JULY 2011

BEST OF IR ISH FOOD & DRINK: S u p p o rt Yo u r o w n – I t ’ S E a S I E r t h a n Yo u t h I n k

APP IDEAS ✛ OWNERS AND MANAGERS PAY ✛ SUGAR DELIGHTS

Plotting the RecoveRy

GREEN SHOOTS

Shaun Quinn on how tourism can spearhead economic growth, and why the industry needs the Government’s support

optimistic hoteliers forecast better

days ahead

Pictured are: Matt Carrick, Keelings Catering Business Development; Julie Morris, Catex (sponsor of the award); Aisling Boggan, Keelings National Account Manager; Brian Fallon, President Restaurant Association of Ireland and

Colm Bury, Managing Director Keelings Catering

keelings.indd 1 04/08/2011 10:58:47

FeAtUReS10 COVER STORY Shaun Quinn’s State of the Union14 OUTLOOK Optimism on the Up in Hotels16 SURVEY 2010 Hotel Performance18 PAY Owners & Managers Feel the Pinch20 GOLF Champions Provide Tourism Boost22 DESIGN Fairy Makeovers in Kerry26 TECHNOLOGY App Developments46 FIVE MINUTES WITH... Fergus O’Halloran

FooD & DRinK29 BEST OF IRISH National Heroes30 SOURCING Shopping Local40 SEASONS What’s Ripe41 INGREDIENTS Sugar Delights42 WINE Neil McGuigan43 DRINK NOTES Tastings & Treats

PLUS05 EDITOR’S LETTER 06 NEWS 44 PRODUCTS 45 PROMOTIONS

inside... July 2011 – Volume 44, Number 07

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HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 �

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EDITOR Sarah Grennan DESIGNER Jeannie Swan CONTRIBUTORS Marilyn Bright, Eimear Harney, Ruth Hegarty COmmERCIal maNaGER Gavin Cassidy PRODUCTION Jim Heron CIRCUlaTION & EVENTS Nicola Hickey aDmIN Marian Donohoe, Josie Keane maNaGING DIRECTOR Simon Grennan CHaIRmaN Frank Grennan PRINTING: SPS, WicklowHOTEL & CATERING REVIEW is published by JEMMA PUBLICATIONS Broom House, 65 Mulgrave Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin,t: 01 214 7920, f: 01 214 7950, e: sales@jemma.ie, w: www.hotelandcateringreview.ie, www.jemma.ie© No part of Hotel & Catering Review may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form without the prior permission of Jemma Publications. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Hotel & Catering Review or Jemma Publications.ISSN: 0332-4400

SUBSCRIBE For annual subscription rates visit our website www.hotelandcateringreview.ie

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Top: The light at the end of the tunnel or just another oncoming train? Surveys are picking up a noticeable increase in optimism but is it rooted in reality or just plain wishful thinking?

Above: Fáilte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn gives his views on the state of Irish tourism on page 11.

Editorial: Our editor Sarah Grennan can be reached at t: 01 214 7920, e: s.grennan@jemma.ie or f: 01 214 7950. She is always happy to hear your news, views and feedback.advErtiSinG: If you have any advertising queries, please contact our commercial manager Gavin Cassidy at the numbers above or via email to g.cassidy@jemma.ieSubSCriptionS:To subscribe to Hotel & Catering Review contact our circulation and events manager nicola Hickey at n.hickey@jemma.ie or t: 01 214 7920.

Subscribe to Hotel & Catering Review’s free Weekly Bulletin ezine service. Join the database by submitting your email address online at www.hotelandcateringreview.ie.

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When Evelyn Cusack took to the airwaves recently to apologise for Met Éireann’s inaccurate prediction of the weather it proved once again that forecasters can often be way off the mark when it comes to calling what’s coming down the line.

The meteorological agency had forecasted jolly sunshine when what actually transpired was a downpour of Noah-and-the-Ark-like proportions, prompting many to query if Mother Nature had decided to dispense with summer and autumn altogether and skip directly to winter.

Yes, Irish weather has always been something of a mixed bag – as the saying goes, ‘if you don’t like it, wait a moment’ – but so too have commentators’ forecasts of the economy. Economists are 10-a-penny these days, and if you don’t like one’s view, you’ll surely find another coming out with an opposing opinion moments later which may be slightly more palatable.

But as the euro lunges from one crisis to another and it becomes increasingly clear that, interest reduction or not, we’re still in for another hammering of a budget, no one can deny that consumer confidence has become all too fragile. A finance guru we know has been inundated with calls from clients all year asking where they should store their money for safekeeping. Euros? Sterling? Swiss francs or German government bonds? It’s not just those who don’t have money that have headaches, those who still have a few quid are worried also.

Our response is that they should spend it – after all, you can’t take it with you and if things really are going to go belly up wouldn’t it be far more satisfying if you splashed your hard earned (and dare we say these days, scarcely earned?) on something that makes you happy rather than seeing it wiped out as the result of a currency crisis? Indeed, if the nation’s savers loosened their purse-strings just a little it would do serious wonders for the state of our poor beleaguered economy. This is an argument we use frequently when the husband spots us sneaking in the door with a new frock, but alas, it’s one he tells us won’t cut the mustard with the wider population.

Nevertheless, hoteliers who took part in a range of surveys earlier this year believe that, despite the challenges, things are improving – or will improve in 2011 – and that there is light at the end of the tunnel which may not be the proverbial oncoming steam engine. To be honest, after three years of desperately searching for the bottom we’re not sure that we’re ready to call it, but as natural born glass-half-full enthusiasts we’re super excited to be feeding off this new-found optimism.

Do you agree that things are on the up? Email and share your views with us at s.grennan@jemma.ie, we value your feedback and we’re always looking for opinion columns from guest contributors (providing of course you stay within the confines of good taste and libel laws, thank you).

In the meantime, check out Shaun Quinn’s interview in our Cover Story this issue. The Fáilte Ireland chief is noticing a definite pick up in industry confidence, driven by the increase in demand from overseas markets, though he is also quick to point out that operators need help from statute makers to assist them lower their costs further if they are to return to sustainable business levels. Here, here!

Finance houses it seems are also confident, with both BDO and Horwath Bastow Charleton producing reports this summer charting an increase in industry optimism. You can read the results on page 14. Are the survey results based on reality or wishful thinking? We will have to wait until quarter three figures are released to definitively tell. But here’s hoping the respondents have called it better than Met Éireann’s meteorologists and that the much-craved recovery is finally getting underway. We’ll drink to that in our local watering hole, and in the process do our bit for the economy.

SARAH GRENNANEditor

EDITOR’S LETTER...

CaLLIng ThE RECOvERy?

Psst... Remember what goes around comes around. Where at all possible, please do your bit for your county’s (and country’s) economy by sourcing local. We’ve returned with our annual list of the Best of Irish Food & Drink on page 29 and we’re delighted to introduce Euro-toques Ireland secretary-general, Ruth Hegarty, as our new food columnist. You can read her advice for sourcing local in her inaugural column on page 30.

Ashford Castle, the five star hotel in Cong, Co Mayo bought by developer Gerry Barrett in 2007, has taken over the management contract to run the neighbouring Lisloughrey Lodge.

The four star country house, once

the home of former Ashford general manager Rory Murphy, has been renamed The Lodge at Ashford Castle.

Lisloughrey, which was developed by Paddy Kelly, entered receivership earlier this year.

Moves by Jobs & Enterprise Minister, Richard Bruton TD, to resuscitate the Joint Labour Committee system have been greeted with dismay by the Irish Hotels Federation.

The Minister has announced plans to reinstate ‘a robust system for protection of workers’ following the recent High Court ruling which quashed the Joint Labour Committee system. The new JLC system will include a number of reforms, he said. Main measures include:• The number of JLCs will be reduced from 13 to 6;• JLCs will have the power to set only a basic adult rate and two higher increments to reflect longer periods of service. JLCs previously set over 300 different wage rates;• JLCs will no longer set Sunday premium rates. Instead, Sunday working will be

governed by existing legislation, the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, which requires employers recognise Sunday working by either (1) Sunday premium payment, (2) increased hourly rate across the whole week or (3) time off in lieu.• Companies will be able to derogate from Employment Regulation Orders in cases of financial difficulty;• In setting rates, JLCs will have to take into account factors such as unemployment rates, competitiveness and wage trends here and in our major trading partners;• Record-keeping requirements for employers in these sectors will be reduced;• The constitutionality of EROs will be restored through inclusion of robust principles and policies.

The IHF has argued, however, that Ireland

already has robust primary employment legislation in place to protect all employees. It believes no further legislation is needed. ‘By failing to abolish the JLC system, the Government is perpetuating an outdated system that, by its nature, imposes anticompetitive wage demands and excessive red tape on businesses,’ declared IHF CEO, Tim Fenn.

While welcoming the proposed reduction in Sunday premium payments, Restaurants Association of Ireland chief, Adrian Cummins called on Minister Bruton to go one step further and abolish Sunday premiums altogether. The RAI claims that the premiums are a barrier to employment, with 40% of members surveyed by the Association stating they close on Sundays as it is not viable for them to trade.

Plans to Revive JlCs sHaRPlY CRitiCised bY industRY

ASHFORD TAKES OvER LISLOUGHREY

HORSING AROUND Pictured at the launch of the 138th Dublin Horse Show, sponsored by Discover Ireland, are Shaun Quinn, CEO, Fáilte Ireland; Michael Ring, Minister of State for Tourism & Sport; and Michael Duffy, CEO, RDS. The show took place at the RDS from 3-7 August.

6 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

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CALLING ALL CULTURE vULTURESCulture Night will take place once again in 23 September and this year a record 28 towns, cities and counties are getting involved. The event will see museums, galleries, churches, historic houses, artists’ studios and cultural centres provide free access to culture seekers until late in the evening.

Now in its sixth year, Culture Night is growing in popularity, with more than 150,000 people visiting Dublin’s cultural attractions for last year’s event.

Frances Street Gallery in Dublin, one of a number of cultural attractions which will take part in the sixth annual Culture Night in September

TRAvEL TAx HERE UNTIL SPRINGThe Government will retain the e3 air travel tax until next spring at the earliest, following a slow response from the airlines to restore lost capacity.

The Government had offered to drop the controversial tax in its Jobs Strategy earlier this year, offering it as a carrot to airlines in an attempt to persuade them to increase inbound capacity to Ireland, which has fallen by 76,000 seats per week since summer 2008. However, Minister for Tourism, Transport & Sport, Leo Varadkar TD has expressed frustration at the Department’s inability to secure solid commitments from the carriers.

‘I am disappointed that it was not possible to come to an agreement with the airlines. I could not agree to foregoing significant revenues in taxes without a solid commitment from the airlines on the restoration of key in-bound routes and capacity. While the airlines did welcome the initiative some of the airlines were not in a position to make commitments on increased capacity due to the uncertain economic situation. This is entirely understandable,’ he said.

e8.5m SupportThe tax will be reviewed again in the spring and in the meantime the Government has announced the provision of a new e8.5m fund for cooperative marketing with airlines, airports, ferry companies and tour operators. The marketing will focus on the UK regions, US, Germany, France and the Benelux countries.

The fund has been warmly welcomed by Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons. ‘We look forward to stepping up our close partnership with the various air and sea carriers which serve the island of Ireland to maximise the benefits of this new e8.5 million fund. Together, we will undertake co-operative marketing campaigns in Great Britain, the US, Mainland Europe, and New and Developing Markets, to drive demand for existing services and new routes and to increase the number of overseas visitors to the island,’ he said.

HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 7

With restaurateurs reporting a massive shortage of skilled chefs, Fáilte Ireland is hoping to address the shortfall with a new National Traineeship in Professional Cookery.

Launched in July, the new course has been designed to underpin the Government’s internship programme announced in the Jobs Initiative earlier this year.

Open to school leavers, the unemployed, and culinary workers looking to sharpen their skills, the traineeship offers budding chefs the opportunity to earn qualifications while they train within the industry.

The programme will commence this September and will run in a number of Institutes of Technology around the country. Tony Lenehan, head of hospitality and standards at Fáilte Ireland,

believes that the traineeship will benefit both trainees and employers. ‘By combining both work-based learning along with one day a week in college, this programme has been developed with the needs of both the trainee and employer in mind. We have also included a mentor support element which will see a qualified mentor nominated to help guide the trainee through the programme ensuring the best possible outcome for all involved,’ he commented at the launch of the programme in Dublin’s Merrion Hotel in July.

While recruitment has slowed during the years of the recession, there has been a noticeable shortage in the number of skilled chefs in the labour market, with restaurateurs and caterers claiming it is becoming

new tRaineesHiP to taCkle CHeffing sHoRtage

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PROMOTING ROYAL SUCCESS IN LONDON Bord Bia hosted a lunch in Selfridges on Oxford Street in London for UK media to capitalise on the interest generated by the Queen’s recent visit. Chapter One chef proprietor Ross Lewis, who devised the menu for the Queen’s banquet at Dublin Castle, prepared the meal. He is pictured at the lunch with (right) Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Simon Coveney TD; Paul Kelly, CEO of Selfridges (far left); and Bord Bia CEO Aidan Cotter.

CAvO FOR PRESIDENT?Could Peter Caviston become the first man to lead the Áras in 21 years? The fishmonger and restaurateur evidently thought so during recent Bloomsday celebrations in Glasthule, Co Dublin.

Pictured with Michael Ring TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport launching the new Fáilte Ireland National Traineeship in Professional Cookery are Hannah Reidy, commis chef, The Merrion Hotel; Tony Lenehan, head of hospitality and standards at Fáilte Ireland; Ed Cooney, executive chef at The Merrion Hotel and Brian Fallon, president, Restaurants Association of Ireland.

increasingly difficult to hire chefs at all levels. Culinary personnel are in key demand, Fáilte Ireland’s 2010 Tourism

Employment Survey shows, with 34% of all tourism staff employed last year hired to work in culinary departments.

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� HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

Eighty-five per cent of hoteliers and caterers polled by Hotel & Catering Review* have passed the savings from the recent VAT reduction on to their customers. While 12% stated they had not passed on the reduction, the remaining 3% said they haven’t yet but plan to do so in the future.

The reduction in the lower rate of VAT, which was announced as part of the Government’s Jobs Initiative, came into force on 1 July and saw VAT on tourism-related services drop by 4.5% to 9%.

The new rate applies to:• the supply of food and drink (excluding

alcohol and soft drinks) in the course of catering or by means of a vending machine

• hot takeaway food and hot drinks• hotel lettings, including guesthouses,

caravan parks, camping sites etc• admissions to cinemas, theatres, certain

musical performances, museums, art gallery exhibitions

• amusement services of the kind normally supplied in fairgrounds or amusement park services

• the provision of facilities for taking part in sporting activities by a person other than a non-profit making organisation

• printed matter e.g. newspapers, brochures, leaflets, programmes, maps, catalogues,

printed music (excluding books)• hairdressing services.

Goods and services which remain at the 13.5% rate include:• bakery products, excluding bread• tour guide services• short-term hiring of cars, boats, caravans,

mobile homes, tents or trailer tents• beauty treatments:- for example, facials,

massages, nail treatments, tanning or sunbed services etc.The reduction has been widely welcomed

by trade bodies and industry representatives who are urging their members to pass the savings on to consumers.

‘It is very important that all businesses within the tourism sector pass on the reduction in VAT to customers and make it very transparent that they are doing so,’ said IHF CEO Tim Fenn. ‘We believe the initiative will provide a much needed boost in trade with knock on effects in terms of job creation within the tourism industry.’

* The Hotel & Catering Review survey was completed by readers of our Weekly Bulletin news ezine in July. More than 100 respondents also answered questions about the pay and conditions of business owners and senior managers in the hospitality industry. Turn to page 18 to read the results.

oPeRatoRs Pass on vat savings

Conor Hennigan, general manager of The Malton Hotel in Killarney and Emer Corridan, deputy manager, are pictured with a model bride and groom at the announcement that the hotel will pass the savings from the lower VAT rates on to customers.

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Sodexo staff at Aviva’s head offices in Dublin helped volunteers raise €17,000 for Focus Ireland when they took part in a sleep out. General services manager Shirley Collins and chef Grzegorz Olejarz made sure the volunteers were kept warm with hot food and supplies throughout the night. They are pictured with the volunteers during the Sleep Out.

TASTE OF CORK FOR ITALIAN MEDIATourism Ireland invited a group of Italian journalists to the Rebel County in July for a three-day fact-finding trip following the launch of the new Ryanair service between Milan (Bergamo) and Cork. They are pictured in the English Market with fishmonger Pat O’Connell and Valentina Salaris of Tourism Ireland Italy.

SLEEP OUT FOR FOCUS

NEW SAFETY GUIDE AS CRIMES AGAINST TOURISTS RISEThe Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS) has launched a new booklet of Safety Tips for Tourists.

The credit card-sized guide offers practical advice for tourists regarding the care of their belongings, personal safety and car security while holidaying in Ireland and also contains information about the services offered by ITAS.

Some 50,000 copies of the guide have been printed and are available through tourists offices, car rental outlets, accommodation providers and tourism attractions.

Crimes against tourists are on the increase, with ITAS chief executive Lisa Kennedy revealing that the service has dealt with 180 cases of crimes and other incidents against tourists to date this year, up nearly a third compared to 2010 figures.

Explaining the importance of the service, ITAS chairman Dick Bourke said: ‘In the unfortunate instance that tourists do become victims of crime, ITAS is there to get their holiday back on track, the service being one of only two in Europe offering specialist assistance to tourists. Last year after ITAS intervention, 84% of tourists who had been affected by crime continued with their holiday plans.’

HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 �

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The Irish Hospitality Institute has revealed plans to launch a new continuous professional development programme (CPD) for members.

The programme, which was approved at the Institute’s recent AGM, is designed to help industry professionals raise their skills, while also grow membership for the IHI.

Announcing the CPD at the IHI’s annual conference, council member Maurice Bergin said the new programme would have positive benefits for members.

