Hotel & Restaurant Times August/September 2017

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER‘17

€3.65

T H E B U S I N E S S P U B L I C AT I O N F O R T H E H OT E L A N D R E S TAU R A N T I N D U S T R Y

City North Hotel The perfect fit

AVEA

Giving a voice to visitor attractions

Chef Shortage Let’s start the discussion

www.hotelandrestauranttimes.ie

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COVER: City North Hotel

Contents

Editorial 4 News

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Appointments 10 Bookassist 12 Fáilte News

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AVEA - Paul Carty interview

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VAT Rate of 9%

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P. 25

ITIC 20 Tourism Ireland

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Dalcassian Interview

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RAI Food 4 Thought

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Dalcassian Wine Collection

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City North Hotel - JDDG

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Fáilte General

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Musgrave Food Academy

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Industry Insight

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Chef Shortage

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P. 44

IFSA 46 Coffee 48 Women in the Industry

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Refurb & Reinvestment

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Tourism Numbers

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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, Dr Des O’Mahony, Susan Clarke, Conor Power, Fáilte Ireland, IFSA, Tourism Ireland, Frank Corr, Colm Ryan, Restaurants Association of Ireland.

Graphic Design: Tara Mccormack Printing: Turners of Longford

ALL CONTENTS OF THE MAGAZINE ARE COPYRIGHT OF HOTEL & RESTAURANT TIMES. H&R HOUSE, CARTON COURT, MAYNOOTH, CO.KILDARE TEL/FAX: 01 6285447 EMAIL: editorial@hotelandrestauranttimes.ie WEB: www.hotelandrestauranttimes.ie

All paper used in the production of this magazine comes from certifiably sustainable forestry.

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editorial

Sky-high room rates could damage Irish tourism Half way into the season and things are looking positive, despite uncertainty regarding our near neighbours in the UK. Official CSO figures for the first half of 2017 confirm growth of +4.2% in overseas visitors to Ireland: more arrivals than the first half of last year.

The increase was in the region of 182,000 arrivals. At a recent Tourism Ireland review of overseas tourism, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD, and Tourism Ireland CEO, Niall Gibbons, said this growth has come from North America, mainland Europe and Australia, along with developing markets.

The impact regarding Brexit was evident. The decline in the value of sterling was reflected in an overall decrease of -6.4% of British visitor numbers to Ireland to date.

editorial

Niall Gibbons outlined what has contributed to tourism growth so far this year - and what will help build on the growth and address the areas of decline as we proceed toward 2018. The retention of the 9% VAT, along with the importance of the sector remaining competitive, was cited as a critical goal for next season.

On a cautionary note, continued rate increases in room prices are worrying. Anecdotal information suggests that spiralling Dublin prices may impact the perception of foreign tour operators that deem Dublin (and Ireland as a result) as overly expensive. Restaurant prices are also on the increase and are now considered, by some, as overpriced. Have the lessons of the past not been learned?

Professor Michael Hall, of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, speaking at a recent tourism conference in Co Sligo, said he was “horrified” when he tried to book a hotel room for a Saturday night in Dublin. He discovered that one night in Dublin would cost more than two nights in Helsinki with the same hotel chain.

“I would never, ever recommend anyone to come to Dublin for a short break because I think it is an absolute rip-off,” said the academic, who was charged €400 for a night in the Dublin hotel. You can dismiss his observations as those of a crank, but an that image and perception of Ireland being overpriced can spread like wildfire.

The IHF should ideally have responded to the continuing notion of overpricing, but to date the organisation has remained silent. A recent Fáilte Ireland report, undertaken by Fitzpatrick Associates, predicted a projected capacity of 5000 new rooms in Dublin hotels. By the time this comes on stream, visitors may no longer wish to come here at all.

With the budget looming and with all the pressures experienced in the sector, by way of increased charges, it is vital that real support is given to marketing Ireland.

In recent years, the marketing budgets for Tourism and Fáilte Ireland have diminished drastically. This must now be reversed. Substantial budgets have been put in place to assist the food sector regarding Brexit. Tourism must be given a fair crack of the whip too.

All indicators point to an improving situation with the economy. In this regard it is incumbent on Minister Ross to demand support for tourism agencies to ensure they can compete in a challenging market. Minister Ross acknowledged, at the Tourism Ireland review, that over 9,000 jobs have resulted by way of the retention of the 9% VAT rate. It resulted in increased tax revenue to the exchequer. This alone warrants increased support for the industry.

Cyril McAree editor

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news

NEWS The first resort

The Spa at Ashford Castle has been named winner of Northern Europe’s Luxury Hotel Spa Award 2017 at the annual World Luxury Spa Awards. The winners of the awards were announced at a gala ceremony in the JW Marriott Hanoi, Vietnam, in July.

Swiss roll

Making bacon

Travel agents, representing top tour operators Eurotours, Sabtours, AG Traveltrend, Cotravel and ThobaReisen from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, were recently in Ireland to learn more about Fáilte Ireland’s tourism brands the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East.

O’Neills Dry Cure Bacon Company from Wexford has been awarded a 2-star Great Taste award, for its Dry Cured Rashers at the Great Taste world food awards. For the second year running, O’Neills is the only unsmoked Dry Cured Back Rashers in Ireland and the UK to gain 2 stars at the awards.

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news

Just Ask and you will receive Into the west Sha-Roe Bistro in Clonegal, Co. Carlow, was awarded Just Ask Restaurant of the Month for July 2017. Henry and Stephanie Stone’s atmospheric restaurant is in the riverside village of Clonegal, on the borders of Wexford, Carlow and Wicklow. Currently in its eighth year, the Just Ask campaign encourages diners to look for information on where food on their plate comes from, and encourages chefs to profile their local suppliers on menus. For further information on Sha Roe Bistro visit http://sha-roe.ie/

Italy goes Wild in Cork

Citywest Hotel has unveiled its newly refurbished premises, three years after it was acquired by Irish-owned property Investment Company Tetrarch Capital and began its €13.5m investment programme. Currently employing 435 people, Citywest Hotel has undergone phase one of its redevelopment and now offers 764 bedrooms. Over 177,000 ft2 of meeting space is also now available which can be divided into two separate convention centres or eight plenary suites and can accommodate 4,100 delegates.

We are the champions Over 40 front line tourism representatives from across the city and county were recently honoured as Dublin Champions at a ceremony in The National Maritime Museum of Ireland. The group are now fully armed to help visitors uncover some of Dublin’s hidden stories and experiences. The group were recognised for completing the Dublin Champions Programme, an initiative developed by Fáilte Ireland.

Cork’s Wild Atlantic Way has made the cover of an Italian magazine which has 20,000 readers. A major 26-page article all about Ireland - in particular our lighthouses - features in the summer edition of Mototurismo magazine, a special interest publication which features itineraries and touring suggestions for motorbikers. The cover image is of Galley Head Lighthouse near Rosscarbery.

Out on a ledge For the fourth year in a row, the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience in County Clare has recorded one million visitors within a calendar year. The world-famous visitor attraction reached the figure on August 11, 11 days ahead of the date the figure was reached in 2016 and 10 weeks earlier than when the milestone was first reached in 2014. The North Clare visitor attraction is now on track to exceed its record visitor total of 1,427,166 people in 2016.

The Clare County Council owned attraction has undergone substantial investment in product and facilities in recent years, while its position as a Signature Point along the 2,500km Wild Atlantic Way has contributed to its popularity. While welcoming the continuing increase in popularity of the attraction, the Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience says measures continue to be put in place to accommodate the increase in numbers sustainably.

“These significant visitor numbers are fantastic for the local tourism sector and the wider West of Ireland economy,” explained Katherine Webster. “However, we continue to deal with the challenges in relation to capacity management and sustainable growth. Measures to sustainably manage group tour numbers have been in place for some time, while long summer opening hours and advance notice of capacity constraints onsite are provided online and via advanced digital signage on all approaches to the Cliffs.”

Ms. Webster continued: “The reality is much of the growth has been experienced in low and shoulder season while high season growth comes outside of the peak hours of 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and the increased visitation in the evening drives benefit to accommodation in the local area.”

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news

On the move Kendermar Distributors Ltd & Four leaf Chemicals

At KDL and Four Leaf Chemicals we pride ourselves in offering a first class service at very competitive prices with the aim to become the number one supplier to the hospitality industry. Our mission statement is simple, we treat any order, irrespective of size or volume with the same care and attention. We are renowned for going the extra mile to ensure our customers are satisfied with our service. Customer service is the keystone to our success and growth to date . Whether it’s a 5 Star hotel, restaurant or Student accommodation our dedicated team will ensure all your requirements are met and dealt with in a professional manner. Our comprehensive range of products and services are all available online. As a result of our continued growth we have relocated to a larger premises. Our new location is in the Ashbourne Business Centre, conveniently located and easily accessible from the M50 Finglas junction.

To coincide with our relocation we have launched two new websites, one for KDL and the other for our sister company supplying all your chemical requirements, Four Leaf Chemicals, check them out at , (https://kendermar. ie/https://fourleafchemicals.ie/). Our new showroom, currently under construction will allow our customers new and old view our extensive range of products first hand.

Castles, caves, and giant footsteps

Tapestry looms large in Belfast Tourism Ireland has released a timelapse video of the weaving of the latest section of its Game of Thrones tapestry, part of its 2017 campaign to showcase Northern Ireland to millions of GoT fans worldwide. There are currently more than 160 scenes woven into the Bayeux-style tapestry which is hanging in the Ulster Museum. More scenes are being added every week, to mark each episode of the new season.

Griffin briefed on Brexit

Brendan Griffin, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, meets Julie Wakley, Tourism Ireland’s Head of Great Britain (front, centre) and the Tourism Ireland team in London. The Minister was briefed on the organisation’s 2017 promotional programme, and the possible implications on travel of the decision by the UK to leave the EU.

Tourism Ireland has created a new online film to encourage prospective visitors around the world to come and discover the spectacular Causeway Coastal Route. Titled “How to Explore the Causeway Coastal Route”, the video was created to highlight the sights on Northern Ireland’s most famous coastline: from majestic cliff-top castles and swaying sea bridges, to a UNESCO World Heritage site. Potential visitors can see what’s ahead of them across this exciting landscape, as they find out about travelling along the Causeway Coastal Route. The film is being promoted through Tourism Ireland’s social platforms, including Facebook (about 4 million fans worldwide), Twitter (411,000+ followers) and YouTube.

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news

Belvedere’s glass act Belvedere Vodka has been awarded Vodka Producer of the Year for the third consecutive year at the International Spirits Challenge 2017 (ISC). The Spirits Challenge competition has over 1,300 entries from nearly 70 countries worldwide. “We are thrilled to be recognized by the International Spirits Challenge for not one,

Come fly with me

Great Taste of victory

Greenbean Coffee Roasters has won two Great Taste Awards, including a 2 STAR award for its new Londinium blend coffee. Greenbean’s Brazilian blend, Casa Terra, achieved a 1 STAR award.

The Burgatory Galway’s new burger joint The Burgatory, an American diner-inspired restaurant, opened in the Spanish Arch area of Galway city at the beginning of July 2017.

The Burgatory serves authentic burgers, fried chicken, both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ shakes, and sides. The menu makes extensive use of high-end Irish and locally produced West of Ireland ingredients, including McCarthy’s of Kanturk black pudding in the signature “Damnation Burger” and Colleran’s bacon in the Bacon Cheeseburger, while the 100% grass-fed Hereford beef is from Castlemine Farms and the ethically-reared chicken is from The Friendly Farmer. The selection of sides features choices such as Raw Kale Super Salad and Deep Fried Pickles.

Dublin Airport welcomed more than 3.1 million passengers in July, which was a new monthly record for the airport, and a 6% increase on the same period last year. July was the first time in the airport’s 77-year history that more than three million passengers have been facilitated in a single month. A total of 3,121,469 passengers used Dublin Airport in July, which was more than the airport’s annual passenger traffic for 1986.

Singing praises at Glenlo Abbey The five star Glenlo Abbey Hotel and Golf Course has added new facilities and upgrades to further enhance the guest experience. The newly revamped Abbey Cinema Theatre, with a library of 50 classic movies from Casablanca to Gone With the Wind, features two screenings daily: a matinee at 3pm and an evening screening at 10pm. The Games Room, located in the basement of the old house, is now an ideal base to relax and read a book in a club arm chair, or enjoy a game of chess, backgammon, or billiards.

Limerick.ie receiving international recognition Limerick.ie has been named as one of the world’s Top 25 best tourism websites for 2017. The list has been compiled

by US-based Skift, the largest industry intelligence platform providing media, insights and marketing to key sectors of travel across the globe. Limerick.ie is the only website in Ireland to be chosen for the 2017 list and is one of only four in Europe.

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The only place to do business in 2018

CATEX was the show that gave you a great start to 2017 with 82% of exhibitors satisfied with the level of business generated. Why not continue that upward curve of business growth and exhibit at next year’s Food & Bev Live, the place where your industry will be doing business next February.

For Further information on how to book your stand, please contact: Niamh Kenny - E: niamh.kenny@eventhaus.ie Margaret Andreucetti - E: margaret@eventhaus.ie Richard Byrne - E: richard.byrne@eventhaus.ie T: +353 (0) 1 846 0020 Or visit: foodandbev.ie

From the team that delivers CATEX

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appointments

Putting the Great back into Britain

Tourism Ireland has announced the appointment of Julie Wakley as Head of Great Britain. Julie joined Tourism Ireland in January 2016 as Deputy Head of Great Britain – Consumer Marketing. She has been instrumental in developing and delivering innovative marketing campaigns and establishing strong relationships with key stakeholders, in Britain and around Ireland.

Prior to joining Tourism Ireland, Julie was Marketing Manager for BBC Politics & Current Affairs, from 2013 to 2016. She led the marketing activity for BBC’s politics output on TV, radio and online during the Scottish Referendum in 2014 and the General Election 2015.

McDonald makes a difference

Michelle McDonald has been appointed Operations Manager at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel on Golden Lane in Dublin city centre. Michelle has a successful background in the hospitality industry, having graduated from Hotel and Catering Management in Dublin Institute of Technology in 1999. Michelle has worked in roles including Assistant Manager at the Ashling Hotel, Bar and Restaurant Manager at the Mespil Hotel for over ten years and Restaurant Manager at Breaffy House Hotel, Co. Mayo.

Tourism Ireland announces new Head of Business Partnership Tourism Ireland has announced the appointment of Louise Finnegan as Head of Business Partnership. Louise will be responsible for Tourism Ireland’s co-operative access programme with air and sea carriers, ports and airports, as well as the organisation’s business partnership activities with Fáilte Ireland and Tourism NI, as well as island of Ireland-based tourism industry operators and overseas travel trade.

The McCormick effect

Castlemartyr Resort has announced the appointment of Aisling McCormick as Sales Manager. Aisling joins Castlemartyr Resort with almost 10 years experience working in the hospitality industry. Aisling began her career in hospitality as a Season Travel Advisor for Fáilte Ireland while completing a Bachelor of Business Studies with Marketing Honours Degree in the Institute of Technology, Sligo.

She subsequently completed an M.A. in International Tourism in the University of Limerick before taking up a position with Morgans Hotel Group in London, where she gained a wealth of experience working across a variety of roles including Regional Sales Coordinator, Event Sales Executive and Senior Event Sales Executive.

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Farrell on the cutting edge at Cliff

Cliff at Lyons has appointed Lucius Farrell as General Manager of its recently expanded country estate in Co. Kildare. Farrell has more than 16 years involvement in the hospitality sector. During his early career he worked with The Fitzwilliam Hotel, Four Seasons and Intercontinental Hotels. He most recently held a senior role at Carton House Hotel.

Brona steps in at the g Hotel & Spa The five star g Hotel & Spa has appointed Bróna Mulqueen as Sales and Events Manager with responsibility for corporate clients, events and weddings. Originally hailing from Co. Clare, Bróna previously worked with Citylink and Glenlo Abbey.

Michelle goes to market at Radisson Blu

Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin, has announced the appointment of Michelle Ebbs as Assistant Director of Sales & Marketing. A Dublin native, Michelle has over 10 years’ experience working in the hospitality industry within the Irish and US Markets.

