HR March 2016

review NI

*AC Nielsen NI MAT January 2016.

MARCH 2016

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

WASTE NOT WANT NOT: New legislation comes into force on April 1, requiring businesses of a certain size to segregate their food waste and present it separately for collection. Among solution providers is Northern Ireland’s largest independent waste firm RiverRidge Recycling.

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GOING GREEN: A collaboration with EIPIC’s Jonathan Magennis to create a new cocktail Bite of the Apple, complementing its limited edition illuminated bottles for St Patrick’s Day, is the latest innovation from Lisburn-based Hughes Craft Distillery.

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PERFECT PAIRINGS: Diageo is on the ball for both this month’s Heritage & Traditions and April’s Brewing & Distilling themes, as part of Northern Ireland Year of Food & Drink, with a food pairing guide for its beer portfolio.

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TASTE OF TOURISM: Also celebrating Year of Food & Drink is the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, which is hosting a Taste of Tourism Summit at the Culloden on April 19 featuring ten acclaimed speakers including Angela Hartnett, JP McMahon and Paula McIntyre.

SOCIAL SCENE: The evening of February 22 was a busy one for the local hospitality scene, and saw a strong turnout for two launches: a refurbished Percy French at the Slieve Donard in Newcastle and Gerry White’s ‘Belfast Cut’ Jawbox Gin at the Linen Hall Library.

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MARCH HRNI • 3

comment

New ownership for Hospitality Review NI F

Alyson Magee Editor

or those who haven’t heard the news, Independent News & Media (INM) acquired Hospitality Review NI from Greer Publications last month, alongside three other titles formerly owned by James and Gladys Greer - Ulster Business, Northern Woman and Ulster Grocer.

INM is the parent company of the Belfast Telegraph, www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk and Sunday Life, as well as Propertynews.com and RecruitNI.com, and the four former Greer titles will be moving to new premises with the other INM businesses later in the year.

In the meantime, we will continue to operate from our current site at Edgewater Business Park, Belfast Harbour Estate and it will be very much business as usual with no change in personnel or operations.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank James and Gladys Greer for their support and excellent stewardship of the titles over the years, and look forward to developing the magazine under the guidance and expertise of INM.

Mark Glover Sales Manager

Hospitality Ulster launches campaign to modernise liquor licensing laws

H

ospitality Ulster launched a new campaign last month, aimed at pushing the Northern Ireland Assembly to modernise outdated liquor licensing laws as soon as it returns from the election period.

Some of the current laws governing the sale of alcohol are as much as 20, 50 and even 100 years old, says Hospitality Ulster, and its members are getting increasingly angry at the slow pace of change to modernise the outdated regulations.

As they stand, the liquor licensing laws are viewed as a barrier to growth in the local hospitality sector. A real opportunity now exists to drive tourism growth and develop the visitor experience so often celebrated by elected representatives, according to Hospitality Ulster.

“For years the hospitality sector has been pushing for changes to the outdated liquor licensing laws in Northern Ireland,” said Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster. “We have been promised the introduction of a Bill at the Northern Ireland Assembly to make the necessary changes; however the Assembly has failed to bring it forward.

“This is compounded by the fact that the issues

contained within the Bill have been consulted upon for over four years and, as time moves on, the hospitality sector is being left behind.”

“We are aware that there is not enough time left in the lifetime of this Assembly, but as soon as it returns after the election, this issue needs to be a top priority. Much of the work has been done and we know there is widespread support for the changes that are proposed, we now need the Assembly to stop sitting on its hands and bring the Bill forward.”

“We are a responsible industry. Going out to a pub or restaurant is actually one of the safest places to consume alcohol. The vast majority of the industry shows a high level of care towards its customers and visitors and through the Independent Panel on the Responsible Retailing of Alcohol Code even the marketing of promotions are carefully scrutinised with a strong code of conduct in place to ensure a quality standard is maintained.

“Pre loading, binge drinking, anti-social behaviour, restrictive Easter opening times and the prosecution of publicans on legal technicalities are only a small sample of the issues that we are faced with time and time

Launching the campaign were Hospitality Ulster Chair Olga Walls, Chief Executive Colin Neill, and past Chair Mark Stewart.

again. It is a worrying trend that 65% who drink alcohol consume it at home, while only 20% do so in a pub and 16% in restaurants* taking it out of the social setting where is it a safe and regulated environment. Harmful drinking is increasing and the industry is suffering under current law.”

“We are fighting against a downturn in domestic tourism, in a struggling economy, mixed with issues relating to the likes of VAT, rates, and the National Living Wage." *DHSSPSNI fifth Adult Drinking Patterns Survey

Editor: Alyson Magee Manager: Mark Glover Art Editor: Helen Wright Production Manager: Stuart Gray Subscriptions: 028 9078 3200 (Price £27.50 UK, £37.50 outside UK) Accounts: Gerardine Carson Published by Independent News & Media Ltd: Hospitality Review NI, 5B Edgewater Business Park, Belfast Harbour Estate, Belfast, BT3 9JQ. Tel: 028 9078 3200 Fax: 028 9078 3210.

Contact: alysonmagee@greerpublications.com. Tel: 028 9078 3246 Sales: markglover@greerpublications.com. Tel: 028 9078 3234 The Review is the official publication for: Hospitality Ulster: 91 University Street, Belfast, BT7 1HP. Tel: 028 9032 7578.

Chief Executive: Colin Neill Chairperson: Olga Patterson The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation: The McCune Building, 1 Shore Road, Belfast, BT15 3PJ. Tel: 028 9077 6635 Chief Executive: Janice Gault President: Ciaran O’Neill Design & Production by: Greer Publications Design Printed by: W. & G. Baird Ltd. The opinions expressed in Hospitality Review are not necessarily those of Hospitality Ulster or the NIHF. 4 • HRNI MARCH

Hospitality Review is copyright © Independent News & Media Ltd 2016

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Twilight Market to return to Belfast in May

ictured at Belfast City Council's recent Focus On Food conference are (from left) Noel Lavery, Permanent Secretary with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, celebrity chef and keynote speaker Valentine Warner, host Sarah Travers and Alderman Guy Spence, Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast.

B

elfast City Council is to stage two more Twilight Market evenings at St George’s Market on May 24 and 25, following the success of the first event last November.

The dates were confirmed by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman Guy Spence, during his opening address at a major conference held in the Market last month.

The conference, Focus on Food: Our Recipe for Tourism Success, brought together some of

industry’s top experts focused on the importance of the food and hospitality sectors to local tourism.

Speakers and panelists were drawn from all areas of the food and hospitality industry, including chefs, academics and retailers. The keynote speaker was top chef, food writer and broadcaster Valentine Warner, who shared his passion for food heritage, the people, the places and the stories they tell while ‘in conversation’ with conference host Sarah Travers.

The other speakers were led by the acclaimed Michelin Star chef, restaurateur and author JP McMahon, culinary director of the Eat Galway Restaurant Group, who addressed the importance of partnership and collaboration between all aspects of the food industry, including farmers, producers and restaurants.

Ewen Venters, CEO of Fortnum and Mason, looked at the shifting trends in food shopping, as well as how the store regards Northern Ireland products, such as award-winning Hannon Meats, Glenarm salmon and Shortcross gin, as being synonymous with the quality their customers expect.

Professor Lynsey Hollywood, lecturer in Consumer Management and Food Innovation at Ulster University, looked at latest trends in food tourism and agri-food, while Nigel Hardy, head of Global Food at Invest NI, provided practical information and advice on how local artisan producers can get their products into national and international marketplace including top-end retailers, and Damien Donnelly of Ad-Man Creative Marketing focused on practical and immediate tips on how to boost businesses through digital marketing.

There also was a series of panel discussions, looking at the subjects discussed in the main presentations. Panellists included Caroline Wilson of Belfast Food Tours, Jilly Dougan of Slow Food NI, the food journalist Joris Minne, Michelin Star restaurateur Michael Deane, Michele Shirlow of Food NI and Nigel Hardy.

The conference was organised by Belfast City Council, and supported by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development through its Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme, and Tourism NI, as part of the Year of Food & Drink 2016.

Visit Belfast announces new chairman D

r Howard Hastings OBE, managing director of Hastings Hotels, has been appointed as the new chairman of Visit Belfast.

He replaces David Gavaghan, who has chosen to focus on other commitments while continuing to serve as a member of the Board.

“This is a very exciting time for Belfast, where a huge amount of investment is resulting in a growing tourism industry,” said Hastings. “The extension of the Belfast Waterfront, a new cruise facility and new hotel developments are raising the city’s profile as an attractive destination. I am very pleased to take on the role of chairman of Visit Belfast and look forward to the opportunity to play my part in growing tourism further for the city.

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Gavaghan said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my time as chair of Visit Belfast, but given my other immediate commitments with Aurora Prime Real Estate and as chair of the Confederation of British Industry in Northern Ireland, I am delighted that Howard Hastings has agreed to replace me as chair and I am pleased to support him in his new role.”

Gerry Lennon, chief executive of Visit Belfast, said: “I would like to thank David for the work and dedication he showed as chair of Visit Belfast, and to congratulate Howard on his appointment. As managing director of Northern Ireland’s largest locally-owned hotel group, Howard is a very well-known and respected member of the tourism industry.

“He serves on the boards of Tourism Ireland and Food NI, and recently stood down as chair of Tourism Northern Ireland after a most

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Howard Hastings OBE

successful tenure. It is this experience that makes him an excellent choice as our new chair, and we are looking forward to working closely with him during his term.”

MARCH HRNI • 5

news

SIBA calls for further cut in beer duty I

n a detailed submission to the Government, the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) -which represents over 840 British breweries - has called for a fourth consecutive cut in beer duty in the Budget on March 16.

The call for a further drop in beer tax comes as new research by SIBA shows how the independent craft brewing industry has grown as a result of previous cuts in duty.

“The independent craft brewing industry is a British success story which needs further support to reach its potential,” said Mike Benner, managing director of SIBA. “Beer duty cuts in the last three budgets, together with the scrapping of the beer duty escalator in 2013, have funded investment and growth creating jobs in local communities across the UK. “British beer drinkers now have access to many thousands of excellent beers from British breweries of all shapes and sizes. SIBA is urging the Government to continue to support this important industry with a fourth consecutive beer duty cut in 2016.”

In its 23-page submission to Government, SIBA highlights a number of positive effects beer duty cuts have had on the independent brewing sector including on local jobs, investment and growth.

Seven out of 10 alcoholic drinks sold in pubs are beer and over 80% of the beer sold by SIBA members is consumed in pubs within 40 miles of the brewery, which SIBA says shows a close link between independent brewers and local pubs, to the benefit of communities and local economies.

Belfast sets sights on £1bn investment and thousands of jobs

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elfast’s major development sites are now largely free from the burden of NAMA debt and leading developers and investors in the region are back in the market seeking opportunities.

This was among key messages at the launch of a major investment initiative, Belfast Goes to Market, hosted by Lord Mayor Councillor Arder Carson at St George’s Market last month.

Belfast City Council Chief Executive Suzanne Wylie and Jackie Henry, senior partner of Deloitte Northern Ireland who is heading up a joint public/private sector delegation aimed at promoting Belfast at a major international investment event next month, were also among the speakers.

The audience of investors, developers, city stakeholders and political leaders heard that there has never been a better time to invest in the city and that a target of £1bn of investment and the creation of tens of thousands of jobs was within reach.

With planning powers having transferred to Belfast City Council, the city is in a strong position to deliver and, together with the movement in the real estate market, the prospect of more foreign direct investment and the pending lowering of corporation tax to 12.5% in April 2018, Belfast has now become a very attractive investment location for developers.

Among the projects that are expected to move towards development in the near future are a re-imagined Royal Exchange, a major scheme around the Belfast Telegraph, site regeneration of Castle Street and an eco business park in the North Foreshore.

The Sirocco Works has just been sold and it is hoped plans for its development will start to emerge over the summer along with adjacent sites such as Queens Quay.

“The council unveiled its investment and regeneration strategy last year with the aims of growing employment and the population, improving the retail offering and maximising tourism opportunity,” said the Lord Mayor.

“There are already tangible examples of how this is starting to work. Europe’s largest and most exciting waterfront development at Titanic Quarter continues to be transformed before our eyes. There are various other plans to for Grade A office space, student housing, hotels, residential developments.

“There are also plans for the new transport hub at Great Victoria Street Station, the new Belfast Rapid Transit System due to begin in 2018 and our universities are bringing forward half a billion worth of investment with Ulster University moving into the city centre and Queen’s investing around £300m in its property. This is a city on the rise and the time for investment in Belfast is now.”

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Food waste changes to affect hospitality sector Pamela Jordan

New duties for food businesses in Northern Ireland A

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t is widely reported that businesses and households in Northern Ireland create over 100,000 metric tonnes of food waste each year but, with new legislation looming, what actually will the new changes mean for businesses that need to dispose of food waste?