‘A lot of our members are moving jobs – and an awful lot are not doing so voluntarily – so to be able to communicate your skills and knowledge to prospective employers is vitally important. It also allows you to identify skills gaps within your knowledge and helps you to go and fill them,’ he said.

The programme would also be of benefit to employers, Mr Bergin explained. He pointed to statistics from the People Management conference last autumn where 40% of HR managers polled said that CPD would be a preferred requirement when

they look to hire new staff, while a further 40% would give preference to a CPD candidate and 10% thought it should be mandatory.

The programme, which is expected to go live at the end of the year, will be voluntary for current members, though the IHI is considering making it mandatory for members in the future. Fellows, patrons and trade members are exempt.

It will see members awarded CPD on a points basis, with education and prior learning recognised. ‘You don’t have to have gone to college,’ explained Maurice Bergin. ‘It’s very manageable. We looked at existing members to see if they would qualify and the answer is absolutely. It just requires a bit of discipline.’

Points will be awarded for attendance at IHI CPD or IHI sanctioned learning events, industry research, presentations, and articles published within the industry.

‘Members should adopt it and take it on board. It’s not something to be afraid of, it is designed to enhance your personal professionalism,’ said Mr Bergin.

iHi Reveals CPd Plans BITE SIZE

BOOKINGS UPHotel bookings in the Republic of Ireland grew by 18.4% ion May, reports STR. In Northern Ireland bookings slowed by -1.7% giving the island of Ireland a total growth of 16.2%.

ROI bookings grew by 15.7% in April and 5.5% in March, while Northern Ireland also recorded increases in both months with a 5.7% and 2.6% growth respectively.

The pace of growth outstrips competing destinations such as Scotland (+1.6%) and England (+4.3%) in May.

NEW TOURISM MAPSMinister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Leo Varadkar, has launched a new range of visitor maps developed by Fáilte Ireland in partnership with Ordnance Survey Ireland.

Available in tourist offices and bookshops, the range includes outdoor activities, traditional music and tourist road maps.

New Discover Ireland touchscreen units are also being piloted along the M1. The units link directly to the Discover Ireland website and include information on events taking place on the route – such as the Solheim Cup – as well as details on the Boyne Valley, Lakelands region plus local attractions. The new Discover Ireland app is also due to go live soon.

CCD CARBON CALCULATORThe Convention Centre Dublin has launched a new carbon calculator as part of its sustainability strategy. The calculator has been designed by Emission Zero and enables travellers to the CCD, and visitors to Dublin, to offset the carbon generated by their chosen mode of transport.

Carbon footprints are calculated by road, rail, air or sea transit and visitors can purchase offsets through Paypal. Payments include a 10% donation to Haven, the Irish NGO which is building homes in Haiti. See theccd.ie/carboncalculator for more.

TRANSPORT CONFERENCE FOR DUBLINIn other news from the CCD, the venue has announced it will host the European Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Congress in 2013. The three-day event will take place in June and is anticipated to attract 2,000 international delegates to Dublin.

IHI CELEBRATES SUMMERMembers of the Irish Hospitality Institute gathered in Killiney’s Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel in July for the Institute’s annual summer barbecue. Pictured are (l-r) Natasha Kinsella, IHI CEO; Fergal O’Connell, president; David O’Boyle of sponsor Febvre & Co and Nicky Logue, general manager/director, Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel. Febvre sponsored the wines on the evening.

AvIvA GAINS SUSTAINABLE SEALAviva Stadium has become the first stadium in the world to achieve BS8901:2009 certification from Certification Europe, a standard which certifies the Lansdowne Road stadium as a sustainable venue.Pictured celebrating the news are (l-r) John Ryan, commercial director of Certification Europe and Martin Murphy, Aviva Stadium director.

COvER STORy

10 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

OnFIRmERgROUnD

While business is undoubtedly still a challenge in Ireland’s beleaguered tourism industry, hints of green shoots are starting to appear and there is a view that we have finally now hit rock bottom,

reports Fáilte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn. But he tells SARAH GRENNAN that if tourism operators are to spearhead the growth in the economy and lead the country out of the recession then the industry will need

more support to help adjust its cost base further. The trade equally has its own part to play, however, and to achieve further backing of Government, tourism operators must embrace initiatives such as the

recent vAT reduction with gusto, he warns.

half way into 2011 and with the season in full swing, Shaun Quinn is, like many of his constituents in

the tourism industry, mildly optimistic. It’s been one heck of a white-knuckle ride since Irish tourism hit its peak in the Ryder Cup year and, while it doesn’t look like things are magically going to bounce back to those glorious 1996 levels any time soon, that terrifying sense of free-fall seems to have somewhat abated.

As one hotelier explained to Hotel & Catering Review recently, ‘it’s not that things have improved that radically, it’s that now that we’re in the fourth year of the recession we’re better organised to handle it’.

‘There is obviously still a high level of concern out there at the moment,’ Shaun Quinn acknowledges while pondering the State of the Union from his office in Fáilte Ireland’s HQ on Dublin’s Amiens Street, ‘but there is the sense that we have now reached the bottom and operators now have their

feet on terra firma,’ he says, cognisant of the small relief such tentative stability will give operators.

‘There is a lot of optimism out there. I’m not sure if it’s rooted in reality or in wishful thinking – perhaps people think that it can’t possibly get any worse than it was last year – but the fear factor seems to have abated. Up until now people have been looking for the floor. Once you land on the ground you can get your bearings and look at how you can grow business again.’

That’s not to say that business isn’t still an almighty struggle, and that everyone is fortunate enough to see the arrows travel northward for the first time in over four years. ‘The urban/rural divide is still very strong,’ Shaun concedes. ‘Dublin and other population centres are doing well – not just the cities, but the towns also. But it’s clear that outside those populated areas the trade is feeling the pinch.’

The capital in particular has benefited

from a perky bounce in business tourism, shimmied along nicely by the advent of the long-awaited Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) last autumn. ‘Business tourism came back very quickly compared to leisure and having the right infrastructure now certainly helps. We are now getting business that we never would have got before we had the CCD. It’s a very important part of our toolkit.’

Likewise, the US market has provided a welcome booster. Quarter one figures showed double-digit growth – albeit against the backdrop of a disastrously difficult 2010 – and anecdotally operators at the coalface are telling us that Americans are back travelling again. Hotel & Catering Review has certainly seen plenty of evidence of this while touring the country adjudicating in this year’s Gold Medal Awards. ‘We’ve seen an increase in North American visitors, particularly on the west coast, and we also seem to be picking up more French and Germans, which are 8

12 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

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‘We have spent years trying to convince parts of government to back tourism and at times it has been an uphill struggle even to get the marketing budget. Suddenly now this

government is putting big store on tourism and what it can do for the economy. If we play our cards right then (1) the initiatives will work and help the country and (2) tourism will

be seen as an effective player and step up to the block more.’

important markets for us. But we’ve been picking up very few British,’ Shaun Quinn worries. ‘This is a big concern for the industry as it is our largest market.’

Ah yes, the British question. It preoccupies the mind of tourism bosses and operators as much as the future of the maligned euro taxes the temples of EU finance ministers. ‘The question is really, where do we sit in Britain? Are we domestic or foreign?’ ponders the Fáilte Ireland chief. ‘It’s a really difficult one. With the positioning we have we’re not really considered an overseas, yet we’re not really seen as wholly the home market so we are falling between two stools.’ The precarious state of the GB economy is also a concern. ‘It’s the one economy among our main markets that is in a very fragile state. Outside of London and the South East the climate is very tough. At the same time we still seem to have a value problem, which

doesn’t help. Part of it is real and part of it is perception – we’re certainly seeing an improvement in responses to our Visitor Attitudes Survey – but it is the currency aspect that is the real killer.’

The neither-here-nor-there nature of Ireland’s positioning in Britain has left us with an ongoing communication problem, Shaun agrees. ‘It’s a very noisy market over there and sometimes I think we assume they know a lot more about us than they do, but things like the recent Wogan show and Coast have helped.’ Meanwhile the strange zone we inhabit, where we’re considered slightly domestic, might actually help also. ‘With all the problems with the economy at the moment, the one place there is opportunities is in the staycation market – maybe we can position ourselves as a quirky home market for them.’

And if that doesn’t work? If the British market still belligerently refuses to show any signs of improvement this year do we need to think about pressing the nuclear button and start transferring our attention, and our resources, to more responsive markets?

Shaun Quinn rolls his eyes heavenward and exhales sharply, then rubs his face as he ponders this most toxic of questions. ‘I suppose we can’t close our minds to it,’ he admits after a pause. ‘We’re a small destination with limited funds which might get smaller. We have to look at where we can get the biggest bang for our buck. We have four key markets (Great Britain, US, Germany and France) and three are doing

quite well, in particular Germany. If we can’t turn one around then looking elsewhere might be something to think about.’

He is reluctant to take such a drastic step just yet however. ‘At the end of the day we have 50 to 60 million people on our doorstep who speak the same language as us, many of whom think we’re part of them. There has to be an opportunity there. I wouldn’t write them off. While the economy is undoubtedly experiencing difficulty, London and the South East is doing well and that is traditionally where we have concentrated. I wouldn’t push the button yet. That’s panic stuff. You need a cool head at times like this.’

a cool head is something Shaun is known for. A cool head, and a sharp intellect. Thirteen years in the job, first as head

of CERT (joining the educator from a Bord

Bia background) and then as chief of the newly merged Fáilte Ireland, he’s seen it all. And in these last difficult years he’s overseen a significant restructuring within the organisation in order to cater to the changing requirements of the industry it serves. ‘You can’t have a crisis like the industry is going through and assume that it’s not going to have any impact on us. Yes, we’ve had our budget cuts, but also what we’re offering had to change,’ he explains.

The result is that Fáilte Ireland has switched much of its focus from training to more support services. ‘We no longer have active training centres because the industry told us that they were no longer recruiting, but where we do have problems and when we need to train staff we are going out onto the road and training within the industry.’ Fáilte Ireland teams trained more than 5,000 workers and managers last year alone.

Of course, these days it’s not about how to serve from the right and clear from the left that Fáilte Ireland is explaining. Trainers and mentors now are kept busy showing business owners and managers how to clear interest payments, service their debts, cut costs, improve their e-capabilities, market to a wider audience and so on. The emphasis today is on practical advice for survival.

‘I hate the term one-stop-shop, but what we’ve tried to do is provide businesses with someone who is dedicated to supporting them and looking after their every need – whether that’s advice on how to improve their marketing function or how to sensibly

cut costs from their operation. We can’t do it for everyone unfortunately, but we’ve focused on the key tourism areas where we need to sustain the product. That doesn’t mean we won’t help businesses outside the main tourism areas. We can help if people call us.’

Unfortunately there are some who have left it too late to call. ‘It’s a very lonely spot to be in if you’re running a business through bad years,’ Shaun sympathises. ‘Some don’t face up to it, and some come to us too late when you can hardly do anything, like the day when the ESB gets cut off.’

Despite this, many have availed of the mentoring services and feedback has been very positive, Shaun Quinn is delighted to report. The authority is now moving its offering on a notch as the economy starts to switch gears. ‘When the crisis first hit we focused very much on costs and finance but now we’re focusing more on growing

the revenue line as you can’t keep cutting costs. We’re concentrating on international marketing and getting people in for business.’

While the skills of marketing professionals weren’t taxed too heavily during the good times, the Fáilte Ireland CEO believes they are more important than ever today. ‘Just like banks make the point that you need very good managers going forward, you also need people who are very switched on in marketing,’ he explains, adding that Fáilte Ireland is currently working on devising a new graduate placement programme for marketers. ‘In good times you didn’t need the marketing and sales people really, the business came to you. Now, the markets are returning but they’re not going to fall in the door – you have to go out and get the business.’

The authority is determined to help the industry grow its share of international business, and Shaun Quinn continues to be gravely anxious about the hotel sector’s over-reliance on the domestic tourism market. He also has some strong views on the price war which has pushed many hoteliers to the breaking point. ‘It’s not about price, it’s about value,’ he maintains, echoing a mantra that’s never far from our lips. And when it comes to apportioning blame for the problem, hoteliers don’t have too far to look. ‘The race to the bottom on pricing was certainly driven by the hotel sector, it didn’t come from consumers and it didn’t necessarily come from tourism operators

HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 1�

either. Research shows us that there isn’t a problem with price. This issue came from the sector where the competition was so fierce when demand fell that businesses decided to compete on price. It wasn’t the best decision. Now more tourists are coming in perhaps that will give them the confidence to hold the line. We have to get back to a sustainable level of pricing, but that mightn’t be a quick process.’

Equally he thinks that much of the hysteria surrounding the overcapacity of the hotel sector has dissipated, a hysteria that was whipped up when business cart-wheeled off a cliff overnight. ‘Business was falling in response to the collapse in demand, however, had the market kept moving the way it was expected then we would have needed those rooms,’ Shaun argues. The problems with oversupply, while still very real, are starting to soften, he believes as capacity reduces while demand picks up.

That’s not to say that it is all rosy in the garden. Far from it. Irish Tourism Inc has taken more than its fair share of body blows over the last few years and operators are still nursing tender bruises. While many businesses have cut, cut, and cut some more in response to falling demand most are long out of options. They can’t cut anything else without breaking the law somewhere along the line. ‘A lot of the costs now are outside the control of the industry,’ Shaun readily concedes.

He is acutely aware of the pressures operators face in meeting local authority charges, for instance. ‘There is quite a bit of unease out there as businesses were promised a revaluation process in the 2001 Act. To date, only three areas have gone through the process and the industry can see that operators in these areas have reached savings. Something needs to be done to speed up the process. Perhaps it could be outsourced.’

Recent statements by Transport, Tourism & Sport Minister, Leo Varadkar, would indicate that there is not so much of a hurry at official level to progress the revaluation process as local authorities are under severe funding pressures, we venture. Nonetheless, Shaun Quinn is firm that something must be done to help businesses who are in danger of closing because they can’t meet their local authority, or other regulatory, charges.

‘This is an industry that at the best of times employs a quarter of a million people, some people who might not always be able to get employment in the smart economy. It employs people in rural areas where other businesses or industries will not go. If we don’t have a cost base that will enable operators to run a sustainable business then we will lose out. We can’t expect businesses to operate in the red. You can’t kill all the geese laying the golden eggs.’

Meeting for this interview prior to the High Court case which ruled that the Catering Joint Labour Committee was

unconstitutional, Shaun Quinn was also unsure about the viability of the controversial wage setting mechanism. ‘We never really went down the road of the minimum wage, but we did feel that if you have the minimum wage legislation then some of the other legislation on the books is quite archaic. There are inconsistencies there and some are quite irrelevant. One size does not fit all and what fits construction won’t fit tourism, which is a seven-day business,’ Shaun believes. It is a view that the national tourism development authority presented when it made a submission to Labour Court chairman Kevin Duffy and UCD economist Frank Walsh during their recent review of the JLC system.

With businesses unable to curtail hefty overheads like local authority charges, rents, wages and energy,

then it will ultimately have an impact on the product as operators make even more sacrifices in quality in order to stay afloat, Shaun worries. He can already see the impact a lack of investment is having on the quality of the plant around the country.

‘There are only so many costs businesses can cut, and in fact that is the problem. If you cut the product too much then people can see the impact. You have to be clever about what you are doing,’ he advises. ‘If you can only afford to have a certain amount of people on the floor then you need to re-engineer your offering to suit that. You need to have a fundamental rethink of your business and tailor your offering to suit your resources.’

In the meantime, he is pleading with operators to take the latest VAT reduction in the spirit it was intended and pass the savings on to consumers. If they don’t it sends altogether the wrong message to Government, making it far less likely for the industry to get support on initiatives such as local authority charges rates, Shaun warns.

‘The new government has been very

engaging and it has been good for tourism so far. The steps taken in the recent Jobs Initiative have to be welcomed. We have spent years trying to convince parts of government to back tourism and at times it has been an uphill struggle even to get the marketing budget. Suddenly now this government is putting big store on tourism and what it can do for the economy. If we play our cards right then (1) the initiatives will work and help the country and (2) tourism will be seen as an effective player and step up to the block more.’

Shaun Quinn is concerned, however, of the ramifications if everyone doesn’t buy into the process. ‘I understand people might be hurting and feel that they need to hold on to those savings, but we need to take the longer term view. The Government is going to track it. They have the wherewithal to do so and if it doesn’t work they’ll know about it. All the sector bodies are fully behind passing on the VAT reductions, and the tour operators are getting the right vibes about it. I would just be a little fearful that a small few will jeopardise things for the whole industry.’

While that particular part plays out in the industry, the team at Fáilte Ireland will busy themselves endeavouring to put more bums on seats and heads in beds, he says. ‘Our main concern is that we want to see more beds filled. We have to look to the international markets more – the hotel industry relies too much on the domestic market which is going to be hit hard this year in terms of spend.’

But at the same time, although the path ahead is not without its challenges, Fáilte Ireland chief Shaun Quinn is feeding off the optimism that is rising in the tourism industry. ‘I think we’re definitely in a better place than in the last three years and on the law of averages we’re definitely due a break. A lot of things went wrong at the same time, but maybe now we can start to move ahead from here.’

Boy, do we hope he’s right.u

14 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

OUTLOOK

‘I think we’ve reached the bottom,’ claims Derry Gray, the new managing partner of BDO who, as head of consulting at the accountancy practice, has been involved with the hotel

industry for many years.At a recent breakfast briefing of hotel and tourism professionals,

he pointed to a newly released BDO survey which indicates that 87% of hoteliers are either confident or very confident about increasing business in 2011. ‘Having said that, last year was bad,’ he said, acknowledging that it wouldn’t be too hard to improve on 2010’s disastrous tourism outing.

Nonetheless, Derry confidently noted that ‘there is hopeful optimism in the sector, people are starting to get a bit of oxygen’. Indeed, he predicts that when economists come to graph Ireland’s economic cycle in the future the visit of the Queen and President Barack Obama will be identified as the turning point in the recession.

