HOTEL
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News MAJESTIC HOTEL GETS FOUR STARS FROM FÁILTE IRELAND Property SMALL FAMILY-RUN HOTELS – ARE RUMOURS OF THEIR DEMISE GREATLY EXAGERRATED? Finance HOTELIERS AND CATERERS NEED TO PREPARE FOR E-DAY Food Tourism CELEBRATING THE BEST OF IRISH
JUNE 2014
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MASTERCHEF AT WORK
SODEXO’S DEREK REILLY ON FILLING THE SKILLS GAP I R E L A N D ’ S P R E M I E R M AG A Z I N E F O R T H E H O S P I TA L I T Y & C AT E R I N G I N D US T RY
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CONTENTS 2
Editor’s View
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News & Views
14 Dine Hotel & Catering Review’s Dish of the Month is Canon of Slaney Valley Lamb, Squash Purée, Spring Onion Mash, Green Olive Purée, Minted Wild Mushroom Jus & Herb Pesto, from Eoin Murtagh, Head Chef with Sodexo Ireland. 16
On the Move New Appointments, Promotions and Recruitment.
18 Key to the Door Openings, Closures, Refurbishments and Acquisitions.
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Cover Story sodexo’s shining star
Sodexo Ireland’s Executive Chef in Charge of Craft Development, Derek Reilly, talks to Maev Martin about Sodexo’s unique approach to chef training and their high profile partnerships in the food service industry.
23 International Report Hotel & Catering Review looks at some of the weird and wonderful food products, ingredients and flavours on display at this year’s National Restaurant Association (NRA) show in Chicago. 28 Supply Line Essential Product Knowledge.
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property is it the end of the line for Small family run hotels?
Donagh Davern examines the dramatic changes in hotel ownership that are continuing apace and speculates on the future viability of the smaller, family-run hotels.
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business Matters Are You Ready for e-Day?
From September 19th, local authorities will no longer accept or make payment by cheque. The Central Bank’s Ronnie O’Toole looks at the implications for hotels.
30 Food Tourism Some of Ireland’s best artisan food producers will be recognised this summer at an array of food festivals and award presentations that have been taking place since May and will run until October. Hotel & Catering Review reports on the winners of the EirGrid Euro-Toques Food Awards 2014, a Keelings fruit and flower innovation at this year’s Bloom, and the recent launch of the seventh annual Blas na hEireann, Irish Food Awards. 36 Five Minutes With This month Hotel & Catering Review caught up with Mark McCarthy, Business Development Chef at Unilever Food Solutions Ireland/UK.
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EDITOR’S VIEW
Editor Maev Martin Email: maeve.martin@ ashvillemediagroup.com Telephone: 01 432 2271
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Dublin received a major boost last month as the International Congresses and Conventions Association rankings showed the nation’s capital rising nine places in the world ranking to 13th globally for hosting conferences and conventions. It is strong evidence that Dublin is a very popular destination for international conferences and is successfully punching above its weight on the global stage. Already in 2014, Fáilte Ireland has recorded almost 60,000 international delegates coming to Ireland with an estimated value of €80m. Since Convention Centre Dublin opened its doors in 2010 it has placed Ireland firmly on the map as a global business destination. So too, have the professional and well organised offerings from many city centre hotels around the country. But there is a danger that CCD’s success, and the success of other city hotels, could reinforce the view among many suburban or rural hoteliers that it isn’t worth their while getting into this market - and that it is just too difficult and expensive. Most hotels have conference or meeting room facilities but more often than not that space is being filled with functions and/or weddings at the weekend and is underutilised or not being used at all during the week. This is a lost business opportunity. But how do hotels attract the right business - and then convert it into sales? Over the next few months Conference Sales Coach Ciara Feely will provide hoteliers who are interested in either developing their existing conference business or in dipping their toe in the market with some top tips about how to get started. And there are a number of issues to be considered before you make the leap. When or if you attract a viable level of conference business do you have the resources to deliver on expectations? Do your staff have the necessary skillset to sell the business facilities that the hotel has to offer? Are they au fait with the conferencing requirements of different industry sectors? Is your food offering geared for the conference market? Do you have marketing collateral that specifically targets the business traveller? Does your hotel have the technology to support the expectations of the type of conference organiser and delegate that you are hoping to attract? Fáilte Ireland research shows that nine in ten overseas conference delegates registered a ‘very satisfied’ rating for their experience of Ireland as a destination for international conferences. The research also shows that, on average, international delegates spent over six days in Ireland, with nearly a quarter of delegates using the conference to mix business and leisure. These findings are particularly interesting because they reveal a trend that could give the suburban or rural hotelier a distinct advantage over city-based hotels that are targeting the business traveller. If a hotel that isn’t centrally located succeeds in attracting conference business they effectively have a captive audience. City centre hotels are competing with a wide range of potential entertainment, food and drink venues on their doorstep but the suburban or rural hotel has the opportunity to offer the conference delegate a one-stop-shop that meets all of their business and leisure requirements. So what are you waiting for?
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ity centre hotels are C competing with a wide range of potential entertainment, food and drink venues on their doorstep but the suburban or rural hotel has the opportunity to offer the conference delegate a one-stopshop that meets all of their business and leisure requirements.
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www.facebook.com /hotelandcateringreview Editor: Maev Martin Editorial & Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Design: Jane Matthews Advertising Design: Colm MacDermott COVER IMAGE: ©iStock/Thinkstock.com Stock Photography: Thinkstock.com Production: Nicole Ennis Sales Director: Paul Clemenson Managing Director: Diarmaid Lennon Published by: Ashville Media, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7. Tel: (01) 432 2200 ISSN: 0332-4400 All rights reserved. Every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate. The publishers cannot, however, accept responsibility for errors or omissions. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © Ashville Media Group 2014. All discounts, promotions and competitions contained in this magazine are run independently of Hotel & Catering Review. The promoter/advertiser is responsible for honouring the prize.
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News & Views
NEWS & VIEWS
Majestic Hotel Gets four Stars from FÁilte Ireland
The Majestic Hotel in Tramore announced last month that it had received four star accreditation from Fáilte Ireland under the Hotel Classification Scheme. One of only a few hotels in the city and county of Waterford to have achieved the prestigious four star rating, the hotel underwent a comprehensive process of inspection and had to meet strict criteria in terms of décor, cusine, hospitality and delivery of services. The Majestic Hotel, which is celebrating 25 years in business, has just completed the upgrading and transformation of its 60 bedrooms which now include complimentary Wi-Fi. The Garden Room restaurant, which overlooks Tramore Bay and Brownstown Head, has also been recently refurbished, and they are in the process of extending the garden with a feature gazebo to provide an outdoor area with views over the bay. In 2013, the Majestic Hotel was just one of eight hotels across Ireland to be nominated for the Best Three Star Hotel in the Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Awards 2013. The Garden Room restaurant also received the Taste of Ireland award in 2013 and again in 2014. The award is bestowed on restaurants that have been recommended and listed as good places to eat by acclaimed Michelin star chef, food critic and writer, Paolo Tullio. The Majestic Hotel was purchased by Danny and Annette Devine in the 1980s.
Celebrating the Majestic Hotel’s four star accreditation from Fáilte Ireland are (l-r): Mark Whelan, General Manager, Danny and Annette Devine, Owners, and Adrian Pierce, Head Chef.
€500,000 Facelift for Letterkenny Court Hotel Twenty-seven new jobs will be created as the Letterkenny Court Hotel in Donegal undergoes a major €500,000 facelift. The hotel has been bought by the McKeever Hotel Group, which plans a major refurbishment in the coming months. All 30 staff jobs will be retained and an additional 27 people will also be recruited, including a general manager. Work on the €500,000 renovation of the ground floor of the three star hotel has already started. The shop unit next door will be incorporated into the plans which will feature a function/ private dining area for 60 to 70 people and the creation of a new entrance leading into the reception area, which will be extended. “In September further work will be carried out on the 57 bedrooms and 26 apartments,” says Managing Director Eugene McKeever. “ Co Antrim-based independent hospitality company, McKeever Hotel Group, owns Corr’s Corner just outside Belfast, the Dunsilly Hotel in Antrim, and the Adair Arms in Ballymena.
The McKeever family - Eugene and Catherine McKeever, Marketing Manager Bridgene McKeever and Group Operations Manager Eddie McKeever, with some of the current staff at the hotel.
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News & Views
Catex Celebrates 50 Years of Foodservice Excellence
(l-r): Garret Buckley, IFSA, Organisers of Catex, Larry Smith, Calor Gas, and Sean Martin, Bunzl Ireland and Chairman of IFSA.
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The Irish Foodservice Suppliers AlliancE (IFSA) recently launched Catex 2015, which will take place at the RDS, Dublin from February 17th to 19th 2015. The biennial event will be celebrating its 50th anniversary and, to mark the occasion, the IFSA is promising to serve up the greatest food service event to date. Sponsored once again by Bunzl and Calor, it is anticipated that Catex 2015 will attract more than 10,000 visitors to the RDS for the 15,000 metre jubilee show. Apart from over 200 exhibitors, the show will include The Chefs Choice Food Village, 2015 National Barista Championships, 2015 National Cocktail Championships, The RAI Live Dining Experience, The Hospitality Heroes Live Stage and The Euro-toques Livestage. Exhibitors will include Aryzta Food Solutions, Baileycare, BD Foods, Bewleys, Bord Gáis Networks, Brady Catering, Brakes, Bunzl McLaughlin, Business Systems Development, Calor
Carbon Removal Systems, CBE, Coffee Perfection, Coppinger Corporate Uniforms, Corcorans, Derry’s Ltd, Devlin Retail, McDonalds, Drummond, Fridge Rentals, GH Enterprises, Glana, Henderson Group, Hugh Jordan, Marco Beverage Systems, Michael Flannery Catering Supplies Ltd, Milano, Money Point, Nisbets, Noel Recruitment, OBS Storage, Over and Above, Pallas Foods, Rosie & Jim Gourmet Foods, Servequip, Total Produce, and Weighing Machine Services. “Catex has long been established as the premier event in the foodservice calendar in Ireland,” says Sean Martin, Chairperson of IFSA. “With research (Bord Bia Channel Insights – November 2014) showing growth in the market, which is now worth €6.07bn at consumer prices, and a prediction that this growth will continue up to 2018, the industry is now rallying and I’m very excited that this recovery is coinciding with such a landmark year for IFSA and Catex.”
Roganstown Restaurant Wins AA Rosette McLoughlin’s Restaurant at Dublin’s AA four star Roganstown Hotel and Country Club in Swords, Co Dublin has been awarded an AA Rosette in recognition of its culinary excellence. To achieve an AA Rosette, chefs need to display a mastery of basic techniques and be able to produce dishes of sound quality and clarity of flavours, using fresh ingredients. McLoughlin’s Restaurant, named after the family who worked the land at Roganstown since 1916, uses ingredients from recognised high quality producers and has a keen eye for seasonality. AA Hotel Inspectors were also impressed by the presentation of their dishes and described McLoughlin’s Restaurant as one to watch “if they continue to act on the feedback proffered and maintain their excellent level of progress”. Conor Faughnan, Director of Consumer Affairs, AA Ireland, says the scheme is about continuous improvement and “sharing our expertise to drive the standards of Irish restaurants. McLoughlin’s Restaurant really exemplifies that desire to get better at what they do and what they can offer their customers.” Set in a 300-acre estate in north county Dublin, the golf and spa destination is owned by Ian McGuinness who previously worked abroad for Siemens and Microsoft.
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News & Views
Tom Makes it Two in a Row at RAI Awards The Munster Regional Final of the 2014 Irish Restaurant Awards, in association with Sunday Independent LIFE magazine, took place on April 29th at the Limerick Strand Hotel and named the top restaurants and chefs in the six counties for 2014. Over 400 restaurant owners and
staff celebrated their hard work and achievements at the awards. Tom Flavin, Executive Chef at The River Restaurant at The Limerick Strand, won the award for ‘Best Chef Limerick’, sponsored by La Rousse Foods, for a second year running. “The Irish Restaurant Awards celebrate their sixth year this year and
have become the island’s biggest food awards,” said Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, who was speaking at the awards. “The credibility that these awards have is reflected in the amount of nominations they received this year 19,000 nominations were cast across nine categories, showing that these are the awards that everyone wants to win.” With over 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, Tom started his career in Manila. Prior to returning to Ireland in 1999 he spent time in Singapore, the UK and Australia in a variety of five star hotel kitchens and fine dining restaurants where he oversaw banqueting kitchens. This gave Tom his extensive knowledge of international fine dining cuisine. Tom has spent over 10 years in Limerick as an Executive Chef, arriving at the Strand Hotel in 2007.
