Hotel & Catering Review - April 2016

APRIL 2016

FoodService

Academy FROM BORD BIA AND MUSGRAVE MARKETPLACE

GAME ON

JAMJOU SOFTWARE A BIG HIT AT JURYS INN

21ST CENTURY GUEST

FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY COMES TO GALWAY

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CALLING ALL SPONSORS NOW WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR?

For the first time in their 28-year history, the Keelings Farm Fresh Gold Medal Awards are being hosted outside Dublin at the 5 Star Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny on Tuesday, September 27, 2016. Held in association with Hotel & Catering Review, the 2016 event is expected to attract an audience of 600.

WHY GET INVOLVED? INCREASE

your corporate presence by supporting and encouraging best in class, excellence and innovation in your sponsored category.

REWARD

staff, suppliers, and valued customers by bringing them with you to celebrate at the only hospitality and catering awards that are both independently adjudicated and site inspected.

NETWORK

with influential decision makers at this prestigious black tie event that includes a gala dinner and presentation ceremony.

For further information: Contact: Hilary O’Shaughnessy, Sales, Marketing & Sponsorship Manager Email: hilary.oshaughnessy@ashvillemediagroup.com Mobile: +353 (0)86 3808 177

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APRIL 2016

FoodService

Academy FROM BORD BIA AND MUSGRAVE MARKETPLACE

GAME ON

Go to issuu.com/ ashvillemedia for the online edition

APRIL 2016

JAMJOU SOFTWARE A BIG HIT AT JURYS INN

CONTENTS

21ST CENTURY GUEST

FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY COMES TO GALWAY

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Cover image by: Bord Bia & Musgrave MarketPlace.

IN THIS ISSUE

COVER STORY

DRIVING SME SALES GROWTH

The foodservice market is delivering real growth and value for Irish food and drink companies. The ‘out of home’ market is forecast to grow to almost 6.9bn by 2018, so this is an area that we are encouraging companies to develop.”

Maureen Gahan, Bord Bia Foodservice Specialist

13 18 20 22 26 28 30 35

Power W FLOUR

Cultivating grains, grinding them into flour, and transforming indigestible grasses into porridges, and later bread, has been a part of human culture and development for thousands of years.

#INGREDIENT

heat, in its many varieties, is the staple crop for many cultures and is the most commonly traded food crop in the world.

Our dependence on it means it has been heavily industrialised, creating new higher yielding varieties. And the invention of the roller mill for the production of white flour extended its shelf-life and allowed it to be shipped all over the world. However, this removes much of the nutritional value. The organic flours produced

by Andrew and Leonie Workman on their 260 acre farm in Co Louth could not be further from this. Grown in the rich fertile organic soils of the east coast, their organic wheat, rye and spelt are cultivated and milled entirely on their farm.

Their flour is milled to order on a traditional stone-mill, retaining the components and nutritional benefits of the grain, and ensuring it is as fresh as possible. This is a fourth generation business growing traditional varieties of wheat and other grains, and also experimenting with crops to suit low gluten or gluten free foods and wheat alternatives.

EXPERIMENT WITH GRAINS • Wholemeal: A wholegrain wheat flour, containing all parts of the wheat grain; the germ, endosperm and bran. Dunany sell their wholemeal flour fine ground or extra coarse. Extra coarse is sweet and nutty and makes exceptional traditional brown or soda bread. The fine ground version combines well with other flours.

TIP: Try it to add texture and flavour to pastry and pizza

bases, or use it as a substitute for some of the white flour in muffins and scones.

• Spelt: Cultivated since 5000 BC, it is a relative of modern wheat and a good source of amino acids, B vitamins and dietary fibre, and is easier to digest than standard wheat. Dunany sell organic wholemeal spelt flour, as well as organic spelt berries, which are actually the whole kernel of the spelt seed.

TIP: Spelt berries need to be pre-cooked and can then

be used to add nutty flavour and texture to salads, or to make a ‘risotto’, or as an alternative to rice.

For enquiries contact: Andrew Workman on 086 3397551 or info@dunanyflour.com or see www.dunanyflour.com for more information

NEWS

08

ON THE

MOVE

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34

THE DOOR

TRENDS

Game-Based Training Increases Revenue at Jurys Inn

Tourism Trends All Regions Report Growth But Challenges Remain

Marketing Automated Ad Buying Targeting Customers When They Want to Buy.

Profile

Get The Wild Atlantic Way Experience at Spanish Point.

Food Heroes Good Food Ireland Launches Gourmet Getaways

#Ingredients Flour Power - Why Not Experiment with Grains.

breads. Its intensely fruity flavour makes it delicious in fruited cakes, breads and scones.

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KEY TO INTERIOR APRIL 2016 | HOTEL

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Training

TIP: Rye is excellent for making tasty sour dough

REGULARS

03

Radisson’s New GM on Catering for the 21st Century Guest.

• Rye: Another cereal grain from the broad wheat family and closely related to barley, rye is considered very nutritious and has a rich dark colour and deep flavour. It is commonly used in bread-making in Eastern and Northern Europe. Pumpernickel bread is, in fact, made from coarsely ground whole rye berries, also known as pumpernickel flour.

APRIL 2016 | HOTEL

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Interview

Awards Preview Meet the 2016 Sponsors.

36

A Quick Chat With

Elaine Murphy of The Washerwoman

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Editorial & Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Editorial Assistant: Orla Connolly Art Director: Alan McArthur Layout & Design: Jennifer Reid Stock Photography: Thinkstock.com Infographics: www.flaticon.com Production: Nicole Ennis Sales Director: Paul Clemenson Managing Director: Gerry Tynan Chairman: Diarmaid Lennon Published by:

Ashville Media, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7.

Tel: (01) 432 2200 ISSN: 0332-4400 All rights reserved. Every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate. The publishers cannot, however, accept responsibility for errors or omissions. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © Ashville Media Group 2016.

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 T

here was more good news for Irish tourism on April 7th when the Dublin Airport Authority confirmed that the project to build a new two-mile long runway at Dublin Airport will go ahead. The runway is scheduled for completion by 2020. Since 2014, the airport has experienced 15% growth in passenger numbers and long haul travel from Terminal 2 is up by 65%. Notwithstanding the possible negative impact on passenger numbers of further terrorist strikes, when you combine these figures with the upturn in the domestic economy, it is clear that this new runway is a much needed piece of transport infrastructure. Also, the increased capacity at Dublin Airport will help deliver on the growth targets set out in the Government’s Tourism Action Plan.

In fact, on April 20th the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC) said that the Action Plan goal of overseas visitors spending 5bn by 2025 is too modest. ITIC points out that the industry’s strong recent growth has meant that overseas earnings from tourism have already risen to 4.2bn per annum.

“As tourism leaders we can’t be satisfied with two per cent annual growth for our industry,” says ITIC’s Chairman Paul Gallagher. “A figure of four per cent annual growth should be eminently achievable for tourism. This would equate to 6.2bn annual expenditure by overseas visitors and crucially would create an additional 50,000 jobs.”

ITIC is also calling for the nine per cent VAT rate to become a permanent budgetary feature and for a Strategic Development Zone to be established to fast-track building in Dublin to ensure that the supply of hotel bedrooms keeps pace with growth in visitor demand. A new government is being formed (we hope!) so there is an opportunity for an incoming administration to look at things anew, including a formal review of the national strategic plan for tourism. In addition, maintaining the VAT rate is vital to ensure that the benefits of overseas earnings are felt throughout the country, particularly outside larger urban areas and traditional tourism hotspots.

HOTEL

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

Maev Martin www.hotelandcateringreview.ie @HC_Review

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Editor: Maev Martin

@

info@hotelandcateringreview.ie

www.facebook.com/hotelandcateringreview

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

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NEWS WESTBURY

At the launch of the 2016 Pallas Foods Foodbook are Colm Greensmith, Development Chef, Dan Geary, President of Pallas Foods, and Patrick Clement, Business Development Manager.

PALLAS LAUNCHES 20TH EDITION OF FOODBOOK

BECOMES VITUOSO MEMBER The Doyle Collection’s Dublin flagship, The Westbury has been awarded membership of luxury travel industry network Virtuoso. It becomes only the third hotel in Dublin, and the 13th in Ireland, to be granted membership of the prestigious network. “The Doyle Collection are very excited to announce that our flagship hotel, The Westbury, has been accepted onto Virtuoso by invitation only, the most prestigious and established travel network in the world,” says Pat King, CEO of The Doyle Collection. “This acceptance is a true reflection of a much loved, Irish family hotel business that prides itself on unparalleled service, attention to the finer details and our signature warmth of welcome.”

Vincent O’Gorman, General Manager at The Westbury, says the hotel looks forward to welcoming Virtuoso travel advisors and their guests very soon. Virtuoso travel advisors partner with clients in order to craft the perfect vacation. The network currently spans North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. A member of Leading Hotels of the World, The Westbury has 205 guest rooms, including 27 suites and a presidential suite.

Pallas Foods recently launched their 20th annual Foodbook for Irish hotel, café, bar and restaurant kitchens. Pallas Foods supplies the international and locally sourced products to over 9,000 hospitality businesses across the island of Ireland and the Foodbook features over 4,000 products sourced locally and abroad. To get your hands on the new Pallas Foods 2016 Foodbook, contact your local Pallas Foods representative or call the Pallas Foods team directly on (069) 20200 or +44 (0) 8453 990845 if calling from Northern Ireland. The Foodbook is also available online at www.pallasfoods.com.

DROMOLAND GOES HI-TECH WITH 15M REVAMP Dromoland Castle is going hi-tech as part of a 15m revamp. The Co Clare-based luxury resort is currently trialling touchscreens in four of its rooms to allow guests to adjust lights and temperature. The hotel is budgeting 5,000 per room for the new technology. The upgrade is part of a three-year restoration plan which includes conserving the castle’s windows and decor. The five-star hotel has 250 bedrooms and employs 500 staff in high season. While 60% of Dromoland Castle’s customers are from North America, it is planning to grow its Asian and developing markets occupancy by four per cent this year.

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‘DRIVE’ TO WOO BRITISH TOURISTS Tourism Ireland and four Irish tourism companies had a presence at the 2016 Goodwood Members’ Meeting, which took place recently at the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit in Chichester, southern England. The meeting was run exclusively for the members of the Goodwood Road Racing Club (GRRC) and their guests. “The event was a wonderful opportunity to continue to highlight driving routes like the Grand Tour of Kildare and Wicklow, the Causeway Coastal Route, and the Wild Atlantic Way,” says Tourism Ireland’s Head of Great Britain Vanessa Markey.

Above: Billy Nutt, Nutt Travel; Jemma Johnston, Galgorm Resort & Spa; Emma-Jayne Anderson, Nutt Travel; Des Burke, Tourism Ireland; Gretchen Ridgeway, Ireland’s Blue Book; Emily Dodd, Tourism Ireland; and Caroline Boland, Dingle Peninsula Tourism, on the Tourism Ireland stand at the 2016 Goodwood Members’ Meeting in Chichester.

Maurizio Mastrangelo and Marco Giannantonio, Flavour of Italy

FLAVOUR OF ITALY SECURES CROWD FUNDING FOR PINOCCHIO Linked Finance has raised 40,000 in funding through its online lending platform to finance the opening of a new restaurant and concept store, Pinocchio, in Dublin’s Temple Bar for the Flavour of Italy food business.

