance.

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2021

1C_Bewleys Profile_HCR_Sept 2021_V1.indd 16

22/09/2021 09:33

Cover Story

The Chancery Grill

Ongoing developments at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel are breathing new life into Dublin 8. Madeline Riley,, the new CEO at Luxor Leisure, chats to Denise Maguire about the hotel’s exciting plans

In with the

w e N

FOR

the most part, general managers aren’t known for their long-term commitment to just one hotel. After a few years soaking up experiences and broadening their CV, the GM usually swaps one premises for another and quite often, one country for another. Not so with Madeline Riley, the new CEO at Luxor Leisure Limited. Since its opening in 2007, she has worked in various roles at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin, most recently as general manager. Her journey began

ISSUE 6 2021 | HOTEL

017_HCR_September 2021_Cover Story_V2.indd 17

CATERING REVIEW

21/09/2021 13:12

Cover Story

as Director of Sales & Marketing from pre-opening in 2006, moving to Executive Assistant Manager before taking up the position of General Manager in May 2014. Just a few weeks ago, Luxor Leisure announced her appointment as CEO, capping off a career that owes its success to hard work, creativity and a determination to deliver the best possible customer experience. Since its opening 15 years ago, the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel has changed significantly. A substantial capex programme, often overseen by Madeline, has mirrored the changing face of Dublin’s tourism industry. “I’ve never felt the need to move to another premises; our hotel has changed dramatically over the years and I’ve always known that plans were in place to extend and build. I’ve always felt like there were new challenges ahead. To get the GM role was very satisfying; I’ve witnessed the hotel being built from bricks up and when you’re involved to that extent, it really becomes part of you. I think opening a hotel is so different to working in a property, you’re just so passionate about every element.” In 2020, an extensive refurbishment at the hotel saw the addition of 84 new bedrooms which doubled its existing footprint and included a new two-bedroom Presidential Suite with outdoor and living areas overlooking Dublin Castle. The addition of a new three floor spa called Velvære is, says Madeline, proving a big draw for the domestic market. The entire ground floor, including the lobby area and both the restaurant and bar, have benefitted from a stylish new makeover while the main banqueting suite has also been refreshed. It’s a significant refurbishment and one that hasn’t had its moment in the spotlight yet, says Madeline. “We started the works in 2019 and finished just before lockdown, so we haven’t had an opportunity to showcase the huge amount of work that was carried out in the property. We also opened the new spa during a pandemic which was very difficult, but I think we’re starting to come out of that challenging

Madeline Riley, CEO, Luxor Leisure

“At every stage of the refurbishment, the owners have involved me in decision-making. Every element of the refurbishment has been prompted by the customer and no-one knows our customers better than my team and I, so we’ve played a big part in everything that has been achieved over the past two years”

The Chancery Grill Horseshoe Bar

HOTEL

time now. There are lots of new hidden pockets around the hotel that I hope guests will discover over the next few months.” The last two years in particular have allowed Madeline to make the move from GM to CEO. “At every stage of the refurbishment, the owners have involved me in decision-making. Every element of the refurbishment has been prompted by the customer and no-one knows our customers better than my team and I, so we’ve played a big part in everything that has been achieved over the past two years.” Her appointment as CEO isn’t just a change of title. “For me, that change has been happening for over two years. So much has changed here and I’ve had the privilege of being involved every step of the way.” There’s a distinct lack of female GM’s in Ireland and just as few at CEO level. It’s something that’s changing, says Madeline, albeit very slowly. “I can deﬁnitely see a shift. When I started as GM, there were very few female GMs out there but in recent times I’ve known of a few, particularly in the newer hotels that have opened in Dublin. I’m hoping that

