Hotel and Restaurant Times Feb/March 2020

THE BUSINESS PUBLICATION FOR THE HOTEL AND RESTAURANT INDUSTRY

These are indeed scary and strange times. This is like nothing we ever experienced before. We need to have leadership and support for the sector from our politicians, irrespective of what party.

We need to heed the advice given.  We need to support all those on the frontline, health workers, transport companies who will be keeping necessary shops stocked and open, the garda, fire personnel. This will pass. Economies will recover.

A vaccine will be found, and whilst it will take time, it will happen.

Our health and that of others is paramount.

the chair collectioncompose wedding

Introducing the Compose Chair Collection by Bunzl McLaughlin

Time for Leadership

As we go to press, the tourism sector is facing critical challenges. The COVID-19 virus has begun to impact the country and signs are it will get worse before it improves. In the meantime, we all have a duty of care and must follow and adhere to the recommendations set out by the government and experts. Basic hygiene is a vital component in stopping the spread of the virus, yet how many of us practice it? Wash your hands regularly, keep surfaces clean, and if you are unwell stay away from work. Simple.

While this current situation is a worry, we should take heart in the fact the industry has had a good few years of growth. History and past evidence shows we will bounce back from this temporary setback. In the meantime, the industry should look at how they can ensure they offer value for money, without a race to the bottom.

Corporate business also needs to act responsibly, and where possible continue to operate and use hotels and restaurants as before, while working within the regime set out by the government.

Unfortunately, we are still without a real government and have a caretaker one in place. Bizarrely, the minister in charge of tourism who lost his seat, is still making decisions that may affect the sector. Worrying indeed. The government need to ensure that adequate monetary support is given to Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland to ensure they can respond to the challenge and ensure tourism on a solid footing to take advantage of the inevitable recovery.

Let's hope that, when the new government is formed, we get a real minister who will understand and work to support the industry at the cabinet table. We need to ensure that policies are in place that reflect the importance of the industry and its critical role in employment and revenue. The return of a reduction in VAT should be a priority for the new minister, along with a more robust support programme for all concerned within the sector.

I am confident that the industry will not be found lacking during this crisis, just like it did during the crash of 2008/2009.

Cyril McAree editor

NEWS

Lord's prayer

Pictured is the Right Honourable The Lord Dubs; HE Adrian O Neill, Irish Ambassador to the UK; and Mark Henry, Tourism Ireland, at the St Patrick’s reception in the House of Lords in London co-sponsored by Tourism Ireland.

Supports for businesses impacted by coronavirus

The Minister of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, has announced details on the package of supports she has put in place for businesses impacted by COVID-19. The department has put a range of supports in place, including a €200m Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) Working Capital scheme for eligible businesses impacted by COVID-19. Loans of up to €1.5m will be available at reduced rates, with up to the first €500,000 unsecured. Applications can be made through www.sbci.gov.ie

Also available is a €200m Package for Enterprise Supports, including a Rescue and Restructuring Scheme, available through Enterprise Ireland, for vulnerable but viable firms that need to restructure or transform their business.

The maximum loan available from MicroFinance Ireland will be increased, from €25,000 to €50,000, as a measure to deal with exceptional circumstances that micro-enterprises are facing. Applications can be made through www.microfinanceireland. ie, or through your local LEO. The Credit Guarantee Scheme will be available to COVID-19 impacted firms through the Pillar Banks. Loans of up to €1m will be available at terms of up to 7 years.

The minister highlighted a number of other supportive measures for firms experiencing trading difficulties and shortterm shocks.

Dates announced for CATEX 2021

2021 sees the return of Ireland’s biggest foodservice event, CATEX, to the RDS, Simmonscourt.

Attended by foodservice and hospitality industry professionals, the flagship event, organised by the Irish Foodservice Suppliers Alliance (IFSA), will be taking place from Tuesday 16th – Thursday 18th February 2021.

With a new look and fresher approach, next year’s show will be widening its attractions to ensure that all the needs of exhibitors and visitors, alike, are catered for. The threeday event will become a major hub for trend spotting, sourcing new products, meeting suppliers, and learning from industry experts in a series of masterclasses and debates.

Home to all those who operate within the foodservice sector, CATEX is not to be missed in 2021.

For more information visit www.catexexhibition.com and for details on exhibiting at the show, contact Margaret Andreucetti on +353 (0) 1 846 0020 or email margaret.andreucetti@eventhaus.ie.

Cork Airport takes off

Cork Airport Hotel has been awarded a National Quality Employers Award of Distinction by the Irish Hotel Federation, in recognition of excellence in human resource management. Last year, the Cork Airport Hotel won a National Quality Award.

Rose to the occasion

Pictured lending their support to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland’s 65 Roses Day, which takes place on April 10, are TV chef and cookbook author, Adrian Martin, and cystic fibrosis patient ambassador, Aoife Rafter. You can support 65 Roses Day by volunteering to sell purple roses for €2 in shopping centres, and Dunnes Stores outlets nationwide, by undertaking a 65 Roses Challenge, or by donating online. Sign up now to support 65 Roses Day at 65RosesDay.ie

Pleased to meat you

BWG has completed the acquisition of Heaney Meats, a large supplier of premium meat products to the foodservice sector in Ireland. Leo Crawford, Group CEO, BWG Group, said: “We are delighted to have completed the acquisition of Heaney Meats which will expand and enhance our meat offering and further strengthen our market leading position in the +€2 billion foodservice sector."

The good life

Dublin-headquartered, international hospitality giant PREM Group has launched an initiative called PS LIFE, designed to bring extra home comforts to guests staying at their serviced apartments which operate under the Premier Suites brand. There are 16 Premier Suites located in Ireland, The UK, Holland and Belgium, which offer guests an alternative to traditional hotel accommodation. The product offering is geared toward long stay business guests.

Pictured is Jim Murphy, PREM Group CEO, who said, “The extended stay sector is growing globally, with increasing numbers of travellers seeking a more flexible and spacious alternative to traditional hotel accommodation.”

For more information: www.premiersuiteslife.com

Stable relationships

John Rooney, managing director, Flogas Ireland (2nd left) presents a trophy to Rich Ricci, owner of Faugheen, winner of the 2020 Flogas Novice Chase, at Leopardstown. Also pictured is jockey Peter Townend and trainer Willie Mullins.

Hola Ireland!

Recycle, Repurpose, Reimagine

A new exhibition at Kilmainham Gaol Museum looks at the ways in which 15 objects from the museum's collection have changed, evolved and transformed throughout their history. Many of the artefacts featured were made by Irish political prisoners in the 1910s and 1920s, from items they found during their captivity, such as a bone harp made from the hip bone of a cow which was carved in Tintown Prison Camp in 1923.

Others were repurposed from their original use, such as a set of blades made from some garden shears for use during the 1916 Rising. Pictured is a shirt collar.

The exhibition runs at Kilmainham Gaol until May 3.

January arrival stats lift spirits

Tourist arrival figures for January 2020 indicate a slight increase of +0.5% over the last year. Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “Arrivals from North America grew by +2.9% in January, an extra 3,100 US and Canadian visitors. Arrivals from both Mainland Europe (+0.2%) and Britain (+0.1%) were flat on January last year; and arrivals from long-haul markets declined by -1%."

Conrad deemed great place to work

Conrad Dublin has been recognised as the 4th best medium-sized place to work in Ireland 2020 by greatplacestowork.ie, a workplace ranking website. “Winning the fourth position in “The best mediumsized company to work for” category is an incredible achievement for Conrad Dublin," said Martin Mangan, General Manager of Conrad Dublin. "We ranked closely behind corporations such as Cisco, Dropbox and JTl Ireland."

Martin is pictured receiving the hotel's award.

Spanish travel agents pictured with Susan Bolger, Tourism Ireland (front, right), during their visit to Slane Castle, Co Meath.

Limerick launches first certified vegan course

Educator and caterer Ciara Brennan, founder of Happy Food at Home, has teamed up with Limerick College of Further Education to offer the first certified vegan course in Limerick.

“Introduction to Plant Based Cooking” is taking place on Tuesdays, from 7pm to 9pm on the LCFE Mulgrave Street campus and will include demonstrations of affordable and uncomplicated plant-based dishes. The €90 course runs until April 28. For more details: www.lcfe.ie

Chef takeover

A showcase of a year's of hard work is on the menu when the final-year BA (Hons) in Culinary Arts students from Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) take over the kitchen of Bellissimo restaurant in Waterford for four nights. For more: www.cheftakeover.com

A wedding retreat

Speaker's

corner

Pictured at Bord Bia’s Brand Forum is Ben Greensmith, one of the three guest speakers at Bord Bia’s quarterly event for Irish food and drink marketers. The forum brings together Irish food and drink companies to promote best practice in marketing and branding.

Attending the Ultimate Wedding Retreat at Adare Manor were Arabella Dupont and Jessica Herbert from Bridal Beauty Festival.

Room with a view

Sea Church Restaurant has opened in the old schoolhouse in Ballycotton, East Cork. The 82-seater restaurant overlooks the Atlantic coastline. It is part of a multi-million euro two year renovation by local businessman Pearse Flynn, which included a transformation of St Colman’s Church of Ireland into an iconic event space. The restaurant, which is adjoined to the church by a glass atrium, retains the schoolhouse’s architectural structure.

Fit for a king

Ashford Castle is the only Irish hotel to be included in Forbes 2020 honours list. The hotel in Mayo joins an elite group of luxury hotels around the world that have earned a Five-Star Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) ranking.

Ingredients for success

Titanic economic impact

Kerrie Sweeny from Titanic Foundation Limited, Judith Owens from Titanic Belfast are pictured with Jackie Henry, NI Office Senior Partner, Deloitte, as they announce the leading tourist attractions economic impact and its investment into Gallery Refreshment. The attraction has welcomed 6m visitors, from over 145 different countries, and generated £319m additional expenditure in the local economy over 7 years.

Nedine Blount, Croke Park Chef, has been named Aramark’s Chef of the Year Ireland at the annual competition, which took place at Food and Bev Live in the City West Convention Centre.

Austin powers into iNua

iNua Hospitality PLC has announced the appointment of Chris Austin to the Board of Directors. Chris Austin is currently Director of Operations of iNua Hospitality’s iNua Collection of nine regional Irish hotels. Chris joined iNua from Tifco hotel group, where he was Regional Operations Manager for seven years, managing a diverse portfolio of leisure hotels & resorts, business hotels & golf clubs.

Prior to this he was Director of Operations at The Shelbourne for three years and at Marriott Druids Glen Resort for two years. He also worked internationally with Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts in Dubai.

Chris joined The iNua Collection in January 2019 as Director of Operations.

On merit alone

Ballygarry House Hotel & Spa walked away with a merit of Excellence Award at the 30th annual event held in Christchurch Cathedral. The CIE Tours International Awards of Excellence are presented based on feedback received from over 25,000 customers surveyed throughout the year. Each of the CIE Tour partners, who qualified for an award, achieved a customer satisfaction rating of over 92%.

Lisa crowned operations director at Ashford Castle

Lisa Toomey has become Director of Operations at Ashford Castle. Toomey joined Ashford Castle in 2017 as Director of Food & Beverage having spent a number of years working on teams at the Hyatt Regency and the Connaught Hotel, in London.

Toomey is one of three new appointments at the Castle. Christopher Murphy has joined as the new Director of Food & Beverage and Paul Fogerty is the appointed Head Sommelier.

Coronavirus and Irish tourism

Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, CEO, Irish Tourism Industry Confederation

Tourism numbers to Ireland last year saw their first marginal dip after 8 strong years. Industry leaders thus looked ahead to 2020 with the hope of restoring growth despite Brexit tailwinds.

And then a month ago, from a far-off unheralded district of China, came a respiratory disease that we now know as Coronavirus. In what is a worrying time for all in society Coronavirus is first and foremost a public health issue but undoubtedly it has stark economic and business consequences too and the tourism industry is in the front line.

At time of writing Coronavirus cases in Ireland have increased and there is a serious doubt over whether the Saint Patrick’s Day Festival will go ahead. Should it not this will be a devasting blow for industry as the festival traditionally acts as the launchpad and springboard for Irish tourism whereby Ireland is promoted to a global audience of millions.

