DECEMBER 2019
The VOICE of Northern Ireland’s catering, licensing and tourism industry
The official publication for
DECEMBER 2019
The VOICE of Northern Ireland’s catering, licensing and tourism industry
The official publication for
NEW TOURISM BRAND EXPECTED TO PROPEL A DECADE OF GROWTH From left, John McGrillen, Tourism NI; Julie Wakley, Tourism Ireland; and Colin Davidson, the artist behind the new destination brand logo.
TAKING STOCK: THE TALENTED DANNY MILLAR HAS OPENED STOCK KITCHEN & BAR IN ST GEORGE’S MARKET, BRINGING SIMPLICITY & SUSTAINABILITY TO HIS MENU P10
SPIRIT OF MEXICO: BACARDI BROWN-FORMAN BRAND PATRON HOSTS AN EDUCATIONAL TRADE EVENT FOCUSING ON TEQUILA AT LIQUOR XXX IN BELFAST PS22-23
THE TOP 100: THE 2020 LISTING OF NORTHERN IRELAND’S LEADING HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY HOSPITALITY ULSTER ON FEBRUARY 19 PS30-31
HOSPITALITY EXCHANGE: NORTHERN IRELAND HOTELS FEDERATION CELEBRATED ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY DURING THE TRADE CONFERENCE, EXHIBITION & GALA BALL PS32-33 www.hospitalityreviewni.com
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mbrace a Giant Spirit, a new destination brand for Northern Ireland to sit alongside established Republic of Ireland experiences such as the Wild Atlantic Way and Ancient East, was launched last month at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London. Featuring a market-disrupting logo created by acclaimed artist Colin Davidson, it aims to tap into positive perceptions of Northern Ireland as ‘warm, engaging and big-hearted’ with a strong traditional of culture and heritage. The new brand was launched by Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland at the world’s biggest b2b event for the travel trade, and will be used to promote Northern Ireland in domestic and international markets. Aiming to evoke a distinctly Northern Irish experience, it covers 23 provincewide attractions in its first phase from established sites such as Titanic Belfast to more rural initiatives including Toast the Coast food tours. Further phases will add more high-quality attractions, with a focus on spreading the economic benefits of tourism across Northern Ireland. Having reached its previous target of creating a £1bn industry, Tourism NI hopes the new brand will help it achieve a new goal of creating 25,000 jobs and doubling tourism revenue to £2bn by 2030.
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“The purpose of this brand is to help us stand out both on the island of Ireland and, more importantly, across the globe,” said John McGrillen, chief executive of Tourism NI, speaking at the launch event in London. “The research we’ve undertaken to support this work tells us that this really underpins what is unique about Northern Ireland, what makes it stand out and that’s the giant spirit of the place and the spirit of the people who live there. “Our visitors constantly tell us in their surveys that the visitor experience vastly exceeds that which they had antitpated having when they got there, and they’re amazed at the beauty of the landscape and the breadth and depth of our culture but I suppose the one thing that really stands out for them is the warmth of the welcome. They tell us that’s what really sets us apart as a destination. So we have developed this new brand really with that in mind.” Research in the core markets of the island of Ireland, GB, France, Germany and the USA supported Embrace a Giant Spirit as the brand best personifying Northern Ireland’s history, culture and people. Following its launch at WTM, Tourism Ireland will support a global rollout of the new brand across advertising, digital, social media and PR activity in spring 2020. DECEMBER HRNI • 3
editorialcomment THE TEAM & CONTACTS Editor: Alyson Magee Manager: Mark Glover Art Editor: Helen Wright Production Manager: Irene Fitzsimmons Subscriptions: 028 9055 4598 (Price £27.50 UK, £37.50 outside UK) Published by Independent News & Media Ltd: Hospitality Review NI Independent News & Media Belfast Telegraph House 33 Clarendon Road Clarendon Dock, Belfast BT1 3BG Contact: Editorial: a.magee@independentmagazinesni.co.uk. Tel: 028 9026 4175 Sales: m.glover@independentmagazinesni.co.uk. Tel: 028 9026 4266 The Review is the official publication for: Hospitality Ulster: 91 University Street, Belfast, BT7 1HP. Tel: 028 9032 7578. Chief Executive: Colin Neill Chairperson: Danny Coyles The Institute of Hospitality Northern Ireland Branch Email: nibranch@instituteofhospitality.org Web: www.instituteofhospitality.org Chair: Marianne Hood FIH Vice Chair: Lloyd Jackson Northern Ireland Hotels Federation: The McCune Building, 1 Shore Road, Belfast, BT15 3PJ. Tel: 028 9077 6635 Chief Executive: Janice Gault President: Stephen Meldrum Design & Production by: Independent News & Media Ltd Printed by: W. & G. Baird Ltd. The opinions expressed in Hospitality Review are not necessarily those of Hospitality Ulster or the NIHF.
Hospitality Review is a copyright of © Independent News & Media Ltd 2019
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HospitalityReviewNI Look at our Website: www.hospitalityreviewni.com 4 • HRNI DECEMBER
EMBRACE THE GIANT SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
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elcome to the December edition of Hospitality Review. Beyond bestowing you with scintillating content… our festive gift to you will be not mentioning Brexit beyond this point in this month’s commentary. And why would we need to when so much is going on across Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector. Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF) has bagged another successful Hospitality Exchange at which it celebrated 20 years in operation, while Hospitality Ulster is gearing up for its third Top 100 Hospitality Businesses awards in February 2020. Both organisations have undergone a changing of the guard with Gavin Carroll having served his term as president of NIHF, handing the honour over to Stephen Meldrum. At Hospitality Ulster, Mark Stewart is stepping down as chairman, but staying on the board, with Danny Coyles newly named chairman and Tony O’Neill as vice-chairman. Well done to those who have served their roles, which can be onerous on top of already-busy, full-time positions in hospitality. And congratulations to the newly-appointed trade representatives, with whom we will hopefully catch up in our next edition – the Yearbook. With Christmas a key trading period for the hospitality sector, drinks are unsurprisingly a big focus in our December edition from Coca Cola’s annual campaign supporting drivers to the latest trends across alcohol brands and categories. United Wines’ drinks blogger column is always a must-read, particularly around Christmas when pointers about which wines to pair with traditional festive dishes come in very useful. And in the spirits category, Bacardi Brown-Forman has been notably busy over the last few months, opening a new Grey Goose Terrace in partnership with Café Parisien in Belfast and then heading up to the North Coast to host a Bacardi Cocktail Competition at Me &
Mrs Jones in Portstewart. HRNI stopped by by its Patron trade event at Liquor XXX, at which local bartenders were treated to an impressively in-depth presentation on the origins and production of tequila. In the past, the tequila category had been tarnished by bad memories of cheap shots of inferior product in the UK and Ireland market. It has moved on since then, with a certain cachet attached to the high-end brands namechecked by celebrities. There is no doubt, however, that hearing about the history, craft and techniques behind authentic 100% agave spirit gives you a greater respect and appreciation for tequila and how to drink it properly and responsibly. I will certainly be adding a bottle of premium tequila to my Christmas wishlist, if a trip to the Jalisco region of Mexico where it is produced is too much to ask for… Speaking of trips, I visited London last month with Tourism NI for the launch of its new destination brand for Northern Ireland, Embrace a Giant Spirit, at the World Travel Market (WTM). Held in the vast ExCel exhibition space, WTM is the biggest event of its kind, offering the perfect opportunity to introduce the new brand to international buyers scouting for tourism destinations. In developing the new brand, Tourism NI has set its sights on an identity that spans the Northern Ireland tourism offer in its entirety; not just Titanic Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway but also smaller attractions in less travelled areas. A lot of thought (and market research) went into the concept behind the new brand and its artwork, and it certainly managed to achieve standout even amid the lavish exhibitors competing for space at WTM. Here’s to great success for Northern Ireland’s positive new image, and to buoyant festive trading across the hospitality industry.
Hospitality Review NI is a part of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). If you believe you have been unfairly treated, you can contact IPSO in writing via its website for guidance on what to do. The service is free. IPSO can then advise on whether it’s likely you have grounds for a complaint and what to do about it. The normal procedure is for the complainant to then contact the publication’s editor directly. If no agreement is reached, the complainant can go back to IPSO to look for an adjudication, or for it to take over the complaint. Full details are available at www.ipso.co.uk. Alternatively, email complaints@ipso.co.uk, or inquiries@ipso.co.uk, or telephone 0300 123 2220, or the out-of-hours emergency number: 07659 152 656. Or write to: IPSO, c/o Halton House, 20-23 Holborn, London EC1N 2JD. twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI
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news
HOSPITALITY ULSTER APPOINTS NEW CHAIR & VICE CHAIR
SECOND LIQUOR LICENSING CONSULTATION UNDERWAY
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From left, Tony O’Neill, vice-chairman, Colin Neill, chief executive, and Danny Coyles, chairman of Hospitality Ulster.
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anny Coyles of the Anchor Bar Complex in Portstewart has been named as the new chairman of Hospitality Ulster, with Tony O’Neill from well-known Belfast restaurants Coppi and Buba taking up the role as the new vice-chairman. “This is an exciting but also challenging time for our industry, as we look to play our part in spreading the economic benefits of tourism across the province,” said Coyles. “At the same time we are being held back by outdated licensing laws, the highest business rates in the UK, the second highest hospitality VAT in Europe, not to mention Brexit. “Put simply, we have huge economic potential, but we need to see less consultation and more action by government if we are to sustain and grow our industry and the Northern Ireland economy. “I would like to pay tribute to the outgoing chair, Mark Stewart, who
has worked tirelessly for members throughout his tenure. Mark’s dedication and effectiveness in the role as chair has allowed me to take over an organisation which is vibrant, capable and confident.” O’Neill said: “I look forward to building on the great work already done to support our fantastic pubs, bars and restaurants. I have a particular interest in the training and development of staff, and I hope that through this role I can contribute to making our industry a career of choice.” Colin Neill, chief executive, thanked Mark Stewart for his hard work and “many late nights, early mornings and miles on the road” as chairman, while welcoming the new two appointments. “Both are highly respected leaders in the sector and have an in-depth understanding of the day to day challenges faced by the industry and a clear ambition to find solutions to the barriers to growth,” he said.
ospitality Ulster has engaged with its members in relation to the latest public consultation to look at reform of liquor licensing. The Department for Communities consultation is its second in seven years, with a bill to reform the outdated licensing laws introduced to the last Assembly prior to its collapse. “As a vitally important sector to the Northern Irish economy, we need to ensure our licensing laws can be modernised at the earliest opportunity and commend the Department’s permanent secretary for undertaking the preparatory work in advance of a return of government in Northern Ireland,” said Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster. “There are a whole range of issues that are important to us and we are united as an industry that the liquor licensing laws need updated. Our members are keen that, once we have a government back in place, the opportunity to move forward swiftly and decisively is taken. “They want to see real change as they are struggling in what effectively is an anti-business environment with exorbitant business rates, an uncompetitive hospitality VAT rate, ever increasing wage bills; all compounded by labour and migration issues brought about by Brexit fears.”
BELFAST RETAINS ‘BEST FOR EVENTS’ TITLE FOR SECOND YEAR
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elfast has been named Best Events Destination for a second consecutive year in the Conference & Incentive Travel Magazine Awards, recognising the best of the meetings, incentives, conference and events (MICE) industry around the world. Visit Belfast has secured 112 conferences for the city this year, while Belfast has climbed 50 places in the International Congress and Convention Association global rankings, and hosted several prestigious MICE industry events bringing in more than 700 international buyers. “This is a Team Belfast award and reflects successful partnership working across so many city stakeholders,” said www.hospitalityreviewni.com
Front centre, Lord Mayor of Belfast John Finucane with, from left, Catherine Toolan, Belfast ICC; Howard Hastings, Hastings Hotels; John McGrillen, Tourism Northern Ireland; Sarah Gribben and Gerry Lennon, Visit Belfast; and Laura Cowan, Titanic Belfast.
Gerry Lennon, chief executive, Visit Belfast, “from Belfast City Council and Tourism Northern Ireland investing in product development and sales and marketing, to
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hoteliers investing in hotel stock, to local events industry and tourism providers developing and delivering unique and interesting visitor experiences.” DECEMBER HRNI • 5
news
DIAGEO DIRECTOR IS GUEST SPEAKER AT UK FAMILY FRIENDLY EMPLOYER AWARDS
From left, Jeanette Harrison, Ulster University; Sarah Travers, host; Marie Marin, Employers for Childcare; and Belinda Brown, Diageo.