As of April 1, 2016, businesses will have to segregate their food waste and present it separately for collection as it can no longer be sent to landfill for disposal. Currently it only affects large producers so if you produce more than 50kg of food waste per week, the legislation will affect you come April.

But it’s not all bad news as. It would seem there are savings to be made as Pamela Jordan, business development manager of Northern Ireland’s largest independent waste firm, RiverRidge Recycling, explains: “This is a great opportunity for anyone in the hospitality sector to understand their waste, more importantly segregate it into waste streams and, in doing so, there could be savings.

“I’ve been in this industry over three years and I love being able to engage with customers and show them how to segregate their waste and that there is a real opportunity to save money.”

Founded some five years ago, Garvagh-based RiverRidge Recycling was originally a landfill business. With significant investment, it has evolved into a leading specialist provider of waste management solutions with further sites in DerryLondonderry and Portadown.

The company now firmly focuses on helping businesses identify ways in which they can move away from expensive landfill options and extract saving and new efficiencies from recycling. They also offer a full waste management service, from bespoke wheelie bins to commercial bins, skips and roll-on, roll-off containers alongside a complete, flexible collection service.

Pamela adds: “RiverRidge Recycling’s current www.hospitalityreviewni.com

procedures mean that collated data can inform customers how much waste they’ve diverted from landfill and the relevant financial saving. We work with some companies that hope to achieve zero waste but there is still the unavoidable food waste; potato peelings, egg shells and tea bags are just a few such items. In all of this, it’s essential that any business knows the make up of your waste and how you can save money.

“The easiest way to find out how you do this is availing of our free waste management audit where a business development manager will visit your business, look at your waste, to tell you how you can dispose of it in the most efficient and cost effective way.”

Pamela does have some concerns that many businesses haven’t addressed the new legislation. She adds: “These new regulations are administered by the NI Environment Agency and you will be fined if you don’t comply with them. It won’t take long to implement, but businesses need to act quickly.

“Once you understand how to segregate your waste and train your staff accordingly, the process is really much more simple than you may think. It’s worth noting that we provide our clients with all the bins that are needed to comply at no additional charge.

“If you go with your local authority, you’ll have to buy your bins from them. We charge our clients on a monthly basis for the service we provide, but this can be 10-15% – and sometimes as much as 40% – cheaper than local authority rates for waste disposal.

“The new rules are a sensible approach and they will lead to a reduction in costs for businesses as well as a cleaner, greener environment for everyone,” adds Pamela. “We must find other alternatives to landfill for disposal of our waste and these new rules are a way of helping companies follow through on that.”

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food business is any business that carries out activities related to the processing, distribution, preparation or sale of food. This includes: * Restaurants and cafes * Shopping and food courts * Canteens * Hotels * Pubs that serve food * Shops that serve food * Supermarkets * Schools and colleges * Prisons, nursing homes and hospitals If you are a food business, then you must be prepared to present food waste for separate collection: * by April 1, 2016 for large producers * by April 1, 2017 for small producers and Health and Social Care trusts You are a large producer if you regularly produce more than 50kg of food waste per week.

You are a small producer if you regularly produce between 5kg and 50kg of food waste per week.

A 120-litre bin holds approximately 60kg of food waste.

Exempt businesses Your businesses are exempt from the regulations if: * You produce less than 5kg of food waste per week. * You deal with catering waste that has arisen from international transport.

International transport waste is a Category 1 Animal By-product and therefore requires specialist management.

5kg is roughly equivalent to a full domestic kitchen caddy.

There is a prohibition on the land-filling of separately-collected food waste from April 1, 2015.

The regulations also introduce a duty on businesses to ensure food waste is not deposited in a lateral drain or sewer from April 1, 2017.

MARCH HRNI • 7

chefprofile

Michael Sharkey from Sally’s of Omagh talks to Alyson Magee Michael Sharkey

M

ichael Sharkey hasn’t strayed far from Omagh in his career as a chef and it has worked well for him, as he knows exactly what local customers are looking for.

Born and raised in the town, he quickly honed in on a career in hospitality and catering and, after school, enrolled at Omagh College of Further Education, where over the next four years he progressed to an NVQ Level 3 in the sector.

A face now known to many was his first manager, the Europa’s James McGinn. “My first job was at The Woodlander in Omagh

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when I was 16,” says Michael. “Jimmy McGinn was the manager. He was very good to work for, a good laugh and it was a good place to be. I was there for two years.”

Leaving in 1993, next up was The Sperrin, just outside Omagh, and Michael would spend the longest stretch of his career to date there, working at the busy restaurant and steak house until 2005.

“I went in as a commis chef and progressed very quickly,” he says. “I was running it when I was 18, 19 and ran the kitchen for 12-13 years.”

At The Sperrin, Michael led a team of 20 in the kitchen. “It was a steak house, serving mostly steak, chicken and some fish dishes,” he says.

“It was very fast and very buzzy. It was certainly a learning curve; a quick one and a hard one, and it turned out to be very successful. Customers would have been booking two to three weeks ahead for tables at the weekend, when we’d be doing 250-300 covers a night.”

After the frenetic pace at The Sperrin, “I felt I needed a break from it,” he says. “I was all for leaving catering at that point and was out of it for a year but then I missed it.”

After tinkering around in a few other positions, Michael had heard about Sally’s of Omagh investing £4m in a major rebuild and, in 2008, approached John McGirr about a position, “and it just progressed from there.”

Sally’s is all about bistro-style, casual dining; “the type of food people want in Omagh,” says Michael. “That tends to create your style – what people want.”

Steaks and chicken dishes are popular, including one of the most popular items on the menu, Bushmills Chicken.

Jamie Oliver would be an influence. “I like his style of cooking and it works for us,” he says. “It’s a speed thing as well.”

Michael has to keep the food coming, with Sally’s open seven days a week from 10am to 9pm, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Lunchtime trade is brisk, with lunch specials a popular choice. On a Sunday, the team would typically handle 200 covers for lunch and the same again at dinner.

While the menu doesn’t change often, Michael is updating it in the next few months to put some old favourites back on due to popular demand. “We just cook what people want,” he says.

Crossgar Pallas supplies meat and dried goods to the business, while other local suppliers include Gortrush Food Services, Glenrossan Fish Products, Quinfresh, The Meat Joint, Farmview Fresh Eggs and The Grove Dairy.

Since 2009, Sally’s has picked up 24 awards including seven for food such as Tyrone’s Gastro Pub of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Ireland.

Michael leads a team of 12 in the kitchen, while the same number again operate front of house, with Sally’s employing over 100 staff in total including nightclub staff. “A lot of it is down to teamwork,” he says. “You rely on a team to produce good food, and front of house as well. A lot of our team has been there from the start, with just a few add-ons.”

Michael would work 40-45 hours per week himself, some of which would be spent on management and ordering.

In his spare time, he likes to play the guitar and take long drives to unwind after a busy day at Sally’s. Baking at home is another hobby. “I try my hand at old-style baking,” he says, “things you would have had at school like coconut jam sponge.”

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flogasprofile

The Percy French, Newcastle

Manager James Toal tells HRNI about The Percy French’s recent refurbishment.

WHAT FEEL ARE YOU AIMING FOR? The Percy French is primarily a Bistro or an Inn, as it is also referred to, offering diners a casual yet stand out dining experience. We strive to ensure all our guests enjoy a really memorable dining experience with roaring fires in winter and beautiful al fresco dining overlooking some of the best scenery in the UK in summer.

James Toal with Hastings Hotels Chairman Sir William Hastings

WHEN DID THE RESTAURANT OPEN? The Percy French opened 23 years ago as an informal option to formal dining in the Slieve Donard Hotel, and was originally called the Dog’s Head. Sir William Hastings was inspired by the success of the Cultra Inn which is located at the 5 star Culloden Estate and Spa. The name was changed to the Percy French after the famous artist and composer who was a regular visitor to Newcastle and is known for many famous songs including Where the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the Sea. Visitors who sit in the Percy French can enjoy a panoramic view of the majestic Mourne mountains which ‘sweep down to the sea’. They can also learn all about Percy French by reading about him in the restaurant as the walls are adorned with many stories and picture relating to the man.

TELL US ABOUT THE SPACE YOU HAVE The Percy French is primarily a 72-cover restaurant; however we also offer an additional dining area in the bar featuring a further 30 covers and outdoor seating for a further 30 people. We also provide a dining experience to private dinners, tour groups and pre/post wedding parties.

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WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU AND WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT? Using only the finest local produce from a host of local key suppliers, our wholesome and varied menu has been created by our Head Chef George Voronin to satisfy every culinary taste. Our extensive menu provides a range of vegetarian and gluten free options, as well as a popular and great-value Wine and Dine menu which costs only £17 per person for two courses and glass of wine every Monday– Friday between 5pm and 7pm.

As part of our Northern Ireland Year of Food & Drink celebrations, we have special themed dishes running alongside our usual delicious food and drink options. March is Heritage & Traditions month, so our additional dishes are Spring Northern Ireland Lamb Hotpot with Causeway Chips made from Comber potatoes and locally-farmed Heather Honey Carrots.

Those with a sweet tooth will be delighted as our dessert is Chocolate Hot Cross bun and butter pudding served with Glastry Farm Vanilla Bean ice-cream. In April, as part of Brewing & Distilling month, our additional dishes are Loin of Northern Irish Pork, with home-grown Herb and Apple Stuffing and a delicious Spring Onion Boxty, with a Shortcross Gin and Juniper Jus and the dessert is Bushmills Whiskey Creme Brulee.

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WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS? Our customers are very varied. We have our local regulars, the day trip market that may just be out for a drive along the coast, the international golfers coming to play at Royal County Down, the hotel’s guests who are staying for a few days – perhaps they are attending a wedding the next day or just enjoying a relaxing spa break, or guests who are attending a conference. We host lots of private events also such as pre and post wedding celebrations, birthday, anniversary and retirement dinners, and smaller corporate functions. We always have special menus on for key dates such as Valentine’s and Mother’s Day, Easter and we have a super kids menu which is great for our younger guests.

HOW WAS TRADE OVER THE PAST YEAR? We are pleased to say that we had our busiest year to date last year. The Irish Open being hosted at Royal County Down provided us with excellent business opportunities in May last year, and we enjoyed continued business from golfers for the rest of the season. I also think that we have built up a very strong core of regular, more local customers who are loyal to us and come back to eat with us again and again, plus they tell their friends - the power of a ‘word of mouth’ recommendation is amazing.

Downs Road, Newcastle Tel: 028 43723175 E: percyfrench@sdh.hastingshotels.com

MARCH HRNI • 9

foodnews

Co Down student crowned top student chef in Ireland

Jody Seed is pictured with judges Mark McCarthy, Mark Moriarty and Michael Gantley.

J

ody Seed, representing Southern Regional College, Newry, has been crowned KNORR Student Chef of the Year 2016 after a thrilling cook off hosted by Athlone Institute of Technology featuring 14 competitors last month.

Celebrating its 19th year in 2016, KNORR Student Chef of the Year is open to catering colleges, institutes of technology and training centres across the island of Ireland.

The theme of this year’s competition was The Future of Irish Cuisine and focused on

celebrating Irish ingredients and cooking methods. This year’s competition was judged by a panel comprising Unilever Food Solutions Business Development Chef Mark McCarthy; guest judge and San Pellegrino World Young Chef of the Year Mark Moriarty and Athlone Institute of Technology Chef Lecturer Michael Gantley.

Students were challenged to create a starter using sustainable Irish seafood, and a main course celebrating Irish venison. Students were also asked to demonstrate an understanding of the challenges of culinary sustainability, food waste management and allergen awareness.

Seed produced a trio of seafood, pot-roasted turbot, ragout of mussels, leeks, bacon, cider and poached oyster, lemon confit and oyster foam. For his main course, he served a roast haunch of venison with red cabbage, pickled pear marmalade, parsnip puree, charred tender stem broccoli, glazed carrot and garlic kale.

“The KNORR Student Chef of the Year competition is an ideal platform for the country’s brightest talents to not only demonstrate their culinary flair and talent, but to also develop

Flogas to sponsor Ireland’s newest touring golf professional

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logas Ireland has announced it has become Cormac Sharvin’s first commercial sponsor, as the former Walker Cup star embarks on a career in the professional golf ranks.

A talented hurler, Sharvin, who hails Flogas Ireland MD John Rooney is pictured with newly from Downpatrick, minted golf pro Cormac Sharvin at the announcement of Co Down and plays Flogas as his first commercial sponsor. out of the Ardglass Golf Club, switched to golf later in life than most top amateurs at age 15, but quickly caught up and achieved a scratch handicap within two years.