As the situation is so fluid and uncertain it is very difficult to put an estimate on the impact of Coronavirus but one thing is certain and that it that it will have a negative effect in the immediate term but also for the rest of 2020. And the impact will be real and material on business. Fáilte Ireland estimate that every €1 million less in spend by tourists equates to a loss of 27 jobs.

Commenting on the Coronavirus impact is all well and good but of more use are policy responses to mitigate its impact. The virus will pass as the weather improves according to medics and tourism will recover but only if the right enabling factors are in place. The caretaker Government, and the various political parties that are tip-toeing around forming a successor administration, need to put together - with urgency and decisiveness - an emergency package to support Irish tourism. Politicians must remember that tourism is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry and biggest regional employer accounting for 1 in 10 jobs nationwide.

This emergency package should include a suite of measures including: restoring the Vat rate to 9% to help cut cost for business and stimulate demand; deferring Vat payments for tourism and hospitality businesses in Q1 and Q2 until later in the year when cashflow pressures are less tight; implementing a flighting fund for tourism akin to the “no deal” Brexit fund that was put in place in the last Budget; and increasing overseas marketing budgets so that once the crisis passes Tourism Ireland can aggressively and assertively restore Ireland’s presence in the key overseas markets of North America, Mainland Europe and Britain.

Looking at the manifestos of political parties prior to the election would not fill one with confidence. Sinn Fein wanted to restore Aer Rianta, Labour wanted to move tourism into a non-economic portfolio including Communities & Sport, while Fine Gael called for a Gathering mark 2 in 2023. Fianna Fail were a little more focussed referring to increased investment and apprenticeships. What is now apparent is that following this Coronavirus outbreak, political parties need to get very serious very quickly about tourism and support a sector that is under real pressure.

Ireland’s tourism industry is resilient and has bounced back in the past from periodic external shocks – 9/11, Foot and Mouth, and SARS are clear examples. But in each of these cases enabling factors and policies were put in place so that industry recovered lost ground and delivered regional jobs and exchequer returns.

Over to you Taoiseach Micheál, Leo, or Mary-Lou.

A Covid-19 mitigation plan for hotels

By Claire Sawier

As the Covid-19 coronavirus extends its grip, we all appreciate that the impact on individuals and families is very distressing. Throughout Europe the tourism industry is being hit hard and the impact is being increasingly felt. Hotels, especially those in affected areas, are experiencing a downward trend in overseas bookings and an increase in cancellations. ADR drops are already evident.

The increase in cases, as well as the intense media scrutiny is leading to more and more non-Europeans cancelling their travel into Europe, and more and more Europeans opting to stay local during the Covid-19 outbreak, if they are booking at all.

Bookassist and our client hotels are in this together. Every booking our partner hotels lose is a loss for us too. Our team is ready to help with any advice we can offer. The situation is changing rapidly, and strategies may also need to adjust as time passes so we will keep this information as up to date as we can on Bookassist’s online blog at bookassist.com.

So what can you do now to minimise the impact of this crisis on your hotel? And what can we learn from hotels in Asia, who have been through and recovered from the SARS outbreak of 2003 and the H1N1 swine flu in 2009?

The 5 most important things to remember

1. You must keep your focus on the long term. Don’t make panic decisions that you will regret. Ill thought out short term decisions can harm your business in the long term. Think before you act.

2. You have to protect your public rates. Do not offer heavily discounted rates publicly. Doing so will have a long- term damaging impact on your business. It can take years to recover from discounted rates, so think carefully. Remember what happened when hotels all ran to the OTAs during the global financial crisis!

3. Be sure to look after your existing customer base. Take care of your existing business and don’t short change your loyal customers. Whatever you do, don’t compromise your service standards. It will come back to bite you!

4. Concentrate your marketing efforts on the domestic market. Local markets are still travelling more than international and still showing demand. Target your efforts on the markets that are still inclined to travel. People who cancelled their overseas trips are looking for alternatives, so highlight the local option to them. Leverage your local presence to attract your neighbours and your local community. This could be a valuable new segment to grow for the future.

5. Don’t be tempted to cut your marketing budget. Instead focus on capturing existing demand and divert your budget away from markets and segments where this is little to no demand. Focus your digital marketing budget on revenue drivers such as metasearch and retargeting.

10 ideas for your hotel to drive business today

1. Reassure anyone visiting your hotel of your attention to cleanliness and safety. If you have a list of hygienic and preventive precautions which you are taking, then communicate this everywhere and update staff and guests regularly so they know you are proactive. Give the list to every guest on check in to reassure them. A great example of this in action is the Royal Plaza Hotel, Hong Kong[1].

2. Revenues are already under strain so focus most of your marketing efforts on direct where margin is significantly higher. A strong direct strategy will lead to more profitable and sustainable business.

3. Improve your free cancellation terms (must always be better than OTA T&Cs). Give guests the comfort of being able to cancel/change without penalty if the situation changes.

4. Reduce the uncertainty of making a booking by offering additional flexibility on your Non Refundable rates. Free rebooking is a great option. Pay now but reschedule if you need to (up until a particular date).

5. Instead of reducing rates, offer additional benefits. Rather than cutting €50 off a package, add €50 on by way of additional benefits. Free bottle of wine on each night of your stay. Free entrance to local attractions. Distinguish your offers from your competition. Bundle, package, and add value.

6. Staycations should be heavily promoted through geo-targeted PPC & Metasearch campaigns in the domestic market. Consider also working with local domestic tour operators to offer accommodation or meals to domestic tour groups.

7. Invite your local community to experience your hotel. Push alternative revenue streams with your local market, F&B, bar, restaurant, spa etc can be promoted to locals. Hotels in Hong Kong during the SARs outbreak[2] found that food and beverage operations were not as badly affected compared to the rooms business, with local residents choosing to dine in restaurants with better sanitation and high standards of cleanliness. Promote your hotel’s services on social media, local search, leaflet drops, as well as via email, e-zines, and targeting local companies in your neighbourhood.

8. Encourage local residents to stay at your hotel by offering special rates and packages. These offers should be geo-targeted to your local audience in order to avoid a reduction in rate to the general marketplace.

9. Offer gated / fenced offers instead of discounting across the board. Use remarketing to target previous guests, newsletters with a promo code, geo-target display campaigns and display campaigns on local business sites.

10. If you are in an infected area use the low occupancy period (however undesirable) to retrain and up-skill staff, bring forward some refurb or maintenance jobs you had planned. Plan to come out of this challenging period more effective and better prepared for the future.

1 hhttps://www.royalplaza.com.hk/en/we-care-we-deliver/#

2 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10941660500500733

3 http://bit.ly/covid19-hotel-ideas-survey

Final thoughts

Bookassist extends its support and solidarity to all hoteliers who are impacted by Covid-19.

We are asking hotels across Europe and beyond to inform us how they have been impacted and what steps they have taken and are taking to retain and drive more business. Based on the feedback and ideas provided via a survey[3], we will be posting regular insights and ideas to our official LinkedIn page, so stay tuned.

Further reading

A paper published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, The survival of hotels during disaster: A case study of Hong Kong in 2003[4] presents some really good, feasible best practice management strategies and operational procedures that hoteliers suffering from the impact of the Covid-19 virus can refer to.

So too does an article written by Cornell University Professor of Revenue Management, Sherri Kimes on how hotels can survive the coronavirus[5].

Claire Sawier is Head of Marketing at Bookassist (www.bookassist.com), the multi-award-winning technology and digital strategy partner for hotels worldwide.

4 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10941660500500733

5 https://www.sherrikimes.com/post/how-can-hotels-survive-the-coronavirus

Minister Wishlist

elaborated a little bit more throughout the entire year… you’ve so many food trails and food circles throughout the entire country. We’re all working towards the same thing but sometimes we can be pulling slightly against one another and losing track of where we’re going a little bit. I think that we need to put all those kinds of initiatives together and have a conversation, find a plan and set some goals. I think that would be a real success.

It may all seem like a far-off dream at the current juncture, but as surely as spring will give way to summer, there will be a new Government. At some point in the near future this Government will appoint a new minister and he/she will be given charge of Ireland’s largest indigenous industry –tourism.

At this point, it’s worth pausing for a moment in prayer to consider the wishes and desires and, indeed, prayers of the hundreds and thousands of people who will depend on this newly-appointed minster for guidance through uncertain times.

First of all, let us all join hands and pray that whoever is in charge of the next Government will finally take the wise decision to give the new minister nothing much else to have to worry about other than tourism. Why is it that such a vital portfolio isn’t given its own ministry? You have to go way back to 1991 (now almost 30 years ago) before you can find a time when a tourism minister had only one other brief to grapple with while they were supposed to be concentrating on our largest indigenous industry. The constant ducking and avoiding of responsibility has become a cancerous feature of the political class, with ministers devoting the bulk of their energies towards creating the right message and image rather than doing their job.

For Mark McGowan – President of the Restaurant Association of Ireland – it’s important that the next minister is (a) not Shane Ross and (b) someone with experience in (and therefore a certain level of understanding of) the tourism sector.

“It’s a very difficult question,” says Mark who was reared in the hospitality sector, having been brought up well-known McGowan’s public house in Drumcondra before working abroad and coming back to Ireland to run the boutique Scholars Townhouse Hotel in Drogheda. “I did think that Brendan Griffin was doing a great job when he was Junior Minister. I’ve had multiple meetings with him and I think that he would be a good option going forward. He has a good background when it comes down to it because he grew up in a family business… so he understands the trials and tribulations of what it takes to run a tourism business.

“What I’d like to see going forward; I think that Fáilte Ireland have done a terrific job promoting the Midlands, the Wild Atlantic Way and the other regions. I think that the Taste the Island has been a roaring success and I like to see that

“At the end of the day, what we all want to make sure is that Ireland is a destination for food and known as that throughout the world. We’re probably leaders at the minute but I still think that we’ve a bit to go and that’s going to take collaboration and hard work from everybody.”

Head of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation Eoghan O’Mara Walsh has hopes for the incoming tourism minister also but is not in a position to be drawn on who it might be or where they would come from:

“We’re very much apolitical as an organisation but at the same time we’re very political insofar as keeping tourism at the heart of government is concerned. So, whatever government is formed and whatever political parties coalesce, we’d like pro-tourism and pro-enterprise policies –particularly now more than ever because the Covid-19 virus is going to have a serious impact on tourism this year.

“It will definitely see a softening in overseas markets and even if the virus passes in a few weeks, it’s going to be difficult to recoup the losses that have been there over the last month or two. So I suppose, in terms of policies, it’s pretty much predictable from our perspective – pro-competitive policies such as returning the VAT rate to 9% in line with our competitors in the rest of Europe. We’re completely out of kilter at 13.5%. We’d also like to see action on other Government-induced costs, like curbing the high costs of insurance and utilities, as well as labour.

“On the other side of the profit-and-loss account, there’s the question of investment. I’ve long been of the view that investment in tourism by the Government is well below what it should be. There should be an increase in marketing budgets so that we can keep pace. I often use the example of the situation in the United States. The Tourism Ireland agency in America has a budget of about $9 million. That has to spread over 12 months of the year, it has to cover 25 different gateways that have direct access to Ireland and it’s wholly inadequate. We’re missing out on a lot of business simply because Ireland doesn’t have the presence or the cut-through in overseas promotions simply because of a lack of budget.”

Eoghan also hopes that the next regime will bring with it an increase in capital spending – another area that has been neglected for decades, in contrast with our competitor countries in the European tourism market. It’s also, as he points out, a very sound investment from the point of view of the national exchequer.

“On the other side of the equation are capital budgets. In terms of things to see and do in Ireland, the State could invest far more wisely in tourism product and in creating more things to see and do. Return on investment is significant: there’s something like an 11:1 return, so for every euro the Government would invest in tourism, they get eleven back in exchequer receipts.

“It’s those sorts of policies I’d like to see the new Minister for Tourism adopt and I don’t mind if it’s a Fianna Fáil, a Fine Gael, a Sinn Féin or a Green Party minister. I just want somebody who is focused and who adopts pro-tourism policies. It’s the biggest indigenous industry that we have and the biggest regional employer by some distance.”

WE WON, 4 TIMES!