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elinda Brown, Diageo global audit and risk director for Europe and Africa, was guest speaker at the UK Family Friendly Employer Awards recently hosted by Employers For Childcare in the Galgorm Resort and Spa. One of the leading global businesses within the alcohol industry, Diageo has been instrumental in evolving its workplace practices; having rolled out new ambitious maternity and paternity leave policies earlier this year. As a senior figure in the company’s global operations, Brown spoke at the event about her journey, which started in Northern Ireland and resulted in her becoming a global director of Diageo. Over 200 business leaders from across the UK came together for the annual Awards ceremony, which are now in their ninth year. The awards acknowledge and showcase employers which go above and beyond legal requirements to help staff achieve their desired work-life balance. From Ahoghill, Co Antrim, and an alumna of Queen’s University, Brown was named in the 2019 Timewise Power 50 Awards; an annual list celebrating the most outstanding senior business figures that work flexibly from across the UK. Her role at Diageo involves partnering with, and challenging, senior
business leaders to ensure they have the right measures in place to protect the businesses’ reputation and to meet appropriate standards and regulations. A strong advocate for flexible working arrangements, Brown herself works compressed hours within a four-day working week, a pattern which she carried over into her promotion straight after returning from maternity leave. She was promoted to her current role just four months after returning from maternity leave, having joined Diageo in 2013. “The UK Family Friendly Employer Awards provide an excellent platform to recognise businesses which support progressive work-life balance policies, and I am delighted to be here on behalf of Diageo to share in this recognition along with other business leaders,” said Brown. “At Diageo we have demonstrated our own commitment to supporting an inclusive and diverse workforce and, through the global roll-out of our new maternity and paternity leave policy, our employees can focus on the joy of raising a young family, while continuing to thrive at work. “Working with teams in different markets means that the ability to work flexibly, and a culture and technology that supports this is vital in delivering my role.”
LOCAL BAR SHORTLISTED FOR CHARITY PUB OF THE YEAR
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he Front Page Bar in Ballymena is among eight pubs from across the UK to be shortlisted as a finalist for the 2019 Matthew Clarke Charity Pub of the Year Awards. The competition, run by PubAid and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, seeks to recognise pubs which go the extra mile to support charities and which make an exceptional contribution to their communities.
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The Front Page Bar, which is run by Hospitality Ulster board member Stephen Reynolds and his wife Marie, is a pillar of the Ballymena community and has been at the forefront of local charitable efforts for a number of years. Having previously been named Northern Ireland’s Community Pub of the Year, the shortlisting is a further acknowledgment of the community focus at the heart of the hospitality sector.
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news
GRAND CENTRAL GM TAKES OVER NIHF PRESIDENCY
LATEST RESPONSIBLE ALCOHOL RETAILING REPORT PUBLISHED
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From left, Stephen Meldrum, newly appointed president of NIHF, marks the £2,965 raised for Friends of the Cancer Centre at this year’s Hospitality Exchange Ball with Ana Wilkinson, corporate fundraising manager.
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tephen Meldrum, general manager of Northern Ireland’s largest hotel – the Grand Central in Belfast - has been appointed president of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF). Having worked for Hastings Hotels for over 18 years, he previously managed the Ballygally Castle, Everglades, Culloden and Slieve Donard. Meldrum began his career with Croft Inns and managed several small family-run restaurants and bars before joining the Hastings group. He has previously served as chairman of the Institute of Hospitality NI. Appointed to the role at this year’s Hospitality Exchange, Meldrum thanked outgoing president Gavin Carroll. “Northern Ireland’s hotel industry has been rapidly evolving,” he said. “With this level of expansion there are challenges to overcome, and part of the role of the president of the NIHF is to work with stakeholders and members to address these. “Gavin had a very busy presidency and we are very grateful for the effort
that he invested in highlighting progress that has been made, while shining a light on issues that impact on our members’ businesses. “During his tenure, the NIHF celebrated its 20th anniversary and this provided an opportunity to reflect on the contribution of skilled staff who have dedicated their careers to the industry, something which the NIHF’s Hotel Heroes Awards recognised. However, we know that attracting skilled staff remains a challenge and this is an area that I will be continuing to work on over the course of my presidency. “I am taking up the presidency when the operating environment for members is difficult. The uncertainty surrounding Brexit has impacted negatively on consumer confidence and people are not spending as readily as before. Members are resilient though and they are also keen to capitalise on opportunities, and the Federation will be looking at how our alliances and partnerships can be maximised to help us to do just that.”
CONTRACTOR APPOINTED FOR NEW £208M BELFAST TRANSPORT HUB
DERRY AIRPORT FACING CLOSURE OVER FUNDING BLACKHOLE
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ork is set to begin on a new £208m Belfast Transport Hub after Northern Ireland construction firm Graham was selected as the contractor. Translink’s new proposed development is set to replace the Europa Bus Centre and Great Victoria Street train station complex. The public transport provider said the ‘flagship project’ will enhance connectivity, transforming the eighthectare city centre site while offering a high quality integrated transport hub for bus, coach and rail links. www.hospitalityreviewni.com
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ity of Derry Airport could close within two years if annual funding of £6m is not found to sustain the site. During a recent meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Governance and Strategic Planning Committee, councillors agreed to formally request financial assistance from central government in order to sustain the airport beyond March 31, 2021. Councillors were told key issues affecting the airport include reduced passenger numbers, Air Passenger Duty of £13 and increased operational costs.
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pdates reflecting social media and staff training, and a revised complaints process, are included in a new fourth editon of the Joint Industry Duncan McCausland, chair of the Independent Code for the Complaints Panel. Responsible Promotion and Retailing of Alcohol in Northern Ireland. A self-regulatory measure introduced by the industry to outline standards expected of those involved in the production, promotion, retail and service of alcohol, the Code is designed to facilitate the continued use of responsibly-served, wellmanaged promotions and sales practices at the same time as banning irresponsible promotions. First introduced in May 2012, it has since been updated several times. Compliance is overseen by an Independent Complaints Panel (ICP) of professionals with extensive knowledge and experience in alcohol, justice, health, education and youth services. ICP is responsible for considering complaints made with regards to potential breaches of the Code, such as Coach nightclub in Banbridge’s Project X A-Level Results promotion in August. ICP recently ruled against the nightclub for its use of imagery appearing to depict the aftermath of a binge drinking session. Over its six years of operation, 74 formal complaints have been assessed by the ICP. “The retail alcohol sector in Northern Ireland is the cornerstone of our hospitality and tourism industry employing in excess of 60,000 people and generating over £1.2bn for the economy,” said Duncan McCausland, chairman, ICP. “The responsible retail of alcohol is a key principle to which the whole industry prescribes and the potential harm from the misuse of alcohol is recognised by all sensible retailers. “Retailers are taking a mature approach and making regular contact to ensure that they meet the expected standards. This approach has to be welcomed and encouraged as a clear demonstration of the commitment to and effective operation of the Code as a regulator of promotions in the industry.” DECEMBER HRNI • 7
chefprofile
CHEFPROFILE
MICHAEL McKNIGHT, HEAD CHEF OF MILLBROOK LODGE HOTEL, TALKS TO HRNI
WHEN DID YOU FIRST GET INTO COOKING? My mum inspired me to become a chef. We were always in the kitchen cooking together. The best meals always come from your mum. HAVE YOU ANY CULINARY QUALIFICATIONS? I have NVQ levels 1, 2 and 3 in hospitality and catering. I went to college between the ages of 16 and 19, and worked in kitchens throughout my education. I enjoyed college but found it was in the busy work environment where I really flourished. WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND IN THE TRADE? I have been a chef for over 16 years and, like I said, was in the kitchen environment throughout my training also. My first position was as a commis chef in the King’s Head in Belfast. I then transferred to Shu and then to James St South. With this experience, I then began to realise that I wanted to focus on fine dining. I loved the flair for cooking it provided, the fast past at which service was carried out and the enormous focus that was put on the quality of every single ingredient. This is something I still try to implement into my cooking today. I quickly realised that I needed to spread my net wider and for that reason I decided to travel and explore and learn about different cultures, food flavours and dining experiences. I appreciate that to be the best chef I can be, I needed to learn from a vast array of people, with their own way of cooking. I try to bring all these new techniques I have learnt and use these positive influences into breathing new life into the NI food scene, all while keeping true to our culinary heritage. HAS ANYONE INSPIRED YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER? There have been many inspirational chefs I have came across in my career, but if I had to name a few I would say, Fernand Point. I read his book 8 • HRNI DECEMBER
Ma Gastronomie and it was the most passionate book I had ever read in my life; I couldn’t put it down. Paul Bocuse also was an inspiration, a protégée of Fernand. The Roux brothers, because of how they revolutionised cooking in England. And of course Marco Pierre White; his track record speaks for itself. WHEN DID YOU JOIN YOUR CURRENT VENUE? I joined the Maguire Hotel Group as head chef in the Millbrook Lodge Hotel in late June of this year. The thing that most attracted me to this position was the country lifestyle. I want to bring a new approach to cooking in the Millbrook, and what ‘country cooking’ really means. WHAT SIZE IS YOUR STAFF? We have a tight knit team of five. Since I have been with the business, I have seen some remarkable passion and growth with some of the junior members of the team, who are capable of producing some top-quality dishes. So much so, that I have promoted Judith to be my right-hand woman in the kitchen. She joined the Millbrook when she was just 17 and has quickly risen through the ranks due to her sheer love of cooking. I have a goal of instilling the appreciation I have for good food into the younger generations and am always willing to
mentor them where I can. WHAT STYLE IS YOUR COOKING? I always try to source fresh, local and in- season produce. The availably of good, locally-sourced, locally-grown produce in this area is a really exciting prospect for me. Northern Ireland has some of the world’s best produce, grown right on our doorstep. I’m excited to showcase it. It is my firm belief that we should support the local suppliers, and thus support the local community. I want to make Millbrook a central part of that mantra. WHAT IS YOUR FOOD SOURCING POLICY? I practise responsible sourcing throughout our supply, ensuring our customers get great quality, high welfare and sustainable food on their plate but, as I said, always local. HAVE YOU ANY INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF WORK? I have two young sons. This is a very special and precious time with them. On my time off, I love nothing more than to spend as much time as I can with them. I love to travel, fishing and foraging are also some of my favourite pastimes, and hopefully these are hobbies I can share with my children.
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foodnews
EMBRACING A GIANT SPIRIT WILL HELP DRIVE FURTHER GROWTH WITHIN OUR VIBRANT HOSPITALITY SECTOR BY MICHELE SHIRLOW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FOOD NI
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e’re now on the run down to the busy Christmas/New Year period. I trust it will prove to be an extremely successful – and profitable – time for the hospitality sector throughout Northern Ireland. Our Taste of Ulster members all recognise that to be successful in such a fast-moving industry, especially at this time of the year, means never standing still. Innovation remains a key component within the industry, because customers are always looking for something new. Successful companies are always peering over the horizon to enable them to keep ahead of new trends and developments both nationally and internationally. I know that our businesses are alert and keen to embrace new challenges and opportunities, which is why it was so encouraging to see Tourism NI unveil our new tourism brand; Embrace a Giant Spirit. It perfectly captures the giant spirit of the NI people and, given that it is a year this month since we won best food destination, it was especially encouraging to see so many food experiences included in the unforgettable experiences. I truly believe the campaign is the start of something big. Imaginative initiatives like the Taste the Island programme delivered by
Tourism NI, Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland will greatly assist the industry. Taste the Island will be running again for the next two years. Food NI, I am delighted to say, was heavily involved in a programme also enthusiastically embraced by many local councils and the hospitality industry. Local councils are now well aware of the needs and requirements of the hospitality sector and many have been scheduling initiatives to attract more visitors in particular. There was a good representation, for instance, from here at the recent World Travel event in London. I was privileged to be involved in a recent competition inviting the public to select their favourite eating places; the overall winner being Noel McMeel’s superb Catalina Restaurant at the Lough Erne Resort in Enniskillen. Overall, I was thoroughly impressed by the interest demonstrated by the general public in the quality and innovation of local restaurants and cafes. There’s clearly a greater awareness of what’s available here and about those harnessing the great potential offered by local food and drink producers and providing exceptional service. Hospitality, of course, is big business. And we are seeing a significant increase in amenities and services here for local and especially international visitors.
There’s now an impressive array and great freedom of choice for all customers. Some staffing issues remain and there are plans to address these. An immensely important trend for the sector is sustainability and it’s one that’s certain to strengthen in the year ahead. Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of environmental preservation and the future wellbeing of the planet. This is especially true of younger consumers. We are seeing it developing in the food and drink sectors where more companies are investing in initiatives to eliminate single-use plastics, introducing compostable packaging, reducing carbon footprint, building with sustainable materials and understanding impact on the environment. A recent market study found a ‘hot new trend’ in the concept of what is now known as ‘conscious travel’, which revolves around the idea of compassion and social consciousness being part of the travel and hospitality experience. It’s about human rights and sustaining communities, and not just about sustainability. And it’s a strengthening trend our industry will have to monitor closely in the years ahead. It’s one that I believe we will embrace with our giant spirit.
