Hospitality Review NI November 2019

NOVEMBER 2019

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

The official publication for

NOVEMBER 2019

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

The official publication for

MUDDLERS CLUB WIN BOOSTS BELFAST’S MICHELIN-STARRED OFFER TOP 100 HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES: HOSPITALITY ULSTER LAUNCHED THIS YEAR’S SEARCH ONBOARD THE HMS CAROLINE IN BELFAST ON SEPTEMBER 25 PS11-13

Gareth McCaughey (centre), head chef of The Muddlers Club, receives a Michelin star at The Hurlingham Club in London.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES: WITH RECRUITMENT A HUGE ISSUE, SPEAKERS AT A RECENT INSTITUTE OF HOSPITALITY STUDENT CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTED CAREER OPPORTUNITIES PS14-15

ROE & CO DISTILLERY: A FORMER POWER STATION HOUSES THE LATEST ADDITION TO AN IRISH WHISKEY REVIVAL IN DUBLIN’S LIBERTIES NEIGHBOURHOOD PS20-21

A DAY IN THE LIFE: LESS LITTERING & GROWING COMMUNITY PRIDE ARE AT THE HEART OF KEEP NORTHERN IRELAND BEAUTIFUL, SAYS CHIEF EXECUTIVE IAN HUMPHREYS P32 www.hospitalityreviewni.com

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elfast now boasts three Michelinstarred restaurants with The Muddlers Club on Warehouse Lane joining Ox and Deanes Eipic in the Michelin Guide for Great Britain & Ireland 2020.

Opened in late 2015 by head chef/ proprietor Gareth McCaughey, The Muddlers Club quickly established a reputation for excellence and innovation.

Michelin inspectors praised its use of homegrown ingredients ‘to create original dishes of balance and poise’.

The new Michelin Guide marks the first time three Belfast restaurants have held stars, with Ox and Deanes Eipic both retaining their existing stars for another year.

“We are thrilled to hear the news that three restaurants in Belfast - Ox, Deanes Eipic and The Muddlers Club now each have a coveted Michelin star,” said Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster.

“This is testament to their hard work and dedication in serving up the best quality food, offering outstanding service and creating memorable experiences for local and international customers alike.”

Northern Ireland’s roster of Bib Gourmand accolades, awarded by the Michelin Guide to venues serving ‘exceptionally good food at moderate prices’, meanwhile, included the new addition of Balloo House in Killinchy.

“We are absolutely delighted,” said Ronan Sweeney, Balloo Inns MD

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and owner. “Our customers have long recognised our focus on great quality locally-sourced food but being awarded with Bib Gourmand status is particularly special.”

Restaurants retaining their Bib Gourmand for a further consecutive year included Clenaghans in Aghalee, Noble in Holywood, Wine and Brine in Moira and Deanes at Queen’s and Home in Belfast.

Michael Deane and Deanes EIPIC Head Chef Alex Greene attended the London award ceremony. “We are all absolutely delighted to win the star for the fifth consecutive year and also retain our Bib Gourmand. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Alex Greene who’s been at the helm of Deanes EIPIC for two years now. He and his team have continued to consistently deliver the quality experience that our customers have come to expect and which they appreciate.”

Also paying tribute to Deanes At Queens Head Chef Malachy McCafferty, Deane himself has now garnered 19 Michelin stars over 23 years in four different venues and was recently named Hospitality Hero for Ireland 2020 at the Georgina Campbell Irish Food and Hospitality Awards in Dublin.

Danni Barry, executive head chef, with Ronan & Jennie Sweeney, owners of new Bib Gourmand recipient Balloo House.

NOVEMBER 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: Mark Stewart The Institute of Hospitality Northern Ireland Branch Email: nibranch@instituteofhospitality.org Web: www.instituteofhospitality.org Chair: Marianne Hood FIH Vice Chair: Siobhan O’Sullivan MIH Northern Ireland Hotels Federation: The McCune Building, 1 Shore Road, Belfast, BT15 3PJ. Tel: 028 9077 6635 Chief Executive: Janice Gault President: Gavin Carroll 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 NOVEMBER

A STAR-STUDDED MONTH FOR NORTHERN IRELAND

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elcome to the November edition of Hospitality Review.

Northern Ireland’s restaurant scene has received a tremendous boost over the last month, with a third Michelin star for Belfast going to The Muddlers Club, which now sits in illustrious company alongside Deanes Eipic and Ox. Congratulations to all three establishments for achieving the high level demanded by Michelin, which can only be attained through long hours of hard work and absolute attention to detail.

And compliments are equally due to local restaurants picking up Bib Gourmand awards from Michelin in recognition of attaining excellence at more affordable prices including new recipient Balloo House in Killinchy.

The rapidly-rising standard of our restaurant offer is truly remarkable and was also evident at the recent Georgina Campbell Irish Food and Hospitality Awards in Dublin, which Food NI’s Michele Shirlow elaborates on in her monthly column on p8.

Among Northern Ireland winners were Michael Deane (Hospitality Hero for Ireland 2020), with his very interesting life story featuring in coverage of the Institute of Hospitality Student Conference on ps14-15.

Newcomer of the Year went to Killeavy Castle (our October edition Hotel Hub), while highly commended in the category was this month’s restaurant profile, No 14 at The Georgian House. Having opened No 14 only three months before receiving the accolade, head chef/ owner Jim Mullholland talks about his dedication to local produce and the beautiful historic building in which he is serving it on p10.

Georgina Campbell Awards were also, meanwhile, picked up by Stephen Toman from Ox, Newforge House in Armagh, Ardtara House in Derry, Overwood at Balloo House and James St in Belfast, The Hatch in Castlewellan.

Beyond our fantastic chefs and restaurateurs, a further driver behind our elevated Northern Ireland food and drink offer is of course the producers, which continue to punch above their weight at major awards such as Great Taste and Blas na hEireann.

What else do we have in this month’s magazine? With the countdown to Christmas underway, drinks are a big focus with Halewood Wines and Spirits showcasing its range including Gelston’s and Pogues Irish whiskeys, Whitley Neill Gin and Dead Man’s Fingers. Halewood Trade Manger Mark Craig is racking up the road miles around Ireland promoting the brands and the fact that he’s doing it in a Ford Mustang is making me a tad jealous…

Other highlights of our drinks coverage include an interview with Bullitt’s Michael Patterson on his recent trips to Champagne and St Petersburg with the Moët Hennessy Assemblage Programme. For high performers in the bar trade such as Patterson, there really are amazing opportunities out there for travelling and expanding your knowledge and expertise.

And drinks tourism is the focus of our visit to Diageo’s stunning new Roe & Co Distillery, as well as the neighbouring Guinness Storehouse and Open Gate Brewery, over ps20-21.

An increasingly important part of all-Ireland’s tourism offer, distillery and brewery visitor centres are popping up all over the island and Diageo is certainly well placed to capture the market with its sites in Dublin.

On the topic of Brexit, there is really nothing more to say. At time of print, there are less than three weeks to go until the October 31 deadline and still no tangible progress towards a deal.

Watch this space.

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news

POST-BREXIT MIGRATION RULES MUST WORK FOR HOSPITALITY SECTOR

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ospitality Ulster has warned the new review, commissioned by the independent Migration Advisory Committee to look at the benefits of a future points-based immigration system to be introduced from January 2021, needs to work for the local hospitality sector.

The committee said it will be looking at best practice by other international comparators including the Australian immigration system.

The body says the review will need to take into consideration the value and contribution of people with ‘soft skills’ which are a key part of the hospitality and tourism offer, but do not currently equate to qualifications on which thresholds would operate.

“There is still a high level of concern in the local hospitality sector around the proposed skills-based migration system after the UK leaves the EU,”

said Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster. “By 2024, there will be up to 30,000 job vacancies in the Northern Ireland hospitality and tourism industry and, with policies on immigration evolving at a slow pace, it is only compounding the heightened state of anxiety for employers and employees alike.

“We cannot damage the potential growth of the sector with tighter immigration controls and thresholds that can’t be met. The review needs to clearly show that many small hospitality businesses struggle to recruit staff locally, and that our pool of labour needs to be supplemented by overseas nationals.

“We are meeting with the Migration Advisory Committee to focus in on Northern Ireland and the hospitality sector to ensure that any future arrangements are not detrimental to our £1.2bn a year sector.”

HOSPITALITY ULSTER ROLLS OUT BREXIT WEBINARS

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ospitality Ulster, in association with the British Beer & Pub Association and professional services company Deloitte, has rolled out a series of free webinars to help businesses and stakeholders within the industry prepare for Brexit.

The series of webinars cover important issues relating to the challenges faced by the hospitality and drink sectors ahead of leaving the EU including mobility and access to labour post-Brexit, changes to business regulations, tariff issues and non-tariff barriers.

The webinars are free and are available for catch-up on the Hospitality Ulster website.

AFTERNOON ‘TEE’ RECOGNISES TEAMWORK AT THE 148TH OPEN

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ollaboration and teamwork behind Northern Ireland’s successful staging of The 148th Open at Royal Portrush in July has been celebrated with Afternoon ‘Tee’ at Titanic Belfast. From left, Wilma Erskine, Royal Portrush Golf Club; John McGrillen, chief executive, Tourism NI; Alan Todd, The Afternoon assistant chief constable, PSNI; Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, executive director, Championships at The R&A; ‘Tee’ event and Aine Kearney, director of Business Support and was organised Events, Tourism NI.

by Tourism NI to thank the army of volunteers and delivery partners whose work contributed to the golf showcase surpassing all expectations.

The hosting of one of the world’s major sporting events has been widely praised as a watershed moment for Northern Ireland both in terms of staging the Championship and in promoting the destination on the world stage.

As well as contributing an anticipated £80m to the local economy, The Open promoted the best of Northern Ireland to more than 600 million households around the world, with more than 2,000 international media and 80 golf operators in attendance. www.hospitalityreviewni.com

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From left, Andrew Maxwell, Paul Langsford, Jim Conlon and Mark Beirne of Clover Group in White’s.

CLOVER GROUP ADDS WHITE’S TAVERN TO ITS COLLECTION

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hite’s, Belfast’s oldest tavern dating back to the 1600s, has joined Margot and Fountain Lane in the expanding portfolio of the Clover Group, a collaborative venture between four hospitality entrepreneurs launched earlier this year.

Retaining its original name for nearly 400 years, the bar is adjacent to Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter with the venue and its adjoining alley, Winecellar Entry, housing Belfast’s wine and spirit merchants since the 1700s.

