Hospitality Review May 2013 Issue

MAY 2013

The VOICE of Northern Ireland's catering, licensing and tourism industry

review NI

drinks trade

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15-19

Summer Drinks Feature: Hospitality Review takes a look at the key drinks to have available for customers as the summer months approach

26&27

Louise Murphy chats to Julie Hastings to hear about her latest role as recently appointed ‘Visiting Professor’ with the University of Ulster.

28&29

The former Park Plaza Hotel at Belfast International Airport has recently been acquired by the Irish Maldron brand.

Louise Murphy caught up with the Head of Operations & Business Development, Stephen Redden to hear the plans for the hotel.

32&33

Unilever have launched their annual search for the Best Carvery. Find out how to enter and which Ulster & Ireland rugby legend is particularly excited about the event!

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Have you visited our new website? Check it out at

http://hospitalityreviewni.com/ for all the latest industry news and views as well as exclusive competitions Editor: Louise Murphy Manager: Nicola Daly Art Editor: Helen Wright Production Manager: Stuart Gray Subscriptions: 028 9078 3200 (Price £27.50 UK, £37.50 outside UK) Accounts: Gerardine Carson Publishers: James and Gladys Greer.

Published by Greer Publications: 5B Edgewater Business Park, Belfast Harbour Estate, Belfast, BT3 9JQ. Tel: 028 9078 3200 Fax: 028 9078 3210. Editorial Contact: louisemurphy@greerpublications.com.

Advertising Contact: nicoladaly@greerpublications.com. Tel: 028 9078 3234 The Review is the official publication for: Pubs of Ulster: 91 University Street, Belfast, BT7 1HP. Tel: 028 9032 7578.

Chief Executive: Colin Neill Chairman: Mark Stewart.

The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation: The McCune Building, 1 Shore Road, Belfast, BT15 3PJ. Tel: 028 9077 6635.

Chief Executive: Janice Gault President: James McGinn.

The Institute of Hospitality, NI Branch: 80 Bryansburn Road, Bangor, BT20 3SB. Tel: 07886 594770. www.instituteofhospitalityni.co.uk. Chairperson: Stephen Meldrum.

Design & Production by: Greer Publications Design Printed by: W. & G. Baird Ltd. The opinions expressed in Hospitality Review are not necessarily those of Pubs of Ulster, the NIHF or the Institute of Hospitality.

Hospitality Review is copyright © Greer Publications 2013 Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/HospitalityReviewNI

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news

Beech Hill Country House Hotel awarded prestigious accolade Faughan Valley hotel named as one of the top 100 places to stay in Ireland.

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here is no better place to stay – that’s what the award winning Beech Hill Country House Hotel said after it was named as one of the 2013 top 100 places to stay in Ireland.

The prestigious accolade was awarded to the historical Georgian hotel located in the Faughan Valley, Co. Derry, by the John and Sally McKennas’ Guides 2013.

The Guide also named the hotel’s owner, Patsy O’Kane as one of the top 10 general managers in Ireland.

The John and Sally McKennas’ Guides 2013 are acclaimed local guides to the finest Irish restaurants, food shops, farmer’s markets, places to stay and pubs across the island of Ireland. They are independently and critically assessed by named reviewers and are internationally recognised as a leading authority on speciality food and hospitality in Ireland.

Speaking about the award, Patsy O’Kane, owner and general manager at the Beech Hill Country House Hotel, said: “We are delighted to be awarded this prestigious accolade that recognises the hard work and dedication of all our staff.

“We are in a unique position that we can offer our guests an opulent mix of Georgian elegance and mouth watering cuisine set within an incredible 32 acres of woodland and lakes. This combined with our rich history and commitment to customer service makes the hotel one of Ireland’s most attractive and best known places to stay.”

The award-winning Beech Hill Country House Hotel is a luxurious four star country house built in 1729 surrounded by woodlands in the picturesque setting of the Faughan Valley.

It has 30 well appointed luxury bedrooms and a stylish restaurant that offers a fine dining experience in palatial and opulent surroundings. It is home to a commemorative museum to the US Marines stationed at the hotel during World War II. For more information on the Beech Hill Country House Hotel please visit: www.beech-hill.com or www.discoverfaughanvalley.com.

Barry O’Brien, Head Chef; Patsy O’Kane, Owner and General Manager and Conor Donnelly, Sales and Marketing Manager celebrate the Beech Hill Country House Hotel’s success after it was named as one of the top 100 places to stay in Ireland. Image supplied by Lorcan Doherty Photography.

Take a look at OUR NEW Website...

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f you enjoy our features like this, interviews, Q&A pieces and keeping up-to-date with all the latest industry news, then why not visit our recently launched website at http:// hospitalityreviewni.com/ Thanks to the creative genius of John Ferris, the man behind FoodBelfast and more recently Forked. ie, our new website will keep readers up-to-speed with the latest industry goings ons.

Featuring everything from social pics to interviews with some key industry figures, there’s plenty of reasons to pop by and have a look.

Not only that, if the website content whets your appetite, you can subscribe online to receive your copy of the magazine, delivered directly to your door each month.

And, as if all that’s not enough, we’ll also be running exclusive online competitions via the website. There will be some fantastic prizes coming up over the weeks and months ahead so it is well worth checking them out at http://hospitalityreviewni.com/

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Kings of Leon confirmed to headline Tennent’s Vital

Pictured at the launch of Tennent’s Vital 2013 at the Limelight is (centre) Duncan Millar, Commercial Director of Tennent’s NI, with Alan Simms and Phil Donaldson from the Limelight.

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ings of Leon will headline Tennent’s Vital on Wednesday 14th August, Tennent’s Lager & MCD are thrilled to reveal.

The Southern rockers are the first act to be announced for the 2013 festival, which returns to Boucher Road Playing Fields in Belfast this August, with details of the second date and more exciting line-up news set to be unveiled by organisers later this month.

After a two year hiatus, Kings of Leon are back and ready to make their long awaited live return to Europe this summer. The band posted images of their return to the studio on their official Facebook page last week, fuelling excitement amongst fans, with anticipation for details of their sixth album rapidly growing.

Their epic, soaring anthems and incredible energy make them one of the greatest live acts on the planet, and their return to Belfast is sure to be the hottest ticket of the summer. Cue mass singalongs at Boucher Road Playing Fields.

Nicola McCleery, Head of Marketing for Tennent’s NI, commented: “We are thrilled to reveal the first details of Tennent’s Vital 2013. We’re incredibly excited that Kings of Leon will be taking to the stage at the festival this August, as we’re sure our fans will be. They’re one of the finest bands in the world and a phenomenal live act, and I’m sure they’ll treat us to an unmissable set. Since its return in 2011, Tennent’s Vital has sealed its place as the highlight of Northern Ireland’s music calendar and we’re delighted that our partners at MCD have secured another huge international act for this summer. We’ll have more news on the rest of the line up later this month with many more top acts in store – details will be revealed very soon!”

Tennent’s Vital 2012 saw the likes of the Foo Fighters, The Stone Roses, The Black Keys and Florence and the Machine play to 60,000 music fans at Boucher Road Playing Fields, and this year’s event will once again bring some of the best musical talent on the planet to Belfast for an unforgettable festival experience.

Fans can get their hands on tickets for Wednesday 14th August, headlined by Kings of Leon, from www.ticketmaster.ie.

Ticket Information Tickets for Day 1 of Tennent’s Vital 2013 (Wednesday 14th August) are on general sale, priced as follows: • Wed 14 August – Kings of Leon plus more to be announced: £49.50 incl booking fee.

Sir William Hastings, Chairman of Hastings Hotels and Paul Klein, French Horn Section Leader with the Ulster Orchestra announce a new partnership which will give guests to the leading collection of hotels the opportunity to enjoy the sounds of the symphony orchestra live throughout 2013.

Hastings Hotels and the Ulster Orchestra hit the right notes

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orthern Ireland’s leading collection of hotels has announced a new partnership with the Ulster Orchestra which will give guests the opportunity to enjoy the sounds of the symphony orchestra live throughout 2013 in its six hotels.

Hastings Hotels has sponsored the Ulster Orchestra’s French Horn Section Leader Paul Klein, who will work alongside other musicians of the orchestra in providing solo, group and orchestral performances for guests and clients of the six hotels, the Culloden Estate & Spa, Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, Europa Hotel, Stormont Hotel, Ballygally Castle and Everglades Hotel.

Sir William Hastings, Chairman of Hastings Hotels said: “We are delighted to be supporting this prestigious and historic local organisation, and we are confident that this will be the start of a really successful partnership. We look forward to being able to offer guests to our hotels with the opportunity to attend intimate events to listen to the wonderful sounds of the Ulster Orchestra.”

The partnership with Hastings Hotels is the most recent in the Ulster Orchestra’s new initiative to build mutually beneficial relationships with local business leaders through the annual sponsorship of players and their chairs.

Tracy Marshall, the Ulster Orchestra’s Head of Development added: “We are delighted to have gained the support of Hastings Hotels which has a fabulous collection of hotels in Northern Ireland. We look forward to giving the guests of the six Hastings Hotels the opportunity to listen live to the wonderful sounds of the Ulster Orchestra throughout 2013.”

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Time to Celebrate Malbec with Doña Paula!

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shleigh Jones looks every inch the South American señorita as she enjoys a glass of Doña Paula to mark World Malbec Day. Craigavon-based supplier United Wine Merchants distribute the popular Argentinean label and according to Wine Manager Ciaran Meyler this has already proved a very popular addition to their portfolio: “Malbec is an Argentinean offering and one which already affords a sizeable following, particularly as it is a very easy drinking label. At United Wine Merchants we are very pleased to distribute the Doña Paula range as this has won numerous National and International awards; we distribute two varietals of the Los Cordos and Estate ranges and I’m certain we can expect an increase in orders around World Malbec Day.”

Foster urges all to value tourism

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ourism Minister Arlene Foster has said the economic potential of tourism should be recognised at every level right across government, councils and industry stakeholders.

Speaking at the launch of the Value Tourism campaign, the Minister said the success of ni2012, the opening of world-class attractions and a programme of major events had created positive global media coverage, generating a new confidence in tourism.

Arlene Foster said: “We have to place value on what the visitor values, which is why it is important to consider tourism in a collective, cross-cutting way. Visitors’ expectations impact on a range of Executive departments, agencies, councils and, of course, the industry.

“Understanding visitor expectations and priorities is extremely important for anyone who has a role that can enhance the visitor experience. This ‘bigger picture’ should also be considered by anyone whose decisions, strategies or policies have the capacity to create opportunities to spread the benefits of tourism.

“Our collective goal must be to make sure Northern Ireland has the key requirements in place to compete on the international stage, and to be able to present ‘our place’ as a globally unique and compelling destination.”

Arlene Foster said her Department, the Executive, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), together with the private sector and the industry, had worked hard in recent years to showcase Northern Ireland as a great place to visit, live, work, study and invest.

The Minister added: “Together, we have put tourism in a strong position, but we are not complacent and recognise there is much more to do. Those connected to tourism should pull out all the stops to provide visitors with experiences that are unique to us - experiences that reveal our character, share our legends, our cultural and creative vibe, our excellent outdoor activities and, of course, our coasts, lakes and wonderful natural environment.

“As Tourism Minister I urge all my Executive colleagues, local government, business and relevant stakeholders to embrace this initiative and work together to recognise the long term value of tourism.”

Tourism Minister Arlene Foster has said the sector’s economic potential should be recognised at every level right across government, councils and industry stakeholders.

Launching the Value Tourism campaign at The Crumlin Road Gaol, the Minister said the success of ni2012, the opening of world-class attractions and a programme of major events had created positive global media coverage, generating a new confidence in tourism. Arlene Foster is pictured at the launch event with NITB Board members Martyn Todd and Katy Best.

news

Cono Sur among Drinks International’s Top Most Admired Wine Brands

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o family trees, no dusty bottles, just quality wine” - so goes the marketing slogan, appropriately enough for a wine company established in 1993.

The business has become one of the largest producers of Pinot Noir in South America and indeed the world.

Its wines are sold in over 70 countries worldwide. Cono Sur was the most awarded winery in the 10th Annual Wines of Chile Awards. They continue to build their reputation by winning a host of awards and medals across their wine portfolio. Most recently Cono Sur was listed within the Top 20 World’s Most Admired Wine Brands by Drinks International.

Adding to these recent honours, Decanter’s March issue listed two Cono Sur wines among their ten great value Chilean reds under £15: Cono Sur Bicicleta Pinot Noir 2011 and Cono Sur Reserva Especial Cabernet

Sauvignon 2009.

Under the stewardship of General Manager Adolfo Hurtado, the company has built a reputation not just for good value wines of consistent quality, but a dedication to sustainable agriculture and a benevolent approach to workers and their families.

Cono Sur is highlighted around the world for its innovative ideas, contemporary methods and high quality wines. In 2012 Cono Sur

re-launched their Bicycle wines, now named Bicicleta with improved premium packaging and recently launched new premium wines, Cono Sur Reserva range, Sparkling Brut & 20 Barrels limited edition wines.

