Dublin restaurant Etto takes top spot at Irish Restaurant awards

Dublin’s Etto has been crowned Ireland’s Restaurant of the Year 2018.

The winning restaurant, located on Merrion Row, has taken home the award for Best Casual Dining Experience for the past four years. The restaurant also took home Best Customer Service award while head chef Barry Sun Jian took home the award for Best Chef in Dublin at the awards run by the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) earlier this week. Etto was opened in 2013 by Simon Barrett and Liz Matthews. Announcing the award, the RAI said: “Etto offers a daily changing, seasonal menu, served in a relaxed and informal environment and describe its dishes as honest and simple, using ingredients from local producers and suppliers where possible.” The prestigious award for All Ireland Best Chef went to Jess Murphy, head chef and co-owner of Kai Café Restaurant in Galway. Kai was also singled out for Best Digital Marketing.

The awards are now in their 10th year, received more than 90,000 online nominations were received for Irish restaurants and other hospitality businesses. Along with the public vote and votes from industry experts, winners were decided by judging panel assessment at regional level and by mystery inspections at National level. More than 1,000 restaurateurs, chefs and industry figures attended the All Ireland finals of the awards in Dublin on Monday night. A team of chefs, including several previous winners of the Best Chef title, cooked a six-course dinner for the finale at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road. The kitchen team included well known chefs included Gary O’Hanlon, of ‘The Restaurant’ fame and Danni Barry, whose restaurant, Clenaghans, took the Best Newcomer national title. Bistro in Waterford, and Elena Martinez of Crover House Hotel.

Liam Edwards, president of the RAI, said: “As an industry, the restaurateurs, pub-owners and entrepreneurs of Ireland continue to defy the odds. You strive to create jobs, expand upon Ireland’s understanding of food standards and world cuisine, all while maintaining exemplary customer service. Your support of Irish produce has never been greater and for this you should be wholeheartedly applauded.”

NATIONAL AND ALL IRELAND WINNERS

Best Gastro Pub:

Dublin – The Legal Eagle

Connaught – Cronin’s Sheebeen

Leinster – Lennons Gastro Pub

Munster – Moorings

Ulster – The Brewer’s House

All-Ireland – The Legal Eagle

Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant:

Dublin – The Marker Hotel

Connaught – Wilde’s at The Lodge

Leinster – Ballyfin Demesne

Munster – Park Hotel Kenmare

Ulster – Newforge House

All-Ireland – Park Hotel Kenmare

Best Newcomer winners:

Dublin – Michael’s Mount Merrion

Connaught – Hooked

Leinster – Barrows Keep

Munster – Dooks Fine Foods Fethard

Ulster – Clenaghans

All-Ireland – Clenaghans

Best Cafe winners:

Dublin – Honey Truffle

Connaught – Pudding Row

Leinster – Strandfield Café

Munster – Maison Gourmet

Ulster – The Jolly Sandwich Bar

All-Ireland – Pudding Row

Best Wine Experience winners:

Dublin – Piglet Wine Bar

Connaught – Aniar Restaurant and Boutique Cookery School

Leinster – La Touche Wines 4 U

Munster – The Black Pig

Ulster – Ox Cave

All-Ireland – Piglet Wine Bar

Best World Cuisine winners:

Dublin – Nightmarket

Connaught – MoMA Restaurant

Leinster – Pink Salt Indian Restaurant

Munster – Palmento

Ulster – Tuk Tuk Asian Bistro

All-Ireland – Nightmarket

Best Kids Size Me winners:

Dublin – Michael’s Mount Merrion

Connaught – Gather Restaurant

Leinster – Platform Pizza Bar

Munster – GROW HQ Café and Food Education Centre

Ulster – Amici

All-Ireland – Michaels Mount Merrion

Best Local Food Hero winners:

Dublin – Jenny & Patrick McNally of McNally Family Farm

All-Ireland – Mark Murphy & Mark Doe of The Apprentice Chef Programme

Best Casual Dining winners:

Dublin – Hey Donna

Connaught – Gather Restaurant

Leinster – Truffles Restaurant & Wine Bar

Munster – Pilgrim’s

Ulster – Shu Restaurant Belfast

All-Ireland – Pilgrim’s

Best Emerging Irish Cuisine winners:

Dublin – Craft Restaurant

Connaught – Tartare Café + Wine Bar

Leinster – Kernel Bar & Kitchen

Munster – Sage Restaurant

Ulster – 28 Darling St

All-Ireland – Craft Restaurant

Best Restaurant Manager winners:

