The Grayson restaurant in Dublin city centre has launched a rosé-inspired afternoon tea offering.
Every Weekend
The new offering is available every Saturday and Sunday between 1pm and 5pm, with a menu that includes a selection of rosé wines, cocktails crafted with Belsazar Rosé Wine Aperitif, a selection of sandwiches, a selection of savoury quiches, and an assortment of pastries and desserts.
Advance Booking
Advance booking is required to avail of the offering.
Daniel Stojcic of Noble, Co. Down, was named Ireland’s best sommelier at this year’s Irish Guild of Sommeliers Best Sommelier in Ireland competition, which took place at Whelehans Wines The Silver Tassie on Bray Road in Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin, on Sunday August 16.
Stojcic was one of three finalists at the competition. The other two finalists were Anke Carmen Hartmann of Arch Guesthouse/Lamplight Wine Bar and Merchants, Co. Galway, and Andrzej Dasiak of Hodson Bay Hotel, Co. Westmeath.
Hartmann was named first runner up and Dasiak finished in third place.
Panel Of Judges
The three finalists were judged by a panel of judges that represented the hospitality industry, hospitality education and journalism, and the entire competition was overseen and run by Irish Guild of Sommeliers president Julie Dupouy Young, who was assisted by a technical committee.
The judges stated that Stojcic was a worthy winner after a highly-contested competition with the other finalists.
Ireland’s Blue Book has announced that Co. Cork’s Hayfield Manor has been accepted as a member of travel programme American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts.
Hayfield Manor is the only Irish property that has been accepted as a member of the programme for 2021, and joins a small collection of other Irish hotels that are already members of the programme including Co. Clare’s Dromoland Castle and Co. Mayo’s Ashford Castle.
Hayfield Manor was accepted as a member of the programme following an extensive secret inspection.
“Excellent News”
Hayfield Family Collection CEO Ettienne Van Vrede stated, “This is excellent news and very timely news for Hayfield Manor. We have applied to be part of this collection for a number of years and we are delighted to finally be selected to join the Fine Hotels & Resorts Programme for 2021, a year where we will need every possible source of new business to help us to rebuild following this pandemic.
“Hayfield Manor will be the only hotel in Cork in the programme, and it is testament to our tourism offering in Cork that American Express have identified our beautiful destination as a new demand location for their customers based on cardholder spend.
“We are so proud and appreciative of our exceptional team for achieving this accolade and for consistently delivering exceptional personal service to all our guests. It has been a very sad and difficult time for our industry over the last few months and this wonderful news could never have come at a more welcome time for us. We will start promoting the hotel for bookings from the extensive American Express global customer base from August 2020, and we anticipate welcoming many new international guests in future years that Fine Hotels & Resorts will bring to our treasured destination of Cork.”
Source: Published on Aug 16 2020 on hospitalityireland.com
Hoteliers have expressed their deep disappointment at the decision announced this evening by the Government not to increase the size of indoor gatherings from 10th August. Elaina Fitzgerald Kane, President of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) said: “We recognise the difficult balance the Government has to achieve in reopening the economy, and hoteliers are fully committed to continuing to play our part in ensuring public health is to the fore of everything we do. We have demonstrated this through our strict adherence to the operational procedures developed for our sector and we have been open for four weeks now with no public health issues.”
“We would ask the Government to review its approach to larger gatherings specifically in the context of hotels given the robust safety procedures and policies we have in place. We don’t believe a one size fits all approach is appropriate when setting a cap on gatherings, particularly for larger venues with a proven track record in managing gatherings safely in a controlled environment,” she said.
The IHF President stated: “Hotels and guesthouses across the country have now been open and operating safely for over a month, including hosting gatherings, without any reported incidents. This shows the effectiveness of the current COVID-19 operational guidelines, which are being strictly adhered to by the hotels sector, having been developed in collaboration with Fáilte Ireland and approved by the HSA, HSE, HPSC and the FSAI.”