But is this confidence rooted in reality or are we grasping at straws in a bid to pull ourselves out of the depths of the downturn? BDO conducted a survey of a representative sample of 100 hoteliers

across the island of Ireland at the end of the first quarter of this year to gauge the mood of the industry. A significant 87% claimed to be confident or very confident about their ability to grow their business in 2011, with 75% forecasting a growth in occupancy and 56% predicting an increase in average room rates this year.

However, although the vast majority of respondents appeared in optimistic mood, the responses to questions about first quarter performance weren’t exactly blisteringly positive. A hefty 43% reported that revenues decreased in the first three months of this year compared to Q1 2010 which, let’s face it, was hardly an impressive period in the history of Irish tourism. A similar number also revealed that they reduced their rates further in comparison to Q1 last year. In addition, while 36% increased occupancy in the first quarter, 35% saw occupancy fall (29% managed to keep it on a par with 2010).

The price competition within the industry was identified as the biggest concern for hoteliers with 42% claiming it had the greatest impact on business, a figure which rose to 57% when prompted. Despite this, 35% of unprompted respondents and 48% of those

how is it for

yOU?

• 44% are very confident about their prospects to increase business in the year ahead; 43% are confident while 13% aren’t confident• 75% predict room occupancy will increase this year; 19% believe it will stay the same, while 6% fear it will decrease• 56% expect room rates to increase this year; 36% think they will remain static; �% are predicting a decrease• 55% believe the overall performance in 2011 will improve; 29% think it will be in line with 2010; 16% forecast it will get worse

Looking Up in Q1: BDO Survey in Numbers

Optimism is in the air, and Fáilte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn is not the only one who can feel it. Three recent surveys undertaken in the hotel industry indicate that Irish hoteliers are

more positive about the year ahead. But are these based on reality or wishful thinking?

HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 15

Q2: The IHF viewBUSINESS IN Q2 2011 vS Q2 2010

Business Levels Respondents (%)

Up by 10+%: 20%

Up by 6-10%: 14%

Up by 0-5%: 19%

No Change: 11%

Down by 0-5%: 13%

Down by 6-10%: 14%

Down by 10%+: 9%

Sub-totals – Up: 53%; No Change: 11%; Down: 36%

BUSINESS FROM MARKETS COMPARED TO Q2 2010

Tourism Market Respondents (%)

Business Levels Up

Business LevelsUnchanged

Business LevelsDown

Island of Ireland 46% 29% 25%

Great Britain 3�% 33% 29%

United States 49% 31% 20%

Germany 23% 55% 22%

France 17% 65% 1�%

OUTLOOK FOR THE NExT 12 MONTHS

Outlook Respondents (%)

very Optimistic 9%

Optimistic 55%

Pessimistic 33%

very Pessimistic 3%

Sub-totals – Optimistic: 64%; Pessimistic: 36%

who were prompted said they would discount rates further this year to generate more business, bringing into question the industry’s ability to raise prices to a more sustainable level in 2011. Perhaps more positively, however, over half (51% unprompted and 55% prompted) said they intended to increase their sales and marketing efforts in a bid to improve their performance this year. This will come as a relief to Fáilte Ireland no doubt, which is eager to help the industry raise its sales and marketing game (see Shaun Quinn’s Cover Story interview).

Still lookinG up in Q2While the BDO survey throws up some concerns about the levels of performance in the first quarter, a similar survey of 108 hoteliers undertaken by the Irish Hotels Federation at the end of quarter two indicates that the industry is continuing to emit positive vibes. Although not as high as BDO’s findings, the IHF found that close to two-thirds (64%) of hoteliers surveyed at the end of June are positive about the outcome of 2011.

Over half (53%) of respondents in the Federation’s Quarterly Barometer reported an increase in overall business levels in Q2 compared to the corresponding period in 2010. While it is worth bearing in mind that this increase is measured against a phenomenally tough second quarter in 2010 when the volcanic ash cloud wreaked havoc on overseas visitor numbers, some 46% claimed they also witnessed an increase in business from within the island of Ireland – a market which received an unwitting boost last year when holidaymakers were prevented from flying overseas during the plume debacle, and a market that many were concerned about this year due to the ongoing fragility of the domestic economy.

Reports from the four main international visitor markets were mixed however. The US appears to be bouncing back nicely, with 49% of hoteliers reporting an increase in American business, while less hoteliers are positive about Germany and France, and Britain continues to present challenges (38% saw growth).

The Queen Lizzy love fest continues, with a whopping 94% of hoteliers polled believing that the visit of HRH will have a positive impact on Irish tourism and 83% expecting an increase in visitor numbers as a result. Likewise, 92% thought Barack Obama’s whistle-stop tour of Dublin and Moneygall will be good for the industry and 77% predicting an increase in visitors. Perhaps Derry Gray will be proved correct and the visits of the heads of state will mark the beginning of the turnaround.

While pricing, consumer confidence, falling demand, oversupply, rising costs, currency fluctuations and cash flow were the biggest concerns taxing the minds of hoteliers polled by BDO in Q1, local authority charges were cited as the biggest headache for hoteliers and guesthouse owners taking part in the IHF survey. This was followed by utility costs, wage costs, excess room capacity, dwindling consumer confidence and the limited availability of credit.

How 2011 will transpire remains to be seen. If the markets continue to rally after a tentative bounce back in Q1 (the first indication of visitor growth in three years) and hoteliers have accurately predicted the increase in demand, then the industry is right to feel positive. But one thing is for sure, if hoteliers can’t move to a sustainable level of pricing and if room rates are driven further below cost then no amount of wishful thinking will dig the hotel sector out of the difficulty it has found itself in over the last few years. u

How 2010 Shaped Up: The stats are in on last year’s performance. Read Eimear Harney’s synopsis of the HBC Ireland & Northern Ireland Hotel Survey 2010 overleaf.

OUTLOOK

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16 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

SURvEy

Business has been tough in the Irish hotel sector, but there are signs of light at the end of the tunnel.

Demand for hotel rooms stabilised in 2010 after two years of falling room sales. Room occupancy levels at Irish hotels are now 59.7%. Hotel rates have fallen by 25% over the past three years to e74.

Intense competition between hoteliers, in an oversupplied market, caused room rates

to drop further in 2010; hotels received e4.30 less for every room sold in 2010. Discounting levels at 6% were however at a lower rate than in previous years – 11% in 2009 and 10% in 2008. According to the 16th Annual Hotel Survey, 90% of hoteliers indicated that they expected room rates to be maintained or increased during 2011 potentially signalling the end for any further rate discounting.

Profit before tax per room for Republic of Ireland hotels is now e4,239, down 9% on the previous year. The graph below demonstrates the fall in profit levels over the past three years. Profits have fallen 60% from their all time high of e10,238 in 2005.

Payroll is the single most significant cost item for any hotel and the results of the annual Hotel Survey show that while payroll costs are still high, there is evidence that these costs are starting to fall. In 2010, payroll equated to 43% of hotel revenues, down one percentage point from the 44% recorded in 2009. Hoteliers made progress in addressing payroll costs during 2010. Some 60% of respondents implemented pay

cuts while 30% implemented redundancy schemes. While progress has been made in this area, there is still some way to go if the historical industry norm of 38% is to be achieved.

Domestic disposable incomes are under increasing pressure due to tax increases, ongoing downward pressure on wages and further job losses. This will impact on the purchasing traits of Irish consumers as they seek value for money. The wedding market is a key market for a large number of hotels and the survey results highlight the impact of the reduction in disposable income levels has had on this key market. Over half of all respondents recorded a fall of up to 10% in

food and beverage spend at weddings, with a further 13% reporting a fall of up to 20%. Almost 40% noted that wedding sizes fell by between 5% and 10% in 2010.

OCCUPANCYREGIONAL ANALYSIS

Occupancy 2010 2009 2005 var 2010 v 2005

Dublin 67.1% 64.7% 76.0% -12%

Midlands & East

54.2% 53.3% 64.5% -16%

South West 55.4% 55.9% 66.4% -17%

Western Seaboard

5�.6% 60.�% 64.9% -10%

Source: Horwath Bastow Charleton Hotel Survey 2011

Occupancy levels in 2010 increased in Dublin, the Midlands & East, with the South West and Western Seaboard recording a slight fall in occupancy year on year. Occupancy levels are down an average of 14% since 2005. The industry is set to experience a two-speed recovery dictated primarily by location, with Dublin and other cities expected to benefit from a lift in demand levels. Dublin occupancy levels should allow hotels to yield rate in 2011. Other regions where occupancy levels are below 60% will have limited opportunity to yield rate but should see occupancy levels increase.

The South West has experienced the highest fall in occupancy levels over this period. This market is traditionally reliant on the US and domestic markets. Almost 40% of all overseas visitors to the South West were from the US while the South West is the most popular holiday destination for Irish residents accounting for over one-quarter of all holiday trips taken.

The fall in occupancy levels in the Western Seaboard can be attributed to the fall in overseas visitor numbers. This fall can be traced back to the decline in passenger numbers through Shannon airport, as these fell by 37% to 1.8m in 2010 and are now approaching levels not experienced since the 1990s. In its peak, over 3.6 million passengers used Shannon Airport.

RECOvERy On ThE hORIzOn?

2010 continued to be a tough year for the Irish hotel industry, but respondents to Horwath Bastow Charleton’s Ireland & Northern Ireland Hotel Survey are more optimistic about the future.

EIMEAR HARNEY looks at the stats.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND HOTELS 2010 2009 200� 2007

Occupancy 59.7% 59.4% 63.5% 69.7%

Average Room Rate e73.51 e77.�1 e��.25 e97.69

Total Sales per room e41,702 e44,79� e55,116 e59,96

Profit before Tax per Room e4,239 e4,650 e7,056 e9,30�

Profit before Tax per Room (%) 10% 10% 13% 16%

Source: Horwath Bastow Charleton Hotel Survey 2011

HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 17

SURvEySECTOR PERFORMANCE

Classification 4 Star 3 Star Difference

ARR

2010 e69.21 e5�.27 e10.94 – 1�%

2007 e96.71 e77.�2 e1�.�9 – 24%

Profit per Room

2010 e4,711 e5,149 e43� – 9%

2007 e11,17� e9,60� e1,570 – 16%Source: Horwath Bastow Charleton Hotel Survey 2011

With the decline in room rate prices, the price gap achievable by four star hotels over three star hotels continues to narrow. The Hotel Survey results indicate that at e69, first class hotels were priced at e11 higher than mid-price hotels, while in 2007 the gap was almost e19. Three star hotels are now 9% more profitable than four star hotels, in comparison to 2007 when first class hotels were 16% more profitable.

The report also reveals that occupancy levels in luxury hotels increased by approximately 3% to 57.3% in 2010. Traditionally overseas visitors were the dominant source of guests in these hotels. However, the dramatic fall off in overseas visitor numbers has led this category to discount their rates in order to attract the domestic market. In 2005 the domestic market represented 36% of all guests in luxury hotels, this has increased to 58% in 2010.

SIZE ANALYSISOccupancy 2010 2009 % Change

1-49 Rooms 52.6% 51.7% +1%

50-99 Rooms 57.6% 59.3% -2%

+100 Rooms 62.4% 62.0% +0.4%

Location plays a key role for the industry in the current climate, as a higher proportion of the larger 100+ room category hotels are located in urban areas and, as a result, have tended to perform better than smaller hotels. Occupancy levels of 62% for this category were maintained in 2010, highlighting the benefits of a well located property.

In a recovery market, better located hotels should experience recovery more quickly. With a growth in demand now occurring in the market, the larger, better located properties can begin to focus on winning higher yielding business giving these properties an earlier advantage in terms of room rate and profit recovery.

The decline in overseas visitor numbers continued in 2010, down approximately 900,000 year on year to six million visitors, the lowest level since 2002. The UK market, which represents 45% of the total overseas market, fell from 3.2m visitors in 2009 to 2.7m in 2010. The graph, right, shows the variance in overseas visitor numbers

throughout 2010 and for the first quarter of 2011. Visitor numbers are up 9% for the first three months of 2011 against the same period in 2010. Visitors from the US increased by 11.9%, European visitors increased by 9% and visitors from the UK were up 7%.

The domestic market remains a key market for Irish hotels. Guest nights by Irish consumers represent 13 million or 65% of all guest nights sold in Irish hotels. This has increased from 56% in 2006. The extent to which the domestic market holds up will have a significant influence on the rate of recovery of Ireland’s hotel sector.

OUTLOOK FOR 2011The sentiment for the sector is positive for 2011 with 70% of hoteliers expecting occupancy to increase this year. 56% of hoteliers expect room rates to increase and only 10% expect rates to further decline in the current year.

Based on the survey results, it is expected that 2011 will record profit growth after four years of falling profits. Results for the first six months indicate that both rate and occupancy have increased on 2010 levels.

The hotel sector will benefit from the VAT reduction from 13.5% to 9%, which applies to restaurant and catering services, hotel and holiday accommodation and admissions to a variety of entertainment services including cinemas, theatres and museums. This will help in promoting Ireland as a value for money destination, both domestically and to the overseas market.

Generating increased demand for hotel rooms will be key to finding a solution to the oversupply issue in the Irish hotel sector and the most likely source of this demand is the overseas market. The rate of their return to Ireland will be a determining factor in the recovery of the Irish hotel industry. u

(l-r) Anne Walsh, director, HBC; Michael Ring, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport; Aiden Murphy, partner, HBC; and Eimear Harney, executive, HBC at the launch of the Ireland & Northern Ireland Hotel Survey 2010

EIMEAR HARNEY is an executive with Horwath Bastow Charleton which published its 16th Annual Ireland & Northern Ireland Hotel Survey this summer.

SURvEy

1� HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

FEELIng ThE

PInCh

Ten per cent of hospitality business owners and senior managers have not drawn a salary from their

business in a year or more, a new survey from Hotel & Catering Review has found.

While 69% of respondents to the survey reveal that they always take a weekly or monthly salary, the remainder draw a salary irregularly, if and when there is enough cash flow within the business to allow it.

The survey, conducted among readers of Hotel & Catering Review’s Weekly Bulletin ezine service in July, found that 75% of business owners and senior management have taken a pay cut since the economy peaked in 2007. Close to a third (32%) have reduced their salaries two or more times during this period. In addition to the 10% who are no longer drawing a salary from their business, 8% have had four or more pay cuts since the height of the

boom. While three-quarters of senior managers

and owners have reduced their own salaries, just under half (48%) have introduced pay cuts for employees. A third of respondents also claim that they earn less than some members of their team, while an additional 8% reveal that they pay themselves less than their staff from time to time.

Of those who take a lower salary, 7% pay staff 5-9% higher than they pay themselves; 36% pay some key personnel 10-15% more; 29% give some team members 20-30% more than themselves, while 22% pay the team 50% higher or more.

Future payWhile there were concerns that the abolition of special wage setting mechanisms for the industry would lead to widespread pay cuts for low paid workers,

The pay and conditions of hotel and catering workers have been the subject of hot debate this summer following the Duffy Walsh review of Joint Labour Committees and a High Court ruling that the

Catering Joint Labour Committee, which sets pay rates in the sector in excess of the national minimum wage, is unconstitutional. But what about the remuneration of owners and senior managers?

Hotel & Catering Review conducted an online poll to find out if management themselves had taken pay cuts since the advent of the downturn, and if they planned to take more.

One-third of owners and senior managers responding to the survey revealed they pay some

members of their team a higher wage than they take themselves. an additional 8% say they take a lower salary than some of their employees ‘sometimes’.

LOOK WHO’S TALKINGThe survey was completed in July by 100 readers of Hotel & Catering Review’s Weekly Bulletin ezine service. Just over a third (36%) of respondents are owners or co-owners of the business, while 64% are directors or senior managers. Some 69% of respondents operate in the hotel and guesthouse sector, 18% are restaurateurs or caterers, 3% hail from the bar trade and the remainder are industry suppliers. If you are not a subscriber to Hotel & Catering Review’s Weekly Bulletin service and you would like to receive weekly news updates from the team at Hotel & Catering Review as well as take part in our surveys from time to time, please submit your email address on our homepage at hotelandcateringreview.ie.

just shy of half (48.4%) of respondents to the Hotel & Catering Review survey reported that they will not impose further pay cuts on their staff in the year ahead, while 7.2% believe they will introduce additional wage reductions (the remainder are unsure).

In terms of their own remuneration, 45% of respondents do not plan to reduce their salaries further in the next 12 months, though 4% will and the remaining 51% don’t know.

With the Joint Labour Committee system in the spotlight following a review of statutory wage setting mechanisms earlier this year, and the recent successful challenge to the constitutionality of the JLC system in the High Court, 43% of hotel and catering owners and managers said they would employ more staff if the system was permanently abandoned and minimum wage rates for the industry were brought in line with the national minimum wage (7% would not employ more staff, 50% are unsure).

Some 42% of restaurateurs responding to the survey said that an abolition of the controversial Sunday pay premium would have the greatest impact on their business, while 15% said the abolition of the JLC system would make the most difference. The figures are lower in the hotel sector, where 10% said that getting rid of the Sunday premium would make the greatest impact, compared to the 14%

who felt the abolition of the JLC would provide the biggest boost to business. (In terms of hotels, at 16%, an increase in overseas visitor numbers was judged to have the most significant impact on business levels.)

Not every one agrees that changes to the JLC will make an impact however. As one restaurateur confided in the survey:

‘I have not had a pay packet in three years since downturn commenced and I am currently fighting to survive in what is a crazy situation. The abolition of the JLC means nothing to me. The survival of my business is solely dependent on the excellent staff that I have and under no circumstances will I interfere with their pay in any way.’

What the survey does show, however, is that while unions fear that lower paid workers are vulnerable to pay cuts, business owners and managers are feeling pay pressures also. The Restaurants Association of Ireland has long argued that company directors, who take all the risk when setting up their own business, should be entitled to social welfare assistance if their business fails. With 21% of respondents to our survey revealing that they are not in a position to take a regular wage, and 10% who haven’t drawn a salary in more than a year, there can be no doubt that there are hoteliers and caterers out there in grave need of financial assistance. u

We were due a bit of good luck alright. After three years of slim tourism pickings and a particularly menacing

ash cloud, it was about time something put a pep in our tourism step, and this year, bless us, we’ve been inundated.