Michelle began her career in hospitality as a Reservation Supervisor for two years with Jury’s Inn Christchurch. She spent eight months working with the 4 star Jury’s Washington Hotel in Washington DC before returning to Ireland and taking up the position of Reservation Coordinator at the 5 star Westbury Hotel in Dublin 2.

In 2010, Michelle joined Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin as Meeting & Events Sales Co-ordinator. Since then she has grown with the Radisson Blu brand and held positions such as Sales and Marketing Executive, Sales Manager. Prior to her current appointment, she held the position of Acting Director of Sales.

Rees dines out at Galgorm Resort and Spa Chris Rees has been appointed Executive Head Chef at Galgorm Resort & Spa in Northern Ireland. He joins from his most recent position at Ox Restaurant in Belfast, where he worked for two and a half years. Rees is no stranger to Galgorm Resort & Spa near Ballymena and its 3 AA Rosette restaurant, The River Room. He worked within its kitchen from 2009 until December 2014, from Sous Chef to eventually holding the position of Head Chef.

info@dalcassianwines.com www.dalcassianwines.com Tel: + 353 (0)1 2937977

Bookassist

Mobile Marches Forward

By Des O’Mahony with Bernhard Böhm Mobile internet access continues to move to “the norm” versus desktop/laptop access. This is hardly surprising given the advances in mobile devices and access capability, as well as the reduction in access costs. Mobile is particularly critical for the travel sector, since it combines key elements of the experience in a perfect storm, i.e. the ability to geolocalize information, to research and to book, as well as the ability to share travel experiences in-the-now via mobile-dominated social media.

As part of our mobile-first strategy, Bookassist has been analyzing mobile usage in detail as we prepare to launch our new V10 Booking Engine on mobile in late 2017. This user data is the driver for our development process.

What we’ve looked at

We’ve analysed traffic and revenue generation across hundreds of hotels in the European marketplace for the first six months of 2017 and compared with the equivalent period in 2016. In order to be sure of a representative and comparative sample, we focused on the top 200 hotels in each of the following catchment regions that we manage with our local Bookassist teams, namely UK & Ireland, Spain & Portugal, Italy, Austria & Germany, France, Czech Republic & Slovakia.

Figure 1: Visitor sessions by platform on Bookassist client hotel websites in Europe from January to June 2017, together with the relative change (in brackets) compared to the same period in 2016. Mobile traffic is significantly up universally.

Separately, we have broken out the data on the island of Ireland into hotels in Dublin and hotels outside Dublin, since in our experience those two areas behave quite differently.

Traffic on Mobile in Selected European Regions

In every market looked at, desktop traffic as measured by average user sessions per hotel has shown a decrease for the first six months of 2017 versus year ago, and the smaller tablet-related traffic element has also decreased. This drop has been taken up by strong double-digit growth in mobile phone traffic in all markets in terms of user sessions (see figure 1).

Mobile phone alone will surpass 50% of sessions in our Ireland and UK sample by the end of 2017 based on the current trend. Ireland is at the forefront of this trend in Europe.

Revenue Generation on Mobile in Selected European Regions With revenue generation data, we see quite a different story. For the same hotels, mobile revenue generation also shows strong double-digit growth year on year, but this is coming off a very low base of mobile revenue generation in many cases (see figure 2). The volume of mobile business is increasing in all our European markets, and again Ireland is proving to be in pole position on this trend.

The ratio of mobile to desktop traffic however is far higher than the ratio of mobile to desktop revenue generation, indicating that customers are still far more comfortable committing to hotel booking transactions on desktop despite researching on mobile. At least for now.

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Figure 2: Revenue share by platform on Bookassist client hotel websites in Europe from January to June 2017, together with the relative change (in brackets) compared to the same period in 2016. Mobile-generated revenue is significantly up universally.

On the island of Ireland

For visitor sessions and bookings data for hotel websites in Dublin and outside Dublin in the first half of 2017, there are clear origin differences. For hotels outside Dublin, well in excess of 50% of inbound sessions and bookings in that period comes from Ireland itself. In our figures for this year, the USA is the next largest contributor for hotels outside Dublin, delivering 15 to 20% of sessions and bookings, followed by Great Britain hovering around 10%-12% this year (down significantly from last year, but that’s another story).

In contrast, for the Dublin hotels that we analysed in the period, the inbound visitor sessions and bookings contribution from Ireland is in the 30-35% region, with the USA at about 25% and the UK just below 20% in round figure terms.

When we look at sessions and revenue generation for these two categories of Bookassist client hotels in Ireland (see figure 3), we see quite a disparity. For hotels outside Dublin, mobile sessions are almost a quarter higher compared to hotels

Bookassist in Dublin, and revenue generation is about 50% higher.

Hotels outside Dublin are strongest on mobile in sessions and revenue terms, and in fact are the strongest we see anywhere in general.

Given the customer origin data for these two categories of hotel, it seems to indicate that Irish people are more avid users of mobile overall at least when it comes to travel, and are more likely to purchase hotel products on mobile than US, GB and other customers.

What does it all mean?

The data presented here are just the tip of the iceberg in our analysis, but there are two key points here for hotels: the obvious growth in mobile access and the need to cater for it, and the questions around the relatively slower pace of mobile revenue generation.

In terms of access, hotels need to be fully mobile-aware online right now. It’s no longer something for the future.

The industry must also recognize that a full user experience is increasingly required on mobile, and must move away from having lower-level content and weaker experience on mobile versus desktop. There is a trade-off here in terms of what you can present to the mobile visitor and the bandwidth requirements for it. But the key is to always have information optionally available should a visitor take the active decision to access it, rather than taking preemptive action by stripping out content to satisfy online speed tests but leaving yourself with a fast and useless site.

Active access decisions are less influenced by mobile speed issues than relatively uncommitted browsing for example, so optimizing everything to match a browsing or searchoriented mobile speed test could be detrimental. This is a complex area of debate that we continue to study and try to quantify.

Regarding revenue generation, there are a number of factors at play. It could be that difficulty with credit card entry or payment models on mobile could negatively impact mobile conversion versus desktop. But in our data we do not see an appreciable increase in cart abandonment at the payment stage on mobile versus desktop.

Bookassist’s mobile booking engine does allow credit card scanning for example, as well as the possibility for “book without credit card” in some cases. But there is no doubt in general that the industry struggles with credit card entry and/or payment as a higher barrier on mobile. Fixing this as an industry will certainly help trends.

Another factor often touted for relatively lower mobile revenue generation is that people book last minute and cheap on mobile. In our data, this is not so. There is no significant difference in the individual transaction values between mobile and desktop in our preliminary data. In other words, people tend to be booking the same kind of thing whether it is on mobile or on desktop. In fact, for one of our 5 star resorts outside Dublin, we saw 36% of their booking engine revenue come via mobile in July 2017, so “expensive” bookings are not immune to mobile at all.

Right now, it seems that many people may simply be more comfortable booking on desktop, or may be in a different frame of mind (i.e. at a different stage of the decision process) when on mobile which reduces their tendency to complete a transaction there. If so, this habit will certainly change soon.

Mobile first

Bookassist has adopted a fully mobile-first strategy as these trends have developed. Our Smart Web content management system focuses first on optimizing mobile

Figure 3: Traffic and revenue comparison by platform for hotels in Dublin and outside Dublin on the island of Ireland from January to June 2017. In Bookassist’s sample, Ireland’s hotels perform significantly stronger in traffic and revenue terms than other European countries.

Figure 4: Bookassist’s new V10 Booking Engine, currently in testing, will arrive first on mobile in the latter part of 2017. users’ needs and builds outwards from there towards a more immersive desktop we never consider mobile to be just tacked on to the “real” website.

Towards the end of 2017, Bookassist will launch the entirely new V10 Booking Engine platform on mobile first, a completely rewritten experience built with the most up to date technology for a dynamic, rich and fast mobile user experience. The V10 Booking Engine will migrate in early 2018 to the desktop and innovations will continue to appear first on mobile.

Bottom Line

Mobile is increasingly becoming the dominant avenue for information access and is increasingly strong in the decision-making process in travel. But for now, revenue generation on mobile falls short of desktop. Continuing improvements in mobile user experience, and in payment methods should redress this shortfall in time. Irish hotels need to be ready to seize the growing opportunity, especially since Ireland seems to be ahead of the European curve.

Dr Des O’Mahony is CEO & Founder and Bernhard Böhm is Product R&D Officer at Bookassist (www.bookassist.com), the multi-award-winning technology and digital strategy partner for hotels worldwide.

Bookassist is The Direct Booking Expert™ and is a Google Premium Partner.

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fáilte news Ireland’s Ancient East Banquet Delights at Oxford

Ireland’s Ancient East and its rich food ingredients were on the menu at the Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery recently as four Irish chefs, with the support of Fáilte Ireland and the Boyne Valley Food Series, hosted a welcome dinner for up to 265 international delegates.

The Oxford Symposium is an annual week-long conference on food, its culture and its history which attracts a broad range of international scholars, journalists, chefs, scientists, sociologists, anthropologists and committed ‘foodie’ amateurs making it a great place to showcase the unforgettable local produce and culinary innovation that exists in Ireland’s Ancient East.

Pictured at the Oxford Symposium of Food & Cookery at St Catherines College Oxford were Chefs - Dearbhla Moriarty (Navan), Ryan McGivern (Drogheda), Rob Krawczyk (ex-Tankardstown House), and Mary Farrell (Wicklow).

New Northside Trails to Open Up Dublin’s Inspiring Places Visitors can now explore the hidden histories and inspiring sites of Dublin City’s Northside as two new free Dublin Discovery Trails were launched recently. The new trails – ‘Iconic Sights, Hidden Highlights’ and ‘Inspiring Spaces, Hallowed Places’ are designed to provide more ways for visitors to discover some of the most interesting sites and attractions located on this side of the city and have been developed by the tourism development authority in conjunction with Dublin City Council and Dublin Northside Attractions (Dublin’s DNA). Full details on the trail can be found at www. failteireland.ie

Pictured are launching the new Trails at Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane are, Noel John McLoughlin Director of Marketing Failte Ireland, (back) Jim Roche as Daniel O’ Connell Glasnevin Cemetery Museum and John Shevlin, as James Joyce from the James Joyce Centre.

Visitors to Dublin can Expect More and More Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Champions Programme is going from strength to strength as almost 600 front-line staff are now armed to help visitors uncover the city and counties hidden stories. The Champions programme is set to continue this autumn and anyone interested can find more information on www.failteireland.ie/dublin.

Meanwhile, over 150 Dublin trade also had the chance to familiarise themselves with the extensive Dublin festival and event offering at Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Festival Showcase which brought businesses and festival organisers together with a view to ensuring visitors get the most of their time in Dublin during, and outside, the summer months.

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The latest group of ‘Dublin Champions’ celebrate their newly acquired knowledge at Croke Park.

Battle of the Bay showcase their offering at the Dublin Showcase at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.

fáilte news

Developing Experiences in Ireland’s Ancient East Fáilte Ireland has been busy working with a number of different groups across Ireland’s Ancient East to deliver the best visitor experience possible in the region. A new Visitor Experience Development Plan focussing on the rich heritage associated with Ireland’s castles, conquests and Vikings has been initiated with over 50 interested parties while design and craft businesses throughout the region met in Kilkenny recently to consider how their craft experience can meet the needs of the visitor in a way that will help them grow their business.

Jenny de Saulles, Fáilte Ireland and Brian McGee, Design & Crafts Council of Ireland at the Design and Craft in Tourism workshop.

Pictured at the Ireland’s Ancient East Experience Development Workshop were Maureen O’Sullivan from Tipperary County Council, Hilary Creedon, Fáilte Ireland and Nora O’Meara from Nenagh Heritage Centre & North Tipperary Genealogy Centre.

Accommodation Renewal Deadlines The renewal deadlines for Ireland’s statutory and listed accommodation sectors have been published. If your accommodation requires renewal the following dates will be important to you: • Statutory Renewals: 15 October 2017 • Listed Renewals: 11 September 2017 Find out how to renew and more at www.failteireland.ie

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AVEA

Giving a voice to visitor attractions A new representative association for the Visitor Experience and Attractions industry in Ireland has been launched. H&R Times talked to Paul Carty, MD of Guinness Storehouse and inaugural chairman of the Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AVEA), about his plans to professionalise this crucial sector of Irish tourism.

Even on a quiet day in Dublin, the Guinness Storehouse is teeming with visitors. On the afternoon H&R Times visits this iconic landmark, the entrance hall is full of visitors looking forward to hearing about the story of Guinness, its brewing process, and its social, cultural and historical role in the story of Ireland, topped off with a pint in the Gravity Bar. As the number one tourist attraction in Ireland, and the leading tourist attraction in Europe, the Storehouse welcomes 1.7 million visitors through its doors every year. Of these visitors, 22% (350,000) never tasted Guinness before their arrival.

Venues such as the Guinness Storehouse are crucial drivers of Irish tourism. By default, they are of huge importance to the Irish economy too. Yet when he was chairman of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC), Paul Carty, managing director of the Storehouse, realised that nobody represented

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visitor attractions in Ireland. Hotels, restaurants, even B&B’s, had their own representative associations. Visitor attractions were left out in the cold.

Carty’s eureka moment occurred in 2016, during a conversation with Michael Counahan, Managing Director of CHL Consulting, a specialist destination development, management and research group.

“I was saying to Michael that the visitor attraction sector doesn’t seem to be organised and doesn’t have a voice,” recalls the Storehouse MD. “We need to get ourselves together so we can be more unified and professionalise the industry. Michael said, ‘Paul, I had the exact same thought.

Should we do something about it?’ When we discussed the idea with other people, we found there was an enormous appetite for this to happen. In fact, a lot of other people had thought about doing it but had never got around to it.”

The Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AVEA), which launched at Collins Barracks in May, 2017, is the result of that conversation. The organisation’s goal is to unite the visitor attractions and experience sector under one roof. AVEA provides a forum for the exchange of knowledge, information and advice between members. It will support members in the delivery of best practice in customer care, interpretation and service standards.

AVEA

“We will talk about ideas around how to manage capacity. We want to professionalise the industry and promote the development of the core skills such as digital technology. We want to conduct research and gather data that we can share within the industry.”

Education is a key component of the newly formed association, explains Carty, who is AVEA’s inaugural chairman. This sector of tourism is not taught at colleges, so young graduates do not consider it an attractive career prospect. AVEA wants to change this.

“In the Guinness Storehouse, as in many attractions, many different skills are at play: retail, catering, marketing. We need young people who are creative.

At the moment we are teaching our staff about yield management, dynamic pricing, marketing, digital technology. The colleges are catering for restaurants, chefs, tourism, marketing, hospitality, but they are not catering for visitor attractions. We would love to see the DIT colleges adding a module on visitor attractions and we have already started engaging with some of the colleges on this.”

As well as sharing information and resources, AVEA will hold an annual conference, similar that of the IHF, featuring guest speakers from across the industry. “Throughout the course of the year, we’ll have half-day seminars on certain aspects of our industry,” continues Carty.

AVEA’s board of directors include The National Museum of Ireland, John F Kennedy Trust, Dublinia, Trinity College, Westport House, Sea Life Aquarium in Bray, and Shannon Heritage. Big names within the visitor attraction sector.

However, Carty believes the association is also of benefit to smaller, regional, attractions. Venues that fall under the association’s auspices include: castles, gardens, churches, monastic sites, libraries, historic ships, literary experiences, breweries, distilleries, museums, galleries, zoos, heritage buildings and homes, and natural heritage sites. Membership fees will reflect the size of any given organisation.

“I think it’s important we have a selection of all types of attractions around the country. We want to get a good spread around the country. It isn’t Dublin-centric. We want to represent the whole island of Ireland.”

For members, large and small, the association’s potential to provide a strong voice for visitor attractions within tourism agencies and government departments will be beneficial. 2017 finds the tourism sector threatened from a number of corners.

Pressing issues include a potential move by the Department of Finance to restore the higher VAT rate for tourism.

“For all tourism business, the lower VAT rate has worked. There’s no doubt about that. Putting it back up would increase costs and make us less competitive,” says Carty.

The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015, meanwhile, seeks to introduce widespread restrictions on the advertising and marketing of alcohol in Ireland. Not only will the bill, under its present guise, restrict visitors to venues such as the Storehouse, but it will hamper cultural and tourist events across the country that rely on sponsorship. “If this isn’t addressed by the minister or government, if we or Jameson can’t advertise our wares in any shape or form, where will that leave us?