HotelTechAwards 2020

“We are extremely grateful for the sheer number of clients and partners who came out in force to positively review and recommend Bookassist. We believe that direct business should be at the heart of a hotel’s strategy and clearly our clients agree with our proven approach to winning at direct” Dr Des O’Mahony, Bookassist CEO and Founder and it’s thanks to you!

Best Booking Engine, Best Digital Marketing Agency, Best Website CMS, Best Metasearch Management

Ireland's Blue Book

Ireland's Blue Book is a collection of Irish Country House Hotels, Manor Houses, Castles and Restaurants located throughout the island of Ireland. The collection includes six five-star properties, which are the Merrion Hotel, Dublin, the Park Hotel Kenmare, Co. Kerry, Hayfield Manor, Cork, Ballyfin Demesne, Co. Laois, Glenlo Abbey, Galway and Mount Juliet Estate, Co. Kilkenny. It also has five Michelin star restaurants: Campagne in Kilkenny City, The Lady Helen at Mount Juliet Estate, Co. Kilkenny, and L’Ecrivain, Chapter One and Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin city.

In 1974, the Ireland's Blue Book Association was formed with 11 founding members who realised that there was a gap between the bed and breakfast accommodation and the larger hotel industry which was not being marketed at that time. By doing this, the Association has ensured the economic wellbeing of some of Ireland's most historic properties which might otherwise have had to close their doors.

There are 53 properties in the 2020 edition of Ireland's Blue Book, plus an additional 3 exclusive rental properties. Members are

selected on a strict criteria basis with a strong focus being on properties with a strong individualistic style and character and are not part of hotel chains. The Association's unique combination of Country Houses, Castles, Historic Hotels and Restaurants all add a uniqueness which is unlike any other marketing organisation. They represent the finest of Ireland's hospitality, accommodation and cuisine.

The properties are readily available in the form of the iconic Blue Book, which holds all the general information for each property and is updated each calendar year. The Wilder Townhouse in Dublin and Glin Castle, an exclusive rental property in Limerick, were added to Blue Book in 2020.

A new chairperson of the Association is elected every two years, with Laura Bowe of Marlfield House, Co. Wexford taking the role for 2020.

Essential Blue Book characteristics include:

Uniqueness - Each property is different in style, setting, ambience and atmosphere. In an era of increased uniformity, this is important to the ethos of the Blue Book. The uniqueness of the properties is further enhanced by innovative cuisine which draws heavily on the provision of local fresh and organic produce.

Environmental Awareness - In owning and developing historic properties the members are responsible for the development and preservation of heritage houses in a sensitive and environmentally friendly way.

High Standards and Self-Regulation - The Blue Book operates under the statutory rules and regulations of the broader tourism industry. However, it is unusual in being self-regulating and it maintains its own high standards. It is the ultimate accolade for a restaurant or a country house to be invited to join the Association.

Blue Book

Ireland’s Blue Book promotes its properties around the world, working with media and travel agents from all over Europe and other continents. Sales trips take place every year in locations such as Canada and the US. Several trade shows and events are attended throughout the year in Ireland to promote themselves to a domestic audience. Over 100 trade, consumer, media and corporate events were attended by the Association over the last year.

Publicity, both national and international, plays a vital role in attracting guests to Ireland’s Blue Book houses, hotels and restaurants. The Association has worked with PR agencies in different countries, while also keeping a close relationship with Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, to ensure they are included in media visits from international journalists. In 2019, Ireland’s Blue Book distributed its books to over 28 countries.

Ireland’s Blue Book also sends a bi-monthly ezine to customers all over the world. This ezine includes the latest news from the properties, as well as getaway ideas and special offers.

With a strong social media presence, Ireland’s Blue Book also utilises this to reach out and promote its properties to international and domestic customers through over 10 social media channels including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

While a large amount of the associations marketing efforts is focused on attracting overseas visitors to Ireland and to its member hotels, the association has also grown a very successful gift voucher business.

“I think the secret is the flexibility of the vouchers as they can be used for overnight stays or for a meal or spa treatment.” says Michelle Maguire, CEO of Ireland’s Blue Book. “The fact that we have over 50 properties throughout the island of Ireland also gives great choice. When you receive the voucher, you can choose anything from a stay in a lighthouse or castle, take a spa break or have a meal in a Michelin star restaurant. The gift vouchers also give recipients the chance to explore parts of Ireland they may not yet have visited.”

Do you want high quality tableware that will amaze your guests?

Our new ‘Perfectly Crafted Hotelware’ brochure contains all our Exclusive Crockery that you won’t get anywhere else! From high-class dining through to nibbles and buffet, we are sure to have something to suit your style!

SUPERWHITE | CREME | ALTO | ARTISAN

Food Preparation

Food Prep Killing Future

It’s a growing feature of today’s hospitality industry that more and more hotels and restaurants are outsourcing their food preparation. This is a sign of a developing and increasingly sophisticated food industry but is it a wholly welcome development? With an increasingly sophisticated model, just how reliable has the provenance of food become? How can a larger supplier be a guarantee of supplying local produce? For Origin Green members, is this not something of a potentially retrograde step?

“It is a point that has been raised from time to time,” says Mark McGowan, President of the RAI. “I was asked down to Blas na hÉireann recently, where I was hosting a panel discussion about food fraud. I was asked that question – about what the RAI was doing about it.

“The truth is that there isn’t a whole lot that we can do as an organisation to police the situation. I think that responsibility lies with the restaurateur to ensure that they’re keeping track of their menu and that they’re keeping a handle on it. It’s the chef’s responsibility as well to make sure that they have their finger on the pulse if something does change.”

He gives the example of how things work in his own hotel and restaurant – Scholars Townhouse Hotel in Drogheda. Here, he says, they will always have their finger on the pulse in ascertaining the source of food from their suppliers on an ongoing basis.

“I think it’s up to the operators themselves to use due diligence and tact to ensure that their suppliers are delivering what they claim to deliver… It’s everybody’s responsibility. It’s not necessarily something that’s going to be policed.

“There was a case recently where someone was claiming to deliver Ballyhoura Mushrooms but they only deliver themselves and that supplier was named and shamed. That’s the kind of thing that can happen so you do have to be vigilant.”

As for the advent of suppliers doing more and more food preparation killing the tradition of ‘prep’ skills in our hotel kitchens, there is little evidence of it anecdotally. From McGowan’s perspective, it’s certainly not a problem he has faced, having, as he says, a smaller niche hotel and restaurant that might not be making use of pre-prepared suppliers as much as larger operations might be:

“They (our staff) have a big workload but the last thing I want is for them to be standing idle or getting bored. We have a lot of students coming in on placement as well as our regular staff so I want to make sure that all of them are getting fully immersed in the business and dealing with food that requires preparation. It’s important that they’re learning skill sets that will carry them through their careers.”

As for the economics of buying more prepped food in, he sees the sense in it even if it doesn’t apply to his hotel and restaurant:

“It would probably make more financial sense for us to buy some bits and pieces in but we just don’t because we’re managing well as we are – our occupancy is very high in the rooms and we’re in profit so we don’t want to lose track of where we’re going and what we’re about. I’d understand it if I had a 150-bedroom hotel where the economics would be a bit different.”

Maureen Gahan, Foodservice Manager with Bord Bia says that their regular surveys of the food industry on the island of Ireland supports the notion of a trend towards a greater dependency on suppliers of ready-prepared foods. It is, she explains, a development that stems from more general economic trends:

“Generally what we’re seeing with the out-of-home market is that it mirrors the overall trends of the economy so if the country is doing well, then people have more money in their pockets and so they’re more likely to spend money on food and drink outside of the home. So as the economy has grown over the last number of years, so too has the out-of-home market.

“At that same time as the economy is growing, unemployment is dropping and it’s getting harder and harder to find skilled workers.

That’s something we’ve been hearing from everyone in the catering industry over the last three or four years – that it’s getting harder and harder to find people.”

Buying food pre-prepared, Maureen says, is on the rise because it saves on labour costs and labour skills and because it also saves on time. That’s true of the whole range of pre-prepared food, whether it’s peeled and prepped vegetables or ready-made meal components.

“It isn’t the case that one solution is necessarily better than the other,” Maureen points out, as the approach is as varied as the company serving the food in their approach. “One has the tendency to automatically assume that it’s not as good as food that is cooked from scratch but that’s not the case.”

The food preparation business of catering for the caterers has undergone a lot of changes in recent years, with a good deal of larger companies getting larger and buying out the smaller ones. We’re now left with a smaller number of lesser-sized companies and two large main players in the field in Ireland – Swift in Castleblaney, Co Monaghan and Country Crest, who are based in North Co Dublin near Lusk.

One thing that ordered meal components or prepped vegetables can do for the likes of restaurants is that it gives them greater cost control and less waste. It is also conducive to the whole sustainability agenda:

“A lot of times, it can make more sense for them to buy in components that are cooked and then frozen with the ability to be able to defrost portions as orders come in. That way, they’re not having to deal with so much waste. It can help restaurants or food outlets to plan better and manager their costs better.

“It’s also true that a lot of companies (in the food preparation business) have upped their game in terms of the quality of the food they’re supplying.”

As for the danger of our restaurants losing the skills of preparation if this trend continues, Maureen is not so certain of it but she does point out that while there are shortages of kitchen skills out there, the rise of the ready-prepped food sector is likely to continue.

Tourism Ireland announces Global Greening line-up for St Patrick’s Day 2020

Madison Square Garden in New York, the world’s largest beaver statue in Canada, a giant statue of a kissing couple in Amsterdam, the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, Caerphilly Castle in South Wales, the Dubai Frame and even the Smurf Statue in Brussels will join Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative for the first time in 2020. Tourism Ireland has announced details of some of the famous attractions and sites around the world which will go green to mark St Patrick’s Day this year, continuing the organisation’s first-half promotional drive to grow overseas tourism to Ireland in 2020.

Other new sites and buildings taking part in Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening 2020 include: the National Museum of Qatar, City Hall in Bangkok, the World’s largest Hockey Stick and Puck on Vancouver Island and the National Theatre in London. These new sites will join some ‘old favourites’ which have gone green in previous years – including the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Moulin Rouge in Paris (which will become the ‘Moulin Vert’!), Niagara Falls, the Sydney Opera House, Burj al Arab, the Chain Bridge in Budapest, the London Eye and many others.

Ireland says ‘Hola’ in Spain!

Tourism Ireland in Spain unveiled its key themes for 2020, at an event in Madrid attended by over 60 top travel and lifestyle journalists – including representatives of Condé Nast Traveller, National Geographic, El Mundo and 5 Días – as well as popular bloggers and social influencers. Partners from Ireland were in attendance, helping to really bring the destination to life. They included the Kinsale Food Circle, showcasing produce like Blacks of Kinsale Gin, Kinsale Mead and Koko Chocolates. Kinsale and Cork is the area of Ireland with which Tourism Ireland in Spain is ‘twinned’ for 2020. Tourism Ireland also showcased Galway 2020, Taste the Island and Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands at the event. Pictured at the event are Joanne Murphy, Tourism Ireland; Hal McElroy, Trident Hotel; Barbara Wood, Tourism Ireland; and Ciaran Fitzgerald, Blue Haven Hotel and representing the Kinsale Good Food Circle.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, with Tourism Minister Brendan Griffin, at the launch of Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative 2020.

Madison Square Garden in New York will join Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening for the first time in 2020.

Targeting Nordic tourists for Ireland!

Ireland was promoted to more than 30 top tour operators and travel agents from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland – at Tourism Ireland’s 2020 Nordic trade workshops, which took place in Stockholm and Copenhagen. Twenty-five (25) Irish tourism companies took part in both workshops, meeting and doing business for 2020 with the Nordic tour operators – to encourage them to extend their Ireland offering, or to include Ireland for the first time, in their brochures and programmes.