We thought it would be hard to top the global PR love-fest that surrounded the visits of HRH and President Obama, but then no one could have foreseen the success we’d have on the best golf courses in the world, when Irishmen from North and South won six of the last 17 Majors.

For Fáilte Ireland, the unprecedented success of Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy,

Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington is very good news indeed. When the mobile phone company, 3, pulled the plug on sponsorship of the Irish Open this year, the national tourism development authority stepped into the breach and ponied up the cash to keep the showcase golf event going, with support from the local industry in and around Killarney.

It was a big ask. At a time when resources are under more pressure than ever before, and when tourism needs every cent it has, Fáilte Ireland has put e1.5m (e1.25m ex VAT) on the table in prize money, and

topped it off with e300,000-worth of promotion for the event at home.

Placing so much store on a market that only accounts for an estimated 150,000 visitors is a gamble, but one worthwhile says Fáilte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn. ‘We invest in golf, not just to attract golfers, but also as a way to project images of Ireland around the world,’ he told Hotel & Catering Review.

When Darren Clarke did the business in Sandwich, therefore, Quinn must have had a pressing urge to hop on a jet and buy the Tyrone man a barrel load of the black stuff himself to celebrate. Having Rory McIlroy, the winner of the US Open in June,

headlining at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club was marketing gold-dust. With Clarke hot on the heels of success in Kent, and Graeme McDowell (US Open 2010) and Padraig Harrington (Open 2007 & 2008, US PGA 2008) also taking part, it was the stuff of PR dreams. With Clarke trending on Twitter the day of, and following, his win, the salient question in everyone’s Tweets was ‘how does a small country produce so many Major winners?’

Fáilte Ireland, and the authority’s colleagues in Tourism Ireland, will be hoping that golfers at home and abroad will decide

to take to Irish courses in their droves to find out for themselves. Indeed, so excited was Fáilte Ireland by Clarke’s triumph, that the agency immediately pulled its broadcast and print ads for the Irish Open to add the Royal Portrush golfer’s name to the mix. A heavyweight campaign has been devised to maximise the publicity surrounding the golfers’ wins, including a chance to play a round with McIlroy in the Pro-Am on the Wednesday preceding the Open, which lured golfing enthusiasts to Kerry earlier than they would normally travel in Open week.

‘The amount of awareness in Ireland and internationally about Irish golf has been

tremendous,’ says Keith McCormack, head of golf at Fáilte Ireland. ‘In the aftermath of Rory’s win there were 25,000 column inches devoted to him in media around the world. The Americans love him and we could see that US interest in Irish golf was amazing after his success in the US Open. It’s too early to tell about Darren as yet, but we expect his success will generate equally high interest. We can see from the hits that golfers are coming onto our sites and wondering what it is about Ireland that we’ve managed to produce so many great champions. Their success offers great motivation to come to

IRISh TOURISm gETS In ThE SWIng

Why Clarkey, Padraig, G Mac and Wee Mc are good news for Irish tourism.

This year’s Irish Open was played on the Killeen Course at Killarney Golf & Fishing ClubgOLF

having Rory mcIlroy, the winner of the US Open in June, headlining at Killarney golf & Fishing Club was marketing gold-dust. With Clarke hot on the heels of success in Kent, and graeme

mcDowell (US Open 2010) and Padraig harrington (Open 2007 & 2008, US Pga 2008) also taking part, it was the stuff of PR dreams.

20 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

Ireland.’For the Irish golfing fraternity, such

sweet success couldn’t have come at a better time. The industry has taken heavy blows in the recession, beset with the same major challenges that have impacted the hotel industry – falling demand, falling prices and excess capacity. ‘The golf sector has been going through a lot of pain and it is experiencing a very tough time at the moment,’ acknowledges Fáilte Ireland CEO, Shaun Quinn. ‘Certainly we had priced ourselves out of the market but now that we have moved to more competitive and affordable rates it has helped.’ The tourism authority also endeavoured to support the sector by establishing a Golf Forum, similar to the successful Business Tourism Forum,

which has spearheaded a lot of changes in the sector, including the introduction of a new quality assessment programme.

At the midway mark through the year, it’s still too early to tell how golf will perform in 2011, but initial signs are positive, says Keith McCormack, who has seen provisional figures pointing to a 7% increase in golf numbers in the first half of this year. (And that was before we had the Irish Open – which was expected to be viewed by a global audience of up to 350 million when it aired on major networks in the UK and US and continental Europe.)

It also doesn’t take into account the impact of the Solheim Cup. The ladies version of the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup will take place at Killeen Castle this September when

the best female golfers from Europe and the US will do battle on the greens. For Ireland this equally offers enormous potential – not just in the PR shots that will be broadcast around the world, but in a tasty opportunity to target the expanding international base of female golfers, which is now the fastest growing sector of the golf market. The Germans in particular are ones to set in our sights. The world’s biggest outbound tourism market is also the fastest growing golf market in Europe, and has a very big couples base.

It will be 2012 before we can really see if the prowess of our star-studded golfers will have any tangible impact on Irish tourism numbers, but in the meantime, it is nice to bask in the glow of the good publicity they have cast upon us. It’s not often over the last couple of years that Ireland gets in the news for all the right reasons. So who’s next? Shane Lowry? Here’s hoping we can add even more Major champs into the mix. In the meantime, here at Hotel & Catering Review we’ll continue to merrily support Darren. As one Tweeter so eloquently put it, ‘he’s an inspiration for binge-drinking, cigar-smoking athletes around the world’. u

HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 21

The O’Mahony course at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club

Rory McIlroy gets into the swing

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We love the odd fairytale here in Hotel & Catering Review, particularly in these dark days when the news

from the real world can be all too gloomy. After all, what could be more fairytale like, we wonder, than a Guinness-swilling, cigar-smoking, heretofore believed past-his-best golfer silencing all his critics and scooping the claret jug after 20 years of trying?

When it comes to the more traditional fairytales, however, Snow White sprang to mind during a recent visit to Árd na Sidhe on Kerry’s Caragh Lake. We’ve always been a fan of this Brothers Grimm fable (it must be all those men the fair-skinned princess had running around after her) and loved the line about her vain stepmother, who had a panto-esque penchant for quizzing her mirror about who was the fairest of them all. We all know the type.

But back in the real world, we’d hazard a guess that in the Liebherr’s trio of hotels in

The Kingdom, staff and managers are now paying a lot more attention to the mirrors themselves, rather than their reflections within them, after a recent windfall. In true Antiques Roadshow-style, the team uncovered a dusty old antique mirror when scouring the basements for fixtures and furnishings to deck out the new-look Árd na Sidhe, which reopened this May after a six-month makeover. Curiosity prompted the team to get it valued, and it transpired to be worth a rather tasty e200,000. (Yes, that’s right, 200K, for a mirror!) We can’t help but think therefore how apt it is that this Elizabethan-styled hideaway is named in Irish after the nearby Hill of the Fairies. The discovery is the stuff of fairytales after all.

While most of us stumbling across such a find would have traipsed straight off to Adam’s or Sotheby’s in order to fund a pressing interest repayment or much-needed ground-floor makeover, the team at Árd na

Sidhe are fortunate that owner, Liebherr, does not face such financial pressures. In fact, when Europe GM Michael Brennan approached the head of the crane-making multinational for a few bob to freshen up the lounge last October, she rejected his request. It would make far more sense, Mrs Liebherr said, to renovate the whole house from top to bottom at the one time. (Michael, who oversaw the e100m redevelopment of The Europe, and who is soon to preside over the makeover of the hotel’s old bedroom wing, must have thought Christmas had come early once again.)

The result set the team on the path to find the mirror, but far more impressive is the makeover of this early 20th century house, which has been restored to the style in which it was found by Dr Hans Liebherr when he bought Árd na Sidhe back in 1958. Built in 1913 for Lady Edith Gordon, a member of the Anglo Irish Ascendancy

aWay WITh ThE FaIRIESaWay WITh ThE FaIRIES

DESIgn

The Liebherr family isn’t averse to spending a few quid on its hospitality interests – the clan did after all invest a cool e100m in the revamp of the award-winning Europe Hotel in Killarney,

a move which earned the resort a swag of design accolades. The latest property to get a wave of the magic makeover wand is its bijou sister property, Árd na Sidhe Country House, nestled on

the sloping banks of Caragh Lake in the heart of The Kingdom. Hotel & Catering Review popped in for a sneak peek during a recent tour of the Ring of Kerry.

DESIgn

who paradoxically was also a nationalist and Sinn Féin supporter, the house was named after the fairy-frequented, tree-covered knoll nearby. A fine example of Arts & Crafts style, the house lost much of its original charm in a 1960s makeover, but today it has been painstakingly renovated and restored to its original glory.

Dublin-based architects Howley Hayes, which specialise in restoration work, were brought on board to oversee the Árd na Sidhe renovation. All 10 guestrooms in the main house have now been remodelled to their original room proportions. En-suites have been replaced with Edwardian-style bathrooms, new hardwood timber flooring has been laid, the oak staircase has been reconfigured to its original layout, and the joinery and chimney pieces have been lovingly restored.

The interiors bring in the best of the Kerry vicinity, while staying true to the Arts & Crafts roots. Morris & Co, the famed house established in the 1800s by the textile designer William Morris, lent a hand with the interiors, sourcing old patterns for the carpets, rugs, curtains and wallpaper from the archives, while along with the famous mirror, a raft of antique pieces of furniture which took pride of place in Ard na Sidhe during Lady Gordon’s tenure, have been reclaimed from the bowels of Dunloe Castle, repaired and returned to their old haunt. The old mix well with newer pieces, such as the bedroom furniture produced by Meath furniture designer, John O’Connell.

The result is a cosy hideaway offering idyllic seclusion on the slopes of Caragh Lake. Business has been brisk since the country house reopened in May, manager Jennifer Dowling explains, with domestic and international guests checking in to escape the rat race. There are no TVs in the rooms, and no mobile phone coverage, though there is free wifi for those who need or wish to engage with the outside world. And if the restful charm of the renovation isn’t enough to relax guests, then Árd na Sidhe’s famous Edwardian garden, which was created by Lady Gordon on the banks of Caragh Lake, will surely do it. u

aWay WITh ThE FaIRIESaWay WITh ThE FaIRIES

PROmOTIOn

Tourism Ireland is getting into the swing this summer with a raft of campaigns to attract visitors.

IRELanD on the agenda

Left: Online ads in the US.

Below: E-newsletters have been issued to Tourism Ireland’s global database of golf fans.

e2.2m Golf tourism Campaign tees off

Tourism Ireland’s ‘Major’ golf tourism campaign – worth €2.2m – is under way right now, capitalising on Darren Clarke’s great British Open victory at Royal St George and previous wins by Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell

in the US Open championship. The ‘Home of Champions’ campaign is designed to capitalise on the huge international media interest in Darren’s and Rory’s successes. Over 34,000 articles appeared in more than 100 countries in the aftermath of Rory McIlroy’s US Open win and a further 20,000 articles appeared in 88 countries following Darren’s British Open victory.

Tourism Ireland has stepped up its promotional programme to maximise the benefits for the island of Ireland from these fantastic achievements. Activity includes the following highlights:

• ‘Home of Champions’ is the headline for the new ad campaigns in Great Britain and the US this summer. In the US, the ads are appearing on TV (on the popular Golf Channel) and online (on GolfChannel.com and elsewhere) and will be seen over 200 times around coverage of top tournaments like the Solheim Cup and popular American programmes like ‘Big Break’, ‘Feherty Show’, ‘Morning Drive’ and ‘Golf Now Ireland’. • 365,000 Americans have seen Ireland golf ads and features in Golfweek and Golf World magazines and in the Irish Echo and Irish Voice newspapers.• In Britain, new ‘Home of Champions’ ads are running in key golf, business and financial publications, driving potential British golf holidaymakers to the golf offers section of the discoverireland.com website.• A further 250,000 golf enthusiasts worldwide heard about the Irish Open in Killarney – through the media, travel trade and social media – with a competition to win a trip to see Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Pádraig Harrington in action there. • Influential golf and lifestyle journalists from around the world are being invited to come and sample our world-class golf product for themselves. News releases have

HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 25

been issued to media contacts across the US and other markets and the magic footage of the victories by Darren and Rory will be included in future golf TV programmes planned by Tourism Ireland, in the US and elsewhere.• A co-operative campaign with bmi this summer – which allows golfers to carry their clubs for free on all bmi flights from London Heathrow to Dublin – is being highlighted by Tourism Ireland through advertising and with leading GB golf tour operators.• Social media is also helping to spread the word in our golf markets, with posts celebrating the British and US Open successes on Tourism Ireland’s US Facebook page (almost 130,000 fans) generating hundreds of ‘likes’ for Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke and lots of positive comments in the 24-hour period after their wins.• The recent victories by Darren and Rory and strong golf messages feature on Tourism Ireland’s suite of websites, discoverireland.com, which attracts up to 12 million unique visitors a year. Tourism Ireland has also sent e-newsletters to its global database of golf fans with special offers and golf packages from the industry here.• The Solheim Cup, which takes place from 23–25 September at Killeen Castle in Co Meath, features extensively in Tourism Ireland’s media, travel trade and consumer promotions around the world and the organisation is working closely with women’s golf associations in many key markets.

Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland chief executive, said: ‘Darren Clarke’s victory at the British Open, coming on top of wins by Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell at the US Open, has placed our golf in the global spotlight and represents a huge opportunity. Tourism Ireland is focused on growing the number of golf tourists to Ireland in 2011 and beyond, and building on the tremendous positive publicity surrounding these extraordinary wins.

‘Golf is the world’s largest sports-related travel market and Tourism Ireland is working hard to drive home the message that a golfing holiday in Ireland is about much more than a round of 18 holes – the combination of our world-class golf product and unique brand of hospitality plays a key role in attracting golfers to come here. Darren, Rory and Graeme are superb ambassadors for the game and for the island of Ireland.’

Highlighting the island of ireland to 2m+ potential holidaymakers around britainThe island of Ireland is in the spotlight in Great Britain, courtesy of a major tourism promotion this summer. Tourism Ireland is targeting millions of prospective visitors around GB – through The Guardian newspaper and website – with a special campaign which is highlighting the many things to see and do here for British holidaymakers. The promotion is reaching a wide audience around Britain, including over 2.2 million visitors each month to The Guardian website and almost one million readers of the newspaper.

Full-page features on Ireland’s B&Bs as well as places like Kilkenny, Connemara and Kerry have already appeared in the Weekend magazine, with various promotional films uploaded to the newspaper’s website showing off some of the many hidden gems to be found here.

Vanessa Markey, Tourism Ireland’s head of Great Britain, said: ‘This promotion with The Guardian, both online and offline, is an excellent way of showcasing the island of Ireland and its many attractions to a large audience of potential holidaymakers across Great Britain. It is part of a wider Tourism Ireland campaign with The Guardian, to encourage visitors to go beyond our major cities and explore more rural parts of Ireland.’

Great Britain is the largest single source market for visitors to the island of Ireland, delivering over 50% of all overseas visitors and 35% of overseas tourism revenue. Vanessa Markey continued: ‘The island of Ireland holds strong appeal for Britons, ranking at number six on their “wish-list” of places to visit. Our campaigns are driving home messages of friendliness, fun and stunning inspirational landscapes, as well as encouraging visitors to get out and about and enjoy the regions of Ireland.’

olympic boost For tourismWith a global audience of about four billion, the Olympic Games is the world’s largest sporting event and the 2012 Olympics in London represents a fantastic opportunity to boost tourism to the island of Ireland next year. Tourism Ireland is rolling out a busy programme of promotional activity to target a range of potential visitors around the world in the run-up to the Games.

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Treasure IrelandRich in dramatic landscapes and well-preserved medieval sites, County Kerry is a spectacular corner of south-west Ireland

to watch the video and enter a competition to win a trip to ireland, visit guardian.co.uk/my-ireland

“I know it’s a cliche but home is where the heart is,” says Dan O’Meara, in between greeting a local couple and bidding farewell to a family at the Cill Rialaig art cafe in Ballinskelligs, County Kerry. “Everyone knows everyone here. There’s a good community spirit.”Kerry is not Dan’s home county (Limerick is), so he is what the locals here call “a blow-in”, but this dramatically scenic corner of south-west Ireland is where he feels most at home. “I’ve been coming here

since I was three years old,” he explains. “And I want to stay here.”

Dan is especially passionate about the secret sights of his adopted home. “The most beautiful areas are off the beaten track,” he says. “The Skelligs [two rocky

islands nine miles off the coast of Bolus Head] get a lot of attention but there’s so much more here. It’s all about the scenery. We have miles of golden beaches, virgin oak forest, beautiful loughs – but people just think of the Dingle peninsula and the Ring of Kerry. It’s a matter of getting people off the Ring.”Dan’s favourite places are all well away from the tourist trail. “My favourite place for a walk is Bolus Head,” he says. “It has gorgeous views and you’re far

from everything. I love it there.” Dan, an experienced archaeologist, also loves the region for its wide-ranging archaeology. “The area is rife with early medieval sites,” he explains. “There are

probably about 500 monuments within five miles of Ballinskelligs. There’s some amazing prehistoric rock art, and there’s also Coom Wedge tomb, one of the most well-preserved tombs in Ireland.”

But it’s not just about beautiful landscapes and interesting archaeology here, there’s plenty for food lovers, too. “You can’t beat it for seafood,” says Dan. “You name it, we’ve got it here. Sea trout, squid, monkfish and the Inny river is one of the best in Europe for salmon.”And of course, there’s always a pint of the black stuff on offer to wash it down. “I love the pubs here,” says Dan. “There are some really lovely ones in Cahersiveen – Mick Murt’s and the Anchor Bar – and we have Tig Rosie’s here. The pubs really are the social scene.”To see more of Dan’s favourite places in County Kerry, visit guardian.co.uk/my-ireland and watch his video guide. You can also enter a competition to win your own trip to Ireland.

