Pat Nolan Editor
patnolan@mediateam.ie Twitter: @drinksind_ie
The on-trade is under fire, it seems, from all sides - alcohol purchases now total one in 10 of all home food deliveries while the LVA’s ‘Cost of Doing Business Survey’ reckons that February’s return of the 13.5% VAT rate will impose additional inflation on hospitality at a time when widespread costs are accumulating across the sector.
Six in 10 Dublin publicans say their energy bills have doubled or more since this time last year. Over one in five say their bills have approximately tripled in that timeframe and a further one in five state their energy costs are up by 50% since January 2022.
Half say their insurance costs have increased by around 20% or more, with one in five putting the increase at 30% or higher.
Rural pubs are unlikely to fare any better in these cost increases.
All publicans note that their drink suppliers have raised prices by around 10% or more and over a third of Dublin publicans say their food supply costs are up by 30% or more. Just under half of all publicans have seen their average wage costs rise by 20% or more in the last year. This should represent a significant concern for government since pubs and hotels jointly account for the second-highest portion of the Irish foodservice market according to Bord Bia.
Now it’s being proposed that the acquisition of pub licences in rural areas should be liberalised. Some 1,800 pubs have closed due to lack of business since 2005.
Add to this the scarcity of staff in the existing pubs and the industry is looking at a rolling catastrophe - one that only the government can slow. However it might be worth heeding the advice from Drs Deirdre Curran and Mary Farrell in this month’s 1&1 interview. Their research suggests ways to reverse the staffing outflow that, let’s face it, will need to be addressed sooner
On a personal note, this will be my last trip as editor of Drinks Industry . I’ve decided to retire and am delighted to see Fionnuala Carolan take over from me. Writing about this industry for the past 36 years has been a gas - I couldn’t have worked in a more supportive and friendly environment. I shall miss it - and you all - greatly.
Pubs and hotels jointly account for the second-highest portion of the Irish foodservice market
The forthcoming Sale of Alcohol Bill has the potential to undermine the entire rural pub trade and unless some sections of the Bill are altered many family-run businesses will simply close, says the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland.
While the licensed trade welcomes many elements within the Sale of Alcohol Bill publicans are concerned by the proposal to abolish ‘extinguishment’ – the licensing system allowing a new pub to open only when another pub permanently closes.
The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee received Cabinet approval for her draft Bill to reform Ireland’s antiquated licensing system last Autumn.
Believing that the licensing laws were in significant need of reform, she published the General Scheme of the Sale of Alcohol Bill to outline her intentions.
The General Scheme proposes an amendment to the so-called ‘extinguishment’ provision which sometimes proves an impediment to opening a new pub in towns and villages where some premises have shut, particularly in rural areas. And the cost of a licence can be prohibitive for someone seeking to
open a new pub in a rural town which may need it.
Often, these licences are sold in closed transactions to a large supermarket chain to be used for an in store off-licence in an urban area.
However the ‘extinguishment’ requirement will remain in place for off-licences and will only be applicable to licences already in existence on the enactment of this Bill. No new licences granted under this Bill could be sold for extinguishment purposes.
“I do not believe we need a dramatic increase in the number of new pubs,” said the Minister, “But in circumstances where a town has
lost its pub we should acknowledge that the community has lost one of its focal points. The current system makes it difficult for anyone who wants to open a new pub in towns and villages where a pub has closed its doors.”
But VFI Chief Executive Paul Clancy pointed out that, “This move will create a deregulated on-trade where the number of licences in operation will potentially be unlimited. This will massively impact villages that right now are struggling to support one small pub.”
According to Revenue Commissioners’ statistics in 2005 there were 8,617 seven-day licences compared to 6,788 in December 2021. This represents a 21% decline in pub numbers over the past 17 years. The proposed measure will exacerbate this trend, believes Paul Clancy.
According to the VFI, the principle of Extinguishment is accepted as a legitimate practice in the Sale of Alcohol Bill where it will remain for new off-licences. The VFI requests that the same principle be applied to the on-trade. The VFI will appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice later this month.
Fionnuala Carolan has been appointed as the new editor of Drinks Industry Ireland magazine.
Fionnuala has a wealth of experience in trade publishing having previously worked with Mediateam as editor of leading retail trade magazine, ShelfLife for over six years. She was awarded the Business Magazines Editor of the Year Award from Magazines Ireland in 2010 for her work on that title.
She subsequently worked with BWG Foods as communications manager for three years. In recent times she has been a regular contributor to Mediateam’s publications and is looking forward to the new challenge
of editing Drinks Industry Ireland magazine and website, highlighting and debating the important issues affecting the licenced trade in Ireland today.
She takes over the role from the founder and long-time editor of Drinks Industry Ireland Pat Nolan who has recently announced his retirement after more than 22 years at the helm. Pat will continue to contribute to the magazine, offering his expert opinion and insights on the trade in 2023.
Drinks Industry Ireland magazine enjoys strong engagement with the drinks trade both in print and online with over 45,000 monthly touchpoints.
According to John McDonald, managing director of Mediateam, the new publisher of Drinks Industry Ireland magazine, “I would like to pay tribute to Pat Nolan for a distinguished career in the drinks industry and for creating and building Drinks Industry Ireland magazine over the past 22 years. He has become a stalwart of the industry and we would like to thank him for his huge commitment and congratulate him on his retirement.”
“I would also like to welcome Fionnuala Carolan as the new editor and wish her the best in her new role where she will bring her own personal style and insights to the magazine and www.drinksindistryireland.ie.”
To contact Fionnuala email fionnualacarolan@mediateam.ie or drinksinireland@gmail.com
n Unless some sections of the Bill are altered many family-run businesses will simply close, claim the“This move will create a deregulated on-trade where the number of licences in operation will potentially be unlimited,” says VFI Chief Executive Paul Clancy.
Diageo’s announcement of an increase in the price of its beers (including Guinness) has been described as further bad news for a pub trade already grappling with soaring energy costs, inflation and the general increase in the cost of doing business, according to the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland.
Publicans will now have to pay an extra 12c for a pint of Guinness and - given the rapidly increasing costs of running a pub - will most likely have to pass on the price increase to their customers.
According to the VFI, members are extremely frustrated about the situation.
“Following the increase in Heineken prices in December, this is the second major price increase our members are having to deal with in a few short weeks,” said VFI Chief Executive Paul Clancy, “Publicans are getting hammered from every angle
Just before Christmas Revenue confirmed that the first payments under the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) had been issued.
Tax compliant businesses who’d already submitted claims through the claims portal (available via the eRepayments system on Revenue’s Online Service), saw payments arriving in their bank accounts before the Christmas holiday.
At that time over 1,800 businesses had registered for the TBESS and have had claims approved and received payments to a combined value of €4.8 million.
A further 900 businesses had begun, but not fully completed, the claims process, according to Revenue.
Businesses were reminded that to receive a payment under the TBESS, all the required steps have to be completed. Revenue can only
make a payment where all the claim information has been supplied, the required declaration that the qualifying conditions of the scheme are satisfied has been made and the claim submitted.
Revenue continued to process TBESS payments over the Christmas period.
To assist businesses who’ve not yet registered for the TBESS via the e-Registration facility in ROS and the 6,000 businesses who’ve registered but who’ve yet to submit claims, Revenue has published detailed guidance on its website.
In addition, it has published an ‘Understanding your bill’ guide to assist with identifying the required bill information and a recording of the live webinar held by Revenue before Christmas which addressed questions raised by businesses is available here.
at the moment and this news from Diageo is a further blow to the trade.
“We’re heading into the quietest few months of the year for the trade so the increase in the price of a pint couldn’t come at a worse time. Due to the unprecedented cost of doing business publicans will have to pass on this price increase to their customers, which is something they’re very unhappy about.
“It’s well documented that energy costs are at all all-time high while at the same time the trade faces losing the 9% hospitality VAT rate at the end of February. The trade can’t keep taking these hits on what appears to be an almost weekly basis.”
The VFI is calling on Diageo to reconsider its decision in light of the pressures on the pub trade. The price increase is due to come into effect on the 1 February.
Guinness has announced a partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to create awareness of energy supports for the hospitality sector and to reduce its carbon footprint.
Guinness has highlighted insights gained from research and engagement it carried out with publicans earlier to understand how it can help accelerate support on environmental and social issues.
This research was carried out on behalf of Guinness by Sustainability Works between October 2021 and February 2022 across 342 pubs around the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland either in person, via zoom, over the phone or through online questionnaires.
One of the key insights to emerge from this research was that 74% of publicans surveyed want to make a positive impact on the environment. As a result, Guinness is partnering with the SEAI to create awareness of supports available to the hospitality industry.
Information about SEAI energy supports is now available via Diageo’s on-trade customer portal ‘Diageo
One’. This information includes bespoke energy management workshops, details on how to access grants for energy audits and general information on energy efficiencies.
“Sustainability is a challenge for all of us, including publicans, especially in these challenging economic times with rising energy costs,” said Diageo Ireland’s Managing Director Barry O’Sullivan, “We’re fully committed to embedding sustainability across our business from grain to glass and this partnership forms part of our
integrated approach towards achieving our Society 2030: Spirit of Progress commitments.”
SEAI’s Chief Executive William Walsh added, “The current energy crisis has impacted businesses of all sizes and driven an increased urgency to reduce energy use and transition to cleaner, renewable, energy sources.”
Paul Clancy, the Chief Executive of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland, echoed these sentiments, saying, “This demonstrates an appetite to drive change across the hospitality sector by mobilising, guiding and accelerating action on social and environmental issues.”
John Byrne, co-owner of the Beach House and The Burnaby in Greystones, County Wicklow, a recipient of the SEAI grants, commented that the SEAI grants in 2016 assisted in the installation solar panels in both The Beach House and The Burnaby.
“As a result, we’ve saved thousands on our energy costs to date while also reducing our carbon emissions,” he said.
Inflation in the beverage market is set to reduce in 2023 according to Barclays Global Consumer Staples report Cost of Goods Sold COGS inflation was a thorn in the side of the beer sector last year, with aluminium, glass, barley and energy (natural gas) all peaking in 2022, on top of an already high level in 2021.
According to the recently released Barclays report beer companies are attempting to hedge their financial exposure to commodities on a 12-month basis.
However, in some emerging markets it’s only possible to forward buy on a shorter term basis or even at spot rates.
Many of these
commodities materially reduced in price during 2022, such that hedging into 2023 will likely be at lower prices. As a result, we may be in the situation that COGS as hedged become cheaper in 2024 and perhaps towards H2 in 2023 in areas where 12-month hedging is less possible. Depending on the pricing abilities of the companies, this could lead to a year of significant margin improvement for the beverage sector.
The lowering cost environment, strong pricing and robust volumes so far indicate an optimistic beer sector for 2023 according to Barclays Global Consumer Staples report Cost Of Goods Sold
COGS are expected to remain high in the short term. At this stage in the year, most companies have not commented on their expected inputs for 2023, with the exception of Heineken, who still expects input costs in the highteens per hectolitre.
