Hospitality Review April 2015

review NI

APRIL 2015

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

STEAK & SHAKE: Situated within the revamped Devenish Complex in Finaghy, Harley’s is a new American-style diner with an Irish twist, catering to families, work parties and other group outings with quality steaks and shakes, burgers and ribs.

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

9

BOMBAY SPICE: Brand Ambassador for Bombay Sapphire, Sean Ware, recently visited Galgorm Resort & Spa to highlight the skill and craft behind the premium brand, and announce a new super-premium addition, Star of Bombay.

21

COCA-COLA CENTENARY: 100 years after CocaCola’s iconic contour bottle was introduced by the Root Glass Company in Terre Haute, Indiana, Coca-Cola Hellenic Ireland/Northern Ireland has announced a number of exciting developments in the on-trade.

26

A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY: As Royal County Down prepares for the Irish Open and the tourist board releases a five-year golf strategy, Tom Cotter reviews the potential for Golf Tourism in Northern Ireland.

35

THE LAST WORD: A fast-paced schedule and late nights are no problem for Steven Davidson, consultant at Wine Inns/McCabes, who looks to Duncan Bannatyne, Richard Branson and the Irascible Entourage character Ari Gold for inspiration.

42

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

APRIL HRNI • 3

editor’scomment

Chancellor’s Maybe next time Budget brings D

isappointment all round after the trade failed to get the desired fillip from a reduction in tourism VAT in the 2015 Budget, and will face another year of disadvantage to its nearest competitor, the Republic of Ireland.

Just as Northern Ireland is coming into another event-packed season – from the Circuit of Ireland Rally and North West 200 to the Irish Open at Royal Co Down and Tall Ships – it would have been a great opportunity for the local hospitality sector to welcome the additional trade expected alongside a more sustainable margin.

We may be entering a General Election but pressure should be maintained to ensure the campaign to cut tourism VAT isn’t overshadowed by other agendas and will be revisited when the Autumn Statement comes around if not before; whichever party is in power.

Editor:

Alyson Magee

disappointment over Tourism VAT

Industry Tweets of the Month

By Niamh Wallace

T

he local hospitality trade has welcomed cuts on alcohol duty in this year’s Budget, while expressing disappointment over the Chancellor’s failure to introduce reduced VAT for the tourism sector.

For a third year in a row, beer duty has been reduced with another ‘penny off a pint’, while a 2% cut was introduced for spirits and most ciders, and a freeze on wine duty.

“In practical terms this will not necessarily translate into a direct reduction in the price of a pint but it does offset some of the increases that come from suppliers at this time of year and helps keep that increase down,” said Colin Neill, chief executive of Pubs of Ulster.

“Where we would see a difference in people’s pockets, however, would be if the rate of VAT for businesses in the tourism sector was reduced. That would be a larger cut so would carry more significant savings than the ‘penny off the pint’ type cuts and whilst it would not be a cut on alcohol prices it would be a cut on food and board.”

Jorge Lopez, country director, Diageo Northern Ireland, said: “The alcohol industry generates billions for the economy and flies the flag for the UK abroad. The cut to alcohol duties will mean that a 400–year historic industry, like Scotch whisky, will remain a crucial and vibrant part of the economy for many more years to come.”

Pubs of Ulster is, meanwhile, calling on local MPs to ensure Northern Ireland’s voice continues to be heard at Westminster through its Cut VAT campaign, alongside a UK-wide Cut Tourism VAT Campaign.

Janice Gault, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, said tourism VAT had been cut to 9% in the Republic of Ireland in recent years, creating an 11% price differential with Northern Ireland.

The UK Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, meanwhile, published a report last month supporting reduced tourism VAT as making ‘days out, short breaks and holidays in Britain more affordable for UK families, as well as encouraging more visitors from overseas to explore all parts of the UK’.

Manager: Nicola Daly Editor: Alyson Magee Art Editor: Helen Wright Production Manager: Stuart Gray Contributors: John Ferris, Tom Cotter 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: nicoladaly@greerpublications.com. Tel: 028 9078 3234 / alysonmagee@greerpublications.com. Tel: 028 9078 3246 The Review is the official publication for: Pubs of 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: Mandy Patrick MBE Design & Production by: Greer Publications Design Printed by: W. & G. Baird Ltd. The opinions expressed in Hospitality Review are not necessarily those of Pubs of Ulster or the NIHF.

4 • HRNI APRIL

Hospitality Review is copyright © Greer Publications 2015

Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/HospitalityReviewNI Look at our Website: www.hospitalityreviewni.com

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

Tennent’s NI sponsor Northern Ireland Tourism Awards T ourism NI has announced Tennent’s NI as overall sponsor of this year’s Northern Ireland Tourism Awards, which will be held at the Sir William Whitla Hall, Queen’s University Belfast on Thursday, May 14.

Entries closed on March 23 for the 37th year of the awards, which will see a total of 11 award categories up for grabs.

“Over the past five years, events and festivals have helped to transform our tourism landscape, and Northern Ireland continues to successfully position itself as the home of great events,” said Kathryn Thomson, chief operating officer of Tourism NI. “The Northern Ireland public have really got behind events such as the Giro d’Italia and the Irish Open and so we want them to help us make the tough decision to choose an award winner given the calibre of entries”.

Brian Beattie, marketing director for Tennent’s NI, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting Tourism NI with these awards which play such an important role in encouraging and rewarding

excellence in the sector. We have a fantastic industry here and those who excel deserve their opportunity to shine at the fabulous gala awards ceremony. And I know that the promotional benefits of a win will last long after that glittering evening.

“I am particularly looking forward to presenting the awards for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism and Extra Mile Award for Customer Service. At Tennent’s NI, we strongly believe that striving for excellence in customer service and delivering quality products are the pillars of success for any business. As a leading Northern Ireland drinks company, working closely with the hospitality sector, we are well aware of the hard work and passion which must combine in order to consistently deliver first-class produce, service and events - and in Northern Ireland there is no shortage of passion or hard work.”

Tennent’s NI’s portfolio includes Tennent’s, Clonmel 1650, Heverlee, Magners, Oliver &

Kathryn Thomson of Tourism NI is pictured with Brian Beattie of new Northern Ireland Tourism Awards sponsor Tennent’s NI.

Greg’s wines and Tipperary Natural Mineral Water, among others.

For further information on the Awards or to purchase tickets, please visit www. nitourismawards.com or contact the awards office by e-mail at NITA@mci-group.com or telephone 028 90 446292.

BBC and NI Screen agree formal partnership

Norman McBride, general manager of Ballygally Castle Hotel is joined by William Van der Kells of Winterfell Tours as they sample the new Game of Thrones Afternoon Tea now on offer in the Hastings Group hotel from 2–5pm Monday to Saturday and 3-5pm on Sundays; illustrating one of the ways local hospitality businesses can benefit from Northern Ireland’s increasing popularity as a filming location.

B

BC and Northern Ireland Screen have signed a new partnership agreement, setting out priority areas of cooperation between the two parties to support the creative industries across Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is increasingly used as a

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

location for film and TV projects, benefiting the hospitality sector and wider economy while also potentially boosting tourism prospects; most notably through the success of the HBO series Game of Thrones.

British director Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions is using Portmuck as a filming location this month, and local politicians are hopeful of a resultant boost to local tourism prospects; particularly with the Gobbins cliff path set to open this year. Nearby Magheramorne Quarry is already used as the setting for Castle Black and The Wall in Game of Thrones.

“We have already witnessed gamechanging shifts in the Northern Ireland landscape, with the region currently enjoying its highest ever profile within the global screen industry,” said Trade Minister Arlene Foster, welcoming the announcement. “As recently as 10 years ago, the sector was made up almost exclusively of work associated with

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

BBC Northern Ireland and UTV, with almost no international profile.

“Today, most of the leading production companies are export focused and the sector is bolstered by considerable inward investment activity from the United States of America.

“Ten years ago, the industry was almost exclusively within the factual/entertainment television sector. There was no large scale production, television drama, gaming, mobile, e-learning or web content. Through continued support from my Department and funding through Invest NI, this landscape has been transformed. Northern Ireland has appeared on the national and international stages like a bolt out of the blue as an exciting new centre of creativity with endless possibilities.”

Foster said the initial agreement was envisaged as being the first stage in a series of initiatives, which will include further partnerships and infrastructure development.

APRIL HRNI • 5

Belfast’s largest dedicated exhibition venue planned for Titanic Quarter

An artist’s impression of the proposed Titanic Exhibition Centre.

T

itanic Quarter has revealed plans to develop a new Titanic Exhibition Centre (TEC) which, if it goes ahead, would be Belfast’s largest dedicated exhibition venue.

A planning proposal for a 6,000-squaremetre temporary building on Queen’s Road opposite Titanic Studios, was lodged last month. Subject to planning permission, the facility could potentially be available to stage major public exhibitions and trade shows by autumn 2015.

The longer-term plan is to develop a purpose-built, permanent TEC on a par with facilities such as Glasgow’s Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre and Dublin’s RDS and Conference Centre, which regularly host major international events.

“Over the last few years, Titanic Quarter has been approached by a number of exhibition organisers from within and without Northern Ireland to consider developing a dedicated Titanic Exhibition Centre,” said David Gavaghan, CEO of Titanic Quarter.

“With strong initial interest already secured, including provisional bookings, we believe this is an opportune time to develop a new space in central Belfast that will allow the city to market itself as a destination for local and international consumer, lifestyle and trade events. It will complement existing facilities at Titanic Belfast, the Odyssey and Waterfront Hall, and help drive new visitors to the city.”

Planning permission will be sought for a 120 metre-long facility with a 50-metre internal span made from the double skinned, tensioned fabric also used for big events such as the Derry/Londonderry City of Culture Event Space in 2013. It will include catering and WC facilities. Total usable exhibition space would amount to 5,000 square metres, accommodating exhibitions with 20,000 visitors and 300 exhibitors.

“Exhibitions are a major revenue generator for Belfast City and we are excited by the possibilities that this project will open up for our members,” said Clive Corry, spokesperson for Northern Ireland Event Organisers.