Check back next week to meet Hannah Shields and read about her favourite haunts on the Causeway Coast.

MeeT The locals For more insider advice, a B&B guide, holiday planner, road trip brochure and touring map to help plan your trip, call freephone 0800 587 6000 for a free pack or visit discoverireland.com

this

is a

pic

cr

ed

it

CIll RIalaIgaRtIsts’ VIllageBallinskelligs’ artists’ retreat is a veritable hive of creative activity. check out the latest works produced by

resident artists in their workshops before tucking into a locally sourced lunch in the cill rialaig art cafe.

ValentIa Islandit could be said that all modern communication stems from Valentia, the site of the cable station at which the first successful transatlantic telegraph cable came ashore. the original building can still be seen, and the island also features the world’s second oldest set of fossilised footprints, and some truly breathtaking coastal scenery.

visitvalentiaisland.ie

the sKellIgstwo pyramid-like rock formations jutting out of the atlantic, the

skelligs are not to be missed. Visit the 6th-century monastic settlement on skellig Michael and check out the only inhabitants at Little skellig’s gannet sanctuary, the second largest in europe.

skelligexperience.com

BallyCaRBeRyCastlethe best-preserved castle in southwest Kerry is actually a 16th-century fortified residence. although never put to military use, the castle has a “murder hole” and numerous arrow slits to ward

off marauding troops. it’s also a dramatic place to contemplate the tumultuous atlantic.

DaN’s INsIDeR TIPs FoRcoUNTY KeRRY

‘The skelligs get a lot of attentionbut there’s so much more here’

Clockwise from main: dan O’Meara in Ballinskelligs; Ballycarbery Castle; skellig Michael; the anchor Bar, Cahersiveen

Top: GB golf writers at Mount Juliet, Co Kilkenny, with John Lahiffe, Tourism Ireland (left).

Middle: A full-page feature in The Guardian’s ‘Weekend’ supplement.

Bottom: A CGI of the Olympic Stadium in London which will host next year’s Games.

26 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

TEChnOLOgy

TImE TO gET UPWaRDLy mOBILE

Smartphone sales are booming at the speed of light, with sales expected to be more than 10 times higher than PCs by 2012. So how are Irish hotels dealing with these new points

of information access? SARAH GRENNAN reports.

h ere at Hotel & Catering Review we’re spending a lot of time on the road this summer, travelling the country while judging this year’s Gold Medal Awards. With so much time out of the

office, the iPhone is never far from our hands – offering easy remote access to email and news. As we have a terrible sense of direction also, we regularly rely on it for directional advice and look up the websites of venues on our ‘To Do’ list, as well as others we’d like to drop into on our travels.

What has struck us is the number of hotels and restaurants that don’t have mobile-friendly web pages. Yes, we hear what you’re saying – we don’t have them either, it’s true. But with mobile internet adoption set to reach 10 billion by 2015 it is something we all need to consider. Currently it is estimated that seven in 10 corporate travellers carry smartphones or other internet available devices, and more and more are using them to access travel information, book hotels and more.

The airlines have been quick to embrace the mobile phenomenon, delivering flight information directly to passengers via their phones. US hotels are also getting in on the act, developing apps as concierge services, enabling guests to check in via their phones as soon as they

land in the airport, and other nifty practices. Groups such as Grace Hotels in the UK are using them as PR and marketing tools. They gained coverage recently for their handy packing guide which reminds stressed travellers what to pack before they leave the house. (TTM – tickets, money, passport – is always our quick checklist.)

In Ireland, Cork’s Fota Island Hotel was the first to go mobile with its own dedicated app available for download from Apple’s iTunes store, while Carton House followed with an app for the Maynooth resort which features information about the hotel plus plenty of tips for golfers on its two championship courses. Since then, a number of hotels have got into the act, while Dublin Tourism also entered the mobile arena last autumn becoming the world’s first city destination to provide a pointing-technology enabled app. It allows users to cleverly point their phone at an attraction or building of note and download relevant information, while also access information about hotels, restaurants, and things to see and do in their area.

While a number of other hotels and restaurants, and groups such as the Blue Book, have gone mobile friendly, there has been a slow uptake from the industry as a whole. For many getting to grips with new technology must be the last thing on their minds as businesses

With a background in geo-coding and satellite navigation, Autopilot has been making in-roads in the apps market where it has created a number of native apps for Irish hotels, including Sheen Falls Lodge, The D, Gregan’s Castle and more. The company has also worked on tourism apps for Heritage Island and Explore Wicklow, as well as a number of county councils.

Native apps make sense for hotels which are trying to promote themselves as a destination, says John Dundon of Autopilot, as they offer plenty of scope for content – from navigational maps, to information on what’s going on in the area. ‘A native app also has the added advantage of being downloadable directly on to your phone so visitors to Ireland using it won’t have to pay for costly data charges while roaming,’ explains John.

He encourages hotels and

restaurants using apps to actively promote them through their Facebook pages and other social media, as well as on printed matter such as brochures and advertising. ‘You should include a QR code so readers can scan it and directly download your app.’

You can also tailor your app to suit your audience. ‘For instance someone using the D Hotel app in New York could find out about the latest overnight offers in the hotel, while a local in Drogheda could be targeted with spa offers.’

‘Hotels are very hung up on social media at the moment and apps aren’t top of the agenda but more effort needs to be put into mobile strategies as by 2013 more people will be accessing the internet from their smartphones than from PCs.’

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struggle to survive in the current climate, but those taking a long-term view need to start thinking about making their websites more mobile-compatible as smartphones gain more and more market share. The stats say it all: Google claims that one in five of all hotel searches come from mobiles, while NetAffinity’s Marketing Times also points to eMarketer research which suggests that, in the US, the number of consumers using their mobile to research travel products will climb from 19.7 million last year to 29.7 million in 2012.

The good news for hospitality operators is that going mobile doesn’t necessarily have to cost the earth. ‘You can pay anything from €5,000 to €50,000 for mobile applications,’ explains Stephen Conmy, editor of Digital Times, the organiser of last year’s inaugural Appy Awards. ‘But you can build a basic

app for next to nothing, and a good designer could also throw in a mobile web platform.’ Some hoteliers Hotel & Catering Review have spoken to have developed apps and platforms for far less, with prices ranging in the hundreds rather than the thousands. ‘We’ve had more than 50 bookings through our app since we launched it earlier this year, so it paid for itself in no time,’ says Nicky Logue, general manager and director of the four star Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel in Killiney, Co Dublin.

If money is an issue, Stephen advises keeping it simple, with clean

text and few images. The more intricate and complicated the design, and the more information you want to get out there, the higher the cost will be.

When it comes to going mobile there is much to consider. First of all, would you like to go native with

a ‘native app’ similar to Fota Island, Sheen Falls, Carton House and others? This is an application which can be downloaded from iTunes or other app stores and sits on users’ smartphones. It acts like a brochure for your business and enables users to access information about your hotel or restaurant without needing wifi access or ratcheting up data charges through 3G. It is worth remembering however, that what works for iPhone, currently the biggest selling

foR tHe sMs geneRationSmartphones may be taking off at a rate of knots, but Abbeycrest Traders warns that not all customers are ready, willing and able to get appy just yet.

The company, which has been supplying ticketing systems to the nightclub sector for close to 20 years, offers a SMS text messaging system for hotels and restaurants who wish to send text messages directly to mobile users.

‘A lot of Irish hotels have been using our system with great success. Hotels have an existing customer database in their reservation booking system which they can instantly use to text special offers. Hotels have found that older customers do not use Facebook or have smartphones and the majority of them do not read emails, but they all have mobile phones,’ notes Abbeycrest Traders managing director, Roger Bourke.

The system can be used to promote special offers, confirm bookings and more, and Abbeycrest can also provide an eight character redeemable voucher unique to each customer which can be redeemed by guests in hotels and restaurants.

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smartphone on the planet, will not work for other devices and you will need a completely different platform for Android.

Another option, and one which has been used by the Moran Bewley Hotel Group among others is a ‘web app’, which provides a mobile-friendly access to your website. Designers will create a number of web pages to suit mobiles, making them cleaner to read and easier to navigate on handheld devices. (For those who don’t have smartphones, when you access a website with your phone that hasn’t been mobile enabled it is too big for the phone’s screen and requires a lot of fidgety zooming to navigate.)

There are benefits to both options, says Stephen Conmy. Taking your current website and squeezing a few pages into a mobile size platform can be a quick, easy and cost effective option, while going down the downloadable app route provides opportunities for more information.

Native apps have become increasingly sophisticated, particularly over the last year, says Stephen. While some early executions didn’t have booking facilities, later versions do. ‘Personally, I think there is far more

interaction in an app but you can build a web page to suit your needs that could work just as well for you.’

When designing an app what should businesses look out for? ‘Think about the areas of your business that you really want to highlight and sell. An app is almost like an old-fashioned directory, so use it to promote the areas that are most important to you. Make sure you have special offers or packages which jump up on the first page to engage with your users, a booking option is helpful, as are things like directions.’

Stephen advises talking to a few different designers to gauge the right option, and get the right price. They are experts in their field so they should be able to give you good advice on what suits your business, but it always pays to get a second opinion.

What makes a good app?‘Ease of utility,’ says Stephen.

‘Never, ever over complicate it. Think about it. How long are people going to spend looking at their phone? If you over complicate it you’ll lose them. You want something that is clean, easy to use, and provides vital information like offers, maps and so on.’ u

TEChnOLOgy aPPs foR tHe web & soCial Media

Bookassist, the technology and online strategists for the hotel industry, launched a hotel web app for iPhones and Androids last year. Features include:• location-aware mapping with automatic routing from current location to the hotel (where supported by the phone)• room descriptions and photos• integrated customer reviews• integrated photo gallery• fast and easy-to-use full transaction engine for booking• PCI-DSS compliant security, credit card verification and SMS booking confirmation• the capability to feature entire hotel groups, seamlessly interlinking each hotel.

The web app has been designed to be fast and lightweight so that roaming guests will not be subjected to high download costs. The firm also offers a suite of apps for Facebook enabling hotels to engage further with their fans. Simple to use and easy to install, the four apps require no maintenance as they can source information directly from Bookassist clients’ Hotel Admin system.

The apps include Booking Features, Special Offers, voucher Sales and Customer Reviews, and since their launch in April they have been installed by over 400 hotels, 150 of which are in Ireland. ‘By installing the Bookassist Apps for Facebook you are transforming your fan page into a new revenue channel,’ explains Bookassist’s senior social media strategist, Paul Ferry. ‘Hotels who are actively promoting the apps and setting up exclusive fan offers are getting the results and performing better.’

Bookassist also offers Reputation Alert, a system which enables hotels to continually track online customer comments and reviews across hundreds of social media sites. For more, log on to bookassist.org.

HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 2�

BEST OF IRISH FOOD&DRINK

never has it been more important for irish businesses to support each other and shop locally. we are fortunate, therefore, that we are

blessed with an array top quality irish produce, created by an army of passionate producers.

Here is Hotel & Catering Review’s annual pick of some (just some!) of ireland’s best food and drink, while our new

food columnist, Ruth Hegarty, reveals why chefs and caterers should do their part and source quality irish ingredients wherever possible.

30 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

On a recent visit to Malaysia I noticed a sign over a second-hand clothes shop which boasted ‘brands from America and Japan’. Elsewhere, a Nigerian acquaintance told me

of plans to buy fruit juice in Europe, import it into Nigeria, dilute it with 10 parts water and sell it at massive profit, because those who have it are willing to pay any money for the prestige of consuming foreign products, irrespective of quality. It got me to thinking about how far we have come in this country, particularly in relation to the sourcing of food.

As recently as the 1970s and '80s (and possibly later) we believed that food that came in from ‘the continent’ was the height of sophistication. We lacked the pride that many of our European neighbours have in their own traditional produce and put little value on foods that were ‘homemade’ or came from down the road.

Jenny Young of Castlefarm in Kildare tells a story of her early days selling produce from her farm and kitchen at a Farmers’ Market. A lady asked the price of her bread and then commented; ‘Sure you only made that yourself ’. This took place only a few years ago, but demonstrates an attitude that was once widespread. Juxtaposed with that, of course, was the fact that most people still ate very traditional foods and many still enjoyed excellent fresh farm produce, but no one was going around shouting about it. Unlike most Europeans we failed to see that what we were eating at home every day was special. That is until Myrtle Allen came along.

We cannot underestimate how visionary Myrtle Allen was, and how far ahead of her time. When Ireland was finally seeing the emergence of high end restaurants, based largely around French

dishes and often foreign produce, she very simply thought, ‘we have top quality produce in this country. We should be proud of it and we should use it.’ And that is what she did. And, luckily for us, she also started shouting about it. Amongst many other incredible initiatives to promote Irish produce, even dare I say it ‘Irish cuisine’, Myrtle opened an Irish restaurant, La Ferme Irlandaise, in Paris, emphasising the quality of Irish farm produce. Such was her reputation for promoting Irish food that by 1986 Myrtle was invited by Belgian chef Pierre Romeyer and French legend Paul Bocuse to join a select group of European chefs to lead the way in protecting and promoting the traditional food products and dishes of Europe. Myrtle bravely responded and Euro-toques, the European Community of Chefs, was born. Apart from being the only woman involved and not seeing herself as a chef at all, but rather a home cook, it is fair to say that Myrtle faced a greater challenge than the rest. The others came from countries with absolute confidence in the quality of their produce and great pride in their national cuisine. Most in Ireland would have questioned whether we had one at all.

Twenty-five years on, no one would deny that Irish food products can compete on a world stage, just as Myrtle has always believed. But what has happened is more significant than that. We have put a huge value on ‘local’ and have come to realise that it is the product from ‘down the road’ that can offer so much of what we are looking for as chefs and as consumers: authenticity, freshness, taste and, ultimately, a story. In the early days this was driven by a small number of extremely dedicated and hard-working chefs who were willing to go out on a limb, passionate artisan food producers who believed in their product, and

SUPPORT LOCaLBut Remember,Quality is Key

Hotel & Catering Review’s new columnist, RUTH HEGARTY, explains why it is important to promote the best of Irish on restaurant menus, while at the same time maintaining quality and fairly representing

Ireland’s indigenous food producers.

BEST OF IRISH FOOD&DRINK

HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 �1

forward-thinking farmers who saw the sense in actually selling their goods direct to the end user. What resulted were some fiercely committed relationships which provided a lifeline to producers and fed an emerging food culture we could one day take great pride in.

In fact, today we have reached a point where the concept of local sourcing has

gained so much popularity that it has become a double-edged sword. Some of the most unimpressive menus in the country now include taglines like ‘Our produce is locally sourced’ or ‘All our meat is of Irish origin’. These statements provide no tangible information for the customer and no guarantees of quality. They raise more questions than they answer; in the context of Ireland, what is local and what constitutes a local source? (I have heard of guesthouses buying their ‘locally sourced’ Irish breakfast in the nearby branch of a large supermarket chain.) Just because something is Irish or even local, does that mean it is good? We all know the answer to that one... Proximity infers nothing about quality and, other than hopefully indicating a smaller carbon footprint, is not a selling point in itself.

The perceived demand for local produce has also inevitably led to false claims and, where producers have managed to build a strong reputation, their brand has been left open to abuse. When Euro-toques introduced a stipulation three years ago that members list their fresh food sources on their menu, we were surprised to find that it was not universally welcomed by food producers. A butcher contacted me to tell me of a customer who complained of the quality of his steak eaten at a local restaurant. The menu had claimed that all their meat was sourced from him, where in fact he supplied them only with sausages. A cheese-maker told me of a restaurant who had purchased their cheese for a period and included a reference to them on the menu, later they substituted it with an alternative product, while the local producers name continued to be listed. Yet another, who had become well-known for excellent free range poultry, told of a chef who had repeatedly referred to him as a supplier in interviews and on menus,

but had never actually sourced from him. Yet, producers are well aware that, in the

hands of the right chef their product can be wonderfully showcased and that this will lead to consumers seeking them out on farmers markets or local shops, or indeed visiting their farms. Many a small producer attributes the success of their business to a local chef who championed them in their

early days, a trend which had its beginnings in Ballymaloe.

The negative aspects, though disheartening, have to be taken in context. Over the course of a mere 15 years we have moved from the point where Bord Bia felt it necessary to have a system of registration and auditing in place just to encourage the foodservice industry to use Irish meat, to a mindset where many consumers will remark if a restaurant provides no information about its food sources. The marketing value of local-sourcing means any chef worth his salt will now make the effort to seek out quality local artisans and the majority will let their customers know about them on their menu. The local nature of it means it has become almost self-regulating. In the above cases the activity was so local that it did not take very long for the wily producer to rumble the unscrupulous restaurateur.

Local sourcing is not about origin in itself, it is about the benefits that proximity brings with it. Sourcing from close-by means building personal relationships and trust, relying on local reputations and direct responsibility, being able to tailor production to individual needs and verify how something is produced. Whether buying direct or through a trusted distributor, it is about knowing the producer’s story and being able to pass that on to your customer on the plate. Would it be better to have an excellent product from France than a mediocre product from Ireland? I believe it would. But if you can get out there and find top quality produce on your doorstep, sourced with thorough knowledge of how it is produced and who is producing it, all the better. Perhaps we should be moving towards a tagline like ‘All our ingredients are knowledgeably sourced’. This is something discerning diners are increasingly looking for

BEST OF IRISH FOOD&DRINK

RUTH HEGARTY is secretary-general of Euro-toques Ireland, the Irish branch of the European Community of Chefs & Cooks. Founded by some of the region’s top chefs in 1986, Euro-toques aims to protect culinary heritage by promoting artisan production

and local sourcing, defending food quality, and educating future generations. ruth@euro-toques.ie

Whether buying direct or through a trusted distributor, it is about knowing the producer’s story and being able to

pass that on to your customer on the plate. INTRODUCING RUTH HEGARTY

RUTH HEGARTY joins the team at Hotel & Catering Review as a resident food columnist this month. In the coming issues, Ruth will tackle the thorny issues affecting the Irish food movement, and discuss how we can work together to improve the Irish food experience.