The concept store will cater for corporate events and provide cookery classes in Dublin city centre. Founded in 2005 by Maurizio Mastrangelo and Marco Giannantonio, Flavour of Italy was originally established as a distribution company specialising in authentic Italian food products.

It now includes their Pinocchio restaurant and wine bar in Ranelagh, an Italian school of cooking, outdoor catering services, and a travel agency specialising in tours around Italy for food lovers. To date, Linked Finance lenders have supported over 170 businesses throughout Dublin, raising over 4m for local companies. Peter O’Mahony, CEO of Linked Finance, says that the company’s lenders currently have over 10m in funds readily available to lend to Irish businesses. Launched in 2013, Linked Finance has a lender base of over 11,000 people, bringing together SMEs and members of the public who are looking to lend to businesses at a competitive interest rate return. To date, the average loan value provided through the platform is 28,000, typically over a three-year term.

MALTON HOSTS TEA PARTY FOR DOWN SYNDROME KERRY

Claire and Annemarie Scally of The Malton with TV3’s Colette Fitzpatrick (centre).

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HOTEL

TV3’s Colette Fitzpartick and Aisling O’Loughlin and their families supported The Malton’s Easter themed Bunny Hop Tea Party on March 20th in aid of Down Syndrome Kerry. Over 400 local families enjoyed an afternoon of fun and activities, including an animal road show, bouncy castle, magic show, face painting, and a children’s dance. The Malton’s Executive Head Chef, Will Fitzgerald, created a tempting Afternoon Tea and each guest departed with a Malton goodie bag. The event was hosted by the Scally family and all profits from the event will be donated to non-government funded charity Down Syndrome Kerry.

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DERRY SUPPORTS ROWING RACE RECORD BID

TV Chef Derry Clarke and David Conroy of Flogas Ireland at the launch of Vartry Rowing Clubs’ 2016 Celtic Challenge in aid of Console.

NEARLY 200 NEW CHEFS ENTER INDUSTRY Almost 200 aspiring chefs have graduated from Fáilte Ireland’s pilot Commis Chef Programme. Initiated last November, in excess of 95% of participants have secured jobs as a result of this programme. The competencybased training was delivered in 12 locations over eight to 10 weeks. The 190 graduates can now progress to the Culinary Apprenticeship, which is currently being developed in conjunction with the IHF, RAI and others.

The following businesses participated in the programme: Howth Castle; Ryeland House Cookery School, Kilkenny; Just Cooking, Killarney; Donegal Cookery School; St Angela’s College, Lough Hill, Co Sligo; The Swilly Group, Letterkenny; ETB Limerick; School of Food, Thomastown; The School of Cookery, Artane; Bray Institute of Further Education; Hook and Ladder, Tramore and Cooks Academy, South William Street, Dublin.

Six aspiring chefs from Kerry and Cork have successfully graduated from Fáilte Ireland’s pilot Commis Chef Programme which was delivered by Mark Doe and his wife Bernie of ‘Just Cooking’, Cookery School, Firies, Killarney. Pictured from left, Seamus O’Sullivan, Ballineen, Cork, Noelle McLoughlin, Kinsale, Bernie Doe, Just Cooking, Amy O’Sullivan, Bantry, Dr Dean Panter, Fáilte Ireland, Operations Manager, Deirdre Donohue, Killarney, John Farrell, Ballybunion, Mark Doe, ‘Just Cooking’ and Anna Kurdziel, Killorglin.

Chef Derry Clarke and David Conroy from club sponsor Flogas Ireland were happy to ‘row in’ and help Vartry Rowing Club in Wicklow officially launch its campaign to raise funds for Console, the suicide prevention and intervention organisation, by taking part in the 2016 Celtic Challenge, the world’s longest rowing race. A squad of 12 from the senior men’s team attempted to row their way to victory in the non-stop 96 mile race from Arklow to Aberystwyth in Wales from April 30th to May 1st. Derry has been a keen supporter of the Club for many years. He and his boat, ‘SallyAnne’, have been their main backup support for the Celtic Challenge.

TAKE THE

CONO SUR

CHEF CHALLENGE

Cono Sur and Pallas Foods are inviting chefs in the Republic of Ireland to submit an original recipe that complements the prestigious 20 Barrels wines from Cono Sur. Chefs are invited to upload their recipes with photos to www.

ConoSurChefChallenge.com to be in with a chance to win a first class trip for two to Paris for a gourmet weekend away.

Entries close on May 6th. Five semi-finalists will then be chosen for a cook-off on June 1st at the Pallas Foods’ Foods Solution Centre in Dublin, where a select panel of judges will choose the top three chefs to go through to the finale on June 13th. The judges will be assisted by Cono Sur General Manager and Chief Winemaker Adolfo Hurtado who will decide which recipe is the best match for his Barrels range.

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Joseph & Stephanie Bacot d’Alteroche from France celebrating their honeymoon at Ballynahinch Castle Hotel & Spa.

GREEN TAKES ROOT AT BALLYNAHINCH CASTLE The Global Greening initiative has taken root at Ballynahinch Castle Hotel & Estate. To support the greening of the planet, every guest at the hotel planted a native hardwood on St Patrick’s Day. This is part of a wider initiative at the hotel where, over the past 10 years, in excess of 12,000 oak and beech trees have been planted. Many of these are planted by their guests who are given the opportunity to participate in this unique experience with their gardeners.

Each tree planted is recorded in the tree register and most are dedicated to a loved one or in celebration of a special event in their guest’s lives.

David Fountain, Head Chef for Sodexo at PayPal in Dundalk.

HOTELYMPIA MEDAL FOR PAYPAL CHEF David Fountain, Head Chef at PayPal Dundalk, won a bronze medal at the Sodexo UK and Ireland Chef of the Year Final at Hotelympia in London recently. In his first time to represent Ireland at the Finals, David faced heated competition from other company chefs in England, Scotland and Wales. The Finals are run to the same exacting standards as the Culinary Olympics, one of the largest culinary competitions in the world. In front of a large audience, with judges that included Michelin starred chefs Raymond Blanc OBE and Derry Clarke looking over their shoulders, David and his Commis Chef Stephen Grimes from SAP Ireland had to prepare a three-course meal in 90 minutes. David’s starter was a hake fillet with peas, purée, pickled girolles, langoustines and pancetta lardons followed by an assiette of guinea fowl, with a haysmoked breast, ballotine and lollipop leg, heritage vegetables, potato mousseline and port jus. His dessert was a chocolate tart with lime cream and coconut. In recognition of his achievement, David was invited to visit and lunch as a guest of Raymond Blanc at his two Michelin starred hotel-restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, England.

OPTIMISE YOUR WEBSITE FOR MOBILE

Pictured at the briefing are: Pat McKeown, Fáilte Ireland Mentor – FF Solutions, Colm Breheny, Fáilte Ireland, Christine Charlton, Westmeath LEO, Graham Glynn, Fáilte Ireland Mentor, OSD Digital Agency, and Barry Walsh, Fáilte Ireland Mentor, OSD Digital Agency.

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HOTEL

Fáilte Ireland and Westmeath Local Enterprise Office recently hosted a breakfast briefing for 25 tourism businesses from across counties Westmeath, Offaly and Roscommon. The event, which took place in the Sheraton Hotel in Athlone, focused on ‘Optimising Your Website for Mobile.’“The role mobile technology has in driving additional bookings and revenue to tourism businesses is critical in today’s competitive environment,” says Stephen Dudley, Manager of Business Supports with Fáilte Ireland. “The commercial reality is that if users don’t find what they are looking for right away on a mobile site, they will quickly move on to another competitor site.”

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GRUBS UP IN GALWAY

GIBSON HOSTS

1916’S ‘UNTOLD STORIES’ Historians Joe Mooney and Hugo McGuinness from the East Wall History Group and the North Dock Peoples Voice Project are celebrating men and women from the community who played significant roles during Easter week 1916 via an exhibition of powerful photography at The Gibson Hotel in Dublin’s docklands. The free of charge exhibition is running for four weeks from March 23rd and features a never seen before note signed by James Connolly to Christina Caffrey, a member of the Irish Citizen Army from March 1916. “We are proud to host this special exhibition and believe that visitors will be humbled by the stories of the brave men and women who played significant roles in the Rising,” says Nicky Logue, General Manager at The Gibson Hotel.

Galway will be one of just two European Regions of Gastronomy in 2018. ‘Galway – West of Ireland’ and North Brabant in the Netherlands were named as the successful bidders for 2018 at a meeting of International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism experts in Den Bosch last month.

The European Region of Gastronomy Award recognises innovation and integration in gastronomy, culture, tourism and economy.

Successful bidders go on to mount a major, year-long programme showcasing their region and its produce.

Catalonia and Minho in Portugal are this year’s European Regions of Gastronomy, with Riga-Gauja and Aarhus/ Central Denmark set to follow in 2017.

PROMOTING THE ISLAND OF IRELAND Seventeen tourism companies from around the island of Ireland joined Tourism Ireland at the recent British Tourism and Travel Show at the NEC in Birmingham. The annual event for the travel trade in Britain attracts more than 3,000 coach tour operators and group travel organisers, including leading travel companies like Albatross Travel Group, Expedia.com, First Choice Holidays and JacTravel. The two-day event gave participating companies the opportunity to do business with key players in the British travel trade, encouraging them to introduce Ireland into their programmes or to extend the programmes in which Ireland already features.

A nationwide poll has been launched asking the public to nominate their favourite place to eat and stay. The top three in each province and Dublin will be site inspected by the judging panel.

Their scores will be combined with the scores from the Public Vote to decide the winner in each of the five provincial categories, along with the overall People’s Choice Award Winners.

GET SOCIAL! If you want to participate, just drop Tara an email at tara. brady@ashvillemediagroup. com. Follow us on @HC_Review and get tweeting using #KeelingsGoldMedal. Get your customers to tell us where their favourite places to eat and stay are! Every nomination counts!

GET IN TOUCH Visit www.hotelandcateringreview.ie /awards/ for more details.

Jim Maher, Select Hotels of Ireland; Judith Cassidy, Tourism Ireland; and Neil Grant, Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery, at the British Tourism and Travel Show.

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NEW FOR 2016 PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS We need the public to tell us their favourite places to eat and stay around Ireland!

In partnership with the Irish Independent and Hotel & Catering Review, we want to get the word out about the awards.

FOR EVENT ENQUIRIES: Please contact Tara, Event Manager, on 01 432 2232 or email tara.brady@ashvillemediagroup.com

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ON THE MOVE

Move

On the

RACHEL WALKER

AIDAN DEMPSEY

DAN MURPHY

NEW POSITION CORPORATE SALES MANAGER

NEW POSITION HOTEL MANAGER

NEW POSITION MANAGING DIRECTOR

EMPLOYER HAYFIELD MANOR, KILLARNEY ROYAL & THE MALTON KILLARNEY

EMPLOYER THE SHELBOURNE

EMPLOYER GALWAY BAY HOTEL

Rachel Walker is the new Corporate Sales Manager for Hayfield Manor, Killarney Royal and The Malton Killarney. She will be based in Dublin. Rachel holds a Bachelors Degree in Tourism Studies with French, a postgraduate Certificate in Information Technology, and a Certificate in Life and Business Coaching. She has worked in the Grand Place in Bruxelles, Belgium, for the Office of Promotion of Social Tourism, and for Atlantic Golf/European Travel Management in Westport in Connecticut in the US. On her return to Ireland she worked with Abbey Tours and Brendan Tours before working in a number of hotels, including the original nine Great Southern Hotels, Druids Glen Hotel in Wicklow and The Dylan Hotel, Dublin. Rachel won Network Dublin Business Woman of the Year in 2014.

