Hotel & Catering Review August 2016

AUGUST 2016

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Go to issuu.com/ ashvillemedia for the online edition

AUGUST 2016

Cover - See page 12 for cover story.

CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE

Review & Outlook Irish Tourism Continues To Set Records

Awards Preview The 2016 Keelings Farm Fresh Awards Finalists and our Sponsors (see page 27)

12 COVER STORY

UNDER

NEW

MANAGEMENT

Business Matters Back to the Future - Is Irish Tourism Returning to the Celtic Tiger Years?

Technology Dalata Pioneers InRoom Innovation

Food Heroes We have identified a number of properties as targets for purchase and... we will be working with the major hotel brands in some of our hotels and this will be done under franchise agreements.”

David Webster, CEO, Podium Hospitality

Top Chefs Offer Up a Taste of West Cork Munster

Gold T Craft beers are a powerful food accompaniment, pushing adventurous chefs to create sophisticated dishes with beer pairings in mind.

Something we can all raise a glass to!

#INGREDIENT

win brothers Adrian and Padraig Hyde founded the Munster Brewery in Youghal, Co. Cork in 2014. Employing their passion for using the finest raw ingredients to brew their beers, they have recently started brewing beer organically, the first brewery in the country to do so.

Interestingly, none of their beers are carbonated; a process commonly used in the larger macro breweries. Instead, beers from the Munster Brewery are bottle conditioned, using traditional methods, as the resulting natural sediment attests. The brothers are so enthusiastic about what they do that they have started to grow their own hops, giving them greater control over the provenance and quality of the ingredients they use to produce their fantastic range of beers. The following three beers are regulars on the Munster Brewery list, along with speciality beers that are brewed in limited quantities.

BLACKGUARD A light tasting lager, brewed deliberately to be milder in flavour. It is a gently hopped beer with a slightly stronger malting taste. The hops used are noble hops and the aroma is similar to a floral bouquet. With its focus on the malts, it is a finely balanced lager and, as it has a longer lagering period, it produces a beer where the flavours and aromas are well balanced and settled.

TIP: This delicate brew pairs really well with salads, fish and light poultry dishes.

FIR BOLG Very strongly malted and balanced with a healthy dose of hops, it yields a robust flavour. The malts used are Munich and Vienna malts. Caramel is also used which brings out the full flavour before the hops are added to it.

TIP: Fir Bolg is an amber lager so it goes very well

with red meat and game dishes. It is also a perfect accompaniament to pastry dishes, meat pies, sausages and cured meats.

12 TOWERS The brewery was keen to produce an Irish Red Ale and their 12 Towers does justice to the genre. The hops varieties used in this beer are Fuggles, East Kent Goldings and Sovereign. The hops succeed in giving that earthy quality to the beer, a perfect match for the grains and malts that the beer showcases. The conditioning period for this beer is 2-6 weeks, which allows the flavours to develop fully.

TIP: This makes excellent beer battered fish. The smooth

balance between the grains, malts and hops really adds depth and flavour to the batter. It also stands up well to goat’s cheese dishes and salads with walnuts and the earthy notes make it a perfect partner for duck with lentils.

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REGULARS

03

NEWS

09

ON THE MOVE

24 KEY TO THE DOOR

26

SUPPLY LINE

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#Ingredients Liquid Lunch - Chefs Get Creative With Munster Brewery’s Craft Beers.

Interior Trends Charlotte Quay Restaurant & Bar - Sleek Design in a Dockside Setting.

36

A Quick Chat With

Takashi Miyazaki of Miyazaki restaurant

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

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

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

All discounts, promotions and competitions contained in this magazine are run independently of Hotel & Catering Review. The promoter/ advertiser is responsible for honouring the prize.

Editor’s

VIEW T

he latest CSO quarterly figures show that tourism employment has increased further, making the industry Ireland’s largest business employer. The sector now accounts for one in nine jobs nationally. Recent tourism jobs include the opening of two flagship visitor attractions in Dublin - GPO’s Witness History and Epic Ireland.

However, while tourism is performing strongly, decisions taken in Budget 2017 will be critical to the sector’s continued strong performance, especially in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum in the UK. In its pre-Budget submission, the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation has called on government to retain competitiveness and restore investment in the tourism sector. “17 of the 19 Eurozone countries have tourism VAT rates of 10% or lower,” says ITIC Chief Executive Eoghan O’Mara Walsh. “The current tourism VAT rate is therefore right-sized for Ireland and it is very important that it is retained in Budget 2017.”

The tourism industry was worth 7.3bn to the Irish economy last year, over eight million international tourists visited Ireland in 2015, and the sector paid 1.8bn to the exchequer in taxes. 2016 has continued to perform strongly, with 13% growth in overseas visitors for the first six months. Employment in tourism is set to continue in the coming years with additional planned hotel construction and the likes of Centre Parcs opening a new forest attraction in Longford.

Over the next 10 years ITIC estimates that Irish tourism can create an additional 50,000 jobs but that will only happen if the industry remains competitive and the correct government policies and investment strategies are pursued. As we have stated on these pages many times, tourism capital investment by the State is very low and not appropriate for a sector that is so important to the economy.

Tourism marketing budgets have been cut year after year and are now 20m below what they used to be. This is having a serious impact on advertising recall and will mean less visitor numbers in future years if it isn’t addressed as a matter of urgency.

We can only hope that the government decides to do the right thing on October 11th.

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

Maev Martin www.hotelandcateringreview.ie @HC_Review

@

info@hotelandcateringreview.ie

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27TH SEPTEMBER 2016

LYRATH ESTATE, CO. KILKENNY #KEELINGSGOLDMEDAL 2

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NEWS NEW BUSINESS LOUNGE

AT DUBLIN AIRPORT

Aer Lingus recently opened a new lounge, 51st & Green, at Dublin Airport, which is available to its business class guests and elite and prestige gold circle card holders. Transatlantic guests who, to date, have enjoyed the Aer Lingus gold circle lounge located in the T2 departures area can now continue their lounge experience in 51st & Green when they have pre-cleared US customs and immigration and await to board their flight. Dublin is the only airport outside of North America to offer a lounge facility once the necessary pre-clearance checks are completed.

MASTERCHEFS WIN BIG IN GREAT TASTE AWARDS

Australian TV and radio presenter Nick Vindin with Elisha Hickey of Perfect Day Surf School during filming at Strandhill, Co Sligo.

90,000 AUSTRALIANS TO SEE WILD ATLANTIC WAY Australian TV and radio presenter Nick Vindin filmed along the Wild Atlantic Way recently for two upcoming episodes of a popular cycling travel show called The Searching Cyclist. He was in Ireland as a guest of Tourism Ireland and Fรกilte Ireland.

The show - which airs on SBS (public television network) in Australia - follows Nick as he explores the scenery, culture and history of holiday destinations around the world by bicycle. Nick cycled various sections of the Wild Atlantic Way, from Donegal to Kerry.

The two resulting 30-minute episodes will air to 90,000 Australians in November.

Masterchefs took home no fewer than six gold stars for five of its best hand-made products in the Great Taste Awards. Masterchefs won accolades for every product they entered, with their honey mustard dressing achieving two gold stars. Their other winning products, hand-made daily by their food production hub - the Artisan Food Factory - include goats cheese, spinach and caramelised red onion quiche, quiche lorraine, cranberry and oat cookies, and wild Atlantic chunky chowder.

Over 10,000 products from the UK and Ireland are entered into the Great Taste Awards every year.

This year, of the 3,539 products that have been awarded, 430 were from the Republic of Ireland.

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MOUNT CHARLES ESTABLISHES

UK HOTEL OCCUPANCY CONTINUES TO DECLINE

NEW DRINKS DIVISION

Mount Charles announced the launch of a new division on August 22nd - Mount Charles ‘Drink’, which will service bar and beverage contracts for external events. The news comes as the company celebrated a high profile, three-year beverage contract win with Down Royal Racecourse in Lisburn, which will boost the company’s revenue by around £400,000 per annum. Mount Charles also won the beverage contract earlier this year for the international North West 200 motorcycle road race. Mount Charles has held the beverage contract for Kingspan Stadium, home of Ulster Rugby, since July 2013.

(l-r): Mike Todd, General Manager at Down Royal, Pamela Ballantine, Chair of the Hospitality Committee at Down Royal, Trevor Annon, Chairman of Mount Charles and Jim Nicholson, Chair of Down Royal.

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Hotel occupancy in London showed its sixth consecutive quarter of year-on-year decline with Brexit poised to subdue the sector further, according to the latest Hotel Bulletin: Q2 2016, published in August

by HVS, AlixPartners and AM:PM. Hotel occupancy in the capital, in common with other major European cities, continues to be affected by increased global terrorist activity. London has also seen a decline in the number of US tourists travelling because of the presidential election. The impact has been a 2% decline in London’s RevPAR compared with Q2 2015 and average room rates failing to increase for the second consecutive quarter. “The Brexit decision is having the doubleimpact of weaker sterling and a reduction in anticipated economic growth,” says HVS Chairman Russell Kett. “This is both good, and bad, news for the sector in that Britain becomes a cheaper destination for overseas visitors, dampening outgoing UK travel but potentially increasing the F&B costs as some suppliers pass on price rises. Hotel transaction activity is also likely to slow down as investors assess the outlook of future trading but in the longer term we are optimistic that the UK will remain an attractive source of investment for global investors.“ Meanwhile, research undertaken by Prepaid International Forum shows that British families have an average of £204 (239) less to spend on their holidays since Brexit. The survey, undertaken by the UK’s not-for-profit trade body for the prepaid financial services sector, found that weaker exchange rates are starting to take a toll on summer holidays. The average British holidaymaker in the EU is now £51 (60) worse off per person per week, according to the survey - or by £204 (239) per family of four. While British arrivals are up 16% for the first half of 2016, Tourism Ireland believes they are now paying 10% more for Eurozone holidays.

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TERRORISM RISK DETERS 80% OF IRISH HOLIDAYMAKERS

TOUR OPERATORS ENJOY INDIAN SUMMER IN IRELAND

A holiday survey by insurance company 123.ie, reveals that 80% of holidaymakers will avoid travel to places that they perceive to be at risk from terrorist attacks.

94% cited France as the country most at risk from terrorism, with Turkey and Tunisia also ranking highly at 91% and 87% respectively. Mexico (72%), South Africa (68%) and Russia (46%) were perceived to be the most risky in relation to crime.

However, the research also indicates that this hasn’t stopped people from travelling abroad and almost three quarters (72%) are planning a foreign holiday this year.

The holiday survey was carried out among 771 adults in Ireland and covered a range of issues, including popular foreign and Irish destinations, risk, travel insurance, favourite authors and must-have items for travel. When asked about the type of holiday they would most like to take,17% of people opted for a staycation, with Galway city (31%) and Killarney (29%) chosen as the favourite home destinations.

CSO DATA REVEALS OVER 2 MILLION HOME HOLIDAYS Seven leading tour operators from India visited Ireland recently on a fact-finding tour organised by Tourism Ireland in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland. The tour operators are based in the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad and their visit was about encouraging them to extend the Ireland content of their existing programmes or to include Ireland for the first time in their 2017 programmes. Their itinerary included visits to places such as the Newbridge Silverware Visitor Centre, Adare Heritage Centre, the Ring of Kerry, and the Cliffs of Moher.