NW200 generates £2m for local economy

T

he North West 200 motorbike race showcases Northern Ireland on an international stage, and generates around £2m for the local economy, Trade Minister Arlene Foster said at the official race launch at Titanic Belfast last month. The event will be held over May 10-16 this year.

“Year after year the NW200 continues to bring massive positive exposure for Northern Ireland on an international stage and generates substantial visitor numbers and spend,” said Foster. “The facts speak for themselves. Results taken from a recent independent economic impact study show in 2012 the North West 200 attracted nearly 50,000 visitors, generating an economic return of £2m to the Northern Ireland economy.

“I am committed to the success of tourism and my Department through Tourism NI aims to develop, attract and support events, which are capable of generating visitor expenditure, visitor numbers and give Northern Ireland a starring role on the global stage.

“As the pinnacle of international road racing, the NW200 consistently attracts huge crowds to the North Coast. It has matured into an appealing sporting and family festival with significant international credentials, showcasing our breath-taking road racing facilities, sensational coastline and talented sports personalities.

“It is testament to the hard work and dedication of the event organisers that the NW200 is capable of attracting so many fans and visitors not only at home but from all around the world.

I commend them for their support and I am confident that they will deliver another superb week of premier road racing and family entertainment.” twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

advertorial

Larchfield Estate invests another £200,000

Testimonials: ‘By far the best venue in Northern Ireland.’

‘Great value for money.’

‘Everything went so seamlessly, with no stress for us.’

‘Would wholeheartedly recommend Larchfield Estate.’

‘Can’t describe how pleased we were with the whole experience.’

‘Could not recommend strongly enough!’

B

rimming with character, this stunning venue is owned and run by Gavin and Sarah Mackie, who took over the 600-acre country estate in 2007. They have turned this private estate into an astounding business success hosting over 100 events a year employing 18 people – meaning you have a dedicated events team to help you with your planning and organisation.

Continual investment into improving the venue (and adding accommodation), has made it the go-to place offering a truly memorable day for companies organising summer barbecues, gala awards or anniversary parties. The latest project is an Orangery building which links into the rustic barn; perfect for a drinks reception or breakout space.

Situated just off the M1, Larchfield Estate is 20 minutes from Belfast or 1hr 15 from Dublin and boasts incredible facilities – cobbled courtyards, a four-acre paddock (ideal for

family games area), walled gardens and a modernised rustic barn comprising of an adjoining bar area, dancefloor room and spacious orangery entrance. This multi awardwinning venue can cater for small away days (with stunning converted cottages and rooms on site) through to large corporate barbecues and product launches – seating in the main barn is limited to 364 for conference style.

Planning your corporate summer barbecue, gala awards or a party?

Catering and drinks can be matched to your requirements, from a formal sit down dinner through to relaxed buffet, barbecue or a light lunch.

From post-event surveys, 100% of respondents would recommend us and 96% of respondents felt that Larchfield offered fair to excellent value for money.

‘The staff were excellent, always approachable, very helpful and enthusiastic. They had inspirational ideas. I do not think I could find fault!’

‘We honestly couldn’t recommend you more.’

‘Prompt responses to emails, useful information and advice.’

‘Larchfield offers something different from the normal – a great setting, easily accessible but with an exclusive feel, with all the facilities needed a hassle-free and well-priced event.’

Danske Bank ‘It was one of the best Christmas parties we ever had at Ernst & Young LLP Belfast. Your help throughout the organising of the event was priceless. The venue was transformed into a Christmas wonderland and it was so different from the typical Christmas party.’

Ernst & Young ‘The location was great with access from the M1 and the venue was perfect.’

Bank of Ireland

For further information, visit www.larchfieldestate.co.uk/conferences-events-parties e: enquiries@larchfieldestate.co.uk or call 02892 638025 www.hospitalityreviewni.com

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

‘The team at Larchfield were friendly, efficient and professional – nothing was too much bother for them. The event was a huge success and delivered the WOW factor we were looking for.’

McNeill Communications

APRIL HRNI • 7

chefprofile

Chef profile John Ferris speaks to Michael Irvine, head chef at Flame in Belfast

W

e’re sitting in the eclectic dining room at Flame in Belfast’s city centre. The head chef, Michael Irvine, has been in the job for just five weeks at the restaurant that opened at the tail end of 2013.

“It has been extremely tough coming in,” said Michael. “Since coming in, we’ve completely changed the team in the kitchen and front of house, too. Debbie has just recently come in she used to be the manager in the Potted Hen, which has been a big, big help.”

Irvine came through the doors purely by chance. A friend knew the owners and they asked if he’d come in and have a look at the figures behind the restaurant’s GP (gross profit).

“The changes me and Debbie have made for the owners in the past five weeks are massive.

They’re not the kind of things that customers will see straight away but things like GP, which is now bang on target where we should be.

“Now that they can see what we’ve done in that time, the owners are a bit more relaxed and they have plans to possibly open another restaurant.

“The restaurant is very different – the building is a kind of mish-mash of everything and that’s the kind of quirkiness the owners want.”

Irvine got into cooking after a few shifts a

8 • HRNI APRIL

week as a kitchen porter. After being told by the chef he should try out cooking, he ended up on a government scheme.

“I joined the YTP scheme and did that for one year. The teacher then got me into Brunswick Street and I did my NVQ Level 1.

“I went from there to the Aldergrove Airport Hotel where I got to work with an English chef called Greg Ingham and we’re still very good friends. He’s one of the best chefs I’ve worked with and, between him and Alan Foster, those guys would be my biggest influence in catering – they changed how I go about things.”

Greg, says the chef, gave him the basic knowledge he needed, but more importantly, pushed him towards understanding not just how to operate in a kitchen, but also the business side of things.

“He nurtured that side of me. After meeting him, I decided I wanted to push on with qualifications; that’s why I did all the advanced management courses.

“Then I went to Tedford’s. Alan Foster is one of the best chefs Northern Ireland has ever produced. Tedford’s will always have a big place in my heart – it was only open a year when I first went in.

“I loved the six years I was there. I learned

how to cook all over again because Alan told me how he liked things done to what I would call fine dining standard.

“That experience will stand with me forever.

It takes you to work in a small restaurant to understand that family feeling – Alan’s in the kitchen and Sharon’s out front. They, along with Greg, would be my biggest influences in catering.”

After leaving Tedford’s, he went a short distance to the Hilton in Belfast.

“The great experience I had in the Hilton, I couldn’t fault. I know some people don’t like working in big business but if there was a course you wanted to go on, they sent you.

It’s totally different to what I was doing in Tedford’s. But the management stuff with the Hilton was invaluable.”

Having spent half of his nearly two decades in just two restaurants, he then, through another friend, went to work for a year in the Central Wine Bar in Ballycastle.

“They needed someone to tighten the numbers up – it was more a management job, it wasn’t so much about the food. I went there for a year and loved it. I would have given a hand in the kitchen when it was really busy but it was mainly about tightening numbers. It was a great experience. You’re out in a seasonal place – for six months you’ll not see anything as busy as the Central Wine Bar. “On a Saturday night, you could do 400 or 500 covers. During the Llama’s Fair, you would do 1,300 people a day over three days – it’s an experience that’ll probably haunt me for a long time! They’re crazy numbers to go through a restaurant.

“People don’t understand why we do this job but during something like that, yes it’s hard work, but the fun and banter is fantastic.

“This has to be in your blood – you have to want to do it.”

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

flogas

Harley’s at The Devenish

Marking the latest phase of a major investment in The Devenish Complex, newly opened Harley’s is an American-style diner with an Irish twist, catering to families, work parties and other group outings with quality steaks and shakes, burgers, ribs (and cocktails from The Devenish bar) on offer, says Operations Manager Kelvin Collins.

WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS? Anyone and everyone! Harleys is definitely family friendly and we’re great for big occasions like birthday parties, work group parties etc.

WHEN DID HARLEY’S OPEN? It opened to the public on March 30.

TELL US ABOUT THE SPACE YOU HAVE It’s a 126-seater restaurant, so quite large although it’s split up into four smaller spaces so it doesn’t feel huge. One of the sections is also available to hire as a separate party area for up to 30 people so it can cater for large groups for family occasions, work parties etc. Our desserts section is actually front of house in a big glass fronted chilled display cabinet so we anticipate selling loads of desserts!

WHAT FEEL ARE YOU AIMING FOR? It’s a modern take on an American diner.

WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU AND WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT? With a name like Harley’s, the inspiration can only be the US of A. Our tagline is Steaks and

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

Shakes - I think that describes it really well. It’s American in style and theme, but with an Irish twist - think great quality steaks, burgers, ribs etc. From the bar we’ll also have a separate cocktail list from The Devenish list and we’ll also have great shakes, both hard shakes for adults and alcohol free for kids.

DOES YOUR MENU CHANGE OFTEN? We plan to change the menu a couple of times per year but the old favourites will remain.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO TO IMPROVE AND DRIVE YOUR MENU? Working with key local suppliers to source local produce is important to us and letting our customers know where the food is from too is important.

WHAT IS YOUR FOOD SOURCING POLICY? We do our best to source our food from local suppliers - provenance is important.

twitter.com/Hosp_ReviewNI

HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR RESTAURANT STAND OUT FROM COMPETITORS? I think with the quality of the food, service and the style of the restaurant, people will soon see that we’re different to other similar restaurants. Our marketing and design team are pretty innovative when it comes to standing out from the crowd!

Also we will be using an online booking system which will be driven through social media and our website, so this will maximise covers at key times.

HOW IS TRADE AT THE DEVENISH? Our first eight months in trading as The Devenish Complex has been great so far; the addition of Harleys will see the site 90% completed and it’ll free the bar area up for more customers. Until now we’ve been serving food in a reserved area of the bar which has reduced capacity for those in for a drink and for the live music and other entertainment.

33-37 Finaghy Road North, Belfast Email: info@harleysbelfast.com Facebook & Twitter: /harleysbefast Opening hours: Sun-Thur, 12 - 9pm; Fri & Sat 12noon - 10pm

APRIL HRNI • 9

foodnews

Firmus energy sprinkles benefits on Morelli’s ice-cream parlour P

ortstewart’s premier ice-cream parlour, Morelli’s, situated at the heart of the town’s stunning Promenade, has received the ‘cherry on top’ for any business – an extra helping of benefits, since it converted to firmus energy natural gas.

