Hotel & Catering Review - Issue 6 2019

ISSUE 6 2019

Enough is Enough Ireland's insurance crisis reaches boiling point

Going Native at Aimsir Jordan Bailey strikes gold in Celbridge Good Food, Good Experiences Good Food Ireland launches new 'experience-led' platform 000_HCR_June_ 2019_Cover_V5.indd 1

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Over 75 years of financial support and advice to Irish hotels Crowe is Ireland’s leading hospitality advisor. Over the years we have developed an unrivalled understanding of the Irish hotel industry and established a reputation for providing innovative and practical solutions to clients within the hospitality sector.

Our Dublin-based team provide expert, impartial advice on hotel projects at every stage of the lifecycle. We help hoteliers make smart decisions today that create lasting value for the future.

Smart decisions. Lasting value.

To find out how we can help your hospitality business succeed, contact: Aiden Murphy, Partner T: +353 1 448 2200 E: aiden.murphy@crowe.ie Audit / Tax / Advisory

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Contents ISSUE 6 2019

22

IN THIS ISSUE

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15 17 Enough is Enough

“WHEN IT COMES TO INSURANCE, THE GOVERNMENT IS INVOLVED IN A ‘FOOT DRAGGING’ EXERCISE. WE BELIEVE THEY’VE TAKEN THEIR EYE OFF THE BALL AND FOR THE SAKE OF OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY, IT HAS TO END”

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- IHF President Michael Lennon

REGULARS

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31

35

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NEWS

BUSINESS MATTERS

A QUICK CHAT

BOOK SHELF

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REFURBISHED & REFRESHED

A new name and an extreme makeover for Lahinch Coast Hotel

EARN AND LEARN AT FOTA Staff at The Fota Collection can study for an accredited diploma, all while working full-time

NEW OPENINGS Some of the latest venues opening their doors in Ireland’s hospitality industry

FOOD HEROES

Jordan Bailey is using only native Irish ingredients at Aimsir.

He chatted with Hotel & Catering Review about swapping Oslo for Celbridge and the beauty of Irish produce

TECHNOLOGY

An effective management system and a no-show protection feature are just two of the benefits that ResDiary brings to the table

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Editor Denise Maguire Creative Director: Jane Matthews Designer: James Moore Photography: Food on the Edge, Shane O’Neill, Ballynahinch Castle, Irish Guild of Sommeliers, Welbilt, DELI-LITES, Dunnes Stores, Photographicmemory.ie, Minibar Systems, Jenn-Air, Baidu, Percipia, Hodder & Stoughton, Brewer’s Publications, Penguin, Dan Dennison Stock Photography iStock Infographics: www.flaticon.com Production: Claire Kiernan Sales Director: Trish Murphy Managing Director: Gerry Tynan Chairman: Diarmaid Lennon

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

Tel: (01) 432 2200 ISSN: 0332-4400 All rights reserved. Every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate. The publishers cannot, however, accept responsibility for errors or omissions. Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © Ashville Media Group 2018. All discounts, promotions and competitions contained in this magazine are run independently of Hotel & Catering Review. The promoter/advertiser is responsible for honouring the prize.

Editor’s View Welcome to issue 6 of Hotel & Catering Review 2019 Insurance hikes are crippling Irish hotels and restaurants and shelving their plans for investment, a repercussion that's having a knock-on effect on the tourism industry. A recent survey carried out by the Irish Hotels Federation found that 62% of its members have seen their insurance costs shoot up over the past year. Out of these, the average increase in premiums was 28% year on year. Despite the widespread condemnation of these increases and of the insurance industry in general, government action on the issue has been slow. Michael D’Arcy, Minister of State at the Department of Finance, has touted the establishment of a Judicial Council that will allow the judiciary to construct new guidelines for damages awards, recalibrating the levels downwards and taking the pressure off premium increases. Michael Lennon, President at the IHF, hopes the Judicial Council Bill completes its passage through the Dáil before the summer recess. If it doesn’t, the unacceptable situation that so many Irish businesses are finding themselves in, will remain the same. Turn to page 22 to read more about Ireland’s insurance crisis.

Elsewhere in this issue, we caught up with Jordan Bailey who’s running Aimsir with his wife Majken.

Despite receiving several offers from restaurants around the world after he left Oslo’s Maaemo, it was Celbridge village and more specifically Cliff at Lyons that lured him. Jordan has come up with something unique at Aimsir and it appears to be working. Reviews are excellent and tables are booked out three months at a time. Turn to page 26 for more on the new restaurant.

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

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

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

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24.09.2019 Now in their 31st year, the 2019 Gold Medal Awards are recognised as the leading independent awards programme for the Irish hospitality industry.

Judged by industry experts, the Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Awards recognise and reward excellence in hospitality and catering operations across the island of Ireland. The 2019 awards will be presented at a black-tie gala dinner on the 24th of September 2019 at The Lyrath Estate Hotel, Kilkenny.

For more information visit: hotelandcateringreview.ie/awards or contact Kathryn Doyle, Senior Event Manager Phone: 01 432 2226 | Email: kathryn.doyle@ashvillemediagroup.com

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Hospitality

Limited number of Category Sponsorships remaining, for more information contact Trish Murphy, Sponsorship Director Phone: 01 432 2231 | Email: trish.murphy@ashvillemediagroup.com

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News News

Your monthly round-up…

BALLYNAHINCH CASTLE HOTEL GETS A MAKEOVER All 20 rooms in the original house at Ballynahinch Castle Hotel have recently been refurbished by London-based Bryan O’Sullivan Studio. Five colour schemes have been used in the new rooms, with no two schemes in a row and no two in the same place on the floorplan above or below. This ensures that every room, even with the same or similar fabrics, feels completely unique.

Furniture is a mix of re-upholstered and restored existing furniture, sourced antiques from auctions and online and bespoke pieces. The staircase chandelier was sourced from Cox of London, the entrance hall lantern from Jamb and art lights from Holloway of Ludlow.

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APPOINTMENT Musgrave Wholesale Partners has appointed Ciara McClafferty as its Trading Director. Previously appointed as Trading Director for Musgrave Northern Ireland in 2015, Ciara has now assumed the role of Trading Director for Musgrave Wholesale Partners and is responsible for the Musgrave MarketPlace, Daybreak and Day Today brands. Ciara joined the Musgrave Group in 2008 as a Category Manager following previous roles with Superquinn and Lidl. She will be responsible for developing the Musgrave Wholesale Partners offer to deliver its brand promise of being ‘First for Value, First for Choice and First for Service’.

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SEAFIELD RESORT WINS COURTESY & CARE AWARD Seafield Hotel and Spa Resort was recently awarded the AA Courtesy & Care Award 2019 at an award ceremony in Adare Manor. A member of the AA’s Hotel Inspectorate commented: “Located in Gorey, Co Wexford, the Seafield Hotel and Spa Resort is home to a team truly dedicated to putting their guests first and ensuring that all visitors leave having had a truly memorable experience. Under the leadership of GM Micheál Cunningham, Seafield continues to go from strength to strength, providing a friendly atmosphere for all guests to enjoy.”

