Hotel & Restaurant Times Dec '15 Jan '16

DECEMBER ‘15/JANURAY ‘16

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BRAVE NEW DAWN FÁILTE IRELAND CEO, SHAUN QUINN, INTERVIEWED

2015 YEAR REVIEW HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR 2016

GLENLO ABBEY HOTEL BRIGHT STAR IN THE WEST

CHEF SHORTAGE ADRIAN CUMMINS RESPONDS

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COVER: Shaun Quinn, CEO, Fáilte Ireland

CONTENTS NEWS + APPOINTMENTS GLENLO ABBEY HOTEL FÁILTE IRELAND NEWS IFSA NEWS SHAUN QUINN INTERVIEW TOURISM IRELAND NEWS RAI NEWS 2015 YEAR IN REVIEW FÁILTE FOCUS BOOKASSIST FOOD & BEV LIVE GMIT NEWS STANDING THE TEST OF TIME WORK EXPERIENCE TO VEGAN OR NOT TO VEGAN? GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IHI AWARDS CULINARY MASTERS CHEF SHORTAGE A REMARKABLE YEAR SCENT OF AN HOTEL SOL RIO RESTAURANT

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Hotel & Restaurant Times is circulated on subscription to Chief Executives, Directors and Proprietors of Hotels and Restaurants in Ireland along with Architects, Interior Designers and Suppliers to the Hotel and Restaurant Industry.

Managing Editor: Cyril McAree (01-6285447, cyril@hotelandrestauranttimes.ie) Contributors: Pavel Barter, Caroline Leddy, Conor Power, Joyce Fegan, Dr Des O Mahony, Susan Clarke, Dee Laffin, Holly Lenny, Fáilte Ireland, IFSA, Tourism Ireland, Restaurants Association of Ireland, GMIT Printing: Turners of Longford All paper used in the production of this magazine comes from certifiably sustainable forestry.

ALL CONTENTS OF THE MAGAZINE ARE COPYRIGHT OF HOTEL & RESTAURANT TIMES: H&R HOUSE, CARTON COURT, MAYNOOTH, CO. KILDARE. TEL/FAX: 01 628 5447.

E-MAIL: editorial@hotelandrestauranttimes.ie WEB: www.hotelandrestauranttimes.ie H&RT DECEMBER ‘15/JANUARY ‘16

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Positivity reigns The success of recovery in the Irish hospitality sector in 2015 looks set to continue in 2016. If predictions are correct, this continued growth will create thousands of jobs and more revenue for the exchequer. The most recent figures for 2015 indicate a growth in the region of 11%, which equates to 7.9 million visitors, and an increase of 16% in revenue terms, which amounts to €4.2 billion.

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This indicates that the sector is now a key player in the economic recovery of the country. Most, if not all, commentators are bullish about the future, and confident that 2016 will see growth somewhere in the region of 5%. It is important, therefore, that the next government supports the industry’s role in order to sustain and continue this performance.

Shaun Quinn of Fáilte Ireland cites the importance of playing to our strengths, while not ignoring outside factors that contribute to this growth. Speaking to Hotel & Restaurant Times he stated, “There are probably two or three things that contributed to [the success of 2015]: one was that the economies of our source markets are in pretty good order. That’s the key thing that ultimately drives tourism: money in the pocket of the tourist.

“The second big factor has been the increase in air access this year... The third was the exchange rate with Sterling and the Dollar… There were factors outside of our control that contributed to [the industry’s success] and the favourable exchange rate was one of them.”

However, some issues that need to be addressed. None are more important or crucial than the lack of people to work in the sector. From chefs to accommodation personnel, there is a shortage of people willing to work in the industry. Unfortunately, part of the reason is due to the industry’s perception and working and pay conditions. If the industry is to attract a high calibre of personnel into the sector it must address these issues.

Stephen Mc Nally, IHF president, also sees a lot of pressure regarding accommodation shortages. However, he is confident we are still competitive. “Dublin city centre is where most of the [accommodation] pressure is on,” said IHF President Stephen McNally, who believes the Irish hotel trade has proven itself to be competitive in spite of inflationary market pressures. “We’ve got one of the most heavily occupied capitals in Europe,” he said. “Yet on the rates scale, we’re still only at number 14. What that tells you is that we’re competitive.”

So let’s build on the success of 2015 and ensure that, by the end of 2016, the industry will have achieved its target of an extra 5% in growth.

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Cyril McAree Editor

NEWS

NEWS Brian McEniff Celebrates 50 Years in Irish Hospitality

Leading hotelier Brian McEniff, chairman of the McEniff Hotel Group, celebrated 50 years in Irish hospitality this week. The family hotel group has enjoyed continued growth since 1951 and now employs over 600 people. The group comprises five hotels on the Wild Atlantic Way - the Great Northern Hotel, Holyrood Hotel, Great Southern Hotel Sligo, Yeats Country Hotel Sligo and the Best Western Westport Woods Hotel - and the Best Western Dublin Skylon Hotel in Drumcondra. The Dublin Skylon Hotel was extensively refurbished in 2013 and will see further development in 2016 with a €1m investment by the group which will enable its transition to a 4 star hotel. Pictured with Brian McEniff were long serving Dublin Skylon Hotel staff Paul Berkett Head Porter with 46 years service, Noel Walsh Head Waiter with 30 years service and Alan Whelan Assistant Head Waiter with 36 years service.

Dublin Airport breaks annual passenger record Dublin Airport has broken its previous record for the number of passengers processed in a single year, according to figures logged at the end of November, 2015.

More than 23.5 million passengers passed through Dublin Airport last year until November, beating the airport’s previous record for passenger traffic which was set in 2008.

Graffiti artist checks into the Gibson Hotel

The Gibson hotel has introduced Irish graffiti artist James Earley as its third artist in residence. The programme was created by the gibson hotel as part of its initiative to regenerate the Dublin docklands by creating works of art. Earley plans to create a mural, that incorporates a pair of dynamic, arching seagulls, inspired by the Docklands area.

Previous participations of the programme include landscape fine artist, John Morris and contemporary artist, Finbar Dac.

Shannon donation

Shannon College of Hotel Management Alumni recently presented a cheque to St. Vincent de Paul for €5,000 at its Annual Dinner, which was attended by 150 Alumni. Pictured are (l-r): Andrew Langford, Class of 2002 and Lecturer in Food and Beverage Studies; Sarah Geraghty, Class of 2004 and Marketing Lecturer; Eileen Hoffler, St. Vincent de Paul Mid- West; Tracy Hegarty, Class of 1990 and Lecturer and Alumni Affairs; Elaine Giltinane, Class of 2002 and Placement Officer.

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NEWS

New chapter for Blue Book

Castleknock dines out on restaurant award The Park Restaurant, at Castleknock Hotel & Country Club, has won the Best Place to Eat Excellence Award at the Fingal Business Excellence & Corporate Responsibility Gala Awards.

Always bet on black

Elaine Crowley, Sally Anne Clarke, and Veronica Crowley pictured at the launch of the 2016 Edition of Ireland’s Blue Book at The Merrion Hotel, Dublin. 2016 is set to be a an exciting year for Ireland’s Blue Book with Brown’s Restaurant, Derry/Londonderry; Killarney Royal, Co. Kerry; No.1 Pery Square, Co. Limerick; Viewmount House, Co. Longford; and private rentals including Coolmore Manor, Co. Donegal, and The Shannon Princess, Co. Westmeath joining the collection. For more info: www.irelandsbluebook.com

The Guinness Storehouse recently bagged Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards. Brent Raynor, Digital Manager, Guinness Storehouse said: “More of our visitors are engaging with us online and purchasing their tickets online.

As Ireland’s most visited attraction, we take our position as a tourism leader seriously and strive to always be at the forefront of digital adoption and innovation.”

A giant Social Media Wall is now on the fourth floor of the seven storey building, designed to display user-generated content.

Catch of the day

Patricia Roberts and Michelle Maguire pictured at the launch of the 2016 Edition of Ireland’s Blue Book at The Merrion Hotel Dublin.

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Catch 22, a new seafood dining addition on South Anne Street, Dublin, is the brainchild of industry stalwarts, Paul Dooley and Padraig McLoughlin. Catch 22 receives daily deliveries of fresh fish sourced from the seas off the east, west and southern coasts of Ireland.

NEWS

Spa-tacular celebration Sir William Hastings was joined by Rachel Crawford, Manager of The Spa at Culloden and Adrian McNally, General Manager of the Culloden Estate and Spa to celebrate 25 years of business. The Spa at Culloden was one of Northern Ireland’s very first spas when it opened its doors in 1990.

Kilmurry adds the Great National brand One of Limerick’s iconic hotels, the Kilmurry Lodge, has rebranded as the Great National Kilmurry Lodge Hotel. The Irish-owned hotels and resorts group’s recent growth also includes the 4-star Portlaoise Heritage Hotel, Co. Laois, and in the UK, the Grasmere House Hotel, Salisbury and the Stanhill Court Hotel, Gatwick Airport.

Tool of the trade An online tool has been developed by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) to help Ireland’s 22,000 food service businesses identify and manage allergens in food. The facility was launched by Minister for Health Leo Varadkar to help food businesses comply with their legal requirements to display allergen information on food. The tool is part of the FSAI’s MenuCal calorie calculator, which is available free of charge.

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar, TD; Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI); and Dr Mary Flynn, Chief Specialist: Public Health Nutrition, FSAI.

Pictured (l-r): Jack Hoare, GM, Great National Kilmurry Lodge Hotel, with David Collins, Chief Operating Officer, Great National Hotels and Resorts.

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NEWS

Northern Exposure

Planet of the apps

Fáilte Ireland has won silver for their Dublin Discovery Trails App in the category Best Travel and Tourism App at the Appy awards. The app was developed to capture the historical significance of Dublin to indigenous and out of state visitor markets.

Master the senses Tijn Kramer, editor-in-chief of M!CE & Business Travel Magazine, presents Laura Cronin, Tourism Ireland, with the award for Belfast, voted trendiest city for business travel in Europe.

Money matters

Pictured (l-r) is Dr. Damien Roche, Head of Business & Humanities IT Tallaght; John Mulcahy, Head of Hospitality Failte Ireland; Professor Charles Spence, Oxford University; and Angela Feeney, Head of Humanities, IT Tallaght.

MSc in Applied Culinary Nutrition, IT Tallaght, in association with Failte Ireland, presented a masterclass with Professor Spence, exploring how we can master the senses to produce the perfect meal.

Get the point?

Smith & Williamson - the accountancy, investment management and tax group - has opened a second office in Dublin. The firm has taken additional office space in Herbert Street, supplementing its base in Sandyford, making up a total of 13 offices across the UK and Ireland. Cedric Cruess Callaghan leads the Dublin investment management and pension planning team. Paul Wyse is Managing Director of the Tax and Business Services operation.

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Harvey’s Point Hotel has been named No.1 Hotel in Ireland in the inaugural trivago Top Hotel Awards. Hotel search website trivago.ie employed aggregated online user ratings in order to recognise the best-rated hotels, both regionally and nationally. With a rating of 96.4%, Harvey’s Point in Lough Eske, achieved the highest score in Ulster and in Ireland.

NEWS

Green around the gills

The hospitality sector came out in their droves this week as Green Hospitality hosted the National Conference & Responsible Travel & Tourism Awards at The Marker Hotel, Dublin. Businesses in Clare and Dublin were the big winners, scooping 7 of the 13 awards. The Green Hospitality special award, Responsible Travel & Tourism Member of the Year, went the Sandymount Hotel, Dublin.

Ireland’s double win in American travel awards Ireland has scooped two major travel awards in the United States. In New York, Ireland was named “best destination: Europe” at the Travel Weekly annual Readers Choice Awards beating off competition from England, France, Italy, Germany and Spain. And also, for the fourth year in a row, Ireland was named “best tourism destination” by frequent travellers in the United States - at the 2015 GT Tested Awards.

Flogas stumps competition

Flogas, the official energy partner to Cricket Ireland, joined some of the country’s star players and emerging talent for the Cricket Ireland Awards. Flogas MD John Rooney presented Jim Bennett of the Hills Cricket Club in Skerries, Dublin, with the Flogas Outstanding Contribution to Irish Cricket trophy.

Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s head of North America, accepted the “best destination: Europe” award for Ireland, at the Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards in New York.

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NEWS

Shane as it ever was

APPOINTMENTS PLUS

Hotel & Catering students launch eco initiative Students of the Bachelor of Business in Hotel & Catering Management have set up 18 bird feeder locations on the grounds of the GMIT Galway campus, from proceeds of a fundraiser they hosted recently as part of their degree studies.

Aramark, a global provider of award winning services in food, facilities management and property, has announced the appointment of Shane Flynn as Operations Director. In his role, Shane will be responsible for the management of a portfolio of Aramark’s Food Services contracts. Shane brings with him over 20 years’ experience in Retail Operations Management.

He joins from Applegreen where he held the position of Head of Dealer Business and Motorway Service Area operations.

Pictured (l-r) are: Kerri Higgins, Wicklow; Sean Mulligan, Mayo; Richard Smith, Clare; Sophie Kendrick, Wicklow; Gregory Kozubowski, Renmore; Tina Reilly, Meath; Sarah Flannagan, Mayo; Jonny Fanning, Dublin; Richie Murphy, Clare.

Something fishy about new book

New Dry-ving force behind Radisson Blu

The Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Galway, has announced the appointment of Andrew Drysdale as General Manager. The Shannon native, joins from Farnham Estate Golf & Spa Resort, Co. Cavan, where he worked as General Manager since 2012.

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Sea Gastronomy, Fish and Shellfish of the North Atlantic, is a new book written by chef Michael O Meara, founder of Oscar’s Seafood Bistro in Galway City: a hardback encyclopaedic culinary study of fish and shellfish in the North Atlantic. O Meara launched the book with help from Ross Lewis, Michelin Star Chef and co owner at Chapter One Restaurant.

LUXURY HOTELS

Western Pride The Glenlo Abbey Hotel is an idyllic five-star escape located just 3km from Galway City Centre and only a stone’s throw from the wild outdoors of Connemara in the Corrib region.

Situated on a 140-acre estate, the 18th century Abbey has seen various changes over the past few centuries, especially in recent years with the completion of a twoyear grand refurbishment. Glenlo has a history of four previous owners, the French family, the Blake family, the Palmer family, the Bourke family and with most recently as of July 2013, the Lally family. Glenlo Abbey is now a member of the Lalco Group, a

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well-established hospitality organisation that boasts other luxury hotels such as The Westin and Intercontinental in Dublin, The Stand in Limerick, and The Harbour in Galway, sister hotel to Glenlo Abbey.

Rory O’Sullivan, General Manager of Glenlo Abbey is just over the one-year mark since joining the team in Galway. “I joined here in November 2014. Things are going great for Glenlo, we had a very succesful year in 2015 and feedback from the guests has been fantastically positive and the outlook is very bright for 2016.” Rory points to a hugely successful increase in Wedding numbers and the strength of the dollar as two factors for the growth. We have close to 55 couples celebrating their special day with us this year and the expectation is that next year’swedding figures will increase by 15-20%. We also welcomed the German President Joachim Gauck as part of his visit to Ireland earlier this year which was a great testament to the progress being made at the hotel in 2015.

One aspect Rory was looking to improve upon was the previous lack of personality and character in the hotel when he first visited the hotel. Identifying and expanding the guest experience boundaries is another key factor in business development. It is important how staff interacts with the guests, thus ensuring the experience wasn’t just transactional is very important for Rory. “ I don’t want a situation where you wouldjust go to the bar for example, hand over your money without any interaction or engagement with the staff member there ; I want to

LUXURY HOTELS

encourage a little bit of chat, such as where are you from, how is the holiday etc?

It’s about building a relationship with our guests while they’re here. We just don’t want Glenlo Abbey to be a run of the mill hotel with no soul.”

Rory completed a three-year course at GMIT in Hotel and Catering Management, which explains the understandable logic behind his main concern, the customer, along with the financial burden a historic building like GlenloAbbey can ensue. Rory explains in his own words, “You have to have an accounting mind and be cognizant of the costs involved with running a period building but at the same time, the guest is paramount when they arriveand a warm welcome is hugely important in delivering the right message to the guest to put their mind at ease. The welcome is the most important part of the hospitality journey for a guest during their stay. From the roof down to the foundations, if something external happens it can be have a major impact on the hotel and often a guest may not appreciate the fullness of what is involved in running an older building. Glenlo Abbey was built originally in 1740.

Sometimes the guests doesn’t appreciate the fiscal amount that is put into the place, especially from a maintenance point of view. We just survived hurricane Desmond and yet I had one guest at the desk bemoaning the noise of the wind whistling around the hotel! But life is never dull in hospitality and I love the variety and challenge it brings.