The Barclays report is more optimistic on costs. Whilst some remain elevated (particularly glass), most have peaked and are now descending (particularly energy and aluminium). Similarly, the glass price is high partially due to the high cost of energy. If this has peaked, then it is not unreasonable to expect the price of glass to also decline.
Shipping costs have already plummeted and are expected to hit 2019 levels in April 2023 according to Talking Transport on the 25 Nov 2022. As a result, COGS will likely increase significantly in H1 of 23 but then show a much lower increase in H2 ‘23 followed by a flattening or even a decline in 2024. The lowering cost environment, strong pricing and robust volumes so far indicate an optimistic beer sector for 2023.
New national recommendations from Canada say that if people must drink at all, two drinks maximum each week is deemed low-risk by the government-backed guidance, according to the BBC.
The advice is a steep drop from the previous recommendation published in 2011, allowing a maximum of 10 drinks a week for women and 15 drinks for men.
The new report, funded by Health Canada, also suggested mandatory health warning labels for all alcoholic drinks.
According to Erin Hobin, a senior scientist with Public Health Ontario and a member of the expert panel that developed the guidelines: “The main message from this new guidance is that any amount of alcohol is not good for your health,” said .
According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), any more than two standard drinks - each the equivalent of a 12-ounce (350ml;
0.75 pints) serving of 5% alcohol beer or a five-ounce (150ml; 0.26 pints) glass of 12% alcohol wine - brings an increase in negative outcomes, including breast and colon cancer.
“The new guidance is maybe a bit shocking,” Dr Hobin said. “I think it’s very new information for the public that at three standard drinks per week, the risk for head and neck cancers increases by 15%, and further increases with every additional drink.”
Canadian experts say the drastic change in guidance - from nearly two drinks per day to two per week - is the result of better research over time.
The new recommendations are in stark contrast with the recommendations from Drinkaware.ie which states that low risk alcohol consumption would be considered 11 standard drinks for women and 17 standard drinks for men a week, with at least two alcohol-free days while
the UK suggests no more than 14 “units” of alcohol - around six glasses of wine, or pints of beer - per week
Australia’s national guidance, published in 2020, recommends a maximum of 10 standard drinks a week and France suggests the same. Similarly, the US recommends no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women.
Drinks Ireland, the Ibec group that represents the Irish drinks sector, has announced the election of Pat Rigney as its chairperson for the next two years. Pat is the founder and managing director of ‘The Shed Distillery of PJ Rigney’. The Shed Distillery is best known for Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin which it distils in Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim. Prior to founding the distillery in 2014, Pat had 25 years’ experience in the industry.
Speaking on his appointment, Pat said: “I am passionate about our sector which is of huge importance to Ireland, especially the rural economy such as Leitrim, our local identity and heritage, with breweries, distilleries, cider producers, visitor centres and hospitality venues bringing jobs to communities throughout the country.
“We now have some 40 Irish whiskey distilleries, up from only four in 2010, and over 34 Irish gin producers on the island of Ireland.
There are eight facilities in Ireland producing Irish Cream and nine Poitín producers. As well as this, there are 100 brewing companies and about a dozen cider producers in the Republic of Ireland.
“Our mission in 2023, and beyond, will be to rebalance the debate and to highlight the reality that alcohol
consumption in Ireland is more balanced and moderate having fallen by a third since 2001, with Ireland’s consumption now within European consumption norms. Indeed, clear evidence is emerging that consumers, particularly young Irish adults are consuming our products in a more balanced and moderate way and are ahead of the often times outdated stereotypes put about in Ireland.
“I look forward to working with Director Cormac Healy, his team and the Drinks Ireland members as we continue to highlight the importance of the drinks industry to our economy, our heritage and communities throughout Ireland,” said Pat.
A plan by the Irish government to introduce health warnings on labels of bottles of wine, beer and spirits has caused anger in Italy, according to The Guardian
The measures, which would warn consumers about the risks of cancer and liver diseases linked to alcohol and the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant, can go ahead after a deadline passed for the European Commission to oppose it.
Ireland informed the commission of its intention in June last year and did not receive an objection from the body during a six-month moratorium period despite protests from Italy, Spain and a number of other EU member states.
Coldiretti, Italy’s biggest farmers’ association, described the warnings as a “direct attack” against the country because half of the industry’s €14bn of annual revenues come from abroad.
“The green light from the European Union for alarmist wine labels in Ireland represents a
dangerous precedent as it risks opening the door to other legislation capable of negatively influencing consumer choices,” the association said in a statement.
Ettore Prandini, the president of Coldiretti, said that while it was correct for the EU to protect the health of citizens, this “cannot be translated into simplistic decisions that risk unjustly criminalising individual products regardless of the quantities consumed”.
Once officially implemented under Ireland’s draft Public Health Regulations 2022 , the alcohol industry will have three years in which to implement the labelling on its products.
“Wine is history, culture … an expression of our territories and is part of the Mediterranean diet. It is about quality and responsible consumption. The health warning plan is a dangerous precedent which,
if followed by other countries, risks damaging a leading sector of our food and agriculture system,” he said.
Giovanni Busi, the president of the Chianti wine consortium, said that although Ireland was not a large importer of wine, if a similar measure were adopted by other countries then it would do “inestimable” damage to the image of Italian wine.
Commercial property specialists CBRE have released their comprehensive Outlook 2023 annual report containing their predictions for each sector of the Irish property market in the year ahead. The
property consultants say that Ireland’s property market performed better than expected in 2022, despite the impact of rising inflation, interest rate increases and a slowing European economy.
2022 showcased the Irish hotel market’s strong recovery due to the return of tourism and business travel following the pandemic and increased demand for emergency accommodation. Rising input costs, particularly in the form of energy prices and wage inflation, remain a significant concern for occupiers in 2023.
Four and five star hotels have little room to manoeuvre in the short-term to adapt their offerings to these changes, while budget hotels may
prove to have more flexibility.
On the demand side, international recessions risk dampening visitor numbers, while on the supplyside, in addition to very limited construction activity in the sector, there are concerns that many of the hotels brought into the emergency accommodation system are unlikely to return to use in the ordinary hotels market, further reducing supply.
Despite these concerns, 2023 will see more new faces among occupiers and investors who continue to be attracted by Ireland’s strong underlying fundamentals. Ongoing pedestrianisation plans in Dublin are making the city a more attractive destination for tourists, while several major events hosted in Dublin will bolster demand in 2023.
n Italians feel that the proposed warnings are a ‘direct attack’ against Italy as a key exporter of wineColdiretti, Italy’s biggest farmers’ association said the image of Italian wine would su er if the legislation was enacted in Ireland and followed by other countries n 2022 showcased the Irish hotel market’s strong recovery due to the return of tourism and business travel There are concerns that many of the hotels brought into the emergency accommodation system are unlikely to return to use in the ordinary hotels market
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has welcomed the new laws governing the practice of tipping hospitality workers that came into force recently.
Under the Payment of Wages Act employees now have a legal entitlement to receive tips and gratuities paid in electronic form.
“The legislation will give workers clearer rights around the issue of tips and give more clarity for customers, particularly those paying electronically,” said ICTU General Secretary Owen Reidy.
particularly those paying electronically
Clem Shevlin, a spokesperson for One Galway, the group that has campaigned on this issue since 2018,
said, “This legislation is a good start on improving the conditions and the lives of workers in the hospitality sector. But we mustn’t stop there.
Whilst electronic tips are protected for workers, there remains ambiguity about cash tips which don’t appear to enjoy the same protections. However, the service charge is returned to workers in full, a move which is welcomed by workers and unions alike.
“The tipping law shouldn’t be the end of improvements for the hospitality sector,” he continued, “For the lowest-paid workers in our economy, there’s a lot more which can be done, starting with a living wage and better terms and conditions so that they can build sustainable careers.”
The value of Irish whiskey exports to the all-island economy crossed the €1 billion threshold for the first time in 2022 according to the Irish Whiskey Association.
The IWA regards export value as representing a more accurate picture of the contribution to the all-island economy than global retail value and the Association’s assessment is based on Central Statistics Office/Eurostat
n Ballygowan sales up 23%
data from Ireland and member data from Northern Ireland.
“Breaking one billion in export value represents another important milestone in the Irish whiskey renaissance and confirms the importance of our unique all-island industry to our shared economy, north and south, stated IWA Director William Lavelle, commenting on the €1 billionplus export value figure for 2022.
Britvic Ireland’s revenues increased by nearly 19%, according to Britvic plc’s preliminary results for the year ending the 30 September 2022. This was driven by both volume and ARP growth, where all brands were in growth including Ballygowan which was up 22.7%. Other brands such as Pepsi were up 17.3% while MiWadi was up 18.4%.
Overall revenue at parent company Britvic plc grew of 15.5% to £1.62 billion, driven by both price and volume according to the preliminary results statement. This figure has
been adjusted for constant currency and for brands formerly in Britvic’s only Irish licensed wholesale channel Counterpoint which ceased trading in March 2021.
This is acknowledged in the preliminary report: “Through a combination of price, mix and promotional management and simplifying the operating model with the closure of Counterpoint last year, the Irish business has delivered a significant improvement in operating margin,” it stated.
Britvic plc’s revenue growth for the
Britvic plc’s revenue growth for the year was led by growth in both the retail and hospitality channels
year was led by growth in both the retail and hospitality channels benefitting from a good summer and the absence of further lockdowns in 2022.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 8.2% between December 2021 and December 2022, down from an annual increase of 8.9% in the 12 months to November 2022.
This is the fifteenth straight month where the annual increase in the CPI has been at least 5%.
The divisions with the largest increases in the year to December were housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (+25.9%) and food and non-alcoholic beverages (+11.7%). Education (-7.1%) and miscellaneous goods and services (-0.4%) were the only divisions to show a decrease when compared with December 2021.
Commenting on annual changes shown in the release, Anthony Dawson, statistician in the Prices Division said: “The latest publication for the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
shows that prices for consumer goods and services in December 2022 increased by 8.2% on average compared with December 2021, down from 8.9% in the 12 months to November 2022. Prices have been rising on an annual basis since April 2021, with annual inflation of 5.0% or more recorded in each month since October 2021.”
Monthly changes
Consumer prices in December fell by 0.2% in the month compared with December 2021, when prices rose by 0.5% in the month. The most significant monthly price changes
were decreases in transport (-2.6%) and alcoholic beverages and tobacco (-0.7%). Transport fell due to lower prices for diesel and petrol.
Nine out of 10 Dublin pubs (92%) say the upcoming rise of the tourism and hospitality VAT rate will have a negative impact on their business, a survey from the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) has found. This follows on from the Government’s announcement that the 9% VAT rate for tourism and hospitality is set to increase to 13.5% from the end of February, representing a 50% jump on VAT.
The LVA says this will impose additional inflation on hospitality at a time when there are widespread costs accumulating across the sector. They are calling on the Government to extend the 9% VAT rate throughout 2023.
The LVA ‘Cost of Doing Business Survey’ also highlighted the significant cost increases Dublin pubs have experienced over the course of the last year.
Six out of every 10 (60%) Dublin pubs say their energy bills have approximately doubled or more since this time last year. In fact 22% say
their bills have approximately tripled in that timeframe. While a further 1 in 5 publicans say their energy costs are up by 50% since January 2022.
