Hospitality Review Oct/Nov 2015

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

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

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EVOKING THE FRONTIER: With the whiskey category experiencing a renaissance and becoming more culturally relevant and approachable to a more diverse consumer base, Bulleit Bourbon has gone from family legacy to bartenders’ favourite.

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CREATE YOUR LEGACY: Aether & Echo was the setting for this year’s Bacardi Create Your Legacy cocktail competition, which saw The Merchant’s Andrew Dickey taking top honours in Belfast with The family secret.

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BURNING ISSUES: Ongoing hospitality VAT disparity with the Republic of Ireland and business rates are among issues tackled by Hospitality Ulster this month, with the industry body also expressing its support for Year of Food and Drink 2016.

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HOSPITALITY EXHANGE: The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation and HRNI look back over the highlights of this year’s conference and exhibition, from Ollie Dabbous’ gourmet dinner in The Merchant through to the Future of Food panel, speakers’ lunch and gala ball.

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WIFI CONNECTIVITY: While Marty and Doc travelled Back to the Future, we are already in that future, a digital future, and need to embrace it right now to help ensure tourism success, says HRNI’s tourism commentator Dr Peter Bolan.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 3

news

Pub of the Year Awards shortlist is announced Pub of the Year Rural Friels Bar & Bistro, Maghera; Halfway House, Banbridge; The Maghera Inn, Castlewellan; The Ponderosa, Derry~Londonderry; and The Wild Duck Inn, Portglenone.

Hospitality Ulster CEO Colin Neill, model Ashleigh Coyle and Hospitality Ulster Chair Olga Walls.

Pub of the Year Urban Devenish Bar, Enniskillen; Devlin’s Bar, Armagh; The Dirty Duck Alehouse, Holywood; Mary’s Bar, Magherafelt; and Pier 36, Donaghadee.

Commitment to Local Food Pub The Dirty Duck Alehouse, Holywood; The Garrick, Belfast; The Maghera Inn, Castlewellan; Pier 36, Donaghadee; and Pretty Mary’s, Moira.

T

he search to find Northern Ireland’s best hospitality venues has stepped up a notch, with the shortlist for Hospitality Ulster’s prestigious Pub of the Year Awards 2015 published.

This year’s Awards will be the most hotly contested to date. Following a record number of entries from pubs, hotels and restaurants, a total of 44 shortlisted premises and individuals from right across Northern Ireland will now go head to head to be named the toast of the trade at the top industry awards on November 11.

Winners of a record 14 awards will be revealed at a special gala awards night hosted

by Cool FM breakfast show host, Pete Snodden, at La Mon Hotel and Country Club.

Hotel, Belfast; Hastings Everglades Hotel, Derry~Londonderry; La Mon Hotel & Country Club, Castlereagh; and Manor House Country Hotel, Enniskillen.

The full shortlist: Best Hotel Bar 1, 2 & 3 Star Adair Arms Hotel, Ballymena; The Port Hotel, Portrush; The Salty Dog Hotel & Bistro, Bangor; Walsh’s Hotel, Maghera; and Whistledown Hotel, Warrenpoint.

Commitment to the Community Restaurant The Four Trees, Moira; Pretty Mary’s, Moira; and 26 West Bar & Grill, Belfast.

Best Bar Person (in association with Sunday Life) Danny Leitch, Ruby’s, Larne; Laura Keegan, Keegans Bar, Armagh; Nathaniel McAuley, Muriel’s Cafe Bar, Belfast; Neil McDonald, The Poet, Dundonald; and Willie Gregg, The Harbour Bar, Portrush.

Pub of the Year City The Albany, Belfast; Bootleggers, Belfast; The Garrick, Belfast; The Perch Rooftop Bar, Belfast; and Sunflower Public House, Belfast.

Rising Star in partnership with Ulster University and Industry Legend in partnership with Hospitality Review NI to be announced on the night.

Best Hotel Bar 4 & 5 Star The Bushmills Inn, Bushmills; Europa

Commitment to the Community Hotel Fir Trees Hotel, Strabane; La Mon Hotel & Country Club, Castlereagh; The Port Hotel, Portrush; The Salty Dog Hotel & Bistro, Bangor; and Walsh’s Hotel, Maghera.

Commitment to the Community Pub The Devenish Complex, Finaghy; The Elk, Toomebridge; Front Page Bar, Ballymena; The Ivy Bar, Newtownards; and The Wild Duck Inn, Portglenone.

Commitment to Local Food Restaurant The Barking Dog Restaurant, Belfast; The Elk, Toomebridge; Molly’s Yard, Belfast; Tedfords, Belfast; and The Yellow Heifer, Camlough.

Commitment to Local Food Hotel The Bushmills Inn, Bushmills; La Mon Hotel and Country Club, Castlereagh; Newforge House, Magheralin; The Salty Dog Hotel and Bistro, Bangor; and Slieve Donard Resort and Spa, Newcastle.

Editor: Alyson Magee Manager: Mark Glover Art Editor: Helen Wright Production Manager: Stuart Gray Subscriptions: 028 9078 3200 (Price £27.50 UK, £37.50 outside UK) Accounts: Gerardine Carson Publishers: James and Gladys Greer.

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

Contact: alysonmagee@greerpublications.com. Tel: 028 9078 3246 Sales: markglover@greerpublications.com The Review is the official publication for: Hospitality Ulster: 91 University Street, Belfast, BT7 1HP. Tel: 028 9032 7578.

Chief Executive: Colin Neill Chairperson: Olga Patterson The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation: The McCune Building, 1 Shore Road, Belfast, BT15 3PJ. Tel: 028 9077 6635 Chief Executive: Janice Gault President: Ciaran O’Neill Design & Production by: Greer Publications Design Printed by: W. & G. Baird Ltd. The opinions expressed in Hospitality Review are not necessarily those of Hospitality Ulster or the NIHF.

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Royal Portrush confirmed to host The 148th Open T

he Open is to return to Northern Ireland in 2019 for the first time in over 70 years, with Royal Portrush set to host the prestigious golfing tournament.

Tourism officials welcomed the official announcement on October 20, with Tourism NI Chairman Terence Brannigan saying the tourism and hospitality sector would be “pulling out all the stops to stage the best ever welcome for an Open Championship.”

“The confirmation that The Open is to be staged at Portrush in July 2019, and twice more by 2040, will be greeted with huge excitement and pride by our local tourism industry,” he said. “The north coast will provide a dramatic and stunning backdrop to the event when it will be hosting an expected 200,000 visitors from all parts of Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and overseas.”

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “The staging of golf’s oldest major tournament at Royal Portrush, one of the world’s top links courses, will present Tourism Ireland with an invaluable opportunity to showcase Northern Ireland to golfers and prospective visitors around the world. We will be pulling out all the stops – in Great Britain, the US and in all our important golf markets – to capitalise on the potential of this prestigious sporting event.”

The Open was last played at Royal Portrush in 1951, when Englishman Max Faulkner lifted the famous Claret Jug. It is expected to be the biggest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland, according to organiser R&A, potentially generating more than £70m in terms of economic impact and destination marketing benefit.

Northern Ireland will be at the centre of the global sporting spotlight from July 18-21, 2019 as The Open is staged outside of Scotland and England for the second time in the Championship’s more than 150-year history, with sports fans from throughout Ireland and around the world expected to descend upon the town of Portrush.

“This is going to be absolutely huge for Northern Ireland and, indeed, Ireland as a whole,” said Darren Clarke, 2011 Open Champion. “To have the world’s biggest and best golf Championship played at such a fantastic venue as Royal Portrush, with all the passion that the Irish fans will bring to the event, is going to be amazing.”

Derry scoops second in Foodie Town competition D

erry has been recognised as one of Ireland’s leading Foodie Towns in a prestigious national competition organised by the Restaurants Association of Ireland.

The city was just pipped at the post in a close fought battle for the title of Foodie Town of Ireland, as the Burren emerged top of the list of 10 short-listed food destinations. The judges introduced a special runners-up category recognising Derry’s performance and the closeness of the final decision.

The city emerged second out of 10 of the country’s best known food tourism hotspots including Kinsale and West Cork in the running for the Foodie Town title, and secured a top position on the fine food map, with a total of 30 towns applying for the coveted title this year.

“I know that our local restaurants and producers are delighted at the acknowledgement and it reflects a significant shift in the food tourism market north of the border, with both Derry and Belfast hitting the headlines in the past month,” said Mary Blake, tourism officer with Derry Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Elisha McCallion City and Strabane District Council which led the city’s bid for the title. receives the award from RAI President Anthony Gray with the council’s “We have been working hard to build the city’s profile through events Food Tourism Officer Mary Blake, local restaurateur Sean Harrigan from the Sooty Olive, and Kevin Hickey owner of Tamnagh Foods. such as the Legenderry Food Festival and the Flavours of the Foyle Seafood Festival, as well as our newly launched SAINT programme, and those efforts are clearly paying off.”

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 5

Belfast Grand Central Hotel gets the go-ahead P

lanning permission has been granted to convert one of Belfast’s tallest buildings into a four-star luxury hotel.

Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee has approved the application from Hastings Hotel Group for the refurbishment and extension of Windsor House on Bedford Street into a 200-bedroom hotel with restaurant and bar facilities.

The Belfast Grand Central Hotel will also include 16 serviced apartments and new ground floor retail units, as well as refurbished office space on the upper floors of the 24-storey building.

It is the third major hotel application the Committee has approved since the Council became responsible for planning in April, under local government reform.

“From next year, there will be a huge increase in the number of business delegates travelling to Belfast to use the expanded conference facilities at Belfast Waterfront, and potentially returning again as leisure visitors,” said Committee chair Councillor Matt Garrett.

“It’s vital that we provide enough high quality accommodation to meet this demand. This latest development will help plug that gap, while also regenerating one of the main thoroughfares into the city and bringing increased vitality to this historic part of Belfast.”

Potted Hen and Portaferry Hotel close W

hile new openings – most recently Sweet Afton and Acton & Sons in Belfast and The Loft at Shenanigans in Portstewart – continue to signal an upturn in the local hospitality sector, the trading environment remains difficult for many.

Award-winning restaurant the Potted Hen in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter has closed, after its owner/operator Oregano Belfast experienced financial difficulties which saw it entering liquidation in May 2014.

Beannchor, meanwhile, has met with Portaferry Regeneration to discuss its future plans for The Portaferry Hotel, in which it holds a reversionary interest but has no operational responsibility. The hotel was closed by its managers, the McAleese family, citing difficult trading conditions including the impact of the Exploris acquarium closure.

“The Portaferry Hotel is a critical contributor to the local economy, attracting and catering for visitors and tourists in the area,” said John Dumigan, chairman of Portaferry Regeneration. “The meeting with Beannchor was very positive and promising and we will continue to work with them as they progress towards finding a solution that will see the hotel reopen.”

Musgrave Marketplace received the best ‘Added Ingredients-Savoury Product’ award for its Musgrave Excellence Curry Sauce, and was highly commended for its Musgrave Excellence Salted Caramel Muffins within the ‘Sweet Treats Category’, in the first ever Irish Café Quality Food & Drink Awards. Pictured are, from left, Mary O’Toole, Own Brand trading manager; Lara Newton, Irish Quality Food & Drink Awards; and Gwen Wolfe, assistant brand manager.

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chefprofile

Alyson Magee talks to Kevin McCourt, chef/owner of Knags, Glengormley

C

hefing was “just something I’ve always wanted to do,” says Kevin McCourt, chef/owner of Knags in Glengormley and events business Prestige Catering.

