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November/December 2011 - Volume 44, Number 11
34 22
25 40 42 FEATURES 12 OUTLOOK Looking up in 2012
16 COVER STORY Aramark returns to growth 19 TRENDS Casual dining powers ahead 22 HOTELS Castle Macroom at 60 25 YOUNG CHEF The search for a star 42 FIVE MINUTES WITH... Mark Walker
FREE WITH THIS ISSUE: The G old Colle
FOOD & DRINK 31 FESTIVE IDEAS Christmas menus and cocktails
The Gold Medal ction Awards Class of 2011
37 INGREDIENTS A zest for oranges 38 WHISKEY BAR The Four Seasons 40 SEASONS Sprouts about
PLUS 06 NEWS & 04 VIEWS
EDITOR Sarah Grennan DESIGNER Jeannie Swan CONTRIBUTORS Marilyn Bright Commercial MANAGER Gavin Cassidy PRODUCTION Jim Heron CIRCULATION & EVENTS Nicola Hickey ADMIN Marian Donohoe, Josie Keane MANAGING DIRECTOR Simon Grennan CHAIRMAN Frank Grennan Printing: SPS, Wicklow HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW is published by JEMMA PUBLICATIONS Broom House, 65 Mulgrave Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, t: 01 214 7920, f: 01 214 7950, e: sales@jemma.ie, w: www.hotelandcateringreview.ie, www.jemma.ie © No part of Hotel & Catering Review may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form without the prior permission of Jemma Publications. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Hotel & Catering Review or Jemma Publications. ISSN: 0332-4400 SUBSCRIBE For annual subscription rates visit our website www.hotelandcateringreview.ie
THE 23 rd ANNUAL HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW GOLD MEDAL AWARDS
2011 EDITION
Category Winners A Word from the Judges Golden Glamour How to Strike Gold
HAYFIELD’S MIDAS TOUCH CORK’S FIVE STAR MANOR SCOOPS HOSPITALITY’S HIGHEST ACCOLADE
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ OCTOBER 2011
EDITOR’S LETTER
Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons at the launch of the agency’s marketing plans in The CCD
Jumping Into 2012 I
found myself going for a wander, mug of much craved coffee in hand, prior to the launch of Tourism Ireland’s marketing plans at the Convention Centre Dublin in November and in the process nearly walked smack into our Minister for Transport, Tourism and other miscellaneous departments. (He must think I’m rather odd at this stage – at World Travel Market in London he found me crouched on the floor trying to surreptitiously charge my ailing mobile in Tourism Ireland’s private suite.) The truth was I had to escape from the omniscient doom in the press room where gathered hacks waiting for a briefing from Minister Varadkar and Tourism Ireland chief Niall Gibbons were left
to their own devices. After mulling over the feral cat problem in Clontarf (who knew?), which Ministers drive a Skoda, the legacy of Bertie Ahern (lots of closet jokes there), and the impending Budget, the topic predictably settled on the spiralling euro crisis and a word which – gasp – we dare not type but which begins with a D
in comparison to 2010’s disastrous outing where snow, ash clouds and other weapons in Mother Nature’s arsenal of destruction wreaked havoc with Irish tourism. It is interesting to note that Tourism Ireland’s targeted growth is twice that predicted by Tourism Economics, the crew which forecasts for the WTO. It
‘The 4.5% increase is going to be difficult with the possibility of a recession in our major markets. But it is better to have an ambitious target and to fail than not to try at all.’
- Minister Leo Varadkar
and sounds a lot like recession (except far, far worse). It was at this point I took my leave. Listening to morning talk radio, watching Prime Time or The Front Line, and writing continually about ‘the current economic challenges’ can take its toll even on the most optimistic of scribes. But whatever happens with the euro (and seriously, who can tell? By the time you read this we could be welcoming back the punt) it is clear that we have another tough year ahead of us. However morbid the media coverage and dinner party chatter gets, at least Tourism Ireland is looking forward with optimism to the year ahead. It is projecting a 4.5% growth in visitor numbers in 2012. This may be half the growth rate estimated for 2011, but remember that 9% increase is Stills from the new ‘Jump into Ireland’ campaign
anticipates a 2.6% growth for Ireland in the year ahead. ‘But quite frankly, that’s not good enough,’ quipped Tourism Ireland boss Niall Gibbons at the agency’s presentation to the industry in Dublin. Tourism Ireland’s targeted 4.5% in total visitor numbers includes plans for an ambitious 6% rise in overseas holidaymakers travelling to Ireland. And in terms of what really matters – cold, hard cash – the agency is hoping for an 8% boost in revenue. At a time when volumes are holding relatively steady but spend is on a downward spiral in the domestic market, such significant revenue gains would be good news indeed. Minister Leo Varadkar may not be quite so optimistic or enthusiastic as his team in Tourism Ireland however. Perhaps a seat at the Cabinet table gives him a clearer view inside the crystal ball and he doesn’t like what he sees. While doing his best to be
Minister Leo Varadkar at The CCD
upbeat – he does a good line in delivering bad news but making it sound positive – he conceded ‘the 4.5% increase is going to be difficult with the possibility of a recession in our major markets. But it is better to have an ambitious target and to fail than not to try at all.’ Those who need constant reassurance must have felt their pulses quicken at such a candid comment. Nonetheless as the euro teeters dangerously close to the edge of oblivion such recessions – or worse – are a distinct possibility. Trying to accurately predict next year’s performance in the face of another economic armageddon would be an impossible task but, while acknowledging that 2012 is going to be another challenging year, we have to echo Benjamin Franklin views that by failing to prepare, we will ultimately prepare to fail. To read more about Tourism Ireland’s preparations for the year ahead, turn to its spread on page 12 of this issue. It plans to encourage holidaymakers to ‘Jump into Ireland’ when it launches its new advertising campaigns in our main markets next year and we hope that when it tells our potential visitors to jump they will ask ‘how high?’. Four and a half per cent high would be a good place to start, but if they want to go higher, that’s fine by us too.
The campaign was shot on location across Ireland
In the meantime let’s hope someone, somehow finally manages to steady that euro ship. The last thing we need is the ash from the fire of the currency to blow in the direction of Irish tourism.
Editorial:
Sarah Grennan Editor s.grennan@jemma.ie
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NEWS
Growth in Visitor Numbers Slows After a healthy bounce-back in the first seven months of the year, trips to Ireland by overseas visitors decreased by 1% in the period August to October 2011 compared to the same period last year, the Central Statistics Office has reported. In total 1,903,900 people visited Ireland during the three months, down from 1,907,400 in the August to October window in 2010. Trips by residents of North America decreased by 2.5% to 292,300 while trips by residents of Great Britain decreased by 1.7% to 844,600. On the plus side, however, visitors from Other Europe increased by 2.4% to 659,600 and visitors from other areas increased by 2.6%. While year-to-date visitor numbers are still ahead on 2010, the growth has slowed to 7.4% from the double-digit gains recorded earlier in the year. ‘The economic turmoil of recent months has brought increased uncertainty, affecting business and consumer confidence, and in turn, international travel. Given the scale of the challenges facing the global economy right now, travel and tourism look likely to face a fairly cautious passage into 2012,’ reports Tourism Ireland CEO, Niall Gibbons. The marketing agency is confident that Ireland will achieve a 4.5% growth in visitor numbers in the year ahead, however, and predicts that the country will return to a record growth in numbers by 2015 when it is hopes to attract more than nine million visitors to Ireland.
Ryanair Hands Knock a Boost Ryanair has landed in the good books with hoteliers, getting the thumbs up for its decision to bring four new international routes into Ireland West Airport Knock. Launching next April, the new services will feature 20 flights a week, connecting Knock with Barcelona (Girona), Frankfurt (Hahn), Milan (Bergamo) and Paris (Beauvais). Welcoming the announcement, Fergal Ryan, chairman of the Mayo branch of the Irish Hotels Federation, said: ‘the additional routes will give us greater access to key European markets with the prospect of delivering over 500,000 passengers per year’.
- For more about Tourism Ireland’s plans, see page 14.
Continued Funding for Tourism The Government will continue to support capital investment in tourism in order to maintain competitiveness in the sector, Minister of State for Tourism & Sport, Michael Ring, has said, albeit on low-cost projects. ‘The current economic climate means that priority will be given to relatively low-cost projects under the Tourism Capital Investment Programme, especially ones with a focus on outdoor activities. We will concentrate resources on existing attractions, along with the development of key new attractions such as a diaspora centre or museum at national level.’
Europa Honoured as Beacon James McGinn, general manager of The Europa Hotel in Belfast, is pictured accepting the hotel’s Special Achievement Award from host Eamon Holmes and friends at the Northern Ireland Travel & Tourism Awards in Hastings’ Hotel Group’s fellow Slieve Donard Resort. The hotel was honoured for being ‘a beacon in Northern Ireland’s darkest days’.
New Appointments to Tourism Ireland Board Aer Lingus CEO, Christoph Mueller, is among a number of new appointments to the Tourism Ireland board. Transport, Tourism & Sport Minister, Leo Varadkar, made six nominations to the board. They are: • Jim Flannery, former chief executive of the Irish Hotels Federation and former managing director of International Tourism Marketing Ltd; • Shaun Quinn, chief executive of Fáilte Ireland; • John Healy, chairman of Irish Tourism Industry Confederation and director of Abbey Tours; • Christoph Mueller, CEO Aer Lingus; • Elaine Murphy, restaurateur, Winding Stairs Restaurant; • Denis Cregan, chairman, Kerry Airport. The new board will serve for a four-year period until December 2015.
The team at the Kilkenny Ormonde celebrate the hotel’s recent win.
Awards for Ormonde Kilkenny’s Ormonde Hotel has become the first hotel in the country to win an Age Friendly 2011 Award. The Marble City hotel was also honoured for is customer service and was presented with the award for Best Overall Business at Kilkenny’s Chamber Awards.
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
NEWS
IHI Honours Members
Kilkenny chefs launch the Blasta Trail
Kilkenny Has a BlAsta Liam Kavanagh, managing director, The Irish Times; Fergal O’Connell, president IHI; Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar TD; Martin Mangan, general manager, Conrad Dublin and Natasha Kinsella, CEO, Irish Hospitality Institute at the IHI Founders’ Banquet in the Four Seasons Hotel, Dublin.
Conrad Dublin GM, Martin Mangan, was named Hotel Hospitality Manager of the Year at this year’s Irish Hospitality Institute Awards in November. Joining Martin in the winners’ enclosure were Conrad colleague, Shane Downey, who was announced Young Hospitality Manager of the Year; Gillian Chambers in the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Galway, HR Manager of the Year; Martina Flood, catering director with Aviva Stadium, Catering Hospitality Manager of the Year; Lewis Quinn, Shannon College of Hotel Management, Hospitality Graduate of the Year; Andrew Mullen, maintenance manager at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Little Island, Cork, Environmental Manager of the Year; and Nicola Cunningham, front office manager with the Courtyard Hotel in Leixlip, Rooms/Revenue Division Hospitality Manager of the Year. Also honoured on the night were the four new members of the IHI’s College of Fellows. Fellowships were handed to Edward Stephenson, Westbury Hotel, Dublin; Raymond Keaney, Tallaght Institute of Technology; Joe O’Brien, Tullamore Court Hotel and John Brennan, Jurys Inn Group.
Food operators in the Marble City have joined forces to provide ‘Kilkenny’s Blasta Trail’. Inspired by the success of the city’s popular Savour Kilkenny food festival, the Blasta Trail has been developed with support from Fáilte Ireland and sees local restaurants, hotels, cafés and pubs offer a range of Irish tapas or taster dishes featuring local and regional food. ‘By offering visitors to Kilkenny a selection of tastes from local and regional producers, we hope to create new and unforgettable memories of the county and an appreciation of the best which the region offers in quality food,’ said Amanda Horan, Fáilte Ireland in the South East. ‘We literally want to leave a good taste in the mouths of our visitors and ensure that they will have plenty of reasons to return, and indeed recommend Kilkenny to family and friends.’ Businesses taking part in the new trail are offering upwards of three tapas items on their menus on various afternoons and evenings during the week, to allow visitors engage with the experience. Each dish is priced with value for money in mind and many dishes are combined as a sharing platter or paired with a local/Irish beverage for greater value.
No Increase in Dublin Airport Charges
The Dublin Airport Authority has announced proposals not to increase overall airport charges at Dublin Airport next year. ‘Our pricing will be flat next year, which is good news for passengers and for airlines,’ said DAA’s director of strategy, Vincent Harrison. ‘Independent surveys consistently confirm that Dublin Airport’s charges are hugely competitive, and our decision not to increase prices next year means we will continue to offer low prices compared to our peers.’ The average passenger charge is proposed to remain at €10.40 in 2012, which is 17% lower than the average €12.50 passenger charge levied in 2009 (most recent figures available) by comparable European airports such as Stansted, Gatwick, Brussels, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Zurich, Vienna, Munich, and Oslo, said the DAA.
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
NEWS
Bookings Up at B&Bs
Rates Reductions for Dublin City Centre Good news for hoteliers and restaurateurs in the capital, commercial rates in Dublin city centre are to be reduced next year. Councillors in Dublin City Council agreed to the 1.7% reduction at a budget meeting in November. Capital spending is to be halved next year, while €60m is to be saved by privatising bin collections. The Dublin Chamber of Commerce has called on other councils in the capital to follow suit.
Fáilte Ireland Stays Central
Minister of State for Tourism & Transport, Michael Ring TD, is pictured with B&B Ireland chairperson Margaret Cahill (left) and chief executive, Helena Healy, at the association’s AGM in Dublin in November.
Bookings on B&B Ireland’s website have jumped by 43% in the year to date. ‘The increase is mainly due to bookings from the US, France and Germany and reflects our in-house IT and e-marketing capability,’ reported chief executive Helena Healy at B&B Ireland’s AGM in November. Members are continuing to achieve classification from Fáilte Ireland. ‘In the past year over 80% of B&B Ireland properties have received star rating under the new Fáilte Ireland scheme for the sector,’ said Ms Healy. Hotel & Catering Review HP 22/7/10 10:27 Page 1 B&B Ireland represents over 1,000 owners from across Ireland.
Fáilte Ireland has been handed an official decentralisation reprieve after the Government announced its plans to formally scrap the controversial programme. The decentralisation plan, which was the surprise announcement in Budget 2004, was officially terminated in the Government’s recent publication of its plans for reform of the public sector. ‘Decentralisation was one of the most deranged and costly political adventures undertaken by any government in recent history. The policy was flawed from the start, and in the current economic climate there is no justification for it to continue. I am pleased that it has now been cancelled,’ said Transport, Tourism & Sport Minister, Leo Varadkar.