(l-r): Padraic Og Gallagher, President, Restaurants Association of Ireland, Tom Flavin, and Francis McSorley, La Rousse Foods, at the Munster regional event.
Jurys Inn Cork Celebrates €1.6m Transformation Jurys Inn Cork celebrated the completion of a €1.6m redesign and transformation at a special event at the hotel recently. The property, which also marks its 20th anniversary this year, underwent a complete refurbishment of its 133 bedrooms, bar and restaurant areas, and a revamp of its meeting room facilities. “Jurys Inn Hotel Group has invested significantly in its product and service offering through technology innovations such as the introduction of free Wi-Fi, and enhancing the food and beverage offering, meeting rooms, and facilities to meet the changing needs of both business and leisure travellers,” says Anita McLoone, Hotel Manager of Jurys Inn Cork. “To this end, the newly redesigned Jurys Inn Cork provides an ideally located and fully equipped meeting space for companies and can cater for up to 35 people with its Jurys Meetings package which includes AV equipment, free Wi-Fi and a stationery toolkit. The investment in Jurys Inn Cork forms part of a €31m refurbishment programme being rolled out by the Group.
Pictured at the celebration are Anne Marie Hallinan, Sales Manager, Jurys Inn Cork and Anita McLoone, General Manager, Jurys Inn Cork.
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News & Views
Compass NI Win RoSPA Gold Award
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ompass Group Ireland’s Northern Ireland division has been awarded the 2014 RoSPA Gold Award for Occupational Health and Safety. The accolade celebrates Compass Group’s commitment to raising the standards of health and safety management across all platforms. Compass accepted the accolade at a presentation ceremony and gala dinner in Birmingham on May 15th. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Safety Awards are internationally recognised and are among the most highly respected occupational safety awards programmes in operation. Judging criteria for the 2014 awards included
demonstration of excellent occupational health and safety management systems, high levels of compliance with control measures for principal risks, and a rigorous approach to occupational health across the organisation. Compass Group’s health and safety plan, monitored by a dedicated health and safety team, includes four key action areas for all team members: planning, delivering, monitoring and reviewing. All teams are equipped with the necessary resources and skills to aid them in effectively assessing the workplace for risk, a state-ofthe-art online incident reporting system records all incidents and near misses, and regular reviews of health and safety practices across the group are held to ensure effective management.
Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland, Celebrity Chef Kevin Dundon, Journalist Caitlin Ryan, Contributor to CultureMap Austin, Ruth Moran, Tourism Ireland, and Tourism Minister Michael Ring on the opening day of the Austin Food and Wine Festival.
Errol Taylor, RoSPA Deputy Chief Executive/ Strategic Partnerships Director, presents Margaret Campbell, Head of Operations, Compass Group UK & Ireland, with the award.
Staycity Secures 170 Room Apartment Deal Serviced apartment operator Staycity has signed an Stg£17m deal giving the company 170 further apartments in Birmingham. The property, due to open in May 2015, will consist of one and twobedroom apartments in the city’s historic Jewellery Quarter. Dublin-based Staycity currently operates 82 apartments in Birmingham’s Arcadian centre. Staycity has over 1,000 apartments across eight European cities, including Dublin, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London Heathrow, Manchester, Paris and Amsterdam. The company is aiming to expand its operations to 5,000 apartments over the next five years. Later this month Staycity will open 161 purpose-built apartments across two properties in Greenwich, London, with further new apartments to open in Venice and Lyon.
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Celebrity Chef Puts Ireland on the Menu in Texas Mayo and Ireland were on the menu for foodies in Texas recently when Tourism Ireland was joined by celebrity chef Kevin Dundon at the Austin Food and Wine Festival. This was the first time that Tourism Ireland had a presence at the Austin Food and Wine festival, a high-end food and wine lifestyle show which was attended by about 5,000 people. Tourism Ireland’s presence at the show included a stand in the Grand Tasting Pavilion with Kevin Dundon showcasing the very best of the culinary experience on offer for American visitors to Ireland. It also included a networking event with influential, Austin-based travel agents and media on the opening day of the festival. The quality of Irish food is one of the key themes being promoted by Tourism Ireland in the US this year. “We were delighted to be joined by Kevin Dundon at this year’s Austin Food and Wine Festival, helping us to raise the profile of the island of Ireland as a superb food tourism destination,” says Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America. “Food is such a vital component of the holiday experience nowadays, with travellers becoming more and more discerning about food and where they eat.”
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News & Views
Hotel Helps Guests Go Back to Their Roots The Strand Hotel in Limerick is making a genealogy service available to its guests. The service is provided by the Irish Ancestry Research Centre (IARC), a professional family history service based in Limerick city. IARC will assess the information on a family’s Irish background and prepare an appropriate research plan that will enable guests to go and trace their Irish heritage. When guests book the service they will be sent a link to an online form to fill in before they travel to Limerick. This information is used by IARC to prepare their consultancy session on behalf of the guest. The genealogy package includes a twonight stay at the Limerick Strand, including King Superior accommodation, full Irish Breakfast (featuring a Chef’s Hot Station making fresh pancakes and egg dishes cooked to order) each morning and dinner on one evening at their one star AA Rosette River Restaurant plus a one hour consultation with the genealogist per family. Hotel residents can also enjoy complimentary access to Energize Leisure Centre with hydrotherapy pool, plunge pool, Swedish sauna, eucalyptus steam room plus complimentary WI-FI 100 MB broadband. Packages start from €165 per person sharing. Additional hours with the genealogist can be arranged from €75 per hour. Renowned Dutch TV presenter and chef, René Pluijm (right) with Martin Shanahan, owner of Fishy Fishy Café in Kinsale (second right) and René’s production crew during filming in Kinsale.
Serving Up a Slice of Cork and Kerry Renowned Dutch TV presenter and chef, René Pluijm, has been visiting Cork and Kerry. Invited here by Tourism Ireland and Bord Bia, René and his production crew were here to film some of the gastronomic experiences which visitors can enjoy in Cork and Ireland. The hour-long episode of René’s popular show – Pluijms Eetbare Wereld (which means ‘Pluijm’s Edible World’) – will air later this month on RTL4, one of the main TV channels in the Netherlands, and will be seen by more than 400,000 viewers and ‘foodies’ who have a passion for travel, adventure and, of course, fine dining. The crew flew to Cork, where their first stop was the English Market to try out some Cork delicacies. They also visited Kinsale, where they captured footage of René in action at the famous Fishy Fishy Café, using all locally-sourced ingredients. Other stops included Stonewell Cider in Nohoval, a local farm in Crosshaven and Coolea Farmhouse Cheese near Macroom. In Killarney, the crew filmed at Applecroft House B&B and Earls Court House Hotel. They also visited Aghadoe Heights Hotel for a special barbecue ‘cook-off’ between René and the hotel’s Head Chef, Sebastian Schulze. Afterwards, they filmed some of the spectacular scenery around Killarney, including the Gap of Dunloe.
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News & Views
Cliff House Launches The Relais Relay
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ixty years after Relais & Châteaux was founded with a mission to delight travellers on their way across France, the association’s UK & Ireland delegation is holding a gourmet relay travelling the length and breadth of the British Isles. The launch took place at the Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, Co Waterford, Ireland, on April 27th with a black tie event and sevencourse tasting dinner created by Chef Martijn Kajuiter in their Michelin-starred House Restaurant. One by one, over the four months of summer, each of the 35 member properties will unveil its original 60th Anniversary Tasting Menu at a celebratory dinner. The rest of the Irish events took place during
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the month of May. From the launch dinner at Cliff House on April 27th, Relais & Châteaux’s 60th Anniversary Gourmet Relay crossed Ireland visiting the Park Hotel Kenmare on May 9th, Sheen Falls Lodge on May 10th, Marlfield House on May 22nd and Ballyfin Demesne on May 24th. Crossing the Irish Sea, it reached Ynyshir Hall in Machynlleth, Wales, on May 30th. In June, six celebration dinners will take place in The Cotswolds, Bath and Devon, and July takes the relay to Jersey, the New Forest, West Sussex, Berkshire and Oxfordshire (ten properties). In August it makes nine stops in the Lake District, Cumbria and Scotland before spending September in London where Relais & Châteaux’s Hibiscus,
Le Gavroche and The Goring bring the relay to a glamorous metropolitan climax. An autographed first edition of each 60th Anniversary Tasting Menu, signed by the chef and general manager, will be lodged in a commemorative Relais & Châteaux 60th anniversary album – The ‘Livre d’Or’. This started with the Cliff House Hotel on April 27th and will continue with the chef carrying the volume, Olympic-torch style, by air, land or sea on the next stage of its journey until it crosses the finish line in style at The Goring in London on September 16th, a lasting testimony to the skills of 35 great chefs and 60 years of Relais & Châteaux hospitality. It will then be given as a gift to M. Philippe Gombert, the President of Relais et Châteaux, at the Annual Congress in Paris in November later this year.
Goodbye Kimye… Hello Norm! As Kim and Kanye jetted out of Cork, comedy legend George Wendt (known to millions as Norm from Cheers) arrived with his wife Bernadette to take a road trip along the Wild Atlantic Way to discover all it has to offer as part of Fáilte Ireland’s ongoing online campaign to attract overseas visitors to Ireland. George was in Ireland for the Sky Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, Kilkenny, over the June bank holiday weekend where he hosted the first Cat Laughs in 1995. The video of George’s trip along the western seaboard will be disseminated across all Fáilte Ireland, Wild Atlantic Way and Discover Ireland digital platforms.
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News & Views Journalists Fly in On New Germanwings Flight Four leading German journalists visited Mayo and Galway recently as guests of Tourism Ireland and Germanwings (a German airline owned by Lufthansa). They flew in to Ireland West Airport Knock (IWAK) on the inaugural Germanwings flight from Cologne-Bonn. Representing a variety of online and print
publications, the journalists’ action-packed itinerary, which was prepared by Fáilte Ireland, included visits to Belleek Castle in Ballina and the Céide Fields. They enjoyed sea-kayaking near Belmullet and a walk along the Mullet Peninsula. They also experienced the Greenway-toSeaway cycle. Germanwings will operate direct flights to and from Cologne-Bonn every Saturday between now and the end of October.
Tourism Ireland, in conjunction with eDreams, has ‘wrapped’ trams in Barcelona with an ad for Ireland.
German journalists with David Tyrrell, Wavesweeper Sea Adventures (left), getting ready to enjoy some sea-kayaking near Belmullet, Co Mayo.
Giant Tram Wraps Promote Ireland Millions of commuters in Barcelona are seeing ads for Ireland on trams operating on one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, Avenida Diagonal. Tourism Ireland has teamed up with Spain’s largest online travel agent - eDreams - for a joint promotional campaign, wrapping the trams in a giant Ireland ad to boost travel to Ireland this summer. A total of 1.3 million people use this Barcelona tram route each month and millions more will see the Ireland ads as they pass by the trams in their cars or on foot. The four-week campaign also includes extensive online advertising.
Special 5 day membership rate to the Hotel & Catering Community of €750 Special offer for Pay & Play on Mondays & Tuesdays Golf and Lunch for just €39 when booked in advance quoting H&C Offer
Palmerstown Stud Golf Course, designed by golfer Christy OʼConnor Jnr, is truly a golferʼs paradise. This expertly designed course offers impressive bunkering, imaginative water features and challenging fairways over 18 beautifully appointed holes. Our challenging course was host to the Irish Region Championship in 2005 and the Irish Seniors Championship in 2007. Golf at Palmerstown Stud Golf Club is open to visitors all year round. To book a tee time or for more information regarding group or society bookings contact +353 (0) 45 906 901 or email golf@palmerstownhouse.com
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News & Views Barry Dowling, Druids Glen Resort, Áine Mangan, Dublin East Coast Golf Alliance, John Farren, North and West Coast Links, Maarit Kärkkäinen, Tourism Ireland, and John Slye, SWING (South West Ireland Golf), at the Nordea Masters in Malmö, Sweden.