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2021

017_HCR_September 2021_Cover Story_V2_REV.indd 18

22/09/2021 09:18

Cover Story Ship Street

The Chancery Grill

my new role as CEO will give more women the confidence to say yes, I can do that too. It’s important that we instil that type of confidence in our staff as well; we have to work with them to give them the confidence to know they can do the role.” As a mother of two, Madeline knows the tricky balancing act that comes with juggling a career in hospitality with family life, but it’s not an impossibility. “I’ve been really lucky, I haven’t come up against any real barriers in my career. I really believe you can do this job and have a family life. Just because you have kids doesn’t mean you don’t want to be successful or make an impact. Our staff know that we also want them to never miss a sports day or a birthday. I wouldn’t do it and I don’t expect them to. Getting the work life balance right is so important.” A big part of Madeline’s new role is focused on phase 2 of the hotel’s redevelopment project. A new eight-storey extension and development of the new Dublin Royal Convention Centre is on the cards, as is the creation of Le Pole Square, linking Chancery Lane to Ship Street and connecting Dublin Castle to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christchurch Cathedral. Le Pole Square will also have a landscaped heritage site, gallery, café and direct access to the hotel’s new spa and gym. “We discovered an old church in the area dating back to the 12th century. Quite a lot of historical elements were unearthed; there’s so much history in this small area which I’m really looking forward to growing and developing. We won’t just be a hotel; we’ll be a destination for overseas visitors to hear about the story of this part of Dublin 8. I’m hoping that people who visit Dublin Castle will come through Le Pole square,

“I’m hoping that my new role as CEO will give more women the conﬁdence to say yes, I can do that too”

enjoy the historical experience which we’re creating and then link through to St Patrick’s Cathedral and Christchurch. This side of Dublin has been a forgotten part of the city, so it’s nice to be a part of that regeneration.” Like most hotels around the country, staffing is a major issue at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. “We have a key core team and we’re able to operate, but I’m finding it hard to source people who will stay. Before Covid, we might have had 40/50 applications for one role; now I’m only getting four per role. If I can organise an interview I’m lucky and if they come in, I’m even luckier. I know that some hotels have had to stop sales due to a lack of staff. After being closed for so long, that’s just soul-destroying. I think we really have to go back out to market and let people know that hospitality is a great place to work and that message needs to come from the government and Failte Ireland as well.” The last lockdown was, says Madeline, the most challenging but it also brought out the best in staff. From developing new skill sets to lending a hand across different departments, staff members shined and have been rewarded for that tenacity. “The most recent lockdown brought a new meaning to the word ‘team’. We’ve always had a strong team, but I can’t express how different it is now within the culture of our hotel. We’ve discovered a lot of new talent within the ranks of our staff over the past 18 months and quite a few internal promotions have been carried out.” With new developments on the horizon, the future’s looking bright at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. As CEO, Madeline’s ambitions are to continue to lead and inspire the team, successfully manage ongoing projects and get sales figures back to pre-Covid levels. Being mindful of the impact that Covid has had, not just on staff but also on clients, is also important. “With the ongoing refurbishment, probably the most challenging period of my career has been the last 18 months. I’ve been working at 110 miles per hour but I have to be mindful that others haven’t been at that speed. I think it will take time for people’s confidence to come back and they need to be given that time. The wellness of staff and of clients is of the utmost importance to us; we’ll do what we can to facilitate that recovery.”

ISSUE 6 2021 | HOTEL

017_HCR_September 2021_Cover Story_V2.indd 19

CATERING REVIEW

21/09/2021 13:13

News

VENTILATION key in fight against COVID Urgent action is required on air quality standards for Irish indoor spaces

Philip Dowds, MD, OKTO

s the winter season fast approaches and people begin to return to hospitality venues, restaurants, offices and colleges, the critical role that air cleaning systems must play in indoor spaces in the fight against Covid-19 and other common respiratory winter viruses must be recognised. That’s according to a leading scientific professor and researcher, Professor Azeem Majeed, who says that cleaning the air in indoor spaces from potentially virus-laden aerosols will have significant benefits for individuals’ health and allow hotels, event venues, businesses and colleges to open safely and then stay open. Professor Majeed, who is Head of the Department of Primary Care & Public Health at Imperial College London, is calling on government, regulators, property owners and employers to take on this responsibility and put the necessary standards and actions in place to ensure air-cleaning and ventilation systems in buildings are of a required standard and fit-forpurpose. “If government does not start taking indoor air filtration seriously and if owners don’t start taking air filtration seriously, it will derail many of the sacrifices made in the fight against Covid-19 and will have a significant negative impact on the Irish economy.”