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NEWS
Vintners Protest Against VAT Hike
Shannon Merger ‘Overdue’, says Hoteliers Hoteliers have voiced approval of any possible merger of the tourism marketing function in Shannon Development with Fáilte Ireland. The merger is ‘long overdue’ said Michael Vaughan, chair of the Shannon Branch of the Irish Hotels Federation, who believes that it would act as a catalyst to energise tourism marketing in the region. ‘The current tourism marketing approach for Shannon is disjointed and ineffective as borne out by a 52% collapse in visitor numbers over the last 12 years,’ he said. Under proposed reforms of the public sector announced by the Government last week, the Dublin Regional Tourism Authority and the tourism arm of Shannon Development could be merged with Fáilte Ireland following a review of both bodies next year.
Publicans march on the Dáil in protest against the hike in the higher rate of VAT.
Irish publicans took to the streets in their droves following news that the Government was hiking the higher rate of VAT by a significant 2% in Budget 2012. Arguing that the move would have a devastating effect on the already troubled sector, members of the Vintners Federation of Ireland claimed that raising VAT from 21% to 23% will accelerate the closure of hundreds of pubs. As publicans from across Ireland marched on the Dáil, VFI chief executive, Padraig Cribben, claimed; ‘last year over 5,000 people were made unemployed from our industry. The news of the increase by Minister Noonan is devastating to say the least and only confirms to publicans that the outlook for next year is very bleak.’ The route to recovery is to stimulate the domestic economy, not to further depress it, added Mr Cribben. ‘This will act as a further dampener on spending and will threaten jobs in the total retail sector. These job losses will result in lower PAYE returns, higher social welfare payments and, ironically, lower VAT revenues because of the reduced spending capability.’
Savvy Traveller Broadcasts from the West US travel guru Rudy Maxa – ‘the Savvy Traveller’ – broadcast his popular prime time radio show from Ireland in November. Organised by Tourism Ireland’s New York office, Rudy Maxa’s World was aired live from Lough Eske Castle in Donegal and Dromoland Castle in Clare to an audience of more than 600,000 listeners on more than 130 US radio stations. During his visit Mr Maxa travelled around landmark tourism hotspots in Donegal, Sligo, Clare and Limerick. Joe Byrne, Tourism Ireland’s executive vice president, United States and Canada, said: ‘We are delighted that Rudy Maxa has chosen to visit and broadcast from the west of Ireland. His radio show is a fantastic way for Tourism Ireland to highlight the wonderful tourism product on offer in the West of Ireland and to encourage more Americans to vacation here. North America is a very important market for tourism to the island of Ireland and Tourism Ireland has been working hard all year to keep the island of Ireland “top of mind” for Americans. The growth in visitor numbers from North America of +10.7% for the first nine months of the year is welcome news indeed and an encouraging basis on which Tourism Ireland, together with our industry partners, will build in 2012.’
Calling Culinary Students Two-time Emmy award-winning TV and radio presenter and National Geographic Traveller magazine contributing editor, Rudy Maxa, broadcast his popular show from Lough Eske Castle in Donegal recently.
Pictured at the launch of the 15th annual Knorr Student of the Year competition are judges Ciaran Scully, chef-lecturer, Cork IT; Mark McCarthy, business development chef, Unilever Food Solutions and guest judge, Martin Shanahan of Kinsale’s famous Fishy Fishy restaurant.
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
NEWS
Clonakilty Slows Down
Tracey Grabs Gold Waterford IT student, Tracey Nolan, beat off stiff competition from some of Europe’s best culinary schools to scoop gold at the Association of European Hotel & Tourism Schools (AEHT) Annual Conference & Competitions. Over 800 students from 40 countries took part in the event in the Netherlands, including five Irish students who are studying Fáilte Ireland-funded development programmes.
Roy Maguire, project director, Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce; Cllr John Loughnan, Mayor of Clonakilty and model Lynn Kelly celebrate the town’s naming as a Cittaslow destination.
Clonakilty has been named a Cittaslow destination. The Cork town has become the first location on the island of Ireland to be recognised for its goal to enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors, and encourage the production and use of fresh food in restaurants, markets and shops. Clonakilty now joins 142 other towns in 24 countries around the world to earn the accreditation. Cittaslow (pronounced ‘Cheetah-Slow’) was founded in Italy in 1999 and is inspired by the Slow Food Movement.
Pictured representing Ireland at the AEHT competition in the Hague were Team Ireland (l-r): Joe Mc Glynn, Tourism College Killybegs, LKIT; Martina O’Brien, Cork Institute of Technology; Gold Medal winner, Tracey Nolan, originally from Kilkenny and studying at Waterford Institute of Technology; Emma Ó Loghlen, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology; and Anne Marie Butler, Cork Institute of Technology.
RAI Calls for Hospitality Year The Restaurants Association of Ireland has sought for 2012 to be identified as the ‘Year of Hospitality’. The restaurateurs made the suggestion in the RAI’s pre-budget submission published in November. In the first of its 10 point plan for Government, it proposed that tourism and hospitality studies be introduced to the curriculum in schools. The RAI also suggested that all hospitality businesses should engage in training next year, with the cost of training to be offset against employers’ PRSI. The RAI called for taxi drivers, bus drivers and other transport operators to undergo customer service training, with a certificate of training to be presented on renewal of their licences.
Food Businesses Closed as FSAI Urges Christmas Caution Seven food businesses were served with enforcement orders by environmental health officers in November. Closure orders were served on: • Ivory Tower Restaurant, Cork • Gong Chinese Restaurant, Stillorgan, Co Dublin • Orient Aroma Chinese Restaurant, Westport, Co Mayo • The Royal Hotel, Boyle, Co Roscommon • Papa Sorrento, Finglas, Dublin 11 • Halal Favourite Fried Chicken, Dublin 8
Nod for Keelings Keelings Catering was shortlisted for the Domestic Success Award at the Bord Bia Food & Drink Industry Awards 2011. Pictured celebrating the achievement at Bord Bia’s head office were Fiona Fitzgerald, marketing; Colm Bury, managing director; Aisling Boggan, account manager; and Matthew Carrick, business development, Keelings Catering, with a display of Keelings’ products.
10 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
A prohibition order was also served on God Favour Shop in Dublin 1. Prof Alan Reilly, CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland urged caterers to be extra vigilant about food safety in the peak festive period. ‘Food service outlets will be working to full capacity to cope with the demand of Christmas functions and we urge food businesses to continue to produce safe food and not to cut corners to facilitate extra demand. Particular attention should be paid to food storage and refrigeration facilities, as stock piling for the festive season can mean that a premises is holding a higher quantity of perishable foods than at any other time of the year.’
NEWS
Aer Lingus Grows Traffic Aer Lingus reported an increase in traffic in November. Total booked passenger numbers, including Aer Lingus Regional operations, increased by 8.8% to 699,000. Short haul booked passengers in November 2011 were 624,000, an increase of 7.4% on November 2010, while long haul booked passengers in November 2011 were 75,000, an increase of 4.2% on November 2010. Aer Lingus’ booked load factor increased by 3.1 points to 75.4%. Short haul booked load factor was 75.6%, an increase of 3.0 points on November 2010, with capacity increasing by 4.0%. Long haul booked load factor was 75.0%, an increase of 3.1 points, with capacity in line with November 2010. Aer Lingus Regional’s total booked passenger numbers in November 2011 were 69,000, an increase of 30.2% compared to November 2010.
Tom Hardiman, BridgeIreland.com; Minister for Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan; Martina Canty, Fáilte Ireland and Billy Mullins, president of Tralee Congress are pictured at the opening of the Tralee International Bridge Congress at Manor West Hotel.
Takeaway Closed in High Court
The High Court has issued an order directing the closure of the Papa Sorrento takeaway in Finglas, Dublin 11 after owners Lefter Hoxha and Georgios Alex Baklesis refused to comply with a closure order issued by environmental health officers. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) applied to the High Court in November to enforce the order. The complaint dates back to March of this year when Papa Sorrento refused to comply with an improvement order issued by EHOs, a subsequent improvement order issued by the District Court, and finally, a closure order handed by EHOs in response to the owners’ lack of cooperation. The Court ordered Mr Hoxha and Mr Baklesis to pay the costs of the application and granted them liberty to apply to the court in the event that matters are rectified.
SHORTS Ballymascanlon Settles with Google
Ballymascanlon House Hotel has settled its case with internet giant Google at the Commercial Court. The Louth hotel had issued proceedings against Google, alleging it had permitted the term ‘receivership’ to automatically appear after Ballymascanlon’s name in the search box on the site. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Ballina Manor Joins Best Western The 65-bedroom Ballina Manor Hotel in Ballina, Co Mayo has joined the Best Western fold. The property has been named a Best Western Plus hotel with the group.
Service Improvement for Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport has climbed up the ranks in a European study of customer service standards in international airports. In the ACI third quarter survey, Dublin came fourth out of 28 airports handling between five and 25 million passengers per year– a significant improvement on its performance five years ago when it was ranked a lowly 24th out of 25.
Culinary Tourism Hub for Meath
New Catalogue from Bunzl McLaughlin Bunzl McLaughlin has launched its new 2012 catalogue which is jam-packed with a wide variety of premium brand and exclusive brand products. Included is Bunz McLaughlin’s range of high quality, exclusive brand products which offer value for money and significant cost savings. The range comprises the Classic collection of tableware, Pristine paper hygiene products, Cleanline chemical cleaning products and the Tablesmart napkin collection. As well as its range of cost-effective exclusive brand products, Bunzl McLaughlin also carries a comprehensive line of top brands, including Rational, Winterhalter, Fagor, True refrigeration and Robot Coupe catering equipment; Steelite, Villeroy & Boch and Churchill tableware; Arcoroc glassware and Burgess furniture. ‘Within this comprehensive catalogue we offer a wide range of light, medium and heavy catering equipment, a broad collection of furniture, plus tableware, hygiene and paper products and there is something to suit every budget,’ says Sean Martin, sales director with Bunzl McLaughlin. ‘As well as the range of products, we also provide a consultancy service for kitchen design and planning with CAD drawings and we have specialists in kitchen design in each region throughout the country.’ To order a copy of the catalogue, t: 0044 48 37 511999, e: info@ bunzlmclaughlin.com or visit bunzlmclaughlin.com.
The Meath Partnership has revealed plans to build a culinary tourism visitor centre in the county. The €1m centre is being developed to tap into the growing potential for food tourism in Ireland. Visitors to the centre will be able to see how local food is produced and prepared, buy from local artisan producers and take culinary classes and demonstrations.
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 11
OUTLOOK
A Path to Growth It’s been another tough year in the hotel sector, but AUSTIN HICKEY spots some glimmers of light on the horizon.
F
ollowing on from what were very difficult years for the Irish hotel sector, there were clear signs of a recovery in the market during 2011. While it is still too early to suggest that the worst is over, particularly in light of the ongoing economic and eurozone crisis, 2011 was characterised by sustained growth in overseas tourist numbers relative to 2010, reversing the declines that had been experienced in the previous three years. Figures from the Central Statistics Office for the first nine months of 2011 show a 10% increase in overseas visitor numbers, while Tourism Ireland is forecasting an increase of 7% for the year. Growth has been experienced in all of Ireland’s key source markets, boding well for many tourism operators throughout Ireland. During the first quarter of 2011, BDO undertook some research of the Irish hotel sector in order to measure hotelier’s expectations of performance for the year. One of the key findings to emerge from the research was that there was a real sense of optimism for overall improvements in hotel performance during 2011 and it would appear that this early optimism has now been borne out in actual improvements in operating performance during the year. The difficult trading conditions experienced by hoteliers during 2009 and 2010 have been well documented. However, a welcome trend during 2011 has been, in a number of cases, a stabilisation in performance with many hoteliers reporting increases in occupancy and room rate levels relative to the performance achieved in 2010.
Hotel Room Occupancy January to August 2011 Year
2009
2010
2011
Occupancy
57%
56%
60%
Source: Fáilte Ireland
Adding to the positive outlook and growing sense of optimism, there have also been some increases in average hotel room prices. Figures from Hotels.com show an average increase of 2% in room prices for the first six months of 2011, while a recent STR report indicated that average room rates in Dublin increased by an average of €4 between January and May 2011. While relatively modest, these are the first increases that the market has experienced in almost three years. Despite improving room rates, Ireland is still classed as the least expensive destination in Western Europe and the fourth least expensive in Europe. It is vital that Ireland
retains its competitiveness and appeal in international tourist markets. So what should hoteliers expect for 2012?