Tourism Ireland leads sales blitz to Canada

Tourism Ireland, together with a delegation of 14 Irish and Canadian tourism companies, undertook a four-city sales blitz in Canada – meeting with more than 250 travel agents and group tour operators in the cities of Vancouver, Langley, Edmonton and Calgary. The sales mission involved a workshop in each city, where the participating tourism companies from Ireland had the opportunity to network with, and sell to, hundreds of influential Canadian travel professionals – informing them about the many things to see and do on a holiday around Ireland in 2020, as well as highlighting ease of access to Ireland (with direct flights from Vancouver and Calgary). The delegation also met influential travel journalists and bloggers at a media event in Vancouver. They are pictured with HE Jim Kelly, Irish Ambassador to Canada (centre); Sandra Moffatt (third left) and Dana Welch (seventh right), both Tourism Ireland.

2020 sales mission to the UAE and India

Tourism Ireland’s 2020 sales mission to the UAE and India took place recently. A delegation of Irish tourism companies –including hoteliers, visitor attractions and destination management companies – met and concluded deals with tour operators and travel agents in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Mumbai and Delhi. The sales mission also provided Tourism Ireland with a good opportunity to highlight ease of access to Ireland – including the British Irish Visa Scheme, which allows Indian travellers to visit both Ireland and the UK using a single visa; and, the fact that Ireland is now visa free for UAE nationals.

Irish tourism enterprises in Copenhagen, on day two of Tourism Ireland’s Nordic trade workshops, with Finola O’Mahony, Tourism Ireland (front, fifth left); HE Adrian McDaid, Irish Ambassador to Denmark (centre); and Julie McLaughlin, Tourism Ireland (front, third right).

Aisling McDermott, Siobhan McManamy, David Boyce (front, centre), all Tourism Ireland, with the delegation of tourism businesses from Ireland, in Abu Dhabi.

Audrey Gaffney

Originally opening in 2005, the Heritage Hotel –located in an idyllic rural setting outside Portlaoise – has recently undergone significant renovation works, bringing it up to a very high standard of luxury and service in fitting with the property’s location and market.

Meath-based Audrey Gaffney & Associates was the interior architectural design company chosen to work with the owners to make it all happen and the result is a big success – both aesthetically and practically.

Audrey’s association with this landmark hotel in Portlaoise began shortly after FBD Hotel Group took over the property in late 2018. In January 2019, her team began to scrutinise the five-star experience customer focused touch-points needed to bring this hotel up to the luxury standard that it is today.

“We had worked previously with FBD Hotels on the Castleknock Hotel in Dublin and on Sunset Beach Hotel in Spain,” says Audrey, “and this time their brief was to establish a new image for the property quickly as possible”.

“There was a lot of teasing out the brief with them,” she says of the project that evolved with the new managerial team at the hotel. “Our objective was to give revenue through the design by identifying the needs of their consumer and match expectations by reworking the Customer Journey and what was needed managerial wise”.

And so, her team, led by designers Andrea O’Rourke and Niamh Kelly, put in place a plan of action which ensured that the guests could fully appreciate the ‘FBD effect’, so to speak… it was getting that sense of luxury into the hotel from the moment you arrived.”

Audrey and her team focused in on the bar area initially. “It was a good area to start with as it needed less of any investment compared to other areas, but give an immediate impact for the guest”. The idea was to try to direct more daytime guests into that area and to tap into the eating side of things and the night-time business. We wanted to try and offer something different that wasn’t in the restaurant end of it.

“We worked with them in terms of a more fivestar coffee experience, good coffee, relaxing experience, but with less visibility and noise.” Turning an old store-room into a new coffee area, they maximised spacing options: “For example, they had a lot of sofas in the bar and they were all too low – people weren’t at the correct height for dining, and it wasn’t conducive in inviting people in, and they were taking up too much space. At the same time, we needed to create a relaxed ambiance.”

Through the use of light, Audrey’s team were able to allow the area to transition into the evening and change into something more like a ‘bar’ area later on. This was cleverly achieved through a combination of using different kinds of lighting and changing seating arrangements.

Audrey also talks about the by-now well established process of creating the right impressions and striking the right note along the way as the customer or potential customer arrives in the car park, then arrives at the door of the establishment and then moves into the interior of the building.

“We worked to create that overall brand experience and that brand feel from the very first impression and then follow through once people were in the building and sitting down at the bar. It went from there to rolling it out at the point where people enter the bar – providing an area where one would be tempted to take a seat, linger longer, and feel relaxed. With nice views to the outside and plenty of natural light coming in.”

The next area of attack, Audrey says, was the function room and pre-drinks area (with functions such as weddings in mind).

“There wasn’t necessarily a huge amount that needed doing on this area but it just needed to be updated – new carpet, new panelling, new tiling, some tweaking of the pre-drinks area where all necessary. There were also some smaller break-out areas where it was nice to create some seating options.

“We also did some work with them in their spa – the hydro-pool and the reception area. Again, it was all about tweaking that sense of luxury from the moment you arrive. The entrance area is outside the main hotel entrance so it was important to create ‘that feeling’ even when you’re arriving at the spa just for the day;

Audrey Gaffney

you’ll get that strong sense of the Heritage Hotel feel and brand thanks to Niamh Kelly who lead this project.

“I suppose that the big difference we made was to the restaurant area. It was laid out in four rooms. It was very tired, very dark and the rooms didn’t function well. It had no real natural light and overall, the feeling and experience that you were getting when you arrived at the hotel wasn’t the same in the restaurant area.”

The area needed an entire reworking and Audrey’s team, lead by Andrea O’Rourke, shared their views on this key part of the hotel with the General Manager Ger Alley, who, she says, bought into the vision of her plans for the restaurant area quite quickly.

Previously, there had been a lot of issues with the restaurant area being quite dark, she says, and a lot of work was done to transform the space into one that was instantly appealing, welcoming and which made good use of natural light.

“Not only did we get the GMs buying into it, but also their managers and how they were looking at evolving from breakfast time through to lunchtime and evening dinner.

They also looked at how to work the space and organise it for the quieter times of the year. The fact that it could still split into four rooms proved a useful asset in this regard and they used it to full advantage; creating a breakfast area that would be partially hidden or closed off for guests dining in the evening. At the same time, if a corporate client wanted to book a room out, then that was possible too without impacting on regular service.

The style of the restaurant was based on a classic modern sophisticated look throughout, with attention paid to planning each stage of the entrance for each guest with the flexibility to

a sense of luxury into the hotel from the moment you arrived

be able to cater for everyone – from corporate groups and small private groups to couples and individuals.

“Our overall colour pallet was soft,” says Audrey, “with quite romantic (if I can use the word) tones – dusky pinks and muted greys to create a relaxing experience everywhere in the restaurant, with everything soft to the touch.

“Ultimately, getting the operational needs right leads to a much better quality of customer service. You don’t notice the level of service as a guest or a customer unless you’re not getting it. And then if you truly look at what’s happening it’s normal because the working area doesn’t actually flow for the serving staff”.

Undertaking all design work, Audrey says, she is always conscious of driving revenue and driving footfall for the client in everything that they do, no matter what the design looks like: “We’re very conscious of tying that into the experience for both. As a customer, you’re paying top dollar for the experience so you have to get the best experience possible.”

From the point of view of her clients, the feedback from CEO David Kelly, General Manager Ger Alley, and the marketing and sales team both at the hotel and within FBD Group has been very positive so far, with increases in income streams created by the design work and improvement in services, as word of mouth has spread from enhanced customer experience.

“I know from a lot of the feedback we’ve been getting from the general public too that the hotel has been getting a lot of great reviews,” says Audrey. “We love it, and we love everything about it so it’s great that the guests are saying the same thing.”

Dubliner Mark McGowan is roughly at the half-way mark of his two-year term as President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland.

Having grown up in a family-run tourism business, he is currently running another one – the Scholars Townhouse Hotel in Drogheda. The former convent and school grounds is a boutique hotel located within a short walk of the large town centre but feeling like it’s on very much in the quiet suburban outskirts, with a large car park and an ambiance that has something of the country manor about it.

“My background would have been in family-run pubs,” Mark explains. “I was brought up, if you like in the family pub in Phibsborough and Scholars opened in 2005, so I’ve been involved in it for the last 15 years.

“I did a bit of travelling in the interim. I ran pubs in Australia – I worked at the PJ O’Brien’s in Melbourne for about 18 months. I came back home and I’ve been with Scholars hotel and restaurant ever since.”

Scholars have recently opened another pub just behind the current property. Called Peggy Moore’s Pub, it has been building up a healthy trade so far, according to Mark. There will also be back-packer accommodation upstairs in the pub in the next four months or so.

“Scholars is more food-focused. It does have a bar and

Mark McGowan President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland talks about industry challenges

gastro-lounge but it’s more food-orientated so it’s not really a place you’d go for a traditional music session and few pints. Peggy Moore’s will be that kind of entity.”

With seemingly a good handle on his own business, what are his thoughts on some of the challenges facing the industry as a whole? The much-feared VAT increase has been causing problems in the industry but it seems to have already claimed a far higher number of restaurants than of hotels. A cursory glance through the annals of closures in the last four months or so would suggest that very few hotels have to close their doors, while the number of restaurants shutting down has been sometimes alarming. What is the reason for this, in the opinion of the RAI president?

“I would say that it’s because they (hotels) are less labourintensive. I think that as somebody who runs a small hotel (of 16 beds), I know that my bedrooms upstairs can handle a 13.5% rate of VAT but downstairs where it all happens, it’s more labourintensive; we have to throw bodies at our service so it needs a lower VAT rate. There are more moving parts to a restaurant and that’s why, I think, it needs a lower rate.”

It doesn’t, in his opinion, have anything to do with bad business practices such as some businesses including VAT in their cash flow?

“I don’t think so. I think that the way we’ve gone is such that the cost of doing business as a whole for restaurants is extremely

high. The VAT is part of that and I think that it’s the domino effect of multiple cost increases that has affected the higher tier in particular.”

The staff shortages in the restaurant sector represent an ongoing crisis. Where does the responsibility lie for this problem in his opinion?

“It’s down to the industry as a whole to start working together. I think that collaboration is very important in getting younger people into the industry – to make it more ‘sexy’ for want of a better word. Obviously, there are the long hours and from a socialising point of view for younger people, it can be quite difficult to persuade them to get into the sector, realising that their weekends are gone and everything else.

“I think that the advertising campaigns from Fáilte Ireland in recent times have put out a very positive image of the industry and have put a bit more passion into it. After that, the Restaurant & Hospitality Skillnets at the RAI are a good way of getting people into the industry. There are tons of courses there that can upskill our current workforce.

“In terms of getting more people into the industry, it’s a case of college courses and promoting from within our industry. As well as that, I’d like to see more female chefs. Any CVs that I have coming in, there are not many female staff. I’d like to have more of a balance.”

What about visiting schools and promoting the hospitality way of life and careers? Does the RAI pursue such a policy?

“We do. We’re getting better at it. We interact through the ‘Food Dudes’ healthy-eating programme and we also have the ‘Kid Size Me’ programme where we try to promote a more healthy eating and a more balanced diet with more appropriate portion sizes for children… we don’t want to see calorie counters going on menus but we do believe that education is the answer. We want to make food education mandatory for the Junior Cert cycle and in primary schools.”

Food provenance is another issue that has become increasingly topical. More and more hotels are outsourcing food preparation in order to save time and staffing costs. But this development presents a few potential problems: first of all there is that of the source of the food itself – does it comply with the hotel’s food sourcing policy in terms of it being local and/or coming from a reliable source? Secondly, there is the more long-term question over what effect outsourcing food preparation will have on the industry – are we in danger of losing the skill set of food preparation in our restaurants? Finally, does it also mean that a trend of more local food means less exotic food and also a limited selection in terms of flavour at time when the palates of so many people in Ireland are literally travelling farther away from Ireland?

“I don’t think that it creates blandness in flavours, for a start. The way that food has developed over the last eight to ten years, we’ve suppliers and producers preparing cured meats of the like that you wouldn’t have seen produced in Ireland before and they’re always packed full of flavour. We have mushroom growers now, we have artisan honey producers…

... there’s such a range and array of produce now that I don’t think there’s any excuse for not using it “ "

there’s such a range and array of produce now that I don’t think there’s any excuse for not using it. Prices are very competitive as well.”

Mark gives the example of mushrooms grown just over the border in Armagh with outstanding flavour that he gets for around €13/kilo whereas few mushrooms brought in from farther afield and at a higher price don’t compete in terms of flavour.