Two main features Glenlo Abbey are presenting as their unique selling point to the market are the new nine-hole golf course and the Pullman train, car number 208 from the original Orient Express. This fine dining service is a marketers dream as described by General Manager, Rory O’Sullivan to present to the world. In 1997

when the train arrived on the estate, hotel spas were a popular addition around the country. “To this day, I’d rather have a Pullman than a spa as it creates a distinct difference when going to the market. It’s a full fine dining experience with all the props and uniform that sets the scene. We won an AA Rosette last year and we’re looking to do better again this year coming. I’d say we’ve had about ten engagements alone on it this year which points to the added attraction for romantics. When we sell at trade shows in America the Pullman always attracts attention because of its unique purpose and people are surprised to hear that it’s a fully functioning restaurant. It will be something we will be looking to market more and more,” Rory reveals.

The golf course is an element that Glenlo Abbey has concentrated on developing back to its former glory, although adapting it to meet current demands, such as changing the course from an 18 hole green to a nine-hole. “We’re trying to make golf more attractive to the 20-40 something’s and our nine-hole golf course is great because realistically that age group don’t have the time for 18,” Rory discloses.

Membership at the golf club has grown 100% year on year and next year the goal is to reach 350-400 members, which would be all locals, again, something that Rory sees as very important. “Investing in the locals is very important because it introduces them to the hotel that could potentially mean weddings, christenings, 21st birthdays, etc., it’s a huge part of what we’re doing here.”

GlenloAbbey saw a positive 2015, both

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LUXURY HOTELS

from the domestic market along with the North American and British markets, primarily due to the strong currency rates of the Dollar and Sterling. As for the domestic market, Ireland has done very well with successful marketing strategies thanks to both Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland, with initiatives such as The Wild Atlantic Way, The Ancient Easy, etc.,and to maximise the opportunities these offer, from September the Director of Sales; Deborah O Brien has been to America three times purely to cultivate relationships with tour operators and travel agents to grow the business.

This year has demonstrated an increase indisposable income for guests and the continued 9% VAT rate for Glenlo Abbey is something Rory O’Sullivan and other hoteliers wouldn’t like to see relinquished anytime soon. “The difference in the lowered VAT has been huge and I believe that in the couple of years after its introduction it allowed hospitality businesses to stay afloat. It’s a great policy and we’d be definitely happy to see it continue,” he assures.

As business is on the rise, Rory is keen to mention that just because significant

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capital has been invested into the hotel doesn’t mean the rates of the bedrooms should be raised hugely and we need to learn from mistakes of the past regarding remaining competitive. We are keen to grow the Glenlo experience for our guests at all times and we are investing in the long term future of the hotel and to do that we have to be seen to offer value at all times.Overall the service should reflect what is being provided and in Rory’s own words, “That’s why Glenlo Abbey is so focused on providing great customer service. We have recently added a Human Resources Manager who looks after the Customer Service training to improve the service culture and the mentality of our employees and to focus on the guest at all times.

Rory and the team at Glenlo Abbey are very optimistic to see what new milestones and accomplishments 2016 can bring. November was Glenlo’s best online booking month since the takeover in 2013 and that’s a huge indicator of how business will be this coming year. Their Christmas program is nearly full for this year, another positive sign as it’s a total new marketoffering since the takeover of the hotel. It is onwards and upwards at the Glenlo Abbey in Galway, where success is the only option and where greatcustomer service will always come first.

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FÁILTE IRELAND NEWS

€1m in Funding for ‘Ireland’s Ancient East’

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, along with Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD, announced over €1m in a further phase of funding for capital projects in Ireland’s Ancient East. The funding is being made through Fáilte Ireland’s ‘New Ideas in Ancient Spaces’ Capital Grants Scheme and is for a further 13 projects within the Ireland’s Ancient East initiative.

This second phase of investment brings the total funding under the ‘New Ideas in Ancient Spaces’ initiative to €2.26m and comes ahead of a new signage scheme to brand the region which is due to be rolled out in 2016.

This funding under the ‘New Ideas in Ancient Spaces’ Capital Grants Scheme follows a Fáilte Ireland call for applications from interested parties across the region. A further phase of funding in capital supports for the initiative is expected in 2016.

Launched last April, Ireland’s Ancient East is Fáilte Ireland’s latest tourism initiative and seeks to build on the wealth of historical and cultural assets in the east and south of Ireland. The new initiative seeks to give visitors a personal experience of 5,000 years of Irish history through a journey of discovery in a lush green

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landscape with stories told by the best storytellers in the world. Ireland’s Ancient East stretches from Carlingford to Cork and is intended to match and complement the Wild Atlantic Way in terms of scale and ambition.

The capital funding announced is being awarded to: • Laois Heritage Trails, Co Laois • Ros Tapestry, New Ross, Co Wexford • Cobh Heritage Centre, Co Cork • The Clockgate Tower Youghal, Co Cork • The Norman Way, Co Wexford • The Butler Trail, Co Tipperary • The Lifetime Lab (Steam Centre Visitor Experience), Cork City • Celtic Tree Experience, Blackstairs Eco Trails, Co Carlow • Castle Saunderson, Co Cavan • Louth Adventures, Co Louth • Ireland’s Ancient Eats, Co Meath • Glaslough Heritage Trail, Co Monaghan • 3D Viking Experience, Waterford City Welcoming this news Fáilte Ireland Director of Business Development, Paul Keeley, said: “We in Fáilte Ireland are working directly with businesses and communities on the ground to turn the promise of the ‘Ireland’s Ancient East’ brand into a reality. By the end of the year, we will have helped to jump-start or augment projects within Ireland’s Ancient East and will have readied the region to deliver first class experiences to visitors during summer 2016.”

This funding comes as Fáilte Ireland prepares to install approximately 100 Ireland’s Ancient East orientation signs and 300 county boundary signs across the region in 2016. This new signage scheme will encourage visitors to explore Ireland’s Ancient East by making them aware of the wide range of things to see and across the area.

FÁILTE IRELAND NEWS

Tralee and Lismore named ‘Ireland’s Top Tourism Towns’ Aside from the two top winners, eight other high performing towns were commended for their work: Best Large Towns - Highly Commended Cobh, Co. Cork Killarney, Co Kerry Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny Best Small Towns - Highly Commended Ardmore, Co Waterford Adare, Co Limerick Clonakilty, Co Cork Kenmare, Co Kerry Sneem, Co Kerry

Mary O’Brien, Secretary, Lismore Tidy Towns accepts the Best Small Tourism Town award and is pictured with Orla Carroll, Director of Strategic Development, Fáilte Ireland; Minister for State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring, TD and Kieran Ruttledge, CEO Tralee Chamber Alliance, with the Best Large Tourism Town award.

Tralee, County Kerry and Lismore, County Waterford, were crowned 2015 winners at the fourth annual Tourism Towns Awards which took place in The Morrison Hotel, in Dublin.

Tralee picked up the top prize as Ireland’s best National Large Tourism Town while Lismore came out on top in the National Small Tourism Town category. Tralee and Lismore were chosen from a shortlist of ten top tourism towns, with the remaining towns all receiving certificates of merit to acknowledge their own impressive performances in reaching out to visitors and creating the best possible tourism experiences.

The Tourism Towns Award was designed by Fáilte Ireland to promote those Irish towns and villages which are working hardest to enhance their appeal to tourists visiting their local area. As the overall winners, Tralee and Lismore received its winning certificate along with a €5,000 grant each towards further developing itself as a tourism destination.

Fáilte Ireland’s Director of Strategic Development, Orla Carroll, welcomed the announcement of the 2015 winners - “This awards scheme, now in its fourth year, is not all about recognising those towns that do the best from tourism but rather those that do their best for tourism. We celebrate Irish towns and villages that have really embraced tourism and where all sectors and not just the local tourism interests have supported the strengthening of their local welcome.

“All the towns involved in this year’s competition have demonstrated what you can achieve when you demonstrate ‘pride of place’. Their commitment to their local area not only contributes to the sustained growth of Irish tourism, it is also a central part in the ‘tourism towns’ spirit which ultimately turns a good holiday into an unforgettable experience.”

Culinary programme for commis chefs Fáilte Ireland has launched a pilot Culinary Programme for up to 200 participants to allow them to successfully enter the tourism industry with the prospect of a culinary career. The successful participants will have the option at a later stage to progress on to a newly developed ‘Chef’s Apprenticeship Programme’ and it is expected that the content of the programme would be equivalent to a Level 4 competency based programme.

Speaking about this new programme John Mulcahy Head of Hospitality at Fáilte Ireland said: “Currently businesses are experiencing a shortage of chefs within the tourism industry to meet their business needs. In direct response to this, Fáilte Ireland have developed and funded this new culinary programme initiative to support the hospitality industry.

Programme delivery and duration Successful providers will deliver a full-time programme on-site; practically based with an element of supporting theory over an 8/10 week period. The programme commenced at the end of November 2015 with completion by the middle of March 2016.

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IFSA NEWS

New ‘CHEF NETWORK’ to connect all of Ireland’s Chef Community

IFSA Supports IHI in another successful Founders Banquet IFSA once again supported the prestigious IHI F o u n d e r s Banquet and Hospitality Management Awards which took place in the Double Tree by Hilton on 26th November. Eight main awards Pictured are Martin Mangan, IHI President; Paschal Donohoe, were presented, Minister for Tourism Culture & Sport; Larry Smith, IFSA followed by three Chairman; Natasha Kinsella, CEO. enrolments into the Irish Hospitality Institute College of Fellows and the coveted title of Hospitality Manager of the Year which this year went to Vincent O’Gorman, General Manager, The Westbury Hotel, Dublin 2.

In officially opening the ceremony Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Tourism Culture & Sport, commented: “Through the hard work of the tourism industry, continued Government investment and further support, tourism is seeing a very welcome recovery. To sustain this, it is important that we continue to deliver a high quality, good-value overall tourism experience”.

Well done from IFSA to all of the winners on the night!

RATIONAL is the Chef’s Choice 2016 winner in the Best Combi Oven category and the Best Equipment Brand, too In 2014 RATIONAL underlined its market-leading position with the launch of its latest combi oven the SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses. This RATIONAL combi oven is the first intelligent commercial cooking appliance that interacts with chefs. It gets to know the way chefs work so that, together, with their combi oven they will deliver the best possible cooking results.

Instead of using numerous cooking appliances at the same time, chefs can now cook everything in just one square metre of space with the SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses, replacing up to 50% of standard appliances and reducing the kitchen footprint by at least 30%.

The RATIONAL SelfCookingCenter® 5 Senses combi oven shows which foods can be cooked together on the iLevelControl display. With iLevelControl chefs can specify what they want to prepare. iLevelControl monitors each rack individually ensuring consistent results every time. In addition, according to the load quantity and how often and for how long the door stays open, iLevelControl intelligently corrects the cooking time and even lets the chefs know.

Chefs can test drive the 5 Senses combi oven at a RATIONAL CookingLive demonstration. They take place every month at over 120 venues across the UK, so there is sure to be one happening near you. Led by chefs who are experts in the latest combi oven technologies and techniques, participants can cook with the RATIONAL and sample the results. To attend a demonstration call 01582 480388 or visit www.rational-online.co.uk

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A brand new and very exciting initiative for Ireland’s chef community is set to launch this February. ‘Chef Network’ will link all of Ireland’s chefs allowing them to communicate and collaborate, share knowledge and expertise, and address the issues of greatest concern to their industry. The primary activity will focus on an online platform - a professional social network for chefs - allowing them to connect in way that fit with Chefs from across industry and education sectors gathered at the Marker Hotel for their busy working lives.

‘Chef Network’ is a first of ‘Chef Network’ consultation workshop its kind; a platform aimed specifically at chefs and led exclusively by their interest and demands. IFSA and its membership identified the need for a support network for chefs and have retained the services of Ruth Hegarty, formerly Secretary-General of Euro-Toques Ireland, to develop the concept with their support.

Chef Network is focussed on principles, defined in consultation with chefs from all across the industry and education sectors on the island of Ireland, north and south, comprising education & training, business development, individual chef development, and networking & communication between chefs. The central aims of Chef Network will be to attract people to the industry and work better to keep them there, to improve standards of training and collaboration with the education sector, and to promote and maintain culinary skills. But most of all it is about chefs working together and learning from each, sharing knowledge, ideas and resources.

Phase 1 of Chef Network officially launches at Food & Bev Live 1617 February. Those who join in Phase 1 will help pioneer this new initiative as it develops. Chef Network will be what its members make it - so make sure you or your chefs have a place at the table.

Sign-up TODAY at chefnetwork.ie

Rebranding & Going Digital at Elliott’s Cash & Carry.

Change is inevitable, as anyone in business knows, the only way to stay ahead of the game is to evolve. So why should you change something you’ve known for years?. Elliott’s believe rebranding isn’t just a facelift.

It’s a chance to seize new opportunities and stay ahead ,stand out from the competition by introducing their new services, address new audiences and enter into new markets. “It’s like a fresh start for us”.

Elliott’s have been established in the cash & carry trade since 1961,we now think it is time to refresh our look and show both our current customers and any potentially new customers what Elliott’s have to offer with our exceptional customer service, friendly staff, excellent value, great location and prompt free next day delivery service.

For a successful business like Elliott’s rebranding isn’t used as a last resort, it’s a strategic tool for advancement in the market.

We see this a chance to let people know that we are more than just a cash & carry and that we also have a foodservice side to our business.

As a family run and managed business we bring that personal; touch to our customers and what we promise, we make sure we deliver on.

Philip Elliott Director and Shay Ryan Business Development Manager

IFSA NEWS

O’Egg from Clonarm Clover

Clonarn Clover is Ireland’s leading producer of Bord Bia approved free range eggs and Ireland’s only producer of pasteurised eggs for the retail market. Using traditional farming methods and always ensuring exclusive free range egg production, Margaret and Leo have been paving the way for innovation within the egg industry, always producing the highest standard of free range eggs.

Their brand O’Egg can be found nationwide in Supervalu, Tesco, Dunnes Stores and many more and showcase a wide array of products. Products include medium and large eggs, white eggs, Omega 3 enriched eggs and pasteurised whole egg, egg whites and egg yolks. Every product is certified free range and custom container sizes are available on large orders.

Margaret and her company is the recent winner of The FBD women & Agriculture award for On-Farm Innovation, the Love Irish Food, Master’s of their Art Award and also are a Provincial winner of The Ulster Bank Business Achievers Food and Drink Award.

Catering Innovation Agency Catering Innovation Agency Ltd (the CIA) based in Carlow, which has Smarter Catering Equipment as its core p h i l o s o p h y, launches the new Palux baking and combi oven to the Irish supermarket, convenience store and deli market. It will be making its debut at the Hospitality Expo Show in the RDS in February 2016.

The new Palux Touch n Steam baking and combi oven is designed to reduce the need for supermarkets to have two ovens. It comes with 4 in 1 rack system which accepts the basic Gastronorm trays and also more importantly the larger baking trays. It also requires 50% less energy compared to their nearest rivals, 10kw v’s 20kw, giving owners the lowest operating costs on the market. The oven includes 5 programmable fan speeds, interval mode, auto reverse ventilation and multi core temperature probe. It has a touch screen control panel and comes with automatic powder cleaning as standard. These features will give unrivalled success in baking and cooking platforms.

This oven will save €3942 on energy costs as a minimum, plus the savings when waving good bye to baking oven rental agreements and the Palux Touch n Steam becomes a Smarter catering equipment choice which will suit the butcher, the baker and serve as a profit maker.

Already Mortons Delicatessen, Brother Hubbard’s, Talbot Hotel Group, Pettitt’s Supermarkets, Flynn Hotels, O’Gormans Portlaoise and The Horse and Jockey are enjoying the benefits of the new Palux Touch n Steam. Register your interest now at www.ciaireland.ie or call 01-5179088/059-9105020.

A new star when it comes to cooking versatility Cusinequip has added the new Berner KombiStar induction cooking hob to complement the growing range of induction technology from Berner it offers to professional kitchens in the UK. The Kombi-Star hob gives chefs control and versatility over a range of cooking methods allowing them to deliver a range of dishes. With a range of drop-in accessories the single induction unit can be used as a griddle, wok, pasta cooker, bain-marie or simply as an induction hob.

The new hob and its accessories add an extra dimension to the Cuisinequip range of foodservice equipment as Steve Elliott, National Sales Manager for Valentine Equipment and Cuisinequip, explains, “Our Kombi-Star shows that offering multi-use can improve quality in a kitchen with a piece of equipment that is adaptable, well designed and constructed, and easy to use. The impact for chefs can be significant simply through the versatility, control and small footprint of the unit; at its largest in the pasta cooker mode at 405x400x170mm.”