A
s we look towards 2012, it is hoped that the positive image of Ireland generated by the recent state visits will help to attract greater numbers of foreign tourists during 2012 and beyond. In addition, major global events scheduled for Ireland such as the Volvo Boat Race in Galway, the Tall Ships in Dublin and the Olympics in London are also likely to have a positive impact on overseas tourist activity to Ireland during 2012.
since 2007. ADRs in Ireland peaked at €97.69 in 2007, but fell to €73.51 by 2010, a 25% reduction. However, as outlined, there is some evidence to suggest a reversal of this downward trend in 2011. The reductions in average room rates that have occurred nationally have had a very positive impact on Ireland’s value proposition and the competitiveness of our hotel offering. However, it has created a situation whereby a number of hoteliers continue to offer rates which are unsustainable in the long-run and threaten the viability of their businesses. As demand grows I would expect to see
Assuming growth can be maintained during 2012, with no changes in supply, hotel room occupancy nationally could grow to 62% in 2012, bringing it closer to the highs of 64% recorded in 2006 and 2007. At the same time, the ongoing global financial crisis and turbulence in the financial markets is continuing to undermine consumer confidence, this is of particular relevance to our own domestic market and also in the UK, our key overseas market. Analysis of international tourism trends clearly demonstrates that Ireland’s performance mirrors European trends, with the rate of growth or decline generally exceeding European averages. The performance of Irish tourism in 2012 will therefore be influenced by a range of factors outside our control. However, there are certain factors policymakers should be aware of. The reduction, earlier in 2011, in the VAT rates applicable to tourism and hospitality businesses did provide an important stimulus to the tourism sector. I would be concerned that the increase in the standard VAT rate to 23% has the potential to impact negatively on disposable income undermining consumer confidence even further. This in turn is likely to adversely impact on domestic demand for a host of non-essential goods and services, many of which make up the tourism sector. On a positive note, the outlook for increases in hotel capacity in the medium term is extremely limited, with contractions in overall capacity likely to be a more common feature. Between 2010 and 2011 the number of hotels nationally fell by 19 from 902 to 883, with the number of hotel bedrooms falling by 840 from 60,217 to 59,377 rooms. Under such conditions even modest increases in demand are likely to have a positive impact on overall occupancy levels. There have been substantial reductions in average daily room rates (ADRs) nationally
12 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
confidence levels continue to rise. This in turn is likely to result in a more aggressive approach to yield management contributing to improvements in ADR and RevPAR. However the extent to when, if ever, ADRs return to the levels recorded at the height of the Celtic Tiger years remains uncertain. Hoteliers, therefore, will need to remain focused on maintaining a strong value proposition in addition to keeping a close eye on costs to ensure long-term viability. Based on the growth in demand that occurred during 2011, I estimate that hotel demand is likely to increase by approximately 5% overall in 2011. This will result in average hotel occupancy of 59% or three percentage points higher than that achieved in 2010. Assuming such growth can be maintained during 2012, with no changes in supply, hotel room occupancy nationally could grow to 62% in 2012, bringing it closer to the highs of 64% recorded in 2006 and 2007. With clear evidence pointing to an upturn in the hotel sector’s fortunes, and with overall growth forecasts for the European travel and tourism sector positive, I believe hoteliers can look to the future with an increasing level of confidence. At the same time, and in light of the ongoing economic challenges and uncertainty, hoteliers, as with all travel and tourism operators, should focus on developing strong contingency plans to allow them to respond to and deal with any unforeseen situations or other challenges that may present themselves during the year. u AUSTIN HICKEY is a senior manager and specialist hotel and tourism consultant with BDO. * AHickey@bdo.ie
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PROMOTION
Promoting Growth Tourism Ireland’s 2012 marketing plans lay foundations for a return to record visitor numbers by 2015 Tourism Ireland has launched details of its marketing plans to promote the island of Ireland overseas in 2012 and beyond, at an event attended by Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar TD and tourism industry leaders from around Ireland. The organisation’s goal is to build on this year’s return to growth in overseas tourism and to welcome over nine million visitors to the island by 2015, exceeding the record year for tourism of 2007. Details of a new global advertising campaign – ‘Jump Into Ireland’ – were also unveiled. The new Tourism Ireland campaign, which will launch in January 2012 in 22 markets around the globe, will include TV, radio, press, cinema and online advertising and will have an estimated annual audience of 60 million potential visitors worldwide. The soundtrack for the TV ads is a track from the latest album, Fallen Empires, of Co Down band Snow Patrol.
Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons, speaking at the launch of Tourism Ireland’s 2012 marketing plans.
Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar said: ‘Tourism has been a priority for this Government from the start. The sector currently keeps 180,000 people in jobs right across the country, and there is great potential for further job creation. So far the signs are good, with visitor numbers up 10% in the first nine months of the year. The Tourism Ireland marketing plan will build on this progress. We are now building up to The Gathering in 2013, which will be the biggest tourism event ever held in Ireland.’ Tourism Ireland’s targets for 2012 will see the island of Ireland welcoming 7.8 million visitors during the year. This will represent growth in visitor numbers of +5.5% over 2011 and will set the sector back on
Vanessa Markey, Tourism Ireland’s head of Great Britain, outlines promotional opportunities in the all-important GB market for 2012.
the road to reaching visitor levels attained in the peak year of 2007 by 2015. Commenting on the year ahead, Niall Gibbons said: ‘2012 is about competing to win. While recent economic turmoil has brought increased uncertainty, affecting business and consumer confidence, the overall outlook for travel and tourism remains positive. Tourism Ireland will roll out an extensive marketing programme to capitalise on the strong interest in Ireland in all our markets. Our new advertising campaign will capture the essence of a holiday here and play to our strengths – iconic experiences and warm, friendly people.’
Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar with Ann Riordan, Tourism Ireland chairperson, and Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland CEO, at the launch of Tourism Ireland’s 2012 marketing plans. The plans aim to deliver over nine million visitors to the island of Ireland by 2015.
SPOTLIGHT ON GALWAY AS VOLVO OCEAN RACE SETS SAIL As the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 kicked off in Alicante in Spain recently, Minister for Agriculture, Marine & Food Simon Coveney TD joined Tourism Ireland at a reception for key Spanish and international media contacts. Léonie Thornton, Dunboyne Castle Hotel, with one of the corporate buyers at the business tourism networking event in London.
IRELAND MEETS LONDON’S WEST END Forty tourism organisations from around the island of Ireland travelled to London to take part in a workshop and networking event, where they met with top British conference and meeting organisers. At the event, organised by Tourism Ireland, the various Irish tourism partners – including hotels, venues, PCOs (professional conference organisers) and convention bureaux – met and did business with senior representatives of 40 different companies involved in the corporate meeting sector and MICE (meetings, incentive, conferences and events) industry in Britain. The event provided a valuable opportunity for the participating companies to showcase their product and to communicate what is unique about the island of Ireland as a world-class destination for doing business.
The event, which took place in the Volvo Ocean Race Village, was an excellent opportunity to showcase Galway and Ireland as a fantastic holiday destination, kicking off Tourism Ireland’s publicity drive around the world during the nine-month race to reach a huge audience of potential holidaymakers. The Volvo Ocean Race attracts massive publicity around the world – with billions of people across the globe seeing it on TV, reading about it and tuning in to hear about it on the radio. Over the coming months, Tourism Ireland will be working in key markets where the race stops, to ensure that Galway and Ireland are in the spotlight.
Mike Sanderson, skipper of Team Sanya, the Chinese/Irish boat; Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Marine & Food; Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race; and Barbara Wood, Tourism Ireland’s manager in Spain, at the Tourism Ireland reception in Alicante, prior to the departure of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. Claire Bradshaw, Titanic Belfast (right), with Nadine Rakewitz, Oxford International, at the business tourism networking event in London.
FLYING HIGH Tourism Ireland very much welcomes the announcement of the United Continental service from Washington (Dulles) to Dublin, which will commence in June 2012 and will certainly help boost tourism business from the all-important US market to the island of Ireland. Other recent good news on the access front was the announcement of four new Ryanair services from Mainland Europe to Ireland West Airport Knock (IWAK) for
2012; the new routes are from Frankfurt (Hahn), Paris (Beauvais), Milan (Bergamo) and Barcelona (Girona). Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: ‘The introduction of these new flights is fantastic news; they will certainly expand travel options for American, German, French, Italian and Spanish holidaymakers who wish to visit the island of Ireland in 2012. We are working to maximise the demand for
these new routes and boost tourism to Ireland. As an island destination, direct, convenient and competitive access services are critical to achieving growth in inbound tourism. Tourism Ireland is committed to working with air and sea carriers, airports and other tourism interests to drive demand for these four new flights, and all other services to Ireland, and to help maintain our vital network of routes and services.’
COVER STORY
Going Public
Donal O’Brien, the new chief executive of Aramark Ireland, tells SARAH GRENNAN why he’s excited about potential new opportunities for the country’s largest caterer and how he believes Aramark and fellow catering and facilities management operators can help reduce the budget deficit.
T
he public sector – as we grapple with the almighty mess left by a decade of excess and mismanagement there are few terms which prompt such widely disparate opinions as that phrase. Save for maybe the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (the Artist Formerly Known as Anglo), the words ‘burning’ and ‘bondholders’ when paired together, and
anything within a whiff of Fianna Fáil, bank guarantee schemes and bailouts (although we all seem fairly unified on the Fianna Fáil issue), there are few debates at dinner parties or on the airwaves as vexatious as what to do with our overly subscribed public service. But there are always three sides to the story, as my mother regularly reminds me – your side, their side and the truth. For every
16 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
tale of bank breaks for electronically-paid public sector officials, for every anecdote of long lunch hours and even longer expense claims which raise the heckles of cashstrapped, recession-weary private sector operators and employees, for every criticism of the ineffectiveness of the Croke Park agreement, there is the reality of the underfunded guard, the over-stretched nurse, the
COVER STORY
under-appreciated fireman who lays his body on the line to protect the rest of us. Indeed, no doubt some readers are bursting to chime in with details of their own productivity at a time of dwindling resources. (Hello to our friends in Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and fellow State services.) Meeting with the new Aramark chief and penning this article prior to the announcement of Budget 2012, we had yet to hear of the new administration’s plans to tackle the budget deficit of €18bn, but sitting in his new office in the corner of Aramark Ireland’s HQ at Dublin’s Northern Cross, Donal O’Brien is rather hoping that the coalition might embrace the concept of outsourcing as a way of lessening the economic burden in the future. It is clear that as a State we can no longer afford a lot of things, including a weighty chunk of the public sector which inflated exponentially during the years of Bertie Ahern’s dealmaking reign. ‘It’s no coincidence that the multinationals which are doing well in Ireland and are boosting exports are the ones that have
Donal has a point. If it’s a choice between cutting essential healthcare or educational services or outsourcing non-core services as they have done with the catering for prison officers (conducted by Aramark in all 11 prisons) why shouldn’t the powers that be around the Cabinet table consider handing responsibility for feeding patients and others to outside operators? Currently, just 8% of the foodservices operations in the healthcare sector are outsourced, as opposed to 55% in the UK. ‘The whole system of procurement is being looked at by the Government at the moment,’ notes Donal, who is following the scent of opportunity. By outsourcing more of the catering in the 52 hospitals and other institutions will private operators be able to deliver strong cost savings to the benefit of the Exchequer? ‘Absolutely. We can bring savings from many angles. Private operators have a lot to bring to the table. The main players have very well established processes, they have good IT infrastructure, strong purchasing power, superb training programmes. If the Government was to start
report that all areas of the business are showing growth and for the first time in three years sales are up on a like-for-like basis. Aramark Ireland has reconfigured its business over those three years, reveals the new CEO who took over from his former boss, Joan O’Shaughnessy, on her retirement in June. Indeed, the company has undergone considerable change in recent years with the takeover of the Veris plc business of facility management and property management operations, followed by the rebranding from Aramark/Campbell Catering to Aramark Ireland this year. Listening to the customer was essential in adapting to changing market conditions, says Donal. ‘When you do align to customer need and hit it bang on the button then they will spend,’ he believes. While Aramark was undoubtedly hit by closures and staff rationalisation on client sites, it is the fragility of consumer sentiment which had one of the greatest impacts on business, the chief executive divulges. ‘People are having a hard time. They’re looking at
‘If you ring-fenced people’s pensions and moved them from one side of the business to another where they would get better training their employability would increase. We have very specific employee engagement programmes which have made a big difference to how employees view their jobs. Engaged employees are the most efficient and effective. How the hell does a State engage carpenters, plumbers and caterers?’ elected to outsource their non-core services. They are booming and anyone who is working with them is booming. If you look at the State you will see that there is an opportunity there to outsource. There are large services that are being operated by the Government which are non-core and which they don’t need to do,’ Donal notes. ‘Whether food services provision or any other aspect, Irish government services are very much still self-operated. But this is not the case overseas and many other governments have got out of the provision of a lot of these services. I believe we have an opportunity to do things differently and to start a new chapter now in Ireland. We can’t keep going the way we’re going... If we do, we’ll end up like Greece.’ He would say that, I can hear you say. And you’re right, as the country’s largest catering provider with a growing facilities management and property management business, Aramark Ireland is well placed – along with peers in this highly competitive sector – to benefit if the Government was to put its catering and other facilities management services out to tender. But
utilising these resources it could make a huge difference.’ As well as a cash-saving exercise for Government, it would benefit employees also, says Donal. With morale in the public sector at an all time low, working with a private operator could give many catering departments a new lease of life. ‘If you ringfenced people’s pensions and moved them from one side of the business to another where they would get better training their employability would increase. We have very specific employee engagement programmes which have made a big difference to how employees view their jobs. Engaged employees are the most efficient and effective. How the hell does a State engage carpenters, plumbers and caterers?’
T
he comprehensive new employee engagement programme is one of a number of simple strategies which have helped revitalise the Aramark Ireland business which – like every Irish operation – took a dint in the formative days of the recession. Donal O’Brien is delighted to
what’s going on with the Exchequer and they are afraid to spend. They have to manage their pockets around their daily spend.’ The triumph, says Donal, is when customers who were lost to the homemade lunch come back through the restaurant door to order from Aramark again. ‘Our main business is serving lunch. We do other things – we provide banqueting, we run the hospitality in the Guinness Storehouse etc – but lunch is our big business. Nothing gives us greater pleasure than seeing someone who brings in a sandwich come back and buy from us once again.’ Serving 250,000 diners every day across 400 sites around the country, Aramark Ireland is well placed to take the pulse of the economy. For the company, it is a tale of two halves as it enjoys a foothold in both the multinational sector, which is very buoyant and enjoying strong growth, and the domestic economy, which sadly isn’t. ‘We see a huge difference,’ Donal concedes. No matter who the client is, Aramark Ireland has had to adapt to changing market conditions to suit their needs. ‘Our business is back growing because we spent a lot of 8
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 17
COVER STORY ‘The level of “churning” – where business that already exists goes around the houses – has reduced. Within the foodservice sector in 2008 and 2009 the level of churning business was worth in the region of €65m, last year this dropped to €25m.’
time finding out what customers need and providing services to suit that,’ says the chief executive, who returns to the strategies which helped the grand scale caterer bounce back from the teeth of the recession. ‘The first thing we did was engage frontline people through our new employee engagement programme. We helped them to work more efficiently, and if they are more efficient and engaged that usually results in much stronger relationships with our clients and creates loyalty. The second thing we did was listen.’ Aramark didn’t have to just listen to see what was going on in the market, the figures would have told their own story. Statistics from GIRA, the research firm which collates the most comprehensive stats on the Irish contract catering market, indicate that turnover in the sector contracted by 13-14% between 2008 and 2010. ‘Add to that the level of subsidy that was slashed and you can see that it was a tough market.’ Zero subsidy is a trend that caterers have been grappling with, even in pre-recessionary days, as clients look to cut costs. ‘The drive to zero subsidy is clearly the position that people want to get to. You have to strive to do that with both the workers and the clients. You need to create trust and show that, yes, you are going to do things differently but the customers are not going to get ripped off. Change is difficult, but if anything the Irish have shown that they are flexible and open to constant change. We have a mantra for people in here that change is not always bad.’ One such change is the arrival of the Veris crew into Aramark’s head offices in the building it shares with Bewley’s in Dublin 17. While the takeover came at a challenging time for the Irish economy, Donal believes ‘there’s nothing like being in the eye of the storm to get people to meld together’. ‘We now employ 150 more people than we did last year, 100 of which are in the
Above: Grainne Kelliher, acting vice-president food services at Aramark Ireland; Ann Duggan, conference office, NUI Galway; Donal O’Brien, chief executive, Aramark Ireland; Sanjay Patel, client account manager, education and Joan O’Shaughnessy, vice-chairperson, Aramark Ireland advisory board celebrate winning the Gold Medal Award for Institutional Catering, sponsored by the Catering Equipment Association at this year’s Awards in The Burlington, Dublin. The team won the award for the catering facility at NUI Galway, top.
foodservice business. Across the group we have a combined workforce of 4,000 people in Ireland, 250 in the UK and 70 in 17 other countries with some of our clients.’ (Aramark Ireland operates services for some of their Irish-based clients in countries as far north as St Petersburg and east as Dubai.) While the early days of the downturn saw a phenomenal increase in activity in the sector as clients shopped around for cheaper and better deals with caterers, this prolific tendency to tender has slowed over the last year. ‘The level of “churning” – where business that already exists goes around the houses – has reduced. Within the foodservice sector in 2008 and 2009 the level of churning business was worth in the region of €65m, last year this dropped to €25m.’ To put the level of activity into context Donal reveals that over the last three to four years over 80% of the €300m contract catering sector went to market.