They are also currently involved with “Celebrate Southplicity” (www. southplicity.com) a global initiative inviting consumers to enjoy the simplicity of sophistication. www.woodfordbourneni.com

“No family trees, no dusty bottles, just quality wine”

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food news

Game of Thrones® exhibition tickets set for release

Johnny Hamilton (left) from Bangor and Rory Lindsay from Belfast get ready for the hotlyanticipated HBO Game of Thrones Exhibition which visits Belfast from June 8th-17th. The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), working in partnership with Northern Ireland Screen and Titanic Belfast, said that demand for tickets has been overwhelming with over 6,000 enquiries since it was announced that the exhibition will be coming to Belfast as part of a five city tour.

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he countdown is on for the hotly-anticipated HBO Game of Thrones Exhibition which visits Belfast in June and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) is delighted to welcome the Exhibition to Northern Ireland. Working in partnership with Northern Ireland Screen and Titanic Belfast, NITB said that demand for tickets has been overwhelming with over 6,000 enquiries since it was announced that the exhibition will be coming to Belfast as part of a five city tour.

Tickets for the show, which will be housed in Titanic Belfast from June 8th–17th, the world’s largest Titanic visitor experience, are free of charge and will go on general release on May 17th through the Titanic Belfast website. There will also be a limited number of presale tickets available prior to general release, which can be accessed by signing up for further information through the Game of Thrones section on DiscoverNorthernIreland.com (www.discovernorthernireland.com/gotexhibition).

The exhibition is designed to transport viewers into the breathtaking and enchanted world of Westeros, a fictional continent within the show, and will feature over 70 original artefacts including props and costumes as well as interactive elements.

NITB’s Culture and Arts Officer Helen Carey is looking forward to welcoming the exhibition to Northern Ireland.

“Belfast is one of only five cities across the world chosen to host the Game of Thrones exhibition and there has been a huge interest from fans with enquiries from across Europe,” said Helen.

“I would encourage anyone who is interested in attending the event to sign up for further information via the Discover Northern Ireland website. Tickets are free but will be allocated against specific timeslots, however there may be some queues on the day as we are trying to cater for as many people as possible”, she added.

Titanic Belfast’s CEO Tim Husbands, said: “Titanic Belfast is delighted to be hosting the Game of Thrones exhibition and to be giving fans this fantastic opportunity to learn more about the popular TV series and see a wide range of costumes and props from the show in person.”

The exhibition will focus on key characters from five of the noble houses (Stark, Lannister, Targaryen, Baratheon and Greyjoy) and displays will include; Costumes, props, armour and weapons – artisans, whose superb craftsmanship has provided authenticity to the medieval world of the show, worked closely with HBO to curate the exhibit with items including: an impressive costume display overseen by the show’s head costume designer Michele Clapton who dressed the mannequins to ensure accuracy in the presentation of the extraordinarily detailed garments, iconic artefacts such as model dragons, weaponry (King Joffrey’s crossbow, daggers and swords), armour (helmets, shields and full suits of armour worn by key characters in the show), crowns, jewellery, books and much more.

Backwater Bay Interactive Experience – fans will get an opportunity to participate in an exciting interactive experience that will place them amid the action of the epic battle of Backwater Bay from season 2.

Iron Throne – fit for any king or queen, fans will be able to take their photo on a precise replica of the iron throne from the series to post and share on social media sites.

For further information on the Games of Thrones exhibition and filming locations click on www.discovernorthernireland.com/gotexhibition, check #GOTNI on Twitter or visit your local tourist information centre.

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q&a

My Life in Hospitality ryan mcFarland, Customer Business Manager at Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands 1. What is your current role?

Customer Business Manager at Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands 2. A brief outline of your employment history to date I spent time at GlaxoSmithKline and worked in accountancy prior to joining Bacardi Brown-Forman where I held various roles in Northern Ireland with early focus in the on trade working up to Regional Development Manager before moving to GB nearly three years ago. I managed UK national wholesale customers and our online business before taking up the role of Business Unit Controller within the convenience and wholesale division. I have recently returned to head up the BBFB business in Northern Ireland.

3. What does your role involve?

I am responsible managing and motivating the BBFB team in Northern Ireland to deliver all aspects of both on and off trade sales, manage distribution relationships and deliver brand activation across our portfolio.

I also have responsibility in UK and Ireland sales strategy and work to deliver alignment between GB and NI/ RoI businesses.

4. When did you take up this post?

1st April 2013 5. What are the best/worst parts of your job?

Having returned to NI the best part so far is definitely meeting up with old colleagues, friends and customers.

Not enough hours in a day to get everything done is my initial thought on the worst part.

6. Give us a brief outline of what a typical day involves No two days are ever the same so I don’t really have typical days - I could be in our office in England, in trade meeting customers, working with our local team on projects or more than often sat at my desk completing paperwork. The variation keeps me motivated and keeps me focussed.

7. What has been the proudest moment of your career to date?

In 2011 I was nominated for a Global Sales Award for my work in developing distributor management models. The model I built was rolled out across our UK business and shared as best practice globally. This gave me a massive sense of achievement and would certainly be up there with my proudest career moments so far.

8. What is the best thing about

being involved with the local hospitality industry?

The people are the best thing about being involved in the local hospitality industry. Having been away from NI trade for a few years I missed the relaxed yet frank nature of our business relationships. People make businesses what they are and in the NI licensed

trade the people are of the highest quality.

9. What do you like to do to unwind away from work?

I play golf or watch rugby or football whenever I can to unwind. I love to socialise with my fiancĂŠ, friends and family; meals out, drinks, weekends away, gigs and theatre are all on the

agenda whenever possible.

10. Tell us something about yourself that not many people may know The original Rocky movie is in my top three movies; running the steps to do the Rocky pose in Philadelphia is on my bucket list.

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Independent Complaints Panel Chairman Duncan McCausland said: ”Since the code came into effect in September 2012 there have been twelve complaints made to the Independent Complaints Panel. So far those that have been fully examined have not been upheld but a number are still actively being considered.

It is hugely important that the industry is able to self regulate. If you think that an alcoholic drink promotional activity or sales practice might breach the Code, you can make a complaint to the panel.”

To contact the Independent Complaints Panel regarding a particular promotion, simply send a letter or email

enclosing a flyer or describing the promotion or sales practice in question with as much information as possible.

Responsible Retailing Code Independent Complaints Panel c/o 91 University Street Belfast BT7 1HP ResponsibleretailingcodeNI@gmail.com For Full details on the Code, and to read the document in full, please search online: ‘Responsible Retailing Code NI’

drinks news

Coors Light enjoys a ‘Damme Good’ year Northern Ireland’s number one selling bottled beer* is Light years ahead.

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ce cold Coors Light is officially the number one selling bottled beer* in Northern Ireland following a record year which confirmed the Molson Coors brand as the drinks industry success story of 2012.

The famous Coors Light bottle, which turns blue when it’s perfectly chilled and ready to drink, hit the top spot in the Northern Ireland on-trade last May and has held that position ever since.

Its Rocky Mountain heritage, uncompromising brewing standards and dedication to ice cold refreshment saw Coors Light bottle sales increase by 12 per cent last year in an overall Northern Ireland beer market that declined by approximately 5.2% in the on trade*.

“Coors Light has grown rapidly in popularity over the past few years and we’re delighted that it is now officially the people’s choice of bottled beers in Northern Ireland,” said Senior Brand Execution Manager Jordana Busby.

“We’ve invested heavily in the brand to bring it to life through creative marketing campaigns which encourage people to engage both online and in bars and clubs around the country.

We’re delighted with its success and are confident the growth will continue,” she added.

The success of Coors Light has

been supported by the brand’s hugely popular advertising campaign which famously features one of the world’s most iconic action film stars Jean Claude Van Damme. Set in the stunning Rockies mountain range, the ‘Closest to Cold’ series of commercials features Van Damme telling stories in which no matter how hard he tries, and no matter what he’s been through in his life to date, he can’t get close to the ice cold refreshment of a Coors Light.

Now the Coors Light team has made the perfect beer bottle even better by adding a second level of cold to its bottles and cans which they have cleverly called ‘Damme Cold’. Using what’s called ‘thermochromic ink’, the famous Rocky Mountains featured on the label of the Coors Light bottles and cans turns blue when the bottle reaches a chilled temperature but now a second ‘ice cold indicator’ has been added for those who like their beer ‘Damme Cold’.

“Our campaign with Jean Claude Van Damme has undoubtedly been a huge success across Northern Ireland,” said Jordana Busby, “which supported by promotional activity in bars and off licenses around the country along with TV, outdoor and social media activity, has really generated unprecedented levels of consumer engagement.

“This year, he is continuing in his

Jordana Busby of Molson Coors celebrates that Coors Light is officially the number one selling bottled beer* with sales increasing by 12 per cent last year in an overall Northern Ireland beer market that declined by approximately 5.2% in the on trade*. *Nielsen NI On Trade December 2012.

quest to get ‘Closest to Cold’ which we are supporting with TV and outdoor advertising, social media and various on and off trade marketing initiatives.

We believe that all of this makes Coors Light Northern Ireland’s must-stock beer brand of 2013 and we would urge pubs, clubs, hotels and off licenses to make sure they’re not left out in the ‘Damme Cold’ this year,” she added.

It’s not just bottle sales that are on the rise as Coors Light is the fastest growing draught beer in the province.

Overall, during 2012, Coors Light contributed more than £3.3 million to the Northern Ireland on-trade, with more than four million bottles and 1.1 million pints enjoyed by Northern Ireland consumers*. *Nielsen NI On Trade December 2012

Bushmills introduces Bushmills® Irish Honey

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Anita Ross pictured at the launch event.

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Katie Larmour and Lyndsey McDougall.

orld-famous Irish Whiskey, Bushmills has launched the latest addition to its collection of premium blends and single malts – Bushmills Irish Honey.

The new taste recognises the global reputation the brand holds for a smooth taste and reinforces the quality, authenticity and heritage that have been hallmarks of Bushmills Irish Whiskey for over 400 years.

Blended using Bushmills Irish Whiskey and just a touch of pure Irish honey, the newest member to the Bushmills family, “offers consumers a new choice that mixes well, is approachable and unique in its own right”, said Master Distiller Colum Egan.

To celebrate the launch, Bushmills commissioned some good friends who are artisans to make a 14 square foot Honey Hive, handcrafted out of wood that includes casks used to mature Bushmills Irish Whiskey.

The wooden hive played host to a surprise gig from acclaimed Northern Irish artist Rams’ Pocket Radio where he performed a twenty minute intimate gig to Bushmills and music fans in Belfast’s city centre, to mark the arrival of the latest member to the Bushmills range.

Rams’ Pocket Radio is Peter McCauley, a drummer, pianist and songwriter from Lisburn. Famed for being something of a ‘jack-of-all’ when it comes to music, he’s best known for handcrafting unmissable music experiences during live performances that often feature guest appearances from his music friends.

He said: “The best moments are created when friends come together, especially to make music. My favourite musical memories are experiences that I’ve shared with friends, when we’ve come together to create something unique. I see Bushmills Honey in a similar way – the coming together of Bushmills Irish Whiskey, made by a community of people, with pure Irish Honey. It’s a great pairing, just like whiskey and music is!”

Rams’ Pocket Radio also headlined a special Bushmills gig at Belfast’s Oh Yeah Music Centre to toast the arrival of Bushmills Irish Honey. Pete was joined by other indie music artists, Runaway Go and VerseChorusVerse at the launch event.

For more information about Bushmills Irish Honey and to find cocktail recipes, visit the website: www.bushmills.com or Facebook: facebook.com/bushmills1608

summer drinks

Raise a glass to summer!

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iven the abysmal winter (and ‘spring’) we’ve endured recently, it makes us all the more excited about summer.

And what’s a better way to spend a hot summer evening or afternoon than with friends, enjoying a few drinks in your local beer garden.

Sounds good doesn’t it?

With everyone looking forward to summer so much, it pays to be organised when it comes to organising your summer drinks selection.

In this feature, we’ll be showcasing some of the popular brands which will be ‘must-haves’ over the coming months. Everything from ciders to sparkling drinks, old and new brands, if it’s a summer thirst quencher, we have it here.

There will be plenty of events going on around Northern Ireland over the summer months, from the World Police & Fire Games to ongoing festivities in Derry/Londonderry and much, much more so it is a prime time for pubs to boost their trade.

With a number of local music festivals enticing large crowds, this presents the perfect opportunity for bars to attract new customers, before and after the shows.

A varied drinks offering will appeal to a wide range of customers and will satisfy different drinker’s desires and needs for specific occasions.

So read on, we hope you get some ideas over the next few pages and here’s to a happy and profitable summer.

We’ve got the drinks sorted; now all we need now is some sunshine!

eam! t w e i v e ality R t i p s o H The

Cheers,

New cider strikes silver in international awards

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ac Ivors, the recently launched Northern Irish artisan cider, has won recognition for quality and taste in the prestigious International Brewing Awards 2013.

The company’s Traditional Dry Cider, launched in October, gained a silver award in the category, Cider 5.0% ABV and above, the results of which were announced at the International Brewing Centre at Burton on Trent and the award was presented in the Guildhall, London recently. It was the only Northern Irish business to receive a medal from the high-level judging panel in

2013 and the only Irish cider ever to have won this award.

Mac Ivors is the brainchild of cider maker Greg MacNeice and uses a variety of apples from his family’s orchards in County Armagh, home of the Armagh Bramley apple, which has recently gained European protected name status.