“White’s Tavern is very unique, and we are maintaining and enhancing the integrity of its interior with the highest quality food and traditional music offering in a way that recognises our past and will celebrate our future,” said Mark Beirne, Clover Group.

NOVEMBER HRNI • 5

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TIME TO PUT ECONOMIC LEVERS IN PLACE TO PROTECT HOSPITALITY SECTOR

BY COLIN NEILL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, HOSPITALITY ULSTER

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ow is the time to stimulate the hospitality sector to help boost the Northern Ireland economy.

To find opportunity in crisis is sometimes the only way things can get done.

The fine detail in which our media is documenting the speed at which we are expecting to crash out of the European Union is frightening. The lack of an Assembly and Executive and the paralysis at Westminster really does leave us truly exposed.

The current state of the local economy and the bleak outlook for any level of respectable growth means that we could find ourselves regressing to the unhappy place we were in several years ago.

Like all businesses here, we in the hospitality sector find ourselves at a pinch point. Rising costs, exorbitant rates, VAT, Air Passenger Duty, increasing workforce pressures, skills needs, and outdated legislation all add to the washing machine of issues that our members currently have to deal with or suffer from a lack of movement on.

We only have to look at the Budget laid out by the previous Chancellor of the Exchequer last year on the business rate subsidies given to the rest of Great Britain, but not specifically to Northern Ireland. Instead our share of the monies ended up in the big black hole of our NI government budget and becomes largely ineffective against its intended target.

What the Irish government did for the hospitality sector in the south during the previous financial crash is a good example of how opportunity was grasped at a time of national crisis. It recognised that the hospitality sector was an integral part to their tourism economy and global reputation, and decided

6 • HRNI NOVEMBER

that it was too important to suffer the consequences of people not visiting Ireland or not going out for a pint and a bite to eat. They brought forward ideas and economic stimulus by lowering hospitality VAT to 9% at that time. This had a huge beneficial impact and assisted growth and job creation and has helped the sector and their economy come out the other side in prime position. With hospitality VAT at 20% in the north, we are at a competitive disadvantage on this issue alone and unfortunately have been for some time.

The Government urgently needs to look at our hospitality sector as a prime economic asset and wealth generator that can help boost the whole NI economy. In September, alongside our Trade NI alliance partners, Manufacturing NI and Retail NI, we launched a 10-year prosperity plan at Westminster with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Julian Smith.

This was our way of coming up with a plan, policies and solutions to develop a prosperous society and vibrant communities. But that can only happen if we reduce the cost of doing business, increase our productivity and find innovative ways of stimulating investment.

The hospitality sector is critical to the health of the local economy. As a ÂŁ1.6bn contributor, it has expansive potential.

Now is the time in the face of what can only be described as impending doom that we call loudly on our elected representatives and decision makers to put in place economic levers like reduced hospitality VAT, abolishing APD and reducing business rates to help us fulfil that ambition.

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news

HOTEL ROOM SALES TO TOTAL 2.5M IN 2019

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orthern Ireland’s hotel sector has undergone seismic changes in the last two decades, with huge growth in the quantity and quality of stock, but is under threat from uncertainty around

PORTSTEWART HOTEL DEVELOPERS FACE SETBACK

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evelopers of the Merrow Hotel and Spa have reaffirmed their commitment to the project, after its planning application was rejected by a High Court judge.

The proposed £20m luxury hotel complex on Ballyreagh Road in Portstewart, could potentially create over 100 jobs on the North Coast.

The planning application was originally granted by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in March 2018, but subsequently challenged by objectors with Lord Justice McCloskey then ruling the approval process had been procedurally unfair.

“After a year in the High Court, the decision to grant planning was quashed on four technical points,” said Vivienne Gilholm, speaking on behalf of the Merrow Hotel and Spa team. “These aspects will now be addressed with a view to securing approvals imminently.” www.hospitalityreviewni.com

Brexit, according to a new report, Hotel Market in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF) launched its latest market report, looking back at two decades of change and the effects of recent expansion, at Hospitality Exchange in the Crowne Plaza Belfast over October 15-16.

“The hotel landscape has altered dramatically,” said Janice Gault, chief executive, NIHF. “The four-star market has really grown, and budget hotels are 16% of the overall room stock.

The one-two sector is more or less defunct.

“Hotels have become much larger with the average hotel now comprising of 66 rooms. There is a greater concentration of hotels in urban areas, with a greater number of brands operating in the local market.

“After a period of considerable expansion, the sector now comprises of 145 hotels with a bedroom stock of 9,548 rooms.

“Overall room sales are up year on year with forecasts indicating that 2.5m hotel rooms will be sold in Northern Ireland in 2019. Forecasts created at the

end of 2018 were revised upwards after a strong summer and suggest an occupancy in 2019 of 72% with a room rate in the region of £80.

“However, the cloud of Brexit looms over the UK with the Northern Ireland economy in a vulnerable position. Uncertainty is the real enemy here. People are holding back on bookings.

The RoI market which has grown considerably over the last number of years is of particular concern.”

TOURISM FEARS OVER BREXIT- RELATED CONSUMER UNCERTAINTY

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onsumer uncertainty is the biggest risk facing the tourism sector, according to Tourism Ireland Chief Executive Niall Gibbons.

Research carried out by the all-Ireland body found that 10%20% of UK tourists are thinking of postponing overseas trips, as a fall in the value of sterling and Brexit weighs on their spending plans.

Not only is the UK Ireland’s biggest market for the tourism sector but, according to Gibbons, two out of every five visits by UK tourists to the island happen in the traditionally quieter first and last quarters of the year, helping to spread out the spending.

BELFAST TOUR GUIDE WINS UK AWARD A

Belfast tour guide who walks visitors through the complex and contested history of the city during the Troubles has won Top UK Tour in the Wanderlust World Guide Awards 2019 at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

Paul Donnelly from DC Tours was

recognised for the two-hour-and-15minute guided strolls he offers. The 50-year-old, who started the Belfast Troubles City Centre Walking Tour six years ago along with his friend Mark Wylie, said telling tourists and locals about his home city, past and present, is a labour of love.

REVOLUCION CUBA TO REMAIN AFTER BUILDING SALE

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etherspoon’s has snapped up the former Cafe Vaudeville venue in Belfast in a £3.25m deal, but will allow the present occupant to continue to trade.

The Arthur Street bar, which is housed in a former bank building, has been home to Revolucion de Cuba for two years following its sale by former owner Pat McCormack.

Wetherspoon’s Chairman Tim Martin confirmed reports his chain has now bought the property, which had been operated by McCormack as Cafe Vaudeville.

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NOVEMBER HRNI • 7

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OUR TASTE OF ULSTER MEMBERS ENJOY OUTSTANDING SUCCESS IN IRISH FOOD AWARDS

BY MICHELE SHIRLOW, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FOOD NI

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was thrilled to see so many of our Taste of Ulster members collecting top awards at this year’s prestigious Georgina Campbell Awards and especially to see OX in Belfast being named as Ireland’s Top Restaurant – the second year in succession - in the influential Food and Wine magazine awards.

The Georgina Campbell Awards are important because they showcase the fabulous restaurants and hotels here, especially to potential visitors in Dublin and the wider Republic of Ireland, one of our biggest sources of tourists. Visitors from the Republic now know they can count on Northern Ireland for exceptionally tasty and creative food combined with superb service.

While we’ve seen significant growth in visitors from the Republic in recent years, we still need to continue to focus resources on marketing all that we have to offer there. I believe that Food NI has the expertise and experience to do more to promote our food and drink there.

The Georgina Campbell Irish Food and Hospitality Awards, now in their 21st year, celebrated what they called Ireland’s talented industry pioneers who have ‘laid the foundations for the island’s tourism and hospitality industry’.

It’s also a market that we are helping our food and drink producers to target for faster growth. This has included hosting presentations with dozens of smaller companies in Dublin, Galway and, most recently, as the National Ploughing Championships in Carlow, one of the biggest business opportunities in the Republic this year. We’ll also be taking a group of smaller producers to the big Gifted Show in Dublin in December. Our external marketing is being assisted by Invest NI. Our marketing message has included highlighting Northern Ireland as the World’s Best Food Destination, a title we secured at the World Travel Awards last November. Furthermore, we’ve taken the best destination message to major trade shows in Britain.

We’ve reinforced our position as the key promotion body for food and drink here. It’s a fully integrated role on 8 • HRNI NOVEMBER

behalf of our biggest business and most dynamic sector. We’d be keen to expand our promotional activities in Britain and further afield, especially for our food and drink. Additional marketing support will certainly be required in a postBrexit situation.

Companies will need significant assistance to increase competitiveness, especially in Great Britain and the Republic.

There was very well-deserved recognition in the Georgina Campbell Awards for Michael Deane of Deanes restaurants in Belfast, including the Michelin-starred EIPIC, one of our greatest supporters and a superb ambassador for our food and drink and hospitality. Michael, who has long been an inspirational supporter of local producers, was named as Hospitality Hero for Ireland 2020.

The citation noted that Michael Deane’s Howard Street venue has been ‘the benchmark by which other restaurants in the region are judged and – although other talented and dedicated people are also raising the bar for Belfast as a top dining destination – it remains a beacon of excellence’.

Our warmest congratulations to Michael and the many other winners.

They include Stephen Toman from OX in Belfast who was Highly Commended in the Chef of the Year category. Killeavy Castle in Armagh won Newcomer of the Year while No 14 at the Georgian House was Highly Commended in the same category. The restaurant, led by chef Jim Mulholland, is making a hugely important contribution to the dining-out scene in Comber, North Down and East Belfast.

The Hideaway of the Year section saw commendations for both Newforge House in Armagh and Ardtara House in Derry were Highly Commended.

Chef Danni Barry’s Overwood at Balloo House in Co Down won Atmospheric Restaurant of the Year while Niall McKenna of James St in Belfast, another tremendous supporter of Taste of Ulster and Food NI, won the Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year. The Hatch from

Castlewellan was Highly Commended in the Street Food of the Year Award.

The Georgina Campbell Awards recognise and honour Ireland’s standard-bearers in food and hospitality throughout the island and are an important measure of excellence.

Georgina Campbell’s Ireland’s rigorous programme of anonymous assessment visits is a year-round process and winners are nominated solely by an independent assessment team.

THE POCKET COFFEE SHOP OPENS IN BELFAST’S FLATIRON

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elfast’s independent specialty coffee shop and eatery The Pocket has opened its second space in one of the city’s historic and iconic buildings, The Flatiron.