18 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
The slowdown in the tendering process has helped Aramark, with Donal stating that last year the company registered an impressive 99.2% rate of client retention. ‘Obviously our clients have trust in what we do,’ he said. It is a grade which no doubt warms the cockles of his heart, and just a few short months into the new job, Donal is evidently enjoying himself. ‘You’re only as good as your last meal, cleaning maintenance schedule, etc, but we are doing more and more with our existing customers through our new facilities management division and so on and it’s a valuable place to be. You become more strategic to your client’s business. ‘We’re having a good time, We’re well positioned, we’re well resourced and we have good parentage [Aramark International, the Philadelphia-based catering giant]. Our people are buzzed up.’ And sales are on the increase. What more could you ask for? u
Keeping It
TRENDS
Casual
Three years into a recession that has rocked the foundations of the State, new trends have emerged in foodservice. While in previous downturns consumers voted with their feet and retreated indoors, the current cycle has seen diners vote with their wallets instead. Consumer traffic has not fallen as steeply as anticipated, and the good news is that people are still eating outside the home, but spend per occasion has suffered – giving rise to a spike in on-the-hoof and casual dining. Bord Bia commissioned two reports into the foodservice market to look at these growing trends.
A
s canny entrepreneurs will tell you, there’s nothing like a good recession to uncover smart business opportunities and in few areas of business is this more obvious than in the food industry, where – despite the challenging market conditions – there has been a bevvy of new foodservice openings, both pop-up and permanent. Cheaper start up costs, helped by falling rents and lower wage expectations, and the growing consumer demand for low-cost dining have prompted many operators to open up in the informal dining sector – from Avoca’s new foodonly operation in Monkstown, to the Twitter phenomena that are Crackbirds and Skinflint. A new report from Bord Bia – Irish Foodservice Channel Insights – suggests that this growing development in casual and onthe-go consumption is here to stay. While the massive declines in foodservice sales are showing tentative signs of levelling out this year, it is the growth in both of these channels which have helped steady the ship. The bad news for other 8 Irish Foodservice: ROI and NI 2010-2015 (at consumer prices) Sales 2010 (€m)
Sales 2011 (€m)
CAGR 2010-2011
Sales 2015 (€m)
CAGR 2011-2015
2,110
2,101
(0.4%)
2,211
1.3%
662
647
(2.7%)
663
0.6%
2,148
2,043
(4.9%)
2,003
(0.5%)
Hotels/Accommodation
369
367
(0.5%)
385
1.2%
Other Commercial
142
136
(4.2%)
145
1.6%
5,431
5,294
(2.5%)
5,407
0.5%
Business & Industry
320
287
(10.3%)
290
0.3%
Health
241
237
(1.7%)
237
0.0%
Education
135
132
(2.2%)
136
0.7%
38
37
(2.6%)
37
0.0%
734
693
(5.6%)
700
0.3%
TOTAL IOI
6,165
5,987
(2.9%)
6,107
0.5%
ROI
4,306
4,165
(3.3%)
4,256
0.5%
NI
1,859
1,822
(2.0%)
1,847
0.3%
QSR (Quick Service) FSR (Full Service) Pubs/Coffee Shops
TOTAL COMMERCIAL
Other Institutional TOTAL INSTITUTIONAL
CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 19
TRENDS full service restaurants (FSR) – or WTC (white table cloth) Spanning coffee shops, cafés and bakeries, its sales have been restaurants to use Bord Bia’s researchers’ marketing parlance – is driven by three key consumer trends: 1. The increasing informality in eating habits that trends globally and domestically suggest a further erosion 2. The continuing trading down to lower cost eating out of the traditional upscale restaurant’s market share. 3. The desire for low-cost treats – such as a good cup of coffee While the attraction of casual dining has been enhanced by the current pressures on consumer spend, the growth of the or a cake – to compensate for other cutbacks and sacrifices. sector pre-dates the recession. Since 2003, the casual dining sector has grown by 30%, now encompassing some 450 outlets The market in turn has responded, with Bord Bia noting that in a market which Bord Bia calculates was worth €111m last coffee bars have introduced more foodstuffs, and in particular, year. savoury foods; bakeries and sandwich bars have improved their It’s a still a small slice of the total foodservice pie, worth hot beverage offering and upped their coffee game; and cafés in the region of €6.2m in consumer prices, but with sales in have introduced more sandwich options and snacks. upmarket and middle outlets feeling the greatest pinch, lower cost operators have proved more recession-hardy. Pro-Intal New product trends emerging in the sector include cookies, Consulting, the firm which conducted the Irish Foodservice frozen yoghurt, flavoured and infused teas, gluten-free options, Channel Insights report anticipates that, organic and artisan produce, smaller portions, healthy options while the foodservice sector will return and nostalgia-laden offerings such as china tea service and to a modest growth over the next five lemon drizzle cake. years, the upmarket and mid-sector full service restaurants will continue to suffer. It is those in the grazing and casual The on-the-go outlets break down into; dining sector which will reap the greatest The on-the-go outlets break down into; rewards, the researchers argue. Number of outlets % of outlets % of revenue The reduction in consumer spend 286 11% 10% on food isn’t just recession-related, it Coffee Shops indicates changing societal trends. Four 1,543 58% 71% Bakery/Sandwich Tea Rooms decades ago families in Europe and 812 31% 19% Cafés North America spent approximately 40% 2,641 100% 100% Total of their household income on food. As the single most important item of expenditure, eating was a ritual, with families gathering together at strictly set meal times. hile on-the-go or grazing accounts for the lion’s As incomes have increased over the last 40 years, the share of the informal sector, rising up the ranks proportion of spend has come down to 12-16% in most rapidly is casual dining. It has grown by a third since countries, including Ireland. With that, the importance of 2003, providing a dining option in a relaxed ambiance at food has diminished. As the researchers note in the Irish a price point in the region of 35-40% lower than a WTC Foodservice Channel Insights report, ‘once life was built restaurant. Not to be confused with quick service – or fast around food occasions, now food has to fit in with lifestyles. food – restaurants, casual dining is a relatively new arrival in Formal meal eating and formal occasions have diminished in the market. importance and in their place concepts such as QSR (quick While the sector is growing, casual dining’s share of the service restaurants), casual dining and on-the-go have emerged. Irish market is substantially less than in the US where it Convenience has replaced conformity.’ developed quickly, or in the UK where the nation’s ‘weak food The on-the-go/grazing sector represents the biggest slice of culture’ meant it caught on rapidly there too, say researchers. the convenience market, accounting for €1bn in sales in 2010. Mediterranean countries such as France and Italy were slower
W
Irish Foodservice in Numbers • The total foodservice market is valued at more than €6bn. • While it suffered greatly during the years of the recession, the market is starting to turn the corner and is entering a period of near stability, says Bord Bia. The volcanic ash and snow stymied the recovery in 2010 and a levelling out has now taken effect in 2011. Sales value is expected to fall by ‘only’ 2.9% this year, compared to an average 6.9% decline from 2008 to 2010. • The market is now anticipated to return to growth, albeit modest, over the next five years with 0.5% gains
expected per annum. • The largest channels by value in foodservice in 2011 are quick service restaurants (35%); pubs, cafés and coffee shops (34%); full service restaurants (11%); hotels (6%); business and industry (5%); health (4%). • The on-the-go market was valued at €1bn in 2010. It has grown by 14.5% since 2003 and now encompasses 2,641 outlets. Operator chains account for 42% of sales. • The casual dining market was valued at €111m in 2010, growing by 30% since 2003. It contains 450
20 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
outlets, with 18% of sales coming through operator chains. • Casual dining accounted for 17% of full service restaurants (FSR) in 2010. • Total FSR sales declined by 16.8% per year between 2008-2010. Within this sector, white table cloth (WTC) restaurant sales fell by 18.3%, while casual dining sales diminished by a lesser 7.9%. • Pre-recession, casual dining also performed more strongly, growing by 9% in the years 2003-2008 compared to the 2.3% growth in white table cloth restaurants.
TRENDS ‘In fashion, fielding last season’s range would bring instant demise. In casual dining, the market is constantly evolving and last year’s cuisine is often seen to be stale.’ to adapt, their strong food cultures ensuring that a move towards casual dining took a longer period of time. What international trends show is that, while Ireland is behind on the trend, there are huge opportunities for casual dining to grow further. A sub-channel of full service restaurants, casual dining accounted for 17% of FSR sales in 2010, up from 14% in 2008 and 10% in 2003. The Bord Bia report notes that, as a relatively new format, the sector has come from almost nowhere to achieve critical mass in a relatively short time frame. Casual dining is also more susceptible to brands, with 18% of casual dining outlets forming part of a chain, compared to just 1% of white table cloth restaurants. A strong characteristic of the casual dining sector is its affinity with the fashion industry, notes the report’s authors. Casual 2003to to2010 2010atatconsumer consumer prices Casualdining Dining sales sales 2003 prices Sales 2003 (€m)
Sales 2008 (€m)
CAGR 2003-2008
739
826
2.3%
85
131
9.0%
Total FSR
824
957
3.0%
ROI
610
730
3.7%
NI
214
227
1.2%
White Table Cloth Casual Dining
CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate
‘In fashion, fielding last season’s range would bring instant demise. In casual dining, the market is constantly evolving and last year’s cuisine is often seen to be stale.’ As one respondent told the researchers, ‘two years ago it was burgers, before that it was bagels, these things come and go.’ Innovation is centred on the major population centres of Dublin, Cork and Belfast, with rural Ireland proving less adventurous and slower to adapt to new trends. In today’s fashion terms, ethnic food
remains strong with the Mexican burrito powering ahead, while globally Peruvian cuisine is tipped to be the next big thing. So how will these emerging trends impact on the Irish foodservice landscape? Quick service/fast food restaurants, which account for €2.11bn of the €6.1bn market, are performing slightly worse than expected. With consumers trading down in terms of spend, a modest 1% growth was forecast for 2010, but what transpired was a decline of 1.8% and a further decline of just under 1% is anticipated for this year. Nonetheless, it is expected to return to growth, remaining buoyant to 2015 with an average growth rate of 1.2%. In terms of full-service restaurants, which is the third largest sector after QSRs, pubs and on-the-go cafés/coffee shops/ bakeries, sales are expected to grow at a minimal rate of 0.6% over the years to 2015. While in the pubs, cafés and coffee shops sector, pubs will continue Sales 2010 CAGR to feel the heat – driven by a decline (€m) 2008-2010 in drink sales. Cafés are anticipated to 551 (18.3%) grow by 0.9% however, while coffee 111 (7.9%) shops will record a 1.3% growth in the 662 (16.8%) next three years. Sales in hotels will 444 (22.0%) continue to feel pressure also as, while visitor numbers are increasing, hoteliers 218 (2.0%) continuously have to discount food to stimulate sales. With the performance of the global economy changing with the wind, and the deepening euro crisis wreaking further havoc on fragile consumer sentiment, it is hard to definitively tell how the foodservice market will transpire over the coming years. However, if one thing is clear from the raft of new informal restaurants that have opened throughout 2011, Irish restaurateurs are putting their money on the casual dining sector. u
New Trends in Foodservice The good news is that, despite the pressures many consumers are facing, 25% of Irish people still eat out more than once a week. Speaking at Bord Bia’s annual foodservice seminar held in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown in November, the agency’s insight and innovation specialist, Rory McDonnell, revealed that tiredness is the number one reason why Irish people eat out during the week, followed by catching up with friends or enjoying a social occasion, while the third most popular
explanation was that diners weren’t good at cooking. While there have been reports of the demise of the spud, hot-off-the-press research shared by Rory suggests that meat and two veg remains the most desirable dish, with 45% eating potatoes regularly. Bord Bia asked 4,000 consumers to complete an online diary of what they ate for dinner each night and the research revealed that 18% eat evening meals out once a week or more; 24% eat takeaways once a week or more;
11% describe their evening meals as fast food (such as ready meals); 21% who have a meal out classify it as a meal on the go. Breakfast is emerging as a new, male dominated dining occasion outside the home. Close to a third (31%) of breakfast sales are in cafés and sandwich bars, 17% are through garage forecourts, while 9% are drive through. Mid-morning snacks are also on the rise – proving 50% bigger than breakfast outside the home.