DEANES SUPPORTS CHILDREN IMPACTED BY CANCER THIS CHRISTMAS R estaurateur Michael Deane is calling on restaurants across Northern Ireland to support children’s cancer charity, Cancer Fund for Children this Christmas by taking part in the charity’s Dine and Donate campaign. This is the fifth consecutive year that Deanes Restaurants will take part in the festive fundraiser which encourages diners to add a £1 donation to their bill to help raise vital funds to support children and young people impacted by cancer and their families. To date, Deanes Restaurants have raised over £14,750 by taking part in the Dine and Donate initiative and they are calling on even more restaurants to join the them in supporting Cancer Fund for Children this Christmas. To get involved, contact Sarah Clements on 028 9080 5599 or email sarah@cancerfundforchildren.com.
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From left, Kate Smith, Cancer Fund for Children; Sarah Clements, corporate fundraiser; and Michael Deane, restaurateur.
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restaurantprofile
STOCK KITCHEN & BAR, BELFAST DANNY MILLAR, CO-OWNER & HEAD CHEF, TALKS TO ALYSON MAGEE
WHAT IS YOUR FOOD SOURCING POLICY? When I can and it’s good, I will buy it downstairs in St George’s, and then there are suppliers I’ve used in the past like Peter Hannan, and I’m using Wagyu beef from Finnebrogue.
WHEN DID YOUR RESTAURANT OPEN? I took it over in July. Before that, it was Mount Charles (George’s of the Market) and then before that, it was Oxford Exchange. We’re open nearly five months and going great; it’s been well received. TELL US ABOUT THE SPACE YOU HAVE Sixty seats in the restaurant, 30 seats out on the balcony and 25 seats in the bar. We did a total refurb apart from the floor and the roof, with all new furniture, a wine cabinet and bar going in. The actual frame of the building is beautiful; the architecture with the Victorian windows and that stainless steel coming in from St George’s Market. WHAT FEEL ARE YOU AIMING FOR? Comfortable, and not too posh. I don’t want people to come up the stairs and feel it’s too fancy. I think restaurants should be cosy places where you can feel at home, and I want it to be relaxed with the busy market on next door. WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU? When I took on the restaurant, the aim was to keep things simple and let the ingredients speak for themselves. It makes such an improvement to what you’re buying when you can just go down to the market and pick the fish
yourself. We’re using whole fish with the head and tail on and, likewise with animals, we’re using all the off-cuts like heart, cheek, liver and tongue - the kind of cuts I like because they take a wee bit of love and care. People don’t realise there’s a whole animal there to be used and, if they’re only using certain cuts of it, what happens to all the rest? DOES YOUR MENU CHANGE OFTEN? Currently it’s game season so we have venison, pheasant, pigeon and whatever fish I buy on a Friday, which changes from week to week. Normally it would be sole and, at this time of year, monkfish, John Dory, turbot and brill. We have a seafood casserole, which varies each week depending on whatever fish I bring up from the market, and uses all of the fish with crab, prawns, mussels and oysters in a bouillabaisse-type base and that’s proving very popular in the restaurant. WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO TO IMPROVE AND DRIVE YOUR MENU? We have pre-theatre on a Thursday and Friday night. I’m not greedy to please everybody, and don’t want to have a restaurant that’s doing hundreds of covers. I’m happy to have a restaurant full one night a week with 60 or 70 covers; that’s more than enough for me.
WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS? During the day, it’s a mixture with the market open. We get tourists, and locals from the courts - barristers and solicitors - and then, in the evening, it would be mostly locals with the odd tourist. HOW WAS TRADE OVER THE PAST YEAR? December’s looking very strong and Christmas bookings are brilliant so hopefully that will be good advertising for us, and people will come back. I’m very happy to be back in Belfast cooking, and to have people round me who care and want it to succeed. HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR RESTAURANT DEVELOPING THIS YEAR? I’m going to get photographers in to set it up as a wedding venue, as I’d like to do weddings, christenings and events. With the bar and the shape of the room, hopefully it will lend itself to funkier weddings. We are closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so if we can do one or two events on those days, I would be happy. St. George’s Market, Oxford Street, Belfast T: 028 90240014 W: www.stockbelfast.com OPENING HOURS Thur: 12-9.30pm Fri & Sat: 9.30-11.30am; 12-9.30pm Sun: 9.30-11.30am; 12-4pm
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SERVING UP TALENT AT IFEX From left, Caroline McCusker, IFEX event manager; Paul Cunningham, head chef, Brunel’s; and Soraya Gadelrab, IFEX event director.
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ext March, Northern Ireland’s premier food, drink and hospitality event – IFEX 2020 – will open its doors at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast and celebrating its 25th anniversary, there’s set to be even more ingredients for a successful show than ever before. Taking place from Tuesday 24th to Thursday 26th March, IFEX will be home to thousands of visitors and over 100 exhibitors, including the biggest names in foodservice and food manufacturing, such as Henderson Foodservice, Lynas Foodservice, Hugh Jordan, BD Foods and Matthew Algie. Central to IFEX is Salon Culinaire, Ireland’s largest and most prestigious chef competition programme, headed up by Salon Director, Sean Owens. As the stomping ground for student and industry chefs, Salon Culinaire is hotly anticipated as the place where the ‘best of’ culinarians in Northern Ireland are formally acknowledged. www.hospitalityreviewni.com
Sean Owens, Salon director, comments: “Playing a role in helping the industry’s rising stars and talented professionals battle it out in the kitchen, Salon Culinaire has always been at the heart of IFEX, and plays a key role in creating the electric atmosphere at NI’s biggest foodservice and hospitality event. “Next year, IFEX is celebrating 25 years, so we wanted to introduce new elements to our competitions to ensure that they’re reflective of today’s changing and vibrant hospitality sector. From student chefs and kitchen trainees to celebrated, leading chefs within the industry, we have a programme for all at IFEX 2020.” Salon Culinaire, supported by Stephens Catering Equipment and Flogas, is a major part of IFEX due to its long-standing commitment to nurture talent within the industry and the cooking competitions will sit alongside a number of other exciting features at the event. These include 100s
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of exhibitors showcasing the very latest in new products and services, an impressive display of Edible Art and the return of Street Food International, where rival teams from Northern Ireland catering colleges will compete to produce and serve a range of exciting modern street food-style dishes. Added to this mix is a huge number of networking opportunities, a melting pot of new products and ideas, and a ‘one stop shop’ for discovering and tasting some of the best food and drink products that NI has to offer – including a new Drinks Zone, supported by Hospitality Ulster - IFEX 2020 is not to be missed. To keep updated on new features, exhibitors and partners, follow the show on social or visit www.ifexexhibition.co.uk. If you would like to be a part of IFEX, please contact IFEX Event Manager Caroline McCusker at caroline.mccusker@ freshmontgomery.co.uk or call Fresh Montgomery on +44 (0)28 9043 1000. DECEMBER HRNI • 11
foodnews
CO DOWN FOOD TOURISM ATTRACTION GAINS FIVE-STAR RATING
CASTELLO NAMED BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN IRELAND
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racey’s Farmhouse Kitchen, one of 23 attractions highlighted in the first phase of Tourism NI’s new Embrace a Giant Spirit destination brand for Northern Ireland, has achieved five stars for its visitor experience. The traditionally-styled farmhouse kitchen, based in Killinchy, Co Down, offers a number of experiential packages, with guests given the opportunity to take part in food tours of the local area and discover the culinary heritage of Northern Ireland with traditional bread-making classes. “Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen is a fabulous addition to the tourism offering for any visitor wishing to come and explore more of the Co Down area,” said Samantha Corr, quality & standards manager at Tourism NI. “Tracey’s bread-making experience fits perfectly with the vision of Tourism NI and the promotion of our all-island food and drink initiative, Taste the Island. The farmhouse is an idyllic location for both international and local visitors to escape from their busy lives and truly relax.” Tracey Jeffery, proprietor of Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen, said: “I’m delighted to receive this five-star
From left, Laura O’Brien, Classic Drinks; Liam McCrarren, head chef; Charmaine Adamson, manager; and Jim Burke, Castello Italia.
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From left, Samantha Corr, Tourism NI, and Tracey Jeffery, Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen.
grading from Tourism NI and especially pleased to be recognised for something that I truly am passionate about. “I love welcoming guests into my cosy and very lived in kitchen. They roll their sleeves up and get stuck into bread making, and they feel a great sense of achievement when their soda bread is ready to eat. I take pride in offering guests a unique taste of what it is really like in this part of Northern Ireland.”
BOB AND BERTS TARGETS FURTHER UK GROWTH From left, Colin McClean and David Ferguson, owners of Bob and Berts.
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ndependent coffee and food chain Bob and Berts is rolling out a growth plan across the UK, on the back of sales growth up 80% to £8.3m in the year ending June 2019. Four new sites were opened this year, including three in Scotland, with plans in 12 • HRNI DECEMBER
place to open another six stores across Scotland and Northern Ireland over the next year. Bob and Berts was founded in Portstewart in 2013 by Colin McClean, with his brother-in-law David Ferguson joining the business in 2015. The
arrickfergus restaurant Castello Italia has picked up the Best Italian Restaurant accolade for Ulster and all-Ireland at the YesChef Awards in Sligo. It marks the second time the business has received the Best Italian Restaurant in Ulster award, but its first time to take the all-Ireland title. “We invest a great deal of time and effort into ensuring we deliver an excellent dining experience and winning these awards wouldn’t have been possible without the fantastic team,” said Fisnik Ujkaj, general manager at Castello Italia. We have a wide range of expertise at Castello Italia and it’s this collective insight and wisdom that comes together to create a fantastic dining experience that people want to enjoy time and time again.”
concept is based around providing high-quality artisan coffee, an extensive fresh food offering and a range of traybakes served throughout the day in its fun and friendly stores. Backed by BGF in 2017, the business now has 20 stores with more than 400 staff members, and plans to operate over 30 stores throughout the UK by the end of 2020. “We serve as the centre of the community in high streets, which are often experiencing change,” said McClean. “A new vegan and vegetarian menu has been developed and trialled across four sites with positive feedback. We plan to roll this out in the coming months with an updated menu which further develops our key breakfast and lunch menus.” Planned store openings include Ballymena and Newry in Northern Ireland and Stirling, Ayr and Largs in Scotland, while target towns include Perth, Dundee, the greater Glasgow area and in the north of England.
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training&development
SKILLS NORTHERN IRELAND BRINGS BUSINESSES FACE-TO-FACE WITH THEIR FUTURE WORKFORCE
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ospitality was among businesses represented at Skills Northern Ireland, a careers fair held last month at the Titanic Exhibition Centre. Aimed at 14-19-year-olds, their parents, teachers and influencers, the event aimed to provide a one-stop-shop for information about jobs and careers choices, apprenticeships, courses, growing industry sectors and training opportunities. Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort exhibited for the first time at Skills Northern Ireland 2018 and returned this year. “While some young people will go on to university, this is not always the case for everyone,” said Richard McGowan, project manager, School of Excellence and Staff Wellness Centre at Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort. “Some will want to go straight into paid employment and a professional apprenticeship allows them to do just that. By meeting pupils, parents and teachers face-to-face at Skills NI, we can talk to them first-hand about the skills gap in the hospitality industry and highlight the various apprenticeship options available to them at Galgorm. “Our Galgorm Apprenticeship
From left, Charlotte Bowett, Kaitlyn Ferriby, Lisa Rutherford, Jessica Halliday and Katarzyna Zaliwska, Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort Apprenticeship Programme team members.
Programme focuses on three areas within the resort - Spa Therapy, Food and Beverage and Professional Cookery and we are delighted to have 16 apprentices employed with us presently. As our company grows, so do our people and we have a wide range of opportunities available to those young people wishing to pursue a career in the hospitality industry.” The exhibition also included an Ambassador Hub, where visitors could meet apprentices, employees and students from local companies, colleges and universities, to get inspiration about
their own future career journey. Kaitlin Bentz, a guest service manager at Holiday Inn Express in Antrim, is a Skills Northern Ireland ambassador representing the hospitality industry. She moved from New Zealand to take up a six-month placement at the hotel, and was subsequently offered a permanent position alongside an opportunity to study for a Level 3 NVQ in Hospitality Supervision and Leadership. Bentz has since become a trainee duty manager, and been named Outstanding Apprentice of the Year by the Institute of Hospitality.