Built in the 1860s, the famous former waterside warehouse, already home to some of Belfast’s fastest-growing creative businesses, has been restored by local owner and investor Wirefox into a highquality office space over four floors, incorporating retail at ground-floor level.

The Pocket is the brainchild of South African coffee enthusiast and café culture expert Richard Evans and his wife and business partner Bailey.

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foodnews

WINDSOR PARK CHEF SCOOPS SILVER AT ALL-IRELAND COMPETITION Fritz Machala

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ritz Machala, head chef for Sodexo at Windsor Park, Belfast, was runner up with a silver medal at the All-Ireland Sodexo Chef of the Year competition with his sustainabilitythemed menu.

Gerard Quinn, chef for Sodexo at

Diageo Baileys in Newtownabbey, scooped a bronze.

The theme of this year’s competition, Celebrating Our Sustainable Future, was on the creative use of sustainable ingredients that support the Future 50 Foods initiative. With 75% of the global food supply coming from only 12 plant and five animal species, the initiative is to help promote the top 50 plant-based foods identified by WWF-UK and Knorr Professional for encorporation into daily food consumption to drive positive change in the use of natural resources.

Fritz and the other contestants had 90 minutes to produce three dishes, a seasonal plant-based starter, the use of organic chicken and specific garnishes for the mains and a pear-based dessert, all under the watchful eyes of Michelin-

starred TV chef Derry Clarke, Audrey Crone, executive chef with competition sponsor Unilever Ireland and David Mulcahy, food innovation director for Sodexo UK and Ireland.

Fritz impressed the judges with his starter of lentil falafel, beetroot, celeriac, cucumber, broad bean and mint dressing, followed by duo of chicken, roast potato, creamed spinach, carrot and watercress velouté.

Dessert was a pear frangipane, pear foam, texture of chocolate with fresh cream.

Chef Ollie Keenan from Co Monaghan was the winner and will represent Ireland at the Sodexo UK and Ireland Grand Final at the HRC Show (formerly Hotelympia) in London in March 2020.

LARCHFIELD ESTATE INVESTS £150,000 IN NEW EVENT SPACE L archfield Estate owners Sarah and Gavin Mackie have invested £150,000 to convert a Lanyon-designed building on the Co Down estate into The Old Piggery, an events space for groups staying overnight on the Estate to dine, meet or attend workshops.

While the Old Piggery has maintained its original features, the space has been completely transformed to provide overnight guests and corporate public groups the opportunity to gather together for breakfasts, strategic meetings and highend dining within the stunning country surroundings of the Estate.

The event space will also be available to book for private onsite workshops, with the first already confirmed for October 12, with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s 2019 Food & Drink Programme hosting a series of ‘Learn To’ workshops.

“We see ourselves as custodians of the Estate, passing through and preserving the heritage of Larchfield for future generations and we are delighted to be able to add another event space to our ever-growing offering,” said Sarah Mackie.

“It is very important to us that as many people as possible

NEW JUICE BAR OPENS IN BELFAST CITY CENTRE

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elfast resident Sam Shephard has opened a new juice bar, said to be the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, in the heart of the City Centre.

The Juice Jar, located beside The City Hall in the iconic Scottish Provident Building at 8-10 Wellington Place, is a juice bar/coffee shop hybrid serving fresh healthy juices, shakes, breakfast bowls, hot sandwiches and speciality coffee from local roasters, Root and Branch.

Shephard has recently returned from London and Australia, where he worked as chief of staff for London’s largest hedge fund, CQS.

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From left, Dr Ken Baird, honorary secretary of The Institute of NI Beekeepers; Alderman Allan Ewart MBE; Sarah Mackie, owner of Larchfield Estate; and Alice McIlhagger, Brambleberry Jams.

get to experience Larchfield Estate and we believe that investing in The Old Piggery as an additional event space will encourage many more corporate and consumer groups to visit Larchfield Estate.”

LITTLE WING TO OPEN NINTH RESTAURANT

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ocal pizzeria brand Little Wing has announced an investment of £450,000 in a new restaurant in Whiteabbey, Co Antrim, creating 25 new jobs.

The arrival of Little Wing Whiteabbey, which will be located off the Shore Road, will bring the popular pizza chain’s total number of branches across Northern Ireland to nine.

Opening on November 14, the restaurant will cater for 60 guests, offering authentic, made to order Naples-style pizzas, cooked in traditional six-foot woodstone pizza ovens.

The latest expansion will bring the total number of people employed by Little Wing in Northern Ireland to 185.

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restaurantprofile

NO 14 AT THE GEORGIAN HOUSE JIM MULHOLLAND, HEAD CHEF/PROPRIETOR, TALKS TO ALYSON MAGEE be and had dressed it with pieces of Georgian furniture and mirrors. All the fireplaces are original, and a craftsman was even brought over from continental Europe to restore the ceiling mouldings.

WHEN DID YOUR RESTAURANT OPEN? June 10 was our first night, and we opened to the public on June 12. Lunch has been fantastic from day one, and we’re building our trade at night. We just got an award from Georgina Campbell, highly commended in Newcomer of the Year after only three months in business.

That was good, and showed everybody we’re doing something right.

TELL US ABOUT THE SPACE YOU HAVE The Georgian House dates back to the 1700s, and comprises the ground floor restaurant seating 28 and café seating 14. On the first floor, we have private dining for 28, and can seat the same again in our courtyard. We have converted outhouses in the courtyard into two additional prep spaces for baking and butchery, and have yet to develop a large walled garden space at the rear of the courtyard.

WHAT FEEL ARE YOU AIMING FOR? John and Myrna Horner own the Georgian House and I lease it from them. They purchased it in 2003, and had undergone a massive regeneration to bring it back to the original building.

Myrna had done a lot of research on the building, and what the colours should

WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU? It’s not fine dining. What we envisioned here from the start was contemporary Irish cuisine in nice surroundings using artisan producers and products.

The more local-based I can make my menus, the better, so that’s what we did.

When I first came here, I went around all the local suppliers and now a good 85% of my menu is based locally. My pork supplier is Robbie at Stonebridge Cottage in Crossgar, Springmount Farm in Ballygowan for eggs, Buchanan’s in Kilrea for turkey and a butcher in Newtownards for beef. I have a lot of game coming in at the moment, including wild partridge and wood pigeon. We get Comber potatoes, broccoli from Ballymakenny Farm just over the border and beetroot from Mooncoin near Kilkenny. I use Indie Fude around the corner quite a lot for cheeses and other artisan products. I fell in love with the area because it’s full of artisan suppliers and producers with the Comber Farmers’ Market.

HOW DO YOU PROMOTE THE RESTAURANT & MAKE IT STAND OUT? Social media is a big one for us, and we put our menus on there, and upand-coming events. It’s very important you keep a couple of months ahead of yourself, and we run a lot of events to keep people interested; for example, a tasting night on October 26 when I will be cooking with guest chef Nathan

Snoddon who is coming over from London. I also do demonstrations at the local market, which is a good way of embracing the public, showing them what we do and getting feedback.

I just think it’s about originality, sourcing local produce and the team here are highly trained and good at one-to-one with customers which I feel is very important. If you want the community to embrace you, you have to be part of the community.

WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS? We get quite a wide base. We get our local customers during the day and then, at nightime, they come from as far as Bangor, Newtownards, Belfast, Carryduff or even Fermanagh. It shows that our name is getting out there.

We do get quite a lot of tourism in the area, and we have had Americans and English in over the last week.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE RESTAURANT DEVELOPING? Next year, the emphasis will be on the walled garden and deciding what to do with it. And we only ran one event in the courtyard this year, a Jazz Sunday, but we hope to do a lot more next year because it was very successful.

14 The Square, Comber T: 02891 311106 E: contact@no14georgianhouse.com OPENING HOURS Mon: 9am-4pm* Tue-Fri: 9am-9pm* Sat: 10am-9pm* Sun: 10am-8pm* *last orders

TOP100

HOSPITALITY ULSTER TOP 100 LAUNCH –

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN H

ospitality Ulster has launched the search to identify the Top 100 Hospitality Businesses in Northern Ireland for 2020 onboard HMS Caroline in Belfast. The launch was sponsored by Lindsay Commercial Finance and MTB

Solicitors and was attended by a whole host of leading industry figures, suppliers, media and distinguished guests. Local comedian, Paddy Raff supplied the laughs on the night with the afterparty held at The National.

The winning businesses will be announced at a gala event in February and nominations could not be simpler.

To nominate your favourite venue, simply visit www.hutop100.org.

Andrew Schnell representing Bibendum, alongside Jas Hogg.

Maura Bradshaw and Nina Doyle representing United Wines.

Emma Haughian and Susan Winder of Heineken.

Cathy Fox and Brenda McGale of Counterpoint.

Karen O’Hare of Richmond Marketing alongside Jesse Fevan and David Quinlan.

Cathal O’Neill of Tanqueray alongside Hugh Dornan and Oriane Swain.

12 • HRNI NOVEMBER

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TOP100

Dermot O’Donnell, Steven Davidson and Gareth Devlin of Coca Cola Hellenic are joined by Alin David Taut and Isabel Smith.

Terry McCourt representing Tennent’s NI.

Shane Roche of Dillon Bass alongside Craig Walsh.

Jordana Busby and Darren Graham of Molson Coors.

Joel Neill, MC for the Top 100 launch event, with Joris Minne, chair of the Top 100 judging panel.

Paddy Raff, who provided the evening’s entertainment.

Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster and Mark Stewart, chairman of Hospitality Ulster with the European Rugby Champions Cup, supplied by BT Sport.

The large crowd who attended the launch of the Top 100 awards onboard HMS Caroline.

Colin Neill, chief executive, Hospitality Ulster; Joris Minne, food critic and chair of the Top 100 judging panel; and Mark Stewart, Hospitality Ulster chair.

Media Gary McDonald, John Mulgrew and Martin Breen enjoying the evening.

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NOVEMBER HRNI • 13

careers

A CAREER OF ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES WITH RECRUITMENT ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES FACING THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, SPEAKERS AT A RECENT INSTITUTE OF HOSPITALITY STUDENT CONFERENCE EXTOLLED ITS BENEFITS, REPORTS ALYSON MAGEE

“T

he career path I chose in hospitality has got me travelling around the world, it’s got me meeting new people every day, meeting the rich and the famous and everyone in between,” said Neil Devlin, general manager of The Everglades. “I would strongly recommend the industry to everyone in the room. It will provide you with a unique day every single day. The possibilities are endless.”