‘Teeing Up’ Ireland in Scandinavia Tourism Ireland’s drive to grow the number of golf visitors to Ireland continued over the June bank holiday weekend at the Nordea Masters in Malmö, Sweden. A number of Irish golf and tourism operators joined Tourism Ireland at what is the largest golf tournament in the Nordic region, attracting over 100,000 spectators each year. Tourism Ireland’s promotions to grow the number of
Scandinavian golf visitors to Ireland includes a presence at events like the Nordea Masters, as well as working with influential golf media and travel trade contacts to highlight their world-class golf and the Irish Open at Fota Island Resort. With about 650,000 registered golfers, Sweden is an important market for golf tourism to the island of Ireland.
3rd Best
Garden
Powerscourt is No 3 in World’s Top 10 Gardens Powerscourt Gardens has been voted number three in the world’s top ten gardens by National Geographic magazine. “Huge congratulations to Powerscourt Gardens on being listed at number three in the world’s top ten gardens,” says Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Ireland. “This accolade from the prestigious National Geographic magazine is good news indeed and gives us another wonderful platform to continue to promote Wicklow and Ireland across the world as a ‘must see’ destination. The inclusion of Powerscourt Gardens in such a list will help to give us ‘stand-out’ in a very competitive international marketplace, complementing the messages we convey to potential holidaymakers overseas about the huge variety of things to see and do here. With world-class gardens, spectacular scenery, as well as its extremely rich heritage, Wicklow is set to welcome many more overseas visitors this year, coming to experience all that this beautiful part of Ireland has to offer.”
in the world
Margot Makes Top 50 Most Powerful Businesswomen Margot Slattery, Managing Director of Sodexo Ireland, appeared in the Sunday Independent’s inaugural ‘50 Most Powerful and Influential Businesswomen in Ireland’ list published on May 11th. Limerick-born Margot began her career as a chef and worked in several Irish and UK hotels before joining Sodexo Ireland in 1992 as a Catering Manager.
Margot Slattery, Managing Director of Sodexo Ireland.
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She was appointed Managing Director in 2012. In 2013, she won the Management Professional Award at the Image Businesswomen of the Year Award as well as the Empowering Women Award at the WMB (Women Mean Business) Awards. Margot Slattery is committed to the diversity and inclusion agenda and Sodexo is one of the founding signatories of Ireland’s first Diversity Charter. It was also a finalist in the Best Employer category at the 2014 GALA Awards. The GALAS were created by GCN and the National Lesbian and Gay Federation (NLGF) to honour those who work towards a better future for LGBT people in Ireland.
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News & Views
New Aer Lingus Toronto Flight Touches Down Jayne Shackleford, Tourism Ireland’s Manager in Canada, welcomed the new Aer Lingus service from Toronto which landed in Dublin on April 15th. She said that Tourism Ireland would be working closely with Aer Lingus to maximise the promotion of this flight. With more than five million people in Canada claiming ancestral links or affiliations with the island of Ireland, Canada is an important market for tourism. Tourism Ireland has an extensive programme of promotions underway to grow the number of Canadian visitors to Ireland this year. The organisation is placing a major focus on the Wild Atlantic Way. Other events being highlighted by Tourism Ireland include Limerick City of Culture and the Croke Park Classic, when the University of Central Florida takes on Penn State. Tourism Ireland in Canada is undertaking co-operative campaigns with all the airlines flying from Canada, as well as with leading tour operators. Promotions this year include a digital campaign with Aer Lingus and radio and digital ads in elevators and across underground stations in conjunction with Air Canada. Social media is an important part of the programme, with almost 40,000 Facebook fans in Canada alone and almost 7,000 followers on Twitter.
5m Irish
canadians claim
Heritage
Helen Maguire and Jack Foley, both Aer Lingus, Alison Metcalfe and Jayne Shackleford, both Tourism Ireland, in Toronto Pearson International Airport before the departure of the inaugural Aer Lingus flight to Dublin.
Shane Doyle, Group IT Manager.
Jurys Inn Rolls Out Premium Wi-Fi Service Jurys Inn has announced that it is to offer free Wi-Fi to guests at its 31 hotels across Ireland, the UK, and Prague. The service has been rolled out in response to changing consumer trends and the increased connectivity requirements of guests. The announcement forms part of a €2m investment by the Group in its IT service software and hardware systems. Guests will be able to access the free Wi-Fi service in all public areas and bedrooms throughout the hotel. Guests who book direct at www.jurysinns.com will also get complimentary access to the Jurys Inn Premium Wi-Fi service which is suitable for heavier internet usage such as streaming movies, gaming, and large file downloading. “Guests are increasingly travelling with multiple devices and the introduction of free Wi-Fi allows Jurys Inn to better cater to the needs of both business and leisure travellers,” says Shane Doyle, Group IT Manager, Jurys Inn. “Our customers have told us that access to free high-speed Wi-Fi is important to them and we are delighted to be able to offer them this high quality service in response.” The introduction of free Wi-Fi is one of a number of innovations by Jurys Inn, including the trial of online check-in and the launch of a responsive design website. Guests who haven’t booked direct with www.jurysinns.com and wish to purchase Premium Wi-Fi can do so by paying €3 per hour, €7 for 24 hours or €10 for 48 hours use.
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News & Views
Sodexo Sponsors LGBT Seminar ‘Creating Successful LGBT Employee Networks’ was the title of the GLEN Diversity Champions Seminar sponsored by Sodexo Ireland on May 27th in Dublin. Speaking at the event were Margot Slattery, Managing Director, Sodexo Ireland, Jean-Michel Monnot, Vice-President, Group Diversity and Inclusion, Sodexo, Patricia Kelleher, Assistant Chief Officer, Irish Prison Service, and Catherine Vaughan, Global Compliance Officer, EY. Diversity Champions is Ireland’s leading network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusive employers. The purpose of the seminar was to support companies in establishing or augmenting networks within their own organisations by sharing the knowledge and insight of other members with significant experience in this area.
(l-r): Margot Slattery, Managing Director, Sodexo Ireland, Jean-Michel Monnot, Vice-President, Group Diversity and Inclusion, Sodexo, Davin Roche, Director of Workplace Diversity, GLEN, Patricia Kelleher, Assistant Chief Officer, Irish Prison Service, and Catherine Vaughan, Global Compliance Officer, EY.
Ireland’s ‘Big Drive’ at PGA Championship Tourism Ireland’s drive to grow the number of golf visitors to Ireland continued at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in south east England. A number of golf and tourism operators joined Tourism Ireland at this important event in the golfing calendar. One of the European Tour’s biggest golf competitions, the BMW PGA Championship attracts top players and thousands of spectators and international media each year. “The island of Ireland boasts some fantastic golf courses and our presence at this year’s BMW PGA Championship was an excellent opportunity for Tourism Ireland, together with our partners, to showcase that superb golf offering,” says David Boyce, Tourism Ireland’s Head of Sports Tourism. “Golf is a major focus for Tourism Ireland in Britain in 2014. We are undertaking a busy programme of promotions, which includes highlighting this year’s Irish Open at Fota Island Resort.”
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(seated, l-r) Rachel Meehan, Tourism Ireland, Kirsty Worthington, Galgorm Castle Golf Club and Ann-Kristin Brandt, Fota Island Resort. back (l-r) Francis Hartnett, SWING (South West Ireland Golf), Tony Lenehan, Fáilte Ireland, Barry Dowling, Druids Glen Resort, Colin Turkington, British Touring Car Champion from Co Armagh, and David Boyce, Tourism Ireland.
Unilever Helps Businesses Comply with New Allergen Legislation Unilever Food Solutions recently launched a new service to support the foodservice industry in complying with upcoming food allergy information regulations. The Allergen and Diets Guide for Professional Catering is a free-to-download interactive iBook that provides a comprehensive guide to the new legislation and what it means for operators and their guests. It also provides a thorough overview of the 14 need-to-know food allergens. The legislation change comes as a result of a new regulation adopted by the European Parliament and Council in October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. This regulation comes into effect on December 13th, 2014, when it will become the responsibility of the food service industry to provide information on any of the 14 food allergens. Apart from the new iBook, Unilever Food Solutions has developed a number of free tools to support chefs and operators in meeting the necessary legislative requirements, including a short 20-question quiz for operators to test their knowledge of food allergens, as well as food legislation training material to help venues become 100% allergen compliant.
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News & Views
The Blueway – A New Way to Discover Our Coastline
Pictured at the Old Head beach near Louisburgh were Michael Ring Minister of State for Tourism and Sport with Rory McCarthy, Fáilte Ireland and members of the Bluewave working group, Charlie Lambert, Martin Dillane, Laura Taylor, Rosaleen Ni Shuilleabhain, Humphery Murphy, Richard Thorn, Maura Lyons and Sabrina Trench.
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he Blueway, a new initiative to complement the Wild Atlantic Way and to encourage visitors to discover our coastline, has been launched by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring. The Blueway is a pilot programme to encourage visitors to engage with the sea by developing trails for water activities such as snorkelling and kayaking and highlighting local activity providers and events at the five Blueway locations in
dates for your diary
counties Mayo and Galway. The five coastal Blueway sites are in Counties Galway and Mayo - Boffin Harbour on Inishbofin, Killary Fjord in Leenane, Keem on Achill Island, and Mannin Bay and Old Head (Louisburgh) in Mayo. Recent research indicated that over 84,000 overseas visitors engage in watersports every year when on holiday in Ireland with the vast majority of those taking part in kayaking and snorkelling. The Blueway project supports the development of kayaking
TASTER DAY LOCATION JUNE 1st Old Head (Louisburgh/Westport) JUNE 8th Killary Harbour (Glassillaun Beach) JUNE 15th Achill (Keel and Keem Beach) JUNE 22nd Mannin Bay (Clifden) JUNE 29th Inishbofin (Harbour) JULY 19th Achill Island (Keel and Keem Beach) JULY 20th Mannin Bay (Clifden) JULY 27th Killary Harbour (Glassillaun Beach) AUGUST 3rd Old Head (Louisburgh/Westport) AUGUST 9th Ìnishbofin (Harbour)
and snorkelling water trails in the pilot locations so that communities can develop new experiences for visitors along the Wild Atlantic Way. “We are delighted to support this initiative, which sees the timely development of an excellent Wild Atlantic Way water sports experience, and provides the visitor with the opportunity to engage with the sea,” says Fiona Monaghan, Head of the Wild Atlantic Way Programme with Fáilte Ireland. “We have seen first-hand the success of the Greenway in Mayo which boosted local tourism with over 200,000 visitors last year. As a maritime variant of that initiative, we hope the Blueway can enjoy the same level of interest from visitors both at home and abroad.” Fáilte Ireland established a group, chaired by Dr Richard Thorn, Chairman of the Irish Underwater Council, to progress the
pilot programme which included representatives from Canoeing Ireland, the Rural Development Programmes of South Mayo, the Leader companies, Comhdhail na Oilean, and Forum Connemara, as well as Galway and Mayo County Councils and representation from the Leave no Trace initiative. Over the summer months a series of “Blueway Days” will take place at the pilot locations to encourage visitors to engage with the sea (see dates below). These ‘taster days’ have been devised to create awareness of the Blueway locations and the activities that are on offer. Local activity operators will be available on the day to provide tuition and equipment together with safety advice to anyone who is interested in snorkelling/kayaking at these locations.In addition to support from Fáilte Ireland, the project is supported by the Leader programme.