Key features: • Rapid heat-up and precise control • Touch-screen control • Griddle, Wok, Pasta Cooker and Bain-marie drop-in accessories • Replaceable grease filter For more information on Cuisinequip call: 0118 957 1344 or visit: www.cuisinequip.com

GRAM UK

With the implementation of the EU Ecodesign Directive set for the 1st July 2016, operators are looking for manufacturers that offer products which feature highly within the new labeling system.

Together, Hoshizaki UK and Gram UK bring to the market the latest innovation in ice machines and refrigeration.

Hoshizaki ice machines offer the opportunity to use different styles of ice, such as ball ice, to add theatre to drinks and create an occasion or memorable experience and enhance the overall selling point of cocktails. The ice machines are equipped with a closed water circuit system that offers the best possible protection against water contamination.

While Gram’s SUPERIORPLUS 72 is the latest forerunner in a new generation of energy efficient refrigeration, combining revolutionary design and ground-breaking technology. The improvements in technology mean that the SUPERIORPLUS 72 is 44 percent more energy efficient than its ‘best in class’ Plus 600 predecessor. Therefore, energy use and running costs have decreased massively from 509kWh year to 285kWh, based on a rate of €0.13 kWh the average operator can expect to spend only €39.44 per year on the SUPERIORPLUS 72*.

As well as the SUPERIORPLUS range, Gram’s other energy efficient models cater for varying space and budget constraints, including the Midi, Twin Eco and Compact.

Operators purchasing from Gram UK or Hoshizaki UK also have access to the energy efficient Snowflake range. A range of Snowflake products are listed on the Energy Technology List (ETL), including the SNOWFLAKE K605 which consumes just 2kWh within a 24 hour period.

For more information on energy efficient refrigeration, visit www.gogreenwithgram.co.uk or call 01322 616900. *http://www.topten.eu/english/professional-refrigerators/storage-refrigerators/storagerefrigerators-1-door.html

H&RT DECEMBER ‘15/JANUARY ‘16

19

INTERVIEW

Brave new dawn

Fáilte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn is content but non-complacent as he steers our largest indigenous industry through the stormy seas of external economic factors.

2015 has seen our country hit new heights in terms of growth, the numbers of tourists visiting the country and the amount of money they spent while they were here.

Are we witnessing - as Fáilte Ireland seem to believe - a brave new dawn in Irish Tourism where anything is possible? What were the factors driving the fancy statistics in 2015 and can we expect a repeat performance next year?

“2015 was much more successful than anybody anticipated,” says Donegal native Shaun Quinn, who has been at the helm of the Republic’s tourist body for 12 years now. “Let nobody say that, a year ago, they thought their business was going to grow by 9 or 10%.

“There are probably two or three things that really contributed to the year: one was that the economies of our key source markets are in pretty good order. That’s the key thing that drives tourism ultimately the money in the pocket of the tourist.

“The second big factor has been the increase in air access this year... The third factor has been the exchange rate with Sterling and with the Dollar. There are no two ways about it - we can put all sorts of

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H&RT DECEMBER ‘15/JANUARY ‘16

gloss on it and say ‘Well we set out to achieve 10% growth and we did this and did that’ but there were factors outside of our control that contributed to it in no small measure and the favourable exchange rate was one of them.”

Going into 2016, some of those factors remain. The key economies of which he speaks appear to be continuing to grow for the foreseeable future and air access into the country will increase again - by over 6%, according to Quinn.

“Assuming no external shocks, there’s no reason why this business wouldn’t grow again next year by 5% or 6%.”

Quinn is also very pleased with how things have gone from a product branding

INTERVIEW

perspective. To the average observer, rolling out ideas such as the Wild Atlantic Way ,Ireland’s Ancient East and Dublin A Breath of Fresh Air, seem like a simple process of sticking a shiny new label on something that has existed for millennia.

Quinn is at pains to point out, however, that such brand segmentation is part of a careful process of soul-searching at a forensic level for ideas that could be marketed, developed and sold and which would tap into the energy of communities in the country, as well as capturing the imagination of overseas visitors.

All these brands are in need of continual analysis and development. One of the surprising aspects of the Wild Atlantic Way, for example, was that most visitors to Ireland didn’t come because of it but discovered it after they arrived: “Nobody came to Ireland saying ‘I want to do the Wild Atlantic Way’. We know because we surveyed them. When they landed here, they heard about it and they went out on it.

“Our big challenge now going into 2016 and 2017 is that there’s no point in having these big brands if nobody knows about them until they’ve landed here. Making them know about it beforehand is where there will be some sustained growth.”

Quinn’s role, as he sees it, is to “dress the Ireland shop window” - to put more and more things into it that people might want to buy. Is one of those things food tourism?

“What we certainly have internationally is a fantastic reputation for raw produce.

We have fantastic traceability too. That’s the basis for building something on food.

Are we known internationally for our cuisine? Probably not, but our food offering has improved no end in the last 5-6 years.

“When you ask people about Irish food before they come here, they don’t rate it that highly but if you ask them after they’ve been here, they rave about it.”

From an investment point of view, there is the danger of price inflation occurring - particularly in Dublin city centre where demand is rising too quickly for supply to

be able to meet it. On this, Quinn admits that we will probably have to suffer some price inflation in the short term but that additional hotels rooms coming onstream over the next 3-4 years will alleviate the problem.

And what of the dreaded skills shortage?

With hotels and restaurants crying out for chefs and virtually every other level of job in the industry, the lack of qualified staff could surely threaten to sour our lovingly nurtured national tourism product segment by segment?

Shaun Quinn doesn’t believe that it will: “When I came into this industry about 18 years ago, there was a similar situation with skills shortage as the industry was expanding at a high rate. They were addressed then - the industry is very dynamic and creative... When the industry is profitable and it’s growing, it’s not going to be held back because there aren’t enough students coming out of colleges.”

Perhaps most controversially of all, there is the question of a national hotel ratings system. The variance from country to country of the star-ratings has often left people calling for a Europe-wide standard rather than 3-star in one country being the equivalent of 4-star in a neighbouring nation or 2-star in another country. But after years of seeing how all of this works, the head of Fáilte Ireland himself wonders at relevancy of start ratings: “I’m not convinced at all that the average punter today spends as much time counting the number of stars on the plaque outside the hotel wall as has been the case… I think that they’re much more influenced by what a complete stranger will say about a property on Tripadvisor. That’s the reality, whether we like it or not.

“We also have to question what we’re rating too… The size of a corridor or the size of a room isn’t necessarily as important as the service you get when you go into a place.

“Classification was always introduced as a way of helping the consumer. It wasn’t there to help anybody else... Things have changed now: if you have a business and you provide a service that isn’t up to scratch, you are going to get hammered in social media and it’s very hard to defend yourself.”

So can we be optimistic for the coming year?

“I would be fairly optimistic,” he says. “I think that the industry is a better place than it has been in many years. The industry is efficient and very switched-on and up for it - there’s a great hunger and they’re in solutions mode.

“We’ve a strategy that’s now working and I think that we should stick to it... There are some big targets out there in tourism to 2025 and we could even meet them ahead of time.”

H&RT DECEMBER ‘15/JANUARY ‘16

21

TOURISM

Tourism Ireland sets its sights on another record year for Irish tourism in 2016 8.2 million visitors to generate €4.4 billion spend

Tourism Minister Paschal Donohoe and Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, at the launch of Tourism Ireland’s marketing plans for 2016.

Mary Noone, Manor House & Irish Country Hotels; Cathy Kapande, Tourism Ireland; and Mailo Power, Athenaeum House Hotel, Waterford.

Tourism Ireland launched details of its marketing plans to promote Ireland overseas in 2016 and beyond, at an event attended by Tourism Minister Paschal Donohoe and tourism industry leaders from around the country. The organisation aims to surpass this year’s record performance in overseas tourism and to welcome 8.2 million visitors to Ireland in 2016. This figure will represent growth of +4% over 2015 and deliver €4.4 billion to the Irish economy (almost +5%) next year.

To illustrate how much Irish tourism has bounced back since the downturn, a comparison of CSO figures for January to October 2015 versus the same period in 2010 shows superb growth in visitors from Britain (+20% in that five-year period), North America (+51%), Mainland Europe (+38%) and Australia and developing markets (+66%).

Building on this year’s success and sustaining growth into the future is at the heart of Tourism Ireland’s strategy for 2016. Factors working in our favour include: new flights to Ireland, stronger economies in our key source markets, the Ireland ‘brand’ (or image abroad) remains strong, as well as favourable exchange rates for sterling and the dollar. Other positives include Tourism Ireland’s strength in digital and social media (the organisation is the third most popular tourism board in the world on Facebook).

Following the success of the Wild Atlantic Way, a new ad highlighting our latest tourism experience, Ireland’s Ancient East, was also unveiled. The ad will launch in January 2016 in 23 markets around the world. Tourism Ireland will also promote Dublin - “A Breath of Fresh Air” - in major markets throughout 2016.

Drive to entice British tourists to Ireland

Sales blitz in California to boost American tourist numbers to Ireland in 2016 Tourism Ireland, together with a delegation of 23 tourism enterprises, recently undertook a three-city trade and media blitz in California. The last of the 2015 ‘Jump into Ireland’ (JITI) events took place in the key cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. With a new Aer Lingus flight between Los Angeles and Dublin set to commence in 2016, in addition to the existing Aer Lingus San Francisco to Dublin flight and Ethiopian Airlines’ service from Los Angeles, it was an ideal opportunity to target influential travel agents and tour operators on the west coast of the US, kickstarting the promotional effort for 2016 in this important tourism market.

Tourism businesses from around Ireland joined Tourism Ireland at this year’s Classic Motor Show in Birmingham. The show attracted around 65,000 people, offering an excellent platform to spread the world about car touring holidays in Ireland among car enthusiasts in Britain. Pictured are Ronan Francis, Tourism Ireland; Eilis Baselman, Killashee House Hotel; Tom Treacy, Gordon Bennett Irish Classic Car Run; Billy Nutt, Nutt Travel; Sheila Russell, Harvey’s Point Hotel; Caroline Carey, Causeway Coastal Route; EmmaJayne Anderson, Nutt Travel; Eithne Cosgrove, Hotel Westport; David Clegg, Gordon Bennett Irish Classic Car Run; David Cleary, Manor House & Irish Country Hotels; and Eugene Maher, ShannonFerry Group.

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H&RT DECEMBER ‘15/JANUARY ‘16

Philip Grant, Consul General of Ireland; Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland; Carmel Flynn, Parknasilla Resort & Spa; and Mike Hawe, Isle Inn Tours, during Tourism Ireland’s ‘Jump into Ireland’ (JITI) event in San Francisco.

TOURISM

Ireland to feel ‘The Force’!

Tourism Ireland unveils new Star Wars campaign The recent release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens - which features Skellig Michael - presents Tourism Ireland with a truly unique opportunity to highlight the South West and Ireland in 2016. The organisation has launched the first phase of its special Star Wars campaign, targeting fans of the science fiction franchise everywhere.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the most anticipated film of the year and Tourism Ireland plans to take every opportunity to maximise the Star Wars connection with Ireland over the coming weeks and months. Its campaign is rolling out in 14 different markets - including Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, the Nordic region, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and the GCC. Activity includes a specially created page on Tourism Ireland’s international website, Ireland.com which has attracted about 16.5 million visitors in 2015; extensive social activity, with posts on Facebook (Tourism Ireland has 3.33 million fans worldwide) and Twitter (317,000+ followers); as well as a major PR and publicity push to Tourism Ireland’s 20,000+ international media contacts.

Celebrating Irish design in Paris As ID2015 - the year of Irish design - comes to a close, Tourism Ireland joined forces with the French luxury brand Hermès, at an event in Paris hosted by Irish Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason to celebrate our superb creativity and design. Earlier this year, Ireland’s foremost abstract artist, Richard Gorman, became the first Irish artist invited to collaborate with Hermès on one of its famous carré scarves.

The Tourism Ireland event at the Irish Embassy, celebrating his ‘Squeeze’ collection of Hermès scarves, was attended by leading French lifestyle and fashion journalists. Tourism Ireland has been highlighting the year-long ID2015 programme, our creativity and design in its promotions around the globe throughout 2015 - celebrating design in just about every form, including events across the island, as well as activities and showcases at design weeks and fashion weeks.

Finola O’Mahony, Tourism Ireland; Brian McGee, Design and Crafts Council of Ireland; Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès; artist Richard Gorman; Irish Ambassador to France Geraldine Byrne Nason; and Elmagh Killeen, Tourism Ireland, at an event in the Irish Embassy in Paris celebrating ID2015.

Winners enclosure! Awards for Tourism Ireland Tourism Ireland scooped a top marketing award for its ‘Northern Ireland, Game of Thrones Territory’ campaign, at the recent International Content Marketing Awards in London. Tourism Ireland was one of ten organisations shortlisted in the “best travel” category and beat off stiff competition from the likes of British Airways, Scandinavian Airlines and Quantas Airways to take the

top prize for its Game of Thrones campaign with HBO. In Italy, Tourism Ireland won an award for ‘best digital communication’ from the Italian Association of Travel Journalists. And in the Middle East, Tourism Ireland and VisitBritain won a gold award at the 2015 MEPRAs (Middle East Public Relations Awards), for their joint ‘One Break, Two Cities’ campaign.

Brian Twomey, Tourism Ireland (right), and Alex Buckland, Publicis, with the award for best international content marketing (travel category) for Tourism Ireland’s 2015 Game of Thrones campaign.

Ornella Gamacchio, Tourism Ireland (third right), accepting the award for ‘best digital campaign 2015’ from the jury of the Italian Association of Travel Journalists.