Devlin was addressing over 500 hospitality students and industry representatives at Home Grown and Growing, an annual conference organised by the Northern Ireland branch of the Institute of Hospitality with this year’s event supported by Tourism NI, Northern Ireland Hotels Federation and Belfast City Council.

Held in the Europa Hotel on September 17, the event offered career inspiration to students and an ‘interactive platform’ for potential employers to directly and actively engage with students and educators.

Local broadcaster and comedian Tim McGarry hosted the conference, with other speakers including Ruth Hegarty of Chef Network, Aine Kearney of Tourism NI, Belfast restaurateur Michael Deane and Mount Charles founder Trevor Annon.

“Events like this help to get the message out to young people that the hospitality industry has changed for the better over recent years,” said Marianne Hood FIH, chair of the Northern Ireland Branch. “Working conditions are improving, including better working hours and rates of pay. If we want our hospitality industry to thrive, we need to make it an attractive career prospect for young people.

“We have a duty of care to create pathways to match skilled students with the right roles in a sector that so desperately needs them. Our inspirational speakers brought insight and wisdom to the day and all talked about the importance of working hard, seizing opportunities, showing passion and going the extra mile.”

Chef Network was launched in 2016

14 • HRNI NOVEMBER

From left, Aine Kearney, Tourism NI; Michael Deane, restaurateur; Marianne Hood, IoH NI; Tim McGarry, host; Ruth Hegarty, Chef Network; and Trevor Annon, Mount Charles.

and now boasts 3,600 members, of which 15% are students, said Hegarty.

Its aim is to offer a platform for chefs to share advice, knowledge, experience and tell positive stories, while a further focus is promoting a positive culture in kitchens.

“We’re here because we want to see you stay in the industry and we want to see you progress in the industry,” she said. “You are the chefs of the future and you can set the standards for how this industry moves forward.”

Securing and hosting the biggest sporting event to be held in Northern Ireland, The 148th Open at Royal Portrush in July, was the focus of Kearney’s presentation.

As director of business support & events, Kearney outlined how work to attract and then organise the event began around eight years earlier.

“This provided us an opportunity to put Northern Ireland on an international stage, not only from a golf perspective or a tourism perspective but also demonstrating that we are a vibrant place to live, work, invest and play,” she said.

And the hard work paid off with The 148th Open the first to sell out and the second highest in attendance numbers, attracting 237,750 spectators and

broadcast to 60 million households globally.

“That provided us with an opportunity to really engage with the international market,” said Kearney, “and what they were hearing about was that unbelievable 19th hole experience.

People were talking about the electric atmosphere and that was delivered by the people within our industry that were not only working at the event itself but also at every other touchpoint of the experience. Our ambition was not about being the biggest, but about delivering the best.”

Tourism NI estimates The Open at Royal Portrush will ultimately deliver over £80m of benefits into Northern Ireland.

“It is really magical to work in this industry,” said Kearney, highlighting the breadth and depth of opportunity offered within the sector.

PASSION & RESILIENCE Celebrated restaurateur Michael Deane, recently named Hospitality Hero at the Georgina Campbell Awards in Dublin, offered perhaps the most inspiring story to students.

While Deane now employs 200 members of staff across seven establishments at four addresses around Belfast, he was once living rough in

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careers London in order to follow his passion for cooking.

As a young man looking at cookery books, Deane realised there was more to the culinary arts than launching bagged chips into a fryer or unboxing frozen Black Forest gateau at his first cheffing job in a Donaghadee hotel.

To London he went, spending his first week in Waterloo’s cardboard city before finding a starter job at Claridge’s cleaning pots and gutting fish. “I had no money,” said Deane, but “I had the passion, I had the heart, I had the love.”

Progressing through the ranks at Claridge’s, he set his sights on The Dorchester, which had a four-year waiting list of chefs eager to join its 150-strong team. When then-head chef of The Dorchester Anton Mosimann was speaking at an event in The Shelbourne Dublin, Deane - during a visit home - seized the opportunity to accost the celebrated Swiss chef in the hotel toilets.

The bold move paid off and, at the age of 22, Deane became second commis chef at The Dorchester, where he realised his basic knowledge was lacking and undertook City & Guilds qualifications and additional shifts at London’s best restaurants to hone his skills.

“Then I was starting to gather speed,” said Deane, who went on to work in two and three Michelin-starred establishments internationally from Aubergine in Munich to Le Normandie in the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.

While he urged the student audience to travel as much as possible, Deane said he “always had a passion for Northern Ireland; that always stayed with me. I didn’t just want to be a chef, I wanted to be a leader and when I came home, I wanted to lead the pack.”

Returning to Northern Ireland as executive head chef at Belfast Castle, the local restaurant scene was beginning to move forward with Paul Rankin’s Roscoff and Deane opened his first eponymous restaurant in Helen’s Bay in 1993.

Hearing that Shanks in Bangor had received a Michelin star in 1996, “I never left the building for a year,” said Deane. “I slept in it, I washed in it until Michelin gave me a star.”

And, from there, he moved to the Howard Street site in Belfast and continued to gain Michelin stars.

The expansion of Deane’s restaurant portfolio in the following years was not all smooth sailing with, for example, a failed Asian restaurant at the Bedford Street site resulting in a £200,000 loss before it was successfully reinvented as Deanes Deli.

“That’s having complete resilience, passion, wisdom and know how to get www.hospitalityreviewni.com

yourself out of that,” he said. “If you’re going to be leaders, it’s going to take a wee bit more than those 40 hours, take maybe that extra bit of pain, that extra bit of passion.”

Resilience was also highlighted as a secret to success by the founder and chairman of the largest independentlyowned catering and service provider on the island of Ireland, Mount Charles.

“I’m often asked what is it that keeps me going, and it’s a simple thing,” said Annon. “It’s the fear of failure.”

A quarter of an inch too short for his desired profession of policing, Annon’s first job was with a Belfast wine wholesaler. He went on to work for Bass Ireland, becoming its youngest ever bottling supervisor at the Ulster Brewery, and Guinness at its former Ballymena bottling plant, before moving into contract catering with Gardner Merchant (now Sodexo) and then Compass.

In 1988, Annon made the bold move to strike out on his own. “At the very beginning, we had no name, we had no money and no office and no business,” he said. “Is there any worse way to start a business.”

With a few clients on board, Annon set about building trade and although he almost lost it all three years in when a last-minute payment prevented the bank from shutting down the business – he persevered.

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Mount Charles now services the PSNI he was unable to join and UU where he studied, said Annon, as well as other big-name clients from Moy Park to Bombardier and Translink. Mount Charles is one of Ireland’s biggest companies with a turnover of £40m, and the RoI market is a big target for growth moving forward, he said.

Currently employing 2,500, “we have an abundance of jobs going at the moment that we’re having trouble filling,” said Annon, highlighting the more flexible and sociable hours of working associated with contract catering in comparison to other hospitality positions.

Devlin, meanwhile, spoke about the colourful career path leading him to his current position as GM at The Everglades.

Working in bars from the age of 13, he studied Hospitality Management at UU Jordanstown and then headed off to California on a Marriott International development programme.

“I put my head down and made a commitment to try and work in every food and beverage department in that resort,” he said. “I’m not a swot, I’m not a studier, I got there through graft and a bit of a brass neck. I was always early and I always stayed late.”

Other opportunities within Marriott followed and, seven years and 10 US cities later, Devlin returned to Northern Ireland. In 2010, he joined Hastings Hotels as deputy GM of the Culloden, which hosts the Northern Ireland Football Team during its home games.

Devlin hit it off with the team and, to this day, he travels with them internationally to ensure their food & beverage and accommodation needs are met during away games.

In 2012, he was appointed GM of The Everglades and, during his tenure there, turnover has almost doubled.

The student conference also helped to raise awareness of the Institute of Hospitality’s nominated charity, The Anthony Nolan Trust. The charity works in the areas of leukaemia and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with many students signing up on the day to the stem cell register.

NOVEMBER HRNI • 15

drinksprofile

MIXING IT UP AT THE MOSCOW BAR SHOW BULLITT BELFAST FOOD & BEV MANAGER MICHAEL PATTERSON TELLS ALYSON MAGEE ABOUT HIS RECENT TRIPS TO CHAMPAGNE & ST PETERSBURG WITH THE MOËT HENNESSY ASSEMBLAGE PROGRAMME HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE MOËT HENNESSY ASSEMBLAGE PROGRAMME? I moved back home to Belfast and started working in bars here about 12 years ago, and I’ve had a strong working relationship with Dillon Bass since then. They are part owned by Moët Hennessy and brought the Assemblage project to my attention, so I just jumped at the opportunity to get involved. It started in summer 2018 with our group, which included bartenders from Spain, Belgium, Kazakhstan and England (London and Liverpool) and me, working online on a few brand scenarios and creating a group cocktail.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRIP TO CHAMPAGNE It was amazing. We got off a flight, got on a bus to a field in the middle of a forest and went up in a hot air balloon, going over all the little villages and vineyards. The next morning, we were up early to visit the grave of Dom Pérignon at Hautvillers Abbey and harvest some grapes at a Grand Cru-classified vineyard next to it. They were ripe, ready to be pressed and were absolutely beautiful; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier. Then they took us to the Avenue de Champagne with palaces that all the big Champagne houses like Moët & Chandon and Perrier-Jouët have built.

We spent the day at the Moët residence, exploring the Moët Hennessy portfolio, including the Champagnes, Belvedere vodka, Hennessy cognac and Ardbeg and Glenmorangie whiskies. After that, we went down to the Moët cellars, which are 22 miles of caves with rows and rows of bottles of wine all stacked up, so that was quite an experience as well. There was also a talk on using Champagne in cocktails, and then we got to play around with our own cocktails. My brief was to use Hennessy to create a twist on a sidecar, which you can continue to work on and perfect when you return home. In France, I had made a Sauternes reduction but, when I got back home, I felt it didn’t have as much impact as I had thought so I created 16 • HRNI NOVEMBER

an improved reduction by adding a homemade lemon sherbet and top notes of peach and apricot.