Half of Dublin publicans say their insurance costs have increased by approximately 20% or more, with 1 in every five pubs saying the increase has been 30% or higher.
All publicans say their drink supply costs are up by about 10% or more. While more than one third of Dublin
publicans (35%) saying their food supply costs are up by 30% or more.
Just under half of all publicans (47%) say their average wage costs have risen by 20% or more in the last year.
6 out of 10 publicans (57%) say they have a negative outlook for the hospitality sector in 2023, while 43% say they are negative about the outlook for their own business for the year ahead.
Speaking about the survey results, Donall O’Keeffe, chief executive of the LVA said, “We certainly believe that the VAT rate should be maintained at 9% for 2023. It does not make sense to anyone in hospitality for a 50% jump in the VAT rate to be introduced at a time of rising costs across the sector. VAT 9% is also the right rate from an international competitiveness perspective, which will be important ahead of the upcoming tourism season,” Mr. O’Keeffe concluded.
*Latest Bord Bia Irish Foodservice Market and Consumer Insights 2022 Reports n
n Food & non-alcoholic beverages saw an 11.7% increaseThis is the fifteenth straight month where the annual increase in the CPI has been at least 5.0%.
n LVA calls for the 9% VAT rate to be maintained with 6 out of 10 saying their energy bills have doubled VAT
Dublin pubs,The LVA ‘Cost of Doing Business Survey’ also highlighted the significant cost increases Dublin pubs have experienced over the course of the last year
Re-turn has recently engaged with retailers and producers, including representative bodies, to update them on all aspects of the Deposit Return Scheme including fee structures, international bar code usage for producers and exemptions from the scheme.
The regulations establishing the Deposit Return Scheme Regulations 2021 were signed by the Minister for the Environment in November 2021. Deposit return is an integral part of the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy (published in September 2020), which shifts the focus away from waste disposal and looks instead to preserve resources by creating a circular economy. All producers and retailers are legally obliged to register with Re-turn. Registration is open at www.re-turn.ie.
• All retailers who operate return points and take back Deposit Return Scheme ‘in scope’ containers from consumers, will be paid the following handling fees:
• Manual Collection: €0.026 per container
• Automatic Collection (RVM): €0.022 per container
• The price is per unit regardless of material
Retailers may choose to operate a manual take back service or use automatic take back, using a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM). Small retailers opting to install an automatic take back point may be eligible for financial support of up to €6,000 and the payment is spread across three years, provided the retailer meets certain criteria as specified.
The retailer handling fees were calculated with input from a variety of sources including industry representative bodies, best practice in European DRS schemes, and accepted third party indices (floor space, construction costs etc.). The methodology used and the resulting calculated fees have been verified by independent financial consultants, Mazars.
Retailers operating from a premises of 150 sqm and under may apply for an exemption from providing a take back service. However, all retailers must still register with the Deposit Return Scheme, Re-turn. To qualify, retailers with premises of 150 sqm and under, must provide relevant evidence of store size, in addition to meeting other criteria as defined by Re-turn.
The following exemption sectors are currently being considered and will be confirmed in March 2023:
• ‘On the go’ food retailers
• Off licenses
• Hospitality sector: Hotels, restaurants and pubs
• Retail Parks and vending machine operators
The producer fees will vary for different materials but will be consistent, regardless of the size of the container.
National Barcode Material
• Aluminium / Steel – €0.0125 per container
• PET Plastic Bottles – €0.02 per container.
Producer fees will be reviewed annually. The first review will be in Q1, 2025.
Beverage containers should be sold or supplied with a new barcode that is unique to the Republic of Ireland (national barcode). The new national barcode protects the scheme from cross border fraud as barcodes from outside the state are not registered with the scheme. The national deposit logo is mandated to confirm container compliance and ensure correct identification by consumers and retailers operating manual collection. There is no charge for producers using the new national barcode.
The national deposit logo is to ensure correct identification by consumers and retailers operating manual collection
Producers who opt to use an international barcode will be subject to a surcharge of €0.0312 per container and these surcharges will be reviewed annually in line with fraud risk. Smaller producers placing less than 10 million containers on the market in total, will incur a lower surcharge of €0.0135 per container, but must apply for the reduced surcharge before placing on market.
All producers must register their products with Re-turn and product registration takes place from 1 August and closes on 31 October, 2023.
Any producers registering products, or making changes to existing products from 1 November, 2023 will incur a fee of €100.
For full details of producer fees, please visit https://re-turn.ie/producer n
A few months ago University of Galway Business School academic Dr Deirdre Curren and career chef Dr Mary Farrell wrote an Open Letter to the hospitality industry. Pat Nolan spoke to them about their mission to offer constructive evidence-based support for employers in terms of practical and policy recommendations on successful staff retention.
Dr Deirdre Curran and Dr Mary Farrell understand the unique challenges faced by employers and employees in hospitality. They’ve conducted some research into the issue of employing hospitality staff and both now see a need for more high-quality independent research to continue informing this discussion.
Both women have spent a number of years conducting research into the ‘lived experience’ of hospitality workers in what’s otherwise a relatively data-free zone.
Their motive was twofold: to give voice to hospitality workers and to provoke debate leading to positive change.
“We’ve already been successful to some degree,” says Deirdre, “My research findings informed the recently-published Payment of Wages (Tips) Act 2022 and both Mary and I contributed to an Oireachtas Committee exploration of ‘Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Ireland’s Tourism and Hospitality Sector’.”
This multi-stakeholder exploration culminated in the publication of a 2022 government report containing 11 recommendations for reform in the sector. Both Deirdre and Mary have availed of every platform to progress this debate, hence the recent Open Letter to the industry.
“The more widespread the information is shared the more likely workers’ voices will be heard,” says Mary, “It was very important to disseminate the research to industry stakeholders to help them understand workers grievances and how they can be addressed. “For industry employers (corporate or independent) success post-Covid will be influenced by those who proactively address employees’ concerns, are recognised as good employers
and restore credible career options in the industry.”
The Covid hiatus served to highlight longstanding industry shortcomings that could no longer be ignored.
Deirdre conducted a limited project exploring the reasons why some workers left while others stayed. She found that 46% stayed in their current job while 27% moved out of the sector, 15% moved to another job within the sector and 12% were made redundant. This project is currently being written-up.
Both women believe that if it wants to thrive post-Covid the onus is now on the licensed trade to acknowledge employees’ (or those considering entering this work space) issues and concerns; the onus is on employers to seek ways to address
these issues on a practical level within the work environment (ie address sexual harassment, pay rates, working hours) and to think about reinventing how the licensed trade actually operates going forward.
“There are new ways of thinking about how the licensing trade can work to take account of improved staff working conditions and creating a sustainable business,” believes Mary. So how could employers in the licensed trade better utilise the experience of their staff?
“The first suggestion we’d make is to find ways to allow your workers have a voice,” ventures Deirdre, “Our research shows that workers know what’s wrong and they know how to make it right. They’re intelligent thinking human beings who, if given the opportunity, can come up with excellent suggestions for improvement.
“Secondly, make sure your workers get the employment rights they’re entitled to in relation to pay, working hours, pay slips, holiday pay etc.
“Thirdly, make changes so that your employees can develop a career within your employment that allows them to live with dignity. Encourage them to stay with incentives of pay increases, promotion opportunities, training programmes, work-life balance initiatives etc.
“Fourthly, acknowledge, recognise and highlight good experiences and good practice. “Finally, work with all your stakeholders to address the shortcomings of working conditions within the licensed trade with tangible, sustainable measures.”
• Raise awareness and address bullying
• Give staff sufficient rest
• Give workers a voice
• Wage progression
• Management training
• Additional benefits (health insurance, pension, sick leave etc)
• More training and development
• Fair treatment and equality
• Explore how technology can help hospitality work
• Team building and bonding to help with stress
• acknowledging contribution
• Campaign to raise public awareness of the hard physical and emotional work done by hospitality workers
• Educate staff re wellbeing, stress management, aggression etc.
• Have all the HR processes right
• Groom better leaders with compassion
• Apprenticeship programme
• Oversight and laws to ensure WLB
• Transparency and fairness in tips distribution
Prior to Covid Mary’s research identified some critical issues around family and caregiving for chefs (and presumably for other staff).
The critical issues included timely and reasonable rostering of working hours, time off, late nights, women in their 30s leaving the work place to have children, choosing part-time roles or leaving the sector completely.
“Child-bearing years and family life play important roles in women’s perception of the long-term viability of chef careers,” says Mary, “Women continue to - and are expected to - carry-out the lion’s share of caring and family roles and therefore they’re at a disadvantage - there can be a bias against their promotion because of this.
“This is now becoming an issue for men - some have revaluated their core values and recognise the value of being available for their families. Anecdotally the low rate of paternity leave allowances has been cited as insufficient to compensate for taking this time off. Consider the low-paid sector where an ability to save money in order to supplement your paternity leave pay may be incredibly difficult or impossible.”
The research shows that employees are indeed passionate about working in hospitality.
“When asked ‘What do you most like about working in hospitality?’ the three common answers were (i) the people (colleagues, customers etc), (ii) the satisfaction of delivering good service and (iii) the ‘buzz’ and variety of the work,” points out Deirdre, “So you’re starting on a winner. These workers want to stay. Make it easy for them to do so by offering opportunities for this to be a career (as is the case in some EU countries).”
Mary also found that equal pay and stability of employment for female chefs remain “unaddressed” issues on a national level.
“There has been a notable increase in chefs’ pay rates due to the serious labour shortage,” she observes, “However there’s a lack of transparency around the rates of pay by gender. We know that there’s a very real gender pay gap in Ireland. Recent legislation requires larger companies (over 250 staff) to publish their gender pay gap. However this does not exist for small firms, so there’s no transparency here and no guarantee that women will be paid on an equal basis to their male counterparts.”
Men hold the vast majority of the senior chef roles. For women, promotion is very challenging where bias favours promoting men. There’s also a lack of role models in senior roles. Issues for women exist around the challenges of balancing caring roles/ family with more senior demanding chef roles, she points out.
Implementing the 11 recommendations of the Oireachtas Report on working conditions and skills shortages would be “an excellent framework for positive change” they believe.
“This report was heavily informed by our research findings,” states Deirdre, “In particular, we recommend an oversight body that would ensure high standards across the sector. This body could begin by developing a National standardised Code of Conduct that’s mandatory and legally-binding for the sector.”
They point out too that responsibility at government level stretches across at least three ministerial departments: Tourism, Enterprise & Trade and Education. This is less than ideal and means that issues either fall between the stools or get caught up in endless bureaucracy.
“Workers must be afforded better voice whether that’s through trade unions or otherwise,” says Mary, “We accept that the sector is suffering from a labour shortage. We accept that importing labour from the EU and beyond is part of the solution. But work permits and visas must come with conditions to ensure that these workers are not excessively exploited.
“Hospitality workers do not (in the main) use the services of the Workplace Relations Commission. However, the WRC Inspection Service has an important role to play. This Service is historically underresourced and this needs to be addressed.”