As well as delicious iced creations, Morelli’s,

Damian Morelli, director, and Amy Platt from Morelli’s are pictured with Kevin Flanagan from firmus energy.

which has been at its iconic location since 1927, also serves a full meal menu from hot breakfasts through to late night suppers and opens until 10pm during peak season.

“We wanted to save money on our energy bills as we were powering our kitchen through bottled gas, so we contacted firmus energy who showed us the savings that could be made by switching to natural gas,” said Damian Morelli, director of the company. “We decided to go ‘dual-fuel’ with them and they now also supply our electricity, which is used to heat the shop.

“We have saved on our fuel bills since our switch but energy costs are always challenging for businesses so we look for extra benefits from suppliers. Natural gas is convenient and is always available in the diner, 24/7, so we don’t need to worry about reordering. The customer service and ease of payment methods are also pluses as we can pay online and have an overview of our usage at our fingertips.”

Kevin Flanagan, from firmus energy, said:

“Many local businesses are deciding to make the switch to natural gas as it is cost efficient and the most environmentally friendly of all the fossil fuels.

“As Morelli’s is at the foot of a cliff, there were logistical challenges for installation but we worked out a plan to bring natural gas through the back of the parlour with our teams, causing as little disruption to Morelli’s as possible.

“As much as we love all of our customers, Morelli’s is one venue all of the team are keen to visit for any calls necessary - I can think of a million flavours why.”

Damian added: “The switchover to natural gas was very straight forward, considering we are in an awkward location and the firmus teams were very helpful.” firmus energy has more than 75,000 customers across Northern Ireland. Any company interested in finding out more about switching to natural gas, should visit www. firmusenergy.co.uk.

Henderson Foodservice remains one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies H

enderson Foodservice has retained its place as one of Ireland’s most successful companies in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme, which recognises excellence in business management and performance.

The company, a division of the Malluskbased Henderson Group, supplies and delivers to customers across Ireland including hotels, schools, restaurants, fast food outlets, hospitals, nursing homes, cafes, sandwich bars and retail convenience stores.

The awards, held in association with Barclays Bank Ireland in Dublin last month, were attended by over 800 people from the business community across Ireland.

The Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme, in association with Barclays Bank Ireland, recognises indigenous companies across Ireland operating at the highest levels of business performance.

The programme was created to recognise the overall success of a company, including management strength, ability to innovate, strategic initiatives and financial performance – all the elements that contribute to a Best Managed company.

10 • HRNI APRIL

“The Best Managed Companies Awards Programme is the only awards programme that considers a business’ performance from every perspective so it’s a real endorsement of our business in so many ways to retain our place this year,” said Damien Barrett, managing director of Henderson Foodservice. “It’s wonderful to receive the accolade and we are proud that our high level of commitment and capability has been recognised.

“Winning is a symbol of organisational success and achievement and we are delighted that this process has highlighted once again that Henderson Foodservice is one of Ireland’s most dynamic and innovative companies.”

In the last year, Henderson Foodservice has focused heavily on developing its fresh offering, investing in a dedicated ‘fresh sprinter’ lorry, which has helped the company secure three major contracts worth more than £2m.

The contracts, which are predominately for the supply of fresh food, are with major local players in the pub and restaurant, healthcare and support service sectors.

Henderson Foodservice’s Commercial Director Peter McMeekin and Sales Director Kiera Campbell celebrate the news.

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

foodnews

Minimising Customer Injury Risk Louise McMahon, Hospitality & Leisure Centre of Excellence Leader at Willis Insurance and Risk Management Customer personal injury claims can be costly and very damaging to an establishment’s reputation. They can be much more frequent than employee claims. Employee safety programmes are not sufficient to protect customers, who are more at risk for accidents than employees for three main reasons: • Customers expect the establishment to be safe.

• Groups like children and the elderly are predisposed to injury.

• Customers do not receive safety training.

Understand to what extent you are liable for customer injuries on your premises and take steps to prevent injury.

Your Liability You are required to maintain safe premises for your customers. In legal terms, you have a high duty of care.

This includes the duty to warn customers of non-obvious, dangerous conditions that you know about, to use ordinary care in active operations in the business, and to make reasonable inspections to discover dangerous conditions and make them safe. Most customer accidents are preventable, so it is important to take steps to make your premises safer and less exposed to the risk of customer injury and litigation.

Common Injuries Common injuries that could become your liability include: • Slips and falls as a result of wet floors, torn carpets, poor lighting or stairways.

This type of injury is extremely common.

• Head and body injuries from falling objects, displays, out-of-reach objects or other mishaps.

• Overcrowding injuries, such as trampling Car park injuries as a result of cracked, poor design/layout or failure to remove ice or snow.

Detecting Fraud Criminal accident teams can stage injuries, targeting several businesses in the same area. This fraud could cost you millions of pounds in unwarranted payouts. As the only broker in Northern

14 • HRNI APRIL

Ireland with its own dedicated accident investigation division, Willis IRM can proactively assist businesses should an incident give rise to a claim.

Transfer Risk Liability insurance addresses the cost of legal damages and claims up to policy limits. Work with Willis Insurance & Risk Management to design the liability package that fits your business—you will be able to select from a wide range of cover options that you can tailor for your unique needs.

Ground launches

fundraising initiative in Honduras A growing number of coffee consumers across Northern Ireland are actively seeking out coffee brands and cafés promoting ethically–sourced coffees and teas, according to Northern Ireland’s largest independent coffee bar chain Ground Espresso Bars.

“We put in a tremendous amount of work to ensure that our coffee is of the highest quality and not only unique to us, but also ethically sourced,” said Karen Gardiner, director of Ground Espresso Bars. “We work directly with suppliers from Ethiopia, Honduras and Indonesia, and exercise a strict Fairtrade policy, working with local co-ops to ensure that all individuals, from labourers and farmers to exporters are treated fairly and ethically in all stages of our coffee production. Our house blend Purple Dragon is triple certified coffee - approved by the Fairtrade Foundation, Rainforest Alliance and Organic Food Federation.”

Highlighting its close relationship with global coffee growers, Ground Espresso Bars has vouched to support the farmers who grow their coffee and for 2015, as part of a year-long campaign, is partnering with Capucas on projects that make a difference in their community.

“In Santa Rosa, fewer than 75% of people are literate and poverty remains an issue in daily life,” said Gardiner. “With this in mind, we are aiming to provide an educational Hub including an IT centre and two teaching staff for the co-op members and their families to use. In order to do this, each Ground Espresso Bars store will be fundraising throughout 2015 to generate the $25,850 required to complete the project.”

Ground Espresso Bars now employ over 160 staff across 13 stand-alone stores and concessions in all-Ireland including their newest store in Next, Westend Shopping Park, Blanchardstown.

Anticipating Risk Willis IRMs Health & Safety team proactively review businesses procedures to ensure protection of employees. As a leader in the field of Health and Safety in Ireland, Willis IRMs Consulting division can provide organisations with the assistance they need to stay on top of their legal and moral obligations.

Contact Louise McMahon for all your Hospitality and Leisure Risk Management needs on 028 9032 9042 or louisem@willisinsurance.co.uk for more information on managing your establishment’s risks.

Michael French, store manager of Ground Espresso Bars, is pictured in Honduras, where the business ethically sources coffee from the Capucas Co-op.

twitter.com/Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

drinksnews

Drinks Inc lists award-winning Teeling Whiskey range

D

rinks Inc is now distributing the Teeling Whiskey range, which has recently picked up a host of awards at the World Whiskies Awards (WWA) and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), in Northern Ireland.

The Teeling Whiskey Company (TWC) continues to build on its reputation as one of

the world’s finest producers of Irish whiskey by receiving a significant number of awards at the two top global spirits competitions.

First held in 2007, WWA searches for the very best whiskies in the world, and this year's competition – held in London – saw Teeling Whiskey Irish Single Malt honoured with the accolade of World’s Best and founder and MD of TWC, Jack Teeling, named World’s Best Global Whisky Ambassador.

Teeling Whiskey Small Batch was, meanwhile, honoured with the coveted Best Blended Irish Whiskey title at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and four gold medals were awarded for the Teeling Small Batch, Single Grain and Single Malt whiskeys.

“I am humbled to be named World’s Best Global Whisky Ambassador but, more importantly, the reputation for our whiskeys continues to increases,” said Jack Teeling. “Over the past three years, Teeling Whiskey has been embraced both in Ireland and across the world in over 35 export markets. We are extremely proud of the whiskeys we have produced to date and it

is an honour for our whiskeys to be recognised as the world’s best in these two competitions.

“With construction of our new distillery in Dublin almost complete, we are excited to continue to provide high quality and unique expressions to Irish whiskey drinkers around the world.”

The Teeling Whiskey Company was founded

by Jack Teeling in 2012 to revive his family-old trademark of Irish whiskey and bring distilling back to Dublin, where Walter Teeling had a distillery in the Liberties in the 18th century. In January 2014, The Teeling Whiskey Company announced a €10m investment in a new distillery and visitor centre at Newmarket in The Liberties. Work started on site in August 2014 and is on schedule to open to the public in May 2015, marking the first new distillery in Dublin city in 125 years.

The Teeling Whiskey range is available in Northern Ireland exclusively through Drinks Inc Please speak to your Drinks Inc rep for further information, or contact the Drink Inc office on 028 9066 7744.

Diageo hosts WORLD CLASS 'Cocktails and the Written Word' event

Justin Smyth, Ketel One Ambassador; Deano Moncrieffe, Don Julio Ambassador; Peter O’Connor (Diageo); and Max La Rocca, World Class Ambassador Western Europe.

Olly Vivian, Soho & Matthew Knight, Aether & Echo

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

Rafael Agapieto, House, Wayne Hegarty, No Name and Kyle Sheridan, Drury Buildings

Micheal Brown, The Merchant Hotel and Alan Pietrouic, KOH

W

ORLD CLASS, Diageo’s mixology competition, involves a year-long journey of qualifiers and heats which will see Ireland’s best bartenders compete to represent Ireland at the WORLD CLASS Global Final in South Africa in July 2015.