Dublin – Talha Pasha of Michael’s Mount Merrion

Connaught – Lee Hanifa of The Cottage Restaurant

Leinster – Joanne Harding of the Aldridge Lodge

Munster – Sally O’Brien of Farmgate Restaurant and Country Store

Ulster – Saul McConnell of NOBLE. Holywood

All-Ireland – Sally O’Brien of Farmgate Restaurant and Country Store

Best ‘Free From’ winners:

Dublin – I Monelli

Connaught – Sweet Beat Café

Leinster – Zucchini’s Restaurant

Munster – Nutrilicious Food Co

Ulster – The Dirty Duck

All-Ireland – Sweet Beat Café

Best Customer Service winners:

Dublin – Etto

Connaught – House of Plates

Leinster – Roundwood House

Munster – The Mustard Seed at Echo Lodge

Ulster – Harvey’s Point

All-Ireland – Harvey’s Point

Pub of the Year winners:

Dublin – Walshs Stoneybatter

Connaught – Flynns Bar

Leinster – Morrisseys

Munster – Murphy’s Bar Brandon

Ulster – Tomneys Bar

All-Ireland – Walshs Stoneybatter

Best Chef winners:

Dublin – Barry Sun Jian of Etto

Connaught – Jess Murphy of Kai Restaurant

Leinster – Sam Moody at Ballyfin Demesne

Munster – Aidan McGrath of Wild Honey Inn

Ulster – Chris McGowan of Wine & Brine

All-Ireland – Jess Murphy of Kai Restaurant

Best Restaurant winners:

Dublin – Etto

Connaught – Cian’s on Bridge Street

Leinster – TwoCooks Restaurant & Wine Bar

Munster – Mews Restaurant

Ulster – The Muddlers Club

All-Ireland – Etto

National winners:

Best Private Dining & Club Restaurant – Locks Windsor Terrace

Best Cocktail Experience – The Sidecar at The Westbury

Best Cookery School – MacNean House & Restaurant

Best Seafood Experience – Klaw Seafood Restaurant

Best Digital Marketing – Kai Restaurant

 

 

Ballyfin Demesne named Irish hotel of the year

 

Ballyfin Demesne has been named the AA’s hotel of the year 2018.

The five star hotel in Co. Laois is a former boarding school which underwent an extensive nine-year restoration before opening as a luxury hotel in 2011. It stands on 600 acres of grounds and is home to a series of formal gardens designed by Jim Reynolds. The hotel was previously voted best hotel in the world in 2016 by readers of US travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler.

The B&B rate at Ballyfin starts at €960 for a double room, running to €1,710 for the best suite in the house. Most guests, however, opt for the full board package (from €1,275 for two people), which includes lunch or afternoon tea on arrival, cocktail hour, dinner in the State Dining Room or the Van Der Hagan Room, and breakfast the following morning.

Until 2015, Ballyfin was open only to residents, however reservations are now accepted for dinner for groups of up to six guests, who have variety of menu options to choose from, costing from €105 for three-courses à la carte, to €125 for an eight-course tasting menu.

Shane Ross, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, presenting the award to Ballyfin’s general manager Damien Bastiat in Dublin last night, said: “The story of Irish tourism over the last 10 years has been one of hard work and perseverance to get through the troubled times of the economic downturn in order to come out the other side as a thriving industry. “Ballyfin Demesne, with its welcoming staff and steep history only highlights the best of what the hospitality industry offers to visitors from at home and abroad.”

The other main award winners were Aldridge Lodge in Duncannon, Co Wexford (AA Guest House Accommodation of the Year), and The Twelve hotel in Barna, Co Galway (AA Courtesy and Care award).

New 134 room hotel planned for Galway

Press Up Entertainment, Ireland’s largest and fastest growing pub and restaurant group, are said to have acquired a site in Galway with planning permission for a 134-bedroom hotel.

The site is located near Prospect Hill received planning permission for a hotel last year following an application by Highgate Properties. It is understood Press Up paid €4.5 million for the land. In addition to the bedrooms, there is permission for two bars within the building, which will ultimately have a total gross floor area of 5,310sq m. The acquisition comes as Press Up eye opportunities to expand into the UK market in the near future.

Press Up is the largest restaurant and venue group in the country and the group behind well-known restaurants such as Captain America’s, Roberta’s and the Dean Hotel. Press Up, which last year had a turnover of about €52 million, has said it hopes to open at least nine new hospitality venues over the coming year, including the Devlin hotel in Ranelagh, Dublin, which will open in the summer.