He finished off his amateur career in style with a 100%-win record during the 2015 Walker Cup. “We are very pleased to be able to support Cormac in his ambitions to become a successful professional golfer,” said John Rooney, managing director, Flogas Ireland. “Flogas is an Irish-owned company operating on an all-Ireland basis, much like golf, and we have big ambitions as an energy company, in the way that Cormac has great ambitions to make his mark in professional golf.

Cormac Sharvin said: “I’m really excited to be turning professional and very grateful to Flogas for their support and faith in me, at the beginning of my career. I am fully aware of the significant costs that can be incurred by every touring professional, which is why this sponsorship deal is so important to me, taking some of the financial worries away, allowing me to concentrate on developing my game and being as competitive as possible.”

10 • HRNI MARCH

new skills that are certain to serve them well as they embark on what I am confident will be long, successful careers,” said McCarthy.

“The greatest challenge for everyone in the foodservice industry, and indeed those starting out, is that it constantly changes. This is why we ask our student chef finalists to not only think about the story behind their dishes, but to also tackle some of the current issues that are facing the industry, whether this is cutting down on food waste in the kitchen or meeting legislation changes.

“I’m happy to report that all our students created wonderful menus this year, while also meeting our challenge excellently. I feel inspired and confident that the future of our foodservice industry is in safe hands.”

As well as the much-coveted KNORR Student Chef of the Year title, the winner will be going on a trip to Copenhagen, dining at the world’s leading sustainable restaurant Relae and also at Amass, as well as a unique food tour of Copenhagen.

A separate hygiene award was presented to Cameron Ashcroft from Northern Regional College (Ballymoney Campus).

Belfast’s James Street South named in Top 100

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wardwinning Belfast restaurant James Street South has been named in the McKennas’ Guide to the 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland. Announced last month in partnership with the Sunday Times, James Street South retained its coveted position as one of the best restaurants to dine in on the island of Ireland.

Published by Bridgestone and providing invaluable resources, the independent, multi award-winning guides to Irish food and hospitality across all 32 counties are written and edited by John and Sally McKenna.

The inclusion marks a great start to the year for James Street South Restaurant and follows an accolade-laden 2015, winning both the Best Restaurant in Ireland at the Georgina Campbell Awards and Chef David Gillmore winning Best Chef in Ireland at the Janus Awards.

“To kick off 2016 as one of the Top 100 restaurants in Ireland is testament to the hard work and stellar team effort that is put in by the whole team at James Street South,” said Niall McKenna, head chef and owner.

“We have worked hard to create an atmosphere and experience that people travel hundreds of miles to enjoy. As proud supporters of local produce and the provenance of Northern Ireland’s delicacies, our Year of Food & Drink 2016 could not get off to a better start.”

Niall McKenna

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yearoffood&drink

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MARCH HRNI • 11

Revamping licensing laws will boost tourism

By Michele Shirlow, chief executive, Food NI

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ospitality Ulster is spearheading a drive to revamp our archaic liquor licensing laws. It’s a cause that I fully support.

Why? A review is essential because some of the existing laws are over a century old and have been overtaken by changes in our economic environment and society. Furthermore, there has been a huge change in the drinks industry here with an explosion of craft brewers, cider makers and distillers who have the potential to drive food and drink tourism; now a growing industry for Northern Ireland and one with immense potential.

Allowing small producers and restaurants greater freedom with alcohol sales would benefit tourism and help to enhance employment opportunities. The drive is all about modernising the law, creating a pro-business environment to enable us to provide a service that tourists expect. By 2020, it is hoped that tourism will be generating upwards of £1bn for the local economy by attracting almost five million visitors and also creating thousands of new jobs across Northern Ireland.

Research shows that many tourists, particularly from the US and Britain, are attracted to Ireland because of its excellent restaurants and friendly pubs. We now have some of the best restaurants in the British Isles that are providing original and outstandingly tasty dishes. It’s important that they should be able to maximise their potential and margins that will facilitate further investment in services, people and premises. Our restaurants and pubs, in addition, are facing intense competition from the Republic of Ireland where VAT and rates are substantially lower.

We will also be celebrating our rapidly 12 • HRNI MARCH

developing brewing and distilling industry in April as part of Year of Food & Drink.

And there’s a great deal to celebrate. Just as consumers now have a sharper focus on the origin of their food, so too they are eager to find out where their beer and spirits are produced which, of course, plays into the hands of small, artisan producers in particular.

This trend has helped to shape Northern Ireland’s dynamic craft beer sector, now boasting almost 30 microbreweries producing an amazing range of beers and ciders.

There’s now every type of beer available here including stouts, ales, red beers as well as Belgian and German-style beers.

The enterprising James Huey, owner of the Walled City Brewery and Restaurant in Derry, has been producing beers in line with Year of Food & Drink monthly themes. James, in

keeping with breakfast month in January, produced Snout, a beer with bacon flavours which sold out as did his tribute to Love Local in February.

Virtually every city and large town boasts at least one craft brewery; some already doing business outside Northern Ireland and others seeking to move into Britain and the Republic of Ireland. I know of at least one craft brewery that has sold beer to China!

As well as being home to the world’s oldest licensed distillery, Old Bushmills, Northern Ireland now has three other Irish whiskey producers – Echlinville in Kircubbin, Niche Drinks in Londonderry, which is making The Quiet Man, and Belfast Distillery Company, home of Titanic and Danny Boy. In addition, Rademon Craft Distillery is producing Shortcross gin and maturing a whiskey and Jawbox gin has just been launched in Belfast. 8Leaf in Donacloney is also developing a gin based on our linen heritage.

Ruby Blue in Lisburn is producing an Irish potato vodka and fruit berry liqueurs. And Dualist spiced rum has been developed in Ballynahinch!

Northern Ireland, furthermore, now has around 20 craft breweries in addition to the longer established Hilden in Dunmurry and Whitewater in Kilkeel; both now exporting beers, ales and stouts worldwide. All of these producers are being held back by our archaic licensing laws.

A vibrant hospitality sector has an important role to play in encouraging and supporting what has become one of our most dynamic industries. So here's to reform of licensing in 2016; wouldn't that be a wonderful legacy of Year and Food & Drink!

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Year of Food & Drink continues with Heritage & Traditions

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orthern Ireland Year of Food & Drink 2016 is a celebration of everything that makes local produce so good including epic landscapes, time-honoured traditions and the people and producers behind its food heritage.

The theme for February is Heritage & Traditions.

THIS MONTH’S EVENTS: MARCH 1 Bangor Beer Club 8pm, The Salty Dog, Bangor Shortcross Gin Evening Galgorm Resort & Spa MARCH 3 Comber Farmers’ Market 9:30am-1:30pm, The Square, Comber MARCH 5 Year of Food & Drink Sampling 10am-4pm, Tesco Newtownbreda MARCH 6 Mother’s Day specials Province-wide James Street South - 1-4pm MARCH 8-10 IFEX 2016 Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast MARCH 12 Artisan Chocolate Skills Workshop 10:30am-4pm, Ballycastle Town Centre MARCH 14 Four Seasons at Balloo/ Tom Kitchin Dinner 7-11pm, Balloo House, Comber Road, Killinchy

Hastings Hotels does the waggle dance with new honey supplier

MARCH 17 St Patrick’s Day specials Province-wide Salty Dog Gourmet Evening: Feast of Heritage 7pm, Salty Dog, Bangor MARCH 18-20 St Patrick’s Day at St George’s Market Belfast Traditional music, special trader offers and family fun.

MARCH 19 Chocolate Ecstasy Tour 11am-4:30pm, Neary Nogs, Belfast MARCH 19-20 LegenDerry Food Festival 12-6pm, Guildhall Square, Derry~Londonderry Entertainment, excitement and local food.

MARCH 26 Ballymoney Market 11am-3pm, Castlecroft Square MARCH 28 Easter Market in Ballycastle 11am-4pm, Marine Hotel, Ballycastle

The theme for APRIL is Brewing & Distilling.

For more information on getting involved in Year of Food & Drink 2016, visit www.hospitalityreviewni.com twitter.com: @Hosp_ReviewNI www.discovernorthernireland.com.

Howard Hastings, managing director of Hastings Hotels is pictured with Lyndon Wortley (right), Tim McClelland, a cereal farmer from Tandragee, and Roisin Armstrong, author of Porridge is an Aphrodisiac.

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astings Hotels has continued its commitment to supporting local food producers by signing a new deal with Portadown beekeeper Lyndon Wortley to supply his Waggle Dance Honey, made in Northern Ireland, to its six hotels.

“Food provenance is of utmost importance to us and we have worked hard to ensure that, where possible, we buy locally-produced ingredients for our guests to enjoy,” said Howard Hastings, managing director of Hastings Hotels, “which is why I am delighted that we have secured a new partnership for locallyproduced Waggle Dance Honey from Lyndon Wortley, who is a prominent member of the Northern Ireland Beekeeping Association.

“At breakfast, our porridge oats come from White’s in Tandragee and this is accompanied by fresh cream from Farmview Dairies in Belfast or Bushmills Whiskey. And now, for the first time, we are able to offer our guests a honey accompaniment from Portadown.

“The honey that Lyndon produces collaboratively with other local NI beekeepers, Waggle Dance, is named after the figure-eight dance of the honey bee, as it searches for pollen and indicates the best places to search to its fellow bees. The honey is also being used to glaze the vegetables in our special menus during February, when Love Local is the theme throughout the Province for the 2016 Northern Ireland Year of Food & Drink.”

Local beekeeper Lyndon Wortley said: “I am thrilled to have secured a contract with Hastings Hotels to supply its six hotels with my Waggle Dance Honey. Working alongside my father Leslie, we provide help and accommodation for a few colonies of honey bees, deep in ‘The Garden of Ulster’. I look forward to working with Howard and the chefs in his six hotels to ensure guests from around the world enjoy a true taste of Northern Ireland.”

MARCH HRNI • 13

drinksnews

Enduring commitment to quality leads at Robert Roberts ROBERT ROBERTS HISTORY obert Roberts today is the legacy of two great Irish families – the Goodbodys and the Wardells.

Robert Roberts in Ireland was established by E. Gaynor Goodbody. Although, E. Gaynor was born in England, his family were Quakers from Tullamore. At a young age, he was apprenticed to Robert Roberts, the Quaker café

R

and restaurant owners in Liverpool. His talent and work ethic marked him out and, because of his Irish connections, he was sent back to Dublin to start a business in Ireland.

Under E Gaynor’s stewardship, Robert Roberts in Ireland prospered. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of Robert Roberts in the UK. They were heavily dependent on the White Star Line ​for custom and, of course, the Titanic disaster ended this relationship. Its horses, which were core to its delivery business, were requisitioned by the British Army in 1914 with the promise they would be back for Christmas. The company fell on hard times and was wound up in 1916.

ROBERT ROBERTS TODAY obert Roberts today is still as much of a part of Irish life as it ever was.

Laying claim as Ireland’s favourite fresh coffee brand, it also offers a growing range of quality fairtrade and specialty teas.

You will find Robert Roberts in shops from convenience stores to large supermarkets and in cafés, restaurants, hotels and canteens in the north and south of Ireland. Robert Roberts roasts and grinds its fresh coffee and blends its tea in a facility off the Broomhill Road in Tallagh, Dublin.

Its commitment to quality endures, and has been endorsed by the Guild of Fine Food in successive Great Taste Awards competitions.

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14 • HRNI MARCH

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2014, 2015

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Bushmills Irish Whiskey launches its first travel retail exclusive

David Phelan (left) of Jose Cuervo and Colum Egan of The Old Bushmills Distillery are pictured with Ciara Hamill of George Best Belfast City Airport.

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ushmills Irish Whiskey has launched its first range of limited edition Irish whiskeys available exclusively to shoppers in select travel retail outlets, The Steamship Collection. The first release in the collection, Sherry Cask Reserve, combines the centuries-old fine Irish whiskey making craft with intercontinental flavours, to mark the 125th anniversary of the maiden voyage of SS Bushmills.

The limited edition collection is inspired by the extraordinary voyages of the SS Bushmills

steamship to new corners of the world and introduces a range of special cask-matured Bushmills Irish whiskeys. In 1890 the ship, commissioned by then owners The Boyd Brothers, set course for America, travelling as far as Philadelphia and Yokohama, before eventually returning refilled with casks of rum, fortified wine and bourbon – the gateway to new flavour possibilities.

“The launch marks an exciting phase for Bushmills and demonstrates Jose Cuervo’s commitment to unlocking the potential of this legendary whiskey in the high profile travel retail channel,” said David Phelan, director of Jose Cuervo Global Travel Retail. “The Steamship Collection is available now in Belfast, Dublin and London Heathrow and, while it can’t be purchased elsewhere, we hope distribution will extend across the world, just like the voyages of SS Bushmills to the USA, Asia and beyond.”