Distributed in N. Ireland by Drinks Inc. these ciders are on now sale in over 100 premium outlets - bars, restaurants and off licences in Northern Ireland, recognising the public’s growing appetite for products that really deliver on taste and have local provenance. They are selling exceptionally well in the Republic of Ireland and have also been listed by the Shilling Group, one of Scotland’s leading pub chains. More recently, Mac Ivors first exports have been made to Finland.

Greg MacNeice, commenting of the award, says: “Winning such influential recognition for our Traditional Dry Cider just a few months after the launch of our range is a marvellous boost for the business and a tremendous endorsement of the quality of the new product.”

MacIvors Traditional Dry is a 5.6% ABV variety. The company’s other product, Mac Ivors Medium is a 4.5%

ABV cider. Both are made using 100% fresh pressed apples (no concentrates here) and have been developed by Greg, an experienced cider maker, to offer a richly flavoured and aromatic alternative to drinkers of commercial beers and ciders. Both feature eyecatching branding and point of sale materials.

Greg developed the new ciders after four years of market research in the UK, France and the US. His family has been growing apples for over 150 years in Armagh, managing more than 100 acres of orchards.

Held every two years at the National Brewery Centre in Burton, The International Brewing Awards is the oldest international beer competition in the world. This year, a panel of 40 experts judged almost 1,000 beers and ciders from 47 countries.

They are often dubbed ‘ the Oscars of the brewing industry’ - and with good reason. An Award is a recognition by fellow professional brewers that a beer/cider is an outstanding commercial example of its style. These attributes continue the tradition of integrity in judging that has endured during the 125+ years of this Competition’s remarkable history, the longest running in the world.

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summer drinks

Rekorderlig Cider – now the fastest growing cider brand in the UK

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ekorderlig are pleased to announce they are the fastest growing cider brand in the United Kingdom. Cider over the last 3 years has seen a massive change in dynamic and growth with a variety of variants, flavours and Skus now available – Rekorderlig has helped lead this change through their innovation. Cider is fast becoming similar to bottle beers with a wide variety on offer and each consumer having their own favourite flavour, over and above the now expected Apple, Pear and Strawberry and Lime.

Rekorderlig pride themselves on doing things differently, from their innovative flavour offerings to the organic humble packaging. This year saw that flavour offering increased further with Passsionfruit added to the line up. David Russell, Brand Director of GDK Drinks states “ We firmly believe Passionfruit will be one of the must have drinks this summer. Its delicate taste, clear

liquid and incredible smell allows for an even greater rate of sale than our other flavours which are renowned from bringing higher sales than others in the market.

Rekorderlig has seen amazing growth, developing a loyal fan base. We believe Passionfruit will help increase this further.”

Rekorderlig has seen incredible world growth and is launching in the USA, Brazil and South Africa this year having already had incredible success in Australia, New Zealand and across the ski resorts of Europe where they all launched in 2012 and are now leading the flavoured cider category.

Rekorderlig have planned an extensive launch programme for Passionfruit and to support outlets in this busy cider season -This will kick off from 1stMay. For brand enquiries contact GDK Drinks on 028 417 54879/ info@gdkdrinks.com. Rekorderlig is available through GDK Drinks, LMI Drinks, Botl, LA Drinks, Clarke Wholesale, Drinksology, Britvic and Anjo.

A sparkling future for aspiring designers courtesy of Diet Coke D iet Coke has teamed up with Belfast FASHIONWEEK and is currently on the lookout for aspiring fashion designers to take part in the much-loved Diet Coke Design Award which is now into its fourth year. The award is an integral part of autumn/winter Belfast FASHIONWEEK and 2013 poses a new design challenge with the chosen theme of ‘30 years of fashion’ celebrating the 30th anniversary of Diet Coke. Fashion lovers across Ireland are invited to submit design concepts celebrating the fashion of the ‘80s, ‘90s and ‘00s.

The Diet Coke Design Award is open to all fashion fans from now until Friday 13th September.

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The competition opens doors in the fashion industry by offering a place on one of the highly sought after short fashion courses at London College of Fashion - including flights and hotel accommodation.

Entrants will be asked to put their raw talent to work by designing a fashion forward and unique garment which encapsulates a decade of their choice from the past 30 years. Three finalists will be shortlisted by a team of judges and all three shortlisted designs will be created by Una Rodden.

The winner will be announced at the finale show of A/W’13 Belfast FASHIONWEEK with the prize awarded live in front of the anticipating audience as well as a photo shoot with leading photographer Khara Pringle.

Aoife Nagle, Senior Brand Activation Manager, Diet Coke, is excited to see what creative spectacles our Irish talent has to offer: “The Diet Coke Design Award is going from strength to strength each year and the standard is always incredibly high. It never fails to amaze me how wonderfully creative and unique our Irish talent is. This year is even extra special as Diet coke celebrates its 30th Anniversary - the Design Award is a brilliant opportunity to celebrate 30 years of the brand as well as 30 years of incredible fashion. It’s fantastic to be able to open the floor up to up-and-coming designers by providing an outlet to showcase their hard work, talent and enthusiasm.”

Director of FASHIONWEEK Cathy Martin added: “The competition is perfect for anyone with an interest in fashion and/or design. Perhaps you are a fashion student or graduate or maybe you’re a busy working mum or dad and it’s a hobby on the side, either way we want to hear from you.

The first ever winner of the Diet Coke Design Award in 2010 was a banker who loved tweaking dresses in her spare time. She worked with Una Rodden to create a catwalk-worthy, stunning dress and really enjoyed her time at London College of Fashion doing a course in Structured Lingerie.”

For more information on the competition and how to enter, please contact the Belfast FASHIONWEEK team on +44(0)28 9032 4437 or email style@fashionpharmacy.com. The brief and application form are also available for download from www.belfastfashionweek.com

summer drinks

‘Smooth’ TV campaign begins C

aledonia Smooth has returned to Northern Ireland TV screens with an advertising campaign set to a new recording of one of Scotland’s best-loved songs, ‘Caledonia’.

The 40-second film shows the journey of a young man through his years of changing loves, looks and lifestyles, before he finally finds contentment.

In a major coup for the brand, the campaign’s soundtrack features a reworking of Dougie MacLean’s classic ‘Caledonia’, performed by rising stars of the Scottish music scene Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward and Fisher.

The advert is directed by Noah Harris, and is filmed in a fast-paced timelapse format, with the gaze of the camera rarely wavering from a man and his position at the bar of his local pub. As his pint is poured and begins to settle, various stages of his life are shown - the best friends, the short-lived girlfriends and the questionable clothes and haircuts. As the ad draws to a close, the man is seen settling into life with the confidence that comes with time and experiencelike a pint of Caledonia Smooth, every man takes time to settle.

Tennent’s NI Innovation & Customer Marketing Manager Paul McGurk commented: “As we set out to create our first TV ad for Caledonia Smooth, we wanted to capture the role of the local pub in the social lives of our drinkers. We know they will easily relate to the highs and lows that are experienced before life feels more settled, and can identify Caledonia Smooth at the heart of so many special moments.”

To view the TV ad visit facebook.com/caledoniasmoothni

Now is a good time for Magners Irish Cider T

here’s never been a better time to get behind sector-leading Magners Irish Cider. The brand, whose advertising has long been celebrated for its uniquely quirky take on the Irish social scene, has done it again.

The new integrated marketing campaign for 2013 breathes new life into the spirit of sociability that is intrinsic to the Magners brand. The new platform, under the memorable banner ‘Now Is A Good Time’, will come to life through TV and Out Of Home advertising, PR and digital activity during 2013.

The multimillion-pound campaign premiered this month with a 40” TV ad captures the quirky blend of heritage, humour and craic which sits so happily with the brand that, famously, reinvented the cider sector and which continues to dominate across these islands.

The ad is set in a series of locations, clearly inspired by the brand’s Irish heritage and follows a mysterious yet intriguing sage as he delivers an ode to the ‘here and now’. There’s a touch of a modern day Ulysses around the

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character as, wherever he goes, throughout the day and into the night, he is instigating good times and adding a little magic. The ad introduces the line ‘Now Is A Good Time’ to audiences, setting in motion the Magners campaign to inspire people to live in the moment and share good times with friends.

Nicola McCleery, Head of Marketing at Tennent’s NI, says: “We’re delighted with this great mix of authenticity and imagination and we are confident that the approach will have resonance with loyal Magners consumers and will encourage trial by those who are coming fresh to the brand. The campaign picks up on all the key Magners attributes, but with a light and entertaining touch – a refreshing approach, but one that builds on the brand’s influential creative collateral. Our new creative is just one aspect of a reinvigorated marketing campaign designed to maintain, reinforce and, indeed, allow us to build on Magners lead positioning.”

The TV campaign will play out across the summer. It will be supported by outdoor advertising, and a full PR and social media campaign which encourages people to get together and enjoy the ‘Now’.

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Hastings

University role for Julie Hastings Julie will share her abundance of industry experience with marketing professionals of the future

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he Hastings name has long been synonymous with the local tourism and hospitality scene. However more recently it has been Julie who is receiving the plaudits for her efforts.

Julie, who has been Marketing Director for her family’s hotel group for the past 25 years, was recently appointed Visiting Professor at the University of Ulster’s Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Julie spoke to Louise Murphy regarding her new appointment, what it means to her personally and what she hopes to bring to the role.

“My family and I are delighted about the appointment and we are very proud of our ongoing association with this wonderful and proactive university,” Julie told me.

“I feel very privileged and honoured to have been invited to take up this post. I’m really looking forward to meeting with the students and bringing some of my experience from the hotel and tourism industry to them and you never know, I might even get some good advice and ideas to implement as well, that is what it is really about.”

The Hastings family have enjoyed an excellent relationship with the University dating back to the Hasting’s lectures in the 1980s which saw Sir William Hastings bring some high profile figures to speak to the university.

The family has previously been recognised by the University of Ulster for their contribution to the industry.

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An honorary Doctor of Letters was awarded to Sir William Hastings (Julie’s father) in 1998 and a DSc awarded to Howard Hastings (Julie’s brother) in 2012.

Julie added: “It is a huge honour to be an ambassador for the industry and I am very keen to develop relationships between the university and the industry, specifically in terms of marketing which is becoming more and more important.

“When I first started out in marketing it was a very traditional style of marketing. You did a press advertisement and handed out flyers and brochures at stands, it was quite reactive as opposed to proactive.”

Julie has witnessed huge changes as her career progressed and due to the rapid growth in the digital and social media markets, the Hastings Group have appointed a specific Digital Marketing Executive, Hannah McKee.

Julie herself is a former student of the University of Ulster, having studied for her Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing at the Jordanstown campus in the 1980s.

Hands-on role In a funny twist of fate, part of Julie’s new role as Visiting Professor, means she will be involved with rewriting the Diploma in Marketing.

Julie explained: “I’ll be looking at the marketing course with a view to making it more fit for what employers want. I’ll be working on that alongside other industry leaders so that’s very exciting.

“I’ll also be bringing in students to our hotels in order to help them develop their skills and mentor them.

I’m also committed to coming in to the university to talk to the students on a regular basis.

“I will do my utmost to help the students as much as I can. Our door is always open for good students to train and ultimately should any be interested in a career with us, we will of course welcome that. Our training in the industry is second to none and that of course is thanks to the University as well.”

“We strive to bring in many placement students to the hotels each year and now have approximately 40 University of Ulster graduates employed within our six hotels in supervisory and managerial positions.

“I will do my utmost to help the students as much as I can. Our door is always open for good students to train and ultimately should any be interested in a career with us, we will of course welcome that. Our training in the industry is second to none and that of course is thanks to the University as well.”

Julie also has another exciting idea up her sleeve – to resurrect the Hastings Lectures. She told me: “I am definitely thinking of re-energising the Hastings Lectures. They were so successful and it would be an interesting challenge to get someone in from beyond these shores to chat to the students about their successes.

“I would quite like to bring them back, so watch this space.”

Julie was proposed for her new role

by Dr Una McMahon-Beattie, Head of Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Speaking about Julie’s appointment she said: “Julie brings a wealth of marketing experience in the hospitality industry in Northern Ireland to us.

“The university is keen through Julie’s appointment, to develop relationships with the industry and particularly with Hastings Hotels who employ graduates from the department each year.”

Hastings Julie (centre) celebrates her new role with some of her siblings including her brother Howard, who also received a DSc from the university

Head of Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management Dr Una McMahon-Beattie and Julie pictured in their university gowns

Hastings Digital Marketing Executive Hannah McKee pictured with Julie

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Airport Hotel Takeover Stephen Redden & Stephen McNally pictured outside the newly rebranded hotel building

Maldron Hotel Belfast set to really take off!

Dalata Hotel Group, Ireland’s largest hotel operator has announced its first hotel in Northern Ireland on completion of a new management agreement to operate the Park Plaza Hotel at Belfast International Airport. The 104 bedroom hotel has re-branded to Maldron Hotel Belfast, joining the existing portfolio of eleven Maldron Hotels in the Group.

Louise Murphy visited the hotel to speak with its recently appointed Head of Operations & Business Development, Stephen Redden to hear about the new brand and the big changes ahead.

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Airport Hotel Takeover “Dalata taking over the hotel represents some exciting times ahead.

They are the biggest hotel operator group in Ireland with 28 properties on the island and another in Cardiff, Wales.