“Industry has a strong role to play in delivering real change in how we view and treat alcohol in Ireland. Often, industry can move faster and with more focus than governments can with Legislation. That’s why we are happy to work with government to find the most effective solutions to the misuse of alcohol.”

Furthermore, the UK’s impending departure from Europe leaves Irish visitor attractions in a perilous position. AVEA plans to “join in the voice with the whole Irish tourist industry. Brexit has already made us more expensive. Because of the currency fluctuation between sterling and euro, we’re 18%-20% more expensive [for UK visitors] than we were a year ago,” explains the Storehouse boss.

AVEA is not a lone voice. It will bring issues to the corridors of power as part of its role in umbrella body ITIC. The association will liaise closely with Fáilte Ireland, which has offered the new venture its full support.

“The government, through Failte Ireland, is very committed to the experience industry. That’s why they have supported us. The government was responsible for training chefs and waiters through programmes such as CERT, but their resources have been trimmed and pulled back. I think it’s only now that visitor experiences are beginning to be appreciated. We need to step up and deliver great experiences, so visitors return home talking about how they had a fabulous time. We’re ready to be better represented and better educated.

“We’ll work closely with Fáilte Ireland. AVEA gives them a one-stop shop way of communicating to all the attractions. They want to work closely with us in terms of capital investments, technology, recording of information.

“For example, I can tell you the nationality and the percentage mix of our visitors to the Storehouse. Wouldn’t it be great if every attraction around the country could share their nationality profile in this manner. Certainly, Fáilte Ireland would appreciate that in terms of their marketing information. Fáilte Ireland already run courses for middle management. We want to be part of that and include a module on visitor attractions.”

In uniting the visitor attractions and experiences sector, AVEA has arrived at an opportune time. “As an increasing amount of attractions and visitor experiences are opening around the country, it is timely that we should form this organisation,” says Paul Carty. “This way, we will finally have a voice.”

For more information about AVEA, and for membership details, visit: www.avea.ie

Paul Carty: a life in hospitality

As inaugural chair of the Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AVEA), Paul Carty is perfectly poised to represent the sector.

After completing his formal education, Paul trained to be a chef at Rockwell Hotel School, and then moved to Shannon College of Hotel Management, where he became an honours graduate. He is also a past student of Cornell University in New York.

Paul began his career at the Guinness Storehouse in 1999, when he was headhunted to return to Dublin after 25 years of work as a General Manager of hotels for the Forte Group and Le Meridien in Dublin, London, Gatwick, Stratford-upon-Avon, Newcastleupon-Tyne, Bahrain, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia. Paul spearheaded the opening of the Storehouse.

Seventeen years into his role as Managing Director, he is proud of the positioning of the Guinness Storehouse as a world-class experiential brand experience.

“I like the two dimensional functions of the building,” says Paul. “During the day it is a busy visitor centre and in the evening the building becomes a sought after events space. One of the biggest challenges has been the need to consistently enhance and develop the Storehouse and its story in an innovative way, by creating an experience with a blend of fascinating industrial tradition, along with a contemporary edge, for all our visitors.”

Paul was chair of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) for two years. ITIC works with government agencies, all-island tourist boards, Tourism Ireland, the EU, and other organisations whose activities impact on tourism. He is a fellow of the Irish Hospitality Institute.

Paul is married to Aggie. They have three children: Jenny, Conor and Catherine.

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VAT

Budget season is upon us, with all its questions, concerns and supplications from various interests across the business community. For the tourism sector, there will be much hand-wringing between now and October 10th about whether or not the 9% tourism VAT rate will be retained. Here, some of the principal industry players talk about the importance to the industry of the rate’s retention.

“It is critical to maintain it (the 9% tourism VAT rate),” says Joe Dolan, President of the Irish Hotels Federation, “because it will further drive the momentum and the successes that have already been.”

“One of the key things to be aware with the upcoming budget is competitiveness,” echoes Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, Chief Executive of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, “and it’s crucial that we don’t lose our competitiveness with the retention of the 9% tourism VAT rate.”

“If the VAT rate gets increased in the forthcoming budget,” says Dolan, “it would effectively increase our product by 3.5% and that will further erode our competitiveness. In those areas where there is a high dependency on the British market, the effect will be doubly negative.”

He goes on to point out that while British visitors in Galway or Kerry would typical account for 20% of the foreign tourist market, they can make up as much as 50-60% of visitors in the more rural locations such as rural Leitrim, Mayo, Donegal and Cavan.

“When it was re-aligned,” he says, “It brought people out of the woods who would not otherwise have come out. There are hotels open today that would not otherwise have opened, there are people working today who would otherwise have emigrated.”

Even in this electronic age of cyber communication, the hard bargaining of budgets is done face-to-face between human beings representing those sectors and if the message isn’t delivered with adequate clarity and weight, then it won’t be heard.

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“

...there are people working today who would otherwise have emigrated.

”

VAT “It’s vital to speak in one clear voice,” says O’Mara Walsh. “Politicians need to hear what the clear coherent message and ask (sic) is of a particular industry.”

Speaking with one clear voice – whether from the tourism industry as a whole or from its variant sectors – may become a problem if those working in the industry are actively involved in their representative bodies. Has the spectre of falling membership become a problem for the organisations representing Irish hotels and restaurants or is there evidence of a splintering of opinion within the representative bodies of the hotel and catering sectors?

“There hasn’t been any falling off in our membership,” clarifies Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurant Association of Ireland.

“We’re currently signing up 50 new members a month and we’re expecting that to increase in the future… There’s no issue at all of people doing their own thing or of the industry not speaking as one voice.”

“Membership for us isn’t an issue,” says Dolan, speaking for the IHF. “I’m not going to talk numbers with you: It’s sensitive market information because with our associate members we compete for sponsors with other trade organisations. What I will say, however, is that we’re the only representative voice of the hotel and guesthouse sector in Ireland and we represent the vast majority of such businesses… We have unity of purpose and our strength is in our unity in making cohesive and compelling argument.”

There may be a feeling amongst certain civil servants (and let’s face it, they’re often the ones who have the most influential role in deciding departmental policy) that the tourism industry has had a good run of its generous tax break and that it’s time for the sector to be pulled back into line with the rest of the economy.

When contacted, the Revenue Commissioners’ office weren’t giving anything away about the October budget, as has been their long-standing policy. When asked to respond to the more specific question on whether or not there was a feeling that this 9% rate was just a temporary measure, press officer Brian Meenan wrote back in a statement that it was introduced in 2011 as a “temporary measure” – a “tax tool” whose effectiveness needed to be reviewed “on an ongoing basis.”

the argument that employment in tourism and hospitality has benefitted from the reduced rate.”

More hopefully, he recalled that through the Programme for Partnership published in May 2016, the Government committed itself “work towards achieving the tourism policy goals set for 2025 through specific measures including the retention of the 9% VAT rate on tourism related services.”

Maybe we should be thinking of making the rate even lower? If the VAT rate at 9% is cost-positive (as those in the tourism industry maintain), maybe a 6% or 5% rate (as they have for non-alcoholic drinks in the restaurant trade in France) would be even more cost-positive?

When asked whether or not the feeling in the Department was that the measure produced an important net positive effect, he said that “it was not possible at this time to accurately determine the precise net impact (of the 9% VAT rate) on the Exchequer”. He did say, however, that the employment statistics for the period since the introduction of the 9% rate “are consistent with

Looking at it from a Europe-wide perspective, the 9% VAT rate is much more in line with our competitors’ tourism industry. Of the 19 Eurozone states, 16 of them have VAT rates under 10% and of the 32 countries in Europe, only 5 have VAT rates of over 13%.

“We’d be of the view that Ireland is competitive at the moment at 9%,” says O’Mara Walsh. “It’s important not to have this debate every 12 months about whether or not the tourism VAT rate will continue. It should be retained on an ongoing basis.”

This is a sentiment echoed by Adrian Cummins of the Restaurant Association of Ireland: “There shouldn’t be any debate over whether or not to continue the 9% VAT rate – it’s the correct rate for our sector and it should continue for the foreseeable future.”

“I’m aware of that argument,” says Dolan. “I think that there may be a financial or economic argument there, but I think that there’s a social argument why it shouldn’t (be reduced from 9%)… I can only comment on my own sector.

I know it intimately and I know what the factors are for growth and for competition and employment creation and a 9% VAT rate is perfect for our sector.”

“It would be lovely if the VAT rate was reduced to 5%,” admits Cummins, “but I can’t see that happening. I think that the 9% rate is the correct one for our sector.”

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tourism building blocks

Caution & Competitiveness In spite of the downturn in UK visitor numbers, the statistics continue to shine for Irish tourism with a 4% increase in numbers this year so far, but just how well prepared is the Irish tourism industry for the future? Not very, it seems. Eoghan O’Mara Walsh – Chief Executive of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation – is a mild-mannered man. A less calm person in his position might very well be tearing his hair out at this point.

For although the figures are still positive, there are holes in the success story of Ireland’s tourism industry and those in charge of overseeing its success aren’t filling them in as efficiently as they should be: “Tourism is performing pretty well,” he says patiently. “The CSO figures that came out the other week show that visitor numbers are up 4% to date, which is great. But in saying that, it’s being driven by a very strong US market.”

At the risk of repeating himself once more, he maintains that this is “fantastic, but the concern is that the growth figures hide the fact that our biggest single source market – that of Britain – is in decline and in fairly serious decline. It’s down about 6%. That’s Brexit related, it’s currency related and it’s related to consumer uncertainty and we in IFIC fear that the Brexit impact will cost Irish tourism at least €100 million this year alone.”

It’s all very well having an increasing picture from the US and from Continental Europe but it is important, he says, to ensure that our biggest single source market “doesn’t go into freefall.”

O’Mara Walsh is very hopeful of the new regime in place with the appointment of the newest junior minister in the Department of Tourism, Trade and Enterprise. The fact that he (Brendan Griffin) is from

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Kerry means, according to O’Mara Walsh, that he is in a position to have a strong appreciation for the importance of the tourism industry, particularly outside Dublin.

“Ruth Andrews (deputy chair at ITIC) and I have been in to meet him in recent weeks and I think he’s very sympathetic towards tourism and to our pre-Budget petitions but he, just like his senior minister, have to negotiate with the Department of Finance and see where everything falls within the budget envelope.

“It’s incumbent on ITIC and all the elements of the tourist industry to say very clearly that tourism needs resources; it needs the right sort of policies because the potential for growth is significant. It won’t grow of its own accord. It’s predicated upon the right sort of Government policies and strategies.

“One of the key things to be aware with the upcoming budget is competitiveness.

It’s essential that we don’t lose our competitiveness with the retention of the 9% tourism VAT rate. It’s critical that it’s retained or we risk losing our competitiveness.”

While remaining competitive, the other important aspect the government needs to address, he says, is investment: “This would cover both current investment and capital investment. Current invest-

tourism building blocks

ment means that we need more budgets for our tourist agencies – Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland – to make sure that we can consolidate our market share in Britain but also to diversify into new markets.”

“On the capital investment side, only a small amount of money is spent each year and that needs to be ramped up because we need to develop new things of scale and international appeal to see and do to ensure that the product we have is constantly refreshed so that we can drive tourism growth into the future.”

One of the more basic building blocks of the tourism industry already in existence is the hotel sector. Various surveys have shown evidence of an insidious rise in hotel prices that is spreading outwards from Dublin and across the country. It’s essentially a sector where supply is slow in catching up with fast-growing demand. For now, Fáilte Ireland are still producing surveys supporting the view that Ireland is still seen as a good-value destination but that image must surely be under threat if prices continue to rise. What, if anything, can either the industry or the powers-that-be do to address the problem that threatens to affect Irish tourism’s competiveness and international image?

“It’s something that we’ve been hearing for the last 12 months or so – particularly in Dublin. Tourism numbers have grown around 33% in the last 5 years and during that same period, the number of hotel rooms have actually fallen by 6%… What we badly need in Dublin is more hotels. That’s finally beginning to happen and we have 11 hotels under construction in the capital at the moment so we’ll probably have about 4,000 or so new hotel rooms in Dublin by 2020.

“It’s incumbent on the players in the industry to try to ensure that we remain competitive but equally it’s incumbent on the Government to ensure that we remain as competitive as possible by not imposing additional costs on businesses.”

The Brexit business is one that is of vital importance to the industry but where there exists an alarming lack of clarity regarding the future, he says. It isn’t helped by Britains’ apparent ambivalence towards the consequences of leaving the EU, nor is it helped by what O’Mara Walsh sees as a disappointing lack of initiative on the part of the Irish Government: “Brexit is undoubtedly our biggest challenge in Irish tourism. We’ve talked about the numbers from Britain going down but what’s of equally great importance is knowing what’s in the new EU-UK deal: the importance of the Common Travel Area; the importance of a ‘soft border’; the importance of the liberalised aviation access between Ireland and the UK and between the UK and the EU. “For example, when the UK leaves the EU, it also leaves the single aviation market, so it’s no longer part of the Open Skies Agreement. A replacement accord needs to be put in place to ensure that there’s no restriction of air services between the UK and Ireland. All those things are fundamental and they’re part of the bigger negotiations that are going on at the moment. A botched Brexit would be very damaging for Irish Tourism.”

On the other crisis of supply to the tourism sectors (namely the ongoing shortage of trained staff in the catering sector), O’Mara Walsh is quick to point out that the training and staffing shortage doesn’t end in the kitchen: “It’s not just chefs,” he says. “It goes across the whole gamut of employees in the tourism industry – front-of-house, tour guides… As a country, employment growth has been remarkable over the last few years and tourism has played its role. We’re nearly at full employment nationally, so as tourism grows and as we need more and more additional staff, we’re going to have to compete very hard with other sectors to get those staff. Certainly on the education skills and training side of things, there’s a kind-of unhappiness within the industry that there’s not enough skills training going on. It all puts a very heavy onus on the sector itself to try to bring people up to speed… we’d be of the opinion that more needs to be done to ensure that all tourism and hospitality employees are adequately trained and skilled.

“If you look at the money that our two tourism agencies – Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland – get from the exchequer, it’s about €100m. It’s very very small for a sector that provides such big economic return and employs so many people and a relatively modest change in the funding formula for tourism could go a long way in terms of training people up, developing new product, diversifying markets. I think it’s high time that focus was put on tourism in that regard.”

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tourism ireland

Mid-year review of overseas tourism Official CSO figures for the first half of 2017 confirm growth of +4.2% in overseas visitors to Ireland, 182,000 arrivals more than the record first half of 2016. At the recent mid-year review of overseas tourism, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD, and Tourism Ireland CEO, Niall Gibbons, confirmed that this growth has come from North America, Mainland Europe and Australia and Developing Markets. As anticipated, the decline in the value of sterling is reflected in British visitor numbers to Ireland – which are down -6.4% for H1. Minister Ross and Niall Gibbons outlined what has contributed to the tourism growth so far this year and, more importantly, what will help build on the growth and address the areas of decline to year end and into 2018.

Joan O’Shaughnessy, Chairman of Tourism Ireland; Tourism Minister Shane Ross; and Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, at the mid-year review of overseas tourism.

Millions of Britons encouraged to explore the “wonders of Waterford” A recent Tourism Ireland campaign promoted Waterford to British holidaymakers, in the weekend travel section of The Daily Telegraph (which is read by about 1.4 million people). The article – titled ‘Exploring the wonders of Waterford’ – described the city’s “exquisite crystalware”, as well as lots of things to see and do like the King of the Vikings virtual reality experience and the Waterford Greenway. The campaign also includes a specially-created ‘Indulge in Ireland’ section on The Telegraph website, with lots of different articles about Ireland which are being promoted via online advertising.

Giant, medieval-style tapestry celebrates Northern Ireland’s connection to Game of Thrones A new Tourism Ireland campaign, showcasing Northern Ireland as ‘Game of Thrones Territory’, is being rolled out in 12 markets around the world, to coincide with the latest series of the hugely popular TV show. The campaign, created in partnership with HBO, features a 77-metre long, Bayeux-style tapestry which brings to life the trials and tribulations of the show’s characters in its most epic and famous scenes – giving fans a chance to re-visit all the key events. The tapestry is hanging in the Ulster Museum in Belfast.