Sherry Cask Reserve is exclusively matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts to deliver additional

Tennent’s leads the way with calorie information F

Alistair Campbell, (Tennent's NI) highlights the nutritional value of Tennent’s lager.

rom March this year, shoppers will easily be able to see the calorific content on the packaging of Tennent’s lager.

Tennent’s is set to become the first alcohol product in the UK and Ireland to print clear nutritional information on its cans and bottles.

From later this month, cans of Tennent’s lager will begin to appear with clear calorie information printed on the packaging.

Tennent’s NI will extend the visibility of nutritional information on its brands to pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants by displaying this

information on 50,000 drip mats.

“As a responsible producer of alcohol and proud owner of brands that are trusted and enjoyed by drinkers across Ireland, we wanted to further extend our commitment to promote the responsible consumption of alcohol,” said Tom McCusker, managing director of Tennent’s NI. “There is increasing interest amongst consumers around the nutritional content of the food and drink that they consume. We feel that it is a natural next step to include calorie information on our cans and bottles to sit alongside the responsible drinking messaging and number of alcohol units already displayed. Calorie content is an easily understandable way to help people make better choices about what and how much they consume. They can see this information on the foods they eat; we therefore believe that the packaging of our beer and cider brands should carry these details too.”

Tennent’s lager contains 30 kcal/100ml, which is the lowest of the main lager brands. In comparison, soft drinks like orange juice and cola contain 44kcal and 43kcal per 100ml respectively.

Tennent’s is part of C&C Group plc, manufacturer of some of the UK and Ireland’s leading drinks brands including Magners Cider. C&C will be rolling out nutritional information across its portfolio over the next 12 months.

16 • HRNI MARCH

spiced honey, dark chocolate and rich dried fruit flavours. The bottle is presented in distinctive maritime-designed packaging featuring a replica illustration of the famous Bushmills steamship.

Colum Egan, master distiller at The Old Bushmills Distillery, said: “For centuries, distillers have experimented with different barrels so naturally I was inspired by the adventures of the ship and the opportunities it opened to experiment with various casks from around the world. So, together with Master Blender Helen Mulholland, we created a whiskey with a rich, complex flavour and a smooth finish – a characteristic synonymous with our range of triple-distilled whiskeys.”

A limited number of bottles of Sherry Cask Reserve are available now exclusively to travellers in Belfast City, Dublin and Heathrow T5 priced at €80, £65, $89 for 1Litre. It is the first release in the collection, which will soon comprise three permanent expressions plus regular special releases.

Lambrini introduces Ooh Passionfruit flavour

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ambrini has introduced a fresh new flavour, Ooh Passionfruit, to its popular range, which is distributed in Northern Ireland by Untied Wine Merchants.

Lambrini is hoping to tap into a growing trend for more exotic fruit flavours in the alcohol sector. Available throughout the off trade from February, the Ooh Passionfruit variant will join the brand’s existing 5% ABV, So Strawberry, Very Cherry & Truly Peach flavours.

“The launch of the Ooh Passionfruit variant into the market in Northern Ireland is the natural choice for the brand, we are always adapting our ranges to suit consumer trends and as the trend for fruit flavoured alcoholic drinks increases we feel that Ooh Passionfruit is the perfect addition to our brand portfolio,” said Emma Haughian, brand manager for Lambrini at United Wine Merchants.

“We hope that Ooh Passionfruit will provide people with a fresh, sparkling way to enjoy a glass of their favourite Lambrini with friends.”

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Crabbie’s launches onpack prize promotion to celebrate the

Crabbie’s Grand National

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o celebrate Crabbie’s headline sponsorship of the Grand National 2016, United Wine Merchants - which distributes the iconic brand throughout Northern Ireland - has announced an on-pack offer with a range of prize incentives.

The on-pack promotion will give consumers the chance to win a £50,000 cash prize with a range of other prizes also up for grabs, including Give It Some Ginger bags, Crabbie’s branded sunglasses, flipflops and t-shirts along with bottles and cans of Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer. Point-of-sale kits, including Crabbie’s Grand National branded free-standing display units, will be distributed throughout the on trade.

The marketing campaign is themed around the line Give it Some Ginger - a play on Crabbie’s Ginger Beer name. Consumers will be encouraged to enter the competition by peeling back the inside flap of the bottle 18 • HRNI MARCH

label on promotional bottles to reveal a unique code. Consumers then enter the code on www. crabbiesgingerbeer.co.uk/grand-nationalcompetition, and get to pick a horse out of three which will then race through famous landmarks in Liverpool; if they get to Aintree, they win a prize.

The offer will run across all 500ml and 330ml bottles of Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer throughout the off and on trades, and competition stock will be available until October.

“The 2015 Crabbie’s Grand National was attended by over 150,000 spectators and

watched by over 6m worldwide,” said Emma Haughian, brand manager at United Wine Merchants. “The sponsorship is the perfect brand visibility opportunity, and the promotion will allow fans of Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer in Northern Ireland to join in with the excitement of The Crabbie’s Grand National, even if they’re not able to attend the race itself.”

Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer is made from a unique recipe that has four secret ingredients which, coupled with the steeped ginger, give the drink its sparkle, crispness and its uniquely ginger and refreshing difference.

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Wine Wizard!

Ciaran Meyler

Spring into wine I

by Ciaran Meyler

ts time to come out of hibernation and start drinking white and rosé wines again.

Springtime signals lots of change, not just with the weather, but with our own attitude to life. We start to rediscover the outdoors, maybe even dine alfresco; with a jumper on of course. We start to move away from the big warming stews and starchy foods, and switch our attention to lighter cuisine, light salads, cold meats; spuds are replaced with couscous, cold pasta salads and coleslaw.

All of this has a big influence on what we like to drink; big spicy alcoholic reds become too overpowering whilst sitting in the back garden, so we should start searching out soft juicy Pinot Noirs, Valpolicella and fruity roses such as Marques de Caceres and Nederburg.

Food, wine pairings Here are some of my favourite summer salads with wine pairings: • Cold vegetable and tomato pasta salad with loads of char-grilled peppers, onions,

aubergines and courgettes served with a juicy Italian red; my favourite is Montepulciano D’abruzzo Cerulli Spinozzi.

• Oven roasted salmon served with lemon and dill couscous, I’m salivating just writing about it, this dish always brings me back to the caravan in France, so to lift it off the plate you need an inexpensive white burgundy Chanson Vire Clesse or unoaked French Chardonnay Ropiteau Les Plants Noble.

• Wafer thin sliced Parma ham with hard boiled eggs, baby tomato’s and some mixed leaf salad; this is a healthy brunch perfect after a Saturday lie in, so easy to prepare and even easier to devourer. I love this with a grassy Sauvignon Blanc, try Waka Taua or The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc.

• The crowd-pleasing grilled chicken Caesar salad will always work well with an acidic style of Pinot Noir (Costa Vera) or if you prefer white Mc Guigan’s Black Label Pinot Grigio as they can stand up to the bold flavours of garlic and anchovies.

• The classic Spanish Omelette is also so easy to throw together and it’s gorgeous with a wee glass of Marques de Caceres Rosado.

Anyway, that’s just a few of my favourites, try something different yourself. But remember you have to do it outside, it all tastes so much better.

Quote of the month: “Alcohol is the anaesthesia by which we endure the operation of life.”

George Bernard Shaw Competition Last month we asked, within Nederburg Wines what does the term 56 Hundred refer to?

The answer is Philippus Wolvaart bought the farm that lay between the Berg and Palmiet rivers for 5600 guilder.

Hand in hand with his wife, Margaretha, they nurtured the land and built a strong foundation on which the success of Nederburg was to flourish.

We are pleased to announce that the winner of a case of the new and delicious Nederburg 56 Hundred is Peter McMahon. We will be in touch Peter. This month, to be in with a chance of winning a case of The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc (voted IWSC best Sauvignon Blanc 2013), please answer the following question. From which country does the Crossings originate?

Send your answer to nina@unitedwines.co.uk before Friday March 18th.

20 • HRNI MARCH

United Wine Merchants, 70 Silverwood Road, Craigavon, BT66 6SY Tel: 028 3831 6555 Fax: 028 3831 6444 sales@unitedwines.co.uk www.unitedwines.co.uk

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Introducing the real life Jameson barrel man Midleton Master Cooper Ger Buckley, visiting Belfast for a coopering demonstration at The Dirty Onion last month, tells Alyson Magee about his 200-year old craft. it, the triple distillation and the smoothness, it’s become a really popular whiskey and the whole portfolio has expanded. My role has gotten bigger, in that I’m responsible for all the casks that enter the Midleton Distillery. Every single barrel is handled by a cooper and examined for quality, to make sure we don’t have any leaks in the warehouse. We have well over a million barrels at this stage.

Ger Buckley

TELL US ABOUT YOUR VISIT TO BELFAST The event is with people in the trade from bartenders to owners and my purpose, as the master cooper for Jameson, is to explain the influence of wood, the types of wood we choose and the construction of a cask. I’m going to demonstrate taking a barrel apart and rebuilding it. The one thing about coopering is so little of it has changed, and I will show that coopering is very similar still to how my dad would have done it. It’s a family trade; I’m a fifth generation cooper going back at least 200 years and a lot of the tools have been handed down.

HOW DO THE CASKS INFLUENCE JAMESON BLACK BARREL? We use basically white oak only, but various varieties of white oak. American white oak is very sweet with a lot of vanilla, sugars and toasted wood. With Jameson Black Barrel, I go to Kentucky every year to supervise the extra charring of barrels, so we double char to get a lot more vanilla contribution and more toasted notes in Jameson Black Barrel. The whole burning of a cask is an American tradition and, essentially, what that does is cook the wood.

You cook the timber so that you caramelise and crystallise the sugars and vanillas in the oak, 22 • HRNI MARCH

and they release quicker and sweeter into the whiskey. It’s a very important process in the whole tradition, and it’s something we take to an extra level in Jameson Black Barrel.

TELL US ABOUT JAMESON CASKMATES That whole project happened accidentally maybe two or three years ago in that a local brewer in Cork who was friendly with one of our distillers asked for some whiskey casks to try and mature one of his stouts at Franciscan Well and get a Jameson influence which turned out really nice. Our distiller decided to fill the six or seven barrels that came back just to see what might happen and as it turns out, about two or three months later, that whiskey had a really amazing taste of the beer influence on Jameson.

You get a much more smooth, cocoa flavour from it with the hops and a very creamy malt flavour to it so it’s really enhanced the whole Jameson feel and given more variety to the Jameson portfolio.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH JAMESON? This November, I’m 40 years with Jameson and I directly served my apprenticeship to my father.

The great thing that’s happened in the last 10 or 15 years is the growth of Jameson; it’s been tremendous worldwide. I think with the taste of

WHERE does jameson SOURCE its BARRELS FROM? We don’t make new ones in Midleton, as we don’t have a huge supply of Irish oak although we brought out a product last year using Irish oak for the first time in over 100 years. I’ve been very much involved in going to forests and making sure that all the oak we use for our barrels is sustainable and traceable, and we’re replacing what is cut down and increasing the number of acres of oak.

We’ve used some ex-wine barrels, so we had a product last year which is Red Breast Léoville Barton using Barton barrels from Bordeaux to give a different flavour profile. We also use bourbon casks, port casks and sherry casks.

With all our barrels, we would put a mark on each barrel. We generally only fill three or four times with American barrels and, with Spanish casks, we only fill three times. With a typical blend of whiskey, you would choose some older barrels in order to lessen the oak contribution so we’re very conscious of how many times we use a barrel. Our sherry casks go back to Spain for vinegar production and our American barrels, when we’re finished with those, would go to sister companies such as Havana Club in Cuba to make brown rums. We buy first grade barrels, and that means you get the best product that will last the longest in warehouses with the least leaks.

HAS THE IRISH WHISKEY SECTOR CHANGED MUCH? For me personally, after 40 years and having seen the downturn in whiskey and now to have the massive success of Jameson moving forward which creates more jobs and more livelihoods for farmers, I have an apprentice for the first time in over 37 years so the whole business is booming and that’s the great success story of Jameson. It means my craft as a cooper will continue for another generation.

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q&a Stuart Hughes

A Day in the

Life…

Stuart Hughes, director/producer at Hughes Craft Distillery - RubyBlue Spirits

There are very exciting things brewing in the NI food and drink sector, and finally we are getting recognised for the quality of our produce."

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE? Running a craft spirits business I started with my wife back in 2010; everything from sourcing, production and marketing to selling our range of RubyBlue spirits.

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND? I studied Hotel and Catering Management at college, and my first job was in the McMasters Restaurant and Bar at the Stormont hotel.

WHAT ARE THE BEST/WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB? Best part is seeing growth in our business this last year. I think we were craft before craft was cool, timing really is everything. Worst parts are having to wear so many hats at once if we don't do it, it simply doesn't get done and that's a lot of responsibility.