HOW WAS THE MOSCOW BAR SHOW? It’s called the Moscow Bar Show and started off in Moscow, but it’s been in St Petersburg for the last three years. St Petersburg has a cool cocktail scene with a lot of small, craft bars and it’s such a beautiful city; really colourful with nice food and friendly people. It was set up in the Museum of Street Art. There’s a gateway of shipping containers and barbed wire that you had to go through, and then you’re in a huge courtyard of standalone stands and a few carousel stands and beyond that was a big exhibition centre like any other trade fair. Our stand was so big, we had a courtyard pitch directly ahead of you when you came through the gateway.

There were a broad range of people at the show from St Petersburg and the four corners of Russia, but also from all over the world and even from Ireland and the big-name bars in London like Artesian and The Langham.

WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO DO AT THE SHOW? Our job was to serve our drinks, either your own drink or the group drink, and talk about the brands from midday until about 2pm each day, and then we would clean up and run seminars from 2.30-4pm. I did one about opening a

new venue. Bullitt was my second new opening and Babel my third as I’d done another opening before in Scotland.

With Bullitt, it was about how do you turn an office block into a hotel that people want to go to, and trying to talk through every stage from conception through to recruitment. Other people in our group talked about balance of flavours or how to succeed in a family business. I went to a couple of seminars too; Oisín Davis from The Virgin Mary Bar in Dublin talking about the future of alcohol-free drinks and a couple of other big name bar people in Russia talking about service and looking after your own health. At 4pm, we’d open up again for a quick round of last cocktails and then close around 5-5.30pm.

Then in the evening, we’d do guest shifts in bars around St Petersburg and go and see other people’s guest shifts. I definitely learnt a lot from the people in our group; some of them are at the top of their game in pushing the boundaries of achieving different flavours and textures and techniques for clarification.

WILL YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE ASSEMBLAGE PROGRAMME CONTINUE? My cocktail, Jas & Ginger, is still on offer in Babel and people seem to enjoy it. There may be some sort of follow up or next stage of the programme, and I would certainly be delighted to be involved.

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HALLOWINE

DRINKS BLOG FROM #DRINKSBLOGGERNI

CIARAN MEYLER, BUYER, AGENCY BRANDS

H

alloween or Hallowe’en, also known as All Halloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve, is a celebration observed in several countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. It begins the threeday observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints, martyrs, and all the faithful departed. Hence all the spooky tales of all the dead people walking around and the scary tales.

I for one don’t believe in ghosts even though I thought I saw one many years ago in Omagh on my way home from work late one night (no drink taken). There was always a story of The White Nun at the local convent and as I passed one night about midnight I could see what I believed to be a faceless white gown walking towards me. Well Usan Bolt wouldn’t have caught me that night. I eventually convinced myself that someone was just playing a joke on me.

What has all that got to do with wine I hear you ask? Well, Halloween isn’t just the season for candy and pumpkin flavoured beer, it’s also an opportunity for vino-lovers to uncork some interesting wines.

So, whether you are stocking up for an adult Halloween party or refilling your own wine rack in preparation for All Hallows’ Eve, here are some spooktacular Halloween-themed wines to sip this autumn.

18 • HRNI NOVEMBER

VEGA DOURO TINTO (THE BLOODY RED) Vega emanates from the steep-terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley (home to the great port houses) and is a sturdy, deep blood-like coloured wine blended from three of the region’s best varieties, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz.

It is rich with plum, cherry and mineral elements and complex with a firm grip of tannins, typical of the region. Try it with spicy roasted ribs; it’s Fangtastic.

TOSCA CHIANTI RISERVA (HANNIBAL LECTER’S FAVOURITE) In the roaming hills of Tucany, the Chianti region is not clearly defined but in general it extends over the provinces of Florence and Siena. It’s a truly magical place and worth a visit.

This Chianti is just screaming out for you to get stuck into it. Loaded with cherries and raspberries and a slight touch of spice. As we know, it goes well with liver and fava beans.

SARDINE SUBMARINE VINHO BRANCO Portuguese whites are gaining in popularity, probably on the back of so many of us holidaying there. And this lively, fragranced easy white with peach and lime fruits will leave you thirsting for more. Try with any freshly caught fish.

If you’re not looking for wine, try the Skull Hanging Whitley Neill Gin Cocktail

BRAIN FREEZE Your guests will lose their heads over this daiquiri-inspired frozen strawberry and gin slushie!

INGREDIENTS: • 250g strawberries, hulled • 100g crushed ice, plus more if you like a thicker blended drink • 50ml Whitley Neill Gin • Juice of half a lime METHOD: Combine all ingredients in a blender and whizz (mind your fingers), pour over crushed ice into a skull glass and garnish with any blood red fruit.

I know it’ll be difficult deciding witch one to choose. Whatever you do, drink responsibly and don’t be too petrified.

Quote of the Month “I’ll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.” twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

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drinkstourism

‘ROE’ING THE BOAT OUT A FORMER POWER STATION HOUSES THE LATEST ADDITION TO AN IRISH WHISKEY REVIVAL IN DUBLIN’S LIBERTIES NEIGHBOURHOOD, REPORTS ALYSON MAGEE

Guinness was supplied with power from the building in which the Roe & Co Distillery is now housed from 1949 until 1989.

D

iageo already boasts Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction with the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin attracting over 1.7 million visitors last year.

And now, with Roe & Co Distillery joining the Storehouse and Open Gate Brewery to offer a trio of attractions within feet of each other, the drinks giant is making St James’s Gate a weekend break in itself.

Brewery and distillery visitor centres are an increasingly significant sector within Ireland’s tourism industry, with visitor numbers rising 7% to 2.8m in 2018. North American tourists represent over a third of the market, followed by the UK (13%), Ireland (7%) and Germany and France (5% apiece).

A particular focus of growth has been whiskey distilleries, and September saw the launch of a new IrishWhiskey360° brand aimed at boosting visitor numbers to 1.7 million by 2025.

The first phase of the campaign will highlight 17 all-Ireland whiskey distillery visitor centres, including the new Roe & Co Distillery, a vision of copper and teal in line with the premium Irish whiskey’s stylish branding.

name paying homage to George Roe, a famous name from the 19th century heyday of Irish whiskey. Its teal branding and pear theme offer a nod to the St Patrick’s Tower cupola and ancient pear tree on the grounds of the original Roe distillery.

The new distillery is on a neighbouring site, just across the road from Guinness in the brewery’s old power plant, and at the epicentre of the Irish whiskey revival in the Liberties district of Dublin 8.

Opened to the public this past summer

following a €25m investment by Diageo, the distillery features an industrial chic interior with great attention to detail in the branding from a unique tiki print on barware to Roe & Co-branded handcut ice in cocktails.

The building’s history as a power plant has been embraced, with visitors using its original time machine to clock in and out as they navigate the 75-minute tour.

Karl Deery was our guide for the day, greeting the group in the gift shop, where visitors can choose from a wide array of luxury branded goods.

As our group ascended to an elevated glass walkway overlooking the beautiful copper pot stills and mash tun of the working distillery, he extended a pleasing combination of Irish charm and dry wit while offering historical context to Irish whiskey and the rebirth of Roe & Co. The stills produce 14,000 litres of malt whiskey in every run, with an annual maximum capacity of around 500,000 litres. Once mature, the malt whiskey will be supplemented by outsourced grain whiskey to create Roe & Co’s blend; currently both liquids are bought in for blending.

A notable feature of the Roe & Co Distillery is its female team, including Diageo Master Blender Caroline Martin, Head Distiller Lora Hemy, Assistant Distiller Fiona Sheridan, Senior Engineering Project Manager Shannon Green, Global Brand Director Gráinne Wafer, Reserve & Incubation Brands General Manager Tanya Clarke and Marketing Manager Hayley Millner.

The group then moved into Room 106, which references the number of variants Martin worked through before arriving at the final liquid launched in 2017. Many of the prototypes were tested in Dublin bars, and a major rethink saw the ABV raised from 40% to 45% to ensure the taste profile carried through in cocktails.

The new distillery features three unique copper stills for producing double or tripledistilled malt whiskey.

ROE & CO DISTILLERY Roe & Co was launched in 2017, with its 20 • HRNI NOVEMBER

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drinkstourism Inside Guinness’ experimental Open Gate Brewery.

“We use two different types of whiskey to make this blend,” said Deery. “We use malt barley whiskey, the smaller grain you see, and there’s also some corn in there because we use grain whiskey as well.

“We also use two different types of barrels to mature our whiskey. We use first-fill American oak for the grain whiskey – it’s made from corn, it’s quite light and doesn’t need as heavy a season – and then for the malt barley, we use second-fill American oak barrels.”

Deery guided the group through a tasting of the blend, picking up on notes of soft mellow pear, caramel and molasses. “That 45% (ABV) jumps out of the glass,” he said.

From Room 106, the tour then continues to a Flavours workshop, where visitors choose one of five ‘pillars’ - sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami – from which to create their own cocktail.

Its shift completed for the day, the group then clocked out on the way into the Drinksology-designed Power House Bar to try a few cocktails, with the specials menu refreshed seasonally using ingredients from the distillery gardens.

Tour groups are limited to 16 to keep the experience intimate, and the new distillery has already been named one of the 10 best new openings in the world for 2019 by Lonely Planet.

taking visitors through ingredients and production; Cooperage & Transport; and World of Advertising highlighting Guinness’ iconic ad campaigns.

Having experienced the Storehouse on a number of previous occasions, our latest trip entered new territory by taking a Victorian tunnel under James’s Street and out into the working brewery.

Brewing operates continuously at St James’s Gate, producing Guinness, Harp, Rockshore, Hop House 13 and Smithwick’s, as well as Carlsberg and Budweiser under licence.

A master class in efficiency and immaculately gleaming equipment, every batch is predestined for specific markets with the operation ramping up for key trading periods such as Christmas and St Patrick’s Day. Our special access also, meanwhile, included a fascinating presentation by Diageo Digital Archivist Jessica Handy, spanning the founding of Guinness at St James’s Gate to the present day. The full archive extends to 7km of shelving.

Arthur Guinness originated from outside Dublin and had already dabbled in brewing elsewhere when he acquired the original four-acre St James’s Gate site, signing a 9,000-year lease for an annual £45 in 1759, said Handy.

GUINNESS STOREHOUSE & OPEN GATE Across the road from Roe & Co, the Storehouse is going from (Guinness gives you…) strength to strength with a second gravity bar under construction to alleviate crowding in the original space.

As well as the Gravity Bar, the sevenfloor attraction’s wide hospitality offer includes the Connoisseur Bar, Brewers’ Dining Hall, 1837 Bar & Bistro, Arthur’s Bar, Cooperage Café, Guinness Academy and multi-sensory Tasting Experience.