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Dine
SERVES
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People
Canon of Slaney Valley Lamb,
Squash PurÉe, Spring Onion Mash, Green Olive Puree, Minted Wild Mushroom Jus & Herb Pesto Hotel & Catering Review’s Dish of the Month comes from Eoin Murtagh, Head Chef with Sodexo Ireland. • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
4 x 6oz Lamb Fillets Half a Regular Squash 2 Spring Onions finely diced Tsp of Honey 200ml Lamb/Veal Stock – you can buy in a good food store but if it is hard to find then 200ml of good quality chicken stock will suffice Bay Leaf Thyme 4-5 Mint Leaves, diced Salt and Ground Black Peppercorns 2-3 Wild Mushrooms, sliced thinly Cinnamon 3-4 Rooster Potatoes 50ml Cream Herb Pesto (optional) Dash of Red Wine 50ml White Wine 1 Shallot, finely diced 50g Fresh Green Olives 50ml Fresh Orange Juice 25g Butter Rapeseed Oil
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Method Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius, gas mark 5. Season lamb fillets with sea salt and ground black pepper and place in fridge. Boil potatoes as normal and mash with 50ml cream and 25g butter adding finely sliced spring onion and seasoning. Keep warm. For the squash purée, trim squash and dice, then boil in salted water until tender (about 8-10 minutes). Blitz in a food processor with a dash of honey, a knob of butter, and a shake of cinnamon. Season to taste and keep warm. For the olive purée, combine the olives with 50ml of orange juice, 50ml of white wine, a sprig of thyme, knob of butter and 1 finely chopped shallot in a pot. Reduce until the liquid is absorbed, blitz in a food processor and keep warm. Remove lamb from fridge and fry in a hot pan with rapeseed oil for five minutes. Then place in oven at 190 degrees Celsius for six minutes. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes,
turning halfway through so it’s not too dry on the top half. Add a dash of red wine to 200ml of stock along with a bay leaf and sprig of thyme and reduce to half. Then add sliced wild mushroom and finely diced mint leaves. Season to taste. Slice the lamb into four to five slices per person, place mash in the centre of the plate, arranging lamb to the side, and drizzle generously with the mushroom jus, squash purée and herb pesto. Wine Choice A Bordeaux ‘Paulliac’ is the obvious wine pairing with spring lamb but with the addition of the pesto and other herbs, and the wild mushroom jus, a red burgundy would be perfect.
My main tip would be not to over cook fillet lamb and never serve it well done - always serve it medium rare - as it really does alter the flavour. Allow to rest for ten minutes in a warm place, turning over after five minutes. This allows the juices to work evenly through the fillet and prevents the juices ‘bleeding’ into other ingredients on your plate.
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commercial feature
Emma Allen, Mespil Hotel and Julie O’Sullivan, Aviva Stadium Meetings & Events, meet with UK Buyers on the Silver Sturgeon boat in London
Dublin Businesses Embark on
London Sales Blitz
Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Convention Bureau hosted their annual ‘Meet Dublin in London’ event recently, which brought together business tourism trade from Dublin and top UK meetings and events buyers.
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his annual high profile showcase and workshop event targeted significant new UK businesses and involved an innovative onboard networking session on the Silver Sturgeon boat as it cruised along the River Thames. The workshop allows UK meetings and events buyers to connect with Dublin hoteliers, venues and conference organisers and the 40 Irish trade members showcased the world class facilities that Dublin can offer business visitors to an elite group of over 150 UK decision makers. “Having all the right Dublin
players and prospective UK customers in the one room - and on the one boat - is a valuable opportunity to influence key UK decision makers as they plan their business events for the remainder of 2014 and beyond,” says Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Business Tourism, Keith McCormack. “As an annual event, the ‘Meet Dublin in London’ workshop has become a firm fixture on the business tourism calendar and one that can’t be missed for both Irish trade and UK buyers alike.” Meanwhile, Dublin received a major boost last month with the newly-
released ICCA (International Congresses and Conventions Association) rankings, which revealed that Dublin had risen nine places in the world ranking to 13th globally for hosting conferences and conventions. “Strong ICCA results rely on a wide array of stakeholders providing a top class, flexible and dynamic service throughout the year,” says Fáilte Ireland’s Keith McCormack. “The industry should be very proud of this significant achievement and Fáilte Ireland will continue to work closely with those involved throughout 2014 to ensure we sustain and improve on this wonderful result.”
New Corporate Meetings Support Fáilte Ireland’s new suite of funding and supports to attract more corporate meetings and events to Ireland was launched recently at IMEX Frankfurt. The Corporate Meetings Supports offer financial and practical support to specifically targeted multinationals based both in Ireland and abroad to hold their next corporate meeting or event in Ireland. They will assist corporate buyers, agents, corporate ambassadors, destination management companies and regional convention bureaux to win business for Ireland. Corporate buyers or corporate ambassadors who secure large meetings will be rewarded with inclusion in the Ireland’s Corporate Buyers Network. To find out more, contact Roisin Gaffney, Fáilte Ireland, email: info@ meetinireland.com
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On The Move
New Faces in O’Callaghan Group Team
Fitzers Boosts Management Team
Shane Hand
Fitzers Catering has announced the promotion of Shane Hand to Senior Regional Operations Manager. Shane is a graduate of Hospitality Management in Cathal Brugha Street Dublin and has worked in the catering industry for the past 22 years. He first joined Fitzers Catering in November 2005 as an Operations Manager. In the role of Senior Regional Operations Manager, Shane is responsible for ensuring that the highest quality service standards are maintained at all the Fitzers catering venues, including Convention Centre Dublin, Slane Castle and Dublin Castle.
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Mary Vaughan & Paul Clifford
The O’Callaghan Hotel Group has made two new appointments to its senior management team. Mary Vaughan has joined as Director of Human Resources for the Group and Paul Clifford as General Manager of the Stephen’s Green Hotel. Mary Vaughan is a graduate of Southern University of New Hampshire. As a B.Sc Hospitality Management graduate, Mary has worked in the hospitality industry for the past 20 years, starting her career in Ireland but spending most of her working life in the UK, the US and Canada. Mary has been a Learning & Development Manager with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in London and was part of the opening management team for Four Seasons Resort Whistler in British Columbia, Canada.
New Appointments, Promotions and Recruitment
move
While with the Four Seasons, she also held the position of Assistant Director of HR in Canada and the UK. In 2009, Mary joined The Doyle Collection as Human Resources Manager for the opening of their hotel in South Kensington and then later become HR Manager at their largest property in London. Mary has now returned to Dublin to take up the position of Director of Human Resources with O’Callaghan Hotel Group. Paul Clifford, who joins the O’Callaghan Hotel Group as General Manager of the Stephen’s Green Hotel, has been involved in the hospitality sector from an early age. He studied at DIT Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin, and graduated with a B.Sc in Hospitality Management. During the course, Paul worked for a period at Barton Creek Hotel (part of American Club Corp) in Austin, Texas. After graduating in 2004, Paul became part of the opening management team at Jurys Inn Parnell Street and in 2007 became Deputy General Manager at Jurys Inn Edinburgh. Paul returned to Ireland the following year and worked for the Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill, Galway and for the Best Western Academy Plaza Hotel in Dublin. In 2009 he re-joined Jurys Inns and during the past five years he has held senior positions in a number of properties. Paul was Operations Manager, Parnell Street Dublin; Deputy General Manager, Bradford; Interim General Manager, Galway and General Manager, Swindon. Paul returned to Dublin in April to join the O’Callaghan Hotel Group as General Manager of the Stephen’s Green Hotel.
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On The Move
New Executive Head Chef for Radisson Blu
Marketer Joins Trinity City & Hilton Dublin
Adrian Bane
Trinity City Hotel, formerly Trinity Capital Hotel, on Pearse Street and Hilton Dublin Kilmainham recently announced the appointment of Ailbhe Stephens as Assistant Director of Sales & Marketing to both hotels. A Dublin native, Ailbhe began her career in the aviation industry which allowed her to travel the world extensively and put her fluent French to good use. Over a seven-year period she worked with a range of wellknown airlines, including Air France and Ryanair. During her time in Australia, Ailbhe worked for Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Malaysian Airlines. Ailbhe has worked exclusively in the hotel industry over the last 14 years. Her extensive professional experience includes positions as Sales & Marketing Manager at The Stillorgan Park Hotel and Director of Sales & Marketing at Radisson Blu Hotel Dublin Airport. “I am delighted to join Trinity City Hotel and Hilton Dublin Kilmainham and to be part of the exciting re-brand of the Trinity City Hotel,” says Ailbhe. “With so much to offer overseas and domestic visitors alike, I look forward to introducing guests to these two fine properties, which are helping to make my hometown an even more appealing destination to visit!”
Adrian Bane has joined the newly-refurbished Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Galway as its Executive Head Chef. The Clare native joins the team from Ashford Castle and The Lodge at Ashford Castle in Cong, Co Mayo where he spent the past five years working his way up from Sous Chef at Ashford Castle to Head Chef at The Lodge at Ashford Castle. He then returned to the main castle as Executive Sous Chef before making the move to Galway to take up his current position as Executive Head Chef with the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Galway. Adrian won a scholarship to study at Johnson & Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island, which is an international centre of excellence for the culinary arts. Prior to Ashford, Adrian gained a wealth of experience and developed his professional skills working under Mark Anderson at the award-winning Cherry Tree Restaurant in Killaloe and at Gracie’s, AAA FourDiamond Awarded Restaurant in Providence. He enjoys cooking food that is indigenous to Ireland and Britain, sourcing local, wherever possible, and using ingredients and suppliers based in Galway and the greater Connacht region. Cooking for the great Alain Ducasse during his time at Ashford Castle has been a highlight of his career to date. Guests dining at the hotel can savour the depth of his culinary knowledge with the introduction of his new à la carte menu, which is now available in Restaurant Marinas.
Ailbhe Stephens
Radisson Blu Appoints New GM
Madeline Riley
Madeline Riley has been appointed General Manager of the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel on Golden Lane in Dublin city centre. Madeline had been working as Hotel Manager of the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel and prior to that as Executive Assistant Manager as part of the Carlson Rezidor Mentor Mentee programme, which trains employees to be a General Manager within the group. Madeline has been mentored by former General Manager of the hotel and District Director Tim Whyte. In her new role, Madeline will be responsible for achieving the hotels set goals in terms of revenue, profit, and value enhancement, as well as employee and guest satisfaction. Madeline has a wealth of experience in hospitality, having worked within the Irish and UK hotel market for many years with key hotel brands, including DeVere, Hilton and Radisson. Madeline has worked in several hotel areas, including front of house for The Gresham Hotel, Dublin and the De Vere Daresbury Park Hotel in Cheshire, UK, Reservations Manager in Hilton Dublin City, and then Director of Sales at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Dublin.
New GM at Lough Rea Hotel & Spa
Noel Mulhaire
Noel Mulhaire has been appointed as the new General Manager of the Lough Rea Hotel & Spa. Having begun his career as a Demi Chef du Rang in Ireland’s first Michelin restaurant, the Dunderry Lodge, Noel left the position to study hotel management at The Dublin College of Catering and to further his career in the industry. Securing a position within the Forte Hotel Group, Noel gained extensive experience both in Ireland and London before joining the Lynch Hotel Group as Manager of the West County Hotel, the Clare Inn Hotel, and later as Group Operations Manager of the Lynch Hotel Group. Most recently, Noel held the position of Resort Manager for the Ballykisteen Hotel and Golf Resort in Tipperary, one of Munster’s leading wedding venues.
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Key to the Door
key to the
door Openings, Closures, Refurbs and Acquisitions
Mount Juliet Sold for €15m Kilkenny’s Mount Juliet Resort has been sold, with Brehon Capital Partners and businessman Emmet O’Neill taking ownership of the property from Killeen Group Holdings. It has been reported that the 86-bedroom resort, which was sold as a going concern, was sold for around €15m. Mount Juliet Resort represents Brehon Capital Partners’ third hotel purchase in the Irish market, following its investment in The Marker Hotel in Dublin and Powerscourt Hotel in Wicklow.
The property includes Mount Juliet House, the Hunters Yard Club House, the Rose Garden Lodges, the Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course and golfing academy, and an equestrian centre. Killeen Group Holdings will retain ownership of Ballylinch Stud. There are plans to add between 30 and 40 bedrooms to the property and to upgrade the spa and swimming pool facilities. Mount Juliet Resort currently employs 143 staff. Clybaun Hotel for Sale Clybaun Hotel in Galway has
been put up for sale in the first major hotel deal in the city. CBRE is seeking €2m for the property, which is up for sale on the instructions of joint receivers Patrick Dillon and Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton. Developed in 2001 and located in Knocknacarra, the three star hotel includes 92 bedrooms and suites, as well as bar, restaurant, conference, function and wedding facilities, a leisure centre and spa. According to Trending. ie, the Galway hotel market is in growth mode with both occupancy and average room
Dalata Buys First Hotels Since Flotation Dalata Hotel Group has bought two hotels in Dublin city centre, the company’s first acquisitions since its flotation in March. The hotel group has bought the freehold interest in the Maldron Hotel in Parnell Square for €15.3m while it has also announced a deal to buy the Pearse Hotel in Pearse Street for €14.4m. The deal includes adjoining retail and office properties. The Maldron Hotel in Parnell Square is a three star hotel with 126 rooms as well as a bar/restaurant and two conference rooms. The hotel has been operated by the group since August 2007 under the terms of a 25-year leasehold agreement with an annual rent of €1.1m a year subject to upward-only rent reviews at five-year intervals. The next rent review is due in March 2017. Dalata plans to carry out an extensive refurbishment programme and restore the property to a high quality fourstar hotel. The hotel will be re-branded as Maldron Hotel Pearse Street.