With the latest IHF survey showing occupancy levels of less than 30% likely for the year as a whole, Ms Fitzgerald Kane said that being able to host gatherings is critical to the viability of many hotels. “Given the very limited season that most hotels will have this year, events could be the difference between venues being able to stay open or having to close and the resultant job losses. The wedding industry, as one example, is a €1.5 billion industry. It is now at significant risk together with the almost 40,000 jobs it supports.”
“The hotel and guesthouse community is committed to playing our part in improving public health. Gatherings – from weddings to funerals – are a huge part of the fabric of Irish society and family life. Over the past few months we believe we have demonstrated that we offer controlled environments where people can gather for such events safely. We are urgently asking the Government to recognise our experience and expertise and support the hosting of larger indoor gatherings as set out in the initial road map for reopening Ireland.
Commenting on the Government’s approach to overseas travel, Ms Fitzgerald Kane called for a testing regime be put in place to allow for an expansion of safe travel as soon as possible. “People who are healthy could be tested before travelling and provide verification that they do not pose a risk. Most European countries now have very effective testing in place and this would be a good starting point for such a regime. This would help open up travel in a safe way aligned with public health policy.”
Source: Published on Aug 05 2020 on hotelandcateringreview.ie
Exchequer Developments Limited has applied for planning permission to expand Dublin’s Central Hotel into a 6,554 square metre, 125-bedroom venue.
The proposed expansion would involve extensively reconfiguring the Central Hotel along with associated premises at numbers 11 to 16 on the capital’s South Great George’s Street, and partial sundry demolition work.
If approved, the project would result in the closure of Dublin’s Globe bar, Rí-Rá nightclub and Exchequer venue, with part of The Globe and Rí-Rá becoming retail space, and The Exchequer becoming part of the revamped hotel’s reception.
The Irish Times quotes Labour Party councillor Darragh Moriarty as saying in relation to the possibility of The Globe, Rí-Rá and The Exchequer being lost, “The Globe and Rí-Rá are institutions and so many people have good memories of nights out there. They really are among the staples of Dublin nightlife and they’ll be sadly missed. This is really disappointing.”
Source: Published on Jul 20 2020 9:40 on hospitalityireland.com
AA Ireland’s hospitality services team has named Co. Kilkenny’s Mount Juliet Estate “Ireland’s Hotel of the Year” for 2020.
The Irish Independent quotes AA director of consumer affairs Conor Faughnan as saying, “This award comes at a time when hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs across the country are facing an enormous challenge. But we know that while much is changing in the world around us, Mount Juliet Estate will continue to be a jewel in the crown of the Irish hospitality sector.”
Meanwhile, reacting to the news, Mount Juliet general manager Mark Dunne said, “It’s a little ray of sunshine in the midst of all the madness.”
The AA listed “exceptional service”, a “warm welcome” and “excellent food options showing the best local produce the region has to offer” as reasons why it chose to name Mount Juliet “Ireland’s Hotel of the Year” for this year, and added, “Mount Juliet Estate goes from strength-to-strength.”
Additionally, the AA named Co. Louth’s Ghan House “Guest Accommodation of the Year” and Co. Mayo’s Mulranny Park Hotel received the AA’s “Courtesy & Care” award for customer care.
AA chooses award winners based on feedback from anonymous visits to venues by trained inspectors who make notes about venues’ hospitality, service, cuisine, facilities and staff.
The AA also says that winners must clearly demonstrate continuous improvement.
Source: Published on Jul 24 2020 10:10 AM on hospitalityireland.com
Harvey’s Point has been named the number one hotel in Ireland in this year’s TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards.
The Co. Donegal hotel has been named the country’s number one hotel in the awards every year since 2013 except for 2018.
TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards are based on the quality and quantity of venue reviews, opinions and ratings published on the TripAdvisor website, as reported by The Irish Independent.
TripAdvisor’s top 10 Irish hotels for 2020 are:
Additionally, Heaton’s Guesthouse of Dingle was named Ireland’s best-rated small hotel in Ireland, Castlewood House of Dingle was said to have the best service in Ireland and Daly’s House of Doolin, Co. Clare, was named the country’s number one B&B.