“We are the group’s first hotel in Northern Ireland and they are keen to expand through N.I. over the next few years. Dalata were formed back in 2007 and the CEO Pat McCann was involved with bringing Jury’s Inn to N.I. so they do have knowledge of the local market.”

Stephen explained some of the challenges in his new role. “The main challenges are; booking trends are different, the expectation of guests is different and the overall operation of the hotel is very different. But I’m really optimistic, there is lots of potential to grow this hotel and I do feel it is something of a hidden gem.

“My challenge is to go out and make people aware of who we are and what we have to offer, so I’ll be focusing quite a lot on the PR and marketing side of things to get the hotel’s name and brand out there.

“We are the company’s flagship hotel in Northern Ireland so it’s important that we work hard to raise awareness. Dalata are a very modern, forward-thinking company. I’ve been very impressed working with them so far and I have a great deal of confidence that the hotel will prosper under their leadership.

“Customers will see big improvements throughout the property over the next two-three years. There will be a lot of investment into the hotel from upgrading the soft furnishings and changing the televisions in rooms, through to new technology in order to help reduce our utility and energy bills.

We have also just purchased new beds for all the rooms.

“We will continue to invest in the property in order to give our guests a fresh, modern experience.”

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aving come to the Maldron Group after spending almost a decade learning the trade with Hastings Hotels, the last six of which he spent at The Everglades in Derry, Stephen admits to being extremely excited to be the man tasked with taking the hotel in a new direction.

Stephen told me: “I have been constantly learning since I started this role at the beginning of March. This is quite a unique property in that it is an ‘airport hotel’ and that brings a series of different challenges and a different market of clientele.

photographs. We’ve actually had some of our staff members hold their weddings here so our staff are well experienced in looking after guests on their big day!”

Stephen is keen for the hotel to provide the perfect impression of Northern Ireland for guests just arriving or about to depart the country.

He told me: “I want the hotel to offer our guests a really good Northern Ireland experience from the staff, right through to the produce we use for our meals. We want to provide the best experience we can and there’s lots of opportunity for us to do so.

“A lot of our staff have been here nine-ten years and our head of housekeeping has been here for 17 years. That’s unusual for a hotel but it puts us in a very special position which offers us the bonus of knowing the requests of our regular, return customers.

“Quite a lot of our guests, probably around 50% are actually leisure guests who come to stay at the airport either before or after their flight. There’s a strong ‘sleep, park & fly’ ethos and that’s something we are keen to develop also.

“The airport has enjoyed a good few years of growth recently and we’re hoping to benefit from that too, at the same time as attracting more locals in to see what we have to offer them. It’s all about letting people know we’re here and we are much more than just an ‘airport hotel’.”

The hotel group and the airport itself also share in Stephen’s optimism. “We are very pleased to be take up this opportunity”, said Stephen McNally, Deputy CEO who heads up Operations for the Group. “Although this will be the first Northern Irish hotel for our group, Pat McCann our CEO and I were part of the original team who opened Jury’s Inn Belfast, so we are very familiar with the location and market. The re-branding of the Park Plaza Belfast fits in with our overall expansion strategy for the Group.”

“Our group brings an extensive wealth of experience to the hotel and we will enable the existing staff to enhance the service offered to our guests. Not only will we protect the existing business, but it will also be considerably boosted by deploying our well-developed Dalata and Maldron distribution and sales channels and national and international marketing campaigns.”

Karina Dunne, Group Marketing & Sales Manager commented: “We look forward to becoming part of the Northern Ireland business and tourism community and look forward to working with the local tourism and development organisations in attracting new business to the Province.”

Belfast International Airport Managing Director John Doran added: “In this our 50th anniversary year we are delighted to welcome a new partner to the airport. I’m sure Maldron will enhance our offering to travellers and further underline the airport’s major contribution to the Northern Ireland economy.”

Stephen Redden is excited to be taking up the challenge of his new role

Home from home experience It’s not just the property itself which is undergoing an upgrade. Changes behind the scenes are underway in an effort to attract more locals to use the hotel on a regular basis.

Stephen continued: “We have recently appointed a new Head Chef, Mark Bevan. We are hoping to encourage more locals to come in and dine here. We’ll be cooking all of our food fresh from scratch, using good local produce at prices that people would want to pay.

“We’ll be creating events for occasions such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Christmas, which will be perfect for local people from Antrim, Crumlin, Templepatrick and further afield to come and avail of.

We’ll also be developing new offers to encourage people to come and use the hotel.

“Another area we’ll be looking closely at is weddings. We offer something different than a ‘usual’ wedding venue and our location certainly allows for some quirky

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anniversary celebrations

Pick the beans to toast the MAC Belfast’s Canteen at the MAC launches Speciality Coffee Brew Bar

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o you know your Americano from your Espresso? Or your Kenyan bean from your El Salvador?

Well, Canteen at the MAC certainly does, as it marks its first birthday with the launch of their Speciality Brew Bar. Having recently been listed as one of the top 50 best coffee shops in the UK, Canteen at the MAC’s new Brew Bar will offer “a coffee experience which is second to none in Northern Ireland”.

Hugh Gilmartin, coffee expert with over 25 years’ experience in the coffee industry explains that the new Brew Bar will be a “coffee connoisseurs dream, allowing customers to select their preferred origin, watch while it is expertly brewed to perfection using the best equipment available.”

“As a nation, we spent £730 million on coffee in the British Isles last year alone. And Northern Ireland is no stranger to this phenomenon.

Hugh concluded, “Those serious

about their coffee can now come and sample a choice of three estate coffee’s from identified farms in Africa, Central America’s & Indonesia and processed differently using remarkable washed and unwashed Bourbon and Caturra varietals. Precise weights, grinds, water flow rates and extraction times are merged to create the perfect cup of speciality filter coffee.”

Sharon Wright, director at Canteen at the MAC explains, “We are very excited to launch this new development at the MAC. “We have been opened exactly one year and to date we have been trading extremely well.

“To be a part of Belfast’s worldclass arts venue is a privilege and we have welcomed visitors from all over the world to sample both our cuisine and of course our coffee.”

Canteen at the MAC offers breakfast, lunch and dinner daily with special events catered for.

The Brew Bar will be opened from Friday 26th April from 10.00am.

Canteen’s Olwen Kennedy is pictured with Head Barista Kris Martin celebrating the new Brew Bar launch at the MAC.

Titanic Belfast celebrates its first year success story The Titanic Team: Tim Husbands, Michelle Scott, Judith Owens, Claire Bradshaw and Michael Sweeney

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itanic Belfast, the World’s Largest Titanic Visitor Experience, recently revealed the breath-taking success story it has enjoyed since opening just over one year ago.

Visitors to the iconic visitor attraction’s Titanic exhibition totalled an amazing 807,340 between March 31, 2012 and March 31, 2013, exceeding all expectations set before the building opened to coincide with the 100th anniversary of RMS Titanic’s maiden voyage.

The appetite for Titanic’s story to be told at the birthplace of the great liner was welcomed far and wide, with visitors coming to Titanic Belfast from 128 countries. In total, 471,702 visitors to Titanic Belfast came from out-

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of-state (outside Northern Ireland).

The positive impact of Titanic Belfast on Belfast’s economy has been one of Titanic proportion. The attraction brought an additional 460,000 visitors to the city in 2012, increasing hotel occupancy rates to a record level during the summer months while increasing footfall at Belfast International and George Best City airports and retail shops.

The success of Titanic Belfast’s adds up to a tremendous £54.3m (direct and indirect) total of tourist expenditure in Belfast in 2012 – estimating that visitors whose main purpose of travel to Belfast was to visit Titanic Belfast, contributed £27.2m to the city’s economy.

Reflecting on a momentous 12-month opening period for Titanic Belfast, Chief Executive Tim Husbands said:

“There are many challenges that now lie ahead of us and we relish the opportunity to take them on. We have set the standard for the tourism industry and for the corporate industry, and we aim to remain the standard-bearer for our shared community hopes and ambitions for Belfast and Northern Ireland.”

Titanic Belfast has also established itself as a leading venue for conferences and banqueting, exhibitions, wedding and other functions.

In 2012 alone, 55,116 guests attended more than 350 events in Titanic Belfast suites, Titanic, Britannic and Olympic and The Bridge. Of these events, 58 were hosted by our-of-state clients and attended by more than 10,000 out-of-state visitors.

Events on levels five and six in Titanic Belfast in 2012 has cemented the venue’s place in Belfast’s business tourism infrastructure, proving popular as a unique world-class space for conference, gala dinners and exhibitions.

Titanic Belfast, just as Titanic did more than 100 years ago, gave a

boost to employment in Belfast, created 970 full-time jobs (direct and indirect) due to the opening of the attraction and tourist expenditure generated.

At present, 304 people work at Titanic Belfast, coming from all parts of the city and beyond it.

In addition, Titanic Belfast’s spend in Belfast and Northern Ireland has been a wave of success for local businesses, with some £5.1m of goods and services purchased in year one, £4m of which was spent in the city.

Half of the suppliers to Titanic Belfast’s merchandise store are based in the greater Belfast area.

The building’s first year has enjoyed many highlights too, from the hosting of the MTV Titanic Sounds concert attended by 18,000 music fans, the Jubilee Year visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip to officially open Titanic Belfast, and visits from TITANIC movie director James Cameron, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Prince Andrew, President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, Liu Yandong (China), and US Senator George Mitchell.

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There’s no place like home F

or Robert Nolan, being appointed General Manager of Four Season’s Dublin held much more significance than just a new job. It was a job that would bring him back to his home city to work, for the first time in almost twenty years.

Having been away from Dublin during such a pivotal period, Robert is loving the city he has returned to. He spoke to Louise Murphy to discuss what it is like returning to his homeland to take up such a huge role.

“It’s been an absolute joy returning to Dublin and what an honour to come back here and be blessed with the opportunity to oversee this beautiful hotel. It’s a dream come true in many respects,” Robert enthused.

“My wife is from Sweden, we met in Boston, both of our girls were born in the U.S. so to bring them back to Ireland and connect them with my family who are here is ticking many, many boxes.

“In the Dublin market and the Irish marker in general, there appears to be elements of enthusiasm and optimism and a dogged determination to deal with the adversaries we are facing. It’s nice to be on that wave and to start building upon it.”

Having worked with Four Seasons for over 17 years now, Robert is all too aware of what makes for first class customer service. He told me: “My role is to create something very, very special moving forward and to bring the team along on that journey.

“I need the team to be engaged and enthusiastic and supportive of what we are trying to achieve here, because if they’re not then any changes aren’t going to take off.”

Robert is keen for the hotel to strike the right chord with all its guests and this is something he hopes to develop.

“There has to be a balance between modern and traditional because one size does not fit all. What’s important for us is to be relevant, when people are contemplating where they want to go for a drink or where they want to dine, I want us to be on the tip of their tongue. I don’t want our facilities to be seen as a ‘hotel restaurant’ or a ‘hotel bar’ that brings its own connotations which could discourage people from coming in.

“Today it’s about being relevant, it’s about being topical, however it’s not being faddish. You can see that in a lot of restaurants, they’re ‘en vogue’ for 12-18 months and then they’ve

got to keep on reinventing themselves.

Personally I believe this means you’ll be continually chasing your tail!

“In terms of service what I really want to do with the hotel is to make it even more intuitive. Fundamentally that means building a connection with the customer, finding opportunities, through meaningful interaction, to exceed a guest’s expectations so much.

“Sometimes a person can check into a hotel and feel like they’re just a room number and that to me is not service. But then by the same respect, you have other customers who do just want shown to their room and left to their own devices. So it’s really about the ability to deal with both types of customer.”

One area Robert is particularly keen to work on is the hotel’s food & beverage offering. He explained: “Between now and next year, I’m going to work on the food & beverage offering which will be very appealing for customers. The hotel has a reputation as being a ‘special occasion’ venue but I’m hoping to change that and make it much more accessible and more appealing. My mission in my first year is to get the right offering.

“We’ve been going back to our origins, looking at great artisan farmers, allotment farmers, even a few foragers just to try and get some authentic ingredients in and then we’ll allow the culinary team to interpret that and have that to offer back to the customer.

“I believe there’s a bit of mileage in that as we’ve got wonderful food produce in this country, we’ve got incredibly innovative farmers out there, who are willing to do things differently and if we can be part of that in showcasing that product to our customers, I believe it will be a huge benefit.

“I want to add a different spin to our food & beverage offerings in the hotel, I want to build upon the platform of what we’ve done here from a design perspective in the Lobby Lounge and I’m still pushing to have it on the tips of everyone’s tongue as to where they want to go and not just for special occasions.”

Robert concluded: “What I really want is for Four Seasons Dublin to be synonymous with great food, great presentation, fair pricing and a great service experience. That’s a bit of a legacy element I’m really hoping to foster and grow here.”

“What I really want is for Four Seasons Dublin to be synonymous with great food, great presentation, fair pricing and a great service experience” HR • 31

carvery of the year Launching the Great Carvery of the Year competition are rugby star Tommy Bowe, Business Development Chef and head of the judging panel Mark McCarthy from Unilever Food Solutions and Jim Reeves, Customer Director at Unilever Food Solutions.

Bowe back in the hunt for Best Carvery Ireland and Ulster rugby ace Tommy Bowe is back as competition ambassador for the fourth annual Great Carvery of the Year competition.