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WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST CHALLENGING ABOUT THE SECTOR? For our business, the big challenge is making all our great ideas a reality on our modest budget. But the NI licensing laws are not kind to drinks producers, bringing its own set of challenges.

OUTLINE A TYPICAL DAY A lot of my time is spent in production these days to fulfil orders. One thing is for sure, when I reflect on the day's events, it's never quite as I had expected it to be.

PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE I've had lots of proud moments with my brand recently but nothing beats being able to sit in a restaurant or bar and order my own premium vodka from the menu.

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BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN THE LOCAL SECTOR They are very exciting things brewing in the NI food and drink sector, and finally we are getting recognised for the quality of our produce. Having just taken an order from Russia for RubyBlue Premium Vodka, I think that's testament to our quality.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AWAY FROM WORK? A brisk walk with Dexter our beagle clears the head but I am a movie buff and love a good film.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF NOT MANY PEOPLE MAY KNOW I set up my own restaurant at 20 years old in Bangor with my fiancée (now my wife) and amazingly still my business partner!

MARCH HRNI • 23

drinksprofile

Ireland’s first cask-aged potato vodkawhat took us so long? By Ali McClintock Bite of the Apple Jonathan Magennis E|I|P|I|C Bar

Cocktail News

50ml RubyBlue Potato Vodka 10ml Elderflower Liqueur 25ml Fresh Lime Juice 10ml Cane Syrup 50ml Pressed Apple Juice Fresh Thyme 3 Dashes Aromatic Bitters Shake all ingredients in a cocktail tin and double strain into a pre-chilled coupette glass, garnish with thyme sprigs.

My mother is not a drinker, maybe a glass of sweet sherry at Christmas but that’s about it.

And yet underneath her kitchen sink is a part -full lemonade bottle of poteen, Irish potato moonshine from Belfast’s black mountain. It’s not there to help her keep the winter chill at bay or make the latest episode of Emmerdale go with a swing; it’s there to ease her feet and rub on her chilblains.

She’s not the only member of my family who recognised its benefits - my late uncle, who had an occasional bet on the greyhounds, swore blind the owners rubbed it on the legs of the dogs before a race. But note, in both cases, the brew’s health benefits were purely topical.

Would they drink the stuff? Not a chance.

In a land with its very history shaped by potatoes and farmers known to use leftover crops to distil a bottle or two, it’s hard to believe that it has taken until now for an enterprising young family business to turn its hand to crafting a spirit made from potatoes that aims to pleasure your palate rather than puts hairs on 24 • HRNI MARCH

Stuart and Barbara Hughes with Jonathan Magennis

your chest.

Based in Co Antrim, Barbara and Stuart Hughes run Hughes Craft Distillery. Until now they’ve been known for their RubyBlue fruit liqueurs, a classy quartet ranging from warm chilli and tart cranberry to sweet blueberry and their bestselling blackcurrant cassis. But their decision to create a small batch of RubyBlue Potato Vodka may just put a change all that.

Their decision to diversify into vodka is part gut feel, part commercial. “Our liqueurs are loved by men and women - but in the main it’s women who buy it for themselves or men who buy it as a gift for their partners,” says Barbara Hughes, co-director of RubyBlue. “We wanted to open up the range and launch a more mainstream spirit with the essence of Ireland at its core.

“Despite Ireland’s association with potatoes and high quality drinks, there has never been a quality spirit made from potatoes. There are lots of great whiskeys here but never a premium quality white spirit, and so we decided to introduce premium potato vodka to our RubyBlue spirit range.”

Her gut feeling is backed by strong market figures; gin may be the spirit de jour, but vodka is still the most popular white spirit sold in the UK, accounting for 61% of UK sales according to Mintel. And whilst global sales may not have enjoyed the same spike as gin, they have increased by 8% over the past five years to reach £3.46bn in 2015.

The Hughes’ first batch of RubyBlue potato vodka hit the shelves in early 2015, launched in Dublin airport duty free and, so far, sales have been good; almost 10,000 bottles to date at home and abroad. “We’ve been championed by local restaurants such as Deane’s and Made in Belfast,” says Barbara. “We’re also available in Belfast, Shannon and Dublin Airports. Not surprisingly, their sales data is showing we’re most popular with passengers flying to the States and Canada, but we’re also pretty popular with Polish and Russian customers.”

Ireland has an abundance of RubyBlue vodka’s key raw materials - water and potatoes.

Fresh, pure, local Antrim Hills water that runs over blue basalt rock is used in the vodka’s production. Ironically, however, it is our national treasure, the humble spud that makes RubyBlue Vodka distinct.

“The plus side of a potato vodka is its mouthfeel,” says Barbara. “It’s rich and creamy in texture and makes the vodka highly sippable just on its own. You go through a lot of potatoes to get the high standard we need for the RubyBlue premium taste."

Most spirits are produced from grain, as it’s not only easier but cheaper to produce.

Within months of launch, RubyBlue Vodka won Global Vodka Master Gold and New York World Wine and Spirits Silver against some of the biggest global brands. Punching above their weight in quality and flavour on the global stage it seems, especially for a two-man team.

“We use local ingredients when we can.

Even our RubyBlue Vodka signature serve has an apple and thyme garnish, to bring in another local ingredient as we have fab apple growers on our doorstep.”

RubyBlue’s sippable quality has led to another alliance that feels so natural that you’re again left wondering why it hasn’t been done before. “We’ve created a premium vodka cask-aged in whiskey barrels,” says Barbara.

“Last year, a local distillery released a few whiskey casks to us and we created a very limited batch of RubyBlue aged in barrels that originated in Tennessee, creating a very memorable vodka with subtle notes of Irish and bourbon whiskey.”

The result is a mellow vodka much richer in colour and more vanilla in flavour. It came out of the barrels just before Christmas and 700 wax-sealed bottles were numbered and hit the shelves. “We hope it will give whiskey drinkers the chance to try something new, and non-whiskey drinkers an appreciation of the complexity of flavours a whiskey can bring,” says Barbara.

To celebrate, the RubyBlue team have released limited edition illuminated bottles for St Patrick’s weekend, and have enlisted the help of Jonathan Magennis of Michael Deanes’ Michelin-starred EIPIC Bar and Restaurant in Belfast to create a St Patrick’s Day cocktail. “I invented Bite of the Apple as a seasonal drink, light, refreshing and herbal, not only perfect for the change in seasons around St Patrick’s Day but harmonious with the smooth slightly earthy characteristics of the RubyBlue Potato Vodka,” said Jonathan.

“The only ingredient left to add is good company,” says Barbara. Sure you can’t be bad to that.

Ali McClintock is a freelance journalist covering business and lifestyle. She likes her martinis shaken not stirred and her RubyBlue over ice.

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food&drinkpairing

Diageo celebrates Northern Ireland Year of Food & Drink 2016 2016

is the Year of Food & Drink in Northern Ireland; a fitting recognition for the food and drink sector which is Northern Ireland’s biggest manufacturer, contributing £5bn to the economy, generating sales abroad in excess of £4bn and providing employment for around 100,000 people across an extensive supply chain.

Diageo NI is one of the major exporters in this food and beverage sector, with the company employing over 300 people across three sites including the global Baileys facility at Mallusk, a bottling and packaging plant in Marshalls Road, East Belfast and the corporate headquarters in Belfast City Centre.

The Mallusk facility currently produces around 70% of all Baileys sold worldwide, with over 97% of Baileys produced on the site being

exported. Over 80% of the ingredients and materials are sourced from local suppliers, including Encirc glass for bottles (Fermanagh), Smurfit Kappa in Lurgan for crates and boxes and McBurneys transport (Ballymena). Cream is supplied by Glanbia, which sources milk from farms in Northern Ireland.

The Marshalls Road site is responsible for the bottling, canning and packaging of Guinness, Harp, Smithwick’s, Budweiser, Carlsberg, Tuborg and other beers. Record volumes were produced in the last financial year, with some 60% of output supplying the local markets in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, while 40% is loaded onto boats to supply the rest of the UK, US, Europe and Korea.

“As a key player in the food and beverage sector in Northern Ireland, we’re delighted to

lend our support to the Year of Food & Drink 2016,” said Jorge Lopes, country director of Diageo NI. “Given our close partnership with Visit Belfast, we understand how food and drink experiences have become increasingly important to tourism here – in fact, about one third of what tourists spend is on food and drink.

“We want to encourage our customers to use this platform both to attract tourists into our pubs, hotels and restaurants but also to give us all the opportunity to try new food and drink experiences right on our doorstep. As such, we have put together a food pairing guide for our beers that we hope will prompt some new ideas for our customers to cross-sell and capture additional revenue while supporting the NI economy and the Year of Food & Drink.”

Food pairing guide for

Diageo’s beer portfolio GUINNESS DRAUGHT

• Initial malt and caramel flavours, Guinness Draught finishes with a dry roasted bitterness.

• Robust taste of Guinness is best accompanied by foods with an equally strong flavour.

• In general, as an accompaniment to food, Guinness is excellent with seafood, particularly oysters; delicate, salty flavours being enhanced by strong, roasted, bitter flavours.

• The light, crisp, sharpness of the high level of hops in Guinness also makes it a perfect balance for sharp cheeses and rich, hearty dishes like stews or casseroles.

• The hints of coffee and chocolate evident in Guinness (Guinness Draught in particular) provide a delightful accompaniment to rich, dark desserts.

26 • HRNI MARCH

N UBLI D S S l NE arame and c GUIN ER lt a m with T POReet and smoothtion. n, salmo

GUINN E PORTE SS WEST IN R DIES • Rich and

• Sw ild carbona Q, smoked veg).

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characte chocola rful with te. Note hints of s includ toffee a buttersc e caram nd otch. el, coffe • Goe e and s perfec tly with (venison dishes o or lamb f strong work), c (scallop game ured me s), som at and e Thai dis • Wes fish hes, cre t Indies ole cuis is bursti it! Gam in e. n g with fla e is gre vour, so at for th • The at swee challen fragran ge t, meaty t citrus, for bala flavour. spicy c nce and haracte a r in Tha Creole nod to i is grea its origin cuisine t (slow c al mark rice) is ooked et for always m e a ts good. and be ans wit h

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food&drinkpairing

GUINNESS GOLDEN ALE

• Subtle malty biscuit flavours and a crisp finish. Mild hop aroma, lightly carbonated.

• Pair like a lager. Great for herb roasted chicken, white fish and pork.

• Golden Ale has a delicate body but is great for contrast and lifting the more subtle flavours in food. Tarragon and sage on chicken soar when they’re given a push from the sweet, malty bite in Golden Ale. • Stick to white meats and bready dishes (crackers and cheddar) for a safe bet.

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e r of th • A ss, swee inne e w n l r a . bitte arley old med ward. d ted b A el an es g roas m ti uality e, caram n Q e v n e e o ff d • S electi urs of co orne de S o as c h c Mon sted flav u ss lly oa ecia food .

• R salty ses – esp d meats th i . e w te e s e a h o c toffe rks well r ribs; and o • W d bacon s; game e n s a ee beef e ch g blu stron

HOP

H • C risp d OUSE ouble apric -hopp 13 LA ot an ed la d pe • Th ger, w GER a c h. e fr ith ar wond uity arom omas a fro erfully of m by th the c th e hops e stro r ystal is n m g b • H alt us a malt op H ed in and b lanced ouse the b iscuit gem exce r e base with w ing p ls at som from lighte citrus r r gam ocess. desse e red and e (du rt (ma yellow Fragr ck on ngo p ant A pepp b sian avlov • Sti dishe a/lem ers) or ev aby ck to s are en on m simila afraid a e strong rin r dish to pu es as point. gue pie). tab Hous Gold it mo e wil e r n e pun l com Ale b ch in e out ut do the d singin ish, a n’t be g. nd H op

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SMITHWICK’S BLONDE ALE • An alternative to lager, brewed with Polaris hops to create a delicate, refreshing tasting ale with a smooth finish and a subtle, fruit aroma.

• Ale delivers a ton on flavour - a complex balance of fruit and biscuits; this is one versatile ale.

• Pair like a lager. Great with chicken, fish and pork.

• Non spicy foods/American style foods – pizza, BBQ etc.

• Creamy foods/dressings – light bitterness of beer cuts through any buttery notes and cleanses palate ie Caesar dressing, cheese.

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rillo c Ama • A G election aw romati a h it eS wed w our.