Irish Distillers appoints first new Cooper in 40 YEARS Following the successful completion of his apprenticeship under Master Cooper, Ger Buckley, Irish Distillers has announced the appointment of Killian O’Mahony as Cooper.

Killian is the first newly qualified Cooper at Midleton distillery in 40 years and comes from a long line of craftsmen at Midleton, dating back to his great grandfather, Batt Ahern, who worked as a blacksmith in the distillery from 1910 to the 1930s.

A Cooper is a craftsman trained to make and repair wooden casks. As part of his new role, Killian will be responsible for the repair and maintenance of over 1.5 million casks on site in Midleton, as well as managing various coopering and cask related projects in the distillery.

100 NEW JOBS AT MALDRON HOTEL SOUTH MALL Dalata celebrated the opening of the Maldron Hotel South Mall in Cork city centre recently. Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, was on hand to officially open the hotel alongside General Manager Robert McCarthy and Chairman of Dalata Hotel Group plc, John Hennessy. Over 100 new jobs have been created at the new hotel, with many of these new employees set to participate in Dalata’s career-enhancing development programmes.

The four-star hotel boasts 163 bedrooms, a bar, two restaurants and five meeting rooms.

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Tourism’s digital future discussed AT KILDARE VILLAGE IAAT APPOINTS

NEW CEO

A group of travel industry experts participated in a World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) discussion at Kildare Village recently, focusing on ‘How the travel industry thinks about tourism in a digital age’. Record numbers of visitors are expected to arrive in Ireland this year while Dublin Airport will have 23 new routes this summer. Technology is set to play an important role in improving the journeys and experiences of these new tourists and in managing the increased pressure that growth in the volume of international travellers will place on infrastructure. The panel discussed the gains to be made from implementing existing biometrics, blockchain, machine learning and AI to manage security and

identification at ports of departure and arrival. They looked at the use of IoT (Internet of Things) in locations such as Dublin Airport to monitor the movement of passengers, planes and baggage and to drive efficiencies. Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive at Tourism Ireland, highlighted the need for the Irish tourism sector to leverage emerging travel tech to win new business. “Our job is to harness technology to match Ireland’s holiday offerings to consumer needs and motivations in new and existing markets and to deliver tailored holiday offers that will ‘turn lookers into bookers’. It’s an exciting challenge, particularly in rapidly developing markets like China.”

CORK TOASTS ITS FIRST PROSECCO LOUNGE Cork’s first prosecco lounge has opened its doors at the Metropole Hotel. The Met Prosecco Lounge will be serving a variety of prosecco cocktails, champagne, sharing plates that will include Cork meats and cheeses along with a selection of vegan and organic prosecco from Italy.

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Ireland’s representative body for the adventure tourism sector, the IAAT (Ireland’s Association for Adventure Tourism) has announced the appointment of Brendan Kenny as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Brendan’s priorities as CEO will include seeking insurance reform for the industry and helping to grow the IAAT. Commenting on his appointment, Brendan said: “Adventure tourism is the fastest growing sector within the tourism industry and the IAAT is determined to continue growing our sector and overcoming key challenges including the very real need for insurance reform.

Businesses in the adventure/ activities sector are being affected by the insurance crisis right now, with significant increases in premiums or even refusals to insure. The crisis is threatening the closure of many businesses, as well as preventing new business start-ups.”

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TOM MORAN JUMPS FOR ST JAMES’S HOSPITAL To mark the third anniversary of his near-fatal brain injury and subsequent recovery, Tom Moran, CEO of the Red Cow Moran Hotel recently abseiled off the new ninestorey extension at the hotel to fundraise for a new Brain Disease Resource and Research Centre at St. James’s Hospital. Commenting on the jump, Tom said: “I was nervous and excited about this challenge but I am so glad I did it! It would not have been possible without all the help and support of my family and friends over the last three years, as well as the incredible care and attention given by Dr. Doherty and the neurology team at St James’s Hospital. I was determined to give back to the hospital that helped me and to help others.”

To support Tom and donate, visit www.supportstjames.ie/tom-saysjump-jamess-abseil-challenge/

2,000 people attend Galway’s Street Feastival

The fourth annual Street Feastival took place in Galway’s west end in June, with over 2,000 people attending over the course of the day. The area, which is known for its food, nightlife and café culture, pulled out all the stops with a stellar food and drinks line-up as well as an art masterclass from Just Art It. Handsome Burger, Avo Nice Day, All About Kombucha, McGuires Day Break, An Tobar Nua, Galway Market Juices and Galway Doughnuts were all on hand to make sure visitors didn’t go hungry.

MUNSTER TEENS

are Supreme Apprentice Chefs for 2019

Ellie Sugrue from Mercy Mounthawk School in Tralee and Sophia O’Leary from Midleton College, Cork have been announced the 2019 Supreme Apprentice Chefs. Due to the level of interest from schools throughout Munster, the educational initiative which is sponsored by Flogas and Failte Ireland, was divided into two finals this year, with Ellie winning the south-west final and Sophia triumphing in the south-east final. In line with the project theme (Good Mood Food), Ellie’s dish was a beetroot fondant with raspberry meringues, lime curd and a chocolate soil.

Sophia’s dish was Thai vegetable cakes, stirfried pak choi and pickled cucumber.

The two winners were each presented with a €1,000 voucher for their schools’ home economics department, a monogrammed chef’s uniform, work experience in a 5-star hotel and a set of professional knives.

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WINNERS ANNOUNCED Congratulations to all the winners at the Energia Family Business Awards

See the full list of winners at www.familybusinessawards.ie

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News

INAUGURAL LEO EVENT a huge success

TETRARCH ACQUIRES Howth Castle and Desmesne Tetrarch Capital has completed its acquisition of Howth Castle and Demesne from the estate’s long-term owners, the Gaisford-St Lawrence family. Tetrarch is now working on a masterplan for the entire Demesne, which is likely to include plans for a luxury hotel on the site of the existing Deer Park Hotel building, a championship golf course on lands currently occupied by the Deer Park Golf Courses, a new leisure centre, retail elements and significant sports and recreational amenities and facilities, all with access and linkages to Howth village. All staff currently working at Howth Castle and Desmesne will continue to be employed under Tetrarch’s ownership of the estate in accordance with their existing terms and conditions.

More than 70 food and drink producers from all over the country gathered at the Limerick Institute of Technology on the 23rd of May to showcase some of the hottest new Irish produce to top buyers from Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK. The ‘Meet the Buyer’ event, organised by the Irish Quality Food Awards, was spearheaded by Eamon Ryan, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Limerick. It’s the first time that so many Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) have come together to create a platform to link regional producers with international food buyers.

As well as sampling, buyers from Dunnes Stores, Lidl, Aldi and Tesco took part in a panel discussion on the different purchasing strategies employed by the multiples when listing a product, what producers should be looking out for when pitching a product and how they can maximise their success rate. Oisin Geoghegan, Chair of the Network of Local Enterprise Offices, said: “The retail and foodservice market in Ireland is worth billions of euro to local food and drink producers and despite Brexit, the UK will remain one of Ireland’s most important trading partners.

