Eoghan Murphy Of Cork International Hotel On His Journey

In an exclusive interview with Hospitality Ireland, Eoghan Murphy, general manager of the Cork International Hotel, discusses earning his stripes in Switzerland, how working with Trigon Hotels gave him the tools to unlock the potential of which he was unaware, and how meeting Darina Allen as a transition-year student greatly influenced his career path.

The Cork International Hotel has won numerous awards and accolades in recent years and much of this success has been down to Eoghan Murphy, who joined the establishment five years ago and became general manager thereof in 2022.

"I am not one for accolades, but if I was to leave an impact in the industry, I would hope that would be on the team that I work with, and seeing them develop and achieve their own goals and dreams," said Murphy.

Urgent Appeal For Restaurants

Paul Lenehan, president of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), has released an "urgent message" to the government encouraging it to do the "right thing" for local restaurants and cafés.

In a video message, Lenehan asked the government to consider a return to 9% VAT rate which he described as the "only show in town" to avoid a "tsunami of closures" across the country.

"The rising costs we are incurring through wage inflation, food costs, energy costs - are out of control, and everything, including the 4.5% added to the VAT rate in the last budget, has made our businesses completely unviable," said Lenehan.

"Our cash flow is at an all-time low. Our VAT returns made only for November and December have proved that to everybody. Our businesses are simply not viable."

Irish Dining In January

New research from OpenTable has found that 50% of Irish diners plan to visit more restaurants in January in 2024, compared to the same month in 2023.

Furthermore, it is estimated that 35% of Irish diners plan on spending a little more this January, compared to January 2023, with an average of €59 per person, per meal.

Fifty one per cent (51%) of Irish diners will consider going vegan or vegetarian as part of Veganuary or a healthier diet in 2024.

Northern Ireland’s Best Chef

The search is on to find Northern Ireland’s Chef of the Year, who will be crowned during the Salon Culinaire Belfast, which returns to IFEX this year.

The highly anticipated event will take place at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast, from 5 to 7 March 2024.

“Northern Ireland is home to some of the world’s top chefs, who are helping to cement the wider hospitality and foodservice industry as a global leader,” said Sean Owens, Salon Culinaire director.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the immense amount of talent and skills that will be on offer throughout the competitions.”

The Salon Culinaire competitions are now open for entry.

For more information, visit: www.ifexexhibition.co.uk/salon-culinaire.

JD Wetherspoon Sales Boost

Tim Martin, Chairman of JD Wetherspoon, has warned about price disparity between pubs and supermarkets selling alcohol.

This came after JD Wetherspoon has announced an update on current trading before entering its close period for its interim results, for the six months ending 28 January 2024.

“For pubs, the average selling price of a pint is around £4.50 [€5.26]. The labour per pint is therefore around £1.35 – 30% of £4.50 – necessitating a 13.5-pence increase in the selling price to cover extra costs,” said Martin.

“The inevitable consequence is that increased labour costs raise the differential in prices between the hospitality industry and supermarkets.”

Martin went on to say that the inevitable consequence of the price disparity is that increased labour costs raise the differential in prices between the hospitality industry and supermarkets.

“At the same time, pubs pay far higher VAT and business rates than supermarkets, further exacerbating the price disparity,” said Martin.

“In particular, pubs and restaurants pay 20% VAT in respect of food sales, whereas supermarkets pay almost nothing – a tax differential which is surely unfair.”

Aramark Ireland Senior Appointments

Aramark Ireland has announced the appointment of Kevin McGinley as vice-president of food services and Jason Keegan as vice-president of Aramark Workplace Solutions.

Both will serve as key members of Aramark Ireland’s executive leadership team.

As vice-president of food services, McGinley will be responsible for all aspects of the food services division at Aramark Ireland and lead the charge in driving new sales growth within Aramark’s existing client base, while maintaining customer service and developing operational strategies.

Keegan will be responsible for all aspects of Aramark’s workplace solutions in Ireland, including developing operational strategies and driving new sales growth, ultimately aimed at setting new benchmarks and redefining the standards of excellence in workplace solutions.

“Jason and Kevin’s leadership will be instrumental in helping us achieve our strategic goals and further strengthen our position in the Irish market,” said Tom Neville, CEO and president of Aramark Ireland.

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