Lyandra D’Souza, Tourism Ireland (fourth left), with Indian tour operators at the Adare Heritage Centre.

Fáilte Ireland has welcomed the new CSO Household Travel Survey data, which shows that Irish residents took almost 2.1 million domestic trips in Q1 2016, generating 327m. The CSO data shows that almost half (46%) of these trips, (958,000), were holidays, with 193m spent on domestic holidays in the first three months of the year. Over three-quarters of a million (754,000) trips were to visit friends and family, accounting for 64m.

Fáilte Ireland also welcomed the CSO’s introduction of an improved methodology which provides more accurate estimates of the domestic travel market. For example, there were 9.1 million trips in 2015 rather than the 7.5 million previously estimated.

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BLUE BOOK LAUNCHES INSTAGRAM COMPETITION Ireland’s Blue Book is running a new Instagram competition commencing September 1st.

Whether you are enjoying a romantic weekend away, afternoon tea with the girls, a luxury SPA treatment or just relaxing in warm and comfortable surroundings, you can share your treasured Blue Book memories to be in with a chance to win. The Blue Book will choose a photo that they believe has captured the true essence of what an experience at a Blue Book house or hotel should be. They will then announce the winner on January 6th 2017. To enter, simply take a photo while at a Blue Book property, share the photo onto Instagram, including the hashtags #IrelandsBlueBook and #BlueBook2016, tag Ireland’s Blue Book in the photo, and follow Ireland’s Blue Book on Instagram. The winner will enjoy a 250 gift voucher that can be used in any of the Blue Book properties. The competition will be running over the next few months. The best photos will also feature on the Blue Book’s own Instagram page.

Shannon Sweeney, Ireland’s Blue Book, with Blue Book President Sallyanne Clarke at the launch of the Instagram competition.

Ann O’Dea, Founder of Inspirefest. with Margot Slattery, Country President, Sodexo Ireland, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and Margaret Clapham, Business Development Director, Sodexo Ireland, at Teelings Distillery on June 29th.

SODEXO FOOD IS TOPS WITH TECCIES The catering provided by Sodexo at Inspirefest 2016 made the top ten event highlights list compiled by online technology publication Silicon Republic. It was Sodexo’s first year to sponsor the international festival of technology, science, design and the arts. Sodexo provided catering and hospitality at three different locations in Dublin. At the speaker and guest welcome evening in Teelings Whiskey Distillery on June 29th, the menu ranged from smoked mackerel rillettes and Teeling cured salmon and salt hake purée with roast peppers and vino cotto, to Dublin Bay prawns in Kataffi pastry with Teeling’s marie rose sauce and rare Irish beef with basil mayonnaise. For conference delegates at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Sodexo supplied, via Freshways, over 1,700 lunchboxes in three options - ‘meat eater’, ‘superfoodie’ and ‘vegan’. They included a selection of artisan products from supplier partners. Each evening at the Inspirefest Fringe in Merrion Square, Sodexo provided an outdoor buffet service and hosted a Sodexo Health and Wellness Zone. “Our international visitors were blown away by the ingenuity of the menus and the professionalism and courtesy of the whole catering team,” says Ann O’Dea, founder of the sci-tech event.

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TITANIC BELFAST DUBLIN IS WORLD'S THIRD FRIENDLIEST CITY Dublin and Galway have been named among the world’s 10 friendliest cities by readers of Condé Nast Traveler.

Dublin placed third on the list, behind Charleston in South Carolina and Sydney, Australia - and just ahead of Queenstown, New Zealand. Condé Nast Traveler’s top 10 friendliest cities are Charleston, South Carolina, Sydney, Australia, Dublin, Ireland, Queenstown, New Zealand, Park City, Utah, Galway, Ireland, Savannah, Georgia, Krakow, Poland, Bruges, Belgium, and Nashville, Tennessee. The list was compiled based on Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Survey, taken by 128,000 readers in 2015, according to the magazine.

Galway was named the world’s friendliest city by readers of another US publication, Travel + Leisure, last year, with Dublin ranking third and Cork fourth. Meanwhile, Condé Nast Traveler’s list of the world’s unfriendliest cities was topped by Newark, followed by Tijuana, Mexico and Oakland in California.

SERVES UP 30 NEW JOBS

Titanic Belfast is recruiting for 30 new hospitality roles.

The conference and banqueting facility recently brought its hospitality offering in-house under the leadership of Head of Hospitality, Lloyd Jackson, as well as established Executive Head Chef, Alastair Fullerton. The new positions range across visitor experience, ticketing, retail and events. They will service the flexible suites located across the fifth and sixth floor of Titanic Belfast, which can cater for between 50 and 1,000 guests, as well as the Bistro 401 and The Galley Café. This is the company’s largest single recruitment drive since opening in 2012.

Tim Husbands MBE, Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast, Head of Hospitality, Lloyd Jackson, and Executive Head Chef, Alastair Fullerton.

NEW MICHELIN STARS REVEALED AT LIVE EVENT For the first time in Great Britain and Ireland, restaurants being awarded prestigious new Michelin Stars will be revealed at a live event. The October presentation will coincide with the publication of the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2017 and it is expected to attract top chefs and key food industry figures. The unveiling of new Michelin-starred restaurants is seen as one of the most important dates in the culinary year, and this will be the first time that the selection has been announced at a live event since the first Michelin Guide to the British Isles appeared in 1911. Michael Ellis, International Director of the Michelin Guides, will break the news at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Savoy Place, London on October 3rd. The Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland recommends more than 3,300 places to eat and sleep, including those restaurants and pubs awarded Michelin Stars for the quality of their food. Rebecca Burr, Editor of the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland, says the 2017 edition would continue to reflect the changing culinary landscape of Great Britain and Ireland. “The last 10 years have seen the emergence of a host of different types of restaurants producing excellent food under the guidance of extremely talented young chefs,” she says.

“Michelin inspectors will continue to make anonymous visits and to pay their own bills, and we will continue to offer expert, objective and consistent information to our readers.”

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IRELAND MEANS BUSINESS IN TORONTO

Jonathan Sargeant, Tourism Ireland, Lynda Reilly, Dublin Convention Bureau, John Callely, Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links, and Pat Crowley, Odyssey International, at IncentiveWorks 2016 in Toronto.

Three tourism companies travelled to Toronto recently to attend this year’s IncentiveWorks, Canada’s largest B2B show for the meetings, events and incentive travel industry. At the two-day event, Dublin Convention Bureau, Odyssey International and the Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links were networking and doing business with decision-makers from Canada’s MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) sector, in a bid to grow the number of business travellers from Canada to the island of Ireland.

“IncentiveWorks is another valuable platform for Tourism Ireland and our partners to showcase and sell the island of Ireland and build awareness of our worldclass meetings, conference and incentive facilities,” says Dana Welch, Tourism Ireland's Manager in Canada. “Business tourism is an important, high yield sector, with visitors travelling for business purposes spending about 2.5 times more than the average holidaymaker. Tourism Ireland in Canada has a busy programme of promotions under way to highlight the island of Ireland as a premier business tourism destination in 2016 and beyond.”

KERRY’S LANDSCAPE FEATURED ON NEW REALITY TV SHOW

A Master of Photography contestant attempting to capture a winning shot on the Ring of Kerry.

Images of Kerry were beamed into homes across Italy, Germany and Britain when an episode of a new reality TV show aired on the Sky Arts channel on August 25th. Called Master of Photography, it’s a TV talent show for photographers that involves the contestants working through a series of challenges each week to win the competition. Hosted by Italian-American actress and model Isabella Rossellini, the sixth episode of the show was filmed in Ireland in February. The film crew, invited here by Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland, followed the contestants as they attempted to capture one great shot of the landscape at various locations on the Ring of Kerry, including Killarney, Kenmare, Sneem, Waterville, Valentia and Cahersiveen.

“Few places in the world can match the incredible diversity and complexity of the Irish landscape,” says the show's presenter Isabella Rossellini. “This romantic and epic landscape with emerald hills, unpredictable weather, wild surf and rugged coastline has inspired artists for centuries.”

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CATEX SERVES UP A NEW LOOK SHOW 2017 sees the return of Ireland’s biggest foodservice event, Catex, with a new look layout and new exhibitors. Attended by over 10,000 foodservice and hospitality industry professionals and organised by the Irish Foodservice Suppliers Alliance (IFSA), the event will once again be staged at the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin 4, from February 21st to 23rd. Home to over 200 exhibitors across the three-day event, new names include Ali Group, Friulinox, Lainox, Plassey Tierney’s and Valeo Professional. New exhibitors will sit alongside long-term supporters of Catex, including Bunzl, Bewleys Ltd, BD Foods, Calor Gas, Embassy of Poland, Henderson’s, Hugh Jordan, Lyreco/Nespresso, Marco Beverage Systems, Nisbets, and the Catering Innovation Agency (CIA). Competitions and feature areas will include the Contract Caterers’ Culinary Challenge and the Chef’s Choice Pavilion, which will be on a larger scale for the 2017 event. Supported by IFSA, this area is a popular and important feature for local producers to the foodservice industry and offers a platform for them to meet with foodservice professionals such as restaurateurs, chefs and contract caterers.“Sponsored by Bunzl and Calor, Catex is on course to become a sell-out event with almost 70% of available floor space already sold,”says IFSA Chairman and Industrial and Commercial Sales Executive with Calor Gas, Larry Smith. Once again, Catex will continue to partner with aligned industry associations, including the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (Irish chapter), EuroToques Ireland, the Restaurants Association of Ireland, the Panel of Chefs, CMAI, the Irish Hospitality Institute, the Bartenders Association of Ireland, the Licensed Vintners Association, and the Vintners Federation of Ireland.

Secure your exhibition stand by contacting EventHaus on 00 353 1 846 0020 or by visiting www.CATEXexhibition.com.

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Move

ON THE MOVE

On the

New Appointments, Promotions and Recruitment

ALAN WOOD

LISA JAMESON

CATHERINE TOOLAN

NEW POSITION HEAD CHEF

NEW POSITION GENERAL MANAGER

NEW POSITION MANAGING DIRECTOR

EMPLOYER BELMOND GRAND HIBERNIAN

EMPLOYER THE TEELING WHISKEY COMPANY

EMPLOYER BELFAST WATERFRONT AND ULSTER HALL LTD

The Teeling Whiskey Company has appointed Lisa Jameson as the new General Manager of the visitor centre at the Teeling Whiskey Distillery. Lisa has over 10 years’ experience in the tourism and hospitality sector, playing a key role in the re-launch of the National Wax Museum.

She subsequently spent seven years as General Manager at the National Wax Museum Plus and more recently project managed and launched Dublin’s Irish Rock N Roll Museum Experience in Temple Bar. Lisa has a BA Hons Degree in Marketing and Event Management from Dublin Business School and is currently taking part in the new Fáilte Ireland Visitor Attractions Senior Management Programme.

Belfast Waterfront and Ulster Hall Ltd has appointed Catherine Toolan as Managing Director. The new appointment comes at an opportune time with the recent opening of Belfast Waterfront’s new 7,000 square metre conference facility in April this year. The £29.5m investment from Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund, through the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland, is designed to help position Belfast as a destination of choice for business tourism.