H&RT DECEMBER ‘15/JANUARY ‘16

23

NEW MEMBERS

Restaurant Name

County

Restaurant Name

County

Restaurant Name

County

The Royal Bar & Restaurant

Co Cavan

Khao Asian Street Food - Killarney

Co Kerry

Bridgie Terries

Co Waterford

Gallagher’s Seafood Restaurant

Co Clare

The Daily Grind

Co Kerry

The Granville Hotel

Co Waterford

Knox’s Restaurant

Co Clare

Petit Delice - Killarney

Co Kerry

Bracken’s Bar

Co Westmeath

Murphy Blacks Restaurant

Co Clare

Cunningham’s Bar

Co Kildare

Co Cork

Fate Restaurant

Co Kildare

Claffey’s Steakhouse @ The Grand Hotel

Co Westmeath

Twisted Restaurant Bitesize

Co Cork

The Abbey Lodge

Co Kildare

La Cote Seafood Restaurant

Co Wexford

The Model Farm Bar

Co Cork

Ngai’s Restaurant

Co Kildare

Eco Pizzeria & Restaurant

Co Wexford Co Wexford

Khao Asian Street Food - Mallow

Co Cork

Orchard House

Co Kilkenny

The Country Kitchen Bistro

Murphy’s Restaurant

Co Cork

The Courtyard Bar & Grill

Co Kilkenny

Alba Restaurant

Co Wexford Co Wexford

The Olde Bakery Bar & Restaurant

Co Cork

Bowes Foodhall

Co Laois

The Tara Vale

Bandon Golf Club

Co Cork

Shannon Bistro Restaurant

Co Leitrim

Karoo Café

Co Wexford Co Wexford

Brady’s Lane

Co Cork

Clancys of Glenfarne

Co Leitrim

Katie Daly’s

Courtmacsherry Hotel

Co Cork

Miss Marples Tea Rooms

Co Limerick

Chill Wine Bar & Bistro Restaurant

Co Wexford

Doyles Bar & Restaurant

Co Donegal

Red Rose Café

Co Longford

Source

Co Wexford Co Wexford

Café Nation

Co Donegal

Gourmet Palace

Co Louth

The Book Café

Doherty’s Restaurant

Co Donegal

Katie’s Kitchen

Co Louth

Seasuir @ Wexford Golf Club

Co Wexford Co Wexford

The Rusty Nail

Co Donegal

The Pheasant Bar & Grill

Co Louth

Neville’s Bar & Restaurant

Maisons Restaurant

Co Down

The Royal Restaurant @ TF Royal Hotel

Co Mayo

The Homeplace Café & Bistro

Co Wexford Co Wicklow

O’Dwyers Pub & Restaurant

Co Dublin

The Harlequin Restaurant

Co Mayo

Lighhouse Seafood Restaurant

The Thatch Coffee Shop

Co Dublin

The Creel Coffee House

Co Mayo

Christy’s Pub

Co Wicklow Co Wicklow

O’Dwyers Golf Links

Co Dublin

Nevins Newfield Inn

Co Mayo

Philip Healy’s

O’Dwyers Golf Links

Co Dublin

Carney’s Bar and Eating House

Co Mayo

Hibernia Inn

Co Wicklow Dublin 1

The Polughmans Bar & Grill

Co Dublin

The Crystal Restaurant

Co Mayo

Blue Skies Café

The Salty Dog

Co Dublin

Caffery’s

Co Meath

Base Wood Fired Pizza - Stillorgan

Co Dublin

Da Enzo Ristorante Italiano

Co Galway

Whytes of Stamullen

Co Meath

O’Shea’s Hotel

Dublin 1 Dublin 1

Oran Tandoori

Co Galway

Reddans of Bettystown

Co Meath

Wings Gourmet Burger

The Front Door

Co Galway

Tara House Accomodation

Co Meath

Dublin 1

The Dail Bar

Co Galway

Spinners

Co Offaly

The School of Culinary Arts & Food Technology

Finn’s Restaurant

Co Galway

The Thatch Bar & Restaurant

Co Offaly

Mochaland Café & Restaurant

Dublin 1

Santoor - Oranmore

Co Galway

PS Red

Co Roscommon

Pog Fro - Yo

Dublin 1

Eat Gastro Pub

Co Galway

Les Petites Tartes

Co Roscommon

Autobahn Roadhouse

Dublin 11

Bia Linn

Co Galway

Benny’s Deli

Co Roscommon

Halfway House

Dublin 12

The Jarvey’s Rest @ Muckross Hotel

Co Kerry

Eithna’s By The Sea

Co Sligo

Rea’s Bistro

Dublin 12

Clough Jordan House

Co Tipperary

Cuchulainns

Dublin 15

The Golden Ball

Dublin 18

Caffe Italiano

Dublin 2

Pho Ta

Dublin 2

Soder + Ko

Dublin 2

Rapid River Spur Steak & Grill

Dublin 22

The Yacht Bar

Dublin 3

Sandbar

Dublin 3

Base Wood Fired Pizza - Ballsbridge

Dublin 4

Kerala Kitchen

Dublin 4

Cumiskeys

Dublin 7

Cassidy’s Restaurant

Co Kerry

Brooklyn Café

Co Waterford

The Marine Links

Co Kerry

Sabai Thai & Vietnamese Restaurant

Co Waterford

Tiffany’s Restaurant

Co Waterford

Eabha Jones Restaurant

Co Kerry

Associate MEMBERS Business Name

Website

Boc Surefresh Water Systems

http://www.boconline.ie/surefresh/index.html

Café Lounge

http://www.cafelounge.ie/cafe-shop/coffees/

Long Meadow Cider

http://www.longmeadowcider.com/

Alan Keane & Associates

http://www.aka.ie/

Christophe’s Café

Dublin 7

SCA-afh Hygiene Professional Services

http://www.sca.com/

Buenos Aires Grill

Dublin 8

The Norton Group

https://www.nortongroup.ie/

Bastible Restaurant

Dublin 8

Tipperary Crystal

http://www.alliedimports.com/

Fagan’s Pub

Dublin 9

MG Catering Equipment

http://www.tipperarycrystal.ie/

The White Moose Café

Dublin 9

Restaurants Association of Ireland

R

11 Bridge Court – Citygate - St. Augustine Street - Dublin 8 - Registered Company No. 56224

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Official Sponsor of

FOODforTHOUGHT

Patrons:

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F

2015 YEAR REVIEW

Big brand ideas feed new tourism boom More ambitious plans for 2016 to see continued growth.

“Throughout 2015, Tourism Ireland undertook a packed programme of promotions, to bring Ireland to the attention of travellers everywhere. Following a record 2015, ambitious targets have been set for 2016 and beyond. Next year, we will unveil Ireland’s Ancient East around the world, while continuing to place a major focus on the Wild Atlantic Way.” Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons The tourism statistics for 2015 have been nothing short of spectacular, with our tourism sector outperforming general economic indicators on a number of levels.

In the 3rd quarter alone, overseas visitor numbers jumped by 13.5% compared to the same period in 2014. Even better, the money they spent during that period went up by 17.5%, with the local spend (fares exclude) jumping by an incredible 19%.

In short, the industry has worked hard, has boxed clever and has had a share of

luck into the bargain. The good work has been done in terms of well-judged big brand ideas (The Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East) that have been trying to tap into what Fáilte Ireland leader Shaun Quinn describes as “strong local involvement and community ownership.”

“That’s something that The Gathering had in spades,” he says. “We’ve learned a lot from that and we’ve learned to apply it.”

The American public’s renewed love affair with Ireland is one of the kingpins of the industry’s success. In an increasingly edgy world, Ireland is one of the few places that Americans feel truly safe and both Cork and Dublin have featured prominently on “friendliest cities in the world” list in a number of US publications, including Travel & Leisure Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler and trazeetravel.com.

Inbound routes have really opened up in 2015, paving the way for almost half a

H&RT DECEMBER ‘15/JANUARY ‘16

☞ 29

2015 YEAR REVIEW

…a lot more confidence out there. [The] first bit of growth in seven years. It’s not so much in the amount people are spending but there are more people out and about... the strength of the dollar and the strength of Sterling have a lot to do with it, but we’re seeing more German, French and Italian visitors too.

Recent President of the Restaurant Association of Ireland, Pádraig Óg Gallagher

“One of the things that we’ve uncovered this year for the first time is that on value-formoney, we’re doing well on average. But when you strip back the figures, you find that where we’re doing really well is in Britain and the United States. If you look at the Eurozone markets, we’re beginning to slide.

Fáilte Ireland chairman, Shaun Quinn 30

H&RT DECEMBER ‘15/JANUARY ‘16

million additional people each week during the summer, with more routes confirmed for 2016 in all airports. Cork Airport in particular has confirmed a raft of new routes and flight increases.

“Throughout 2015, Tourism Ireland undertook a packed programme of promotions, to bring Ireland to the attention of travellers everywhere,” says Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons. “Following a record 2015, ambitious targets have been set for 2016 and beyond. Next year, we will unveil Ireland’s Ancient East around the world, while continuing to place a major focus on the Wild Atlantic Way.” So what of the future? History has a horrible habit of repeating itself and the nervous fear here is that we are mere bit players in a boom-bust cycle similar to that which we experienced a few short years ago. The numbers are up and the business is growing faster than was hoped for, but for one thing, how can we stop inflation taking over and spoiling our tourism product?

During H&RT’s chat with Fáilte Ireland’s chairman Shaun Quinn, one of the most encouraging points to hear was his concern “not to lose the run of ourselves”.

It’s heartening to see the chairman of the Republic’s tourism body taking such a mantra to heart. He describes the year as having been “a lot more successful than anybody anticipated” but understands the importance of keeping ones eye on the ball: “I think that we’re doing well, but I’d be keen that we wouldn’t lose the run of ourselves,” says Quinn. “One of the things that we’ve uncovered this year for the first time is that on value-for-money, we’re doing well on average. But when you strip back the figures, you find that where we’re doing really well is in Britain and the United States. If you look at the Eurozone markets, we’re beginning to slide.”

From that observation comes the question of how one addresses such a fundamental issue of price inflation.

“I wouldn’t be getting panicky about it but I think we’d want to take note of it,” says the tourism chief, who sees the way to address such a problem as “making sure we offer good value, going forward.”

The tide has turned very quickly in terms of the hotel infrastructure: only a few short years ago, people were saying that we needed to shut down 5,000 hotel rooms but now we can’t get enough of them.

There’s a lot of hotel product on-stream and coming along in the near future and Fáilte Ireland are doing some work on hotels in the Dublin area at the moment in assessing with accuracy just what the accommodation needs of the capital are now

2015 YEAR REVIEW

“Dublin city centre is where most of the pressure is on.

We’ve got one of the most heavily occupied capitals in Europe yet on the rates scale, we’re still only at number 14. What that tells you is that we are competitive.”

IHF President, Stephen McNally and will be in the coming years. Occupancy in the capital’s centre is running at 95% during summer time and a certain amount of price inflation is inevitable in the short term.

“Dublin city centre is where most of the pressure is on,” says IHF President Stephen McNally, who believes that the Irish hotel trade has already been proving itself to be deliberately competitive in spite of inflationary market pressures: “We’ve got one of the most heavily occupied capitals in Europe yet on the rates scale, we’re still only at number 14. What that tells you is that we are competitive.” He also points to further inflationary pressures down the line - the rise of the minimum wage in January and the escalating cost of insurance.

The likes of Air BnB queering the pitch somewhat for both reliable visitor numbers and for revenue disappearing into the black economy is a phenomenon that has been much debated in other countries.

Shaun Quinn, however, says that such initiatives are not entirely unwelcome in Ireland at the moment, given the problem of lack of accommodation.

“We know for example that some of the approved B&B’s in the country are in Air B&B, so it’s not true to say that all this traffic is operating in a completely ‘unapproved’ market. I think that we need to look at all sorts of accommodation options over the next few years.”

Apart from the accommodation being short in places, the shortage of skills in the catering industry in particular is a real problem that the RAI have been talking about for years. Will it have an effect on the tourism industry in 2016?

Committee Member and recent President of the Restaurant Association of Ireland Pádraig Óg Gallagher notes that there is “a lot more confidence out there”

in the restaurant business, after pointing out that it’s the “first bit of growth in seven years.”

“It’s not so much in the amount people are spending but there are more people out and about... the strength of the dollar and the strength of Sterling have a lot to do with it, but we’re seeing more German, French and Italian visitors too.”

Stephen McNally believes in the industry’s ability to right itself in the face of the skills shortage: “We find that if you are looking after employees and there is development within the business, a lot of them are going to stay... it’s something we’ve become much better at in recent years... the training budgets these days are very active. The IHF has done a lot of training in 2015 and we’re going to do even more in 2016.

“There are also lots of initiatives now to get apprenticeships up and running which I think is very important and if they get those up and running quickly enough, I think that we’ll be okay. Chefs are difficult to get - and have always been - and that’s one area of concern.”

On the issue of the branding and quality control of our national hotel product, there seems to be a growing ambivalence towards it. It’s often a tough job ensuring that there is a good level of choice out there for the consumer, as well as having a clear system of identification of the various levels of quality.

But in a world where a growing number of people rely on strangers’ online testimony rather than a local approving body, is there even any need for it?

“80% of the hotels in Dublin are either 3 or 4 star,” says Stephen McNally. “Some of the is becoming more blurred in terms of what is a 3-star and what is a 4-star so what’s really coming to the fore is how they perform with the customer: you can have a 3-star hotel excelling at customer care and a 4-star hotel doing reasonably well at customer care... People nowadays would probably be looking less at stars now but rather things like Tripadvisor to see how the hotel is located and how it performs in terms of customer care.”

It might sound like slightly dangerous talk (can we really put our faith in system of online gossip rather than one of expert classification?) but it shows that we have industry leaders who have their fingers on the pulse of the 21st-century tourist.

Barring unforeseen catastrophe, 2016 will see more of these modern voyagers arrive on our shores to see what we have to offer.

Sending them back to their home country happy will be the goal and for that, community ownership of our flagship industry will be the key. So far, that is what Fáilte Ireland’s initiatives seem to be finally delivering on.

Let’s hope it continues.

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FÁILTE FOCUS

May the Fáilte be with you Irish Star Wars fans to feel full force of the Wild Atlantic Way

Irish Fans lining up to see the latest instalment of the Star Wars franchise are being treated to a ‘trailer’ for the Wild Atlantic Way and the countless hidden gems located along it, as a new Wild Atlantic Way domestic promotional campaign began as the film was released.

The cinema ads which are being shown before each Star Wars showing are intended to encourage Irish Star Wars fans to explore one of the film’s stars, Skellig Michael, and much more.

Speaking about the promotion and the

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opportunity presented by the filming, Director of Marketing for Fáilte Ireland, NoelJohn McLoughlin said - “The Wild Atlantic Way is fortunately not in a galaxy far far away but right on our doorstep. Having an Irish location in a high profile movie can’t but benefit Irish tourism and we are hopeful that this campaign, timed to capitalise on this movie’s release, will encourage more Irish people to explore the epic landscapes of our Atlantic coast.”

The new campaign, which aims to encourage potential holidaymakers to consider the Wild Atlantic Way for their next break, capitalises on the fact that the idyllic and magical Skellig Michael features in the latest Star Wars film. The campaign was broadcast in cinemas across the country featured on national radio and significant online promotion also took place.

Find out more at www.wildatlanticway.com #wildatlanticway

FÁILTE FOCUS

New interpretive panels to bring story of Dublin to life for visitors

Twelve new Interpretive Panels to promote key historic sites in Dublin and to encourage greater visitor engagement with the city’s stories and past have been installed along the Dubline - a unique cultural and heritage walking trail running across the city.

The Interpretive Panels have been placed at significant and important junctures along the Dubline which provide the trail user with useful information about key historical locations, events and characters and act as an additional marker along the route. The panels will also help trail users to discover the stories that shaped Dublin and trace the timeline of our city from its origins to the present day.

Explaining the importance of such visual markers, Noel John McLoughlin, Fáilte Ireland’s Director of Marketing emphasised: “While we have a rich history and great tales to tell, we can’t assume that they are self-evident and we have to really put them out front and centre to our visitors. Previously, visitors to the city would have walked unawares past many of our lesser known historical landmarks. Now, through the Dubline, we are providing visibility and an engaging narrative to fully tell the story of this city’s past.”

The purpose of the Dubline Interpretative Panels is to build on and complement the existing signage, by providing an additional layer of information for the visitor to the city. These additions will direct visitors to destinations, landmarks and places of interest of a more local character, located on or in the vicinity of the Dubline walking route.

Find out more at www.visitdublin.com

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ONLINE MARKETING

It’s never looked better for direct booking Positive outlook As 2016 opens, it is true to say that there has never been a better time for hotels to leverage their direct-to-website booking channel. 2015 was a boom year in Irish tourism. Recent Tourism Barometer reports from Fáilte Ireland have shown that accommodation providers displayed their most positive sentiment since the pre-boom era, with 70% of providers overall indicating that business is up. This figure rises to 79% among hotels alone1.

Most providers benefitted from an increase in tourism numbers and a particularly strong influx from GB and USA. Overall spend is also up, and exchange rates have certainly helped Ireland to be more attractive. Repeat business has shown improvement, the domestic market is yet again on the rise, overall occupancy has risen. The Average Daily Rate (ADR) in all segments has also risen fast, which is generally good news for the hotel industry (but a worry if allowed to progress unchecked).

Sustainability of this growth is another question. But so far things remain positive, with Tourism Ireland aiming for another record year for Irish tourism in 2016 with a target of 4% growth to 8.2 million visitors2.

But even without further growth in visitors, a strong opportunity exists to see further and continued growth in profitability if the existing numbers alone can be focused more on direct booking at the hotel rather than through more expensive distribution channels. It’s really time for hotels to rethink what this means and seize the opportunity.

Your opportunity According to Phocuswright (see Figure 1), online bookings in Europe will grow from 36% of overall bookings in 2015 to 39%+ in 20173. That same report shows that online travel agencies (OTAs) are taking 71% of the online booking value in Europe, versus a more balanced 52% in the US. (Peter O’Connor, the lead author on that report, is among the lineup for the Bookassist annual hotel strategy seminar on January 19th in Dublin.)

The challenge therefore for hotels is to simultaneously seize the online growth opportunity in the coming years while reducing their reliance on OTAs to help shift the balance more towards what is already achieved in the US. Tapping in to this could make a massive change to your business.

The stars are aligning for this, with considerable EU legal pressure on OTAs through 2015 to desist with anti-competitive

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practices and provide a more level playing field for online competition. OTAs of course retain a necessary role for distribution, but their use should increasingly be strategic and secondary, not a primary focus. The high rates charged for OTA business are often justifiable for that first booking you could not otherwise attract, but there are many segments where their excessive use is simply not necessary.

Repeat business and domestic business in particular is something that no hotel should be ceding to OTAs. These are customers who undoubtedly already know your hotel name and are likely searching online for your hotel. Targeted advertising is needed to ensure they engage directly with you rather than OTAs when searching online, and every one of them should see better value on your website and a wellpresented offering online to ensure they book direct. Repeat business should additionally be encouraged through the proper use of Customer Relationship Management systems for targeted and relevant email communication.

Avoid silo thinking Part of the issue with effecting change for the better in a hotel’s distribution pattern is that elements of distribution may be handled by different people who do not fully coordinate or who are not incentivised to do so. The approach to each channel or segment may be looked at in isolation, as a “silo” distinct from others. FIT business, Corporate segments, OTAs and “the website” may all be viewed in isolation rather than as a strategic whole. (Even if the people responsible are the same, the thought process may be siloed). Optimising each within its own confines is not the same as optimising your total business.