Meanwhile, Chapter One of Dublin was named Ireland’s number one restaurant.
TripAdvisor’s top 10 Irish restaurants for 2020 are:
Source: Published on Jul 29 2020 10:44 on hospitalityireland.com
An Garda Síochána and the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) have called on all pubs to ensure that they are following the reopening guidelines.
Ensuring “Public Order Is Maintained”
The LVA issued a statement saying, “Pubs that serve substantial meals have been able to reopen since Monday [June 29]. Effectively, this means that pubs who have reopened are operating as food businesses. Under the government’s and Fáilte Ireland’s guidelines for phase three, all pubs must serve a substantial meal to anyone who is consuming alcohol on their premises.
“This meal must be valued at €9 or more, and a separate meal must be provided to each individual who is drinking alcohol. Customers are restricted to a maximum stay of 105 minutes.
“Pubs who disregard the guidelines may receive an objection to their licence when it comes up for renewal.
“An Garda Síochána will be inspecting licensed premises to ensure public order is maintained.”
“Do The Right Thing”
Meanwhile, An Garda Síochána Dublin Metropolitan Region Assistant Commissioner Anne Marie Cagney stated, “An Garda Síochána will continue to work with the trade in this unprecedented situation. We will seek to engage and encourage all businesses to follow the guidelines and to do the right thing. We will also be undertaking inspections to ensure pubs are respecting the guidelines. Our role is to maintain public order, and if there are indications that any such problems are arising, we will intervene.”
“No One Should Be Cutting Any Corners”
LVA CEO Donall O’Keeffe added, “We expect most pubs will follow the guidelines to create a safe and comfortable environment for their customers and staff. Everyone in the country is aware of the severity of the public health situation arising out of the pandemic and no one should be cutting any corners. Severe enforcement action will be taken against those rogue operators who blatantly disregard the health of their staff and customers, up to potentially losing their licence. Any disregard for public health will be a key consideration when it comes to licence renewals, a process which the authorities are keenly aware all pubs will be subjected to this coming September.”
View the original article by Dave Simpson on Hospitality Ireland.
The employees of Bewley’s café on Dublin’s Grafton Street have officially been made redundant.
It was announced in May that the decision had been made to permanently close the café, but, despite this, the café’s landlord, Ronan Group Real Estate, said in June that it was hopeful that the café would reopen on Monday June 29.
However, the venue’s 110 staff members were informed on Wednesday July 1 that they are being made redundant.
“With Profound Sadness”
A Bewley’s spokesperson told The Irish Times, “Following the completion of an employee consultation process that commenced in May, Bewley’s Café Grafton Street has today [Wednesday July 1], with profound sadness, confirmed the permanent closure of the café.
“As a result, all café employees have been informed that they will be made redundant. The company will continue to engage with impacted employees in relation to their redundancies and ensure their statutory and contractual entitlements are discharged in full.”
The café’s last day of trading was Monday March 16.
View the original article by Dave Simpson on Hospitality Ireland.
Dublin’s Hilton Garden Inn Custom House hotel has become the first Irish hotel to receive Shield Safety Group’s “Safe to Trade” accreditation.
The hotel received the accreditation, which is open to businesses in Ireland and the UK, following an extensive remote and physical audit of all aspects of hotel’s operations, including front and back of house, customer management and adherence to all COVID-19 government public health guidelines, as well as an assessment of various performance metrics.
Located on Dublin’s Custom House Quay, the Hilton Garden Inn Custom House hotel is managed by Amaris Hospitality and is the first of the group’s 30 hotels across Ireland and the UK to reopen to the public.
“Delighted”
Hilton Garden Inn Custom House hotel general manager Niall Mitchell stated, “We’re now pleased to reopen our doors once again to our customers and are encouraged by the levels of demand we’ve witnessed so far, despite it being a challenging road ahead. Additionally, we’re delighted to have received this certification which highlights the efforts of all of our staff to deliver the highest possible standards of safety and assurance to the public as we reopen.”
View the original article by Dave Simpson on Hospitality Ireland.