Having a family background in small-scale food production and personal experience working in restaurant kitchens, Ruth has always been passionate about food.

In 2001 she completed a thesis entitled; ‘European Food Quality Policy: Protecting Europe’s Traditional and Speciality Foods’ as part of a Masters in European Economic and Public Affairs.

She joined Euro-toques Ireland in early 2004, becoming secretary- generalof the organisation later that year. Her role includes policy development, lobbying, PR and event management and financing, as well as membership services. She loves the buzz that Euro-toques chefs get from discovering new food producers and sharing their knowledge with others.

and clever, committed chefs are delivering.Would we have reached this point

without the work of Myrtle Allen? No doubt we would have gotten there eventually. But the great legacy of Ballymaloe is confidence, and confidence is key. Confidence that what we produce on this island is as good as anything in the world, confidence in our local suppliers who we know and trust, and the confidence we build with our customers when we show them we have sourced our ingredients with knowledge and care. u

32 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

many a cheesemaker would agree. Myrtle Allen championed Irish producers

by putting them on her menu, but not only that. Rather than incorporating Irish ingredients into French-style dishes, Ballymaloe bravely presented Irish food.

Over the years there have been many others who helped build our confidence in an Irish cuisine. Amongst those who fearlessly led the way in the early days was Gerry Galvin, originally of the Vintage in Kinsale in the 1970s, and later chef/proprietor of renowned Drimcong House, Moycullen, Co Galway for 18 years. A 1980s menu which featured

pike and trout from the nearby lake, vegetables and salad from their own garden, Dulse seaweed from the Galway coast, Connemara lamb, Galway venison, and of course, Irish cheeses, set the standard and would be the envy of any ‘local and seasonal sourcing committed’ chef today. In an interview with US food magazine Saveur in 2007, Gerry Galvin described Myrtle Allen’s work as ‘revolutionary’.

Putting pike and seaweed on a high-end restaurant in rural Galway in the 1980s might be described as ‘rebellious’. In Dublin, traditional Irish foods like Smokies, Bacon and Cabbage, and Apple Tart were being elevated to gourmet status by John Howard of Le Coq Hardi. A chef from the rural west of Ireland, he had the confidence to cook the food he enjoyed eating himself, refined to a level where it would be lauded and handsomely paid for by the few in the country then who were living it up.

Meanwhile in Cork, declan ryan at Arbutus Lodge became the first in Ireland ever to win a Michelin star (in 1974), championing a philosophy of home grown, home baked and home cooked food, featuring the best of Cork produce.

It is no surprise then that Myrtle Allen turned to these three chefs to help her establish Euro-toques Ireland in 1986. They went the extra mile to source from down the road and started us on the path to respecting our unique culinary heritage. Twenty-five years on they still stand as a fine example to Irish chefs. u

- Ruth Hegarty

‘I’d walk to Cork for Myrtle Allen. She really is my biggest inspiration’ David Tiernan, producer of Glebe Brethan Cheese, Dunleer, Co Louth.

BEST OF IRISH FOOD&DRINK

SOURCING SENSERUTH’S TOP TIPS FOR BUYING LOCALIntelligent sourcing is all about personal relationships and trust. The real success stories come when sourcing is treated as a partnership between chef and producer. If you are setting out to work more closely with local producers, bear in mind the following tips:

• Talk to other chefs – there is no need to re-invent the wheel, other chefs may have already discovered fantastic products locally and most will be delighted to share this information. A producer is unlikely to sustain themselves by supplying only one restaurant, so if they can increase business everyone wins. There are a growing number of cases where chefs are teaming up to work with a producer, for example, where a farmer only sells whole animals the chefs will divide out the different cuts between them.

• Talk to the producer – if the producer is not making exactly what you are looking for, see if they can tailor the product to suit. But be prepared to make a commitment; most products have a long lead-in (growing plans, animal rearing, maturing of cheeses), and it will be a major blow if you let the producer down when the product is ready.

• Talk to your distributor – let larger distributors/suppliers know what you are after. They may be able to help in sourcing and distribution; this works for many small producers who do not have their own distribution and marketing and often can cost them less than trying to do it themselves (with the added bonus that someone else is looking after collecting the money).

• Be flexible – if you are really committed to quality local sourcing, you must be prepared to work with the seasons. Using an ingredient for only the short period that it is truly in season can elevate the ordinary to something really special, and it will taste a lot better too.

• Be fair – Myrtle Allen often tells us that when she comes across a fantastic product she asks the producer how much they need to get paid to provide that quality. She says she always gets a fair price and pays a fair price. Also, pay on time. Artisan food production is not a goldmine; most producers have a modest income and tight margins. Sadly, bad debts have been the breaking of many a small food business. If a quality supplier disappears, we all lose out.

IRISh FOODChamPIOnSWho led the Way

FOOD HEROES

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FOOD HEROES

French travel agents presenting to a crew of tourism operators at a Fáilte Ireland workshop last autumn complained that while we Irish do provide good quality fare, there is an awful lot of repetition out there. ‘Where are all the lambs we see on the hills? They’re not on the menus,’ they cry.

We take their point, there is so much ‘beef or salmon’ on Irish menus that even a horse was named after the perennial banqueting offering. But at the same time, the French are hardly ones to talk. We’re regular visitors to Paris and it’s rare we come across a

menu that doesn’t offer salade au chevre or some other goats cheese derivative.We are BIG lovers of goats cheese so it’s fine by us, but in all our years eating

French chevre I don’t think we’ve ever come across a goats cheese to match the quality and offering that we have over here.

Bluebell Falls is a particular favourite and we take it any way we can get it – with pasta, in a rustic salad, with tarts or on its own with a slab of bread. Cheesemaker Paul Keane started off making his creamy Cygnus goats cheese log with milk from his mother’s goat herd in Co Clare and has since extended the range to include varietals with honey and pepper. Pegasus, a white mould goats cheese and Orion, a hard cheese with a nutty flavour followed, while Delphinus, a white mould soft goats cheese which has a salty buttery flavour with a hint of mushroom, is expected to launch near the end of the year. We can’t wait to try it.

bluebellfalls.ie

Bluebell Falls goats Cheese

DUNGARvAN BREWING COMPANYCormac O’Brien began brewing as a hobby, buying a kit off the internet to get him started, and within three years his Dungarvan Brewing Company was crowned Best New Producer at the 2010 Blas na hÉireann Awards.

Black Rock Irish Stout, named after the local Dungarvan Harbour landmark, was the first beer to launch in the stable. Made from heavily roasted barley, it has a rich chocolate flavour with notes of vanilla and aniseed and tastes ‘the way stout used to taste’, says Cormac.

Other offerings include Copper Coast Red Ale, which lives up to its name with an intense copper colour and fruity taste, and Helvick Blonde Ale, the brewery’s best selling beer which has been described by Irish Times columnist John Wilson as ‘a really interesting thirst-quenching beer with an astringent very dry finish, very distinctive hoppy fruits and good length’.

Cormac’s target market, he readily admits, is ‘men who want to enjoy the taste of a real beer’, but he has been surprised and delighted with the uptake among female consumers. Well it is the 21st century Cormac. Cheers.

dungarvanbrewingcompany.com

CONNEMARA HILL LAMBSpeaking of lambs on the hills, there are few Irish treats more special than Connemara Hill Lamb which is produced by a cooperative of over 70 hill farmers in the Connemara region.

They banded together before the turn of the millennium to see how they could develop a market for their unique produce and went on to spend five years applying for their lamb to be protected under the EU’s ‘Protected Geographical Indication’ mark, a system which certifies that produce is unique to its region and can’t be replicated elsewhere.

As a result, Connemara Hill Lamb can only be used to describe lamb born and reared in the Connemara Hills from black-faced horn ewes which are fed on grasses and herbs as well as their mothers’ milk.

The lamb, which is available from June to January, weighs typically less than other lowland breeds at approximately 10kg, has a light cover of fat, deep texture, succulent flavour and intense aroma. Its quality and its unique links to its locality prompted members of Euro-toques Ireland to give the cooperative a well earned pat on the back in their 2009 Awards.

connemarahilllamb.ie

BEST OF IRISH FOOD&DRINK

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34 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

green SpotWe always knew that Green Spot was a treasure worth championing, but it wasn’t until an Englishman waxed lyrical about its virtues to us over lunch in a Mendoza winery that we realised how widespread its appeal is. And little wonder, this very special whiskey scored an impressive 94.5 points in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2011, with the man himself describing it as ‘unquestionably one of the world’s great whiskeys’.

Originally produced for the Mitchell family of wine purveyors, Green Spot still bears the family name and today falls under the ownership Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard. We think Green Spot is well worth a try if you haven’t given it a go already. Remember folks, green is the new black.

mitchellandson.com

ROBERT ROBERTSServing Irish tea and coffee aficionados for more than a century, Robert Roberts is continuing to go from strength to strength winning not one, not two, not even 10, but a whopping swag of 22 gold stars at this year’s Great Taste Awards in the UK.

‘It’s a superb result for an Irish company and great credit is due to the dedicated staff, some from generations of families that have expertly produced great products at Robert Roberts for so many years,’ said master roaster and blender, Garath Scully.

robert-roberts.ie

WHISKEY WINNERSIt would be remiss of us to talk about Irish whiskey without giving a mention to Cooley, the independent distillery headed by two generations of Jack Teelings who have enjoyed great success on the Cooley peninsula and in more recent times in the Kilbeggan Distillery, the Westmeath distillery rescued by the firm a couple of years back.

The company has been garlanded with accolades over the years, including a swathe of very impressive global awards in recent times, including Distillery of the Year 2010 (Malt Advocate), World Distiller of the Year 2008 (IWSC) and European Distillery of the Year 2008 & 2009 (IWSC).

Cooley additionally claimed a further eight Gold Medals at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in July. This included a record four Gold Medals for its Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish whiskey range, as well as honours for Lockes Eight Year Old Single Malt, Tyrconnell 10 Year Old Madeira Finish Single Malt, Kilbeggan 18 Year Old Deluxe Blended Irish whiskey and the Greenore 18 Year Old Single Grain Irish Whiskey.

It was a happy day indeed in Hotel & Catering Review HQ recently when one of the team was sent an utterly scrumptious coffee and walnut gateau as a much appreciated thank you from a supplier. As the troops lined up to grab a slice we spotted the Couverture Desserts label and quickly nudged our way straight to the top of the queue, knowing that cakes of such quality don’t hang around too long.

Describing themselves as the ‘premium dessert specialists’ the folks at Couverture, headed by MD Margaret Lynch, have been providing sweet solutions to hotels, restaurants and other caterers for 13 years, winning Great Taste Awards and other plaudits along the way.

We’re all about the coffee gateau after our recent tasting, but the firm, which operates from an extensive production facility in Inchicore, Dublin, also offers a handy range of mini assiettes, hot desserts and a wide variety of cakes and cheesecakes.

couverturedesserts.com

KEELINGSKeelings is a major Irish success story, growing from a small fruit and salads producer supplying local Dublin markets in the 1930s to a multinational fresh produce supplier employing approximately 1,700 people.

Headquartered in North Dublin, the company supplies foodservice and retail customers in Ireland and overseas markets, and to this day it continues to grow quality fruit and veg for supply to the trade in its state of the art facilities in Ireland.

It was voted Best Supplier at this year’s Santa Rita Irish Restaurant Awards which were organised by the Restaurants Association of Ireland, proving that more than 70 years on from when it started, the Keeling family business remains a popular choice among Ireland’s foodservice community.

keelings.com

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COUvERTURE DESSERTS

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Clive Goodbody, whose father E Gaynor founded Robert Roberts in Dublin in 1905, is pictured at the Robert Roberts coffee roastery with current master blender, Garath Scully.

HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 �5

MORELLI ICE CREAMThe Morelli family of Northern Irish ice cream manufacturers are celebrating a century in business and marked the occasion with a photographic exhibition in Portstewart. It told the family story from when Angelo Morelli first arrived in Northern Ireland to help his uncle run the Ice Palace in the town. Since then, the family enterprise has grown considerably and now the Morellis supply hotels and restaurants as well as retailers with their famous brand of ices. Pictured celebrating the centenary are brothers Guido, Corrado and Nino.

ices.uk.com

Solaris BotanicalsThe White Tea café around the corner from Hotel & Catering Review’s offices in Dun Laoghaire has us utterly charmed. Not just because, tucked behind the swathes of fabrics and soft furnishings in Brian S Nolan’s interior design store, it comes as a surprising oasis in the middle of the busy harbour town. Nor is it the truly yummy cakes and breads, which are baked on site each morning. No, what really floats our boat is the extensive array of teas from Solaris Botanicals.

Run by medical herbalists, Jorg Muller and Karin Wieland, Solaris Botanicals offers a range of premium whole leaf organic speciality and herbal teas. Hand-picked from organic plantations, the teas are blended using traditional methods and hold 95% more oxidants than normal teas. The collection includes black tea blends, green tea, white tea and Pu Ehr and, as well as being mighty good for you, they taste fantastic and look amazing – check out this photo of Jorg with the exotic looking tea at the recent Bord Bia foodservice supplier workshop.

The company is one of a number of firms who have signed up to Bord Bia’s Foodservice Market Development programme, and is hoping to make greater inroads into the foodservice sector. We hope it too. Check out the foodservice range which includes a selection of beautiful and environmentally friendly biodegradable silk tea bags.

solarisbotanicals.com;

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When it comes to cheese production in Ireland we have such an embarrassment of riches, we don’t know why anyone would want to look abroad. Our own personal favourites include, but certainly aren’t limited to:

Corleggy Cheeses – made by Silke Cropp, one of the pioneers of the Irish farmhouse cheese movement, in Belturbet, Co Cavan, Corleggy features a range of cow, sheep and goats cheese. The flagship is the eponymous Corleggy goats cheese, which is a perennial award winner. Drumlin, made from cows’ milk, is also worth a try. • Corleggy.com

Gabriel & Desmond Cheese – from Bill Hogan and Sean Ferry of the West Cork Natural Cheese Company, Desmond is a hard, cows milk cheese with piquant notes and a long sharp wash. Gabriel is extra hard with hazelnut and aromatic notes. • wcnc.ie

Gubbeen Cheese – Made by Tom and Giana Ferguson in Cork since the late ‘70s, this smooth wash-rind pasteurised cow’s milk cheese is a big hit on Irish cheeseboards and a prolific award winner. Their son, Fingal Ferguson’s range of dry cured meats, sausages and burgers is also worth featuring. • gubbeen.com

Inagh Farmhouse Goats Cheese – another great goats cheese (we told you we were fans) is St Tola, made by Siobhan Ní Ghairbhith in Co Clare. A cream cheese, a feta and more, are also offered alongside the stalwart hard goats cheese. All cheeses are registered with the Irish Organic Farmers & Growers Association.• st-tola.ie

Milleens Cheese – made by veronica Steele, the woman dubbed ‘the godmother of Irish farmhouse cheeses’, and her husband Norman, this soft rind cheese is made with pasteurised milk from Fresian and Kerry cows grazing the pastures of the Beara peninsula. A peachy, orange rind encases a melting, pungently flavoured, interior. • milleenscheese.com

Glebe Brethan – Another great Irish food which featured on the Queen’s menu was Glebe Brethan, a hard comté style cheese made from the raw milk produced by Montbeliarde cows on the Tiernan family’s farm in Dunleer, Co Louth. The Tiernans learnt their cheesemaking skills in France, bringing their knowledge home to Ireland with them and Irish cheeseboards have been richly rewarded with their efforts.• glebebrethan.com

CHEESE CHAMPIONS

CLEMENT & PEKOEDuring a recent trip to Ballyfin we fell in love with the elegant country house’s equally elegant breakfast tea. In fact, we took to it so much so that we couldn’t leave without bringing a tin of the Clement & Pekoe assam leaf tea home with us.

Although we’d quite happily spend every day sipping Ballyfin tea in the Laois hideaway, it really isn’t a practical option, so when we came across Clement & Pekoe range of loose leaf teas in one of our favourite Dublin coffee temples – 3FE on Abbey Street – we were excited beyond words.

The Irish company offers a vast array of loose leaf teas and whether you’re a black tea drinker, a green tea enthusiast, a white tea purist or a herbal tea and fruit tisane aficionado, there is something to suit every taste. Growing in popularity, Clement & Pekoe is preparing to open a store in Dublin in the coming months where, as well as its extensive tea collection, the team will supply freshly roasted coffee beans ground to customers specification. In the meantime, try the Corramore assam leaf. We think you’ll love it just as much as we do.

clementandpekoe.com;

For more about Ireland’s range of award-winning farmhouse cheeses visit

irishcheese.ie, the website of the Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers Association.

36 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

BEST OF IRISH FOOD&DRINK

When it comes to uniquely Irish produce there are few offerings more iconic than blackpudding (other than the black stuff perhaps, or other big brand drinks). And when it comes to pudding, few brands are more recognisable than Clonakilty.

First produced in the Cork town in the 1880s by Philip Harrington, the recipe for Clonakilty Blackpudding’s secret spice has been closely guarded over the intervening years, passing down through the generations with ownership of the shop which still stands on Pearse Street.

Today, Colette Twomey heads the Clonakilty Blackpudding team and she remains the sole custodian of the secret spice recipe and the only person who mixes the spice for each batch of pudding.

But more than just a pudding-mixer, Colette is also a savvy businesswoman who is highly committed to building the Clonakilty Blackpudding brand which her late husband, Edward Twomey, bought from his uncle Patrick McSweeney in 1976. Her endeavours, such as the recent Clonakilty by Candlelight flash restaurant, the first of its kind in Ireland, have not gone unnoticed and Colette was named this year’s Veuve Cliquot Business Woman of the Year, an honour which is richly deserved.

clo clonakiltyblackpudding.ie

OISHII SUSHIThey say everyone in Ireland has a Bono story, and Ciara Troy is no exception as her Oishii Sushi was commissioned to supply U2 backstage at their concerts.