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rate up on last year, and RevPar for the three star market up seven per cent in the year to date. George Boutique on the Market for €3m Savills Cork and DTZ Limerick have been tasked with selling the George Boutique Hotel in Limerick city, which has been put on the market with an asking price of €3m. The three star hotel, which opened in 2006, has a profile on both O’Connell Street - the main thoroughfare in Limerick City - and Shannon Street. It is laid out over eight floors and comprises 124 bedrooms and bar and restaurant facilities. Savills recently helped sell the 188-bedroom, three star Quality Hotel Killarney for around €3m to Irish-owned
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Key to the Door
Crimmins Hotels and Leisure.The property was put up for sale last September for about €3m on behalf of the receiver David Carson of Deloitte. The new owners have appointed Tifco Hotel Group to manage and operate the hotel. First Hotel Portfolio Sale in 10 Years The Malton, Killarney, Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel and the Metropole Hotel, Cork, form part of Ireland’s first portfolio sale for almost a decade. The owners of these hotels, comprising 400 bedrooms, have decided to market them for sale by private treaty through Savills Hotels & Leisure. The combined guide price for this portfolio is €30m
(l-r): Patrick Dillon, General Manager at the Oriel House Hotel, Philip Gavin, Managing Director of the Talbot Hotel Group, and Cormac Pettitt, Owner of the Talbot Hotel Group.
and the hotels are available as a portfolio or as individual lots. The Malton, Killarney (former Great Southern Hotel) is a four star hotel with 172 bedrooms set in twelve acres of gardens, the four star Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel has 118 bedrooms (the sale here also includes the Ormonde Street Car Park with 712 car parking spaces over eight levels), and The Metropole, Cork is a three star hotel with 112 bedrooms. These three hotels are being sold as going concerns and the trade is not impacted.
Hotel Sales to Exceed €350m The value of Irish hotel sales will exceed €350m by the end of 2014, according to property consultants, Savills Ireland. In their latest report on the hotels market, the estate agents report that €115m worth of hotel sales have taken place so far this year and a further €107m are sale agreed. Speaking ahead of the Irish Hotel Investment Conference on June 10th, Tom Barrett, Head of Savills Hotel and Leisure Division, said that the profile of buyers is a mix of domestic and overseas parties chasing opportunities in the market.
Talbot Group Adds 5th Hotel to Portfolio The four-star Talbot Hotel Group announced on June 4th that it had purchased the only hotel in Ballincollig, Co Cork - the four-star Oriel House Hotel. The 78-bedroom hotel comprises two bars, a restaurant, conference and banqueting facilities for up to 480 people, and a leisure club featuring a 25-metre swimming pool and spa. In May, the Wexfordbased hotel group announced the purchase of the Midleton Park Hotel and is currently investing over €1m in a refurbishment of bars, the restaurant, function room and bedrooms at the Midleton property. In January 2014 it was announced that The Oriel Hotel was for sale on the instruction of Kieran Wallace, Receiver, KPMG, with an asking price of €6m. Philip Gavin, Managing Director of the Group, says the purchase of The Oriel House Hotel by the Talbot Group secures the future of the hotel and the future of its employees. “We have 120 staff at the Oriel House Hotel and these jobs are now secured by this purchase,” he says. “We have some great plans in the pipeline to develop the hotel and its services for hotel guests and for the people of Ballincollig.” The Talbot Hotel Group currently employs over 480 people at their Wexford, Carlow, Dublin and Cork-based hotels.
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Cover story
Sodexo’s Shining Star Derek Reilly is Executive Chef in Charge of Craft Development for Sodexo Ireland. He talks to Maev Martin about Sodexo’s unique approach to chef training and their high profile partnerships in the food service industry.
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D
erek joined Sodexo in 2007 as Group Head Chef for Aviva Ireland where he was in charge of a staff restaurant serving almost 1,600 people at a typical lunch sitting. For the past two years Derek’s role has focused predominantly on the development of craft and culinary skills and on maintaining food quality at the 200 Sodexo sites throughout Ireland, including Northern Ireland. There has been a lot of debate in recent times about skills deficits at certain levels in the hospitality industry. However, Sodexo Ireland isn’t waiting around for any organisation to fill the gaps - they have designed their own bespoke courses in conjunction with City and Guilds. “These are National Certificate Programmes for entry level roles - commis chefs and food service assistants - to ensure organic growth in the industry,” says Derek. “I assess the trainees
on site and they are then certified by City and Guilds. We designed these bespoke NVQ Level 1 to 7 courses with City and Guilds 18 months ago to cover the roles that we require here in Sodexo but these courses are also a reflection of the roles for which there is a skills deficit in the wider industry. We are providing on site training and assessment, resulting in a qualfication, and our employee doesn’t have to leave the business in order to acquire their qualification. Apart from Sodexo, there is no one providing upskilling for people who might want to become a chef in our industry. During the boom years the skill base was neglected. Carveries were booming but a lot of the chefs that worked in them weren’t qualified, so when the crash came our industry was exposed. We now have a situation where the industry is panicking because tourism is on the up and we don’t have the skills required
to cater for the demand that exists. We find that some of the younger chefs that come into our industry think they will be an instant Jamie Oliver and they romanticise the role but working in catering is a hard slog. Of course, you could end up as a celebrity chef but there is a ladder to climb.” Productive Partnerships Apart from the provision of onsite training, Derek works closely with Sodexo’s supplier partners. These include Keelings, Pallas Foods, Bord Bia, Unilever, Bunzl McLaughlin, Frylite, CaterHire, Cuisine de France, Patisserie Royale, and seafood supplier Alan McKenna. “Keelings supply all of our fruit and vegetables and the craft team and I worked with Pallas Foods’ butchers and executive chefs to identify specific cuts of beef, lamb and pork that would be suitable for the Sodexo business. We work
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cover story
with Bord Bia on Bloom, on their conferences and on food trends reports, and Bord Bia also organises quarterly seminars and workshops for the Sodexo craft teams and management in the Bord Bia Food Innovation Centre.” Sodexo liaised with Bunzl McLaughlin to design and implement a three-tiered bespoke crockery range for the business in Ireland. “They also developed a food/crockery presentation booklet to ensure consistency and continuity across the business,” says Derek. “A clear defined range is now in place for each offer and this created huge savings for the business by increasing volume on certain items and illuminating less used or unsuitable items. With Frylite, we implemented a clean oil managing system which extended the life of the oil by 65%, delivering significant savings across the entire business. CaterHire implemented a
TOP: Derek Reilly ABOVE: Derry Clarke and Derek Reilly pictured during one of Derry’s masterclasses.
streamlined list of crockery and light equipment for Sodexo’s events and banqueting business in Ireland and they also implemented a simple system for identifying, ordering and managing the new ranges for the staff on site.” With Cuisine de France, Derek challenged the Sodexo craft team to develop a recipe for
a bread and muffin promotion. Derek then worked with Cuisine de France’s master baker to convert these recipes into a product that would be available throughout the entire business. Sodexo are now the only company with their own bespoke bread and muffin range. Derek has also developed a range of customised desserts and traybakes with Patisserie Royale and he has partnered with Unilever to deliver craft forums and food demonstrations on over 30 sites across the Sodexo business in Ireland. “In addition, we work with Unilever’s Executive Chef Mark McCarthy who delivered a certified nutrition course for 40 of our chefs throughout Ireland,” he says. “Sodexo also works with restaurants, including L’Ecrivain, Bon Appetit, The Tannery, James Street South in Belfast, and vegetarian restaurant Cornucopia, to fill any skill or knowledge gap that we feel might exist in our business, as well as with our fish supplier McKenna Fish, and Failte Ireland, who have provided training for our chefs. Sodexo also has a number of apprentices on day release and block release programmes in all of the major catering colleges throughout the country.” L’Ecrivain’s Derry Clarke came on board as a consultant chef with Sodexo five years ago. “We send our chefs in to work with Derry on a regular basis and Derry visits Sodexo sites to help chefs on the job,” says Derek. “Derry works with us to develop Sodexo signature dishes and on national master classes, culinary demonstrations, client culinary events and craft visits to Sodexo sites. Derry also hosts craft forums, judges at the Sodexo Salon Culinaire, and provides mentoring to support Sodexo chefs entering culinary competitions.” Menu Design Sodexo’s clients include major legal, healthcare and financial corporations, as well as schools
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Cover story
and colleges. “Our customers want the high street brought into their in-house operations,” says Derek. “The chefs that we employ at our different sites are from the local area and we deal with suppliers in the local area. The Sodexo menu changes four times a year and we have about 3,500 recipes. I recommend certain recipes to the head chef on site and he tweaks them to fit the requirements and demands of his particular site and his customers. We have a team of 12 chefs involved in menu design and we strive for consistency in our approach to food across the business.” Sodexo features calorie counts on their menus. “Of our 200 sites, 60 of them have calorie counts on the menu and the aim is to have all sites with calorie counting on the menus within the next year,” says Derek. “We have invested a lot in training our head chefs on calorie counting, including webinars, and when they are trained up they can download the menu with the calorie counting and calculation method attached.” Nutrition Nutritional consultant, cook and food blogger, Dorcas Barry, works with Sodexo to run healthy eating events in the workplace. In late 2013 she ran a unique pilot initiative on one of Sodexo’s client sites. Designed by Dorcas herself, the ‘Change Your Life with Food’ programme shows how changes in diet can help with health issues like poor sleep, lack of energy, IBS and skin problems. “Her programme was oversubscribed from the word go, with hugely positive feedback from the participants,” says Derek. “As a result, it has now been extended to a number of other client sites.” Dorcas has also helped Sodexo chefs develop vegetarian, vegan and raw recipes for their sites throughout Ireland, as well as delivering food tasting demonstrations under the ‘eat to lose weight programme’. Sodexo also runs a nutrition course for
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L’Ecrivain’s Derry Clarke provides regular masterclasses for Sodexo’s chefs.
its chefs in conjunction with Unilever. “This course is unique in the in-house catering sector and they get a City and Guilds Certificate for it,” says Derek. “Forty of our head chefs in Cork and Dublin have completed the course but we plan to run it again throughout the year until all 200 chefs are trained.” A Chef’s Life Derek’s first job in the industry was as a Commis Chef at Coffers Restaurant in Temple Bar and he then moved to Deja Vu restaurant on Grafton Street. “I worked in those two restaurants for my first six years in the industry and that is where I got my real love of food,” he says. He completed a stint in banqueting at the Johnstown House Hotel before joining
the Canning Group as Group Executive Chef. “The Group looked after the Stillorgan Park Hotel, the Spawell Complex in Templeogue, the Principal Hotel on Fleet Street, the Script fine dining restaurant in Greystones, and The Kestrel public house in Walkinstown, which probably had the biggest carvery in Dublin at the time,” says Derek. “I oversaw the catering operations in all of these businesses which was great preparation for my subsequent roles. In 2007 I went from the Canning Group to working for Sodexo in Aviva Insurance. When I started working with Aviva, I was stunned by the standard of catering, including the fine dining facilities, as well as by the volumes involved, with nearly 2,000 people on site.”
“During the boom years the skill base was neglected. Carveries were booming but a lot of the chefs that worked in them weren’t qualified so when the crash came our industry was exposed. We now have a situation where the industry is panicking because tourism is on the up and we don’t have the skills required to cater for the demand that exists.”
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International report
What’s Trending in the
USA?
Gluten-free, freshly made, and natural hot dogs were the top trends at a recent US food show.
