Hotel & Catering Review November 2016

NOVEMBER 2016

CARTON HOUSE PUTS GUESTS FIRST

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RDS, Dublin, 21 - 23 Feb 2017

CATEX - The Foodservice Solutions Event With hundreds of suppliers, thousands of product ideas, lively debates and brilliant demonstrations CATEX is the place to find the right solution for your business. So no matter what sector of the foodservice industry you are in, a visit to CATEX could be the most important thing you do in 2017.

Register now for your free ticket at catexexhibition.com

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Go to issuu.com/ ashvillemedia for the online edition

NOVEMBER 2016

Cover image courtesy of Lyrath Estate Hotel.

CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE

Trends Musgrave’s Michelle Fennell on Catering for Generation Eat .

Education & Training

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Find out how Carton House is Putting Guests First.

COVER STORY

DREAM DESTINATION

New Edition Castlemartyr - the Latest Five Star Resort to Open Luxury Lodges.

Food Heroes Ireland’s Young Chefs Battle it Out for the Ultimate Accolade.

My ambition for Lyrath Estate is to bring the hotel back to being one of the leading hotels in the country, with a fabulous product and spa, and to introduce it to new visitors.”

Xavier McAuliffe, Proprietor.

REGULARS

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NEWS

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ON THE

MOVE

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SUPPLY

LINE

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INTERIOR TRENDS

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Market Report Record Number Are Eating ‘Out of Home.

Outlook 2017 ITIC identifies Key Areas of Concern for Irish Tourism, following Brexit .

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A Quick Chat With

Gareth Mullins of The Marker Hotel

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Editorial & Production Manager: Mary Connaughton Editorial Assistant: Orla Connolly Art Director: Alan McArthur Layout & Design: Jennifer Reid Creative Director: Jane Matthews 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

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wards are a key component of Ireland’s hotel, catering and tourism industries. In fact, there are few industries that operate as many awards as our own. The Keelings Farm Fresh Gold Medal Awards have long been the leading business to business accolade in the hospitality space because they are Ireland’s only site inspected and independently adjudicated awards. However, there are a host of consumer-led awards, where hospitality businesses receive recognition on the basis of direct feedback from guests. Some might say that this space is a bit crowded, but one business to consumer award that most hotels would love to score highly in is trivago’s annual best hotels in Ireland. “By analysing reviews aggregated from different sources across the web, trivago aims to award hotels on a basis which is accurate, comprehensive and impartial,” says Johannes Thomas, Managing Director at trivago.

On November 14th, the hotel price comparison site named the best hotels in Ireland for 2017 based on over 175 million aggregated hotel reviews and semantic analysis. This year the top 10 hotels have been awarded across eight categories: three star, four-star, five-star, B&Bs, value for money, breakfast, guest service and guest rooms. After being rated the best hotel in Ireland last year, Harvey’s Point in Donegal won best four star hotel and best hotel for guest rooms in Ireland.

Killeen House in Killarney was recognised as both the best three star hotel and the best hotel for service this year. The Merrion in Dublin was the best in the five star category. The best B&B in Ireland is The Tides Guesthouse in Ballybunion, which featured in trivago’s top 10 last year. Avlon House in Carlow, which was also in the top 10 last year, is this year’s best value accommodation. Finally, Ariel House in Dublin has been awarded the best accommodation for breakfast in Ireland.

Hotel & Catering Review congratulates the hotels and guesthouses that featured so strongly in this year’s trivago awards and we wish all of our readers a very merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.

www.hotelandcateringreview.ie @HC_Review

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@

info@hotelandcateringreview.ie

www.facebook.com/hotelandcateringreview

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

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

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NEWS BREXIT MAY IMPACT UK HOLIDAY DEMAND

Chef Alan McArdle is pictured with the 2 AA Rosette awards with General Manager Rory O’Sullivan and The Pullman team.

GLENLO PULLS IN AA ROSETTES The Pullman Restaurant at the five star Glenlo Abbey Hotel, Galway, has been awarded 2 AA Rosettes in recognition of their culinary excellence. Alan McArdle joined Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Golf Course as Head Chef in April 2015 and has quickly gained a great reputation for his exceptional food. Only 40 restaurants in Ireland currently have the award.

RATHSALLAGH OFFERS BEST WEDDING EXPERIENCE (l-r): Vanessa Markey, Head of Great Britain, Tourism Ireland, Niall Gibbons, CEO Tourism Ireland, Dervla O’Neill, EPIC Ireland, ‘Luke Skywalker,’ and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan.

Looking to 2017, it’s likely that Brexit will impact on consumer confidence, which in turn may have consequences for holiday travel demand, especially on travel from Britain. That’s according to Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons who was speaking at World Travel Market (WTM) in London earlier this month, which heralds the beginning of Ireland’s promotional drive overseas for the 2017 season. “However, we will continue to work with our industry partners to highlight the ease of getting to the island of Ireland, with almost 240,000 seats by air and 45,000 car spaces on ferries every week from Britain, as well as the wide variety of things to see and do on holiday here,” he said. “The depreciation of sterling against the euro since the referendum means that value for money will be a key message for us in Britain next year.” Over 70 tourism businesses from across the island of Ireland engaged in thousands of meetings with British and international tour operators at WTM to negotiate and exchange vital contracts for 2017.

Rathsallagh House in Co Wicklow was awarded Best Historic Hotel Wedding Experience at the 2017 Historic Hotel of Europe Awards, which took place on October 23rd in Santorini in Greece. Rathsallagh House was one of the 10 winners on the day in a wide range of categories, encompassing romance, fine dining, spa facilities and, of course, wedding venues. These annual awards honour excellence among almost 500 historic hotels in 18 European countries. Historic Hotels of Europe is a membership organisation representing unique places to stay in Europe.

Ireland’s Blue Book is the sole Irish representative association of this European heritage accommodation provider.

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CHEF NETWORK GATHERS MOMENTUM ACROSS IRELAND

Pictured at the opening of Chopped at The Loop at Dublin Airport are Elbha Purcell, Company Dietician with Aramark, Frank Gleeson, Region Managing Director, Aramark Northern Europe, and Brian Lee, co-founder of Chopped.

CHOPPED ANNOUNCES 110 JOBS Healthy fast food outlet Chopped has embarked on a recruitment drive to fill 110 new positions across Dublin and Kildare. The positions on offer, a mix of full and part time, will service five new Chopped outlets opening in the next month. The food chain is looking for new store managers, supervisors, breakfast chefs and choppers. Aramark, which recently agreed to an exclusive five-year strategic partnership with Chopped to expand the healthy fast food chain’s presence in the corporate, education and industry sectors in Ireland, will manage the new Chopped outlet at The Loop at Dublin Airport. The new airside location, ‘Chopped by Aramark,’ opened on October 24th and will create 15 jobs. It is the second Chopped outlet managed by Aramark.

Four other outlets will open over the next month in the Pavilions Shopping Centre in Swords, O’Connell Street, Talbot Street, and in the Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge, Co. Kildare. The new restaurants will join 13 existing Chopped outlets in Dublin.

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Since its launch last February, over 620 chefs have signed up to the online community Chef Network, with 18 new members, on average, signing up weekly.

Initiated and supported by the Irish Food Service Alliance (IFSA), the network aims to attract people to the industry, encourage education and professional development, and nurture talent. The network’s Chef Advisory Council includes Gareth Mullins, The Marker Hotel, Mark Anderson, Gather & Gather, Julianne Forrestal, Sodexo, JP McMahon, Eat Galway Restaurants, Niall Hill, The Butler’s Pantry, Stephen Holland, Lough Erne Resort and Simon Dougan, Yellow Door Deli.

Its Working Group consists of IFSA members and is chaired by Sean Martin of Bunzl McLaughlin.

Other members include Ruth Hegarty, Chef Network, Garret Buckley, IFSA/Eventhaus, Alan Cruite, Trinity Hospitality Services, Patrick Clement, Pallas Foods, Tara Brennan, Musgrave, Simon Toye, Mountcharles, John Cunningham, Total Produce and Annette Sweeney, IT Tallaght. Chef Network is developing resources and skills tutorials of interest to chefs, which will be accessible through the site’s resource library. The Chef Profile Series will showcase ‘a day in the life’ of various chefs across different sectors and roles, while the Chef Network will have a significant presence at Catex 2017. Chefs can sign-up for free online at www. chefnetwork.ie, where they can set-up a profile, connect with other chefs, join communities, discussion forums and search and post job vacancies.

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FRESHII PARTNERS WITH ARAMARK TO FUEL EXPANSION

Aramark recently announced a new partnership in Ireland with Freshii, a global leader in the health-casual restaurant category.

The deal will see Aramark fuel Freshii’s expansion in Ireland and the UK, opening a number of new Freshii outlets at locations including Arnott’s Department Store and Trinity College Dublin.

These initial outlets will be followed by a further 10 Aramark-led locations, creating 100 full time and part time jobs. Freshii is a health-casual restaurant brand that serves fresh food designed to energise people on the go. “We have been at the forefront of the healthy eating revolution in Ireland with our Right Track campaign in Ireland’s workplaces; our partnerships with Freshii and Grow Your Own and with our acquisition of Avoca,” says Frank Gleeson, Aramark’s MD for Northern Europe. “Freshii is a great addition to our offering.” The Aramark-led Freshii outlets at Trinity College and Arnotts will be Freshii’s fifth and sixth locations in Ireland.

Guests can find Freshii in the CHQ Building, Lusk Applegreen, Enfield West Applegreen and on Mespil Road.