The group is also reported to be developing a 140-bedroom hotel in Cork. It is also planning a revamp of former private members’ club Residence on St Stephen’s Green, which it purchased recently. In addition, Press Up will soon open a cocktail bar in a three-storey building on Dublin’s Aungier Street, which company documents suggest will be called The Dutch Billy. The group’s other recent purchases include the well-known Elephant & Castle restaurant business in Temple Bar.

Job vacancies in hotel sector increased 200% in last five years

Job vacancies in the hotel sector have increased by almost 200% from 2013- 2017 according to jobs.ie

The job board said demand for key hotel roles such as hotel chef, bartenders, waiters, receptionists, porters, cocktail mixologists and concierges have all increased hugely. Every role has experienced growth in the last five years, particularly since 2016. Vacancies for hotel chefs increased by 149 percent over the five-year period and although vacancies were down by 9pc in 2017 compared to 2016, the number remains high. Hotel bartending, mixologist and concierge vacancies all soared by 80 percent in 2017 compared to just the year before.

Ireland’s hotel sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience,” said Christopher Paye, general manager of jobs.ie. Despite a drop in visitors and revenue from the crucial British market, 2016 proved to be a turning point for the sector, thanks to rising numbers of tourists from the rest of Europe, North America and Asia. Paye continues, “However, there is a mounting risk that demand for workers will outstrip supply, and this is already proving the case for chefs,” and he warns the growth of Ireland’s tourism industry will be “short-lived” if the skills shortages are left unaddressed.

The hospitality sector is worth €7.2bn to the Irish economy and supports an estimated 235,000 jobs. There was welcome news for the sector last week when Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys announced changes to employment permit regulations which saw the removal of certain chef grades from the ineligible occupation list. These changes will make it easier to source chefs from outside the European Economic Area.

Meanwhile, hotel group Dalata has said it expects to add some 300 jobs in Ireland this year thanks to the opening of three new hotels, two in Dublin and one in Cork. The new properties are expected to open by the end of the year.

Redevelopment set to begin on Portumna’s Shannon Oaks hotel

Work is set to begin on the redevelopment of the old Shannon Oaks hotel in Portumna after the hotel was badly damaged by fire in 2011.

The redevelopment is set to begin in the next few months, meaning the hotel could be potentially open for business by the end of the summer. The redevelopment is part of a €2 million plus investment by the hotel’s new owners, the Comer Group. The development also includes several holiday homes and chalets.

The Shannon Oaks hotel suffered extensive damage after a fire in 2011, a devastating loss for the town of Portumna, located on the banks of Lodge Derg and heavily dependent on tourism. The redevelopment would result in a major multi-million euro boost to the South East Galway town and is expected to have the capacity to create an additional 500 jobs in the town.

The Comers, originally from Glenamaddy, own some 40 hotels across the world and eight in Ireland including Nox in Co.Galway, the Glashaus Hotel in Tallaght, Dublin and Palmerstown House in Kildare. Luke Comer told The Connacht Tribune that he intends to restore the hotel to its former glory. “We have purchased the property and we want to turn it into a new state of the art hotel in Portumna where we feel has loads of potential. We have put the project out to tender and obviously, we would prefer to secure a local builder. “It is in a prime location and we would hope that the new hotel would be up and running by the end of the summer. I understand that there are two local contractors involved in the process.”

Salary Series 2018- Hotel Salaries

 

Excel Recruitment are delighted to release our 2018 Salary Survey. Our Salary Survey covers all aspects of the Hospitality Industry including Hotel, Chef and Industrial and Corporate Catering salaries. In a series of blog posts, Excel’s expert team give their take on the year ahead and the factors affecting salaries in each industry.First up, General Manager of Excel Shane Mclave discusses hotel salaries and the effects of Brexit. To view our Hotel and Catering Salary Survey in full click here. To get consultant Laurence Roger’s take on the much-discussed issue of Chefs salaries, click here.

It’s been an interesting year for the hospitality sector in general, and the hotel industry in particular. Brexit and all its consequences, both real and potential, were on everybody’s mind. Its first effects were definitely felt with a 54% decrease in the national average of UK visitors in the last year, according to Failte Ireland. Despite this, it was still a great year for the industry with 69% of hotels and 63% of national attractions welcomed more visitors than in 2016

The minimum wage

We can see that from a salary perspective, there is not a huge difference on 2016 except for salaries at the lower end of the scale, up to €30,000. The general consensus within the industry is that the biggest challenge in 2018 will be to manage the increase in the minimum wage. The jump to €9.55 at the beginning of January has had a knock-on effect. In previous years, employers could allow for an extra 10c or 15c above the minimum wage to create more attractive packages. However this year, with a jump of .30c, this is not possible. We are seeing employers make the decision to raise the hourly pay rate to €10 per hour for entry-level positions. This is pushing up all the lower pay scales to a higher level making it very difficult for businesses in a candidate driven market.