You need to look across the business as a whole to ensure that redistribution towards direct becomes the priority of all involved. One could argue for example that the remit of anyone looking after FIT business should be to ensure as little business as possible goes that way and that as much of it as possible is shifted towards direct online channel! Accordingly, you can easily see how incentives based on targets for each silo may actually be counterproductive and encourage a status quo in your distribution strategy that is difficult to shake. Where all your key business managers are working together however toward a common goal of more direct business and therefore higher profitability, a more dynamic approach to redistribution will occur naturally.

Invest to reap rewards The intention to push more to direct business and higher profitability must be met with real actions or it will fail. In particular, it is critical to invest in digital marketing and in web presence to ensure that the traffic is captured and is then converted. It is clear that many hotels are still not prepared to make this leap and put the money behind their aspirations. This shows a lack of foresight that will trap a hotel in the distribution patterns of old.

The beauty of building your online strategy and customer engagement is that it is a bootstrapped process that gets cheaper. Initially, it may cost to fund online campaigns, a professional and dynamic web presence, proper analysis of your customer base, segmented targeting etc. But as the direct bookings arrive and savings are made on each booking versus other distribution channels, the cost per booking of the ongoing investment actually diminishes.

This is because many of the necessary outlays, like website costs and software such as CRM or revenue management tools, are largely fixed or annual costs and as direct bookings grow those costs are not increasing. Conversely, the cost per booking of FIT or OTA bookings continues to grow linearly with volume and will never give you a cumulative advantage.

Technology Technology in the travel space continues to develop apace and brings real advantages to the modern hotel. Profitability is driven by a capability to deliver, and delivery is driven by being forewarned and forearmed. Never has their been more opportunity for hotels to analyse and understand their business in order to improve their strategies for growing profitability.

Analysis is difficult, and even harder to interpret. Technology takes the pain out of this and many tools can provide real actions that generate business improvement and

ONLINE MARKETING

Extract from Phocuswright’s recent report “Independent Lodging Market: Marketing, Distribution and Technology Strategies for NonBranded Properties”. The data shows that online sales are on the rise with both direct and OTA business growing. The same report shows that in 2015, OTAs still dominate the European landscape (71% of online bookings) compared to the the US (52%).

more than justify their costs. Three technology areas that are blossoming are in revenue management, customer relationship management, and data analytics.

Revenue Management: Revenue management as a skill is of course invaluable in your hotel’s team and further insight can be gained through the use of many tools now on the market. Understanding the dynamics of price flexing and its drivers is not necessarily simple and good tools can take the donkeywork out of the process, helping you see your real competitive set more clearly and patterns in their behaviour that you might otherwise miss.

CRM: Real analysis of your customer data is also critical and something that OTAs do exceedingly well. There are many tools on the market that can now help hotels to really optimise what is already their greatest but perhaps most underexploited asset.

Many hotels are not capturing sufficient data to make their customer lists truly useful, and structuring your approach through the use of a specific tool or service can help turn lost customers into won customers, and turn your existing data into repeat business and improved profit. The area is worth looking at.

Analytics: True analytics and the promise of “big data” for the masses is finally coming to hotels also, combining revenue and customer views and taking a macroscopic view of the market. What use to be within the reach of large hotels only is becoming more and more affordable at independent hotel level. Watch the space carefully for developments in 2016. (One such offering is Snapshot, and VP Strategy Brendan May joins the Bookassist annual hotel strategy seminar on January 19th in Dublin.)

Five Steps So make it a resolution at your hotel strategy meetings to focus on what can grow your profitability and not just take complacent views of growing your ADR and occupancy. With the current positive sentiment, hotels are throwing away considerable opportunity to drive margin and generate the cash needed to invest in their property and thus secure sustainable rate levels through improved offerings and higher ratings. Adopt these five simple steps to improving your hotel’s profitability: 1: Make sure your team is thinking more broadly about your distribution mix as a

whole and is resisting the trap of “silo” thinking. Ask of every booking, how could I have made that occur directly?

2: Focus more on redistribution away from other other online channels and FIT and towards direct. What does it take to achieve that? Set yourself goals.

3: Put digital strategy front and centre of your hotel’s entire strategy. Other routes may fill the gaps but direct to web must be the primary aim.

4: Be ready to capitalise by investing now, and indeed continually, in your web presence. You need to spend more to make more so beware of a budgeted approach that may place artificial limits on your ability to realise profit when it is there for the taking.

5: Embrace technologies that can help you analyse your position and give you the correct key performance indicators (KPIs).

Are the KPIs you’re using now really helping to monitor your drive towards profitability or are they just affirming the status quo?

Above all ensure that you, and not just your distributors, are tapping into your fair share of the profitability that your industry is already delivering.

Dr Des O’Mahony is CEO and Founder at Bookassist (http://www.bookassist.com), the multi-award-winning technology and digital strategy partner for hotels worldwide.

1. http://www.failteireland.ie/FailteIreland/media/WebsiteStructure/Documents/3_Research_Insights/3_General_SurveysReports/Failte-Ireland-tourism-barometer-October2015.pdf 2. https://www.tourismireland.com/Press-Releases/2015/November/Tourism-Ireland-launches-2016-marketing-plans 3. Independent Lodging Market: Marketing, Distribution and Technology Strategies for NonBranded Properties

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FOOD EXHIBITION

Catering to your every need!

Food & Bev Live is back - February 16th & 17th 2016 at the Citywest Event Centre for two action packed days!

Food & Bev Live was created by IFSA - The Irish Foodservice Suppliers Alliance, in order to stimulate the market and show support for the vibrant foodservice industry, to carry on the momentum of the hugely successful CATEX event and to support key trade bodies who stage their National skills finals every year.

There will be so much going on at Food & Bev Live - Over 100 exhibitors, competitions, workshops, demos and so many products, services and solutions to inspire you!

Some of the exhibitors include Ballymaloe, Churchills, Bewleys, Artis, DF Electrical, Fagor, Echo Water, La Marzocco, Hugh Jordan, Seery’s, Janet’s Country Fayre, Le Patissier, Miele, MoneyPoint, Rosie & Jim, Koppertcress, GH Enterprises, Rubbermaid, Paddy O’s Cereals, Perfect Water Systems and much much more...

Sponsored by Bunzl McLaughlin, this will be an unmissable event that will attract

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over 2,000 Chefs, Restaurateurs, Hoteliers, Coffee Bar and Café Owners, Baristas, Bartenders, Publicans and other Foodservice professionals.

According to Larry Smith, Chairman of IFSA: “We are glad to be bringing Food & Bev Live back to Citywest Event Centre this coming February and by expanding the event into a two day show, it gives visitors even more opportunity to spot new trends and watch Ireland’s most talented chefs, bartenders and baristas in action.

FOOD EXHIBITION

We have exciting plans for our 2016 event and look forward to welcoming Ireland’s leading restauranteurs, hoteliers, caterers, publicans and café owners to the event.”

And while you’re there, make sure you watch the chefs, bartenders and baristas in action in the skills finals!

National Skills Finals The National skills finals are much anticipated and there is a great buzz already. The event will witness the National Barista Championships organised by the Irish Chapter of the Speciality Coffee Association of Ireland, SCAE Ireland, The Irish Cocktail Championships organised by the Bartenders Association of Ireland, the Chef Ireland Culinary Competitions along with the Contract Caterers Competition organised by the Panel of Chefs of Ireland.

The National Barista Championships will culminate at Food & Bev Live 2016 and interest this year is expected to be extremely high as the National Champion will have the honour of representing Ireland on home soil in the World Barista Championships in Dublin at the World of Coffee event in June 2016.

Alan Andrews of National Co-ordinator of SCAE Ireland: “Food & Bev Live and CATEX are the leading trade show events for coffee and cuisine enthusiasts all over Ireland. The industry leaders, pioneers and educators collaborate to encourage, innovate and drive the quality and consistency of our food and beverage industry. SCAE Ireland is proud to be associated with IFSA events to host our annual competitions at CATEX and Food and Bev Live.”

The Irish Cocktail Championships where bartenders demonstrate their cocktail making skills and it gives the winner a chance to compete at the World Cocktail Championships which will take place in Tokyo next year.

According to Declan Byrne of the Bartenders Association, “The Bartenders Association of Ireland are delighted to exhibit at Food & Bev Live 2016 and have been supporting the event since its inception in 2012. We will be organising the National Cocktail Competition, sponsored by Edward Dillon & Co. Ltd. and the venue at Citywest provides our members and competitors with an easy to reach location from wherever they’re travelling from in the country.”

The Chef Ireland Culinary Competitions will run over the duration of the two day event and the winning chefs will represent Ireland on the national culinary team for the Culinary World Cup in June 2017. One hundred and fifty chefs will be taking part in this competition from all over the country.

College students from eight catering colleges will also be competing and this year the key will not be just how well the food is cooked and presented but also how well napkins are folded and wines are selected to match the food.

The Contract Caterers Competition will see eight contract catering companies compete for the title of Best in the Country and the standard will be very high.

According to Brendan O’Neill of the Panel of Chefs in Ireland: “This will be the best Food & Bev Live as far as chefs are concerned and all those that compete are out to win. The competition is stiff and the winning, highly prestigious.”

Food & Bev Live 2016 will provide a platform for foodservice excellence and allows industry professionals to meet likeminded suppliers, explore and sample the latest products, practices and upcoming trends and speak about topics that are important to the Foodservice Industry for 2016 and beyond.

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GMIT NEWS

Have you registered for Work Placement Students?

In the summer of 2008 the College of Tourism & Arts (CTA), then the Hotel School opened the LINKS office. This office manages all industry partnerships and work placement opportunities for students on programmes in hotel management, culinary arts, bar & restaurant management, hospitality studies, tourism studies and tourism management, retail and customer service management and event management with public relations. If any employer is interested in taking students on work placement then they must make contact with the LINKS office to begin the very short registration process. This process explains how work placement is managed by the team, the role of the employer, the needs of the student and most importantly how we in the College of Tourism and Arts support all stakeholders during the process. Work placements have changed since some of us were in College and it is crucial that employers understand these changes. It is equally important that students understand employers expectations in advance of any partnership beginning. We have found by having these measures in place we have better success stories and it is generally a “win win” situation for all.

In 2016, we will have over 400 students on placement for both 12 week and 30 week periods both at home and abroad in the UK,

France, Germany, Spain, the United States and the Middle East.

Without the continued and ongoing support of the hoteliers, restaurateurs, culinary professionals, tourism businesses, and the retail and event sector, we could not engage with such meaningful and relevant placement opportunities. We in the CTA are enormously grateful to those of you supporting the education of the next generation of tourism professionals and we look forward to working with more of you in the New Year.

Finally, for those of you wishing to take students in the future, why not also participate in the College of Tourism & Arts Careers Fair on March 09th next year in GMIT - you will get to meet students looking for work placements and final year students about to graduate looking for employment. This free event is an ideal opportunity for employers to meet students and if you wish we can organise space for you to interview on the day. Future details of this event and work placement can be accessed by contacting the LINKS office team: Email: ctaevents@gmit.ie, Tel- 091 742565.

Cáit Noone, Head of School, College of Tourism & Arts.

Hospitality Graduate of the Year 2015 Veronica Byrne, Graduate Galway Mayo Institute of Technology Following completion of a Hotel and Catering Management diploma in the early 1990s, Veronica Byrne’s work experience indicates high levels of leadership and management skills in a variety of roles both in the UK and Ireland. As part of some roles she managed up to 100 personnel across a variety of establishments in the hospitality industry. In addition to her professional leadership experience, Veronica was chosen as Team Captain representing GMIT at the IHI Business Management Games in 2014. She has achieved a distinction in a BB Hotel and Catering Management 2014 and completed the BA Degree Course with First Class Honours for when she received the GMIT Academic Achievement Award.

L to R is Dr. Fergal Barry, President of GMIT, Veronica Byrne and Cáit Noone, Head of College of Tourism & Arts.

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José moves onwards and upwards…

José Antonio Mansilla Yanguas, a BA Culinary Arts Degree flexible learning graduate, entered the RTE programme “A Taste of Success”, using a concept which he developed as part of the Food Product Development module, he went on to be the Munster region champion.

Not the type of person to give up, he took his “posh mash” idea to the Food Academy, a joint Bord Bia, SuperValu and Local Enterprise Office initiative. After further development and support from the food academy, SuperValu has added his “posh mash” to their line of products, and will be available in stores in early spring.

His “posh mash” is a savoury take on the classic Chocolate fondant, in which the mash potato is filled with a sauce.

GMIT NEWS

GMIT lecturer top of class of prestigious international sherry programme GMIT hospitality lecturer Elizabeth Fox has been awarded a special prize for the highest result in the World Certified Sherry Educators Programme in Spain. 25 professionals from around the world gathered in Jerez in October to qualify as Sherry Certified Educators.

Sherry’s Regulatory Council invites industry experts from all over the world to this prestigious programme every year, which offers advanced theoretical and practical sessions over the course of three days. An intense evaluation test determines which students receive a diploma to work as a certified Sherry Ambassador.

Elizabeth Fox, who lectures in the GMIT College of Tourism and Arts, is a beverage specialist with extensive experience both in trade and education, and has held senior beverage management positions in the licensed trade sector for decades.

A member of the Irish Guild of Sommeliers, Elizabeth holds a WSET Diploma in Wines and Spirits and is a well-known expert in wine studies, contemporary beer studies, spirits and liquors and service skills.

Speaking after her win, Elizabeth said “”I’m absolutely delighted to receive this award from such a prestigious programme. Sherry consumption may be under-estimated in Ireland and I hope by becoming a Sherry Ambassador I can spread the word, taste and overseas excitement surrounding the beverage here.”

“I had the opportunity to experience the soil, vines and bodegas of Sherry but also network with top industry experts which will be of the utmost benefit to my students in GMIT. As Steve Jobs once said, “the only way to great work is to love what you do.”

Gerry Talbot, Head of Dept, GMIT College of Tourism & Arts, says “Only 25 experts from all over the world are invited to take part in this prestigious programme. It is a great honour to be invited onto it and a fantastic achievement for Elizabeth to have won the highly competitive exam which involves a written paper,

Elizabeth Fox with Béltran Domecq, President of the DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Cesar Saldaña

followed by a blind tasting of six Sherries, which had to be identified. Elizabeth did us proud and we are delighted to have her share her knowledge and expertise on this 3,000 year old beverage with our students and staff.”

“Sherry professionals from Canada, North America, China, Japan, South America, UK and Ireland were invited to take part, and Elizabeth proved to be the best when tested on her knowledge and expertise.”

The objective of World Certified Sherry Educators Programme is to promote the role of educators at a national and international level, giving them a high degree of specialised knowledge about Sherry so as to ensure that they have the necessary qualifications to effectively transmit their knowledge and skills to students in the hospitality industry.

After eleven years, the programme continues to seek guarantees over the consistency and coherence of content in the training processes and materials used by the educators concerning the wines produced in the countries of origin.

GMIT International Cook Serve Competition 15th -16th March 2016 College of Tourism & Arts GMIT Dublin Road Galway The GMIT International Cook Serve Competition, a twoday event on 15th and 16th March 2016, , will showcase the kitchen and restaurant skills of full-time students in Years 1 and 2 of their primary culinary/hospitality qualification.

The objective of the event is to challenge the students to bring their skills, traditions and innovative vision to an international audience. However, participation in the competition is merely the beginning of the experience. The competitions will highlight the highest standards in international hospitality services. Exploring and integrating ideas, concepts and relationships are central to the success of this event. Communicating through food and courteous service, building relationships in learning together, cultural awareness and appreciation, form key drivers in promoting our exciting and evolving industry.

The competition is an invaluable opportunity for competing colleges to further develop and reward dedicated students. The uniqueness of this competition also affords competing colleges the opportunity to display their skills as a team on a national level. Students will gain extra tutelage enhancing their practical and operational skills while gaining a sense of competitiveness, essential in today’s business environment.

In addition to the Cook Serve Competition, GMIT College of Tourism & Arts will organise an exciting package of food trails, tastings and master classes as part of the event.

We look forward to welcoming all, students, tutors, industry and the general public to Galway in March 2016.

Competitors: Lycée Hôtelier de La Rochelle, Athlone IT, Cork IT, Waterford IT, Galway-Mayo IT Dates: 15-16 March 2016 Venue: Connemara Restaurant, City of Galway Restaurant, Kitchens, Galway-Mayo IT, Dublin Road, Galway For further information and details on this event, please contact: Gerry Talbot, Head of Department of Culinary Arts & Services.

Email: gerry.talbot@gmit.ie or Tel: 091 742320.

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BUSINESS LONGEVITY

Standing the test of time From boom to bust and back again - what can two Dublin restaurants, with a combined staying-power of more than a century, teach other restaurateurs about avoiding the fads so you can secure a future, asks Joyce Fegan Neither Beaufield News in Stillorgan, nor the Guinea Pig in Dalkey, ever followed trends and both believe wholeheartedly in consistency and unwavering quality in their food. Their identical recipes for success mean they’ve survived several recessions and in 2016, their businesses are booming.