Oishii Foods has been making inroads into the retail sector in the five years since it launched, recently landing a big deal to supply Tesco, as well as established contracts with Dunnes, Superquinn, Centra, Spar and Londis. The sushi has also proved popular in the events market and Ciara and her Bray-based team have catered parties in a number of hotels. As well as using Japanese ingredients where necessary, Oishii uses the best of Irish ingredients and ‘we insist on using the freshest fish that is available on these shores’, says Ciara.

oishiifoods.com

FOOD ON TOURIrish foodies have united under the Good Food Ireland label, the food marketing group established by hospitality marketer, passionate foodie, and farmer’s wife, Margaret Jeffares.Good Food Ireland markets champion food producers and quality food establishments at home and abroad and also offers a valuable resource for operators looking to source good suppliers. The group launched its new Touring Guide in June, signposting great culinary experiences from the nation’s great food providers. Included this year are helpful QR codes which sit alongside members’ entries and provide contact details and directions for consumers on the move when they scan the codes with their smartphones. The guide can be requested from Good Food Ireland, email: info@goodfoodireland.ie and more information about the group, its work, and its members can be found on goodfoodireland.ie.

HAvING A BLASWhen the Dingle Peninsula Food & Wine Festival returns to Kerry for the fifth year at the end of September, it will feature Blas na hÉireann, the National Irish Food Awards. Now in their fourth year, the Awards celebrate the best Irish produce and includes what could possibly be one of the biggest blind tasting tests in Ireland, featuring a line up of 60 judges. Producers are awarded in over 30 categories and visitors can test for themselves with some free samples. Entries are now invited for this year’s Awards which will run from 30 September to 2 October.

irishfoodawards.com

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Clonakilty Blackpudding

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COOPERSHILL HOUSE IRISH vENISONBrian and Lindy O’Hara of Sligo’s Coopershill Country House were lauded by scribes in Ireland’s Food Writers’ Guild earlier this year, who rave about the Blue Book member’s sumptuous Irish venison. Along with welcoming guests to their country house hideaway, the couple are kept busy rearing the fallow deer on their 500 acre estate, a practice they have been engaged in since 1995. The Food Writers gave the O’Haras a clap on the back for the complex flavours and tenderness of their venison products.

coopershill.com;

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Colette Twomey at the Veuve Cliquot Business Woman of the Year Awards

Yasuko Ryan and Ali Darwish help Oishii Sushi celebrate Japan’s Ocean Day festival in July.

HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 �7

FOODIE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY12-14 August: Drogheda Food Festival

13-14 August: Carlingford Oyster Festival

26-2� August: Dublin Bay Taste & Music Festival (Dun Laoghaire)

2� August: Mitchelstown Artisan Food Festival & Food Awards

2-4 September: Gourmet Greystones

2-4 September: Westport Food Festivals

3-11 September: Waterford Harvest Food Festival

9-11 September: Clarenbridge Oyster Festival

10 September: Midleton Food & Drink Festival

10-1� September: A Taste of West Cork Food Festival

1� September: Blas an Fhomhair

23-25 September: Galway International Oyster Festival

24-25 September: Leenane Food Festival

30 Sept - 2 Oct: Dingle Food & Wine Festival

7-9 October: Bollinger Kinsale Gourmet Festival

2�-31 October: Savour Kilkenny

3-6 November: Listowel Food Fair

For more information about Ireland’s food festivals visit discoverireland.

JANET’S COUNTRY FAYRERacing-tycoon John Magnier looked at Janet Drew ‘like she had two heads’ when she gave up a successful career in the bloodstock industry to pursue her dream of becoming an artisan producer of country relishes.

Coolmore Stud may have lost out, but Irish foodies are all the richer for her move as Janet’s Country Fayre produces an almighty collection of relishes, sauces and chutneys. Prais soon followed with a stream of awards from Bridgestone, Blas na hÉireann, and more recently, the Irish Food Writers’ Guild who gave Janet the thumbs up for her yummy Beetroot Blush relish.

janetscountryfayre.com

With a record-number of coeliacs and consumers with wheat-intolerances in Ireland, there is a big demand for gluten-free produce, particularly in the dessert and snacks market where sufferers often miss out on cakes and other wheat-based treats.

When Cathy Whitty discovered she had a wheat intolerance and had to eliminate wheat from her diet, she decided to create an easily digestible bread mix for fellow sufferers, using spelt instead of wheat. The range took off with gusto and has become a big hit in healthfood stores countrywide.

Now, Cathy has followed up with a spelt flapjack which won a coveted two Gold Stars at this year’s Great Taste Awards, run by the Guild of Fine Foods in the UK. It is a good option for cafés and other caterers selling packet treats at the counter, particularly in the West of Ireland where there is the highest concentration of coeliacs, per capita, in the world.

cathysspeltforhealth.ie

BEST OF IRISH FOOD&DRINK

Cathy’s Spelt for health Flapjack

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For all your tea and coffee needs contact Robert Roberts:Tel: 01 404 7300 Email: info@robert-roberts.ie

22 PRODUCTS RECEIVED

THE GREAT TASTE

GOLD STARS AT

AWARDS 2011

3� HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

BEST OF IRISH FOOD&DRINK

M&K MeatsThe Dublin-based wholesale butcher is an exclusive distributor for Connemara Hill Lamb and O’Doherty’s organic pork and bacon, as well as a raft of other meats. Chapter One chef proprietor, Ross Lewis, put M&K’s ox cheek and tongue on the menu he devised for the Queen during her recent state dinner at Dublin Castle.

• mkmeats.eu

Cuinneog Irish Farmhouse Country ButterCrafted by the Butler family on their farm in Co Mayo, Cuinneog Butter (named after the Irish word for churn) is produced in the old Irish tradition of butter making, albeit with more modern stainless steel churns. The butter earned the Butler clan a Euro-toques Food Award in 2010 and was also chosen by Ross for HRH’s menu.

• cuinneog.com

Gold River FarmThis organic farm run by Mark Winterbotham and Alan Pierce in Aughrim, Co Wicklow supplies many of the capital’s top chefs. vegetables and soft fruit are picked at dawn (or before in the dark days of winter) and delivered to kitchens by 9.30am.

• goldriver@eircom.net

McGeough’s Connemara Fine FoodsWe’re huge fans of James McGeough’s work in the West of Ireland and we always choose his produce we see it listed on Irish menus. Based in Oughterard, Co Galway, the butcher is famed for his air dried meats, but Connemara Fine Foods also offers a wide ranging collection of local lamb, pork and beef products as

well as puddings, patés and of course, great charcuterie.

• connemarafinefoods.ie

G’s JamHelen Gee’s famous jam has been growing in popularity since she first started production from her farmhouse kitchen in Abbeyleix over a decade ago. Production has moved to specially converted buildings on the family farm, but the jams and relishes are still made in small batches by hand. Jams include stalwart favourites such as strawberry and raspberry as well as Irish whiskey, apple jelly, loganberry and rhubarb and ginger. Relishes are also available in a variety of flavours, including lemon mint jelly and red pepper.

• gsgourmetjams.ie

Murphy’s Ice CreamThe Murphy’s ice cream brothers are on a roll, launching two new stores in Dublin (Wicklow Street and Kildare Street) along with its established base in Kerry (Dingle and Killarney). Although the business has grown, the ethos to create the world’s best ice cream remains the same. ‘We now have bigger pots and pans, but we still make ice cream the same way – breaking eggs and using fresh cream, milk and pure cane sugar to make a delicious custard that we flavour with fresh, natural, real ingredients. There’s no real trick to what we do, we just take care and use the best of everything,’ they say. We agree.

• murphysicecream.ie

MORE TO TRY Sarah’s Wonderful honeySarah Gough, the general manager of Mileeven Fine Foods, the Kilkenny firm she runs with her mum Eilis, has invested e100,000 in creating a new range of 100% natural honey.

Suitable for use as a spread or for cooking, glazes or dessert topping, Sarah’s Wonderful Honey has picked up interest at home and abroad, recently securing orders from the UAE and Japan, as well as the UK, France and Germany.

Critics have paid attention too, with judges at the Great Taste Awards in London giving Sarah’s Scrummy Honey with Sour Cherries the nod. The range also picked up awards for Best Functional Food and Best New Brand/Company at the Dubai Food Awards. Check out what it’s like in Sarah’s World by watching the short film on the company’s website. Sainsbury’s buyers were so impressed they called her after viewing it.

mileeven.com

Tell Us MoreDo you have a food hero you would like to shout about? Spread the word and email Hotel & Catering Review’s editor, Sarah Grennan at s.grennan@jemma.ie

BURREN SMOKEHOUSESome head to Lisdoonvarna for a spot of matchmaking, we go for the salmon lovingly smoked by Brigitta Curtain (pictured) at her landmark Burren Smokehouse in the quaint Clare village.

Brigitta’s smoked Irish Atlantic salmon is among the very best produced on these shores and as well as the standard organic fare, there are also spiced and honey glazed varieties, in addition to smoked trout and mackerel. Her showrooms are worth a visit if you’re in the area, not just to pick up a few sides of her famous salmon, but also to find out how they process and smoke the fish.

burrensmokehouse.ie

GLENILEN FARMGlenilen Farm’s tasty yoghurts make a tempting treat at breakfast time, and Alan and Valerie Kingston’s range of dairy produce made on their farm in Drimoleague, West Cork, include traditional country butter, clotted cream, crème fraiche, cheesecakes, panna cotta and more. Their butter, milk, cream and crème fraiche were also served to the Queen in her gastrotour of Ireland’s best produce during her banquet at Dublin Castle.

glenilen.com

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Natural Gas: The five star choice.Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel available. And because it is also more cost effective,

it’s the perfect energy choice for your hotel or restaurant.

For more information on connecting your business to natural gas call Businesslink, our dedicated business service, on 1850 411 511.

Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel available. And because it is also more cost effective,it’s the perfect energy choice for your hotel or restaurant.

For more information on connecting your business to natural gas call businesslink,our dedicated business service, on 1850 411 511.

bord gais.indd 1 04/08/2011 11:21:03

as we move deeper into summer (or whatever constitutes an Irish summer these days) berry season is

in full swing. Blackberries are still good, while raspberries and strawberries still have a few months to go and are good until October.

This time of year also introduces the blueberry, a powerfully nutritious and tasty little fruit, which is at its best in late summer. Great for baking and in breakfast cereals, Derry Clarke used his blueberries in a jelly with a blueberry tonic granita when he devised recipes for the Irish Food Writers Guild in the past.

We’re regularly in the kitchen making the Hummingbird Bakery’s version of a blueberry cake at this time of year, but be warned, it’s mighty heavy so one smallish slice is quite enough.

Also good at this time of year are most of the major salads, while coriander, so popular in Indian dishes, has another couple of months of peak performance. Soon game season will be upon us, while oysters hit their prime in festival season, scallops get into their stride,

and of course, Irish lamb is at its most succulent. All of which is proof that no matter when the month, there is always something special from Ireland’s lands and shores to put on our menus. u

40 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

FOOD SEaSOnS

BERRy TImE

Also Good Now:New season turnips, parsnips, leeks and carrotsMackerelLamb

DID YOU KNOW?Blueberry sales are booming with Bord Bia reporting a 93% increase in retail sales.

A cousin of the North American huckleberry and European bilberry, blueberries can vary in size from a petit pois to a marble and are rich sources of flavonoids, especially anthocyanins, vitamin C and other antioxidants.

BLUeBerry CakeThe Hummingbird Bakery on London’s Portobello Road is a favourite of Gwyneth Paltrow and other foodies in the English capital, as well as the legions of fans who bought proprietor Tarek Malouf’s cookbook worldwide.

His blueberry cake has a distinctive American twist (he was educated at the American School in London and later worked for ABC News in the US) and makes a great option for morning coffees or mid-afternoon snacks – though perhaps a little too heavy for the dainty ritual of afternoon tea. We often make it without frosting as it is moist enough to eat on its own. It should yield 12-16 slices.

350g unsalted butter350g caster sugar6 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract450g plain flour2 tbsp + 2 tsp baking powder2�0ml soured cream250g fresh blueberries, extra to decoratecream cheese frosting and icing to decorate

Preheat oven to 1700C. Mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well. Beat in the vanilla extract, flour and baking powder until well mixed. Add the soured cream and mix well until combined and fluffy. Stir the blueberries in gently by hand until evenly dispersed.

Pour the mixture into a 25cm ring mould, greased and dusted with flour, and smooth over with a palatte knife. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cover with cream cheese frosting and a decorate with a scattering of blueberries and a dusting of icing sugar when cold.

HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 41

most people are aware of the sad – and probably short-sighted – closure of Ireland’s sugar beet industry.

But few would know that several centuries earlier, the refining of raw cane sugar was an important industry here, employing thousands of workers around the country.

Honey from a reed was how the earliest known cane sugar was described, probably discovered in India, with extraction methods developed by the Persians around 500 BC. They discovered how the sugar cane juice could be boiled down and allowed to cool, with solid crystals separating from the heavy brown syrup we know as molasses or treacle.

Further refinements of re-boiling and washing were found to produce the pure white crystal sugar we know today, and the process has remained basically the same into modern times. By 1087 AD technology had advanced to such a degree that the khalif ’s wedding feast in Egypt was held in a garden decorated with hundreds of glittering statues made of sugar, and an orange tree complete with branches, fruits and leaves made entirely of sugar.

Sugar remained the prerogative of royalty and the very wealthy until colonisation of the West led to the establishment of vast sugar plantations, mainly in the West Indies

and southern Louisiana territory. By the 17th century, raw cane sugar was reaching all of the main European seaports, even Ireland, and becoming accessible to most households. Dublin was refining raw cane sugar by 1660, and by 1766 there were some 40 refineries around the country, said to employ about 4,000 families.

Punitive taxes after the Act of Union 1801 led to the collapse of the industry and, by mid-century, most refined sugar was being imported from England. The rise of sugar beet as an alternative source is due to Napoleon, forced to find a replacement for cane sugar blockaded by the powerful English navy. His investment and establishment of sugar beet schools and factories survived his fall from power in 1812, but the improved beet varieties and technology enabled the setting up of the Irish sugar beet industry in Mountmellick in 1850.

The main difference between raw cane sugar and beet sugar is that cane sugar ranges naturally from dark moist brown to light brown and golden depending on the amount of molasses left as it is processed to pure white. Beet sugar is only palatable when it is completely refined to white, so brown beet sugars are made by spraying processed white granules with molasses from cane sugar.

Coloured beet sugar has a dull appearance, less sparkly than brown cane sugar, and the brown residue comes off when rubbed between the fingers.

Cooks and bakers have various preferences for sugars, depending on their end use. Jam makers, for instance, will tell you that beet sugar throws up more scum which needs skimming off during boiling, so they favour using cane sugar. Mary Lane, pastry chef for the four busy Café Noirs in Limerick, goes through 100 kilos of caster sugar each week, mostly beet sugar which she says works well for most things. Fine ground icing sugar goes into butter creams, roll-on icing and decorative sugar paste flowers. Cane sugar, however, is used for fine work like the spun sugar used as garnish for special events. ‘For any kind of boiling, cane sugar is best,’ Mary says, ‘but beet sugar is fine for baking.’

Dark muscovado sugar is used in Café Noir toffee puddings and also to give a richer taste to the chocolate sauce and topping for their morish éclairs. Golden sugar with its hint of molasses gives a nice flavour to cakes. Mary’s sell-out meringues are made using half caster sugar and half icing sugar, beating in the caster sugar with the egg whites and folding in the icing sugar at the end. ‘It gives an extra nice texture,’ she says. u

s Granulated Sugar: Most common white sugar; can be from cane or beet. Used for general purposes but coarse grains show up as brown specks in pastry and biscuits.s Caster Sugar: Finer ground white sugar from cane or beet. Smaller crystals make it preferred for baking. In converting recipes, note that American granulated sugar equates to European caster sugar.s Demerara Sugar: Named for its origin in Guyana, largish golden-brown crystals with low molasses content. Free flowing and traditionally made with unrefined cane sugar, but now sometimes refined white beet sugar coloured with molasses. Used for coffee and sprinkling, not suitable for baking.s Muscovado Sugar: Soft, fine-grained brown sugar traditionally made from cane sugar. Can be light or dark depending on molasses content. Adds moist texture and rich fudgey flavour, especially useful for long-keeping bakes like fruit and gingerbread.s Molasses Sugar: Unrefined cane sugar with very high molasses content, giving strong treacle flavour to cakes, puddings and sticky barbecue sauce.s Jaggery: Aromatic coarse brown sugar made from palm tree sap, used in Karelan, Thai and Caribbean cooking, working well in dishes containing coconut, chillies, ginger and garlic. Sometimes sold in lumps which need to be pulverised.

SUGARS DEFINED

CanE & aBLE

MARILYN BRIGHT beets it in the sugar stakes.

IngREDIEnTS

42 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

NEWS

PradoRey wines, from the Ribera del Duero in the northern region of Spain have been hand made by the Cremades

family for generations.This beautiful Rosè is reminiscent of summer days including the scents and

smells of fresh strawberries, apricots and red currants. It is clean, pure and lively on

the palate with a lovely soft finish.To be enjoyed on long summer evenings or with dishes such as Tapas, Salads and

Light Pasta Dishes.

Wine Times

Unit 5 OC Commercial Park, Little Island, Cork, IrelandT: 021 451 0066 F: 021 435 5504

W: www.classicdrinks.ie E: info@classicdrinks.ie

PRADOREY ROSÉ

LW classic drinks .indd 5 04/08/2011 12:20:37

There’s no doubting that Irish wine consumers are now firmly enthralled by McGuigan’s winemaking style

– since distribution of wines passed to Cork- based Barry & Fitzwilliam a number of years ago McGuigan wine sales have rocketed from 2,000 cases a year to over 200,000 cases, making it Ireland’s fifth largest wine and, per capita, Ireland is now the largest consumer of McGuigan wines outside the company’s home market of Australia.