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New Appointments, Promotions and Recruitment

HOTEL

Aidan Dempsey has been appointed as Hotel Manager at The Shelbourne in Dublin.

He joins The Shelbourne from The Westbury Hotel where he held the position of Deputy General Manager, having initially been appointed Director of Rooms in 2011. Aidan worked in The Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, before returning to Ireland in 2006 to work for The Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin.

He was also Guest Services Manager at The Four Seasons Hotel London at Canary Wharf and Front Office Manager at The Fitzwilliam Hotel in Dublin. In 2009 Aidan was awarded ‘Hospitality Manager of the Year Rooms Division / Revenue in 2012’ by the Irish Hospitality Institute.

Dan Murphy has been appointed Managing Director of the Galway Bay Hotel. He has been with the hotel in the role of General Manager for the past 17 years and has been a Director of the company since 2008.

Prior to this Dan spent five years working in senior management roles within the Hilton Hotel Group in North America before returning to Cork to work as Operations Manager in the Rochestown Park Hotel. A native of Cork, Dan completed his hotel and catering studies in the Cork Institute of Technology and is a former winner of the prestigious Irish Hospitality Institute’s Hotel Manager of the Year Award.

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ON THE MOVE

JOB VACANCY General Manager JOE GREEN NEW POSITION HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT

Galway Bay Hotel currently has a vacancy for an experienced General Manager. Reporting to the Managing Director, the General Manager will be a business leader, with responsibility for maximizing performance of the operation, including guest satisfaction, employee engagement, financial performance, sales and revenue.

EMPLOYER AMARIS HOSPITALITY

Amaris Hospitality has appointed Joe Green as Head of Development for the Group. He will be responsible for identifying and pursuing new development and acquisition opportunities for Amaris Hospitality across all its key markets, with a particular focus on growing the Jurys Inn hotel property portfolio in key strategic locations. Joe Green will also oversee the development of a strategy to optimise the Amaris Hospitality property portfolio, which currently includes 74 hotels trading under brands such as Jurys Inn, Mercure, MGallery, Ibis Styles, DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn. Prior to joining Amaris, Joe Green held a senior position with Lloyds Banking Group where he managed numerous real estate loan portfolio transactions.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE This ‘hands on’ role requires the ideal candidate to have the following: • • • •

A minimum of 5+ years previous senior Hotel Operations experience Excellent interpersonal, organizational and leadership skills.

Requires excellent communication skills, both verbal and written Experience within the Irish Market would be advantageous.

APPLICATIONS IN CONFIDENCE TO:

Post

Dan Murphy, Managing Director Galway Bay Hotel The Promenade, Salthill, Galway Email dmurphy@galwaybayhotel.com Phone 091-518315

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COVER STORY

FoodService

ACADEMY

TO DRIVE GROWTH The inaugural Musgrave MarketPlace and Bord Bia FoodService Academy programme is helping nine Irish food and drink companies to grow their sales in the rapidly expanding ‘out of home’ market.

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HOTEL

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COVER STORY

T

he programme aims to help the companies achieve growth within Musgrave MarketPlace’s foodservice business, which works with over 6,000 customers each week ranging from hotels and restaurants to pubs and nursing homes.

Participants for the 2016 programme were confirmed following a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event that took place at Musgrave MarketPlace Head Office and Cash & Carry in Dublin on February 11th. Thirteen food and drink producers had the opportunity to meet with and present their products to Musgrave MarketPlace Trading Managers, Category Managers and Leinster-based Sales Representatives. From this initial group of companies, a final cohort of nine were selected to join the programme.

The nine companies that have been chosen to participate are: Atlantis Seafood, a family seafood business based in Wexford; Blanco Nino, Europe’s only producer of authentic corn tortillas and unfried tortilla chips made in Tipperary; Coffee House Lane, a Waterford family run coffee roaster; Lily’s Tea Shop, blenders of a range of premium, loose leaf teas as well as matcha tea and premium tea pyramids, who are based in Louth; Nobó, the dairy free ice-cream producer, which is made without any refined sugar, gums or stabilisers; Maria Lucia Bakes, a Dublin producer of gourmet gluten, wheat and dairy free granola cereals; Kildare’s Outdoor Oinks, a range of Bord Bia approved pork and bacon products; Tipperary Kitchen, a family run artisan bakery producing a range of handcrafted meringues, dessert sauces and chocolate biscuit cake; and Wildberry Bakery, an artisan gluten free bakery in Cork that uses clean ingredients for small batch production.

“Bord Bia is delighted to work with Musgrave MarketPlace on the inaugural FoodService Academy, as both organisations are keen to help small businesses in the market to develop and grow their sales,” says Maureen Gahan, Bord Bia’s Foodservice Specialist. “The foodservice market is delivering real growth and value for Irish food and drink companies, as is evidenced in our recent industry report. The ‘out of home’ market is now worth 6.37bn and is forecast to grow to almost

6.9bn by 2018, so this is an area that we are encouraging companies to develop”.

The FoodService Academy initiative follows on from the success of Musgrave’s SuperValu Food Academy programme, which was run in conjunction with Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Offices. “We are now looking forward to bringing a similar programme to Irish foodservice producers through MarketPlace,” says Sheena Forde, Commercial Director, Musgrave Marketplace. “A number of the participating companies are Food Academy graduates so we are proud to be in a position to introduce their products to our foodservice customer base. As the largest and fastest growing wholesaler in Ireland, we are ideally placed to understand the needs of the foodservice market and, as an Irish family business, we are delighted to work with small Irish manufacturers, many of which are familyowned, to give them a head start in the market.

The FoodService Academy programme offers a combination of commercial and marketing expertise and will provide invaluable consumer insight for the companies involved. We would like to acknowledge the excellent support of Bord Bia throughout the development of this programme.

Their shared passion for supporting Irish food business has been evident throughout.’’

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW The programme itself comprises of four day long workshops and eight hours of bespoke mentoring per company taking place over a four month period. The first workshop kicked off on March 24th. Workshop themes will include: Foodservice Sector Overview and an Introduction to Musgrave MarketPlace; Understanding the MarketPlace Procurement Structure; Developing Key Account Management Through Sales & Marketing Support; and Servicing the End Foodservice Customer. Representatives from Musgrave MarketPlace Head Office, Distribution Depot and Sales Teams will participate at the workshops, sharing relevant and practical insights with participants to help them better understand Musgrave MarketPlace’s listing process, food safety requirements, distribution model, and sales and marketing support programme.

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COVER STORY

Meet

THE PRODUCER

ATLANTIS SEAFOOD/KILMORE QUAY

Family business working directly with local fishermen.

Product range includes smoked and breaded lines.

John Kenny M: 086 2323 186 E: jkenny@atlantis.ie W: www.kilmorequayseafood.ie

LILY'S TEA SHOP

Blenders of a range of premium, award-winning loose leaf teas, matcha tea and premium tea pyramids.

Dom McGroddy M: 087 776 6988 E: info@lilysteashop.ie W: www.lilysteashop.ie

NOBÓ

Dairy free ice-cream producer, made without any refined sugar, gums or stabilisers Brian Nolan M: 087 148 0377 E: hello@nobo.ie W: www.nobo.ie

BLANCO NINO

Europe’s only producer of authentic corn tortillas and un-fried tortilla chips.

Phil Martin M: 087 788 3744 E: phil@blanco-nino.com W: www.blanco.nino.com

MARIA LUCIA BAKES

Award-winning range of gourmet gluten, wheat and dairy free granola cereals.

Maria Betts M: 087 226 7735 E: maria@marialuciabakes.com W: www.marialuciabakes.com

TIPPERARY KITCHEN

Family-run bakery producing a range of meringues, dessert sauces and chocolate biscuit cake.

Ann Marie Walsh M: 086 824 6310 E: annmarie@thetipperarykitchen.ie W: www.thetipperarykitchen.ie

COFFEE HOUSE LANE

Family-owned and run coffee roaster based in Waterford.

Mark Bergin M: 087 929 9297 E: mark@coffeewarehouse.ie W: www.coffeewarehouse.ie

OUTDOOR OINKS / AP FINE FOODS

Range of Bord Bia approved pork and bacon products produced from outdoor reared pigs.

Alison Cummins M: 087 620 4767 E: alisoncummins@outlook.com W: www.facebook.com/outdooroinks/

WILDBERRY BAKERY

Artisan, gluten free bakery using clean ingredients for small batch production.

Susan Fehily M: 086 835 5837 E: wildberrybakery@gmail.com W: www.wildberrybakery.com

#FSAcademy

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INTERVIEW

Experience

INTERACTIVE DINING at

RADISSON BLU Since Andrew Drysdale took over as General Manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa he has hit the ground running, with culinary and technological changes that he believes will better cater for the 21st century guest.

A

ndrew has been working with Carlson Rezidor since 2002 when he took up his first assignment at the Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa Limerick. He has progressed through the ranks with roles in the Radisson Blu Farnham Estate Cavan, Park Inn by Radisson Shannon and also as Assistant Manager at the Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa in Galway.

One of Andrew’s first projects in his new role as General Manager at the Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa is the redevelopment of the hotel’s ground floor.

“We invested heavily in revitalising our bedroom product over the years and that has been very successful for us but we have lagged behind with our ground floor facilities – the reception/lobby, our main hotel bar and restaurant, the ballroom, and other public areas – so we will be refurbishing them over the next 18 months.

The aim is to have them finished before season 2017 kicks off. Running in tandem with that is the development of the product and service offering to match the new branding that will be put in place following the refurbishment.” The Shannon native joins from Farnham Estate Golf & Spa Resort, Co Cavan where he worked as General Manager since 2012. “The Farnham Estate in Cavan was very much a destination experience where guests were looked after thoroughly from arrival to departure and the experience was service led,” he says. “I want to bring some of that strategy and focus on the customer to the Radisson in Galway. Of course, that is there already in the Radisson but I want to enhance it even further.”

CASUAL SPACES TO ENJOY FOOD The hotel’s Veranda lounge, which may be rebranded, will be the first to be refurbished and Andrew is keen to create a “unique social space where cooking will be at the centre of the room.

There will be a live cooking area, with a BBQ, grilled meats, and a wood fired pizza oven, and that will be the centre of the room. The guests can interact with the chef while he is preparing their pizza or whatever they have ordered. This is quite a common dining approach around the

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INTERVIEW

THE MODERN GUEST DOESN’T NECESSARILY WANT THE STARCHY RESTAURANT WITH THE WHITE LINEN AND THE FINE CHINA. THEY WANT CASUAL DINING SPACES WHERE THEY CAN RELAX AND ENJOY GOOD FOOD.

world now but it will be unique within our group in Ireland and around Galway city as you are more likely to see this dining approach in Ireland in a bar rather than in a hotel setting. We want the customer engaging with the chef at the pizza oven and the grill so that they see the whole process from start to finish. I want the dining experience to be very interactive because that is what customers want.