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olish off your carvery knifes – the Great Carvery of the Year competition is back! Now entering its fourth year, the all-island competition is firmly established as the premier carvery competition on Ireland and Northern Ireland’s culinary calendar. Lining out with the Great Carvery team again this year is Ireland and Ulster rugby star Tommy Bowe, who, as competition ambassador, is calling on pubs and hotels across the country to fire up their carvery units in a bid to be crowned Ireland’s Great Carvery Public House of the Year and Great Carvery Hotel of the Year.

Speaking at the launch of this year’s competition, Tommy Bowe said: “Last year’s competition was really great fun. I was blown away by the response from pubs and hotels across the country, and was even more impressed by the calibre of venues that made it through to last year’s Grand Final.

“Looking forward to this year’s competition, I’m excited to see how the pubs and hotels in Ireland and Northern Ireland will raise the bar again. Last year’s winners – the Elm Tree in Cork and Harvey’s Point in Donegal – have set an exceptionally high standard, but, looking at the

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number the quality venues in all 32 counties, I’m confident that we’re going to have some serious competition served up.”

Each year, the Great Carvery of the Year competition acknowledges Ireland and Northern Ireland’s love of carvery, recognising the very best pub and hotel carveries that the island has to offer. Looking forward to this year’s competition is Mark McCarthy from Unilever Food Solutions, who will lead the judging panel for the third year running.

“Great Carvery is a really special competition,” he explains, “and, judging by the response we get year on year, it is clear that carvery is something that remains close to the hearts of the nation. At Unilever Food Solutions, we know that times are tough for a lot of pubs and hotels because of the difficult economic climate, but we strongly feel that carvery is something truly unique to Ireland and that we should be showcasing it as one of the Irish foodservice industry’s unique selling points.

“The aim of this competition is to recognise and acknowledge the very best that Irish, and Northern Irish, pubs and hotels have to offer. For me, a great carvery meal is about more than just the quality of the food served. It is about atmosphere, value-for-money and top-drawer customer service and

attention. I can’t wait to see – and sample – what the 2013 competition serves up!”

Launched in 2010 by Unilever Food Solutions Ireland, Great Carvery of the Year is an all-island search for Ireland’s best pub and hotel carvery. Due to a hugely successful first year, the competition was expanded to create two separate categories of winner in 2011: the Great Carvery Pub of the Year and Best Hotel Carvery of the Year. Last year was the biggest year yet, however, as the competition was extended to include Northern Ireland for the first time. An online public vote was also introduced from which a top three shortlist of Best Hotel Carvery and Best Pub Carvery from each region – Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster – was determined.

Due to the success of last year’s online public vote, this year it has been decided to introduce a text vote alongside the online campaign.

“The Irish and Northern Irish public really got behind the competition last year,” continues Mark McCarthy of Unilever Food Solutions, “which is why we decided to introduce an additional way to vote this year. At the end of the day, the competition is about finding the very best carvery on the island, and we couldn’t do this without the support of the public.”

Once the public has chosen its

regional shortlist, Mark McCarthy and a team of mystery shoppers will have the unenviable task of whittling these venues down to just eight regional winners. This will involve mystery visits to venues across the country before the eventual Great Carvery Public House of the Year and Great Carvery Hotel of the Year, along with the regional winners, will be unveiled at the Great Carvery of the Year Grand Final this September.

The overall winning venues will each receive PR to the value of €2,500 and marketing support also valued at €2,500 for each venue.

The winners’ prize also includes a specially commissioned wall plaque and commemorative chalkboard to remind customers that they are about to sit down and enjoy the best carvery in Ireland.

The registration deadline for Great Carvery of the Year 2013 is Sunday, 26th May 2013 after which voting will be opened to the public. This year, the public can vote via text message or through the Great Carvery website – www.greatcarvery.com. The regional winners and overall Great Carvery Pub of the Year and Great Carvery Hotel of the Year will be announced at the Great Carvery of the Year Grand Final in Dublin in September 2013.

For registration details and more visit www.greatcarvery.com.

Could you be the 2013 Great Carvery Hotel or Pub venue of the year?

We are searching for the best carveries in Ireland, and if you think that could be you, simply enter online at www.greatcarvery.com The competition is open to all pubs and hotels in Ireland and you will battle it out against other venues in your provence and then the shortlist will be determined by public vote.

For more information visit www.greatcarvery.com The Competition is open only to bona fide catering establishments resident in the Island of Ireland and their employees aged 18 or over. Employer permission required for employees to enter. To enter, complete form at www.greatcarvery.com. Closing date: 18.00 GMT, 26/5/13. Prize: 2 x â‚Ź2500 marketing funds, one for hotel category and one for public house category. Prize to be given in pounds equivalent if winner is from Northern Ireland. To vote go to www.greatcarvery.com/ vote or text dedicated text vote number 51500, standard network rates apply but may not be included in your prepaid package. Voting allowed up to 23/06/2013.

Internet access or mobile access required to vote. See WWW.GREATCARVERY.COM for full terms.

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04/04/2013 12:22

food news

NWRC College dishes up double award wins in Food, Drink & Hospitality UK’s Best Hospitality Lecturer & ‘Best Local Food Event Initiative 2013’ awards.

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ospitality and Catering has been considered one of the North West Regional College best kept secrets, but now it seems that the secret is getting out and the staff are becoming accustomed to the taste of success. Two lecturers from the School for Hospitality, Tourism and Sport scooped two major industry awards in both Northern Ireland and the UK recently.

Curriculum Manager for Hospitality, Leyonia Davey was the first to be recognised with the accolade of UK’s Best Hospitality Lecturer from the PACE Awards, presented at a glittering ceremony in Nottingham. The Professional Association of Catering Education chose Leyonia, who has been teaching at the College for 18 years, thanks to the strong links she has developed with industry, and her commitment to providing students with the best possible learning experience.

Hot on Leyonia’s heels, Chef lecturer Emmett McCourt made his mark by winning the ‘Best Local Food Event Initiative 2013’ at the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Awards, held in the Ramada Plaza in Belfast. Emmett’s ‘Irish Food Heritage Project’ is a cultural food journey of the North West

of Ireland, focussing on the traditional dishes of Derry and Donegal that have been forgotten since the days of the famine. Emmett’s book and events are celebrating local food produce and traditional dishes, re-discovering and re-imagining them to suit our modern lifestyle. To win the award, Emmett’s project surpassed the Balmoral Show, Flavours of Tyrone and the Tayto Food Festival.

It is easy to see why the spotlight of success has been focussed on the School for Hospitality at the College. From its work in upskilling local industry for the City of Culture to the burgeoning relationships with some of Ireland and the UK’s most inspiring celebrity chefs, NWRC can boast opportunities that are simply not available anywhere else. It is through the work of staff like Leyonia and Emmett that students are working locally and internationally in top kitchens and restaurants.

Very few students, or professionals, ever get the chance to work in a Michelin star kitchen, but staff and their trainees from North West Regional College are provided the opportunity to experience the day to day workings of a 2 Michelin Star restaurant thanks to the College’s link with Raymond Blanc and his Le Manoir complex in

North West Regional College lecturers Leyonia Davey and Emmett McCourt, with their Education and Industry awards.

Oxfordshire.

From these industry links, staff and students can enhance what they offer in the College’s three eateries, open to the public. From fine dining in the Flying Clipper, tasty meals in the Brasserie, and delicious dinners in Larry Hills Bistro, NWRC’s Catering teams are producing high quality food for local diners.

A spokesperson for North West

Regional College said: “The recent honours for Leyonia and Emmett highlight the quality of innovative work that is undertaken by the staff within Hospitality and Catering in the College.

To be recognised by peers within both the education and industry sectors is testament to the quality of teaching and learning that we are delivering locally at NWRC. We congratulate both lecturers for their individual successes.”

Greens Pizzeria offers double helping

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Pictured (L-R) Greens Pizza Manageress, Karen Turner; Partner of Greens Pizza, Manus McConn and Peter Canavan from First Trust Bank.

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reens Pizza, a Belfast dining institution, has opened the doors of its second outlet in Ballyhackamore, east Belfast.

Established on the Lisburn Road in 1995 by business partners Manus McConn and William Clark, the restaurant has built a strong reputation for serving Italian style food in a family-friendly setting. The partners have a proven track record in the hospitality industry, with over 20 years of catering experience and the new premises adding to a portfolio of two other restaurants which includes Cafe Conor on Stranmillis Road, Belfast.

Funding from First Trust Bank’s Business Support Fund has helped the company acquire a new lease in the vibrant east Belfast location and refurbish the premises in line with its sister restaurant in south Belfast. The new restaurant occupies 1300 sq ft, seats up to 50 customers and has created 25 jobs across different levels from management, servers and chefs.

Commenting on the expansion Manus McConn, partner of Greens Pizza, said: “The opening of Greens in Ballyhackamore has been a great success. While the catering and hospitality industry has suffered in the past couple of years, we have been determined not to let the recession defeat us. We are committed to growing the Greens brand and saw a gap in the market in east Belfast which is starting to develop a ‘village-feel’ similar to Lisburn Road where Greens started out.

“We approached First Trust Bank to discuss funding for an expansion and, after providing a business plan, they agreed to support us through their Business Support Fund. The whole process of securing funding was very straightforward and we felt that the Bank really understood our industry and trusted us in delivering a successful restaurant.”

Peter Canavan from First Trust Bank said: “The partners came to us with a strong business case and after reviewing the details, we were delighted to support them. They were able to access the funding required through our Business Support Fund. This is indicative of our commitment to support local businesses; we are very familiar with the needs and demands of the hospitality sector and also know how the Ballyhackamore area has been developing over recent years. We are confident that the new restaurant will be a great success.”

Nothing ‘Sleepy’ about this dining delight

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e usually reserve this page for interviews with local restaurant owners, however, every now and then; we encounter a certain restaurant experience that we have to share with readers.

In this edition, Louise Murphy shares her experience of Sleepy Hollow Restaurant in Newtownabbey.

The phrase ‘hidden gem’ is often over used but in the case of Sleepy Hollow, it is very apt. Situated up a quiet, country lane on the outskirts of Ballyclare, From the outside Sleepy Hollow looks like a quaint little Victorian school building. However once inside, it’s a warm and inviting intimate dining space.

The restaurant has recently been taken over by the proprietors of Billy Andy’s; a well-loved bar and restaurant outside Larne.

Sleepy Hollow prides itself on providing diners with ‘fresh, locally sourced, modern Irish food; using a wide range of the finest, in-season, sustainable produce available.’

They work closely with small, artisan food producers. Sourcing whole animals (Finnebrogue) Venison and lamb from a neighbouring farm, they also source their rare breed pork and wild game directly from their own gamekeeper in Islandmagee.

They believe that by using the whole animal from head to toe pushes their chef’s talents. They use classic and modern techniques to produce dishes that offer customers a wide range of complex, intriguing flavours and great value for money.

On the night we visited, the restaurant was very busy and from their interaction with the waiting staff, it would seem a lot of the diners were regular customers.

Unfortunately it was pitch black, but I’m guessing the vista from the wall of glass at the other end of the restaurant would be pretty impressive on a good day.

The service is uber efficient and there is a real sense that you are in a fine dining establishment.

The menu was perfectly weighted not too many dishes to choose from, but at the same time, enough options available for there to be a choice.

For starters I went for the Pan seared Scallops which was served with ham hock, black pudding fritter, pea puree, foam and chervil jelly.

Every ingredient of this dish was prepared to perfection and the combination of flavours was exquisite.

Having a starter this amazing, meant things could only go one of two ways; the meal could either improve or go downhill. Thankfully it was the former.

Loin of Finnebrogue Venison venison and cranberry toad in the hole, bubble and squeak rosti potato and roast roots. This was the work of a culinary genius! Combining these flavours and textures created an unforgettable dish.

I couldn’t leave without trying dessert. Thankfully all desserts are served as miniatures so the idea is to choose as few or as many as you like or even share them as a table.

After much deliberation over the delicious sounding choices, I opted for three miniature desserts, namely Hot Chocolate and Salted Caramel Fondant, Raspberry and Coconut Cheesecake and Tiramisu.

The Tiramisu comes in a mini coffee cup. Its creamy texture was perfectly punctuated with a rich coffee taste - a little bite of Italy via Newtownabbey!

The fondant was equally good. The aroma alone that it generated was enough to leave our mouths watering

and once the spoon broke the case, this increased tenfold.

Inside the moist chocolate sponge was a lava of steaming hot salted caramel and sauce. I’m pleased to report this tasted every bit as good as it smelt. This was a real sensory delight.

However, if I was forced to pick a favourite of the three, it would have

to be the cheesecake. Presented in a little glass jar, complete with a tiny little spoon, the soft cheesecake topping had a delicious fruity taste and both the raspberry and coconut flavours came through in equal measure. The crumble beneath was the perfect partner.

Service was great; at no stage did we feel rushed. After our meal we retreated to the upstairs bar, reserved

exclusively for diners.

The relaxed, laid-back atmosphere continued here. It feels more like a bar in someone’s home. There’s a surprisingly vast range of drinks available, from spirits to a very extensive wine menu.

If this visit was anything to go buy, Sleepy Hollow is definitely wide awake and raring to go.

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janus awards

A night to remember!