Retention and reward

The next big obstacle for hospitality is to retain the staff that they already have in place through progression and reward. We can see that there are more and more internal promotions, allowing Owners and Managers to keep their core staff in key positions. While this may be a way of retaining staff without any immediate financial cost for the business, if not managed properly, it could lead to inexperienced staff holding senior positions, for which they are not yet ready. They also run the risk of staff getting frustrated at increased workloads and responsibility without feeling a financial benefit. Reward is a different approach that some key players within the hospitality industry are taking and it seems to be working quite well, rewarding staff financially for achieving milestones within the company, usually loyalty and length of service.

web18hotelssbanner

 

Restaurants being urged to charge ‘no-shows’

The Restaurants Association of Ireland is urging restaurants to take a non-refundable deposit when customers are making a booking to guard against ‘no-shows’.

The Association is calling on its members to take the deposits as a way to discourage the practice of people booking tables and then not turning up. According to Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the association, the problem was “rampant across the country” during the Christmas period, with a marked increase in no-shows. In an attempt to curb the issue, the association is encouraging members to take non-refundable deposits which would then be deducted from the table’s final bill or forfeited if the party doesn’t turn up.

The association has proposed a €20 deposit on tables of more than four but according to Mr Cummins, the Competition Authority will not allow the association to set the rate and they are encouraging members to define their own policy in terms of both the price and the sizes of parties charged based on the size of their own operation.

Mr Cummins pointed out that bookings for tickets for concerts and the cinema are forfeited if people do not turn up. “The industry needs to do something about this. We need to stamp out ‘no-shows’. People will have to give advance notice of 24 to 48 hours if they are going to cancel.” Mr Cummins pointed out that bookings for tickets for concerts and the cinema are forfeited if people do not turn up. “The industry needs to do something about this. We need to stamp out ‘no-shows’. People will have to give advance notice of 24 to 48 hours if they are going to cancel.

‘No-shows’ can be extremely costly for restaurants, in terms of both staff and produce bought in. Mr Cummins used one example when speaking to Newstalk this morning of one restaurant which had experienced the ‘no show’ of a party of 20 which was one-third of the restaurant’s capacity and had been very costly for them.

 

Hotel News- New builds and revamps planned in Dublin and Kerry

Skellig Star due to reopen

The Skellig Star hotel, formerly known as the Watermaque Hotel, is due to reopen later this month after a €3 million refurbishment and is expected to give tourism in the area a major boost.

The 56 bedroom hotel has been rebranded as the Skellig Star as well as being upgraded to include adjoining apartments, function rooms and other additional facilities

The coastal area is well-known for its stunning views of the Atlantic and has in recent years has, also, benefited significantly in the past few years by the filming of Star Wars on nearby Skellig Michael.

The hotel’s reopening later this month comes as preparations continue for the opening of the nearby Hog’s Head Golf Club, which is the first course in Ireland to be completed by the architecture firm of Robert Trent Jones II and also incorporates a hotel.

Gleeson’s pub in Booterstown to become hotel

Gleeson’s pub in Booterstown is to be extended into a boutique hotel to meet the demand for hotel accommodation in the city.

The well-known pub is expected to invest around €1.6 million into the development, adding 16 bedrooms above the existing extensive food and beverage facilities. The premise’s existing restaurant will undergo a redesign to include a lobby for the new hotel.

Gleeson’s is expected to pitch its new rooms within the mid-to-upper range of the market and the bedrooms are expected to be larger in size than the city standard. The overall business is expected to be rebranded to mark its entry into the hotel market.

239 bedroom coming to Dublin’s Liberties

A new hotel has been confirmed for the Liberties area of Dublin. The hotel is a part of a multi-million euro regeneration of the area in the capital’s south inner city and is in the early stages of development along with an indoor market, micro-brewery and retail and office space.

The regeneration development scheme will be based around Newmarket is set to be centred around the Newmarket Square area. The works will begin with the demolition of a 1970s enterprise centre.

The overall development will extend to over 400,000 square foot, generating 1,700 permanent jobs as well as augmenting the already established Teelings Distillery.

Cushman & Wakefield, commercial partners of real estate agency, Sherry Fitzgerald, are handling the development, while the design team for the project is a partnership between Reddy Architecture + Urbanism and Mola.

Planning permission is currently in the process of being lodged with Dublin City Council.