The modern guest doesn’t necessarily want the starchy restaurant with the white linen and the fine china. They want casual dining spaces where they can relax and enjoy good food. They know who is

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preparing their meals and how they are preparing them - and the ingredients can be picked by the customers - so we will be giving them a unique food experience.”

INNOVATION At Farnham Estate the food and drink experience is very important. In Galway, the corporate business is important mid week so Andrew says they have to look at developing their WiFi and TV facilities.

“The corporate client wants a good WiFi experience and wants some level of entertainment and they are usually using their own device for that,” he says. “With

this in mind we are developing a product that allows them to experience Netflix on their own device but they can also swipe it to the large TV screen in their bedroom.

We are about to invest in a technology that I don’t believe is in Ireland yet – Miracast is a wireless technology that your PC can use to project your mobile screen to TVs. A lot of our clients in Galway work for multi-national companies so we have to match or exceed what they are experiencing abroad. In addition, with our WiFi we will have one gigabyte of speed coming into the hotel which is extremely fast so people who want to use Netflix or You Tube will have the speed to allow them to do that comfortably. However, our key market in the hotel is the leisure market and we have developed a new family offering in the Radisson Group called Global Explorer which focuses on what is available for children in the bedrooms and food outlets. Children get a goody bag when they check in and we organise a treasure hunt around the hotel for them at specific times. They get their own currency that they can use to buy specific drinks at the hotel bar. We have had great feedback from this initiative throughout the group in Europe so it is being rolled out in Ireland.” With the re-development of the ground floor at the Radisson, Andrew is also establishing a new operations team. “This will ensure that we deliver on and exceed customers expectations,” he says. “We recruited a new food and drink manager recently and he will focus on enhancing the service concept that will be put in place in all outlets.”

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DESTINATION GALWAY The Radisson Hotel & Spa Galway is a long-standing supporter and sponsor of the Galway Film Fleadh and the Galway Arts Festival. “They are key events in the city and we are proud to have our name associated with both festivals,” he says. “Galway is bidding to become the European Capital of Culture in 2020. The Food on the Edge event has really put the city on the map as a food destination. The organisers met us recently and it sounds like it will be very exciting this year. We are also involved in the Galway Food Festival for the first time this year. And our sponsorship of the Streets of Galway 8KM Race is another new event for us.”

Fáilte Ireland has identified the ability to cross sell as a weakness in the industry, including among hoteliers, but Andrew says that cross selling is very prevalent in Galway. “For example, Meet in Galway is a collection of venues, hotels, travel companies and conference organisers who have joined forces to ensure that Galway is an attractive destination for meetings and conferences overseas, as well nationally, and the Radisson Hotel Galway is an active member,” he says. “From a brand perspective, the Radisson has an initiative called ‘Raise the Bar’. This is where a member of the sales team gets a lead but can’t accommodate the customer’s request in their own operation so they share that lead with other locations in the Group. If that business books within one of our hotels the sales person receives remuneration for generating the business in the first place. The Radisson business ethos is to support your own destination

WE ARE ABOUT TO INVEST IN A TECHNOLOGY THAT I DON’T BELIEVE IS IN IRELAND YET MIRACAST IS A WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY THAT YOUR PC CAN USE TO PROJECT YOUR MOBILE SCREEN TO TVS. A LOT OF OUR CLIENTS IN GALWAY WORK FOR MULTI-NATIONAL COMPANIES SO WE HAVE TO MATCH OR EXCEED WHAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING ABROAD.

first and, if the business doesn’t suit, you then try to keep it in the group.”

UPPING THEIR GAME ONLINE I attended a recent seminar on hoteliers’ relationships with OTAs and one of the speakers was extremely critical of the quality of Irish hotel websites. Are hoteliers currently competing well with OTAs or do they need to up their game online? “Probably not on an individual basis because they are so big and they invest so much in e-commerce and in their Google position,” he says. “Even on a global basis it is very difficult to compete with them because it is the core of their business and only a portion, albeit a big portion, of our business, so individual hotels have to develop their e-commerce and e-marketing expertise. We are starting to recruit for an e-commerce marketing manager at the moment and we have restructured our sales and marketing department to allow that to happen. We hope the appointment will ensure that we are at the forefront of peoples’ minds when it comes to booking.” Is the recovery in the industry being felt as strongly in the regions as it is in Dublin? “Based on my experience in Cavan and in Galway in recent months, I believe that the recovery in the regions has been as strong as it has been in Dublin,” he says. “It has been harder got in the regions but that means that the hotelier has to be pro-active and creative about getting the business through the door, but the business is there to be won.”

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Commercial

PROFILE

BUSY START TO THE SEASON FÁILTE IRELAND HAS HAD A BUSY START TO THE 2016 TOURIST SEASON WITH ST PATRICK’S DAY, EASTER AND THE 1916 COMMEMORATIONS FALLING SO CLOSE TOGETHER. THE ORGANISATION HAS ALSO BEEN HOSTING BUSINESS TOURISM AND GOLF MEDIA EVENTS, AND RECENTLY ANNOUNCED FURTHER FUNDING FOR NATIONAL AND REGIONAL FESTIVALS. A group of international journalists are pictured at the College of Surgeons on their Ireland 1916 media visit.

DUBLIN:

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

O

ver 50 international media spent St Patrick’s Day in Dublin getting a first-hand experience of the St Patrick’s Festival and enjoying the sights and sounds of our capital city. The familiarisation trip, arranged in conjunction with Tourism Ireland, allowed Fáilte Ireland to reach a potential audience of over 90 million worldwide across print, broadcast, online and social media, as they sought to showcase the city and county’s new brand, ‘Dublin – A Breath of Fresh Air’. A number of international live broadcasts took place, including Breakfast City TV, Toronto, with 1.4

million viewers, and Live Star Entertainment who syndicated their content to national US channels such as CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC, among others. German travel show, Auslandjournal, which recorded almost 2.5 million viewers for their 2015 segment on Ireland, broadcast this years’ experience to their viewers on March 24th. Also enjoying the city celebrations were a group of notable US tour operators, with the capacity to drive large group bookings to Ireland all year round.

This is a new addition to the annual programme of events, which is aimed at broadening the potential number of new

visitors which the St Patrick’s Festival can attract. While St Patrick’s is always a busy time for the tourism sector, Easter 2016 brought special significance and attention this year as Ireland commemorated the 1916 Rising. Fáilte Ireland was on hand at the international media centre providing information on all things tourism. Over 500 media representatives travelled for the commemoration events, including BBC, Sky News, Channel 4 and many IrishAmerican diaspora news outlets, along with Chinese state television and journalists from across Europe, Australia and North America.

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Commercial

PROFILE

The group are pictured with Sharon Smurfit, The K-Club, and Rory Mathews, Fáilte Ireland.

TOP UK GOLF MEDIA VISIT

F

áilte Ireland welcomed 18 top UK golfing media, with a combined circulation of 4.5 million to Kildare recently, to experience the world class value Ireland has to offer to the overseas golfer. The golfing media, from UK newspapers such as the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, and Evening Standard, together with online representatives from Sky Sports and Golf Magic, were treated to a round of golf at The Royal Dublin Golf Club and played the Palmer course in the K-Club, the venue for the 2016 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in May.

€3M FESTIVAL FUNDING ANNOUNCED FOR 2016

A

total of almost 3m has been allocated to 218 national and regional festivals and events under Fáilte Ireland’s 2016 Festivals and Events Programme. This investment includes almost 325,000 for the second phase of funding of large national festivals, as well as just under 695,000 for smaller regional events which were announced in a second phase of funding in March 2016. The objective of Fáilte Ireland’s 2016 National Festivals Programme is to drive growth from key overseas markets through compelling experiences that are attractive to the target audiences and to generate additional overseas visitors across the country and across the calendar year. “Our festivals calendar plays an important role in ensuring that we have a varied and attractive menu of things to see and do for tourists,” says Fáilte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn.

BUSINESS TOURISM: FOCUS ON GROWTH FOR 2016

F

áilte Ireland’s Meet in Ireland team recently held their annual Business Tourism and Events gathering in the Convention Centre, Dublin. The objective of the event was to reflect on business tourism in 2015, focusing on some of the highlights, and to launch Fáilte Ireland’s 2016 International Business Tourism & Events Plans. 2015 was a successful year for business tourism with Fáilte Ireland generating over 500 leads and delivering 128m in international conferences and events. However, the focus has now firmly shifted to 2016 and increasing those numbers. “Last year was a record year for the area of business tourism but our aim is for 2016 to be even more ambitious with growth of 12% targeted,” says Miriam Kennedy, Head of Business Tourism with Fáilte Ireland.

NATIONAL FESTIVALS FUNDED FOR 2016 St Patrick's Festival

1m

Dublin Fringe Festival

25,000

Dublin Horse Show

125,000

Bloomsday

25,000

Wexford Festival Opera

110,000

City Spectacular

25,000

Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann

100,000

Kilkenomics

20,000

Kilkenny Arts Festival

65,000

Rock n Roll, Dublin Half Marathon

20,000

Tradfest

50,000

Galway Film Fleadh

20,000

Cork International Choral Festival

50,000

Listowel Writers Week

20,000

West Cork Chamber Music & Literary Festival

50,000

Waterford Spaoi

15,000

Dublin Theatre Festival

45,000

Cork Film Festival

15,000

Sea Sessions

40,000

Clifden Arts Festival

14,000

Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival

40,000

Dublin International Film Festival

10,000

Earagail Arts Festival

35,000

Tattersalls International Horse Trials & Country Fair

10,000

Galway International Oyster Festival

35,000

Donegal Rally

10,000

Guinness Cork Jazz Festival

35,000

Challenge Galway

10,000

Ireland BikeFest

30,000

Cúirt International Festival of Literature

10,000

Cat Laughs

30,000

Dingle Marathon

10,000

Rose of Tralee

30,000

European & World DTL C'Ship

5,000

Pictured at the Business Tourism & Events Industry Day are Nicky Logue, The Gibson Hotel, Fiona O’Sullivan, O’Sullivan Consultants, Nicola McGrane, Conference Partners, and Paul Keeley, Fáilte Ireland.

In association with

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TRAINING

GAMEBASED SOFTWARE IS A HIT AT JURYS INN

Irish tech start-up, JamJou is rolling out its game-based training software to 36 Jurys Inn hotels in Ireland and the UK. Edward Gallier, Group Learning & Development Manager, explains the business benefits.

Pictured (opposite page): Founder & CEO of JamJou, Jo Brennan at Jurys Inn Custom House with Mary Murtagh, Operations Manager, Jurys Inn Custom House and Edward Gallier, Group Learning & Development Manager, Jurys Inn Hotel Group.

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J

amJou’s game-based training software uses new technology with ‘gamification’ mechanisms to train and engage staff through their smartphones. As part of an initial pilot project, JamJou’s training application was tested with 60 staff at four Jurys Inn Hotel Group sites across the UK and Ireland. This resulted in an increase in revenue, a reduction in customer complaints and a decrease in the number of staff leaving in the pilot sites. With clear benefits arising from the trial, Jurys Inn Hotel Group is now set to implement JamJou’s software as part of their ‘Be The Best’ training in 36 hotels across Ireland and the UK. “As part of our strategy to increase guest satisfaction and meet our vision to ‘Exceed Expectations’ we have been exploring leading approaches for our employee learning,” says Edward Gallier, Group Learning & Development Manager with Jurys Inn Hotel Group. “The JamJou product had to be one of the approaches we included because of the high level of engagement we experienced from employees and multiple returns to our business.