Stephen Meldrum – Chairman of Institute of Hospitality speaks to Hospitality Review (NI) ahead of the 18th Annual Janus Awards for Professionalism.

1. What made you decide to get involved with the Institute of Hospitality (IOH)?

In 2011, I was very fortunate to be awarded ‘Hotelier of the Year’ for large business at the 16th Annual Janus Awards. Soon thereafter I was approached by the Institute and asked if I would be interested in being involved in promoting the positive image of the organisation.

I was delighted to be asked, and I recognised the very worthwhile part which the Institute plays in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries. By joining the IOH, not only could I see how it would develop and further my career, but equally support industry professional standards and enjoy Continuing Professional Development (CPD) throughout my career.

I love this fabulous industry, and any opportunity I can to promote it and develop it, is very important to me.

2. What does your role involve as Chairman of IOH? My role as Chairman of the IOH Northern Ireland is, in the first instance to represent our members, to provide support to them, and to enhance and develop the positive image of the Institute and the industries for which it represents.

Every month, I chair regional meetings with our nominated committee members in exploring areas for the promotion of the IOH, and organising

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events such as the Student Conference, not to mention the Janus Awards – one of the industries largest and most prestigious events.

3. Tell us a bit about the Janus Awards?

Since its conception in 1995, the Janus Awards have played an integral part in identifying and acknowledging unparalled excellence amongst our hospitality & tourism professionals.

Their unwavering contribution and dedication is to be commended and applauded. The service, warmth of welcome and passion that these individuals deliver demonstrates why Northern Ireland is a destination of choice.

Now in its 18th year, this prestigious Awards evening continues to grow from strength to strength. With 130 nominations received and over 60 finalists across 16 categories, this year’s event promises to be an amazing evening of celebration.

4. How important do you feel awards like this are, recognising the efforts of local people and businesses, particularly in these ongoing challenging times?

I believe these awards play a huge importance, particularly in the backdrop of these ongoing challenging times. There has been so much publicity surrounding businesses which have, or are, in financial difficulty that as an

organisation, any opportunity we can get to promote a positive image is vital in the industry’s ongoing success.

We have very talented individuals working in these industry sectors, and it is very rewarding when you are able to recognise their achievements and reward their professional success.

As an organisation, we also see these awards as an opportunity to engage with the education and awarding bodies, and provide an interface between the education sector and the hospitality sector. After all, succession planning is vital for the future success of our industry.

5. What are you looking forward to most about the awards itself?

If you were to ask what I am not looking forward to, it would be MY SPEECH!! However, on a serious note, I am looking forward to being able to reward industry professionals for exemplary levels of service,

management understanding, and overall contribution to this fantastic industry.

I, myself was rewarded for my contribution, back in 2011 and the feeling that this recognition gives is something that money can’t buy. I am looking forward to giving 15 other well-deserved individuals that same feeling of pride.

I also must add that all 60 plus finalists should be extremely proud of their achievements, and the night is equally an opportunity to congratulate them.

I wish all the finalists the best of luck, and the greatest of success in their professional careers.

The Awards Ceremony & Dinner will take place on Friday 17th May, in Hastings Culloden Estate & Spa. To book tickets contact Podiem Ltd on Tel: 028 9076 1030 or email: janus@podiem.com.

chef profile

Sponsored by:

Food Royalty John Ferris chats to the two Godfathers of the local restaurant scene – Paul Rankin and Michael Deane.

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s an eager young journalist fresh from six months working in the US, the Good Friday Agreement seemed to me to be a massive leap forward for the North. 1998 was also the second year running that we held a combined three Michelin stars. Shanks, Roscoff and Deane’s (MD holding the star the previous year under Deane’s on the Square) all boasted a star.

“I think I was aware that Northern Ireland was becoming a pretty good place to eat, that there was a certain energy about the food here that didn’t exist in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle etc”, says Paul Rankin as we sit chatting about the history of food here.

“We had a collective energy.

Basically you had two bright lights, which was Michael and I and there were three when Robbie came along.

And those three bright lights were generating protégées and it started to grow very quickly. “ It wasn’t, however, always like that.

Until 1991, when Roscoff hit headlines after becoming a “Michelin starred restaurant in a war zone”, the cooking in restaurants provided little other than average food at best.

“Everything was gone, blown up.

Anything that was reasonably good during the Troubles got hit, then his nibs came along.” says Deane nudging his cousin, “it was the Arabian Nights you bought, wasn’t it? Then it just changed overnight. I remember the first time Roscoff opened - I think people were more or less in shock.”

“As naïve young business people,”

said Rankin, “we didn’t realise we were losing money but there did come a stage where I was in a meeting with my brothers and accountants and we were thinking we need to take it more commercial and get more bums on seats. The phone rang and it was Jilly, the manager of the restaurant. She was on and she was crying saying the Belfast Telegraph had just phoned to say we’d got a Michelin Star and I shouted something at her and slammed down the phone because I thought what good is that?”

Rankin, however, decided to put the publicity machine into overdrive - dropping prices and publicising the fact that punters could eat in a Michelin starred restaurant without spending a fortune.

“But the big thing I think that put us on our way to it was that all the British press picked up on the Michelin starred restaurant in a war zone and they were all looking at it as ‘is this a turning point for Northern Ireland, are things getting back to normal now Belfast has a Michelin starred restaurant?’

“So we pretty much got half a page in every broadsheet in the UK and that was the thing that made people ask is Belfast changing.”

Rankin and Deane did more than just turn what was an “amateur” scene into something exciting and vibrant, they also produced many of the big names that are currently making it work in kitchens across the country. It would be easy to rhyme off more than a dozen others after names like Chris Bell and Danny Millar who have come through their ranks. But is the younger generation moving the restaurant scene on? Deane isn’t so sure, though he puts

that partially down to the financial pressures of today’s society.

“To take Thomas Keller’s words, if the next generation of chefs isn’t better than the last, then we’ve failed and I suppose we could probably say we’ve failed because I don’t see where it’s going now. I mean, if you went in to a bank tomorrow and asked for £200k to open a restaurant they’d tell you where to go,” says Deane.

Deane lost his star in 2011, which he had held on to for more than a decade. It came after the restaurant had to close nearly a year earlier after a flood. Whilst fixing his Howard Street restaurant up, he decided for a change of pace, creating the seafood bar which Michelin “didn’t like”, the guide not impressed with his idea of opening up the upstairs part again, either.

“It was probably costing us about £20k a month. So when I had the flood, I decided to bring it back to more Belfast. And thank God we changed it because it works. Star or no Star doesn’t really concern me that much, I’m a bit sad Belfast doesn’t have one but let someone else do it.

“I told them at the time if they didn’t like what I was doing, I wasn’t going back to what it was. They can have a star and keep it, I’m not bitter in any way about it. What is a Michelin star restaurant nowadays anyway,” asks Deane.

“A Michelin star restaurant is for people travelling who want to find a good restaurant,” answers Rankin.

“Northern Ireland doesn’t have that level of tourists or business. It doesn’t have enough of them.”

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food news

Aim Higher

Ryan Toal, a 1st year Commis Chef from the School of Hospitality & Tourism, Southern Regional College, Portadown Campus achieved the best work experience chef of the year award.

Ryan studying on the Level 2 NVQ/Diploma Professional Cookery carried out his six month work experience in the award winning Australian restaurant Uluru, Armagh City.

Chef lecturer, Barry Smyth and Chef/proprietor Dean Coppard both agreed that Ryan showed real dedication to his chosen career path and a commendable ‘hunger’ for knowledge. Des Murphy, Industrial Liaison officer for the School of Hospitality & Tourism, SRC, presented Ryan with a collectors inscribed £88.00 Wusthof Cook’s chopping knife for Professional Chef’s.

L - R: Dean Coppard, Chef/ proprietor Uluru restaurant, Des Murphy, Industrial Liaison Officer for Sch of Hospitality & Tourism, SRC, Ryan Toal, 1st year Commis Chef SRC, Barry Smyth Chef/Lecturer, Sch of Hospitality, SRC.

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Top Restaurants in Ulster announced at ulster regional restaurant awards 2013

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he Ulster Regional Final of the Santa Rita/ LIFE Magazine Irish Restaurant Awards took place in The Merchant Hotel, Belfast recently and named the top restaurants in the Northern for 2013.

Over 300 restaurant owners and staff celebrated their hard work and achievements at the Awards, which saw many well-known restaurateurs of Ulster, turn out to see if they had won one of the prestigious awards.

Speaking at the awards, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins said: “In their fifth year now, the Irish Restaurant Awards continue to go from strength to strength. Each year, the awards cast a spotlight on the brightest and best players on the Irish restaurant scene. The Irish Restaurant Awards are the awards everyone wants to win. This year the nominations went online for the first time and we got a spectacular response from the public- nominations doubled and we received 10,000 votes for Ireland’s favourite restaurants, chefs, gastro pubs, hotel restaurants and customer service experience.

“We celebrate the award winning cuisines and the great restaurateurs and chefs who are constantly Best Customer Service • Antrim - Berts Jazz Bar @ The Merchant Hotel • Armagh - Pot Belly Restaurant • Cavan - The Olde Post Inn • Derry - Lime Tree Restaurant • Donegal - The Beach House • Down - The Old School House Inn • Fermanagh - Café Merlot • Monaghan - Nuremore Hotel • Tyrone - Grange Lodge Best Gastro Pub – Sponsored by Faustino • Antrim - The Harbour Bar • Armagh - O’Tooles Bar • Cavan - The Big Apple @ The Black Horse Inn • Derry - Mary’s Bar • Donegal - The Village Tavern • Down - The Dirty Duck • Fermanagh - Blakes of The Hollow • Monaghan - Andy’s Bar • Tyrone - The Brewer’s House Best Casual Dining – Sponsored by Joseph Drouhin • Antrim - Mourne’s Seafood Bar • Armagh - The Moody Boar • Cavan - The Oak Room • Derry - The Exchange • Donegal - Aroma • Down - Coast • Fermanagh - Dollakis • Monaghan - The Fiddler’s Elbow • Tyrone - Deli On The Green Best Hotel Restaurant – Sponsored

by Pallas Foods • Antrim - The Great Room Restaurant @ The Merchant Hotel • Armagh - Newforge House • Cavan - The Courtroom Restaurant @ Cabra Castle • Derry - Ardmore Restaurant @ Beech Hill Country House Hotel • Donegal - Castlemurray House Hotel • Down - The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn

bringing international recognition and accolades to the Irish restaurant scene. Restaurateurs are entrepreneurs, and that is reflected in the fact that the restaurant sector is the biggest employer within the hospitality industry. We provide employment to 64,000 people and the industry has annual sales in excess of �2 billion; tonight, everyone is a winner.”

Stephen Toman of Ox took home the prize for Best Chef in Antrim, and Noel McMeel of Lough Erne Resort won the Best Chef award for Fermanagh, where he will host the G8 summit later this year.

Neven Maguire took home the prize for Best Chef in Cavan, with his restaurant Macnean House winning Best Restaurant in Cavan.

Food outlets were nominated under the categories of Best Customer Service, Best Gastro Pub, Best Casual Dining, Best Hotel Restaurant, Best Chef, Best Restaurant, Best Wine Experience, Best Kids Size Me, sponsored by Heinz, Engaging With The Gathering, sponsored by Tourism Ireland and Best Just Ask! Menu, sponsored by Bord Bia. All County winners now compete for the Regional and All Ireland Title which will be announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin on Wednesday 10th June, 2013.

• Fermanagh - Catalina Restaurant @ Lough Erne Resort • Monaghan - Snaffles Restaurant @ Castle Leslie • Tyrone - The Kitchen Restaurant @ Tullylagan House Hotel Best Chef – Sponsored by Tipperary Water • Antrim - Stephen Toman of Ox • Armagh - Dean Coppard of Uluru • Cavan - Neven Maguire of Macnean House • Derry - Ian Oar of Browns Restaurant & Champagne Lounge • Donegal - Derek Alcorn of The Mill • Down - Joery Castel of The Boat House • Fermanagh - Noel McNeel of Lough Erne Resort • Monaghan - Andrew Bradley of Snaffles Restaurant @ Castle Leslie • Tyrone - Brian McConagle of The Brewers House Best Restaurant – Sponsored by Santa Rita • Antrim - James St South • Armagh - Uluru • Cavan - Macnean House • Derry - Browns Restaurant & Champagne Lounge • Donegal - Harrys Restaurant • Down - The Boat House • Fermanagh - Watermill Restaurant • Monaghan - Courthouse Restaurant • Tyrone - Oysters Best Wine Experience - Sponsored by Thomas Barton • Nicks Warehouse, Belfast Best Kids Size Me - Sponsored by Heinz • The Lemon Tree, Donegal Engaging with The Gathering Award – Sponsored

by Tourism Ireland • Harveys Point, Donegal Just Ask! Award – Sponsored by Bord Bia Sargasso, Donegal

wine news

Enjoy a royal tipple fit for a queen with harveys coronation edition

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n a summer set to be marked by Royal arrivals, Harveys, the UK’s favourite sherry and a privileged holder of a Royal Warrant, will launch a beautifully designed limitededition pack of Harveys Bristol Cream to celebrate the 60th anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation.