As season 7 unfolds, new sections of the tapestry are being revealed each week, in the build-up to the next episode, capturing key events from the previous week. Tourism Ireland is sharing these new sections via social media – using a mix of cinemagraphs (“living” photographs), time-lapse videos of the weaving process, carousels and Instagram Stories – to bring the creation of the tapestry to life.

The Game of Thrones tapestry, the centrepiece of Tourism Ireland’s 2017 Game of Thrones campaign, which is on display in the Ulster Museum.

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tourism ireland

New Chinese car touring guidebook features three Irish driving routes DIDI Car Rental, one of the largest car hire companies in China, has launched its first ever self-drive travel guidebook and it features three driving routes on the island of Ireland. Targeting Chinese travellers who want to take self-drive holidays overseas, it’s an online guidebook and app which includes information about signature driving routes in different destinations. DIDI Car Rental will be sharing this guide with its millions of registered users.

James Kenny, Tourism Ireland’s Manager China, said: “China is an important emerging travel market and one that Tourism Ireland is committed to growing over the coming years. The fact that three driving routes on the island of Ireland feature in the new DIDI guidebook is good news indeed – helping to raise awareness among Chinese travellers about our spectacular scenery and the many things to see and do on a holiday here.”

Pushing the West of Ireland to the ‘fore’ on NBC Golf Channel!

Canadian women’s rugby players ‘Jump into Ireland’ and learn camogie at Dublin GAA club The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 took place here in August, with 12 national teams participating. During the tournament, Rugby Canada and Tourism Ireland arranged a fun camogie lesson for the Canadian team with the under 11 girls at a Dublin GAA club. Footage and photos captured at the event were then shared with Canadian media outlets, to highlight our unique national games and to remind potential Canadian holidaymakers about the warm welcome and fun that they can expect on a vacation in Ireland.

Canadian rugby players and members of the under 11 camogie team at Clanna Gael Fontenoy GAA Club in Dublin. Also pictured are Gary Dukelow, Rugby Canada (left); Michele O’Briain, Clanna Gael Fontenoy GAA Club (second left); and Monica MacLaverty, Tourism Ireland (right).

Tourism Minister Brendan Griffin briefed on Brexit by Tourism Ireland in London

Millions of golfers across the US will be tuning into a programme all about golf in the West of Ireland this autumn. Tourism Ireland invited Matt Ginella from the NBC Golf Channel to come and film here for Ginella’s Journeys, a segment on the Golf Channel show Morning Drive, one of the network’s most popular shows. The crew captured footage at Lahinch Golf Club, the Cliffs of Moher, Ashford Castle, County Sligo Golf Club, Ballyliffin Golf Club, as well as in Galway city.

Matt Ginella (second left) is pictured with Kevin O’Keefe, Vice Captain of Lahinch Golf Club; Paddy Keane, General Manager of Lahinch Golf Club; Orla Carey, Tourism Ireland; and the TV crew, during a break in filming at Lahinch Golf Club.

Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin, met recently with the Tourism Ireland team in London, where he was briefed on the organisation’s 2017 promotional programme and the possible implications on travel of the decision by the UK to leave the EU. Great Britain is a vital market for tourism to the island of Ireland. It delivers 47% of all overseas visitors and around 30% of all overseas tourism revenue. Tourism Ireland is determined to defend its share of this most competitive market. Minister Griffin is pictured with Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland’s Director of Markets (back, third left); Julie Wakley, Tourism Ireland’s Head of Great Britain (front, centre); and the Tourism Ireland team in London.

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Dalcassian Wines

With 400 wines on offer, including 200 new wines, from eleven different countries across five continents Dalcassian wines continue to prove why they are at the forefront of the wine business in Ireland. With a team whose experience amounts to almost 200 years in the business, we were delighted to speak to John Dillon, Managing Director and David O’Boyle, Wine Development Manager, to hear more about this dynamic company.

John Dillon co-founded the business in 2005 following a long career with Gilbeys and Diageo “Myself and Pat Rigney started with two brands; Cielo and Paul Mas, Jean Claude’s wine from the Languedoc. We wanted to go after the on-trade business because we could see that a lot of the bigger brands were available in the lower ends of the market. We knew the time was right to bring premium, quality wines to the market place here”, explains John.

He continues, “Restaurants didn’t want to see certain brands in their offering anymore so we saw the opportunity to bring something different to the Irish market place. During the recession years we developed some of our own brands as another offering to the market. Elvaro, and Casa Raphael are both Chilean brands and we developed a brand called Silver Creek from Australia. We own the labels and they are distilled under license to us.

People needed value for money during those years but we were very careful not to lose the quality in what we were offering our customers so by owning the labels we could cut costs and still offer premium wines”.

However, with his reputation for knowledge of wines, John quickly found himself becoming a consultant to the industry and a consultancy side to Dalcassian developed. “We became consultants to the trade. We are known as the experts. We have been members of the Restaurant Association of Ireland for the last six years and we have sponsored the Best Restaurant Awards for the last four years. We are very involved with the Hotel Federation also and the Licensed Vintners and the Vintners Federation of Ireland”.

With a company at the forefront of their sector, what are some of the trends they are seeing? David O’Boyle, Wine Development Manager for the Dublin region explains, “The innovations in wine- making are developing rapidly.

Eastern Europe is a huge market that we will definitely be seeing more of in the coming years. Coravin is a new system that is a game changer for what hotels and restaurants can offer by the glass. The system allows you to pour a glass from a bottle while the cork is still in it with the assurance that if you pour another glass in a few years, the wine will not be compromised in any way.”

the Wine Experts Dalcassian offers the perfect bouquet H&RT AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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Dalcassian Wines staff at Dalcassian. “We are very good at hosting wine dinners and at taking our customers to visit wineries. These are very important events for us because they allow us to connect with our customers, keep us in touch with the market place but more importantly it allows us to develop and further our relationship with our clients which is hugely important to us”.

“We have a very eclectic mix of customers; people who have been in the business a long time and new restaurants starting up but everybody is looking for something different and to be able to offer something different than the person next door. It’s the same as a chef creating a signature dish, restaurants want to have a signature wine”.

Both John and David advocate strongly for staff training and Dalcassian offers this service to their own staff but also to their clients. “For our own staff, we offer a wine course every month at our monthly meeting so our staff are extremely knowledgeable on all our wines. However, we also offer training to our clients’ staff. We believe it is very important that restaurant staff can engage with the customer about the wine”,says John.

David continues,” We build our relationships with our customers as a partnership. We build a level of trust that way and that’s very important to us. We are seeing regions around the country opening up to premium products at the moment. The Wild Atlantic Way has opened up regions from Munster to Connacht and are attracting tourists that want to experience premiumdining experiences”.

As well as their knowledge and expertise in wines, Dalcassian are reputed for their customer service. David continues,“We listen to our customers, we listen to what they need and what they are looking for. Margins are so important to Hotels and Restaurants and premium wine is definitely a means for businesses to improve their bottom lines, while also offering their customers an incredible dining experience”.

John continues, “We travel to countries and we hand pick our wines based on what the Irish Trade is asking us for and that keeps us very relevant. We have been to Austria recently to sample some biodynamic and natural wines because that’s what sommeliers are telling us they are looking for. We have also won the agency for Pommery champagne, a Grand MarquesChampagne and we have also just become the agency for Brown Brothers who had left the Irish market so it’s lovely to have them back and that offering will be available in January. We are also really proud to be representing two of the 14 family run Australian wineries”.

“

In addition to wine, Dalcassian also runs a hugely successful spirit business with a premium brand offering including Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, Writers Tears and The Irish Man whiskey as well as Diplomatico Rum and Jeffersons Bourbon.

“We are the experts when it comes to wines and spirits and people come to us when they are looking for advice. We have built our business based on our service to our customers, our knowledge and passion and from always being at the forefront of the premium wine trends”, says John.

at the forefront of the premium wine trends

According to David, Hungry, Slovenia and Croatia are producing some amazing wines at the moment. “Their latitude is on par with some of the best wine growing regions in France. They are in the early stages but of what I’ve tasted so far, they are really good wines. Trends have come back to the old-world wines again. One in four bottles of wine sold in Ireland is Chilean, Australian wines have fallen away, France is still 18% of wines sold here. But there’s no doubt, any old house wine is not good enough anymore”.

He continues, “In the last five years, we have grown the team in Dalcassian. We now have 16 people on the road nationwide who are completely dedicated. David O’Boyle is our wine development manager in the Dublin region and Mark Redmond is our wine manager in the Cork region.

Together with Niamh Creighton these three diploma holders have huge expertise and knowledge of wines.

We have a mature team who are all specialist within the industry for many years. Julie McMahon is our wine trade marketing manager and Daphne Williams offers marketing support.We also have two mixologists so we can offer our clients expertise on the cocktail side. Our team can also create bespoke wine menus for our clients”.

Dalcassian are renowned for their relationship with their customers. John explains why this is so important to all the

With the perfect blend of expertise, knowledge, passion and service, there’s no doubt Dalcassian offers the perfect bouquet!

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FOOD for THOUGHT #KeepVAT9, the importance of the 9% VAT rate for the tourism and hospitality industry The reduction in the VAT rate to 9% has improved the competitiveness of the Restaurant sector since it was introduced, and has also helped ensure the viability of many businesses that have been going through challenging times. A 9% VAT rate in Ireland is not only the correct rate for our country, but it is also in line with the rest of Europe. We need this VAT rate particularly now as Brexit negotiations begin, to remain competitive. Both Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Shane Ross T.D. and Minister of State for Transport, Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin T.D. are in support of our campaign and have expressed that 9% VAT should remain.

Now more than ever, everyone in the industry needs to get involved by contacting local representatives and highlighting the importance of the retention of a 9% VAT rate. VAT at 9% into 2018 is crucial, not only to the sustainability of restaurants and businesses in the tourism sector, but also to job creation and to continue growth for our economy. Visit www.keepvat9.ie to find contact details for your local representatives.

The Chef Shortage, what’s the answer?

The restaurant industry is the second largest growing industry in Ireland and the development of Culinary courses is vital to the growth of the culinary and hospitality sector. Our industry of late is experiencing a crisis Chef Shortage with an estimated 5,000 chefs needing to be trained each year by 2020 to meet demand. The association receives calls every day with members struggling to find trained chefs.

The RAI have outlined six points that need to be addressed immediately to solve this crisis. They are as follows: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

The establishment of an official single body like CERT to oversee policy development in hospitality training needs and the development of national training structures and programmes The delivery of a national hospitality careers roadshow.

The establishment of sufficient training centres to provide adequate space for the development of the thousands of trainee chefs needed by the restaurant sector.

The development of a training charter and an official national code of practice.

The use of seasonal hotels as training centres.

Adequate engagement with secondary schools for the recruitment, training and formal education of young school-leavers preparing and incentivising them for careers in the Industry.

Official Sponsors of Food for Thought:

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Foodie Destinations 2017 The Restaurants Association of Ireland is pleased to announce the top ten finalists in the ‘Foodie Destinations’ competition 2017. The Foodie Destinations competition is setting out to find Ireland’s premier ‘Food Destination 2017’. Applications for this year’s competition were received from all corners of the country. For the first stage of judging, applications were thoroughly assessed by an independent panel of judges. Though there was tough competition, the top ten ‘Foodie Destinations’ of Ireland for 2017 have been selected and are as follows: • • • • • • • • • •

Boyne Valley Cong Galway’s Westend Kilkenny Kinsale Loop Head Peninsula Monaghan Sligo West Cork West Waterford

You can vote online at www.foodiedestinations.ie from Tuesday 25th July, voting closes at 12 noon on Thursday 10th August. The ultimate ‘Foodie Destination of Ireland 2017’ will be announced on Tuesday 29th August.

FBD Insurance is delighted to be a the sponsor of Foodie Destinations 2017 and recognises the tremendous work that the organisation does representing the industry. This partnership is very important to FBD as it allows the company to get a significant insight into the sector.

Running your own restaurant can be challenging and at FBD we have 50 years’ experience dealing with our business customers and understanding their business has always been the main philosophy. It puts us in a position to tailor products to the requirements of your restaurant. That means total peace of mind for you. We know all too well the significant impact that a serious incident can have on your business. Suffering a major disruption undermines your ability to meet your customers’ needs. We therefore work closely with our customers to minimise the risk and ensure adequate cover. For more information why not visit www.fbd.ie/business-insurance or call into one of our 33 branch offices throughout the country. Our team of dedicated business insurance experts will be ready to deal with all your insurance needs.

Is your current Ice Machine producing quality clean ice using the best energy efficient equipment on the market?

We are the Main Distributor for Manitowoc Ice Machines

Phone: 01 4010138 Email: sales@btiengineering.com Official Sponsors of Food for Thought:

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“Food Safety Training” EXPLAINED!

By Law, all food businesses in Ireland are required to provide Food Safety training for their staff.

What Constitutes a Food Handler?

A food handler is any person who handles or prepares food whether open (unwrapped) or packaged, even if physical contact is limited. Food Handlers must be trained commensurate to their work activities and responsibility for supervision and training of staff lies with the food business operator. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland have issued guides on their three different levels of Food Safety Training.

These Guides outline what is covered within each level of training and also indicate what level of training is relevant to each food handler.

Levels 1, 2 and 3 Explained: Level 1 Level 1 Training/Skills is the standard expected of employees operating at a basic level, Cater Care provide this training either online or on site. This training must also be supplemented with supervision from management and includes issues such as: basic personal hygiene, avoiding unhygienic practices, safe food handling practices, cleaning, obeying food signs, food hazards, identifying high and low risk foods, temperature monitoring and pest control.

Ideal for: Service Staff, Seasonal Staff, Bar Staff, Care Attendants (employees not working in a high risk area) etc.

Level 2 Level 2 Training/ Skills is applicable to direct food handlers (e.g. preparation), those who work in a high risk area. As well as Level 1 content, learners need to understand requirements and conditions for bacterial growth and how to control these conditions through an understanding and use of their HACCP system. Cater Care can deliver publicly or on site nationwide.

Ideal for: All direct Food Handlers, Chefs, Kitchen Attendants, Kitchen Porters as well as Trainees to level 1 who feature in the food business after 12 months, etc.

Level 3 Level 3 is Training for Management. This level enables management to support and encourage the implementation of food safety skills defined in Levels 1 and 2. Cater Care delivers training to this level; QQI Award Levels 5 and 6. It also covers: • • •

Microbiological aspects of Food Safety, Structural Hygiene issues, Food Safety Management (e.g. traceability, recalls, consumer complaints etc.)

To Conclude: We believe that training is an investment in the successful future of your business. Refresher training to match changing circumstances, legislation and operations within the business is required. To verify food safety training has occurred filing of training evidence is necessary.

To Quote Walt Disney:

“Will I Train My Staff and Risk Them Leaving or Not Bother and Risk Them Staying!!!”

Cater Care welcome your contact by phone on 061 469008 or email info@catercare.ie

Official Sponsors of Food for Thought:

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NEW MEMBERS

New Yorker at Cork International Hotel

Co Cork

Company Name

Location

Two Boys Brew

Dublin 7

The Lighthouse Cinema Café

Dublin 7

Rachel's

Co Cork

Javaholics

Dublin 3

Artisan Cookhouse

Co Down

The Green Door Restaurant

Co Kerry Co Galway

The Maigue Restaurant at Dunraven Arms Hotel

Co Limerick

Inishbofin House Hotel Auld Shebeen

Co Westmeath

Jade Garden

Co Wexford

Goodfellas Restaurant Pizzeria

Co Antrim

PHX Bistro

Dublin 7

Red Torch Ginger

Dublin 2

Café India

Co Offaly

Red Torch Ginger Maynooth

Co Kildare

Jels Kitchen

Co Offaly

O'Connors Seafood Restaurant

Co Cork

Wa Cafe

Co Galway

The Valley House

Co Mayo

Denjoe's Family Restaurant

Co Kerry

Ashley Park House

Co Tipperary

Ashes Pub Camp

Co Kerry

O'Sheas The Hatchett Inn

Co Meath

Darby's at Weston Airport

Co Dublin

The Gandon Room Restaurant & Brownes Bar

Co Meath

EatGreek

Dublin 9

Desire Kitchen Ltd.