The learning can be seen back in the workplace

and this creative and competitive approach really got our teams talking. The serious gaming that JamJou provides is different to traditional online learning because of its interactive nature and ability to generate interest with learners. That means they come back to the course without being asked - to increase their individual score, open new levels and move up the hotel league table, all of which are great motivators to engage learners.”

Prior to piloting JamJou, Jurys Inn had used online learning as part of its blended learning solution for the past four years.

“So far we have used weekly live webinars and also made learning accessible through our learning management system (LMS), which contains online courses, tests, a library of recorded webinars and an online library, which completes our ongoing programme of face to face learning,” says Edward. “We are using JamJou in our front office department at the moment. This approach to learning, known as serious gaming, would be good in any environment but is particularly useful for team members who work in guest facing roles. The system

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TRAINING

JAMJOU HAS OPTIONS OFF THE SHELF FOR...

AN INDEPENDENT HOTEL AND OUR CASE STUDY SHOWS THAT PERSONALISATION FOR A LARGER HOTEL GROUP IS POSSIBLE.

helps team members to practice different approaches with guests in a safe game environment and build confidence to deliver an exceptional service when in front of the guest.”

FINALISTS

in the Best in Digital Learning category at the Accenture Digital Media Awards 2016

SHORTLISTED for an IIDT National Training Award

#JamJou NOMINATED for an SME Award in the New Product/ Service category and New Business Digital category.

BUSINESS BENEFITS Edward says that the online system means that team members can be competitive, while engaging with the system when they want to on a 24/7 basis. “The system does not tell you the ‘correct’ answers as such but rewards a more guest-focused response, meaning a learner can come back to hone a best response,” he says.

“The JamJou platform also gave us the flexibility to tailor content to our Jurys Inn brand and make it a more branded learning experience, making reference to Jurys Inn policy and approaches.”

He would have no hesitation in recommending this technology to other hotel groups or, indeed, to independent hotels. “JamJou has options off the shelf for, perhaps, an independent hotel and our case study shows that personalisation for a larger hotel group is possible and the software is scaleable to be able to deal with multi-site operations where super users can view individual learners, departments, hotels or the group as a whole.”

Training is delivered through reallife work scenario games that are specially developed for frontline and customer-facing staff in hospitality, retail and customer service industries.

“The cloud-based training application is fun, easy-to-use and highly engaging where management have real time access to employee skills assessment,” says Jo Brennan, Founder of JamJou.

JamJou’s cloud based training software can be used on its own or to complement existing training programmes with no additional installation costs. “We have had a phenomenal two years since JamJou was established in 2014,” says Jo. “And our clients are experiencing increased revenue, fewer complaints and more engaged and motivated employees that stay longer.”

Available to participants across all devices, team members log into a PC, tablet or mobile to start training in four minute sessions. JamJou uses interactive gaming features with animated characters and real-life work scenarios. Employees can earn points or badges which appear on a leader-board. Top scorers are promoted across sites, adding a competitive edge between staff members and management.

Training content is fed to employees over a period of time to keep them engaged and to remind them about how to improve their upselling and customer service skills.

Management have access to analytics which pinpoint areas where individual improvement is required. They can also compare sites and assess which teams or locations are weak, which prompts them to take further action such as additional training or coaching.

JamJou has been created by former training consultant Jo Brennan and her business partner, John Costello, Lead Developer of JamJou. Identified as a ‘High Potential Start Up’, JamJou were recent finalists in the Best in Digital Learning category at the Accenture Digital Media Awards 2016 and were shortlisted for an IIDT National Training Award, as well as being nominated for an SME Award in the New Product/Service category and New Business Digital category.

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Upbeat

TOURISM TRENDS

START TO 2016 BUT

CHALLENGES REMAIN

On the eve of Ireland’s biggest tourism trade fair, Meitheal 2016 (April 11th to 12th in Dublin), Fáilte Ireland cautioned against complacency as all regions report a strong start to 2016.

T

ourism has enjoyed a robust first quarter in 2016 and the indications are that this summer will be another busy season for the sector. Seat capacity on airlines flying into Ireland this summer is projected to grow by nine per cent on summer 2015 and, across the country, tourism businesses are reporting increased bookings. In Dublin, most hotels are reporting growth for quarter one and extremely high occupancy levels during March, as well as a significant jump in booking levels for the summer ahead. Visitor attractions in the city are also very busy with, for example, the Guinness Storehouse enjoying 15% growth in the first three months of the year and their busiest day on record on March 18th, with 10,000 visitors.

Along the Wild Atlantic Way, businesses in every part of the region are reporting a very strong Easter, particularly from the domestic market, with revenue and customers in quarter one above 2015 levels. There has been a noticeable increase in international visitors earlier in the season this year, particularly French, German, Dutch and Swiss

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travellers. In the northwest, businesses are reporting strong trade from Northern Ireland in quarter one (with the favourable exchange rate a contributory factor) and there is a very high level of booking enquiries in South Kerry, which local businesses are attributing to the Star Wars effect. Meanwhile, in the Ireland’s Ancient East region (across the south east, midlands and north east), tourism businesses are feeling much more optimistic than ever before, with a significant increase in interest throughout the region from overseas travel agents. Many historic attractions throughout the region are reporting an increase in bookings - with noticeably larger groups.

Accommodation providers are reporting business up for the first quarter, helped in many cases by a growth in US travellers and from the retiree market in the UK. “The signs look good and there is great cause for optimism within tourism this year but there are also good reasons not to be too complacent,” says Fáilte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn. “The recent weakening of sterling in relation to the Euro means that we have to remain vigilant with regard to competitiveness. Furthermore, recent incidents in Paris and Brussels have the potential for undermining travel confidence, particularly from the US. In Fáilte Ireland we are taking nothing for granted. That is why we are committed to events like Meitheal and to working with Irish businesses to actively chase as much additional custom as we can.”

Meanwhile, new Fáilte Ireland research confirms that overseas holidaymakers’ expectations of a friendly welcome,

REASON FOR HOLIDAY

#Exceeding Expectations IRISH PEOPLE

69% SCENERY

65% HISTORY/CULTURE

37%

NATURE & WILDLIFE

29%

WEATHER BETTER THAN EXPECTED

28%

GOOD QUALITY AND VARIETY OF FOOD

27%

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TOURISM TRENDS a relaxed pace of life, and an unspoilt environment were largely met last year.

The tourism authority’s Visitor Attitudes Survey 2015, published on April 10th and conducted by Millward Brown, also shows that overseas holidaymakers continued to rate Ireland as good value for money and believe that Ireland matched or exceeded their expectations as a holiday destination.

The annual survey was conducted with almost 2,000 overseas holidaymakers to Ireland during June to October 2015.

MEETING AND EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS When asked about their overall opinion of their Irish holiday, 56% of respondents said that their trip met all their expectations while a further 44% of holidaymakers said their holiday actually exceeded all expectations. In the latter category, North American holidaymakers were the most impressed, with 55% saying that their Irish holiday delivered beyond their expectations.

Almost two thirds (64%) of holidaymakers said that they would definitely return within the next few years, up from 57% last year.

A further 39% hoped to return at some time in the future. When asked to what extent (along a scale of 0-10) they would recommend an Irish holiday to family and friends, almost seven in ten holidaymakers said they would ‘definitely’ (a rating of 9-10/10) recommend an Irish holiday.

Again, American holidaymakers were the most enthusiastic, with 82% saying that they would definitely recommend Ireland.

VALUE FOR MONEY & COMPETITIVENESS In terms of value for money, Ireland’s satisfaction levels continue to improve annually with 63% of holidaymakers saying that they found ‘good’ or ‘very good’ value in Ireland - a rise on 2014’s performance and a jump of 12% from two years before.

WHY IRELAND? The survey also illustrates the most important drivers for Irish tourism – the reasons why people choose to come here.

Interestingly, given the current international climate, Ireland is rated highly as a friendly, safe and secure destination.

Meanwhile, the internet continues to lead the way in terms of information sources that influenced travellers to choose Ireland with six in ten (59%) citing it as their preferred medium for research. Other influential sources which directed traveller decision making included family, friends and business associates (43%), as well as guidebooks (20%) and travel agents (10%). The internet’s central importance rose further when it came to planning the details for a trip to Ireland - cited as an important source by 83%.

IRELAND’S LARGEST TRAVEL TRADE WORKSHOP Organised by Fáilte Ireland, in conjunction with its sister agency Tourism Ireland, Meitheal 2016 brought together over 310 overseas buyers and 455 Irish tourism businesses for two days of pitching and deal making.

Overseas buyers pre-book a schedule of meetings with those propositions they are most interested in ahead of the event and there were approximately 12,000 face-toface meetings organised through Fáilte Ireland over the duration of the workshop, allowing international and Irish operators to meet and agree business for the 2017 season. There were up to 40 tour operators in attendance who had not previously had Ireland on their books, predominantly from China, India, the Gulf States and South Africa. This year 20 countries were represented at Meitheal, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US. VALUE FOR MONEY

2015 (%)

2014 (%)

2013 (%)

Very Good

18

14

9

Good

45

41

42

Fair

31

38

39

Poor

5

5

7

Very Poor

*

1

2

REASON FOR

#Choosing Ireland

FRIENDLY PEOPLE

96% BEAUTIFUL SCENERY

92% PLENTY TO SEE AND DO

90% SAFE AND SECURE DESTINATION

92% GOOD RANGE OF NATURAL ATTRACTIONS

87%

INTERESTING HISTORY AND CULTURE

27%

NATURAL UNSPOILT ENVIRONMENT

Image above courtesy of Nox Hotel.

27%

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MARKETING

The Rise

OF THE ROBOTS David Collins, Chief Operating Officer at Great National Hotels & Resorts looks at automated ad buying’s ability to help business owners to micro-engage with individual customers - and to do it at scale.

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o you ever find yourself in your car, on the way to work, and you’re switching between stations to avoid the ads? If you are reading your daily newspaper, on-line or on the bus, do you take notice of the plethora of ads that you have to navigate through to get to the news? If you are like me you don’t take much notice of all this advertising noise. Unless, of course, sub-consciously it is relevant to your needs, wants and aspirations.

The problem - or opportunity - in our digital age is that because technology has become so omni-present, invasive, and yet central, to our daily lives, consumers have become hyper-protective of their ‘sensory space’ And using this same technology it is now possible to customise and personalise the world around you, filtering out those things that you dislike in favour of those things you like. This ‘democratisation’, whereby choices are no longer dictated by brands (“you can have any colour as long as it’s black ..” anyone?) but by consumers, is now posing a huge challenge to business owners to micro-engage with individual customers and do this at scale. Think about the challenge here for a second. You are a global

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consumer brand that has deployed generic advertising across markets with ‘one-sizefits-all’ brand values, pricing, etc. However, in order to maintain this position you now have to invert your business model and go from macro-marketing to micro-marketing, whereby each individual customer is central to every potential brand interaction. You build your messaging and prompts around the device they may be using and where they may or may not be on the ‘sales curve’. Plus, you have to do this profitably and at scale.