SERC STUDENT CREATES CAKE BUSINESS SERC student and entrepreneur Keely Sherry showcases her first wedding cake.
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outh Eastern Regional College (SERC) student Keely Sherry has followed a passion for baking and founded her own business, SoBake. After her A-Levels, Sherry began her culinary journey at the College’s Lisburn Campus by enrolling on the Level 2 in Professional Bakery, progressing to Level 3 in Professional Patisserie and Confectionery and then setting up her enterprise. “From a young age, you would always find me cooking and baking,” she said. “Enrolling at SERC gave me the chance to develop the skills and provided the inspiration needed to pursue a career in culinary arts. “One of my most memorable experiences at SERC was when I had the opportunity to travel abroad as part of the course. It was amazing learning from top
international patisserie chefs and I got to experience different styles of baking. “My course at SERC gave me the confidence to start my business. My lecturer, Ruth Doherty, encouraged me to work hard and take every opportunity possible to practise my craft. A year ago, I turned a hobby into a viable business and am doing something I love. “The best part of my job is seeing the joy my cakes bring to my customers. The most rewarding cake I’ve made so far was a wedding cake. I felt honoured that someone would put their trust in my skills to bake a cake for their special day.” Keely is currently completing a foundation degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management with specialisms at SERC’s Bangor Campus, while she continues to build her business.
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training&development
AWARD-WINNING DERRY RESTAURANT SUPPORTS APPRENTICE SCHEME T
wo Derry teenagers are undertaking apprenticeships in hospitality under the auspices of award-winning venue, Brown’s Restaurant and Champagne Lounge of Bonds Hill. Budding chef Shane Devine, and front-of-house server Sophie Thompson are apprentices through People 1st, a private training organisation working with Derry City and Strabane District Council on its apprenticeship campaign, Get Paid, Get Qualified, Get Ahead, which can be accessed at www. getapprenticeships.me. Browns Head Chef Patron Ian Orr, renowned for his dedication to fresh Shane Devine.
seasonal produce and support of local suppliers, is offering 19-year-old Shane an opportunity to learn from the best. Devine is near the end of his level two apprenticeship in Professional Cookery, having joined the staff of Browns last year, straight from school. “I knew I wasn’t going to go to university, it wouldn’t be my thing, but I’d always been interested in cooking since my mammy got me into it when I was younger,” said Devine. “I came into Browns for a couple of days and stayed. I could have gone to college to learn but I felt I could learn far more here.” Shane will continue with his apprenticeship by progressing to Level three in Professional Cooking while he works at Browns. Browns Bonds Hill offers a range of dining experiences throughout the seasons such as wine dinners, tasting menus, cookery demonstrations, private dining and outside catering as well as social outings; allowing Thompson, also 19, the chance to perfect her skills. “I initially took a part-time job in Browns while studying but I then went full time and after six months, I was offered the chance to do an apprenticeship which I jumped at as I just love hospitality, working with others and
meeting new people,” she said. “The chance to do an apprenticeship meant I was able to get more into hospitality, thinking about the finer details as well as have the opportunity to do both the bar and the floor. I’ll shortly be moving onto my level three, which is more a managerial level, so I’ll start to work on rotas, times, stock, etc. which will give me even more experience and knowledge.” People 1st is the major contract holder for the Department for the Economy, offering a range of occupational training and qualifications to more than 2,500 learners per year. Sophie Thompson.
CAREER SUCCESS FOR NORTHERN REGIONAL COLLEGE APPRENTICES T wo young women who completed a Food and Beverage Service apprenticeship at Northern Regional College, in partnership with Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort, have secured fulltime, permanent posts at the resort. Jennifer Perez from Alicante in Spain and Emalee O’Connell from Ballyclare, recent recipients of the College’s Highest Achieving Student awards, feel the apprentice programme is a great progression route for anyone interested in a career in the hospitality sector. Apprentices spend four days with an employer and one day in College and the combination of a structured training programme and work experience allows them to show their employers that they can hit the ground running. Perez went to university in Spain and already had a master’s degree in Nutrition before she embarked on the apprenticeship programme. She believes www.hospitalityreviewni.com
From left, Emalee O’Connell and Jennifer Perez.
the quality of theory-based teaching at the College and the practical experience she received at the Galgorm, were of the highest possible standard. “An apprenticeship is a fantastic way to enter the industry and get hands-on experience from some of the best in the business,” she said. “I was immersed in
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the real world of work at Galgorm, and because of this, I know I’m not wasting my time as I’m confident this is the area I want to work in. In the longer term, I would like to be a wedding planner and I feel I’m on the right path to achieve this goal.” O’Connell, who excelled at school, chose the apprenticeship over going to university. Although teachers told her she was “wasting her intelligence,” Emalee says she knew university was not for her. “I didn’t want to go to university and come out with a ridiculous amount of debt,” she said. “The apprenticeship has given me an opportunity to earn money whilst learning and focus on what I love to do. “Our teacher was really passionate which made the course so much more interesting. He adapted the course to our level, challenging us and allowing us to get the most out of our learning.” DECEMBER HRNI • 15
advertorial
HOLIDAYS ARE COMING FOR DESIGNATED DRIVERS! COOL FM PRESENTER MELISSA RIDDELL JOINS INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES TO LAUNCH COCA-COLA’S DESIGNATED DRIVER CAMPAIGN
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ool FM presenter Melissa Riddell joined representatives from the PSNI, Department for Infrastructure, NI Hotels Federation and Hospitality Ulster at the Titanic Hotel, Belfast, to launch Coca-Cola’s 13th annual Designated Driver campaign. Coca-Cola is encouraging people across Northern Ireland to take on the role of ‘designated driver’, staying sober on nights out to ensure loved ones and friends get home safely. Holidays are coming early for these unsung heroes, with two free soft drinks from the Coca-Cola HBC range available to designated drivers throughout the month of December. This year, Coca-Cola, a brand so synonymous with Christmas, will also reward designated drivers by providing three allocated parking spots
at Victoria Square Q-Park in Belfast. Available each weekend in December, designated drivers simply need to present themselves to security hubs at the Q-Park station to benefit from parking free-of-charge when on a night out. To spread the important message of road safety, influential broadcaster Melissa Riddell will also take on the role of designated driver throughout the season. Lucky party-goers can be in with a chance of a lift and a night out with Melissa by commenting on her Coca-Cola post using #HolidaysareComing. Melissa will announce the competition on her Instagram page @MelissaRiddell in the coming week. Miles Karemacher, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland’s
general manager, said: “At Coca-Cola HBC, we are passionate about playing a value-adding role in communities across the island. For 13 years, we have taken immense pride in supporting and celebrating designated drivers throughout the Christmas season, and this year will be no different. “We want to ensure that designated drivers are rewarded for their selflessness by staying sober to ensure their friends and family can get home safely, and will offer two free soft drinks to these drivers at participating venues. We’re also proud to partner with Q-Park to further reward designated drivers with free parking in Belfast throughout December.” In Northern Ireland, the campaign is supported by the PSNI, Department of Infrastructure, Hospitality Ulster and the NI Hotel Federation.
IF YOU ARE A DESIGNATED DRIVER, AVAIL OF THE TWO FREE SOFT DRINKS FROM THE COCA-COLA HBC RANGE BY SIMPLY MAKING YOURSELF KNOWN TO BAR STAFF AT PARTICIPATING VENUES. DRINKS FROM THE RANGE INCLUDE COCA-COLA, DIET COKE, COCA-COLA ZERO, FANTA, SPRITE, DEEP RIVERROCK, FRUICE AND APPLETISER. FOR A FULL LIST OF VENUES, VISIT WWW.COKE.IE/DESIGNATEDDRIVER. FOLLOW #HOLIDAYSARECOMING ON SOCIAL TO BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
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advertorial
CAFÉ PARISIEN OPENS NEW GREY GOOSE TERRACE CAFÉ PARISIEN IN BELFAST CITY CENTRE HAS PARTNERED WITH LUXURY BRAND GREY GOOSE VODKA TO LAUNCH ITS RECENTLY REFURBISHED TERRACE. From left, Israel Robb, Galgorm Collection food & beverage director; Olivia, Café Parisien; and Colin Johnston, Galgorm Collection managing director.
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ituated in the heart of Belfast’s Donegall Square, directly opposite Belfast City Hall, Café Parisien is uniquely positioned to offer patrons unreserved decadence and superior service, with a hint of Parisien flair. “We are thrilled to partner with premium French vodka, Grey Goose, and officially open our new Grey Goose Terrace at Café Parisien,” said Colin Johnston, Galgorm Collection managing director. “The outdoor terrace has always been hugely popular with our customers who come to us to enjoy spectacular views and delectable French cuisine.
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“We have redesigned the terrace to include glass panelling in keeping with the brasserie’s Parisien look and feel, with heaters at each table to allow customers to enjoy the space and its breathtaking views all year round. “This partnership perfectly mixes the best of French cuisine with the unrivalled quality and style of Grey Goose Vodka and firmly places the Grey Goose Terrace on the map as the city’s premier outdoor dining destination while also showcasing the best of luxury French produce.” Ryan Brown, senior account manager at Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands, said:
“We wanted to help create a unique area for guests to celebrate special moments with friends and family, planned or spontaneous, and those moments need something worthy of the occasion. I’m very pleased to have found exactly that with this partnership. “Since the inception of Grey Goose Vodka in 1997, the brand has gone from newcomer to global icon. France, as its birthplace, is the gastronomy capital of the world and every element of Grey Goose Vodka, from field to bottle, happens there. It is this quintessential French authenticity that makes Café Parisien a strong and ideal partner. We invite everyone to come and enjoy the space and indulge in the overall experience the team at Café Parisien have developed.”
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drinksnews www.unitedwines.co.uk
12 DRINKS OF CHRISTMAS
DRINKS BLOG FROM #DRINKSBLOGGERNI
EMMA HAUGHIAN, BRAND MANAGER, UNITED WINES
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ith the Christmas celebrations already in full flight, we tend to all say ‘oh it just gets earlier every year’ but, as members of the hospitality industry, who are we to complain? As far as I’m concerned, I’m happy for festivities to begin as soon as possible! Why not? I love this time of year; it’s a chance to get into the festive spirit and enjoy valuable time with friends and family. Whether you’re warming up customers who visit your bar, or preparing tasty drinks at home for Aunty Ann and Uncle Paul for their annual visit, these 12 drinks of Christmas are sure to keep the holidays, and your guests, buzzing. 1) Let’s start with bubbles; if ever there was a time to pop open your favourite Champagne, Christmas is it (well
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maybe roll out the cheap stuff for Aunty Ann and Uncle Paul, sure they won’t mind). Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill Brut 2008 is described as Champagne with a rich nose with notes of white flowers and freshly baked brioche, dried fruits and toasted almonds and hazelnuts, and a hint of orange zest. For me, this will be the perfect Christmas morning drink. Who am I kidding? I will be running around lifting ripped up wrapping paper and prepping the turkey but I can always dream! In the words of Sir Winston Churchill: “My tastes are simple, I am easily satisfied with the best”. So I will be saving and savouring this one for a time when I can have peace to enjoy it.
4) If you go against the traditional turkey dinner and chose beef or lamb, a good pairing choice would be Shiraz and McGuigan Handmade Shiraz or the popular McGuigan Black Label Shiraz would be a great choice as it over delivers on quality. 5) Christmas is all about tradition and port is synonymous with this time of year and steeped in history. I recommend Taylors 10 Year Old as it is an exceptionally fine old tawny blend, aged for an average of 10 years in oak casks. Elegant and smooth, combining delicate wood notes and rich mellow fruit, it is bottled for immediate drinking. Serve this after Christmas dinner with soft cheeses such as brie. It would also make the perfect gift for Uncle Paul as it comes in a beautiful presentation box.