Julie Cox, is now the third generation of her family to run Beaufield Mews, which had an unusual birth. Its establishment was never a planned execution.

“Beaufield Mews is Dublin’s oldest restaurant, opening its doors in 1948. It was the stables and coach-house to Beaufield House, which no longer exists.

“The Kirwans bought both the house and stables in the 1930s and Doreen Kirwan, my grandmother, was given the job of selecting and buying furniture to furnish Beaufield House,” explains Julie.

If the restaurant was not planned, perhaps it was inevitable thanks to the combined entrepreneurial spirit of her grandmother, mother and aunt.

“She would go along to the auction rooms along Bachelors Quay and always bid for far too many items. Everything got stored in the stables until it found a suitable home.

“Most ladies of a certain social standing couldn’t be seen at these auctions so my grandmother would do the buying on their behalf. They would then come out to view the goods at the stables. My mother and aunt were looking for pocket money, so they started to supply coffee and scones to the ladies.

“A good friend of my grandmother’s then asked if she would cater for a wedding breakfast in the stables and out in the gardens - the rest as they say, is history,” says Julie.

The initial restaurant had a wonderful eclectic mix of furnishings and colour and everything you dined from, sat on or drank out of, had a price tag attached, she adds.

So 68 years later, what wisdom can she impart to the other restaurateurs around the country?

“Great value, real personable, friendly service and wonderful food,” is what has

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people coming back time and time again, believes Julie. “Its unique selling point would also have to be the fabulous gardens and courtyard,” she adds.

As for fads and following cuisine fashion, Beaufield Mews has stood the test of time, because it has remained consistent over the decades.

“Consistency is a top priority for us here. We endeavour to always give the same atmosphere, service and quality of food regardless of the day of week or time of year. If the customer doesn’t receive this, they won’t be happy.

“They love that we haven’t fallen into trends or been a victim of fads. We love our food for its great quality and once you mix this with a friendly service you don’t need the latest dry-ice coming out of a cloche to make it something special.

“Fads, by nature, come and go. We, on the other hand, have lived through several booms and busts, so I think that speaks for itself,” says Julie.

BUSINESS LONGEVITY

At the end of the day, it comes down to the three “greats” for this Dublin restaurateur - great value, great service and great food. After that - nothing else matters.

Go further south along the Dublin coastline and you’ll find a similar story in the kitchen of the Guinea Pig, in Dalkey.

It has been in its current form since 1977, under the ownership of Mervyn Stewart, who not only runs the establishment but the kitchen too.

Nowhere in Ireland must the cuisine competition be as stiff as in this heritage town where every second property along the Main Street is occupied by a restaurant or café.

“The restaurant opened first in 1957, by a woman called Sheila Hyland and I bought it from some people called Murphy in 1977, with my wife Florence and we’ve been here ever since. And it’s as successful as it ever was, we’ve a huge loyal following and we gain some new people all the time as well so it’s been a very successful business,” says Mervyn.

At 71 years of age, having started cooking at 14, and with three recessions under his belt - what lessons has he learned?

“We’ve been through two recessions before, and the big lessons we learned in those recessions were that you have to maintain the quality of your food and service above all else and you don’t ever think about going down market.

“In this recession the mantra I’ve used to myself over the last seven years is: you do nothing to compromise the integrity of the restaurant. We’ve people coming back after five and six years that are saying, ‘Oh my God I can’t believe nothing has

changed the menu is still the same, the food is as good as ever, the portions are as big as ever.’

“The race to the bottom is not the answer for anybody and a lot of people have done that over the last number of years,” believes Mervyn.

However, the recession hasn’t been the Guinea Pig’s only challenge as it’s situated among dozens of restaurants.

“The one thing we didn’t try to do was compete with other restaurants in Dalkey, we kept ourselves as unique, separate and expensive except for the early-bird menu.

“Price to me is not the most important part of running a restaurant, value for money is perceived as what is on the plate - is that value for money on the night? A rubbish burger is a rubbish burger. The whole thing is to keep quality and standards,” he says.

As for trends and fads, just like in Beaufield Mews, consistency has proven its worth in the kitchen and cash register of the Guinea Pig. “We lived through cuisine minceur, cuisine nouvelle, cuisine moderne, cuisine gourmande, and Asian-influence, we lived through all of those and we ignored them all. All those trends are now gone, they’re a passing phase, like getting your milk in a jam jar and getting slate plates.

“They just move along and something else has to replace them. We’ve kept the same type of food, innovated quite a bit yes, but with the same basic menu we had 35 years ago,” says Mervyn.

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WORK EXPERIENCE

Not the business

Students like to talk to one another about poor experiences and parents equally so.

One rotten egg can very quickly spread some bad press. The restaurant business isn’t an easy one: the hours are long and unsocial. For many young people growing up in a re-booming economy, expectations of financial reward may be higher than what the business can offer them on first engagement.

Towards the end of November this year, two programmes on RTE Radio’s Joe Duffy Show brought to the surface a subject that some people appear to have an issue with: that of exploitation of students on work placements or so-called ‘trial days’.

In an interview with this magazine, Fáilte Ireland chief Shaun Quinn spoke about “a need to improve retention rates” in the catering end of the hotel/restaurant sector.

“There are some who have difficulty holding onto staff and their knee-jerk reaction is to turn around and say ‘aren’t you going to give us some new staff?’ instead of plugging the leak.

“We’ve been advocating for some time now an apprenticeship model which would bring more young people into the industry and helping the people to get better training ... we’re in favour of what we would call the ‘earn and learn’ approach.”

The trouble seems to be that students in some restaurants were being offered the opportunity to both earn money and learn some knowledge but ended up getting neither.

Although there was a variety of businesses in the report, a high proportion of them were restaurants or catering businesses based mostly in Dublin and

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Maynooth. The owners denied all wrong-doing and some even went to rectify the situation but the parents and trainees were putting the case that these catering establishmentsappeared to be treating the system as a handy way of getting cheap or free labour, tempting the hapless would-be employees with the specific promise of a paying job at the end of the training period.

According to one aggrieved parent, the promise was an empty one from the go.

Furthermore, her daughter wasn’t the only victim of this deception, she maintained.

The restaurant’s system, in fact, was to hire a number of gullible students in succession. Each one would be fully motivated by the reality of training and the carrot of the paying appointment at the end of the training period.

With another parent, the main problem was that not only was her daughter not paid, but there appeared to be no record of her daughter.

But when the training period came to an end, there ended also all communication between restaurant and student, she alleged. There was no assessment or filtration, just pure naked exploitation of a system that has been an important professional rite of passage for those looking for a career in catering in Ireland.

Another student rang in to tell how his work experience involved hours being arbitrarily added on without warning and without training or pay for the hours he worked, while another called in to say how she had been worked for a number of days’ training before the owner decided not to pay her.

According to Dr Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire - culinary arts lecturer at DIT CathalBrugha Street in Dublin, it’s not the kind of phenomenon that he has come across in his experience over the last 17 years or so.

“If anything, it’s more likely to be the premises complaining if the student finishes their training placement earlier than expected... they’re only getting into their stride after two weeks,” says Mac Con Iomaire.

What about the ability of such a minority of restaurant owners to have an effect on the industry as a whole? The acute shortage of staff in the hotel & restaurant sector has been repeatedly well documented in the press and in statements from the Irish Hotels Federation and the Restaurant Association of Ireland. In such a

WORK EXPERIENCE

climate, negative publicity about working conditions - however skewed or not they might be - can have a disproportionately high effect on many thousands of potential employees, putting them off the idea of catering before even trying it.

“I would always think of it as a kind-of window for the employers to look at the student and the student to look at the employer,” says Dr Mac Con Iomaire, who says that the system works very well as long as both parties know what they’re doing. As far as he’s concerned, he feels that any bad experiences are too few to make any significant impact on the image of the industry.

“There is an acute shortage of staff in the industry at the moment,” says Pádraig Óg Gallagher of The Boxty House and, until recently, President of the RAI. “If anyone shows even the slightest interest in hotel or restaurant work, they will generally be encouraged by the employer.

“There is a tradition of stages in restaurants where people work for free and learn... In top-end restaurants such as Noma, there are about 30 people on stages at any given time. I know that in El Bulli, the waiting list for a stage was seven years.”

In his experience at using students in such schemes, he’s managed to get very good staff that he’s taken on.

So once the system is clear, it all works very well. If there are any misunderstandings, then there will be problems. Students like to talk to one another about poor experiences and parents equally so. One rotten egg can very quickly spread some bad press. The restaurant business isn’t an easy one: the hours are long and unsocial.

For many young people growing up in a rebooming economy, expectations of financial reward may be higher than what the business can offer them on first engagement.

Issues like those highlighted on the Joe Duffy Show won’t do the industry any favours. There seems to be a real issue with some employers who have been guilty of treating their trainees a bit too casually. But as Gallagher points out, that’s a highly risky game where the restaurants have far more to lose than the trainees do. It’s a buyer’s market for those looking to work in the restaurant business: “There are a lot of places looking for staff and a lot of competition out there,” says Gallagher. “I don’t think it’s a major issue because it doesn’t last very long - if there’s no improvement at a particular restaurant, then people simply won’t go and work t here anymore.”

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43

VEGAN

To Vegan Or Not To Vegan?

Many people roll their eyes when you say the words, “I’m a vegan.” You can almost read their mind as to what they’re thinking about you. You’re just being difficult, a hippy, or one of my favourites; you’re just going through a phase, the usual negative connotations.

However, it seems the vegan trend is becoming a popular lifestyle change for many Irish people, whether it is for animal cruelty reasons or simply to become more health conscious.

In Ireland it is currently difficult to attain accurate statistics of citizens choosing a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Although, according to research carried out in the UK 12% of the population is either vegetarian or vegan. At the start of May 2015, Sova originally from Poland, opened his doors to the many Dubliners seeking a totally vegan, plant-based restaurant and clearly there is a demand in the market. “I think the vegan lifestyle is becoming very popular. People are really focused on animal rights and the other reason is because it’s trendy, people are more conscious about their diet,” Barto reveals.

Opening from Wednesday to Sunday each week, Barto believes there are three specific groups that are creating a demand for his cooking. “Women in particular are looking for a vegan diet for healthy being. Teenagers as well, we have lots of really young people who come in with their parents for a Sunday brunch.” The third group of people is the meat eaters who are trying to incorporate a plantbased diet into their lives at least once a week and this is why Barto explains his attempt to do tricky things to make vegan food attractive to them. “People are really curious about our food and I think the name ‘Vegan Butcher’ helps us a lot. Even locals just pop in asking ‘What is going on here?’ It’s all curiosity,” he says.

Previous to his current fixed popup restaurant, Barto went by the name the

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‘Vegetarian Butcher’, however he discovered that people were looking more for vegan food than vegetarian. It was then he decided to switch the name and ever since he has received a positive response from the active vegan community in Ireland. “There are a few places in Dublin that serve vegan food but they are vegetarian as well. If you look at ordinary restaurants, they recently have started putting some vegan options on the menu and this is a sign that things are changing and there is a demand”, the vegan butcher positively acknowledges.

As for the business side of things, Barto reveals it was somewhat costly to startup since himself and his friend/fellow chef aren’t businessmen. However, they do have experience in the catering industry having trained as chefs, “We’re both chefs but I’m the main man, lets say. I’m the chef, kitchen porter, deliveryman, everything,” he discloses.

To cut the costs, especially since their residence isn’t permanent, they upcycled 70% of the equipment needed, such as decorations, wooden panels, etc., Their goal is to try reuse as many things as possible for both financial and environmental reasons. “We just have some funny stuff that is compostable and biodegradable, like cups and cutlery.

We’re the first in Ireland to have 100% edible plates, which are made from wheat bran. I can’t say it’s as tasty as our food but it’s edible in nutrition,” Barto laughs.

As for cost implications in comparison to a traditional restaurant, Barto believes it is a myth that it is more expensive to eat vegan, unless you’re sourcing everything organically.

Sova Food Vegan Butcher sources their food locally or as much as possible, “We just got a delivery in from a farm in Wicklow but obviously they’re not growing pineapple or bananas but we get as much as possible from them like herbs, onions and greens,” Barto explains. As for the lack of animal products in the kitchen it appears to be less of a health risk but more of a creative challenge to continuously deliver exciting, palatable dishes for customers.

One happy customer is worth more than a big advertisement Social media is an important element in many businesses today, which can essentially make or break it and it is the sole form of advertising and marketing the Vegan Butcher relies on. “We only advertise on Facebook because we’re a popup restaurant here for four months until the end of August but hopefully we will stay here or maybe find another spot. This helps us built up our community around us so we haven’t spent a penny on marketing so far.” It is this ‘word of mouth’ nature that gives them confidence to ensure their current business model is effective. Barto explains - “One happy customer is worth more than a big advertisement. They spread the word by telling one another. With social media it’s very important.”

As for the vegan movement everything is going global, with the Internet being of significant importance. The vegan diet is something important looking into the future since it’s becoming more popular, especially with Europeans and Americans. In Germany they have opened the first vegan chain markets, which indicates investment and a consumer interest.

All taste, no sacrifice Gavyn Pedley and his business partner/fiancé, Aisling are another couple that have identified a gap in the market. After much research for meat alternatives that according

VEGAN

to their motto are still ‘all taste, no sacrifice’ they have created their own vegan burgers and bacon that go by the names ‘Boss Burgers’ and ‘Badass Bacon’. Meat eaters have been identified as a key element for the future of the vegan lifestyle according to a Mintel study published in 2013. It found that 23% of Ireland and the UK are classed as ‘meat reducers’, proving that Gavyn and Aisling’s company Moodley Manor can broaden their target audience. According to Gavyn’s research, he believes larger cities such as Dublin, Cork and Galway are seeing huge numbers of people showing interest in the vegan lifestyle, with more restaurants and cafes catering to the plant-based diet.

Aisling had been vegetarian for over 15 years and it was only when herself and Gavyn moved in together that being an avid cook, Gavyn gave up meat and they both became interested in cooking vegan food. However when it came to eating out, Gavyn realised it wasn’t so easy, “Not so long after this I started to realise how hard it was to find vegan options when eating in restaurants, and so we started thinking about how we could bring what we did at home to food service.” Their initial idea was to focus on a dairy-free cheese but it was the meat that Gavyn was missing more and this is when he began working on vegan meat alternatives. After trial and error Gavyn and Aisling’s idea was starting to become a reality. “Once we got the recipes right we started handing them out to friends and family first, and then ran focus groups etc., It turned out we had found much better ways to make them, so much so that many meat eaters can’t tell the difference. The real aim of the company though is still to bring good food that’s vegan out into the wider market, we want to make being vegan easier for everyone,” he shared.

As for future plans, Gavyn is happy to report - “We’ve had contact from wholesalers all over Europe looking to get our products as they have seen a real requirement for them, and we daily get orders from as far away as the states! At the moment though we are only operating in Ireland, but have plans to expand soon. We are in the process at the moment of rolling out our products to the food service industry; we are working with hotels and restaurants at the moment. We are hoping for a vegan breakfast at a hotel, followed by vegan lunches.”

David Reilly is another businessman who has discovered a niche in the market for a dairy-free cheese product. Having previously worked in the food importation business back in 2003, in 2008 Nestlé became a competitor having bought out the company and soon the game was over for David. The idea for a dairy-free cheese stemmed from the personal health issues David and his daughter share, lactose intolerance and a general dairy allergy, like so many other Irish citizens.

“Apache Pizza are looking to do a launch, which could be very interesting because

they’ve about 86 stores nationwide and if we can make that work, it would be a big statement.”

Originally David started out developing his own dairy-free cheese with a food technologist in Limerick, although after nine months of nearly perfecting the product, the precise flavouring was unattainable. After extensive research, David discovered Viotros, a Greek subsidiary company with the ELGEKA Group that manufactures dairy alternatives, their main ingredient being coconut oil. Once David discovered they had no distributor in Ireland, one thing led to another and his company Art of Zen Foods was established in 2014. “ We’re now just dipping our toes in the restaurant and café side of things. Apache Pizza are looking to do a launch, which could be very interesting because they’ve about 86 stores nationwide and if we can make that work, it would be a big statement,” David explains.

