News Blog - Hotel and Catering Review

Hotels in Urgent Call to Government Seeking Emergency Tourism Budget

Latest IHF industry survey reveals 60% drop in revenues in 2020 and bleak start to 2021 9.5 million bednights lost last year as annual room occupancy plummeted to 30% Additional sectoral supports critical to safeguard industry and restore employment Thursday, 7th January 2021: The latest survey from the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) reveals a €2.6 billion drop in hotel and guesthouse revenues during 2020 compared to the [...]

Bewley’s reveals the top coffee trends for 2021 and beyond

The introduction of exotic coffee flavours, molecular coffee labs and coffee fermentations are predicted as the top trends for the Irish coffee industry Raditionally known for its love of tea, in recent years Ireland has evolved as a nation of coffee enthusiasts, with coffee culture growing every year. With an increase in demand for speciality coffees and a rise in more refined tastes in the [...]

Bewley’s have announced a partnership with dairy-free category leader Alpro

Bewley’s, Ireland’s leading coffee and tea company, has announced a partnership with plant-based and dairy-free category leader Alpro, offering new plant-based menu solutions for Bewley’s operators nationwide. Ireland’s first bean-to-cup, plant-based coffee dock has been installed by Bewley’s in the N4 service station, MACE Ballinalack, and plans are in place to roll out plant-based stations across Bewley’s c-store operators over the next 12 months. The [...]

Cork ETB and the Irish Hotels Federation team up to launch Leadership programmes for Hospitality and Tourism employees

Fiona Sneddon- Further Education and Training Centre Manager for Cork ETB The Cork Training Centre operating under the remit of the Cork Education and Training Board (Cork ETB) has teamed up with The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) to launch two new upskilling programmes for employees in the hospitality and tourism sector to help support recovery and growth As a major employer in Ireland, the hospitality [...]

Sustainable Food Systems and Ireland’s 2030 Agri-Food Strategy 2.30pm on Wednesday, April 21

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has partnered with the RDS on a series of four online National Dialogues on Ireland’s Food System. These Dialogues form part of Ireland’s engagement for the United Nations Food Systems Summit which will be held in September, and also build on the work of the RDS to promote climate-smart agriculture. The four Dialogues will coincide with the [...]

Virgin Media answers the call to upgrade remote Galway hotel with superfast broadband

Connemara Sands Hotel has dedicated 200MB broadband internet connection installed to benefit guests and hotel management systems Virgin Media Business has teamed up with Connemara Sands Hotel in Mannin Bay, Ballyconneely, Co. Galway to implement a dedicated superfast Wi-Fi broadband network across the hotel’s 22 boutique bedrooms and 10 self-catering holiday cottages. Previously supplied with an insufficient ADSL broadband connection, the now future-proofed hotel can [...]

Minister Martin and Fáilte Ireland announce new Outdoor Dining Scheme in partnership with Local Authorities

Grants available for tourism and hospitality businesses . Funding for Local Authorities to develop permanent long-term outdoor facilities Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin TD and Fáilte Ireland have this morning (March 31st) announced details of a new €17million Scheme for developing outdoor dining capacity nationwide. The Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme comprises two parts and will be delivered in partnership between Fáilte Ireland and Local Authorities across the country. Part One of the Scheme will provide funding for individual tourism and [...]

The Ultimate Irish Wedding Industry Report

Weddingdates.ie recently surveyed 1,000 engaged individuals in the Republic of Ireland to bring you the very latest data on the key drivers in hotel and venue wedding sales. Understand Key Industry Changes Get analysis on where couples book their ceremonies and receptions; total wedding budgets and spend per guest; and the factors behind planning or delaying weddings. Increase Your Close Rate Discover what couples look [...]