Mond is bre ste av le Ale a died ta fuller fl P • full bo fruitier, d n a a r fo a d hops it arom sh an an, fru h. shellfi d n • Cle is a y n curr food long fi ch as h sea s; with a od su ell wit fo w icines y s p k ic s r o h the on; sp g • W c u a o b r f ss o cut th notes saltine e fat. hoppy ugh th r te th it ts ro u - b c – eese soft ch

The GUINNESS, GUINNESS WEST INDIES PORTER, GUINNESS DUBLIN PORTER, GUINNESS GOLDEN ALE, HOP HOUSE 13, SMITHWICKS, SMITHWICKS PALE ALE, SMITHWICKS BLONDE ALE words and associated logos are trade marks © Diageo 2016.

drinksnews

Echlinville Distillery introduces private reserve casks

Shane Braniff

E

chlinville Distillery has launched limitededition casks to celebrate its first distillation of Irish whiskey.

Echlinville, based at Kircubbin in Co Down, is Northern Ireland’s first licensed whiskey distillery to open in over 125 years. The inaugural

distillation of only 144 premium First Edition Private Reserve Casks, offered in varying sizes, is now available to whiskey connoisseurs and collectors.

The recently-constructed distillery is an initiative led by Shane Braniff, who also revived Northern Ireland’s historic Dunville Brand; once among the biggest selling Irish whiskey brands in the US until the closure of the Royal Irish Distillery in Belfast in 1935. Echlinville has revived the two premium Dunville brands, VR and Three Crowns.

“Our aim is to produce a premium high quality whiskey, using barley grown and malted on our family farm,” said Braniff. “We strive to control the process from raw materials in the field, to the final drop reaching the glass affording us total traceability and authenticity.

Our whiskey is produced by a passionate team committed to achieving excellence.”

The company is also offering an opportunity for whiskey lovers to visit the new distillery on picturesque Strangford Lough, an environmental conservation area.

“We can accommodate guests keen to make their own whiskey,” he says. “They will have access to their own still and a member of our team for guidance.

“Our extraordinary new still house is not only a functional space for production but can easily lend itself to entertaining guests and our tours can offer a real insight into the workings of an operational distillery.”

The official opening of the still house is to be held this month and, by Easter, the distillery will be ready to take group bookings.

Success for local suppliers at Dublin Beer and Cider Festival

F

our Northern Ireland companies gained awards at the Dublin Craft Beer and Dublin Craft Cider festivals, judged by an international panel, last month.

Mourne Mountains craft brewery in Warrenpoint, Co Down gained a silver medal in the main craft beer category, representing the first major award for the brewery, which was founded last year

by Connaire McGreevy and master brewer Tom Ray. The small brewery has produced five beers using the waters of the Spelga Dam, high in the Mournes.

“Craft beer is something I’ve been passionate about for many years and as a keen traveller I’ve visited craft breweries and bars all over the world and have seen how exciting the industry can be,” said Connaire McGreevy.“I wanted to take that passion and my research to produce the finest artisan beers in the country and cater to the growing thirst for local brews.”

Three Northern Ireland cider makers gained medals, meanwhile, including MacIvors in Portadown, Co Armagh, winner of a silver medal alongside Tempted of Lisburn, Co Antrim for its Strawberry cider. Bronze medals went to Long Meadow Cider in Loughgall, Co Armagh for its Blossom Burst and unique Oak Aged Cider.

Connaire McGreevy and his award-winning East Coast IPA

Farmageddon Brewery Co-Operative expands operations

Pictured with Trade Minister Jonathan Bell are Susan Jackson and Eoin Wilson from Farmageddon Brewing Co-Operative.

T

rade Minister Jonathan Bell recently visited Farmageddon Brewery Co-Operative, which is investing over £100,000 as part of a two-year expansion plan.

The Comber-based craft beer business produces a range of unpasteurised and unfiltered ale, and has recently invested 28 • HRNI MARCH

in new brewing equipment as part of its continued growth.

“Farmageddon Brewery Co-Operative Limited is an exciting young business committed to making the most of the growing popularity for craft beer across a range of international markets,” said the Minister.

“The investment in new equipment, marketing and job creation is welcome news for Ards and North Down, creating new employment opportunities in the region. Invest Northern Ireland has offered £16,500 to support Farmageddon’s development strategy which includes market visits, attending trade shows and recruiting four new jobs over the next two years. These activities will enable the company to expand its product range and raise awareness of its products in its target markets.

“The continued expansion of this brewery, producing locally-made, hand-crafted beers, is a positive development for our food and drink sector. It is pleasing to see so many local producers succeeding in this growth

market.

“2016 has been designated the Northern Ireland Year of Food & Drink which will see a year-long celebration of the great taste of our food and drink. The initiative aims to promote Northern Ireland globally as a top food destination and each month has a special theme with April the turn of our brewing and distilling industry.”

Susan Jackson, from Farmageddon Brewery Co-Operative, said: “Our aim over the next two years is to increase awareness among potential new customers by carrying out market visits and attending trade shows such as the Craft Beer Rising festival in February.

“This investment is an important milestone in our development. Invest NI’s assistance is enabling us to implement these growth plans and explore new business opportunities in markets such as China and Mexico.

“We aim to capitalise on the growing interest in craft beer and leverage our enhanced capabilities and resources to secure new sales outside Northern Ireland.”

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COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

G&T

35ml Boodles Gin Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Ruby grapefruit twist Sprig of sage

COCKTAIL MONTH of the

with boodles gin

In the latest of a regular series, we ask local bartenders to showcase a signature serve featuring the superb premium spirits brands presented by Proximo. John McCann, supervisor at Muriel’s, shares a serving option for Boodles Gin. Boodles Gin The featured spirit in this month’s signature serve is Boodles Gin.

G&T 35ml Boodles Gin Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Ruby grapefruit twist Sprig of sage Blocks of ice Served in a balloon glass

about the bartender Belfast-born John McCann has been working in the hospitality trade for 16 years, starting out in the Wellington Park Hotel. He has been working at Muriel’s and The Spaniard since 2008, and is a self-styled old school barman rejecting the gimmicks of hipster bartending. Alongside the excitement of trialling and learning about new products, John enjoys the characters you come across and the friends you make working in the trade.

“Boodles is a very clean, crisp gin and one of the only gins which doesn’t use any citrus in its distillation, so you can play around with it more,” says John McCann. “The citrus and the Mediterranean tonic add some nice flavours and bring it out.”

John McCann, Muriel’s

Available from all good wholesalers.

T: 0845 463 4570 Please drink responsibly. @2016 BOODLES GIN

bacardibrown-formanbarprofile

The House, Belfast Timothy O'Kane and Danny Coyles, directors of The House Bar at No.12 on Belfast's Stranmillis Road, tell HRNI about the venue. some of the fresh ideas and slick standards we have experienced elsewhere. We are determined to establish a strong business while adding something to the community and making the House Pub an integral part of that; whether it's a meeting place, a well-run social event or a bite to eat. A sense of community and integration with our local residents and businesses is important to the whole team.

WHAT IS ON OFFER AT THE HOUSE? The House Bar at No. 12 offers speciality cocktails and some of Belfast's best gastro pub grub using fresh local produce and ingredients.

We have a huge array of top notch drinks and a varied entertainment line up as well as several big screens to watch the top sporting events.

The environment is chilled out and homely with an elegant edge in keeping with a classy chic townhouse overlooking the Ulster Museum.

Friday night acoustic sessions and Saturday live music are followed by pre-club DJs, Sunday is chilled out jazz and Monday is our famous pub quiz night.

MY ROLE As directors of the business, our role is to continue to develop our entertainment programme and to introduce new local cuisine.

We all work hard, looking after our regulars but are still extending our reach to a growing customer base. We have kicked off on a strong foot and the focus is to build an inviting social environment for our customers at The House Bar at No. 12. We are also working on a customerfocused strategy with our staff so that customers have an enjoyable personal experience.

Timothy has been in the licensed trade for over a decade, gaining experience in bar tending and working his way up through the ranks into management while enjoying his other business interests. Danny is enjoying his first business venture having cut his teeth over the last few years in the hospitality industry.

We have travelled a lot over the years endeavouring to bring home and implement

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT FOCUS? Our current focus is to continue getting to know our ever-growing regular customers and to tailor our offering to their taste. We have a brilliant team working with us and we have weekly strategy meetings evaluating our progress and meeting our customers' needs. Part of our forward planning means the team brainstorm ideas with a view to having a constantly evolving customer offering. There are many offices and businesses on our doorstep and we invite them to ring us and pre-book take-away breakfast or lunch, as well as pre-book an in house dining experience. We provide bespoke party planning and graduation celebrations or office party bookings. Repeat custom is a great indicator that we are on the right track and our regular customers are delightful friendly people who enjoy fine company and great service.

BEST SELLERS AND PERSONAL FAVOURITES Timothy loves the popular BT9 Burgers, while Danny can't get, enough of the Salmon Tagliatelle, claiming it's so hard not to eat in house when our chef is dishing up his magic from the newly-installed kitchen. The House Old Fashioned is a personal favourite, just like the classic but we have added a secret ingredient ˆ let us know if you figure it out! We have a very popular cocktail list incorporating fresh fruit, garnishes and herbs alongside the best spirits and liqueurs available. The global drinks offering from companies like Brown-Forman provide us with the ingredients to make a wide range of delicious cocktails and keep our shelves stocked with the best drinks available.

Our daiquiris are the most popular.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU BOTH Timothy grew up in a very successful business family. Inspired by the achievements of his parents, he and his sisters have forged varied and successful career paths. Timothy has always been drawn to the hospitality trade and the development of his knowledge and experience in the industry.

Danny is a few years younger and just starting out on his career. Having had the benefit of lifelong family connections in hospitality, he is inspired by the results produced by hard work and dedication to improve. The House Pub No. 12 is an ideal starter business for these two young budding entrepreneurs.

HOW IMPORTANT IS TRAINING? Training is central to everything we do. We provide regular in-house training sessions for all of our cocktails and in relation to all of our food dishes. Customer service is absolutely at the heart of what we do and, as such, training in service level standards is part of our daily routine. We are lucky at The House at No. 12 as we have a solid core team and all of them are so passionate about what they do that training is an interactive pleasure for us all.

FUTURE PLANS Our future plans revolve around growth and expansion. Our drive centres on in-house atmosphere and top notch quality in terms of food, drink, service and entertainment while introducing new and edgy ideas. We offer our student customers board games and early bird offers on good home-made grub but the local academic and professional fraternity can relax in the evening with some of the best food, drink, entertainment and company in the city.

DESCRIBE THE HOUSE IN THREE WORDS Inviting, friendly and moreish.

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

32 • HRNI MARCH

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hotelnews

Bushmills Inn picks up 2016 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice award T

he Bushmills Inn has been recognised as one of the winners in the UK category of the 2016 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards for hotels, ranking 12th in its list. For a 14th year, TripAdvisor has highlighted the world’s top properties based on millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from travellers around the globe.

“We are very honoured to be named in the Travellers’ Choice Top 25 UK Hotels as this award is based on the reviews and opinions of TripAdvisor’s global travel community,” said Alan Walls, manager of the Bushmills Inn. “Reviews and feedback from our guests are of the utmost importance to us as they allow us to continually exceed expectations and we would like to take

this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken the time to share their reviews with us.”

The hallmarks of Travellers’ Choice winners are remarkable service, quality and value.

TripAdvisor stated: ‘These awards are based on guest feedback gathered throughout the year, so what sets the winners apart is not just a high standard of service and accommodation, but the fact that they deliver this day in day out.’

In 2015, the Bushmills Inn picked up Hotel of the Year 2015 (Best Place to Stay) in the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards, Best Hotel in Ireland by Best Loved Hotels and Best Golfers Restaurant in Ulster by the Golfers Guide to Ireland, as well as being awarded four silver stars by the AA.

A win for Jurys Inn at the Business Travel Awards J

urys Inn Hotel Group recently scooped the award for Best Midscale Hotel Brand at the Business Travel Awards 2016, after bagging the Best Small Hotel Company in 2015.

Judges were impressed with the hotel group’s growth, strong focus on the corporate market, its excellent customer retention rate and, not least, its excellent locations.

“We are delighted Jurys Inn has received this established award and been recognised as a market leader in the Mid-Scale Hotel

category,” said Suzanne Cannon, head of marketing at Jurys Inn. “We constantly strive to deliver stand out customer service, and being awarded gold ahead of others including Premier Inn and Melia, very much validates the excellent service our employees provide to our ever-growing business.”

Jurys Inn operates 39 hotels, 36 under the Jurys Inn brand and two under the DoubleTree by Hilton brand and one under the Garden Inn by Hilton Brand, all in city centre locations in the UK, Ireland and Czech Republic.

Roe Park Resort tees up major golfing welcome

T

he Roe Park Resort, recently named Best Golf Resort in Ulster by the Golfers Guide to Ireland, has successfully attained Golfers Welcome accreditation alongside a number of others in Tourism NI's accommodation welcome schemes.