Co. Kerry

Royal Hotel Valentia

Co Kerry

T Junction

Co. Waterford

The Hudson Rooms

Dublin 22

Naponi Italian Delicatessen

Co. Cork

Daroka

Co Kerry

Stef Hans Café

Co. Tipperary

Oak Fire Pizza

Co Cork

Co. Cork

An Sean Chistin

Co Kildare

Suttons Bar & Bistro at Rochestown Park Hotel

An Granuaile

Co Westmeath

Paddy's Bar & Restaurant

Co. mayo

Hallorans

Co Galway

Denjoes Castleisland

Co. Kerry

The Golden Nugget Bar and Restaurant

Co Kerry

Souls Restaurant

Co Antrim

Friars Rest

Co Donegal

The Runnerbean

Co Tipperary

An Café brew

Co Louth

The Lazy River Café

Co. Carlow

Café Aroma

Co Cork

Stable Diet Café

Co. Wexford

Fig & Olive Café

Co Cork

Café Victor

Co. Sligo

The Galway Roast Galway

Co Galway

Foley's Bar

Dublin 2

The Galway Roast Roscommon

Co Roscommon

Pizzeria San Marco

Co. Cork

The Galway Roast Mullingar

Co Westmeath

Appetite Café

Co. Mayo

The Galway Roast Athlone

Co Westmeath

The Galway Roast Castlebar

Co Mayo

NEW ASSOCIATES

The Panorama Bar @ Deerpark Golf

Co Dublin

Company Name

Location

Tasty 8

Dublin 8

Dublin 12

Bistro Banbridge

Co Down

JPM Group macro.ie/catering-service/

Grow HQ

Co Waterford

Fitzgerald Power www.fitzgeraldpower.ie/

Dublin 24

The Bakers Table

Co Wicklow Co Kerry

Jack Jordans

Co Galway

Mayo Abbey Cookery School www.mayoabbey.ie/training/cookeryand-hospitality.html

Co Mayo

Maison Gormet Miyazaki

Co Cork

Dublin 12

Jac-O-Bite’s

Co Longford

Valeo Foods www.valeofoods.ie

Horse and Hound

Co Limerick

Environmental Products and Services epas-ltd.com/

Co Down

Ubh Café

Co Kildare Co Down

Relief Chefs www.reliefchefs.ie

Co Tipperary

Picnic Delicatessen Official Sponsors of Food for Thought:

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Dalcassian Wine Collection

Paul Mas Paul Mas is one of the most recognised wine-makers from the Languedoc region and is one of the world’s most awarded wineries (8th in the World and the most awarded winery in France).

In the space of just 17 years, Jean-Claude Mas, winemaker and owner of Les Domaines Paul Mas has become a reference the world over for South of France wines. Old World wines with New World attitude is the essence of the Paul Mas character.

Dalcassian Wines & Spirits has worked with Paul Mas since the very beginning, and now as well as the supremely popular classics, the impressive portfolio boasts specialty wines (including organic.)

Paul Mas produces authentic and affordable wines, “everyday luxury”, from single varietal wines (wines are crafted with 40 different grape varieties) and single vineyards such as the Vignes de Nicole.

Notable awards for the Paul Mas Winery include:

• 2017: Best French Wine Producer, Mondus Vini;

• 2016: Most Awarded Winery of France, 08th in the World;

• 2016 vintage: Over 90 Gold Medals and 26 wines awarded more than 90 points in Wine Spectator, Wines and Sprit,

Decanter and Wine Enthusiast;

• 2013: Winery of the Year, Sommelier Challenge USA.

Wakefield, Clare Valley Australia - Australia’s First Family of Wine

From Australia’s most awarded winery also comes the world’s most awarded wine — Wakefield St Andrews Single Vineyard Release Shiraz Clare Valley 2012.

One of twelve of Australia’s leading multi-generational family winemakers at the heart and soul of Australian wine, Wakefield has just been named one of the top 5 wineries in the world for the fourth successive year.

Recognised the world over as a top quality producer, Wakefield is made by the Taylor family in Australia’s Clare Valley, where the unique combination of geography, geology and climate results in terroir that is perfect for producing world-class wine.

Over the last four decades, Wakefield has been awarded over 5800 medals including 72 Trophies, 1051 Gold and 1637 Silver medals.

These prestigious awards are quite the accolade for a proudly family-owned-and-run winery like Wakefield, the only one in Australia to achieve this. Since a single bottle of first growth Bordeaux first drew Bill Taylor to the Clare Valley to produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, the family has continued to strive to produce the highest quality wines - from the family estate, as well as from other renowned winemaking regions.

The Wakefield portfolio now boasts eight different ranges, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Riesling, distributed

by Dalcassian Wines & Spirits in Ireland.

Jaffelin

Jaffelin, the smallest of the great Burgundy wine houses, is situated in the historical centre of Beaune “the Jewel of Burgundy”. It represents the very best of the finest Burgundy terroirs within a comprehensive collection of wines, which are recognised in prestigious wine competitions and appreciated by connoisseurs around the world.

“We strive to bring out the Burgundy terroirs, cru by cru, wine by wine, at every stage of the winemaking process.”

The grapes arrive at the winery in small crates at harvest time; they are carefully sorted on two successive sorting tables, then partially or fully de-stemmed, and transferred into wooden vats by gravity in order to preserve all their properties.

Marinette Garnier, oenologist-winemaker, creates their “hand-made” wines in this magical location in the historical centre of Beaune. Over the centuries, the Jaffelin cellars have housed the wines of the Collégiale Notre Dame de Beaune and the Cardinals. The cellars changed ownership in 1816, the date when the Jaffelin brothers established their ‘maison de négoce’ (trading house).

Today the wines rest in the monastic tranquility of the Chapitre’s cellars as they did eight centuries ago.

Meinklang Meinklang is a very exciting new offering from East Austria. A biodynamic wine, it is ultra-organic, following the movement of the moon and with little interference from human hands.All three grape varietals in the Meinklang range- Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt and Blaufränkischin - are indigenous to Austria.

Run by the Michlits, Meinklang is the essence of a family business, which also incorporates a cattle farm and fruit farm. Cattle, horses, pigs, sheep and a few chickens – animals play a very special role on the farm: they are the natural source of fertiliser. “Robust and healthy vines can only grow in soil which is alive, producing completely individual wines full of character.”

Each family-member is specialized in an aspect of farming. Angela and Werner are in charge of the wine estate.

For ageing the wines, the Michlit family has embraced a completely new methodology for wine maturation – concrete eggs!

“Concrete allows the ideal amount of oxygen to reach the wine naturally. It has a considerable advantage over oak barrels in that it does not add any foreign aromas and it strongly supports the development of the wine’s originality.”

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Dalcassian Wine Collection

Pommery Champagne One of just sixteen Grand Marques champagnes which make up the Champagne Academy, Dalcassian Wines & Spirits is delighted to have recently taken on the House of Pommery.

This is a very special year for Pommery, as the House holds the presidency of the Champagne Academy, a supreme honour which only comes to each house once every sixteen years.

Pommery will also be the proud drinks partner at Polo in the Park this September.

The Pommery family entered the champagne business in 1857. However, when Mr. Pommery died a year later in February 1858, the young widow Pommery took over the champagne business and led it on to success and glory.

Each Champagne from the House of Pommery is a harmonious combination of wines from the current harvest and the Domaine’s reserve wines. The house has the equivalent of a half year’s harvest of reserve wines to maintain regularity each year, no matter what the harvest is like.

The elegant range of Pommery champagnes include Pommery Brut Royal, Pommery Grand Cru Vintage, Pommery Brut Rosé, Pommery Blue Sky, Pommery Apanage Rosé, Pommery Louise Vintage, Chateau La Gordonne Verite Du Terroir Rosé and La Chapelle Gordonne Rosé.

The classic Brut Royal is an elegant and vibrant champagne, made for any time day or night.

BISQUERTT Dalcassian Wines & Spirits has recently launched the multi-award winning Petirrojo and La Joya ranges to the Irish market.

Made by the Bisquertt family in the renowned wine-making Colchagua Valley in Central Chile, Osvaldo Bisquertt and his wife Soledad Urrutia founded Viña Bisquerrt in 1977 when they bought a dilapidated old winery in Lihueimo.

In 2000 they planted their first vineyards in the Marchigüe zone of the Colchagua Valley. Soon afterwards the 2000 La Joya Merlot was named the World’s Best Merlot at the International Wine Challenge in London.

The climate is characterized as Mediterranean type with coastal influence. The cool breezes from the ocean are the basis for the fresh character and natural acidity of the grapes in the Estate.

In 2007 Osvaldo Bisquertt and Soledad Urrutia turned over the management of the winery to their children, led by Sebastian Bisquertt, who believes his work and passion for their wines is central to showing the Bisquertt character in every corner of the world.

In 2014 Wine Spectator magazine included the 2012 La Joya Syrah on its Top 100 Wines of the World list.

Tenuta Ulisse Tenuta Ulisse, a modern expression of a centuries-old tradition of passion and dedication to the land, is one of Abruzzo’s premier winemaking estates.

The dynamic winery blends modern winemaking technology and the energetic lifestyle of contemporary life, expressing the potential and character of the native grapes of Abruzzo.

Founded in 2006, Tenuta Ulisse maintains a strong family imprint characterized by respect for values like tradition, history and territory and is now run by brothers Antonio and Luigi Ulisse, who are dedicated to expressing the potential and character of the region’s wines.

Each glass from Tenuta Ulisse’s wine is a journey, an experience that amazes, a vision. “We are determined to use the most expressive and unique terroirs of Abruzzo to create Abruzzo fine wine of distinction.”

All of the Tenuta Ulisse estates have special features in terms of exposure, microclimate, soil composition and ventilation.

“Behind a great wine there is always a great wine-growing area with unique soil and climatic conditions. This diversity is an asset to be protected and enhanced until the bottle.”

Although just over a decade old, the winery has already achieved world-recognition through multiple prestigious awards from international bodies including Decanter World Wine Awards, The International Wine Challenge and Gambero Rosso – Vini D’Italia.

Astoria, Treviso Italy Astoria wines are all made by the original, long-established wine making Polegato family. The multi-award-winning winery has just won the 2017 ‘Italian White Wine Winery of the Year’ at the New York International Wine competition.

As official drinks partner to the Giro D’Italia, the spectacular Astoria bottle is now famed the world over, taking pride of place on the winners’ podiums.

The superior Astoria taste owes much to the renowned climate of the Valdobbiadene vineyards in the Veneto region in Italy.

Sommeliers in Europe’s most exclusive bars and restaurants list the Astoria range on their carefully selected wine lists. Awards for the impressive Astoria selection available through Dalcassian Wines & Spirits include the prestigious gold medal for the ‘Alisia’ Pinot Grigio at the 2012 World Wine championships, while the Astoria ‘Caranto’ Pinot Noir has also been awarded top marks by the esteemed Wine Connection.

As recent sponsors of both the Irish Hotels Federation conference and the RAI Best Restaurant Awards, Filippo Polegato says there was a tremendous response from the Irish trade. “The sophistication of wine lists in Ireland’s leading venues is impressive. The modern Irish consumer clearly demands premium quality and extensive choice.”

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design

The perfect fit

JDDG & City North Hotel When McGarrell Reilly, proprietors of City North hotel decided to invest in a substantial redevelopment, there was only one firm of architects / designers to undertake the project, JDDG, of the Crescent, Monkstown, Co. Dublin, who since 1992 have been the ‘go to’ people in the hospitality sector in Ireland, (hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs), reputed for their strong commitment to excellence.

JDDG have designed a dozen hotels in Ethiopia and Kenya and have also designed Marriott hotels in Benin and Gabon. Their remit extends even to Kazakhstan, but have also completed projects in most European countries.

John Duffy shared his insight with regard to City North Hotel with Hotel & Restaurant Times “Our aim was to achieve the highest ratio value to every euro spent to combine seamlessly the new areas with the existing ones, attaining a timeless enduring quality, defying ‘dating ‘ into the future, “we have moved beyond senseless trends, practicality prevails but never at the expense of style and beauty”.

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design

The project’s focus was to create a great a stunning and stylish upgrade of all dining and function areas, enhancing the versatility of same. John stresses that the success of this project, like all others depended on extremely detailed planning and constant collaboration and communication with the proprietors. It is vital that both parties are on the same page to obviate the necessity for costly corrections.

City North’s unique appeal lies in its location, metres away from the M1, northwards and a mere 15 minutes drive from Dublin Airport.

Consequently, a major objective was to optimise the conference business- the hotel has generous coach and car parking. Similarly, the re-design of all dining areas aimed to maximise the passing trade heading to all points north, Drogheda, Newry and Belfast. The recent tourist initiative, focusing on development of ‘ The Ancient East’, feeds very directly into City North’s plans for expansion of their tourist and recreational business. None of the above is to neglect to mention the importance of capturing new business from the local area in banqueting and food and beverage.

The project involved minor structural changes such as the removal of walls to increase luminosity. The original layout consisted of a large bar with adjoining restaurant. The new design revolves around a strong food -led

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Established in 1994, Rathgael Contract Interiors are manufacturers of Bespoke Soft Furnishings. All our products are manufactured to the highest quality in our modern 5,000sq.ft factory in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.

At Rathgael, we have considerable expertise in design, supply and fit of Curtains, Voiles, Pelmets, Headboards, Quilted Throws, Cushions, and all blinds, including Roman, Roller, Vertical, Wooden and Motorised.

Our projects include Hotels, Bars, Nightclubs, Restaurants, Nursing Homes, Community Centres and Private Homes and are completed to an exceptional standard, within budget, and to an agreed timeline.

For further information contact us at:

Unit 57, Dungannon Business Park, 2 Coalisland Road, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, N. Ireland BT71 6JT.

Tel: +44 (0) 28 877 26322 E: info@rathgaelfurnishings.co.uk W: www.rathgaelfurnishings.co.uk

Irelands project lighting supplier We provide a wide range of Joinery Solutions from design to the finished article for Hotels, Bars, Nightclubs, Restaurants, Hospitals, Offices, Receptions, and Restrooms.

Visit us at: www.mccustomjoinery.co.uk or call us on 0044 771 8319224

For further information contact us at Unit 2A Ballyhimmon Business Park Castlecomer Co. Kilkenny

Tel: +353 (0) 56 440 0861 www.nirvanalighting.com H&RT AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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design

offering, located in an island backing onto the main bar for casual all- day dining. Behind this area now exists a more formal restaurant with an adjoining group dining area. A chic cafĂŠ offering patisserie adjoins the reception area.

So what we enjoy now is the re-invented light filled interior, featuring bold vibrant and colourful hues, teal, sea-green and strong geometric floor tiling. The amazing transformation combines exciting visual appeal with comfort and functionally.

Suppliers & Installers of quality kitchen equipment to the Hotel, Restaurant & Catering Industry Recent contracts include the newly refurbished City North Hotel

JDDG are currently completing extensive developments in other Dublin properties including the new Iveagh Garden Hotel, Harcourt Street opening in November ’17, Ember restaurant in Milltown and the Sandymount Hotel, beside the Aviva stadium.

No other design firm in the country combines similar architectural expertise with extensive interior design experience. There is no better one -stop shop for maximising your potential in the hospitality sector than JDDG.

Unit M1, Ballymount Drive, Walkinstown, Dublin 12 tel: (+353 1) 456 5070 fax: (+353 1) 456 5250 e-mail: sales@kaneco.ie

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The Future of Catering Design Catering Design Solutions are not just experts in commercial design, we are also specialists in the provision of equipment and furniture, partnering with globally recognised suppliers.

Design

Our commercial catering designs ensure: • Layout is effective and efficient • The best use is made of the space available • The customers’ requirements are exceeded Working closely with our customers to achieve the right solution for them, we create a video walk-through, to provide a greater insight into how the completed design will look when implemented. This allows for changes and amendments to be made at an earlier stage, saving time, costs and disruption to the project.

Equipment We work with leading global suppliers to bring the best equipment to every project we are part of. Our partners are the best in the industry, striving to produce the most innovative products to make our customers more effective and efficient, allowing them to operate their kitchen at the lowest cost possible.

If you need a key piece of equipment, maybe it’s a one off purchase or a range to fit out your kitchen, we can help with that too. You’ll find the details below to contact us about your equipment needs. We also have weekly offers, so why not check out bunzlmclaughlin.com for all weekly offers.