Irish hotel occupancy rate rises to 81.6%, up 3.7% from last year

Irish hotels have recorded occupancy rates of 81.6% in April, a rise of 3.7% in April this year compared with April 2016. Dublin hotels, remained unchanged from this time last year, recording occupancy rates of 8%.

The data, published by STR, reports that the average daily rate of a hotel room in Ireland during April 2017 had reached €122.60. This is an increase of 7.7% compared to the previous year. During the same period, Dublin recorded a slightly lower percentage increase of 5.5%, but the average price of rooms came in more expensive at €129.04. Revenue per available room (RevPAR), or room revenue divided by rooms available, was €100.10 in the whole of Ireland in April 2017. That was an increase of 11.7% on the same period a year earlier.

In Dublin that figure was €111.01 for the same period, an increase of 5.4% compared to the same month in 2016. In the 12 months ending April 2017, activity within the hotel industry was slightly more restrained. In the whole of Ireland occupancy rates were 70.3%, the average daily rate of a room was €114.76, but the revenue per room available was considerably lower at €80.67. Those figures were all up on the previous year.

For the same period in Dublin, occupancy rates were slightly higher at 75.5%. The average daily rate for a room was €122.38 while the revenue per room available was €92.41 – an increase of 6.2% on the twelve months to the end of April 2016. Investec research suggested that revenue per room available will grow by 6.5% in Dublin by the end of 2017.

Hotel News- Major hotels planned for Dublin and Galway

Hotel and food market planned for Galway’s city centre, Tivoli owner adds ‘performance space’ to proposed 283 bedroom hotel, DCC give green light to Stephen’s Green luxury hotel.

€60 million hotel and food market planned for Galway

A €60 million development is in the works for the centre of Galway comprising a brand new 200 room hotel and a covered market. The food hall is expected to cover 17,000 square feet and will be situated under a double height ceiling. It will draw inspiration from similar food markets in Europe, such as London’s Covent Garden. The Connaught Tribune reports that ‘discussions are under way with a hotel operator which specialises in boutique-style city hotels in Europe’. The plans outline that the Market Hall will have capacity for 80 market stalls and would focus primarily on food, while there’s also plans for roof top terrace restaurant. The development is still subject to planning approval from Galway City Council.

The new proposed development will be located on Galway’s Market Street and the project is the brainchild of Michael Maye a telecoms entrepreneur and is being promoted by Davy Private Finance.

Performance space added to proposed hotel on Tivoli theatre site

The owner of Dublin’s Tivoli Theatre has added a ‘performance space’ to a proposed 283- bedroom hotel in a bid to obtain planning permission on the site of the theatre, its owner has proposed adding a new “performance space” to the development.

Planning consultants working for Anthony Byrne have told Dublin City Council the proposed hotel development in Dublin 8 would include a new public area, Tivoli Square,that would double as an “occasional” outdoor cinema and venue for performances.

In January, Byrne applied for planning permission to demolish the Tivoli Theatre and replace it with a six-storey, 298-bedroom aparthotel.

Byrne has reportedly written to the council stating the development will operate the proposed new indoor venue as a cultural facility into the future.

DCC give go ahead for €40million luxury hotel in Stephen’s Green

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL have given the green light to a €40 million plan to convert Loreto Hall on St Stephen’s Green into a luxury hotel.

DCC has given the company heading up the project, Brown Table Solutions Ltd, permission to go ahead with their plan for an 87-bedroom hotel which will include a restaurant and spa at 77 St Stephen’s Green. The project will involve building an eight-storey block to the rear.

The development has been giving the go ahead in spite of objections from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Office of Public Works (OPW) and the Irish Georgian Society.

The Ministerial offices of the DFA are located next door at Iveagh House and, in its objection, Director of the Department’s Property Management Unit Kevin Colgan told the council that “the privacy and security of Iveagh House is of paramount importance”.

Mr Colgan pointed out that Iveagh House regularly hosts Heads of State, national and foreign dignitaries, political leaders and high-ranking diplomats for sensitive meetings and negotiations.

He said: “The proposal to construct a bank of hotel rooms with windows facing directly into the Iveagh House offices and ballroom (its main meeting room) with inadequate separation distance, is of great concern to the DFA.”

Loreto Hall went on sale last year with a guide price of €5.75 million. In 1911, it was bought by the Loreto Sisters to use as a hostel for young women from outside Dublin attending the National University at nearby Earlsfort Terrace and the Hall – built in 1765 – remained in use for “country girls” going to colleges in the city until the 1990s.

Objectors have the option of appealing the Council decision to An Bord Pleanála.