The cost of the Viotros cheese is marginally more expensive than traditional dairy cheese, ranging from €2.80 to €3.60 per block of cheese, but taking importation costs into consideration it’s not too far off the mark. “It’s not clear to me which segment are buying the product the most but certainly there is a huge demand from the vegan community. There are people with dairy allergies, lactose intolerant, and cholesterol issues. Phenylketonuria, a rare metabolic issue that 5000 in Ireland suffer with means they can’t consume certain dairy products. Other groups that have appeared are to do with religious organisations; halal and kosher,” David reveals. Art of Zen Food’s competitive advantage is currently selling their product in two-kilo blocks to the catering industry. As for the future, David is keen to add more vegan products to his catalogue, including different brands to grow his portfolio. By the end of June, David will be stocking Viotros cheese on the shelves of Dunnes Stores and SuperValu.

In terms of growth for establishments catering for vegans, David has seen The Irish Vegan website update it’s restaurant and cafe listings from around 300 in 2014 to currently over 500. There are many chain restaurants, cafes and catering companies all around Ireland that will now serve vegan food or else cater in advance. For example, Diep, Zaytoon, Bombay Pantry, The Counter Burger, Jo Burger, Fallon & Byrne (call in advance), KC Peaches, The Mellow Fig, Select Stores Dalkey, Cornucopia, Wagamama, Gary’s Gourmet Pizza, and El Bahia.

It is safe to say that the plant-based vegan diet is putting down strong roots in Ireland and room for growth is inevitable. The potential prospects for suppliers and establishments to take advantage of this trend are proving sustainable and the demand is there. To check out all the restaurants and cafes serving vegan food around Ireland, visit irishvegan.ie Text Holly Lenny Photography Simon Lazewski

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45

GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

Growth opportunities bring new challenges to the Hotel Sector How do you plan to finance your cash flow?

Despite encouraging figures signalling a strong recovery in the hospitality sector, businesses need to be wary of new challenges ahead as they look to take advantage of growth opportunities, writes Aine Reidy.

The majority of Irish hotels and guesthouses have witnessed an upturn in business in 2015, according to the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF). Indeed, nine out of 10 hoteliers across the country report an increase in business levels compared to the same period last year. It is not surprising therefore that confidence among hoteliers has reached an all-time high since the downturn. Sustained increases in overseas visitors and increasing employment are playing a pivotal role in driving demand and feeding increased confidence in the sector.

The evidence CSO statistics release in September 2015 on Tourism and Travel reveals the numbers behind the confidence. The number of overseas trips to Ireland by non-residents rose 10.3% from 2.127 million in Q2 2014 to 2.345 million in Quarter 2 2015. More importantly those travelling for holiday, leisure and recreation rose by over 24% in Q2 2015 compared with the same figures in 2014. Hotels are benefiting with the number of nights spent in hotels by these overseas travellers increasing by 20.7% in Q2 compared with the same period in the previous year and total expenditure by visitors, excluding fares, increasing from €1,001 million to €1,194 million, a healthy increase of 19.3%.

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CSO September 2015 After enduring a number of catastrophic years, revenues and occupancy rates appear to be improving across the board, though a distinctive gap remains between Dublin and the rest of the country. RevPAR (Revenue per available room) according to Bank of Ireland is as high as €69.3 in Dublin, nearly €13 ahead of closest rival city Galway at €56.9 and well ahead of the lowest reported RevPAR in Limerick at €36.8. However the same report reveals a positive increase year on year across the country of between 5% and 21%.

Many will believe that with the recession finally appearing to be over, their business will flourish. But there will be those that survived the downturn only to be forced out of business during this sharp upturn in growth.

Rapid Growth In addition to healthy overseas visitor numbers four out of five hoteliers have reported growth in homegrown bookings. Business tourism is another area of growth with 65% of hotels catering for corporate meetings and business events reporting an increase in business. Looking forward, some 87% of hoteliers now have a positive outlook for their business trading conditions over the next 12 months.

But, however buoyant and upbeat expectations, one fact remains - such a rapid return to growth brings surprising hidden dangers for hoteliers.

With opportunities in the sector ripe and plentiful, the strategy most businesses will be pursuing will be one of growth. For any business to grow, it is critical they are in a position to manage the increased demand. The context is problematic. The recession forced swingeing cutbacks, especially in terms of property upgrades, working capital and human resources. The property crash also had a devastating impact on the industry at large, an overhang that remains, with many Hoteliers burdened with property debt or a current requirement to refinance unwinding tax incentive schemes. In addition there is the risk of overtrading.

Refinance With loan book sales dominating the sector, and overseas funds dominating the acquisition side, deal numbers are up. Well-funded investors, coupled with the

GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES industry recovery, are driving hotel property values. Investors are still active as the gap between build cost and current values remains significant. In 2010 Dublin hotels were valued by Savills at 10 times EBITA* while regional hotels were valued to 7 times EBITA. This has changed dramatically with the multiples rising to 15 times for Dublin and 10 times for regional hotels in 2015.

With these rises in valuations the window for refinancing with the pillar banks is closing fast in the key demand areas and where there is shortage of supply such as in Dublin and Galway. In my experience, however, there are still refinancing deals to be done. A well-crafted and negotiated deal coupled with a new source of finance can provide a real resolution and deliver sustainable profitable business going forward.

Of course, there is the potential for the purchase of hotel loans by loan acquisition specialists creating an opportunity for individual hoteliers to succeed in acquiring a refinance deal, but they must engage with banks early and have highly specific financial and cashflow information available for high levels of scrutiny.

This can be problematic for many businesses and where an experienced advisor is invaluable.

• Have they delivered finance or refinance solutions for clients?

• Can they help you access alternative sources of finance?

• Can they help you devise a sustainable business plan?

• Can they support and help you grow your business?

• Will they represent your interests?

Now that the rules have changed, Hotel businesses must ensure they have the financial awareness and foresight to thrive.

Otherwise they risk becoming a casualty of the upswing after avoiding the worst of the downswing.

*EBITDA earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation

Overtrading and Working Capital History has taught us that, even though it may seem counter-intuitive, many businesses struggle to survive when economies bounce back from recession as overtrading quickly tips them over the edge.

Overtrading occurs when a re-energised business with growing demand has spending beyond the capacity of its working capital. As demand grows, properties will have to be refurbished, room availability increased, stock replenished more regularly and additional staff hired - and all of this needs to be funded. Indeed the banks are reporting a rise in the number of financing proposals for refurbishments and extensions. However, many hotels still have legacy issues including debt servicing, absorbing prior year losses, property acquisitions or expansions carried out in the “good times”. So while the trading business may be profitable, it could well be short of the cash needed to meet current or future obligations. And therein lies the problem.

While banks were eager to lend money pre-2008, they are playing by different and conservative rules nowadays. This ultimately means financial institutions have less appetite to lend to business owners for working capital via overdrafts, even if those owners have good credit and financials.

Indeed, it is our experience that one of the biggest obstacles hoteliers face as they ramp up to meet increased demand is getting the finance in place to fund much needed refurbishment, additional staff overhead and demand growth. Banks are working with clients on an individual basis, but there is still a gap between what many are willing to provide and what businesses need to meet the new demands in the marketplace.

Working Capital: A model for success Businesses do not fail because of short-term lack of profitability - they fail because they run out of cash. It is critical in any business turnaround to manage short-term funding requirements. Headroom is needed to allow the business to continue to meet creditor payments while it carries out its financial restructuring.

Key areas to be addressed during this phase: • Strengthen credit management procedures • Communicate and engage with lenders to keep them on board.

• Arrange suitable phasing of supplier payments including revenue.

• Seek additional equity investment from shareholders or connected parties.

• Sale/leaseback of non-core assets (including stock) to generate cash.

• Prepare comprehensive cash flow forecasts.

As overdraft finance in Ireland has become harder for businesses to secure, asset-based finance such as invoice discounting is becoming more popular.

Finance can also be raised where there are unencumbered assets to provide additional working capital in the short-term.

Advice, advice, advice Hoteliers will also need to work hand-in-hand with their advisors to look ahead and prepare now for next year to what their needs will be from a funding perspective.

Having a strong and experienced advisor is critical. When seeking an advisor ask the questions: • Have they experience in the Hotel Sector?

• Do they have a multidisciplinary sector team?

Áine Reidy, Partner, Smith & Williamson. Áine is the Assurance and Business Services lead for Smith & Williamsons Hotel Sector Team. Smith & Williamson have over 50 years’ experience in delivering strategic and practical advice to Hotel Sector clients enabling you to solve problems, manage and grow your business and manage your family’s assets and wealth.

Smith & Williamson Freaney Limited Authorised to carry on investment business by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. A member of Nexia International.

Smith & Williamson Freaney Audit Company Registered to carry on audit work and authorised to carry on investment business by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. A member of Nexia International.

Smith & Williamson Investment Services Limited Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the UK, and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland for conduct of business rules.

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47

AWARDS

The very best in the industry Vincent O’Gorman, general manager, The Westbury Hotel, Dublinb announced ‘Hospitality Manager of the Year - Hotel’ at the Irish Hospitality Institute Founders’ Banquet & Hospitality Management Awards 2015

One of the most prestigious honours in the hospitality industry was presented recently, to Vincent O’Gorman, General Manager, The Westbury Hotel, Dublin 2 when he was awarded ‘Hospitality Manager of the Year 2015- Hotel’, at the Irish Hospitality Institute (IHI) Founders’ Banquet and Hospitality Management Awards 2015, hosted by Martin Mangan FIHI, President IHI. The Gala Awards Ceremony was held at The DoubleTree by Hilton, Dublin 4 with Maurice Bergin FIHI as Master of Ceremonies.

President of IHI, Martin Mangan spoke of the important work presently being undertaken by the Institute. In anticipation of the 50th celebrations of the founding of your Institute in 2016, we have been working with Brand Strategists ‘The Pudding’ and to-night we are showing you the new logo for IHI going forward. It is in keeping with developments for forward

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thinking as we move forward to more modern era in the industry.

The research of EGFSN, just published, indicated that the hospitality industry suffers a poor image that does not reflect the diversity of opportunities for career development that it provides. A national promotional campaign is required to showcase these opportunities. The integration of the new online Transition Year Programme developed by IHI in conjunction with Institute of Technology Tralee and supported by Fáilte Ireland will help promote careers in hospitality to students, parents and schools, and will also facilitate the hospitality industry in attracting people for placements and entrepreneurial opportunities. This work is ongoing and as well as looking at school courses, we will consider Erasmus opportunities in key culinary centres so as to interact with international trainers and educators. It will be led by IHI, IHF and RAI in collaboration with LVA, IFI, Fáilte Ireland and DES. In officially opening the Ceremony of Awards, Pascal Donohoe TD and Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport said, “Through the hard work of the tourism industry, continued Government investment and further support, tourism is seeing a very welcome recovery. To sustain this, it is important that we continue to deliver a high-quality, good-value overall tourism experience. Clearly, good management is essential to this and in this regard, I commend the IHI for its on-going commitment to driving professional excellence in tourism hospitality management. Today’s awards recognise and honour the very best in the industry, from the new graduate and young manager to the more experienced managers in specialised areas, and I congratulate them on their success.”

AWARDS The 8 main awards were presented, followed by three enrolments into the Irish Hospitality Institute College of Fellows. A full list of the awards presented are listed below:

2015 IHI AWARDS LIST Hospitality Manager of the Year 2015 - Hotel Vincent O’Gorman, General Manager, The Westbury Hotel, Dublin 2 Award sponsored by The Irish Times Young Hospitality Manager of the Year 2015 Sean Reid, The Croke Park Hotel, Jones Road, Dublin 3 Award Sponsored by Jumeirah Group Hospitality Manager of the Year 2015 - Human Resources Ciara Jacob, The Gibson Hotel, Point Village, Dublin 1 Award sponsored by Noel Recruitment Hospitality Manager of the Year 2015 - Catering Niall Hooper, Aramark at Allianz Insurance, Elm Park, Merrion Road Dublin 4 Award sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions Hospitality Graduate of the Year 2015 Veronica Byrne, 16 Laghtagoona, Corofin, Co. Clare Award sponsored by Classic Drinks Ltd Hospitality Manager of the Year 2015 - Environmental Raquel Noboa, Hotel Doolin, Co. Clare Award sponsored by EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Hospitality Manager of the Year 2015 - Revenue Valerie Steinbeck, Gleneagle Group, Muckross Road, Killarney, Co. Kerry Award sponsored by Bookassist Hospitality Manager of the Year 2015 - CPD (Continuous Professional Development) Karen Healy, Hilton Hotels Ireland, C/O Hilton Dublin, Charlemont Place, Dublin 2 Award sponsored by NetAffinity

ENROLMENT INTO THE COLLEGE OF FELLOWS Ciaran Murtagh, Deputy General Manager, Slieve Donard Resort Hotel & Spa Sean O’Driscoll, General Manager, Muckross Park Hotel, Killarney, Co Kerry Adrian Cummins, CEO, Restaurants Associations of Ireland

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49

CULINARY ARTS

Culinary masters all set to master nutrition Chef Patrons, Neven Maguire, Derry Clarke and Domini Kemp launch global first MSc in Applied Culinary Nutrition at IT Tallaght

The Institute of Technology Tallaght has developed a unique Masters to enable chefs innovate food for health and wellness in line with current trends. The programme is the first of its kind globally.

Many chefs are challenged by the need to adapt menus for health and wellness to meet customer needs. Underpinned by science and applied research, this programme aims to empower chefs to master this challenge with confidence along with developing a specialism in this area that is practical and strategic for a food business.

Because of the uniqueness and need for the programme Nationally and Internationally three chefs; Derry Clarke, Domini Kemp and Neven Maguire have become the patrons of the programme.As key players in the food industry they and their work has a ‘natural’ relevance and link with the ethos of the programme.

As patrons they are the ambassadors for the programme while also ensuring the programme continues to focus critical attention on; best practice and excellence, innovation and creativity in line with industry trends, and industry practiceled research.

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Speaking at the launch, Derry Clarke said “I welcome the initiative taken by IT Tallaght to design this new Masters in Applied Culinary Nutrition for culinary arts graduates. It is a great idea and this will be key to the education and practice of chefs of today and the future. In restaurants today, the changing composition of the restaurant plate needs to be addressed in relation to proteins, starch and vegetables and the chef needs to be able to incorporate alternatives in the dish construction with confidence and creativity.”

Neven Maguire added: “The inclusion of life cycle nutrition and in particular focus on producing nutritional menus for younger consumers (toddlers and children) meets an urgent need in our industry. The incorporation of the flavour science module is innovative and will be of great interest to practicing chefs. Chefs need to have a greater understanding of how the chemistry and physiology of flavour affects the consumer’s meal experience. This may involve some chefs redeveloping their taste buds in line with current trends e.g. salt content, sugar content in food etc. While the production of ‘healthful’ options should not compromise the flavour of the dish and the meal experience, educating chefs on how this can be done creatively and successfully is key. This programme will assist in bringing our sector of the industry into line with current trends.”

Domini Kemp states, “Our interest in health is growing at the same rate as health care costs are soaring. To re-focus our ideas about what is truly “healthy”, using upto date nutritional information - that challenges the norms, is what is going to be so exciting about this programme.”

What makes this programme unique is its applied nature,the focus being on linking nutrition, flavour science, applied science and research to food production and service. Students not just study nutrition and food science but they explore and research, its application to the work environment.

“Currently there is not a programme available globally that can assist the chef meet the challenges of the health conscious consumer in a way that links culinary professional practice, food science and research, specific to menu design, and

CULINARY ARTS may be in place in relation to language of nutritional science; supporting healthier approaches to delivering high impact flavour to expand healthy menu choices and looking at strategies for selling and promoting menu options that rely more on the language of flavour and culinary adventure.

This is the new age of food provision and health is an influential factor in consumer food choice decisions. We in Ireland as a food nation are so well placed to capture and meet this challenge. Our natural foods and wide range of artisan foods have excellent flavour and their freshness, local sourcing and seasonality heighten the nutritional value. Adapting menus to health and wellness can be a forceful marketing strategy for Irish food and food businesses.”

The programme started in September and will run initially as a part-time programme, two evenings a week over two years. Students may exit with a PostGraduate Diploma in Applied Culinary Nutrition if they do not wish to do the applied research project.

food production of healthful options in hotel and restaurant menus.’ states Annette Sweeney, Programme Coordinator, ITT. Annette continues “Underpinned by flavour science, applied food science, nutritional science and research, the programme brings the student through a different approach to menu design and development, breaking down barriers that

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CHEF SHORTAGE

A short order In the second of a series of features on the chef shortage in Ireland, Dee Laffan asks Adrian Cummins, chairman of the RAI, for his opinion on the issue and on the recent findings of the Future Skills Report.

In 2012, the Restaurant Association of Ireland commented on issues in relation to the industry with regards to the number of chefs working in Ireland and the lack of appropriately trained chefs available for the workplace, which would result in a crisis if not addressed. Three-and-a-half years later and according to many - there are some debating a counterargument - this problem is now rife within the industry.