Diageo recently hosted a WORLD CLASS Cocktails and the Written Word workshop in House, Dublin as part of the year of events as pictured.

WORLD CLASS is a celebration of contemporary cocktail culture, bringing together the best bars, most iconic bartenders and most exquisite spirits from around the globe; showcasing the Diageo luxury spirits portfolio, including Ketel One, Cîroc, Zacapa,Tanqueray, Bulleit and Johnnie Walker.

The Irish WORLD CLASS final will take place on Tuesday, May 26 when one bartender will be awarded the coveted title of WORLD CLASS Irish Bartender of the Year and will go on to represent Ireland at the Global Final in South Africa in July.

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

APRIL HRNI • 15

drinksnews

Nicki’s Moscato aims to hit the top of the UK charts A

merican pop star Nicki Minaj jetted crossed the Atlantic recently to coincide her live concert tour with the muchanticipated UK and Ireland launch of her new brand of sparkling wine, MYX Fusions Moscato, following an exclusive deal with James E McCabe Ltd. Kicking off a series of UK launch events commencing at ALIBI in Belfast, Nicki along with McCabes are hoping to replicate the brand’s success in the US, where MYX Fusions is now the bestselling Moscato wine in the country. Sales of MYX have grown 400% in the past six months to $18m.

MYX Moscato is a 5.5pc ABV, premium, sparkling white wine infused with fruit juice. The ready-to-drink beverage is available in single serve 187ml signature cobalt blue bottles and 4x187ml pack and comes in two flavours - Original Moscato and Moscato & Peach, with a convenient twist cap closure.

“We are targeting the female millennial consumer,” said Paula Colhoun, marketing manager UK & Ireland at MYX Fusions. “MYX Fusions was researched extensively in Dublin, Belfast, Manchester and London. In all groups, the product was universally liked and the cobalt blue bottle impressed. Consumers are looking for an alternative to beer or regular wine, with MYX Fusions ticking all the boxes in terms of what consumers wanted”.

See myxfusions.co.uk for further information.

16 • HRNI APRIL

Martin Breen & Gemma Garrett

Paula Colhoun & Myles McCann

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

q&a

A Day in the

Life…

Peter Hughes, customer marketing manager licensed trade island of Ireland at Coca-Cola Hellenic Ireland

bespoke activation bringing Coke brands to life in outlets by developing pull through mechanics for consumers for current campaigns in the marketplace.

The best part is working with the biggest WHAT ARE THE BEST/ soft drink brand in the WORST PARTS OF YOUR world – campaigns such JOB? The best part is working with as Share a Coke, FIFA the biggest soft drink brand in the world – campaigns such as World Cup, Rugby World Share a Coke, FIFA World Cup, Cup and Christmas are Rugby World Cup and Christmas are properties any marketer would properties any marketer love to work with. The worst part can would love to work be the early starts; I am not a morning person, but a strong Piacetto coffee with." usually helps.

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND? I have a BA (Hons) Business Studies and PgD Marketing from UUJ. I joined the Coke Academy in 2006, as a grocery sales representative until January 2013. I then moved into the HoReCa marketing executive role working in out-of-home channels including on trade, QSR, entertainment, travel and at work. In February 2014, I moved into the customer marketing manager role for the licensed channel.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? Working with the Coca-Cola Brand, internal Key Account and Field Sales teams to develop strategies to activate in trade and bring the brands and campaigns to life; also working with our Key Account customers on

18 • HRNI APRIL

OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY? No one day is the same. I could be in Lisburn or Dublin and on other occasions even Cork or Galway. When in Lisburn, I try to get to the office for 8am and get through as many emails and catch up on items from the previous day, before the real day begins at 9am. I attend regular meetings internally across other functions including supply chain, finance and field sales. A major part of my job is also meeting with Key Account customers, and developing promotions and campaigns that are mutually beneficial using our brand properties and mechanics to drive their business forward. I also work alongside the Coca-Cola Company brand teams to ensure that all plans and activations meet the guidelines required.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE? 2014 was a fantastic year – I moved into my current role in the team after only a year within the marketing function. We launched our Coca-Cola Signature Serve programme with the trade, which was a huge success with regional heats held across the island with bartenders displaying their skills incorporating the six steps we developed.

The culmination and grand final in Dublin last month was huge and it was great to see the initiative won by a passionate bartender.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY? It is like a small family. No matter where you may be or what function you attend, you are sure to meet someone else that you know.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? When I am away from the licensed channel I love to go to the cinema. This is the best way to experience films – a large Coke in hand of course.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW I am a secret One Direction fan – I am going to replace Zayn!

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

winewizard

Monster Malbec pril the 17th is World Malbec Day. Isn’t marketing just wonderful? It’s like the title of a movie - the day Malbec takes over the world, we’ll be drowning in the stuff, rivers of Malbec flowing through cities all over the world, hold on…. maybe that’s just a dream I had, what a way to go, overcome by a big full-bodied red wine. Alright so that’s a wee bit far–fetched, however the very fact that I’m writing about World Malbec Day means it’s working.

Malbec has been on a roll for a few years now; however it hasn’t got the same following that Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz enjoys in this country. It’s a shame, because it’s a wonderfully versatile grape producing monster wines - full, fruity, spicy reds with an abundance of mulberries and blackberries.

It’s a superb wine to match with food. Given the dramatic change in our eating habits over the past few decades, Malbec works well with full on spicy Asian foods, crispy beef and duck dishes, and red meats with very concentrated rich sauces. It has spice affinity to handle a stunning array of food combinations and ethnic cuisines.

Everyone automatically associates Malbec with Argentina, where they have created a great niche in being synonymous with this variety of grape. Argentina enjoys the status of being South America’s #1 wine producing country, (I can hear you all say “I thought it was Chile?”) with production numbers that rival the U.S. They are also the fifth largest wine producing country in the world, crafting quality, flavourful wines that fit virtually any budget.

However, the vast majority of the wine is kept in country with only about 10-15% being exported for the rest of the world to enjoy.

The truth about Malbec is that it has its origins in South Western France, Cahors, where it is known as Cot or Auxerrois. Locally it is known as ‘black wine’ due to its deep dark colour. In Bordeaux it is called Malbec where it is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to make some of the great Graves red wines.

The mighty Malbec is Argentina’s unique offering to red wine drinkers, that have consumers all over the world raving! If you want to see what all the fuss is about, check out one of Dona Paula’s Malbec wines (see right) available in N Ireland - it will blow you away! And if your wife is called Dona or Paula, you can tell her you went to great lengths to buy her a personalised bottle of wine. I love it when you can get your wife a present which you can also enjoy!

Quote of the month: “Either give me more wine or leave me alone“ Rumi

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

APRIL HRNI • 19

by Ciaran Meyler

A

Wine Wizard!

Ciaran Meyler

hospitalityawards

The Speckled Hen among winners at Lisburn City Business Awards L

isburn’s business elite celebrated at a gala event at the Lagan Valley Island last month, when the winners of the 2015 Lisburn City Business Awards were announced.

Now in their 10th year, Lisburn City Business Awards are organised and managed

by Lisburn City Council in association with Hanna Thompson Chartered Accountants, and recognise outstanding businesses in the Lisburn City area.

The awards are presented across 16 individual categories, from business excellence

in customer service, marketing and innovation, to outstanding performance in manufacturing and exporting.

The big winner on the night was the hospitality industry, picking up six of the 16 awards presented.

Accepting Coca-Cola HBC Northern Ireland’s special Lisburn City Business Contribution of the Decade Award, Gillian Shields, community investment manager from Coca-Cola, said: “To receive the prestigious accolade of Lisburn City Business Contribution of the Decade Award

is an acknowledgment of the hard work and commitment of everyone within Coca-Cola and recognition of their ongoing commitment to business excellence.

“We are very proud of our local heritage and have firm roots in Lisburn and a strong connection to the local community. Over the years, we have also developed a strong, longstanding partnership with Lisburn City Council and I believe that it is the strength and longevity of this partnership which has been critical to our success to date.”

Cafe Vic-Ryn - Best Non-Licensed Eating Establishment Award, sponsored by Andrew Ingredients - Tim Andrew of Andrew Ingredients with Jacqueline Evans and her team from Café Vic-Ryn.

Coca-Cola HBC Northern Ireland - Lisburn City Business Contribution of the Decade Award, sponsored by Montupet (UK) - Sarah Smith, Rory Kerr, Chris Lillie, Gillian Shields, Paddy Murney from Coca-Cola with Jim Burke of Montupet (UK) Ltd.

The Speckled Hen - Best New Business Award, sponsored by Lisburn Enterprise Organisation - Martin Caldwell and Kellie McIlroy from Speckled Hen, Nick Fenton of Lisburn Enterprise Organisation.

Lisnacurran Country House B&B - Best Tourism Amenity Award, sponsored by Lisburn City Council - Alderman Allan Ewart of Lisburn City Council with Lynne and Jonathan McCabe of Lisnacurran Country House B&B.

Angelo's - Best Marketing Initiative Award, sponsored by Bank of Ireland UK - Belinda O’Neill (Bank of Ireland), Richard Graham (Angelo’s) and Billy McCullins (Bank of Ireland).

Square Bistro - Best Licensed Eating Establishment Award, sponsored by Pubs of Ulster - Colin Neill of Pubs of Ulster and Stephen and Cristina Higginson of Square Bistro.

20 • HRNI APRIL

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

bacardibrown-formanbarprofile

Star of the ascending gin category Bombay Sapphire is following its major investment converting Laverstock Mill into a stunning, eco-friendly distillery with a new super premium gin launched this month and a marketing campaign highlighting the integrity of its botanicals, Brand Ambassador Sean Ware tells Alyson Magee.

WHAT IS BOMBAY SAPPHIRE’S BACKGROUND? It was started by Thomas Dakin in Warrington for its transport routes, and the recipe used today is still based on the 1761 one. At the time, gin was mass produced and quality was his focus; he developed a recipe using botanicals from around the world.