“That’s only one product,” he says, “and we’ve introduced that into a multitude of dishes at Scholars… I don’t think that there’s any problem with food becoming more bland – we’re actually blessed with the produce that we have.”

He further points out that with continuing climate change, we in Ireland are more likely to have an advantage over the rest of Europe, with our wetter climate.”

The RAI President is looking forward to the next Minister for Tourism and hopes, he says, that he or she will follow the lead of Minister of State Brendan Griffin rather than that of former Minister Shane Ross.

COVID-19 –

A Message to

IFSA Members

In this difficult time for businesses, IFSA stands ready to support our members with advice, resources and information as it becomes available.  Our industry is built on Relationships.  In what is uncharted territory for our industry, keeping the communication lines open with your suppliers and customers to find workable solutions to supply, credit and cashflow challenges could be the key to weathering current sectoral challenges.   For details on resources available to businesses as the coronavirus outbreak continues, please visit www.ifsa.eu.com

Catering Innovation Agency

launch range of Smarter Catering Equipment; Hospitality expo at the RDS was the venue for CIA’S launch of the energy efficiency power tower and induction salamander in Ireland. The carlow based outfit have an enviable customer list including Ireland’s best 5 and 4 star hotels, National award winning pubs and independent thinking coffee shops. Energy savings of 62% and 70% for each new piece of kit have caught the imagination of the Foodservice market. See www.ciaireland.ie/projects for details or phone 01 5179088.

Discover the latest trends and suppliers in foodservice at CATEX 2021

The melting pot for foodservice and hospitality, CATEX returns in 2021. 12,500 visitors and hundreds of exhibitors all under one roof, packed full of the ingredients for success, can you afford not to be in the mix?

Innovation, sustainability and skills are top of the menu at CATEX 2021, and as Ireland’s largest foodservice and hospitality show, it’s the ‘must-attend’ event for professionals who want to grow their sales, business, skills and careers.

CATEX will continue the event’s history of celebrating excellence within the industry. Home to world-class competitions, visitors to the show will have the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the very best in the Country including:

• The National Coffee Championships, organised by the Irish Chapter of Specialty Coffee Association (SCA Ireland)

• The Bartenders Association’s Irish Cocktail Championships

• Chef Ireland Culinary Competitions 2020 in association with the Panel of Chefs of Ireland

• The National Pizza Championships, in association with the Associazione Pizzerie Italiane (API)

• For the first time at CATEX The European Tea Society, brings the national qualifying round of the Tea Masters Cup to Ireland.

For information on exhibiting see www.catexexhibution.com / contact margaret@eventhaus.ie or stuart.caffrey@eventhaus.ie / call +353 (0)1 8460021.

McCormack Family Farms

is a 2nd generation farming enterprise based in Co. Meath. We are the largest Irish grower of baby leaf salads and microgreens, but also specialise in fresh herbs and edible flowers. We have been supplying foodservice customers since 1984, originally from Smithfield Market in Dublin and now our produce is available nationwide – just ask your produce supplier!

We farm over 600 acres, including 2 acres of glasshouse and 2 acres of polytunnels. When out of season, we work with a small group of carefully selected and regularly audited suppliers to guarantee that McCormack Family Farms produce maintains high and consistent quality all year round.

Our range includes:

• 11 types of baby salad leaves, from Spinach and Rocket to Mizuna and Baby Kale

• over 20 herbs, from Parsley and Basil to Lovage and Salicornia

• over 20 microgreens, from pea shoots to Red and Green Shiso and Red Amaranth Viola and Nasturtium flowers

• Organically grown selected lines

Our microgreens are grown as nature intended, with no artificial light or heat and are delivered to you either cut or growing on the most hygienic medium – paper – to eliminate the risk of cross contamination in your kitchen. Follow us on social media and check out www. McCormackFarms.ie for more information.

Sustainability Spotlight

PEL’s

range of glass bottle crushers reduce waste glass volume by 80%, are easy to use, create space and save on waste glass disposal costs. There are five machines available spanning the BB01 under-the-counter machine to the BB06 ‘Mega Jaws’ product which can crush up to 4000 bottles per hour.

The 'Baby Jaws' machine is the only under-counter bottle crusher of its kind available and crushes waste bottles as they are poured or returned from the floor.  Glass bottles are fed individually and the crushed glass is collected in a tote box located in the base of the machine. The BB01 measures 840mm (H) x 600mm (W) x 600mm (D), requires a single phase 220V/50Hz power supply and will be ready for use once installed. The BB09 is designed to stand alone in the bar area and utilises a 120 litre bin to hold the waste glass.

The larger ‘Jaws’ and ‘Mega Jaws’ glass bottle crushers are usually located back-of-house and will reduce waste glass bottle volume by a factor of 5:1 or up to 80%. Specifically the built-in filtration unit on the BB03 and BB06 makes these machines suitable for use in confined areas or where there is limited ventilation. All PEL Waste Reduction Equipment products are manufactured in Ireland, meet with the ISO9001 Quality Standard, are CE Certified and are available under rental and purchase terms.

Call PEL Waste Reduction Equipment on 094 936 6923 or log onto www.pelmfg.com and save on your waste glass discposal costs.

Café 7

is a supplier in Ireland for a range of high quality artisan produce including Caron Coffee, Les Jardins d'Osmane Tea, Goulibeur Butter Biscuits, Maison de La Chatine chocolate covered nuts and fruits and Maison Meneau organic Fair Trade syrups as well as organic Fizz drinks. Our award-winning Caron Coffee is delivered from France fresh after roasting.

Café 7 provides complete coffee solutions for a variety of businesses throughout Ireland. We have an extensive range of high performance equipment including bean to cup coffee machines, chocolate makers, traditional espresso machines and grinders, water filters and hot water dispensers.

"I was born in the coffee vending industry. My father always believed in providing the best quality and service. My sister Anne now continues the family enterprise in France, and both have been rewarded with prestigious clients and trophies for Caron.

I am devoted to pursuing the family’s quest for excellence to give your customers the best possible experience when serving Caron Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate.

We offer a simple and low commitment contract because I am convinced that with my family from production to delivery, we offer you the best."

Thibaut Caron

See www.cafe7.ie / www.caron. coffee for more information

Stay Safe with Shoes For Crews Footwear! The Shoe that Grips !

Shoes For Crews Europe Ltd, are one of the leading providers of slipresistant footwear for work.

Our entire range of slip-resistant shoes offer safety, comfort and style for all workplace environments, specifically the hospitality industry

Shoes For Crews has the Solution!

Hotel and restaurant employees spend most of their shift on their feet productively moving between different areas, therefore the importance of safe and comfortable shoes is paramount! With a wide selection of slip-resistant shoes to choose from, covering all staff needs, including dress shoes for front of house, casual and athletic for housekeeping and back of house, clogs for the kitchen and safety shoes for maintenance, Shoes For Crews has everyone covered!

Safety

Shoes For Crews has an industry leading slip-resistant rubber outsole. The unique thread patterned design greatly reduces slips, trips and falls in the workplace!

Comfort

Being on your feet for a full shift can be tough. Comfort is key. All the styles from Shoes For Crews are designed and produced with this in mind. Our footwear is created using lightweight quality materials with extra support including removeable cushioned insoles.

Style

In a customer facing role as most hotel and restaurant jobs are, we understand that appearance is very important. Footwear needs to compliment the uniform! Shoes For Crews has something for everyone! We provide a wide range of stylish and modern slip-resistant shoes, trainers and work boots and in addition we also provide slip resistant mats for behind counter areas.

To find out more about our unique footwear or if you wish to discuss opening a Corporate account for your Hotel or Restaurant, please contact us on 061-479200 or salessup@sfceurope.com.

To view our full range visit our retail site www.sfceurope.com

Recipes in the form of building blocks

Every chef has their creative challenges. Are you looking for a crispy component to complete your dish? Do you want to give one of your most popular starters a unique twist? Then you should check out Gastronomixs.com, a totally unique and different source for culinary inspiration. Spending hours searching for the perfect recipe or dish is a thing of the past!

‘Gastronomixs is not your average recipe website…’

Gastronomixs is not your average recipe website, as it provides knowledge in the form of building blocks, also called components. These are not dishes, but preparations of one single ingredient such as antiboise, fermented carrot, or pommes soufflé, which form part of a dish. Already over 25,000 professional chefs are using the platform to quickly generate ideas. It doesn’t matter in which type of restaurant you work; every chef can use Gastronomixs as an online brainstorm partner to develop new dishes.

If you are curious to discover how Gastronomixs.com can inspire you, take out a free two-week account to give the platform a decent test-drive!

Keep Discovering Fáilte Ireland’s major new Marketing Campaign

Fáilte Ireland’s brand new €6million domestic and Northern Ireland

marketing campaign ‘Keep Discovering’, which aims to grow domestic holidays in Ireland, kicked off at the end of February with a 60 second television ad and over 40+ weeks, the campaign will also feature on radio, large scale outdoor billboards, in cinemas and across a range of digital channels.

According to Fáilte Ireland’s CEO Paul Kelly, only just over half (56%) of Irish people currently take a break in Ireland.

“By putting ‘discovery’ at the heart of our new campaign we hope to encourage more people to explore more areas of the country and experience the joy and simplicity of discovery.” stated Paul Kelly. “Our research also tells us that 4 out of 5 people return to the same location in Ireland on holidays. We are hoping our new Keep Discovering campaign will inspire them to break away from routine and experience some of the many hidden gems available across the country.”

Center Parcs recognised as an innovative tourism employer

Center Parcs has won the inaugural Fáilte Ireland Spotlight Series Tourism and Hospitality Award at the Great Place to Work 2020 Awards for it’s ‘outstanding people practices’.

The award was launched by Fáilte Ireland and Great Place to Work last year to highlight businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector that are delivering innovative programmes to develop and invest in their staff.

The Longford holiday destination, which has brought 1,000 jobs to the local area since it was established in 2019, stood out for “its authentic commitment to developing employees at all levels and giving them a platform to really get to know every part of the business” according to Paul Hayden, Head of Tourism Careers at Fáilte Ireland.

PREM Group, Dalata, The Irish Leprechaun Museum, Dublin and Hillwalking Tours, Co. Galway were Highly Commended in the Spotlight Series award.

Paul Kelly, CEO of Fáilte Ireland with Lorraine Danaher and Daragh Feighery, Center Parcs and Fania Stoney, Great Place to Work at the Great Place to Work Awards

Bringing Tipperary’s history to life

Fáilte Ireland recently launched an expansion of its Historic Towns Trail initiative in Tipperary. The initiative, in partnership with the Tipperary local authority and local historian Des Murnane, will showcase the stories behind the historic town of Tipperary through modern and newly updated Historic Towns Trail signage designed to share the stories that shaped the town’s history with visitors.

The Historic Towns Trails are designed to encourage visitors to stay longer and explore the wider region. Tipperary Town is the latest location in Ireland’s Ancient East to have the new signage installed with a further two towns, Fethard and Cashel set to benefit over the coming months. Working with local authorities and historians, Fáilte Ireland has uncovered interesting and lesser known facts and stories from each area’s history. Content is displayed through wayfinding, interpretation, photography and maps at key locations across each town.

APPLY NOW: New Classification System for Fáilte

Fáilte Ireland’s new Welcome Standard classification system is now live, giving accommodation providers the option to achieve a 3, 4 or 5 shamrock classification alongside their existing Welcome Standard approval.

Fáilte Ireland’s Welcome Standard recognises alternative accommodation providers, for example glamping, pods, shepherd huts, yurts and lighthouses and much more.

The new classification system focuses on the quality of service and hospitality offered and has been developed in line with contemporary guest expectations and international best practice, giving businesses the chance to stand out from the crowd.

For more information and to complete the Welcome Standard Assessment to achieve classification, please visit www.failteireland.ie/welcomestandard

Pat Slattery and Marie Phelan, Tipperary County Council, Des Murnane, Historian and Justine Carey, Fáilte Ireland

Compose a Sensational Statement

The last decade has witnessed an array of wedding trends, with the ever-changing landscape evolving drastically over time. Trends have surpassed the classic, all-white bridal features, with a substantial focus now shifting towards the architectural interior and design elements engulfing a room.