Still using the instantly recognisable Bristol blue glass and containing the much-loved Harveys Bristol Cream liquid, the quintessentially British tipple will be available in the specially designed pack to let you toast Her Majesty The Queen in a style fit for royalty. The bottle is the ultimate souvenir for a Harveys and Royal family fan and the perfect addition to the drinks cabinet.

The limited-edition bottle will be showcased at The Coronation Festival, taking place in the Gardens of Buckingham Palace from 11-14th July 2013. Visitors to the Festival will also have the opportunity to taste the delicious signature serve of Harveys Bristol Cream served over ice with a slice of orange.

For further serving suggestions and cocktail tips, ideas on how to spend the perfect Harveys Half Hour plus a chance to win a bottle of Harveys Bristol Cream, visit the Harveys website – www. harveyshalfhour.co.uk.

Harveys Bristol Cream Coronation Edition will be available from July 2013 while stocks last.

WineWizard!

The Life of The Vine

By Ciaran Meyler

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robably the best wine book I’ve ever purchased is The World Atlas of Wine. If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of wine this is the complete book. Now in it’s sixth edition written by the world’s most authoritative wine duo, Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, the early editions were solely the work of Hugh Johnson. The unparalleled clarity and detail of the maps remain core to the Atlas. The first addition in 1971 sold 4 million copies in 14 languages.

One of my favorite sections is The Vine, I know I’m a wee bit of an anorak.

The first line in this section is awesome; “Every drop of wine you drink is rain recovered from the ground by the mechanism of the plant that bears grapes, the vine” What a magical plant to put rain to a good use and all we ever do is complain about it. I’ll bet you never think of that when you’re quaffing down a bottle on a Friday night with your pizza or Chinese.

The life cycle of a vine is similar to that of a human. For the first 3-5 years the young vine is too busy creating a strong stalk to bear more Ciara n Me than a few grapes, so it needs a lot of nurturing. Left to nature the vine yler will then rampage away, with long branches and very little grapes.

However over time it was discovered that better quality grapes grow on a vine that is regularly cut back to a very limited number of buds. Pruning is done in mid-winter. As the vine grows older its principal roots penetrate deeper into the ground. A young vine shows its immaturity, its wine is always light and insubstantial . From about 12-40 years a vine is in the prime of life.

Like all plants the vine has countless enemies, one insect pest is disastrous; the phylloxera which lives on the roots of the vine and kills it. In the years after 1870’s it almost destroyed the entire European vineyard, until it was discovered that the roots of the native American vine (phylloxera came from America) are immune. Virtually every vine in Europe had to be pulled up abd replaced with a European cutting grafted on to a rooted cutting from an American vine.

So, the next time you’re enjoying a beautiful glass of wine, toast the rain.

“Wine cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young and makes weariness forget his toil” Lord Byron

For more information contact United Wine Merchants on 028 38316555 or contact the Wine Wizard directly on 07774226387.

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industry news

Driving the way to world class customer service T

wenty drivers from Value Cabs have undergone WorldHost training to ensure they are equipped with industry leading customer service skills when welcoming visitors to Northern Ireland.

WorldHost is a world-class customer service training programme that has already been used to train nearly one million people worldwide, including front-line staff in hospitality, tourism and passenger transport for sporting and cultural events across the UK. NITB, in a strategic partnership with People 1st and the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), is rolling out WorldHost in Northern Ireland to help businesses gain a competitive edge and position Northern Ireland as a world-class tourist destination.

Carolyn Boyd, Industry Development Manager at NITB said: “Customer service is a vital part of the visitor experience, when a visitor arrives in Northern Ireland their experience can be influenced by so many different people. Often a taxi driver can be the first point of contact for visitors as they arrive. Therefore they have a vital role in providing a warm welcome and sharing their valuable knowledge of the area.”

Peter McCausland, Value Cabs commented on the training: “The drivers that completed the training

saw WorldHost as the perfect way of refreshing their skills and remaining at the top of their game. WorldHost training can benefit not only taxi drivers but also restaurants, hotels and retail business just to name a few.”

Sammy Gamble, Operations Manager for the DEL’s Skills Solutions, welcomed the new momentum that has been created in improving customer service. “The internationally recognised WorldHost customer service programme is supported by DEL to not only improve the experience for visitors to Northern Ireland but also to up-skill the workforce. The initiative delivers the key customer service skills our workforce need and, already over 4,000 local people have benefited from the training. WorldHost recognises the importance of customer service for all sectors and at every level. Whether in a taxi, hotel, airport or tourist attraction, every interaction with a customer contributes to the visitor experience of Northern Ireland.”

Roisin McKee, People 1st said: “Our research has shown that customer service presents one of the biggest skills challenges for Northern Ireland’s hospitality and tourism businesses today – 63% of employers feel that customer service skills of their workforce could be improved. That’s why we introduced the WorldHost programme – to help give staff the skills to offer a warm welcome and

Kevin Dornan and Peter McCausland, Value Cabs with Carolyn Boyd, NITB, Sammy Gamble, DEL and Roisin McKee, People 1st.

really cement Northern Ireland as a world-class tourist destination.”

The two day programme provided the drivers with the opportunity to gain invaluable skills and techniques that form the fundamentals of service professionalism. Encouraging them to take pride in what they do and the area of Northern Ireland in which they live and work.

Northern Ireland businesses in

the hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism industries that employ fewer than 250 employees may be eligible for financial assistance through the Department for Employment and Learning funded package for WorldHost customer service training.

More information about WorldHost training in Northern Ireland can be found at www.worldhostni.com

New General Manager for Belle Isle Estate

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ndrew Lamont has recently been appointed as the new General Manager of Belle Isle Estate in County Fermanagh.

Charles Plunket, who has been looking after the holiday business and estate since 1994, will work part-time alongside Andrew until the end of July when he will retire from Belle Isle.

Charles will continue working as an independent tourism consultant as well as pursuing other career interests.

Andrew Lamont spent his early childhood in Ballymena before moving to Devon. Although living in England, after completing a Hospitality Management Training course and starting in hotel management, he returned to Northern Ireland to complete his degree. This he did at the University of Ulster, Magee Campus, Londonderry where he gained a BSc (hons) in Occupational Psychology.

Andrew has been working for more than 30 years in the hospitality/event industry in Devon, Dorset and Ireland and has managed properties in Mayo and Donegal as well as Dorset. As a result, he has a strong food and beverage as well as conference and banqueting background. Immediately before his most recent return to Northern Ireland he was working in Weymouth as General Manager of an 86 bedroom hotel with 30+ staff. During 2012 this involved co-ordinating accommodation for competitors and visitors as well as national and international organisations to the 2012 Olympic sailing events.

When away from work he enjoys cycling and reading military history.

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training

Tennent’s NI and Ten Square are Hosts with the Most T

ennent’s NI customers have been benefiting from the unique WorldHost customer service training, a key component of the company’s wider support programme.

Globally more than one million people have benefited from WorldHost since the acclaimed initiative was launched in North America in 1985.

Now the programme is establishing itself as an international standard of excellence within the hospitality sector and, in Northern Ireland, is being managed by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

Tennent’s NI brought the WorldHost Customer Service training programme, supported by DEL, to customers across Northern Ireland, helping already successful businesses to sharpen their customer-facing skills.

Paul McGurk from Tennent’s NI says, “Against the current background of economic downturn and tough trading conditions, it is those businesses which are prepared to ‘go the extra mile’ which will prosper. We all need to be totally customer focused, determined and equipped to deliver consistent excellence – and excellent training is essential to help us achieve that goal.

“The specialist approach of WorldHost has been really well received by our customers who found the entire programme relevant and applicable to their everyday business activities. In particular they welcomed

the opportunity which the programme creates to reassess their service ‘offer’ from a customer standpoint, building on strengths and addressing any gaps.

We have been delighted at its impact within the wider Tennent’s NI customer support programme.”

The staff from Ten Square Hotel in

Belfast were amongst the delegates participating in the initial round of training and have just become the first Belfast city centre hotel to achieve the status of WorldHost™ Recognised Business for customer service excellence.

Kevin Smyth from Ten Square said:

“We are committed to ongoing training for our staff and were delighted to take advantage of the WorldHost scheme with Tennent’s NI. The WorldHost approach is refreshing and really ignites enthusiasm which – as far as we are concerned at Ten Square – is the key quality at the heart of excellent service.”

Pictured during a WorldHost training session at Tennent’s NI are (from left) Robert Cully, World Host Trainer; Kevin Smyth, General Manager, Ten Square; training participant Alan Worboys, Ten Square Banqueting Server and Duncan Millar, Commercial Director, Tennent’s NI.

People 1st calls for employers to speak up as Government reviews apprenticeships and training

P

eople 1st, the sector skills council for the hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism sector, is asking all employers to express their views on how they would like apprenticeships and youth training to be shaped to help them deliver a workforce skilled to drive the industry’s success in coming years.

Dr Stephen Farry, Minister for Employment and Learning, announced a review to examine the future of apprenticeships and youth training, and how they can better meet the needs of employers and apprentices in Northern Ireland in February.

In addition to working with the Minster on his expert advisory panel, People 1st is now co-ordinating the sector’s response to ensure all employers in this critical sector of the economy have the chance to provide feedback as Government prepares to reform the future of the industry’s key training programmes.

To provide an opportunity to gather views for the response to Government, People 1st would like to meet with employers to discuss their thoughts throughout May and June, in addition to launching an online survey in coming weeks to gain feedback.

Roisin McKee, director of People 1st in Northern Ireland, said that she was keen to meet with employers individually to ensure they are given

the best chance possible to provide their feedback.

“It is imperative that employers use this chance to be heard. The review provides our industry with the opportunity to ensure apprenticeship training is more closely matched to the specific needs of businesses in the sector and that we benefit from the right people with the right skills.”

Hospitality Apprenticeships are of growing value to the hospitality sector. Between August 2010 and July 2011 672 people completed an apprenticeship, while the following year the figures grew by more than 100 to 799.

This period of review is a once in a generation opportunity for employers

to mould the framework that will underpin training for a vast proportion of our workforce.

People 1st will be asking employers to express their opinions on all elements of apprenticeships, but in particular it is seeking to understand employer opinion on the need for higher level apprenticeships, which occupational areas would benefit from government funded apprenticeships and ways to improve young people’s employability skills.

Companies that wish to contribute to the consultation can email their views to Roisin McKee on roisin. mckee@people1st.co.uk or contact her on 028 9089 0313 to arrange an interview.

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NI events news

Northern Ireland is awash

with arts and colour this year

T

he streets and venues of Northern Ireland will come alive this year with a massive line-up of arts festivals planned to celebrate everything from film and music to literature to cultural heritage.

No matter what time of year it is, there is always something happening and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) is promising that you won’t

have to go too far this year to be entertained.

NITB’s Culture, Heritage and Activities Officer Helen Carey is encouraging everyone to take advantage of what’s on offer right on your own doorstep.

“I hope everyone will enjoy the vibrant calendar of festivals that will be taking place throughout Northern Ireland this year,” said Helen.

Dalriada Festival, Co. Antrim

Féile an Phobail, Belfast The annual Féile an Phobail was established in 1988 and is now Ireland’s biggest community arts festival. This year’s festival will be taking place from August 1st –11th and it will be celebrating with a wide ranging programme including music, comedy, literature, debates, sporting events and much more.

Celebrated in west Belfast, the festival’s popular carnival parade brings together over 50,000 people in a colourful, musical procession with specially-designed floats, dancers and children dressed up in costume and face-masks, with a new theme being represented each year.

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“There really is something for everyone from young families wanting to entertain their children to couples looking for something a little bit different to do and with each year that passes the festivals just get bigger and better than before,” she added.

To help get you started NITB has put together a list of some festivals taking place this year:

Dalriada Festival, Co. Antrim The Dalriada Festival of Sport, Music and Food follows on from the hugely successful Highland Games held annually in the shadow of Glenarm Castle and attracts 25,000 visitors.

The festival, taking place on July 13th–20th, aims to highlight the unique historic cultures of both Ireland and Scotland, reflecting the shared heritage which extends back in time to the ancient kingdom of Dal Riada and beyond.

The festival has something for everyone including highland games, fine foods, celebrity chef demonstrations, arts and crafts, live music, children’s entertainment and a large outdoor concert which to date has featured the likes of The Priests, General Fiasco, Duke Special, Amici Forever, Ronan Keating, Sharon Corr and many others.

The Festival also hosts major sporting events including a Scotland/Ireland rowing regatta, triathlon and horse hunt chase. In addition to this the local community plays a major role in coordinating the community events including a street carnival, live concert and fireworks finale.

Féile an Phobail, Belfast

The Playhouse Children’s & Young Arts Festival, Co. Londonderry One of the city’s calendar highlights, The Playhouse in the city of Derry hosts the city’s longest running children’s arts festival offering children and teens a unique opportunity to enjoy two fantastic weeks of workshops in drama, visual arts, dance, and much more, all lead by friendly, professional home-grown artists.

This colourful and fun-filled extravaganza will see children of all ages taking part with a programme aimed at nurturing children’s talents and giving them an opportunity to express themselves through the arts. This year’s festival will be taking place from July 22nd–August 2nd and will also help celebrate Derry~Londonderry’s title of the first ever UK City of Culture.

On Home Ground Poetry Festival 2013, Co. Londonderry This brand new festival takes place at Laurel Villa Guest House in Magherafelt, a well-known poetry landmark, on September 20th–22nd and promises to be an exciting and enjoyable weekend of events and activities.