Using all of my WSET level 2 knowledge, I recommend the below wines to pair with your Christmas dinner: 2) For starters we will be going with the old faithful smoked salmon and prawns, and Freixenet Prosecco is the perfect accompaniment; clean and fresh on the palate with tonnes of ripe lemon, green apple and grapefruit. 3) Tannin is the enemy and acidity is your friend when it comes to Christmas turkey with all the trimmings. Too much tannin will overpower the meat and your taste buds and acidity can help to balance the range of flavours on the Christmas dinner table. Therefore, Pinot Noir is the perfect pairing as it has a fresh, light palette and red berry notes. I recommend Carmen Pinot Noir. It is complex and balanced, has great character with hints of coffee and nutmeg or Joseph Drouhin ‘La Foret’ Bourgogne Pinot Noir which is pleasant, fruity and refreshing, with light tannins and great elegance. twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI
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drinksnews 6) Orchard Thieves Mulled Wine Time, I think, for something warming. Few alcoholic drinks are served hot for the straightforward reason that much of the all-important alcohol can evaporate – the angel’s share, as the distillers call it, can be all of it. But one drink, or class of drinks, is by definition consumed this way – mulled cider, wine or ale. This recipe uses Orchard Thieves (our favourite) as the base and I can assure you that when heated together, the smell will fill your house (or bar/ restaurant) with the most glorious smell that will give you all the Christmas feels. ✷ Recipe (enough to host a large party) Makes 4 Litres (20 x 200ml cups) - 8 x 500ml Orchard Thieves Cider - 6 x Sachets of Mulled spice mix (6x3g) (can be bought in most supermarkets) - 8 x Teaspoons of sugar Stir well, bring to the boil and simmer (Sachets can be removed if the spice has reached desired intensity). Garnish with a squeeze of orange, and a clove studded orange slice. 7) Cream liquor is also a Christmas drinks cabinet essential. O’Neill’s Country Cream is a blend of the freshest Irish Cream from Co Tipperary with natural flavours to create a delicious Irish Country Cream Liqueur. Enjoy it straight, over ice, in coffee or with your favourite dessert. 8) Another trend showing no sign of slowing down is that of coffee based cocktails. The Pogues Single Malt Irish Whiskey is the perfect companion to coffee, in the conventional Irish Coffee, and really shines in this variation in the ever popular espresso martini. The nutty notes of the whiskey shine through for a luxurious after dinner drink. ✷ Recipe 50ml The Pogues Single Malt Irish Whiskey 15ml Frangelico 35ml espresso* 15ml salted caramel syrup 25ml double cream Shake & strain into martini coupe or vintage teacup, garnish with grated www.hospitalityreviewni.com
chocolate. *If you don’t have access to fresh espresso, most brands now offer a good instant espresso you can make at home, or you can use chilled ready to drink coffee, now readily available. 9) With gin still very much top of many’s a Christmas list, a twist on the classic Tom Collins is a refreshing alternative to the G and T. Whitley Neill’s Blackberry gin adds an appropriately festive feel; however, the beauty of the Collins is you can substitute in your favourite variant. ✷ Recipe 50ml Whitley Neill Blackberry Gin 25ml lemon juice 15ml sugar syrup Top with soda Stir and serve over ice with a slice of lemon and some berries.’ 10) Let’s not forget about beer. Birra Moretti is a great beer to enjoy with food, especially Italian food. You know that time inbetween Christmas and New Year when no one knows what day it is and we can no longer look at another turkey sandwich? This is the perfect beer for those pizza nights out or in with friends – salute (diet starts in January)!
resources Heineken put into crafting what it - and many consumers around the world - consider the best available alcohol-free lager. After all of the over indulgence of Christmas, I also know that it will be my drink of choice for dry January... but let’s not talk about that now there are too many festive celebrations to look forward to! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! Cheers.
11) No Christmas drinks list would be complete without a Hot Toddy and I just love the story behind this one from Muff. The recipe was inspired by owner Laura Bonner’s grandfather; there is an illustration of him on the back of the Muff Gin and Vodka bottles. Philip made his poitin using brandyball sweets, so they made a Christmas cocktail using brandyball syrup in honour of him known as Granda McClenaghan’s Hot Toddy. ✷ Recipe 35ml Muff gin 15ml Brandy Ball Syrup 2/3 dashes of Angostura bitters Topped with hot water & garnished with orange and cloves. 12) In my house there is always a coin toss to decide who is the designated driver but now there are great zero alcohol options which make the family karaoke nights that little bit more bearable. When I tried Heineken 0.0 alongside the original beer, I could not tell them apart, which is a testament to the immense amount of research, effort and
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DECEMBER HRNI • 21
drinksprofile
PAYING PATRONAGE TO THE SPIRIT OF MEXICO THE TEQUILA CATEGORY WAS THE FOCUS OF A RECENT EDUCATIONAL TRADE EVENT HOSTED BY BACARDI BROWN-FORMAN BRAND PATRÓN IN BELFAST. BY ALYSON MAGEE area it has to come from and a set of rules it has to follow for it to be tequila.”
From left, Benji Ryde, UK Patron Tequila ambassador; Mark Boyle, account manager, Bacardi Brown-Forman; and Mike McGinty, global winner of Patron Perfectionist and Bacardi Brown-Forman trade ambassador.
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ot all tequilas are born the same, heard local bartenders packed into Belfast venue Liquor XXX. As well as enjoying a few Patrónbased cocktails and sustenance from the Taquitos food truck, attendees at the trade event were provided with an extensive category overview by Mike McGinty, global winner of Patrón Perfectionist and Bacardi Brown-Forman trade ambassador, and Benji Ryde, UK Patrón Tequila ambassador. From growing the agave plants to distillation and maturation of the distilled spirit, all stages of tequila production were covered in great depth by McGinty. Agave grows mainly in Mexico and the south of the United States, he said, and extends to around 150 different species, of which 120 are used to produce spirits such as raicilla, sotol, mescal and tequila. The plants have further uses beyond spirits, finding their way into, for example, cooking, clothing, ropes and roofing materials. While “each agave is going to give you a different flavour,” said McGinty, “for tequila, we have to use 100% blue agave.”
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Mescal, in contrast, can be produced from many different species of agave, resulting in great variation in terms of flavour profiles. “Mescal has absolutely exploded over the last couple of years in the UK,” he said. “It’s become a real bartender thing, but how many of your customers actually drink mescal? We fight a real battle to actually get people to drink these different things. “Tequila is mescal, but like cognac is to brandy. It’s got a denomination, an
TEQUILA REGION As with wine and other spirits such as cognac, terroir – environmental factors such as soil, climate and altitude – will impact the flavour profiles ultimately extracted from the plants. “Tequila comes from a region called Jalisco,” said McGinty, “and the main town in Jalisco is Guadalajara, the home of tequila and Mariachi. This area is amazing; it’s vibrant, artistic and basically the gateway to the region of tequila.” Guadalajara represents a more authentic, traditional Mexico, in stark contrast to tourist destinations such as Cancun, said Ryde. In the north of the Jalisco region is the town of Tequila, where Spanish settlers first introduced distillation and gave the spirit its name. And to the west of the town of Tequila is Atotonilco El Alto, where the haciandas of both Patrón and Don Julio are based. Atotonilco El Alto is found in the highland area of Jalisco, in which around three-quarters of tequila producers are found, although some of their agave supply may potentially be sourced from lowland farms. Lowland agave grows quicker and tends to be more peppery, while the highland plants are more fruity and ironled, said McGinty.
A Patron Paloma, one of the cocktails created on the day.
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drinksprofile All tequila is regulated by Mexico’s Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), and every bottle features a ‘nom’ or number linked to its hacienda. “There’s a great website knowyournom.com,” said Ryde, “and if you go in there and type in the nom, it will tell you exactly how many brands of tequila are being made at that one distillery.” And whereas some haciandas may produce multiple brands, at nom 1492 the only tequila produced is Patrón. “You can imagine how corners become cut when you’re making 80 brands under one roof,” said Ryde. “There’s about 154 distilleries making tequila and, as of this date today, there’s 700-plus tequilas coming from those 154 distilleries. There’s about four of us that only make one tequila.” Focusing on the one brand allows Patrón to perfect its process, and ensure production of a consistently high-quality spirit. AGAVE PRODUCTION When a tequila bottle carries a claim of 100% agave, it must be made exclusively from blue Weber agave, so named for the colour of its leaves and the botanist who discovered the species. Every agave planted for tequila production must be registered with the CRT, along with its destination distillery and brand. Patrón sources its agave from an area of around 90,000 plants, of which 10% will be ready for harvest at any one time. A blue Weber agave will take between five to seven years to mature, said McGinty, and to offer security to its suppliers amid potentially fluctuating prices, Patrón offers a set price. As the plants grow, farmers remove any flowering stalks to keep sugars in the pina while offshoots dug out from underneath the plants are used for replanting. Agave is harvested by hand in the dry season, with donkeys used to carry pinas of up to 45kg each from the fields to trucks. With a ‘long cut’ of an agave plant, some leaves will be left on, and a greater yield and greener’ flavour will result. Patrón, however, uses a ‘close cut’, “which gives us that more-roasted agave flavour”, said McGinty.
autoclave, operates as a highpressure cooker, extracting the sugars more rapidly. “But you don’t get the same richness as you do from a brick oven,” said McGinty. With mescal, pinas are smoked in earthen pits covered with rocks. “It’s a little bit moonshiny,” he said. Once the pinas have been cooked, Patrón used a combination of the traditional tahona method and more modern rollermills to extract sugars from the pulp. Tahona involves a round pit around which a donkey walks to squash all the juices from the agave pulp, while a modern version replaces the donkey with a piece of machinery. Rollermills involve a conveyor belt carrying the fibres, with jets of water pushing all the sugars out for fermentation. “Tahona tequila is going to be rich in roasted agave and roasted vegetable flavours,” said McGinty. “Rollermill is a bit lighter, a bit more citrusy. One’s not better than the other, they’re just completely different flavours.” A third method of extracing the sugars, diffuser, is common among mass producers of tequila but not used by Patrón. “Basically you do the roasting and extraction of the sugars at the same time,” said Ryde. “It’s like a tequila-making machine as opposed to taking your time with it. You leave a lot behind, and by doing it in such a short amount of time, you basically compromise the taste and flavour of the tequila.” Cheaper diffuser tequilas give the category a bad name, said McGinty, and unfortunately are responsible for many people’s first experience of the spirit in the UK.
ROASTING Harvested agave plants must then be roasted to extract the sugars for fermentation. Traditional tequila production uses brick ovens to cook the chopped pinas for 72 hours; a method still used by Patrón. A more industrial method, the www.hospitalityreviewni.com
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FERMENTATION & DISTILLATION “We’ve gone through that seven year process of growing it, a couple of days of extraction and now we’re going to ferment and start building up flavours,” said McGinty. Patrón is produced from 100% blue Weber agave, unlike mixto tequilas which must only include 51% sugars fermented from agave with the balance potentially coming from cheaper sugars. “Again, this is where you can get bad hangovers,” he said. The 100% agave-label also ensures the tequila is produced and bottled within the CRT-regulated regions of Mexico. During fermentation, yeast, sugar and water are coverted into alcohol and carbon dioxide and acids begin to build up, which will be converted into esters during distillation. Fermentation builds flavour, and can be inside open or closed wooden or stainless steel vats, and leftover pulp can be added in to enhance the agave flavours. Patrón uses copper stills, and distills the liquid – sitting at around 10% abv following fermentation – twice as required by law. Its column stills will produce an 80% abv blanco tequila, with the addition of water bringing it down to 40% abv. “We use the same water source as Don Julio, an underground aquifer,” said McGinty. The blanco tequila is then rested in stainless steel tanks for about six months to allow the flavours to enhance and marry together. Reposado (rested) tequila is aged for up to a year in wooden barrels, with tequila rested for between one and three years carrying the añejo designation and three year-plus, extra añejo.
Local bartenders turned out in force for the trade event at Liquor XXX.
DECEMBER HRNI • 23
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BACARDI CONTINUES THE FIESTA ON THE NORTH COAST
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WINNING COCKTAIL:
acardi re-visited the North Coast on Tuesday, October 29, to host the second Fiesta de Bacardi Cocktail Competition in the very luxurious Me & Mrs Jones Hotel, Portstewart. The competition invited bartenders from across Northern Ireland to enter, using Bacardi Carta Blanca, Bacardi Carta Negra, Bacardi Anejo Cuatro or Bacardi Ocho Anos. A vast entry list was narrowed down to just five finalists who would compete on the night. Finalists consisted of Blane McNab (Jamaica Inn), Jose Silva (Ava Winebar & Bistro), Tristan Brennan (Margot), Odhran Hampsey (Dorman’s) and Patrick Orr (The Fitzwilliam Hotel). Judges Mark Boyle (Bacardi), Mike McGinty (Bacardi) and Tom Pinson (former Fiesta de Bacardi winner) scored on a criteria of taste profile, presentation, delivery, background and originality. “This is our second time running the Fiesta de Bacardi competition and again we are overwhelmed not just by the number of entries, but the span of entries across Northern Ireland, with people travelling great distances both to compete and support. We thought the standard last year was hugely impressive and this year was no different,” said Mark Boyle (Bacardi). Attendees enjoyed a dedicated
From left, Tom Pinson (former Fiesta de Bacardi winner), Mark Boyle (Bacardi) & Mike McGinty (Bacardi).