Belmond recently announced the appointment of Alan Woods, Head Chef of Belmond Grand Hibernian, who, from August 2016, will be crafting and serving up regional Irish cuisine from Ireland’s first luxury touring train. Previously Head Chef at Michelin starred Thornton’s in Dublin, Alan has also worked in restaurants and hotels in Europe and Ireland, including The Ivory Restaurant in Cork city (1994-1996), Restaurant Jean Luc Figures in Barcelona (2004-2005) and Longueville House Hotel in Cork (2005-2010).

Alan plans to showcase the best of Ireland’s ingredients on board Belmond Grand Hibernian. Departing from Dublin on two, four and six night touring itineraries, the train will traverse the countryside, coasts and cities of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

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Commercial

PROFILE

FÁILTE FIRING ON ALL FRONTS AS FÁILTE IRELAND ROLLED OUT FURTHER PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGNS FOR ITS IRELAND’S ANCIENT EAST AND WILD ATLANTIC WAY BRANDS, IT ALSO SUPPORTED THE SUCCESSFUL BIDS TO ATTRACT FURTHER SPORTING EVENTS TO IRELAND - AND FOUND TIME TO HIGHLIGHT DUBLIN’S MANY ATTRACTIONS FOR THRILL SEEKERS.

Showing Dublin’s Adventurous Side were: (l-r) Laura Morrissy- Zipit, Will Lynch, Coolmine Equestrian Academy Dublin, Clare Beattie-Zipit, Mark Rowlette, Fáilte Ireland and Ruta Buracaite- Surfdock/ Wakedock

ADVENTURE DUBLIN SHOWCASE

FOR GOOGLE

U

p to 400 new Google employees recently enjoyed a Dublin Adventure Showcase, learning more about the wealth of adventure experiences on offer across Dublin city and county. The event, organised by Fáilte Ireland, is part of their efforts to improve awareness of the Dublin brand - ‘Dublin. A Breath of Fresh Air’ and gave Dublin-based adventure providers the chance to showcase some of what Dublin’s city, coast and mountains have to offer.

Fáilte Ireland will invest in excess of 7m developing and promoting Dublin in 2016 and positioning ‘Dublin. A Breath of Fresh Air’ in the minds of potential holidaymakers. It also has a dedicated team who provide an extensive range of practical and marketing supports to the tourism trade in Dublin.

Each orientation sign points to the many attractions located nearby to encourage visitors to dwell longer in Ireland’s Ancient East.

ORIENTATION SIGNS ROLL OUT BEGINS

T

he first phase of Fáilte Ireland’s orientation signage for Ireland’s Ancient East has been recently installed at the Dunbrody Famine Ship Experience in New Ross in Wexford and in Wicklow Gaol. The signs are part of the first phase of a multi-signage programme envisaged for Ireland’s Ancient East which will see 80 new attractively designed signs in place at key sights throughout the region by the end of the year.

HOTEL

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Commercial

PROFILE

SALES

ACADEMY

Share your Wild Atlantic Waves with us – follow @wildatlanticway on twitter, Facebook, Instagram

DEVELOP YOUR SOCIAL SKILLS

F

áilte Ireland is running two social media campaigns this summer, encouraging visitors to share their experiences while they holiday Tell your followers what you like about Dublin using #LoveDublin on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on the Wild Atlantic Way and in Dublin.

Followers of the Wild Atlantic Way are being asked to embrace the wave and share images from their Wild Atlantic journeys, while Visit Dublin are encouraging visitors to share pictures at different attractions and locations around Dublin, including a ‘hand heart sign’ and using #LoveDublin. As well as encouraging users to share their experiences of their trips to Dublin and the Wild Atlantic Way, these campaigns are urging visitors to Ireland to display customer loyalty and are capitalising on organic word-of-mouth marketing, ensuring that positive and appealing visuals of Ireland are shared across the world. Both campaigns are running until the end of September so, if your customers are in the area, make sure you encourage them to get involved.

You can find out more about all of these stories at www.failteireland.ie

OVER €600K

T

KICK AS BOXERS ARRIVE

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HOTEL

WORLD GAMES GENERATES

he GAA World Games are among the events that Fáilte Ireland’s Event Ireland team is supporting this year. They took place between August 7th and 14th and brought 7,000 visitors to Dublin, generating over 600k in estimated revenue from international participants alone. Hosting international events is a key focus for Fáilte Ireland as it provides an excellent opportunity to showcase Ireland as both an event and leisure destination.

€1.7M REVENUE

ublin continues to punch well above its weight in the world of international events as last month saw the arrival of over 2,200 overseas participants to Dublin for the World Junior and Cadet Kickboxing Championships.

Supported by Fáilte Ireland, the tourism authority welcomed an estimated 1.7m revenue boost for the city as participants from across the globe checked into Citywest for the week-long event. A further 25 events have been secured for the next five years, totalling over 45,000 international participants and revenue of 32m.

F

áilte Ireland is currently recruiting for the next intake of their Sales Academy Programme. The tourismfocused sales programme is run in conjunction with Cornell University in New York. The Sales Academy programme is tailored specifically for the tourism sector and all modules are practical, relevant and immediately applicable. If you are an Irish tourism professional who is interested in improving your strategic management skills, honing your sales and marketing skills, and accessing industry tips and techniques, please contact Tara Kerry at 087 2798961 or visit www.failteireland.ie

Pictured with Minister of State for tourism and Sport Patrick O’ Donovan, were Zara Jone and Jessy Jane McParland who are both competing in the under 12’s category with Edel Mitchell, from Failte Ireland.

The GAA World Games, supported by Fáilte Ireland’s Event Ireland team, attracted 7,000 visitors to Dublin.

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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

I BELIEVE THAT THE CURRENT SUPPLY, SKILLS AND COMPETENCY SHORTAGES MAY ACT AS A BARRIER TO THE INDUSTRY REALISING ITS FULL POTENTIAL. 14

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D

It may also make the UK more attractive as a destination for American and European travellers, so there is a potential risk of demand softening.

Brexit brings uncertainly and uncertainly is rarely a positive thing for the tourism industry.”

BREXIT AND OTHER BARRIERS While David believes that the future growth prospects for Irish tourism, for both the leisure and business sectors, are very encouraging, he has concerns about the industry’s ability to cater for the growing demand.

“More supply is needed in certain locations, skilled people are required, and the industry also needs great leaders,” he says. “I believe that the current supply, skills and competency shortages may act as a barrier to the industry realising its full potential. Regarding Brexit, I have not seen any negative impacts so far. However, it is early days. The most immediate impact is the currency change, which makes us more expensive than we were a few months ago. This may put pressure on current pricing levels.

OPERATION TRANSFORMATION David brings his considerable expertise and experience in the hospitality industry to the operation at Podium. He boasts a career to date that is full of distinction and achievement.

In his most recent role he rebranded the Ritz Carlton Hotel, which was in receivership in 2013, as the Powerscourt Hotel, and brought the property to a level of service quality that led to it being recognised as AA Hotel of the Year in 2016.

“I regard the transformation of the financial performance of the hotel and the launch of a successful luxury brand in the Irish and international market as one of the major achievements in my career to date,” he says.

“At Powerscourt the emphasis was on the rebranding of the hotel from a Ritz Carlton to the Powerscourt Hotel. The main innovation, which was an obvious one, was to incorporate the hotel experience into the overall Powerscourt Estate so that the customer would see the hotel as part of the estate instead of just a separate business in the estate that operated in isolation. We were innovative in altering the design and physical structure of parts of the hotel, redesigning the restaurant to enable an additional 50% covers, and altering the size of the bar, again, to dramatically increase capacity.”

Prior to working at the Powerscourt Hotel, David managed Carton House for six years and helped position it as the European Golf Resort of the Year. He also managed its hosting of the Irish Open in 2013 and helped the hotel to win numerous awards along the way. “I grew profit in this luxury

avid is CEO of Podium Hospitality. “We aim to support hotel owners and investors to ensure that their properties are doing the right things in the right way at the right time to improve performance and create value,” he says. Podium currently operates Dundrum House Hotel, Celbridge Manor Hotel, The Pillo Hotel & Spa, The Powerscourt Arms Country Hotel and The Parkview Hotel. Podium Hospitality, along with investors, purchased the Pillo Hotel in Ashbourne and the Dundrum House Golf Resort in June and July of this year. “These investors were also the original investors in Celbridge Manor so it made perfect sense to obtain the management contract to operate this hotel also,” says David. “The owner of Parkview and the Powerscourt Arms approached me shortly after I set up Podium and, again, they were delighted with the support that I could bring in operating their properties.”

When it comes to further acquisitions, Podium isn’t targeting any particular hotel type or star level. “We have identified a number of properties as targets for purchase and the only requirement is that it is a property that we can improve the performance of,” he says. “The same goes for properties that we are in discussion with to operate on behalf of the owners and investors - we will only undertake the agreement if we believe we can add significant value to their business. We will be working with the major hotel brands in some of our hotels and this will be done under franchise agreements.”

To date, Podium’s acquisitions have been in Tipperary, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. Do they have any plans to address the current shortage of hotel accommodation space in Dublin by acquiring and expanding any properties in the capital? David says they are currently looking at a couple of possibilities in Dublin. “But they may take time to bring to fruition and a successful conclusion for us.” One thing is for sure, as they aim to expand their portfolio they will have no shortage of competitors in the hotel operating space. “If we make a bid for a property, every other bidder is a competitor and, for owners who are currently operating hotels, I have to give them a strong, compelling reason for trusting Podium to operate their property,” he says. “So we are also competing against them deciding to operate their hotel themselves.

Because we are a hotel operating company some may make comparisons with Dalata, Tifco and the Prem Group. However, I do not see us as being a competitor to those giants of the industry at this moment in time.”

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COVER STORY Above and below: The Pillo Hotel and Spa; far right: Dundrum House Hotel.

#Podium Service Portfolio BECAUSE WE ARE A HOTEL OPERATING COMPANY SOME MAY MAKE COMPARISONS WITH DALATA, TIFCO AND THE PREM GROUP. HOWEVER, I DO NOT SEE US AS BEING A COMPETITOR TO THOSE GIANTS OF THE INDUSTRY AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME.

resort during a particularly difficult economic time,” he says. “During my time at Carton House the sports pitches were introduced, which gave the property access to a completely new market and created great PR opportunities. I also launched a Carton House food range and opened a Carton House Café in Brown Thomas in Dublin, which opened up further opportunities for the hotel to develop business from its target market.” David’s international experience ranges from managing the world famous Belfry Resort to acting as Commercial Director for Hilton International’s 15 London properties.

Podium Hospitality offers a range of services to hoteliers, including accounts, IT, purchasing and sales. “However, the first place I start is to establish the target markets for the property and to identify a proposition that the hotel wishes to offer its customers,” says David. “When the target markets and the hotel’s proposition have been identified I will work to ensure that all aspects of the business are aligned to delivering the desired goals.”

FINANCIAL SERVICES “Podium will establish a robust accounts system that produces information in a timely and accurate fashion, from weekly sales, costs and payroll flashes, to detailed monthly profit and loss accounts,” says David. “This will facilitate benchmarking and improved decision making. Along with monthly profit and loss, forecasting and balance sheet reviews, supported by the Podium accounts package and automated balance sheet reconciliations, this will deliver the financial support that a hotel business requires.”

PURCHASING SYSTEM Podium has developed its own online procurement platform that allows users to complete the following tasks: • View best buy options for each product - the system shows the live pricing from each of the hotelier’s suppliers.