Taking to cooking while at school in Newtownabbey, work experience at Lansdowne Court followed and, after leaving school, “I served my time in Corr’s Corner.”

Honing his skills at Belfast venues Pavilion, The King's Head and The Washington, Kevin then joined the Fergus Inn (since renamed the Loughshore Hotel/Clarion Carrickfergus) as head chef.

Kevin worked there for 13 years, during which time he became involved with the catering college in Newtownabbey as a lecturer, and assessor in NVQ levels 2 and 3, two days a week.

“My training in Corr's Corner stood by me everywhere I went because I learned the basics there, but I think the most important training I got was when I was head chef at the Clarion Hotel because that gave me the knowledge of how to manage staff and budgets.”

After four weeks spent training in three of Gordon Ramsay’s Michelin-starred London restaurants, “I came back and made the decision to go out on my own,” says Kevin.

"That was 10 years ago. I was offered the franchise at Fortwilliam Golf Club. While there, we formed Prestige Catering, the events side of the company."

After eight years at Fortwilliam, “we wanted to have our own identity, our own premises,” says Kevin, and Knags was opened in September 2014.

Both Knags and Prestige Catering are very much a family affair, with Kevin and his wife Gina as business partners. Gina is a chef by trade but works front of house in Knags, while Kevin’s daughters Nicole and Ashlin work in

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Kevin McCourt pictured with Gordon Ramsey.

the business part-time while studying.

His brother Gerard is currently head chef in Knags but will focus on Prestige Catering from December, allowing Kevin to focus on Knags’ new function suite due to open on November 21.

Knags was initially conceived as a much smaller project but now includes the restaurant, an adjacent coffee shop and the new standalone function suite with its own bar and toilets. Prestige Catering has its own production facility on the site, with separate kitchen and refrigeration.

“We made a very conscious decision to do a full massive refit and, to be fair, it’s paid off,” says Kevin. “It's been very busy the last 13 months."

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Knags is open seven days a week, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner from 9am until last dinner service at 9.30pm, and employs 46 full- and part-time staff.

With the area full of fast food restaurants, Knags brings something different with chic décor by Lee Austin Design, simple, quality food and a focus on staff training and customer service.

“We make everything ourselves, we don’t use convenience food and we keep it fresh,” he says. “Walter Ewing supplies our seafood, with seafood deliveries here six days a week, our beef is all supplied

by Pallas Foods, and our fruit and veg is sourced locally as well."

Fresh cod and scampi battered to order are popular choices alongside chicken fajitas in the family-friendly restaurant, while daily specials might include fresh halibut, a scallop dish and lamb Wellington.

Prices are competitive and the food is simple as “we’re still basically in north Belfast so we try to suit our market,” he says. “I don't want to go down the fine dining route, I think it excludes a lot of people.”

Fresh sandwiches, pasta and other specials are produced daily for the lunch market, offering a quick turnaround for diners on their lunch break as well as a local delivery service.

Prestige Catering has really taken off, with customers extending from small private functions at home to feeding 6,000 to 7,000 people at Royal County Down during the Irish Open.

“I enjoy my job, and am just happy to be doing what I do,” says Kevin. “We're very lucky, this business is a hard business to be in and I think between the restaurant and the event catering side, it keeps the whole thing going. They sort of feed off each other.”

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 7

flogasprofile

Acton & Sons, Belfast

HRNI speaks to Jonathan Davis of Acton & Sons.

WHEN DID YOUR RESTAURANT OPEN? The restaurant opened in August 2015. My father ran a restaurant in these premises for over 20 years and, as he has now reached the age of 80, my brother and I wanted to reinvest in the area. The Linen Quarter, as it has been named, has gone through and still is developing and, with a new £30m hotel just announced on Bedford Street, it was a good time to refurbish and create a new offering.

TELL US ABOUT THE SPACE YOU HAVE The restaurant is spacious with the capacity of 100 covers. The restaurant is split over two levels making the space ideal for small groups of diners or parties. There are a number of booths for privacy and intimacy. The décor is modern with dark wooden floors, brickwork exposed in places and a large bar for pre- and post-dining drinks.

WHAT FEEL ARE YOU AIMING FOR? We’re a family business so it was very important that we created a space that is welcoming, casual and relaxed. We want to make the restaurant appealing and not intimidating so that customers can feel comfortable popping in for a coffee, bowl of soup or a three-hour dinner.

WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU AND WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT? On the walls, you’ll find some of the original menus dating back to the late 1960s and, from the kitchen, you can expect firm favourites alongside fresh fish and signature dishes of roast fillet of hake, tomato, chorizo and white bean stew and Guinness and honey glazed pork fillet, champ cake, celery and apple salad.

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customers vary between office workers and retired customers during lunchtime to shoppers making a pit stop. We’re situated close to both the Grand Opera House and the Ulster Hall and we’ve seen a steady trade in pre- and postshow dining.

Executive chef, Cath Gradwell and Jonathan Davis

DOES YOUR MENU CHANGE OFTEN? We plan to change our menu four times each year with the seasons, and again at Christmas time.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO TO IMPROVE AND DRIVE YOUR MENU? We have daily specials which affords us the opportunity to have a quick reaction to seasonal produce and also great for feedback from customers. This feedback is then referred to when we are discussing menu changes.

WHAT IS YOUR FOOD SOURCING POLICY? Our family has been in the restaurant business for 47 years and, over this time, we have built up solid relationships with suppliers. I believe we were one of Walter Ewing’s first customers.

We source ingredients based on quality and value, but paramount importance is always first and foremost placed on quality.

WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS? We are based in the centre of Belfast, and our

HAVE YOU FACED ANY PARTICULAR CHALLENGES TO DATE? We’ve rebranded and, with the change of name and interior, it brings its own challenges.

We’re very much the same family business that has been in existence since 1968, and so we’ve incorporated this into our new logo and exterior sign. We don’t want to alienate the diners that have given us their custom over the years and yet still appeal to the public that wish to dine out now, so creating that balance has been interesting. From the feedback we’re getting from customers, I think we’re getting it just about right.

HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR RESTAURANT STAND OUT FROM COMPETITORS? We’ve been in the business a long time and, over the years, we have had to move with the times and adapt to changing dining patterns and trends. We always take the time to listen to our customers.

17 Brunswick Street, Belfast Telephone: 028 9024 0239 Opening hours: Mon-Sun – breakfast and coffee from 10am (Sat, Sun – brunch from 10.30am); lunch from 11.30am; dinner 4pm-late

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johnsonscoffee

Johnsons Coffee gets ready for a new arrival Leading NI coffee roaster, Johnsons Coffee, is getting ready for an exciting new arrival, its very own home grown coffee beans.

David Pattison, managing director of awardwinning landscape designers Plantations and Philip Mills, sales director at Johnsons Coffee tend to the first crop of locally-grown coffee plants at Johnsons Coffee.

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or over 100 years, the Johnson family has been producing coffees of true excellence with the finest Arabica beans from around the globe being expertly selected and brought to Johnson Coffee for roasting. Now the Lisburn company has cultivated locally-grown coffee plants which will yield their fruit and produce their own exclusive coffee beans.

The project, which is a collaboration between

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Johnsons Coffee and leading local horticulturalist David Pattison, has produced over a dozen coffee plants, which are being carefully nurtured and cared for.

Philip Mills, sales director at Johnsons Coffee, said: "Coffee is grown around the equator in countries rich in volcanic mineral soils having specific temperature and rainfall tolerances.

We have replicated the growing conditions to allow us to produce and roast coffee grown right here in Northern Ireland. We’re really looking forward to producing and tasting our very own home grown cup of Johnsons Coffee.”

Pattison commented: "It has been a very interesting challenge, replicating the climatic conditions, with temperature, humidity and light all being important factors that need to be considered. I am very pleased that the plants are all very healthy and I am sure in time they will bear fruit and produce good coffee beans.”

Whether the first cup will match up to the other award-winning blends and brands that Johnsons Coffee produce, time will tell. However, there is no doubt about the experience and expertise that has been gained, as well as the educational value of the project, with many staff from local coffee shops,

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restaurants, business and hotels now being able to understand and see the complete process at first hand of how a cup of coffee is produced.

Mills added: "This is not a long term plan to grow our coffees locally, but I’m certainly looking forward to my first cup of Northern Ireland coffee.”

Facts about the coffee tree plant • Coffee tree plants are shrubs.

• There are two commercially cultivated shrubs: Coffea Canephora (Robusta) and Coffea Arabica (Arabica).

• They are evergreen shrubs that can grow 5m (15ft.) tall when unattended.

• The white flowers reveal themselves in fragrant clusters. The flower is followed by oval berries.

• The berries are green when immature; they ripen to yellow through to red, before turning black when dry.

• The seeds produced by the berry are known as the coffee bean. Usually a bean contains two seeds which grow in separate compartments within.

• Arabica shrubs generally self-pollinate; thus they produce uniform berries and seeds which rarely differ from their predecessors.

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foodnews

Global gourmet focus for Year of Food and Drink

By Michele Shirlow, Chief Executive, Food NI

T

ourism Northern Ireland Chairman Terence Brannigan recently announced details of what promises to be an immensely exciting Year of Food and Drink in 2016.

We’ll certainly have a great deal to celebrate during the year across the food and drink and hospitality industries. Each month will have a clear theme. Brewing and Distilling, for instance, will be showcased in April.

Other sectors such as meat, dairy and seafood will feature strongly. Our hospitality industry will play a crucially important role in demonstrating the expertise of our talented chefs and the outstanding taste and provenance of our food and drink.

I was delighted to have a group of leading chefs with us at the recent Gourmet Galley feature within the immensely important Frankfurt Book Fair. The chefs were Brian McDermott, Paula McIntyre, Emmett McCourt, James Macintosh and Simon Dougan.

Paula McIntyre, in fact, launched her new cookery book at the fair.

Taking part in this international event, which attracted upwards of 300,000 visitors, gave us a chance to talk to people about our Year of Food and Drink and to encourage them to put Northern Ireland on their ‘must visit’ list for next year.

We were working alongside representatives from Tourism Ireland and two local companies, Mash Direct, Comber and Crossgar’s Shortcross Gin. The two ambitious companies backed our presentation with great enthusiasm and practical support.

It was the first time that Northern Ireland had taken part in the event. The companies and chefs were on the Food NI stand at the show, organised in conjunction with Northern Irish Connections and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

I was tremendously encouraged by the strength of interest shown in our presentation and the expertise of our team of chefs. I am sure that many of those who visited our presentation will now actively consider visiting Northern Ireland especially during Year of Food and Drink. They know they will find great food and drink and tasty original meals prepared by excellent and creative chefs across Northern Ireland.

As part of the Frankfurt Book Fair, a celebration took place to mark 20 years of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, where Food NI and James McIntosh received special awards for successful publications.

Chefs from all over the world were in attendance at this event, each of which provided a cooking master class in the show kitchen.

Gourmet Gallery was supported by the World Cookbook Fair. There were over 80 exhibitors from more than 30 countries.

Culinary inspiration was provided by 30 master classes and much more. Here star chefs from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Russia, UK and USA presented their culinary arts live on stage.

Year of Food and Drink will see a great many more presentations of the best that we have to offer in locations worldwide. The year-long programme gives us a marvellous opportunity to showcase our superb food and drink and exceptional hospitality on the global stage.

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Claire Kelly from Passion Preserved is pictured with Belfast International Managing Director Graham Keddie

Farm fresh comes to Belfast International Airport L

ocal produce has arrived at Belfast International Airport, with the airport hosting the first of a number of weekend farmers’ market events.