Ordinarily, many of these smaller producers would find it difficult to get in front of some of the biggest hitters in the Irish and international marketplace, so this really is a golden opportunity for them to showcase the very best of Irish produce from across the country.”

Flanagan’s Gasto Pub gets Restaurant of the Month Award Flanagan’s Gastro Pub in Brickens, Co Mayo was awarded the ‘Just Ask Restaurant of the Month’ for June. Selected by food writer Georgina Campbell and Bord Bia, the Just Ask Restaurant of the Month rewards eateries across Ireland that exhibit best practices in showing transparency in the sourcing of the food on their menus. Flanagan’s once provided Brickens with the traditional village combination of bar, grocery and hardware, however big changes came in 2010 when the current owners, Luke and Caroline Flanagan, transformed the old premises into a modern gastro pub. An extensive online supplier list, highlighting the Irish producers of their ingredients and craft drinks, is available on the pub’s website.

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Garry Hughes is Executive Head Chef at The Shelbourne

INGREDIENTS GARRY HUGHES ON THE VERSATILITY OF IRISH WHISKEY The opening of The Shelbourne in March 1824 coincided with a rebirth of Irish whiskey in Dublin city, so the history of our hotel has long been tied into the history of whiskey. When we joined the Autograph Collection recently, it made sense for us to choose Irish whiskey as our mark; to celebrate this fantastic drink by introducing unique Irish whiskey moments to our guests through thoughtful menu planning, unique events and through using whiskey as an ingredient in signature dishes.

I think Irish whiskey is a great ingredient to work with.

My own personal favourite whiskey is Slane Whiskey – they had a launch in the hotel a couple of years back and I fell in love with the taste, the subtle oak and the vanilla textures which give it a lovely sweetness. In The Saddle Room Restaurant, we have The Shelbourne’s own cured salmon on the menus, which is smoked within the hotel, with brown sugar and Slane Whiskey offering a subtle flavour.

We have also incorporated whiskey into the guestroom amenities selection, from rich signature chocolate brownies, made even more decadent by topping them with a whiskey ganache, to a unique selection of poached seasonal fruits in a Slane Whiskey and vanilla syrup.

We have also decided to go into production with a Shelbourne brand Bushmills whiskey marmalade. If you ever visit us for a private dining experience, you will see that the spirit of Irish whiskey has also been subtly included in our exclusive private dining menus.

There really is so much that can be done with this one ingredient and I’m excited about working with it even more in The Shelbourne – watch this space!

Tears of Joy AT SWENY’S Irish whiskey entrepreneur Bernard Walsh has come to the aid of Sweny’s Pharmacy, one of the most celebrated venues featured in James Joyce’s novel, Ulysses. Writers’ Tears premium Irish whiskey will provide financial and other support to Sweny’s which is under threat of closure from rising rent.

Located on Dublin’s Lincoln Place, Sweny’s features in Ulysses when the lead character, Leopold Bloom, pays a visit. Sweny’s officially ceased operating as a pharmacy in 2009 but since then, thanks to a team of volunteers, it has become a shrine to Joyce and Ulysses. In addition to contributing to the rent, Writers’ Tears will promote Sweny’s in the 50 countries it is sold in worldwide and to its customers through dedicated content on online channels.

APPOINTMENT Smartbox Group has announced the appointment of Olivier Faujour as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding John Perkins. Olivier Faujour has extensive experience in building FMCG premium brands at a global level. For the past three years, he served as General Mill’s CEO for the brands Yoplait and Häagen-Dazs at a global level, across all channels, including selective distribution and online.

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ALL THESE THINGS MATTER TO US… At Musgrave MarketPlace we’re proud to be the only 100% Irish owned national foodservice wholesaler. Over 140 years ago the Musgrave family set out values to guide our business and six generations later these values are still at the core of who we are. We believe in building long term stable relationships, not being greedy, honesty, working hard and achievement. Because of these values, we’re committed to supporting Irish jobs and sourcing from local suppliers, helping local charities, building a more sustainable future and investing in our future food leaders.

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BECAUSE WE’RE IRISH

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News

Refurbished

and Refreshed

A new name and an extreme makeover for Lahinch Coast Hotel Bríd and John O’Meara, the new owners of Lahinch Coast Hotel (previously Lahinch Golf & Leisure Hotel), had a big job on their hands when they decided to carry out an extensive refurbishment on their new property. Their hard work has paid off; a rebrand and redesign of the entire ground floor, including the reception area, drawing room, lounge, bar, two restaurants and a new café has resulted in a vibrant, modern refreshed venue that is set to break from tradition by remaining open during the winter months.

One of the biggest changes to the four star hotel is the new Aberdeen Bar and Restaurant. The reinstating of the original name was an important decision and one that’s been warmly welcomed by the local community.

John and Bríd are no strangers to the industry. They’ve worked together at Red Cliff Lodge in Spanish Point and Sheen Falls Lodge in Kenmare. In Lahinch, John has taken up the managerial role while Bríd is responsible for sales and marketing. Traditionally, the hotel relied upon seasonal trade but the refurbishment will allow the hotel to remain open for most of the year, with offerings at the café, bar and restaurant along with the full leisure facilities attracting local custom. Over 40 people are employed at the hotel and it’s hoped that figure will go up to 80 during peak season. Head chef at the hotel is David Gouman, originally from France who’s previous roles included stints at the Savoy, Limerick and Annacarriga Estate.

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Partner PROFILE

Making waves Vernon Catering has transformed the way catering businesses purchase their products MEETING AND EXCEEDING CUSTOMERS’ REQUIREMENTS Vernon Catering’s story is a familiar one to many Irish business owners and success has been a long time in the making. A family-owned business with generations of hard graft behind it, Vernon Catering now generates over €20 million in yearly sales revenue.

Its sales portfolio of products has evolved into a marketplace that is designed to fulfill the complete fresh, dry and disposable requirements of every catering food sector and niche, including but not limited to café’s, restaurants, hospitality, events and flight catering.

Vernon Catering’s model of business, which has been refined over time, answers the two key problems that have plagued this industry for generations.

Why do we have to buy from so many different suppliers and why should we work around them as they all arrive at the back door of our kitchens with different schedules and different prices, only to wade through a raft of paperwork generated in the process?

Feedback from Vernon Catering customers highlights how much they have saved on time and energy, not to mention financially. Customers have faith that the company will deliver their complete daily order and for Vernon Catering, it’s a rewarding experience and defines what success looks like.

Company growth comes from having focused time and attention on sourcing the best of ingredients from a range of quality specialists.

The category list is broken into nine easy to navigate sections, with Vernon Catering working to align their product list to match the customer’s particular business requirement. In addition, the

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company only works with suppliers that have traceability and maintain global standards of excellence.

RECENT CHANGES IN CUSTOMER DEMANDS

Vernon Catering is responding to the demand for packaging that is sustainable and meets social requirement for eco-friendliness towards our planet. Its disposables range has been transformed to meet this demand and is now comprised of a full range of compostable and biodegradable packaging solutions, everything from coffee cups to pizza boxes and everything in between.