The original Bombay gin was developed for the US market and, in the 1980s, Bombay Sapphire was introduced with the striking blue bottle inspired by the famous Star of Bombay 182-carat sapphire now in the Smithsonian Institution in the US. It was a combination of really clever marketing and a great liquid. We wanted a different feel; not old grannies sitting in the corner but cool, sophisticated people having fun.

TELL US ABOUT THE NEW LAVERSTOCK MILL DISTILLERY It takes forward Bombay Sapphire’s core passions of skill and craft. We add nothing and take nothing away from existing environment. It won the BREEAM Award for Industrial Design in 2014, recognising sustainable and efficient buildings. Waste is burned in a biomass boiler and the energy created goes into production, while the ash is used by local farmers; it’s a full circle.

Visiting some distilleries can be like watching paint dry but Laverstock Mill is visually stunning, educational – the mill is mentioned in the Domesday

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

Book - and it has two bars where we have cocktail masterclasses and other events so it’s a fantastic experience.

DID BOMBAY SAPPHIRE KICKSTART THE GIN REVIVAL? It definitely helped get people thinking about different styles of gin, flavours and botanicals, and was one of the first times outside whiskey and cognac that people started naming by brand.

WHAT PLANS HAS BOMBAY SAPPHIRE FOR 2015?

On April 1, the Star of Bombay is coming out, named after the stone which inspired Bombay Sapphire. It’s a super premium gin, with a slightly higher abv of 47.5%. We wanted to create a gin that would be recognisable within the House of Bombay, and which would highlight the artisanal method behind it.

Almost all London dry gins on the market are distilled gins, and not true London dry gin like Bombay Sapphire. A lot of effort has gone into its creation, with bartenders from New York and London also involved, and we played with the texture and mouth feel of this gin while keeping it within the London dry gin category.

WHAT ARE YOUR MARKETING PLANS FOR 2015?

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

We’ve just launched a TV campaign Find the Sublime, which tells the story of how we source our botanicals. Our master of botanicals, Ivano Tonutti, has a great relationship with the suppliers and we wanted to capture that with this beautiful campaign.

Bombay Sapphire is also focusing on educating the trade about the new liquids, and will take people to the distillery.

HOW IS BOMBAY SAPPHIRE PERFORMING IN THE NI MARKET? Northern Ireland is a fantastic market and the hospitality culture and enthusiasm in the trade is absolutely brilliant. We would like to see more people entering our competitions, like Bombay Sapphire’s World’s Most Imaginative Bartender Competition, and getting involved. We have quite a few winners from across the country and, even if you don’t win, it’s a big learning curve and you learn a lot as a bartender.

WHAT CAN VENUES DO TO BOOST THE PREMIUM GIN CATEGORY? It’s all in the ritual or way a premium drink is served; there are five elements you need to nail to do it correctly. We’re going to do a fantastic serve with Star of Bombay. It has a beautiful, fresh, fragrant orange infusion, created through our vapour infusion process which is quite different from the boiling and distilling of many other gins.

APRIL HRNI • 21

drinksnews

?? • HRNI YEARBOOK

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

drinksnews

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

YEARBOOK HRNI • ??

coca-cola

Coca-Cola celebrates 100th anniversary of iconic contour bottle C

oca-Cola Hellenic Ireland/Northern Ireland has announced a number of exciting developments within its glass range to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the iconic Coca-Cola contour bottle, considered to be one of the most distinctive designs of all time.

From April 13, a new 330ml bottle - aimed at the ‘with food’ occasion - will be introduced in the on-trade across the Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Fanta Orange, Sprite and Sprite Zero brands. The 200ml range will remain and will be served for mixing occasions. From April 20, the existing Schweppes 113ml range will be replaced by a larger 125ml bottle.

“Following extensive research in late 2014, it became clear that one pack size no longer fits all,” said Brian Maher, national accounts manager, licensed trade for Coca-Cola HBC Ireland. “There is a huge opportunity to drive soft drink sales at lunchtime, with the current average incidence for the on-trade at just one in 10. Research shows that in the wider out-of-home segment, 50% of all soft-drinks are sold at lunchtime - this segment includes work-place canteens, cafés and international quick-service restaurants.

“In addition, consumers stated a clear preference for the new larger 330ml glass bottle for ‘with food’ occasions. We believe that an outlet now has the opportunity to triple its sales of soft drinks at lunchtime, by stocking this new 300ml CocaCola glass bottle range and communicating an appropriate link deal with food to consumers.”

Supporting the launch of the new pack range will be new POS to highlight link deals with lunches that can be customised to suit food offerings and the look and feel of an outlet. Visible items to drive awareness of the new offerings are key – as consumers buy with their eyes. Research has shown that consumers need to be informed of choice and brand availability in order to drive sales.

Created in 1915 in the United States, the Coca-Cola contour bottle is one of the most famous and unmistakable designs of all time. Featuring a sensuous, curvaceous silhouette like no other, the classic glass bottle combines the ultimate blend of form and function, is highly distinctive and can be recognised by touch alone. It has played muse to a wealth of legendary artists, designers and musicians.

The brand will also celebrate the contour bottle’s central role as a design icon in the rich history and heritage of the brand by launching an exciting integrated marketing campaign, which includes new TVCs, ATL and print executions. as well as social media and PR activity.

26 • HRNI APRIL

The making of an icon – the history of the iconic contour bottle 1915: To thwart efforts of copycat brands, the Root Glass Company in Terre Haute, Indiana patented the now famous contour bottle for Coca-Cola.

1923: In answer to the rising trend for home refrigeration, The Coca-Cola Company created the innovative six-pack bottle carrier to encourage people to take contour bottles home to enjoy.

1920s: Throughout history, the Coca-Cola Bottle has been dubbed the ‘hobble skirt bottle’, inspired by the popular 1920s fashion trend. It has also been referred to as the ‘Mae West’ bottle, after the actress’ famous curves.

1925: The first reference to the original glass bottle as a ‘contour’ was coined by French magazine La Monde, which described the Coca-Cola bottle ‘with a distinctive contour shape’.

1949: A study showed that 99% of Americans were able to identify the Coca-Cola Bottle by its shape alone.

1950: The Coca-Cola Bottle was the first commercial product to appear on the cover of Time magazine, solidifying Coca-Cola as an international icon.

1960s: Andy Warhol immortalised the Coca-Cola contour bottle in his iconic pop art portraits.

1969: The Beatles referenced Coca-Cola in their Come Together song lyrics, on the Abbey Road studio album.

1977: The king of rock & roll, Elvis Presley, promoted Coca-Cola on his last ever tour.

1990s: The Coca-Cola polar bear becomes synonymous with the contour bottle, kicking-off with the ‘Northern Lights’ TV ad in 1993.

2000: Coca‑Cola introduced the ultra-glass contour bottle designed for improved impact resistance, reduced weight and cost. These bottles are 40% stronger and 20% lighter than the original Coca‑Cola contour bottle – saving approximately 52,000 metric tons of glass in 2006.

2013: Coca‑Cola swaps its iconic logo with Ireland’s most popular names for the summer-long Share a Coke campaign.

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

hotelnews

Beech Hill House Hotel retains top 100 title D

erry’s historic Beech Hill House Hotel has again been named as one of the 100 Best Places to Stay In Ireland by the McKennas’ Guides.

The Beech Hill, a four-star hotel with 31 guest rooms located at Ardmore Road on the outskirts of the city in the picturesque Faughan Valley, is one of just five accommodation establishments in Northern Ireland listed in John and Sally McKennas’ Guides 2015.

The Guides are regarded as the bible of the best places to eat, shop and stay in Ireland and are now available as Apps offering a valuable reference point for visitors and tourists.

“We regard our inclusion in the McKennas’ Guides as testament to the hard work and commitment of the staff at the Beech Hill

Dalata Hotel Group acquires Holiday Inn Belfast D

alata Hotel Group plc has entered into an agreement to acquire the Holiday Inn in Belfast, under a freehold interest for a consideration of £18.5m (€25.6m).

The 4 star hotel is located in the city centre, close to the business and shopping district of Belfast. It contains 170 bedrooms, 40 car spaces, a full leisure centre with pool, a restaurant and nine custom built seminar and meeting rooms as well as a ballroom that can cater for up to 600 people.

The Holiday Inn Belfast is Dalata’s first owned property in Belfast, and management has identified a number of revenue enhancing development opportunities with the acquisition. The Acquisition will allow the Group to expand its position in Belfast, where it already operates the Maldron Hotel Belfast.

“We are delighted that we have acquired this excellent hotel in such a strong location,” said Pat McCann, CEO of the Company. “Belfast is a major city and we are delighted to further build out the Dalata footprint on the island.”

28 • HRNI APRIL

in creating a family atmosphere in our beautiful country house surroundings with excellent food and customer service,” said Patsy O’Kane, owner and general manager of Beech Hill.

The Beech Hill House Hotel is one of more than 50 tourism businesses engaged in Derry City Council’s Rural Tourism Development Programme which is part funded by Invest NI and the European Regional Development Fund’s Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for NI. “This is yet another good news story for the tourism and hospitality sector in Derry and its

Patsy O’Kane

rural hinterland in the Faughan Valley, and we are looking forward to a further increase in visitors again this year to experience the excellent accommodation, quality cuisine and many visitor attractions on offer in our city and rural destinations,” said Mary Blake, tourism development officer with Derry City Council.

Lone Star completes acquisition of Jurys Inn T

he acquisition of Jurys Inn by an affiliate of Lone Star Funds, announced in January, has now been successfully completed, following clearance by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in Ireland last month.

The Jurys Inn Hotel Group is currently involved in an ongoing €50m investment programme across its hotels, while also recently acquiring three existing leasehold properties.

“We are pleased that the acquisition has now completed,” said John Brennan, CEO at Jurys Inn. “Lone Star is committed to the future growth and development of our brand and business.

We look forward to working with them in realising our joint ambition and to capitalise on the significant opportunities emerging within our sector.”