As this vast and varying landscape continues to change, there exists a requirement for wedding essentials, such as chairs, to also adapt and develop alongside these dynamic trends.

Wedding chairs have the power to seize the moment; inexcusably demanding a significant presence within any room. In virtue of this, choosing the correct chair ultimately determines the overall theme of the wedding in more ways than one.

With a long-standing history of leading the hospitality sector through multiple decades of innovation, Bunzl McLaughlin has created the Compose Chair Collection, enabling the encompassing industry to become immersed in the importance of wedding chairs, allowing the sector to intrinsically implement such an adorned statement.

The name Compose was born out of a concept to create. Bunzl McLaughlin has introduced this innate offering to provide the industry with the momentum required to waltz alongside the wilful movements of the wedding arena.

Wedding chairs are often the subject of consistent reinvention and have taken many forms over the years. The Chiavari Chair is a perfect example. The origins of this chair date back to more than 200 years and originated in the town of Chiavari in the Genoa region of Northern Italy. Although the style has moulded over time to align with capricious trends, a distinct likeness to the original still exists.

Compose Chiavari Chair; with silver wood-effect aluminium frame & custom cushioning, pictured in Shearwater Hotel, Galway

Compose Contemporary Chair; featuring an artistic design to the chair back, bespoke frame and leatherette finish, pictured in Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar

However, as the style of wedding chairs alter over time and certain characteristics become clutched as the contemporary new trend, other factors aside from visual aesthetics need to be considered. The Chiavari Chair in particular has attracted criticism due to the level of comfort it offers. The wooden frame lacks a substantial degree of durability, detracting from the desired and practical feature of stackability.

Pertaining to this, the Compose Chair Collection has created a bespoke solution, maximising the potential of this chair.

Attributed as one of the most significant adaptions within the marketplace in the last decade, Bunzl McLaughlin has reinvented the Chiavari Chair, replacing the wooden frame with a lightweight aluminium frame, uniting an unprecedented wood-effect finish to mirror its wooden counterpart.

In addition, the enduring new frame enables venues to stack and store the chairs in a much more efficient manner, while customisable seat pads endeavour to solve an abundance of comfort concerns.

With the classic Chiavari reborn, this time with an innovative slant to accommodate its audience, Compose has succeeded in creating a flourishing range of wedding chairs, each encouraging bespoke alteration.

Hosting a collection of four pivotal chairs to choose from, over 100 fabric and leatherette options, amassed with 14 exclusive frame colours and the choice of a wood-effect finish on a robust aluminium frame, Compose has revealed a tailor-made solution, enabling any establishment to create a breath-taking centrepiece, effortlessly tying together the theme of the day.

The modern wedding has become less about tradition and more about achieving a tailored look that amplifies an illustrious identity. The year ahead will see an unrivalled level of maturity making its debut, where couples are already well-versed in regard to their own taste.

Creating a venue that immediately captivates and converts the audience is of upmost priority. Composing the perfect wedding chair, will not only heighten the instantaneous level of eternal guest appreciation, it has the ability to place any venue to the very top of a capacious bridal checklist.

Compose Courtly Chair; bespoke frame and leatherette finish, with detailed button design, pictured in Step House Hotel, Co.Carlow

Sustainability in foodservice served up at

Best Sustainable Food Product: Manor Farm in conjunction with Farmers to Market

Pictured are Matthew O’Gorman, Manor Farm; Maurice Bergin, IFSA’s judge and Charles Smith, Farmers to Market

Best Sustainable Packaging Product: the Eighty9 Reusable Coffee Tins from J.J.Darboven Ireland

Pictured is Graham Mongey, Managing Director J.J.Darboven Ireland

GREEN products and services were high on the agenda at Food & Bev Live, which took place at the Citywest Conference Centre in February. The inaugural Irish Foodservice Supplier Awards - themed around ‘Innovation for a sustainable future’ - were created by the Irish Foodservice Suppliers Alliance (IFSA) as a vehicle to highlight the foodservice industry’s response to the very real environmental crisis.

Acknowledged as having the ‘Best Sustainable Packaging Product’, J. J. Darboven Ireland was awarded for its the Eighty9 Reusable Coffee Tins. Manor Farm in conjunction with Farmers to Market took home the title of ‘Best Sustainable Food Product’ for its FreeRange Chicken Thigh Burger.

Marco Beverage Systems was awarded both winner and highly commented in the ‘Energy efficiency innovation in light catering equipment’ category. Its MARCO MIX UC3 + 3 BUTTON FONT was named as the winner with MARCO FRIIA highly commended.

The Synergy Trilogy grill, available from both Bunzl McLaughlin and Broderick Bros Ltd, was named as the best ‘Energy efficiency innovation in heavy catering equipment’ with the judges commenting that the Synergy Grill can “reduce energy consumption by up to 60% against competitors, delivering an excellent return on investment, which both reduces a business’s cost and supports a carbon footprint reduction.”

Energy Efficiency Innovation in Heavy Catering Equipment: Synergy Grill – available in Ireland from Bunzl McLaughlin and Broderick Bros Ltd

Pictured are IFSA’s judges Keith Warren, Maurice Bergin and Guillaume Oates with Ken Lynch Sales Manager at Broderick Bros Ltd

The winners were selected from a shortlist of entries by participating in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ format on Monday 3rd February. Finalists presented their sustainable products and services to an expert panel including Maurice Bergin, Managing Director, Green Hospitality Programme; Brian Walsh, Packaging Technologist, Repak; Keith Warren, Director FEA – Foodservice Equipment Association UK; Tony McGuigan, Head of Procurement and F&B Projects, Dalata Hotel Group PLC and Guillaume Oates, GFD Associates - Independent Foodservice Design Consultants.

Pallas Foods was named as ‘National Foodservice Supplier of the Year’, with Jinny’s Bakery awarded ‘Local /

IFSA Award Winners

Direct Foodservice Supplier of the Year’ in an industry vote in which over 2,000 foodservice professionals cast their vote.

Commenting on the calibre of entries to the inaugural awards, Chair of the judges, Maurice Bergin from the Green Hospitality Programme adds: “IFSA created these awards to acknowledge product and service innovation, and sustainability, within the foodservice industry, and the response from suppliers has been impressive. The winners and finalists have demonstrated a commitment to playing their role in creating a more sustainable and energy efficient future, and innovation and NPD is central in driving technology forward.

“This is where the foodservice industry, and indeed all businesses, need to focus to ensure growth in the years ahead. This is not a trend, it’s a new business reality. Customers are demanding that all businesses within the supply chain play their part in helping everyone live more sustainable lives.”

To view the shortlist, or for more information on the winners, please see www.IFSA.eu.com/events

After its incredibly successful lunch at Food & Bev Live 2020, the IFSA’s return to showcase more of the Irish foodservice Industry’s innovation at CATEX 2021. For more information visit www. catexexhibition.com

Energy Efficiency Innovation in Heavy Catering Equipment: Synergy Grill – available in Ireland from Bunzl McLaughlin and Broderick Bros Ltd

Pictured are IFSA’s judges Keith Warren, Maurice Bergin and Guillaume Oates with Fra Martin, Sales Manager at Bunzl McLaughlin

National Foodservice Supplier of the Year: Pallas Foods

Pictured are Joanne Cunningham and Patrick Clement from Pallas Foods

Local/Direct Foodservice Supplier of the Year: Jinny’s Bakery

Pictured are Pascal and Grace Gillard from Jinny's Bakery with Maurice Bergin, IFSA’s Judge (centre)

Best Energy Efficiency Innovation in Light Catering Equipment: MARCO MIX UC3 + 3 BUTTON FONT by Marco Beverage Systems

Pictured are Guillaume Oates, IFSA’s judge; Shane Pender, Marco Beverage Systems and Maurice Bergin, IFSA’s judge

Why did you become a Chef?

KITCHEN CULTURE

Meet the chefs & teams of Ireland’s professional kitchens, with Chef Network

The Chef Network community brings together chefs at all levels from all sectors across Ireland. In a Hotel & Restaurant Times regular column we meet some members and hear from them what inspires and motivates them, their career challenges and opportunities, and how they believe we can improve the industry.

In this edition, we meet Glen Wheeler, Chef and Owner of 28 Darling Street in Co. Fermanagh

I actually fell into the whole thing honestly. When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a barman. I wanted to work front of house and be in behind the bar, talking to people. At 15 I got my first parttime job and that really effected my schoolwork. My grades started to suffer and when I told my career guidance teacher that I wanted to become a plumber he told me to jog on. When he found out my grades were low due to the part-time job, he told me to apply for a position in the local hotel up in the town. I found that I really did enjoy working in hospitality and ended up going into a Catering & Hospitality course here in Enniskillen. My 1st year in the course I had no interest, I wanted to work behind the bar and that was that. In one of our first lectures, Neven Maguire came into the class to speak to us. I met with Neven and later in my 2nd year he asked me to come and work for him on a trial basis, and that’s pretty much how it all started.

What was your path to where you are today?

Starting my trials in Neven’s kitchen was where it all started for me really. Neven wanted me to learn everything he knew, and his enthusiasm was infectious. I grew up in MacNean House. I really did start at the bottom, when I first went into the kitchen, I didn’t know any of the basics, I didn’t know how to peel a carrot or cook an egg, but I began to learn. MacNean House would close every January as a break and that’s when I’d really step up. I decided to spend all of January going on different stages around the world. I've done work experience in some of the best restaurants around, such as Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, Noma in Copenhagen, Alinea in Chicago, The Ledbury in London and so many others. I’d come back into the kitchen refreshed and ready to put into practice what I’d learned. The advice I’d always give to anyone looking to do this, is that you’re committing your life to this profession, so why wouldn’t you want to be the best. Go and learn from others and take that back to your own kitchen.

My career really developed under Neven. I came through the ranks in his kitchen, I worked my way up and eventually was promoted to head chef of the kitchen at only 24. Neven was brilliant to us, we’d eat out often as a team, he’d even bring us across the world to eat at different restaurants and learn from other chefs. He flew us to Barcelona, Paris and other amazing cities just to learn and grow.

Eventually I decided that I wanted to try things out for myself and set up my own restaurant. Five years ago, I did just that. It’s been a tough road, but I’ve enjoyed the journey and learning from everyone I meet.

What’s the most important ingredient in your success to date? Hard Work. Literally.

Tell us about the team you work with When I worked with Neven, I had a team of 17 working with me in the kitchen. Now that I’m in my own place there’s only 2 of us working in the kitchen itself. My and my brother-in-law, Paul.

Paul also started work with Neven. He began in the kitchen when he was 12. He’s quite a particular person, so when he’d come into the kitchen we’d give him little jobs to start off with, he’d learn to do them really well and then move onto something new, building his way up to bigger dishes. Now, I don’t know anybody who can cook fish like Paul, he’s fantastic.

“ We treat everyone like family "

We’ve a very small team here in 28 Darling Street. There’s about 14-15 of us all together. We’re all friends here. We’ve definitely tried to build that bond with the team. Everyone is involved with all the tastings and training that we do. We treat everyone like family, that’s something I’ve brought from Neven’s kitchen. It’s a high-pressure environment, but I think if everyone enjoys working together then everything runs smoother.

Have you seen a negative side of the industry in your experience? I think every industry sees a negative side. Of course, in the past there’s been incidents, thankfully I do believe that it’s a thing of the past. It’s not allowed anymore. You can’t afford to treat your staff poorly. There’s such a demand for chefs at the moment that if you want to keep your staff, you need to treat them well. If people don’t want to work for you, they don’t have to.

We have a small team here, and we treat everyone like family. Work-life balance is a really important thing to us here as well. We work 4 days a week and take the other 3 days off, letting our staff have a social life and come back into work refreshed.

The Chef Network Kitchen Charter aims to create a positive and nurturing work environment in kitchens, which point(s) on the charter do you feel are most important and how do you implement these in your own kitchen/business?

I think the key principle for me, would have to be ‘Giving back to the Chef Community’. We need to ensure the future of our industry. I can’t understand this not wanting to share your recipes and knowledge with the younger chefs. We should encourage the young chefs to get involved. It’ll lead to a more exciting future for the industry.