E-COMMERCE SOLUTIONS

The catering sector has not been the fastest industry to take advantage of the evolution of technology. It has always been a people-led industry where relationships matter and loyalty has been key. Vernon Catering has worked hard to keep people at the

heart of its company, while at the same time evolving the business to use digital commerce purchasing solutions, which include web-based ordering and order tracking. At Vernon Catering, the difference boils down to quality, consistency, reliability and flexibility which are the values the company leads with to drive success into the future.

What you won’t find is shiny marketing; instead the company can point at real evidence and the reality of a thriving business that can service your catering needs now and into the future.

Contact Vernon Catering through its website (www.VernonCatering.ie) or email orders@vernoncatering.ie or sales@vernoncatering.ie

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EARN AND LEARN AT FOTA STAFF AT THE FOTA COLLECTION CAN STUDY FOR AN ACCREDITED DIPLOMA, ALL WHILE WORKING FULL-TIME

The Fota Collection has come up with an innovative way of dealing with the issue of employee retention while affording eager staff the opportunity to progress their careers. In a City & Guilds-accredited programme developed in partnership with Cork Education and Training Board (CETB), the Fota Collection is the first hotel group in Ireland to offer staff the opportunity to gain a Diploma in Hospitality Supervision and Leadership while working full time in one of the group’s two hotels.

Charlie Dineen, HR Director at The Fota Collection, joined the company three years ago. At the time, the idea for the programme was being touted amongst management but it was his involvement that saw the idea evolve. “My background is in the defence forces, I have experience in learning and development and in gaining accreditation. My initial idea was that if we were looking at a leadership programme, it should include accreditation and be something that people can take with them in their journey throughout the industry,” said Charlie.

City & Guilds already had a number of well-designed programmes that would fit Fota’s requirements. “We also worked with CETB and ended up tailoring the programme to suit our particular requirements. This programme provides our staff with a life–long learning opportunity, it will always stand to them. When you’re trying to recruit people and differentiate yourself from other employers, the programme we offer really allows us to stand out.”

The Fota Collection’s programme focuses on developing skills through a combination of on-the-job experiential learning, project work, mentoring, coaching and regular feedback to prepare graduates for supervisory, management and leadership roles within the Collection.

It’s not just staff that are benefitting from the programme.

“We’ve become a learning organisation through this process.

The Diploma is internally accredited, it’s my managers that are assessing the students so their own standards and procedures are improving to make sure they’re best in class. The leadership programme is facilitating that.”

The Fota Collection is two and a half years into the

Charlie Dineen, HR Director at The Fota Collection

programme. One of its first graduates has just been appointed to an assistant manager position. “We have six new graduates currently at various stages in the programme. It’s proving a really practical solution to the modern demands of the hospitality sector. The benefits to the individual are significant; they can progress their career in a very real and sustainable way while working full-time. The organisation is also benefitting; we’re learning how to do our job better and how to manage people in a more sustainable manner. People aren’t just coming to us for a job, they’re coming for a career.”

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News

Openings Some of the latest venues to open their doors in Ireland’s hospitality industry

The Hendrick, Dublin 7 With more than 270 pieces of art across six storeys, The Hendrick in Smithfield, Dublin 7 is an urban hotel themed around street art and graffiti. It has been developed by the Dublin Loft Company and is operated

by Tifco Hotel Group. With 146 rooms and self check-in and check-out technology, The Hendrick is also home to a ground floor bar, outdoor courtyard space and Irish and international street art, curated by Irish street artist James Earley. A piece of street art from the Windmill Lane Recording Studios, signed by all members of U2, also features at the hotel.

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Oriental botanicals, Gunpowder tea & Irish curiosity.

“...you can absolutely see why.”

Best Gin Oscar 2019 “The Best Spirits Known to Mankind”

Jugoslav Petkovic Flaviar Co-Founder

DRUMSHANBO GUNPOWDER IRISH GIN

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Bodytonic’s Jam Park, Swords Jam Park, a multi-functional building consisting of a number of sections across different floors, has opened its doors. The venue also recently announced it’s set to launch Ireland’s first ever rooftop cinema where it will be streaming a number of popular movies as well as football matches.

Fan Park Sports and ScreenYard will keep both sports fans and movie lovers happy while on the second floor, people can enjoy crazy golf, ping pong, shuffleboard, darts and escape rooms.

Marmalade Bakery, Galway Marmalade Bakery, which describes itself as a ‘neighbourhood bakery’, has opened in Galway’s city centre on Middle Street.

It’s owned by Michelle Crehan-Kavanagh who also owns The Kitchen. Michelle said, “The inspiration for Marmalade came from time spent travelling in Europe. In each city and town I was in, I always found myself on the hunt for that little corner bakery where you find all the locals and the best food! I wanted to bring this concept back with me to Galway and I’m delighted to officially open our doors to the public.”

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Partner PROFILE

Putting Irish Tourism Front and Centre

At the Platforms for Growth announcement were Orla Carroll, Director of Product Development, Fáilte Ireland, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross TD and Paul Kelly, CEO Fáilte Ireland.

Fáilte Ireland Announces €150M INVESTMENT FOR ATTRACTIONS Fáilte Ireland’s new Platforms for Growth initiative is the National Tourism Development Authority’s largest programme of investment yet and forms part of its Grants Scheme for Large Tourism Projects which runs to 2022.

Major new visitor attractions of scale will be developed and existing attractions greatly enhanced through Platforms for Growth, with individual grants available for large-scale visitor attractions of €2.5 million upwards.

Platforms for Growth is funded under the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 strategy with the aim of driving sustainable tourism growth, higher revenue and job creation across Ireland. It is unlike any previous investment announced by Fáilte Ireland, as it specifically targets ‘platforms’ or projects that have the greatest potential to grow tourism and fill gaps in the Irish tourism offering in order to meet changing visitor preferences.

Through this approach, Platforms for Growth will pave the way for large-scale and transformative attractions that will

become key motivators to visit an area. In turn, this will stepchange the economic value of tourism in the area through increased visitor numbers, revenue and job creation.

The first ‘platform’ will focus on developing immersive heritage and cultural attractions. Overseas visitors are increasingly seeking out more hands-on experiences that bring local culture and heritage to life. This platform will invest in projects that deliver innovative and interactive experiences for the visitor to ‘immerse’ themselves in.

Further platforms will be announced over the course of the programme.

The Immersive Heritage and Cultural Attractions Platform is now open for applications, with a submission deadline of 17th July for expressions of interest.

A series of compulsory workshops are being held around the country in June and all details are available on www.failteireland.ie/platformsforgrowth

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Pictured at the Taste the Island Advisory Group Meeting are Martina Bromley, Fáilte Ireland, Catherine Fulvio, Ballyknocken House & Cookery School, Paul Keeley, Fáilte Ireland, Joan O'Shaughnessy and Aine Kearney, Tourism Northern Ireland.

Advisory Group meet for Taste the Island Pictured is Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin T.D, Minister Regina Doherty, T.D, Minister Helen McEntee, T.D, Minister Damien English, T.D, Jenny DeSaulles, Head of Ireland’s Ancient East, Jackie Maguire, CEO Meath County Council, Joan Martin, CEO Louth County Council and Orla Carroll, Head of Product Development at Fáilte Ireland.