HOTEL GROUP CELEBRATES 30 YEARS Manor House Hotels and Irish Country Hotels celebrated their 30th anniversary on October 10th with a gala ball in the Headfort Arms Hotel in Kells, Co Meath. Founded in 1986 by Bord Fáilte in conjunction with the Irish Tourist Board, the principle objective of Manor House Hotels / Irish Country Hotels is to provide smaller, distinctively welcoming hotels with a vehicle to access the international tourism market. It has a current membership of 55 hotels on the island of Ireland. (l-r) Róisín Wallace, Group Director of Operations and Marketing, Manor House Hotels / Irish Country Hotels, Patrick O’Donovan TD, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, RTE presenter Ryan Tubridy, Mary Fitzgerald,Chairperson, Manor House Hotels / Irish Country Hotels and Olivia Duff, Headfort Arms Hotel.

MULBERRY GARDENS IS TRAVELLERS’ CHOICE FOR 2016

Donnybrook’s Mulberry Garden topped the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for 2016, with Dublin nabbing four of the Top 10 places. Three restaurants from Dingle also feature in a list based on reviews and opinions collected from users over the past 12 months. TripAdvisor’s Top 10 fine dining Irish restaurants are: Mulberry Garden, Dublin; Idás Restaurant, Dingle; Chapter One, Dublin; The Restaurant at Harvey’s Point, Donegal; Sabor Brazil, Dublin; The Chart House, Dingle; The Global Village, Dingle; Dax Restaurant, Dublin; An Port Mór, Westport; and Finns’ Table, Kinsale. Harvey’s Point, whose restaurant placed fourth, was earlier this year announced as TripAdvisor’s top-rated Irish hotel for the fourth year running. TripAdvisor also announced its top-rated global restaurants, with Martin Berasategui in Lasarte, Spain, claiming the No.1 spot for the second year in a row. Last year, Cork’s Café Paradiso topped the Irish list, though it dropped out of the Top 10 entirely for 2016. Mulberry Garden and Idás are new entrants.

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CATEX STIRS UP SOLUTIONS FOR 2017 EVENT With more than 200 exhibitors, over 10,000 expected visitors, and thousands of products and services on display, Catex is the must-attend event for all of those within foodservice, catering and hospitality.Taking place from February 21st to 23rd at the RDS Simmonscourt, the 2017 exhibition, supported by Bunzl and Calor, will address issues such as the skills shortage and food sourcing, and will deliver chefs’ masterclasses through the Euro-Toques Ireland stage. From the Irish Cocktail Championships to the recently introduced Contract Caterers’ Culinary Challenge, each feature has been designed to further skills and learning, adding value and expertise to participants’ businesses.

Following on from the huge success of the 2016 World of Coffee Expo, which welcomed the World Barista Championships to Dublin for the first time, Catex 2017 will again host the 2017 Irish Barista Championships.

Current Irish Barista Champion, Natalia Piotrowska, will be defending her title at next year’s show, when she’ll be pitted against some of the very best baristas from across the country, all vying for a chance to represent Ireland at next year’s World Barista Championships. Organised by the Irish branch of the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, the Irish Barista Championships will sit alongside the Irish Latte Art Championship and the Irish Cup Tasters Championship, ensuring that coffee is central to the skills events at Catex, reflecting its phenomenal rise over the last six years. Almost 80% of floor space at Catex, which spans over 15,000 square metres, is already sold out. New exhibitors include Valeo Professional, ALI Spa, Flassey Food Distributors, Gecko Catering, ICE Industrial Cleaning Equipment, Vollrath Europe and UNOX, who will join Catex’s long list of stalwart exhibitors. See www. catexexhibition.com/exhibitor-list

GALWAY RESTAURANT OPENS SATURDAY KITCHEN Galway Michelin star restaurant Aniar is introducing a weekly Saturday lunch offering, starting in the new year. The four-course lunch menu will cost 55 and will be available on December 31st and January 7th initially, and thereafter every Saturday from February 4th.

The first sitting is at 12 noon with last sittings at 2pm. “The daytime lunch offering at Aniar is an answer to growing demand,” says ChefPatron JP McMahon. “It will give diners a similar experience to our evening menu, albeit with less courses, while also making the restaurant accessible.” JP adds that the lunchtime opening also coincides with another new initiative.

“There has been a recent movement towards making kitchens a more friendly working environment,” he says. “This needs to be based on action and this is something we feel quite strongly about in Aniar. While our lunchtime opening means more seatings, staff will be given an extra day off during the week, resulting in a four-day work week without a drop in pay.”

Aniar’s langoustine, yogurt, and ash dish.

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MUSGRAVE LAUNCHES NON-FOOD BROCHURE

Musgrave MarketPlace has launched its new non-food brochure with over 4,000 products, ranging from tableware, equipment, disposables and packaging to cleaning and hygiene. The new brochure, titled Kitchen 2 Counter, showcases the complete non-food range available to retail, foodservice and SME businesses. Musgrave MarketPlace’s 2016 food trends research highlighted the growing importance of creating dishes that have an aesthetic appeal for social media channels such as Instagram and Pinterest. To help Ireland’s chefs and foodies in their quest for photographic perfection, the brochure’s new presentation ware selection includes a wide range of eye-catching products including copper pots, slates, enamel ware, olive wood boards and mini pots and pans. The brochure also features their portion control range to satisfy customers’ increasing demand for healthy choices. From precisely sized scoops, plates and glassware to individual serving pots, Kitchen 2 Counter includes plenty of products that facilitate smaller portion sizes without taking away from the gastronomic experience.

(l-r): Clement Pavie, Development Chef, Brian Staunton, General Manager, and Elaine Byrne, Trading Manager, Musgrave MarketPlace.

INDUSTRY URGED TO USE MENUCAL

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) recently reiterated its call to all 22,000 food service businesses in Ireland to avail of its free online tool, MenuCal to assist in identifying 14 categories of allergens and calculating calories within their dishes. Celebrity chef and author, Catherine Fulvio helped launch the new initiative with the FSAI to encourage food businesses to avail of MenuCal. She demonstrated to an audience how she uses MenuCal by preparing two of her favourite dishes using the tool and modifying both recipes as she cooked. “I’m a big fan of MenuCal and I find it invaluable in the kitchen,” said Catherine Fulvio. “It’s so easy and quick to input ingredients and save recipes. It removes the need to keep excel spreadsheets that you need to manually input or amend ingredients. Once the ingredients are in, it’s very easy to modify your recipes. It’s also great if the kitchen receives a query about allergens, as we can revert quickly and confidently to the customer with the accurate information.” The online tool is available free of charge on www.menucal.ie NOVEMBER 2016 | HOTEL

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IRISH BEEF TAKES CENTRE STAGE AT BREEDERS’ CUP

Pictur

Irish beef was the feature dish at the prestigious Breeders’ Cup World Championships Taste of the World experience in Warner Bros Studio, California earlier this month. Award-winning Irish chefs Ed Cooney of The Merrion Hotel in Dublin and Martin Shanahan of Fishy Fishy in Kinsale prepared 1,500 individual servings of grassfed, quality assured fillet of Irish beef. Ireland’s involvement in the event was coordinated by Good Food Ireland and supported by Bord Bia and Dawn Meats. This is the sixth year that Good Food Ireland has been invited to represent Ireland at the much celebrated culinary event, which takes place during the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, the richest two days in sport.

This is the first time that Irish beef was served, following the opening of the US market access in January 2015. Many film and TV celebrities, horse breeders, owners and other VIPs from around the world attended the ‘Taste of the World’ event, which featured cuisine from 15 participating countries and attracts global media coverage. The Good Food Ireland chefs were joined by other international chefs representing the cuisine of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, UAE, the UK, the US and Venezuela.

Ed Cooney, The Merrion Hotel, Dublin and Martin Shanahan, Fishy Fishy, Kinsale, join (l-r): Paul Nolan, Dawn Meats, Margaret Jeffares, Good Food Ireland, and Padraig Brennan, Bord Bia, at the event.

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Pictured at the launch of the National Tourism Forum are the organising committee standing: Terence Mulcahy, Sean O’Driscoll, Sabrina Horgan, and Conor Hennigan and seated: Geraldine Rosney, Forum MC Miriam O’Callaghan, and Bernadette Randles.

LET’S TALK TOURISM Tourism businesses nationwide headed to Killarney on November 25th and 26th for Let’s Talk Tourism - The National Tourism Forum. The Kerry branch of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), SKAL Republic of Ireland and Killarney Chamber of Tourism & Commerce created a forum that brought all sectors of tourism together to discuss and debate the current and likely future issues facing tourism. Over 20 high profile speakers examined topics such as Brexit and its effect on tourism, international tourism trends, tourism policy, and what is needed to grow tourism and jobs further, as well as rural tourism and how to spread the tourism wealth around the country.

The Forum took place at Muckross Park Hotel, Killarney on November 25th. Guest speakers included Professor of Finance, TCD, Brian Lucey, Chief Executive Officer of the Dalata Hotel Group, Pat McCann, Irish Hotels Federation President, Joe Dolan, and Chief Executive of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, Eoghan O’Mara Walsh. On November 26th, delegates were shown how food and rural tourism has been developed on the Dingle Peninsula over the last 10 years and how it is booming as a result. A Taste of Kerry lunch was hosted in Benner’s Hotel, where Bridgestone Guide Writer John McKenna was the keynote speaker.

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In 1905, Ismay & Pirrie sought the brightest and the best to create liners of legend at Queen’s Island. Fast forward Summer 2017, the historic Harland & Wolff headquarters will become one of Belfast’s greatest hotels - Titanic Hotel Belfast.

We are seeking the brightest and the best hospitality managers.

Available Positions • • • • • •

General Manager Revenue Manager Sales & Marketing Manager Human Resources Manager Operations Manager Sales Executive

Are you a senior manager with hotel experience?