• Place all orders in one go - the system splits them for the hotelier.

• Each order is automatically given a purchase order number.

• Track each user’s history.

• The system runs reports from each supplier, showing products purchased, volumes and totals (the report exports to Excel).

• Track spend by supplier (reports export to Excel).

• Set user approval limits.

• Set approval layers - accounts approve or deny the order before being sent.

“This tool enables complete control of the purchasing function in the business,” says David. “It can ensure that only nominated

suppliers are used and that negotiated prices are achieved, and also offers the user a complete understanding of the nature, volume, and frequency of their purchasing with all suppliers. It supports the receipt of goods by automatically producing a delivery expected order for the goods receipt team, along with the accounts team. This tool will assist greatly in controlling costs and achieving continuously improving cost efficiencies.”

IT SUPPORT Podium Hospitality provides hotels with knowledge and experience on computing for all levels of property staff and for the guest’s experience. Podium also offers expertise in support for new builds and upgrades. “Our effective approach to IT allows us to achieve an edge in two ways that wouldn’t happen otherwise,” says David. “We have a rare ability to offer the latest technology available to the hospitality sector and to convey its benefits but, equally, we understand the budget cycle of the industry. Podium can quickly turn a property around by maximising existing infrastructure before rebuilding sensibly, as required, within the framework of a comprehensive plan and budget.”

SALES & MARKETING Finally, when it comes to the sales and marketing function, David says that Podium will support the hotel to establish and implement an effective sales plan, processes, and practices “to ensure that demand is generated in its target market and that this demand is converted into revenues for the property to grow its market share.”

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REVIEW & OUTLOOK

Setting a New

TOURISM RECORD Official CSO figures for the first half of 2016 confirm growth of +13% in overseas visitors to Ireland, over half a million visitors more than the same period last year.

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t last month's midyear review of overseas tourism for 2016, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, and Tourism Ireland CEO, Niall Gibbons, confirmed that this growth has come from our main market areas around the world (Britain, North America and Mainland Europe).

They outlined what has contributed to this success and, more importantly, what will help to sustain and build on the growth to year end and into 2017.

“The quality of our overseas marketing has helped to ensure that interest in visiting Ireland remains high among potential visitors in our top source markets, and continued investment by Government in tourism developments like the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East and Dublin - A Breath of Fresh Air is helping to capture the imagination of potential visitors across the world and to keep Ireland in the international spotlight," said Minister Ross. Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said they were aiming to ensure that 2016 is another record-breaking year for Irish tourism. "We have certainly seen an exceptional performance so far from North America - up +15% on the first half in 2015, making it another record year.

Ireland now welcomes 10% of all American visitors to Europe, particularly noteworthy given the intense competition from other destinations. It has also been the best ever first half performance from Mainland Europe (+11%), with important markets like Italy, Spain, Germany, France and Benelux all recording strong growth. I am

also really pleased to see visitor numbers from Great Britain, our largest market, increase by +16% for the first half of 2016.”

KEY FACTORS A number of factors have contributed to the continuing growth of Irish tourism, including Tourism Ireland's global campaigns, which will reach an estimated audience of 200 million prospective visitors worldwide this year, its strong online and social media presence, positive publicity and Ireland's recent high profile on the big screen. The introduction of a number of important new routes from our main markets to Ireland this year has been a significant contributing factor to the growth. These have included new Aer Lingus flights to Dublin from Los Angeles, Pisa and Montpelier, and from Düsseldorf to Cork; Flybe flights from Edinburgh and Birmingham to Ireland West Airport Knock; CityJet’s flights from Nantes and La Rochelle to Cork; an Iberia Express flight between Madrid and Cork; as well as new Air Canada rouge services from Vancouver to Dublin. As an island, direct, convenient and competitive access services are critical to achieving growth in inbound tourism. Summer 2016 sees an estimated 537,000 direct, one-way air seats available each week, an increase of nine per cent on summer 2015.

MINING THE STAR WARS CONNECTION TV and film are recognised as strong influencers on travellers everywhere. Star Wars: The Force Awakens broke box office records around the world last December,

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Opposite: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross; left: (l-r) Niall Gibbons, CEO, Tourism Ireland, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, and Joan O'Shaughnessy, Vice Chairman of Tourism Ireland; below: Niall Gibbons, CEO, Tourism Ireland.

REVIEW & OUTLOOK

WE WILL LAUNCH A GLOBAL AUTUMN CAMPAIGN SHORTLY, WHICH WILL INCLUDE AN EXTENSIVE PROGRAMME OF PROMOTIONS IN BRITAIN, TO BOOST BUSINESS IN THE SHOULDER AND OFF-PEAK SEASON. bringing the magnificent scenery of Skellig Michael and the Wild Atlantic Way to the attention of millions of people everywhere. The fact that the next episode was also shot on location along the Wild Atlantic Way earlier this year is another fantastic coup for Irish tourism. "Tourism Ireland will continue to maximise the Star Wars connection with Ireland, targeting fans everywhere and whetting their appetites to come and visit," says Niall Gibbons. "Already, our specially-commissioned ‘behind-the-scenes’ films have been viewed about 4.2 million times (worth 12m in EAV). Tourism Ireland also continued its partnership with HBO again this spring to showcase Northern Ireland to millions of Game of Thrones fans worldwide. Our campaign in 2015 generated about five million clicks, comments and shares and reached about 100 million fans across the world (worth about 32m in EAV).”

BUILDING ON GROWTH Tourism Ireland is undertaking an extensive programme of promotions around the world in the second half of 2016 and will maximise the introduction of a number of new air routes to grow tourism in the shoulder and off-seasons. These include new Ryanair flights to Dublin from Hamburg and Bologna; broader transatlantic services

#Where in the World The +13% growth in overseas visitors to Ireland in the first half of this year represents growth from our main market areas around the world.

BRITAIN

+16% NORTH AMERICA

+15%

MAINLAND EUROPE

+11% GERMANY

+5% FRANCE

+6% SPAIN

+12% ITALY

+12% BENELUX

+28% NORDIC REGION

+2%

from Aer Lingus, including new flights from Hartford (Connecticut) and Newark (New Jersey), beginning in September, as well as additional departures on its Chicago to Dublin route; a new Norwegian winter service from Helsinki to Dublin; and a new KLM flight between Amsterdam and Dublin.

THE BREXIT EFFECT Tourism Ireland continues to monitor the possible impacts of Brexit very closely, at home and overseas. “Although it is still too soon to fully understand the long-term implications for tourism to the island of Ireland, we know that economic uncertainty can cause consumers to be more cautious with their discretionary spend, including holidays," says Niall Gibbons. "Recent currency movements also mean that holidays in the Eurozone are about 10% more expensive for British travellers. However, the British market will remain of significant importance for all of us in the short, medium and long-term. Tourism Ireland has committed to continued monitoring of developments over the coming months. But, for now, it is very much business as usual. We will launch a global autumn campaign shortly, which will include an extensive programme of promotions in Britain, to boost business in the shoulder and off-peak season.”

#Tourism Ireland TOURISM IRELAND’S AUTUMN PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE WILL INCLUDE: •

‘Jump into Ireland’ travel trade and media blitzes in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle;

•

Sales missions to the Middle East, India, New Zealand and Australia;

•

‘Flavours of Ireland’ - targeting long-haul markets through influential UK inbound tour operators;

•

World Travel Market, London - the largest B2B event in the global travel and tourism calendar.

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27TH SEPTEMBER 2016 LYRATH ESTATE HOTEL BOOK YOUR PLACE TODAY

Contact: Tara Brady, Event Manager T: +353 (01) 432 2232 • E: tara.brady@ashvillemediagroup.com

2016 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED IRELAND’S CITY HOTEL • Absolute Hotel Limerick • Hayfield Manor Hotel • Limerick Strand Hotel • Morrison A DoubleTree

By Hilton • The g Hotel & Spa • The Glasshouse • The River Lee • The Westbury

EUROPEAN RESTAURANT • Boqueria • Gusto Italian Restaurant – Clarion Hotel Liffey Valley • La Bucca Dunboyne • La Bucca Ratoath • Ristorante Rinuccini • Talavera – Radisson Blu St. Helen’s Hotel • Toscana Restaurant Dame Street

EVENT CATERER OF THE YEAR • John Coughlan Catering Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby • John Coughlan Catering Irish Golf Open • Masterchefs Hospitality • Seasons at Guinness Storehouse

IRELAND’S BUSINESS HOTEL Sponsored by Corporate Catering Services • Absolute Hotel Limerick • Clarion Hotel Cork • Clayton Hotel Leopardstown • Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport • Crowne Plaza Dublin Blanchardstown • Limerick Strand Hotel • The Croke Park • The Gibson Hotel

IRELAND’S CHEF OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Pallas Foods • Boqueria – Matt Fuller • Carrig Country House & Restaurant – Patricia Teahan • Gregans Castle Hotel – David Hurley • Limerick Strand Hotel – Tom Flavin • MacNean House & Restaurant – Neven Maguire • Pickle Restaurant – Sunil Ghai • Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland – Grzegorz Budzyn • Wild Honey Inn – Aidan McGrath

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IRELAND’S FAMILY FRIENDLY HOTEL • Diamond Coast Hotel • Dingle Skellig Hotel • Fota Island Resort • Galway Bay Hotel • Hotel Westport • The Dunloe • The Garryvoe Hotel • The Newpark Hotel with Escape Health Club & Aveda Spa

IRELAND’S FINE DINING RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Classic Drinks • Carrig Country House & Restaurant • Gregan’s Castle Hotel • Hayfield Manor Hotel • MacNean House & Restaurant • Mount Juliet Estate • Ristorante Rinuccini • Tankardstown House • The Mustard Seed

IRELAND’S FIVE STAR HOTEL Sponsored by Noel Recruitment • Ashford Castle • Hayfield Manor Hotel • Lough Eske Castle, a Solis Hotel & Spa • Park Hotel Kenmare • The Europe Hotel & Resort • The g Hotel & Spa • The Killarney Park Hotel • Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland

IRELAND’S HEALTHCARE CATERER • Milford Care Centre • St John of God Hospital • St Patrick’s Mental Health Services • The Q Cafe Company Limited @ Sports Surgery Clinic • The Ulster Independent Clinic

IRELAND’S INDUSTRIAL CATERER Sponsored by Excel Recruitment • Catering Department at TCD • Clongowes Wood College • KSG Group at University College Dublin • Pavillion at UL • St Columba’s College

IRELAND’S NEWCOMER RESTAURANT • Avenue by Nick Munier • Boqueria • Pickle Restaurant • Raw Food Rebellion

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IRELAND’S SITE CONTRACT CATERER Sponsored by Keelings Farm Fresh • Catering Department at TCD • Corporate Catering Services Ltd @ Regeneron • ISS Catering at HSE Galway • KSG Group at Microsoft • Sodexo, EMC Information Systems International • Sodexo, PayPal • Sodexo @ VHI, Kilkenny • The Q Cafe Company @ Eurofound

IRELAND’S THREE STAR HOTEL • Carrickdale Hotel & Spa • Claregalway Hotel • Conyngham Arms Hotel • Dingle Benners Hotel • Killeen House Hotel & Rozzers Restaurant • The Ardagh Hotel & Restaurant • The Kenmare Bay Hotel & Resort • The Riverside Hotel Sligo