I used to do some teaching in the college here, I loved going into the students and showing them new skills and techniques. I think I’d like to go back to doing that again in the future. Being able to teach someone and give them confidence in what they do is a fantastic feeling and something we need to do more of.

What’s the most important lesson you have learned about being a leader in the kitchen?

Organisation is key. As the saying goes ‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail’, it really is true.

I became a head chef quite young, and so I had to learn quickly what was expected and needed from me in the kitchen. I went on different stages to try and see how other head chefs handled the pressure in the kitchen and what they did that I could learn from. The main thing that it kept coming back to for me was working smarter, not harder and being organised. You don’t want to constantly be chasing your tail. You need to get ahead of the game and be prepared.

BEING A CHEF….

What I love most is…. The buzz of the kitchen and the learning, you’re always learning.

What makes me most proud is…Owning my own restaurant and being able to cook my own dishes & recipes.

The most difficult thing I have had to face is…Definitely taking part in the ‘Great British Menu’, that was tougher than opening up my own restaurant.

The most rewarding thing I’ve done is…Opening my own restaurant I have learned that…Anything is possible

The key skills or traits to have in this job are…Dedication, hard work, a willingness to learn and loyalty

We can create a better workplace by…being nice to each other One small change I’d like to see is…more workshops for chefs. I think what Chef Network and Food on the Edge are doing is brilliant, chefs get to meet and exchange stories & network. I remember driving home from Food on the Edge dizzy from everything I’d learned, it was unbelievable. We definitely work in the best industry!

My advice to chefs starting out is…Aim for the top and always work for people that respect you.

My advice to chefs trying to progress their career…Stay Humble. Don’t get over-confident. Do stages, you can always learn something new, we’re always learning.

My advice to any chef opening up their own place…Be patient. Stick to the plan you set out and stick to what you believe.

My greatest mentor has been…Neven Maguire

My biggest inspiration is… My 2 young girls; Mitzi & Marlie –I like to bring them into the kitchen when we’re closed if I have prep work to do, they make it all worthwhile and their people skills are second to none!

My favourite place to eat is…The Greenhouse

My favourite thing to eat is…The Lobster Ravioli from Restaurant Gordon Ramsey

My favourite dish on our menu is…Our Salt Baked Beetroot, Creamed Goat cheese & Organic Salad

My favourite piece of kit is…My knives, I don’t think they ever leave my hands!

Something I’d still like to learn is…How to brew my own beer

How to keep/attract staff? Treat them like family. You want your team to enjoy working with you and be able tot learn while they’re there. The staff you have are the most important element in your business, if they’re happy, your customer is happy!

The Chef Network Stage Listing

We recently launched our latest initiative, the Chef Network Stage Listing, supported by Nespresso Professional.

This is the next step in our work towards creating a more positive ‘Kitchen Culture’, with an emphasis on promoting learning and development in kitchens and collaboration and openness across the profession.

The project aims to establish contact between kitchens and chefs eager to learn. The listing, hosted on the Chef Network website offers stages in a variety of kitchens of different sizes and sectors, and is now open for industry kitchens to sign up as stage hosts. It allows chefs currently working in the industry, as well as student chefs, the opportunity to easily see which kitchens across Ireland are open to accepting stages, while also providing a platform to connect with them and begin training. Go to www.chefnetwork.ie to register to be a stage host kitchen or to arrange a stage in one of the almost 30 kitchens across Ireland already listed.

A Taste of Success Served up at 2020

“With the addition of new features, National competitions, and the launch of the Irish Foodservice Suppliers Awards we had high hopes for this year’s event, and Food & Bev Live 2020 has exceeded all our expectations!” comments Patrick Clement, IFSA Chairman.

Thousands of visitors poured through the doors at Citywest, Dublin to visit Food & Bev Live 2020. With hundreds of exhibitors under one roof, the event attracted representatives from across the foodservice, hospitality, and speciality retail sectors.

Patrick Clement adds: “We have worked hard on this show for the past two years. Our goal was to make Food & Bev Live as good as it could be and the energy and atmosphere over the two days was incredible.

“In the build up to the sold-out event, the signs were very positive, and we are thrilled to hear exhibitors are reporting that major deals have been done.”

Exhibitors’ efforts to showcase their businesses in the best possible manner really added vibrancy to the event and for visitors, not only did they get to sample the very best food and drink on offer, they saw first-hand innovative new products; witnessed new business ideas and saw some of the industry’s finest compete live in the kitchens.

A highlight of the show was the introduction of The Irish Foodservice Suppliers Awards (The IFSA’s) which were created to provide a platform for both fledging and established business owners to showcase sustainable and viable innovations in the industry.

Pallas Foods was named as ‘National Foodservice Supplier of the Year’, with Jinny’s Bakery awarded ‘Local / Direct Foodservice Supplier of the Year’ in an industry poll in which over 2,000 foodservice professionals cast their vote.

Acknowledged as having the ‘Best Sustainable Packaging Product’, J. J. Darboven Ireland was awarded for its the Eighty9 Reusable Coffee Tins. Manor Farm in conjunction with Farmers to Market took home the award of ‘Best Sustainable Food Product’ for its Free-Range Chicken Thigh Burger.

Sarah Hannaway, 2020 Avonmore Irish Barista of the Year

Marco Beverage Systems was awarded both winner and highly commended in the ‘Energy Efficiency Innovation in Light Catering Equipment’ category. Its MARCO MIX UC3 + 3 BUTTON FONT was named as the winner with MARCO FRIIA highly commended.

The Synergy Trilogy grill, available from both Bunzl McLaughlin and Broderick Bros Ltd, was named as the best ‘Energy Efficiency Innovation in Heavy Catering Equipment’ with the judges commenting that the Synergy Grill can “reduce energy consumption by up to 60% against competitors, delivering an excellent return on investment, which both reduces a business’s cost and supports a carbon footprint reduction.”

Commenting on the calibre of entries to the inaugural awards, Chair of the judges, Maurice Bergin from the Green Hospitality Programme adds: “IFSA created these awards to acknowledge product and service innovation, and sustainability, within the foodservice industry, and the response from suppliers has been impressive. The winners and finalists have demonstrated a commitment to playing their role in creating a more sustainable and energy efficient future, and innovation and NPD is central in driving technology forward.

“This is where the foodservice industry, and indeed all businesses, need to focus their efforts to ensure growth in the years ahead. This is not a trend, it’s a new business reality. Customers are demanding that all businesses within the supply chain play their part in helping everyone live more sustainable lives.”

For more information on the shortlist and further information on the winners, visit: www.IFSA.eu.com

During the exhibition, rising stars in the industry were identified, new champions in their field were awarded and renowned industry experts were recognised for their contribution to this diverse sector. Food & Bev Live was Ireland’s showcase for local excellence and across the two days’ top awards were given to those who excelled in their fields:

The 2020 National Cocktail Championship, organised by the Bartenders Association of Ireland and sponsored by Edward Dillion & Co Ltd, was won by Michael Liss, with his delectable drink entitled ‘Summer Classico 2020’.

Michael, who beat off stiff competition from Ireland’s most talented and creative mixologists, will now go on to represent Ireland at the World Cocktail Championships in St. Petersburgh, Russia later in the year.

Sarah Hannaway, from Bailies Coffee Roasters stirred it up to be named 2020 Avonmore Irish Barista of the Year. As Irish Barista Champion, Sarah will go on to represent Ireland in the World Barista Championships in Melbourne. Renata Khedun, won the second major barista prize at Food & Bev Live, to be crowned Avonmore Irish Latté Art Champion 2020. Scoring an incredible mark, Renata will be representing Ireland at the World Latté Art Championship in Warsaw, Poland in June 2020.

One of the main events - the Chef Ireland Competitions – was oversubscribed with hundreds of student and culinary chefs taking part, and many spectators cheering on their favourites. Taking home one of the biggest awards was Croke Park chef Nadine Blount, who was named Aramark Ireland Chef of the Year 2020. Nadine won out over seven other talented finalists during the live cook off.

Andrea Ivano Cannarata, was named the winner of Ireland’s first National Pizza Championships, in association with the Associazione Pizzerie Italiane (API).

Also new for the February show, Food & Bev Live partnered with The European Tea Society, bringing the first-ever national qualifying round of the Tea Masters Cup to Ireland. Arvind Khedun from Cloud Picker Coffee Roasters was named 2020 Irish Tea Masters Cup Champion. He will go on to represent Ireland in South East Asia at the World Tea Master’s Cup later on this year.

Chef Network was a hub of activity at Food & Bev Live with networking and conversations that provided visitors with insights into the latest issues affecting the Irish food and drink market. Major food and drink industry topics were covered including calorie counting and a discussion around food waste.

Food & Bev Live took place on the 4th and 5th February 2020 at the Citywest, Dublin. Organised by the industry for the industry, Food & Bev Live is back in 2022!

PLANS FOR 2021: Next year, CATEX returns! Taking place on the 16-18 February 2021 at the RDS, Simmonscourt, CATEX is THE trade event for the food, drink and hospitality industry. Register your interest now – www. catexexhibition.com

Arvind Khedun, 2020 Irish Tea Masters Cup Champion

Michael Liss, 2020 National Cocktail Champion

Successful Selling

The Psychology of Successful Selling

By Conor Kenny

If you behave like a salesperson, you’ll look like a salesperson. If you think like a customer, you’ll make the sale. But, be warned, pretending to think like a customer is not thinking like a customer.

It would be wonderful if the sales conversation was like a predictable and reliable German machine. It’s not, because selling is an art form delivered by people and people are often conflicted by their own perception, thoughts and imagination. This means that different people, selling the same product or service, will interpret an identical situation in different ways. That will forever challenge consistency of delivery and inconsistency is the death of a brand.

What’s Your Brand?

A brand is an illusion in many ways. Many evolve, many are invented but a brand stands for something and especially in the customers mind.

The selling style, the promises the brand makes, the integrity of those promises, the language, the delivery and the behaviour, all matter and all must tie together. So the question to think about first is ‘What impact is your sales person having on your customer and therefore, your brand?’

Do you know or do you think you know?

Stop Pretending

False humility is not humility. Pretending to be anything will quickly sink your sale. Everyone likes to be liked but think on those awful over sincere “I really do understand” superficial empathetic remarks and the plastic smile? No. Both will fail, both will be seen through and the opposite, true humility, real empathy and genuine sincerity, will always build trust.

If you can’t build trust, you can’t go anywhere.

Trust Me

Many years ago, The Sunday Times had a wonderful article. You didn’t even need to read it to understand it, the story was in the headline. It said “Beware the man who says trust me”.

Many of our instincts evolved in the jungle. The art of survival meant the need to quickly assess if some other being was a threat or an ally. In an instant, we look, process and judge. But, we are not always right. Without realising it, warning signs trigger something deep inside us. Ultimately, that instinct or intuition comes down to one word – trust. It’s never bestowed, it’s always earned and the latter emerges from a complex series of signals, behaviours, words and actions.

The sales person who, with the best will in the world, says “trust me” is probably doing the very opposite.

Emotional Creatures

Our emotions separate us from the animal kingdom, especially the power of our imagination. Some selling is tangible, like a product. Some conceptual, like a service or idea. What you sell only ever falls into one of two categories – an emotional sale, a practical sale.

For example, buying fuel for your car is practical. Booking a wedding venue is emotional.

If you mismatch a practical response to an emotional need or vice versa, you’ll fail.

You need to know which elements of your business marry with which approach and, your marketing needs to match your message and then my need.

What Are You Trying to Say?

When you ask business leaders a very simple question such as ‘What’s your message?’ many will drown into a confused response. In their confusion stress builds. Stress leads to panic and panic to one common outcome and that is to keep going and all that does is confuse even more.

From a customer’s point of view, it is not about discovering the next WB Yeats, it’s about one word only – that is that they ‘understand’. They simply have to understand what you are trying to get across. Many times I have quoted this but it is a great reminder for you and what you’re trying to convey. It should be pinned to the wall of every marketing lead’s desk:

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place” – George Bernard Shaw

Communicating effectively, and the clear goal of customers understanding what you’re saying, can easily misguide and can easily be corrected. The mistake is to plough on regardless in the false belief that ‘it will do’. It won’t.