Do you work to 5* standards and are looking for your next challenge? If so, Titanic Hotel Belfast is now recruiting a team of senior experienced managers to work in one of the most prestigious buildings in Belfast.

Candidates require minimum 5 years’ experience in a similar role. Create a new chapter of excellence at Titanic Hotel Belfast.

Send applications to Sarah Grange at recruitment@harcourthouse.com

2017 TITANIC HOTEL REBUILDING LUXURY

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Commercial

PROFILE

SUPPORTING FURTHER

TOURISM GROWTH

WHETHER IT IS INSPIRING A NEW GENERATION OF CHEFS OR RECOGNISING THE TROJAN WORK BEING DONE BY DUBLIN’S TOURISM ‘CHAMPIONS,’ FÁILTE IRELAND’S ACTIVITY PROGRAMME IS JAM PACKED, WITH THE LAUNCH OF NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGNS, FURTHER FUNDS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND SUPPORT PROGRAMMES FOR BUSINESS.

BUSINESSES LEARN

HOW TO EVOLVE

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Paul Keeley, Fáilte Ireland Director (far right) and Paul Mockler, Head of Business Development, Fáilte Ireland (centre rear) pictured with the host of speakers attending Evolve Ireland.

TOURISM BLITZ

IN CANADA & UK

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Canadian operators are pictured at the Meyrick Hotel with Letty Cronin, Fáilte Ireland and Kate Smith, Tourism Ireland

áilte Ireland’s autumn sales blitz continues, with a group of over 20 top tour operators from Canada visting Ireland last month to meet and do business with over 70 key Irish tourism businesses at Fáilte Ireland’s Canadian Expo sales workshop in Galway. Meanwhile, a group of UK incoming tour operators headed to Killarney to meet with more than 60 Irish businesses and learn more about what they can programme for their customers.

ourism businesses from across the country learned more about how they can tackle the issue of cost per acquisition at Fáilte Ireland’s ‘Evolve’ conference in Croke Park recently. The conference, which also saw the launch of the tourism authority’s new report Cost Per Acquisition Report 2016, featured a number of international speakers, all of whom shared their insights into how businesses can direct more bookings to their own websites and win customers at a lower cost to their business.

€445K FOR ANCIENT EAST Pictured at Knowth, in the heart of Ireland’s Ancient East, are Jenny De Saulles, Head of Ireland’s Ancient East, Minister Patrick O’Donovan, and John McMahon, OPW.

445k in funding from Fáilte Ireland’s Capital Grants Allocation for 2016 has been announced for two key projects in Co Meath within Ireland’s Ancient East - 350k for the development of some key heritage attractions in the Boyne Valley, and a further 95k towards the continued development of Knowth.

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Commercial

PROFILE

Mike Buckley, Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, Rick Calvert, TBEX, Johnny McGuire, Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce with Ciara Sugrue, Fáilte Ireland

IRELAND WINS TBEX

A sample of Fáilte Ireland’s new creative for the Dublin campaign.

MARKETING CAMPAIGN

SYMPOSIUM INSPIRES CULINARY STUDENTS

TARGETS UK

CONFERENCE

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reland has won the bid to host the prestigious and influential social media conference TBEX Europe 2017 - the largest gathering of world travel bloggers, writers, new media content creators, and social media- savvy travel industry professionals. The conference will take place from October 3rd to 5th, 2017 in the INEC Killarney, Co Kerry, and will attract more than 650 delegates from all over the world, visitors with an online output that reaches an audience of over 300 million.

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1.6m joint public/private marketing overseas campaign steered by the Grow Dublin Advisory Board was launched in Great Britain last month selling Dublin to the ‘Culturally Curious’ market segment.

Using the strap line ‘Dublin is what happens in between,’ the campaign seeks to promote the unexpected variety of experiences on offer to those who visit Dublin.

Find out more on www.failteireland.ie

Eleven chefs in training, selected by nine Institutes of Technology across the country, attend Food on the Edge.

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leven chefs in training from the Institutes of Technology were given an opportunity by Fáilte Ireland’s food and hospitality team to meet with some of the world’s leading culinary figures and hear their views on the future of food as they attended Food on the Edge, the two day symposium for chefs and food enthusiasts.

THEY ARE THE

CHAMPIONS Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan T.D, officially launched the New Year’s Festival Dublin.

Now in its third year, the three-day citywide festival will be bigger and better than ever with an amazing programme spanning three days from the December 30th 2016 to the January 1st 2017.

IRELAND’S BIGGEST

NYE CELEBRATION HOTEL

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ew Year’s Eve Festival Dublin, the three day city wide event, was launched recently by Minister Patrick O’Donovan with the help of headline act The Blizzards. With so much to see and do over the three days, there is something for everyone. Find out more on www.nyfdublin.ie

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early 100 tourism workers from across Dublin city and county were recently honoured as #DublinChampions. The group of front-of-house staff are now fully armed to help visitors uncover some of Dublin’s hidden stories and experiences.

Martina Carolan, Peploes Wine Bistro; Louise Tallon, Butlers Chocolate; Daire Enright, Fáilte Ireland; Luke O’Flanagan, Newbridge House and Farm; Mary Jo Sheridan, Dublinia and Maria Emilia Carrizo, Dualway

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COVER STORY

Ireland's best

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COVER STORY

It sounds like a category in our Keelings Farm Fresh Gold Medal Awards, but that is what owner Xavier McAuliffe and General Manager Peter Wilson are trying to create in Kilkenny. Maev Martin talks to them about their plans to give Lyrath Estate Hotel a new lease of life.

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017 promises to be an eventful year for Lyrath Estate as they plan to undertake the re-development of the hotel and reintroduce a new look and feel Lyrath to the Irish and international market. The interior works have already begun - the bar and lobby are almost complete - and nearly half of the bedrooms have been re-decorated.

Xavier McAuliffe purchased Lyrath Estate Hotel approximately 13 years ago and the establishment has been open over 10 years now. “The idea was to develop something unique and top class,” he says. “At the time five star hotels in Ireland were mainly castles

MY AMBITION FOR LYRATH ESTATE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS IS TO BRING THE HOTEL BACK TO BEING ONE THE LEADING HOTELS IN THE COUNTRY.

Centre top right: Ardsallagh goats cheese with watermelon, beetroot, black sesame and hazelnut.

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so I wanted to bring something different to Kilkenny and to Ireland. Also, I wanted to make Kilkenny a destination that people wanted to visit and to create a hotel with large bedrooms, multiple restaurants and a luxurious spa for all to use.” In the region of 5m has been invested in a refurbishment of the public areas and bedrooms, as well as the convention centre. “With this investment, we will bring a whole new look to the hotel and bring the convention centre to a new level, while still holding on to the history and tradition in the hotel,” he says. “My ambition for Lyrath Estate over the next few years is to bring the hotel back to being one the leading hotels in the country, with a fabulous product and spa, and to introduce it to new visitors. Our convention centre is the largest in the south east and the largest outside of Killarney and Dublin. We want it to be the key location for all conference business to come to.”

CHALLENGES Has he noticed any negative impact on the Lyrath Estate operation since the Brexit vote in May? “Up to now, 90% of our business has been in the domestic market,” he says. “For now, we haven’t noticed an impact from Brexit, but we are changing our focus

to the US, European and Asian markets to see what potential is there.” However, Xavier has noticed some major changes in the hospitality industry between the pre and post economic collapse periods. “Customers are more savvy and they expect more for their money,” he says. “This was noticeable during the pre-collapse period but has continued to today. We need to ensure that, as the economy grows, our prices grow and that our product and services match this, so people know they are getting value for money. We also have to look at our complaint culture and try and tackle this a bit more. Also, we need to look at training and development, and at getting the right people for the right jobs.”

Is he more confident about the prospects for the tourism and catering industry than he was in 2008, or does the industry still face some key challenges? “The industry still faces challenges such as staffing and training, enticing business out of Dublin, putting other locations on the map, not always making Dublin the key entry point, developing mid-week business, and trying to get people to overnight more in towns such as Kilkenny, rather than confining their visit to a day trip stop.”

TRAINER & HOTELIER Peter Wilson decided to pursue a career in the hotel business after leaving college with a Diploma in Business Studies and a background working in the Redcastle Hotel & Country Club in Donegal. After securing his first GM position at the tender age of 20, in Lawless’s Hotel in Aughrim, where he worked for four years, he then moved to the Arklow Bay Hotel before completing a stint at The Regency in Dublin. He took an 18-month break from the industry to work as a trainer for CERT, but the buzz of the hotel environment continued to exert a powerful pull. When the opportunity arose for Peter to work as GM in the Connemara Coast Hotel, under the highly regarded hotelier Charlie Sinnott, also of Brook’s Hotel, he simply couldn’t resist. “After three years there I was ready for a new challenge and went on to open and project manage the building of Knockranny House in Westport, which opened its doors in the mid 1990s,” he says.

This brought him to Kilkenny to work on the development of the Kilkenny Rivercourt Hotel and that was when he began his business relationship with Xavier Mc Auliffe.

He spent seven years at The Rivercourt, during which time he also oversaw the conception and building of Lyrath Estate.

“We opened Lyrath in 2006 and I then decided to move on to open Whites Of

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COVER STORY

Wexford, where I spent nine years,” he says.

“After that, I moved back to Kilkenny and to Mount Juliet, before finally returning to work with Xavier on the takeover of Lyrath Estate in the summer of this year.”