Free to join, and open to providers participating in Tourism NI’s Quality Grading Scheme, the welcome schemes help direct visitors to accommodation that pays particular attention to their various needs.

The Golfers Welcome accreditation ensures that Roe Park Resort's golfing guests will have access to facilities including a drying space for outdoor clothing, secure storage for golf clubs and flexible meal times, as well as information on local courses, golf shops and driving ranges.

The Limavady resort is rated four star under Tourism NI's Quality Grading Scheme, offering an ‘excellent’ standard of service and facilities.

The 118-room resort is renowned for its www.hospitalityreviewni.com

superb golf and spa facilities and, ahead of The Open arriving in Royal Portrush in 2019, it recently completed an investment of over £400,000 in its golf and leisure facilities, including a state-of-the-art Golf Academy.

"The luscious greens and facilities at the Roe Park Resort, set in the scenic backdrop of the Roe Valley, are perfectly in tune with the reputation Northern Ireland now has as a place that delivers great golfers, great courses and great events,” said Caroline Adams, Tourism NI quality and standards manager.

"With the biggest golf event in the world heading our way in 2019, there is no doubt this is the moment to capitalise. Roe Park Resort is showing the way in terms of creating a quality welcome for golf visitors, and I would encourage other accommodation providers to do the same in the run up to this world-class event."

Having hosted cast members from Game of Thrones and Dracula, Roe Park has also gained

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Pictured are, from left, Caroline Adams - Tourism NI quality and standards manager; Terry Kelly – golf & spa manager, Roe Park Resort; Geoff Wilson – Tourism NI Board member; and Sinead McNicoll, sales & marketing manager, Roe Park Resort.

Film Crew Welcome accreditation from Tourism NI. This accreditation is among the total of 10 welcome schemes Tourism NI offers to accommodation providers participating in its Quality Grading Scheme.

Full details of the welcome schemes are available at www.tourismni.com/ welcomeschemes.

MARCH HRNI • 37

tourismnews

Bell welcomes latest tourism figures F

igures released last month indicate overall visitor numbers for the full year to September 2015 are up to 4.52 million, an increase of 5% year-on-year.

Visitor numbers for the first nine months of 2015 (January – September) showed an increase of 12,000 visitors on the same period in 2014.

The full-year figures also show an 8% increase in external visitors, and highlight that visitors are staying longer, with a 4% increase in total nights spent by visitors in Northern Ireland.

Overall, visitor numbers in Northern Ireland grew by around 12,000 (to 3.45 million) in the first nine months of 2015 when compared to the same period in 2014. This information is based on trips made by overnight tourists from GB and overseas and RoI, as well as NI residents taking overnight trips within NI which are classified as domestic tourism.

“The tourism sector is becoming increasingly significant to the local economy and it is important we maintain the momentum built up over the last few years in promoting Northern Ireland to a global audience as a great place to visit,” said Trade Minister Jonathan Bell.

“In general, the picture shown for tourism performance in the nine months of 2015 is positive with an increase in overall visitor numbers. I am particularly pleased visitor numbers from Great Britain and overseas have shown strong increases, with an 11% rise in both cases.”

When visits by NI residents are excluded, the number of external visitors increased by 5% to just under 1.72 million, with associated spend increasing by 5% to £419m when compared to the same period in 2014.

Overall visitor spend figures are down by 3% on the year to September 2015, to £746m;

however spend by external visitors increased to £535m.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “Tourism Ireland is determined to ensure that tourism growth continues in 2016. We will place a major focus on Northern Ireland’s Year of Food & Drink, inviting people who love great food to come and discover the best of local produce and have the chance to experience the spectacular scenery and wonderful coastline which makes Northern Ireland so special. Tourism Ireland will highlight The Gobbins Cliff Path around the world, while continuing to place a major focus on other iconic experiences like Titanic Belfast, the Giant’s Causeway and our unique National Trust properties. We will continue to target people of Ulster-Scots descent, and to promote Northern Ireland as a top golf and business tourism destination.”

China offers huge potential for tourism growth T

rade Minister Jonathan Bell has welcomed news that over 100 tour operators from China are due to visit Northern Ireland.

“The pace of the growth of tourism in China is staggering,” he said. “In 2015, Chinese outbound tourists will reach 100 million, growing 10-fold since the turn of the Millennium. While the traditional visitor markets are still key, there is significant potential for us to attract many more Chinese visitors to Northern Ireland.

“The announcement that over 100 tour operators from China are to visit Northern Ireland at the end of this month (February)

is excellent news. Themed tour packages are extremely popular amongst Chinese travellers and they tend to rely heavily on travel agencies for packaged tours and booking assistance. The tour operators coming to Northern Ireland have the potential to influence the decision making of thousands of Chinese visitors.

“Tourism Northern Ireland will be facilitating the visit ensuring we showcase the very best of what Northern Ireland has to offer including visiting a number of key visitor attractions such as Mount Stewart, Titanic Belfast and the Giants Causeway.”

Trade Minister Jonathan Bell is pictured with representatives from the European Federation of Chinese Tourism and Tourism NI.

Northern Ireland to feature on NBC for St Patrick’s Day

I

mages of counties Down and Fermanagh will be beamed into the homes of more than two million Americans this St Patrick’s Day. Footage was filmed last month in Northern Ireland, and elsewhere around the island of Ireland, and will air on NBC television in New York during its live coverage of the St Patrick’s Day parade in New York. Coverage of the parade on NBC will be sponsored by Tourism Ireland once again this year.

The NBC broadcast will highlight Northern Ireland’s Year of Food & Drink, alongside its culinary offering, Christian heritage and the St Patrick’s Trail, and its Game of Thrones connections.

In Fermanagh, the NBC crew visited Lough Erne Resort, where they filmed chef Noel McMeel in action in the hotel’s kitchen and

38 • HRNI MARCH

visited local food producers including butcher Pat Doherty and beef, lamb farmer Maurice Kettyle and Erin Groves, who sources local ingredients for her jams and chutneys.

“We were delighted to invite the NBC crew to film in Northern Ireland, which is an excellent opportunity to showcase the destination to a huge audience of more than two million Americans,” said Alison Metcalfe, head of North America at Tourism Ireland.

“People everywhere instantly identify St Patrick’s Day with the island of Ireland and that heightened profile at this time of year allows us to put our holiday experience in the spotlight in the United States.

“Tourism Ireland is taking every opportunity to highlight and celebrate our wonderful food and drink scene throughout 2016,

promoting Northern Ireland food in the US and elsewhere around the world. We are inviting everyone to come and enjoy 366 days of celebration – where they can discover the best of local produce and have the chance to experience the wonderful landscapes and coastline which make Northern Ireland so special.”

Tourism Ireland will undertake a busy programme of consumer and trade promotions in North America around St Patrick’s Day. New additions to its Global Greening initiative on March 17 will include 7 World Trade Center at Ground Zero in New York, the famous Boston Red Sox (baseball team) and Reunion Hall in Dallas.

Arrangements for the NBC crew’s itinerary were put in place by Tourism NI.

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tourismnews

Belfast City Airport rewards commercial partner service success

G

eorge Best Belfast City Airport has hosted its first ever Commercial Partner Awards, recognising and celebrating the success of its retail, service and food and beverage tenants.

Focusing on customer service, the Awards encouraged entries from businesses operating within the airport and their employees across four categories: Best Food and Beverage Partner, Best Retail Business Partner, Best Service Business Partner and Best Customer Service Agent.

Following the initial application process and a series of mystery shopper visits, the entries were reviewed by both the airport’s commercial team and independent guest judges Mary Jo McCanny, director of Visitor Servicing at Visit Belfast, and Bill White, managing director at Lucid Talk.

The winners were as follows:

• Best Food and Beverage Partner - HMS HOST – Bushmills Bar • Best Retail Business Partner – World Duty Free • Best Service Business Partner – Avis Budget Group Ireland • Best Customer Service Agent - Shirley Graham, World Duty Free “Ensuring passengers have a smooth, enjoyable journey through the airport is of the upmost importance to us, and whilst we continuously invest in our infrastructure and facilities, the service our customers receive plays a huge role in the experience they have at the airport,” said Katy Best, commercial and marketing director at Belfast City Airport.

“We frequently receive positive feedback through online and offline channels about our commercial partners, and decided an Awards

ceremony would be a terrific way to reward the work they do.”

Joanne Deighan, commercial manager at Belfast City Airport (second left) and Katy Best, commercial and marketing director at Belfast City Airport (third right) present winners (from left) Aaron Logan, hospitality manager at Autogrill, Shirley Graham, customer service agent at World Duty Free, Ciara Hamill, store manager at World Duty Free, and Katie Stitt, manager at Avis Budget Group Ireland, with their awards at the airport’s first ever Commercial Partner Awards.

Belfast International welcomes Ryanair announcement

Belfast International Airport MD Graham Keddie welcomes UK Transport Minister Robert Goodwill and Danny Kinahan on a recent visit to the airport.

N

ews that Ryanair intends to increase its frequency from four to five daily on its

new Belfast International-Gatwick service has been welcomed by Belfast International Airport.

“Ryanair’s replacement of Aer Lingus on the Gatwick route will mean almost 4,000 seats on business days to and from Belfast International Airport,” said a spokesperson for Belfast International Airport. “This means that Gatwick is the main London airport for Northern Ireland, easily eclipsing the daily capacity offered on Heathrow.

“The range of available flights means we can offer unrivalled flexibility for business passengers with the last flight touching down at 11.15pm - two hours after the last Heathrow arrival. Even before the airline formally launches its new Northern Ireland base at the

International, the airline is focusing on a growth strategy.

“Ryanair will shortly unveil the other Belfast International routes to be operated from the autumn. Already, it’s clear that Ryanair’s passenger growth forecasts will need to be revised upwards, and that is good for the airport and the wider Northern Ireland economy.

“Growth means jobs, and we are confident we will see more employment opportunities created as passenger numbers continue on an upward trajectory.”

Belfast International recently announced its passenger numbers rose 20% in January yoy, and are expected to rise from 4.4 million passengers in 2015 to 5 million this year.

Four-star quality on display at Downpatrick museum T ourism Northern Ireland Chief Executive John McGrillen has congratulated Down County Museum on being awarded a fourstar visitor experience award.

Located in the historic buildings of the eighteenth century County Gaol of Down, the museum is the home of the iconic Downpatrick High Cross, which was recently showcased in a 12-page feature in Spanish archaeological magazine Revista Medieval.

Originally carved around AD 900 as a ‘prayer in stone’, the high cross is of great historical, cultural and religious significance.

The museum collects, conserves and exhibits artefacts relating to the history of Co Down from the earliest times to the present day, and recently completed an extension housing three new permanent galleries and a brand new tearoom.

"This collection illustrating the story of the development of Christianity in the locality,

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with the centrepiece the 10th century High Cross, is quite superb,” said McGrillen. “So I am delighted, but not surprised, that Down County Museum has been rated as a fourstar experience within the Tourism NI quality scheme.

“In the lead-up to St Patrick's Day, I have no doubt there will be many visitors enthralled and entertained by the excellent archaeology, history, art, craft and natural history on display here, as well as the Cathedral View Tea Room and new tours on offer."

Michael Ruane, chairman of Newry Mourne and Down District Council, said: "Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is very proud of Down County Museum’s achievement of a four-star grading in Tourism NI’s Quality Grading scheme.

"It reflects the great improvements that have been made through the Downpatrick High Cross extension project last year, and the dramatic

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Pictured are, from left, Mike King, Down County Museum, John McGrillen, CEO Tourism NI and Michael Ruane, chairman of Newry, Mourne & Down District Council.

increase in visitors now enjoying the fantastic new facilities. This is a great 35th birthday present for the Museum and recognises its tremendous work in preserving and displaying local heritage for all to enjoy."

MARCH HRNI • 39

tourismcommentary

Towards smarter hospitality through using digital analytics and thinking ‘smarter’

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

I

n Northern Ireland, our hotel and hospitality sector has seen some strong growth and development in recent times. The vast majority in the sector now realise the importance of digital in terms of how we engage with our visitors. Every day these guests are checking in with their own set of expectations. Meeting those expectations is the key to getting people to return and, increasingly, our hotel and leisure operators need to be looking to analytics for clues about how to keep their customers happy.

In short, it’s about getting ‘smarter’ in terms of approach to this. Every day, hotels collect mountains of data - from their PMS, reservation systems, and POS systems, not to mention social media, and each day, they have the challenge of sorting through that data, searching for a nugget of actionable information. While the hotel industry enjoys a vantage onto guest behaviour that in many respects is unparalleled in terms of customer touch-points and on-site evidence of traveller sentiment, hotels are all too often neglecting to engage with the data they capture and own.

The nature of guest data, how it is aggregated, and how it is analysed in the hospitality industry has of course changed.