Interactive, educational experiences on offer include Our Brewing Story – www.hospitalityreviewni.com

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In the 1760s, Ireland was home to 300 breweries, of which 70 were in Dublin including 30 along the Liffey. The year 1799 marked the last ever ale made at St James’s Gate, after which production was switched to the porter for which Guinness would become famous.

“It grew massively over the course of the 1800s,” she said and at its largest, just before World War I, had reached 64 acres. “Everything left the brewery in wooden casks, they don’t bottle or package anything themselves until the 1950s.”

With publicans doing their own bottling, counterfeiting was an issue and Guinness was rigorous in investigating and punishing any offending parties, who might have to publically apologise in local and national newspapers. Guinness also held the right to sanction the design of labels.

Post World War II, Guinness held 90% of the market in Ireland but, in the years to follow, competition increased from European beers.

Draft Guinness was only launched in 1959, with the addition of nitrogen creating the smooth taste for which it is now known, with a widget was introduced to create the draft experience from a can in 1988.

The widget, which picked up a Queen’s Award for Technological Achievement in 1991, famously polled ahead of the Internet and mobile phones in a 2003 survey ranking the best inventions of the previous 40 years.

Innovation continues apace, meanwhile, at The Open Gate Brewery next door, which invites guests to try its experimental brews including subsequent commercial success Hop House 13 and its rotating tap beers guest-hosted by bars across Ireland.

Opened to the public in 2015, the Open Gate has recently installed its own kitchen to offer casual dining along beer tasting in the venue.

An annual Changing of the Gate ceremony is still held to mark Arthur Guinness signing the original lease for St James’s Gate on December 31, 1759.

NOVEMBER HRNI • 21

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GELSTON’S OLD BELFAST WHISKEY REBORN

F

ifth generation brand owner Johnny Neill has celebrated the rejuvenation of an iconic Belfast-based Irish whiskey brand with a series of trade events in Belfast and Dublin.

Returning to what was once the hub of commercial activity in the city, Halewood Spirits hosted events in The Friend At Hand whiskey specialist shop and The Duke Of York bar in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter.

Whiskey writers, enthusiasts and members of the bar trade gathered to try the range of single malt whiskeys, along with a bespoke cocktail list from Global Brand Ambassador Chris Dennis and Lukas 24 • HRNI NOVEMBER

Etus, head bartender in London-based Heads and Tails.

In Dublin’s Celtic Whiskey Shop, customers got the chance to sample the five-strong range including 12 and 26 year old single malts, as well as the first try of the new non-age statement, aged in exbourbon casks.

Later that night, the team from Heads and Tails took over an industry favourite, Bar 1661, with drinks such as a whiskey milk punch, a spiced old fashioned, and a strawberry and verbena highball, demonstrating the versatility of the spirit.

Gelston’s Old Irish Whiskey was founded in 1830 by Samuel Gelston, a successful wine and whiskey merchant

from Belfast. Based on Corporation Street, in the heart of Belfast’s once thriving whiskey industry, Gelston’s sourced, aged, blended and bottled spirit from the city’s best distilleries.

In 1869, upon Samuel’s death, the business was bought by Harry J Neill.

Five generations on, HJ Neill limited is proud to celebrate the revival of the once revered brand.

The Gelston’s range has been relaunched by Johnny Neill, creator of Whitley Neill and Marylebone Gins, with a range of Single Malt Irish Whiskeys, curated with the help of industry legend, Frank McHardy.

Gelston’s currently boasts a portfolio of fine single malts sourced from across the island of Ireland, celebrating a Belfast tradition of procuring premium whiskeys to create unique expressions for the discerning palate.

The revival of Irish whiskey has paved the way for the return of historical brands, such as Gelston’s Old Irish Whiskey; the old advertisements perhaps still to be found in pubs across the island.

The current core range includes three exciting expressions of 12 Year Old Single Malt, finished in sherry, rum and port, as well as a 5 Year Old ex Sherry Cask Single Malt.

The quintessentially Irish Pot Still style will soon follow, in a range of expressions and wine-barrel finishes.

The future of the brand will see further experimentation with various cask finishes and ultimately an Irish home for the brand.

Gelston’s Irish Whiskey is distributed

by Halewood Wines and Spirits, and is currently available in independent specialist off licences, and through United Wines in NI.

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advertorial

HALEWOOD SHAKES THINGS UP WITH TEAM OF AWARD-WINNING BARTENDERS

H

MARK – Working alongside equally passionate people, as well as an innovative portfolio of spirits, to add to an everevolving hospitality industry across the island of Ireland.

alewood Wine and Spirits has set its sights on key NI on-trade through a duo of key account managers in NI. Paul Rocks and Mark McConville, who earned their stripes in Belfast’s flourishing bar scene, with an array of accolades along the way including Bushmills Bartender of the Year, (Sky Bar Awards) Hennessy Connoisseur Challenge and Hospitality Ulster Barperson of the Year, have joined forces to promote the company’s range of premium artisanal spirits.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU FACE WITHIN YOUR ROLE? PAUL – It certainly is a very different pace and routine from working within bars. Having to build brands, spend time educating in the specifics of a product, whilst also ensuring you are focusing on sales takes some getting used to.

Getting the right person in each venue can often be a challenge, constantly ensuring you are getting the right person excited about the brands and keeping the right person happy is always a challenge, but one that I love.

WHERE DID YOUR LOVE OF THE DRINKS INDUSTRY BEGIN? PAUL – My first job was working as a bar-back in Muriel’s and The Spaniard in Belfast. From here I learnt the value of hard work, but also of caring about customer service, and attention to detail in the product offering. Both bars specialise in their own favourite spirits, which I guess helped me pick up the importance of knowledge when it comes to business. The bartenders here were fanatical about spirits, which led to such a great experience for the customer.

MARK – I worked in The Fly, quickly learning speed of service at high volumes. This is where I first developed my passion for cocktails, constantly attempting to perfect high-quality drinks in a very busy environment.

WHAT MADE YOU SWITCH TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BAR, WORKING FOR BRANDS? PAUL – Working with brands directly is always something I considered as the next logical step. I progressed within the bar trade, and had some success within cocktail competitions, each time delving more and more into the background and process of spirits. Working with Halewood has allowed me to put my passion and knowledge of these processes and history of the industry to good use. Being recently married, with a young family, the role gives me a secure career path for potential progression MARK – Brand work was always something that has intrigued me.

Having previous reaped the benefits of passionate brand ambassadors dedicating time to educate me, this was something I wanted to pass onto the next generation of Irish bartenders, hopefully further strengthening our industry.

26 • HRNI NOVEMBER

MARK – Constantly keeping up with emerging global trends in an everevolving market feels like a full time job in itself. Innovation and creativity are key. Setting yourself and your products out from the crowd in a competitive market is tough, but an exciting prospect to know you have a chance to build a legacy.

Paul Rocks and Mark McConville.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WORKING WITHIN THE LICENSED TRADE AT THE MOMENT, WHO WANTED TO GET INTO SALES/AMBASSADOR ROLES? PAUL -Take every opportunity that comes your way. Make yourself available to work events for brands. Giving up an hour of your time to a rep or a brand can go a long way. Making yourself known in competitions or events can give you a foot up in the future.

MARK – Always take time to educate yourself with the spirits you come across and emerging trends within the market.

Education is the key foundation to success. Always be passionate with what you do.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB? PAUL – Being able to work alongside like-minded individuals to create hype and visibility around brands is really rewarding. Allowing myself to be creative to come up with the right serve for an event, or a bar is a great feeling when you can see it paying off for the venue.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE BRANDS WITHIN YOUR PORTFOLIO? PAUL - First and foremost, my love is for Irish whiskey. It is great to get a chance to develop a dynamic brand like Pogues.

With my second love being for music, it is a great fit to help grow an emerging brand with ties to the Irish music industry. As well as Pogues, and Pogues Single Malt Irish Whiskey, we have an old Belfast whiskey brand, Gelston’s.

Knowing the history of Irish whiskey, it is great to be a part of resurrecting an iconic local brand in a city once famous for the spirit.

MARK – The Whitley Neill range of gins are ground-breaking and understandably the number one selling premium gin in UK retail. Innovation and diversification around flavoured gins have been the key to the brand’s success. With rum very much set to be the emerging global trend, it’s exciting to have a rum brand taking the sector by storm in the way Dead Man’s Fingers Rum has. It’s great to see the local trade experimenting with, and enjoying the brand, particularly with the recent launch of our CBD-infused Hemp Rum.

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hotelnews

FITZWILLIAM NAMED AA HOTEL OF THE YEAR FOR NI

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he Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast has been named AA Hotel of the Year Northern Ireland 2019-20 in the AA’s annual awards run since 1992 and recognising hotels of all sizes and styles.

Now open 10 years, the AA fivestar boutique hotel with 146 rooms is located next door to The Grand Opera house on Great Victoria Street.

“This means so much to us and is testament to the efforts of the fantastic team we have here at The Fitzwilliam Hotel, and the continuous effort to ensure we go above and beyond in creating a special experience for all our guests,” said Cian Landers, general manager of The Fitzwilliam Hotel.

“I am extremely proud of our entire team whose hard work has made this possible. I cannot thank our wonderful management and staff, directors and loyal customers enough for their

The Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast’s team.

continued support over the last decade.”

The Fitzwilliam has continuously invested in improving the offering available to its customers, with the latest phase of investment adding 16 luxury bedrooms, a new penthouse suite and

GALGORM PICKS UP AA FOUR RED STAR AWARD

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algorm Spa & Golf Resort is celebrating after receiving the AA Four Red Star Award, recognising its excellent levels of quality and outstanding levels Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort staff celebrate receiving the of hospitality AA Four Red Star Award. and service, at a ceremony in Grosvenor House, London.

Each year, AA inspectors select the best hotels within each star rating, representing the very best in the British Isles and known as ‘Inspectors’ Choice’ hotels. Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort is the only Northern Irish hotel to receive the prestigious accolade.

The award complements the Resort’s existing three AA Rosettes award for culinary excellence at fine-dining restaurant, the River Room. Led by Head Chef Chris Rees, the River Room is one of only four establishments in Northern Ireland to hold three rosettes.

“We are delighted to accept this award which is testament to the continual hard work and dedication of our fantastic staff,” said Colin Johnston, managing director of Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort. “Their commitment to delivering excellence across all our offerings at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort is unparalleled, from luxury accommodation, to famous golfing greens, a world-renowned spa offering and an award-winning fine dining restaurant.”