NEW BISTRO CONCEPT Work will start on Lyrath Estate’s new bistro concept before Christmas. This is part of a major culinary overhaul at the hotel which is being spearheaded by their new Head Chef Gary Rogers. “What Gary brings to our operation is the international influence from his years in Australia at Sky City Casino, which was the biggest five star casino resort in Darwin in Northern Australia, with five restaurants, seven bars, and huge banqueting facilities for up to 2,000 guests,” says Peter. “He spent four and a half years there, starting off as Head Chef and working his way up the ladder to the position of Executive Chef, which he held for 18 months. During this time one of the restaurants in this resort, EVOO, achieved the equivalent of 3 AA rosettes, and El Piado, an Italian restaurant in the resort, won Best Ethnic Restaurant in Australia in the Australian Hotel & Catering awards this year. Gary’s vision is to make Lyrath the best five star dining destination and also to make our banqueting facility in Kilkenny Convention Centre the best in the country.”

CULINARY INNOVATION Gary has already introduced a number of new dishes to the menu, including egg sous vide which is served with Lyrath’s Caesar salad in the bar. New dining concepts at Lyrath include fine dining in La Perla restaurant, offering seasonal fayre and using local suppliers, where possible. “

Gary likes to source the finest ingredients that are cooked well and to let the food speak for itself,” says Peter. “A more casual bistro upstairs increases our dining options and capacity and will give us a better offering for family dining in the busier periods.

The menu here will offer a wide selection of simple but tasty food at a reasonable price.”

Lyrath Estate Hotel has also brought Alan Foley, former Executive Head Chef of The Stephouse restaurant, on board on a consultancy basis. “Alan’s role is to shape the vision for the style of food, creating a new structure and foundation, primarily within La Perla restaurant,” says Peter.

“With a background in fine dining from his own family business, the Stephouse in Borris, he is ideally equipped for the role. Alan’s approach is about getting the basics right and not over complicating the dishes on the menu. The dishes will be kept simple but tasty, and a key component of the new style will be to inject a lighter touch into all of our cuisine. In other words, we will avoid the over use of heavy ingredients such as cream and butter. We are really excited about our new menu, which will be launched for the Christmas season.”

#Sourcing Chefs Lyrath Estate Hotel recently completed a restructuring of its kitchen, increasing the number of chefs from 14 to 22.

How did they source so many chefs for the hotel? “It is very difficult to source chefs,” says Peter. “We had to go abroad to Europe, Portugal, Croatia and Romania. We also are very lucky to have a fantastic management team that tries to create an environment that attracts talent and keeps people content and motivated.”

Is the training available in Ireland meeting industry needs? “Having worked in the CERT training centres in my earlier career, I feel that there is a need for basic training for all departments from a young age to give students an introduction to the industry,” he says.

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ON THE MOVE

Move

On the

MIRIAM STEVENSON

NIALL DONNELLY

NICOLA LOOBY

NEW POSITION KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER

NEW POSITION OPERATIONS MANAGER

EMPLOYER MOUNT CHARLES GROUP

EMPLOYER MOUNT CHARLES GROUP

EMPLOYER MOUNT CHARLES GROUP

Miriam Stevenson has been appointed Brand & Marketing Manager with the Mount Charles Group.

Responsible for driving product innovation and for the development of strategic marketing plans for each brand across the company’s portfolio, Miriam will work closely with the operations team to increase market share and ensure that all commercial goals are met from a marketing and brand perspective. She has a degree in French and Spanish from Queen’s University, a Masters in Business from Ulster University, and a Diploma in Digital Marketing with the CIM. Miriam has worked in digital marketing and design with organisations in the hospitality sector such as Northern Irishowned Chateau de la Ligne and Poitou-Biard airport in Poitiers in France.

Niall Donnelly has been appointed Key Account Manager with the Mount Charles Group. He joins Mount Charles from Robinson Services where he was General Manager for Northern Ireland.

Prior to that, Niall was an Operations Executive at Lidl Ireland for 14 years.

In his new role he will be responsible for leading service delivery across the company’s cleaning division, and for managing area managers and supervisors. Niall will also oversee a number of key contracts throughout Northern Ireland, support growth, and implement business improvement practices.

NEW POSITION BRAND & MARKETING MANAGER

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New Appointments, Promotions and Recruitment

Nicola Looby has been appointed as Operations Manager at The Mount Charles Group. The role entails working alongside the senior catering operations team on strategic planning, the delivery of the company’s operational strategy, and the further development of brand standards and service delivery across the catering division. Nicola joins Mount Charles from Aramark Ireland where she spent four years as Regional Manager and was responsible for a number of clients across Northern Ireland, working within the business and industry and retail sectors. Nicola has also worked at the Nationwide Building Society and the Rank Group.

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TRENDS

Generation

EAT

Musgrave MarketPlace's Marketing Director Michelle Fennell regularly commissions research to stay in tune with emerging industry trends. She reveals some of the key findings of her research this year.

Michelle Fennell.

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iven the pace at which Irish food trends and the foodservice landscape changes, regular research is the key to Musgrave MarketPlace staying ahead of the curve with our service offering. I believe that our hunger for insight into the latest developments in the food industry facilitates constant innovation and a better product range and service for our foodservice customers. The three key ingredients in our success to date as Ireland’s leading wholesaler include listening carefully to the changing demands of our customers, learning from new food and drink trends around the world, and continuing to evolve our brand.

MIGHTY MILLENNIALS As part of our research this year, we consulted a group of younger consumers, individuals who are truly passionate about food and incorporate it in all aspects of their lives, and a panel of ‘food experts,’ those who are real influencers in the food scenes across Dublin, Galway, Cork, Belfast and the US. My first observation from our research findings was that Ireland’s relationship with all things food deepened significantly in 2016 and this has been driven primarily by the 25 to 45 generation.

We have renamed these millennials, Generation Eat. Individuals within this age bracket are now more educated, informed and concerned about food and take notably more pleasure from it than any other age group. Generation Eat are eager not only to create their own food, but also to blog, tweet and Instagram it – food is no longer just being prepared to eat, it is being prepared

to share with the masses on social media!

Our research also made it apparent that Generation Eat are displaying a real sense of pride and confidence in ‘Irish food’ and are increasingly keen to support Irish foods and businesses. There is a sense that we now have a palette that we can say is both our own and of an international standard.

RETAIL & FOODSERVICE One of the big trends I uncovered in the research that I conducted was the continued blurring of retail and foodservice. Retailers are now branching into varying degrees of foodservice with many offering freshly prepared food and beverages in-store.

Certain retail outlets are taking this to a more premium level, transforming deli counters into fresh kitchens offering a range of higher end products, from rotisserie chickens and gourmet burgers to superfood salads. According to our research, a key area of focus for both retailers and foodservice outlets is beverage offering development, everything from flavoured coffees to fruit and vegetable juices. Tea is trending too, with some dedicated tea shops opening in Dublin and Galway, while craft beer continues to mature with lots of potential for further growth.

HEALTH It is not hugely surprising that the strongest theme to emerge from our research was health.

From functional foods, ‘clean’ eating, obesity reports and government legislation to sugar tax discussions and production techniques, health permeates every aspect of food. Having consulted 130 Irish consumers for this research, it became quite apparent to us that health is a priority when

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TRENDS

Carlingford Lough rock oysters with cucumber and caviar – images courtesy of Wilde restaurant Lobster Moilee with steamed basmati rice.

choosing and consuming food.

Consumers are looking for affordable, healthy food when they are eating out, and this also applies to beverage choices. In some cases they are also looking for lower calories and appreciate that portion control can help deliver this. Consumers are also looking for fresh, natural ingredients and wholesome foods that are easy to prepare, but healthy and nourishing.

Musgrave MarketPlace supports its foodservice customers by advising on legislation, stocking all the latest trending healthy options, and reformulating our own brand products to incorporate healthy combinations of fats, saturates, fibre, sugar, salt and additives.

food standards in the foodservice sector continues to grow. Furthermore, consumers are increasingly consulting the social media accounts of food brands and businesses in order to gain insight into their service offering and quality. Foodservice brands today need to embrace social media and serve their food online if they are looking to fully engage 'Generation Eat'.

TECHNOLOGY Of course, technology is continuing to influence the Irish foodservice sector.

From influential social media channels like Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat, to the free resource that is ‘Think with Google,’ those with an interest in food have a growing spectrum of digital tools to help them research, refine, and communicate their offer. The internet, and more specifically social media, has allowed consumers to develop their interest in food to a higher level than ever before. Consequently, the demand for higher quality

IRISH LANDSCAPE Fresh producers, brands, personalities and commentators are emerging daily in the Irish food industry. The market scene is flourishing, the number of artisan producers of beer, cider, cheese, sausages, gin, and bread continues to grow, and new food blogs, YouTube channels and newspaper columns are popping up on a regular basis.

This is an exciting time for those in the foodservice sector in Ireland because the ‘foodie’ audience continues to grow, as does the number of ways in which businesses can share their own food stories. Our research has confirmed that 2016 has been a year of dynamism and positivity for the foodservice industry in Ireland. Although it is crucial for foodservice businesses to focus on innovation and demonstrate

Wilde's creme brulee with honey Madeleine.

The Express Lunch option from Wilde restaurant.

GENERATION EAT ARE EAGER NOT ONLY TO CREATE THEIR OWN FOOD, BUT ALSO TO BLOG, TWEET AND INSTAGRAM IT – FOOD IS NO LONGER JUST BEING PREPARED TO EAT, IT IS BEING PREPARED TO SHARE WITH THE MASSES ON SOCIAL MEDIA! an appreciation for new food trends, I strongly believe that value and quality should never be forgotten or compromised in the process. Good value is something that is always ‘on trend’ for Irish consumers when they are making a decision to purchases. This is something we preach to those in the food industry, and practice ourselves at Musgrave MarketPlace, with our ranges and services anticipating and reflecting these trends.

The Food Trends research referenced was conducted by Zero-G on behalf of Musgrave MarketPlace in May 2016.