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 21
Diamonds are Forever
Sixty years after the late Dan Buckley and his wife Maureen bought a run-down 12-bedroom hotel in Macroom on the road from Cork to Killarney, the Castle Hotel has been transformed into a bustling four star hotel with 60 rooms, a café, bar, restaurant and extensive banqueting business. Don Buckley met with SARAH GRENNAN as the hotel marked its diamond celebration. Diamonds… You’ve got to love them. Named from the Greek word adámas, meaning ‘unbreakable’, they symbolise love, they’ve inspired books, movies and countless songs, and let’s not forget, they’re a gal’s best pal. For the Castle Hotel, Macroom on the busy link from Blarney to Killarney, diamonds represent a greater bond, however, honed over 60 years of unbreakable service in the community. As the hotel marks its diamond anniversary, it celebrated with guests, friends and colleagues past and present who gathered to toast the hotel where they have celebrated christenings, communions and confirmations, debs and weddings, anniversaries and funerals. The Castle Hotel has come a long way from when the Buckleys first set eyes on it all those years before. ‘My mum used to tell us that she could hear the cockroaches cracking under her feet when she first entered the place,’ recollects Don Buckley, the second generation of the family at the helm of the hotel, which he now runs together with his brother Gerard. It must have been quite an eye opener for Maureen, a school teacher from Killarney, but her late husband Dan – who hailed from the Arbutus Lodge family of hoteliers – knew a good site when he saw one. Sixty years on, despite the challenges of the recession and the difficulties experienced by the wider hotel industry, the hotel has maintained a strong presence in the community. Despite a family background steeped in hotelkeeping, a career as a hotelier wasn’t the first choice for either Don or Gerard. Both brothers embarked on jobs in banking – Gerard in AIB and Don in BOI – before returning to the family fold. Don was first to re-enter the business, returning to help out when Dan and Maureen were mulling over selling the business. Gerard later followed, taking leave
The second generation: Gerard, the two Margarets and Don Buckley toast the Castle Macroom’s 60th anniversary at a party in the hotel.
of absence from the bank to lend a hand after Dan’s untimely death at the young age of 57. The leave turned into an extended break, and Gerard never returned to the world of banking. Since those dark days in the aftermath of Dan’s sudden passing, the brothers have stayed committed to the business, growing it from the small hotel developed by their parents into the 60-bed property it is today. The brothers’ wives – coincidentally both named Margaret – joined them in the business and the two branches of the family invested heavily in the Castle, expanding first with the purchase of the next door café which is run by Don’s wife Margaret, and later with the €6m expansion of the property.
22 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
HOTELS While these are challenging days for the hotel industry, at 60 years of age the Castle Hotel Macroom has seen its fair share of taxing times. Not least of which was when, millions of euro into a massive refurbishment in the small town of Macroom, thousands of miles away the US was rocked by the biggest terrorist atrocity ever to take place on its soil. The tragedy of 9/11 had far-reaching consequences, and not just for Americans who mourned the loss of 2,996 people. ‘Tourism took a big hit in the aftermath of 9/11,’ reflects Don. ‘At the time we were half way through the development of the hotel so it was a bit scary. We also had been through Foot & Mouth that year, while a factory up the road closed with the loss of 1,000 jobs so it was a nervous time. But I’m glad we went through with it. I knew if we invested in the business we would reap a return. On reflection, although it was a turbulent time, we are lucky we did it when we did because we wouldn’t get the funding to do it now.’ The business didn’t just survive, but went on to thrive after 2001 and, like many in the industry, the Castle registered its busiest year in history in the peak of 2008. ‘We did see a big jump as a result of the expansion. We had to double turnover in a couple of years to justify it, which thankfully we did,’ Don explains. The global meltdown that ignited in 2008 and the subsequent collapse of the Irish economy, took its toll however, with trade at the hotel falling by 20% since the peak. Despite the challenges, Don is optimistic about the future. ‘This year has been better and we’ve definitely seen an improvement,’ he reveals. ‘Rates are tough all the time – everyone is looking for a bargain – but the VAT reduction has helped. The increase in occupancy that we have seen this year has also given us the confidence to hold the line on rates.’ Danone’s recent €52m investment in its Macroom site, plus the presence of other multinationals in the county, like Siemens, has brought further confidence to the region, Don notes. Links with the local GAA and greyhound racing community have helped cement the Castle Hotel’s position at the heart of the community, while promotions such as targeting the active retirement segment and becoming a pet-friendly hotel have also proved a success for the Castle. With a strong domestic trade, the property has reaped rewards from its involvement in Irish Country Hotels, Don adds. ‘We work closely with them and give them availability all the time because they bring in a good bit of business for us. The biggest plus of being
a member is the friends that you make. Most members are family-run hotels and it is great to be able to network with your peers.’ As the hotel celebrated its diamond anniversary this year, it threw a party for old friends to celebrate the achievement. For Don, one of the greatest rewards of managing a hotel is seeing the development of the staff. Blessed with a fiercely loyal team who are committed to the success of the business, he takes great pride in the achievements of current and former employees. ‘One of the biggest kicks I get is seeing young staff rise up through the ranks. We take on young people and give them a hand and many have gone on to achieve great things in their careers, such as Rory O’Sullivan who is now manager in the Park Hotel Kenmare, or Mark Payne who is in Jurys Inn, Aberdeen. I love seeing how they have progressed.’ As well as those who have gone on to further their careers elsewhere, there are many who have ratcheted up many years of successful service in the business, including head chef Pat Ryan, who has worked at the hotel for 25 of its 60 years, and operations manager Eileen Lynch, who has been with the Buckleys for 16 years. ‘We are so fortunate with the team we have around us,’ enthuses Don. ‘These are the people who have made the hotel what it is and have helped us to pull through the current challenges.’ As for what the future will bring as the Castle embarks on its seventh decade, Don admits ‘it’s hard to know’. ‘The challenges will continue for a few more years but things are improving. We are up 5-6% this year which is great. The decline of the last few years seems to have stopped and business is rising gently. We are definitely hugely confident about the future.’ u
WORK SMART IN 2012 & WISE UP ON WASTE Did you know that Irish restaurants each throw out approximately 4.5 tonnes of food waste a year, at a cost €8,840 and that most of that waste is avoidable? Do you know how much food is wasted in your restaurant, and at what cost? Just 15 minutes to reduce food waste by 20% What better way to start 2012 than by tackling avoidable food waste in your restaurant and make huge savings in the process. Unilever Food Solutions has worked with the Sustainable Restaurant Association to create the first-ever Wise Up on Waste Toolkit, a free and easy-to- implement waste reduction guide designed for Irish restaurant owners and operators. You can download this today for free at www.unileverfoodsolutions.ie Using the free toolkit, which takes just 15 minutes a day to implement, restaurants can reduce their food waste by a staggering 20% and start making immediate savings and efficiencies.
Food Waste - the Facts UÊ ÊThe food we throw away is a valuable resource; it’s expensive to buy and dispose of UÊ ÊOver half (535) of food wasted in Irish restaurants is generated during preparation UÊ ÊThe leading ‘hot zone’ of food waste in Irish restaurants is customer plates with ‘too big portions’ being the No. 1 reason why people leave food behind them UÊ ÊOne in two customers would like the option of being able to leave certain items off their order (e.g. garnish, side portion) and 80% of people would like to see restaurants introduce smaller portions on menus
Unilever Food Solutions’ customer director Jim Reeves says, “The phrase waste not want not comes to mind. We know that the Irish Government is committed to moving toward a zero waste society and our actions in foodservice are going to be under the spotlight. We have the opportunity to take the initiative to be ‘United Against Waste’ and with small everyday steps we can reduce waste, respond to consumers concerns, improve kitchen efficiency and save money. Our free Wise up on Waste toolkit will help caterers to make their businesses more efficient and I urge all restaurants to start 2012 with a renewed determination to tackle the issue of food waste.”
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YOUNG CHEFS
Young Chef finalists Kamil Dubanik, Micheál Harley, David Magaeen, Kyle Greer, Aisling Gallagher and Margaret Roche
In Search of A
Star
Euro-toques Ireland’s prestigious Young Chef of the Year competition came of age in 2011 when the chefs’ community hosted its 21st annual search for the nation’s top young culinary talent. SARAH GRENNAN followed the progress of the six finalists throughout the competition, delving behind the scenes at the intense culinary skills test in Chapter One to watch the finalists in action as they bid for the coveted crown.
I
run my finger greedily along the near-empty plate where the five-strong team of some of Ireland’s greatest chefs have devoured the first finalist’s dish. The remnants of Margaret Roche’s much-practised creation looks a little like a Jackson Pollock painting – all splashes, dots and squiggles – after the chefs have consumed the majority of its contents. Marie-Claire Digby, the food columnist in The Irish Times, who has also been invited to observe the proceedings in the inner sanctum of Euro-toques’ prestigious Young Chef of the Year competition, eyes me suspiciously – and perhaps a little alarmingly – as I dip my finger in the leftover bisque. I shrug my shoulders. I have no shame. I am eager to taste what the holy quintet of chefs have been waxing so lyrically about and in Ross Lewis’s highly organised kitchen I don’t know where to start looking for a spoon. Clearly, Marie-Claire does not approve at first, but by the end of the day she has disregarded her table manners and joins me as we hover over the competition leftovers like buzzards on the plains of Africa. Today, deep in the heart of Chapter One on Dublin’s Parnell Square in possibly the swankiest kitchen in all of Ireland, six of the island’s greatest young chefs have gathered to pit their skills against each other and to vie for the favour of some of the country’s most legendary chefs. It is the third step in the annual quest to find Ireland’s hottest new culinary talent, which commenced with a
written entry and was followed by a probing interview where only six of the country’s most promising culinary artists emerged to the third and most arduous challenge, an intensive skills test judged by senior chefs from the industry. Tomorrow, in the final stage of the awards, the six chefs will cook for media, friends, family and industry guests in The Cellar Restaurant at The Merrion Hotel. But that will be a pleasure, they inform me. By then the votes will be cast and the decision finalised. Infinitely more daunting is cooking today for Marc Amand (La Rousse Foods), Lorcan Cribbin (Il Segreto), Paul Flynn (The Tannery), Ross Lewis (Chapter One) and the jury’s chair, consultant chef Neil McFadden who, with clipboard in hand, corrals the troops and ensures that finalists and judges stick to the rigid guidelines set out by the competition organisers. ‘It must be intimidating for them,’ muses Lorcan Cribbin. ‘Cooking for all of us must be intimidating – particularly cooking for a Michelin star chef like Ross.’ Paul Flynn, who has joined the panel of judges for the first time this year, agrees. ‘Even I’m intimidated by Ross. I just don’t tell him that!’ he jests out of earshot of Lewis. Although looking relaxed out of his chef ’s whites and observing the proceedings from a discreet distance, Euro-toques commissioner-general Gearoid Lynch admits to being like a cat on a hot tin roof beneath the surface. ‘I am so nervous for 8
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 25
YOUNG CHEFS them,’ whispers the former winner who the standard for the whole competition’. ‘It’s took the prestigious title at the turn of the very well balanced,’ agrees Ross Lewis. ‘I like millennium. ‘Last night I was thinking back the way she’s balanced the sweetness and the on what it was like when I took part in the saltiness.’ culinary skills test and I was nearly sick. It is Later at the feedback stage Ross Lewis so nerve-wracking.’ tells Margaret ‘you can be proud of yourself. The competitors, to their credit, don’t I love the simplicity of your cooking. You look too fraught and are each deep in have great balance and harmony’. ‘What I concentration as they compete – just a slick love about you is that you can see your work of sweat on the brow or the tremble of a ethic, your drive and your ambition, in your hand when plating betrays their inner jitters. body language,’ agrees Paul Flynn. ‘If you Far less able to mask their emotions are the continue like that you will go far.’ Later the young chefs’ mentors. Ruth Hegarty, Euroquintet of culinary oracles reflect more on toques’ secretary-general, cordons off the Margaret’s demeanour. ‘Did you notice that kitchen, shoeing tutors outside in order to she was the only one to shake our hands?’ let their young charges compete in peace. asks Ross. ‘She has great confidence and The bar of Chapter One – normally a hive great presence. I like her a lot.’ of activity on trading days but now closed to Michael Glinofski’s charge, a very the public – resembles a waiting room at a confident Kyle Greer, is next to plate up. maternity hospital. Kyle, senior chef de partie at No. 27 in Rathmullan House head chef Kelan Belfast, has been so busy preparing the McMichael, tutor to Micheál Harley, tries canapés for Monday’s awards lunch that he to sneak by Ruth before being sent packing. has had little time to spend worrying about ‘Okay, okay,’ he concedes, slinking out the the skills test, he divulges. ‘I think Mikey Toques off to Kamil – the young Knockranny House door. ‘It’s just… It’s hard. It’s like watching was a little more nervous than I was,’ he Hotel demi-chef de partie celebrates winning the your kid go to school on the first day. I am jokes later. ‘I entered last year and got to the prestigious Euro-toques Ireland Young Chef of the Year so nervous for him.’ He heads to the bar interview stage so just to get to the final this 2011 title. to join The Merrion’s Ed Cooney, whose year is fantastic.’ His strategy for handling charge, Margaret Roche, is first in line to cook for the judges today. the pressure: ‘I tried not to think about who I was cooking for. I ‘It’s like waiting in a delivery ward,’ Ed agrees. pretended I was in No. 27 during a regular Saturday night service.’ ‘They are beside you all day, so it’s hard not being in there with Kyle – who has competed in a televised skills test for ITV’s them now. You see them more than you see your own family,’ Britain’s Best Dish – appears at ease in front of the panel as he Kelan reflects. presents his take on the turbot and prawns assignment: pan seared ‘You just have to let them go,’ Ed urges. Achill Island turbot, poached Dublin Bay prawns, textures of Kelan sighs, and begins pacing the floor. Too many competitions organic fennel, turbot crackling and Nantua sauce. like this and Ross Lewis will have to replace the carpet. ‘The smell is getting me going, I can’t wait to dig in,’ gushes Paul Kelan is soon challenged for the title of ‘Most Nervous Mentor’ Flynn. ‘It’s very solid,’ pronounces Ross Lewis. ‘It’s a lovely piece of by Ballynahinch Castle head chef Xin Sun, a two-times finalist fish, beautifully cooked.’ himself who knows exactly what his young chef de partie, Aisling As Kyle cleans up his station, Kamil Dubanik, the 23 year Gallagher, is going through. ‘She is a very calm person so she will old Polish chef who plies his trade at Knockranny House Hotel be okay,’ says Xin. ‘She’s very good so I just want her to do her in Westport, begins plating. Looking at the artistry in his roast best. This is her first ever competition so she’s already a winner.’ troncon of Achill Island turbot, Dublin Bay prawn tortellini, While Aisling is the epitome of tranquillity, Xin looks decidedly Jerusalem artichoke, mushroom, cheek, liver, Dublin Bay prawn, less calm, the pallor draining from his face as he loiters forlornly and lovage it’s hard to believe that he only began cooking three at the open door to Chapter One’s theatrical kitchen, willing his years ago, stepping up the ladder from kitchen porter into the young apprentice on. ranks of Knockranny’s award-winning brigade of chefs. ‘I picked the mushrooms myself,’ Kamil tells the jury, before discussing his choice of turbot cheeks. ‘I didn’t know turbots had t the coalface, the young chefs are faring much better than cheeks,’ quips Paul Flynn. ‘I think they’re going to catch on. I can their nervous mentors. A total of six finalists are competing, imagine them on menus across Ireland.’ an increase from the regular five. ‘The level is so high this year it was just too hard to call it,’ says Gearoid Lynch, explaining Euro-toques’ predicament after the interview process. ‘We couldn’t choose between two so we decided to extend it to six finalists. It would have been awful to leave one out. I would have put my hand in my pocket myself to pay for one of them if needs be.’ And so on a crisp day in Dublin on Sunday, 27 November, six young chefs have gathered to showcase their skills. Their challenge is to take Achill Island farmed turbot and Dublin Bay prawns and over a period of 70 minutes turn the ingredients into a dish that will wow the prestigious panel of judges. First to the starting line is 2010 finalist and runner-up, Margaret Roche of The Merrion. She is cool, calm and collected under pressure, her previous year’s experience serving her well. Her Champagne poached Dublin Bay prawns with seared fillet of Achill Island turbot, dulse croquettes, lemon foam, carrot puree and bisque sauce is a big hit with the judges. ‘Prawns for breakfast,’ chuckles Paul Flynn before tucking in. ‘She’s brought a lot of Kamil’s winning dish: Roast Troncon of Achill Island Turbot, Dublin Bay Prawn ingredients together very well,’ notes Lorcan Cribbin, ‘this is now Tortellini, Jerusalem Artichoke, Mushroom, Cheek, Liver, Dublin Bay Prawn, Lovage
A
26 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
The Contenders The Winner
Judges Paul Flynn, The Tannery; Lorcan Cribbin, Il Segreto; and Ross Lewis, Chapter One, dig in.