P
each-flavoured milk, butter with maple syrup, gluten-free dishes, ginger blossom-flavoured drinks, and sriracha chilli sauce were just some of the new foods on taste for the first time at this year’s National Restaurant Association (NRA) show in Chicago. The NRA, one of the world’s biggest food and drink trade shows, is traditionally the launch pad for weird and wonderful food products, ingredients and flavours, many of which eventually make their way to the UK and Ireland. Peter Backman, Managing Director of foodservice consultancy Horizons, visited the show and found that the overriding trend this year was about promoting
the freshness of foods, whether it was made from fresh ingredients or freshly prepared, as well as dishes that were personalised for the customer. “There is a new preoccupation with serving food and drinks made specifically for each individual customer just the way they want it,” he says. “In many ways, this is an extension of Starbucks writing your name on a coffee cup.” Peter Backman says that if restaurants can adapt dishes and drinks to incorporate particular requests, then it makes the customer feel as if they’ve had a personal service. The annual NRA show, attended by 70,000 people and 2,000 suppliers, can be an indicator of the trends and products that the UK and Ireland are likely to see down the
“If restaurants can adapt dishes and drinks to incorporate particular requests, then it makes the customer feel as if they’ve had a personal service.”
line. Fresh milk flavours such as orange and vanilla cream cloud, cookies ‘n’ cream and purrfect peach, were on show for the first time - all designed to arrest declining milk sales. The everpopular cookie also received an indulgent makeover, with new varieties ranging from chocolate pretzel crunch with peanuts, to rocky road, a calorie-rich chocolate medley of all-natural white and semi-sweet chocolate chips and toffee. Healthy, locally sourced, containing no additives and natural were descriptions that were very much in evidence at the show - natural hot dogs with celery juice being one example! The number of gluten-free foods is also on the up, with the likes of gluten-free peanut butter, teriyaki sauce and gluten-free hot dogs. Healthy foods for kids were also on show, along with new iced tea flavours, coconut water and tropical flavoured teas and desserts. Winners of the NRA’s Food & Beverage Innovations Awards included the Bonfire Wine Pouch, which is said to keep wine fresh for four weeks and reduces packaging and waste, Deyas gluten-free flour, which uses dried egg whites as a key ingredient, Schmacon, a lowfat, low-sodium alternative to bacon made with smoked and cured beef slices, and Sweety Drop Peppers, a sweet-flavoured pepper that can be added to salads, pizzas or pasta. Another award-winner was Gardein Vegan Fishless Fillets, which are said to deliver the taste of fish but with no cholesterol or transfats. Peter Backman said that there seems to be two extremes in product innovation in the US - indulgent, calorie-laden treats, or healthy products that are ‘free from’ various ingredients and freshly prepared. “We seem destined to become a nation of extremes in our eating habits,” he said.
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Property
Small Family-Run Hotels – Are Rumours of Their Demise
Greatly Exagerrated? Donagh Davern examines the dramatic changes in hotel ownership that are continuing apace and speculates on the future viability of the smaller, family-run hotels.
H
otels are coming on the market regularly as institutions try to off-load their debt in a recovering property market. The commercial property supplements in the daily newspapers, which had all but disappeared in the downturn, have now returned, featuring multiple hotel investments at prices we would have found astounding back in the Celtic Tiger days. And, as the commercial property sales companies, large legal practices and large accountancy companies hire increased numbers of staff and expand to deal with this business, some smaller hotel owners are fighting to save their business. Hotels such as the Muckross Park fought to save their business by seeking examinership, which was granted before being removed. More recently, the owners of the Killashee House Hotel and Lawlors Hotel in Kildare advertised in The Irish Times under the headline ‘Investment Sought’, seeking investors for
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hotel & catering review
their hotels which are currently under the protection of the courts, having been granted examinership. However, they now need investors to show the Commercial Court judge that they have a strong chance of survival into the future. The examiner who is listed on this advertisement – Kieran Wallace, a partner with KPMG - is a well-known name in hotel circles, having been appointed as receiver to many hotels throughout the country (some of which have since been sold). These include the Cavan Crystal Hotel, the Ambassador Hotel, the Portlaoise Heritage, Lyrath, Whites Hotel, the River Court Hotel, the Oriel Hotel, the Charleville Park Hotel, the Clarion IFSC, the Clarion Liffey Valley, Dundrum House Hotel and the Carlton Hotel Kinsale, among many others. Dalata Hotels is the management company run by ex-Jury’s Doyle Chief Executive Officer Pat McCann. He came out of retirement (which he has been quoted as saying was the biggest mistake of his life)
“As the commercial property sales companies, large legal practices and large accountancy companies hire increased numbers of staff and expand to deal with this business, some smaller hotel owners are fighting to save their business.”
to found the group in 2007, first buying 11 leasehold hotels under the Quality brand and re-branding them as Maldron Hotels. Pat McCann’s plans changed, however, when the economic collapse halted his own group’s expansion and the shrewd businessman turned the direction of his company to also manage hotels which were in receivership. The company now manages 10% of the country’s hotel bedroom stock and, following their recent €265m listing on the Irish and London Stock Exchanges, has started to purchase hotels. The 101-bedroom Pearse Hotel in Dublin has started the ball rolling in its latest expansion plans. This profitable hotel was put into receivership due to the extent of its loans
Property
from the former Anglo Irish Bank, and although CBRE initially quoted €9m for the property and another €1.55m for adjoining investment properties, it seems that Dalata will pay around €13m for the lot due to the considerable interest expressed in the properties by investors. Pat McCann plans to purchase many more hotels throughout Ireland with his recently acquired investment war chest but his plans seem to be centred on larger, city-based hotels with over 100 rooms. His goal is to acquire over 20 hotels in the next 18 months. However, Pat McCann’s 2012 prediction that ‘the days of small family-run hotels are numbered’ may have sent a chill through the spine of not only the owners of these much loved hotels but
Above - The dining room at Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa - an example of all that is good about Ireland’s independent, familyrun hotels. Below - Image courtesy of The Fleet Street Hotel in Dublin.
also the guests who stay in them and prefer their bespoke service to that of the larger branded type properties. But smaller hotels are definitely finding it more difficult to stand on their own due to the economies of scale which a hotel company such as Dalata can exploit due to their volume of 6,000 plus bedrooms. The handling of information technology, marketing and third party reservations are also areas where Dalata has the upper hand due to their integration of experts in these areas into their head office team. TVC, the investment firm led by Shane Reihill, invested in Dalata when it was initially founded and subsequently wrote off virtually all of their entire €10m investment in Dalata in
the downturn. However, having subscribed for 15m in new shares in Dalata’s recent IPO, TVC subsequently sold its entire shareholding in the hotel group for €30.4m, making a profit of €13.4m. Dalata has become the largest hotel operator in Ireland, paying back handsomely to investors like TVC who initially had faith in Pat McCann’s vision. The next 18 months will be an interesting period as Dalata goes into full-on acquisition mode and activity will be keenly monitored by their investors, industry observers and the small family-run hotel owners who continue to fight for survival. And as news breaks of NAMA’s proposed sale of iconic hotels such as the Ormonde Hotel in Kilkenny, The Metropole in Cork and The Meyrick Hotel in Galway, it is also encouraging to see that some families are still buying hotels. They are capitalising on the low prices currently available in the market, with both the Midleton Park and Oriel Hotels in Cork being snapped up by Wexford’s Pettitt Family. These are the owners of the Talbot Hotel Group, which also includes the Talbot Hotels in Wexford and Carlow, along with the Stillorgan Park Hotel in Dublin. Another Wexford family, the Neville’s, have also recently purchased the Rivercourt Hotel in Kilkenny for a reported €9m plus, adding to their previous group members - The Royal Marine in Dun Laoghaire and the Riverside Hotel in Enniscorthy. Maybe Pat McCann’s prediction of the end of familyrun hotels is only partly true, and instead we are seeing them being replaced by the Irish family-run hotel group. Donagh Davern FIHI is a lecturer specialising in the area of hospitality management at the Cork Institute of Technology.
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Business matters
Are You
Ready for
e-Day? From September 19th, local authorities will no longer accept or make payment by cheque. The Central Bank’s Ronnie O’Toole looks at the implications for hotels.
M
ost bosses in the hospitality industry may not love having to pay local authority rates but here’s a development that they will need to know about. From September 19th, local authorities will no longer accept payment by cheque. They will no longer make payment by cheque either. In fact, after September 19th, all government entities will stop sending and accepting cheques to and from businesses. So if your hotel pays rates to your local county council by cheque, or if you accept payments by cheque for meals or conferences booked by a government department, you will need to change the way you administer your accounts. It is all part of the National Payments Plan (NPP), a
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government initiative that aims to reduce Ireland’s use of cash and cheques while promoting the use of card and other electronic payments. Ireland’s excessive use of cash and cheques places a cost on the economy of around €1bn a year. The NPP aims to double the number of e-payments per capita in Ireland by 2015. Ireland is one of the few remaining EU states that still use cheques on a regular basis, even though cheques are an expensive means of payment because of bank charges, stamp duty, postage, and the time spent by staff lodging cheques and managing unpaid cheques. A recent survey by payments company Sage estimated that the cost to a small business of sending and receiving just six cheques a week is around €5,000
“Hoteliers and caterers will need to prepare for e-Day. They should sign-up for e-banking, and make sure to ‘shop around’ to find the e-banking platform that best suits their needs.”
per year. Part of the Plan involves ‘e-Day’, which is the day in September that central government, local authorities and State agencies stop issuing and accepting cheques to and from businesses. Although many businesses, including hotels, have cut back significantly on their use of cheques in recent years, e-Day will send a message to other businesses and State agencies that cheques are an inefficient way of making payments, and that e-payments should become the norm. One of the primary motivations for e-Day is to tackle Ireland’s late payments culture once and for all. The payment cycle is a month slower in cheque intensive countries than it is in countries where cheques are no longer in
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Business matters
Hotel
widespread usage. Individual businesses sometimes report that they like cheques as it helps them manage cash-flow. However ‘managing cash-flow’ for one business is just a late payment for another. When looked at from an economy-wide perspective, not one red cent of extra cash flow is being created by these payment practices. Hoteliers and caterers will need to prepare for e-Day. They should sign-up for e-banking, and make sure to ‘shop around’
to find the e-banking platform that best suits their needs. They should contact their relevant public sector bodies to see what choices will be put in place for payments after September 19th. However, the NPP is not only about cheques. It also aims to bring the latest payment technologies to consumers and business. For example, recent innovations in card payments open the possibility of quicker - and cheaper - contactless card acceptance for low value
transactions. These so-called ‘tap and go’ payments can be used for purchases up to €15. There are already 10,000 contactless terminals in Ireland, including all Aldi, Boots, Lidl, McDonalds and M&S outlets, and all retail counters in Thomond Park. There has been a 650% increase in the number of contactless payments made in Ireland in the last year. This may prove useful for hoteliers, particularly in their bars, which are dominated by a high volume of relatively low value transactions. A queue for drinks moves much faster when customers use contactless cards instead of cash, and has been particularly popular in stadia where there is a requirement to serve a large volume of customers in a very short space of time. However, there is some reticence among hospitality bosses who perceive cards as an expensive means of accepting payment. The good news is that developments in Europe may bring down costs over the next couple of years. A new regulation on interchange (inter-bank fees) will, if enacted, greatly reduce the cost of card acceptance to hotels and catering companies. Visa has already agreed to lower its interchange levels in a bilateral agreement with the EU Commission. There is a lot that hoteliers and caterers can do to help themselves. While many are
strong in negotiating down prices with food and beverage suppliers, they don’t shop around to get the best rate from merchant acquirers. Those hoteliers and caterers are unlikely to benefit from any reduction in interchange coming down the line from Europe. Although card payments aren’t free, neither is cash. Many business people greatly underestimate the cost of cash, which includes sorting and counting, fees for depositing notes and coins, insurance and security. Cash is a target for unethical staff as well as dangerous gangs. It is particularly problematic in areas where cash lodgement facilities are limited and large volumes of cash has to be stored on the premises. Far from cash being king, it is a cost that needs to be managed and reduced. e-Day and the wider NPP will not reduce your rates, unfortunately, but it will help to bring about a safer, quicker and less expensive payment environment for your hospitality business. Ronnie O’Toole is Programme Manager of the National Payments Plan at the Central Bank. For further information, contact Ronnie at Ronnie.otoole@ centralbank.ie.
“While many are strong in negotiating down prices with food and beverage suppliers, they don’t shop around to get the best rate from merchant acquirers. Those hoteliers and caterers are unlikely to benefit from any reduction in interchange coming down the line from Europe.”