Failte Ireland’s Excellent Employer initiative is welcome but needs to be examined to ensure that it’s measuring the ingredients of an excellent employer, they believe.
Finally, the research they’ve conducted is but a modest beginning.
“There’s a dire need for more highquality, independent research so that debates on these issues can be informed by evidence,” states Mary.
Deirdre would envisage giving workers their rights as a minimum standard, finding ways to tap into their voice and introducing initiatives for work-life balance as being the three most important suggestions given to her in her research from staff as to suggested changes they’d like to see.
“Through our research, we’ve built a wonderful collection of hospitality employer allies who’re willing to review the evidence, listen to workers and face the hard truths,” states their Open Letter.
These ‘hard truths’ include unsociable and excessive working hours, addiction and mental health issues, breaches of employment rights and lack of employee voice.
• Over-worked and over-whelmed
• Working hours V actual hours
• Risk to health from Covid
• Post-pandemic insecurity around the stability of the sector
• Staff shortages- untrained recruits
• Customer (bad) behaviour
• Wages V inflation
• Work-life balance and adequate rest
• The poor working conditions and ill-treatment which preceded pandemic n
Cork-based craft brewery
Franciscan Well has launched a new visual identity and a refreshed brand positioning as it celebrates 25 years in 2023. Consumers can see the new look reflected on cans, beer taps and pint glasses.
Franciscan Well intends investing significantly in the brand across 2022 and 2023, helping to refresh and renew its o ering as it marks a quarter of a century of brewing. A launch campaign embraces and celebrates the craft brewer’s Cork heritage during 2023.
The rollout of the campaign includes an above-the-line media campaign to run across trade media, social media and a national billboard campaign.
Customers can also see the new visual identity and refreshed brand positioning on its newly-designed cans, packaging and in-store branding in the o -trade, as well as on pint glasses and beer taps in the ontrade over the coming weeks and months.
To celebrate the launch of this new brand o ering, Franciscan Well held a launch event in Cork which featured Irish comedians and musicians.
As part of the brand refresh, Franciscan Well is also launching Well Hazy Pale Ale, a new
Pre-tax losses of €33,000 were recorded at Rye River Brewing Company for the year to the 31 December 2021 compared to pretax profits of €156,398 the previous year, 2020. However total revenues for the year were up 6.2% from €7.1 million in 2020 to €7.5 million in the year “despite significant challenges in domestic and international markets during 2021” according to the company in its annual results.
Domestic sales were down 4% from €4.7 million to €4.6 million while sales in the rest of Europe showed growth of 44% from €2.1 million to just under €3 million.
Beyond these two markets global sales were down from €310,184 to just €31,313.
The craft brewery, based in County Kildare, witnessed a considerable drop in operating profits from €278,650 in 2020 to €52,343 in 2021.
The company puts this down in the main to increased operating expenses at the brewery as it moved to a 24/7 brewing model - expanding production capacity by 25% - and adapting to the “stop-start” nature of hospitality’s post Covid 19 reopening waves with the resultant shift in emphasis between o -trade versus on-trade production and distribution.
Now in its ninth year of operation, Rye River had four products in the top 15-selling beers in the o -trade here last year where its Double IPA was the top-selling Irish craft beer.
hazy beer to complement the brewery’s existing range of ales and beers.
The new beer is currently available in the on-trade with an o -trade launch planned for March.
Franciscan Well Founder Shane Long is delighted to support Molson Coors’ introduction of Franciscan Well’s new visual identity and refreshed brand positioning.
“Established on the site of the old Franciscan Monastery in Cork, which dates back to 1219, we’re proud of our Cork roots,” he said, speaking on the launch of the new brand look.
During the year the company introduced its Rye River branding into both the on- and o -trades in Ireland.
The on-trade saw a full transition from the successful McGargles brand to the new contemporary brewery-led brand. In addition to the Rye River brands, the Celbridge company continues to produce the McGargles brand for o -trade generally as well as the Crafty Brewing Company brand for Lidl, Grafters for Dunnes and Solas for Tesco.
A Rye River Brewing Company 4x330ml can pack was also launched.
With over 700 entries from all over Ireland this awards programme continues to be recognised by publicans countrywide as a valuable way to promote their businesses. Here, we review the Overall Winner and nine Category Winners.
Since its establishment in 1954 Gleesons has been an integral part of the Booterstown community. The Gleeson family developed the business to o er excellence across a number of areas including traditional pub, extensive food o ering from breakfast through to late evening, gourmet food corner shop/deli - and most recently the premises was expanded to include luxury accommodation.
The pub has ably demonstrated a consistency in quality across all it o ers.
All-day food is served, starting at 7.30am and Gleesons o ers a deli for home essentials too. Emphasising its place in the local community the pub has co ee mornings daily.
“Ciaran and I bought the business from the family in 2007 and have continually reinvested since,” says John Gleeson, “When you’ve only one pub you’ve to ‘sweat the asset’.
“In 2010 we built the deli on the front of the pub; we renovated extensively over the following years and in 2018 built the 16-bedroom Townhouse over the pub.”
Gleesons managed to stay open throughout Covid via its deli, serving customers takeaway food and pints while feeding local hospital sta . A WhatsApp group for its customers proved a great success, with competitions every week.
Meanwhile it didn’t lose focus on its core business: great food and drink - consistent product, with e cient friendly service.
“We’re lucky to have wonderful sta ,
many of whom are with us for many years” says John who expected that to win they must have got high ratings in seven of the nine categories, “...with the two exceptions being music and late night, neither are conducive to having bedrooms!”.
on the project in 2017/18 which included renovating the restaurant, a new bar and new reception/o ce. Our wives Patricia and Gillian were the interior decorators; they did a brilliant stylish job that will last.
“We had a great 2019, high occupancy, everyone happy then Covid! But we came right back in 2022 with 90% occupancy at good rates.
“Customers are mostly a mix of corporate and tourism. Residents love the atmosphere of the pub downstairs, the good pint, nice meal, particularly midweek, corporates and tourists alike.”
Consistency of product has been built-up over many years - and in Gleesons’ case, generations.
Since winning Irish Pub of the Year Gleesons has noticed plenty of new customers coming in to check it out for the first time. Indeed John reports that December was “a great month in volume terms”, with Guinness stout the big winner, again increasing its percentage of the draught market.
“The Irish Pub Awards are very well publicised in print, radio and online” he says, “backed by the LVA and VFI and all the main suppliers; they’re seen as the definitive awards. I think a lot of people recognise this so I’m sure it will increase new footfall this year. “
Gleesons’ 16-bedroom Townhouse has exceeded expectations.
“We spent approximately €2 million
“Customers will support the business that gives consistency whether it’s a great pint, great cocktails or great food,” says John, “In relation to food, buy in the best product, insist on it from your supplier and charge for it. You have to get your prices these days, but if the product is good, people will pay for it. You’re only as good as your last meal, so complacency is the enemy of consistency.”
As for the future, “Our main objective for the next couple of years would be to keep improving our o ering. It’s the great thing about hospitality, there’s always room for improvement!
“Ciaran and I both have family coming into the business, thankfully, so we aim to keep the momentum going for the next generation.”
The nine category winners of the Irish Pub Awards are:
Best Food Pub sponsored by Musgrave MarketPlace: Collins Bar & Restaurant, Dooradoyle, Limerick.
Best Tourist Pub sponsored by Fáilte Ireland: O’Connells in Howth, County Dublin.
Innovative Pub of the Year sponsored by BOI Payment Acceptance: Andy’s Bar & Restaurant, Monaghan Town.
Best Local Pub sponsored by Diageo: Casey’s Bar & Restaurant, Clonakilty, County Cork.
Best Late-Night Bar sponsored by Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard: The Reg, Waterford City.
Outstanding Customer Service sponsored by Edward Dillon: Bu alo Boy, Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim.
Best Digital Campaign sponsored by Heineken: The Bridge 1859, Ballsbridge, Dublin.
Best Music Pub sponsored by IMRO: The Porter House, Westport, Mayo.
Best Outdoor Space sponsored by Bulmers: O’Connells, Galway City.
The Bridge 1859 has been a firm favourite among sports fans since it opened in 2013. It’s most successful digital campaign to date has been the #MatchDaySorted twitter competition, run on key rugby dates. Since its famous #MatchDaySorted competition was launched six years ago the pub has given hundreds of rugby fans the opportunity to attend rugby matches nationally and internationally. The Bridge 1859 usually o ers two tickets along with pints and lunch before the match, but this has grown to include bigger prizes of match tickets, return flights and a hotel stay.
Having Rob Kearney, Dave Kearney, Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip involved as owners helps its rugby ties here.
“It’s a very simple mechanism,” proprietor Noel Anderson told Drinks Industry Ireland, “All you need is tickets for the game and a couple of pints of Heineken. We’ve the venue and my partners can put our hands on tickets.
“What’s really good about it is that
“This year’s awards set a new benchmark for excellence in pubs across Ireland,” said VFI President Paul Moynihan, speaking at the Awards, “I’m delighted to see some truly fantastic pubs receive their awards on the back of the highestever number of entries.
“The Irish pub is rightly celebrated around the world so it’s important we have a prestigious awards ceremony that captures the unique qualities of our pubs. The level of innovation and excellence on display in our winning pubs should act as an inspiration to publicans thinking about entering next year’s Irish Pub Awards.”
LVA Chair Alison Kealy added, “The Irish Pub Awards have clearly established themselves as the definitive awards programme within the pub industry by trebling the number of entries in this, its third year, to over 1,700.
“The programme has been acknowledged for the excellent national and local media coverage attained along with the in-depth management training that all finalists have received that is beneficial to their business. We’re very pleased with the growth and success of the Awards in such a short time and it has now become a great vehicle to highlight the vital contribution that pubs make to Irish business, community and tourism.”
The Irish Independent is the media partner to the Irish Pub of the Year Awards and Drinks Industry Ireland is the trade media partner.
So successful has it been that the pub recently trademarked #MatchDaySorted!
This all entails weekly management meetings to discuss the week’s content.
Noel has also ensured a social media Whatsapp group for each of his venues to post news about what’s happening there or to introduce new product.
we can give them to people who can’t normally get to games.”
This has seen winning fans jet o to matches in Cardi , Bilbao and Marseilles.
“It builds brilliant loyalty and creates customers for life,” says Noel, “It always goes viral and gets a lot of followers on the back of the promotion which helps us to market things like new cocktails etc.”
#MatchDaySorted has gained an organic 596,000 impressions on Twitter and 13,786 engagements.
He also believes that the venue’s digital presence and digital campaigns have helped it weather the Covid 19 storm.
“We built up our following during it which was the whole idea,” he says, “We’d created our takeaway platform ‘Window at the Bridge’ and used our database of followers for this to get the message out.
“Short videos of us selling crepes through ‘The Window’ appeared, for example.
“So by having the database when it happened as it happened meant that we were able to get our message out quickly and in real time.”
Back in the 2000s Donal O’Brien was part of a team that created the ‘Safe Home Partnership’ in Waterford. This group included late-night bar operators, take-away operators, Gardai, the Emergency Department in University Hospital Waterford, taxi representatives, Waterford Council, residents etc.