This three-day festival is a joyous celebration of poets and poetry, paying tribute to those people and places of Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney’s childhood world, which have subsequently provided the inspiration for much of his work.

The festival will feature well- known poets from Ireland and around the world, as well as readings by local and emerging poets.

A series of talks, performances, exhibitions and activities will highlight the important contribution that poetry can make to our lives.

During the weekend, the literary outputs of a pioneering educational project involving schools in the Magherafelt and Derry City Council areas will be showcased.

‘On Home Ground’ will emphasise the unique landscape, history, people and culture of South Derry and invite others to share in its richness. As part of the celebrations marking City of Culture 2013, a festival outreach event will take place at Prehen House. Seamus Heaney is patron of the festival and will give the opening address.

To find out more on festivals click on www.discovernorthernireland. com or visit your local tourist information centre. You can also keep up-to-date with the latest news, images, videos and competitions by visiting www.facebook.com/ discovernorthernireland.com

Live like a Lady...

The stunning mansion at Colebrooke Estate.

Just for a day at least!

W

ith Fermanagh set to be hoisted into the world media’s spotlight this summer when it plays host to the G8 Summit, now is the time to pay the country a visit and see what it has to offer.

Louise Murphy recently enjoyed a trip to Colebrooke Estate and Spa to discover a real hidden gem which is enjoying something of a renaissance after difficult times.

Set in a 1,000 acre working estate, the beauty and majesty of Colebrooke is a mere 90 minute drive from Belfast.

The large neo-classical mansion designed by Architect William Farrell, was built between 1824 and 1828 by Sir Henry Brooke and the property has remained in the family ever since.

However around the 1970s, the family faced financial difficulties due to death taxes and as a result, many items from the great house had to be sold off.

In 1980 the present Viscount and Viscountess Brookeborough began a lengthy renovation process to restore the building to its former glory.

Family portraits, original Victorian wallpaper, 18th century porcelain and fine furniture decorate the grand rooms and the Viscountess has skilfully recreated the style and grandeur of the past.

Recent modernisation such as ensuite bathrooms, the addition of central heating and a business conference unit makes Colebrooke the perfect spot for the discerning business or leisure traveller.

Fishing, clay pigeon shooting, archery and other outdoor activities

fermanagh focus

The home of tranquillity – Colebrooke Spa.

provide guests with the best of both worlds.

There are 12 comfortable double bedrooms, which have been individually and tastefully decorated

by Lady Brookeborough, all with stunning views over the grounds, and all of which have their own private bathrooms.

However whilst taking in the grandeur of the big house, we were here to visit the estate’s latest edition, Colebrooke Spa. The spa’s the limit Colebrooke Spa was developed as part of Channel Four’s Country House

Rescue programme which featured the Estate last summer. After opening their doors in June 2012, the spa has gone from strength to strength, developing a strong client base.

The spa is managed by local businesswoman Nadine Lyons, who also owns The Loft Beauty Salon in neighbouring Fivemiletown. The Loft was Declor Salon of the Year in 2012 thanks to its excellent standard and quality of both staff and treatments.

This same quality is evident in the spa at Colebrooke. The spa is open to everyone, not just Colebrooke guests. Clients can choose from a range of treatments including exclusive

Colebrooke Spa packages, each package includes access to the outdoor Jacuzzi and sauna.

Once you step inside the beautifully appointed spa, you can literally feel the stress begin to ease away. Staff were pleasant and helpful and after being shown to our changing area, we were quickly attired in soft comfy robes and spa slippers.

We then made our way through to the relaxation area in which we could enjoy some fresh fruit, a glass of water or some freshly squeezed orange juice whilst we relaxed by the fire before our treatment.

I was booked in for a Hot Stone Full Body Massage and thanks to the fantastic efforts of my therapist Natasha, it certainly did the trick. I felt relaxed and revived and my many stresses had almost disappeared. I emerged from the treatment room a new woman!

Judging by the zoned out looks on everyone’s faces – it appeared they felt the same!

After our relaxation and taking in some more of the stunning grounds at Colebrooke, we made our way to The Valley Hotel in Fivemiletown for a delicious light lunch before hitting the road back to the ‘Big Smoke.’

One thing that was really noticeable throughout our day in Fermanagh was the warmth and friendless of everyone we encountered.

Colebrooke Estate and Spa truly are hidden gems, well worth a visit. As for Fermanagh itself, it has so much to offer and it’s basically on our own doorsteps. Definitely well worth a visit before the summer madness kicks in.

HR • 43

Classifieds

A n e a s y r e f e r e nc e t o t he BE S T f or y our bus i ne s s

CATERING EQUIPMENT

AMUSEMENT & LEISURE

DRINKS DISTRIBUTORS & WHOLESALERS ENERGY SUPPLIERS

DRINKS DISTRIBUTORS & WHOLESALERS N. Ireland Contacts Ryan McFarland - Customer Business Manager Mark Glover - Business Development Manager Customer Development Executives Ashley Douglas Tel: 07971508669 Phil Patterson Tel: 07971508734 Linzi Malcolmson Tel: 07971 508732 RUM BACARDI Superior Rum • BACARDI Gold Rum BACARDI 8 Year Old Rum • Bacardi Razz • Bacardi Oakheart VODKA Grey Goose Original • Grey Goose La Poire Grey Goose L’Orange • Grey Goose Le Citron • 42 Below Vodka • 42 Below Vodka Passionfruit • 42 Below Vodka Kiwi • 42 Below Vodka Manuka Honey • 42 Below Vodka Feijoa Finlandia Classic • Finlandia Lime Finlandia Cranberry • Finlandia Grapefruit Finlandia Mango Eristoff • Eristoff Black Vodka • Eristoff Gold GIN Bombay Sapphire Gin WHISKEY Jack Daniel’s • Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Gentleman Jack • Tennessee Honey VERMOUTH Martini Extra Dry • Martini Rosso • Martini Bianco • Martini Rosato • Martini Rosato Noilly Prat Dry BOURBON Woodford Reserve Bourbon SPECIALITY • Southern Comfort • Southern Comfort Lime • Tuaca • Chambord • Southern Comfort Black Cherry • St Germain Elderflower SPARKLING Martini Asti • Martini Rose • Martini Prosecco • Martini Prosecco • Martini Rose RTD BACARDI Breezer Orange, Pineapple, Watermelon, Strawberry, Blueberry Tequila Cazadores Tequila • Blanco • Reposado • Anejo Ready To Drink Cocktails Bacardi Mojito Bacardi Cuba Libre AVAILABLE FROM ALL GOOD WHOLESALERS

www.bacardi-martini.co.uk www.bacardi.com 01962 762100

58 BOUCHER ROAD BELFAST BT12 6HR Country Director : Diageo Northern Ireland: Michael McCann TYPE OF BUSINESS: Drinks manufacturer and distributor

CUSTOMER SERVICES: 08456014649 DRAUGHT BEER AND CIDER: Guinness, Harp, Harp Ice Cold, Carlsberg, Budweiser, Smithwick’s, Warsteiner, Strongbow, Magners, Smithwicks Pale Ale, Guinness mid-strength PACKED BEERS AND CIDER: Carlsberg, Guinness, Guinness Extra Stout, Harp, Satzenbrau, Smithwick’s Pale Ale, Jeremiah Weed VODKA: Smirnoff Red, Smirnoff Blue, Smirnoff Black, Green Apple Smirnoff, Lime Smirnoff, Ketel One, Ketel One Citroen, Ciroc WHISKIES: Bushmills, Black Bush, Bushmills Single Malt, Bell’s, Johnnie Walker, Classic Malts, Haig GIN: Gordon’s, Tanqueray CREAM LIQUER: Baileys RUM: Captain Morgan, McKibbins TEQUILA: Jose Cuervo OTHER SPIRITS: Sambuca Romana, Archers Peach Schnapps, Goldschlager, Pimm’s, Bushmills Honey Ready To Serve: Smirnoff Ice, Pre-mix cans, Captain Morgan Long Island Iced Tea, Smirnoff Mojito, Parrot WINES: Blossom Hill, Santa Rita

Unit 1, Hawthorne House, 6 Wildflower Way, Belfast, County Antrim, BT12 6TA Customer contact line: 00353 1 629 4101 (head office) Email: collette.murphy@molsoncoors.com Director of Emerging Markets and Craft Beer: Niall Phelan Type of Business: Brewing Company

Partner with the Fastest Growing Brewer in Northern Ireland*

*Nielsen October 2012

www.molsoncoors.co.uk

COFFEE SUPPLIERS

IT SOLUTIONS

BE INVOLVED! Call Nicola Daly on 028 9078 3234

INTERIOR DESIGN & ARCHITECTURAL CONSULTANTS

INDUSTRY ORGANISATIONS

Northern Ireland Hotels Federation The McCune Building, 1 Shore Road, Belfast BT15 3PG. Tel: 028 9077 6635 • Fax: 028 9077 1899 email: office@nihf.co.uk web: www.nihf.co.uk Chief Executive: Janice Gault President: James McGinn

Food NI

www.nigoodfood.com e: info@nigoodfood.com : 028 90 249 449

Northern Ireland Tourist Board St Anne’s Court, 59 North Street, Belfast BT1 1NB Tel: +44 (0)28 9023 1221 Fax: +44 (0)28 9024 0960 Textphone: +44 (0)28 9044 1522 web: www.nitb.com web: www.discovernorthernireland.com

BE INVOLVED! Call Nicola Daly on 028 9078 3234

SEAFOOD

SOLICITORS

A leading light in the Northern Irish legal sector The firm covers a full range of legal services including:

BE INVOLVED! Call Nicola Daly on 028 9078 3234

Fish at its Finest Blackstaff Road, Kennedy Way, Belfast.

BT11 9DT. T: 028 90 618088 E: info@keenanseafood.com W: www.keenanseafood.com

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Licensing Corporate Property Corporate Services Employment Insolvency and Corporate Recovery Business Debt Recovery Litigation

East Coast Seafoods LOCAL PRODUCE SUPPLIERS

SPECIALIST

SEAFOOD, PROCESSORS / SUPPLIERS FRESH & FROZEN SEAFOODS

Supplied from Local, UK & Worldwide Seas EXOTIC SEAFOODS A SPECIALITY REFRIGERATED DAILY DELIVERY TO THE CATERING & WHOLESALE INDUSTRY

Whatever your Needs in Seafood Call:

: 028 44 841196 (24 hr Answering Service)

F : 028 44 842228

7-11 Killard Drive, Ballyhoman, BT30 7PN EEC Operators No. 2V004FE

Coming up in our next issue: • Ice Cream/Frozen Drinks Selection With the summer hopefully in full swing, a great way to boost profits is by offering something cool and refreshing for all the family

• Let the Sun Shine

Working with local farmers and local producers...

Farranfad Road, Seaforde BT30 8NH Tel: NI 028 4481 1500 ROI 01 80 30 555 Email: sales@crossgar.ie Web: www.crossgar.ie Twitter: @Crossgarfoods

Supplier of seafood to Ulster’s Leading Restaurants

Famous for Smoked Salmon ‘Market Kitchen’s Northern Ireland Local Food Hero’

6 Kendal Street, Belfast, BT13 2JR Tel: 028 9032 5534 Fax: 028 9024 1707

Get your summer all sorted with our guide to eating and drinking during the summer months

BE INVOLVED! Call Nicola Daly on 028 9078 3234

In the hot seat for this edition is Colin McSherry, Chef/Consultant of Bubbacue

In the

hot seat

in the hot seat

hot seat HATE About work?

Long hours In a person?

Snobbery Household chore?

Hoovering

BODY I love...a little bit of everything I hate...whole lot of nothing Elbow Bender?

Nice beers SOUL Music?

Rock ‘n’ Roll Book, Film or Play?

Film Star sign?

Gemini Inspiration in life?

Heston Blumenthal

WORK Company: Bubbacue Job Title: Chef/Consultant

Indoor: football Last time at the cinema?

Gangster Skewed

How long here?

6 months

Last event I attended...

Man United vs Arsenal, Old Trafford

What was your first job?

Bottle boy in a bar

LOVE About work?

The creativeness

In another life?

Myself all over again

The love of your life?

Family

PLAY Outdoor: cycling

One night wonder?

To be able to go to ElBulli as it is no more!

00 • 50

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EITHER – OR Cats or Dogs: Dogs PC or MAC: Mac Football or Rugby: Football Sun or Snow: Both Cottage or Castle: Cottage City Life or Country Life: City life with a place in the Country Blonde or Brunette: If I had to choose, Blonde Whiskey or Gin: Whiskey David Beckham or David Cameron: United legend Beckham The Sun or the Telegraph: Sun Radio One or Radio Four: Radio One Man’s Man or Metrosexual: My own Man Starter or Pud: Starter Beach Bum or Culture Vulture: A week of each Royal Portrush or Down Royal: Down Royal Autobiography or Novel: Autobiography

A leading light in the Northern Ireland legal sector.

Licensing Commercial Property Employment Corporate & Commercial Commercial Litigation Private Client Commercial Debt Recovery Personal Injury Litigation

Banking Construction Credit Hire Defamation Medical Negligence Corporate Recovery & Insolvency Matrimonial & Family Professional Negligence