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SUPPLY LINE
SUPPLY LINE Essential product knowledge
Jestic
New Hybrid Oven
The new Atollspeed AS300T from Jestic Foodservice Equipment, a hybrid oven which combines hot air impingement with microwave heating, was recently released on the market. According to Jestic, the oven allows for baking, frying and cooking up to ten times faster than conventional ovens. The AS300T features an easy-to-use touchscreen which displays menu pictures and can store up to 100 programmes, alongside a USB port for data transference. The oven measures 570mm (L) x 700mm (W) x 435mm (H) and can be double stacked. To find out more visit www.jestic.co.uk.
Unilever TenderOne
Bespoke Cocktail Machine With TenderOne cocktail machines, there is no pre or post mix - in five seconds the dispenser measures the ingredients needed for up to 200 bespoke cocktail recipes. Spirits or mixers are added to the shaker or glass through separate lines, cutting out spillages, waste or over pours, while the touch screen computer can display photos and finishing instructions, allowing the bar person to add their own particular finish. TenderOne offers a full range of spirits, liquors, syrups and juices through its Bag-in-Box system - flexible packaging means less storage space, a longer shelf life, easier transportation and a considerably lower carbon footprint, while customers can also choose to have a selection of premium brands depending on their specific requirements. More information is available at www.tenderone.co.uk
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Best Butter Alternative Ever! Unilever Food Solutions’ newly-launched butter alternative, Meadowland Professional 250g, has a recommended retail price approximately 30% cheaper than butter and Unilever are reporting that 72% of chefs surveyed agreed that it performed the same as or better than their usual butter. Meadowland Professional 250g can be used in the same way as butter - for cooking, baking and frying - and Unilever claims that it is challenging the long-held belief among discerning chefs that there is no replacement for butter.
“We are well aware that over the years other spreads have been marketed as substitutes to butter but we believe Meadowland Professional 250g is the first to genuinely rival it in taste and quality,” says Mark McCarthy, Business Development Chef at Unilever Food Solutions. Unilever is offering free samples to all chefs. To obtain your free sample, go to www. unileverfoodsolutions. co.uk/promotions/ meadowlandprofessional-2014/sample.
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SUPPLY LINE
Alupro Ireland Miele
Professional Dishwashers Miele Professional’s new Speed and SpeedPlys fresh water dishwashers offer short cycle times of as little as five minutes. These short cycle times of five minutes (SpeedPlus) and eight minutes (Speed) are achieved through the use of a new electronically-controlled heater pump which heats the water on its way to the cabinet. Reduced cycle times also
result in energy savings – ‘Short’ and ‘Universal’ programmes require only 0.1 kWh per cycle. Capacities in the new models have also been increased by 20% and the new versatile basket can take up to 456 plates per hour. Other innovations include EasyOpen (adding further items to a programme which has already begun) and a new salt reservoir which can hold 2kg of salt, located in the door rather than below the cabinet. To find out more, visit www.mieleprofessional.ie
Hensons
Salt Beef Provides Flavour of Brazil With Brazilian beef hitting record prices, wholesaler and expert catering butcher Hensons has a traditional alternative to maintain margins and offer a classic taste of Brazil this summer - Hensons Famous Salt Beef. Salt beef is a traditional ingredient for Feijoada, the Brazilian national dish, and to celebrate the season, Hensons is having a price-freeze on its low salt-cure version from now until the end of the World Cup. “Our salt beef is made from top quality brisket and evenly cured using our own low-salt recipe, vacuum packed in 2kg joints and ready for slow cooking,” says Andrew Brook, Managing Director, Hensons. “It is the top choice of chefs and restaurants like Selfridge’s Brass Rail and the famous Brick Lane deli.” Feijoada is a dish of slow-cooked carne salgada or salted beef, pork, beans and vegetables. Salt beef is enjoying renewed popularity in the UK due to Hensons’ commercially-viable method of curing the beef, which has made it easier for chefs to offer it on menus. Hensons Famous Salt Beef is available for delivery throughout the UK and Ireland. Visit Hensons Love Salt Beef website to find recipes for salt beef.
Making Sure Recycling is in the Can In Ireland, an estimated 180 million drinks cans are consumed per year outside the home, either ‘on the go’ or by employees in the workplace. Every Can Counts estimates that an organisation of 50 employees could recycle 3,000 drinks cans per year by making recycling part of their everyday routine. Every Can Counts has been developed by the drinks can manufacturing and recycling industry and the programme is managed in Ireland by Alupro Ireland, a not-for-profit company whose objective it is to improve aluminium packaging recycling rates. Its launch in Ireland was supported by the Department of Environment, Repak and industry stakeholders, and the initiative marks an on-going commitment by industry to drive up recycling rates, within the workplace and on the go. Alupro Ireland would like to see companies in the hospitality sector joining Every Can Counts (www.everycancounts.ie) and making cans count towards their sustainability initiatives. Alupro provide all you need within five working days - virtually for free!
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food tourism Mick Healy of Wild Irish Game Ltd.
Celebrating the
best of Irish Food Some of Ireland’s best artisan food producers will be recognised this summer at an array of food festivals and award presentations that have been taking place since May and will run until October this year.
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T
hese events include the Ballymaloe Litfest (May 16th to 18th), Sheridan’s Cheesemongers Food Festival (May 25th), the EirGrid Euro-Toques Food Awards (May 26th), the ever-popular Bloom festival, which took place over the June Bank Holiday weekend, as did Limerick’s ‘Culture and Chips’ event, the Irish Restaurant Awards ( June 9th), the Dunmore East Festival of Food, Fish & Fun ( June 27th to 29th), the Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards (October 3rd to 5th), Kinsale Gourmet Festival (October 10th to 12th) and Savour Kilkenny (October 23rd to 27th). Apart from adding to the gaiety of the nation, all of these events provide Ireland’s longstanding and recently-launched food producers with the perfect platform to showcase their wares, not just to the general public but to the retail sector and to those all important hotel and restaurant customers.
Top Food Producers Recognised by Nation’s Top Chefs The very best of Irish produce was celebrated on May 26th at the EirGrid Euro-Toques Food Awards 2014 at the Residence Club on St Stephen’s Green in Dublin which were hosted by Ear to The Ground presenter, Ella McSweeney. The prestigious awards honour the enterprise, innovation and preservation of traditional methods behind the fine produce that is celebrated and enjoyed by top restaurants in Ireland and abroad. Five
producers - Toonsbridge Dairy, J Hick & Sons, Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms, Achill Island Sea Salt, and Wild Irish Game Ltd - were recognised for their outstanding produce and methods at the 18th annual awards and were presented with a coveted Euro-Toques Award. Toby Simmonds and Johnny Lynch from Toonsbridge Dairy have been using traditional techniques learned in Italy to make mozzarella from their herd of speciality Prince of Lombardia Buffalo on their dairy farm in Macroom, Co Cork, since 2011.
“all of today’s award recipients have chosen the path of directly marketing their produce, which has ensured the viability of their businesses and has given them a vital direct link to the restaurant kitchens!”
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food tourism
Kate Lawlor of No. 5 Fenn’s Quay Restaurant in Cork presents the award to Toby Simmonds and Johnny Lynch of Toonsbridge Dairy
Renowned for his curing and smoking techniques, Ed Hick of J Hick & Sons is a champion of innovation and tradition, particularly in the production of his cured and smoked Irish wild venison, which is celebrated at restaurants throughout Ireland. With a background in food science, Lucy Deegan and Mark Cribben of Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms are celebrated growers of speciality mushrooms, including their award-winning Shitake, and Marinated Oyster mushrooms. New on the scene, Marjorie and Kieran O’Malley of Achill Island Sea Salt have been producing hand-harvested sea salt since 2013. Their natural product that celebrates traditional techniques has proven to be a hit with consumers and critics alike. Mick Healy of Wild Irish Game Ltd in Co Wicklow is Ireland’s only Department of Agriculture-approved processor of wild game, including pheasant, venison, rabbit, quail, guinea foul,
CENTRE Wade Murphy, Euro-Toques Commissioner General, Toby Simmonds of Toonsbridge Dairy, Mick Healy of Wild Irish Game, Marjorie O’Malley of Achill Island Sea Salt, Mark Cribbin of Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms, Ed Hick of J Hick & Sons, and Evan Doyle, Chair Euro-Toques Food Council. BOTTOM: Peter Everett of Restaurant 41 in Dublin presents an award to Ed Hick of J Hick & Sons.
grouse, pigeon and duck, and his customer list reads like a guide to Ireland’s top restaurants. The Euro-Toques Ireland Food Council, together with the Euro-Toques Commissioner General Wade Murphy, Chef/ Proprietor of the acclaimed 1826 Adare restaurant in Adare, Co Limerick, selected the winners following a nationwide process
that involved Ireland’s 160 Euro-Toques chefs nominating producers. Taste, production methods, preservation of traditional methods and provenance were central to the selection criteria. “What is special about all of today’s award recipients is that they channelled their passion for traditional produce into thriving artisan, and above all, local, businesses,” says Wade Murphy. “Ireland is a nation of great producers and great food and the survival of the traditional techniques and skills, handed down from generation to generation, is very much alive with these award winners, albeit with an innovative twist. The common underlying theme for this year’s award recipients is the rural nature of their produce, the care and attention towards our precious heritage, and an in-depth knowledge of the raw materials, resulting in five products which are rare gems in the Irish culinary scene. All of today’s award recipients have chosen the path of directly marketing their produce, which has ensured the viability of their businesses and has given them a vital direct link to the restaurant kitchens! Euro-Toques chefs cherish the direct link with the producers and their kitchen door is always open to those who constantly inspire their menu.” Euro-Toques, the European Community of Chefs, was established in Brussels in 1986 by the top chefs in the region. Their purpose was to form a network of chefs committed to quality local food sourcing and to be a voice for the industry to protect Europe’s traditional foods and culinary heritage. Producers are nominated by Euro-Toques member chefs who use their produce on their menu. The Euro-Toques Food Council, which is made up of eight chefs from across Ireland, carry out tastings, investigations and visits before choosing five winners each year.
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Food Tourism
Food SMEs Challenged by Financial and Distribution Issues Seventy per cent of small- to medium-sized food producers feel that a lack of financial advice and support is the biggest challenge they face in growing their businesses. That’s according to a survey of Irish food producers which was conducted on behalf of the Blas na hEireann, Irish Food Awards. The survey also found that for 65% of producers, distribution is a major problem - not only nationally but also internationally. The findings of this survey, titled ‘Producer Power in 2014’, were announced at the launch of the seventh Annual Blas na hEireann 2014 awards, which took place at The Westbury Hotel, Dublin, on May 13. The awards were officially launched by Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food, Simon Coveney, who is himself a former producer. The Blas na hEireann, Irish Food Awards is the largest competition of its kind in Ireland, attracting over 2,000 entries annually. It was set up to reward and support the best of Irish produce and the passionate, talented producers behind it. Award winners get
(l-r): Shane Ryan of Blenders Sauches, Fallon Moore of Blas na hEireann, and comedian Alan Shortt at the launch.
Local food producers Catherine Buggy and Suzanne Lynch from Boutique Bake in Donnybrook, Dublin, with their cake and bread mix at the launch of the Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards.
to display the Blas na hEireann symbol on their products, which previous, independent research shows leads to an increase in sales. All entries are blind tasted by a team of over 350 judges in two tranches, including top chefs, journalists, industry experts, inspired home cooks and academics. The judging system was developed and is overseen each year by Dr Joe Kerry and his team from the School of Food and Nutritional Science at University College Cork. The award winners in over 80 food categories will be presented at an awards ceremony in Dingle, Co Kerry on October 4th to coincide with the peninsula’s hugely popular food and wine festival. In addition, Bord Bia sponsors two key awards, The Blas na hEireann Supreme Champion
and the Best Artisan producer, which will also be presented on the night. Last year a chocolatier from Mullingar, Co Westmeath, Olivia Curran of An Olivia Chocolates, took the top gong and has seen her business more than double since then. Government agencies scored very well in the ‘Producer Power in 2014’ survey, with producers, small and large, recognising the support that they get from the County Enterprise Boards, Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, and Teagasc, BIM and Udaras ranking well within their specific areas. “Unfortunately the problem seems to be that the impact of agency support is not being fully leveraged because of difficulties accessing financial advice and support, on the one
“the survey also found that for 65% of producers, distribution is a major problem - not only nationally but also internationally.”