This has evolved over the years and currently operates under the banner of ‘Waterford City Safe’.
“I’m also actively involved in Waterford’s Purple Flag working group,” says Donal, now Manager at The Reg. “Purple Flag is an international standard (much like Blue Flag for beaches) that Waterford was successful in attaining and retaining in the last few years.”
Getting home safely is a key ingredient for a safe night out. The Reg opened in Waterford’s Viking Triangle in 2013 and was the only late bar in the area at the time.
“We quickly established that a proper taxi rank was required to enable taxis to safely pull-up outside and to provide transport home for our customers,” says Donal, “The Council also saw the need and installed an o cial rank just at our front door. This has contributed
Collins Bar, Dooradoyle, is in a region rich with fantastic local food producers and it uses their products where it canmeats, fish, vegetables, leaves, cheese, chutneys, jams.
“If we see something we like we build a dish around it,” says proprietor James Collins, “We try to do the simple things well. Our team will make as much as we can in-house – breads, pizza dough, deserts, soups, sauces - even our kids’ meals.
“We also love to experiment and try new ideas. Every week we work with our suppliers to create weekly specials to keep the creative juices flowing. It keeps us motivated and keeps our customers returning.
The pub has been using ‘Big Green Eggs’ for its corporate BBQs since it opened in 2004.
“Rather than buy-in smoked produce, we decided to slow cook and smoke our own beef brisket, pork, chicken and duck in the Green Eggs for our lunch, dinner and street food menus,” explains James.
Last Summer the pub wanted to experiment a bit more and o er a wider
to a safer overall experience for all our customers.”
Live Music is core to The Reg’s o ering. Not only does it give customers an extra reason to visit (on top of its food and live sports o ering), it provides employment to many talented musicians and allows it to maintain its relationship with them 52 weeks of the year.
Around 20-25% of sta at The Reg have completed their City & Guilds and QQI Level 6 Supervisory Management Training.
“We identified early on during the pandemic closures that it was vital to maintain a connection with our sta who were temporarily out of work,” says Donal, “The training courses gave us that opportunity and kept the sta active and involved even when the business could not operate.”
Taking part in the course together allowed a continuity of the team spirit and gave each individual a clear purpose during di cult times.
“We plan to o er these courses to the next cohort of our sta this year,” he says.
The Reg still has two senior members of sta taking part in the Bar Manager Degree Course through Gri th College.
“We’ve demonstrated our commitment to the development and wellbeing of our sta and customer safety – all on the principle of treating each person with respect,” explains Donal, “This was further demonstrated the week following the award when we got the news that we were certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’, with our Trust Index Scores well above the industry benchmark.
“We look forward to another successful 2023 where we will make improvements to what we do, refine our o ering, experiment with new ideas and hopefully retain the title of Best Late Night Bar in 2023!”
pizza bread; Low and Slow Pork Shoulder in a cider gravy, Attyflin Estate apple sauce with Caroline Rigney sausage wrapped in bacon; the Great Dane Hotdog with crispy fried shallots, pickled cucumber and dill with a curry remoulade sauce.
“We also make our own pizza dough and tomato base for our hand-stretched pizzas,” he adds, “The food truck has been very busy serving our beer garden. We’ve also been inundated by requests to take it on the road for events.
variety of choice.
“We change our street food menu regularly,” he says, “This month our food truck menu includes items such as Fish Tacos with homemade salsa, guacamole, red cabbage, lime juice, sour crème served with sweet potato fries or Beef Brisket Reuben - slow cooked 14-hour brisket in a blend of spices, Sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island Dressing.”
Added to this are Chicken Shawarmamarinated strips of chicken roasted on a vertical spit, spiced Aubergine, red Onion and red pepper wrapped in Collins’ own
During lockdown the pub pivoted to a takeaway model to keep connected with its customers and keep the team employed.
“We’re a training kitchen and we felt we were building a great team, so we opened a takeaway,” explains James, “We used the time to upskill but also to research to try things we’d been too busy to do before. We reckoned people wanted to treat themselves so we looked to o er as high-a-standard as possible.”
“Many of our food truck dishesespecially our vegan and vegetarian options - were developed during Lockdown.”
Hundreds of tourists from all over the world visit O’Connells in Howth, County Dublin, each week according to owner Simon O’Connell. The pub o ers various tourist activities including historical talks and Pour Your Own Guinness as well as a trad session of nearly 40 years’ standing!
The pub shows visitors from abroad what Ireland has to o er through multilingual signage and menus while various sta members can converse with visitors in French, German, Polish, Russian, Portugese, Ukranian, Spanish and even Romanian and Arabic.
Simon opened O’Connells in 2012 with the aim of creating a place where tourists can mix with locals and experience an Irish pub’s hospitality and he’s recently put two of his sta on language courses to learn Italian and Spanish.
“People can see that our team genuinely has an interest in our international visitors,” he says, “Many of our team - most of whom have been with me for several years - have lived abroad, have family abroad and - like all of us - love to travel. And we all realise the importance of giving visitors the
From making its own sloe gin to being a former SEAI category winner and Green Award Green Leader finalist what does Andy’s Bar & Restaurant in Monaghan town not do?
For example, proprietor Kevin Redmond and Mixologist Eddie Rudzinkas from Cocktailsforyou.net pre-batch their own cocktails. Eddie has over 1.5 million followers on his Facebook and Instagram accounts and is also an annual judge at the world cocktail championships.
The cocktails are displayed prominently on the bar counter or available in a 200ml takeaway bottle or as a corporate gift box.
Andy’s Sloe Gin is made in-house too, dispensed from a five litre bottle bar-mounted on a ‘lazy-suzy’.
Seasonality has become part of the o ering at Andy’s via two creations - Damson Old Fashioned & Autumn
Foraged Gin - which the bar intends extending to having something for all seasons. This also gives it something to promote on social media.
“I wanted to o er a whiskey range”
best experience possible!
“We always say to new team members, ‘Put yourself in the customer’s shoes, if you were on holidays how would you want to be treated and what experience would you be looking for?’.”
So few pubs make such an e ort to speak the language of so many of their visitors.
“The idea of trying to make our venue more multilingual came about as a result
of a group of German tourists that visited roughly six years ago,” continued Simon, “My German is reasonably strong and I began to speak in German to these guys and they were absolutely amazed. They were really delighted and had a great time. So much so that they’ve returned every year since.
“Their reaction gave me the idea that we should make an attempt to learn the languages of our visitors. So often we (Irish) go on holidays and never have to struggle with foreign languages as everyone makes the e ort to speak English with us, so I thought that maybe we should be making the e ort too!”
O’Connells also merits a tripadvisor Seal of Excellence which means a great deal to Simon and all the team.
“It’s recognition that we’re doing a good job and that all the hard work everyone puts in every day is worthwhile,” he says, “We all check tripadvisor daily and as soon as there’s a review in, the team are posting it in our work WhatsApp group where all the points are discussed and celebrated where appropriate!
Andy’s made the world’s most popular food waste video with 18 million views.
Winning the Innovative Pub of the Year was eight years in the making, explains Kevin.
“It all started back in 2014 when we decided to serve Premium gins; it started o with three gins and we ended up with 142. Today, we’re currently ranked the No 2 Gin Bar in all Ireland.
says Kevin Redmond, “ but no ordinary whiskey range. I designed Andy’s Whiskeys of the World Tour - 15 whiskeys from around the world that you’ve never heard of from India to Israel, Mexico back round to Iceland.
“On your first purchase you’re issued with a passport which opens up into a map of the world - we stamp your passport after each visit!”
Andy’s Bar has also worked on environmental projects with the EPA, Clean Technology Centre Cork, SEAI, VFI and Monaghan County Council.
“Our research work has been used by Failte Ireland and Diageo for their Storehouse,” says Kevin.
“During the pandemic we were serving takeaway food only and saw an opportunity for Premium takeaway drinks. We work closely with our local distiller Stephen Murphy from Old Carrick Mill. Stephen exclusively supplies us with gin and whiskey for all our products - it’s truly a Monaghan product!
“The key to our sales is that they’re placed on the bar counter at the pay point; customers can see the products, pick them up, read the labels, ask questions and very importantly customers are always o ered a free sample!
“The more we started to do things di erently by o ering new products and experiences, the more our customers really enjoyed what we were doing; in addition to this we gained new customers and ultimately profits have increased! ”
Bu alo Boy in Carrick-on-Shannon is a place where the sta aim to ensure that their customers come in happy and leave happier.
Proprietor Sean Purcell believes his team consistently delivers the best authentic customer service experience for all their guests.
“We believe the customer service starts from the minute that the customer makes contact with us through e-mail, social media, phonecall or if they walk in, then a smile will be the first thing they experience when they walk through our door,” he says, “At present we’ve chosen to not o er online automatic bookings for customers, just so we can talk and get to know the customers before they arrive; this also gives us the chance to find out if there’s a special occasion. Sometimes it could be a very small personal occasion that they’d never normally mention on an online booking form but while chatting with us on the phone we can find out these things and make a moment for it during their evening with us. We want to be as
Casey’s Bar & Restaurant in Clonakilty, County Cork, is run by a ninth generation publican and the experience and attention to detail gleaned through the generations is clear to see. With an eye to being the best ‘local’, Casey’s o ers local craft companies space to display their products throughout the bar.
The pub fields a knowledgeable sta and a friendly atmosphere. It’s also the gathering place for the local darts team.
The owner, James Casey, is deeply embedded in the local community as a member of the Clonakilty Fire Brigade and is committed to using local suppliers wherever possible, like Clonakilty Tojo Ale, Galley Head Ale, Clonakilty Sea Breeze Blond, Clonakilty Inchydoney Blond, Fernhill Gin, Clonakilty Whiskey and other products which employ its talented locals.
The pub o ers a Bingo Night every Thursday with a percentage of all takings on the night going to local charities.
“Since opening Casey’s Bar & Restaurant back in 2014 we’ve always
personal with them as they want to be with us, no more or less.
“Our aim is to turn customers into friends that will return to us; we’ll always remember them and greet them as friends when they return. We hope to remember them by name and they’ll normally remember our team by name as well.”
As one employee put it, “Our Bu alo Boy menu comes with a side of truly
amazing characters to give you the best dining experience in Ireland”.
Sean comments, “What I take from that is that each team member has their own character and quirks. We let them be themselves and be authentic to their own character but the one thing that must stay the same is the goal: to give the best customer experience that’s possible, always.”
Sean sums up their win thus: “We’re always looking for ways to be better. All of us read about the industry, we watch YouTube and TV programs by leaders and teachers of the industry and we follow lots of influencers on social media to learn what we can of new and old ideas and trends.
“We encourage, support and pay for upskilling throughout the team.”
“This came about in 2015 after speaking to some of our more senior customers who’d come in most days for dinner, a couple of pints and a chat. Many didn’t have any family to go to for Christmas Day and as almost everywhere is closed they’d be making do for the day.
strived to be primarily a local bar for local people,” says James, “We truly believe in utilising local food and drink producers and supporting local musicians wherever possible and believe this has been an integral part of Casey’s success to date.