New Festival Púca Will Celebrate Ireland AS THE HOME OF HALLOWEEN Púca is the name of Fáilte Ireland’s exciting new festival that aims to position Ireland internationally as the home of Halloween. It has been developed in partnership with Meath and Louth County Councils and will take place this year in Ireland’s Ancient East.

Rooted in ancient tradition, the festival will celebrate Ireland as the birthplace of Halloween with a full programme of events centred around Trim and Athboy, Co. Meath and Drogheda, Co. Louth from 31st October to 2nd November 2019.

‘Púca’, a character from Celtic folklore often associated with Samhain, was chosen as the name for the festival following consumer research in key markets. At Halloween, the Púca comes alive, changing the fortunes of those that cross it and immersing them in the true spirit of Halloween.

Head of Product Development at Fáilte Ireland, Orla Carroll, said: “Our market research tells us that overseas visitors are motivated to visit Ireland to attend the Púca festival. Over the next three years, we are investing €1.5 million to develop Púca as a world class festival that positions Ireland as the home of Halloween internationally. We believe it has the potential to motivate 100,000 overseas visitors to come to Ireland and generate €12 million in revenue for the local region.” The festival is being funded by Fáilte Ireland, Meath County Council and Louth County Council.

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Key players from the food, drinks, tourism and hospitality arena recently gathered at Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin head office for the first Advisory Group meeting for ‘Taste the Island’. Taste the Island is a new food and drink initiative developed

by Fáilte Ireland, in collaboration with Tourism Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland and a range of other stakeholders.

Running over eight weeks between September and November this year, Taste the Island will showcase Ireland’s world-class food and drink culture across the island of Ireland.

The initiative will provide visitors with access to authentic food and drink experiences, high quality local ingredients and world-class Irish food and drink produce.

Members of the Advisory Group were updated on the progress of the project so far and the exciting opportunities that exist for all those involved.

Find out more www.failteireland.ie/food

Find out more at: www.failteireland.ie

20/06/2019 11:23

Cover Story

Enough is Enough IHF MEMBERS ARE SEEING THEIR INSURANCE COSTS RISE BY 28% YEAR ON YEAR. AS THE GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO ‘FOOT DRAG’ ON THE ISSUE, HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW SPEAKS TO IHF PRESIDENT MICHAEL LENNON ABOUT GOVERNMENT INACTION AND THE KNOCK-ON EFFECTS ON THE INDUSTRY

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escribed as an ‘emergency’ by a government minister and an unsustainable situation by industry representatives, it looks like the insurance crisis has finally reached boiling point. New research from the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has revealed that 62% of its members have seen insurance hikes over the past 12 months. Out of these, the average increase in premiums was 28% year on year. Over 90% of hotels and guesthouses have expressed their concern over these hikes and the impact they’re having on their business.

So what’s behind these hikes and why are insurance companies getting away with charging extortionate rates? Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty has accused insurers of ‘gouging’ customers, with reports of profits at insurance firms increasing by 1,300% in one year. Michael D’Arcy, Minister of State at the Department of Finance, has publicly stated that he doesn’t trust the insurance industry or hold them in high regard. He has described the situation as an ‘emergency’, pointing to government moves to legislate for a judicial council as a possible solution to the crisis.

IHF President Michael Lennon lays the blame squarely at the government’s door, calling out a government policy that fails to support Irish business.

“We believe they’ve taken their eye off the ball and we’re calling for urgent action to be taken. The majority of our members that we surveyed have seen substantial hikes over the past number of years, particularly last year.

A large number are paying over €100,000 in insurance. The government is involved in a ‘foot dragging’ exercise and for the sake of our tourism industry, it has to end.”

All hotels are being affected by these insurance hikes, says Michael. Our ‘compo culture’ is partly to blame, that eagerness to call a solicitor if you

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slip or fall in an establishment owned by somebody else in an effort to get a few bob out of your mishap. The Personal Injuries Commission found that court awards for personal injuries in this country are almost five times those in England and Wales.

According to the latest annual report from the Courts Service, there were 350 personal injury awards made in the High Court in 2017, with the total paid out coming to €94 million. Of the awards made, 53 were for more than €500,000. Minister D’Arcy has stated that high awards by judges are the cause of the rising level of insurance premiums. He says the establishment of a Judicial Council will allow the judiciary to construct new guidelines for damages awards, recalibrating the levels downwards and thereby taking the pressure off premium increases. If claims costs come down, insurers will have to cut premium levels.

Our culture of compensation is all-pervading and it’s proving detrimental to businesses in the hospitality sector. “You don’t see this in other countries. I had a group of about 20 Americans in the hotel this week. One of them lost his boots in the mud; he hasn’t talked about sueing me and he won’t. If Irish hotels are paying out huge sums in insurance, they’re not investing in their properties and that will prevent them from attracting international tourism. This has a knock-on effect on employment and on the tourism sector in general.” He also stated that a zero tolerance approach to fraud is needed in order to create an effective deterrent against exaggerated or misleading claims. “It’s vital that a dedicated Garda resource is created, specifically tasked with investigating fraudulent cases for potential prosecution. In general, hotels are getting smarter when it comes to having CCTV around their venue and recording every incidence that takes place so it can be played back to an individual when they turn up with their claim.”

If the Judicial Council Bill completes its passage through the Dáil before the summer recess, new guidelines for the levels of payout for various types of personal injury could be in place by the end of the year. “For the sake of the industry, I hope there’s no delay around the Bill. The government has been exceptionally slow around the issue of claims culture, we need them to be more decisive. This issue is affecting several industries, not just hospitality. I have never seen so many people come together from different industries to try and effect change. Insurance hikes are costing us jobs, innovation and essentially, the chance to grow.”

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Call our expert team on 01 880 9300 or email info@javarepublic.com javarepublic.com

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Java Republic redefines

its range of 100% organic tea

JAVA REPUBLIC’S NEW TEA RANGE OFFERS HOTELS A WHOLE HOST OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES

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ava Republic, Ireland’s most premium coffee roasters, recently announced that it has relaunched its range of 100% Organic teas. Having entered the tea market a number of years ago, it quickly grew its selection to become the largest range of organic tea blends in Europe. The company’s passion for tea was born from the same ethos that it holds for coffee – to bring unparalleled quality to the market that is guaranteed to be sustainable in every possible way. The decision to go 100% organic in its tea offering was made because it is more sustainable for wildlife, better for the farmers, improves the taste and is ultimately better for the consumer.

However, Java Republic is now relaunching its organic tea offering to coincide with changing trends in the market and a shift in the needs of the consumer. It comes at a time when consumers are more concerned than ever before about wellness, health and mindfulness. Tea is at the very heart of this movement. Drinkers are more tuned in to the ingredients they consume, wanting to focus on healthier options and wanting to feel good in the choices they make.

While the new range of organic tea blends has been designed with the consumer in mind, it has specifically been developed to put your business and your end-user at the centre of their attention.

The organic tea range is split into six categories – Awaken, Digestion, Calming, Cleansing, Savour and Enticing, providing a tea for everyone at any time of day. Across the six categories, there are 24 organic teas for you to choose from.