IRELAND’S WILD ATLANTIC WAY RESTAURANT Sponsored by the Food Safety Professionals Association • Dingle Skellig Hotel • Ice House Hotel • Muckross Park Hotel & Spa • O’Grady’s on the Pier • Park Hotel Kenmare • Parknasilla Resort & Spa • The Glasshouse • Wild Honey Inn

IRELAND’S HOTEL SPA – FIVE STAR Sponsored by Sodexo • Ashford Castle • Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa • Lough Eske Castle, a Solis Hotel & Spa • Muckross Park Hotel & Spa • Park Hotel Kenmare • The Europe Hotel & Resort • The g Hotel & Spa

IRELAND’S HOTEL SPA – FOUR STAR • Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa • Galgorm Resort & Spa • Hodson Bay Hotel • Ice House Hotel • Kelly’s Resort Hotel • Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa • Seafield Golf & Spa Hotel • The Brehon

IRELAND’S WINE EXPERIENCE Sponsored by Febvre & Company • Ashford Castle • Harvey’s Point Hotel • Hayfield Manor Hotel • Hodson Bay Hotel • House Wine & Taproom • Ice House Hotel • MacNean House & Restaurant • Ristorante Rinuccini

IRELAND’S COUNTRY HOUSE & GUEST HOUSE EXPERIENCE • Ard na Sidhe Country House • Ballyvolane House • Carrig Country House & Restaurant • Castlewood House • Gregan’s Castle Hotel • Moy House • Tankardstown House • The Mustard Seed

IRELAND’S FOUR STAR HOTEL • Armada Hotel • Harvey’s Point Hotel • Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa • Mount Falcon Estate • Mount Juliet Estate • Seafield Golf & Spa Hotel • The Lodge at Ashford Castle • Waterford Castle Hotel & Golf Resort

IRELAND’S GUEST EXPERIENCE Sponsored by Robert Roberts • Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa • Ballyseede Castle • Ballyvolane House • Crowne Plaza DublinBlanchardstown • Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa • Killeen House Hotel & Rozzers Restaurant • Mount Falcon Estate • Moy House

IRELAND’S FRONT OF HOUSE TEAM • Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa • Armada Hotel • Ashford Castle • Carrickdale Hotel & Spa • Castle Leslie Estate • Corporate Catering Services Ltd @ IMI • Dunraven Arms Hotel • Gregan’s Castle Hotel

IRELAND’S HOTEL BREAKFAST • Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa • Ballyvolane House • Brook Lane Hotel • Castle Leslie Estate • Dunraven Arms Hotel • Gregan’s Castle Hotel • Moy House • Park Hotel Kenmare

IRELAND’S WEDDING VENUE Sponsored by ARC Studios • Armada Hotel • Ballygarry House Hotel and Spa • Ballyvolane House • Castle Leslie Estate • Dromoland Castle Hotel • Fernhill House Hotel & Gardens • Fota Island Resort • Tankardstown House • The Brehon • The Garryvoe Hotel

IRELAND’S CASUAL DINING EXPERIENCE • Anocht Restaurant • Boqueria • Fitzpatrick’s Bar and Restaurant • Hayfield Manor Hotel • La Bucca Ashbourne • La Bucca Ratoath • Randaddy’s Taste of Adventure • Saba Restaurant • Seafield Golf & Spa Hotel • Toscana Restaurant Dame Stree

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS! IRELAND’S FAVOURITE PLACE TO EAT DUBLIN • Boqueria • Fire Restaurant and Lounge • Pickle Restaurant LEINSTER • Butt Mullins, Naas • Fitzpatrick’s Bar & Restaurant • Ristorante Rinuccini MUNSTER • Randaddy’s Taste of Adventure • The Curragower • The Pepperstack CONNAUGHT • Brasserie on the Corner • O’Grady’s on the Pier • The Ardagh Hotel & Restaurant ULSTER • MacNean House & Restaurant • Raw Food Rebellion • Snaffles Restaurant

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS! IRELAND’S FAVOURITE PLACE TO STAY Sponsored by Irish Independent DUBLIN • Clontarf Castle Hotel • The Croke Park • The Shelbourne LEINSTER • Kelly’s Resort • Mount Juliet • Tankardstown House MUNSTER • Ballyvolane House • Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa • Riverside Hotel Macroom CONNAUGHT • Claregalway Hotel • Hodson Bay Hotel • The g Hotel & Spa ULSTER • Castle Leslie Estate • Galgorm Resort & Spa • Harvey’s Point

07/09/2016 16:34

BUSINESS MATTERS

PAY LEVELS

return to

CELTIC TIGER YEARS

T

hat’s the major finding from Noel Recruitment Group’s comprehensive survey of salary scales in the Irish hospitality industry. “After extensive research from our thousands of placements, we have gathered a comprehensive understanding of the salaries in the Irish market place in 2016,” says Breda Miley, Managing Director – NG Hospitality & NG Healthcare. “This is the first time that we have launched a salary survey, which was completed this year, and we are still gathering feedback from the industry but there can be no doubht that salaries are increasing in the hospitality industry.

We are seeing an increase of between 12.5% to 15% on 2015, which is a significant increase. That is down to the shortage of available candidates and that increase is across the board. Salaries took a hit during the recessionary years but they are returning to 2007 levels and, in many cases, are even higher than that, reflecting the rates of pay during the peak of the Celtic Tiger period.”

Not surprisingly, the group that has benefitted most from the salary increases is chefs. “In some instances, chefs’ pay rates are up by almost 20% on last year,” says Breda. “Chef de Parties are being paid a €32,000 salary whereas previously they would have been getting €26,000 or €27,000. That increase is in the space of a year and is down to the shortage of

HOTEL

Hospitality employees are experiencing major increases in salaries and employers are offering more benefits and better working conditions to ensure that they retain expert and experienced team members.

IN SOME INSTANCES, CHEFS’ PAY RATES ARE UP BY ALMOST 20% ON LAST YEAR. CHEF DE PARTIES ARE BEING PAID A 32,000 SALARY WHEREAS PREVIOUSLY THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN GETTING 26,000 OR 27,000.

chefs. Salaries are increasing and it is certain to cost employers more to replace than retain. Reward and recognition of current employees is crucial for retention. We are finding that someone could get an increase of 10% to 15% in their salary in order to keep them rather than lose them to a competitor. From our contacts with our recruitment competitors we know that they are having the same experience so this is an industry-wide trend.

Candidates are now expecting the availability of flexi-time, part-time and a work life balance. Noel Recruitment is planning a salaries and benefits report next year as more benefits are being introduced into the industry for employees, including more flexible working hours and better pay and conditions. ” Tourism industry leaders are predicing that 2016 is going to be another record breaking year for the Irish hospitality industry. “We are also hearing this on the ground from our clients nationwide,” says Breda. “The growth within the sector in 2015 caught a lot of our clients by surprise, which resulted in many businesses experiencing difficulty recruiting key personnel across various departments. Hospitality careers are a passport to travel the world and seek positions in fantastic establishments worldwide. In Ireland, we are experiencing tremendous growth once again, and even Dublin now has a room shortage.

The Government’s ‘Future Skills Needs’ report (which Noel Recruitment took part in) highlights the serious skills shortage right across the sector but especially for craft trained employees at chef and reception level. More training courses are needed nationwide to supply more apprentices to hospitality businesses.

We have witnessed a surge in hospitality vacancies countrywide in the last two years and our nationwide offices continue to recruit hospitality professionals at all levels. Hotels that unfortunately were lost by developers and owners and then transferred to NAMA are being bought up by investment companies, private banks and property groups, giving the Irish market an injection of confidence once again. And statistics from Fáilte Ireland reveal that the success of the Wild Atlantic Way and of the Ireland’s Ancient East brands has extended the season along routes normally associated with long durations of closure.”

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BUSINESS MATTERS

SURVEY FINDINGS

FRONT OFFICE

 < 2 YRS

 > 3 YRS

Front Of House Manager

32,000 - 35,000

35,000 - 40,000

MANAGEMENT

 < 2 YRS

 > 3 YRS

Front Office Manager

30,000 - 32,000

32,000 - 38,000

General Manager Hotel

65,000 - 85,000

85,000 - 120,000+

Head Receptionist/Shift Leader

24,000 - 26,000

26,000 - 30,000

Deputy/Operations Manager

40,000 - 55,000

55,000 - 65,000

Receptionist

22,000 - 24000

24,000 - 26,000

Assistant Manager

26,000 - 30,000

30,000 - 35,000

Concierge

20,000 - 22,000

22,000 - 26,000

Rooms Division Manager

35,000 - 40,000

40,000 - 45,000

Reservations Coordinator

22,000 - 24,000

25,000-28,000

Revenue Manager

35,000 - 40,000

40,000 - 55,000

Reservations Manager

30,000 - 32,000

35,000 - 45,000

HR Manager

35,000 - 40,000

40,000 - 55,000

Catering Manager (Industrial)

35,000 - 40,000

40,000 - 55,000

SALES & MARKETING

 < 2 YRS

 > 3 YRS

Food & Beverage Manager

34,000 - 40,000

40,000 - 55,000

Sales & Marketing Manager

35,000 - 40,000

40,000 - 60,000

Duty/Assistant Manager

25,000 - 27,000

27,000 - 32,000

Sales & Marketing Executive

26,000 - 30,000

30,000 - 32,000

Conference & Banqueting Manager

32,000 - 35,000

35,000 - 40,000

Sales & Marketing Administrator

22,000 -26,000

27,000 - 29,000

Events Manager

28,000- 32,000

32,000 - 40,000

ACCOMMODATION

 < 2 YRS

 > 3 YRS

Night Manager

28,000 - 30,000

30,000 - 35,000 Accommodation Manager

32,000 - 35,000

35,000 - 45,000

Accommodation Supervisor

24,000 - 26,000

26,000 - 30,000

KITCHEN

 < 2 YRS

 > 3 YRS

Executive Head Chef

60,000 - 70,000

70,000 - 90,000

Head Chef

40,000 - 50,000

50,000 - 70,000

Sous Chef

32,000 - 35,000

35,000 - 45,000

BAR & RESTAURANT

 < 2 YRS

 > 3 YRS

Restaurant Manager

32,000 - 35,000

35,000 - 38,000

Bar Manager

32,000 - 35,000

35,000 - 40,000

Restaurant Supervisor

24,000 - 26,000

26,000 - 28,000

Experienced/Qualified Bar or Waiting Staff

20 +SC or Tips

23 +SC or Tips

SPA & LEISURE

 < 2 YRS

 > 3 YRS

Pastry Chef

30,000 - 32,000

32,000 - 38,000

Spa Manager

30,000 - 35,000

35,000 - 45,000

Chef de Partie

26,000 - 28,000

28,000 - 30,000

Leisure Club Manager

32,000 - 35,000

35,000 - 40,000

Demi Chef

24,000 - 25,000

25,000 - 26,000

Spa/Beauty Therapist

20,000 - 22,000

22,000 - 26,000

Commis Chef 2-4 yrs

20,000 - 21,000

21,000 - 23,000

Fitness/Gym Instructor

22,000 - 24,000

24,000 - 30,000

Kitchen Porter

9.15-10.15 p/hour

10.15-11.15 p/hour

ALL SALARIES ARE AN AVERAGE AND DEPEND ON YOUR EXPERIENCE TO DATE, LOCATION, SIZE AND GRADE OF PROPERTY. ALSO, SOME SALARIES WOULD HAVE INCENTIVES/BONUS AND CAR PACKAGES.