You’re

All the Same!

When someone is angry, it’s a common outburst “You’re all the same”. It’s so common that we probably don’t pause enough to reflect on the hidden meaning behind an overused, common cliché. If we are all the same or, worse still, more of the same, why should I bother shifting to you?

Customers aren’t interested in ‘your competitors’. Customers are interested in what your alternative proposition is.

Imagine if every garage sold exactly the same car, in the same colour and at the same price. The only difference was that they had different brand names. What would this do for a customer? 2 things. First, give them every reason not to change. Secondly, waste their time. Your goal, to appeal to any customer, is to be an ‘alternative’, that means, a distinct, viable option. Now look at the automobile market once more. Their cars all do the same job but they have focused their message and marketing – always – on being an alternative or, if you like, ‘a different option’.

Which are you? Isn’t it worth seeing what way the compass is pointed?

We Won

I have yet to meet someone who enjoys losing anything. Losing a football match. Losing their job. Losing an engagement ring. Losing does not rock and roll.

When sales people run into the office proclaiming “We won” by its very nature, the implication is that somebody lost. Worse still, it was a game, a competition or simply a contest. Even the language is gladiatorial.

A good deal has to be a good deal for both parties equally. Winning suggests defeat and the goal should never be to win or lose but simply to draw.

Objections

The very nature of sales people is that they like cheerful, dynamic, positive environments and, if asked, they’ll often say “I like to help people”. However, there’s a danger that helping really means ‘pleasing’. In itself that’s noble but the flip side can mean – avoiding confrontation. Or, in a sales context, chasing down the hidden and overt objections. Sometimes, denial is easier and we can avoid our intuition telling us that there is an unsatisfied objection.

This is far more common than many admit. Why? Because it’s back to our own calibration, our own conditioning, inner conflicts and outlook.

But, great sales people are the role, not themselves. Theatre calls this ‘going into character’.

The answer is never to say “Get on with it and stop shirking your responsibility to chase the objection”. That simply creates more fear. Instead, teach them how to go into character.

Follow Up

Sales people like the chase, the hunt. That’s great but every skill has a flip side. Commonly, they are as unexcited about follow up compared to the adrenalin of nearing their sale.

As a customer, what do we do if we are clearly expressing interest? The answer, of course, is we expect the sales person to follow up. But let me finish back where we started.

If your follow up really translates into “I’m calling to see if you’re giving me the business” then you’ll be seen as an annoying mercenary. On the other hand, if your follow up does 3 things then you’ll rapidly increase your conversion rate.

First, do it, most don’t bother. You’re already ahead of the curve. Second, your follow up should be built around a clear short summary and understanding of what my need or problem is and, how you intend fixing it.

Third, don’t waste my time or yours, follow up is expected but you will only be a trusted source if every time you get in touch, you add information. That’s what we mean by adding value. Do you?

Emotionally Speaking

Below is how we talk. It proves just how emotional our decision making really is and how much we make decisions based on all the nonmeasurable thoughts. The psychological, if you like.

“I didn’t like him”

“She didn’t listen”

“He never did follow up”

“She was winging it”

“I didn’t trust him”

“He was so nice”

“I liked her”

“He was cheerful from start to finish”

“She really knows her stuff”

“I’d definitely trust him”

This is how we relay an experience. This is word of mouth. And what do they all have in common?

Of course, these comments, in many ways, are irrelevant to the transaction. But we are humans dealing with humans and that’s why we must understand people, psychology, emotions and motives a little bit more if you are to have more successful sales.

Decisions, Decisions

The fine art of selling is a series of fast flowing decisions. The dynamic is constant and our responses need to adjust.

And what are these things we call decisions?

“Decision making and problem solving are not the same. To solve a problem, one needs to find a solution. To make a decision, one needs to make a choice.”

- Michael J. Marx,

Great selling is a huckle buck between the too.

Conor Kenny is the Principal of Conor Kenny & Associates, a professional development, training and direct consultancy company, (Best Professional development Consultancy 2018 – Irish Enterprise Awards) specialising in developing your people, performance and business.

His own expertise is writing and delivering high sales skills workshops and his first book, acclaimed by The Irish Times. His first book ‘How to Sell’ has since been followed by 2 further books; It’s Who I Am (2017) – Irish Times Best Business Books of the Year. Dancing at the Fountain (2016) – Irish Examiner Best Business Books of the Year.

Guest engagement: Why it’s important to offer more than just a great room

Customer expectations have raised dramatically in recent years, with more pressure than ever before to deliver something beyond a great room at an affordable price. The overcrowded online market has given us all access to so many more properties than ever before, making it even more important to make your hotel stand head and shoulders above the competition.

From crafting clear and concise descriptions of your hotel, and its various features, through to offering attractive incentives for returning customers, there are numerous ways you can attract new guests and boost your repeat bookings.

Optimised Content Online

Without putting quality photos and helpful descriptions of your hotel and its amenities online, you stand the chance of falling at the first hurdle. Not only will poor photography and content likely turn off potential guests, but you also stand less chance of ranking on the first page of search engines. That means your potential audience may not even be able to find your site if your content is lacklustre.

Here are our tips on creating content that’s both useful and eye-catching:

• Write copy that’s comprehensive and easy to digest, so that guests know exactly what they can expect from their room. Details like the size of the bed or those all-important extra touches, such as Netflix or Egyptian cotton sheets, could seal the deal.

• Make sure photography is professional and appropriate for the type of room it’s being displayed under. Remember to add alt tags, which allow photos to rank in image searches.

• Make sure your website copy includes keywords relevant to your hotel, and that you know your potential customers search for. Use Google Ads if you’re looking for inspiration on this.

• Optimising your content for mobile has never been more important, with more customers than ever before browsing and booking on the go.

• Keep your content up to date, ensuring both copy and imagery reflect any significant changes or refurbishments at your hotel.

Intuitive online booking system

It goes without saying that your website needs to be smooth and intuitive across the board, especially when it comes to your online booking system. Whether there’s too many steps, slow page loading time, or unclear content, a low-quality system could have your guests booking via a third-party, or worse still, with a competitor.

Our Direct booking Manager (DBM) is a mobile-first platform designed to make things easier for your guests, and has all the required features to make the whole process a piece of cake. Key features include a comprehensive and swift payment system, the ability to integrate with other platforms such as Google Tag Manager, and performance tracking to help you spot trends.

Offer flexible payment

Flexibility is key when it comes to taking guest payments. As well as being able to pay online via credit card, debit card, or PayPal, allowing guests to pay over the phone or in person at check-in, allows customers to pay on their terms.

Focus on experiences

Providing excellent customer service and a great room is more or less expected these days, so it’s important to offer something more unique that your guests will remember you for. A great way to achieve this is by offering experiences or services that are exclusive to your hotel, be they food-driven, or based around activities in the local area.

Guest Experience

Here are a few things some of the Ireland’s more forwardthinking hotels are offering to raise their game:

Breaffy House Hotel

4* Breaffy House Hotel and 3* Breaffy Woods Hotel are set on 90 acres in the heart of County Mayo. From innovative creative writing breaks with international poets and artists to their famed Bingo getaways and wine tasting celebration dinners with award winning winery families, Breaffy House is unique in its entertainment offering to all guests.

The Brehon

With their ‘In line with tradition, in tune with today’ moto, The Brehon Hotel in stunning Killarney celebrates their guests with unique accommodation packages including a specially created ‘Taste the Island’ break celebrating the hotel’s creative kitchen team and love of locally sourced produce and their ‘Flying solo’ package that expertly caters for one guardian travelling with children and includes bundles of adventure and a visit to the hotel’s magical Fairytrail garden.

Glenroyal Hotel

With kids and families in mind, Glenroyal Hotel in Co. Kildare recently unveiled their newly painted walkway to the hotel’s family swimming pool. Like a scene from a movie it creatively captures colourful fishes and sea life, fuelling little guest’s imaginations. Plus, their ‘Little Adventurer’ package brings the outdoor camping experience into the comfort of the hotel’s family rooms with handmade tepees and goodies

The little touches

It might be a bit of a cliché, but the little details really do make a big difference. You’d be surprised how something as simple as offering customers a thoughtful gift, or something unexpected, can really boost your image. Here are some of the things you can do:

• Offer a free room upgrade.

• Leave complimentary chocolate, local beer, or wine in the room.

• Take time to offer good advice on where to eat and what to see in the local area.

• Offer a turn down service.

Incentives to return

Once you’ve charmed your guests with the wow-factor throughout their stay, why not give them an extra incentive to return? By getting to know them during their time in your hotel, you should have a pretty good idea of how to entice them back. Here are some of the things you might want to consider:

• Offer them a voucher code for a discount on their next stay.

• Offer a deal on an appropriate forthcoming event, be it a Valentine’s weekend stay, food and gin pairing event, or bank holiday break.

• Take contact details and ask if you can email future incentives.

• Ask them to leave you a review on Trip Advisor, and don’t forget to respond with a comment.

• Offer a ‘Recommend a Friend’ discount, because word of mouth really is priceless.

With so many ways to go above and beyond, the difference between good and great is all about maximising every opportunity to impress your guests. From providing a slick website to offering unique experiences and free room upgrades, there are plenty of things you can do from the beginning of the process right to the very end.

Killarney's Castlerosse Park Resort

Celebrates Four Star Status with Significant Investment, Extensive Rebrand and Launch of its 'Green Agenda"

Castlerosse Park Resort, famed for its sublime surroundings of Killarney National Park, Lakes of Killarney and the mountain peaks of McGillycuddy Reeks, is announcing its completion of an extensive rebrand. Spanning a 12-month period and following a €1.5 million investment, the rebrand celebrates the resort’s recent receipt of Fáilte Ireland’s four-star status and the launch of its ‘Green Agenda’, which over time will see the resort become fully sustainable.

Castlerosse Park Resort is ideally located on the shores of the Lower Lake, a leisurely 30-minute walk from Killarney Town Centre through Killarney National Park. The resort, formerly known as Castlerosse Hotel & Holiday Homes is home to a 120-bedroom hotel plus 39 two-bedroom 4-star golf lodges and holiday homes. The rebrand to Castlerosse Park Resort better encompasses the exceptional accommodation and leisure facilities available at the location, from the leisure club, spa and 9-hole golf course to children’s play areas, bike rentals and its acclaimed Grosvenor Restaurant and Mulligans Bar & Lakeview. Whilst the resort always aspired to offer four-star service, following several recent physical and service improvements, this has now been formally recognised by Fáilte Ireland.

Throughout 2020, the resort will embark on a ‘Green Agenda’ that in time will transition the resort to becoming fully sustainable and help to reduce its carbon footprint. This will include an aggressive four step plan, showcasing the resorts full commitment to ecotourism and its preservation of picturesque Killarney National Park. Focus will be on Water Conservation, including sourcing the resort’s water needs from a 60m deep well on the grounds of the property. Recycling and Waste will introduce recycle bins, a commitment to reduce waste to landfill and a ‘pledge on plastic’. Green Energy is already in place in all 39 holiday homes and the introduction of heat pumps and solar panels elsewhere will greatly reduce the resort’s dependence on fossil fuels. Plus, the resort is currently creating a 100% organic Herb & Biodiversity Garden, which the kitchen team will use in various dishes served in the resort’s Grosvenor Restaurant and Mulligans Bar.

“For the last few years we have been considering bringing about a change in how we do business at the resort. Given our lush and beautifully scenic environment and vast amounts of wildlife, we wanted to take every measure possible to ensure that we protect its future for the next generation, hence the introduction of our ‘Green Agenda’, an agenda we’ve been researching and introducing for some time. In addition, we’ve been investing in our property and services to bring about an all-encompassing four-star ‘resort’, with many accommodation offerings and activities for all. Killarney itself is an extraordinary town that plays host to award-winning tourism hotspots including the Gap of Dunloe, over 25,000 acres of breath-taking ecology at Killarney National Park and endless scenic walking routes to internationally famed golf courses, exceptional restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. It attracts high volumes of domestic and international tourism business each year with something to offer everyone from families and the active outdoor adventurer to couples and golden years.”

Con Horgan, Proprietor of Castlerosse Park Resort says:

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