Running a hotel? Breakfast, corporate functions, afternoon tea, spa experiences and dining options… the opportunities for you to utilise your tea offerings in your hotel are endless. Whether your guests want an invigorating drink to start their day, a refreshing beverage to complement a relaxing spa treatment or a delicious pairing to your unique food offerings, Java Republic has a range of organic teas to suit all.

Java Republic’s focus is on innovation, flavour profiles, feelings and taste. The range of teas offers businesses and customers premium quality, meaningful experiences and exceptional tastes. Not only that, but you can also guarantee your guests that the tea they are drinking is kind to the environment in every way possible. Their silken tea pillows are 100% compostable and packed in biodegradable envelopes.

Each of the blends are 100% organic and created using only the finest ingredients.

The announcement comes not long after the news broke that Java Republic has joined forces with the Spanish coffee company Cafento. The partnership is set to see Java Republic expand into international markets. Both parties expect that the new tea range will be welcomed internationally as well as domestically.

Get in touch to find out more on 01 880 9300.

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Food Heroes

Going

Native Jordan Bailey is using only native Irish ingredients at Aimsir. He chatted with Hotel & Catering Review about swapping Oslo for Celbridge and the beauty of Irish produce

Can you imagine a summer salad without tomatoes or a few rounds of cucumber? Would you feel deprived if you were forced to forego your favourite veg for something a bit less exotic? That’s what a growing number of Irish restaurants are doing, investing in that most laudable practice of cooking in line with the seasons and only using produce that’s in season. For some restaurants though, their ingredient of choice is always in season somewhere so using those tomatoes and cucumbers in December is perfectly acceptable. Chef Jordan Bailey has taken the concept of seasonality a few steps further. In Aimsir, the restaurant he runs with his wife Majken, Jordan only uses native Irish ingredients. So that means no lemons, no olive oil or black pepper, no limes or tomatoes and no chocolate. Produce that’s not indigenous, but can be grown here in polytunnels,

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is also out of bounds. It’s an idea that Jordan cultivated at Maaemo, the three starred Michelin restaurant in Norway where he was head chef. With Aimsir though, he’s much stricter. “I’ve definitely taken it to the next level but that idea of limiting yourself is part of the fun, it requires more creativity,” said Jordan.

Aimsir opened on the 8th of May. The hype around the restaurant, which is the newest addition to Cliff at Lyons in Co Kildare, was considerable. How would a restaurant that solely relied on native Irish ingredients fare in a regional setting, removed from the urbanites keen to find out whether the menu lives up to the hype or not? “Initially, we thought that being outside of Dublin and based in the country might makes things that bit harder, so the fact that we’re booked out three months at a time is a shock. It’s going better than we could ever have expected.”

When Jordan left Maaemo, he was inundated with offers from restaurants around the world. Both he and Majken wanted the next move to be the last one. “We needed to make sure

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Food Heroes

that the restaurant we settled on ticked all the boxes on a personal front. We didn’t want to be in a city but we wanted to be close to one so that threw out about 80% of the offers. We were left with about six places after that.” Talk of the untapped beauty and potential of Irish produce by an Irish sous chef at Maaemo had lodged in Jordan’s mind. “He often talked about Irish ingredients and how amazing they were. So when Cliff at Lyons came up, I wanted to check it out.” Even the journey out was, Jordan says, insanely beautiful. “It reminded me of home, in Cornwall. I discovered an idyllic village and a venue that wasn’t really a hotel setting at all. I instantly fell in love with it and rang my wife at 2am to say I thought I’d found the right place. We ended up checking out the other places just to be sure, but I knew I had found something special.”

For the first three months in Ireland, Jordan and Majken were on the road visiting suppliers. A varied landscape confirmed everything the Irish sous chef had claimed about the potential of Irish ingredients. It took 18 months from arriving in Kildare to opening the restaurant. “That was an extremely hectic time. The opening date was shifted several times.” The hotel’s former cookery school has been transformed into a 24-seat dining room and bar area that features two Irish oak work stations. One is the “pass” where dishes are finished and plated before being delivered by the chefs to the diners. The kitchen is also open to the room, although behind glass.

With Ireland’s erratic weather, committing to a super seasonal menu is far from easy and makes writing a menu very tricky. “When I was writing the menu for when we opened a month ago, I was basing it off the pictures I had taken last year. Last summer was hot so the ingredients we had this time last year have either been and gone or haven’t even started growing yet. That caught me off guard. We had to change three dishes in the run up to the opening week. I contacted one supplier to ask when the asparagus would be ready and was told Wednesday so I had to take a dish off and put that on. It was a bit crazy. Half an hour ago, I was sat down with the sous chef to swap out things for next week.”

Restricting yourself to native Irish ingredients is a great way of focusing the mind, says Jordan. “When you allow yourself unlimited access to ingredients, you’re like a kid in a candy shop but it dilutes what I want to achieve. The approach I’ve taken is definitely more challenging but it also forces me to be more creative.” Right now, the most popular dish on the menu is the asparagus. “We’re currently in the last week of it. We cook it on the Ox grill and we do it hard and fast. Then, we let it rest in a hazelnut miso paste which we make in-house, I think it’s 10 months old now. We dress it in a camomile pickle and we serve it with a wild nettle and smoked butter sauce with lots of different shoots and flowers and herbs from our own garden.”

For the team at Aimsir, this year has been all about getting to know the seasons and testing the plethora of Irish ingredients available across the country. “The aim is to keep going as we’re going. I don’t want the bookings to start fading away. I want us to keep getting better and to progress. When we start seeing some repeat customers, that will be a very nice day.”

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Partner PROFILE

TAKE CONTROL

(OF YOUR BOOKINGS)

An effective management system and a no-show protection feature are just two of the benefits that ResDiary brings to the table

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ith over 16 million diners across almost 10,000 restaurants in 59 countries, ResDiary is quite the success story. The premise of the business is simple; let diners book a table online quickly and efficiently while providing restaurateurs with a high tech table management system and no-show protection features. The company was founded in 2006 by a Scottish restaurateur who, after becoming disillusioned with his ineffective reservation management system, decided to come up with his own. ResDiary was the result and although the business is still based in Glasgow, the company’s software is today used by restaurants all over the world, including 550 venues in Ireland.

So in a market that has seen several online reservation companies spring up over the past few years, what makes ResDiary so different? First off, it’s cloud-based so it’s simple to use and can be accessed from a laptop or an iPad. The booking portal lets restaurants write their own copy, add their own images and upload their own menus. It works with a restaurant’s brand and

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follows its booking rules.

Branded booking widgets allow restaurants to grow their brand loyalty and there’s no commission charged on restaurants’ own bookings but perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the software is the inbuilt no-show protection feature. No-shows aren’t just bad table manners; it’s

an issue that’s being raised all the time by the RAI and by restaurants all over the country. Last year, many RAI members complained that increasing numbers of noshows over Christmas had deprived them of revenues during a crucial period.