Over 15 local artisans will take part in the market, giving passengers travelling airside the opportunity to purchase from a wide range of high quality, locally made products from cheese, to chocolate, to ceramics.

The market is being run in conjunction with Ulster Drink & Food Producers Group, an umbrella organisation committed to helping ‘consumers everywhere to recognise the quality and originality of local artisan foods and drink and to include them when shopping.’

“The farmers’ market is certainly adding a local flavour to the airport,” said Graham Keddie, managing director of Belfast International. “It gives us a chance to show our customers, both from Northern Ireland and abroad, exactly what Northern Ireland has to offer. Belfast International Airport made a promise to help support and promote local businesses and that is exactly what the market gives us the chance to do.

“The range of items available, include food, pottery, specialist butters and oils, chutneys, and ceramics, and the best of it is, they are all locally produced.”

Michele Shirlow, chief executive, FoodNI, said: “This is a tremendous opportunity from Belfast International Airport for your talented artisans to showcase their excellent products to national and international travellers especially as we prepare for Year of Food and Drink. It will also highlight the quality and innovation of our food and drink. I congratulate the airport management on this hugely significant initiative.”

The market is located airside, between WHSmith and Aelia Duty Free, and will operate from Thursday to Sunday over the coming weekends.

The aim is to show Belfast International Airport’s customers just how much Northern Irish artisans have to offer.

Artisans present will include: Passion Preserved (chutneys, relishes and pickles); Harnetts Oils (Rapeseed Oils Dressings soaps); Broighter Gold (Rapeseed Oil); Eleanor Craigs Fudge (Home-made Butter fudge); Abernethy Butter (Hand churned Butter); Baked in Belfast (Pottery / ceramics & unusual Marmalade, Chutney & Jam); Neary Nogs (Artisan Chocolate) and RubyBlue Craft Spirits (Craft Vodka & Liqueurs). twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

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foodnews

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse opens in Belfast L

egendary chef Marco Pierre White opened his first Northern Ireland restaurant in east Belfast’s four-star Park Avenue Hotel on October 12.

The new 98-seat Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill opening follows a complete refurbishment. Hotelier Mandy Patrick says she expects Marco Pierre White to visit Belfast in the coming weeks.

“Attracting internationally acknowledged brands like Marco Pierre White means Belfast and the Park Avenue Hotel are directly linked into a global marketing network which drives the tourism and hospitality sector,” she said.

“Guests can expect a selection of timeless classics, each delivered with Marco’s own unique flair interpreted by head chef Eddie Patrick.

“The further good news is that the produce and meat are locally sourced and prices will be noticeably lower than the Marco Pierre White

operations in England and Dublin.”

Head chef Eddie Patrick “We have adjusted the prices to bring them into line with quality Belfast levels,” she says. “This adjustment will make MPW all the more attractive. On average, the prices are about £4 below the GB and Ireland equivalents.”

Eddie Patrick spent weeks training with Marco Pierre White’s team to deliver the required quality.

Nick Taplin, CEO of Black & White Hospitality, the firm behind the Marco Pierre White brand, said: “With my team I have “The Park Avenue Hotel is an excellent fit as explored the potential for our first ever Northern it offers us a great space in an ideal location Ireland restaurant for some time, but it was and we hope the people of Belfast will enjoy crucial that we found the right partner to bring what we are bringing to the city.” it to life.

3 AA Rosette Award for Lough Erne’s Catalina T

he Catalina Restaurant at 5-star Lough Erne Resort in Co. Fermanagh has been awarded a coveted 3 AA Rosette Award at the annual AA Hospitality Awards held in London on October 5.

Among the 23 accolades awarded from 11 categories, the AA Hospitality Award for Multi Rosette Establishments, sponsored by Villeroy & Boch, gave 3 AA Rosettes to the Catalina Restaurant at Lough Erne Resort. Three AA Rosettes are only given to outstanding restaurants that achieve standards that demand recognition well beyond their local area, and only around 10% of the restaurants or hotels within the AA Restaurant Guide have 3 Rosettes and above.

A passionate ambassador for local produce,

Lough Erne Resort Executive Chef Noel McMeel believes simplicity is often the key to creating the best cuisine, and showcases the importance of using indigenous ingredients from local producers.

“The Catalina Restaurant has become a byword for excellence,” says Andrew Phelan, general manager of Lough Erne Resort, “with our wonderful chef Noel McMeel and his talented team creating sophisticated and elegant food, and with the impeccable support of their front of house team. Here at Lough Erne Resort we are delighted that their hard work and commitment has been recognised by the AA and their inspectors, and we are proud to prioritise and promote our fine local and artisan food producers on the Catalina menus.”

Smeg Dishwasher makes the cut at Farrington Park W hen Fay Jenkins, club house manager at Farrington Park in North Somerset, contacted Coldstar UK with a challenge to dramatically improve wash-up throughput, the solution was simple. Get in touch with Smeg Foodservice Solutions.

With the continued growth of large events at the club, which has two golf courses, restaurant, conference, health and beauty facilities, and going into the wedding season, the pressure on the wash-up area was becoming acute.

Adam Bourge, Coldstar’s commercial manager, recommended a Smeg Topline CWC621SD Hood Type dishwasher that has special 600mm x 500mm baskets allowing 24 dinner plates per load, or 1,700 plates per hour (a 30% improvement on comparable standard models on the market). Part of the reason for recommending this model was it is one of the most economical machines per wash on the market, and crucially for Farrington it delivers a www.hospitalityreviewni.com

quicker turn around between wash cycles.

Talking about the impact the Smeg has made Fay says, “We were hitting a brick wall in the wash-up area, especially when several events were on at the same time. With the new Smeg we have got through this and the recycle time from table to wash and back to table is notably quicker.

“By investing in a larger capacity washer we have certainly improved our service to our customers. As anybody in the hospitality trade knows the dump area in between courses can get rather busy, but with a higher throughput machine even this is under control.

“I would like to thank Adam and his team for a great job and recommending the Topline CWC621SD dishwasher from Smeg Foodservice Solutions.

For more information, call: 0844 5574355 or email: foodservice@smeguk.com www.smegfoodservice.co.uk

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 11

Culloden, RubyBlue Vodka and Schweppes collaborate on cocktail

Pictured are, from left, Peter Hughes (Coca-Cola), Barbara Hughes (Hughes Craft Distillery), Adrian McNally and Michael Campbell (Culloden), Stuart Hughes (Hughes Craft Distillery) and Brian Donaldson (Culloden).

L

ocal potato-based RubyBlue Vodka features in a unique cocktail created by the mixologist and chef at the five-star Culloden Hotel, a homemade Lemon Balm Syrup and Schweppes Soda Water Serve.

Another unique feature of the cocktail, created by Michael Campbell, bar manager at the Culloden, is the use of lemon balm grown in the hotel’s own herb garden. The cocktail is served at the hotel’s Crozier Lounge.

“I was delighted to be working with the Culloden on the cocktail particularly, because I began my career with the Hastings Hotels, the owners of the Culloden,” said Stuart Hughes, who runs Hughes Craft Distillery in Lisburn with wife Barbara.

“I was 16 when I joined the staff at the group’s Stormont Hotel and eventually became head wine waiter in the popular McMaster’s Restaurant there. It was there that I developed my interest in fine wines and spirits and this led me subsequently to start Hughes Craft Distillery with my wife to produce handcrafted liqueurs in 2010.”

Peter Hughes, customer marketing executive, Licensed Trade Coca-Cola HBC Ireland, said: “Schweppes is a brand with heritage and has a lot to be proud of. Its First Royal warrant awarded in 1843 still remains today.

It complements perfectly the smooth RubyBlue Vodka and the Lemon Balm Syrup cocktail.”

RubyBlue Irish Potato Vodka was recently awarded a Gold medal at the prestigious Global Vodka Master 2015 competition.

Employees of Tennent’s NI have pledged their support for local charity, PIPS, with a target set of raising £20,000 for the charity.

Pictured paying tribute to the charity’s palm tree logo are Brian Beattie, marketing director of Tennent’s NI and Brian Maguire, chief executive of PIPS.

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mountgayblackbarrel

Belfast to Barbados for Mount Gay Black Barrel finalist

David Mulholland competing at The Cliff in Barbados

I

n September Love and Death Inc bartender David Mulholland was one of 12 UK finalists travelling out to Barbados to compete in the final of the Mount Gay Black Barrel cocktail competition.

The Mount Gay rum brand is owned by Remy Cointreau, organiser of the Belfast heat held at Love and Death Inc, Judges at the heat were impressed by both the talent on show, and the exuberant support from competition spectators.

David secured his place on the Barbados trip with his cocktail The Pioneer, which combines

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cola, spiced and sweet wine notes with Mount Gay Black Barrel.

“Mount Gay Black Barrel can be drunk neat or in cocktails, and is aimed at both whiskey and rum drinkers,” says David. “It’s one of the most pioneering rums in the Caribbean.

“My cocktail was based around the Manhattan which, like the Martini, is the great grandfather of cocktails. I introduced a twist around rum and the cherry cola flavour, as the basis of it. I used the cola syrup alongside the spices from the Jagermeister and sweet wine to create what is essentially a cherry cola Manhattan.”

With the national cocktail competitions often omitting Northern Ireland, David says local bartenders were very keen to take advantage of Mount Gay Black Barrel holding a Belfast heat, and go all out to showcase the best talent and hospitality they could offer.

David was thrilled to win the Belfast heat and, despite losing out in the Barbados final to winner Dan Bovey from Be At One Bar in Bristol

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with his Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik cocktail, had a fantastic experience on the Caribbean island.

“It was incredible,” he says. “We were treated like royalty, spending a day on a catamaran sailing around and snorkelling with sea turtles. We went on a tour of a plantation, where the sugar cane is grown, and a highlight was visiting the Mount Gay distillery and going into the lab with the master blender Allen Smith and getting to distil rum ourselves.

“The competition itself was held in front of the entire Barbados bar community and all the journalists in a new restaurant The Cliff looking over the sea. It was daunting but incredible. The experience of being in Barbados was a win in itself.”

The Pioneer 50ml Mount Gay Black Barrel 10ml Cochi di Torino 5ml Vioscialata del Cardinale 5ml Jagermeister 5ml burned cola molasses 1 drop rose water

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 13

drinksnews

Renowned Don Melchor winemaker visits Belfast W ell known Chilean winemaker Enrique Tirado recently visited Belfast to showcase the premium Don Melchor collection he produces for Concha Y Toro, in partnership with its local distributor Dillon Bass.

At the exclusive event in Berts Jazz Bar, leading local wine connoisseurs were given the opportunity to experience first-hand the world class portfolio of wines from Latin America’s largest wine producer.

Tirado guided guests through an awardwinning selection of Don Melchor vintages alongside cuisine prepared by chef Michael Weber from Bert’s Bar at The Merchant Hotel, created especially for the occasion.

Concha Y Toro’s acclaimed Don Melchor cabernet sauvignon is one of the world’s most celebrated and awarded wines, and was recently the only Chilean wine listed in the world’s top ten wines by Wine Spectator magazine.

Don Melchor’s outstanding quality comes from the Puente Alto Vineyard in the Alto Maipo Valley at the foot of the Andes Mountains.

The vineyard is planted on the Maipo River’s oldest agricultural alluvial terrace, where the

From left, Concha Y Toro Don Melchor winemaker Enrique Tirado is pictured with Greg Hughes and Liam McBride of Dillon Bass.

soil content is high in minerals, clay, gravel and rounded stones due to the erosion of glaciers from the mountains to the valley, dragging material that was later deposited on the terraces and ultimately granting a unique character to Don Melchor.