Furniture We’re not only specialists in kitchen design, we also have experts who excel in front of house decor. We’ve partnered with some of the finest furniture designers to bring our cuwstomers what they need to create the look and atmosphere of their service, whether it’s a business canteen or a fine dining experience – we’ve got it all.

Call: 048 3751 1999

H&RT AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 37 Website: www.cateringdesignsolutions.com

fáilte general

Latest Report on Accommodation Capacity in Dublin Fáilte Ireland has published their Analysis of Visitor Accommodation in Dublin 2015-20 report on the future pipeline of Dublin Hotel accommodation which presents the most up to date projections on additional hotel capacity anticipated to come on stream in Dublin.

Carried out by Fitzpatrick Associates, the report indicates that 5,382 rooms are due to come on-stream between now and 2020 with the current supply side pressures due to significantly ease by 2019.

Speaking about the report, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Research, Caeman Wall said: “Despite the over 50% growth in tourist arrival into Dublin and significant growth in corporate travel since 2010, the stock of tourist accommodation is largely unchanged to date. With further visitor growth anticipated and the importance of Dublin as a gateway to the rest of Ireland, Dublin’s shortage of tourism accommodation is one of the biggest challenges facing the continuing growth of Irish tourism.

“The hotel rooms identified that are due to come on stream in today’s report represent private sector investment worth €800m or more based on current market valuations and are very welcome. We need do whatever we can to help ensure the current pipeline of development is delivered in full as quickly as possible. This extra capacity will not only increase availability but also significantly help moderate price increases.

“The research is saying that supply will improve by 2019. However, we face ongoing pressures until they arrive and it is critical that

The full Analysis of Visitor Accommodation in Dublin 2015-20 report can be found at www.failteireland.ie

the hotel industry keep a watchful eye on competitiveness. If we damage our overall value for money perception with international visitors and buyers, we will create a problem that will take a long time to fix.”

Download the full ‘Analysis of Visitor Accommodation in Dublin 2015-20’ report at www.failteireland.ie

Cycle Sportif to Unlock Wild Atlantic Way as Cycle Destination Fáilte Ireland have teamed up with cycling specialist’s Ride Wild to launch the new Wild Atlantic Way Cycle Sportif – a series of bi-annual cycling events along the coastal route (from Kinsale in West Cork to Muff in Donegal) which will promote the Wild Atlantic Way as a cycling destination internationally and domestically and attract visitors across the full length of the route during off season months.

Explaining the benefit for tourism of the Cycling Sportif, Fáilte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly pointed out – “We have our own natural cycling route along the Wild Atlantic Way and I would imagine every cycling enthusiast would love to hop on a bike and enjoy its unique landscapes. Through the Wild Atlantic Way Cycle Sportif we are creating an added incentive for them. We are developing the logistics and events along the event route that, I believe, will build a strong reputation for the Wild Atlantic Way as an attractive cycling destination. Indeed, if we get this right, the Wild Atlantic Way Cycle Sportif will become a ‘must-do’ item for international and domestic cyclists.”

“If we can meet our visitor targets, we estimate that the Cycle Sportif could generate over €13m and up to 50,000 bed nights. Importantly, we will also be generating significant visitor activity in off-season months which will help businesses stay open longer. This is a real bonus for areas that are outside the traditional tourist hot spots.”

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Fáilte Ireland ‘Cycle Sportif’ takes place from 13th - 29th September 2017.

fáilte general

Getting Familiar with Ireland Groups of influential media and buyers have been getting familiar with Ireland as they explore all that the country has to offer.

Among those visiting recently were China’s largest e-commerce start-up Mogujie; a group of influential media and social media influencers from Qatar and Australia; US golfing media with a combined reach of 20 million; sisters Karena and Kaset Te Awa Bird, MasterChef New Zealand Winners from 2014 and husband and wife team Mira and Reine Hefvelin from Sweden.

Also filming along the west coast was Samantha Brown as she gathers footage for a Wild Atlantic Way episode for her new PBS travel show ‘Love of Travel’ which is due to be broadcast to an audience of 2 million later this year.

Ireland to the Fore as Influential US Golf Media Tee Off

Swedish journlists Malin and Reine Hefvelin aboard the new “Doolin Express” ferry at Doolin, Co Clare.

Their trip which was organised by Fáilte Ireland, in conjunction with Tourism Ireland will showcase the sights and splendour of the Wild Atlantic Way in counties Clare, Galway and Mayo.

Photograph by Eamon Ward

Doha Influencers and Australian media stop off in Galway

Chinese guests enjoy the sights, sounds, scenery and taste of Dingle

Masterchef New Zealand Winners Cook Up a Storm in Dublin!

Samantha Brown takes in Donegal’s Northern Headlands at Slibh League with Fáilte Ireland’s Liam Campbell and local giude, Paddy Clarke.

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business development

Musgrave MarketPlace Foodservice Academy success stories Coffee House Lane and Lily’s Tea emerge top of class Sheena Forde, Musgrave Wholesale Partners Trading Director As Ireland’s largest and fastest growing wholesaler we understand and appreciate the needs of the foodservice market, and are always keen to share our insights and expertise with small, up-and-coming business owners in the food and drink sector. We launched our first Foodservice Academy with Bord Bia in March 2016 as a business development training programme, designed to enable Irish small food and drink companies to gain a head start within the foodservice industry.

The Foodservice Academy programme offers participants a combination of commercial and marketing expertise as well as invaluable insights into customer needs and preferences. Through a series of workshops and mentoring sessions over a four month period, participant businesses are provided with practical advice on a range of important business functions including marketing, food safety, sales and supply chain.

Our academy business owners also have the opportunity to grow by tapping into the Musgrave MarketPlace foodservice business, which works with over 6,000 customers each week ranging from hotels and restaurants to pubs and nursing homes. Meet and greet sessions are an integral part of the academy programme and provide participants with direct access to the Musgrave MarketPlace sales teams across Leinster, Munster and Connacht. These sessions allow the business owners to develop a rapport with our sales staff, present their product ranges and conduct product sampling. Product sampling sessions also take place for a number of suppliers in Musgrave MarketPlace branches across the country. This facilitates direct contact with trade customers and is an opportune time for academy participants to develop new customer leads.

It’s just over a year since our first intake of food and drink businesses completed the 2016 Foodservice Academy. Nine businesses in total participated in the academy last year, and while all performed extremely well throughout the programme, two in particular stood out as high performers who paved out paths to success in the aftermath of the academy. The success stories in question include Coffee House Lane, a Waterford family-run coffee roasting business, and Lily’s Tea, a speciality tea business blending a range of premium, loose leaf teas as well as matcha and tea pyramids.

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Coffee House Lane

Owner of Coffee House Lane, Mark Bergin, has been in the coffee business along with his family for over 20 years. With a wealth of experience as a coffee agent importing coffee brands from abroad, Mark decided to venture into blending and roasting with his father and together they launched their own coffee brands in 2009. Coffee House Lane offers a range of premium coffee blends and was named after the site where Ireland’s first coffee house was located at the port of Waterford.

Since taking part in the 2016 Foodservice Academy, Mark has experienced remarkable business growth and is looking forward to what the future has in store for Coffee House Lane - “The support and mentoring we received as part of the FoodService Academy has helped us massively as we have seen our business grow over the last two years. As a direct result of taking part in the Academy, we have more than doubled our workforce, from four staff in 2015 to 10 in June 2017 and we have moved from a 2,000 sq ft facility, to a new 6,000 square foot Roastery. The increased business has allowed us to re-invest in our plant and we recently added a new 30kg roaster to our existing 15kg roaster. This has given us an output capacity of one metric tonne of coffee per day, on a single shift.”

Lily’s Tea Lily’s Tea was founded in the aftermath of the economic crisis by Dom McGroddy and his wife Lily from Fujian province in China.

The couple were looking for an alternative occupation at that time and found the answer in something Lily had long been fascinated by - tea. As a native of a major tea producing region, Lily sourced premium tea leaves from China while Dom assumed the role of marketeer and salesman venturing across the country to introduce their products to health food shop owners.

A couple of years ago the foodservice market became a natural progression for Lily’s Tea, with interest expressed from a number of local cafés and restaurants in the product range. This became a customer network that Dom and Lily wanted to expand further.

Developing this side of the business as a duo however would prove challenging, so Dom joined the Foodservice Academy to build their foodservice prospects further and the results post-academy have been well received by the pair: “We added three new lines to our range when we launched with Musgrave MarketPlace, and this year we will be introducing Flowering Tea to Musgrave MarketPlace in Ballymun, a product that many Irish customers will only have seen if they visited Asian countries. We have also increased four-fold the number of cafés, restaurants and hotels that serve our tea in the 12 months since we started with the Academy.

This success in the foodservice sector is driving huge growth in our turnover into foodservice, a market we simply could not have grown on our own. We have been invited to present to hotels and foodservice outlets directly thanks to the work of the Musgrave MarketPlace business development managers. We took a stand at CATEX this year to drive business through the Musgrave MarketPlace stores. The feedback was excellent, and we’re constantly receiving enquiries about our range through the MarketPlace stores.”

Now that our 2017 Foodservice Academy has come to an end we look forward to seeing how our new graduate businesses progress and are optimistic that the future is looking bright for all ten. The exciting new ranges on offer from the 2017 participants vary from staples such as fresh porridge to more indulgent treats like the South American inspired classic Dulce De Leche. With the selection of our next small food producer intake for the 2018 Foodservice Academy on the horizon, we are confident that more and more rising food and drink businesses will follow in the footsteps of our first successful ‘graduates’ and we look forward to helping their businesses prosper in the Irish foodservice market.

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41

Industry Insight

Hotel & Guesthouse Inspection As Manager of AA Hospitality Services, Declan Connors oversees inspections across a range of hotels and guesthouses nationwide. Here, he discusses his approach to this work along with his unique insight to the Irish hospitality industry.

With various review methods now available to consumers, traditional inspections have remained relevant due to their thorough approach as well as the awards presented to those offering the highest of standards. “When The AA are looking at a property from a quality assurance point of view, we differ from other organisations to an extent in that we very much emphasise – as well as the physical attributes; on service, hospitality and cuisine. Connors now boasts over fifteen years in an inspection role with The AA and maintains a positive outlook for Irish hospitality, despite the financial concerns faced by the industry over the past decade.

“I would try to get to each one of our hotels on an annualised basis. I would aim to do three to four overnights a week, along with courtesy calls and day visits”, stated Connors when discussing his active schedule that sees him drawn to the four corners of the country on a regular basis. His role includes inspections for both accommodation and food, concluding with an in-depth debrief.

Set up in 1905, The AA first entered the Irish market in 1910, with the quality assurance of accommodation a natural progression from the organisations original role as a motoring association. Indeed, the international five star classifications in use throughout the hospitality sector globally have their origins from the group.

Currently there are approximately 175 properties registered in Ireland with The AA, with hoteliers considering the awards as a key marketing tool and stamp of approval. “The Inspectors Choice is a property that is of the absolute top of their given classification, currently there are approximately 15 hotels that are in the Red Star category nationwide”.

The AA Rosette Award for culinary excellence is another classification that gives opportunity to hotels to impress, with Connors stating that creativity and connection to the season and local area, combined with quality are amongst the most important requirements in this respect.

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“We start the inspection with a phone call making the reservation, so it’s how that reservation is handled. When I put the phone down I want to be satisfied that’s the right place to go”. Connors emphasises the need for all inspected properties to meet The AA’s stringent criteria when it comes to three key areas, namely: cleanliness, comfort and relaxation before assessing other aspects of the organisations checklist. Following check out, inspectors will then reveal themselves. “After the visit has completed we go into very detailed debrief with the manager on duty and that can last an hour to an hour and a half. We then get an opportunity to see what the other bedrooms and suites are like. It’s about showing them what is working well and perhaps identifying some of the lost opportunities”.

The last eighteen months have been marked by a growth in the number of properties under the remit of The AA, with a number of hotels joining or rejoining the association over this time. Declan believes a strong motivating factor in this growth has been the appeal of the Rosette awards, with properties keen to take advantage of the marketing benefits of attaining such an accolade. Furthermore, Connors also feels that the Rosette awards have an additional, internal benefit that provides “a good incentive within the hotel and the kitchen to have an aspiration of getting a Rosette”.

On the issue of staff training and up skilling, Connors is quick to note the knowledge gap he believes is in existence. “I think at the moment the biggest difficulty that the industry is facing is the lack of well trained

Industry Insight

manpower”, on discussing the need for a CERT-like training and development body. “There hasn’t really been an integrated training program nationally to ensure that we are keeping up with the demand”, going on to note the continual shortage of chefs to fill vacancies. “Bartenders tend to be trained on the job as do wait staff, we could certainly be training people to be better equipped”. While Connors does recognise the high quality of culinary arts degrees being offered at third level institutions across the country, in his opinion these theory heavy programs often end up turning away many potential employees for the hospitality sector.

Despite the aforementioned issues with training that currently exist; Connors believes that the strength of Irish hospitality is in line with the best Europe has to offer. “The overall standards here within Ireland are second to none, you see that with the other international organisations that assess properties. You always get very high scores for hotel of the year and resort of the year”. Even with a possible training gap in existence, he feels that people are the greatest asset to the industry here, with the personality of those working in hotels nationwide themselves a strong selling point. Along with that he believes we also do well in exploiting our natural resources, particularly in the case of many rural locations and this is one of the most memorable aspects of a trip here amongst those from abroad. “Where we really come into our own is the service and hospitality.

You can always train a craft, you can’t train a personality”.

“Things are very positive at the moment”, said Connors when asked about his feelings on the hospitality industry in Ireland. “We’ve had a rocky couple of years, but we’re getting out of it”. Noting the rise in standards being sought by guests throughout the industry here, Connors views this as a positive for the sector and a force to drive further investment by hoteliers. However, in his opinion, the key to such success will be how expenditure will be allocated towards properties. “They all need to be creating their own individual niches. Perhaps they could be a bit more creative and thinking outside the box”.

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43

chef shortage

Let’s change the

‘chef shortage’ discussion

The lack of chefs within the industry is well documented and discussed, particularly over the last two years. Much of the discussion however, has focused on the need for CERT to be re-established as the solution. We spoke to John Mulcahy, Head of Food Tourism, Hospitality Education and Standards at Fáilte Ireland and Adrian Cummins CEO of the Restaurant Association of Ireland, to get their views on the current problem and possible solutions.

John Mulcahy believes the current discourse around the chef shortage is unbalanced and more complex than – bring back CERT. He explains, “Experience tells me the solution is not as simple as ‘if we build it, they will come’. There are lots of courses available for people who want to come into this industry, however, people are not taking up those courses. One factor is that this is an industry with long hours and low pay. But there are employers with queues outside their doors with potential employees looking to work for them because they are known as good employers”.

Adrian Cummins however does not agree that just because college courses have increased, that they are necessarily fit for purpose. “The communication from colleges may be that places have increased, but most of the colleges are still in the dark ages. There is no uniformity across many of the courses, not all of the colleges are singing from the same hymn sheet. The colleges are not listening to what industry is saying in relation to the skills we need graduates to have”.

Adrian continues, “There is a concerted effort by state departments and agencies not to improve this situation for our industry. They are working against us rather than for us. I know of businesses who have to close on a Monday and Tuesday because they cannot get the staff to stay open. I know also know of businesses who had to close for May and June because they couldn’t get staff. Many

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chef shortage

businesses are facing this situation again going into next summer. We are being bled dry”.

John believes a wider issue affecting the shortage of chefs is that the industry is in competition with other industries who may see to offer their workers more. “we are experiencing really tough competition from other sectors like the IT sector who are seen to offer people a range of incentives like free lunches, gyms etc. That is a factor”, says John.

While Adrian agrees on this point he believes that the sector must recruit chefs from abroad in order to fill the domestic gap. He explains, “We know the number of chefs, waiters, etc that we need in the sector and we are never going to fill those gaps from our domestic pool of candidates. The RAI were very successful last year in recruiting staff from abroad into positions in this country and we will be doing the same again this year and next year. However, we need the work permit scheme to change so that we can recruit from outside the EU also”.

Adrian denies that the current housing crisis and rent rates are a negative factor in recruiting people to Ireland. He says, “The housing issue is a national problem, it has implications across all sectors. It’s the context all sectors have to deal with.