Revenue rises by 30% for acquisitive Dalata Hotel Group D

alata Hotel Group plc, the largest hotel operator in Ireland, has reported revenue up by 30.4% for the year ending December 31, 2014, which included the acquisition of the Maldron Derry as well as properties in the Republic of Ireland. Last month, the Group purchased the Holiday Inn Hotel in Belfast for £18.5m (€25.6m).

“The business has performed very strongly in 2014,” said Pat McCann, CEO of Dalata Hotel Group. “All our hotels showed revenue growth which was converted solidly to the bottom line. We are very excited by

the opportunities presented by the portfolio we have assembled and the process of integrating the new hotels into the Dalata structure is well underway.”

Between 2013 and 2014, occupancy rose from 73.8% to 75.3% across the Group, while the average room rate climbed from €68.4 to €77.6.

A refurbishment project is currently underway at Maldron Derry, the former Tower Hotel which was acquired for a total cash consideration of €5.8m in October 2014 and subsequently rebranded.

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

NIHF

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

APRIL HRNI • 29

NIHF

30 • HRNI APRIL

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

NIHF

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

APRIL HRNI • 31

tourismnews

Popular US TV show visits NI popular TV music show, Music City Roots, which airs across the United States on public network PBS has visited Northern Ireland to record material at this year’s Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival.

Invited here by Tourism Ireland, the TV crew filmed performances and interviews with musicians including Foy Vance, Cara Dillon and Paul Tully. The material will be used to create a one-hour programme presented by acclaimed performer and songwriter Jim Lauderdale, together with BBC Radio Ulster presenter Ralph McLean – which will be seen by an estimated 60 million music fans across the US when it airs on PBS this autumn.

Filming also took place along the Causeway Coastal Route including Carrickfergus, where

Brian Kennedy sang the famous song of the town’s name in the ancestral home of seventh US president, Andrew Jackson. Also in Belfast, the band Farriers was filmed performing at Titanic Belfast.

“BelNash Festival, now in its 11th year, is a great way for Tourism Ireland to showcase the vibrant music scene of Northern Ireland and shine a spotlight on the many links between the two musical traditions,” said Aubrey Irwin, head of Northern Ireland at Tourism Ireland.

“International broadcast opportunities such as this are extremely important, helping Tourism Ireland to build awareness of what’s on offer in Belfast and Northern Ireland and bringing the destination to the attention of millions of music lovers and potential holidaymakers alike.”

Photo credit: Phil Smyth

A

Singer Brian Kennedy is pictured, seated, with Colin Magee, United Airlines Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival, and John Walker, producer of Music City Roots.

International travel buyers explore Northern Ireland I Photo credit: Paul Nash

nternational travel buyers from China, Hong Kong, Norway, Sweden and GB visited Northern Ireland last month, invited by Tourism Ireland after attending the inaugural ExploreGB workshop in Ascot, Berkshire.

The aim of the visit was to showcase Northern Ireland to the international buyers – and help to deliver additional itineraries and brochure pages featuring the destination. Venues visited included a city tour of Belfast including Titanic Belfast, Crumlin Road Gaol and Queen’s University; the Causeway Coastal Route with stops at the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, Giant’s Causeway and Bushmills Distillery; and Derry~Londonderry for a walking tour of the city’s historic walls and the Tower Museum. Their final day was spent in Co Down, learning about Saint Patrick with a tour of Down Cathedral and the Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick.

International travel buyers at the Old Bushmills Distillery, during their visit to Northern Ireland.

Foster welcomes tourism boost for Castlerock and Whiterocks

T

rade Minister Arlene Foster officially announced the completion of new environmental improvement works to Castlerock promenade and Whiterocks coastal park last month.

The infrastructure improvements form part of an overarching regeneration scheme in Portrush and its surrounding area.

“Castlerock and Whiterocks are important initiatives in promoting sustainable tourism for the North Coast area and will help to create a legacy that will bring longer-term benefits in terms of our tourism economy and job creation,” said Foster.

“The progression of anchor visitor attractions and coastal resorts is fundamental to the future development of Portrush and the world famous Causeway Coastal Route, and the continuing work to improve amenities exemplified by this regeneration is a very welcome boost for tourism.

“Not only will this strengthen and enhance

32 • HRNI APRIL

the visitor experience but also encourage more people to come in greater numbers and entice them to return in the future.”

Tourism NI’s Tourism Development Scheme supported the project to the sum of £478,400, together with finance of £430,362 from the North East Region Rural Development Programme administered by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development through the European Regional Development Fund. Coleraine Borough Council contributed £90,000 of additional support.

Works at Castlerock include the development of a new promenade, a reconfiguration of the car park and easier access to the beach through the creation of three boardwalks, all designed to reflect the character of the village and its coastal location.

At Whiterocks, improved beach access with dune system and boardwalks together

with a new car park and an extension to a visitor amenity building to benefit water sport users have been tastefully completed. The addition of a wooden bridge to span a small gorge has taken a significant section of the Causeway Coast/Ulster Way off the main A2 road offering ramblers and walkers stunning views of Dunluce Castle, Curran Strand and Portrush.

Trade Minister Arlene Foster officially announced the completion of new environmental improvement works to Castlerock promenade and Whiterocks coastal park with Mayor of Coleraine George Duddy last month.

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

tourismnews

Titanic Belfast named Europe’s Best Group Visitor Attraction

Pictured celebrating the win are, from left, Titanic Belfast's Paul Kinghan, visitor reception manager; Patricia O'Hare, accounts administrator; Ashton Montgomery, tour operator booking assistant; Ally Hill, out of state sales & marketing executive; and Tim Husbands MBE, CEO.

T

itanic Belfast has beaten competition from the Eiffel Tower, London Eye and Monet’s

Garden near Paris to be named as Europe’s best visitor attraction for groups at the European Group Travel Awards (EGTA) held last month in Berlin.

Titanic Belfast was the only entry from the island of Ireland to be named a category champion. Other winners included Buckingham Palace (Best Heritage Attraction), Disneyland Paris (Best Theme Park) and Berlin Zoo (Best Animal Attraction).

The group travel sector is estimated to account for almost 25% of all European visitor numbers and the EGTA awards are designed to showcase the continent’s best providers.

“This is a fantastic endorsement for Titanic Belfast by our peers in the travel industry

and reflects the immense work which our staff have put into making sure that Titanic Belfast is geared to meet the specific needs of group travel,” said Tim Husbands MBE, CEO of Titanic Belfast. “Many of Titanic Belfast’s overseas visitors travel as part of an organised tour and we’ve worked hard with operators to make Belfast a must-see destination on their itinerary.

“With the two million visitor mark already reached, Titanic Belfast is demonstrating that it is continuing to be a major driver of tourism to Northern Ireland.”

The award was collected in Berlin

by Titanic Belfast’s Out of State Sales & Marketing Executive Ally Hill, and Deputy Chief Executive Judith Owens.

Targeting big business for Northern Ireland S

ix decision-makers from some of the top American business tourism companies visited Northern Ireland last month, as guests of Tourism Ireland, Hastings Hotels and Moloney & Irish destination management company Kelly Travel.

The group includes senior representatives of companies involved in the MICE (meetings, incentive, conferences and events) sector in the US, which organises international conferences, meetings and large-scale incentive events around the world. They were here to discover more about the facilities and accommodation on offer in Northern Ireland, as well as the great experiences business delegates can enjoy here on the side-lines of their conference or meeting.

In Belfast, the business tourism buyers enjoyed a guided tour of the city, with stops at Titanic

Belfast, Queen’s University and Belfast City Hall, before an overnight stay at the Culloden Hotel at Cultra. The next day, the group took part in a Games of Thrones tour at Castle Ward in Strangford, before stopping off for a showaround at Ballywalter Park, the home of Lord and Lady Dunleath.

They also visited Hillsborough Castle and enjoyed an afternoon’s racing at Down Royal. En route to the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle, the group stopped off at the Kilbroney Park Narnia Exhibition, near Rostrevor.

Their final day was spent following the St Patrick Footprint Tour around Downpatrick and a drive through the spectacular Mourne Mountains and Silent Valley.

Business tourism is one of the highest yield

American business tourism buyers Judy Locketz, Dee Kirby, Game of Thrones character ‘Jon Snow’, aka Fred Conradie, Katie Smith, Michael Dalton, Staci Hynd and Shelly Strubert took part in a Game of Thrones tour of Castle Ward.

sectors in tourism, with the average spend of business travellers being significantly higher than that of leisure tourists.

Tourism NI calls on cast of thousands to take a lead role

O

utgoing Tourism Northern Ireland Chairman Howard Hastings has urged over 200 tourism conference delegates to take a leading role in strengthening Northern Ireland's presence on the global stage as a new development phase for the industry begins.

He was speaking at Tourism NI’s annual conference, held at the Stormont Hotel in Belfast last month.

Focusing on the theme of Northern Ireland the Movie, the conference featured a series of expert speakers including home-grown actor James Nesbitt, who recently starred in the critically acclaimed drama series The Missing for BBC1.

One of the world's foremost cross-cultural experts Sir Richard Lewis also spoke at the event.

“If we didn't know before, all of us here are most definitely now aware that we have a leading role in the tourism 'production',” said

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

Hastings. “We all belong firmly in the cast of thousands needed to make Northern Ireland tourism become an international blockbuster.

“No matter how small or large a business or organisation, the key message we must take home today is that everyone has a lead part to play in growing tourism. The script and the plot may be changing but I am sure we all remain fully focused on the overarching prize, which is a thriving and profitable industry worth £1bn to our economy by 2020.

“As I hand over the reins of the chairmanship very shortly, I shall remain deeply committed to playing my own part in Northern Ireland tourism to the full.”

As well as the movie theme, the conference addressed the importance of global events, screen and food tourism, with Tourism Northern Ireland presenting strategic insights, research, business tools and direction to enable delegates to develop their activities.

APRIL HRNI • 33

tourism-golf

Sights set on a £50m golf tourism industry by 2020

Trade Minister Arlene Foster officially launched a Strategic Review of Golf Tourism in Northern Ireland 2015-2020 at Malone Golf Club, with Malone GC Lady Captain Eleanor McKelvey, Tourism NI Golf Sales & Marketing Manager Simon Wallace and Malone GC Captain Peter Law.