“Don Melchor’s style, complexity and elegance come from the perfect balance of the rocky soils in Puente Alto, the cold winds from the Andes Mountains, the generous climate of the Alto Maipo Valley, and the 30 years that the vines have taken to produce their finest grapes,” said Tirado.

Liam McBride, sales manager, Dillon Bass added: “We are proud to provide this unique opportunity for leading sommeliers, bar owners and restaurateurs to meet one of the world’s leading winemakers. The Dillon Bass fine wine portfolio has experienced significant growth in recent years and we are increasingly seeing a demand from the hospitality industry for premium choices. Concha Y Toro’s award-winning Don Melchor is the Holy Grail of Chilean wines, with a cult following around the world. We’re honoured to be the exclusive distributor of this wine in Northern Ireland.”

Heineken winner scoops VIP trip to both Rugby World Cup semi-finals A

s part of Heineken’s sponsorship of the Rugby World Cup 2015, the brand held three exclusive events to celebrate it’s hugely successful ‘It’s Your Call’ campaign.

Heineken hosted events in bars across Belfast where guests enjoyed exclusive access, screenings of the matches and insights from local rugby legend Stephen Ferris.

Guests also had the chance to win official Rugby World Cup 2015 merchandise and ultimately battled it out to win the overall prize of tickets to both Rugby World Cup semi-finals.

Kristian Ross battled it out against seven other finalists but it finally boiled down to a game of heads or tails, before he scooped the top prize of a trip to both semi-finals including flights and accommodation.

Kristian Ross, winner of the last event held at 21 Social, is pictured with event host Pete Snodden, right, and Heineken brand ambassador for NI Stevie Ferris.

Crabbie’s ‘Gives it some Ginger’ with TFI Friday sponsorship

C

rabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer, distributed in Northern Ireland by United Wine Merchants, is the official sponsor for the return of the TFI Friday show hosted by Chris Evans.

From October 16, the seven-figure sponsorship deal will run across all ten episodes of the revived comedy show. TFI Friday returned to Channel 4 for a 90-minute special on June 12, attracting a peak audience of 4.2m viewers. With over 90,000 tweets at an average of 519 tweets-per-minute, TFI Friday was the most talked about programme that week.

The marketing campaign is themed around the line ‘Give it Some Ginger’- a play on the drink’s name and Evans’ hair colour, and will feature an eccentric central character turning inanimate objects, people and animals ginger in a series of live action 15-second spots.

The deal is the latest in a series of high-profile marketing campaigns for Halewood International’s Crabbie’s brand and sponsorship programmes to date include The Crabbie’s Grand National, The National Television Awards and the British Comedy Awards. These sponsorships have, as well as helping cement the brand as the number one Alcoholic Ginger Beer in the UK, also helped in developing the brand overseas with Crabbie’s now exporting to over 42 countries worldwide including the USA, Canada and Australia. “The TFI Friday sponsorship is perfect fit for the Crabbie’s brand and will provide a great opportunity to engage with both old and new fans of the iconic show,” said Christine Kermath, brand manager for Crabbie’s.

14 • HRNI OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

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drinksprofile

Bulleit® Bourbon – from family legacy to bartenders’ favourite

Michelle Doogan, Diageo NI and Jim Fitzpatrick, ICONS festival are pictured enjoying a Bulleit Bourbon cocktail at a VIP event in Café Vaudeville.

T

he whiskey category is experiencing a renaissance, where it is becoming more culturally relevant and approachable to a more diverse consumer base.

American whiskey in particular continues to thrive at the forefront of popular culture with television shows like Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire showcasing the pervasiveness of cocktails and brown spirits in pre-prohibition times and Bulleit® Bourbon, with its high-rye content and signature cork top, has become a favourite among bartenders and mixologists across the world.

With an undeterred passion for whiskey that spanned decades, Tom Bulleit, founder of Bulleit Distilling Co., first started the brand known for its iconic frontier-inspired bottle more than 25 years ago when he brought to life a recipe inspired by his great great grandfather – Augustus Bulleit.

Augustus was a distiller back in the 1800s.

Bulleit Bourbon is made using an extraordinarily high percentage of rye, Kentucky’s limestone filtered water, the highest quality grains and a proprietary yeast strain to create a more flavourful bourbon. Aged for four to six years in new American White Oak barrels that are flame charred, all the colour and some of the flavour comes from time in the barrels.

“It’s a dream come true that my passion for distilling and my family’s whiskey-making legacy, which spans back to a time in America when opportunities were endless, is now available across the world,” said Tom Bulleit, “Our continued growth is much in part to those www.hospitalityreviewni.com

who have fallen in love with our brand and recommended it to their friends, family and colleagues. We look forward to a new batch of consumers responsibly enjoying our products.”

Bulleit Bourbon is considered one of the fastest-growing bourbons in the world and

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much of this growth Tom credits to word-of-mouth recommendations. The brand continues to receive the highest of spirits accolades, including awards from both the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and The Beverage Testing’s Institute.

Perhaps no other range of products has captured the palates of whiskey enthusiasts and the imagination of mixologists quite like Bulleit Bourbon. Much of the praise, in addition to its bottle, is attributed to the brand’s unique recipes that continue to receive accolades from the most prestigious spirits competitions.

As one of the most high rye content bourbons available on the market, Bulleit Bourbon offers a distinctively spicy, dry and clean taste, full of hints of vanilla, spice and pepper, which is second to none and the perfect staple to crafting cocktails.

As such, Bulleit has become a ‘go-to’ spirit for mixologists because its high rye content allows them to manipulate flavours to ultimately create both innovative and classic cocktails.

Bulleit Bourbon is a DIAGEO RESERVE portfolio brand and it recently played a starring role in the ICONS Festival VIP event in Café Vaudeville when Belfast-natives Jack McGarry and Sean Muldoon, co-founders and operating partners of The Dead Rabbit in New York – officially the ‘world’s best bar’ – used Bulleit Bourbon as the basis of their specially crafted ICONS Cocktail.

Steps to make the Bulleit® B.L.T Simple, yet rich with flavour and refreshingly delicious is the Bulleit B.L.T – Bulleit, lemon and tonic – the signature serve of the Bulleit family.

Ingredients: • 35ml Bulleit Bourbon, tonic water, thick lemon wedge and crushed ice.

Method: • Pour a 35ml serve of Bulleit Bourbon over ice in a high-ball glass.

• Squeeze in a fresh lemon wedge and top with chilled tonic water.

• Garnish with a lemon wedge and serve.

Bulleit Bourbon can be enjoyed in selected bars and restaurants across Northern Ireland.

Visit www.BulleitBourbon.com or www.Facebook.com/Bulleit to learn more, and remember to always explore your frontiers responsibly.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 15

autumndrinksfocus

Seasonal inspiration for the cocktail category

Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands, Diageo, Proximo UK and Rémy Cointreau suggest a few drinks serves ideal for the autumn months.

The Perfect Storm

Bulleit Mint Julep

50ml Kraken Rum 150ml ginger beer Served with a lime wedge

50 ml Bulleit 15 ml gomme 8 sprigs fresh mint 50 ml soda water 10 ml lime juice

Named after a Sea Beast of myth and legend, The Kraken Rum is strong, rich, black and smooth. The Kraken is imported Black Rum from the Caribbean blended with island spices. The blend of spices is proprietary but includes cinnamon, clove, vanilla and 10 other spices. The Kraken has great versatility as a brand, and can be enjoyed as a shot, neat or with a mixer. Its signature serve would be ‘The Perfect Storm’ which is one part Kraken, three parts ginger beer, stacked over ice and garnished with a lime wedge.

Bombay Sapphire Bramble 50ml Bombay Sapphire 20ml fresh lemon juice 1tsp caster sugar 15ml berry liqueur 1 blackberry Wedge of fresh lemon Crushed ice Add the Bombay Sapphire, lemon juice and caster sugar to a short glass or tumbler and stir. Fill the glass with crushed ice.

Drizzle the berry liqueur over the top and watch it ‘marble’ through the drink. Top up with more crushed ice and garnish with one blackberry and a wedge of fresh lemon. Created especially for Bombay by world famous bartender Dick Bradsell, the Bramble is considered to be one of the most significant gin cocktails of the last 50 years. A fantastically fruity cocktail with a delicately balanced flavour, this is a modern classic to be reckoned with.

Add Bulleit, gomme, fresh mint, soda water, lime juice. Muddle mint, lime and sugar; then add Bulleit and crushed ice. The Bulleit Mint Julep is one of Kentucky’s signature drinks. Muddling the ingredients brings the mint’s essential oils to the fore and, in Kentucky, spearmint is the preferred ingredient.

Rémy Grand Tonic 50ml Rémy Martin V.S.O.P Mature Cask Finish 10ml Dry Vermouth 125ml Fever Tree Tonic 1 lemon wedge Rémy Grand Tonic adds a French touch to the classic gin and tonic.

Rémy Grand Tonic is a new long, aperitif style drink which explores the origins of Rémy Martin VSOP. The Burgundy wine glass evokes the noble wine origin of Rémy Martin and the aromatic superiority from the heart of cognac.

Supported by

16 • HRNI OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

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autumndrinksfocus

‘Fall’ for the new autumn brew straight from the Mourne Mountains N

orthern Ireland’s newest craft beer brewer, the Mourne Mountains Brewery has unveiled Pumpkin Porter, a special, limited edition autumnal beer to welcome the season in style.

Dark and mysterious, this porter-style beer is brewed with fresh local pumpkin from Alderside Farm in Newry. Master brewer Tom Ray has combined speciality crystal and chocolate malts with selected spices and English Challenger hops, making this a perfect ale to enjoy by the fire this autumn.

“With a chill in the air and the darker evenings drawing in, we thought it was high time we crafted an autumnal ale that would match the flavour profile of the season,” said Connaire McGreevy, brewery owner. “The result

is an expertly brewed ale at 5% ABV that we’ve named Pumpkin Porter. It’s a warming, distinctive beer with a rich aroma of spice and cinnamon that will hopefully tickle the taste buds of all those discerning craft ale drinkers out there.

“It’s a one off, limited run brew that will be available while stocks last in bars and restaurants across Northern Ireland.”

In addition to seasonal specials, Co. Down based Mourne Mountains Brewery produces three core beers: Mourne Gold pale ale, Red Trail red IPA and Big Rock wheat beer. They are available both on draft and in bottles.

“Demand for our core products and two previous special brews has been excellent – to date we’ve brewed over 30,000 pints,” he said.

WKD concocts bewitching brews for cocktail cauldrons

WKD’s

popular Halloween Cocktail Cauldrons made a return to pubs and bars, along with mixing guides and posters featuring four ghoulish Halloween-themed cocktail recipes allowing consumers to share a cocktail with mates.

WKD brand owner SHS Drinks has concocted three bewitching new recipe suggestions which will be featured on posters alongside the established best-seller ‘WKD Bolt from the Blue’ (WKD Blue, Port & lemonade). The accompanying trio in this year’s spooky WKD Halloween cocktail line-up also includes ‘Boo Suede Juice’ (showcasing the WKD Vegas Limited Edition mixed with Amaretto, spiced rum & lemonade); while ‘WKD Zombie Zinger’ (WKD Red, coconut rum, raspberry liqueur & lemonade) and ‘WKD Pumpkin Grin’ (Iron Brew, spiced rum & fiery

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ginger beer) have both been given an ingredients makeover for 2015.