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EDUCATION & TRAINING

CARTON HOUSE

Puts Guests First Putting Guests First is a new programme pioneered by the senior management team at Carton House. General Manager Adrian McLaughlin talks to Maev Martin about the thinking behind the unique initiative.

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drian is a former General Manager at The Gibson Hotel in Dublin where he was at the helm for nearly two years and before that he managed The Merchant Hotel in Belfast. In the early years of his career, the Forte Hotels staff development programme made a big impression on him. “When I worked for Forte Hotels in London they launched a staff development programme that stuck with me and I have always used what I learned then to set up training programmes throughout my career,” he says.

“But the approach with this programme is quite different because of the gap in training that was identified at Carton House. There was a gap in terms of what our customers expected and what we were providing in terms of training. The hotel had come through a significant management changeover over an 18-month period and the service culture needed to be realigned. Training existed but it was pretty traditional. It consisted of an induction course, including a tour of the hotel and basic orientation, and then the inductee was handed over to the relevant Head of Department to complete their training over two or three weeks. However, in my view, Heads of Departments are no longer in a position to take on the role of offering a new recruit the level of training they require. They can’t teach people how to read body language, to see opportunities to impress, and to show people how to surprise and delight customers, so this programme includes the traditional induction approach but goes beyond that.”

The initial Putting Guests First programme was planned this time last year and Carton House began rolling it out in February of this year. “The programme is for all staff, including greenkeepers and front and back of house teams, so when you have a non guest facing person in the group he or she would seek to translate those same value to the internal customer,”

says Adrian. “Because the programme was cross functional, I needed the support of the senior management team and all of the senior team were committed to it. They were part of the test phase so the trainers that we recruited practiced on us and the senior team were part of the review process for the programme.”

Those senior team members included Monica O’Byrne, Sales and Marketing Director, Lucius Farrell, Deputy General Manager, John Plummer, Golf Course Superintendent, Margaret Cleary, Financial Director, Cathy Rigney, Human Resources Director and Francis Hurley, Director of Golf. All of the training is provided in-house. “We identified the number of people that we needed to put through each of the five two hour modules that are in the programme and how long the training would take, so we decided we needed eight in-house trainers delivering 10 sessions of training, each of two hours duration,” says Adrian. “The training is being provided by a range of cross-functional middle management, including line managers, event managers and deputy heads of departments.

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EDUCATION & TRAINING

THE HOTEL HAD COME THROUGH A SIGNIFICANT MANAGEMENT CHANGEOVER OVER AN 18-MONTH PERIOD AND THE SERVICE CULTURE NEEDED TO BE REALIGNED. TRAINING EXISTED BUT IT WAS PRETTY TRADITIONAL They all completed a five-day programme called Train the Trainer, so we ended up with eight qualified trainers who could roll out the programme to 140 staff members.

So far, 120 people have completed the programme and we will train the remainder between now and Christmas. Also, the content of the programme has now been incorporated into our induction process, so it isn’t a cultural change for our new employees, more a cultural adoption. That means that they don’t require the detailed training that the original 140 trainees went through who had never been exposed to this type of training.”

THE CONTENT The programme comprises five two hour modules where the management look at key service foundations, including Pride, Being the Best, Eyes and Ears, Golden Opportunities and Surprise and Delight.The content within each module comprises of teamwork exercises, flipchart discussions, supporting videos and homework sessions to promote self learning and personal responsibility back in the working environment. Carton House enlisted the services of a training company to help them compile the content of each of the five modules and they produced a training video for each module which was created in-house. “These are fun videos

that include role plays and telephone conversations,” says Adrian. “The Pride module is about coming to work on time, being prepared, and presentable. Coming in with a hangover is not acceptable, so we would expect employees to have more pride in themselves, their department and their hotel. We go through the history of Carton House during the induction and we expect employees to have pride in that, as well as in their own personal appearance and the condition of their individual departments. The Being the Best module is about pushing boundaries. For example, when we ask a staff member to make or do something, we want them to ensure that they follow all the training sheets that they are given and respect the craft of their business. We bring groups from different departments together and they talk about the detail involved in each of their areas.

That can be an eye opening experience for the personnel involved, as it makes each department aware of what other peoples’ jobs involve.”

The Eyes and Ears module is pretty self explanatory – it is about employees picking up on the flow of information that they get on a daily basis. “We go through the importance of attention to detail and their use of language,” says Adrian. “We try to remove some colloquialisms and get people to be more professional in their use

of language. Golden Opportunities is about listening to guests’ feedback and responding to what they want. It can be about rectifying something that has gone wrong, or assisting the customer with something they are having a problem with like a flat tyre, a language breakdown, a loss of something, or booking a fight. Surprise and Delight is about giving the customers something above and beyond what they expected, such as a little gift to mark a birthday. We encourage staff to look for opportunities to impress our guests - the more they do that, the better it is for the operation. It is about sending the customer away with a story about something special that was done for them that they didn’t expect. If a staff member’s name is mentioned by a guest or a colleague as having performed a surprise and delight gesture for a guest they get a 35 voucher.”

MEASURING SUCCESS So far, the Putting Guests First Programme has delivered 1,000 hours of management conference time and 2,000 hours of training in a four month window. “This has led to the success of PG1, with qualified business measurements,” says Adrian. “We improved staff facilities and our food offer for staff and that has had a big impact. We have had reductions in turnover in terms of our front of house, spa and housekeeping staff. It hasn’t impacted as much on our F&B operation because we are going through a big change in that department, which involves realigning the menus to our customer needs, our head chef ’s requirements, and looking at our sales and marketing, training and recruitment. But it is still generating improved customer feedback and we can see that sentiment is beginning to change.”

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NEW EDITION

LUXURY

LODGINGS Castlemartyr Resort in east Cork recently added a sophisticated accommodation option, Heron’s Reach Gate Lodges, to its already luxurious five-star offering.

Cathal Lynch

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ast month, Castlemartyr Resort launched nine gate lodges at the entrance to the resort. Heron’s Reach Gate Lodges, set on the banks of the Kiltha River, are just a five-minute stroll to the hotel, and are a sophisticated new element of the picturesque 220-acre estate. The lodges are set inside the estate’s wrought iron gates beside a river and among ancient woodlands. They are designed for a variety of potential customers, including corporate short stays, golfing trips, wedding parties and family get-togethers.

They have been specifically designed to do justice to their stunning surroundings, with a contemporary design that incorporates many natural elements, and large windows framing the lush woodland views.

Each of the Heron’s Gate Lodges is a threebedroom house with a master double room en suite, another double bedroom and a twin room.

The houses feature a dining area suitable for six, an outdoor terrace, a fully furnished and spacious open plan living area downstairs, and a wellequipped modern kitchen for those who choose to cook for themselves. “Guests can also access all the other dining options at Castlemartyr Resort, from the Bell Tower Restaurant overlooking the gardens, to the relaxed and elegant Knights Bar, or the contemporary clubhouse, the Pod, and the chic surrounds of Franchini’s, the Italian casual dining experience at the resort, all of which celebrate local provenance, craft and quality,” says the resort’s General Manager Cathal Lynch.

“While staying in Heron’s Reach Gate Lodges, guests also have access to the other facilities at Castlemartyr Resort, including Castlemartyr Golf Club’s 18-hole inland links style course designed by world-renowned golf course architect, Ron Kirby, and the Castlemartyr Health Club & Spa. It features treatment rooms, a jet pool, an aromatherapy sauna and steam

room, relaxation rooms and vitality lounges, as well as a swimming pool and 200 square metre gym, both with views over the picturesque grounds of Castlemartyr Resort. Heron’s Reach is also an ideal base from which to explore the villages or world-renowned golf courses in the area, as well as notable attractions such as the Old Jameson Distillery, Ballymaloe House and Fota Wildlife Park.”

AWARD-WINNING RESORT Cathal has been a member of the team at Castlemartyr Resort since 2009.

Prior to his current appointment as

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NEW EDITION

xxxxxx

#Family Philosophy

Clockwise (l-r): aerial view of Castlemartyr Estate; hotel exterior; guest room; Bell Tower restaurant.

WE HAVE OUR SIGHTS SET ON PLACES THAT INSPIRE US, IN PARTICULAR THE LODGE AND SPA IN INCHYDONEY, THE TWELVE IN BEARNA, AND THE MULRANNY PARK HOTEL.

General Manager, Cathal held the roles of Assistant Manager and Operations Manager before taking up the position of Deputy General Manager for Castlemartyr Resort in December 2013. Under Cathal’s guidance, CastlemartyrResort has won a number of accolades, including Golf Resort of the Year in 2014, awarded by the IGTOA (Irish Golf Tour Operators Association), Best Destination Hotel at The National Hospitality Awards in 2014, Best Website in Munster in 2015, awarded by Cork’s Digital Marketing Awards, and Most Stylish

During his time as General Manager Cathal has been embraced by the local community and wider county.

“Castlemartyr offers pleasure and relaxation, history and modernity, elegance and luxury,” he says. “The resort brings together a 17th century classic manor house and a luxurious contemporary wing, with gorgeous grounds that feature a tranquil swan lake, a challenging golf course, the dramatic ruins of an 800-year old castle, and impeccably restored parterre gardens. However, we are consistently planning and creating new concepts within the hotel to ensure that each guest’s experience is unique. I like to maintain a presence at reception, personally welcoming guests on a daily basis, from local guests popping in for afternoon tea, to guests arriving from around the world. I want our guests to feel that they are visiting our home, staying with the Castlemartyr Resort family. I share my family philosophy with the team on a daily basis, which is evident from the fantastic feedback we receive from our guests. We are very proud of our high return percentage and look forward to welcoming all who walk through our doors.”