HOTEL

“Consideration needs to be given towards the introduction of more standards and legislation around air quality of buildings and the issuing of ‘ventilation certiﬁcates’ as proof of compliance”

He added that governments have regulations on the safety of food, sanitation and drinking water, but there is far less emphasis on monitoring and controlling pathogens in the air. “Consideration needs to be given towards the introduction of more standards and legislation around air quality of buildings and the issuing of ‘ventilation certificates’ as proof of compliance.” Philip Dowds, managing director and founder of Irish family-owned smart buildings specialist OKTO, says he has seen a surge of enquiries for its air quality management solutions from companies looking to identify the most appropriate air-filtration solutions for their indoor spaces. The company’s OKTOair suite of products include a range of technology for improving wellness solutions, from touchless controls, circadian lighting and social distancing management through to advanced air filtration and artificial intelligence air quality management systems. “The risk of infection is substantial in poorly ventilated rooms. Diluting concentrations of respiratory particles through ventilation is second to removing them altogether from the ambient air,” he says. “Medical grade Disinfecting Filtration Systems (DFS) can help combat the spread of airborne viruses and improve health and safety, providing a 99.99% efficiency rate on all pollutants down to .007 microns, providing fresh clean air to any indoor space.” Dowds says that these systems can be provided in both portable units for single room spaces and/ or as part of a fully fitted air ventilation and filtration system. Coronavirus can be detected in the air up to three hours after emission, so it’s vital that operators of indoor spaces review their systems to minimise the risk of transmission. “Testing on OKTO’s Disinfecting Filtration System has proven to remove a proxy virus for SAR Cov.2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) from the air within 10 minutes and 100% within 45 minutes. Vaccination is essential in curtailing the impact of Covid-19 but improving air quality is also needed.” OKTO’s DFS technology has been independently tested to be among the most effective air cleaning systems in the world, says Dowds, exceeding the European Standard EN1822 for HEPA filter devices. “Over 1.3m units of this DFS product have been sold worldwide including installations at the recent Olympics in Toyko.”

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2021

020_HCR_September21_Ventilation_V3.indd 20

21/09/2021 18:00

Scan for Toolkit

Find your next great hire today. Join our #BeThePulse campaign. Get expert advice and free social assets with our industry recruitment toolkit. Download today at

failteireland.ie/tourismcareers Untitled-4 1 Ireland_HCR Sept 21.indd 1 250557_Failte

21/09/2021 14/09/2021 17:50 13:41

Interview

Talking to...

Ciaran Kilbride

The founder and MD of Caterboss talks to Denise Maguire about turning a broken fridge into a multi-million euro business WHEN WAS CATERBOSS SET UP? We’ve been trading as Caterboss since 2017 and before that, we traded as Village Refrigeration for about four years. Back then, we supplied refrigeration and catering equipment. The business came about by accident really. I used to run a takeaway called Village Takeaway and one day, one of the bottle coolers broke down. The guy who usually did the servicing for us said it just wasn’t economical to repair. When I priced a new one, I was quoted €850 plus VAT. It would take two years of selling cans of Coke to pay for that fridge so that evening, I took to Google and found the same model in the UK for a third of the price. When I rang the company selling them, they said they couldn’t sell to me as I wasn’t in the refrigeration trade.

SO WHAT DID YOU DO? I got straight onto my accountant and said, can you register Village Refrigeration as a trade name. Three days later when it was set up, I rang the UK company again and ordered the fridge. At the time the thinking was, if I can sell one of these fridges a week, it would provide a nice little wage on the side. But really from quite early on, it just snowballed. I went from selling a couple of fridges a week to turning over €2.5 million a year. I managed to turn a broken fridge into a multimillion euro business!

THAT’S A GREAT STORY! I’m still pinching myself every day. What’s really nice as well is that today, we’re the leading supplier in Ireland for the UK company that sold me that ﬁrst fridge.