“We recognise we’ve a unique place in the community and that brings a responsibility to help out wherever we can by supporting local charities and initiatives for the betterment of our local area.
The pub also o ers complimentary Christmas dinner to anyone living alone.
“We thought, ‘There has to be something we can do here to help spread some festive cheer’ and thus the idea of having a delicious dinner available free-ofcharge to anyone spending Christmas day alone or in need was born.”
This continues to grow each year.
The pub was a runner-up on Cork 96FM’s Best of Cork Awardsvoted on almost exclusively by the Cork public - as well as meriting a Tripadviser’s ‘Travellers Choice’.
“We’ve a wonderful team of knowledgeable bar sta here in Casey’s who create the friendly local atmosphere we’ve become known for and an amazing kitchen sta who create our delicious daily food menus. This award is a testament to their hard work and dedication.”
The Porerterhouse in Westport has been over 20 years in business under proprietor Joe O’Malley. The music pub is unique to Westport, having live music seven nights a week with extra early evening music sessions thrown in.
What’s also notable is that there’s no separation between musicians and customers, thus enhancing the atmosphere and the craic.
Monday to Friday sees traditional music sessions in the evening followed by more upbeat, varied live music as the pub moves into the night.
On Summer weekends a third daily music session was added to the schedule to cater for the extra demand.
The two daily music sessions run for 364 days of the year, one starting at 6.30pm and a later session at 9.30pm. These have attracted a global following and the pub was even featured in a Wild Atlantic Way promotional inflight video for Aer Lingus which was shown on all flights entering Ireland.
Apart from hiring local musicians,
This venue boasts one of Galway City’s best outdoor spaces with a beer garden that doubles as a smoking and barbecue area. The beer garden features large picnic tables and wooden decking and is designed such that you could easily forget that you’re in the centre of the city.
The outdoor area resembles a mock street with store-fronts and cobbles leading the visitor from one end to the other. A custom-built outdoor bar was installed as was retro-fitted vintage neon signage to bring the garden smoothly from day into night.
O’Connells o ers the complete package, believes General Manager Paul Flanagan who points out the surprise factor of walking through what looks from the outside like a traditional Irish bar then finding oneself in a very large outdoor space in the middle of Galway City.
“The eye-catching designs of the shopfronts and street scene with a large bar, di erent seating areas, food o erings and DJ sets at the weekends, make it a really nice place to enjoy with a friendly atmosphere,” he says,
the pub has one further ace up its sleeve. A number of extremely talented and medal-winning bar sta can be called upon to perform sean nos dancing, songs and music should the need arise - they’ll be happy to add to the performance on any given night.
Thus has The Porterhouse developed a reputation as the ‘go-to pub’ for music when visiting Westport.
In Joe’s opinion what separates
the Porter House from other music pubs are the locally-sourced musicians that deliver high-quality performances and banter at each session; the warm inclusive welcome to both patrons and visiting musicians; the extensive and varied schedule of music sessions with two daily all-year round (three daily in the Summer) and finally the longstanding national and international reputation that the pub has earned through much hard work over 25 years.
In fact local company Westport Walking Tours regards the Porter House as providing its clients with a first-rate experience of an awardwinning quintessential Irish music pub.
As far as Joe’s concerned, “This award can be seen as a huge recognition of the e orts of the sta , musicians and all those involved in creating the fantastic atmosphere and the national and international reputation of the pub”.
a Winter Garden with hot drinks and seasonal beers then in summertime it becomes a cool garden with cocktails and spritzes. For the most part, our outdoor space is equally as popular as our indoor bar is with our customers.”
Sample comments on Google reviews from patrons who’ve experienced the outdoor area include: “Varied selection of beers from all corners, knowledgeable and helpful bar sta ..regular glass pick-up and two types of food provided most nights...Five stars for the entire experience and the back outdoor area is reminiscent of Daigon Alley in Harry Potter with an alcoholtinged twist” - Cathy
“It’s also very photo-friendly and these photos of people enjoying their time with us get shared on di erent platforms and in turn create an interest from others to come join us.”
Obviously the weather will dictate how much O’Connells’ outdoor space gets used but it’s a vital part of the business of being successful and is used all year round.
“With limited capacity indoors, the amount of extra space outside can change the whole dynamic and vibe when being used to its full capacity,” explains Paul, “Late in the season it’s
As for 2023 the enforced closures put a pause on many plans and projects so there’s always a bit of catching up to be done according to Paul who adds, “We’re working on an additional bar with plans to extend our cocktail o erings in the outdoor spaces. We’re also working with our food partners to see what new exciting o erings they can bring to our customers. With such a large space we can always have fun, experiment a bit and change things in di erent parts of our space, so we’ll be introducing new elements to the garden this year”. n
Ireland’s stout sector was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with production and domestic sales down between 2019 and 2021, but recovery is now underway, according to IBEC Group, Drinks Ireland.
People’s perception of stout has changed in recent years with it previously being attributed to their grandfather’s or father’s to now being seen as a modern, progressive drink, according to Wojciech Bogusz, Island Edge’s Marketing Director. Stout has always been more popular in the on-trade than the off-trade so sales were hit really hard when the pubs were closed or severely restricted over much of 2020 and 2021. In 2019, 80.9% of stout consumed was in the on-trade, with
19.1% from the off-trade. The share of stout consumed in the on-trade fell by 52.3% from 2019 to 2021 to 38.6%, with 61.2% consumed from the off-trade last year.
Figures from Drinks Ireland show that consumption of stout by volume in the domestic market recovered by 25.7% between 2020 and 2021, but was still down by 10.3% compared to 2019 pre-pandemic sales. While overall alcohol consumption declined during the pandemic, the general longer-term trend in Ireland is also
that consumption is falling, down by around 33% since 2001.
While the volume of consumption declined, stout grew its share of the beer market, with its percentage share of consumption up by 6.6% between 2019 and 2021. It also grew its percentage share of production, up by 5% during this time. However, production, by volume, was down by 50% between 2019 and 2021, from 5,298,320 HL to 2,652,804 HL.
Drinks Ireland notes that recovery in the beer sector was underway in the
Wojciech Bogusz, Heineken Ireland’s Marketing Director speaks to Drinks Industry Ireland, about how the brand, which is brewed right in the heart of Cork, is bringing something new to the very established and competitive stout market and has been launched with a very clever marketing campaign set in one of Dublin’s most beloved pubs.
Ireland’s stout sector was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with production and domestic sales falling between 2019 and 2021. What are your predictions for 2023 for the stout market?
There has been an influx of new customers into the stout category over the past three years and we expect to see this continue. People’s perception of stout has changed in that time with previously being attributed to their grandfather’s or father’s to now being seen as a modern, progressive drink. We think this, along with the consumers’ appetite for new in the category, will contribute to further growth.
For those tasting stout for the first time a common opinion is that stout can be too bitter. How have you overcome this with Island’s Edge?
It’s all in the brew! Using the insight we gained from consumer focus groups that there was an appetite for a less bitter tasting stout, and the expert guidance of our master brewer PJ Tierney, we tested over 200 different recipes before landing on one we, and the consumer, loved.
How has your marketing campaign
“It’s better, less bitter’ been received by the public?
Our new campaign has been received incredibly well. The humour and sociability of it being set in an iconic
Irish pub, Harry Byrne’s of Clontarf, have really resonated with the audience. Seeing consumers adopt ‘It’s better less bitter’ by calling out bitterness in the social sphere has been fantastic to see… I’m sure there’s a few Gary’s out there who are feeling the effect of the campaign too!
You’ve recently changed the Island’s Edge glass. What spurred that decision and what benefits will the drinker have?
You could say the pint glass is almost tantamount to the product itself in the stout drinker’s eye. It’s vitally important to get it right. We constantly evaluate all aspects of the brand with the goal of having the best assets in place and this was one area where we felt we could tweak and improve. We looked at many different glasses including those that we all know and love, but found audiences really took to our new Island’s Edge glass. Not only did they find it
innovative but also that it respected the heritage of stout.
The stout market in Ireland is highly competitive. What differentiates Island’s Edge from other stouts for the customer?
We knew launching into such a competitive category with well established brands that we needed to be different. From the tone of voice in our advertising to our pint glass we strived to stand out from the crowd while still respecting the heritage of stout and what the consumer expects and wants. A perfect example of this is in our flavour profile, providing a
Rye River Brewing Company is one of Ireland’s largest independent craft breweries and with over 150 awards to its name, is the most decorated brewery in the world for the third consecutive year at the World Beer Awards. In recent years, Rye River Brewing Co. Nocturne Export Stout took centre stage when crowned the World’s Best Stout & Porter at the 2020 World Beer Awards. This Stout is pitch black with a lovely tan head and has an amazing aroma of coffee, chocolate and a hint of smoke. The taste is full of espresso and dark chocolate flavours from the chocolate malt. You could while away an hour sipping on this tasty Export Stout. Their stout portfolio doesn’t end there, with Rye River Brewing Co. Eventide Irish Stout available in draught. This is a traditional Irish stout with a silky coffee, chocolate and toffee aroma. A delicate and balanced bitterness that finishes dry as a great Irish stout should!
less bitter taste but still delivering a smooth and creamy stout.
Island’s Edge was conceived, developed and is brewed right in the heart of Cork, at Lady’s Well Brewery, a place where stout has been brewed for over 150 years! Our master brewer PJ Tierney watches masterfully over the entire brewing process of our entire stout portfolio, but Island’s Edge is the first stout we developed from the ground up using all of his knowledge, and love, of stout.
The company took some of its imperial stout tricks and adapted them to a lower abv recipe base. The result has layered malts and with some lovely chocolate notes finished with a nice hop zing to help clean the palate. (draught and 330ml cans). n
second half of 2021 as venues reopened. This recovery will have been further supported as all hospitality restrictions were removed last year.
Jonathan McDade, Director of Drinks Ireland|Beer said: “Irish stout is renowned the world over, so it’s positive to see some of the recovery underway after two difficult years. Despite challenges in the market, such as inflationary and cost of living pressures, we hope to see a strong year ahead. There are a range of great options for stout drinkers in Ireland, with new products hitting the market in recent years, including non-alcoholic alternatives.”
In Galway Bay Beer Co customer choice is key - the customer is offered a range of stouts, Ostara from Galway Bay Brewery, BRÚ Stout from BRÚ Brewery as well as Guinness in some venues and its own brands remain very popular.
BRÚ Brewery Stout is a dry Irish Nitro stout with notes of roasted barley, rich dark chocolate and chewy toffee, oats are used in the recipe to give it a smooth and silky mouthfeel. BRÚ Stout an approachable take on the classic style that’s suitable for all occasions. Eight malts give this stout an unctuous and creamy body, making it an easy-drinking choice. (draught only)
Galway Bay Brewery Ostara is brewed to be complex but quaffable.
• The main difference between a stout and a porter is the type of malt being used. While stouts use unmalted roasted barley, porters use malted barley that isn’t roasted. In other words, one can say that a stout is just a stronger porter.
• Many people mistakenly believe that stout beers have a high ABV because of their dark colour but in reality, they usually come with just about 3.5-5.5% ABV.