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FARM FRESH
t ur og y l a ur at N h it w s ke a nc a p Ir ish berr y 4-6 • Ready in 10 mins Ingredients
Donal Counihan, Raspberry Grower
GROWER PROFILE At our farm in North County Dublin we welcomed our first harvest of Irish raspberries last month. From now until mid November we will grow approx. 200 tonnes of Irish raspberries. Donal Counihan has been growing produce at Keelings for 30 years. The raspberries from the Keelings Farm will be harvested today and in your kitchen tomorrow.
NUTRITIONAL TIPS by Aveen Bannon
Raspberries are powerful promoters of optimal health packed with vitamin C, folate, fibre and potassium. • Vitamin C may be known for its immuneboosting abilities but it’s no one-trick pony! It also helps prevent cell damage caused by free radicals, helps boost iron absorption from plant foods, is necessary to build collagen for healthy firm skin and is crucial in wound healing. • Folate a.k.a. folic acid is known to be important for expectant mothers but just like vitamin C there are a multitude of benefits up its sleeve. It works with Vitamin B12 to protect against anaemia as well as being vital for brain and heart health! • Fibre, known for keeping our digestive system healthy, also helps keep energy levels stable and hunger pangs at bay. Plus the type of fibre that raspberries contain, called soluble fibre, helps reduce cholesterol and maintain healthy intestines! • Potassium is probably best known for preventing cramps when exercising, but it also helps prevent high blood pressure, is necessary for our body’s water balance, nerve impulses, and even keeps our heart beating as it should!
Ser ves
pberries, roughl y cho pped • 75g of fresh KEEL INGS IR ISH ras • 1 egg straw ber ries, hul led & roughl y cho pped ISH IR GS N I EL KE sh fre of 75g • • 300ml mil k • 200g sel f-raising f lour • 1 tsp baking powder • Knob of butter cakes • Olive oil or a litt le butter, for frying pan • Natural yoghurt, to ser ve
Method
and a 1. Mix together the f lour, baking powder wit h pinch of salt in a large bowl. Beat the egg dry the mil k, make a wel l in the centre of the a thick smooth batter. Beat in the melted ingredients and whisk in the mil k to make ber ries. butter, and gently stir in hal f the mixed ter in a large nonstick frying pan. Dr op a 2. Heat a teaspoon of oil or small knob of but cm e int o the pan to make pancakes about 7.5 large tablespoonful of the batter per pancak time. Cook for about 3 minutes acr oss. Make three or four pancakes at a ear on the sur face of each over a medium heat unt il small bubbles app 3 minutes unt il golden. pancake, then tur n and cook for another 2le you use up the rest of Cover wit h kitchen paper to keep war m whi es in total. the batter. It should make about 10 pancak , a dusting of icing 3. Serve wit h fresh ber ries spr inkled on top sugar and nat ural yoghurt on the side.
When only the freshest will do... To order please contact: Dublin: +353 (0)1 895 5301 • Cork: +353 (0)21 496 8088 Wexford +353 (0)53 914 7447 • Belfast +44 28 9032 4236 • www.keelings.com 230790_1C_Keelings_CMD_HC.indd 1
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Food Tourism Four year olds Kyle Doyle and Arona Romeri in Keelings 15 metre strawberry growing tunnel at this year’s Bloom In The Park.
hand, and being able to gain distribution to new markets on the other,” says Chairman of Blas na hEireann, Artie Clifford, a former producer in the seafood sector. “While these issues are at the forefront of producers’ concerns, they are largely being overlooked. Blas would be delighted to work with Government agencies to address these issues swiftly in order to support the food producers that have inspired and fuelled this fast-growing and vitally important sector of our economy.” For smaller producers, in particular, financial issues are not just about accessing additional funding, they are as much about getting paid on time and being given fairer credit terms by the larger retailers. “Agencies at both a local and national level should be in a position to give financial advice to producers on a oneto-one basis; everything from how to develop business plans to working out production costs and forecasting accurately the amount of financial investment needed for expansion, as well
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David Murray (left) of Cafe Novo in The Westbury Hotel with Minister Simon Coveney.
as how to approach and work with financial institutions and retailers in order to guarantee the best on-going results,” says Artie Clifford. “Financial assistance through the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) and increasing the offer of R&D tax credits for the self-employed would also be extremely useful. In addition, LEOs could look at the feasibility of setting up localised distribution depots where smaller shipments could be consolidated. In the meantime, our Blas na hEireann Producer Forum encourages members to reach out to other producers for help with distribution logistics by sharing resources, which has worked well in the past.” The Blas na hEireann Awards are now open for entry to producers from all over the island of Ireland. For further information about on-line entry to this year’s awards, click on www.irishfoodawards.com
Keelings’ Darling Buds of Bloom ‘Love To Grow’ Keelings marked their attendance at Bloom with an innovative 15 metre growing tunnel. The tunnel allowed visitors to enjoy Keelings fruit and flower plants growing naturally at Bloom, Ireland’s largest gardening, food and family event, which took place over the June bank holiday weekend in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. Keelings Irish strawberries took centre stage within the growing tunnel. Visitors had the chance to taste Keelings Irish strawberries and to take part in planting for themselves in the ‘Love to Grow’ section of the tunnel and Keelings strawberry grower, Igor Chpak demonstrated just how
easy it is to grow strawberry plants at home with the right preparation. However, Keelings also showcased additional fresh produce that they specialise in, including raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, lettuce and their lily varieties. “We wanted to create a presence at Bloom that would be of genuine interest and assistance to visitors,” says David Keeling, Managing Director of Keelings Retail. “We wanted to create a space where people could interact with our team of growers in an environment as close to the real Keelings farm as possible. The tunnel allowed us to do that. Growers were on hand to answer people’s growing queries and, best of all, we had a dedicated ‘love to grow’ section where people could plant themselves.”
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Commercial PROFILE
Adding Value to the 6billion Irish Foodservice Market
a
Bord Bia’s 2014 Foodservice Market Development Programme. 12 Irish food manufacturers are participating on a bespoke programme focused on developing relevant marketing and commercial skills to build Irish foodservice sales. The programme is also intended to provide these companies with an insight into the UK foodservice market in order to identify potential export opportunities. The Market Development programme is being run in partnership with Musgrave MarketPlace and is intended
to support companies currently selling to the Irish foodservice market. The programme comprises three day-long workshops and a Market Study Visit to London, along with eight hours of one-to-one mentoring per company. Workshops involve presentations and insights from key foodservice distributors, operators and Irish suppliers that have valuable tips and advice to impart. In addition, participants are provided with access to an independent industry
Panel for feedback on product taste, packaging, pricing and general suitability for the foodservice market. Despite recent challenges, foodservice in Ireland remains a large market (valued at €6.07bn at consumer prices in 2013), providing opportunities for suppliers offering innovative products and solutions to meet changing consumer needs. The aim of Bord Bia’s programmes is to equip participants with the skills and competencies to realise those opportunities.
Artisan Food Factory Desserts, breads, soups and dressing specialists Pat O’Sullivan M: 086 266 4438 E: pat@artisanfoodfactory.ie W: www.artisanfoodfactory.ie
IASC Irish shellfish value-added product specialists Colin Ross M: 086 838 5797 E: c.ross@iascseafood.com W: www.iascseafood.com
Nature’s Best Leading Irish Producer of Healthy Fresh Food Tommy O’Donaghue M: 086 822 7810 E: tommy.odonaghue@naturesbest.ie W: www.naturesbest.ie
Britvic Leading branded soft drink company Noel-John McLoughlin M: 086 021 2953 E: noel-john.mcloughlin@britvic.com W: www.britvic.ie
Kepak Fresh Meat Specialists Mark Connolly M: 086 025 0954 E: mark.connolly@kepak.com W: www.kepak.com
The Penny Loaf Co. Range of yeast free, soda breads baked in the shape of a 50g mini loaf Louise O’Donohue M: 086 355 8873 E: louise.odonohue@odonohuesbakery.ie W: www.odonohuesbakery.ie
Glenisk Award winning, family-owned organic dairy company Mary Mullin M: 00 44 7917 204 798 E: mary@glenisk.com W: www.glenisk.com
Lily O’Brien’s One of Ireland’s best loved Chocolatiers Jason Popplewell M: 087 618 2448 E: jpopplewell@lilyobriens.ie W: www.lilyobriens.ie
Prestige Foods Ready Meals, convenience food & dessert manufacturers John O’Connor M: 087 413 2615 E: john.oconnor@prestigefoods.ie W: www.prestigefoods.ie
Goodness Grains Freshly baked gluten free breads and confectionery Michael Kelleher M: 086 605 5342 E: mdk@goodnessgrains.com W: www.goodnessgrains.com
M&D Bakery Waterford Blaa Bakers since 1984 Dermot Walsh M: 087 264 5014 E: info@manddbakery.ie W: www.manddbakery.ie
Tipperary Cheese Farm based, dairy manufacturers Donal Hayes M: 087 928 0757 E: donalhayes@tippcheese.ie W: www.tipperaryfoodproducers.com/thetipperary-cheese
For more information on any of the suppliers or for general queries, please contact Maureen Gahan, Foodservice Specialist, Bord Bia. M: 087 668 6129 E: maureen.gahan@bordbia.ie
Your food is our passion
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Five minutes with
How would you describe your role with Unilever? My job is quite varied, from food product development to training and research. A big part of my role is working with customers to help them add value to their food offering. I operate from our Chefmanship Kitchen in Greenogue, Dublin, where I spend a lot of time with chefs allowing them to get hands-on with our ingredients. I demonstrate to chefs how to plan a menu, the benefits of nutritional analysis, and how our range of ingredients can help to run a kitchen in a more timely and cost-efficient manner.
Mark McCarthy
This month Hotel & Catering Review caught up with Mark McCarthy, Business Development Chef at Unilever Food Solutions Ireland/UK.
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How is Unilever helping the Irish food service industry cope with the challenges of the marketplace? The food service industry has experienced a major overhaul in the last number of years because of the challenging economic environment. As food service operators, we’ve had to adapt our offering in response or run the risk of being left behind. Our overall objective has been to remain competitive, offer quality, reliable products and brands, and deliver a service that really adds value to the customer. Most recently, we launched a service to support the food service industry in complying with upcoming EU food allergy information regulations that will come into effect on December 13th. The legislative changes are sure to present genuine challenges for our industry so we have developed a number of free tools, including the free-to-download Allergen and Diets Guide for Professional Catering, which is an interactive PDF that provides a comprehensive overview of the new legislation and what it means for operators and their guests.
It also provides an overview of the 14 need-to-know food allergens. What other services do Unilever provide to the catering industry? We have a range of products to suit every level of chefmanship, from a finished product right down to a base for an authentic sauce. Our core ingredients help chefs create their own signature dishes, while our trend analysis and global/local research provides inspiring menu ideas to allow chefs to create their own up-selling opportunities. Where we can really add value, however, is through our three service brands – your guest, your menu and your kitchen. Your guest looks at industry trends to help us understand consumers and the choices they make when eating out. Your menu provides inspiring, nutritious, healthy and profitable menus to help customers stay ahead of the competition. Finally your kitchen helps customers work smarter, rather than harder, more smoothly and profitably. What does food waste cost the Irish catering industry? As part of our second global World Menu Report we found that food waste was costing the Irish food service industry an incredible ₏125m a year. Inspired by this research, we launched a waste reduction toolkit that we believe can help food service businesses reduce their food waste by at least 20%. We also developed a free mobile app - Wise up on Waste - to help businesses manage their food waste and see what areas of their business are generating the most food waste, all on their smartphone.
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Brakes is an all Ireland foodservice business with depots in Dublin, Lisburn, Strabane & Galway. Brakes foodservice offers a next day delivery service across Ireland on a fleet of multi temperature vehicles. Having a field sales team including many trained chefs, we are ideally structured to help businesses who serve food to thrive. The introduction of additional categories now allows us to provide the complete ‘one stop shop’ solution. Our product range includes: - Ambient - Frozen - Chilled - Non-Food - Fresh meat, poultry & fish - Fresh bread & milk - Produce For more information contact us on 0818 720 720 Proud sponsors of the Irish Hotel Federation Conference.
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