“There is a chef shortage and everyone must own up to the problem,” states Adrian Cummins adamantly, who has been campaigning awareness of the problem on behalf of his representatives within the industry.

“Everyone in our industry, be they educators, government agencies or people working in the industry, now need to accept that there is a shortage of chefs and shortage of skilled chefs in Ireland.

Everyone needs to sign up to this. Anyone

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that doesn’t sign up needs to step aside and let the rest of us get on with doing the job of trying to solve the problem.”

“In 2012, the RAI predicted that this would happen and it was ignored. This should never happen again. When the industry representative body says that there is something major happening within their industry, the powers that be or the agency directly involved in it should listen to what they say. We were not listened to; we were ridiculed for what we said. Now, the Future Skills Report that was commissioned by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, has identified everything that we have been saying for the last three-and-a-half years. We wouldn’t have to be in this situation today if the industry organizations were all singing off the same hymn sheet.”

The objective of the Future Skills Report is to assess the skills demand arising within the Hospitality sector in Ireland - hotels, restaurants, bars, canteens and catering - over the period to 2020. The report identified that the main gap or shortage among skill recruitment was amongst chefs, ‘Shortages of commis chefs feeding into shortages at higher and specialist levels (demi chef, chef de partie, pastry chefs).’

With the chef shortage now clearly in black and white, the challenge remains as to what can be done to solve the problem.

“We need to establish a training body for hospitality in Ireland that has responsibility for our industry and that is either a re-establishment of CERT (the State Tourism Training Agency) or CERT by a different name. Everybody knows what CERT stood for, but now nobody knows who’s doing what and who’s responsible for doing

CHEF SHORTAGE

what in the hospitality industry. This is a major problem, the book is being passed around and no one wants to take it on and solve the problem.”

“If we re-established a CERT organization, it would be a small one, purely an oversight body with a funding remit that provides funding and resources to education and training bodies. Those bodies would be Institutes of Technologies, third level educators and Further Education centres.”

“One other problem that we have is that we don’t have uniformity in our provision of education. Some colleges are seen as the better than others in the production of good quality, trained chefs. We also need to get back to apprenticeship-style training for chefs as apposed to a theoretical-style training where you get a degree at the end of it. Industry members need to play their part in this, so restaurateurs across the country would take on an apprentice over a number of years. This would mean they might have three trainees at different stages of their education in their kitchen at any one time working towards the one goal. The benefits to them is they have a fully serviced complement of staff coming into their establishment from the colleges, but also when those trainees graduate they may want to stay in the establishment as employees.”

I think there is a lackluster appetite by certain parts of the state apparatus to implement what the industry is looking for. If there is a real willingness to solve the problem, a task force would be established with immediate effect to try and solve the problem, but we are actually hearing that the first round of apprenticeships won’t happen until September 2016. That is a major issue for us. That needs to be fast-

tracked and brought forward as quickly as possible. We need to be putting our first apprentices into a training programme in March 2016 at the latest. We are losing time on this!”

“We also need to expand the number of training establishments and number of places we have in the country. We need to go from 1,800 places to at least up to 5,000 over the next number of years to service the requirement, and if we don’t get to 5,000 in Ireland, we need to fill the vacuum with chefs from overseas. There is a shortage of chefs not just in Ireland but right across mainland Europe. When we speak to our colleagues in HOTREC Hospitality Europe (the umbrella association of national trade associations representing hotels, restaurants, cafés and similar establishments in Europe), member countries are telling us exactly the same.

Skilled chefs are in short supply, we can’t get them in Europe either so we’ll have to look outside of there also.”

“We also have to look at the colleges in Europe to see if Ireland can attract those highly skilled students to this country to work in our restaurants. Our wage rates are high compared to other European countries, so we should be able to attract students from countries with lower wage rates, however we do have a problem with our accommodation rates when they get here the cost of loving is expensive. This is a longer-term problem however and we need to focus on the immediate emergency at filling the immediate capacity we need. I think where we can solve part of the problem is internal promotion, which means promoting staff that are working within the industry already, for example, kitchen porters and assistants, put them on a training programme to become a chef.”

Next steps? “The implementation of the Future Skills Report needs to be done now, as in yesterday! The high level working group of industry bodies needs to be established and we need to work with the powers that be who have the resources and funding to drive this forward. The Department of Education needs to establish who’s going to take the onus on, whether it’s them or SOLAS (Further Education Training Authority in Ireland), or the Department of Tourism, as you can’t have it split. It needs to be focused and have one driving force behind it with the appropriate resources and knowledge, and then lets just get the job done.”

“If there is a real willingness to solve this problem, it can be done. If there is a national crisis here, we are very good at rolling up our sleeves and ramming legislation through to get things done. But in my opinion, there are certain people who have been dragging their feet on this issue for years and unfortunately the only losers will be the Irish tourism and hospitality industry.”

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TOURISM

2015 a remarkable year say ITIC Key to future success are competitiveness, capacity increases and the need for continued investment The Irish tourism industry is now worth €7.3 billion and a in record year for the industry, the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC) predicts an extra 6,800 jobs in the sector in 2016.

2015 Review According to the ITIC the total annual earnings of the Irish tourism industry will exceed €7 billion, an unprecedented milestone. Overseas tourists spent just over €4.1 billion while in Ireland in 2015, a 16% increase compared to the previous year. Irish air and sea carriers earned a further €1.3 billion from tourists. Domestic tourism demand also picked up with an estimated 6% increase in spending to €1.6 billion, with a further €300 million earned from visitors from Northern Ireland.

ITIC Chairman Paul Gallagher says: “It has been a remarkable year for Irish tourism with record visitor numbers in both volume and value terms. Tourism businesses currently are estimated to employ in excess of 220,000 with over one in every five new jobs created since 2011 having come in the tourism sector.”

In terms of markets the ITIC reports that the United States, Germany, and France all returned record performances as Ireland gained a larger share of outbound tourism in these valuable source markets. ITIC say Ireland continues to regain volume from the key British market too which is set to record a 14% growth in visitor numbers versus 2014. New and developing markets also performed well with a year-on-year 13% growth in visitor numbers. ITIC Chief Executive Eoghan O’Mara Walsh says: “Irish tourism has performed extremely well in 2015 which is testament to the quality and competitiveness of our tourism product and industry.”

2016 - Positive outlook ITIC say that Irish tourism businesses are positive about 2016 and are investing heavily in marketing as well as focussing on the need to continue delivering good value for money. They say the Government decision to maintain the 9% VAT rate on tourism services continues to boost Ireland’s competiveness and helps to ensure better value offerings from tourism businesses. The domestic market, which underpins many tourism enterprises, is expected to see further pick-up in the demand for short leisure breaks as personal finances improve.

ITIC believe that the national target of 5% growth in overseas visitor revenue in

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Eoghan O’Mara Walsh and Paul Gallagher

2016 is eminently achievable, given the healthy state of key source market economies and the strength of the pound sterling and the US dollar. Carriers are adding capacity and some new routes for 2016, providing 10% increase in planned airlift. ITIC Chairman Paul Gallagher says: “Tourism has much more potential for Ireland but only if the right strategies and investment policies are pursued. ITIC believes that, based on projected tourism revenue growth of 5%, at least a further 6,800 jobs can be created in the tourism industry in 2016, one of the few industries that delivers jobs in all parts of the country.”

But what are the key elements to the continued success of this industry?

According to the ITIC they are simple; competitiveness, capacity increases and the need for continued investment. ITIC Chief Executive Eoghan O’Mara Walsh explains “A loss of competitiveness represents the single largest threat to the sector. Ireland remains a high cost location, and addressing our competitiveness must remain a key priority for Government and the tourism industry. Capacity issues represent a potentially serious constraint to continued growth, according to the ITIC. This is particularly evident in terms of a shortage of hotel capacity in Dublin and other urban centres which may limit the ability of Ireland to attract increasing volumes of visitors. Chairman Paul Gallagher says: “ITIC is of the view that approximately 5,000 bedrooms are needed by 2020 and we await Fáilte Ireland’s report on this area which we understand is due for imminent publication.”

In terms of the need for continued investment in the industry, the ITIC has already outlined the case for state support for the sector indicating that a 5 year 250 million capital programme for tourism projects is needed to ensure that growth in tourism is sustainable. Mr Gallagher expressed disappointment with the amount of state investment in tourism infrastructure saying: “Failure to make adequate investment provision in tourism infrastructure and facilities is short sighted and will inevitably lead to lack of innovation, a loss of competitiveness, and a downturn in demand.”

However, with so many positives from 2015 and given the potential to carry these into 2016, how can the industry avoid the pitfalls the ITIC says are concerns? ITIC say the industry is eagerly awaiting the outcome of the Tourism Leadership Group (TLG) which is charged with the formulation of an action plan following the publication of the Government’s new policy statement ‘People, Place, and Policy Growing Tourism to 2025’. They say translation of the broad policy aspirations and goals into a clear roadmap for the future development of the sector is urgently needed to guide both public and private sector investment decisions. According to the ITIC, sustainable future for the tourism industry is dependent on a clear vision of what tourism in Ireland will look like in 10 years from now, with a coherent strategy to deliver on the potential of the sector to grow.

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SCENT BRANDING

Scent of an hotel Scent branding, the next big thing? Subtly rendering an environment more pleasurable, and giving a place an identity, olfactory marketing is aimed at encouraging customers to linger in a space, as Caroline Leddy reports.

Smell-Marketing, a niche fragrance distribution firm, has been sniffing out sales in Luxembourg since 2013. Cyrille Gerhardt, CEO of Smell-Marketing, explains how his business aims to optimise a company’s reputation through ‘olfactory scripting’. His goal is to help clients differentiate their business by associating their brand with a smell.

The concept is that a service provider or shop owner can woo customers by attaching a signature aroma to a product or place - a sales technique that has the potential to create a more enjoyable shopping environment for the consumer, and reep the rewards of upselling for the business owner.

Mr. Gerhardt’s client base spans a broad range of international and local businesses such as jewellary brand Pandora, the House 17 Private Members Club and the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce. With his company branching into the United Kingdom and focusing on the market in Canada, this savvy entrepreneur’s marketing strategy is to gain a following by recommendation.

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The smell of cotton Mr. Gerhardt says it was easy to convince buyers to choose his product due to his expertise having spent over a decade working in the luxury perfume industry. One of his first patrons, clothing brand Blanc du Nil, wanted to inspire the aura of cotton, which has no scent.

He created a signature fragrance with which they so deeply identified that they chose to reproduce the brand scent as a retail item so that customers could purchase it for home use.

Smelling good means looking good In a society saturated with images, adopting this newly emerging olfactory marketing technique provides a breath of fresh air for consumers, and is an original approach that is paying off for business owners.

The use of room fragrances in the retail and service sectors is undoubtedly an area of olfactory marketing that has experienced the greatest growth in recent years. Clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch has made its interior fragrance a veritable signature feature of its identity.

“Today’s marketing is about appealing to all five senses. We call it sensory marketing. For a long time, manufacturers were content to add scents to obvious products such as soaps, detergents and food, but then, more surprisingly, they started adding them to a huge range of products that smell is not associated with, such as paper, pens and even phones,” says Mr. Gerhardt.

Referring to the consumer experience, the man at the helm of Smell-Marketing mentions how “every hospitality venue, retail space and place of work has an interest in ensuring the visitor or client has a special sensory experience so that he or she remembers it with pleasure.”

SCENT BRANDING

Creating the scent to compliment your business An olfactory identity can be produced using home and interior fragrances, but also by using other products that carry scent such as perfumed candles, scented stationery and packaging, or cosmetics.

Mr. Gerhardt has a catalogue of 450 fragrances and the possibility of 3,000 raw materials from which he can create the right essence for a specific environment.

Price is obviously of primary concern to potential clients, and costing depends on the contents of the scent. However, Mr. Gerhardt mentions how pricing is more affordable due to his connections in Madagascar, which eliminates the need for middlemen.

One plug and smell subscription disperses aroma throughout 300 square metres for around €100 per month.

Explaining how there is “growing concern over the liability of dispersing synthetics that could trigger allergic reactions,” Mr. Gerhardt assures potential clients that all the substances used in the creation of fragrance are organic.

Developing the ideal scent for a specific environment begins with the entire catalogue, and the number of options are gradually reduced, depending on what the client tells Mr. Gerhardt about the company and expectations.

“One should not forget that though the customer is king, it is the employees that spend the most time in the space, and their commitment to the project and olfactory choice is also decisive and essential,” says Mr. Gerhardt in emphasising the involvement of a client’s employees in the development of the right scent.

The team at Smell-Marketing “creates a set of specifications with clients to understand their philosophy, their brand and their values, and the fragrance must encompass all elements,” explains Mr. Gerhardt. Colours are used to describe the scent as they are easier to describe than smells and adjectives.

Several objective factors such as size of the space, the type of business and the number of customers passing through the premises, along with more tenuous factors that are part of the company’s image will be considered.

The perfumer then proposes three fragrances to the clients, all made out of the best ingredients, and in collaboration with perfumers from Grasse, the French town world-famous as the capital of perfume.

Ultimately, the client chooses the scent that best suits the company, and the finishing touches also incorporate the finer details. “We know from the industrial sprays that are so widely flaunted in adverts around the globe that the question of diffusion levels is a crucial one. An overly intense dispersion rate is unpleasant, and a mild diffusion can be completely ineffective,” explains Mr. Gerhardt.

Saturating the space with scent is something that must be avoided at all costs. Particularly in the dining sector, the approach should be subtle so as not to spoil the taste of the food.

Pandora, the jewellary brand, sought to create a signature experience by marking a break with the outside world for all its customers. “The scent diffusers start working right from the entrance,” says Mr. Gerhardt.

The Plug&Smell system is easy to use, and the scent delivery technology creates a dry and very fine haze which allows a homogeneous distribution of the scent, even in places with little or no real air flow.

This cold air diffusion system has a fragrance life of two to three months, and simple refills provide continued fragrance for the premises.

It is impossible to estimate how profitable it is to use a fragrance system, but as Mr. Gerhardt says, “even if it only affects the company’s image, the cost is not excessive.”

With global brands embracing the relatively new concept of olfactory marketing, it is likely that this technique will eventually be as important as the long established visual marketing tactics.

The man behind Smell-Marketing has the right idea - that savvy business owners know that if you don’t smell good, you don’t look good.

Contact Details Website - http://smell-marketing.fr Email - Cyrille@smell-marketing.com Phone - +352 621 250 209

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RESTAURANT

Rio Grand

A taste of Sol Rio Restaurant, Bridge Street, Westport, Co Mayo. (across from Matt Molloys Pub)

Sol Rio Restaurant is now in its 18 years of business, opened October 1997 by Westport native Sinead Lambert & Portuguese husband/chef Jose Barroso they opened a Café on the ground floor of Sol Rio in June 2010. Sol Rio has seen it all, humble beginning, Celtic tiger, not to mention the down times of recent years but through it all it has been there for both local & tourist alike.

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Situated in the heart of the picturesque town of Westport it has developed a great reputation of using local & organic suppliers, all foods, cakes & pastries are prepared & cooked on site. Jose Barroso is a eurotoques chef & is firmly committed to their charter of small, local farmers. This is highly reflected in a lot of dishes that are available on the menu i.e. Murrisk mussels, Oysters, Scallops & Lobster Achill smoked Mackerel, Westport rack of lamb, Kelly’s black pudding & this is only to mention a few from the restaurant.

The café has received lots of mentions especially by Irish Times writer Marie Claire Digby who is addicted to the Portuguese famous pasties de natas, made by our Portuguese baker. They have a huge following locally & nationally. Also available in the Café is local produce on sale such as Morleg local Honey, Wild wood vinegars, Mescan craft beer & Westport grove Jams & nougat.

The Staff of Sol Rio are totally committed to friendly efficient service in a relaxed environment; this is reflected by the length of service by many of the loyal team. Sol Rio caters for all tastes buds & party size from family, business, casual, special events & private parties. All of this reflects how Sol Rio is deserving of a loyal following from both home & aboard is totally integrated into the community and has demonstrated that it’s here for the long haul.

Signature dishes: Clew Bay Scallops & Crab Claws, Spicy King Prawns, Gluten Free Chocolate cake, Wild Atlantic Way Achill Smoked Mackerel, Portuguese Seafood Risotto, (Seafood been Jose passion because living on the shores of Clew Bay) Pasteis De Natas (traditional Portuguese custard buns) Homemade Brown & treacle Breads and of course it’s Gluten Free Chocolate Cake.

The Young Waiter is Sinead and Jose’s son Evan, who is following in their footsteps a real family affair in Westport.

For reservations please call Sol Rio on 098 28944, e-mail info@solrio.ie like us on facebook & follow us on twitter for the latest news, menus and offers.