SO BUSINESS IS GOOD AT THE MOMENT? Business is excellent. We have managed to grow revenue 100% per annum over the past ﬁve consecutive years. Clients range from the local corner shop to takeaways and hotel chains. We’ve supplied to the likes of Kerry and Shannon airports, Bewley’s, Hilton Group, Butlers Chocolates and Kerrygold. We’ve got as much time and respect for the guy

HOTEL

“When it comes to the equipment we sell, I know what it can do and how it works. That gives us an edge over the competition. Of course, we’ve learned a lot along the way but I think that background in the sector just gave us a bit of an edge”

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2021

022_023_September 2021_Interview_V5.indd 22

21/09/2021 18:05

Interview

Interlevin LPD Curved Range Patisserie Display

Interlevin LPD Flat Range Patisserie Display

spending €200 as we do for the guy spending €60,000. The smaller guys are our staple; after all, that’s where we’ve come from, we’re very much a grassroots company.

HOW DID LOCKDOWN AFFECT YOU? At the very beginning of Covid, things fell off a cliff for about six weeks. I remember nearly shedding a tear; we were just at the point where we were really starting to take off. The uncertainty was very hard to take, we didn’t know what damage the shutdown of the hospitality industry would have on the company. No sooner had I stopped crying than the business took off at breakneck speed.

WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT TO? Still to this day I couldn’t tell you exactly why that happened or why so much equipment was bought and sold. Partly it was down to hospitality businesses wanting to change up their kitchens when things were quiet. Traditional pubs were preparing to offer food and that required kitchen equipment. You also had premises converting to takeaway, it was convert or die at the time. Taking all those reasons into account, I still can’t justify or explain the huge jump in sales. That wasn’t just in my business either – our suppliers and competitors were all experiencing the same thing. That jump in sales hasn’t slowed down yet.

HOW DO YOU DIFFER FROM SIMILAR EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERS? I have experience on the other side of the hospitality fence. My parents had a pub in Carlow

which I used to work in. I’ve worked as a barman, as a waiter and I’ve run my own takeaway. When it comes to the equipment we sell, I know what it can do and how it works. That gives us an edge over the competition. Of course, we’ve learned a lot along the way but I think that background in the sector just gave us a bit of an edge.

DO YOU HAVE A SHOWROOM? No and I think that’s something else that makes us more competitive. We’ve got about 4,500 products on the website so a showroom wouldn’t really be possible. I think there’s an older generation who are still hesitant to purchase online. They like to see a piece of equipment in the ﬂesh, touch it, chat to the salesperson and shake their hand. It’s always a challenge to convert those guys, whereas the younger generation don’t seem to care much for showrooms. They don’t have the time awould prefer to select it online and that’s it. I think that’s the way it’s going in several industries, not just my own. The curtains are closing on the bricks and mortar stores, they’re just not competitive enough to sustain.

DO YOU SELL TO THE PUBLIC? Our main customers are in the hospitality sector, but we do sell to the general public as well. During lockdown, we were inundated with sales from people wanting to build their own bar at home. Mancave mania ensued and even now, you cannot buy a double door beer cooler in Ireland or the UK. On the commercial side, pizza ovens and chip fryers sold extremely well. I think almost every pub in the country bought those two pieces of equipment.

Interlevin Chopin Range

WHAT ARE YOUR AMBITIONS FOR THE FUTURE? I want to continue growing revenue at 100% per annum. We hope to have three warehouses in ﬁve years’ time and I can also see the ofﬁce growing in size. Our aim is to be the cheapest supplier of high quality catering equipment and the biggest name in Ireland within 10 years. It’s very easy to sell cheap, poor quality equipment; you just order it from China without doing any research, but you won’t get return of custom. Some of the best manufacturers are in China; the key is knowing the best ones. We have a contact over there who spends his time going from warehouse to warehouse and reporting back. His knowledge is second to none and that has paid dividends for us. For every 100 items we sell, we get about three service calls. That’s a very high success rate in this industry.