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NEW EDITION From top: Knight’s Bar; lounge area in Heron’s Reach Gate Lodges; Franchini’s restaurant; dining with a garden view at Heron’s Reach.

HERON’S REACH...IS AN IDEAL BASE FROM WHICH TO EXPLORE THE VILLAGES OR WORLD-RENOWNED GOLF COURSES IN THE AREA, AS WELL AS NOTABLE ATTRACTIONS SUCH AS THE OLD JAMESON DISTILLERY, BALLYMALOE HOUSE AND FOTA WILDLIFE PARK. Hotel at the 2015 Tia Maria Awards.

“I am proud to lead such a successful team as General Manager,” he says. “I have been thrilled to accept the recent awards on behalf of the entire team at Castlemartyr Resort whose endless hard work, passion and commitment has led to each successful win. The awards belong to them all and I am deeply proud to work with such a fantastic team each and every day.”

THE HOSPITABLE LIFE Cathal is a native of Ballycotton in Co Cork. Growing up on the doorstep of Ballymaloe, Cathal encountered his first hospitality training in the family business, Lynch’s Bar, where today you can pop in and say hello to Cathal’s dad who still works in the business. Cathal

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graduated from GMIT in 2001 with a Diploma in Hotel Management. Since then he has accumulated a wealth of experience in hospitality, having begun his career in the industry at The Ritz in London where he stayed for three years.

He worked as a sommelier initially before progressing to the position of Assistant Restaurant Manager. In 2005 Cathal moved forward in his career, taking on the role of Food & Beverage Manager at The Vineyard restaurant in The Vineyard Hotel at Stockcross in the UK where, along with his team, he achieved a Michelin star. “I credit Chef John Campbell with this achievement,” says Cathal. “I gained invaluable experience from him which I hope I’ve carried forward into my role as General Manager of Castlemartyr Resort.”

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FOOD HEROES

Young Who Will Be the

2016

CHEF OF THE YEAR? As the six finalists for the Euro-toques Young Chef of the Year were announced in the Merrion Hotel on November 7th, it was evident that Ireland’s culinary future remains bright.

Clockwise from top left: (l-r): The six finalists - Glen Sutcliffe, Killian Crowley, Chris Fullam, Marc McWilliams, Maeve Walsh and Gary Doyle; The San Pellegrino UK & Ireland Young Chef of the Year 2015, Mark Moriarty.

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uro-toques Ireland celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this year, with this being the 29th year of the Eurotoques Young Chef of the Year competition. Many of Ireland’s top chefs began their culinary journey as Euro-toques Young Chef of the Year, including Neven Maguire, Gearóid Lynch and Mark Moriarty, who won the title of San Pellegrino World Young Chef champion in 2015.

The six young finalists who have elected to push themselves to the limits of their creativity and skill, while facing some of the world’s best known chefs in the final judging process, are: Maeve Walsh, aged 23, Chef de Partie Restaurant FortyOne at Residence, Dublin.

Maeve’s mentor is Head Chef Graham Neville; Glen Sutcliffe, aged 23, Chef de Partie, The Marker Hotel, Dublin 2. Glen’s mentor is Gareth Mullins; Chris Fullam, aged 23, Sous Chef at Old Street, Malahide Dublin. Chris’s mentor is Fergus Caffrey; Killian Crowley, aged 24, Chef de Partie at Aniar, Galway City. Killian’s mentor is JP McMahon; Gary Doyle, aged 25, Chef de Partie, at The Canteen, Celbridge, Co Kildare. Gary’s mentor is James Sheridan; and Marc McWilliams, aged 25, Chef de Partie at The Brooklodge and Strawberry Tree restaurant, Wicklow. Marc’s mentor is Evan Doyle.

The theme of this year’s competition is ‘Inspiration.’ Throughout the three-month process, candidates have been tasked with getting under the skin of what really inspires their drive and creativity. The first stage involved a social media entry, expressing their inspiration

IT’S IMPORTANT TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND FOOD STORIES ARE THE BEST WAY OF UNDERSTANDING THE WAYS DIFFERENT CULTURES USE FOOD. in 140 characters or less. The second stage was a written entry comprising of a recipe and an explanation of their concept and thought process.

The third stage was face-to-face interviews with a panel of top Eurotoques chefs and the GM of La Rousse Foods, during which they faced a daunting on-the-spot omelette challenge! Finally, six finalists were chosen to battle it out in the kitchen of Chapter One on November 27th with two separate skills tests to be cooked in two hours in front of a panel of top chefs, including two star Michelin chef Nathan Outlaw and Great Irish Bake-Off judge Paul Kelly.

This year’s grand prize includes an

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FOOD HEROES

all expenses paid stage at ‘Restaurant Nathan Outlaw’, training under special guest judge and Chef Patron Nathan Outlaw. Nathan Outlaw has worked extensively with legendary chef Rick Stein. He now runs his self-titled two Michelin Star restaurant, Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, in Port Isaac, Cornwall.

Former Euro-toques Young Chef of the Year winner, Mark Moriarty, hosted an exclusive one-off guest service for the Friends of Pichet initiative on November 20th in Pichet restaurant in Dublin. Formerly of Thornton’s Restaurant on Stephen’s Green and Greenhouse on Dawson Street, Mark joined Pichet’s resident Head Chef Stephen Gibson for the third instalment of Friends of Pichet, following Michelin star chefs Paddy Powell and Andy McFadden.

Mark began his career at the age of 15 when he spent his summers cooking at the Chart House restaurant in Dingle, Co Kerry. Eager to master the art of cooking, he headed for Dublin where he worked under household names such as Kevin Thornton and Mikael Viljanen.

In 2013 he was named the Euro-toques Young Chef of the Year at Google HQ in Dublin. He completed his degree in culinary arts in 2014 and in February 2015 was crowned the San Pellegrino UK & Ireland Young Chef of the Year at a ceremony in Harrods, London.

Representing this region, and

mentored by three Michelin starred chef Clare Smyth of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Mark went on to be named the San Pellegrino World Young Chef of the Year at a ceremony in Milan, Italy.

He won by presenting his signature dish of ‘celeriac baked in barley and fermented hay, cured and smoked celeriac, toasted hay tea’ to an esteemed jury including Massimo Bottura, Grant Achatz, Yannick Allenno and Joan Roca. As the San Pellegrino World Young Chef of the Year, Mark has embarked on an international pop-up tour that saw him cook in London, Milan, Alta Badia, Melbourne, Sydney, Charleston, Singapore, Pasteum, Paris, Lugano, Moscow, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Hong Kong and finally, Dublin. At the Pichet event, he showcased his exquisite and worldly culinary skills with a six course tasting menu priced at just 80 per person Courses included salmon smoked in hay, parsley, mayonnaise and frozen horseradish; celeriac baked in fermented barley and hazelnut; scallop, roast chicken, artichoke and citrus; and short rib of beef ‘rossini’, bone marrow and bernaise.

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS Meanwhile, although this year’s Food On The Edge is still a hot topic in food circles all over the country, and indeed all over the world, the themes for next year’s event are already being announced. Food on the Edge 2017 will focus on food stories from around the world as well as actions and reactions prompted by the themes of the symposia to date. “It’s important to learn from each other and food stories are the best way of understanding the ways different cultures use food,” says Food on the Edge Symposium Director, JP McMahon. “We will also have the important theme of action/reaction - the actions and reactions that both previous speakers and audience members have had in response to Food On The Edge to date.” These actions will stem from the topics, which include sustainability, food ethics, animal welfare, organic farming and seaweed, and the future of Irish food. An ‘Open FOTE’ initiative, which is due to be officially launched early next year, is a new element planned for 2017. “Open FOTE will be an open call to chefs and food industry professionals who would like to partake in the speakers line-up for 2017, and who feel they have something original or important to say based on the themes of the event,” says JP. Details of how to submit a proposal for Open FOTE will be announced early next year. Dates for Food On The Edge 2017 were announced as October 9th and 10th 2017.

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MARKET REPORT

RECORD NUMBERS EATING

‘OUT OF HOME’

Pictured at Bord Bia’s annual foodservice industry seminar in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin are Maureen Gahan (left), Foodservice Specialist, Bord Bia, and Alison Cowzer, East Coast Bakehouse.

Ireland’s foodservice market grew to a record €7.5bn this year and is forecast to grow to over €9bn by 2020, according to a new Bord Bia report published on November 2nd. The figures were welcomed by over 300 delegates at Bord Bia’s annual foodservice industry seminar in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

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F

oodservice or ‘out of home’ describes all food consumed away from home, including everything from restaurants, hotels, coffee shops and bars, to workplace catering, hospitals, education and vending.

According to Bord Bia, this market segment has benefited from better than anticipated economic growth, buoyant consumer confidence, a strong domestic and international tourist market, an unemployment rate that is now less than eight per cent, and the continuation of the nine per cent VAT for hospitality. “It has been a bumper year for foodservice in Ireland,” says Bord Bia’s foodservice specialist, Maureen Gahan. “Despite the uncertainty that Brexit brings, we are still in the enviable position of being the fastest growing economy within the EU. The foodservice market has witnessed an annual growth rate of over five per cent per year for the past number of years, with both consumer and business tourist numbers fuelling major growth in urban centres.”

MARKET BREAKDOWN Almost 35% of consumer spend is found in Quick Service Restaurants, which comprises traditional fast, and more upmarket, food outlets, along with the growing area of foodto-go. Pubs account for 18% of consumer spend (excluding alcohol), with food-led

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24/11/2016 14:20

MARKET REPORT Andrew Keegan and Clodagh Fahy of Galmere Fresh Foods.

#Food service

95%

of the growth in the foodservice market up to 2020 will occur in the Commercial channels

The value split between Commercial and Institutional Channels is

Maxine Hyde of Ballymaloe Relish.