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meeting rooms.

In addition to its rating from AA, The Fitzwilliam has been awarded five stars by Tourism NI and also holds an AA Rosette Award for its à la carte restaurant.

ROE PARK CLEANS UP AT NATIONAL HOUSEKEEPING AWARDS

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ichard Clark, who has been with Roe Park Resort for almost a decade, has been recognised by the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) as Cleaning Operative From left, Liga Cielava, head of housekeeping and Richard Clark, housekeeping team of the Year for the member and Hospitality Cleaning Operative of Hospitality Industry the Year, are pictured with Philip Blakely, from award sponsor Consumable Products. at the recent BICSc Awards at Belfast City Hall.

The awards saw a 50% increase on last year’s entries, celebrating the best talent in the industry for the 16th consecutive year.

Richard impressed judges with his commitment to cleanliness, customer service and team-focused mentality.

“I am delighted to see Richard’s hard work recognised with this accolade,” said Mike Marshall, general manager of the Roe Park Resort. “Richard is a team player and an integral part of our housekeeping team with his positive attitude and strong work ethic.

“A previous Employee of the Month, it comes as no surprise that the judges were equally as impressed with Richard’s capabilities as we are at the resort. Our housekeeping team strive for excellence in every area of the hotel and we are proud to have such a diverse range of talented individuals in our staff.” twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

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hotelprofile

HOTELHUB

THESTATS

MALDRON HOTEL, BELFAST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT From left, Amanda Connolly, sales and marketing manager, Brian Tracey, general manager, and Emma Connolly, meetings & events manager, Maldron Holel Belfast International Airport, and Grainne Leathem, SM Aldergrove Airport Hotels.

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rowth in air passenger numbers at Belfast International Airport has benefited the hotel immensely, says GM Brian Tracey, with the hotel experiencing significant growth over the last two to three years.

The hotel has completed the third phase of a £2m refurbishment programme, which has extended to all standard bedrooms, the bar, restaurant and lobby and additional carpark spaces. Also included in the programme has been the addition of a Red Bean Roastery Coffee Dock and new meeting and event rooms.

Awards received by Maldron Hotel Belfast International Airport in the last year, meanwhile, have included City

Budget Hotel of the Year, Hotel Team of the Year and Hotelier of the Year (Brian Tracey).

“We plan to roll out our celebration packages to include weddings, team events, black tie gala dinners and sports events,” said Tracey. “We also have a plan in place to refurbish our third-floor executive bedrooms.

“The accommodation providers in the local area are working closely with the council and attractions to enhance the visitor experience, and we are working on initiatives to extend the length of stay within the borough.”

Abolishing Air Passenger Duty, as the Republic of Ireland has done, would be a big driving factor in boosting trade, says Tracey.

HOTEL OPENED: 1993 OWNERSHIP/ REFURBISHMENT HISTORY: Owner SM Aldergrove Airport Hotel has invested £2m in the current refurbishment of the facilities at Maldron Hotel Belfast International Airport.

When rebranded as a Maldron Hotel, it has gone from strength to strength. Dalata Hotel Group took over management of the hotel approximately six years ago. The Group currently has 43 hotels and is continuing to grow its portfolio.

EMPLOYEES: 50 people ROOM NUMBERS: 104 standard and executive rooms STAR RATING: 3 STYLE: Contemporary, warm, friendly MARKET POSITIONING: Leisure/business/aircrew/tours GUEST PROFILE: Varies depending on the time of year, servicing different demographics from the business traveller to leisure and retirees travelling abroad USPs: Centrally located in the province to service all of Northern Ireland, it is 50 metres from Belfast International Airport, and anywhere in the world.

FOOD & BEVERAGE: Grain & Grill Bar and Restaurant and Red Bean Roastery Coffee Dock.

tourismnews-attractions

CELEBRITY CHEF CLODAGH McKENNA HOSTS TASTE THE ISLAND EVENT

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ourism Ireland teamed up with celebrity chef Clodagh McKenna to launch Taste the Island in Great Britain recently.

Clodagh created a harvest lunch in the grounds of her home, Broadspear House, which is located in Highclere Park alongside Downton Abbey set Highclere Castle.

Tourism Ireland invited leading British food writers and influencers, as well as broadcast journalists, to the special foodie event. Clodagh was joined

by Stevie Higginson, head chef and proprietor of Square Bistro in Lisburn, to create a lunch reflecting the food offering from across the island of Ireland.

“We’re delighted to work with Clodagh McKenna and Stevie Higginson, to launch Taste the Island in Great Britain,” said Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland director of markets. “Their harvest lunch was an excellent opportunity to spread the word about our superb culinary offering. And, in hosting the lunch in her home, Clodagh also helped reinforce our

From left, Siobhan McManamy, director of Markets, Tourism Ireland; Stevie Higginson, head chef and owner of Square Bistro, Lisburn; and celebrity chef Clodagh McKenna at Highclere Park.

message about warm Irish hospitality and what makes a holiday in the island of Ireland unique and truly memorable.

“Taste the Island is a truly exciting initiative and we look forward to promoting the programme in Great Britain, and in our other overseas markets, over the coming months and years. Food and drink are vital elements of today’s holiday experience and our Taste the Island promotions will raise awareness of the island of Ireland’s rich food culture overseas.”

MONTALTO ESTATE GAINS FIVE-STAR RATING, OPENS NEW HISTORY TRAIL

From left, Caroline Adams, Tourism NI, with Keith Reilly, operations director and Nikki Morgan, duty supervisor at Montalto Estate.

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ontalto Estate, located just outside Ballynahinch in Co Down, has recently received a five-star visitor attraction grading from Tourism NI. Opening its doors to the public in September 2018, the attraction received its 100,000th visitor by August 2019, with the visitor experience extending to a café, trails, gardens and a natural play area for children. A newly-developed history trail, meanwhile, covers the estate’s rich history including as the

30 • HRNI NOVEMBER

location for the Battle of Ballynahinch.

“Montalto Estate is a significant addition to the tourism product in Northern Ireland,” said Caroline Adams, quality & standards manager at Tourism NI. “I commend the team at Montalto for their hard work and for offering visitors an exceptional experience.”

Keith Reilly, operations director at Montalto Estate, said: “Luxury, quality, attention to detail and customer care are paramount at Montalto and so we are thrilled to be awarded this five-star grading from Tourism NI as recognition for our sustained commitment.

“Our team always works exceptionally hard to create a stand-out visitor experience that showcases an element of Northern Ireland which is memorable to all who come here. We are humbled not only by the amount of people that have signed up to be a member of the estate, but also the number of new visitors that come each week.”

‘BIG DRIVE’ TO GROW GOLF TOURISM Tourism Ireland’s drive to grow the number of golf visitors to Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland continued last month during the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, in south-east England.

Three tourism companies from the island of Ireland joined Tourism Ireland at this important event in the golfing calendar.

One of the European Tour’s biggest golf competitions, the BMW PGA Championship attracts top players, thousands of spectators and international journalists each year, providing a platform to showcase Northern Ireland’s world-class golf.

Golf holidays on the island of Ireland continue to be a major focus for Tourism Ireland in GB and in other key markets around the world.

LEVERAGING TOURISM BENEFITS OF RUGBY WORLD CUP Tourism Ireland has announced details of its upcoming promotional activity to leverage the tourism benefits during the Rugby World Cup. Tourism Ireland believes the tournament presents a significant opportunity to raise the profile of the island of Ireland in Japan, particularly during the Japan and Ireland game at the Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA on September 28.

A busy programme of activity will include Tourism Ireland inviting key Japanese tour operators, travel agents and travel journalists to hear all about the island of Ireland at two events at a reception in Tokyo and an event in Fukuroi.

VIDEO INVITES THE WORLD TO FESTIVAL SEASON A new online film showcasing the diverse range of festivals happening right around the island of Ireland over the coming autumn and winter months has been unveiled by Tourism Ireland.

The video, Festival Season on the island of Ireland, was created

by Tourism Ireland to remind prospective visitors that, between September and January, there are lots of festivals happening here – all showcasing a fantastic array of the creative, artistic and dramatic.

The video includes festivals like Taste the Island, Derry Halloween, the Belfast International Arts Festival and Atlantic Sessions.

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tourismnews-travel

STENA LINE FAMILY DONATES ANTIVIOLENCE SCULPTURE TO BELFAST

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elfast has joined a group of locations around the world, including New York, Tokyo, Stockholm, Cape Town and Berlin, embracing The Knotted Gun sculpture and its supporting organisation, the Non-Violence Project Foundation.

The sculpture is an international symbol of peace, created by the Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd for his friend John Lennon after he was shot and killed outside his home in New York in 1980.

The bronze sculpture has been gifted to Belfast and its citizens by the Olsson Family from Sweden and was accepted on behalf of the City by Lord Mayor John Finucane at an unveiling ceremony on September 13 at Girdwood Community Hub in North Belfast, where it will be on permanent display.

As owners of Europe’s largest ferry company, Stena Line, which operates seven ships and three routes to Britain from Belfast Harbour, the Olsson family has a long-standing relationship with Belfast and is committed to supporting lasting peace in Northern Ireland.

From left, Mr and Mrs Dan Sten Olsson; Jan Hellman, chairman and co-founder of the NonViolence Project Foundation; William Olsson; and Belfast Lord Mayor John Finucane.

GAME OF THRONES TAPESTRY GOES ON DISPLAY IN BAYEUX Representatives from NI tourism companies are pictured in the Hôtel du Doyen in Bayeux with Séverine Lecart and Monica MacLaverty, both Tourism Ireland; William van der Kells, Winterfell Tours; and Northern Ireland cookbook author Trish Deseine. Photo credit: Alexandre Nestora

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ourism Ireland’s hand-crafted Game of Thrones Tapestry is now on display in the historic Hôtel du Doyen in Bayeux, Normandy, within walking distance of its inspiration, the legendary 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry.

Created in 2017, in conjunction with HBO and National Museums Northern Ireland, the Game of Thrones Tapestry features some of the most memorable and exciting scenes from season one to season seven. After the final episode of season eight aired earlier this year, a team of 30 volunteer stitchers completed the final section of the tapestry, which is now 87 metres long.

Tourism Ireland is taking the opportunity to shine a spotlight on Northern Ireland and its strong connection with the hugely popular TV series; in France and elsewhere around the world. To mark the opening day of the exhibition, Tourism Ireland organised a press conference and Northern Ireland showcase event in Bayeux, attended by more than 40 French and international journalists.