Lockdown is encouraging restaurateurs and chefs across the country to get creative with their spare time, Bringing joy back to eating

Bringing joy back to eating Around this time last year, I did an interview with Joyce Timmins, Catering Manager at Marymount Retirement Home in Lucan. In the piece, Joyce spoke of the pride she felt in preparing dishes for people with dysphagia issues. She also talked about the Executive Chef role she previously held in the Rotunda and the video of lunch being served [...]

Dubliner Whiskey Partners with Irish Hip Hop Duo Tebi Rex to Celebrate its Contemporary New Design

The Dubliner is celebrating the roll-out of a fresh, new design and marketing campaign set to breathe fresh life and style into the Irish Whiskey category. Distilled in the heart of the Liberties district of Dublin, the award-winning Dubliner whiskey is not changing what is inside the bottle. The new logo and bottle design forgo traditional packaging in favour of an updated contemporary look and [...]

Tune into Fáilte Ireland’s NEW podcast

Series One of Fáilte Ireland’s Inside Tourism Business Podcast looks Inside Food with insights and expert advice on how to innovate and run a more successful food operation Fáilte Ireland’s Inside Tourism Business Podcast offers expert advice, insights and practical tools to help tourism businesses navigate the challenges they are facing. Series One of the new podcast looks Inside Food, examining the consumer trends that will [...]

Lockdown is encouraging restaurateurs and chefs across the country to get creative with their spare time, Lessons from Lockdown

Lessons from Lockdown Massimo Bottura Like so many events last year, Food on the Edge 2020 had to be cancelled. To keep the spirit of the symposium fresh in people’s minds JP McMahon, the event’s founder, contacted previous speakers and contributors and asked them to write a letter addressed to the industry. The result is ‘Lessons from Lockdown: Cooking after Covid’, [...]

All Aboard

A complete refurbishment at the Station House Hotel in Kilmessan, County Meath, has placed the hotel in an excellent position for when restrictions ease. History and heritage play a big role at the Station House Hotel. Operating as a guesthouse since 1983, the Station House Hotel served as a train line to Meath and Westmeath from 1862 before the line closed in 1947. The turntable [...]

Lockdown is encouraging restaurateurs and chefs across the country to get creative with their spare time, I’ve a horse (box) outside

I’ve a horse (box) outside Chad Byrne, Head Chef at the Brehon Hotel in Killarney, has big plans for the horsebox he bought on Done Deal recently. He’s set to go down the mobile catering route and will soon be selling delicious fare from ‘The Hungry Donkey’ (name is still up for debate, he says). The new venture is as much about keeping himself [...]

Paintings by Cork Artist Jennifer McAuliffe on exhibit at the Montenotte Hotel

A collection of paintings by Cork artist Jennifer McAuliffe is now on exhibit at The Montenotte Hotel until July 2021, as part of the hotel’s thriving artist in residence programme to support Irish artistic talent. Jennifer McAuliffe is a Cork artist who graduated from Crawford College of Art, Cork in 2003. She experiments with styles, from traditional landscape to more impressionistic abstract work as well as plein [...]

Failte Ireland launches podcast

Fáilte Ireland launches podcast to help tourism businesses drive efficiency and maximise revenue Series One of the Fáilte Ireland Inside Tourism Business Podcast looks Inside Food with insights and expert advice on how to innovate and run a more successful food operation Fáilte Ireland’s Inside Tourism Business Podcast will offer expert advice, insights and practical tools to help tourism businesses navigate the challenges they are facing. Running every Tuesday for seven weeks from 2nd March, Series One of the new podcast looks Inside Food, examining the consumer trends that will shape eating out when businesses can re-open, menu [...]

Two New Hotels for Dublin North Inner City Planned

Two new hotels planned for Dublin’s north inner city have been granted planning permission by Dublin City Council. They include the first entry by Northern Ireland hotel and entertainment group, Beannchor, into the market in the Republic for a 98-bed hotel on the site of the former Boland’s bakery off Capel Street. This is the second attempt by Beannchor, which owns the five-star Merchant Hotel in [...]