91% : 9% 28%

Shane O’Hanrahan and Karen Fennell of Flahavan’s.

(l-r): Donal Hayes, Hayes Farm of Tipperary, Bobby Kerr, and Jim Bergin, Hayes Farm.

pubs seeing the biggest return. Strongest growth is occurring in the coffee shop segment, although from a small base.

Other segments are showing significant improvement, notably leisure and travel, which are positively impacted by growing tourism business and spending on leisure activities.

TRENDS Health and authenticity continue to experience growing consumer demand.

Operators are increasingly focused on broadly defined ‘healthy’ offerings.

This may not necessarily mean lower fat or lower calories, but rather more of a focus on the types of ingredients, the transparency of the menu, and how much of a menu item can be described as ‘natural.’ Quick Service restaurants have been a target for criticism regarding the national focus on obesity and health concerns. The potential mandatory inclusion of calorie counts on menus, as well as a tax on sugar sweetened drinks coming into effect in 2018, will put pressure on these outlets to consider healthier menu items that are cohesive with their offering. Operators speak about value, but not necessarily in terms of price only. Many feel that consumers

Balance in NI

are willing to spend money on higher quality food and beverage items and refer to ‘fair’ prices, as opposed to the lowest price. Value creation tends to focus on maximising the customer experience.

Provenance is still very much on trend, with a need from consumers to know who they are supporting. Food with a story is something that operators increasingly market to their customers, and where the food or beverage comes from is viewed as a critical determinant in assessing the quality of the item.

There has been a strong focus on hiring chefs and others with culinary experience in an effort to create a better offer for the consumer. This greater culinary expression trend is true across all foodservice channels - hotels, full service restaurants, quick service restaurants and workplace caterers are all focused on elevating the culinary role. Ethnic food operations continue to thrive, matching the consumer taste for non-domestic menu offerings.

MAXIMISING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES This year, for the first time, Bord Bia introduced a ‘Producer Showcase’ to the seminar, whereby almost 100 foodservice trade buyers had the opportunity to meet with 40 Irish food and drink producers in a farmers market-style environment. The showcase facilitated business development with existing and potential customers and is one of a series

of activities arranged by Bord Bia to help Irish food and drink producers maintain and grow business in the domestic market. At the seminar, chaired by Bobby Kerr, delegates heard from Amanda Roche Kelly, Managing Director of online takeaway delivery service Just Eat, who highlighted consumers’ appetite for online technology, as well as a growing interest in a broader range of cuisine types, including ethnic and Asian. Other speakers included Louise O’Donohue of the Penny Loaf, an Offaly-based family bakery that has participated on Bord Bia’s foodservice business programmes. Louise shared her experiences of operating in Ireland and the UK, while Michelle Fennell from Musgrave MarketPlace provided an insight into the future of Cash and Carry.

#Bord Bia Bord Bia partnered with Technomic Inc. to develop the Foodservice Channel Insights Report.

The process undertaken included a large range of in-depth interviews within the trade. Bord Bia also published its Irish Foodservice Market Directory, which includes detailed profiles of over 100 operators and wholesale distributors.

It is aimed at providing companies with key background information on potential customers and advice on how to drive their foodservice business. The directory is a key part of Bord Bia’s Ireland Market Foodservice Programme which assists suppliers to develop relationships with foodservice distributors and operators.

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72%

Majority of spend is taking place in ROI

CATERING REVIEW

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SUPPLY

LINE ESSENTIAL PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

GRAHAM’S

TIME FOR TAWNY Port is the quintessential Christmas drink and a must-stock this time of year, but consumers are starting to explore outside of the usual ruby, LBV and vintage categories. Tawny is one such increasingly popular version of port that has been gaining critical attention from the likes of John Wilson in The Irish Times and Raymond Blake in Food & Wine.

The famous and historic Graham’s Port has an excellent collection of aged Tawnies available here in Ireland - 10, 20, 30 and 40 year olds - each providing rich, nutty, dried fruit flavours in varying degrees of complexity, depending on its time in the barrel.

CONO SUR

A CHILEAN CHRISTMAS

WOLF BLASS

IT’S A CELEBRATION What a year for Wolf Blass. Not only are they celebrating 50 years since the company was established in 1966, they also celebrated the 40th vintage of their iconic Black Label, the wine that has won Australia’s most coveted trophy, the Jimmy Watson, an unequalled four times.

And if that wasn’t enough, Wolf Blass was named ‘Red Winemaker of the Year’ in July’s prestigious International Wine Challenge, the third time the company has been awarded this accolade, following wins in both 2008 and 2013.

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Since its creation in 1993, Cono Sur has pushed the boundaries of Chilean winemaking. First there was the 20 Barrels range, which began in 1996 as a project to produce Chile’s first ultrapremium Pinot Noir. Then in 2003 Ocio was released, Chile’s first iconic pinot noir and the zenith of Cono Sur’s ‘Pinot Noir Project,’ followed by Silencio in 2014, the winery’s first iconic Cabernet Sauvignon. This Christmas is the perfect time to enjoy these premium wines in all their glory, and gives consumers the opportunity to experience the Chilean quality revolution first hand.

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INTERIOR TRENDS

Interior DESIRE Hotel & Catering Review talks to Ann-Marie O’Neill about how she turned House in Limerick into a ‘home away from home.’

House, Co. Limerick

Style Tip

SATIN AND POLISHED BRASS BAR STOOL

www.bykoket.com

Ann-Marie O’Neill

SARONA VELVET CUSHION IN YELLOW

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GOLD MERCURY TEALIGHT,

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BRONZE VELVET CUSHION

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WOODEN BLOCK LAMP WITH CREAM SHADE,

www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk LEVI SITTING HARE SCULPTURE IN BRONZE FINISH

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When Ann-Marie O’Neill of O’Donnell O’Neill Design first began the redesign of House in Limerick, it was important to both her and the client to maintain the signature essence of the House brand by creating a relaxing and intimate interior. “It should be glamorous but still somewhere the customer feels comfortable - a home away from home,” she explains. Within the design space, AnnMarie used bespoke furniture upholstered in autumnal toned velvet fabrics to add an intimacy to the exposed concrete ceilings.

Salvaged timber panelling runs throughout the space. Most of the elements used are either bespoke designs or salvaged antiques.

Treated and aged timbers are used in the tables to add character. Seating played a significant role in constructing the atmosphere and intimacy of the space. “It is important to have easy access to the bar and the seating layout and design is very varied to create a sense of place for the customer,” says Anne-Marie. “It was also important that the seating layout allowed the customer to feel comfortable and to have a conversation with ease.”

BROOKBY WINDOW MIRROR

www.one.world

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The seating should be varied and wellproportioned so that it is comfortable to spend time relaxing and conversing with friends.

RIYAL BONE INLAID ROUND TABLE,

www.artisanti.com

GOLD MOROCCAN CEILING PENDANT LIGHT,

www.madewithlovedesigns.co.uk

PARQUET PATTERN VINYL FLOORING

www.murafloor.com

BRONZE EQUINE TRIO HORSE SCULPTURE

www.artisanti.com

VELVET ZULU 2 SEAT SOFA

www.demoraisinternational.com

24/11/2016 15:08

OUTLOOK 2017

BREXIT

blues

The Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC) believes that Brexit is Ireland’s biggest challenge since the 2008 economic crash.

Here, ITIC outlines its concerns, which revolve around the border, aviation access, regulatory regimes, and crossborder co-operation.

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DANGERS OF A NEW BORDER Over the medium to longer term, as a new trading agreement is put in place, the best outcome for Irish tourism would be a ‘soft Brexit,’ and this is what ITIC urges the Government to try and secure. A ‘hard Brexit,’ which has been signalled by Westminster, as well as by certain elements of the Northern Executive, would lead to the UK exiting the EU and losing access to the single market, with the introduction of controls on the movement of people and goods. This would be unequivocally damaging for business and tourism in Ireland. What is clear is that when the UK leaves the EU, the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will become an external border of the EU. As such, it is difficult to foresee how the erection of a more visible border can be avoided. A ‘soft border’ would appear to be incompatible with the UK’s stated exit objectives and with the responsibility of Ireland as a member state to protect the EU frontier and control the movement of goods and people. Ireland and the UK negotiated opt-outs from the Schengen Agreement, subsequently incorporated into European Law following the Treaty of Amsterdam (1997), which brought about the abolition of internal border controls and a common visa policy between member states. In a post Brexit situation, should a hard external EU border be introduced between Northern Ireland and the Republic, thereby devaluing or negating the Common Travel Area, it could be in Ireland’s best interest to join Schengen. From a tourism perspective, the benefits of joining the common borderless EU travel area could be more beneficial for tourism than a bilateral arrangement with the UK. Besides, it may not be feasible for Ireland to reciprocate a common visa scheme with a post Brexit UK. It is possible that in a post hard Brexit

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OUTLOOK 2017 Pictured left, Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons with Minister Ross.

SHOULD THE UK BE OUTSIDE THE SINGLE AVIATION MARKET, AS A RESULT OF LEAVING THE SINGLE MARKET, THIS COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS FOR IRISH TOURISM. scenario, the British could unilaterally decide to allow Irish people to travel to the UK. However, Ireland would be prevented under EU rules from reciprocating on the basis of a bilateral. Any agreement would require the approval of the EU’s 27 member states.

ITIC’s position is that the Common Travel Area must be maintained and that, should any border controls be imposed to allow the UK to manage migration, these should be on the British mainland and not within the island of Ireland.

SINGLE AVIATION MARKET Brexit has potential implications for the liberalised single European aviation market, which has been a driving force for inbound tourism to Ireland. The EU Open Skies regime, establishing the Single Market in aviation, allows for unrestricted access to airlines of Member States to operate within the EU subject only to the condition that

at least 50% ownership and effective control is in EU hands. Should the UK be outside the single aviation market, as a result of leaving the Single Market, this could have significant implications for Irish tourism.