After all, you’re an international brand. This is a massive challenge any day of the week but it is one that is being increasingly met by what is referred to as ‘Programmatic’. This is automating tasks and decisions that humans would have done or previously taken on.

PPC is a process whereby software is used to purchase digital advertising, optimising ad spend around what Google refers to as ‘consumer micro-moments’, which are intent-rich instances where a consumer acts on a personal need - ‘I want to talk’, ‘I want to try’, ‘I want to go’, etc.

Increasingly, Programmatic, which is ultimately Artificial Intelligence (AI), is being relied on to position brands in front of consumers in real time, at their precise time of want, engaging and moving audiences like never before. And if you are in any doubt

...OUR IRISH AND UK HOTELS ARE SEEING A 33% INCREASE IN DIRECT REVENUE. THIS IS LARGELY ATTRIBUTABLE TO...

PROGRAMMATIC SOLUTIONS WHICH ARE ENABLING A MORE SEAMLESS AND INFORMED BOOKING EXPERIENCE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.

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MARKETING

#The Personal Touch

as to its impact, just this month McCann Erickson Japan appointed a creative director named AI-CD , short for ‘Artificial Intelligence Creative Director Beta’. When I was a nipper starting out nearly 30 years ago, the rough equivalent of Programmatic was direct mail, and subsequently became known as ‘Direct Response’, where marketing collateral was targeted at past customers based on their previous purchases. The problem then was that customer data was at best basic i.e., name, address, postcode, etc. as IT systems were non-existent and creative was no better. In fact, a ‘good’ campaign result would have been a response rate of three per cent.

Fast forward to today and Programmatic is delivering ROIs beyond our wildest dreams and aspirations. Why? Because it is enabling brands to pull together the various strands of data on client likes, needs, wants, past purchases, personal occasions, etc, creating a digital footprint which in turn is allowing for a more personalised and engaging consumer experience. Again, the secret here is to present customers with your brand at the precise moment of need, whether it is while they are researching a particular destination or looking to book a specific type of holiday. And the same technology is also enabling real-time

visibility over campaign performance which marketers could only have wished for previously.

So what has been our response in Great National? Well, Programmatic in my mind extends beyond just automated ad buying in that it can provide clients with an intuitive, dynamic, and personalised user experience.

A case in point - 76% of bookers believe OTAs are cheaper than going direct, so by plugging in a piece of middle-ware called ‘TripTease Price Check’, which enables a pop-up within the booking engine pane, we can show our clients instantaneously and in real-time how our hotels’ own website price for a particular date compares to the likes of Booking.com, Expedia, etc. And it is this seamless transparency on pricing that saves the consumer the effort of having to research other distribution channels, allows the hotel to re-assure the visitor that they have found the best price, and improves the chances for converting the search. In the year to date, our Irish and UK hotels are seeing a 33% increase in direct revenue.

This is without any additional spend in marketing and is largely attributable to our deployment of this and other Programmatic solutions which are enabling a more seamless and informed booking experience for our customers.

Much of what I’ve described is rudimentary marketing.

Programmatic is simply targeting when our customers want to buy and not when we want to sell. I learned that 30 years ago so there is nothing new here other than the technical ability to transform your marketing from being generic, ham-fisted and clunky to being personalised, real-time and intuitive - and also to be able to do this at scale and with increased visibility. In my view, what it also means is that brand managers of the future are more likely to be analysts rather than advertisers, and are more likely to be mathematicians rather than marketers. On the one hand, as a consumer, I will not miss being assaulted daily by bland, meaningless advertising. On the other hand, as someone who is old enough to remember placing and couponing classified lineage advertising in daily broadsheets, I could be out of a job pretty soon.

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Commercial

PROFILE

VIDEO PROMOTION SHOWCASES

Wild Atlantic Way AS TOURISM IRELAND ROLLS OUT ITS EXTENSIVE PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMME FOR 2016 AROUND THE WORLD, THE ORGANISATION IS SUPPORTING A UNIQUE STAR WARS-INSPIRED CHARITABLE INITIATIVE THAT ALSO SHOWCASES THE SPECTACULAR SCENERY OF THE WILD ATLANTIC WAY.

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ucasfilm, the company which produced Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has announced the start of its 2016 ‘Force for Change’ charitable initiative, which offers Star Wars fans the chance to win a grand prize of a trip to Ireland, sponsored by Tourism Ireland in New York. In a special video announcement, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and Star Wars legend Mark Hamill shared the details of the latest ‘Force for Change’ fundraising campaign. The short film includes details of the grand prize and footage of Skellig Michael, which Kathleen Kennedy describes as ‘the location of the dramatic final scene from The Force Awakens’. This film

clip is being widely promoted across all the Star Wars-owned platforms in the US (including on Twitter, to its 2.19 million followers), as well as by the four charities associated with ‘Force for Change’. An extensive PR and publicity push by Lucasfilm is also helping to spread the word about the campaign. “We are delighted to be associated with Star Wars and its 2016 ‘Force for Change’ campaign,” says Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons. “Not only does the video showcase the magnificent scenery of Skellig Michael and the Wild Atlantic Way, it also highlights a truly worthwhile initiative and is a great way to support four different charities.”

Skellig Michael

TOURISM IRELAND

LEADS CHINA MISSION

Tourism Ireland, together with 14 Irish tourism companies, is preparing to blitz four major cities in China as part of its 2016 sales mission to grow tourism from China. The organisation held a briefing in Dublin for the Irish tourism operators who will participate in the sales mission, which takes place from May 15th to 20th. The sales mission will target top Chinese travel agents and tour operators in the key cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. And, for the first time ever, this year’s sales mission will include Hong Kong, to begin exploring the potential of the market there.

Walter Pan, Embassy of China in Ireland, left, Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, and James Kenny, Tourism Ireland’s Manager China, centre, with the tourism companies taking part in Tourism Ireland’s 2016 China sales mission.

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Commercial

PROFILE

US MARKET DELIVERS A HOLE IN ONE

A

James Finnegan, Commercial Manager at The PGA European Tour, with Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland, at Tourism Ireland’s ‘Meet the Irish’ media event at the US Masters in Augusta.

NEW AIR CANADA ROUGE FLIGHT

Jocelyn Black, Tourism Ireland, left, Vijay Bathija, Air Canada Leisure Group, third from left, and Dana Welsh, Tourism Ireland, third from right, with Air Canada rouge flight attendants.

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ourism Ireland recently highlighted the new Air Canada rouge flight between Vancouver and Dublin, which will begin on June 10th, to key travel trade and media contacts in Vancouver. Access from Canada to the island of Ireland this year is better than ever before. Aer Lingus and Air Canada rouge fly year-round from Toronto to Dublin. And, as well as the new Air Canada rouge flight from Vancouver, other seasonal services are operated by Air Transat, WestJet and ASL Airlines. 2015 was the best year ever for Irish tourism from Canada, with visitor numbers increasing by +20%. Tourism Ireland has an extensive programme of promotions under way in Canada throughout 2016, to keep the momentum going and ensure that growth continues.

HOTEL

s the 80th US Masters got under way in Augusta recently, Tourism Ireland launched a new golf campaign in the US, which included a new 30-second ad which aired to an estimated eight million households on the NBC Golf Channel. A further 1.2 million people saw the ad on Golfchannel. com. The ad will also air in the US later this year around other Major championships, Olympics golf coverage and the Ryder Cup. Promoting golf holidays in Ireland is a major focus for Tourism Ireland in the US. The organisation aims to build on its successful ‘Home of Champions’ campaign, reminding American golfers about our fantastic golf courses where our champions, including Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Pádraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, honed and perfected their skills. Tourism Ireland is also promoting our superb golf courses on Ireland.com and via social media.

IRELAND GOES ‘UNDERGROUND’ Millions of French commuters have been seeing ads for Ireland on large billboard posters as they passed through the busy metro stations of Paris. Tourism Ireland teamed up with a leading online travel agent, Go Voyages, once again this year for a joint promotional campaign. A total of 660 billboard ads were prominently displayed in metro stations across the French capital, grabbing the attention of commuters with beautiful images of the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coastal Route and featuring attractive offers for a weekend break. The campaign also included advertising in Direct Matin (free daily newspaper), radio ads on the Chante France radio station, online advertising, and a dedicated Ireland page on the Go Voyages website.

A billboard ad in the Paris metro highlighting the Wild Atlantic Way and attractive offers for a weekend break in Ireland.

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PROFILE

SEASIDE

CHIC Family-owned for over 45 years, The Armada Hotel started out as a small shebeen in Spanish Point, Co Clare, and is now an award-winning wedding venue with a critically acclaimed food offering. MD and owner John Burke talks about their Wild Atlantic Way experience.

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iven the number of global hotel chains and home grown groups that have entered the Irish market in recent years, it can’t be easy for a family-owned hotel to hold its own in a fast changing hospitality landscape. However, this is precisely what The Armada Hotel in Clare has done and, in fact, John Burke believes that their privately-owned status gives them a major competitive advantage in the current climate. “Being privately owned is a massive benefit in a country bursting with creativity in food, drink, and accommodation standards,” he says. “People expect an authentic and personal product, whether it is in the local café or a large hotel. And, just as the café scene is booming and delivering amazing standards, hotels that do the same have a huge advantage over those that might be confined to working within a brand standard.”

The Armada Hotel has distinguished itself as a wedding venue, winning numerous awards for its product, as well as a culinary venue, having been named as one of Clare’s top three places to eat

in the FBD Business Excellence Awards 2013. They were also a platinum winner in the Green Hospitality Awards in 2013 and 2014. “The Green Hospitality Programme is wonderful in every way,” he says. “The basic principles of protecting the environment, inspiring the team with it, and saving money along the way should appeal to every hotel owner or manager! Awards are an indicator that we are meeting the standards that we have set for ourselves. We have about two more years of progress to hit the standards that we have set out in our last plan. We have our sights set firmly on places that inspire us, in particular the Lodge and Spa in Inchydoney, The Twelve in Bearna, and the Mulranny Park Hotel. These operations are an excellent reflection of their area and all it has to offer and they present it in a wonderful and creative way. Of course, West Clare is different and we have to find our own interpretation of what is on offer here but we are making constant improvements.”

ATLANTIC IDYLL John describes Fáilte Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way (WAW) brand as “the perfect fit” for the Armada Hotel

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PROFILE

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WE HAVE ABOUT TWO MORE YEARS OF PROGRESS TO HIT THE STANDARDS THAT WE ESTABLISHED IN OUR LAST PLAN. WE HAVE OUR SIGHTS SET ON PLACES THAT INSPIRE US, IN PARTICULAR THE LODGE AND SPA IN INCHYDONEY, THE TWELVE IN BEARNA, AND THE MULRANNY PARK HOTEL. experience. “The Fáilte Ireland brand is about nature, scenery, people, and food. And the most significant part is that it doesn’t depict the WAW on the perfect sunny speedo wearing days on the beach, but as the wild, natural and rugged coast line. Fáilte Ireland is very clear that the route is not the sole component of the WAW but rather it is about the multitude of experiences along it. They have given us the perfect platform to develop and share what we have to offer, and it has certainly inspired us to work even harder at this. We now have an activities department with seven days a week cover to ensure that we are

promoting the multitude of experiences that are offered locally, encouraging and helping our guests to get out there and soak up what the area has to offer. This includes surfing, stand up paddling, fishing, diving, cycle tours, rock climbing, walking tours of the local area, walking tours of the Cliffs of Moher, and even a wonderful guided tour on a three wheeler motorbike that I have yet to try!