• Drinking stout (in moderation of course!) could be good for your health. It is said that the flavonoids in dark beer can reduce the risk of blood clotting. Also drinking stout with meals can also help fight the free radicals that are triggered when the body begins metabolising food.
• International Stout Day is celebrated on the first Thursday of each November every year. It was started in 2011 by Erin Peters, aka The Beer Goddess, in Southern California.
Dunville’s 21 Year-Old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish 1197 emerged as the Best Irish Whiskey of the Year at the recent Irish Whiskey Awards.
Both emerging and established Irish whiskey producers and patrons were honoured at the Awards which took place at the Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin’s city centre before Christmas.
The evening commenced with a tour of the distillery and a drinks reception hosted by the Pearse Lyons Distillery co-founders and team.
Keynote speaker and Brand Engagement & Advocacy Team Manager at Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard Gerard Garland presented the awards which are now in their ninth year and span over 19 categories.
Judging of the awards took place earlier in the Summer across the country with the organisers Celtic Whiskey of Celtic Whiskey Shop on Dublin’s Dawson Street hosting several blind-tastings in Dublin’s Three Storey bar on Stephen’s Green while co-ordinating tastings throughout Ireland with members of the Celtic Whiskey Club, the Irish Whiskey Societies of Dublin and Dingle, the Cork Whiskey Society, the Waterford Whiskey Society, the Kilkenny Whiskey Guild, the Ennis Whiskey Club, the 1875 Whiskey Club, the Carlow Whiskey Society and the Belfast Whiskey Club. All results were audited and verified by William Lavelle of the Irish Whiskey Association.
This year’s awards also saw the return of the White Spirits and Whiskey Liqueurs categories for which a select panel of local bar sta , mixologists and industry experts blindtasted and scored Irish Gins, Poitins, Vodkas, Cream Liqueurs, Whiskey Liqueurs and Other Irish Spirits.
The winners of the Irish Whiskey Awards were as follows:
Overall Winner- Irish Whiskey of the Year 2022
Best Irish Whiskey of the Year –Dunville’s 21 Year-Old Palo Cortado
Sherry Cask Finish Cask No 1197.
Whiskey Liqueur
Winner: Muldoon Whiskey Liqueur
Gold: The Whistler Irish Honey
Whiskey
Gold: St Patrick’s Orange Whiskey
Liqueur
Cream Liqueur
Winner: St Patrick’s Irish Cream Liqueur
Gold: Merrys White Chocolate Irish
Cream Liqueur
Gold: Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur
Poitin
Winner: Boann ‘New Born’ New Make
Spirit
Gold: Micil Heritage Poitín
Gold: Bán Poitín
Vodka
Winner: Zesty Citrus Vodka
Gold: Istil 38 Pot Still Vanilla Vodka
Gold: Istil 38 Pot Still Vodka
Gin
Winner: Silks Irish Dry Gin
Gold: Sling Shot Gin
Gold: Method & Madness Gin
Best Other Irish Spirit
Winner: Aqua Vitae
Gold: 1848 Apple Brandy
Single Pot Still 11 and Under
Winner: Two Stacks Polorais II- Red
Ice Wine Finish
Gold: Writers’ Tears Single Pot Still
Gold: Old Comber Single Pot Still
Echlinville Distillers’ Head of Global Sales Stephen Magennis and Distillery Co-Founder and Brand Ambassador
Jarlath Watson receiving the award for Overall Winner - Irish Whiskey of the Year.
Single Pot Still 12 Year and Over
Winner: Redbreast 15 Year-Old
Gold: Powers John’s Lane 12 Year-Old
Gold: Redbreast 12 Year-Old
Single Malt 11 Years and Younger
Winner: Dunville’s 10 Year-Old PX
Gold: Croithlí, Coillín Darach Oak
Series - Quercus Robur
Gold: Shortcross Peated Single Malt
Single Malt 12 – 15 Year Old
Winner: Jack Ryan Finisher’s Touch 12 Year-Old
Gold: Pearse Lyons ‘Founder’s Choice’ 12 Year-Old
Gold: The Irishman 12 Year-Old
Single Malt 16 Years & Older
Winner: Dunville’s 20 Year-Old
Oloroso Sherry Cask
Gold: Fercullen 21 Year-Old
Gold: Clan Colla 20 Year-Old PX Finish 46%
Blended No Age Statement
Winner: Micil Inverin Small Batch
Gold: Foxes Bow
Gold: Michael Collins The Prediction
Blended Age Statement
Winner: Jameson 18 Year-Old
Gold: McConnell’s 5 Year-Old
Gold: Pearse Lyons ‘The Original’ 5 Year-Old
Blended Limited Release
Winner: Teeling Small Batch
Collaboration – Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple
Gold: Jameson Black Barrel Proof
Gold: Fercullen Estate Series ‘The Italian Gardens’
According to Lisney, the 2022 Dublin Licensed Premises Property market was characterised by a return to more normalised trading witnessing a consistent operator-led appetite to acquire
The 2022 Dublin licensed premises property market witnessed a return to stability following two years of disruption.
As restrictions subsided and a normalised trading environment re-emerged, licensed vintners were a orded a more consistent platform from which to operate their businesses and re-engage with their target audiences.
The return to regular hours of trade coupled with a partial return of the commercial workforce populace assisted in providing a more uniform base from which to draw custom, further bolstered by the re-emergence of international tourism.
However, as the year unfolded, it became apparent that the traditional trading environment had been distorted with a significant distinction appearing between city centre and suburban locations.
Those enjoying established and well populated suburban locations continued to benefit from stronger mid-week custom as a result of the prevalence of remote working. Furthermore, the emergence of this new working regime created changed
social habits which in certain cases has led to turnover being increased. Conversely, those enjoying city centre trading locations experienced a reduction in their mid-week custom due to the new working environment and as a result many have still not recovered to 2019 trading levels.
Transactional activity witnessed throughout the year was more in line with the 10-year average following
Those enjoying established and well populated suburban locations continued to benefit from stronger mid-week custom as a result of the prevalence of remote working.
the exceptional peak witnessed in 2021 o the back of the emergence of private equity acquisitions which more than doubled the average value of the market. 2022 witnessed 23 transactions completed with a combined value of €51.48m. Acquisitions returned to being driven by the traditional base of publican purchasers reflecting their confidence in the outlook for the trade.
At year end sentiment remained strong however, elements of concern persisted, principally in relation to rising energy costs, increases in interest rates and the di culties in securing sta together with rising employment costs in general.
The rise in gas and oil prices exasperated energy costs whilst the market continued to su er from labour shortages that were rooted in the large volume of non-domestic sta returning home in recent years and since failing to return.
Consistent demand was witnessed throughout 2022 and the purchaser classes active in the year were as follows;
The most significant change witnessed in the 2022 Dublin market was the reduction in activity of private equity purchasers. Having been extremely active in 2021 and accounting for 37% of volume and 73% of value, private equity only factored in one Dublin transaction in 2022.
However, when consideration is given to the asset classes acquired by private equity over the past 24 months it is clear that there is a very limited number of opportunities that meet with their specific set of requirements and this scarcity of asset has possibly been an influencing factor in their recently reduced activity.
When private equity activity is considered over the past 24 months, this purchaser class accounted for €110m of investment over 12 transactions in the Dublin market and therefore perhaps now consideration is being given to review of prime assets within other cities such as Galway, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Kilkenny. Appetite from this sphere of the market continues to be rooted in a preference to acquire scale through the purchase of established pub groups or a collection of high-value premises at the same time.
Notably, publican purchasers reemerged as the forerunners of the 2022 market accounting for 48% of volume and 37% of value. This compares to 37% of volume and 15% of value in 2021
and is illustrative of increased operator confidence in the sector.
The investor category also witnessed significant uplift with percentage of volume increasing from 10% to 39% and percentage of value rising from 5% to 36% in 2022.
In general terms, demand for good city premises remained strong and was illustrated through the recent sales of O’Donoghue’s Su olk Street, Nancy Hand’s Parkgate Street and The Flowing Tide Middle Abbey Street, all acquired by established publican purchasers.
Appetite also remained robust for large suburban premises in wellestablished and densely populated districts that have scale and capacity to sustain high volumes of food and beverage sales as demonstrated by The Black Wolf in Blanchardstown and The Three Tunn Tavern in Blackrock, both also acquired by established publican purchasers.
Activity in the Dublin market remained stable with 23 transactions recorded equating to 3% of the total market realising a combined value of excess €51.48m.
O -market activity has increased steadily in recent years accounting for 57% of total sales completed in 2022, a notable increase from 37% in 2021. In terms of market value, o -market sales accounted for 40% of total market value in 2021 rising to 71% in 2022.
Overall, the licensed premises industry has remained resilient and 2022 witnessed the reopening of a number of pubs post refurbishment and rebranding that had previously remained closed. Examples of such include Thomas Roddy Maher’s on Baggot Street Lower, acquired by the PressUp Group and formerly known as Larry Murphy’s having remained closed since being acquired by the ESB in November 2013. Another example is Coopers Corner at Bow Bridge in Kilmainham, previously known as Murray’s having been acquired by The Gaynor family in 2020. The Refresh Hospitality Group refurbished and rebranded the former Eagle House in Dundrum Village now trading as PYE which they acquired in June of this year.
When compared to 2021 activity was down, however it is important to note that 2021 was an exceptionally strong year which witnessed 30 transactions returning a combined value of excess €124m. Also notable within 2021 was the relatively high proportion of high value sales including premises such as The Brazen Head in Dublin 8, The TP Smith Group and The Camden on Camden Street which accommodated for a large proportion of both volume and value.
Notable high value transactions concluded in 2022 included The Bleeding Horse on Camden Street acquired by Attestor for a reported price of €9.2m, The Black Wolf in Blanchardstown acquired by David Clarke and his sons Dillon & Ross in an o -market transaction for a sum believed to be north of €3.25m, O’Donoghue’s on Su olk Street acquired by Paul Clinton for a price believed to be in the order of excess €2.5m and the former JD Wetherspoon premises in Blackrock Village acquired by Noel Anderson and partners of The Bridge 1859 in Ballsbridge and Lemon & Duke at Royal Hibernian Way for €2.65m.
Moving into 2023 we expect the initial months to remain consistent in terms of assets being made available for sale. Feedback received from conversations with numerous operators indicates that strong appetite remains as purchasers continue to seek out opportunities, most of which are being explored via o -market approaches.
In general terms, demand for good city premises remained strong and was illustrated through the recent sales of O’Donoghue’s Suffolk Street, Nancy Hand’s Parkgate Street and The Flowing Tide Middle Abbey Street, all acquired by established publican purchasers.The Refresh Hospitality Group refurbished and rebranded the former Eagle House in Dundrum Village now trading as PYE
The provincial market in 2022 2022 remained another quiet year for activity within the provincial market with limited transactions occurring in the cities of Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Kilkenny.
Notable transactions were the former Electric & Halo premises on Abbeygate Street Galway at €4.5m, O’Gorman’s of Portlaoise at €1.0m and Bridgewater Sallins at €900,000.