In fact, you could make the same comparison with affordable childcare, another issue that affects all sectors but within our sector affordable childcare is vital in order for women to be able to remain in positions and progress through their career”.

John Mulcahy addresses the point about the call for CERT to be re-established. “CERT was very successful from the 1960’s up to the ‘00’s. The industry didn’t have to worry about mentoring young chefs. I won’t be popular for saying this but we now have a generation of managers who don’t know how to do this”.

According to John the apprenticeship model has the potential to offer a lot to the solution of the chef shortage. “Industry, education and state have a role and if employers are willing to mentor young chefs, teach them in the work place and offer them career progression I think we have a route to sustainability”.

This is another area of the debate where Adrian Cummins agrees. “An apprenticeship model is the way to go. Within that model there is a mentoring programme to train managers on how to mentor. I agree that owners and managers do need that training”.

However, this shortage of chefs is not just an Irish problem.

John explains, “This is a western problem, lots of other countries are experiencing the same issue. What may be more unique to Ireland is that we have 18,000 to 20,000 businesses

which are small micro enterprises who cannot offer apprenticeships because they just don’t have the scale”.

John also points out that central to any solution to this problem is something that every person, in the industry or not needs to think about and that is how we value those who work in the service industry.

“We are not doing ourselves any favours. It always amazes me that it’s OK to be a waiter while you’re training to be brain surgeon but it’s not OK to just be a waiter! Why do we not respect and value a job in the service industry as a legitimate career?!”

He continues, “The training that is on offer in this country means people are highly skilled, highly mobile and have a range of training that is valued all over the world and our mentality needs to change so that they are valued here also”.

Adrian believes that if people are not happy in a job they will move.

He continues, “Ireland has the same change of occupation rates as the UK, France and many other EU countries. Our sector is the victim of a stereotypical image of the industry which depicts young chefs being shouted at in kitchens and treated unfairly. This is not the case”.

There is no doubt that there isn’t a straightforward solution to the shortage of professionals, particularly chefs across the hospitality and catering industries. Any solution may begin with a change of mindset regarding all of our attitudes to a career in the service industry. It may also include an apprenticeship model and a recruitment drive to include countries from outside the EU. There may also be a case to say that maybe accusations of inaction by state agencies need to stop, and maybe more action is required by those same agenies. However, it is certain that unless we work together as a sector to address the problem, we will all loose out.

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IFSA news

Chef Network Celebrates 2500 members milestone at Kitchen Culture Event

FOOD & BEV LIVE 2018 -

​

Serving up Nationals Skills Finals and Tech Solutions for the Industry

Chef Network celebrated reaching over 2,500 members in its online community at their Kitchen Culture event on the 3rd July at LinkedIn HQ in Dublin.

The Kitchen Culture event had chefs, Danni Barry, Deane’s EIPIC Restaurant, JP McMahon, Aniar Restaurant, Gather & Gather’s Mark Anderson and Darina Brennan of the Dalata Hotel Group take part in a panel discussion aimed at ‘Inspiring Positive Change for a Better Industry.’

Hosted by Gather & Gather, the event hoped to inspire chefs to make real changes in kitchens, in order to improve industry culture and nurture talent.

Members at the event benefitted from a LinkedIn workshop on ‘Building your professional profile online’. The talks were followed by a social event, celebrating the growing Chef Network community, with drinks & small plates from the Gather & Gather LinkedIn Team.

There are over 25,000 chefs working in Ireland, many of whom have no collaboration or engagement with other chefs. Chef Network provides a platform for chefs across all sectors and career levels to connect, communicate, inspire and work together to better their industry, through sharing best practice, peer-learning, education and training, personal and professional development.

Chefs can sign-up for free online at www.chefnetwork.ie, where they can set-up a profile, join communities & discussion forums, search and post job vacancies, as well as benefit from networking and educational events.

Returning to Citywest, Dublin, 6th - 7th February 2018, Food & Bev Live will once again welcome Ireland’s leading foodservice industry operators along with a range of national skills finals. The event will witness the National Barista Championships organised by the Irish Chapter of the Specialty Coffee Association, SCA, 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.

In a first for the sector, Food & Bev Live 2018 will also host the largest Hospitality Tech Summit in Ireland, bringing the world’s latest hospitality and tourism technology start-ups to Ireland for a two-day innovation forum jointly driven by the Irish Foodservice Suppliers Alliance (IFSA) and industry partner, the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI).

For details on how to get involved with Food & Bev Live contact Niamh at Niamh.kenny@ifsa.eu.com or call (01) 8460020.

The Annual IFSA Golf Classic Another competitive and friendly day with plenty of networking potential is planned for the IFSA Golf Classic on Friday, 25th August at Newlands Golf Club, Dublin 22. Alongside the general competition teams from the various association trade bodies will be challenged by a ‘crack IFSA 3-ball grouping’ for the title of IFSA Association Challenge Champions and the Contract Catering fraternity will again compete for the coveted Contract Caterer’s Trophy. The day’s golfing will be followed by a dinner and prize giving at 8pm.

Book your place by contacting IFSA at louise. mcloughlin@ifsa.eu.com or by calling Louise at 086 2780979.

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NEW Appointments at Mount Charles Chris Annon, Group Logistics & Vending Development Manager

Chris Annon has been promoted to Group Logistics and Vending Development Manager at Mount Charles. He has been with the company for almost 20 years.

In his new role Chris will focus on growing the Vending Division by pursuing potential vending business and developing new vending revenue streams. In addition Chris will assume responsibility for Mount Charles’ logistical requirements as well as managing the group’s vehicle fleet.

Gavin Annon, Head of Sales and Marketing

Gavin Annon has been promoted to Head of Sales and Marketing at Mount Charles. He most recently held the position of Commercial and Marketing Manager.

Gavin will assume responsibility for the daily management and strategic development of the groups’ Sales and Marketing Departments, manage all sales and marketing activities, as well as continue to contribute to the company’s future strategic development.

IFSA news

Award winning Elliott’s Foodservice/ Cash & Carry

Elliott’s are delighted to have being awarded with The Stonehouse Gold Standard Award.

This is a great achievement for Elliott’s to have being selected by Stonehouse which is one of Irelands leading independent wholesale companies with a network of 24 member companies all family run businesses totalling 30 warehouses nationwide.

Elliott’s supply many of Dublin’s leading foodservice outlets ranging from Hospitals, Offices, Pubs, Clubs, Restaurants, Cafes and Schools.

Our products range includes ambient, alcohol/tobacco, food and non-food products, chilled and frozen products to cater for all your needs.

Our own brands include Homestead and White Hat.

We pride ourselves on customer service, friendly staff, excellent value, great location and of course our prompt “aFree Next Day” delivery service.

Our fleet allows us to service our customers quickly, often the same day if required.

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.

Follow us on Twitter….Like us on Facebook….

Java Republic

is a wholly Irish-owned company that supplies premium coffees, teas and hot chocolate nationwide. The coffee is hand roasted by experts in the world’s first purpose built carbon neutral coffee Roastery in Dublin and distributed fresh across Ireland. Expertise, passion and conscientiousness are at the heart of the business, which thrives on challenging the norms of the hot beverage sector.

We source in excess of 20 speciality grade 1 Arabica green beans from three continents; each with unique flavour characteristics. We also provide our customers with state-of-the-art coffee machines to match our delicious range of coffees. With our services and training, your business can create a magnificent brew any barista would be proud of and your clientele will love.

From food service customers in cafes, restaurants and hotels, to corporate catering and coffee at work customers, we tailor the best coffee solution for you, working to your budget and consumers tastes.

We’ll make sure you get what you need and our service team is on constant standby to look after your orders, coffee machines and all your coffee needs.

When coffee is important to your business make Java Republic your coffee partner of choice.

Established in 1998, the magazine is now considered essential reading for those involved Pat McCann Da in the hospitality sector. The publication is From porter to CEO lata circulated bi-monthly, on a controlled circulation basis to named individuals. The magazine has established exclusive agreements with key partners within the industry including both the RAI and IFSA to feature member specific content, including newsletters.​ Hotel and Restaurant Times is circulated on a named basis to members of the Irish Hotel Federation; Fáilte Ireland Approved Hotels, Irish Accommodation Services Institute, Irish Country Houses and Restaurants, Hotel marketing groups, selected Architects and Interior Designers and can also be sourced in leading newsagents.

Hotel & Restaurant Times H & R House, Carton Court, Maynooth, Co. Kildare Landline/s+ 353 1 6285447-6289702 Mobile + 353 87 2529328 Twitter @CyrilMcA www.hotelandrestauranttimes.ie THE BUSINE SS PUBLICA TIO

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CBE secure Páirc Uí Chaoimh contract CBE, the Mayo based retail technology company, has installed a new point-of-sale solution in the redeveloped Páirc Uí Chaoimh stadium in Cork. Beating off stiff competition from global competitors CBE secured the contract to install almost 200 EPoS (electronic point of sale) terminals in the new €80 million stadium.

Commenting on their decision to award the contract to CBE, Bob Ryan (chairman of the stadium steering committee) outlined the stadium requirements; “On a development of this scale we required a complex solution that could handle large volumes of sales in a very short time period so speed and reliability was key. We also needed a software platform that could handle a multifaceted setup involving Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the catering company and third party concession operators – all under the one solution”.

Firmly established as one of Europe’s leading EPoS providers, CBE brought their international expertise and local knowledge to the field of play and outscored the competition to land the coveted contract.

Sean Kenna, CBE’s CEO explains, “As an avid GAA fan it gives me enormous pleasure that CBE has secured the contract with Páirc Uí Chaoimh.. We spent a considerable amount of time investigating the requirements of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and presented a solution that ticked all of the boxes. We are delighted to have partnered with Páirc Uí Chaoimh in the newest large scale stadium in the country.”

Based in Claremorris, Co. Mayo, CBE operate throughout Ireland and the UK and provide solutions to the retail, forecourt and hospitality sectors. CBE have a lot of experience in large scale stadium and facility management projects working with Thomond Park, the IGB and many of the large college and university campuses throughout the UK and Ireland.

Bob Ryan from Páirc Uí Chaoimh concluded, “We needed a partner that we could rely on and the CBE team were first rate from start to finish. They ensured that they understood our needs from the outset and delivered a solution as promised. During a large event we need peace of mind that our systems will work without any hiccups and CBE provide that. I am delighted we chose them and have no doubt they will deliver for us over the coming years.”

For further details on CBE call 1890 373000 (ROI) / 0800 7314591 (NI), email info@cbe.ie or visit www.cbe.ie.

COUPONS

Are they worth it?

INSURANCE CLAIM

Out of control.

JUNE/JULY ‘17

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COELIAC

Not just a fad.

RANT INDUSTRY HOTEL AND RESTAU L I C AT I O N F O R T H E THE BUSINESS PUB www.hotelandrestauranttimes.ie

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H&RT AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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coffee

COFFEE MEANS PROFIT ...BUT Frank Corr looks at the opportunities and hazards of hotel coffee The first thing to be said about serving coffee in a hotel it that it has excellent profit potential that can enhance the bottom line.

The next thing to be said is that many hotels fail to achieve their potential as providers of coffee services.

Brewed, served and marketed correctly, a humble cup of coffee can create a gross margin in excess of 300%, which would be beyond the dreams of any chef. It comes only after accommodation in gp terms and it can be up there with the best selling beverages when it comes to units sold.

Hoteliers might well look outside their front doors to experience just how much they can earn from coffee.

A push button machine in a busy petrol station can turnover up to €1m a year. The local Insomnia is part of a company that returned €1.9m profit in 2016 – and that’s before we even consider Starbucks or Costa.

Hotels are well placed to profit from the current wave of coffee mania. Many are in city and town centres with a heavy footfall. Others have lobbies and foyers which could be profit centres. And almost every meal offers an opportunity of serving coffee for profit.

Hoteliers of course claim that they give away much of their coffee turnover. It is buried in the meal price or guests can brew their own cups in guest rooms.

This may indeed be true, but exceptional coffee can command a premium either on the function menu or in the room rate. A growing number of hotels for instance are now offering either ground coffee or Nespresso pods (or similar) in guest rooms and it is no surprise that these are hotels which tend to be towards the top of the room rate band.

Many years ago, the Good Food Guide sent an inspector to Ireland and he reported that while there was no shortage of coffee beans or water in the country, ‘ something dreadful happens when they are combined by Irish hands’.

Those days are of course long gone and standards of coffee-making have improved beyond recognition. The tin of powdered instant coffee has given way to the espresso machine and every coffee outlet is offering a variety of espresso-based drinks like cappuccino, latte, macchiato or ristretto. On the other side of the fence customers have become more knowledgeable and demanding and a hotel which serves a weak double espresso or a flat cappuccino will soon know all about it.

The market now demands a range of espresso coffees, properly brewed, attractively finished and served with some style and hotels which fail to meet these standards will simply lose out on sales and profits.

Operating a high quality coffee service is not rocket science. A hotel needs to buy good quality coffee, install efficient equipment, employ trained baristas

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and create an attractive service package that should ideally include a biscuit and a small glass of water.

This service can be offered in the bar, on a terrace, in the lobby or a café if space permits. It can operate around the clock and pick up sales in almost every hour. The big hotel groups have long recognised this opportunity and now look at coffee sales as a significant element in their profit mix rather a peripheral service. Dalata for instance is currently rolling out its Red Bean Roaster coffee counters across its hotels. These coffee service areas occupy only a small floor area but can provide high quality coffee and pastries to the lobby and also take-away coffees to guests who are on the move.

The first step in creating a profitable coffee service is to ensure that the product is right. At a very basic level this means buying good quality coffee.

Every day of the week hotels will be offered deals on coffee, often varying wildly in price with all sorts of incentives offered by suppliers just to ‘get in the door’. As with many things in life however, you tend to get what you pay for and opting for good quality beans or ground coffee is likely to pay long-term dividends. The vast majority of coffees on the Irish market are Arabicas and the best guide to the blend which will suit your customers is probably through a trusted supplier. Artisan coffees which are hand roasted in small batches will appeal to the small (but growing) number of coffee anoraks but are unknown to the majority of coffee drinkers. As with other foods however, traceability will be appreciated by your coffee customers and naming the country or region of origin on the coffee menu can pay dividends. Buying and listing Fair Trade Coffee is also a marketing plus and shows that you care about the coffee farmers who receive guaranteed prices under the Fair Trade scheme.

Having selected coffees, the next step is to install equipment which can consistently produce the required beverages to a high quality. In to-day’s market this means an espresso machine with features which can also produce cappuccinos, lattes and similar drinks. The range of equipment is wide, but it can be divided into manual, semi-automatic and automatic machines. The greater the automation, the higher the price, but also the greater the capacity to produce coffees in volume. Most coffee suppliers will offer free equipment in exchange for a long-term exclusive supply deal and this can be attractive.

It is worth remembering that ‘there is no such thing as a free lunch’ however for the equipment cost in such deals will be built back into the price you pay for the coffee. Espresso machines can have two to four (or more) units and are appropriate to different volume levels. A small coffee station in a hotel lobby will need a small machine which can fit into the available space.

Design of the coffee service area is also important. A linear workflow can reduce the incidence of staff crossing over each other and is safer and carefully positioning crockery, milk, sugar, biscuits etc can raise productivity.

A good workflow will shave time off serving. Baristas who get in each other’s way can not only create safety hazards but will also delay each other. And while it may only be a few seconds per cup, when you have a queue out the door that time quickly adds up. It is also a good idea to ensure that the barista has ready supplies of everything needed. Having to stop service to fetch milk or a bag of beans slows up service.

Having chosen beans, equipment and style of service, the hotelier now needs staff to deliver the product – and these staff need some training. While the profession of barista is well established in Europe and also in America, the skill set required for all but exceptional coffee offers can be exaggerated.

Automatic machines can produce the beverages at the press of a button, but making excellent cappuccinos, lattes and macchiatos consistently certainly requires skill, especially when manual machines are used. Basic hygiene and learning a routine are also essential elements. In most instances a few days training should be sufficient to deliver competency and several businesses offer barista training including Dublin Barista School (https://dublinbaristaschool.ie ), Coffee Culture (www.coffeeculture.ie) and Dublin Bar Academy (https://dublinbaracademy.com). Some courses are available on line, but practical training sessions are probably preferable.