My favourite is the seaweed safari where people can learn about this superfood that is all along the coast - how to pick it, prepare it, and use it in food.”

Social media is an important part of the hotel’s marketing mix. They currently have a following of nearly 30,000 on Facebook and 2,300 on Twitter. “It’s a wonderful way of sharing news and developing a brand image,” he says. “It might not generate direct bookings as effectively as you would like but it certainly keeps you in people’s minds and hopefully they then think of you when they are making their spending choices. It can also teach us what people like or dislike about what we offer. For example, in some recent posts customers have been telling us how far they are prepared to travel for our three-tier seafood dish ‘The Galleon’, and even the humble seafood chowder, so knowing that certainly keeps us on our toes. We also recently launched our new weekend brunch very cost effectively and almost exclusively on social media. And, finally, it’s a great way of keeping an eye on what our competitors are doing!”

#Artisan Approach The Armada senior management team is headed by General Manager Frank Minogue and Executive Head Chef Peter Jackson, who joined the operation last year. “Peter made a return to the hotel after a spell in Hotel Doolin and he has attracted a lot of new talent to the kitchen,” says John. As well as their Johnny Burke’s pub, the hotel recently opened the Ocean Bar and Bistro to add to its casual dining outlets. The Pearl restaurant is their special occasion dining experience. “When we look for artisan local producers we aren’t just looking to work with their produce,” says John. “We love when we can get some of them working together for us, like the seaweed from Taltys in Quilty going to the O’Connors Butchers to make our unique pork and seaweed sausage, or our own Dooliner Beer, which is produced solely for the Armada and our sister Hotel Doolin, worked into our breads, or taking that seaweed and using it to fertilise the land of the new Armada Farm, where we are growing our own veg, salads, and herbs that will supply us when in season. We will soon have some pigs and chickens too so there is a lot of time in the wellies ahead for the kitchen team!”

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FOOD HEROES

Gourmet

GETAWAYS to Showcase Awesome Food

Good Food Ireland is offering customised gourmet getaways and cooking adventures, as well as longer stay culinary and cultural tours, for home holidays and international tourists.

Margaret Jeffares with Stephanie Hayes of Clontarf Castle Hotel and Ed Cooney, Executive Chef at The Merrion.

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peaking at the launch of the unique and ambitious new initiative in The Merrion Hotel on April 11th, the US Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin O’Malley, said that if the Good Food Ireland organisation was run by Americans it would probably be called ‘Awesome’ Food Ireland. The term ‘good’ was typical Irish understatement. The organisation’s founder Margaret Jeffares says that Good Food Ireland has been encouraging international tour operators to feature food tours for the past 10 years and recently arranged a number of them on an individual basis “Providing

these tours in a more structured way is a natural progression and a reflection of how vibrant our food tourism scene has become,” she says. “There is a huge appetite for authentic experiences. As a community committed to local food, our in-depth knowledge and expertise means that Good Food Ireland offers connected journeys like no other, with behind the scenes access and private bespoke experiences.”

Each month, starting this April, food and drink experiences, as well as cooking adventures and culinary tours on specific dates, are scheduled and can be purchased online at www.goodfoodireland.ie. There are customised gourmet breaks of two night stays throughout the island of Ireland, as well as three culinary and cultural tours, taken on the customer’s own preferred date, for six nights/seven days, starting at 1,072 per person. These range from gourmet getaways to cooking adventures on the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway coast of Northern Ireland.

Bespoke tours are available on request.

“Home holiday makers or overseas tourists can take an artisan black pudding or cheese-making masterclass, learn new techniques and culinary skills with handson cooking sessions led by renowned chefs, visit local farms or eat their own catch of the day, try the new generation or the legendary names of Irish whiskeys and spirits, craft ciders and beers, or share a table with some of the greatest food experts on Ireland’s local produce,” says Margaret. The tours can be independent or escorted, leisure or corporate, for individuals or groups, a mini-tour or an extended getaway. The Good Food Ireland trip planning services include

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#Sligo Food Trail Aoife Carrigy, Chairperson of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild, launched the new Sligo Food Trail on April 6th at The Model, Sligo, where local producers showcased the best of all things culinary in the county. Sligo Food Trail is a new initiative that brings together more than 60 food-related highlights in Co Sligo.

It’s a ‘dip in and out’ trail so visitors can map their own route and choose the cuisine or food experience they love best along the Wild Atlantic Way. “We confidently expect Sligo Food Trail to be the most significant tourism initiative in the county this year,” says Chairman Anthony Gray of Eala Bhán and Trá Bán restaurants and President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland. “The trail aims to deliver tangible benefits for both Sligo and for the members, such as bigger visitor numbers, a greater spend on bed nights and products, and increased employment. It will also give the visitor a great reason to linger longer in Sligo and the wider area. Sligo is ideally placed along the Wild Atlantic Way for visitors to enjoy the magnificent scenery and coastal experiences combined with the exciting food offerings which Sligo Food Trail provides.” Sligo Food Trail members are a mix of producers, markets, cafés, restaurants, craft beer, gastro pubs and accommodation.

The trail will introduce visitors and locals alike to the blend of food and cultural experience on offer.

Pictured at the launch of Sligo Food Trail are (l-r): Adrian Cummins, President, Restaurants Association of Ireland, John Mulcahy, Head of Hospitality, Fáilte Ireland, Anthony Gray, Chairman, Sligo Food Trail, Aoife Carrigy, Chairperson of the Irish Food Writers Guild, and Eileen Magnier, RTE Sligo.

From top: (l-r): Sligo Food Trail member Teresa Krebs, Cawley’s Hotel, Tubbercurry, and Louise Kilbane, President, Tubbercurry Chamber of Commerce. (l-r): Dorothy Clarke, Director of Services Sligo LEO, and Noelle Cawley, Fáilte Ireland.

central booking and invoicing.

“We are providing the full bespoke culinary experience service for tour operators and consumers,” says Margaret.

“In putting these experiences together we only work with the approved membership in Good Food Ireland, which is a cross section of the entire hospitality industry, covering B&Bs, five star hotels, restaurants, pubs, cafés, cookery schools, food shops, food producers, farmers, and fishermen, as well as craft brewers and distilleries. They all have to meet the criteria set by Good Food Ireland.

Our members are passionate about using the produce of our country and are all pre-inspected and approved. That is of huge benefit to an international tour operator who can’t go out and do a site inspection of a hospitality business so they are delighted that they can give their customers the Good Food Ireland brand assurance.”

Margaret says that the thinking behind the launch of these culinary tours is to grow Ireland as an international food tourism destination. “I’ve always believed that, if they work together, tourism and agriculture, our two biggest indigenous industries, have so much potential to

compete on the international stage with countries like France, Italy and Spain.

My greatest concern is the flippant usage of certain terms like artisan, farm to fork, 100% Irish or 100% local. I’ve seen more and more inaccurate usage of these terms in recent years where the user knows that the credibility isn’t there to back up the claim. I’m always concerned when anyone says 100% because that is very hard to stand over. While it is very challenging to have 100% consistency in any business, we must be mindful of the credibility and image of our country and the potential damage that we might do to our industry if we get our footing around food tourism wrong. Good Food Ireland members have a passionate commitment to using the produce of our country and where there is a passion and a will, and an endeavour to continue to grow and raise the bar, there is a better chance that authenticity will be delivered. Everyone in the food and drink business in Ireland can be a GFI member but they must fit the quality criteria that we have established.”

Is your business a Good Food Ireland member? If not, maybe you should consider joining.

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Organics…

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15/04/2016 16:10 27/04/2016 12:43

Power W FLOUR

Cultivating grains, grinding them into flour, and transforming indigestible grasses into porridges, and later bread, has been a part of human culture and development for thousands of years.

#INGREDIENT

heat, in its many varieties, is the staple crop for many cultures and is the most commonly traded food crop in the world.

Our dependence on it means it has been heavily industrialised, creating new higher yielding varieties. And the invention of the roller mill for the production of white flour extended its shelf-life and allowed it to be shipped all over the world. However, this removes much of the nutritional value. The organic flours produced

by Andrew and Leonie Workman on their 260 acre farm in Co Louth could not be further from this. Grown in the rich fertile organic soils of the east coast, their organic wheat, rye and spelt are cultivated and milled entirely on their farm.

Their flour is milled to order on a traditional stone-mill, retaining the components and nutritional benefits of the grain, and ensuring it is as fresh as possible. This is a fourth generation business growing traditional varieties of wheat and other grains, and also experimenting with crops to suit low gluten or gluten free foods and wheat alternatives.

EXPERIMENT WITH GRAINS • Wholemeal: A wholegrain wheat flour, containing all parts of the wheat grain; the germ, endosperm and bran. Dunany sell their wholemeal flour fine ground or extra coarse. Extra coarse is sweet and nutty and makes exceptional traditional brown or soda bread. The fine ground version combines well with other flours.

TIP: Try it to add texture and flavour to pastry and pizza

bases, or use it as a substitute for some of the white flour in muffins and scones.

• Spelt: Cultivated since 5000 BC, it is a relative of modern wheat and a good source of amino acids, B vitamins and dietary fibre, and is easier to digest than standard wheat. Dunany sell organic wholemeal spelt flour, as well as organic spelt berries, which are actually the whole kernel of the spelt seed.

TIP: Spelt berries need to be pre-cooked and can then

be used to add nutty flavour and texture to salads, or to make a ‘risotto’, or as an alternative to rice.

For enquiries contact: Andrew Workman on 086 3397551 or info@dunanyflour.com or see www.dunanyflour.com for more information

• Rye: Another cereal grain from the broad wheat family and closely related to barley, rye is considered very nutritious and has a rich dark colour and deep flavour. It is commonly used in bread-making in Eastern and Northern Europe. Pumpernickel bread is, in fact, made from coarsely ground whole rye berries, also known as pumpernickel flour.

TIP: Rye is excellent for making tasty sour dough

breads. Its intensely fruity flavour makes it delicious in fruited cakes, breads and scones.

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DOOR

KEY TO THE DOOR

KEY TO THE

Openings, Closures, Refurbs and Acquisitions

DANU PARTNERS ACQUIRE US RESTAURANT GROUP Danu Partners, the Dublin-based private investment firm, announced on March 21st that it had acquired The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group in the US. Through this acquisition, Danu gains ownership of seven of the eight US-based Smith & Wollensky steakhouses, with the original New York City location remaining under the control of its original founder, Alan Stillman. Danu also acquires the worldwide rights to the Smith & Wollensky brand (outside New York) as part of the acquisition. Danu already operates the only Smith & Wollensky restaurant outside the US in London, which it opened in June 2015, under licence from SWRG. On March 28th, The Sunday Business Post reported that Danu Partners wanted to bring the chain to Dublin and that a second London location is being planned.

DALATA TO ADD 206 ROOMS IN BELFAST Dalata Hotel Group recently signed a development contract with McAleer & Rushe to deliver a 206-room Maldron Hotel on Brunswick Street in central Belfast. Planning permission for a new 14 storey hotel, designed

by Belfast architect Consarc, was granted in November 2015. The hotel will be built on the site of the former Belfast Metropolitan College, which McAleer & Rushe acquired in August 2014, and represents a £21m investment, delivering in excess of 100 new employee positions for the local economy when the hotel is operational.