Kamil makes his retreat as the chefs launch into the dish. ‘Jesus Christ, that’s beautiful!’ exclaims Paul. ‘Jesus, I tell you lads, this is going to be a hard job deciding on a winner,’ agrees Ross. ‘No one told me it was going to be this hard,’ complains Paul, adding hastily ‘I mean it’s a pleasurable job, but it’s a very difficult one.’ Neil McFadden, the chair of the jury, is quietly impressed. ‘Yep, I’m a fan of that,’ he says, returning for seconds. ‘It’s great that he cooked it on the bone,’ notes Lorcan Cribbin. ‘He has very good knife skills. The cooking of his fish is excellent. The presentation is very good,’ he continues. ‘I like the fact that it is under-seasoned as when you have four elements on the plate it can be overpowering,’ Ross chimes in. ‘I’ve done a lot of these competitions and it is rare you would get this standard from the first three competitors,’ the Chapter One proprietor reflects. ‘Christ, we’re going to have to have a dance off,’ says Paul. The five judges all go quiet as they fill out their scoring sheets. All you can hear is the odd mutterings of ‘Jesus!’ under their breaths.
D
avid Magaeen, the 24 year old head chef of Restaurant Victoria in Belfast, is furiously chopping as Aisling Gallagher, chef de partie at Ballynahinch Castle and Micheál Harley of Rathmullan House arrive for the afternoon session. We’re now at the half-way mark. Can they raise the bar higher? As they settle into their stations, Ballynahinch’s Xin Sun begins pacing the corridor in ever decreasing circles outside while Raymond McArdle tries to sneak in under the radar. ‘RAYMOND!’ barks Ruth Hegarty, before adding in a softer tone: ‘I’m very sorry but you have to go – if I don’t move you, the others will be giving out.’
Catching me chuckle Ruth confides, ‘I’m like a school teacher.’ She reminds the judges that they need to head into the kitchen to survey the second set of young chefs in action. It’s not just down to the way the candidates handle a knife or season their ingredients, reveals Lorcan Cribbin. ‘We want young people who are interested in food, who like food and who have a future in food. We are looking for a good ambassador.’ Not for the first time today, one of the candidates runs over their allotted 70 minute time-frame. Neil allows two minutes grace for plating, but any more time than that and David Magaeen will be deducted marks. He presents his steamed Achill Island turbot, prawn and cabbage cannelloni, pork belly crisps leek and potato sauce to the judges. ‘That’s a top drawer dish,’ says Ross. ‘If only he wasn’t over on time… That for me is the most sophisticated dish so far, apart from the cabbage.’ ‘The steaming of the fish is excellent,’ agrees Neil. ‘There is great depth of flavour in the dish,’ adds Lorcan. ‘These are some fairly complex dishes to put up in 70 minutes,’ notes Ross. Hot on David’s heels, Aisling prepares to plate up. She has already impressed judges with her calm nature but she is running over time. The last flourish goes on to her pretty dish of turbot poached in a sauce au beurre, with crispy turbot skin, a seaweed and prawn croquette, carrot and pea puree, Sichuan pepper foam, shredded cabbage and a prawn dressing. ‘It’s a very modern presentation,’ says Ross Lewis. ‘The presentation is excellent and the flavour is exceptional,’ agrees Neil. As the judges mull over Aisling’s dish, the day’s last contestant, Micheál Harley from Rathmullan House, begins plating his steamed Achill Island turbot over bladderwrack, Dublin bay prawn mousse, 8
Kamil Dubanik (23), originally from Poland, started working in Knockranny House Hotel in Westport, Co Mayo in 2007 as a kitchen porter and worked his was up to his current position of demi-chef de partie. Kamil was mentored by Knockranny House Hotel head chef Seamus Commons, who also mentored last year’s winner, Mary Ryan and 2009 finalist, Patrick Powell. All three are still working in the Knockranny kitchens. Kamil has won a stage at The Ivy in London under executive chef Gary Lee, plus a week’s stage at Chapter One under the tutelage of Ross Lewis. All six finalists have also won a one-day introduction to the seafood industry, courtesy of BIM and a fourday food tourism road trip with Fáilte Ireland.
The Competition
Kamil’s fellow competitors were: Aisling Gallagher (24), chef de partie at Ballynahinch Castle, Co Galway. Aisling was mentored in the competition by Ballynahinch Castle head chef Xin Sun (twice a finalist in the competition). Kyle Greer (24), senior chef de partie at No 27 Talbot Street, Belfast. He was mentored by No. 27 head chef, Michael Glinkofski. Micheál Harley (22), who has responsibility for the pastry section at Rathmullan House, Co Donegal. Micheál was mentored by Rathmullan head chef Kelan McMichael. David Magaeen (24), head chef at Restaurant Victoria, Belfast under the guidance of chef/patron Raymond McArdle who also mentored him in the competition. Margaret Roche (23), the runner up in the 2010 Young Chef of the Year competition, is chef de partie in the pasty section at The Merrion Hotel. She was mentored by Merrion executive chef, Ed Cooney.
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 27
YOUNG CHEFS
Chef Neil McFadden, chair of the judging panel, puts Kamil Dubanik through his paces during the skills test in Chapter One Restaurant, Dublin.
foraged sea vegetables, Jerusalem artichoke and prawn jus. The bladderwrack gains the judges’ attention. ‘It’s a type of seaweed,’ Micheál explains. ‘It’s a great combination,’ says Ross, ‘but the trouble with seaweed is that the public either get them or they don’t.’ Micheál’s use of artichoke gets the nod from Paul Flynn. ‘It roots everything.’ He tells the young chef: ‘I would be proud to have you work in my kitchen. I think Ray is a very lucky man.’ As the official proceedings of the day come to a close and the young chefs and their mentors retreat outside for a gasp of much needed fresh air, I cannot even begin to contemplate predicting a winner. Interestingly, neither can the judges. ‘We won’t know until they announce it tomorrow,’ explains Ross Lewis. ‘We each fill out the individual marking sheets then hand them to Neil to tot up. Only he and Ruth will know who the winner is at the end of today.’
T
he next day as I head to the awards luncheon in The Cellar Restaurant at The Merrion I am still none the wiser and my mind is changing by the second as I try to pick a winner. ‘I haven’t a clue who has got it,’ admits Paul Flynn. ‘The standard was so high, it is very hard to tell.’ Ross Lewis and Marc Amand can’t call it either, though they all have their own favourites. Neil McFadden will not be drawn, ‘you’ll just have to wait and see,’ he says. I wouldn’t fancy playing him in poker, I think, as I try to read his face for clues. It is not until Kamil serves his loin of wild fallow venison with coco roll, quince paste, cabbage wrap, chestnut fondant and gin jus, that Neil drops his one and only hint. ‘I really like this guy,’ he says. ‘I can’t believe he only started cooking three years ago and yet he can cook to this standard,’ I venture. ‘He’s on a journey,’ agrees Neil, with a smile as cryptic as the Mona Lisa. And that he is. Knockranny House Hotel’s Kamil Dubanik is the 21st chef to win the Euro-toques Ireland Young Chef of the Year title, following his colleague Mary Ryan who won last year’s award. With just three years’ cooking and one of the most coveted crowns in Irish catering under his belt, he has a bright future ahead of him. We look forward to seeing where his journey takes him. u Organised by Euro-toques Ireland, the Young Chef of the Year competition is sponsored by BIM and Fáilte Ireland and supported by suppliers Bragard, Findlater Wine & Spirit Group and La Rousse Foods.
28 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
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Promotion
Bord Bia Brings Irish Food to Market Marketplace International 2012 – 7 February, Convention Centre Dublin
Over 300 international and 100 local food and beverage buyers are expected to attend Bord Bia’s Marketplace International 2012 which will take place in the Convention Centre Dublin on 7 February, 2012. The buyers, which include representatives from retail; foodservice; convenience; online; wholesale; catering; distribution and manufacturing channels, will have the opportunity to meet with over 175 Irish branded and private label suppliers during 3,500 pre-scheduled meetings taking place throughout the day. Bord Bia is aiming to secure €15m in new business from the one day event. In preparation for Marketplace, participating Irish companies have been undergoing a
comprehensive training programme. Bord Bia has developed a series of practical sessions that address target market selection, logistics, buyer pitches and closing deals. Ireland’s food and drink exports in 2011 are expected to reach a new all time high of €8.9bn, an increase of more than 12%, or almost €1bn, on 2010 levels. This follows growth of €700m in 2010 leaving Ireland’s food exports in 2011 some 25% ahead of 2009 levels. If you are a foodservice buyer and would like to attend this event, please contact Maureen Gahan, Bord Bia Foodservice Specialist, directly on 01 6142 235 or maureen.gahan@bordbia.ie For more information visit www.marketplaceinternational.eu u
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 29
FESTIVE FOOD
Get Your Game On this Christmas Game is big on festive menus during the holiday season. MARILYN BRIGHT gets ideas for innovative yuletide catering from some of Ireland’s top chefs.
F
estive fare looms large in the jollity of the Christmas season. Home cooks know that the stuffing, the turkey and the Christmas pudding on the day have to be pretty much like mammy used to make or there will be long faces around the table. But it’s a different cup of tea when it comes to holiday meals outside the home. At the Gold Medal Award winning, La Fougère Restaurant in Knockranny House Hotel, head chef Seamus Commons acknowledges that customers look for something different when they go out to eat. ‘There’s no point in paying your hard earned pennies for food that you can do at home. A meal out is a treat and most people are prepared to be a bit experimental – even the most conservative tastes like a bit of a twist on the traditional dishes.’ A look at menus around the country reveals that game in every form is a top trend in holiday fare. Head chef John Wyer of The Mulberry Tree in Dublin features everything from venison and pheasant to wild mallard on his small but perfectly formed menus. ‘Game is at its best at this time of year and is popular with customers – it’s low fat and healthy with earthy flavours that suit the wintry weather. It also gives people a chance to try something they’d be afraid to do at home.’ At Knockranny House, they’re perfectly placed to feature local game from the surrounding countryside. Partridge, mallard, snipe and grouse appear on a constantly changing menu, working with whatever is available. Wild venison is a popular choice for Christmas diners and Seamus buys the whole animal, butchered and hung for two weeks by awardwinning butchers Kelly’s of Newport. The haunch is seam boned in-house at Knockranny, cut into steaks and served with a chestnut and smoky bacon fondant and cranberry jelly. Venison off-cuts are minced with smoked bacon, herb seasonings and raspberry vinegar to make delicious sausages – sometimes formed into puff pastry sausage rolls and served with cranberry chutney as party finger food. The neck is braised and the gelatinous meat formed into a roll to be sliced, crumbed and fried in another presentation. Of all the game fowl, pheasant remains a top Christmas treat and Seamus serves the braised and roasted bird with sprout purée flavoured with thyme and bacon alongside crisp artichoke chips and a sage and bread foam which is his innovative twist on traditional bread sauce. Sage from the garden also appears in Knockranny’s sage and date pudding, a new take on the classic Christmas dinner. The Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club might be expected to be the last bastion of the gastronomic conservative, but head chef Wayne Neville’s skilful cooking and well judged
innovations keep the dining buzzing during the holiday season and beyond. Irish mallard is served with a shallot tatin and a mosaic terrine of wild game and pistachios comes with beetroot salsa and toasted brioche. Holiday game takes a whiff of the old raj in curried quail served with spice scented tarka dhal and fresh coriander foam. Pheasant remains the diners’ top choice and tradition is served with Wayne’s deconstructed presentation of pan-fried breast and slow-roasted leg with spinach and chestnut stuffing and 8
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 31
FESTIVE FOOD black truffle jus. Vegetable side dishes of celeriac gratin, creamed kale and salsify batons reflect the seasonal classics. When it comes to sweet endings, Wayne concedes that even his dark chocolate marquise with mixed berries is overshadowed by the clubmen’s all-time favourites of brandied Christmas pudding and fruit crumble. ‘We have a different crumble on every day yearround,’ he says. ‘It’s the one we could never take off the menu.’ Christmas fare comes on two levels – literally – at The Oarsman in Carrick-onShannon. Brothers Conor and Ronan Maher cater for awardwinning bar food downstairs as well as modern cuisine in the gallery restaurant above. ‘It’s a bit more traditional and hearty in the bar,’ Conor points out, citing the warm sandwich of Castlemine Farm spiced beef served with horseradish cream and homemade pickililli. Traditionalists are lured by a turkey and ham hock parcel with savoy cabbage in pastry with parsley cream and spiced carrots. Upstairs, game stars on the holiday menu with local wild fowl like woodcock and pheasant. Venison comes from the award-winning Coopershill herd 20 miles away. Roast loin is served with slow braised shoulder pie and spicey homemade pear chutney. Skipping dessert isn’t an option at The Oarsman, with deft flavour combinations adding sparkle to well loved puds. Deep chocolate fondant comes with homemade star anise ice cream and a fizzy dusting of beetroot sherbet to tickle the palate. Apple rhubarb crumble gets a holiday kick of rosemary and ice cream. ‘It has a Christmassy, piney flavour,’ Conor says. Christmas pheasant in Pichet in Dublin may come from Wicklow or the Dromoland estate shoot, to be paired with spiced parsnip purée spiked with sharp apple and a pinch of curry powder. Shades of medieval celebrations might be called up with the holiday platter of roast suckling pig nestling in sprout leaves fried with bacon and chestnuts alongside buttery potato mousseline.