ISSUE 6 2021 | HOTEL

022_023_September 2021_Interview_V5.indd 23

CATERING REVIEW

21/09/2021 18:05

Sustainability

GREENING

THE IRISH MACHINE

ord Bia has published the results of one of the most extensive global surveys of thought leaders’, consumers’ and trade buyers’ attitudes to sustainability ever undertaken. The study is intended to help promote sustainability among Origin Green’s Irish food and drink businesses members and to help them promote their products based on meaningful, sustainable actions. The Origin Green Global Sustainability Survey was undertaken domestically and in 12 of Ireland’s most important export markets to understand attitudes to sustainability and emerging trends in three groups – agenda setters (advocacy groups, policy makers, industry leaders), customers (trade buyers, sustainability leads, operations leads) and consumers. The survey ﬁnds clear differences in what each group prioritises and how they see the topic of sustainability. Research across the markets indicated that emissions were a key topic for agenda setters and

HOTEL

Bord Bia’s new sustainability survey is intended to help the industry better understand how customers and consumers view the green agenda customers. These groups, particularly larger retailers, are setting science-based or net-zero targets, putting pressure on suppliers to reduce emissions and presenting sustainable suppliers with an opportunity to stand out. Two thirds of trade buyers globally say “having the lowest possible greenhouse gas emissions/carbon footprint” is important when choosing a supplier and sustainability is becoming a key purchasing criteria for trade buyers, along with quality, price and supply. However, consumers are less focused on emissions, as it is currently more difﬁcult to link the carbon footprint to the product on-shelf. Similarly, while agenda setters are very heavily focused on biodiversity, this issue is not yet on the radar for consumers in terms of making purchasing

80% of buyers say “when choosing a supplier, it’s important for them to try to reduce or eliminate food waste”

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2021

024-025_HCR_SEPTEMBER 2021_BORDBIA_V2.indd 24

21/09/2021 18:07

Sustainability

28%

of buyers believe “it’s important that suppliers are from or close to their local region”

38%

of beef consumers are “willing to pay more for beef that is quality assured”

decisions. However, as the sustainability agenda develops and becomes more important, the carbon and biodiversity impact of products will become more important to consumers. The research indicates we can expect more tipping points in the short to medium-term that will bring increased consumer and trade buyer focus on big sustainability topics. At present, consumers view food waste and packaging as the most important sustainability issues. Some 77% indicate that they have made an effort to buy products with less packaging and 87% indicate that they have made an attempt to reduce food waste in the last 12 months. For beef and dairy consumers, we see that high animal welfare standards and grass-fed are some of the most important sustainability attributes globally that can command a premium. Almost 1 in 4 (23%) beef consumers globally say they are willing to pay a premium for grass-fed beef. Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy explained the rationale behind the survey: “Origin Green members are taking action to improve the sustainability of their business across a range of metrics. The Global

Sustainability Survey, published on the Bord Bia website, will help our industry to better understand how customers and consumers view sustainability, how they can communicate their actions and values in a more impactful way and what areas they need to improve on in the years ahead. “In many areas of sustainability, Ireland already has a strong competitive advantage, for example grassfed production of beef and dairy. In others, such as food waste, this research gives us the opportunity to highlight to our members how that is a key touchstone for consumers in certain key markets and the value of meeting these expectations. The best way of encouraging action is to demonstrate how it contributes to the long-term sustainability of the business. This research makes the clear case for businesses to engage in measurable action across a range of sustainability issues.” The research found that while the sustainability agenda is accelerating, it is happening at a different pace in different countries and each market is focusing on different aspects of the sustainability conversation. In Western European markets, there is a greater focus on local food and animal welfare is closely associated with sustainability. Meanwhile, in Asian markets, where there is more of a concern over consistent, nutritious food supply, the focus in on quality and safety assurance. Sustainability is nearly as important to buyers as the long-standing priorities of quality, supply and price. The survey also identified clear benefits to companies who could demonstrate positive action and leadership on key sustainability issues. In several areas, consumers appear to be looking for greater information around key sustainability issues. Bord Bia believes there is an opportunity for Irish brands to stand out if they can communicate in a clear way. Food waste is a very definite example of this, both in terms of how food waste is avoided in production but also how consumers can do more to avoid wasting food. It also highlighted that consumers are looking for both information and leadership from food producers. The Origin Green programme is the world’s first national sustainability programme from farm to fork and members are well placed to benefit from this consumer need for leadership. Tara McCarthy identified the role that traceability and data will play in the coming years. “The importance of traceability and proof is likely to emerge in the coming years. While certification is important now, in the years ahead there will be a need for more transparent data and Irish companies can take a lead on this. Origin Green has already instilled a process of auditing and increasingly, our members are working towards measurable targets, across a range of metrics. The commitments made by the Irish agri-food sector will very much be to our advantage in the years ahead.”