Demand for leasing remained strong however was restricted on
the most part to well populated urban districts and established satellite / commuter towns. Notable activity was witnessed in Naas, Co. Kildare with Alan Clancy’s popular NolaClan group taking two separate premises, the Five Lamps and The Forge Inn, both on South Main Street and both planned to receive significant investment in their refurbishment and improvement prior to launch. Also in Naas, the well-known Grace’s on North Main Street was taken over by a team including former employees of the highly regarded restaurants of Aimsir, Allta and Circa. The premises has undergone extensive refurbishment and recently commenced trade as neighbourhood, a premium bar and restaurant o ering with a keen focus on delivering a highquality dining experience.
Alan Clancy remained active outside
of the cities seeking out opportunity in other established and well populated provincial hubs. The summer months saw him commence trade in Con’s Bar Mullingar whilst the end of the year saw him complete his most recent o ering, a joint venture with Shane Lowry in Tullamore, Co. O aly, where they have repurposed the former bonded warehouse for the Tullamore Dew distillery into a new bar and restaurant now trading as The Old Warehouse.
Activity outside of the regional cities within the provincial rural market remained depressed and was again characterised by closures of non-viable businesses
A selection of the Dublin pubs sold by Lisney (incorp Morrissey’s) in 2022
Lisney believes that the outlook for future activity remains positive with many well established urban and suburban business models reporting a return to past volumes of tradeThe Black Wolf in Blanchardstown was acquired by David Clarke and sons for approx €3.25 million
Fercullen Irish Whiskey from the Powerscourt Distillery on the Powercourt Estate, will now be available across the US thanks to a new distribution partnership with Zamora Company USA.
Irish whiskey is one of the fastestgrowing spirits categories in the US, projected to increase in volume by +67% from 2021 to 2026, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. Zamora Company USA will import, sell, and market Fercullen in the US, effective immediately, alongside such iconic spirits as Licor 43, Martin Miller’s Gin, Double Cross Vodka, Yellow Rose Whiskey, Lolea Sangria, Don Papa Rum, San Cosme Mezcal, and Villa Massa Limoncello, Amaretto and Vermouth.
The flagship of the Fercullen line is Fercullen Falls, a new small-batch 50/50 blend of malt and grain whiskeys with a high malt content highlighting the unique style of the Powerscourt Distillery. The malt whiskey in the blend was matured in first fill ex-bourbon barrels and the grain in a
combination of ex-bourbon and new heavy char oak casks. The Fercullen Falls name refers to the picturesque Powerscourt Waterfall, located on the Powerscourt Estate, home to Ireland’s largest waterfall and the inspiration for the new Fercullen Falls Irish Whiskey.
“As we continue to grow our worldclass spirits and wines in the US, Irish whiskey has long been at the top of
our list of categories to strengthen our portfolio, and Fercullen from the Powerscourt Distillery has always been our top choice. Fercullen is truly an exceptional spirit, proudly crafted by one of the most awarded distillery teams in the industry,” says Andrew Stewart, Global Brand manager at Zamora Company USA. “We’re especially excited to introduce Fercullen Falls, a lighter tasting and approachable Irish whiskey bottled at 43% ABV – a higher than standard for a malt whiskey blend – which makes it a perfect spirit for enjoying straight or as a cocktail base.” In addition to Fercullen Falls, Zamora Company USA will also release Fercullen Single Malt, Fercullen 15-Year-Old Irish Whiskey, and limited edition Fercullen 21-Year-Old Single Malt in the U.S. Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits distributes the Zamora Company USA portfolio in 41 markets, and the company works with other top wholesalers such as Horizon Beverage Group in other U.S. states.
On 6 February, the 2023 World Class Studio event series continues in the Roe & Co. Distillery for a once off experience where two creative forces from the culinary and cocktail industry team up to guarantee an evening of exquisite eating and drinking.
Luxury Spirits Brand Ambassador and 2021 World Class champion, Cal Byrne is collaborating with renowned chef – Diageo’s chef in residence, Mark Moriarty to create amazing cocktail and food pairings, utilising the original Roe & Co 106 Blended Whiskey.
In the impressive surroundings of the Roe & Co. distillery “Powerhouse Bar” in
Dublin 8, attendees will be immersed in the world of gastronomy and mixology as Mark will highlight unique Irish dishes taking inspiration from the flavour profile and characteristics found in Roe & Co.’s blend 106.
Cal, crowned as one of the world’s best bartenders, will create bespoke craft Roe & Co. cocktails to pair with the food dishes served and these creations will stimulate and highlight four of the main taste profiles on the pallet – sweet, sour, bitter & umami.
With exceptional cocktails and a unique culinary experience guaranteed, this intimate event is the perfect way to kick off February in style!
Cronin’s of Crosshaven, County Cork, was announced as Georgina Campbell’s Pub of the Year at the Georgina Campbell 2022 Irish Food & Hospitality Awards which were announced in an end-of-year celebration of Irish food and hospitality.
“While Irish pubs in general are going through a challenging time, the pub experience remains one of the highlights of a visit to this country for visitors from abroad who love the unique atmosphere and the craic,” stated Georgina Campbell, “And as long as there are new pubs as delightful as this one coming on stream, the future of the Irish pub is assured.
“In the Cronin family since 1970, this charming harbour-front pub is
run by third-generation owner and Ballymaloe-trained chef Denis Cronin and his wife Caroline who took over from Denny’s parents in the year they celebrated 50 years in business – and then came Covid.
“They pivoted to open a pop up grocery store and offer pre-prepared meals to heat at home but, just as restrictions were lifted and they were about to reopen, flooding closed them again for extensive renovations. Uncovering some architectural and historical gems in the process (and fitting out a brand new kitchen), they reopened in time for the Volvo Cork Week sailing event in July 2022 and haven’t looked back since.
“This is a true family business
that serves the community and the community support it in return. Just what a local should be like – and a real find for visitors,” said Georgina.
Celebrating 24 years in their current incarnation, the Georgina Campbell Awards recognise and honour Ireland’s standard-bearers in food and hospitality in Ireland.
Irish Distillers has launched a major new campaign, entitled “Old But Gold”, for its iconic Powers Irish Whiskey brand, which aims to shine a light on what it means to be ‘old’ and to highlight the advantages which come with more trips around the sun.
First distilled in Dublin 1791, Powers’ roots in Ireland run deep and stands apart as one of the country’s truly seminal and multigenerational brands.
The new campaign, Old But Gold, developed in partnership with Dublin creative agency, The Public House, proudly champions Powers’ long and rich history and its ability to stand the test of time, challenging consumers to rethink their perceptions of what ‘old’ really means in today’s world. Powers is celebrating life experience,
confidence, and self-assuredness that comes with maturity.
Speaking on the launch, Jessica Norris, Marketing Director Ireland at Irish Distillers commented: “Powers is an iconic brand with a rich and storied heritage within the Irish market. It’s a timeless classic which has stood the test of time, and we celebrate those who recognise that with age comes great achievements.”
The through the line campaign features a combination of OOH and
Digital OOH, as well as PR, social and video. ‘Old But Gold’ will come to life through a video series shining a light on characters of a certain age who have rich and interesting life stories to tell such as American/Irish basketballer Gerald Kennedy, godfather of Irish surfing Kevin Cavey, also known as Grandpa Surf, and dancers Jane Mooney and Sandy Cuthbert.
Consumers will also see giant replicas of the beloved traditional Powers pub mirrors around Dublin and Galway cities. Pub icons for over 200 years, the Powers mirror tour will serve to remind us that Powers has been around for many generations gone by and is here for years to come. n
n The campaign aims to shine a light on what it means to be old Irish DistillersThis is a fresh new campaign for Powers Irish Whiskey Cronin’s of Crosshaven
“AhHere, you can’t park that yoke there!” might have been an understandable response from some quarters to this cheeky bit of digi-van parking by Five Lamps Brewery towards the end of last year as part of a new campaign for its beer.
The shot of the digi-van in front of the billboard was taken just after Heineken announced a substantial price increase and judging by this, the “AhHere” slogan should certainly prove its worth going forward.
“AhHere, you can’t park that yoke there!”
“While Government supports gave a lifeline to many businesses in the industry during the Covid era, the changed patterns of consumer behaviour, escalating energy costs and difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff meant that some could no longer survive and the only option was to shut their doors.”
“In relation to food, buy in the best product, insist on it from your supplier and charge for it.” - Irish Pub of the Year winner John Gleeson.
“You have to get your prices right these days, but if the product is good people will pay for it. You’re only as good as your last meal, so complacency is the enemy of consistency”. - Irish Pub of the Year winner John Gleeson.
To celebrate its 100th anniversary the Dublin Licensed Vintners Golf Society raised €102,000 for Temple St Children’s Hospital recently via a raffle, a charity auction (held on the day of the Society’s Centenary lunch in Fire restaurant) and general donations.
All monies were raised by members and some sponsors donations with raffle and an auction on the day of the centenary lunch in Fire.
The monies raised went towards the purchase of equipment for the Orthopaedic Unit in Temple Street Hospital. The surgeons in the unit identified that their most chronic need was for the power tools used every day in spinal and orthopaedic procedures.
As a result the doctors can now carry out twice the amount of operations every day to help more children to stand up and to walk straight.
The particular power tool identified by the surgeons as the one that could make the biggest difference was identified as the ‘Unium drill’.
The drill’s latest design is the most technically-advanced system available in the world of orthopaedics globally and so Temple Street became the first hospital in Ireland and one of the first in Europe to have access to the system.
Denis Kavanagh of The Temple in Dorset St, John Hoyne of The Leeson Lounge, Alan Campbell of The Bankers, Gerry Kavanagh of Kavanagh’s of Castleknock and Padraig Briody of Briody’s of Malborough St with parts for the ‘Uniuim drill’ for which the DVGS collected donations.
The surgeons were quite simply overwhelmed by the DVGS donation. For the first time in in many years they’ve equipment that changes how the whole unit functions.
They believe too that having the best technology available gives them more options during procedures, helps with infection control and above all offers world class reliability …. Put simply, all of these things mean better outcomes for their patients which at the end of the day is their number one priority.
Order a “desi
and such customers can expect to pay £5. But order a “desi chai, please” and said customers will enjoy a £2 discount. And those who say, “Hello, desi chai, please” can walk out with a desi chai for £1.90.
In a bold move a Lancashire caféowner could be coining it in from rude customers.
Preston’s Chai Stop has introduced a policy which states that customers will pay in inverse proportion to their manners - the more polite your request or order, the less you pay.
Order a “desi chai” and such customers can expect to pay £5.
But order a “desi chai, please” and said customers will enjoy a £2 discount. And those who say, “Hello, desi chai, please” can walk out with a desi chai for £1.90.
Café-owner Usman Hussain sells chai, doughnuts, desserts and street food at the outlet which promotes a “good vibes only” culture within.
“We’ve never struggled with rude customers,” Hussain told the local newspaper the Lancashire Post, “but since having the sign people are definitely coming in more open and having a laugh with us.
“To me, the most important thing in my business is to walk through the door and be treated like you’re a welcome guest in our home. It’s nice to have that respect reciprocated.”
However he confessed to never having charged a customer the full £5 - yet! n
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