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TECHNOLOGY

Clayton Hotels Host Latest

IN-ROOM

ENTERTAINMENT When they aren’t blazing a trail on the acquisitions front, the Dalata Hotel Group is busy pioneering service innovations. The Group’s IT Manager Anthony Murray talks about the impact that the latest technology from Sky is having on their UK and Ireland operations.

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nce upon a time the in-room entertainment offered by hotels far exceeded the technology that guests had in their home. In the 1970s, when most people still had black and white TVs, many hotels had upgraded to colour sets. And long before Sky TV became commonplace in peoples’ living rooms, the availability of scheduled movies and additional content was widespread in hotels. Today, however, the situation has reversed. The consumer technology buying cycle has shortened - people are changing televisions more regularly - and gadgets such as iPads and iPods have become part of our everyday lives. In the current climate, many hoteliers are struggling to stay a step ahead of their guests.

One hotel operator that is having no problem staying ahead of the technological curve is the Dalata Hotel Group. Dalata are putting Sky Business’ Sky In-Room package in their executive rooms across their Clayton hotels and they are also installing Sky Sports in the Clayton hotel bars across the group.

SKY IN-ROOM “We were looking to add something a little different to the more traditional slippers

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TECHNOLOGY

GUESTS IN EXECUTIVE ROOMS NOW HAVE A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER CHANNEL RANGE AND THE ADDITION OF SKY SPORTS AND SKY MOVIES IS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT OFFERED BY MANY HOTELS IN GUEST BEDROOMS.

#maximising income and newspaper to our newly refurbished executive rooms and the Sky In-Room package was exactly that,” says Anthony Murray. “We believe that the ability to offer guests a rull range of channels, as well as sports and movies, is a nice addition to these rooms. Guests in executive rooms now have a significantly greater channel range and the addition of Sky Sports and Sky Movies is something that is not offered by many hotels in guest bedrooms.”

With over 12 million Sky customers in the UK and Ireland, Sky Business’ Sky In-Room provides hotels with an opportunity to offer their guests comfort and hospitality with a taste of home. “Sky In-Room allows hoteliers to recreate that top-quality home-from-home experience in their rooms,” says Chris Bullock, Regional Account Manager with Sky UK. “It operates

FROM IN-ROOM ENTERTAINMENT • In-room entertainment must be easy and intuitive to use so guests don’t get frustrated trying to access services.

• Distinguish executive suites from standard rooms by trialling higher levels of technology and in-room entertainment.

• Bundle internet and video-on-demand services to make it an attractive single purchase for guests.

• Promote your pay-for in-room entertainment and upgrade options as early as possible, such as when guests are booking online or checking-in.

• Advertise hotel services and paid for third-party services on guest room TVs. • Install a pay wall mechanism, which will give you the ability to charge guests to access premium content.

like an in-home Sky TV service with a small discreet Sky box and Sky remote in each room, giving guests full control over the content they watch. With an unbeatable range of must-see movies, top entertainment, live sporting action and news, all in HD, guests can enjoy the shows they know and love.”

Hotels can choose between a range of channel packs, giving them the ability to offer Sky’s full range of content, including seven dedicated Sky Sports channels, a range of entertainment channels such as Sky Atlantic, and more of the latest cinema blockbusters across 11 Sky Cinema channels, as well as news and music channels.

“Offering live sport in communal spaces, such as a bar, presents another key opportunity,” says Chris. “Hoteliers can use the draw of live sports to help drive additional footfall. Research shows that more than 60% of hotel guests aged between 18 and 34 believe it is important that Sky is available in the bar and nearly half (42%) of consumers will stay longer in the bar when live sport is being shown. With seven dedicated Sky Sports channels to choose from, showing live Premier League football, European and international rugby union, Formula 1, International Test Series Cricket, and more – customers will be spoilt for choice seven days a week.”

The Dalata Hotel Group began rolling out the Sky In Room service in early 2016 and introduced Sky Sports to the Clayton Hotel bars towards the middle of the year. “Guest feedback has been very positive, particularly with the bedroom offering,” says Anthony. “We are continuing the roll out across the UK and Ireland in Clayton executive rooms in conjunction with an ongoing bedroom refurbishment programme.” So what levels of technology, both in-room and in the public areas, must be offered as standard if hotels are to remain competitive? “At a minimum guests expect a free and reliable WiFi service,” says Anthony. “After that, a decent sized TV with good picture quality. While many offerings have come to the market to allow guests to connect in their own devices, many of these are awkward and can cause the guest annoyance and frustration while they are trying to connect. The simplicity and familiarity of the Sky service is a welcome sight for many guests.”

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DOOR

KEY TO THE DOOR

KEY TO THE

Openings, Closures, Refurbs and Acquisitions

SPANISH FIRM BUYS GRESHAM FOR 92M The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) made a profit of almost 60m on the sale of the Gresham Hotel on O’Connell Street in Dublin, which was sold this month for 92m. Nama is understood to have bought the hotel from former Anglo Irish Bank for between 30m and 35m. The valuation of the 323-room hotel, which opened in 1817, sets a new benchmark for hotels in the capital. The new owner, Spanish company RIU Hotels and Resorts beat Tifco, the Irish hotel group backed by Goldman Saches, to acquire the business. The RIU group, which is 49% owned by travel giant TUI, operates 100 hotels and resorts in the US, the Caribbean, central America and other locations. RIU employs 28,000 people worldwide. It is expected to invest further in the hotel.

HOTELS ON THE HORIZON AT DUBLIN PORT Dublin Port Company wants to build a 600bed hotel on the Poolbeg Penninsula alongside the nearly 3,000 houses planned by Dublin City Council and is considering building another one just across from the 3 Arena. The development is part of the port company’s plans for parts of the newly designated Poolbeg West Strategic Development Zone and for the way the port interacts with the city. The hotel, or hotels, would make Dublin a potential turnaround destination for cruise passengers, given the closeness of the airport and the port. There is also substantial potential for job growth in the area.

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HOTEL

Picture shows the entrance to Premier Suites Dublin in Ballsbridge.

PREM GROUP

GOES DUTCH Prem Group is expanding its serviced apartment collection in the Netherlands. The company has signed an agreement with Sax Vastgoed V.O.F. to open a property in Amsterdam under its premium brand, Premier Suites Plus. It will comprise 115 apartments with a rooftop restaurant and will be located in an iconic new building, ‘Hourglass,’ a landmark mixed use development in Zuidas, the city’s growing business district, which is scheduled to open in December 2019. The company was chosen as the serviced apartment operator following a tender process. Prem Group was advised and assisted

by CBRE Hotels on the transaction. The Amsterdam property will be the Dublin-based company’s second location in the Netherlands.

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08/09/2016 11:00

KEY TO THE DOOR

LONGFORD FOREST GETS PLANNING APPROVAL Center Parcs has been granted planning permission to build a proposed 395-acre village, Longford Forest, in Ireland. The new location, which will be the sixth Center Parcs Village and a first for Ireland, is near Ballymahon in Co Longford and is expected to be built by 2019. Plans for Longford Forest include 470 lodges, which will accommodate 2,500 guests, 30 apartments, more than 100 indoor and outdoor family activities, a range of restaurants and shops, an Aqua Sana spa, and the Subtropical Swimming Paradise.

Longford Forest will see around 750 new jobs being created during the construction and a further 1,000 permanent jobs once the village has opened. Longford Forest is due to open in 2019

CONNEMARA SANDS COMPLETES 2M UPGRADE

CITY CENTRE SUITES FOR SALE Twenty four suites (62 bedrooms) in the Clayton Hotel on Cardiff Lane in Dublin 2 have been brought to the market by Savills with a guide price of 8m. These suites are leased to Hanford Commercial Ltd, a subsidiary of Dalata plc, and the entire hotel is operated under the Clayton brand. The Clayton Hotel opened in 2005 with 213 bedrooms and was extended to 304 bedrooms in 2008. “At 8m, or 129,000 per bedroom, the current annual rent of 467,200 represents a net initial yield of 5.6%, with very strong reversionary potential at the next rent review in January 2018,” says Tom Barrett, Head of Hotels & Leisure at Savills. “This sale offers investors a rare opportunity to acquire a meaningful interest in one of Dublin’s most profitable hotels.”

A new spa has opened in the Connemara Sands Hotel & Spa, bringing total investment in the family-owned premises to 2m over two years. Galway couple Kathy McCallion and Dean Gibson opened the Connemara Sands in April 2015, having acquired and refurbished the former Mannin Bay Hotel in Ballyconneely six years after its closure. The Connemara Sands Hotel & Spa has since created 30 jobs, with a 90-seater restaurant, the new 600 square foot spa, and wedding and conferencing facilities with capacity for up to 100 people.

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SUPPLY

LINE ESSENTIAL PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

NESPRESSO

WAKE UP TO NEW FULL BODIED ADDITION Nespresso have created a new permanent addition to their range Envivo Lungo. With an intensity of nine on the scale of one to 12, this is the most intense of the Nespresso Lungo range. This dark roasted coffee is a blend of distinctive Arabica from India with a Robusta from Mexico. The intensity is defined by looking at three aspects - an evaluation of the roasted notes, the bitterness, and the body. Envivo Lungo is ranked towards the top of this scale, meaning that those who enjoy a long, intense cup of coffee in the morning now have the perfect option that offers caramelised notes.

For further information, visit www.nespresso.com

MATTHEW ALGIE

HAND ROASTED RANGE FULL OF NEW BEANS

ZUMA

LIGHT INDULGENCE WITH SKINNY FRAPPÉ

Zuma have launched the Vanilla Skinny Frappé with 50% less sugar. To make the Zuma Skinny Frappé fill a 12oz cup with ice, top with milk and pour into a blender. Add one scoop of the frappé powder and blend until smooth.

Pour back into the cup and serve with a straw. Then add an espresso shot before you blend and you have a Caffé Frappé, a menu staple, with fewer than 300 calories when sticking with skimmed milk. This also helps keep your own coffee sales up when the temperatures rise. The new frappé is approved for vegetarians. Available now in 1kg bags, Zuma Skinny Vanilla Frappé is the latest edition to the range of eight Zuma Frappés.

To find out more about the full Zuma range, email hello@beyondthebean.com

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HOTEL

Straight from their debut at World of Coffee, the new line up of hand roasted coffees from independent coffee roaster, Matthew Algie, is now available to buy from Matthew Algie online for the first time. The new headline act in their hand roasted range - a collection of highly prized microlots - is Crafty Little Number 5.

A blend of three coffees, it combines two pre-blended Brazilian coffees with an Ecuadorian offering. With sweet notes balanced by a buttery body, this was a favourite among baristas at World of Coffee, working well as an espresso and at its best with just a small amount of milk.

Also launching are two single origin coffees - Ecuador Maputo and Kenya Oreti Natural.

All are available from https://www. espressowarehouse.com/c/121/beans.

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08/09/2016 11:03

FOOD HEROES

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE IN HOSPITALITY

The Keelings Farm Fresh Gold Medal Awards 2016 will take place in the five star Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny on September 27th. In the third of a series of previews, we profile some of our new and longstanding category sponsors.