As well as the cocktail-related activity, WKD provided outlets with a range of fun POS items created in a suitably WKD-style. Banners, posters, mobiles and table-talkers will all help Halloween celebrations go well. Sales teams will be distributing the WKD Halloween Cauldron kits to WKD stockists from the end of September.

“Halloween is now the third most celebrated occasion in the UK after Christmas and Easter,¹ and this year Halloween falls on a Saturday so celebrations and sales in pubs are likely to be even greater in 2015,” said Debs Carter, marketing director – Alcohol at SHS Drinks.

“Young adults thrive on social occasions and shared experiences and Halloween is a key calendar event which provides them with a great opportunity to celebrate with friends.

WKD’s Halloween Cocktail Cauldrons and recipes provide the theatre and excitement which will help licensees to create a fun and vibrant atmosphere and maximise the Halloween sales opportunity.” ¹ him! 2014

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Pictured enjoying a pint of Mourne Gold, one of the brewery’s core beers, are Master Brewer Tom Ray with Connaire McGreevy, founder of Mourne Mountains Brewery.

Kingsland Drinks integrates Bottle Green into operations

F

ollowing news of Kingsland Drinks Managing Director Andy Sagar Kingsland Drinks’ acquisition of Bottle Green from DCC Food & Beverage UK in April 2015, Kingsland Drinks has released further information regarding its plans for the future.

An in-depth strategic review has resulted in a decision to integrate the two businesses and to trade as Kingsland Drinks. The company will operate out of Irlam, near Manchester, from which Kingsland Drinks has traded in wines and spirits since 1955.

Leeds-based Bottle Green has successfully serviced the UK wine category for over 20 years, introducing innovative products and partnerships from world-wide top class producers to the UK market.

“The integration of Bottle Green represents a key stage in Kingsland Drinks journey to be the leading premier independent supplier of wines and spirits to the UK, specialising in providing a total category solution,” said Andy Sagar, managing director of Kingsland Drinks. “This integration of Bottle Green brings together Kingsland’s existing expertise in manufacturing, supply chain, bulk sourcing and marketing with Bottle Green’s sales, producer relations and wine making know-how.”

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 17

winewizard

Wine Wizard!

Ciaran Meyler

Autumnal drinks

by Ciaran Meyler

A

utumn can be a funny time of the year, the sweltering days of summer lead into unsettled chilly days and short dark evenings. However, this year, it’s been a wee bit strange. We haven’t experienced the sweltering summer days and so far autumn has been very mild. I’ve barbecued more in September than in July. As sure as there’s a good bottle of wine in Italy, this will all change and by the time you read this article you’ll be seeking out warm drinks to help the body beat the chill. When you start to heat a drink or add something to warm it, wine isn’t always the best choice. The alcohol levels are quite low and the flavour can be lost. Hot drinks are normally better made with port or spirits.

Here are some of my favourites: The good old hot port: never use a top quality port for this; just a basic ruby will do.

Croft Triple Crown is perfect. It’s dark, bursting with spicy blackberry fruits with a wonderful warming effect. Use one measure (35ml) of port to 70ml boiling water. You can also boil the port if you wish, it keeps hotter for longer if you do, and add one teaspoon of sugar and a lemon studded with cloves.

Hot whiskey: a very popular hot toddy, simple to make and perfect after a cold run of golf, after watching a match or just shopping in town. Use one measure (35ml) of whiskey to 70ml of boiling water (always heat the glass first) one sugar, lemon and cloves. For a new twist, try making it with Bushmillis Honey; it adds a lovely sweetness and you do not necessarily need the sugar.

Liqueur coffees: Kimbo Coffee is a superb base for autumnal drinks and every spirit behind the bar can be made into a liqueur coffee. Kimbo Café Crème is a seductive smooth blend which makes the perfect foundation of a gorgeous coffee liqueur. We all know the classics, Irish (Irish whiskey), Gaelic (Scotch whisky) Calypso (Kahlua or Tia Maria) and Café Royale (Cognac). Why not try something different? English Coffee (Whitley Neill Gin), Prince Charles Coffee (Drambuie) Seville Coffee (Cointreau) or a Monk’s Coffee (Benedictine).

Whatever spirit or liqueur you choose, be sure to use good quality Kimbo coffee, try a little theatre by flaming a teaspoon full of spirit in the glass to heat it up, then add the coffee to extinguish the flame, one or two sugars and always use freshly whipped cream to pour over the top, sprinkle with some coffee or brown sugar to garnish, serve and consume immediately.

Quote of the month: “Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.”

Alex Levin 18 • HRNI OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

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COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

BLACKBERRY & SAGE COLLINS 50ml Boodles 25ml lemon juice 15ml gomme 2 blackberries 2 sage leaves

CoCktail montH of the

with boodles british gin

In the latest of a regular series, we ask local bartenders to showcase a signature serve featuring the superb premium spirits brands presented by Proximo. Craig Walsh, Horatio Todd’s, shares a serving option for Boodles British Gin. boodles british gin the featured spirit in this month’s signature serve is boodles british Gin.

blackberry & sage collins 50ml Boodles 25ml lemon juice 15ml gomme 2 blackberries 2 sage leaves Muddle blackberries with sage Shaken over ice Double strain into highball over cubed ice Top off with soda water

“Boodles British gin is made without the use of any citrus botanicals, giving it a unique flavour which works really well in this twist on the classic Tom Collins,” says Craig Walsh. “The addition of the fresh blackberries and sage give this cocktail refreshing, sweet and savoury notes.”

about the bartender Craig Walsh has been bartending since the age of 18 (and working in hospitality since he was 16). before joining Horatio todd’s, he worked for many other well-known belfast venues including lilly’s, tedford’s, love & death inc and the apartment, where he developed a passion for cocktails and the hospitality industry as a whole. From belfast himself, Craig has been working for Horatio todd’s on and off since it opened.

Craig Walsh, Horatio Todd’s

Available from all good wholesalers.

T: 0845 463 4570 Please drink resPonsibly. ©2015 Proximo sPirits Uk.

bacardicreateyourlegacy

The Merchant’s Andrew Dickey creates a Bacardi Legacy The family secret INGREDIENTS: • 50ml Bacardi Carta blanca • 5ml velvet falernum • 10ml garlic infused Benedictine* • 4 dashes of orange bitters • 1 full lemon twist *Place 200ml of Benedictine into a blazer mug or small saucepan, add half a clove of garlic, ignite with a flame and leave until flame has extinguished.

STEPS: • Add all ingredients to a mixing glass, and stir • Strain into a Nick and Nora glass, or 5oz coupette • Garnish with lemon twist

A

LIVE PASSIONATELY, DRINK RESPONSIBLY

www.drinkaware.co.uk BACARDI, BACARDI UNTAMEABLE AND THE BAT DEVICE ARE TRADEMARKS OF BACARDI & COMPANY LIMITED

20 • HRNI OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

ndrew Dickey from The Merchant Cocktail Bar wowed the judges with The family secret at the Belfast heat of the Bacardi Create your Legacy cocktail competition held recently in Aether & Echo, progressing to the next stage in London on November 10.

His winning cocktail combined innovative ingredients and flair with a fascinating back story, paying homage to both the history of the Bacardi brand as well as his own family recipes.

“The concept behind the drink is that of a Cuban cuisine known as mojo, or mojito (not to be confused with the classic Cuban cocktail),” said Andrew. “It is a marinade that is used on pork or sometimes as a dipping sauce.

“Like the founder of Bacardi, Don Facundo Bacardi Masso, who travelled from the Catalans to Cuba to seek work, this sauce originates from the Canary Islands and made its way to the Caribbean islands, Puerto Rica (where the rum is now manufactured due to the family being extradited from Cuba) and of course Cuba.”

Taking inspiration from the sauce’s key ingredients of sour orange, olive oil and garlic, Andrew kept the garlic while substituting velvet falernum and Benedictine for the oil and citrus flavours.

“We can all eat in top end restaurants,” said

Andrew. “However, sometimes nothing can beat home cooking. So if I were to have a last supper - so to speak - my mother would make the roast beef and pavlova, my grandmother would make the roast potatoes, my auntie would make a chicken curry etc... Why? Because they are the best I’ve tasted, and it’s down to a family secret, whether that’s an ingredient or a method.”

At the London heat, Andrew will be competing against one finalist each from Scotland, Bristol and Manchester and four from London; an audition with a seven-minute presentation in front of 100-125 industry professionals and four judges.

Prior to the event, a judging panel will assess Andrew’s marketing plan (encompassing areas such as social media, trade events and guest bartending shifts) for creating Bacardi’s next success following on from classic cocktails such as the daiquiri, Cuba libre and mojito.

The top three finalists selected will then embark on a, potentially global, promotion campaign for their ‘legacy’. “But we have to use the money and stock given to us wisely as the overall UK winner will be judged on how much attention we have gained through our campaign,” said Andrew.

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bacardicreateyourlegacy

Judging the Belfast heat of Bacardi Legacy were, from left, last year’s winner Micheal Brown; Simon Webster from Bar Life; Metinee (May) Kongsrivilai, UK ambassador for BACARDÍ Rums; and Michael Stewart from The Hudson as guest local judge.

Above and below: Other entries and contestants underway in the Belfast heat of Create Your Legacy.

LIVE PASSIONATELY, DRINK RESPONSIBLY

www.drinkaware.co.uk BACARDI, BACARDI UNTAMEABLE AND THE BAT DEVICE ARE TRADEMARKS OF BACARDI & COMPANY LIMITED

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 21

q&a

A Day in the

Life…

Brian Crawford, managing director at McGowans Print, Belfast

The vibrancy; there is a real energy about the local hospitality and tourism sector at the moment in Northern Ireland and it’s great to be part of it.”

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND IN HOSPITALITY/TOURISM? Many years ago, I was the commercial director for Compass Catering, but my main involvement now is as a supplier of print to the Province’s catering, licensed and tourism sector.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? I started with McGowans Print in 2011 when our Belfast factory launched. My job entails managing and developing our brand in Northern Ireland ensuring that our team continues to provide market leading service, quality and value.

WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB?

22 • HRNI OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

The best part is the variety both in terms of the people we work with and the service we provide to them. From family-owned businesses through to the international brands and from the humble business card through to banners and point of sale - no two interactions are the same. The worst part is that there never seems to be enough hours in the day.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? I enjoy cooking and love nothing more than having family and friends over for a bit of craic.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW I’m an avid West Ham supporter and try to get to a few games every season.

WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST CHALLENGING ABOUT THE SECTOR? The biggest challenge is keeping up with demand, as this sector is showing significant growth for us; hence a planned £500,000 investment in early 2016.

OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY Busy!

PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE There have been many highs in my career but none of them would have been possible without me qualifying as an accountant approximately 25 years ago

BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN THE LOCAL SECTOR The vibrancy; there is a real energy about the local hospitality and tourism sector at the moment in Northern Ireland and it’s great to be a part of it.

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bacardibrown-formanbarprofile

2taps, Belfast Vodka cocktails and sangria are popular choices at 2taps, General Manager Jarron Watson tells HRNI.

WHAT IS ON OFFER AT 2TAPS? Food to share, bringing people together.

Building a meal from our selection of fresh tapas means the customer can decide how much or little to spend. We love to host parties! We offer set prices (£18.00/head or £20.00/ head including sangria) and provide a range of dishes from the menu. We are in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter, with one of Belfast’s largest outdoor heated terraces serving food and drink; a great place to start your night or end your day in the city. We boast a long wine list, offer craft beers and of course have a great selection of spirits to keep the cocktail drinkers happy.

We don’t forget about kids; they eat free on Sundays from our kids’ menu.