T

rade Minister Arlene Foster launched a strategy last month, which aims to grow

GB golfers to read about NI’s worldclass golf

the value of golf tourism to £50m a year by 2020.

Currently, golf tourism is estimated to generate an annual £33m for the local economy, attracting high spending visitors with research suggesting that for every £1 spent on green fees in Northern Ireland, a further £4 is spent elsewhere.

“The vision of the strategy is to grow the value of golf tourism to £50m per annum by 2020, and in doing so to remind golfers worldwide that Northern Ireland is where golf champions are born and play,” said Foster.

“As a sport, as a business and as a tourism asset, golf operates on a worldwide scale so there has never been a better time for Northern Ireland, the Home of Champions, to formulate a new strategy to tap into its potential.

“The continuing success of our golfers, the

acknowledged quality of our courses and the widespread support for the game, exemplified by the unprecedented sell-out of the Irish Open in 2012 have combined to enhance Northern Ireland’s status as an exceptional golf destination.

“Our reputation for golfing excellence will be increased further with the hosting of the Irish Open by Royal County Down this year, along with its return again in 2017, and indeed the prospect of holding the world's biggest golf tournament, The Open Championship, by the end of the decade."

Golf tourism has been identified as an important sector of targets to achieve a £1bn tourism industry by 2020, and the new strategy is expected to provide a cohesive rationale and call to action, address areas of weakness, promote the destination and capitalise on Northern Ireland’s visibility and success in golf to generate more real economic value.

Northern Ireland all ‘tee’ed up’ for golf tourism T

T

op GB golf writers were invited by Tourism Ireland to come and play some of Northern Ireland’s top golf courses, ahead of this year’s Irish Open at Royal County Down in May. The group – representing various online and print publications with a combined readership of more than three million – included journalists from Golf Monthly and Golf Magic, as well as daily and regional papers including the Daily Mirror, Daily Record, Birmingham Mail, Bristol Evening Post, Scottish Sun, Scottish Express and Scotland on Sunday.

They played Holywood Golf Club and Malone Golf Club, as well as Royal County Down.

34 • HRNI APRIL

Photo credit: Casey Gutteridge

Braced for wind and rain at Royal County Down in Newcastle are GB golf writers invited by Tourism Ireland to play the course ahead of the Irish Open in May.

ourism Ireland in Great Britain kicked off its 2015 golf season last month, with a special media golf day at the West Sussex golf course of Goodwood.

Some 26 leading British golf writers – representing major titles like The Times, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Golf World and Golf Today – attended the event, which was organised by Tourism Ireland to highlight Northern Ireland’s world-class golf, this year’s Irish Open at Royal County Down and Golf writers attending Tourism Ireland’s media golf day are pictured at Goodwood House accompanied by links golf along the Causeway Joseph Cruise (second row, second left); Judth Cassidy Coastal Route and Wild Atlantic (front, left); Clair Balmer (second row, third left); and David Boyce (front, second left) Tourism Ireland.

Way. Two of the top golf tour operators in Britain also attended.

Golf holidays in Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland are a major focus for Tourism Ireland in Britain, and in other key markets around the world, and the organisation has a busy programme of promotions underway to grow the number of golf tourists in 2015 and beyond.

Tourism Ireland’s promotions in Britain are highlighting the Irish Open, which takes place at Royal County Down in May. The organisation’s activity this year includes TV, press and online advertising in conjunction with leading online golf tour operators; a presence at various golf events, like the Scottish Golf Show in March and the BMW PGA in May; and regular e-newsletters to a database of more than 10,000 golfers around Britain. An online competition to win tickets to the 2015 Irish Open, linking to special golf offers on Tourism Ireland’s website, Ireland.com, is running between March and May on golf websites in Britain. And other influential golf journalists will be invited by Tourism Ireland to come and sample our golf offering throughout 2015.

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

tourism-golf

A golden opportunity for golf tourism As Royal Co Down prepares for the Irish Open and the tourist board releases a five-year strategy, Tom Cotter reviews the potential for golf tourism in Northern Ireland.

O

ver the last weekend of May, some of the best golfers of their generation will grace the fairways of the Royal Co Down (RCD) Golf Club and test themselves on unquestionably one of the finest golf courses in the world.

When Rory McIlroy, Ernie Els, Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia among others tee it up on the revered Newcastle links, it will only add further weight to the notion that this part of the golfing world is more than capable of hosting world-class professional golf tournaments.

We are fortunate to not only have Co Down on our doorsteps but, as the successful hosting of the 2012 Irish Open at Royal Portrush proved, we have the scope to grow this reputation further. That the North Antrim venue has recently been returned to the Open Championship rota, after a gap of more than 60 years, demonstrates just how far we have progressed.

It is also little coincidence perhaps that these venues have been selected following an unprecedented period of success for our local golfers who between them have collected six ‘Major’ championships since 2010. Yet when Messer’s McIlroy, McDowell and Clarke arrive at RCD, they will not only have the task of trying to become the first Irish winner since Shane Lowry back in 2009 on their minds. The aspirations of the local golf tourism community will also be weighing upon them.

That Tourism NI should release their Strategic Review of Golf Tourism 2015-2020 (see opposite) in the run-in to this particular tournament is certainly no coincidence. The document, the most comprehensive insight into golf tourism that this part of the island has possibly ever seen has the ‘aim’ of raising the value of golf tourism in the local economy to £50m per annum by the end of the review period. One of the cornerstones of the strategy is to ‘build on the role of the golf champions to maintain Northern Ireland’s competitive advantage in golf tourism’; so no pressure there lads!

Minister for Enterprise Trade and Investment Arlene Foster describes the review as a ‘fresh direction in what, until now, has been a limited strategic approach to golf tourism’.

This is a refreshingly honest, yet equally www.hospitalityreviewni.com

damning indictment of her own Department’s failings in its responsibility to golf tourism at the grassroots since she took office in 2008; a period during which time, lest we forget, the profile of golf in this part of the world has, and arguably never will be again, higher. The success of McIlroy & Co has been unquantifiable in marketing terms but ironically it has also provided a distraction from examining the core issues in the game locally.

Regrettably there is little if anything ‘fresh’ in this particular strategy.

Industry figures, of whom I was one, spent over a year debating these and other issues with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (now Tourism NI) as far back as 2009 only for the then ‘Golf Advisory Board’ to be wound up. In the intervening six years, any hope of securing a comprehensive golf tourism strategy has languished well behind a plethora of other tourist board priorities; were it not for our local professionals, we simply wouldn’t be where we are today.

Overseeing the executive delivery of this strategy will be Simon Wallace, recently appointed to a new and long overdue role of golf manager at Tourism NI. He will need significant industry engagement to ensure any degree of success and whilst hitherto fore that engagement could be best described as ‘optimistically pessimistic’, I sense that the industry will not be found wanting. However, with more than two thirds of golf clubs here failing to be convinced of the benefits of a Golf Quality Assurance scheme, (modelled along accommodation grading lines), and significantly more still seemingly unwilling to engage openly with a Golf Tourism Monitor established to collect quantitative visitor data, his role, at least initially, will be a challenging one. Nonetheless the QA scheme, borrowed from Fáilte Ireland in the Republic, is a good concept and clubs here should embrace the process.

Among the statistics included in the Review (some of which are from research I conducted in 2013), the obvious figure missing is the one detailing the degree of funding that DETI will commit in order to assist its implementation.

Perhaps the answer is revealed in an interview the Minister provided to Radio Ulster on the day

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

Tom Cotter

of the launch, where she noted that ‘it (delivery of the strategy) really won’t cost the government a lot of money’ as the private sector would be taking on the majority of this responsibility.

The Review contradicts this supposition however, acknowledging that in order to realise the full potential of golf tourism here the ’resources allocated to golf tourism development (need) to be significantly increased from current levels’. If this strategy is to be successful, it must be properly resourced. The already cashstrapped golf clubs of Northern Ireland will take some convincing.

The fact that we now have a strategy at all to hang our collective golf tourism aspirations on is a massive step forward to be universally welcomed by anyone with a vested interest in golf tourism considering the economic impact it can have. Yet having overseen the debacle of the Bushmills Dunes project, the next five years will demonstrate a lot in terms of this Executive’s ambition and attitude towards developing a sustainable golf tourism offering.

I wish this strategy, as I do all our Irish golfers playing at Royal Co Down, every success and I encourage all facets of the hospitality industry here to engage in the process and contribute to it. This Irish Open at Co Down, the tournament in Lough Erne in 2017 and the potential of an Open Championship in 2019 are golf tourism ‘gold dust’. Embrace the opportunity presented.

Tom Cotter is a golf tourism consultant and the owner of the Cotter Collection, an organization that works with accommodation providers and golf courses to forge better relationships with the international golf tour operators market and their clients. He can be contacted via his website www.cottercollection.com.

APRIL HRNI • 35

appreciation

An Appreciation: John Martin The team at Osborne King remembers their colleague John Martin.

J

ust because you are a character, it doesn’t mean that you have character! It is seldom that one encounters both traits embodied in one person but this can be said for certain of our late friend and colleague, John Martin.

The former of these traits was clearly innate, as during his formative years at Belfast Royal Academy he earned the moniker ‘Duster’ in reference to the preferred choice of missile used by the teachers to keep John in line during his more boisterous classroom moments. This spirit of fun was never far from the surface with John but it was always mixed with a firm dedication to his career and the business he spent a lifetime building.

In his time as a pupil at Belfast Royal Academy, John played rugby throughout the age groups and later, as an alumnus, he became a stalwart of Academy Rugby Club as a flying full-back. A younger John can be seen adorning the walls of both the School and Club. Eventually his dedication to Academy moved from running rugby to running the school (or at least helping) as a long-serving member of the Board of Governors and former president of the Old Boys’ Association. John’s contribution to school life both past and present will be missed by many.

After completing his education, John had a brief spell with the public sector where he was employed as trainee valuer with the 36 • HRNI APRIL

old Valuation & Lands Agency in Ballymena.