IRELAND’S FINE DINING RESTAURANT 2016

IRELAND’S WEDDING VENUE 2016

OUR HEADLINE SPONSOR

Sponsored by Classic Drinks

Sponsored by Arc Studios

Keelings Farm Fresh

Established in 2004, Classic Drinks import over 1,200 wines and employ over 40 people.

“Classic Drinks offers the Irish hotel and restaurant industry a full portfolio of wines from around the world, including some of the finest wines for the restaurant table,” says Hugh Murray, Director and Co Founder of Classic Drinks. “That is why we are delighted to be sponsoring the Ireland’s Fine Dining Restaurant 2016 award. At Classic Drinks we have always believed in supporting the industry, which is why we are also happy to once again sponsor some of the wine for the award. The Gold Medal Awards is one of the top events in the Irish hotel trade and one that is looked forward to by many people in the industry. A huge amount of effort goes into making this award ceremony one of the best. When hotels or restaurants win their prize they know they have earned it.”

Arc Studios is a creative communications company specialising in commercial design and photography with an international portfolio of clients.

“We are Ireland’s only exclusive design and photography studio for the hospitality sector,” says CEO Aisling Kerr. “With an unrivalled reputation, we enjoy long standing relationships with clients like Ashford Castle, The K Club, The Cusack Hotel Group, and The Johnstown Estate, among others. Arc Studios create concise marketing strategies to develop your hotel through branding, graphic design, brochure production and commercial photography, all from the one studio. We provide a full aerial video and photography service in our truly unique style and each project is approached with enthusiasm, conviction and pride. We regard every project as an opportunity to impress our clients and yours!”

As we enter our second, successful year with Keelings Farm Fresh as our headline sponsor, we are delighted to announce that Keelings are supplying a ’goodie bag’ for guests. Any sponsors who want to add some goodies are more than welcome to participate. This year, Keelings Farm Fresh will supply envelopes for each guest to fill in so they can be in with a chance to win one of the great prizes on the night. The winners will be announced at the gala dinner and will appear in the October issue of Hotel & Catering Review so make sure you put all your contact details on those envelopes! Keelings Farm Fresh are also supplying the fresh fruit and vegetables on the night, including the pink grapefruit for the Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, which guests can enjoy at our drinks reception.

FINE DINING COURTESY OF...

Classic Drinks are kindly supplying Masottina Prosecco, Stonewell Cider’s Stonewell Esterre, and Hyde Irish whiskey, at the pre-dinner drinks reception, as well as the innovative Echo Water system which will be in operation at the gala dinner. We are also delighted to have Dalcassian Wine & Spirits sponsoring their extremely successful Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin at the reception. Febvre Wines are again very kindly supplying the red and white wine at the gala dinner.

NOEL RECRUITMENT Hotel & Catering Review is delighted to announce that Noel Recruitment is again sponsoring three double VIP tickets to three concerts/theatre performances and will also be providing some of the entertainment at the gala dinner.

WINE SPECIALIST

#KEELINGSGOLDMEDAL

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07/09/2016 15:26

FOOD HEROES

TOP CHEFS OFFER UP A

taste of

WEST CORK Derry Clarke recently launched the popular A Taste of West Cork Food Festival which, this year, is all about chefs, both national and international, who will be welcoming visitors to a foodie’s paradise.

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he festival runs from September 9th to 18th, with over 170 culinary and adventure events taking place across the region’s 32 towns and villages and eight islands. Hailed as its ‘most ambitious food festival to date’, the 10-day event will feature chefs preparing culinary-themed feasts in local restaurants, food tastings al fresco, foraging walks, open-air markets, seminars, cook-offs, masterclasses and intimate evenings with local artisan food producers.

Guest chefs include TV presenters Catherine Fulvio in Castletownbere, and Rachel Allen and Martin Shanahan in Skibbereen, while food writer Trish Deseine will join Tim Lucey (CE Cork County Council), Niall Gibbons (CEO of Tourism Ireland) and several guest speakers at a forum chaired by Lord David Puttnam.

Talented chefs featuring at West Cork venues include Danni Barry (Michelin Star chef ),Takashi Miyazaki (Best Chef in Ireland 2015 – McKenna Guide), Rob Krawczyk (winner of the National Restaurants Association of Ireland Best Chef in Leinster 2016), Eric Thezé (Irish Restaurant Awards Best Chef in Co. Waterford 2016), Leylie Hayes (Executive Chef at Avoca and esteemed cook book author), Ali Honour, Matt Williamson, Chris Hedges, Kevin O’Connell, Paola

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FOOD HEROES

#Meet the Producers

Clockwise from l-r: Anthony Creswell, Ummera Irish Smokehouse and Eilis Hodnett, Arundels by the Pier. Derry Clarke and Áine O’Driscoll at the launch of the festival; Margaret O’Donovan and Paula Johnston, The West Cork Hotel; A taste of West Cork programme was launched at Kalbos at Uillinn, Skibbereen August 2nd. Pictured at the opening are Siobhan O Callaghan, Chef and Owner of Kalbos Cafe, Festival Chair Helen Collins and Derry Clarke; Andy and Edel Illsley, The Fork n Pie in Skibbereen.

Vais, Blogger Louise Kelly and Francine Thurnheer. Anthony Warren, aka ‘The Angry Chef ’ will participate in one of three food fora on the calendar, entitled ‘Food, Fiction, Fads and Phonies’.

FOOD FORA This year’s festival features three food fora. The forum entitled ‘Our Farms, Our Food, Our Future,’ which takes place on September 12th at the West Cork Hotel, Skibbereen, will be an integral component of this year’s event. Chaired

by Ella McSweeney from RTE’s Ear to the Ground, the forum aims to discuss the interdependence between modern farming and food production practices and our health. It will include talks from influential speakers from the world of food, agriculture and business, including UCC’s Professor of Psychiatry at APC Microbiome Institute Ted Dinan, Darina Allen, botanist Madeline McKeever, scientist and Professor of Plant Pathology Dr. Don Huber of Purdue University, Indiana, nutritional therapist Ann Darcy

and natural health practitioner Majella O’Neill. The Taste of West Cork Food Forum on ‘Tourism Development & Strategy - The West Cork 2016 Rising’ will be followed by the West Cork Artisan Food Awards, sponsored

by Sean and Rose O’Driscoll.

“A Taste of West Cork has gone from strength to strength over the years and we are delighted to be bringing visitors an eclectic programme of over 170 gastronomical events which will take place over 10 days this September,” says Festival Chair Helen Collins. “A Taste of West Cork has grown to be one of Ireland’s most anticipated events, offering visitors the opportunity to discover the vast spectrum of food available along our spectacular Wild Atlantic Way, and inspiring a new generation of food lovers with an innovative programme of events - whether it’s dining out at a restaurant, visiting a fringe event, or taking part in one of the many culinary workshops during the festival.”

Guests will have numerous opportunities to meet the producers of some of West Cork’s most renowned food brands and enjoy their produce, including Wilkie’s Chocolates, Durrus Cheese, Glenilen Foods, Devoy’s Organic Farm, Ibane Meats, Macroom Buffalo Cheese Products, and Union Hall smoked fish. The West Cork Artisan Food Awards at Baltimore Sailing Club will recognise several of these artisan food producers’ achievements locally, national and internationally.

In recent years, the islands of Whiddy, Sherkin, Heir, Bere, Garnish, Dursey, Inish Beg and Cape Clear have established themselves as recognised hubs for producing some of the best food in Ireland. Events include Whiddy Island guided walk and seafood lunch, Skerkin Island’s ‘Islanders Rest Barbeque,’ Heir Island’s demonstration of classical chocolate mousse, the Bere Island safari, The Ten Island Tour, and Garnish Island Tours with television personality Peter Dowdall.

The Festival is supported by Cork County Council, Fáilte Ireland, Fields of Skibbereen, Sean & Rose O’Driscoll and many other supporting sponsors and patrons from the region and elsewhere.

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FOOD HEROES

COUNTRY FAYRE at Killenure Castle Over 85 Irish and international food and drink producers are set to showcase new and inspiring products through a food tasting trail around the grounds of Killenure Castle in Co Tipperary.

T

he Country Fayre, which is being run in association with EuroToques & the Food on the Edge symposium, will comprise a number of talks, demonstrations and live workshops throughout the day delivered by industry leaders. These include JP McMahon of Aniar, Rob Krawczyk of Tankardstown, Julie Dupouy, the third Best Sommelier in the World, Gearoid Lynch of The Olde Post Inn, and Jess Murphy of Kai Restaurant. Attendees will also have the opportunity to join Kevin Thornton for an interactive workshop on 'open flame' cooking. The 'Young Chef of the Year' competition 2016 will be launched at the Country Fayre, with mentoring

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HOTEL

sessions by Derry Clarke, Paul Kelly and Graham Neville. In addition, Vicky Endersen from MSK will host continuous molecular gastronomy workshops, while Michelin star chef Massimo Spigaroli will launch his exclusive charcuterie range.

In recent years, Irish companies such as Forage & Cure or Ballinwillin Farm have joined the ranks of established charcuterie makers such as Gubbeen and Connemara Air-Dried Meats, with unique products crafted using carefully-selected ingredients.

Eavaun Carmody, owner of Killenure Castle and Dexter farmer, decided to produce a range of charcuterie products as she wanted to marry the concept of heritage style preservation and curing of meats with her heritage 'Boutique Dexter Beef.' The range is also a way of utilising the whole of the animal and having no waste.The Dexter is considered a conservation animal in itself as it has a lower carbon footprint and is easier on the grasslands.

During her research, Eavaun travelled around Ireland to find a compatible charcutier with similar ethos to the brand and came upon Olivier Beaujouans, a trained pork butcher, chef and skilled charcutier who is based in the Dingle Peninsula. Together they have created the Dexter Charcuterie range and continue to look for more innovative products, using traditional methods and local ingredients.

WHAT'S TRENDING? IRISH CHARCUTERIE Until recently charcuterie wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t part of the Irish food culture and production. But that's changing and producers are now bringing amazing products to the market using the finest meats and seasoning.

ARTISAN EXCELLENCE Producers and suppliers participating in the Country Fayre include Highbank Orchard, Harty Oysters, Lough Neagh Eels, Silver Darlings, Walshe's Bakehouse, Unami Paris, Wild Irish Foragers & Preservers, Ruby Harte Edible Flowers, Antica Corte Pallavicina, Young Buck Cheese, Toonsbridge Dairy, Revisan, Drummond House Garlic, Ballymakenny Farm, and Chocolaterie de l'Opera. The Country Fayre is also sponsored by La Rousse Foods and artisan food company Killenure Dexter Gourmet.

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08/09/2016 12:12

KEELINGS HELP NURTURE ARAMARK’S

Culinary Talent ARAMARK’S DIETITIAN ELBHA PURCELL TALKS ABOUT HER WORK WITH THE COMPANY’S TEAM OF CHEFS AND WHY KEELINGS IS THE PERFECT PARTNER FOR ARAMARK’S BRIGHT STARS CULINARY ACADEMY. Q: Can you describe what your role as a dietitian at Aramark involves?

A: I have two main roles, one focuses on our healthcare sites where I develop menus and training programmes to ensure that the nutritional requirements within all healthcare institutions of the business are met. My other role is to work closely with our Culinary Director, Derek Reilly. As a culinary and dietetic team we focus on empowering healthy lifestyles through nutrition seminars with cookery demonstrations. We also offer ‘meet the dietitian and culinary director workshops’ where people have the opportunity to ask questions and we can help them plan for healthier lifestyle

choices. I work closely with our supply chain team to ensure that the healthiest product ranges are available to our customers, which ultimately includes Keelings products.