Head chef Stephen Gibson’s Christmas puddings are strictly vintage, quietly aging since last Easter. ‘I make a batch early on,’ Stephen says, ‘and they’re at their best after six months.’ Pichet’s mince pies are legendary as well, baked at 6am every morning during the season and sold out by 11am in the adjoining coffee shop. At The Mulberry Tree, John Wyer’s homemade mincemeat goes into mince pie ice cream served with carrot cake and brandy poached raisins. Brandy poached prunes accompany a set custard of wild Irish honey and spiced milk ice cream flavoured with nutmeg, cinnamon and fennel seeds. ‘They’re warm fragrant spices that are especially good in winter,’ John explains. Gearoid Lynch, commissioner-general of Eurotoques Ireland sees this midwinter holiday season as the best time of year for food. ‘You have wonderful game, all the root vegetables, squash, nuts and cranberries and the late fruit like apples and pears – all flavours that blend and complement each other.’ At his much praised restaurant, The Olde Post Inn in Cavan, venison is the best seller, regularly topping 100 portions served up over three nights, in addition to the venison and mushroom pies featured on Sunday lunches. Big red and sika deer are sourced locally and cold room hanging is provided by Gearoid’s mother-in-law who also has a duck and goose farm. Aged for up to six weeks, the venison is portioned in-house and marinated for two to three days, with loin and haunch cut into medallions and served in a herb crust with celeriac purée, herb gnocchi and salsify cream and a berry and Valrhona sauce. Gearoid believes in enhancing the traditional with new twists. Silky bread sauce for the roast goose is made with brioche soaked overnight and the red cabbage gets its acid kick from pink grapefruit juice. ‘People still like the old favourites at this time of year, but they appreciate a few new touches as well. You have to keep standards high to keep customers coming back – and pray that it doesn’t snow.’ u
The Delights of Christmas Delice de France has Christmas all wrapped up with an extensive new festive catalogue. In addition to Delice de France’s main brochure, which contains more than 600 products, the winter catalogue includes a broad spectrum of seasonal solutions for caterers. The collection of close to 100 products includes 12 key offerings highlighted under the ‘Delights of Christmas’, plus a number of new product offerings, such as the Toblerone Pastry launched by Delice in conjunction with Kraft Foods. Other Christmas offers include Portuguese cakes – bolo de arroz – which are light and spongy sweet treats. Served as an alternative to muffins, they make a great afternoon tea option, says Louise Kerrigan of Delice de France. The savoury range includes Christmas slices for hot food occasions. Providing a lunchtime sandwich alternative or a larger meal offering when served with chips and a salad, Christmas slices comprise turkey, ham, stuffing and gravy packaged in hot pastry. Ideal for hand-held occasions, they are baked in the oven for 18 minutes and at 175g are a ‘big eat’ says Louise. Mince pies are the order of the season, and Delice de France offers a range of four different pies, including two thaw and serve, one mini and one standard mince pie which is suitable for all channels and works particularly well in banqueting operations. There is also the crown pastry mince pie which is an upmarket option. Cakes are pre-portioned to help waste management, and include the 14-slice luxury Christmas fruit cake, Delice’s very popular cranberry and orange muffins, snowball cup cakes, Christmas pudding logs and more. Other dessert options include stalwart favourites such as tiramisu, plum crumble and tarte tatin. For the party season Delice de France offers a range of thaw and serve party food for serving on platters, including the popular mini burgers. Sweet party options include macaroons, which are growing in favour and are ‘the new cupcakes’ notes Louise Kerrigan. For those who prefer to put their own stamp on their food, but are also looking for time and labour-saving options, Delice de France provides a number of basic ingredients which can be finished in house by pastry chefs, such as base pastry products, tartlet cases and so on. The Christmas range is packaged to suit different occasions and is designed to offer caterers a range of ideas to help them make the most of the festive season. For further information, see delicedefrance.ie.
32 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
FESTIVE DRINK
Shake Up Your Yule Irish hotels and restaurants are shaking things up this Christmas with a tasty range of festive cocktails. Here is a pick of some of the best recipes from Ireland’s top cocktail bars.
No.27 Hot Brandy
The Shelbourne
Mistletoe Martini
35ml Hennessy brandy 1tsp honey lemongrass cloves
The Shelbourne
Place a teaspoon of honey in your glass. Add 100ml of hot water (not boiling), stir and allow the honey to dissolve. Pour the brandy into the glass. Garnish with an orange slice, cloves and lemongrass.
15ml Campari 35ml gin lemon juice 15ml raspberry liqueur Chill a martini glass. Fill a Boston shaker with ice cubes, add Campari, raspberry liqueur and stir. Add gin and squeeze of lemon, stir well for 10 seconds. Strain and serve in a chilled, sugar coated (peppermint) martini glass.
Homemade Grenadine
Pembroke Townhouse Great for mixing in yuletide cocktails, this homemade grenadine recipe from Fiona Teehan in Pembroke Townhouse can also be drunk virginal, diluted with water.
White Christmas
The Shelbourne Cream 35.5ml vanilla vodka 15ml Amaretto 15ml Crème de Cacao (white) Grenadine Pour vanilla vodka, Amaretto, cream and Crème de Cacao in a shaker with ice and shake well for 20 seconds. Add a dash of grenadine. Garnish with three raspberries on a milk chocolate stick.
34 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
2.25lb pomegranates (about two pieces of fruit) 1 pint water Granulated sugar Separate the pomegranate seeds from the membranes/skin and cover them with a pint of water and simmer in a heavy pot. Stir continuously until the juice sacs have released their juice (approximately five minutes) and pour through a muslin-layered sieve, pressing the juice from the seeds. Throw out the seeds. Measure the strained juice and add an equal amount of sugar. Pour into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Cool to room temperature and, if required, add food colouring. Pour immediately into warm sterilized bottles using a sterilized funnel. Seal, leave to cool, then store in the fridge. Shake before use. Makes one litre. Refrigerated it will keep for three months.
Twinkle Star The G Hotel 25ml apple sour 25ml peach schnapps 15ml crème de menthe 30ml apple juice 10ml lemon juice 15ml cinnamon syrup Shake all ingredients, except the cinnamon syrup, together. Pour cinnamon syrup into a martini glass and pour mix from shaker slowly on top of the syrup. You should get two layers. Garnish with two maraschino cherries on a see-through stick.
Baby, it’s Cold Outside…
Santa Baby Radisson Blu Royal Hotel 40ml Bacardi Oakheart 40ml cranberry juice 20ml raspberry puree 5ml vanilla syrup Combine all the ingredients with ice in a shaker and shake for six to eight seconds. Double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with sugar on the rim and orange peel.
’Tis the Season... For Sherry Sherry takes on renewed appeal this Christmas, its popularity boosted by the hit ITV period drama, Downton Abbey. Making the most of the season is A Winter’s Tale, the country’s second-biggest selling sherry, which is great served with nuts as an aperitif or in a festive eggnog. A Winter’s Tale Amontillado is a blend of Palomino and Pedro Ximenez varieties which is aged for a minimum of six years. The brand is distributed in Ireland by the Findlater Wine & Spirit Group which also offers Tullamore Dew, the blend of pot still, malt and grain whiskey, which is outperforming whiskey sales in the ontrade with a growth of 12% this year. Tullamore Dew is now the second largest Irish whiskey brand in the world. For those who prefer Scotch, Findlater offers Glenfiddich – the most awarded single malt Scotch whisky in the world – and Grant’s Scotch, which has grown by close to 40% in Ireland this year. Other spirited Christmas options include Sea Dog dark Jamaica rum, Ireland’s favourite dark rum. Of course, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without port – served hot on Christmas morning (for those brave enough to undertake the annual swim) – or naturally later in the day. Findlater Wine & Spirits offers the much-decorated range of Graham’s Ports which collected an impressive 17 medals at international competitions in 2010. For further information about Findlater’s range of festive tipples see findlaterws.ie.
As the seasonal song goes, it’s cold outside, but the team at Heineken Ireland is planning an extra cold Christmas inside too. Following the roll out of Heineken Served Extra Cold the brewer has launched the Star Serve four-step programme to help bartenders perfect the art of pouring a pint. According to the team at Heineken, bars who have embarked on the programme are selling, on average, 9% more Heineken as a result. That’s a nice Christmas present. Also in the Heineken line-up this Christmas is Desperados, the full bodied beer with an edge of tequila. It is an up and coming beer in the brewer’s portfolio, selling over 17,000 cases since its launch last year. Coors Light, the top selling bottled larger in the on-trade in 2011, is also celebrating a good performance in the draught segment this Christmas, registering double-digit growth in 2011. It is now the fourth largest draught lager in Ireland. Offering a Christmas cheer with an Eastern flair, Tiger beer brings a taste of Asia to Irish bars. It is now available in over 400 on trade accounts nationwide and will be distributed to an even wider number of accounts in 2012. Germany’s number one Weissbier, Paulaner, is providing a flavour of Bavaria at Galway’s Continental Christmas Market. The brand’s non-alcoholic version offers an option to designated drivers in a segment of the on-trade which is experiencing a growth of close to 30%. Also on offer are Heineken Ireland’s flagship stouts, Beamish and Murphy’s. For more, see heineken.ie.
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 35
PROMOTION
Heineken celebrated the art of pulling the perfect pint at the Star Serve finals in Cork and Dublin recently. Heineken Star Serve programme perfects the long tradition of pouring a pint and ensures the pint is poured perfectly every time, sealing in the fresh, crisp taste under the head for longer. Held in The Savoy in Cork and Tripod in Dublin, the Star Serve finals saw bartenders from pubs across Munster and Leinster compete for the title of Star Serve Champion. Over 750 people attended both events where competitors were put through their paces in a series of intense heats.
Eoin credits for his success in the competition. When pouring the perfect pint from a Heineken Served Extra Cold tap, Eoin recommends that bartenders: 1. Take their time and follow the four steps. 2. Make sure they hold the glass at a 45° angle and drop the glass a bit. 3. Don’t rush the pour, it does work. Jose Cardoso has also been perfecting the four step pour in Russell’s of Ranelagh. As an experienced barman Jose sees it as the best way to serve beer. In Jose Cardoso, his opinion, the Star Serve pour Russell’s of Ranelagh ensures Heineken tastes the way it should. Jose’s tips for perfecting the pour are: 1. Take your time and picture yourself in front of your favourite customer. 2. Make sure you hold the glass at a 45° angle – it’s what helps the head of the beer. 3. Follow the four steps of Heineken Star Serve and wait for the compliments to start!
Eoin Condon, Nancy Blake’s Eoin Condon from Nancy Blake’s in Limerick was crowned Star Serve champion in Cork while Jose Cardoso took the title in Dublin. Both winners walked away with the prize of a VIP trip each to the UEFA Champions League final in Munich in May 2012. Heineken has been training the staff at Nancy Blake’s in the four step Star Serve pour and and it is this training which
LOG ON TO WWW.HEINEKEN.IE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FOUR STEP HEINEKEN STAR SERVE.
36 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
INGREDIENTS
A Zest for
Orange With orange season upon us, MARILYN BRIGHT goes in search of the most perfect citrus fruit.
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ruit of the gods, the golden apples of the Hesperides stolen by Hercules – oranges are at their very best now, adding a bit of spark to dark winter days. For centuries the prerogative of emperors and the very wealthy, citrus fruits are now an affordable luxury ranging from fat navel oranges heavy with thick peel and juice to the more recently developed family of childfriendly ‘easy peelers’. From bitter marmalade oranges to tiny kumquats, all oranges originated in China, with earliest references in the Five Classics of Confucius set around 500BC. Oranges migrated with the Moors in a swathe across Persia, by caravans to Africa and around the Mediterranean, where the fragrant flowered trees with their sweet fruit were central to enclosed ‘gardens of paradise’ and became ancestors to the vast orange groves of Spain and the sunny south. Northern hemisphere oranges are at their sweetest and best from Christmas time through to March, according to Matthew Carriell of major importers Keelings, with new season fruit coming mainly from Spain and Morocco. The sharp flavoured Seville oranges for marmalade have the shortest window, available for just three weeks in January. The increasing number of chefs and caterers making their own preserves tend to pre-order their supplies of the elusive fruit which can then be frozen whole or chopped to be processed later. Even though sweet oranges, called China or Portuguese oranges, became known in Europe by the late 1700s, they were expensive and food writer and historian Jane Grigson says that the oranges referred to in early recipes meant bitter Seville oranges – used very much as lemons are used today. An Elizabethan cookery book gives a recipe for boiled shoulder of mutton, sliced and braised in its gravy with the peel and juice of an orange, claret wine, beaten mace, cinnamon and cloves with a little sugar. Early marmalades were not the spoonable
preserves we know today, but long boiled to set solid and cut into cubes for sweetmeats, which could also be melted into meat dishes and gravies. Orange flower water was also a favourite flavouring for both sweet and savoury dishes, a tradition that persists where the Moors left footprints across Sicily, Morocco and Spain. One of the beauties of orange trees is that they bear their ripe fruits alongside the fragrant blossoms of the next crop. Thick skinned and heavy with juice, sweet navel oranges are favourites with a long history, first described by a Siennese Jesuit in the 17th century. The almost seedless strain we know today originated as a sport in Brazil, was sent to the US department of agriculture in the 1870s and its progeny became the basis of the vast California and Florida citrus industry. More recently, these oranges have been identified as offspring of ‘the late orange of Valencia’, grown now in abundance in nearly every orange centre in the world – except Valencia. Blood oranges, considered by some to be the most gorgeous variety of citrus, become available around Christmas time through to the early months of the year. The crimsontainted flesh is a result of mutation that appeared in Sicily during the 17th century. The small sweet, nearly seedless oranges are specially grown in Italy, Spain and Malta as well as California and Texas and their colourful flesh and juice are a cook’s delight in salads, desserts and sauces. In classic French cookery, dishes made with blood oranges are designated a la Maltaise – as in sauce Maltaise with a mayonnaise or hollandaise base enhanced with blood orange juice and julienned zest. Navel oranges are easy to identify, but the term mandarin orange can be confusing when it is applied to fruits of varying sizes and characteristics. Mandarin is the blanket term for all the ‘easy peelers’ – mainly clementines, satsumas and tangerines.