MY ROLE I have worked my way up from kitchen porter, getting stuck in to cleaning the hundreds of small plates, to executive director and general manager of the business. I do a lot of paperwork behind the scenes, I am front of house and I serve tables during the day. In my role, having an English and Spanish speaking team, I help the Spanish staff with their English and in return I am learning Spanish.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT FOCUS? Having just taken over as manager of a relatively new team, we are focusing on providing excellent service; consistency is key.

We have developed new ideas for our cocktail list, with an ever expanding range of ingredients and spirits at our disposal.

The kitchen and I have been developing a new Christmas menu. I wanted something fresh this year so we will be offering Christmas-style tapas, so our customers can build their own Christmas dinner from our small plates!

BEST SELLERS AND PERSONAL FAVOURITES Two of our most popular cocktails are our Espresso Martini with Finlandia vodka, Kahlua, espresso and sugar syrup and our Grey Goose L’Orange Cosmopolitan.

My personal favourite, and a best seller, would be our sangria, freshly made using a house recipe with Bacardi Superior Rum. We have a massive selection of Spanish, Italian and French red wines.

WHAT INSPIRED ME? We are a family-owned business, so working

hard for my family has been a big drive for me.

I am a young manager and this is a challenge which I thrive on. Every day is a school day and I am constantly learning.

HOW IMPORTANT IS TRAINING? As I mentioned before, consistency is key to a successful restaurant. Our team has been involved in cocktail training, barista training, wine tasting in the last few months to keep everyone’s skills up to date with the current market and products on offer. Training is imperative in order for the team to have a professional understanding of what we offer and to help us create our art on the bar.

FUTURE PLANS We plan to nurture and grow the business, working to continue to inject atmosphere and a sense of community into the Cathedral Quarter with live music and charity events.

We have had a successful 10 years, here’s to another 10!

DESCRIBE 2TAPS IN THREE WORDS Cosmopolitan, sociable, variety.

© 2015 bacardi brown-forman brands. bacardi, the bat device, oakheart, grey goose, the geese device, bombay sapphire, 42 below, cazadores, noilly prat, martini, the "ball and bar" logo, dewar's, 'white label', oxley, leblon, eristoff, st-Germain, patrón and their trade dress are trademarks. jack daniel's, jack daniel's tennessee honey and old no.7, southern comfort, chambord, woodford reserve, finlandia and southern comfort are trademarks. all rights reserved.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 23

hotelnews

Galgorm Resort & Spa unveils £11m expansion

Galgorm Resort & Spa Managing Director Paul Smyth is pictured with model Meagan Green on the deck of the new 1,300-square-foot Signature Suite overlooking the Thermal Spa Village.

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algorm Resort & Spa has officially launched a £11m expansion, creating almost 80 new jobs and adding a unique Thermal Spa Village and 48 deluxe guestrooms and suites to the venue.

Terence Brannigan, chairman of Tourism NI, opened the latest phase of the investment, which

has totalled £35m over the last 10 years.

“This project was undertaken to create a world-class addition to the already outstanding guest facilities here,” said Paul Smyth, managing director of Galgorm Resort & Spa. “This latest chapter in the Galgorm story is a testament to the drive and vision of the team

not just at Galgorm Resort & Spa, but also to Martin and Hamilton and the 100-strong construction team, and our architects Douglas Wallace who all worked together bring the development to life.

“We are grateful to the support of Invest NI who worked with us in making our vision a reality, the continued support of First Trust Bank and also to Tourism NI for their ongoing work in showcasing the excellence of our tourism offering across Ireland, Great Britain and beyond.”

The new facility includes 75,000 square feet of luxurious Thermal Spa experiences, the first of its kind in the UK & Ireland, use of which is complimentary to all guests staying within the hotel. It includes riverside hot tubs, indoor and outdoor heated pools, steam rooms and saunas.

Tullymore House Group, which owns and operates Galgorm Resort & Spa, is also developing the Bedford Hotel in a £12.5m project at the iconic Scottish Mutual Building in Belfast, and last year the Group opened Fratelli Restaurant in Great Victoria Street.

The Merchant wins AA red star award T

The Merchant Hotel General Manager Gavin Carroll

he Merchant Hotel’s AA rating was upgraded from five black stars to five red stars at the AA Hospitality Awards on October 5, making it the first and only hotel in Northern Ireland to receive the esteemed accolade.

The Merchant now joins an elite group of only 50 hotels in the whole of the UK that have

achieved the exclusive AA Five Red Star status.

“We pride ourselves on our excellent service and facilities and it is a privilege to have this recognised at such a prestigious national award ceremony,” said Gavin Carroll, general manager of The Merchant Hotel, who received the accolade at the Awards ceremony in London. “I’m extremely proud of all of our staff that have shown such passion and dedication to meet the first-class standards needed in every area of the hotel to achieve the highly coveted award.”

28 • HRNI OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

Leontine Haines

Dufferin Inn celebrates 10 years of success K

illyleagh’s Dufferin Coaching Inn & Hall is celebrating a decade of business success, with a significant investment of over £10,000 in the newly refurbished Dufferin Hall, a rebrand and recognition as one of the best places to stay in Ireland in the 2015 McKenna’s Guide.

The Inn has grown from strength to strength over the last 10 years under the ownership of former nurse turned hotelier Leontine Haines, who has welcomed over 5,000 guests from across the globe. During this time, the Dufferin has received numerous prestigious accolades including three-star guest house status with Tourism Northern Ireland, the 2015 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor and, most recently, a place in the 2015 McKenna’s Guide to the 100 Best Places to Stay in Ireland, one of only five venues in Northern Ireland to make the list.

“Our accommodation has become a firm favourite with guests ranging from filmmakers to businesspeople and tourists who pass through Killyleagh and its surrounding areas, and I am delighted that this has been recognised through our listing in McKenna’s Guide,” said Haines. “Our recent investment in Dufferin Hall has enabled us to update our facilities to be more in line with today’s visitor’s tastes and requirements while at the same time keeping the look and feel of our quaint accommodation.” twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

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hotelnews

Ulster*creates ‘carpet magic’ on both sides of the border U

lster* has once again showcased its design capabilities through the completion of two prestigious projects on both sides of the border, the Galgorm Resort & Spa and the Cavan Crystal Hotel. Local customer service and exceptional quality are just a few of the ways Ulster is proving it pays to support local manufacturing.

The elegant Renaissance Suite at the Galgorm Resort & Spa is the wedding venue of choice for brides seeking contemporary grandeur and luxury. Ulster Carpets worked to a brief set by RPP, to deliver a bespoke woven axminster which would bring its architectural visions to life. Delicate flowers grace the floors in a beautifully feminine way, deeply textured as though they were dried between the pages of an old romantic novel. Soft purples and greens dominate the colour palette and give the design a whimsical yet timeless feel.

Ulster Carpets also had the pleasure of carpeting the Galgorm’s iconic conservatory during its refurbishment. The vibrant rug design sweeps delightfully around the opulent atrium, taking its inspiration from the breathtaking country and river views the conservatory affords.

Exquisite foliage is scattered gracefully on the carpets Ulster created for the function room at the Cavan Crystal Hotel. Working alongside Red Skye Design, the hotel was able to pluck this design from the Ulster archives, and adapt it to their specific colours and requirements. The subtle mottled background adds practicality to the floor covering, whilst also creating an almost high definition 3D effect where the leaves appear to fall from their branches.

The simplistic yet chic rug design is the focal point of this refined space.

Both projects benefitted from Ulster’s 75 years of experience as well as access to local sales and design support.

The entire manufacturing process from design through to weaving occurs at the company’s Co Armagh headquarters, allowing for stringent controls at every stage, resulting in a superior product quality. This location allows customers in the north and south of Ireland to be closely involved with the project at all stages and enjoy watching Ulster’s talented designers translate their brief into a carpet masterpiece.

Renaissance Suite (prefunction & function room) – RPP, Parrott Photography

Cavan Crystal Hotel, function area, Red Skye Design, Parrott Photography

Galgorm Resort & Spa – conservatory – RPP, Parrott Photography

* Ulster is the trademarked name for Ulster Carpets.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 29

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hospitalityexchangereview

Growth potential for Northern Ireland discussed at Hospitality Exchange breakfast T

he growth potential for the Northern Ireland hospitality sector was the topic served up at the Hospitality Exchange Business Breakfast sponsored by First Trust Bank.

Representatives from across the industry in Northern Ireland heard from Richard Ennis, director of Business and Corporate Banking, First Trust Bank on the current business climate and support for the sector, local industry trends and determining factors for future success.

Gareth Hetherington from the Ulster University’s Economic Policy Centre also highlighted the significant growth potential for the sector.

“Events like Hospitality Exchange provide an excellent platform to ensure Northern Ireland’s tourism and hospitality industry reaches its full potential,” said Richard Ennis, director of Business and Corporate Banking at First Trust Bank.

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hospitalityexchangereview

Enjoy the advantages of fresh laundry without the headache of ownership with Linencare

Independent linen rental service Linencare offers quality linens, and exemplary servicing to its hospitality clients

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inencare, a Dundalk-based independent linen rental company, was among exhibitors at this year’s Hospitality Exchange in the Europa Hotel.

Linencare’s dedicated Linen Rental Service offers hospitality businesses all the advantages of owning their own laundry without the associated headaches. All the stocks are purchased new for clients, and Linencare guarantees its customers receive the best market prices available.

Customers obtain their deliveries in a timely fashion from drivers who are friendly, helpful and understanding of their needs. Linencare provides its clients with the telephone numbers of drivers servicing their route and, from their main office, can give the approximate delivery time and current position of any of their vehicles using the latest GPS technology.

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Linencare drivers are encouraged to interact with the staff in the hotel and restaurants which they service, and to report busy periods and customer preferences directly to management.

The company’s trading days reflect the 24/7 nature of the service industry. Unlike other suppliers, Linencare opens on Sundays and Bank Holidays to ensure that its patrons have a service when they need it most.

Unusually for the hospitality sector, most of Linencare’s staff are long-term employees and, in some cases, second generation. Linencare Managing Director Jim Creaney has just completed 33 years in the textile services market and he feels that “to succeed in the service industry, it is essential to provide a great service to your customers and, at Linencare, that’s what we do best.”

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Linencare uses the services of the best in the business, and ensure its wash requirements and machinery give customers the confidence that their linen is produced with the knowledge and systems of market leaders. Every item is produced with care and sympathy for the environment, and will always be 'first in market' with technology, as Linencare is owner-managed and therefore able to react instantly to new solutions in processing; unlike their competitors who are mostly multinational.

With a client list which already boasts recognised names such as The Merchant Hotel, Mooney Group and McKeever Group, Linencare has the capacity, capability and skills to significantly expand its services in the Northern Ireland market.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 37

hendersonfoodserviceconference

Henderson Foodservice hosts Supplier of the Year Awards

Henderson Foodservice Managing Director Damien Barrett (right) and Commercial Director Peter McMeekin (third right), present the Supplier of the Year Awards to (from left) Libby Bogle and Katherine Rea, New Found Joy; Paul McKee and Brian Surgeoner, Crosskeys Meats; and Nigel Cairns, Dale Farm.

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eat, dairy and bakery were the winning products of Henderson Foodservice’s Local Supplier of the Year Awards presented during its annual business conference in Malone House, Belfast.

Lurgan-based New Found Joy, an artisan bakery which has become renowned for its gluten free bakery products, was named Emerging Supplier of the Year. The Local Supplier title went to Crosskeys Meats, founded by Paul McKee and headquartered in Randalstown. UK dairy processing business Dale Farm won National Supplier of the Year.