So how can restaurants avoid the financial damage caused by no-shows? One

way is by joining ResDiary, which allows guests to securely store their credit card details in the ResDiary software. “This acts as a deterrent to people who book multiple venues for the same night. It makes sure that people will cancel a reservation in good time if they’re unable to honour their reservation and if they

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do end up ‘no-showing’ or cancelling at the last minute, then they’ll be charged,” said William Barry, Ireland Sales Manager at ResDiary. Employing a software that offers protection against no-shows seems like a no-brainer and that’s why some of the best-known restaurants are using ResDiary. Venues like Chapter One and Patrick Guilbaud use the system to manage their venues. Thirty-three of the McKenna’s Guide top 100 venues also use the software while nine of Ireland’s 16 Michelin starred restaurants count ResDiary as their trusted supplier.

ResDiary was created by hospitality operators, for hospitality operators. The software’s ease of use and effectiveness is down to the fact that the company’s entire sales and support

teams have previously worked in the industry. “We spend a lot of time talking to our users about what they need from ResDiary.

Our Irish team are all former restaurateurs who have worked in venues all around Ireland, we’re always on hand to talk to venues and advise them how best to use the system to improve their operations,” said William.

Since its inception, ResDiary has been a flatrate system. “This means that regardless of whether it’s Christmas or midsummer, restaurants always know what they’ll pay at the end of the month. We have different flat-rate packages depending on the size of the venue that operators can move between if their business grows. It’s great for protecting their bottom line and allowing the business to plan ahead,” said William.

Some commission-based portals are reportedly in the business of redirecting potential diners away from the restaurant’s website to charge more money.

ResDiary prefers to let its quality service and market-leading software system do the talking.

“Some companies place ads above venues’ names on Google. The prospective customer types in the restaurant name, knowing they want to dine there and are redirected to a third party site. Then the venue pays up to €2 per person in commission to this third party and are told these bookings are diners who wouldn’t have known about their venue otherwise.” William says he regularly sees outlets faced with commission bills of over €1000 per month. “This isn’t a

practice we’re involved in. It’s extremely unfair to both the restaurant and the diner. Instead what we do is provide the tools for venues to build their own brand and to choose where they want to list their business.” ResDiary works with a number of partners that don’t indulge in these diversion practises, including afternoontea. co.uk and First Table.

The company has also just announced a free integration with ‘Reserve with Google’ to allow diners to make real-time bookings into ResDiary restaurants, directly from Google Search or Maps. “Add in own-branded widgets and confirmation emails, and the venue has the ability to build their own following and create loyal customers.”

ResDiary also works with POS companies like CBE/ Pixelpoint and IdealPOS to provide integrations that give customers a great journey and help servers run smoothly. For hotels, the company’s Property Management System integrations with Guestline and Opera give operators a complete overview of their business and help guests enjoy their stay more.

ResDiary allows restaurants to gain complete control of their bookings. By understanding first-hand the issues that restaurants face, the company has come up with a software that eliminates many of the obstacles that prevent venues from reaching their full potential.

For more information and to see what the software can do for you, go to resdiary.ie/hc

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Piper-Heidsieck & Liberty Wines -

the perfect match

In April 2019, Piper-Heidsieck chose Liberty Wines to expand its on-trade distribution in Ireland. Its approach is simple; strive to supply the right wine to the right customer at the right time and price

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stablished by Florens-Louis Heidsieck in 1785, today Piper-Heidsieck has the same owners as Charles Heidsieck, Rare Champagne and Biondi-Santi.

It is one of Champagne’s most wellknown yet under-rated Grande Marques and a consistent performer in international competitions. 2019 saw the house awarded the ‘Non-Vintage Classic Blend Champagne Trophy’, two gold and two silver medals at the International Wine Challenge and a platinum and four silver medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Chef de Cave Émilien Boutillat follows a simple philosophy – preserve the quality, elegance and generosity of style that has always characterised the Piper-Heidsieck wines. The Cuvée Brut is the house’s benchmark wine, blended from the three Champagne grapes, with 10% - 20% reserve wines and aged for three years on lees. It is elegant and balanced, punching well above its weight and representing astonishing quality and class.

The Rosé Sauvage is a food friendly wine, made with a high proportion of between 20 – 25% red wines, giving it impressive structure and intensity.

The softly textured 2012 Millésime is primarily made from Grand and Premier Cru vineyards, a blend of 52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir.

Liberty Wines’ service and experience across the Irish and UK wine trade makes it an ideal fit for Piper- Heidsieck.

New to the “Liberty Wines is a company Managing Director David Gleave MW, Piper-Heidsieck that inspires rivals and the carbon neutral portfolio are the customers alike, often cited company Liberty Essentiel wines – as an exemplary merchant, Wines launched Essentiel Cuvée with a core of Réserve Extra Brut, showing that quality and which took the size needn’t be at odds in the international suppliers, many IWC Trophy and world of wine” - Harpers of whom are Essentiel Blanc still there today. de Blancs Extra Although Italian wine remains at the Brut. Lastly, the Cuvée Sublime is one of Champagne’s best-loved Demi-Secs. centre of the business, the portfolio now includes over 300 producers from With a dosage of 35g/l and a bright bite of acidity, it shows exquisite balance and 23 countries, with France, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand having generosity, making an elegant partner a higher profile. Piper Heidsieck is a for afternoon tea, desserts or cheeses. strong addition to this list.

Founded in Ireland in 2002 by

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Business Matters

SAVOUR THE EXPERIENCE

Good Food Ireland is capitalising on the ‘experienceled’ trend with a new dimension to its network

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hirteen years ago, Good Food Ireland was set up to shine a light on Irish hotels and restaurants that were creating local food experiences and using indigenous Irish ingredients to do so. Now the founder of Good Food Ireland, Margaret Jeffares, has gone a step further with the launch of Good Food Ireland Experiences, a platform for bookable food and drink experiences across the island of Ireland. It’s available on the Good Food Ireland website and allows food lovers to browse experiences by date, destination or simply by the food experience they’d like to explore. Experiences are diverse

and include the likes of ‘Hands-On Bread-Making in Ballymaloe’, ‘Foraging and Lunch in Historic House Estate’ and ‘Dine with a Local Chef at a Private Lunch in Co Donegal’. For those more interested in a road trip, experiences can be broken down by their chosen route and destination such as the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands and Northern Ireland, to mention just a few. Family experiences are also catered for with ‘Make Your Own Chocolate Bar in County Clare’, ‘Blackcurrant and Horse Breeding Farm Tour in County Wexford’ or ‘Goat Cheesemaking on a Family Farm in County Cork’.

It’s a great idea and one that capitalises on the hard-won success of Good Food Ireland. From around 2003 onwards, the landscape of the Irish tourism industry was changing. Bedstock had tripled and thanks to the hotel tax incentive scheme, budget hotels were springing up all over the country. That meant more competition for independent family-owned hotels and with changes to drink driving laws coming thick and fast, pubs

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Margaret Jeffares, founder, Good Food Ireland Wilde Irish Chocolates

Peter Ward, Country Choice were increasingly relying on food to boost profits. Margaret, who has worked with both Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland and set up as a consultant in 2000, identified the need to link the agri-food and tourism sectors in Ireland to create recognition and to drive economic opportunity.