Neil McGuigan, who last year was bestowed with two of the wine industry’s highest accolades when he was named International Winemaker of the Year (IWSC) and International White Winemaker of the Year (IWC), gave a lively presentation to a full house in Dublin’s Herbert Park Hotel recently where he spoke of his ‘personal goal’ of producing a $100 bottle of McGuigan wine in the near future.

The tasting started – and finished – with McGuigan’s Black Label Sparkling Rosé, a light and fruity experience that is likely to be a major hit with consumers this summer, especially given its attractive price point of e14.99 (RRP).

Next came the topical McGuigan Black Label Sparkling Shiraz, similarly priced at e14.99, these bubbles caused a clear divide between lovers and haters of sparkling red and it is likely to do the same wherever it goes. With its resplendent cherry-red colour, lavish fruity nose, with just a hint of liquorice, and a pleasingly long finish – and not forgetting those sensational bubbles

– this sparkler was a delight to me, however I sit clearly on the lovers side of this fence.

With the non-bubbly varieties of McGuigan Black Label wines

retailing at e9.99 (e7.99 on promotion) the value on offer here is excellent – and on show was everything from the powerhouse of Black Label Shiraz, to the more subtle yet flavoursome Merlot, the simply delicious Black Label Sauvignon Blanc, which delivers a wonderfully delicate gooseberry and passionfruit aroma and clean, crisp, aftertaste, and even the Irish launch of Black Label Semillon Blanc 2010. Neil McGuigan is a big fan of Semillon and is hoping for major success with this new addition that is currently experiencing double digit growth in the UK.

Making its impressive debut was the McGuigan Shortlist, a select range of wines with each bottle individually numbered to highlight the high quality of the range, RRP e20. The Shortlist Chardonnay 2010, 13.5% ABV, from Adelaide Hills, arrived in Ireland in July and consumers can look forward to a Chardonnay that is produced with lashings

of love and attention – and it shows, here we have huge aromas of peach and honeydew that are joined by vanilla and citrus and even with the oak it delivers a delightful refreshing finish – dare I say perfection?

Also not to be missed is the Shortlist Shiraz 2009, 14.5% ABV, from Barossa Valley, that is now entering its prime and while the alcohol has been kept down the flavours are big and feature black fruit, vanilla and leather with a long finish and properly integrated tannins.

Finally, and a major step towards Neil’s promise to deliver that elusive $100 dollar McGuigan bottle, came the $50 bottle of Handmade Shiraz from Langhorne Creek, 14.5% ABV. This is a handcrafted limited edition that can be consumed today but would benefit from four to 10 years’ cellaring. This is a major rich full-bodied wine, an initial pepper spiced aroma is followed by black olives and juicy dark cherries and the palate delivers a delightful mix of chocolate and cherry flavours, with a velvety tannin structure and long finish. You might not have reached $100 yet Mr McGuigan, but you’re most definitely on the right path. u

3 Neil McGuigan, 2010’s International Winemaker of the Year, pictured during a recent trip to Dublin

One of the world’s greatest winemakers, Neil McGuigan,

was in Dublin recently to unveil some interesting new sparkling

additions to his Black Label range and his expanded choice

of superpremium wines. NIGEL TYNAN was quite taken

by what he had to offer.

WInE

hUnTER vaLLEy KIng vISITS IRELanD

NEWS

PradoRey wines, from the Ribera del Duero in the northern region of Spain have been hand made by the Cremades

family for generations.This beautiful Rosè is reminiscent of summer days including the scents and

smells of fresh strawberries, apricots and red currants. It is clean, pure and lively on

the palate with a lovely soft finish.To be enjoyed on long summer evenings or with dishes such as Tapas, Salads and

Light Pasta Dishes.

Wine Times

Unit 5 OC Commercial Park, Little Island, Cork, IrelandT: 021 451 0066 F: 021 435 5504

W: www.classicdrinks.ie E: info@classicdrinks.ie

PRADOREY ROSÉ

LW classic drinks .indd 5 04/08/2011 12:20:37

CORONA GROWS BIGGER Corona Extra drinkers can enjoy 7½% extra free following the launch of a new 355ml bottle. The bigger bottle replaces the original 330ml format and is sure to be a big hit with fans of the Mexican brew who have made Ireland the largest market per capita for Corona Extra in Europe.

‘We believe this bottle size provides more value to both the customer and trade in these challenging times,’ said Michael Barry, managing director of Barry & Fitzwilliam, supplier of Corona Extra in Ireland.

gOOD ThIngS COmE In SIxESWinemakers from Dom Perignon and Penfold’s Grange flew into Dublin recently to host a tasting of vintages each year ending in six at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud.

The tasting, arranged by supplier Edward Dillion & Co, kicked off with a presentation from Vincent Chaperon, oenologist of Dom Perignon, who introduced Oenotheque, a collection of champagne which previously had never been tasted in Ireland. The four vintages were 1996, 1986, 1976 and 1966.

Penfold’s chief winemaker, Peter Gago, followed with a tasting of five Grange vintages: 1966, 1976, 1986, 1996 and 2006.

‘The pattern of the sixes is an alchemist’s/philosopher’s quest to find a pattern in the link between great vintages,’ said Peter.

DRInKS

Vincent Chaperon and Peter Gago at the recent Edward Dillon & Co vintage tastings in Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud.

SOMMELIER COURSE RETURNS The Irish Guild of Sommeliers is running a second training programme following the success of its inaugural course last autumn.

Run in partnership with the Restaurants Association of Ireland, the eight-week Sommeliers’ Certificate training programme will start on 26 September in the St Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club and conclude with an exam in January.

For more information, contact Karen McBride at the RAI, info@rai.ie.

NEROLA GOES ORGANIC

Bodegas Torres is continuing in its quest to boost its eco-credentials as it gradually extends its range of ecological wines. To date, 100% of its Californian vineyards are farmed organically without use of insecticides or herbicides, while 30% of its Spanish vineyards and 15% of its Chilean vineyards are following a similar path.

The latest range to receive organic certification is Torres’ Nerola wines from Spain. Launched in 2002, the range includes Nerola White (xarel·lo and Garnacha Blanca) and Nerola Red (Syrah, Merlot and Tempranillo).

44 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

PRODUCTS

They say the only industry to thrive in a recession is crime, and in these challenging days for business, hoteliers and caterers need to safeguard every cent.

Security firm G4S has launched what it dubs as ‘the world’s only complete end-to-end cash management solution’, Cash 360, in Ireland, offering enhanced security for cash businesses.

Already in use by 50 retailers in eight countries around the world, the system is currently being piloted in 40 systems in Ireland. Bespoke to suit individual needs, it offers a number of benefits including:

• It eliminates opportunities for robbery,burglary and fraud. • It offers operational efficiencies at no upfront cost for the retailer. The retailer makes savings from day one. • By completely automating cash handling from the retail point of sale to the retailer’s bank account, CASH360 eliminates cash shrinkage and reduces in-store labour costs by more than 50%.

• The ability to monitor the cash situation for several outlets from one central point. • It allows retailers to focus on core functions by substantially reducing the time previously spent performing cash-ups which distracts from focus areas. • It helps eliminate miscounting.

How it WorksOperators deposit their cash into an intelligent safe which detects and removes counterfeit notes before counting and then depositing banknotes into tamper-evident cash bags. The bags are located inside a safe which cannot be accessed by cashiers. G4S personnel will then transfer the bags to the company’s cash centre in carry cases with special ink protection. For the really clever bit, the intelligent safe can have an online connection to the businesses bank, enabling it to credit cash into its account daily without the cash being collected and counted.

The system is currently being used by a number of hospitality clients, including

Tifco, which operates the Crowne Plaza hotels and Clontarf Castle Hotel among others. The group’s financial accountant, Helena Malone, estimates that the system has enabled the company to reduce the time managers handle cash by up to three hours a day. ‘Our cash office manager now has more time to support the business by carrying out critical reporting functions for the group with the time that has been given back by the G4S solution and we are extremely pleased with the benefits that CASH360 has brought to our business,’ she said.

‘Cash 360 is bespoke to suit the individual needs of the customer and a versatile suite of Cash 360 solutions is available, depending on the size, scope and needs of each retail or hospitality operation,’ said David O’Meara, director of business development with G4S.

CaSh SOLUTIOnS ThaT InCREaSE SECURITy & CUT COSTS

POWERFUL CLEANING FROM DIvERSEY Diversey is offering the new TASKI Sani 4in1, a washroom cleaner which offers disinfection, descaling, detergent and deodourising in one single product. Suitable for washrooms and leisure facilities, the cleaner is effective against soils, odours, lime scale and contamination. Users can choose between a super concentrate in a handy five litre container or a convenient ready-to-use 750ml trigger spray.

The formulation has a stable pH value of less than two which makes it strongly acidic, which means that with regular use it will prevent and remove the build up of lime scale. The TASKI Sani 4in1 also incorporates Diversey’s patented Odour Neutralising Technology (ONT) which chemically eliminates nasty smells rather than simply masking them with strong perfumes.

Simple to use, the TASKI Sani 4in1 avoids the need for separate products. There is also no need for two-stage cleaning and disinfection which saves time and promotes productivity.

g4s.ie;

diversey.ie

FASTER DRYERS FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY Electrolux Laundry Systems has launched a new series of tumble dryers which cut drying times and boost energy efficiency.

With a faster speed, the T5000 tumble dryers have shortened drying times by an average of 10 minutes compared to earlier models, and the company believes they can reduce energy consumption by a fifth.

With an average lifespan of 30,000 cycles, the dryers feature doors which are among the largest on the market, making them easier to use, but they take up less wall space giving you 20% more space in your laundry area. An eco button saves 10% more energy than a regular cycle, a speed button offers a shorter cycle and the care button provides a better finish.

The new generation of dryers comes in three sizes: T5290 for up to 16kg; T5550 for 30kg and T5675 which has a drum capacity of up to 37kg.

electrolux.com/laundrysystems;

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HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011 45

CLIFF COUrSeS The clever clogs in the Cliff Town House, the Dublin sister to the Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, have launched a smart new initiative to make the most of their bar facilities on St Stephen’s Green. The Cliff Bar Academy is offering a range of courses for budding bartenders, from the two-week course for those looking for a career change or skills to help them gain work while travelling on a gap year, to a two-day mixology course where candidates can learn how to expertly whip up 15 cocktails. The Academy is also targeting the corporate and incentive market, offering a team-building one-day course for companies. Richard Linden, who has travelled the globe working in top hotel bars and restaurants as well as teaching in one of the world’s largest bartender schools, will run the Cliff Bar Academy. Anke Hartmann, the sommelier in The Cliff House Hotel’s Michelin-starred House Restaurant, has been appointed wine specialist while John Moriarty, a former bar skills instructor at CERT and the bar manager at the Park Hotel Kenmare, joins the team as the Academy’s whiskey expert.

SUrPrISe, SUrPrISe Limerick’s hoteliers have united in a bid to counteract the city’s negative publicity. The Strand, Clarion, Greenhills, Savoy, George, South Court, Radisson Blu, Maldron, Punches, Castle Oaks, Number One Pery Square, Carlton, Jurys Inn and Absolute hotels have clubbed together to fund a national advertising and PR campaign titled ‘Let Limerick Surprise You’. The eight-week campaign promotes the value the hotels are offering and aims to generate some positive PR for the city which has attracted much negative publicity in the past.

HOTeLS GO raCING Galway’s hotels joined forces once again in July to sponsor the first day’s racing at the City of the Tribes famous Race Week. Coming together under the ‘Galways Best Hotels’ banner, the G, Salthill Hotel, Radisson Blu, Hotel Meyrick, Galway Bay Hotel, Ramada, Claregalway Hotel, The Clayton and the Carlton Hotel sponsored the inaugural day of racing at the festival for the third successive year. Galway’s Race Week brings an estimated €50m in revenue to the city every year and delivers a handsome boost to the city’s hoteliers.

yeS yOU kHaN Also going to the races in July was Westmeath’s Wineport Lodge which joined forces with Khan boutique in Mullingar to sponsor Ladies Day at the Kilbeggan Races. The winner scooped a prize worth €2,500 which included a weekend at Wineport Lodge.

COOL FOr kIDS The Carlton Hotel Group has launched a new Mini Explorer Kids Club. The club offers younger guests a range of activities including laughter yoga, nature walks, treasure hunts, art time, make and bakes, the Carlton Cup athletics competitions and more. Chefs at the hotels have also designed special kids’ menus for mini explorers, with healthy organic meals including ‘edible veggie bowls’ and ‘energy soup’, while mini movie nights give parents quiet time to relax over dinner. The package starts at €269 and includes two nights’ B&B for a family of four.

eXPreSS FUN Global Hotel Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of international hotel brands, has launched the GHA Discovery Experience Express, the guest loyalty programme for time-constrained travellers. The express experiences include activities devised by hotels to offer exclusive access to cultural and off-the-beaten-path activities which take two hours or less. In Ireland, GHA member, the Doyle Collection, is offering mixology classes, among other activities, while guests in its London hotels can enjoy a relaxing picnic in Regent’s Park. Global Hotel Alliance CEO Chris Hartley understands that travellers want to take advantage of their small bit of free time while away on business trips. ‘GHA

Discovery’s Experience Express was built to offer fun and fascinating local experiences so that business travellers don’t need to go home, like they often do, having seen no more than an airport terminal, a hotel and an office.’

HaSTINGS rUGBy The Hastings Hotel Group has announced it is to sponsor Ulster Rugby. Pictured are players Ruan Pienaar, Pedrie Wannenburg and Robbie Diak with Carolyn Mathews from the Culloden Estate and Spa, Belfast.

‘The whole Hastings team are big fans of Ulster Rugby and very proud of our boys, so we’re thrilled to be partnering them for the new season and will be behind them in every single match,’ said Julie Maguire, marketing director. u

Who’s Doing What...

PROmOTIOnS

Above: Richard Linden and the team at The Cliff Bar Academy

Right: Dermot Kelly, Southcourt Hotel; Donnacha Hurley, Absolute Hotel; Maeve Barry, Maldron Hotel; Sean Lally, Strand Hotel; Ivan Tuohy, Clarion Hotel; Louise O’Hara, Radisson Blu Hotel and Pat Reddan, Maldron Hotel at the launch of ‘Let Limerick Surprise You’.

Hoteliers from Galway were pictured at the announcement that ‘Galway’s Best Hotels’ would sponsor the first day of the Galway Races.

g4s.ie

46 HOTEL & CATERING REVIEW ❖ JULY 2011

FIvE mInUTES WITh...

How did your performance at the festival go? It went great. There were 3,000 every night in the Big Top, and while we didn’t serve all of them, we did get a huge number. Everyone we served raved about the food so we were delighted.

How did you get involved? We were approached by the festival organisers and asked to cater. Prior to this the only food they offered was from fast food operators in vans, so this year they wanted to glam things up a bit and offer something a bit more gourmet. We are known for our commitment to serve the best of local ingredients in West and I think that’s what drew the organisers to us. The menu we chose for the festival showcased food and ingredients that were as local as we could get them, from Connemara lamb stew to James McGeough’s smoked Oughterard pork sausages.

What went down the best? Every act attracted their own unique audience, so it was a real learning curve. When Bell X1 played we had a big rush on sausages, but then when Afrocubism played it was a totally different crowd – all they wanted was mint and herbal tea. There was no one at the bar! The weather also played a huge part. The salads went down really well with anyone who tried them but sales were totally weather dependent.

Does catering at such an event deliver benefits for the hotel? It was a massive honour to be there, to be

associated with the Arts Festival and to bring the art of food to the festival. Other restaurants would probably give their right arm to get in there. We had big branding up outside the tent, and it gave us the opportunity for some good PR also.

The Arts Festival wasn’t your first outing away from your Barna base. Yes, we also popped up in the Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club in April which was a totally different experience. We took wines from the club’s list and paired six dishes to suit them. It was a great success. We sold about 20 tickets

to the public and the rest went to members of the club.

What attracted you to the club? I had been looking for somewhere in Dublin to host a pop up for sometime, and then Ray Mooney (general manager, Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club) approached me and asked me would we be interested in doing a guest night. I was delighted as it was just what I had been looking for. For our next outing we’re hoping to do something in Belfast in October.

What’s the appeal of pop ups? In Canada, where I used to work, we always had guest chefs. You see it here too, and I thought we should be doing something along those lines. A pop up seemed like a good solution. We try hard to get PR for West and for The Twelve but it can be difficult to get journalists all the way down to Barna so we thought we would bring a taste of West to them with our pop up in Dublin. Our anchor is local produce and we try to tell the story of the excellent producers we have on our doorstep. Hopefully we get a spin-off from that.

So who are your local food heroes? James McGeough from Connemara Fine Foods is fantastic and his meat is always popular. We also have to praise Galway Bay Seafood, they supply us with great seafood and they also lent us their refrigeration truck for both pop ups. Marty’s Mussels from Killary Habour are also amazing. u

As well as a pop-up restaurateur, Fergus is also an award-winning sommelier. He is pictured with Julia Kennedy of Gleeson

incorporating Gilbeys on winning the hotel’s Gold Medal Award for Wine Experience, sponsored by Gleeson, last year.

Fergus O’haLLORan

West, the restaurant at Barna’s Twelve Hotel, made an appearance at this

year’s Galway Arts Festival, catering to festival goers in the Big Top. It

is the West’s second ‘pop-up’ outing, following a previous excursion to

Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club earlier this year.

General manager, Fergus O’Halloran, tells us all about it.

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STAY INFORMED!JUNE 2011

IRELAND IN SUMMER: 9 , 0 0 0 C O L L E G E R O O M S H I T T H E A C C O M M O DAT I O N M A R K E T

FOOD FIT FOR A QUEEN ✛ HOW TO SELL WEDDINGS ✛ SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD

LUXURY RESTORED

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Predicts a Turnaround

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