From left, Jose Silva (Ava Winebar and Bistro), Tristan Brennan (Margot), Blane McNab (The Jamaica Inn, Bangor), Odhran Hampsey (Dorman’s Magherafelt) & Patrick Orr (The Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast).
Bacardi cocktail menu during the competition, put together by the innovative, sustainable and massively progressive team of bartenders at Me & Mrs Jones, led by Seamus Og Birt. “Having the venue behind us for this competition makes all the difference. Particularly one that is being so rapidly recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s premier cocktail bars,” added Mark. This menu also offered people
the opportunity to try Coca Cola’s new signature mixers, along with premium Bacardi rums. Following score totals and a discussion between the judges, Jose Silva was announced Fiesta de Bacardi Winner 2019, with his exceptional La Loba Negra (The Black She-Wolf) cocktail using Bacardi Carta Negra, which was influenced by his mother.
Winner: Jose Silva.
Patrick Orr, The Fitzwilliam Hotel.
Winning Cocktail: La Loba Negra.
WINNING COCKTAIL: La Loba Negra 40ml Bacardi Carta Negra 15ml Martini Rubino 15ml Homemade syrup (tonic water, mint, sugar) 4 Blackberries Dash of orange bitters
24 • HRNI DECEMBER
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IRISH FA SIGNS SADLER’S PEAKY BLINDER LAGER AS NEW BEER PARTNER Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Lager has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Irish Football Association (Irish FA) to become the new official beer of the Northern Ireland senior men’s and women’s football teams. From left, Sean Murphy, chief operating officer at the Irish FA, and Ian King, sales director, Halewood.
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adler’s Peaky Blinder Lager has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Irish Football Association (Irish FA) to become the new official beer of the Northern Ireland senior men’s and women’s football teams. The deal will offer Northern Ireland fans incredible experiences and opportunities through a wide range of campaigns that will launch in the coming months. The overarching aim of the partnership is to bring Northern Ireland fans closer to the action on the pitch, if they’re watching from the stands or at home. Fans attending games at The National Football Stadium at Windsor Park will have the opportunity to taste Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Lager when it goes on sale in the Billy Bingham Lounge and throughout the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park at the Netherlands game on November 16. “It’s fantastic to announce our partnership with the Irish FA and we’re looking forward to working together to offer genuine value and experiences for the Green and White Army,” said Aster Sadler, marketing director at Sadler’s 28 • HRNI DECEMBER
Peaky Blinder Lager. “Being based in the Midlands, we know a lot about the legends who have represented Northern Ireland, West Brom and Birmingham over the last few years and that was a key driver in linking up with the Irish FA – to continue building on the growing links between the Black Country and Northern Ireland.” Sean Murphy, chief operating officer at the Irish FA, added: “The team at Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Lager are
passionate supporters of football and they mirror the Irish FA’s vision to create the ultimate fan experiences for supporters of our men’s and women’s senior teams. It’s great to welcome Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Lager to the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park and we’re looking forward to working together over the coming months and years to build a partnership that has a real impact on our brilliant fans.” The Peaky Blinder Lager is produced by Sadler’s, an awardwinning brewery based in the Midlands. Sadler’s has been brewing beer since 1861 and has been a proud supporter of football since Chris Sadler and his father took the helm in 2003. The company currently has a number of active football sponsorships, including partnerships with West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City. Keep up to date with Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Lager on social media: @ sadlerspeakyblinderNI across Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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hospitalityexchange
NIHF CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY AT HOSPITALITY EXCHANGE Having named 20 hotel heroes the previous month in honour of its 20th year in operation, the Northern Ireland Hotel Federation’s anniversary celebrations continued at this year’s Hospitality Exchange. Held at the Crowne Plaza Belfast over October 15-16, the busy two-day conference and trade exhibition culminated in a lavish Gala Ball.
Jim Creaney (Linencare) and NIHF President Stephen Meldrum.
Kevin Cassidy (Hygiene Care) and NIHF President Stephen Meldrum.
Martin Elliman, Karen McGarvey, Mark Glover and Alyson Magee (INM/Hospitality Review).
Maldron Hotel Belfast City.
Clayton Hotel Belfast.
Stormont Hotel Belfast.
Guest Chef Theo Randall, Pamela Ballantine and TV commentator Chris Bavin.
Guest chef Theo Randall, pictured with the team from The Merchant Hotel.
32 • HRNI DECEMBER
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hospitalityexchange
Roisin McBride and Jim Reeves (Unilever), chef Theo Randall, and Wendy Duncan and Judith Hutchinson (Unilever).
Paul Caves and Ian Manson (Stephens Catering Equipment), guest chef Theo Randall and John Douglas (Hobart).
Speaker Panel hosted by Pamela Ballantine featuring Noel McMeel (Lough Erne Resort), Tracey Jeffery (NI Food Tours) and Ciaran Fitzgerald (The Blue Haven Group).
Jack ‘Casey’ McDermott, Sam Wilson-Croft, Pamela Ballantine (compere) and Professor Robert Kwortnik.
The McKeever Hotel Group.
Bishop’s Gate Hotel in Derry-Londonderry.
Pat McCann (Dalata Hotel Group), Catherine Toolan, (ICC Belfast), Mark Simpson (compere), Dr Joanne Stuart (Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance) and Richard Williams (Northern Ireland Screen).
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Neil Gibson (economist), John McGrillen (Tourism NI), Niall Gibbons (Tourism Ireland) and Mark Simpson (compere).
DECEMBER HRNI • 33
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GUESTLINE’S GUIDE TO FUTURE PROOFING YOUR HOTEL – DEMAND MORE!
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t’s been three years since Guestline entered the Irish market and they are now delivering the brand’s market-leading Rezlynx PMS (property management system) to over 80 properties across the country. With a head office in Dublin City Centre and led by country manager and Irish hospitality expert, Clio O’Gara, Guestline’s success is attributed to how the brand is growing with and responding to market changes, the demands of hoteliers, its relationships with like-minded partners and new product developments. By introducing Guestline to their properties, many hoteliers now have the freedom to tailor the experiences that work for their guests, allowing them to 34 • HRNI DECEMBER
stand out in an increasingly-crowded accommodation marketplace. Here Clio O’Gara discusses the changing face of hospitality and why mature and ‘demanding’ hoteliers are set to futureproof their business. Q – GUESTLINE HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE ITS MARKET ENTRY TO IRELAND – WHAT’S YOUR SECRET? CLIO – When Guestline entered the market in 2017, server-based Legacy PMS had the market share in Ireland. The idea of a cloud-based PMS was daunting to hoteliers. There was a lot of negative mindsets around the perceived upheaval associated with switching PMS providers – the cost, downtimes,
employee training etc. However, we took the step to spend our time talking to and educating hoteliers on the benefits of such a switch, the efficiencies of a cloud-based server and by delivering an open API platform, the many advantages Guestline partners bring to the hotel and guest journey. Our clients have never looked back and now it’s the demanded choice of future-thinking hoteliers. Q – WHAT DO YOU THINK IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES FACING THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN 2019? CLIO – Whilst there is a lot of uncertainty in the market with Brexit,
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advertorial other guest communications. With our open API platform, we integrate with software solutions such as GuestRevu to ensure communications before, during and after the guest stay are smart and targeted to the persona of the guest. We also partner with UpsellGuru to offer hotels solutions to drive prestay revenues. In addition, 2019 was the year many hotels introduced the idea of self-check-in and checkout kiosks, re-defining the standards of the guest experience, as well as increasing front office staff efficiencies, extended checkin hours and a decrease in recruitment costs.
“AS CLOUD-BASED TECHNOLOGY INTRODUCES AUTOMATED PROCESS, THE REMOVAL OF MUNDANE ADMIN NOW FREES UP STAFF TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE GUEST AND OFFERS THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND THEIR ROLES WITH TRAINING. AT GUESTLINE, WE BELIEVE ADEQUATE AND ONGOING TRAINING GIVES EMPLOYEES THE CONFIDENCE THEY NEED TO PERFORM THEIR JOBS WELL. AS ‘BLENDED TRAINING’ BECOMES THE NEW BUZZ WORD, MANY HOTELS HAVE IMPLEMENTED DIGITAL TRAINING SOLUTIONS ACROSS THEIR TEAMS WHICH, FOR OUR CLIENTS, INCLUDES OUR NEW GUESTLINE UNIVERSITY E-LEARNING PLATFORM.” without a doubt the biggest issue facing hoteliers is the recruitment and retention of staff. As cloud-based technology introduces automated process, the removal of mundane admin now frees up staff to spend more time with the guest and offers them the opportunity to strengthen and expand their roles with training. At Guestline, we believe adequate and ongoing training gives employees the confidence they need to perform their jobs well. As ‘blended training’ becomes the new buzz word, many hotels have implemented digital training solutions across their teams which, for our clients, includes our new Guestline University e-learning platform. This platform has been developed to provide hoteliers with remote and on-the-go accessible product training to equip them with an
up-to-the-minute understanding of the various functionalities and benefits of the portfolio – ideal during the onboarding process, when new features are released and when there are new starters at the hotel. It is all about identifying your team’s capacity to consume information and offering them the tools to access this training when they are ready to consume it. Q – HOW CAN HOTELIERS ADAPT TO THE EVER-CHANGING BEHAVIOURS OF THE GUEST? CLIO – Meeting the digital demands of guests is key. By watching and learning from other industries ie retail and airline, hoteliers have become better educated to guest trends and are now beginning to demand the seamless integration of all digital tools from reputation management to digital marketing and
Q – SECURITY WAS A HOT TOPIC THIS YEAR, HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF HOTELIERS? CLIO – With the arrival of GDPR in 2018, there was an element of fear within the industry as hoteliers rallied to educate themselves and identify ways to protect their data. This gave a real boost to the ‘cloud’ with its popularity rising thanks to its safer and more cost-effective housing of guest data. This, coupled with PCI compliance regulations, tokenised credit cards were new to market, hoteliers were notably concerned, and questions were being asked ie how do we access the credit card details? What about charge backs? How do we protect our guest data? etc. Fears we were able to address thanks to Guestline’s secure payment gateways through our Rezlynx PMS and Channel Manager, both with level 1 PCI compliance, giving owners peace of mind that all card payments are stored safely and securely. All in all, hoteliers are better educated, are slowly becoming more demanding of their providers and the services and products on offer. A priority at Guestline is to save hoteliers time; time that is better spent in front of and engaging with the guest. Thanks to our proven return on investment calculator, we can provide hoteliers with a return across such KPIs as lower cost of ownership, labour efficiencies, a better understanding of the guest journey and above all, first-class customer service.
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DECEMBER HRNI • 35
q&a
A DAY IN THE LIFE WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST CHALLENGING ABOUT THE HOSPITALITY/TOURISM SECTOR? Unfortunately, the industry is still clinging to the upstairs, downstairs, old fashioned service level thinking. Hoteliers need to be more demanding and not accepting – they need to demand the best software for their business and educate themselves on the right questions to ask. Hoteliers need to learn from retail and how that industry has engaged with technology, from sales and marketing, right down to how the customer pays for the product. The industry is sluggishly coming to the table but given that the technology is available, it’s up to the hoteliers to embrace it.