Henderson Foodservice holds its supplier awards every year at its annual conference to mark the excellent produce, practices and ranges of the companies it works with.

Damien Barrett, Henderson Foodservice managing director, said the company was fortunate to have such a high quality pool of local suppliers to choose from.

“We work with 480 suppliers in the business from large multinationals to smaller local companies just starting out. Our relationship with those suppliers has been one of the key factors in our successful growth over the last 10 years and, to acknowledge this, we have created three awards to recognise emerging, national and local suppliers.

“Emerging Supplier of the Year winner New Found Joy has taken a popular range of bakery 38 • HRNI OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

treats and made them accessible to customers who require gluten free or coeliac products.

This is a growing niche market and New Found Joy are enabling us to provide our customers with much greater choice whilst answering new challenges.

“We have been working with Dale Farm for many years. No matter what challenge we set them, they come back with objectives achieved

and more. Together we have significantly developed the Country range brand and continued to support local sourcing. Their tangible contributions to these goals make them worthy winners of our National Supplier Award.

“Over the past few years, we have worked on developing a partner supply relationship with Crosskeys Meats to develop our sales of primal beef cuts and pre-portioned steaks to our customers. As we have grown our presence and sales in this area, Crosskeys Meats have worked hard to ensure quality, supply and service are paramount and have delivered daily into our business, enabling us to meet the needs of our customers. They are a worthy Local Supplier of the Year Award winner and we look forward to growing our business together over the years to come.”

Henderson Foodservice supplies and delivers to customers across Ireland, including hotels, schools, restaurants, fast food outlets, hospitals and nursing homes.

Last year Henderson Foodservice saw sales volume growth of around 12%, largely attributable to the success of the fresh side of its business, which saw an increase in meat and poultry sales of over 25%.

Henderson Foodservice’s annual conference was attended by staff and key suppliers, including household names such as Coca-Cola and Unilever as well as local companies such as New Found Joy and Crosskeys Meats.

Adventure athlete Mark Pollock was key speaker for the event, which had a theme of Reaching New Heights.

Henderson Foodservice Managing Director Damien Barrett (left) presents the National Supplier of the Year Award to Nigel Cairns, Dale Farm.

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Fitter future for all, thanks to launch of MenuCal T he Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland has just launched a free business tool, MenuCal, designed to help caterers manage allergen information and calculate calories for the food they serve. By displaying this information, the tool will serve to improve consumers’ diets by helping them make healthier choices whilst increasing the profitability of food businesses in Northern Ireland.

MenuCal has been designed to help food businesses provide information to their customers about the 14 main allergen ingredients. Businesses are required by law to declare if any of these allergens are in the food they serve. The 14 allergens range from widely known ingredients such as peanuts and milk, to less widely recognised allergens including mustard and lupin seeds, which are often used in flour. This tool will mean businesses can be assured that the information they have to provide to customers is correct, and means consumers can feel more confident to ask about allergenic ingredients when eating out.

In addition, MenuCal can calculate the energy values (kilojoules and kilocalories) of the food that businesses serve. Using this tool, businesses have the potential to increase their profitability by making smarter choices about the food they serve, tailoring their portion sizes to reduce the food’s energy value or changing the ingredients to give a healthier option.

Julie McKinstry-Harvey, senior dietary health advisor at the Food Standards Agency, commented on the launch: “We have developed MenuCal to support Northern Ireland food businesses to be compliant with current legislation on allergens, and also help them influence consumers on making smarter, healthier choices when it comes to eating out or buying food to take away.

“An evaluation of our successful pilot scheme, Caloriewise, in 2012, told us that

Pictured are Julie McKinstry-Harvey, senior dietary health advisor at the FSA, and Frances Douglas, technical executive for Public Health Nutrition at the Food Safety Authority of Ireland at the launch of MenuCal.

food businesses needed technical support to be able to analyse recipes quickly and accurately. Using these insights, we developed MenuCal. It’s a complete package, giving both businesses and consumers confidence in the accuracy of allergen information and the calorie content of food.

“MenuCal is free for food businesses to use. It is a simple, user-friendly online tool which aims to help businesses provide accurate information about the food that they are serving. All you have to do is create your own private profile on the MenuCal tool, to add your recipes and store cupboard ingredients. This can be done using a computer, tablet or even a smartphone, so it is easy to update recipes or change ingredients.”

In addition to launching MenuCal, a ‘Better Choice, Better Business’ conference was jointly hosted by the FSA and the Department of Health, Social Services and

Public Safety (DHSSPS) to update the food industry on the revised outcomes in ‘A Fitter Future for All’, the Government’s strategy for preventing and addressing the issue of obesity in Northern Ireland. The event was the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, with over 150 representatives from the Northern Ireland food industry, environmental health community and public health professionals attending the Stormont Hotel event.

The FSA will roll out a programme of engagement over the coming months with environmental health officers, to provide training and encourage local, small- to medium-sized businesses to use MenuCal.

For more information on MenuCal and to sign up for free, visit www.menucalni.co.uk

tourismnews

Positive indicators for tourism in year to date R

ecently released accommodation statistics indicate that Northern Ireland’s tourism performance has been strong in the first eight months of the year.

Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) figures for serviced accommodation show the number of hotel rooms sold during January to August 2015 increased by 5% to 1,314,794, the highest figure for the period since records began.

Hotel bed-spaces sold were up by 14% to 2,251,867, also the highest recorded, with an additional 272,200 bed-spaces sold in Northern Ireland compared to January to August 2014.

Average hotel room occupancy also increased by 4% to 70%, while bed-space occupancy increased by 7% to 53%.

The guesthouse, guest accommodation and B&B sector recorded a marginal decrease, down

1% in both room and bed-space occupancy in the first eight months of the year.

Elsewhere, figures from a three-year review of Titanic Belfast show that approximately one in 30 people visiting the island of Ireland visit Northern Ireland’s leading attraction.

The Deloitte review for the Titanic Foundation also indicated that, in its first three years, Titanic Belfast generated £103m in additional tourism spend for the Northern Ireland economy and sustained around 876 jobs each year in the wider economy.

“The accommodation figures are certainly very positive, and indicate that January to August 2015 was the best ever for our hotels, so this is very good news despite a slight dip in the guesthouse sector,” said John McGrillen, chief executive of Tourism NI. “It highlights the need for Tourism NI to continually work with guesthouse

Tourism NI Chief Executive John McGrillen

and B&B providers to assist them to understand and respond to the needs of an increasingly discerning and digitally engaged customer base.”

Countdown underway for Waterfront extension

Brian Ambrose, chief executive of Belfast City Airport, is pictured with Katy Best, commercial and marketing director at the airport, and Lucy Spratt (centre).

Belfast City Airport continues to attract new and expanded routes

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elgian airline Brussels Airlines has announced it is to operate a service from George Best Belfast City Airport to Brussels Airport from March 27.

The route will operate five times a week year round providing passengers with point to point access to Belgium or onwards to other European or long haul destinations via the Brussels hub.

City Airport also recently announced Aer Lingus would be operating a five times weekly service to Alicante for summer 2016, while Belfast International Airport (BIA) has welcomed a decision

by United to return to full year-round service connecting Belfast with Newark Liberty in the US. “The decision by United to return to full year-round service is of great significance to the Northern Ireland economy,” said Graham Keddie, managing director of BIA. “Our one and only direct, scheduled trans-Atlantic service to Newark Liberty is a ‘lifeline’ for US-owned firms and adds massively to efforts by Invest NI to attract additional and highly prized US investment. United are to be applauded, and we will do all we can to promote and market the service.”

40 • HRNI OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

Artist’s impression of how the £29.5m extension to the Belfast Waterfront will look upon completion.

T

he new look Belfast Waterfront is well underway, with the final fixtures put in place on its £29.5m extension in October.

A ‘topping out’ ceremony was held inside the remodelled venue, with representatives from Belfast City Council and Tourism Northern Ireland – both funding the expansion alongside the European Regional Development Fund – on hand to put the finishing touches to the outer shell. Building contractors McLaughlin and Harvey and architects Todd were also in attendance.

“I’m blown away by what we’ve been shown and firmly believe that business delegates travelling to Belfast will feel the same, once they step inside this outstanding space,” said the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Arder Carson. “Like the original Waterfront, there’s a real buzz that something special is being created with our investment – not just for the venue, but for the wider city too. With just 200 days to go now until the doors open for business, I’m genuinely excited to return and see the finished product in May next year.”

Construction is currently on schedule and will now turn towards the interior spaces, ahead of fit out and upgrade works in the existing building.

Two interconnecting halls, three additional meeting rooms and a new reception area will integrate with the existing Auditorium and Studio spaces to create the city’s largest conference and exhibition facility, catering for up to 5,000 guests across 7,000 square metres of flexible space.

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tourismcommentary

Connected tourism - the importance

of wifi connectivity & smart facilities

By Dr Peter Bolan, director of Travel & Tourism management at Ulster University and tourism commentator for HRNI.

W

hen it comes to holiday and destination choice, the core influencing factors such as climate, visitor attractions, good beaches, activities etc are well known. The traditional picture has changed however.

Increasingly, it’s about connectivity. The tourist wants to stay connected through their smartphones and tablets. That has become the new modern essential for the holiday maker. A recent UK- based survey found that as many as one in three tourists place access to wifi as the most desired ‘comfort’ whilst on an international trip. In the same survey, a staggering 54% stated they would ask a restaurant if it provided wifi before deciding to eat there.

So clearly, the mobile device, predominantly what we now call the smartphone, has well and truly captured the public imagination.

Tourists are using their smartphone to check their itineraries, for researching local attractions, looking up local events, accessing maps, checking out hotel and restaurant reviews. Increasingly we are seeing the use of mobile apps to also provide interpretive information at visitor attractions and event venues – offering a more immersive experience for the user. Then of course we have social media. With the majority of social media users now accessing such platforms through their smartphone on a very regular basis, catering to such appetites and indeed obsession has become unavoidable for businesses in the tourism arena.

For all of this to be truly relevant and meaningful, it will require provision of high quality wifi; something we have known for some time now and yet it is seldom handled well or provided properly in a high quality way at our event venues, in and around our tourism attractions and in our hotel and accommodation establishments. Some players in these sectors have made progress but many have not, at least not in a way that tourists find efficient and indeed acceptable in this second decade of the 21st century. Time to wake up and reassess what is required. We’re not in the 1980s anymore. In fact it was October 21, 2015 that Marty and Doc travelled to in the Back to the Future movies – something recently celebrated with Back to the Future Day on that date.

Whilst not everything predicted in the movie has come to pass, we are nonetheless in a much more digitally focused and orientated www.hospitalityreviewni.com

world; a world which demands constant digital connections through devices such as the smartphone. In tourism this means ‘free’ wifi and most of all it means ‘high quality’ wifi. Not some pretence to offer a half-hearted attempt at wifi where the user can’t actually download anything, play video content or skype their friends. We’ve all encountered it at venues where either these things are impossible or they take so long we just give up. If that’s what is on offer, then, as the survey data mentioned at the beginning here proves, the tourists won’t come, they won’t choose certain restaurants or certain venues if they don’t provide the technological and digital infrastructure that they desire and demand.