TOURISM IRELAND TEAMS UP WITH TOMTOM TO HIGHLIGHT DRIVING HOLIDAYS

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ourism Ireland is teaming up with TomTom, the location technology specialist, in its latest campaign to promote holidays in Northern Ireland.

The promotion with TomTom is just one element of Tourism Ireland’s new Slow Road campaign, which will roll out over the coming weeks in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands

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and the Nordic region. The campaign will encourage ‘culturally curious’ holidaymakers in those countries to take the ‘slow road’ and to come and discover the spectacular Causeway Coastal Route by car this autumn.

Activity with TomTom will include a dedicated Causeway Coastal Route section on the TomTom website and

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on the various language versions of Tourism Ireland’s website, Ireland.com.

Also, popular European bloggers and influencers will be invited by Tourism Ireland to visit and to use the TomTom RoadTrips platform (which helps travellers discover the world’s great road trips) on their drive along the Causeway Coastal Route.

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q&a

A DAY IN THE LIFE Green Flag for public open spaces and Green Key for the hospitality sector have a part to play in raising standards to make Northern Ireland stand out as a tourist destination.

OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY My day starts fairly early at 7am with emails and texts checked on my phone over breakfast and urgent things dealt with. Then I’m into the office for 8am to go through the day’s tasks. I can be writing applications for funding, writing report forewords, speaking at partner events, taking calls and joining meetings with corporate sponsors or attending partner events such as the Power of Video Festival with McDonald’s UK, the Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week or the Big Spring Clean – Northern Ireland’s largest volunteer event. I can even be heading off to meetings in Europe such as the Environmental Education Board meeting in Copenhagen. No two days are the same.

IAN HUMPHREYS, CEO KEEP NORTHERN IRELAND BEAUTIFUL WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? I have been CEO at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful since 2008. I look after policy, strategy, programme sponsorship and management. It is a challenging role, particularly as we seek to limit the increasing effects of climate breakdown and pollution.

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND? I joined the Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful team after 14 years with The Conservation Volunteers – a charity organisation working across the UK to connect people with green spaces - promoting social cohesion, combating loneliness and enhancing employment prospects.

WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? The best part of my job is working with my incredible colleagues at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. We are an ambitious lot, wanting to change the behaviour of everyone living in Northern Ireland. We want less littering, less dog fouling and better resource efficiency, but what we really think will make it all come together is growing a strong sense of community pride. We believe we can make this happen and know it will benefit the economy as well as society.

WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST CHALLENGING ABOUT THE SECTOR? The most challenging aspect would be witnessing environmental problems that could be easily changed. Our most recent litter survey shows badly-littered streets are on the rise; not good news for all the dedicated Council street cleaning staff I pass each morning on the way to work and not good news for our tourism trade. This is where our work on the Blue Flag programme for beaches and marinas, 32 • HRNI NOVEMBER

PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE During my time here, I’ve overseen rapid growth in Eco-Schools, introduction of the international Green Key Awards for the hospitality sector and created the civic pride partnership campaign, Live Here Love Here. I’ve also developed a range of support services for councils including the Northern Ireland Environmental Quality Forum.

I’m also proud that our continuous pursuit to eradicate pointless plastics has taken a monumental step this year in the introduction of our Plastic Promise – a pledge created to rally community spirit for this great cause. It is our hope that we can empower volunteers and strive towards long-term solutions to these very real environmental problems.

Last year I was delighted when the education work of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful was recognised with an award at the North American Association for Environmental Education’s international conference.

BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN THE SECTOR All our work seeks to bring about changes in people’s behaviour to create a cleaner, greener and more prosperous Northern Ireland. A highlight for me is being able to award the Eco-Schools green flag. At 25 years old, this prestigious international programme involves virtually every school in Northern Ireland. Meeting the enthusiastic pupils and their hugely-committed teachers, who show me what they have done to help biodiversity, increase recycling rates and reduce energy usage, is always inspiring and reminds me of why I love this job.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? I love the simpler things in life, heading home to enjoy dinner with my wife and family – perhaps enjoy a competitive game of chess with my son when he is home from University, catch up with The Blame Game and read a chapter or two of my current book, Jared Diamond’s Upheaval.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW I’ve an Agricultural Zoology PhD from Queen’s University and a real passion for bird watching and ringing on Copeland Bird Observatory. twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

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businessnews

McDONALD’S SPONSORS KEEP NI BEAUTIFUL COMPETITION

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ive Here Love Here, a civic pride campaign by local charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, has announced the winner of its Creator Comp within the Power of Video Festival, challenging left, Laura Spiers and Neal Hunter, creative video-makers to From sponsor McDonald’s UK; Damien Gallagher spotlight why recycling is and Billy May, Power of Video; Karina Robinson, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful; and, important to them. front centre, winner Nick Wichman.

The Power of Video Festival ran over August 29-31 in the Ulster Hall, featuring top video creators such as Arron Crascall, Lizzie Peirce and Chris Hau with opportunities for hands-on learning, entertainment and networking.

Nick Wichman from Portland, Oregon was crowned the winner with his video based on the potential to repurpose items, sounds and styles into meaningful outputs that are no longer considered waste. He was one of 1,250 attendees joined by influencers, video content creators and businesses from all over the world and walked away with over £5,000 of high-tech prizes.

“This competition, now in its second year, gives us the opportunity to reach a whole new audience and raise awareness on waste - encouraging communities to reduce, reuse and recycle; a crucial part of protecting our environment,” said Jodie McAneaney, manager of Live Here Love Here.

TOURISM INDUSTRY PRIORITISES DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL, GREEN AND SOCIAL SKILLS

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igital, green and social skills are now a top priority for employers in the UK’s tourism sector seeking highly skilled staff, according to new research released by People 1st International, an NTG (Next Tourism Generation Alliance) Partner.

The survey canvassed 250 UK HR/training and development and operational directors across a range of tourism businesses of all sizes, in order to identify key current and future skills, skills gaps and trends in these three areas.

“Moving forward, businesses in the tourism sector will seek to attract highly motivated staff who are also creative and can embrace change and transformation. We are currently working in partnership with employers and our European partners as part of the Next Tourism Generation Alliance to develop solutions to address these issues.”

To access the research findings, visit www.people1st.co.uk/ ntgresearch. www.hospitalityreviewni.com

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NOVEMBER HRNI • 33

businessnews

HOSPITALITY ULSTER ROLLS OUT BUSINESS RATES WORKSHOPS ACROSS NORTHERN IRELAND

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ospitality Ulster has rolled out a series of workshops on business rates to assist the hospitality sector in understanding how rates are calculated, clarifying the often-confusing processes and to ensure that businesses are not paying more than they should.

The workshops have been set up in response to the recently-launched consultation on business rates by the Department of Finance. Opened to members and non-members, the free-toattend events have highlighted the fact that Northern Ireland has the highest business rates in the UK. Hospitality Ulster says that it’s never been more important to understand rates and rights to appeal.

“Business rates in Northern Ireland remain too high,” said Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster. “The system on property rates is broken.

“Despite Hospitality Ulster successfully securing a freeze on the banding percentages, and the introduction of a

new formula for calculating the food element for 5(1)(a) premises, it is highly likely that the 2020 Revaluation process could result in increased rates for some premises.

“Previously, premises with a 5(1) (a) serving food were calculated on a banding system which combined food and wet sales together, with a small discount at the beginning for food.

The new approach separates food from alcohol sales with a similar initial discount; the rest of food will be at 5% and alcohol calculated on the banded system.

“The most important piece to note is that the pubs serving food now have the food element of the FMT (Fair Maintainable Trade) calculated separately which will go some way to recognise the increased staffing, investment costs and tighter margins on food.

“With the cost of business rates now one of the hospitality industry’s biggest

concerns and the 2020 revaluation by LPS now underway, these workshops explain the different ways pub, restaurant and hotel business rates are calculated.

“We have also been bringing everyone up to date on our campaign to secure the same level of rate relief for our restaurants and pubs as our counterparts across the Irish Sea. “Last year Westminster subsidised all the English councils so that any business with a NAV below £51,000 got a third off their rates.

“We got our share of that money through the Barnett formula, but it disappeared into the big black hole here. We are determined that if a pub or restaurant in England gets 30% off their rates, we should also get that here and have a stronger case due to the fact that we have a tighter domestic economy.”

The final workshop in the series will take place on Wednesday, October 23 at 2pm at the Harp Bar in Belfast.

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NOVEMBER HRNI • 41

q&a

THE LAST WORD FAVOURITE CELEBRITY: Holly Willoughby

SOCIAL

FAVOURITE FOOD: Italian FAVOURITE RESTAURANT: Coppi LAST HOTEL YOU STAYED AT: The Europe, Killarney LAST BAR/NIGHTCLUB YOU VISITED: Hillside, Hillsborough FAVOURITE PLACE IN WORLD: New York INDOOR CONCERT OR FESTIVAL: Festival LAST HOLIDAY: Las Vegas

DRINKS FAVOURITE HOT DRINK: Coffee FAVOURITE SOFT DRINK: Water BEER OR CIDER: Beer WHITE OR RED WINE: Red WHISKEY OR BRANDY: Whiskey GIN OR VODKA: Gin COCKTAILS OR BUBBLY: Bubbly WHAT FOUR PEOPLE WOULD YOU INVITE TO A DINNER PARTY? James Cordon, Vincent O’Brien, Bradley Cooper and Floyd Mayweather.

ONE ITEM YOU COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT? Mobile phone

NAME

suppliers, organising race day procedures and booking in hospitality.

COMPANY

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? Work rider.

SUSAN McCARTNEY DOWN ROYAL RACECOURSE

JOB TITLE

HOSPITALITY MANAGER HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS ROLE? Three years.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY? Lots of coffee, emails, liaising with 42 • HRNI NOVEMBER

WHO WOULD PLAY ME IN A MOVIE? Emily Blunt WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL JOB? Racing manager.

FAVOURITE QUOTE? Team work makes the dream work.

ENTERTAINMENT FAVOURITE TV SHOW: Suits FAVOURITE FILM: Inception ALBUM CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Dua Lipa FAVOURITE BAND: Stereophonics LAST BOOK READ: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

INSPIRATION IN YOUR LIFE? My dad and my ex-boss Jessica Harrington.

MOST IMPORTANT LESSON I’VE LEARNT? Keep an open mind.

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