24%

of buyers say “it’s important for suppliers to have products that are fully traceable or are from a transparent veriﬁable supply chain”

75% of trade buyers globally say sustainability is important to their business

60% of trade buyers globally say that Ireland is a source of sustainably produced food and drink

For more on The Origin Green Global Sustainability Survey, go to www.bordbia.ie

ISSUE 6 2021 | HOTEL

024-025_HCR_SEPTEMBER 2021_BORDBIA_V2.indd 25

CATERING REVIEW

21/09/2021 18:07

Whiskey

Method & MADNESS HITS THE MARKET

Irish Distillers has launched Method And Madness Rye And Malt Irish Whiskey, the first whiskey distilled at the micro distillery

rish Distillers is continuing to push the boundaries of Irish whiskey with the launch of METHOD AND MADNESS Rye and Malt – the first aged experimental distillate created at the company’s innovation hub in Midleton, the Micro Distillery. Created by Irish Distillers’ next generation of innovative whiskey makers, METHOD AND MADNESS Rye and Malt is a distillate-driven Irish whiskey, bursting with floral notes and a spicy character. The combination of rye with malted barley amplifies the whiskey’s naturally wide spectrum of flavours and aromas to evoke notes of lemon balm, white pepper, chilli flakes and toasted wood with a lingering finish of spiced fruit. This release was hand-crafted in the Micro Distillery under the care and creativity of Distiller Katherine Condon, who originally joined Irish Distillers as part of the company’s Graduate Distiller Programme in 2014. First experimenting in the lab to discover the ideal ratio of 60% rye to 40% malt, Condon and the team then took

HOTEL

TASTING NOTES: NOSE: Lemon Balm, Floral Lavender, Clove Spice TASTE: White Pepper, Chilli Flakes, Toasted Wood FINISH: Fading Fruits, Lingering Spice, Cereal Malt & Barley

advantage of the Micro Distillery’s manual processes, trialling varying rates of reflux and distillation to achieve the perfect crisp yet spicy flavour. The METHOD AND MADNESS journey ﬁrst began six years ago when the Micro Distillery opened its doors with a mission to further support the resurgence of Irish whiskey, drawing on research into wood influences and cereal mixes and historic mash bills from the Irish Distillers Archive. Driven by a desire to create whiskey that paid heed to tradition while searching for the new and extraordinary, the Micro Distillery team double-distilled a mash of rye and malted barley and left it to mature in ex-bourbon American oak barrels. Celebrating the launch, Katherine Condon said: “It has been an honour to be part of the Micro Distillery team from its inception in 2015 to today, sharing the ﬁrst ever drops of whiskey produced there with the world. We have been inspired by the innovators in Irish whiskey who came before us. In turn, we have questioned tradition and challenged convention to follow their inspiration and drive the Irish whiskey category forward for a new generation of creators, consumers, and indeed, suppliers.” Bottled at 46% ABV, the limited-edition METHOD AND MADNESS Rye and Malt Irish Whiskey will be available from September 20th in Ireland, the UK, Dublin Airport and online at the RRP of €95.