This means we need ‘smart’ facilities, smart hotels, smart restaurants, smart visitor attractions etc. In fact we need to start moving much more seriously towards this on a larger scale with smart resorts and smart cities. It is particularly pertinent to the events sector, particularly in hugely lucrative areas such as golf tourism, and the technology we can use to achieve success is changing. We have seen it this year at the US PGA with live online streaming to new interactive features for mobiles that include shot-by-shot laser-generated data from the course. Two of the more unique tech-related features this year also include the use of drones and beacons. Beacon technology is installed

in the scoreboards carried by volunteers and data is then constantly updated and fed through from the beacons and the drones to the tournament app which spectators have on their smartphones. All digital food for thought with the Open Championship returning to Royal Portrush in 2019.

However, as things progress in this way, this will also mean we need a greater level of cyber security as well. A recent study by mobile threat defence company Skycure tracked attacks on mobile devices at popular travel destinations around the world. They found that 15 of the world’s most popular tourist sites posed especially high risks to tourist mobile users. The most common threats were theft of private information such as passwords and bank details as well as access to social media accounts. New York City’s Times Square was found to be the most vulnerable site, followed by the likes of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Disneyland Paris, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Ocean Park in Hong Kong and the Las Vegas Strip.

As far as tourism is concerned then, we need to get ‘smarter’ and offer ‘smarter’ facilities and venues. If we don’t, the tourists of tomorrow won’t choose us. Marty and Doc travelled Back to the Future, but we are already in that future, a digital future and we need to embrace that right now to help ensure tourism success.

Harp Lager, Belfast’s Gasworks Clock and the DeLorean car came together to pay homage to 1980s sci-fi classic Back to the Future on October 21, 2015.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 41

businessnews

Cyber-attacks on the increase in NI

By Louise McMahon, Hospitality & Leisure Centre of Excellence Leader at Willis Insurance and Risk Management

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he attack on the Mandarin Oriental chain highlighted the real threat that the hospitality sector faces in today’s technological climate.

Back in March, the chain confirmed that 10 of its hotels across Europe (including London) and the US had their credit card data stolen in a hack attack on the company’s network.

The data went astray from card processing systems after point-of-sale equipment was infected with malicious datagrabbing software in 45 of its hotels. It was only spotted by tracing a pattern of fraudulent payments back to systems used at Mandarin hotels.

A statement from the company said: ‘While the group has leading data security systems in place, this malware is undetectable by all anti-viral systems.’ It added that the malware had been removed as soon as it had been detected.

Business face risks from hackers, malware, negligent and rogue employees as well as poor IT controls. Whilst chains like the Mandarin can be deemed as a global entity with deep pockets and IT departments, there have been a number of cyber-attacks on local Northern Ireland companies this past year alone. The PSNI reported in June of a business sustaining losses due to ‘Ransomware’ that caused a company to ‘lose control of all their network, had no data in relation to their stock control, their invoicing, their full system had been lost.’ They went on to say that because of the impact on the company, it couldn’t trade and almost went out of business.

So how does Cyber Liability Insurance help?

Cyber Liability Insurance is specifically designed to address the risks that come with using modern technology; risks that other types of business liability cover simply won’t. One data leak or cyber breach can result in severe financial consequences from notification costs, investigation and control costs, third party liability, reputation damage as well as possible business interruption costs. The level of cover your business needs is based on your individual operations and can vary depending on your exposure.

Willis IRM understands these risks and can provide bespoke solutions to protect your business from unnecessary risk.

Contact Louise McMahon for all your hospitality and leisure risk management needs on 028 9032 9042 or louisem@willisinsurance.co.uk

42 • HRNI OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

People 1st seeking input from the hospitality sector P

eople 1st is conducting fresh research with chefs, hospitality businesses, suppliers and industry watchers to get a better understanding of the types of skills the industry will need in the next five to 10 years. If you care about the future of this fantastic industry, the training body wants to hear from you.

Chefs continue to be a critical recruitment challenge for many hospitality businesses. Currently, 42% of chef vacancies are considered hard-to-fill with research from People 1st indicating that, by 2022, the industry will need to recruit an additional 11,000 chefs.

Just as with the entire hospitality industry, the chef world has a recruitment and retention challenge. The growth in more informal, casual dining has seen the UK branded pub and restaurant market attracting an extra 47 million visits each year compared to five years ago.

This, allied to a refocus on locality, seasonality and authenticity, has arguably fragmented the chef job description and increased the number of people who work under the job title of ‘chef’ but carry out wildly varying tasks, using different skills.

This industry sea change begs a number of questions for kitchens of the future: namely, how will we come to properly define the role of a 21st century chef? What skills will people looking to join the brigade of the future require? And how best to recruit, develop and most importantly, retain, the best candidates?

People 1st is taking forward a large-scale body of research with chefs, chef organisations, hospitality businesses, industry commentators, recruitment agencies and suppliers to get a better understanding of the types of skills the industry will need in the next five to 10 years.

In undertaking the research, it will seek to formulate a breakdown, by skillset, of chefs working in the hospitality industry and where they are typically found, while getting a greater sense of the proportion of different types of chefs working in the industry.

Allied to this, People 1st will examine how businesses recruit for different chefs, how they train and develop existing staff and the extent to which they are finding it difficult to fill vacancies.

Finally, it will look to examine the impact of immigration restrictions on bringing chefs into the UK from outside of the EU. If you work in hospitality and care about the future of this fantastic industry, People 1st wants to hear from you. To have your say, email martin-christian.kent@people1st.co.uk.

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socialscene

A great gastronomic celebration to mark

250 years of Hennessy T

he world’s most famous cognac brand joined forces with Belfast’s iconic Merchant Hotel to host a very special event to celebrate 250 years of Hennessy on October 1.

The exclusive Hennessy 250 dinner, which took place in the sumptuous surroundings of The Merchant’s Great Room Restaurant, was created by drinks company, Dillon Bass - owners of the Hennessy brand in Northern Ireland in conjunction with the 5 star hotel’s leading chefs.

The special event is one of just a handful of exclusive Hennessy 250 dinners that are taking

place around the world to mark the global anniversary celebrations.

A decadent seven-course menu took diners on an enriching culinary journey through the last 250 years of Hennessy. The menu was inspired by and paired with Hennessy Cognacs, telling a rich tale of heritage and celebrating the legacy of the iconic cognac brand.

Guests in attendance at the dinner also had the relished opportunity to taste the Hennessy 250 Collector Blend. Thanks to Dillon Bass, the first bottle of the coveted limited edition Hennessy 250 Collector Blend arrived at The

Merchant earlier this year as part of the local celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of the brand. The decanter style bottle is one of a limited number of bottles that have been released in Northern Ireland.

“The exquisite menus created by the chefs at The Merchant’s Great Room embody the spirit and rich heritage of Hennessy and paired perfectly with our matched cognacs and in particular, the Hennessy 250 Collector Blend, which had a starring role in this celebratory event,” said Joanne O’Hagan, marketing manager, Dillon Bass.

Marc Boissonnett, Ambassadeur de la Maison Hennessy, Joanne O’Hagan, Dillon Bass, Vincent Borjon-Prive, Hennessy and Greg Hughes, Dillon Bass.

The Hennessy 250 dinner was held in The Merchant’s Great Room.

The coveted limited edition Hennessy 250 Collector Blend.

Bill and Petra Wolsey are pictured with Joris Minne.

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Guests at the Hennessy 250 dinner.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 43

socialscene

Andras Hotels open Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre

B

elfast’s biggest hotel Group, Andras Hotels, officially opened its Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre on October 1.

The hotel, located on Hope Street, just off Great Victoria Street, is the result of a £2.5m investment supported by HSBC, and has a focus on serving Belfast’s burgeoning corporate market and the fast growing leisure tourism.

The completely refurbished, 250-room Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre is owned and operated by Andras Hotels, which also owns Holiday Inn Express Belfast City – Queen’s Quarter.

The project has seen all 250 rooms

and public areas refitted and furnished in a contemporary, up-market style, fitting the Holiday Inn brand. A new restaurant concept, The Oakwood Grill, offers a New Englandstyle cuisine as well as providing 24-hour room service. The hotel also benefits from a new gym, and an updated meetings and conference room, with a 60 - person capacity and free WiFi throughout the entire property.

With Andras Hotel’s ongoing dedication to using local suppliers where possible, the curtains, furniture and beds have been made in Northern Ireland. Artwork is all original prints by local artist Lucy Turner, and local designers,

Andras Hotels has a track record of investing in the local hotel market over the past 20 years.”

landscape architects; consultants and contractors have been used throughout.

“We are delighted to be opening the doors of Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre,” said Rajesh Rana, director of Andras Hotels.

“The culmination of a £2.5m investment, with the support of HSBC and IHG and all of our local partners, has seen this property utterly transformed.”

Andras Hotels has a track record of investing in the local hotel market over the past 20 years.

The group now has further plans to expand the portfolio, with planning permission lodged for a new 179-bedroom hotel in Belfast city centre.

2.

1.

3.

4.

1. Lauren Hughes, corporate relationship manager, HSBC, is pictured with Lord Rana, owner Andras House Hotels alongside Rajesh Rana, director, Andras House Hotels and Philip Turner, director, IHG, Europe Operations UK& Ireland.

2. James and Gladys Greer, Greer Publications, are pictured with Gary MacDonald, Irish News.

3 & 4. Guests enjoy the launch event.

44 • HRNI OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER HRNI • 49

thelastword

The Last Word

NAME : ANDY MCNEILL • JOB TITLE : front of house manager • COMPANY : europa hotel HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS ROLE? Seventeen years in the Europa, and two years as front of house manager.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY? My day is never the same, but as long as I am out on the front desk smiling and making sure my team and I are giving great service, then it’s a successful day.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? Bar waiter at the Europa Hotel. I was 16 and was shy; I also had hair.

ENTERTAINMENT:

FAVOURITE TV SHOW: Game of Thrones FAVOURITE FILM: Shawshank Redemption ALBUM CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Bryan Adams, Bare Bones FAVOURITE BAND: The Eagles LAST BOOK READ: Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee FAVOURITE CELEBRITY: Jose Mourinho - he’s the biggest wind up out and manages the best team.

SOCIAL:

FAVOURITE FOOD: Any fish dish FAVOURITE RESTAURANT: Belfast has so many amazing restaurants so I couldn’t choose one, plus my mates in the industry would kill me if I picked one over their place.

LAST HOTEL YOU STAYED AT: Slieve Donard LAST BAR/NIGHTCLUB YOU VISITED: The Perch

Just because you can’t sing, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.”

?? • 50 • HRNI HRNI YEARBOOK OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

WHAT FOUR PEOPLE WOULD YOU INVITE TO A DINNER PARTY? I would have to invite my crazy mates, Brian, Steven and Linda as all we do is have a laugh, and I would invite Stevie Wonder for the sing song.

FAVOURITE PLACE IN WORLD: The Crusaders Social Club for a Sunday session INDOOR CONCERT OR FESTIVAL: Indoor concert LAST HOLIDAY: Rome, last July

DRINKS:

ONE ITEM YOU COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT? My phone

FAVOURITE HOT DRINK: I don’t do hot drinks FAVOURITE SOFT DRINK: Diluted orange – used to be addicted to cola, had to stop drinking it, would have drunk 12plus cans a day.

BEER OR CIDER: Bottle of Coors Light with a glass of ice WHITE OR RED WINE: Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc WHISKEY OR BRANDY: Whiskey GIN OR VODKA: Oh definitely vodka COCKTAILS OR BUBBLY: Cocktails

WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE OF YOUR LIFE? Harry Hill; he’s my twin WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL JOB? I think I am in my ideal job.

FAVOURITE QUOTE: “Just because you can’t sing, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.”

INSPIRATION IN YOUR LIFE? My parents, as they have made me the person I am. Also James McGinn and Alan Williamson for pushing me throughout my career and being great mentors.

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