There would be potential repercussions for the shareholding of Aer Lingus (owned and controlled by IAG) and Ryanair to ensure that they conform to the 50% EU ownership and control requirements. The non-EU shareholding of both airline companies would exceed 50% in the event that UK based shareholders were designated as ‘foreign’, post a negotiated Brexit. Brexit could see the termination of the current basis on which UK airlines operate within the Single Market and the ending of traffic rights for other European carriers to fly unimpeded to/ from the UK. The situation of pre-existing, generally restrictive, bilateral air service agreements post Brexit is unclear. Potential solutions could include a UK accession to the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA),

which already includes non-EU members such as Norway, although it would involve Britain accepting all EU aviation law without any say in its formulation. Other solutions in the frame could include the UK negotiating to join the European Economic Area (EEA) or the European Free Trade Area (EFTA).

ITIC’s position is that the preservation of the current aviation regulatory regime of open market access for airlines between the two countries is critical for tourism and trade. Therefore, should Britain exit the Single Market, a political agreement between the UK and EU must be put in place to ensure that existing aviation traffic rights remain in place.

REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT The withdrawal of the UK from the EU has potential implications for changes in the regulatory environment under which business is transacted across the island of

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OUTLOOK 2017

IRELAND MUST PLAY A CENTRAL, COLLABORATIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN WHAT IS LIKELY TO BE A TOUGH AND LENGTHY PROCESS.

Ireland. Currently, governments and businesses on both sides of the border subscribe to a common set of EU legislative and regulatory regimes. The removal of this common basis could result in serious disadvantages for tourism businesses in the Republic if enterprises in the North were to gain a competitive advantage due to a lightening of regulations or an easing of the compliance cost burden. Inevitably there would be areas where businesses in the travel and hospitality sectors could find that different regulatory regimes operate on each side for the border, for example in regard to working conditions, industry standards or consumer protection. An area where one could potentially see tourism in the south being disadvantaged would be that of Northern Irish state aid to businesses. In a post Brexit era, the administration in the North could conceivably support tourism with state funding for product development without any restrictions, or provide financial assistance to airports and airlines.

ITIC’s position is that the regulatory standards should be harmonised, where possible, on the island of Ireland so that tourism businesses North and South are on an even competitive keel.

CROSS BORDER CO-OPERATION Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster

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have both committed to the all-island agencies after Brexit. It is important for tourism that this remains the case and that there is no dilution of this commitment. It is important that current cross-border co-operation, including implementation bodies such as Tourism Ireland and Waterways Ireland, is maintained. Following on from the Good Friday Agreement, tourism was one of the areas identified for co-operation but implemented separately in each jurisdiction.

However, Tourism Ireland was subsequently established as a ‘de facto’ seventh implementation body, in addition to the six specified in the legislation. Its provenance comes under the policy cooperation area of the agreement as a compromise agreed by the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive that a publicly-owned limited company would be established by the two existing tourism agencies to promote inbound tourism to the island in an integrated way. Although a combination of two national jurisdictions with different currencies, the mutual membership of the EU and the Common Travel Area provide the cement to facilitate the joint marketing of the one geographic destination, while mitigating the visitor’s experience of travelling

between two jurisdictions. A hard Brexit risks damaging this, and without early resolution, some businesses might form a view, however erroneous, that they could be competitively disadvantaged by continuing with all-island marketing.

ITIC’s position is that tourism has been wellserved by an all-island approach to its marketing and promotion and there needs to be a strong commitment to this by the Dáil and the Northern Ireland Assembly by supporting Tourism Ireland and committing appropriate resources to its work.

CONCLUSION The likelihood is that the process of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU will be complex and lengthy. The provision of a two-year period for such an exit is probably unrealistic and the process could drag on beyond 2019. Uncertainty has the added negative effect of being damaging to business investment decisions and consumer confidence.

Ireland must play a central, collaborative and constructive role in what is likely to be a tough and lengthy process. The political settlement in the North needs to be afforded a special status.

However, any agreement will be on the basis of approval by the 26 fellow Member States, not on a bilateral basis. Thus an intense diplomatic effort with our EU colleagues on the part of Ireland over the coming months will be required. Priorities must be the preservation of the Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland and the preservation of the current open skies single market aviation regime. While the challenges outlined here by ITIC may not all come to pass, it is highly probable that in the short term the uncertainties, allied to the weakening of sterling, are likely to dampen demand from the British market. As a result, policies must be implemented to ensure that Ireland remains competitive and that appropriate marketing and product investment is committed to tourism.

ITIC represented the tourism industry at the AllIsland Civic Dialogue on Brexit on November 2nd which had been convened by the Taoiseach.

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24/11/2016 10:12

CROWNING

Glories

MAGDA DABROWSKA, GENERAL MANAGER OF CROWNE PLAZA DUBLIN – BLANCHARDSTOWN, AND GARRET O’NEILL, GENERAL MANAGER OF CROWNE PLAZA DUBLIN AIRPORT, ON CREATING THE ULTIMATE GUEST EXPERIENCES. Q: Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport won the Ireland’s Business Hotel award at the Keelings Farm Fresh Gold Medal Awards. Did the hotel introduce any innovations that helped you to achieve recognition for the service that you are offering your corporate guests?

A: The hotel completed the refurbishment of the meeting space at the end of 2015 and upgraded the WiFi to 400mb to ensure that our business travellers are always connected. The restaurant and

room service menus include a ‘fast & fresh’ option with the focus on healthy, local produce. We also introduced the concept of ‘eat well, work well’ menus for conference delegates to offer healthier options for breaks and lunch that help avoid the afternoon slump. We installed a ‘run station’ in the lobby, which is equipped with running maps, water, towels and fruit, to encourage guests to take advantage of the beautiful 85 acres of parkland opposite the hotel.

(l-r): Garret O’Neill, General Manager of Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport, Magda Dabrowska, General Manager of Crowne Plaza Dublin – Blanchardstown, and Colm Bury, Managing Director, Keelings Farm Fresh, with the Ireland’s Guest Experience award.

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Q: Is Crowne Plaza Dublin planning to roll out any new services for business customers and corporate clients in 2017?

A: The bedroom refurbishment is scheduled for completion in January 2017 and, in addition to the new carpets and soft furnishings, the needs of the business traveller have been addressed with additional electrical and USB ports at the bedside for their convenience. The hotel will also complete the refurbishment of the fourth floor Club Lounge which gives our corporate guests the opportunity to have breakfast away from the hustle and bustle of the restaurant, and also offers a chance for them to network in the evenings over complimentary drinks and canapés. For 2017, all beds will feature pillow-top mattresses and each room will have a ‘sleep advantage’ kit containing a soothing pillow spray and an aromatherapy roll-on with essential oils.

Q: The Crowne Plaza Dublin – Blanchardstown won the Ireland’s Guest Experience category at this

year’s Keelings Farm Fresh Gold Medal Awards. How important is the culinary aspect of the overall guest experience?

A: The culinary enjoyment of every guest is of paramount importance. It really doesn’t matter what purpose their stay is for, everyone avails of some element of the food offering in a hotel, whether it be breakfast, lunch, dinner or room service. Getting the service element, and the food quality element, right on each of these occasions is hugely important for us.

Q: How has your relationship with Keelings contributed to the success of your operation at Blanchardsown?

A: The hotel needs to be confident in the produce that it receives in order to be confident with our food offerings. We are very pleased with both the produce and the customer service relationship that we have with Keelings.

Diners want the freshest ingredients that are locally produced. With this in mind, having Keelings so close to us here in the Fingal area is of huge benefit to our hotels.

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

24/11/2016 15:01

A QUICK CHAT

FAVOURITE DISH: BEEF WELLINGTON

It is not the easiest thing in the world to cook so it requires a lot of different skills. I don’t make mine the classical way - I use a thing called brick pastry and I like to put a bit of parma ham in it as well.

GARETH MULLINS

Chef Network is a forum where chefs can get together, share ideas, share frustrations if needs be, and talk together as a community.

If someone doesn’t want a scone or our famous cronut, they can try our refuel raw salads, healthy treats like paleo balls, healthy Reese’s pieces, tracker bars, or a cleaner version of a burger.

INGREDIENT: IRISH BUTTER

It is essential in pastries and sauces, but it is also used for finishing roast meats and roast fishes. I think our butter is probably some of the best in the world.

“The equilibrium menu, which I introduced this year, is a healthy option for diners.”

WISH LIST: A BIG SMOKER

We have a couple of smaller smokers but I’ve toyed with the idea of buying a bigger one for the past couple of years so we could smoke our own salmon.

Our nutriburger is served on a gluten free bun. Instead of cheese and bacon, we put in fermented red cabbage, avocado and some seeds, and it is served with roasted sweet potato fries.

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Hotel & Catering Review talks to Executive Chef Gareth Mullins about the Chef Network and the new equilibrium menu at The Marker Hotel.

INSPIRATION: ED COONEY

Ed Cooney is a close friend of mine but he has also been a mentor to me in my career and has helped me make the right decisions. Most of the guys in big hotel jobs have all worked for him at one stage or another!

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24/11/2016 16:24

IRELAND – A DIRECTORY 2017

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TO ORDER IRELAND – A DIRECTORY 2017, CONTACT: Publishing Division Institute of Public Administration 57-61 Lansdowne Road Dublin 4 Telephone: 01 240 3600 Email: sales@ipa.ie Website: www.ipa.ie

24/11/2016 15:03

When only the freshes t will do ...

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24/11/2016 30/08/2016 15:02 17:05