Demolition of the site has already begun and construction is due to commence in June 2016. The hotel is expected to be completed in the first half of 2018.

CALLS FOR CLARENCE HOTEL DEAL PROBE

Chicago river view

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Pressure is mounting for an investigation into Nama’s deal to sell Dublin’s Clarence Hotel to a consortium including Bono and The Edge, according to The Sunday Business Post.

Fianna Fáil’s Michael McGrath is among the political figures who have expressed concern. Nama sold the Clarence on Wellington Quay to the consortium in an off-market deal. The hotel is believed to have been sold for 40m, less than the total debts of the company that previously owned it. Bono and The Edge now own the hotel with developer Paddy McKillen. No other bidders were invited to bid on the hotel. Nama declined to comment to The Sunday Business Post on whether the sale value was more than the debts of the previous owner but said it was “fully satisfied that all transactions meet Nama’s Section 10 obligation to maximise the financial return for the taxpayer.”

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Partners in Food

PROFILE

The Healthy

Alternative TO TRADITIONAL FAST FOOD FARE CHOPPED CO-FOUNDERS BRIAN LEE AND ANDY CHEN TALK TO HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ABOUT FUELLING IRELAND’S HEALTHY FOOD REVOLUTION. Q: Customers are looking for healthy meal options, demanding gluten, sugar and lactose free foods. What is driving this trend?

A: Ireland is in the middle of a healthy food revolution and we don’t believe it is a trend or a fad - it is a seismic shift to a healthy lifestyle choice. At Chopped all of our dressings are gluten and dairy free. We believe in variety in healthy eating. Mixing something like pomegranate, chicken and almonds into one salad was not heard of in Ireland when I was young but now it is one of our most popular salads. Ease of access is also important – for

those with a busy lifestyle there are new technologies that bring the healthy food to them. Customers can order Chopped from an app on their phone and get it delivered to their office or home.

Q: What distinguishes Chopped from other health food eateries in the city?

A: More people want wellbalanced, nutritious meals and we are passionate about providing these people with the food they want. We are also committed

Colm Bury, (right), Managing Director, Keelings Farm Fresh, with Chopped co-founders Brian Lee and Andy Chen.

to educating the wider population about healthy eating choices. Chopped is the type of outlet where people can find the exact food and meal plans they needed to fuel their exercise or training, whether it be rigorous or light. Our most popular training salad, the ‘TRX Force’ can easily be recreated at home.

Chicken, sweetcorn, broccoli, roast carrot and roast sweet potato. It has the perfect balance of good carbs and fats to replace glycogen, which is the stored form of carbohydrate we use to produce the energy required for training.

Q: What is the secret to producing flavoursome yet low calorie meals?

A: We rely on natural flavours and sweeteners provided in food. Having variety in a dish is key. At Chopped we encourage people to make their own combinations and we love seeing people come up with creative and tasty meals.

We also add special guest ingredients every month so there is always something new to try at Chopped.

Q: What is the key attribute that you look for in a supplier?

A: We have some great Irish partners like Keelings, Pallas and Paramount Packaging. It is imperative that our suppliers follow a similar ethos to ours. Only the finest ingredients go into a Chopped salad and we have an expectation that our suppliers understand our business and what we are about.

Q: You are operating in six locations around Dublin.

Do you have plans to expand further over the coming months?

A: We are currently in advanced talks with potential new franchisees in Cork and Galway to bring the Chopped experience to people all over Ireland. We have also signed strategic partnerships with Maxol and Aramark which will help this rollout. Our ultimate goal has always been to make Chopped as big as McDonalds.

The growth of Chopped over the past few months has seen us swamped with new franchise requests and we are looking forward to investigating these requests and building on the locations we are already operating in.

Dublin: +353 (0)1 895 5301

Wexford: +353 (0)53 9147447

Email: catering@keelingsfarmfresh.ie

Cork: + 353 (0)21 4968088

Belfast: +44 2890324236

Web: www.keelings.com/corporate

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26/04/2016 17:40

INTERIOR TRENDS

Interior DESIRE

Leopardstown Racecourse

When Wejchert Architects’ David Lanigan began refurbishments at Leopardstown Racecourse he aimed to upgrade the 1970s building to international standards.

CLEAR DARTINGTON CRYSTAL DECANTER

www.black-by-design.com

David Lanigan

PURPLE VELVET STOOL

www.one.world

METALLIC POLKA CHAMPAGNE FLUTES

www.black-by-design.co.uk

CHANDELIER LIGHT FITTING

GREY WALL PAINT

www.mylands.co.uk

BLACK MARBLE TOPPED TABLE

www.cadesign.ie

BLACK AVANTI BAR STOOL

www.obrienslighting.com

Incorporating a linear design into the newly revamped Champions Bar ensures that the natural traffic of the crowd can now gravitate from track-side through the central bar before finally emerging out onto the expansive parade area. “It is really about trying to highlight the sense of movement that will occur throughout that bar and give it a very vibrant modern profile,” explains David. The modernism of the sleek design is reinforced by an abundance of stainless steel, white oak, quartz and backlit painted glass.

“The bar counter, with its linear design and use of glass and lighting, is the most striking feature and would be the focus of that area,” he says. “A signature colour scheme of purple hues runs throughout the racecourse, creating a commonality between the Champions Bar and other racecourse locations while still allowing them to hold their own distinctive identities. We focused on creating a unique personality for each space so when patrons use them they have a memory of those spaces.”

Style Tip

GLASS PENDANT LIGHTS

www.williedugganlighting.com

Having something that is memorable and allowing the other materials to support that but not compete with it is the key to creating an elegant interior.

STRADA DESIGN CARPET

www.vorwerk-flooring.com

STRADA DESIGN CARPET

ww.interface.com

www.housingunits.co.uk PURPLE ABRAHAM CHESTERFIELD SOFA

Harvey Normans

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27/04/2016 13:02

FOOD HEROES

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE IN HOSPITALITY SUPREME WINNER 2016 SERVICE TO THE INDUSTRY AWARD IRELAND’S SITE CONTRACT CATERER 2016 All Sponsored by Keelings Farm Fresh Keelings Farm Fresh offer a wide range of fruit and vegetables to the hospitality and catering industry. “We are very proud to work with local growers because provenance is an important element of our business in order to avail of the freshest stock, reduce air miles, and support local employment,” says Keelings Farm Fresh Managing Director, Colm Bury. “Keelings Farm Fresh are delighted and honoured to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for a second year running. It is important to reward the hard work that hospitality businesses put in every day. As a country we are proud of our quality produce and friendly hospitality so it is important that this is acknowledged.”

The Keelings Farm Fresh Gold Medal Awards 2016 will take place in the five star Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny on September 27 and Hotel & Catering Review is looking forward to yet another successful event in 2016. In the first of a series of previews, we profile some of our new and long-standing category sponsors.

IRELAND’S FIVE STAR HOTEL

IRELAND’S HOTEL SPA EXPERIENCE

IRELAND’S GUEST EXPERIENCE

Sponsored by Noel Recruitment Group

Sponsored by Sodexo Ireland

Sponsored by Robert Roberts

The Noel Recruitment Group is the leading provider of recruitment solutions to hospitality businesses in Ireland and internationally, with over 29 years’ experience of introducing high quality talent to the industry. “We assist clients and candidates nationwide, but with a real emphasis on local expertise,” says Jerry O’Sullivan, Business Manager Ireland. “The Noel Group likes to be associated with indigenous companies like ourselves that are 100% Irish owned and managed. Our working relationship with the Keelings Farm Fresh Gold Medal Awards has been rewarding and commercially beneficial. The consistency of the Keelings Farm Fresh Gold Medal Awards has made it the industry benchmark for standards and the awards will always remain to the fore in the hospitality industry.”

Sodexo have been operating in Ireland since 1948. “We provide a broad range of services, from catering, cleaning and reception to a fully integrated facilities management solution to over 200 clients employing over 2,000 staff,” says Margaret Clapham, Business Development Director, Corporate Services ROI & NI, Sodexo Ireland. “With offices located in Dublin and Cork, Sodexo’s business in Ireland has a value of approximately 77m per annum. Sodexo is the strategic partner for companies and institutions that place a premium on employee performance and wellbeing.

That is why we are delighted to sponsor the Ireland’s Hotel Spa Experience award because it rewards those in the Irish hospitality industry who provide a consistently high level of service and experience for their guests.”

Robert Roberts is an Irish company roasting coffee and blending teas in Ireland since 1905.“We have a range of fresh coffee and we also offer Fairtrade and speciality teas which have been endorsed by the Guild of Fine Foods in successive Great Taste Awards competitions,” says Gillian Skinner, Food Service Brand Manager, Robert Roberts Foodservice Division.

“We decided to sponsor the Guest Experience category because our main priority is ensuring that our customers have the best experience possible. We wanted to recognise the hotel that goes the extra mile for their customer. The Gold Medal Awards is a popular event because it gives hotels the recognition they deserve and customers can reward hotels that they rate highly. It is a brilliantly run event and a great night out for all involved.”

#KEELINGSGOLDMEDAL

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27/04/2016 12:21

A QUICK CHAT

WISH LIST: SKILLET

A good old decent skillet is used quite a bit.

The recognition that you are not a run-ofthe-mill place with low quality food is great for business. Restaurants in the suburbs need a nod when they are trying to do something special.

ELAINE MURPHY

MEAL: A GOOD PASTA

with really good chilli, anchovy, and broccoli sauce is my favourite!

In a neighbourhood restaurant you want to be family friendly but also special. It needs to be there for your comfort food and also for a celebration. It’s a tricky brief but I hope we’ve achieved it!

INGREDIENT:

Seaweed should take over from kale as the hottest veg. Filipino food is the new Korean. Replace kimchee with adobo and you’ve got it.

Giant vintage maps of Ireland on each floor feature the names and location of our many local producers, including Silver Darlings, Pigs on the Green, Velvet Cloud, Ballinwillin Wild Boar, and Ard Na Ri. Our new menu even has an amazing rare breed steak from Feirme Nadurtha in Lusk.

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HOTEL

Restaurant delivered food is very hot in London and Melbourne right now.

Deliveroo are forging ahead and food from The Woollen Mills and The Washerwoman’s kitchens can now be brought right to the customer’s couch.

The culinary brilliance behind The Woollen Mills and The Winding Stair, Elaine Murphy talks to Orla Connolly about winning the Bord Bia Just Eat award for her newest restaurant, The Washerwoman in Glasnevin.

INSPIRATION: IAN CONNOLLY

Our chef Ian Connolly is great. What I love about Ian is that he never courts the press. He quietly creates really delicious food without fanfare.

CATERING REVIEW | APRIL 2016

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27/04/2016 15:11

45 MAGAZINE TITLES ▲ 10 EVENTS ▲ 3.6 MILLION REACH

DID YOU KNOW

Ashville Media Group is Ireland’s largest publishing and events company.

You’ve almost certainly read our magazines or attended our events.

Our mission is to connect your brand with the largest audience in Ireland.

(01) 432 2200 ▲ info@ashvillemediagroup.com

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26/04/2016 11:17

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www.keelings.com 26/04/2016 16:41