Once upon a time, it was very much the realm of the in-room survey card and the checkout questionnaire, but now the digital landscape has plugged web and mobile-savvy travellers into a fluid and ever-growing process of communicating on what they liked, what they didn’t like and everything in between during 40 • HRNI MARCH

their hospitality experience. Not just in text form either; increasingly through photographic images and even video. It’s also no longer in private between consumer and vendor but potentially there for the world to see. If positive, there’s huge potential there for incredible brand awareness development and good PR, if negative, the dangers are pretty obvious, but either way its valuable data that needs to be mined, analysed, and utilised in management decision-making.

While hotels today have all of this available and accessible data, it is not always a resource that such businesses are using to best advantage, however. At the larger-scale hotel and hotel chain end of things, the focus has been moving to investment in data-analytics infrastructure. Switched on management now want to see free, high-quality Wi-Fi become a standard part of that infrastructure so that the business can serve and gather data about guests in the moment. They also want to try and replace the prospect of costly in-house information-technology equipment and software needed to drive data gathering, storage, and analysis with more cost-efficient and nimble thirdparty provider partnerships. And of course they want to claw back some percentage of the data that they give away to valuable, but at times revenue-shrinking, partners in the online travel agency space.

Expansion of data use is also a goal for the larger hotels where the opportunity exists to truly leverage data and guest tracking. The goal is

to create increasingly personalised and timely marketing touch points with guests. However, proper use of such data has also become necessary to compete with other players in the marketplace as well. It is a lens for acquiring more granular perspectives into pricing, helping them to better compete in an increasingly complex ecosystem of digital and traditional channels and potentially shifting parity structures.

For smaller-scale hotels, they can increasingly see the value of mining data to align their properties even more closely with customer demographics. Rather than largescale segmentation, they can pursue specific consumer types and then dive deeper into data-driven monitoring and services to track and meet the demands of such guest categories.

It is a model some larger brands have also emulated, especially recently, in a clear shift to capture and harness niche aspects.

With people’s appetites for all things digital feeding the ever-growing guest-data scenario, travellers in turn have prompted the enormous growth and proliferation of online review sites.

In this sector, TripAdvisor alone accounts for some 280 million visits by travellers every month. Using analytics technology to bring together transactional and customer data from the hotel’s own systems, and combine it with unstructured data such as customer feedback comments and reviews left on rating sites such as Tripadvisor and other social media platforms is where success truly lies.

However, quantity of data is not necessarily the hotel industry’s primary goal, rather it is properly understanding and using the data it owns or can access that is the challenge for hotel managers. The impetus is on the hotel sector, from a marketing and operations point of view, to acquire and use data as a way to not only remedy guest pain points, improve visits, and streamline interactions, but also to reach and convert new guests based on consumer sentiments that data highlights for hoteliers when it is properly analysed. In an ideal scenario, gathering guest data information should lead to analytics that boost loyalty, and analysing data should drive repeat bookings while helping hotels to cut the costs of new customer acquisitions. To harness that takes nimble, future-minded, and forward-thinking leadership within our hotels to take advantage of collected guest data and applied data analytics. If we have that, the future looks potentially very bright indeed.

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businessnews

Harland and Wolff secures £4m Stena Line contract

The Stena Superfast VII, which operates on the Belfast-Cairnryan service, is one of seven Stena Line ferries which will be visiting Harland and Wolff shipyard as part of a £4m refit contract awarded to the shipyard.

S

tena Line is supporting the local maritime industry by placing a £4.4m contract with Harland and Wolff for the refit of its Irish Sea ferry fleet.

Over the next two months, seven Stena Line vessels will visit the shipyard on a carefully sequenced timetable to facilitate a range of specialist works including annual inspections, passenger facility upgrade work as well as ongoing technical enhancements.

Stena Line recently celebrated 20 years of its operations in Belfast. In 2015, Stena Line transported 1.4 million passengers, 318 000 cars and almost 500 000 freight units on its Belfast services to Cairnryan, Liverpool and Heysham, employing 900 staff. ”Our refits are very important to ensure the smooth and safe running of our expanding fleet of ships,” said Paul Grant, route manager at Stena Line. ”The decision to place the majority of our refit contract work with Harland and Wolff allows us to play our part in helping to support local business. ”Furthermore, the good working relationship with Stena Line has helped introduce the shipyard to other companies within the Stena Group and we were delighted to see our sister company Stena Bulk bring the 117,000 - ton ice class Aframax tanker Stena Arctica to Belfast for the first time in a £1m specialist inspection survey and upgrade programme in November 2015.”

Stuart Wilson, general manager (Ship Repair) Harland and Wolff, said: ”We are delighted that our relationship with Stena goes from strength to strength. This key partnership is integral to the business growth enjoyed by both companies and we look forward to working with Stena in 2016 and beyond.”

Over the last five years, Stena Line has supported the local ship refit and repair industry to the tune of £13m with a range of refit, upgrade and maintenance projects which has helped to secure the retention of key ship repair skills in Northern Ireland for the longer term. www.hospitalityreviewni.com

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Last orders

By Mark Carron, Director, Licensed Premises, Osborne King

A

s the current financial year draws to an end on the 31st of March, we can reflect upon the impact of the introduction of the net annual values (NAV) for non-domestic property introduced by the Land and Property Services (LPS) in April 2015. The last major rates revaluation occurred in April 2003; consequently this 12-year gap resulted in an uneven spread of rates collection throughout Northern Ireland, leaving many occupiers facing a massive hike in their annual rates bill. In some cases, ratings liabilities quadrupled overnight whilst approximately half of all non-domestic rate payers saw an increase in their rates liability.

Since the commencement of our affiliation with Hospitality Ulster, we have undertaken many appeals on behalf of clients and have had many successes with some businesses succeeding in reducing their rates liability by up to 50%. That said, the current Land and Property Service model for calculating a pub’s rates liability is based upon its fair maintainable trade or sustainable annual turnover by a hypothetical operator. This basis of valuation doesn’t take account of a particular outlet’s profitability. Moreover, pubs which are trading with an equal sales weighting of food and drink feel more aggrieved due to the cost and margins associated with serving food as opposed to pure beverage sales. Admittedly, most pubs now sell food; however, there are some outlets which are more or less trading as a licensed restaurant with a liquor licence.

Over the last year I understand the number of appeals lodged have fallen short of LPS’s expectations as many bill payers have accepted that their assessment is balanced based on the adopted model. In some cases, operators who failed to submit a form of return have remained tight-lipped to avoid any further increase. Clearly it is up to your rating advisor to provide guidance as to whether or not a challenge to your assessment is warranted.

A note of caution; make sure you seek proper advice because once an appeal is lodged the NAV can go up as well as down. In any case it is worth making sure that you have checked your assessment either way and remember that in order to have a rebate backdated to April 2015, you must lodge an appeal before the end of March 2016; however, there is no guarantee that your appeal will be successful.

On a more positive note, conditions have continued to improve against a backdrop of continuing normalisation of the market with demand on the whole outweighing the supply of good licensed opportunities. Willing sellers have returned and more favourable lending conditions are available for the right borrower and opportunity. Osborne King has a number of pub opportunities for sale as well as liquor licences, which have also seen improvement in terms of value and demand. 2016 should see continued regularisation albeit accompanied by limited transactional opportunities hampered by the lack of supply.

Mark Carron can be contacted on 028 90270016, or email mark.carron@osborneking.com

MARCH HRNI • 41

socialscene

Hastings Hotels invests almost £40,000 in the Percy French T

he Percy French bar and restaurant at the four-star Slieve Donard Resort & Spa in Newcastle has just undergone a programme of refurbishments, aimed at enhancing the visitor experience and making the most of its stunning location.

“The improvements include new larger windows which help to make the most of our stunning location here in Newcastle,” said James Toal, manager of the Percy French.

“Visitors can now enjoy the view made famous by Percy French in his haunting song, ‘The Mountains of Mourne’ which he noted, ‘sweep down to the sea’ as they relax in front of a roaring fire.

“Additionally, Percy French memorabilia and books are being catalogued and will be displayed prominently throughout the bar/restaurant so that our customers can learn more about one of Ireland’s foremost songwriters and entertainers. An interactive museum will follow later in the year which will tell the Percy French story in full including why we named the bar/restaurant after such a talented and famous visitor to the area.”

The Percy French is profiled in more detail on p9. James Toal, alongside Slieve Donard General Manager Stephen Meldrum and the Hastings family, recently hosted an evening event to showcase the refurbished venue.

Jeff Meredith with Gladys Greer and James Greer (Greer Publications).

Staff of the newly refurbished Percy French are joined by Sir William Hastings, chairman, Hastings Hotels, ahead of a special preview night for invited guests.

Stephen Meldrum ( Slieve Donard Resort & Spa), Sir William Hastings (Hastings Hotels) and James Toal Percy French).

Joanne Ross and Anne Crozier.

42 • HRNI MARCH

Joy Wilkinson and Lady Hastings.

Bernard Sloan (Whitewater Brewing Company), Davey Hill (Sea Source), Mickey Ruane and Tracey Mooney (Newry and Mourne District Council) and Stephen Meldrum (Slieve Donard).

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socialscene

True character celebrated at the launch of Belfast Jawbox Gin A

new local gin which takes its inspiration from Belfast’s past, and socialising around the kitchen jawbox, has been launched in time for the Year of Food & Drink Heritage & Traditions month.

‘Belfast Cut’ Jawbox Gin was launched in February at an event in the Linen Hall Library attended by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Arder Carson.

Jawbox was created by Gerry White, manager of well-known Belfast pub The John Hewitt, to reflect the character of the city and its people.

It is the first single-estate gin produced in Ireland, with the makers growing their own grain, using water from their own well and distilling their own spirit before adding fragrant botanicals such as Black Mountain heather, coriander seed and angelica root.

White worked with Echlinville Distillery in Kircubbin to produce the gin, while Drinksology is behind the striking bottle design and marketing, which uses Belfast faces of real character, captured by a traditional 1800s technique called wet plate photography.

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Jaxbox creator Gerry White is pictured with the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Arder Carson.

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MARCH HRNI • 43

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MARCH HRNI • 45

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46 • HRNI MARCH

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MARCH HRNI • 47

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48 • HRNI MARCH

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review NI MARCH HRNI • 49

thelastword

The Last Word

NAME : FRANKIE COSGROVE • JOB TITLE : BAR SUPERVISOR • COMPANY : BEANNCHOR HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS ROLE? Approximately six months.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY I don’t think there is such a thing as a ‘typical’ day in hospitality; it’s the kind of profession where no two shifts are ever the same, and that’s what keeps it interesting!

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? Working in Domino’s, taking orders.

ENTERTAINMENT:

FAVOURITE TV SHOW: I really got caught up in Netflix’s Making a Murderer but overall you can’t beat some light humour with The Big Bang Theory.

FAVOURITE FILM: The Lion King ALBUM CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: I don’t really have a favourite album; however, I do like listening to the UK’s top 40 each week as it changes things up a little.

FAVOURITE BAND: Quite a fan of Years&Years at the moment.

LAST BOOK READ: Currently reading The Gentleman’s Companion, Being an Exotic Drinking Book or Around the World With Jigger, Beaker And Flask (a book with old classic and foreign cocktail recipes!) but in terms of classic literature, I think I had re-read Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein or J.D Salinger’s Catcher in The Rye FAVOURITE CELEBRITY: J.D Salinger

SOCIAL:

FAVOURITE FOOD: Cheesecake FAVOURITE RESTAURANT: Berts Jazz Restaurant LAST HOTEL YOU STAYED AT: Chateau de Bagnolet LAST BAR/NIGHTCLUB YOU VISITED: The Dirty Onion FAVOURITE PLACE IN WORLD: Would have to be the Cognac region in France.

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

50 • HRNI MARCH

INDOOR CONCERT OR FESTIVAL: Oxegen Music festival (2011) LAST HOLIDAY: Cognac region in France

ONE ITEM YOU COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT? Phone

DRINKS:

FAVOURITE HOT DRINK: Tea FAVOURITE SOFT DRINK: Ice cold water BEER OR CIDER: Cider WHITE OR RED WINE: Red wine WHISKEY OR BRANDY: Brandy GIN OR VODKA: Vodka, especially as a martini COCKTAILS OR BUBBLY: Cocktails WHAT FOUR PEOPLE WOULD YOU INVITE TO A DINNER PARTY? Going from previous experiences, it would have to be Alyson Magee, Joris Minne, Nathanial McAuley and Roisin McErlane. All would be allowed a plus one of course!

WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE OF YOUR LIFE? George Clooney WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL JOB? Winning the lottery FAVOURITE QUOTE: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” F.Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby INSPIRATION IN YOUR LIFE? My grandmother THE MOST IMPORTANT LIFE LESSON YOU’VE LEARNT? Leave the past in the past, live in the present and look forward to the future!

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