Paul Lane on the beauty and simplicity of mackerel

An ingredient that I really love to use at The River Club is mackerel. Mackerel, in my opinion, is one of the most under-rated fish ever. It’s is not only one of the only sustainable fish left in our waters but is a fish that is at its best when it's cooked very simply, in a pan with creamery butter, a squeeze of lemon juice and some [...]

BEWLEY’S CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF FAIRTRADE AS PART OF FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT

Bewley’s Celebrates 25 Years of Fairtrade as part of Fairtrade Fortnight 22nd February – 7th March Fairtrade product collection now available on Bewley’s online store Bewley’s has been 100% Fairtrade since 2017 Bewley’s contributes to approximately half of all Fairtrade premiums in Ireland ‘1 in 2’ Fairtrade coffees in Ireland is Bewley’s coffee Bewley’s, Ireland’s leading coffee and tea company, is celebrating 25 years of Fairtrade [...]

DUBLIN CITY BREWING COMPANY LAUNCH “DUBLIN CITY BREWING TASTING CLUB”

Kwanghi Chan of Bowls by Kwanghi on Marlborough Street and Chanchan OST: €20 for 3 x 440 ml Dublin City Brewing cans (1 Liberator Lager, 1 Renegade Red Ale, 1 Patriot Pale Ale), a branded glass and a jar of Chanchan Black Garlic & Peanut Rayu. This includes delivery to anywhere in Dublin, courier fees apply to everywhere outside of Dublin. Tickets here: https://dublincitybrewingco.com/prod0ucts/dublin-city-brewing-tasting-club In advance of their [...]

Irish Wedding Industry in Crisis

• INDUSTRY WORTH €2.3 BILLION • FEBRUARY MARKED AS A VITAL MONTH FOR THE INDUSTRY • SURVEY WITH OVER 500 BUSINESSES A wedding supplier survey conducted over ten days at the end of January 2021, amongst 500 businesses active in the wedding industry in Ireland has shown an industry with a conservative value to the Irish economy of €2.3BILLION per annum in real crisis. For [...]

Pinergy energy usage insights for 2020 highlights changing consumption patterns during pandemic

Family homes facing higher energy consumption with continued COVID restrictions in place for early part of 2021 Hospitality sector sees reduced energy demand of between 20% and 50% in 2020 Pinergy, the smart energy provider delivering clean electricity, has today shared summary data insights for how Irish homes and businesses used energy throughout 2020. The statistics from this past year show the effects that a country [...]

CRAFTCOCKTAILS.IE LAUNCHES SPECIAL EDITION VALENTINE’S COCKTAIL BUNDLES

Irish cocktail company, Craft Cocktails, are continuing to expand on their exciting cocktail offer delivered to the doors of people around Ireland. For Valentine’s Day, they have launched three special edition love message cocktail bundles to complement their range of delicious ready to serve bottled cocktails made by award winning bartenders. Lovers can also pen their own love letter on one of their cocktails with their popular [...]

Irish Honey Liqueur Wins Gold At Top Spirit 2021 Awards

Dublin, January 21, 2021: The Wild Geese Irish Honey Liqueur has taken the top prize in the Liqueur category at the 2021 Concours International Top Spirit Awards. This prestigious competition is judged by an independent panel of over 60 leading spirit experts and the medal is the latest in a series of awards won by The Wild Geese Irish Honey Liqueur. The Liqueur beat off a host of [...]

Valentine’s Afternoon Tea to Call & Collect from The Montenotte Hotel

️ Has this lockdown you yearning for dainty finger sandwiches, fluffy scones and mouth-watering desserts and treats? Fear not, this Valentines weekend, The Montenotte Hotel has a unique and exciting way for you to treat your loved one from the comfort of your own home. We all know that Valentine’s weekend is always a romantic weekend in Cork and at The Montenotte Hotel they want to continue [...]