Coffee service in hotels of course, is not confined to the espresso bar. Large volumes are consumed at business meetings, conferences, banquets and in guest rooms- not to mention the endless cups imbibed by the general manager. When a large volume is required at the same time, as in a banquet, a bulk pour-over system is the best option. This involves pouring hot water over ground coffee, which then passes through a filter into a large jug from which it can be dispensed into coffee pots. A number of options are available from equipment suppliers with the Marco Quikbrew manufactured by an Irish company, among the most popular in the industry. Pour-over can also be useful for smaller quantities such as breakfasts although many hotels now prefer to offer coffee made in individual pots or with a plunger system.

Delivering coffee to meetings is also an issue and the solution to this is largely through insulated flasks which are available from coffee suppliers.

Finally there is the issue of in-room coffee makers for guests. The lowest cost option is, of course, sachets of instant coffee and little tubs of uht milk, but many guests will appreciate fresh ground coffee and a caffetiere plunger pot as an alternative. And for upscale in-room service, capsule systems from Nespresso and other suppliers are now popping up with greater frequency.

In summary – coffee IS profitable, producing high gross profit which can make a meaningful contribution to the bottom line if sales are optimised.

But customers are now a lot more coffee-savvy and will appreciate high standards- just as they will rapidly turn to Trip Adviser if that service does not match their expectations.

Java Republic is carbon neutral Java Republic is a wholly Irish-owned company that supplies premium coffees, teas and hot chocolate nationwide. The coffee is hand roasted by experts in the world’s first purpose built carbon neutral coffee Roastery in Dublin and distributed fresh across Ireland. Expertise, passion and conscientiousness are at the heart of the business, which thrives on challenging the norms of the hot beverage sector.

The company source in excess of 20 speciality grade 1 Arabica green beans from three continents; each with unique flavour characteristics. It also provides customers with coffee machines.

Choose equipment with care says Fracino Three key considerations for hotels and restaurants when buying new equipment are reliability, ensuring the equipment is ‘fit for purpose’ - and that it will fit comfortably in the space available, according to equipment supplier Fracino., which offers the following advice: ‘Closely examine the service agreements – do they offer ‘within 24 hours’ assistance - and does the agreement cover bank holidays? If a break down occurs at a crucial time, it is extremely important that the provider is on hand.

Don’t forget the basics, like measuring the space available, and checking that the electrics and plumbing are right.

Once operators have invested in equipment, they will understandably want to maximise their return by looking after it’.

SAY HELLO TO OUR NEW LOOK Grand Cafe has a fresh new look, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

And that hasn’t changed. On the inside is coffee with a conscience and the same great taste.

For more information on Grand Cafe coffee, please contact: Henderson Foodservice on 1800 805593

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women in industry

Women Chefs in a male dominated industry

The shortage of chefs within the hospitality and catering industry continues to be a huge concern, even a crisis point. However, in this piece we spoke to some female chefs to hear their experience and ask them how they feel we can encourage more women into the industry and to remain there.

As I talk with Kate Lawlor of Fenns Quay in Cork, she tells me she is just back from giving a talk in a girls school in Mallow. “If something I say encourages one of those girls to get involved in the industry, that is great. I have one of the fourth-year students on work experience at the moment also”. Kate Lawlor’s first position in a pro kitchen was in 1998, however she had worked in café kitchens for three summers before that. “My class in college had been half male half female but when I went into the professional kitchen it was male dominated. I was very lucky though, I was supported by the head chef and the manager and I believe that was because they saw that I wanted to work and learn and that I could add something to the team”.

Kate believes that it is important to promote the industry as it is now. “As well as encouraging more young chefs into the industry we need to ensure that we are creating career paths for women so they can stay in the industry and stay working as chefs throughout their career”.

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women in industry Danielle Barry is Ireland’s only Michelin starred female chef.

“I would love to see more women get Michelin stars, I don’t want to be the only one! Chef Danni Barry is one of an elite group of female Michelin starred chefs in the UK and the second female chef ever in Ireland to gain a star, an award she won while still in her twenties. Danni was persuaded

by Michael Deane to return from England to her native Northern Ireland to take up the reins as Head Chef for the launch of Deanes EIPIC. As well as her many other awards and achievements, earlier this year Danni was named in the top 25 most powerful women in Ireland. “It’s a privilege to have my name in the pot with those women”, says Danni. She continues ,”I was very lucky in my career to have had encouragement from the start. I came in in a very traditional way, washing pots at first and working my way through the various positions.

I think now a lot of walls are coming down in the industry, kitchens are more open. We are experiencing a new wave of food culture in Ireland at the moment and I think we need to work together as chefs and other professionals to ensure that we are nurturing our professionals within the industry as well as our produce”.

Danni continues, “A lot of time there seems to be an angle which asks ‘why can’t women be head chefs’, as if they don’t have the ability to be. But it’s not that, of course women can be head chefs, it’s the industry that doesn’t support them to have their family if that’s what they want to do and then come back. I worked in Australian and the industry is unionised there, we are way behind here”.

Ania Schumacher however believes there are double standards in the industry. “I worked in tough kitchens where I felt my choice was to keep my head down and just keep going or do something else”. So, Ania went to Warsaw and completed a business development course in hospitality and hotel management and she now specialises in helping restaurants in the industry to develop their business as well as having a very successful food styling string to her bow.

“When it comes to food styling the camera doesn’t lie so you have to ensure that the food is cooked perfectly.

There are some tips and tricks you can use but if you are photographing a medium rare steak for example, that has to be cooked to perfection.”

Ania’s creativity in her developing her career path continued when she broke her arm earlier this year and so couldn’t work. She used the time to develop a TV series which starts filming this month. “It’s called ‘The end of the Michellen Guide’ and we’re filming in different countries with six chefs who have their own restaurants”. Ania has also founded a charity for children who have experienced abuse and neglect.

“It is called House of Love and we have a huge range of people and professionals who are supporting us. I am teaching these children how to cook and we are funding the charity by giving cooking classes to the public”. The House of Love is located in Malahide and relys completely on donations.

Jess Murphy, head chef and owner of Kai in Galway is also one of the founders of Athru, an initiative to promote women in the industry. “I hate the term ‘female chef’”, says Jess. “We need to be supporting all young chefs. I believe the industry has no choice but to open up more to sustainability in our people as well as our food.” Jess also believes role models are important for young chefs. “I worked for Kevin Thornton and he was a big influence on my cooking, he taught me a lot about Irish food. However, I also had a lot of female role models in the industry and I think young women thinking of coming into the industry need to see role models there”.

Since writing this piece, Fenns Quay, run by Kate Lawlor has unfortunately closed. Such a well loved eatery will be missed in Cork. However, it goes to show how tough it is to sustain a business in the industry at the moment, even out of recession. With talk of changing VAT rates this needs to be kept in mind. We wish Kate Lawlor the very best in her next adventure. Athru 2017 conference will be held in November this year in Galway.

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future investment

At CATEX this year we noticed a significant shift in how people were spending and what they were spending on. We were hearing remarks such as “I can afford to save myself money now” and other remarks like “I can finally re-invest in the business”.

This trend has continued through the year so we have created a round-up of some of the investment and re-investment that we have seen over the year so far.

VDA is a family owned company, based in Italy.

Formed over 35 years ago, the company began providing in-room control for air conditioning and lighting in hotels. Now in its 14th year in Ireland much has evolved for the company as digital technology has progress.

VDA’s latest project is with The Address, the newest of the McGettigan Hotels in Dublin. Warren Edwards, GM for VDA Ireland explains, “The Address is the new hotel by Brian and Ciaran McGettigan sitting adjacent to the North Star Hotel in Dublin. Our brief was to design technology with simple, clear controls to add to the luxurious guest experience that the McGettigan’s were looking to create at The Address”.

VDA is at the cutting edge of in-room technology services. As this technology advances it is fast becoming a necessity for hotel bedrooms. VDA have a completed a number of projects in Ireland as well as up-grades in hotels such as The Marker Hotel in Dublin this year. As well as increasing their presence in the Irish market, VDA is a global company and they have recently secured a contract with MGM Grand in Macau in China for a 2,500 bedroomed hotel.

Markree Castle in Collooney Co Sligo is the latest property in the Corscadden family’s luxury castle

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Refurb & Reinvest

future investment

hotel portfolio. The Victorian, Gothic Revival castle has undergone extensive renovation and refurbishment, bringing the stunning property back to life and creating a 5-star destination experience in the Sligo area.

because it goes from doing breakfasts to lunches to becoming a late bar and music venue with live music and it has the room and flexibility for all that business. There was an existing restaurant but now it’s much more modern and atmospheric with luxurious finishes. It’s very conducive to becoming a cocktail bar, it’s now a multi-purpose space for parties, functions etc”.

The refurbishment of the castle began during the summer of 2015 and work began on the outside of the property so that by winter, the work could move to inside the building. Howard Corscadden continues, “it was a refurbishment from top to bottom and inside and out! We added a new heating system which meant new pipes throughout the hotel, all the windows were taken out and repaired and painted, we re-pointed and sprayed the building also. We brought two master craftsmen over from France who are specialists in plaster work and they restored the plaster work in the dining room. We extended the dining room also and these craftsmen recreated the same original plaster work in the extension and you wouldn’t know the difference, the work is incredible”.

John continues, “We are working on the Sandymount Hotel beside the Aviva.

We have just finished the bar there. We’re working on the City North Hotel, we are refurbishing the whole ground floor, including the ballroom, as well as the bar and food service area and it’ll be finished in March. We are also involved in the new hotel on Harcourt Street in Dublin, it’s going to be called the Ivy Garden Hotel. The owners are the McGill family and it’ll be a 150 bedroom hotel, due for completion in September this year”, says John.

However, the wedding market isn’t the only market the Corscaddens will be targeting. “We see weddings being very successful here but we are already getting requests from businesses in Sligo to hold conferences here, as well as group business and private functions. Of course, Markree is also a destination in itself because of its history, the historical attractions locally and the proximity to the Wild Atlantic Way”, explains Howard.

He continues,” we are looking at restaurant projects now. We just completed one in Miltown in Dublin called The Ember. Greg O’Mahony, is the chef / owner there. It’s a really nice restaurant, up market at reasonable prices, it’s a very innovative menu and has a very extensive kitchen. So on the strength of that we’ll do other restaurants”.

So does John feel positive about the industry here looking ahead? “We are on a roll so we’ll keep rolling. We are trying to offer value for money and hotels and restaurants are trying to do things without borrowing, I think those are the lessons from the past. I know of several places that are doing refurbishments from cash flow”.

So as the industry re-invests, and growth continues let the positivity continue, ensuring we keep in mind the years we have come through.

John Duffy is owner and founder of John Duffy Design Group. With over thirty years’ experience of designing and refurbishing hotels in Ireland and across the world, he told us about his latest project at The Bridge House hotel in Tullamore, some other projects he is working on as well as his outlook for the industry here.

John says, “We’ve been doing extensive renovations at the Bridge House Tullamore. We’ve just put in a completely new bar at the back, it was formally a restaurant. It’s a really successful bistro bar now.

The Bridge House is owned by Pat Lenihan and over the years we’ve done a lot of work with him.

The property has a huge function business and a huge all-day carvery business. Our brief was to up-grade the existing bar, which is unique in itself

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tourism

Tourism numbers rising but we musn’t be complacent Aine Reidy Business Advisor, Audit Partner at Smith & Williamson, Dublin.

The latest positive news about the Irish tourism market is welcome and reflects the attractiveness of the Irish experience for visitors which is growing in popularity. However the industry must be wary of complacency where the UK market – our largest by far - is concerned.

It was the best May on record for Irish tourism with slightly under one million visitors enjoying hospitality in the North and South of Ireland.

The latest figures show that the first five months of 2017 have surpassed the previous record numbers in January to May 2016 as the airlines, hotels, restaurants and guesthouses continued to attract boom numbers.

There was however a decline in numbers coming from Britain which has been attributed to the fall in the value of sterling against the euro making foreign trips more expensive for British tourists. Britain - one of the island’s most significant markets by numbers were down 6.8 per cent, a feature that was ascribed to currency fluctuations due to Brexit.

Tourism is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry, employing approximately 281,000 people in the Republic alone.

As anticipated, the currency challenge for Irish tourism is very real and the drop in British visitor numbers for the January to May period reflects that.

Short breaks in Ireland from the UK have been particularly hit by the decline in sterling, making the Republic more expensive for British visitors.

Economic uncertainty is understood to be making potential British travellers more cautious about their discretionary spending.

I note that Niall Gibbons chief executive of Tourism Ireland has identified a key message for the industry in the light of the British figures. I agree that the industry in Ireland must pay constant attention to prices particularly in light of the Brexit uncertainty.

Potential UK visitors are being faced with a double-whammy impact of economic uncertainty over Brexit which may impinge on their future employment prospects coupled with falling value of the UK pound which makes trips to Ireland more expensive in sterling.

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I agree with Mr Gibbons who said competitiveness and the value for money message are more important than ever in Britain right now.

However apart from UK visitor numbers and the challenges and opportunities that Brexit presents visitor numbers from all other markets have been at record levels and have outstripped the decline in British visitors.

After several years of ongoing “solid growth” it has been particularly encouraging to see visitor numbers from North America increase by almost a quarter (23.6 percent).

We appreciate that Tourism Ireland had prioritised North America for 2017.

North America is a huge potential market which because of the distance from Ireland offers longer staying visitors who spend more than typical UK tourists. It is encouraging to see key factors in the growth in the form of additional airline seats across the Atlantic and more gateways across North America.

It is also heartening that visitor numbers from Australia and other developing markets were also strong with a 21.7 per cent increase in 2017 albeit from a relatively low base. These are important growth markets for the future.

Ireland continues to hold its own in the European tourism industry with arrivals from Mainland Europe increasing by 4 percent. As anyone in the Irish tourism industry will affirm, important markets like France, Germany, Spain and Italy are continuing to perform strongly.

As Brexit negotiations proceed, it is to be hoped that ease of access for UK visitors to Ireland continues. Ireland must continue to be regarded as a desirable destination for tourists on the Continent of Europe irrespective of the UK’s relationship with the EU. Tourism is a critically important indigenous industry for Ireland and employs over 280,000 people. It has been one of the chief bastions of the economic recovery since 2009. Many tourist attractions such as the Wild Atlantic Way are located in areas where industrial regional development is non-existent.

In 2016 tourism accounted for €5.3billion in much needed revenues and I am confident from speaking to tourism industry figures that a level of €5.5billion could be exceeded in the current year if growth in visitor numbers continues as it has over the first five months.

Global tourism is growing year on year with new vast potential markets like China continuing to expand. The Irish tourist sector must continue to provide an excellent visitor experience where the exceptional quality of our attractions is matched by the warmth of our welcome and outstanding value for money.

A clear signal that the growth in the first five months has continued lies in the record 3.1 million passengers who travelled through the Republic’s biggest airport Dublin in July.

Dublin Airport enjoyed a 6 percent rise in the numbers for July 2016.

Indeed July was the first time in Dublin’s 77-year history that it has handled more than three million travellers in a single month.

Total traffic for the seven months to the end of July also increased by 6 per cent over the same period last year to 16.9 million.

There was a time when pristine white tableware defined a restaurant’s fine dine credentials. Anything less than a pure white table-top setting was not favoured by the gourmand. But times and tastes change and with the growing importance of casual dining, the identical fine china setting is being usurped by vibrant, eye-catching table-top products in a wide range of colours.

The modern dining-out experience is increasingly becoming about much more than just the food. Diners are seeking a complete social experience where the overall combination of food, setting and ambience offers them something unique. And with the trend being for more relaxed casual dining options, many restaurant operators are looking for less formal ways to present their menus. At the same time the growing influence of a wide range of ethnic flavours and dishes has meant a fundamental reappraisal of the kind of tableware needed to deliver the desired dining experience.

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Coffee for the People by the Coffee People Our partners join Java Republic because we make Ireland’s best hand-roasted coffee – and we make it incredibly simple to serve it well to their staff, guests and customers.

Our people bring unparalleled experience, knowledge and dedication to every aspect of the process. We are always willing to go further, to dig deeper and to aim higher.

It’s our business to help your business.

Fancy a coffee with the Coffee People?

Call our expert team on 01 880 9300 or email info@javarepublic.com to arrange a time that suits you.

Pictured Above: Some of our Java Republic expert team at our Café and Roastery in Ballycoolin