“In 2003, I was at an event in New York when I was asked if the food in Ireland was safe. At the time, we had just come out of bird flu, we had gone through foot and mouth disease and SARS was a global issue. It got me thinking about the 7 million tourists that were coming into Ireland at the time; if we could get even half of them to eat the food of our country in our restaurants, we would be in a unique position to differentiate ourselves,” said Margaret.

Hotels, restaurants and pubs that were using local produce and indigenous Irish ingredients became members of the Good Food Ireland family. “What amazed me back then was the venues that didn’t realise that what they were doing was so unique. They’d be heading into work and stopping off to collect the lettuce from their local grower. Many of them had been doing this for 20 years.” Good Food Ireland brought all these like-minded people together under the one brand that shouts about local food experiences. “It also created new commercial opportunities that hadn’t been explored before, from the likes of farm gate sales to B2B.” Businesses that want to join Good Food Ireland have to identify on their menu where their food is coming from. Having the ‘Good Food Ireland’ sign on your premises has become a badge of honour. “To this day, it’s still the only all-island brand that recognises businesses for their commitment to food. It doesn’t matter if it’s a five star hotel with diamonds hanging off their curtains; if they don’t have local food provenance, they can’t join Good Food Ireland.” Sometimes though, if a business is turned down, they’ll go away, find local suppliers and ensure their ingredients are locally sourced. “That does happen and we’re more than happy to

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have a pub or restaurant take a couple of weeks, change their suppliers and prove to us they fall in line with Good Food Ireland guidelines.”

Only members of Good Food Ireland can participate in the new platform and offer their experiences to customers. For businesses that aren’t quite sure how to deliver their experience, Margaret and the team work closely with them to ensure they create a viable, attractive offering. “We’re in the process of creating a number of case studies on how to deliver experiences and create new opportunities. At the moment, we’ve got over 100,000 users on the Good Food Ireland site so it’s about getting to those people.”

A business insights survey carried out by Good Food Ireland a few years ago showed that 92% of businesses that used Irish ingredients contributed in the region of €50 million to the local economy. “For me, that proves that what we’re doing here is working commercially for businesses. Over the coming weeks, our aim is to expand the range within our Collection as we discover new best-in-class experiences around the island. We feel like it’s the next natural step for Good Food Ireland and one that will prove beneficial for our members.”

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Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How it Transformed Our World Author: Mark Prendergast Publisher: Basic Books RRP: €14 Available: www.amazon.com Uncommon Grounds tells the story of coffee from its discovery on a hill in ancient Abyssinia to the advent of Starbucks. Mark Pendergrast reviews the dramatic changes in coffee culture over the past decade, from the disastrous ‘Coffee Crisis’ that caused global prices to plummet to the rise of the Fair Trade movement and the ‘third-wave’ of quality-obsessed coffee connoisseurs. As the scope of coffee culture continues to expand, Uncommon Grounds is a brilliantly entertaining guide to the currents of one of the world’s favourite beverages.

Each week, comedians James Acaster Find your and Ed Gamble next favourite welcome a guest podcast with to their dream our pick oftothe restaurant, asking best them to select their favourite ever starter, main course, side dish, dessert and drink. Highlights so far include Acaster adopting the role of a genie waiter, Tom Kerridge’s Author: Molly Krebs choice of drink (24 cans of Publisher: Page Street Publishing Stella) and Victoria Coren RRP: €19.60 Mitchell’s admission that she Available: www.amazon.com sneaks out of dinner parties to eat sandwiches in the toilet.

Listen on acast.com Put produce in the centre of your plate with these

Eat More Plants

flavourful, satisfying, addictive dishes. Molly Krebs, creator of the popular blog Spices in My DNA, turns everyday veggies into meals you’ll crave. Vegetarians and vegans will find inspiring new meal ideas and meat-eaters will discover the variety of tastes and textures that creative combinations of veggies can bring to the table. Get your vitamins with veggieinspired sweets and cocktails and mix and match easy, game-changing sauces to dress up lunch and dinner.

Forget bland salads and boring sides – these recipes will show you how to love your vegetables.

T SOME CHECK OU ST FO OD E B E H T F O BO OKS R E L AT E D ASTS A ND P OD C

Shelf Book

Beards, Booze, and Bacon Beards, Booze, and Bacon is a podcast by The Manual, a website dedicated to helping men live a more engaged life. Each week, its editors and guests get together for a round-table discussion on what’s new, exciting and unique in the men’s lifestyle world. So pop open your favourite brew, step into your man cave and start streaming.

Listen on the manual.com, Stitcher or Apple podcasts

Come for Supper Come for Supper sees host Alexandra Dudley sit down with artists, actors, authors and chefs to discuss how they like to serve supper. In the show we learn about the guest’s culinary tips, tales and disasters whilst learning a little about their life along the way. From their dream dinner party guests to their kitchen essentials, we dive deep into the world of food and the joy of having people come for supper.

Listen on Apple podcasts

ISSUE 6 2019 | HOTEL

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CATERING REVIEW

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A QUICK CHAT

On Cloud Nine Cloud Picker Coffee Roasters has opened its first coffee shop on Pearse Street. Peter Sztal talks to Hotel & Catering Review about finding such a unique space in Dublin’s city centre

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rank Kavanagh and Peter Sztal are no strangers to Pearse Street. For several years, the duo operated the café in the Science Gallery. “We weren’t able to put our stamp on it so we had been on the lookout for a slightly different premises. By sheer coincidence, the building across the road became available.

We put an offer in and it was accepted the next day, which was probably the shortest negotiation ever,” said Peter. It was time to put their money where their mouth was.

Originally a projector room for the Academy Cinema, the aim was to create a centre of excellence within the building for coffee, food and customer service.

Boasting a large glass frontage, the interior of the building was little more than a shell.

“That was the beauty of it. The concrete walls were unfinished while the floors were patchy.

It’s a very narrow but long space and it reminded us of places we would have seen in Bangkok. Instead of seeing the size and shape of the space as a limitation, we embraced it. We wanted to celebrate the rawness of the unit.”

All of Frank’s and Peter’s energies have been channelled into the furniture and joinery for Cloud Picker Café. A long counter featuring an egg station dominates the space, with an open kitchen located at the back. “We have customers coming in for their coffee in the morning who end up chatting to the chefs, asking what salads they’re making today and coming back in for their lunch.”

The duo were also keen to respect the building’s previous life as a projector room.

A large screen sits above the kitchen and plays random stuff to keep customers engaged. No single use plastic is used in the coffee shop. Drinks are served only in glass bottles while every single disposable item is compostable. “We also offer a keep cup and customers get 25 cent off if they bring their own food container.” Only the best ingredients are sourced from Irish suppliers. “Our customers are making the choice to opt for a great quality Irish product. We’ve been asking them to do that for the past six years so it’s something we need to do ourselves.”

Peter Sztal and Frank Kavanagh

CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 6 2019

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Repak’s 3,000 Members have helped fund packaging recycling in Ireland for over twenty years.

Join our network of almost 400 Hotel Members and make 2019 the year you go green.

www.repak.ie

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Coke Signatures Advert Hotel Review A4.pdf

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