Satsumas are the mildest flavoured, juicy and have very loose skins that make them a favourite for children. Clementines have a tighter peel but more flavour. Tangerines have the most intense flavour of all, described by one supermarket buyer as ‘the connoisseur’s choice’, but they have a tendency to seediness. Mandarins are a top choice for desserts and the juice makes an alternative Bucks Fizz, dubbed a Puccini in fashionable London bars. Richard Corrigan poaches clementines with toasted cardamom seeds and serves them strewn with pistachios alongside chocolate cake or sorbet. Tangerines make the best intensely flavoured ices and syrups for a myriad of uses. When it comes to savoury citrus dishes, duck a l’orange is almost a culinary cliché but the sweet sharpness cuts through the fattiness of duck and pork alike. Around the Mediterranean, dried strips of orange peel are kept at the ready for seasoning meaty daubes and braises, as well as fish dishes like the famous Bouillabaisse of Marseilles. Dried orange zest also goes into the broth of Riviera bourride, to beaten into the garlicky aioli ladled over the cooked chunks of fish. At Fishy Fishy in Kinsale, Martin Shanahan serves up a platter of crisply deep fried oysters with a dipping sauce of orange juice and shredded basil in crème fraiche. Paul Flynn pairs orange with fennel to flavour butter bean dressing for lobster at The Tannery, and his Mediterranean fish soup packs authentic punch with the combined flavours of orange peel, saffron, star anise, fennel, garlic and Pernod. Whatever the dish, there is an orange to suit, heightening flavours with sweet-sharp flesh and aromatic peel. From now until the first shoots of spring, citrus from our own hemisphere are at their best, quality undiminished by long storage and shipping from faraway tropics. u
HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 37
Whiskey Bar of the month
Whiskeys for All Seasons
The Lobby Lounge in Dublin’s plush Four Seasons Hotel has one of the largest premium whiskey collections in the country, providing a quiet retreat where whiskey lovers can catch up with the latest trends in whiskey and indulge in some classic brands.
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hile vodka lovers descend on the Four Season’s chic Ice Bar, those with a hankering for uisce beatha prefer the quite tranquillity of the hotel’s Lobby Lounge. Understated and elegant at the gateway to the popular Seasons restaurant, the Lobby Lounge offers a haven for whiskey aficionados. Containing more than 150 different whiskey labels, the bar features one of the largest premium whiskey collections in the country and offers everything from old friends like Midleton Very Rare to the latest hot new additions in the Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard stable. One such newcomer is Powers’ John’s Lane Release, an exciting new pot still whiskey which was
named Irish Whiskey of the Year by leading whiskey writer, Jim Murray, in his 2012 Whisky Bible. A big hit with guests at the hotel, the special whiskey – described by Murray as ‘embracing and magnificent’ – is also a personal favourite of resident whiskey expert, Kobus Van Zyl. Kobus, a former whiskey tasting champion, cherishes Powers’ John’s Lane Release for its ‘old school’ style. ‘It is going back to how whiskey used to be. It is a delicious bit of history in a glass,’ he gushes enthusiastically. When guests ask for recommendations on which whiskey to purchase as gifts for friends back home it is the John’s Lane Release, and its sibling, the Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy
38 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
in association with...
– named after IDL’s legendary distiller – which bartenders at The Four Seasons most regularly suggest. Both whiskeys have been ‘truly embraced by connoisseurs’, says Kobus, who praises the Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy as a ‘gentle giant of a whiskey, much like the man himself ’. Growing up on a winery in his native South Africa, Kobus has always been involved in the drinks industry, but while his family background is in wine, it is whiskey which has charmed him the most. With whiskey there is greater potential to interact and tell a story, he believes. ‘A lot of people are familiar with wines and know what they like but there is not the same level of knowledge with whiskey so a lot of education is required. It enables us to really tell the story of the whiskey, share where it’s from, how it’s made, discuss the different flavours and aromas and so on. By talking to our customers about the history of the whiskey it really enhances the whole experience for them.’ It is the history of the Irish whiskey industry which interests Kobus the most. ‘What I love most about whiskey is that it is an Irish product and it is uniquely linked to the history of the country. The history of Ireland is reflected in the
whiskeys we have here.’ In a bid to encourage guests to sample some of our legendary whiskeys and get a taste of Ireland, Kobus and the team at the Four Seasons regularly embark on promotions, including the successful food and whiskey pairing event which ran in March of this year and is planned again for 2012. During the promotion, guests were encouraged to pair whiskey with a range of desserts or hearty fare like a rib-eye steak with peppercorn sauce. The Lobby Lounge also offers a range of whiskey cocktails, from the classic Manhattan to some of the hotel’s own creations, and whiskey flights where guests can taste a selection of different whiskeys from across Ireland. As well as running regular tastings and tutorials with staff, the Four Seasons provides popular tastings for guests, catering for groups of two to 120, or more. ‘We really tailor the tastings to suit the specific audience and they can be both educational and entertaining,’ says Kobus. At the moment, what’s entertaining guests most is a small whiskey barrel behind the bar. Filled with Kobus’s favourite Powers’ John’s Lane Release, it is a showpiece, he says. ‘It’s a real talking point.’ u
T C NOSE:
Aromatic oils with a touch of wood, spicy toffee.
TASTE: Wonderfully mellow and smooth, a mouth full of complex flavours – fudge/toffee, spice, hints of wood and leather, a gentle sherry nuttiness, vanilla FINISH:
A long lingering finish carries the theme of the wood, spice and toffee right through to the end.
T M
“Only the very finest old whiskeys have been chosen for this taste sensation.” Billy Leighton, Master Blender
SEASONS
Did You Know?
Sprouting Out A
s Olde Post Inn chef-proprietor and Euro-toques commissioner general, Gearoid Lynch, notes in our Christmas fare feature this issue, we are now in the midst of the most bountiful season for Irish food. Great game is complemented by rustic root veg, and festive favourites such as cranberries and Brussels sprouts add holiday dimensions to winter menus. The much maligned Brussels sprout gets bad word of mouth in the flavour stakes, but we hazard a guess that this love-it-or-loathe-it cousin of the cabbage would earn far greater press if diners hadn’t been subjected to tired, greying, overcooked versions in their formative years. A healthy option offering a great source of fibre, vitamin C and folic acid, Brussels sprouts are an acquired taste but their nutty flavour makes them a handsome accompaniment to traditional yuletide menus. For a more modern twist, we like them with a peppering of chilli and a sprinkling of lemon as suggested in this simple recipe from Bord Bia. Joining Brussels sprouts on the best dressed winter menus is the mighty beetroot, the best friend of goat’s cheese which packs a powerful health punch. Celeriac, purple sprouting broccoli, swedes and turnips are equally hot, offering plenty of potential to add a rustic flourish to comfort dishes. And let’s not forget the humble bramley apple, which earned its very own festival in November with the launch of the inaugural Bramley Apple Week. Mr Kipling would be impressed indeed. u
Brussels Sprouts with Chilli & Lemon 1kg Brussels sprouts, trimmed 1 tbsp olive oil 2 shallots, finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced 1 red chilli, de-seeded and thinly sliced Squeeze of lemon juice Salt and freshly-ground black pepper Trim the sprouts. Add to a saucepan of salted boiling water, reducing to a simmer and cooking for five to eight minutes depending on size. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the shallots, garlic and chilli for a couple of minutes over a medium heat. Drain the cooked sprouts then stir through the shallots, garlic and chilli mixture along with a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and black pepper to taste. A simple makeover for the humble sprout. Easy.
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A native of Northern Europe with origins estimated to date back to the Middle Ages, the Brussels sprout earned its name as it was first recorded in Belgium around 1750.
Also Good Right Now Goose Guinea Fowl Venison Chestnuts Apples Pears Turbot Brill
DRINK
McGuigan Tops IWSC Aussie winemaker, McGuigan Wines, swept the boards at this year’s International Wine & Spirit Competition in London. The producer was named ‘World’s Best Winemaker’ for a second time in three years, while also scooping the title of Australian Producer of the Year. Along with the top gongs, McGuigan Bin 9000 Semillon’s 2006 vintage took Gold, ‘Best in Class’ and the International Semillon Trophy. The 1997, 2003, 2004 and 2005 vintages of the Bin 9000 Semillon also won Gold and ‘Best in Class’ awards. ‘What an achievement. To have won International Winemaker of the Year once is phenomenal, but to be recognised by our industry peers as International Winemaker of the Year twice in just three years is mind blowing. It’s a truly once in a lifetime event,’ said McGuigan chief winemaker, Neil McGuigan. In total, McGuigan won an impressive 34 medals from a total of 37 entries, including the top titles and five gold, 21 silver, eight bronze medals, plus 11 ‘Best
Award-winning winemaker, Neil McGuigan is pictured (right) with Michael Barry of Irish distributor, Barry & Fitzwilliam.
in Class’ awards. ‘To put this in perspective, we won the same number of Gold “Best in Class” awards as the entire German industry, and the entire Chilean industry; and more than the sum total of Portuguese table wines – an amazing achievement for a single producer. A great result for McGuigan Wines and the Australian industry in general,’ explained Neil McGuigan.
Wine Times HungErFord Hill SHiraz
Having celebrated it’s 40th vintage in 2010, Hungerford Hill is a family owned and operated winery that produces a range of exemplary wines from its home in the Hunter Valley as well as the Tumbarumba region and Hilltops in Southern New South Wales. This beautiful Shiraz has a deep dark plum colour while the nose shows ripe, peppery fruit coming through. On the palate flavours of chocolate & blackberries come through and lead to lovely sweet tannins on the finish.
Cooley Triumphs for Fourth Year Cooley Distillery has added to its garland of awards, winning the European Spirits Producer of the Year title for the fourth year in a row at the International Wine & Spirit Competition Awards. The accolade follows Cooley’s eight gold medal haul at the IWSC in July, which brought the distillery’s gold medal collection to 135 won over the last decade. ‘To win an accolade such as European Spirits Producer of the Year once is hard enough but to win it four years in a row is unprecedented. Our continued success at International Spirits Competitions mirrors the continued success and strength of the Irish whiskey industry,’ said Jack Teeling, managing director, Cooley Distillery.
And the awards continue... Tipperary Natural Mineral Water has scooped three international gold medals at the British Bottlers Institute (BBI) Awards in London for its still, sparkling and peach flavoured water. Peter Cooney, manager, Tipperary Water (centre) is pictured with Ed Binstead, president, BBI and Wyllie Woodburn, BBI national chairman, at the Awards.
Unit 5 OC Commercial Park, Little Island, Cork, Ireland T: 021 451 0066 F: 021 435 5504 W: www.classicdrinks.ie E: info@classicdrinks.ie
FIVE MINUTES WITH...
Mark Walker
Hilton area e th h it w p u t h g u a We c Ireland. rn e h rt o N r fo r e g a n ma How is the hotel sector in Northern Ireland faring? Is it as tough as the South?
We’ve had a challenging few years. I think as a city Belfast is more challenging because Dublin now has the CCD, Aviva Stadium and Grand Canal Theatre and it has always been a very strong destination for leisure, incentive and other business. It is lucky to have a large airport with great routes too.
Is Belfast on the up?
There are lots of below cost airlines coming in which have been a great boost. Belfast is the last capital city in the UK for many to visit and it’s very trendy right now. Cardiff and Edinburgh have had their moments. Now it’s all about Belfast.
Did you rock out at the recent MTV Awards?
I was lucky to get there and I have to say they were absolutely amazing. The EMAs were great for Belfast – the whole city was full and it provided a great boost. It is what Belfast deserves. The next two years are critical for Northern Ireland. The Titanic centenary is next year and the new visitor centre will be great for business. Thankfully it is going to finish ahead of schedule and hopefully it will make a massive difference to the city. MTV is coming back in May to coincide with the Titanic opening. On top of that, Northern Ireland is doing well on the back of major golfing successes and we have been very fortunate to have four winners in the last 18 months. We’re bidding very hard to bring the Irish Open to Portrush in 2013 and hopefully that will come off. We’ve had a tough couple of years and things are slower to pick up here than they are in the rest of the UK, but there is a lot of optimism in the tourism industry.
Somewhat unusually, Hilton owns both the Belfast city centre and Templepatrick properties. Is the brand very committed to Northern Ireland?
popular wedding venue and we have over 1600 members of our Living Well Spa. It’s a great base for the north coast – the Giant’s Causeway is only 45 minutes away.
What is the business mix like at Hilton Belfast?
GB is our largest market followed by the ROI and NI – the latter two are very close in numbers now. There has been a change – midweek corporate used to be stronger for us, but now the weekend leisure is our biggest business.
So how is business?
Occupancy is good. We’ve always worked hard at it and we’re looking at about 78% year to date. Unfortunately with oversupply in the market, rates have eroded.
Is overcapacity as big an issue in Northern Ireland as it is in the Republic?
Seven new hotels opened in the last two years in Belfast city centre. They have been mainly in the budget sector, but The Fitzwilliam has opened and The Merchant has expanded so it has impacted the luxury segment also. There have been 1600 new bedrooms added in Belfast city centre so we have gone from a situation of undersupply to oversupply. u
It is unusual. Hilton don’t own many of the hotels – only about 10% in the UK are in ownership but the group is very committed to Belfast. It was the first brand to arrive in Belfast and the first five star hotel to open in the city in 1998.
You’ve had a nip and tuck at the hotels.
Yes, Hilton invested over £2.5m in the Belfast property at the start of this year. The 197 guestrooms were refurbished, as well as all of the conference suites. I pushed the group to try and get it done this year as I really believe Northern Ireland has its best two years to come. As well as the work at Hilton Belfast, Hilton Templepatrick also had a complete makeover during the last two to three years. It has been great for business and the hotel is doing very well. It’s a very
42 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
Hilton Belfast
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