CLIO O’GARA, COUNTRY MANAGER IRELAND, GUESTLINE WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? I am country manager Ireland for Guestline; we offer cloudbased property management systems (PMS), distribution and digital marketing solutions to the hospitality industry, primarily to independent hotels, hotel groups and serviced apartments. I joined mid-2017 and, since then, I’ve been working with hoteliers to future proof their business, removing daily frustrations and introducing efficiencies that allows them to spend more time with the guest, improving the guest journey and boosting their profitability. WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND IN HOSPITALITY/ TOURISM? Growing up our family had various businesses including a pub, restaurant and greengrocer. When I was 16, my father sent me to a hotel in Dunmore East, as he said, ‘to get it out of my system’. But, straight away I fell in love with the idea of working in hospitality. After my leaving cert, I started in Fitzpatrick’s Hotel as a trainee manager, I then moved to Paris where I worked for Hilton and Accor Hotels for 10 years, before returning to Ireland in 1992 to take up roles at Tower Hotel Group, SoftBrands, Bewleys, Lynch Hotels and the Gleneagle Group in Killarney before joining Guestline. WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? The best part of the job is seeing hoteliers truly benefit from the Guestline PMS product and integrations. When I walk into a property six weeks after it goes live and hear the positive feedback including increased business, efficiencies, more guest time etc. It is satisfying to play a part in providing hoteliers with the right tools and solutions they need to streamline their business. The ‘worst’ part, which is frustrating, is the lack of industry information available to hoteliers on the fantastic advancements in industry technology and how they could benefit immensely if they truly embraced it. 36 • HRNI DECEMBER
OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY A typical day is busy. I tend to rise very early, around 6am, and catch-up on emails and admin before making my way ideally to a new business appointment. I spend most of my day talking to and educating hoteliers from financial controllers to owner/managers, sales and marketing and front of house staff on how we can help to future proof their business. I chat with existing clients, new clients, we discuss solutions, organise training days, I meet with Guestline’s partners about new integrations, attend trade exhibitions, host educational workshops for hoteliers; all whilst being busy on the road. PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE There have been many proud moments but one that stands out is the day (in 2018) I met with and secured the fantastic Loughshore Leisure Group as a client of Guestline. Signing up their three properties was a huge achievement. For such a recognised and respected brand to put their trust and confidence in us really celebrated the fact that Guestline could offer them an invaluable PMS solution, propelling their business to new heights and introducing an improved guest experience. BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN THE LOCAL HOSPITALITY/TOURISM SECTOR Through my own experience and role within Guestline, one of my main aims is to continually educate hoteliers to understand the role of technology, the demands of the industry and how to confidently evolve. We utilise our relationships with industry bodies ie NIHF, IHI and IHF by hosting educational workshops, events and through sponsorships. Plus, as the chosen PMS training tool across leading hospitality colleges, we ensure that students are knowledgeable and experienced when entering the workplace. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? I love yoga. As a new hobby, I’ve truly embraced it and find that it balances my physical and mental health and allows me to truly escape. Living in Wicklow means that beach walks are frequent; nothing beats sea air to clear the mind and when I do get the opportunity to jet away, France will always be my go-to place, my home from home. TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW I speak fluent French. Having lived in France for over 10 years working with international hotel brands, French became my first language, in work, love and life. twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI
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hotelnews
TWO LOCAL PROPERTIES GAIN FOUR-STAR RATING N
orthern Ireland’s portfolio of fourstar accommodation continues to expand, with Dunadry Hotel and Gardens in Co Antrim and Killeavy Castle in Co Armagh the latest to achieve the rating through Tourism NI’s Quality Grading Scheme. Dunadry Hotel and Gardens was awarded four stars following a £4m investment and rebrand, undergoing major renovations across its Grand Ballroom, Linen Mill Suite, lounge area and bedrooms. “There was a tremendous amount of work to do especially working with such a unique building, which is completely
From left, Malachy McCollum, general manager, Dunadry Hotel and Gardens; Eddie McKeever, operations director at McKeever Hotel Group; and Caroline Adams from Tourism NI.
different to the rest of the hotels we own,” said Eugene McKeever MBE, managing director of McKeever Hotel Group. “The location and stunning gardens, particularly with the Six Mile Water running through, made the major investment worthwhile.” Killeavy Castle was recently awarded Newcomer of the Year 2020 at the Georgina Campbell Irish Food and Hospitality Awards. The luxury boutique hotel, spa and wellness centre opened to the public in April 2019 following a
From left, Jason Foody, general manager of Killeavy Castle. and Caroline Adams from Tourism NI.
SPA FACILITIES OPEN AT THE SALTHOUSE T
he Salthouse in Ballycastle, an ecofriendly hotel which opened earlier this year, has launched a new £400,000 spa facility. The spa will add another dimension to the £5m property complex by offering guests the opportunity to indulge in a range of treatments in one of three treatment rooms, rest and relax in the new thermal suite or feel invigorated by the facility’s flowing rain shower. An aromatherapy steam room and four heated daybeds are also part of the new offering at The Salthouse, while external hot tubs and a sauna provide panoramic vistas of Rathlin Island and even Scotland. All spa therapists have been trained by organic beauty brand Voya. “The hotel is now a complete package that invites guests to discover coastal calm and couple it with a well-deserved relaxing break that can be highlighted by one of many spa treatments,” said Carl McGarrity from The Salthouse. “It is a welcome and complementary addition to our existing offering and it keeps our sustainable theme strong by using solar and wind power combined with air source heat pumps.”
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£12m investment. “Achieving our desired four-star grading from Tourism NI, only being open seven weeks, is something that I am delighted and immensely proud of,” said Jason Foody, general manager of Killeavy Castle. “Killeavy Castle Estate looks forward to working with Tourism NI for the development of Northern Ireland and in particular the Ring of Gullion and making Killeavy Castle Estate a leading destination for those that holiday within Northern Ireland.”
LOUGH ERNE RESORT LAUNCHES TASTE THE ISLAND BREAKFAST
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ough Erne Resort Executive Chef Noel McMeel has embraced the Taste the Noel Island initiative with a McMeel with his new breakfast using Taste the only products from Island breakfast. Fermanagh and its surrounding counties. Ingredients include boxty from O’Doherty’s in Enniskillen, black bacon from Smoke House Meats in Maguiresbridge, eggs from Cavanagh Eggs in Lisnaskea, sausages from Lisdergan Meats in Fintona, mushrooms from Monaghan and tomatoes from Co Cavan. “I was keen to go that extra mile – or less miles in this instance – to create a quintessential Irish breakfast that celebrates the wonderful fresh produce we have here on our doorstep,” said McMeel. “Provenance is key – not just because it helps the local economy but because it champions the things we can sometimes take for granted.” DECEMBER HRNI • 37
hotelnews
CROWNE PLAZA BELFAST OPENS 680-CAPACITY CONFERENCE SUITE GALGORM SPA & GOLF RESORT TRIUMPHS AT PRESTIGIOUS GLOBAL AWARDS
From left, Mark Gailey, general manager, Crowne Plaza; Gareth Murphy, director, We Are Vertigo; Rajesh Rana, director of Andras Hotels; and Paul McErlane, MCE.
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rowne Plaza Belfast has launched its extended Grand Ballroom conference suite at an event hosted by the Saffron Business Forum. Leading members of the Northern Ireland business community were the first to experience the enlarged facility at the business breakfast, featuring guest speaker Gareth Murphy of We Are Vertigo. The capacity of the suite has risen up to 680 for gala banquets and 1,000 for conferences, making the facility the largest of its kind in Northern Ireland. The extension is part of a £5m investment programme carried out by
Belfast’s largest hotel group, Andras Hotels. The hotel has also seen all of its bedrooms refurbished and 33 new bedrooms added, including 16 new Club rooms, six suites and a stunning presidential suite, giving the property the capacity to cater for large corporate events. “The extra capacity gives us the ability to welcome events that we couldn’t cater for previously,” said Rajesh Rana, director of Andras Hotels. “Already we have won back clients who value the combination of size along with the great service we offer.”
GALGORM COLLECTION UNVEILS TEMPLEPATRICK HOTEL DEVELOPMENT PLANS G algorm Collection has unveiled detailed internal and external transformational plans for its Templepatrick development, after acquiring the hotel earlier this year for £7m. Work on the multi-million-pound redevelopment, which will create a workforce of around 100 employees when complete, has started with a grand opening launch planned for next year. All 24 guestrooms will be replaced and upgraded, while a new bar and restaurant, Hunters Bar & Grill, will take centre stage on the ground floor. The hotel’s extensive conference and banqueting facilities are a key focus of the planned investment and will be a defining feature of the new hotel. A new wedding event and function room, The Loft, is expected to be a major draw for bookings into 2020 and beyond. “With plans agreed and contractors in
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place, we’re incredibly excited to share our plans which will dramatically enhance this unique property, ensuring that its future as a premium, stylish boutique hotel is secured for a new generation of discerning visitors and travellers,” said Colin Johnston, managing director, Galgorm Collection.
Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort has been crowned winner of Best Luxury Spa Resort in Northern Europe at the World Luxury Hotel Awards held in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland, on October 12. The awards celebrate the best in world-class hotel service excellence and were attended by over 300 guests from across the globe. Over the past 10 years, Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort has invested more than £50m in its facilities and has plans for further expansion totalling over £15m in the next five years. The investment has helped lead to a string of accolades for the Resort as it takes its place on the world-stage as a luxury spa destination, beating competition from some of the world’s most iconic spa retreats. After last year’s Global Luxury Hotel Spa of the Year win, the venue continues to gain worldwide recognition for its brand and best-inclass facilities and service.
BUSHMILLS INN PICKS UP GOLF TOURISM ACCOLADE
The Bushmills Inn has been awarded the IAGTO Hotel Experience of the Year for Northern Ireland, after voting by more than 700 golf tour operators from across the world. The annual IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) Golf Tourism Awards were held during the International Golf Travel Market in Marrakech on October 17. The awards recognise the achievements of hotels and golf courses delivering the best possible experience to visiting golf travellers. “This esteemed accolade is testament to the hotel’s position as one of Ireland and the UK’s most respected hotels and we are very proud to have been recognised by golf operators from all around the world for the contribution that The Bushmills Inn has made to enhancing our guests’ experience and in promoting golf tourism in Ireland,” said Alan Walls, manager of The Bushmills Inn.
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hotelprofile
THESTATS HOTELHUB
HOTEL OPENED: Mahon’s Hotel was opened in 1883
MAHON’S HOTEL, IRVINESTOWN
“T
his year has been quite a year of celebration for Mahon’s as we mark 135 years in business,” says Joe Mahon, owner. “We started the year with an Open House event where we invited local community to take part in an evening of entertainment and a house tour.” Further events this year have included a 135 Massey Ferguson Tractor Run with North West Vintage Club in aid of Air Ambulance, angling competitions, a staff reunion and guest promotions. Looking forward, “2020 will see further developments at the hotel,” says Joe. “We are currently looking at putting extra rooms in the hotel and renovating our function room, as well as installing an additional lift to accommodate people with disabilities. “Next year is the 20th anniversary of the Lady of the Lake Festival and Truck Run, and we hope to make it a bigger event than ever. “We are active on all our social media channels and plan that, by the end of 2020, we will have a new website. We aim to bring more business into the hotel from the Republic of Ireland and GB and have been working on plans to make this happen too. “We collaborate with other providers and attractions; Fermanagh and the wider region has a great deal to offer visitors and we hope that 2020 will be a good year for guests to come and explore this special place.”
in the Mahon name by Joseph Mahon. OWNERSHIP/REFURBISHMENT HISTORY: Joseph Mahon previously owned the Erne Hotel in Ballyshannon. He ran Mahon’s Hotel until 1951 when he died, and it was taken over by his son Vincent, until his death in 1979. Vincent’s son Joe returned to the family hotel in 1982, working alongside his mother until she died in 1996. The hotel is now managed by Joe, Paul and Aisling; all Mahon family members. While the hotel was originally secondary to farming for the family, the farm was sold off and the Mahons focused on development of the hotel, removing horse stables to add a restaurant and rooms in 1958; adding further rooms in 1964; and converting all rooms to en-suite in 1985. In 1986, the family bought the local cinema beside the hotel and turned it into a 300-seater function room for weddings and events. After a bomb attack in 2000 completely destroyed half of the hotel, £1.8m was invested in redeveloping the property in 2005 from two to three stars. EMPLOYEES: 17 full- and 16 part-time. The business employs a diverse workforce and most notably is a positive employer for employees with disability. ROOM NUMBERS: 20 STAR RATING: three STYLE: Mahon’s Hotel has a warm, welcoming and local feel. It offers a traditional, comfortable and homely style. MARKET POSITIONING: Mahon’s Hotel offers midrange, good quality accommodation for leisure breaks, weekends away, family breaks and entertainment. GUEST PROFILE: Leisure: 40-65, not exclusively but mainly Northern Irish. Business: weekdays. Special interest groups such as angling, golfing and walking. Mahon’s Hotel hosts three angling competitions annually, attracting angling enthusiasts from across the UK and Ireland. Joe Mahon regularly features on the Hugo Duncan Show on BBC Radio Ulster and has produced several fundraising country music albums to raise funds for Marie Curie. USPs: Mahon’s has been family-run for 135 years with hands-on owners. The family values held by the owners are extended to guests and staff. A warm friendly welcome, genuine hospitality and a memorable experience are top of their values. FOOD & BEVERAGE: The hotel has a fully stocked bar, and cocktail menu for special occasions. Menus include breakfast, lunch, early bird (3-7pm Mon-Sat), A la Carte and Sunday carvery lunch. The menu includes traditional dishes such as Liver and Bacon and Boiled Bacon and Cabbage. The restaurant seats 200; the function room, 300; and the bar, 200.
tourismnews-attractions
TOURISM NI LAUNCHES GLASS OF THRONES TRAIL GUIDE Game of Thrones Direwolves Thor (Greywind) and Odin (Summer) are pictured with owner William Mulhall of Direwolf Tours; Flip Robinson of Giant Tours Ireland, who was a stand-in for Hodor and The Mountain on the show; and Judith Webb from Tourism NI.