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2021

026_HCR_September21_Profile_Method And Madness_V1.indd 26

21/09/2021 18:14

Equipment

Me and

MyTHERMOMIX T

It’s the iPhone of kitchen gadgets with a price tag to match. But does the Thermomix live up to the hype? Oh yes, writes chef and restaurateur JP McMahon

hermomix is deﬁnitely one of my favourite pieces of equipment. When it comes down to it, it’s a very fancy blender that costs about €1000 but it’s very versatile. You can make custards, purees and ﬂavoured oils and it can also be used to dry herbs. We have two in Cava, one in Tartare, one in Aniar and I’ve also got one at home. I’ve probably got a spare one somewhere too. If you taste a puree made in a Thermomix, you’ll never go back. I mostly use it for blending and milling and making custards. The most unusual dish I’ve made in a Thermomix is oyster ice-cream. It’s really simple; you just heat all the ingredients in the Thermomix and blend it at the same time. Then you pass it and it can then be frozen. Oyster ice-cream is probably the most unusual item on the menu in Aniar. It’s inspired by savoury ice-creams from Japan, with a little taste of the West of Ireland. We put milled seaweed on top; one customer said it looks like a piece of Connemara marble.

Did you know… The Thermomix was invented in Europe in the 1960s in a time of social and political upheaval, but the success story of this kitchen appliance really began in France in 1970. At the time, there was huge demand for blended soups. The managing director of Vorwerk France came up with the idea of designing a machine that could simultaneously blend and cook. In 1971, the original Thermomix VM 2000 was launched on the market – ﬁrst in France, then later in Spain and Italy. The latest iteration, the Thermomix TM6, boasts “22 culinary functions and techniques,” including sous vide, slow-cooking and fermentation. It will boil water for tea; it will whip up a meringue or knead a batch of bread. The TM6 is controlled via touchscreen and is also Wi-Fi-enabled.

ISSUE 6 2021 | HOTEL

027_HCR_September21_Equipment_V2.indd 27

CATERING REVIEW

21/09/2021 18:10

A Quick Chat

A Quick Chat with Mark Anderson

The Culinary Director at Gather & Gather on speaking at this year’s FOTE and the simple mantra he attributes his success to

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY? I started out as a kitchen porter washing dishes in Dillons Restaurant on Suffolk Street and graduated to prepping salads and making potato salad and coleslaw. HOW DOES GATHER & GATHER DIFFER FROM OTHER CATERING COMPANIES? Rather than looking at what our competitors are doing we focus on our culture, from how we source and buy produce to ensuring we have great professional development opportunities for our teams. The main factors that set us apart are great produce and great people. We have some of the very best chefs in workplace catering, many of whom are from top hotels and restaurants. HOW DID COVID AFFECT YOU AND THE BUSINESS? It was like someone flicked a switch on workplace catering. We went from feeding thousands of people daily to almost no activity as all workplaces, with the exception of essential services, shut down. While Covid certainly had a devastating effect on workplace catering, it did give us pause to take stock and reflect on how we can do business better. That’s probably not an opportunity we would have had otherwise. HOW IMPORTANT IS AN EVENT LIKE FOOD ON THE EDGE TO GATHER & GATHER? Food on the Edge is a huge part of our culture from our years attending, speaking at it and catering for the speakers and delegates – literally feeding the best of the best. It allows Gather & Gather to put workplace catering on the same stage as some of the most brilliant forward-thinking people in the food world. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE DISH FROM ALL THE GATHER & GATHER MENUS AT THE MOMENT? I have tons of favourites but a standout dish that never fails to deliver is our take on an Ottolenghi recipe, Burnt Miso and Butterscotch Chicken with a pickled walnut, pomegranate and parsley salsa. Ottolenghi uses guinea fowl in his version, but we adapted it with chicken thighs which are incredibly tender and flavoursome. WHAT’S THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR? I’m very lucky in that my teams give me reasons to be proud every day. I’m also very proud of speaking at Food on the Edge and also of the simply amazing workplace sites I have been involved in creating over the past number of years. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? Fantastic produce and good people. Thankfully I am blessed with an abundance of both. WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS TO? I ﬁnd my simple mantra of ‘Don’t be a dick’ serves me well. Other than that, I’ve never been afraid to surround myself with people who are better at certain things than I am and I’ve also never been afraid to get things wrong.

HOTEL

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2021

028_HCR_September21_QuickChat_V1.indd 28

27/09/2021 10:02

Untitled-4 1

21/09/2021 17:52

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

Untitled-4 1 Echo Water_1C_JM_HC Aug_V1.indd 1

21/09/2021 30/08/2021 17:52 12:12