For those of us who knew John in later life, it is difficult to imagine him as a ‘flexi-time’ employee clocking-off early, except perhaps on a Friday afternoon. To quote the man himself, ‘If you haven’t got your money made by this time on Friday, you may as well give up!’

Having worked with John for over a decade, there was rarely a morning when he wasn’t first into the office or arranging to meet before business hours at a pub in some far-flung corner of the Province.

John moved from the public sector to the Whelan Best Partnership under the tutelage of Captain Joe Whelan, where he began to focus on the licensed trade and build the reputation he was renowned for in this field.

His move to Osborne King in 2003 proved to be a springboard for an already considerable track-record in this area, where he became involved in some of the highest value licensed premises deals in Northern Ireland. Throughout his time as a director of Osborne King, he acted for a range of high-profile clients in the hospitality sector including The Galgorm Group, Beannchor Ltd, Whitbread/Premier Inn, The Mooney Hotel Group and The Carmichael Group, to mention a few; however his personality ensured that he was as comfortable leaning on the boardroom table as he was leaning against two feet of mahogany chatting

to the local publican.

As the property market rose in the early ‘noughties’, John’s indomitable personality came to the fore to spearhead Osborne King’s auction team. Rarely does one see the calmness with which John disposed of millions of pounds worth of property for clients in a room packed with developers and investors, yet it was all in a morning’s work for John. In 2014, John was still a key part of the Auction Team delivering the same steady service for clients albeit under more challenging market conditions.

Those of us who trained or worked under John at stages in our careers cannot say that we have not experienced his more irascible side as he was not one to suffer fools gladly, but how many of us can say we are not better off for having had a few home truths explained to us in his own delicate style? In a world of ever-increasing political correctness, John always knew how to call a spade a spade, and sometimes it was just a bloody shovel.

John is survived by his wife Sharon and two children Katie and Robbie. His friends and colleagues here at Osborne King are left in no doubt that our office and the Northern Ireland property market will be a less interesting place without John – a unique gentleman and character whose own departure call will long be remembered by us all, ‘taxi for McClatchey’.

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

classifiedsection

Classifieds A n easy r e f e r e n ce t o t h e B E S T f o r y o u r b u s i n e s s

N. Ireland Contacts Richard McCluskey - Customer Development Manager 07971508682

DRINKS DISTRIBUTORS & WHOLESALERS

Customer Development Executives Aaron Skinner Tel: 07971508732 Ryan Brown Tel: 07971508739

DRAUGHT BEER AND CIDER: Guinness, Guinness Mid Strength, Budweiser, Carlsberg, Harp, Smithwick’s, Smithwick’s Pale Ale, Warsteiner, Strongbow, Magners

VODKA Grey Goose Original • Grey Goose La Poire Grey Goose L’Orange • Grey Goose Le Citron Finlandia Classic • Finlandia Lime Finlandia Cranberry • Finlandia Grapefruit Finlandia Mango Eristoff • Eristoff Black Vodka • Eristoff Gold GIN Bombay Sapphire Gin WHISKEY Jack Daniel’s • Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Gentleman Jack • Tennessee Honey

PACKED BEERS: Carlsberg, Guinness, Guinness Extra Stout, Harp, Satzenbrau, Smithwick’s

VERMOUTH Martini Extra Dry • Martini Rosso • Martini Bianco • Martini Rosato Noilly Prat Dry BOURBON Woodford Reserve Bourbon SPECIALITY • Southern Comfort • Southern Comfort Lime • Tuaca • Chambord • Southern Comfort Black Cherry • St Germain Elderflower

RTD BACARDI Breezer Orange, Watermelon, Spritzer Mixed Berry AVAILABLE FROM ALL GOOD WHOLESALERS

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

AUDIO VISUAL

net i dl ex a N Deor e: f su Is

MAY 2015

Editorial: 24th APRIL

Advertising: 24th APRIL

DON’T MISS OUT! www.hospitalityreviewni.com

twitter.com/Hosp_ReviewNI

Country Director : Diageo Northern Ireland: Jorge Lopes TYPE OF BUSINESS: Drinks manufacturer and distributor

CUSTOMER SERVICES: 08456014649

RUM BACARDI Superior Rum • BACARDI Gold Rum BACARDI 8 Year Old Rum • Bacardi Razz • Bacardi Oakheart

SPARKLING Martini Asti • Martini Prosecco • Martini Rose

58 BOUCHER ROAD BELFAST BT12 6HR

VODKA: Smirnoff Red, Smirnoff Blue, Smirnoff Black, Green Apple Smirnoff, Lime Smirnoff, Smirnoff Gold, Ciroc, Kettle One, Ketel One Citroen WHISKIES: Bells, Johnnie Walker Red Label, Johnnie Walker Black Label, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Talisker GIN: Gordon’s, Tanqueray, Tanqueray No.Ten CREAM LIQUER: Bailey’s, Bailey’s Chocolate Luxe RUM: Captain Morgan, Ron Zacapa OTHER SPIRITS: Archers Peach Shnapps, Pimm’s No1, Sambuca Romano, Goldschlager, Bulleit RTD’s & Pre Mix Cans: Smirnoff Ice, Smirnoff PreMix Cans, Captain Morgan Pre-Mix Cans, Smirnoff Pouches, Parrot Bay Pouches

APRIL HRNI • 37

classifiedsection

2014

38 • HRNI APRIL

twitter.com/Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

classifiedsection

AMUSEMENT & LEISURE

028 9595 2100

COFFEE SUPPLIERS

Wine And So Much More

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

twitter.com/Hosp_ReviewNI

APRIL HRNI • 39

classifiedsection

CATERING EQUIPMENT

CATERING EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS

INDUSTRY ORGANISATIONS

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

91 University Street Belfast BT7 1HP. Tel: 028 9032 7578 Email: enquiries@pubsofulster.org Web: www.pubsofulster.org Twitter: @pubsofulster Facebook: ‘Pubs of Ulster’ Chairman: Mark Stewart Chief Executive: Colin Neill

Tourism Northern Ireland St Anne’s Court, 59 North Street, Belfast BT1 1NB

INTERIOR DESIGN & ARCHITECTURAL CONSULTANTS

Tel: +44 (0)28 9023 1221 Fax: +44 (0)28 9024 0960 Textphone: +44 (0)28 9044 1522 web: www.tourismni.com web: www.discovernorthernireland.com

ENERGY SUPPLIERS

40 • HRNI APRIL

twitter.com/Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

classifiedsection

net i dl ex a N Deor e: f su Is

LOCAL PRODUCE SUPPLIERS

MAY

Supplier of seafood to Ulster’s Leading Restaurants

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

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

Always working with local producers

24TH APRIL

24th APRIL INSURANCE

DON’T MISS OUT!

MAY 2015

Editorial: 24th APRIL Advertising: 24th APRIL

SEAFOOD

Blackstaff Road, Kennedy Way, Belfast. BT11 9DT. E: info@keenanseafood.com

Tel: 028 9061 8088

www.hospitalityreviewni.com

Editorial: Advertising:

Down Business Park, Downpatrick, BT30 9UP Tel: NI 028 4481 1500 ROI 01 80 30 555 Email: sales@crossgar.ie Web: www.crossgar.ie/www.pallasfoods.eu Twitter: @johncrossgar

e in t l x ad Ne Deor e: f su Is

2015

twitter.com/Hosp_ReviewNI

• the ONLY trade publication in Northern Ireland with a named controlled circulation

W: www.keenanseafood.com

APRIL HRNI • 41

thelastword

The Last

word…

name : STEVEN DAVIDSON • JOB TITLE : CONSULTANT • Company : WINE INNS/McCABES HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS ROLE? 19 months WHAT’S IN A DAY? Every day is fast paced; I could be dealing with customer bookings and entertainment for the weeks and months ahead in Alibi, as well as organising brand activation activity in some of our accounts for McCabes.

The weekends are full on with every Friday and Saturday being like a mini event with guest lists, table plans and DJs flying in and out and I am lucky to get to bed by 4am. I try to fit in a few gym sessions, ideally first thing to set me up for the day.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? A lifeguard at Cookstown Leisure Centre; however, I could just about swim myself!

It was great fun and I progressed to many different roles within Cookstown District Council, from coaching to co-ordinating summer schemes and events.

Entertainment

FAVOURITE TV SHOW: Entourage, movie out in June, can’t wait!

FAVOURITE FILM: Wall Street 1 ALBUM CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Ministry of Sound VIP by one of our guest DJs, Colin Francis FAVOURITE BAND: The Script LAST BOOK READ: Duncan Bannatyne - Riding the Storm FAVOURITE celebrity: Richard Branson

Favourite Quote: Have faith in yourself, think yes not no, live life to the full, never give up.”

by Richard Branson ?? • 42 • HRNI HRNI YEARBOOK APRIL

Photo: Grant Jones

SOCIAL

FAVOURITE FOOD: Every type of takeaway, otherwise chicken and rice!

FAVOURITE RESTAURANT: Ramore Complex LAST HOTEL YOU STAYED AT: MGM Grand, Las Vegas LAST BAR/NIGHTCLUB YOU VISITED: Omnia Nightclub at Caesars Palace FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD: So far, the Caribbean INDOOR CONCERT OR FESTIVAL? Concert LAST HOLIDAY: Las Vegas, although it was kind of work related!

DRINKS

FAVOURITE HOT DRINK: Coffee FAVOURITE SOFT DRINK: Still water BEER OR CIDER? Beer WHITE OR RED WINE? Red COCKTAILS OR BUBBLY? Cocktails

WHISKEY OR BRANDY? Brandy GIN OR VODKA? Vodka

ONE ITEM YOU COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT? iphone charger WHICH FOUR PEOPLE WOULD YOU INVITE TO A DINNER PARTY? Jay Z, David Beckham, Richard Branson and Leonardo DiCaprio WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE OF YOUR LIFE? Jeremy Piven, aka Ari Gold in Entourage!

IDEAL JOB? CEO of a worldwide drinks brand!

INSPIRATION IN YOUR LIFE? My mum, for lots of reasons.

THE MOST IMPORTANT LIFE LESSON YOU’VE LEARNT? Make time for people who really care about you.

twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI

www.hospitalityreviewni.com