F
ans of the world’s biggest TV show have been given yet another new way to explore the true Home of Thrones, with the launch of a new visitor guide spotlighting the Glass of Thrones Trail in Belfast. To coincide with each episode in the final season of Game of Thrones, which aired in April and May of this year, a
series of imposing stained-glass windows was unveiled at key locations around central Belfast. The 1.8-mile-long trail leads from City Hall to the banks of the River Lagan and all the way to Titanic Studios where much of the hit show was filmed. Tourism NI’s colourful new guide includes a map spotlighting each of the six
beautifully crafted, freestanding stainedglass windows in a style similar to the distinctive opening credits of Game of Thrones, complete with compass points displaying the lion, dragon, direwolf and stag sigils. Images of each window are accompanied by text outlining the stories associated with each image. The guide also tells the story behind the painstaking, meticulous creation of the windows themselves, by a team of local artists. “The windows have been in place for a few months now and have become a firm hit with visitors to Belfast and residents, providing unique opportunities for photos and selfies at some of the city’s most enduring landmarks,” said Judith Webb, Tourism NI’s screen tourism specialist. The new Glass of Thrones visitor guide is available from Visit Belfast and visitor information centres across Northern Ireland. For more information, visit www.discovernorthernireland.com/ gameofthrones.
WORK BEGINS ON £17M REDEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL WRITERS ENJOY OF THE ODYSSEY BELFAST
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The SSE Arena, ork has From left, Eric Porter, chair of The Odyssey Trust Company, and Guy Belfast will be started Hollis, consultant for Matagorda 2. unaffected by the on the £17m redevelopment redevelopment works. of The Odyssey, The existing Belfast with the mezzanine level in UK’s largest The Odyssey will be cinema operator, removed and rebuilt Cineworld, and to accommodate the UK’s largest new restaurants bowl operator, and bars. The Hollywood Bowl, redevelopment confirmed as its first will also enhance anchor tenants. the Arena visitor Matagorda 2, experience with the main entrance working alongside The Odyssey Trust Company, will begin to the SSE Arena, Belfast coming construction work at the end of through The Odyssey in the future. October. Work is scheduled to last The bowling centre will close for 17 months with an anticipated late in 2020 to allow for a 20completion date of late Spring lane refit and it will return with 2021. Deutsche Bank is Matagorda a new operator. The cinema will 2’s funding partner. undergo a rolling fit out with To facilitate the redevelopment, minimal disruption to visitors. W5’s The Odyssey will partially close in previously announced investment early January 2020 once the site will also take place at the same set-up works are completed. The time as the main works on The cinema, bowling alley and W5 will Odyssey, with the reveal of the W5 remain open with new temporary redevelopment happening in June access points being provided. 2020. 40 • HRNI DECEMBER
HALLOWEEN IN DERRY
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ineteen international travel writers, bloggers and Instagrammers enjoyed an action-packed visit to Londonderry and Northern Ireland for Halloween – as guests of Tourism Ireland, Tourism NI and Visit Derry. The group – from GB, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, China, Japan and Hong Kong – has a combined audience of millions of readers and followers. They enjoyed an action-packed itinerary – which included a guided walk of the city’s historic walls and visits to the Siege Museum, Museum of Free Derry and the Guildhall. They also watched the annual street carnival parade and got dressed up for the Halloween celebrations.
International travel writers, bloggers and Instagrammers dress up for Halloween celebrations in the walled city of Derry.
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BELFAST SECURES PRESTIGIOUS CONFERENCE BUSINESS T
ourism NI, in partnership with Visit Belfast, has secured a prestigious international conference that will see 120 international buyers meet in Belfast next spring. For the first time, HelmsBriscoe, the global leading agency in meetings procurement and site selection, will hold its European, Middle Eastern and Africa (EMEA) Regional Meeting in Belfast from March 8-10, 2020. In 2018, HelmsBriscoe placed a total of $1.27bn in meetings revenue worldwide. Associates and hotel partners from across 55 countries will take part in the three-day workshop and familiarisation programme across various destinations and attractions in Northern Ireland supported by Tourism NI. “Bringing conferences, meetings and business events to Northern Ireland is crucial for our local tourism economy and will help us reach our ambition to double the value of tourism to £2bn a year by 2030,” said Aoife Fee, Tourism
From left, Aoife Fee, Tourism NI; Mark Walker, Hilton Hotel Belfast; and Carole McKellar, HelmsBriscoe EMEA.
NI business and solutions manager. “Hosting this prestigious event, which has huge potential revenue, will further put Belfast on the map as a leading destination for business conferences.” Sarah Gribben, head of Business Tourism for Visit Belfast, said: “This event is another opportunity to showcase the city
and region to key buyers and decisionmakers from the events industry, giving them a taste of the event infrastructure, hospitality and experiences on offer in Belfast and Northern Ireland for their clients, and I am sure they will be impressed with what they see during their time here.”
BOATYARD DISTILLERY TEAMS UP WITH BELFAST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
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Photo credit: Andrew McMillan
TOURISM IRELAND PROMOTES NI AT STONE MOUNTAIN HIGHLAND GAMES
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epresentatives of the Ulster Historical Foundation, Mid & East Antrim Borough Council, Mid Ulster District Council, as well as historian Billy Kennedy, travelled to Georgia in the United States, to join Tourism Ireland for this year’s Stone Mountain Highland Games. Food expert and author Judith McLoughlin, formerly from Northern Ireland and now living in Georgia, was also in attendance, highlighting some delicious Northern Ireland produce. Entertainment was provided by the Stonewall Folk Group, from Co Armagh. www.hospitalityreviewni.com
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oatyard Distillery has embarked on a new partnership with Aelia Duty Free in Belfast International Airport, taking a bespoke retail space in which brand ambassadors will be providing tasting experiences to travellers seven days a week. Based on the shores of Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh, Boatyard Distillery produces three award-winning spirits; Boatyard Double Gin, Old Tom Gin and seed to sip vodka. “Boatyard Gin has proven to be a hit with passengers in Belfast International Airport so the decision to expand its offering in-store was welcomed,” said Karl Taylor, general manager of Aelia Duty Free, Belfast International Airport. “Aelia Duty Free is committed in supporting Northern Ireland producers and we are excited to continue to build on our success with The Boatyard Distillery, in offering passengers a taste of Northern Ireland when travelling through our store.” Joe McGirr, founder of The Boatyard Distillery, said: “We have worked really hard to create an immersive experience for visitors to Belfast International airport. We want people passing through to be able to taste, feel, smell and see what makes Boatyard so special, and the space allows us to do just that.” DECEMBER HRNI • 41
businessnews
TOURISM NI AND OPENTABLE COLLABORATE TO PROMOTE TASTE THE ISLAND T ourism NI joined forces with OpenTable, the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations, to encourage more local and global diners and restaurants onto the platform in support of the all-island food and drink initiative Taste the Island. Marking OpenTable’s first collaboration in Northern Ireland, the initiative highlighted a selection of restaurants taking part in the Taste the Island initiative through their blog and social channels during the campaign. “This exciting collaboration with OpenTable provides local and international visitors with an opportunity to dine out in style, try new venues and support our local food scene,” said Aine Kearney, Tourism NI business and events support director. “OpenTable is an excellent addition to the tourism offering here as it allows visitors to explore the best restaurants
From left Aine Kearney, director of business support and events at Tourism NI; Michael Deane, owner of Deanes restaurants; David Hamilton, director of restaurant sales and services UK and Ireland at OpenTable; and Stephanie Renke, account executive at OpenTable.
OBBI SOLUTIONS AWARDED ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE COMPANY OF THE YEAR
BATCHBUDDY AIMS WILL TRANSFORM COCKTAIL CULTURE B
atchBuddy, a new drinks industry concept which aims to make cocktailmaking more accessible for both ontrade and at-home users, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £10,000. The novel start-up, founded by NI hospitality veterans Damien Cole and John Ferguson, harnesses the power of batching – a technique used by expert mixologists which mixes large quantity ingredients to allow users, regardless of experience, to create perfect cocktails in record time without the hassle of complicated recipes or expensive equipment. Focusing on the much-loved classic cocktails, such as the gin-based Bramble or the vodka-based Cosmopolitan, BatchBuddy kits come complete with a specially-created batching bottle to create a world-class serve. Customers simply follow the measurement lines on
42 • HRNI DECEMBER
Northern Ireland has to offer, especially during the Taste the Island celebration. Diners can quickly and simply reserve their restaurant table online in advance to avoid disappointment on arrival. “It is admirable to see the industry fully embrace the Taste the Island initiative and we look forward to working with OpenTable as we continue to encourage the industry to get involved in this new opportunity for them to increase their bookings and grow business.” David Hamilton, director, restaurant sales and services UK and Ireland, OpenTable, said: “OpenTable is incredibly excited to be supporting the Taste the Island campaign. It is great for us to be able to showcase the fantastic Northern Irish restaurants we work with, and the best in Irish cuisine and ingredients to our local diners and those visiting Northern Ireland from further afield.”
the batching bottle, adding their chosen spirit and other ingredients as detailed, before chilling their creation until it is cold enough to serve. Each batch takes less than one minute to prepare. The crowd-funding campaign, which is now live on Kickstarter, has set a goal of £10,000, which will be used to officially bring BatchBuddy’s first kits to the market. Cocktail-lovers can invest anything from £25 to £500 in return for various rewards. “I’ve spent over 15 years in the industry as the owner of various venues and have always championed the power of batching,” said Ferguson. “The technique has become more popular as cocktail popularity has peaked because it streamlines cocktail service so that customers don’t have to wait.” Over the coming months, BatchBuddy will launch its first three classic cocktail sets and aims to sell 1,000 units before the end of 2019.
O
BBI Solutions has won the Enterprise Software category award, beating off competition from across Northern Ireland at the INVENT AWARDS 2019 held recently at the ICC Waterfront Hall in Belfast. OBBI Solutions is a cloud-based software solution which digitally optimises and integrates business-critical processes from HR, Operations and Health & Safety to Facility Management on its unique platform. It can be accessed on any internet-enabled device and is said to be user-friendly, regardless of technical capability. It gives business owners, managers and staff a real-time, 360-degree view of their operations, compliance and teams. OBBI was created by Gareth Macklin, director at the award-winning Macklin Group which employs over 650 people in care homes, hotels and construction.
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DECEMBER HRNI • 49
q&a
THE LAST WORD SOCIAL
FAVOURITE FOOD: Salmon FAVOURITE RESTAURANT: Red Door, Buncrana, Co Donegal LAST HOTEL YOU STAYED AT: Tivoili Carvoeiro LAST BAR/NIGHTCLUB YOU VISITED: Brass Monkey, Newry FAVOURITE PLACE IN WORLD: Norwegian Fjords INDOOR CONCERT OR FESTIVAL: Indoor concert LAST HOLIDAY: New York
DRINKS FAVOURITE HOT DRINK: Barry’s Tea FAVOURITE SOFT DRINK: Pineapple juice BEER OR CIDER: Beer WHITE OR RED WINE: Red WHISKEY OR BRANDY: Whiskey GIN OR VODKA: Gin COCKTAILS OR BUBBLY: Cocktail WHAT FOUR PEOPLE WOULD YOU INVITE TO A DINNER PARTY? Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington Finbar Furey and Colin Murphy. ONE ITEM YOU COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT? TV remote.
NAME
online enquiries. No two days are ever the same at Killeavy Castle Estate.
COMPANY
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? Paper boy aged 14.
TERRY KELLY KILLEAVY CASTLE ESTATE
JOB TITLE
SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS ROLE? I joined the team at Killeavy two months ago DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY? Normally, the daily schedule is planned out the week before, which is mix of scheduled appointments and meetings, mixed with reactive phone calls and 50 • HRNI DECEMBER
WHO WOULD PLAY ME IN A MOVIE? Leonardo DiCaprio. WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL JOB? Lecturer within the hospitality and business sector.
ENTERTAINMENT FAVOURITE TV SHOW: Game of Thrones FAVOURITE FILM: The Hurricane ALBUM CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Lewis Capaldi – Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent FAVOURITE BAND: James LAST BOOK READ: True North by Bill George FAVOURITE CELEBRITY: David Attenborough
FAVOURITE QUOTE? Don’t take yourself too seriously. INSPIRATION IN YOUR LIFE? My two children… and of course my amazing wife. MOST IMPORTANT LESSON I’VE LEARNT? Don’t put off ‘till tomorrow what you can do today.
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