Q: How would you describe your working relationship with Keelings Farm Fresh?

A: Keelings are a massive support to Aramark. They have supported many of our health and wellbeing initiatives in the past so they were the perfect partner for our Bright Stars Culinary Academy. The Bright Stars Culinary Academy is a

Keelings hosted a day at their farm for the Aramark chefs participating in the company’s Brightstar Culinary Academy

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Keelings Managing Director Colm Bury with Aramark dietitian Elbha Purcell.

series of culinary inspiration sessions delivered to Aramark chefs that allows them to get hands-on with some of Aramark’s top producers, suppliers and ingredients. The objective is to recognise, nurture and grow culinary talent in Aramark.

Keelings recently hosted an informative event at which each Aramark chef gained valuable experience that they can bring back to their respective sites.

Q: What are the big food trends at the moment?

A: Health and wellness, whether it is in our education or our business and industry sites, is the big focus for both clients and staff which, as a dietitian, is one

trend that I am extremely happy to support. Derek Reilly and I are constantly developing recipes that meet the healthy eating criteria and my emphasis is to ensure that they are packed full of taste and flavour, as well as nutrition. We devised a culinary and nutrition seminar for our own chefs and we run these across the country. Aramark have developed a wellness platform called Right Track, which allows our customers to determine the healthy dish of the day by using a traffic light system. This has been in place for a number of years and we are looking forward to progressing it further in 2017 with another, even more thorough, health and wellness initiative.

Dublin: +353 (0)1 895 5301

Wexford: +353 (0)53 9147447

Email: catering@keelingsfarmfresh.com

Cork: + 353 (0)21 4968088

Belfast: +44 2890324236

Web: www.keelings.ie/corporate

07/09/2016 16:48

Organics…

Naturally Good For Business

Trade Enquiries: Adrian Hyde 087 987 8171 Email: info@munsterbrewery.com Web: www.munsterbrewery.com

Available in Follow Us

@AshvilleTeam

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tions a c i l b u p l a line digit on Issuu. n o ’s a i d e Ashville Mw available to view lemedia l i v are no h s a / m uu.co www.iss

07/09/2016 12:23

Munster

Gold Craft beers are a powerful food accompaniment, pushing adventurous chefs to create sophisticated dishes with beer pairings in mind.

Something we can all raise a glass to!

T

#INGREDIENT

win brothers Adrian and Padraig Hyde founded the Munster Brewery in Youghal, Co. Cork in 2014. Employing their passion for using the finest raw ingredients to brew their beers, they have recently started brewing beer organically, the first brewery in the country to do so.

Interestingly, none of their beers are carbonated; a process commonly used in the larger macro breweries. Instead, beers from the Munster Brewery are bottle conditioned, using traditional methods, as the resulting natural sediment attests. The brothers are so enthusiastic about what they do that they have started to grow their own hops, giving them greater control over the provenance and quality of the ingredients they use to produce their fantastic range of beers. The following three beers are regulars on the Munster Brewery list, along with speciality beers that are brewed in limited quantities.

BLACKGUARD A light tasting lager, brewed deliberately to be milder in flavour. It is a gently hopped beer with a slightly stronger malting taste. The hops used are noble hops and the aroma is similar to a floral bouquet. With its focus on the malts, it is a finely balanced lager and, as it has a longer lagering period, it produces a beer where the flavours and aromas are well balanced and settled.

TIP: This delicate brew pairs really well with salads, fish and light poultry dishes.

FIR BOLG Very strongly malted and balanced with a healthy dose of hops, it yields a robust flavour. The malts used are Munich and Vienna malts. Caramel is also used which brings out the full flavour before the hops are added to it.

TIP: Fir Bolg is an amber lager so it goes very well

with red meat and game dishes. It is also a perfect accompaniament to pastry dishes, meat pies, sausages and cured meats.

12 TOWERS The brewery was keen to produce an Irish Red Ale and their 12 Towers does justice to the genre. The hops varieties used in this beer are Fuggles, East Kent Goldings and Sovereign. The hops succeed in giving that earthy quality to the beer, a perfect match for the grains and malts that the beer showcases. The conditioning period for this beer is 2-6 weeks, which allows the flavours to develop fully.

TIP: This makes excellent beer battered fish. The smooth

balance between the grains, malts and hops really adds depth and flavour to the batter. It also stands up well to goatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cheese dishes and salads with walnuts and the earthy notes make it a perfect partner for duck with lentils.

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Commercial

PROFILE

GETTING READY FOR

Harvest Gold KEELINGS FARM FRESH ARE SPECIALISTS IN THE SUPPLY OF FRESH AND PREPARED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES, FRESHLY-SQUEEZED JUICES, SALADS AND FRESH DAIRY.

T

he Keelings Farm Fresh team are getting ready for the autumn period, a busy time of year when the evenings are tucking in and customers are getting ready for a hectic winter season in hotels and restaurants. The Keelings Farm Fresh Gold Medal Awards 2016 will be the main event in our calendar for the month of September. Keelings Farm Fresh is yet again delighted to be sponsoring the awards presented by Hotel & Catering Review magazine.

It is a wonderful event that showcases and acknowledges the talent of our Irish hotel and catering industry. The feedback from judges this year was outstanding and commended the continuous growth and high standard of nominees.

Alongside getting ready for the awards, our focus will also be on the harvesting of Irish eating and bramley apples at the start of September on the Keelings Farm. The apples are carefully hand picked to eliminate bruising and placed into wooden crates for storage.

It is a lovely time of year where the Keelings farm still has a bountiful supply of blackberries and Irish strawberries. The Keelings farm is lucky to be able to extend the Irish season for strawberries by moving

the crop into the glasshouse.

The glasshouse on the farm can control the heat in order to produce juicy and sweet strawberries right up until November. Throughout the month of September fresh local fruit such as Irish strawberries, and deliciously sweet blackberries, are in supply throughout our depots, alongside Irish vegetables such as celery, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and a range of lettuce and micro vegetables.

Keelings Farm Fresh is proud to be partnered with growers throughout Ireland. Within the season, Keelings Farm Fresh

agree growing plans with local producers that allows them to plan for the year ahead. “Developing strong links with growers year-onyear is something that is core to our business,” explains Managing Director Colm Bury. “We like to encourage growers to grow crops that are currently imported and one key example is the crop celeriac. We decided to sit down with a grower and discuss the options of growing it locally within the season here in Ireland. It worked out

fantastically and we can now provide Irish celeriac when in season to our customers. This is something we aim to continually encourage our growers to provide, if it is feasible within their plans.”

The Keelings Farm Fresh Gold Medal awards 2016 will be centrally located in the beautiful setting of Lyrath Estate in Co Kilkenny on September 27th. The menu for the black tie event will focus on fresh local produce supplied through Keelings Farm Fresh and partnering sponsors. Keelings Farm Fresh would like to wish all nominees the very best of luck and we look forward to meeting you on the night.

Keelings Farm Fresh is located in Dublin, Cork, Wexford and Belfast.

Tel: +353 (0) 1 895 5301 • Email: catering@keelingsfarmfresh.com Follow us @keelings4chefs

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08/09/2016 11:05

INTERIOR TRENDS

Style Tip Know what you want and, when it comes to creating a design, be sensitive to the environment that you are occupying.

Interior DESIRE

Charlotte Quay Restaurant & Bar

Conor Bereen talks to Hotel & Catering Review about creating a sense of heritage and timelessness at the Charlotte Quay Restaurant & Bar on Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock.

LONG ACRE NO. 102, www.mylandpaints.co.uk

GOLD ICE BUCKET, Debenhams

WOODEN, PORADA HILTON ROOM DIVIDER, www.gomodern.com

BLUE TEA LIGHTS, SET OF FOUR, www.annabeljames.co.uk

BRASS TWO HEADED TASK LAMP, intl.target.com

FLAMANT HOME INTERIORS BOGART WHISKY GLASSES, www.amara.com

BLACK AND GOLD CHUCK WALL LIGHT FIXTURE, www.delightfull.eu

035_H&C_AUGUST 2016_Interior Trends.indd 35

Conor Breen Playing on elements of the Grand Canal Dock, interior designer and co-owner Conor Bereen allowed the surrounding landscape to heavily influence the interior of the restaurant. “We’ve a distinctive element of water in our logo and we’ve got quite a lot of concrete going on in Grand Canal Dock so we wanted to bring that into the space,” he explains. The bespoke concrete slabs add a rich tactile element to the room and complement the sleek design of the green Connemara marble counter top of the bar. To accompany these raw natural elements, Conor opened the room to the stunning views of the Grand Canal Dock, with wall to floor glass windows making up three sides of the restaurant. “Because of our location and the nature of the weather in Ireland we had to create a space that was warm but that also retained its open feel.” Conor added intimacy to the environment with elements of dark oak alongside glowing brass fixtures.

OPAQUE GEO VASE, www.nextdirect.ie

CHEVRON DARK WOOD, www.ceramicasantagostino.it

BLUE COTTON VELVET AND EBONY WOOD ARMCHAIR, www.brabbu.comw TRANSPARENT BLUE, BLOWN GLASS LANTERN, www.ksl-living.fr GOLD RICHARD HUTTEN CANDLESTICK, www.amara.com

07/09/2016 15:36

A QUICK CHAT

“Miyazaki has a daily specials menu and I use some local ingredients from Cork/West Cork such as their fresh seaweed.”

TAKASHI MIYAZAKI

FAVOURITE INGREDIENT: KOMBU, BONITO FLAKES & MUSHROOMS The glutamic acid from kombu, inosinic acid from bonito flakes, then guanylic acid from dried mushrooms keep the balance. It’s called omami.

“I once brought my sushi to JP McMahon at the studio. The way JP revolutionises food, he’s my hero. His work is brilliant for our industry.”

WISH LIST: JAPANESE BBQ

I’d love to get a Japanese BBQ. It’s called a Shichirin. You can grill food on the charcoal and that makes for a really good flavour.

“The dashi dishes soba noodles and udon noodles in a hot soup are popular. I make the dashi every morning from the kombu and bonita flakes and that is the traditional way but no one is doing that in Ireland.”

FAVOURITE DISH: KAISEKI CUISINE

It’s a traditional style of cooking. I had it in a restaurant in Kyoto and it remains the best meal that I’ve had in my life.

CHEF: ROSS LEWIS

I’d love to work with Ross Lewis from Chapter One. He has been to Miyazaki and he even tweeted about it.

36

HOTEL

Award-winning Chef Takashi Miyazaki of Miyazaki talks to Hotel & Catering Review about bringing the taste of Japan to Cork city.

“The restaurant wasn’t busy last year and then, when I got the McKenna Guide Chef of the Year Award, it all changed.

I got a call from the Waterford Food Festival, the Dingle Food Festival and Electric Picnic.”

CATERING REVIEW | AUGUST 2016

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08/09/2016 11:11

45 MAGAZINE TITLES ▲ 10 EVENTS ▲ 3.6 MILLION REACH

DID YOU KNOW

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

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

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

(01) 432 2200 ▲ info@ashvillemediagroup.com

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07/09/2016 12:49