Home

Bord Bia plots Foodservice recovery

Bord Bia, in association with Technomic market researchers, are compiling a White Paper on the Irish Foodservice Market, for publication and presentation via a webinar on Thursday, 28th May from 2-3PM.

While acknowledging the clear and ongoing damage that Covid-19 is having on foodservice, it is important to begin thinking about how the industry will ultimately open up.

The objective of this White Paper is to evaluate potential changes in the short, medium and longer term and to help foodservice operators, distributors and suppliers to begin developing strategies based on scenario building.

The webinar will be co-presented by Maureen Gahan, Bord Bia Foodservice Specialist and David Henkes, Senior Principal, Technomic.

Lorraine Heskin, Founder & CEO of Gourmet Food Parlour, who will also participate in the webinar, sharing her story as a foodservice operator that has had to transition in the face of Covid-19.

This is an open event, suitable for foodservice operators, distributors and suppliers servicing the domestic market.

Pubs lobby for 'one metre' distance

Many reopening pubs will be forced to limit patrons to one-eighth of their normal capacity under the Government’s two-metre rule for social distancing, a publican-commissioned analysis concludes. pub

The report for the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) and Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) appeals to the Government to reduce the State’s social distancing guidelines to one metre, as the World Health Organisation suggests as its minimum safe distance.

Both publican groups also are lobbying the Government to permit pubs with restaurant licences to open on June 29, the date set for restaurants to reopen. Pubs are expected to wait until August 10 under the State’s phased plan for exiting the Covid-19 lockdown.

The analysis by Knapton Consulting Engineers found that the typical pub would see customer capacity slashed by 87pc if the two-metre rule between patrons is enforced.

Ronan plans Docklands hotel

Ronan Group Real Estate (RGRE), owned by Johnny Ronan, is considering a plan for the development of a new boutique hotel in Dublin’s north docklands.

Should it proceed, the proposed hotel on Upper Mayor Street would see the demolition and replacement of a row of five terraced houses which the developer purchased recently for €3.8 million. The overall value of the portfolio was driven by its location immediately adjacent to RGRE’s Project Waterfront site.

Ronan’s company Waterside Devco No 1 Limited is understood to have exchanged contracts with Birr-based Niamh Garry last December to buy 34, 36, 37, and 38 for €3.54 million, and with her family member, Brendan Garry to buy number 35 for €260,000. The Garry family run the well-known short-stay accommodation business Canbe.

Corrigan 'Front Line' Wedding Prize

The chef and restaurateur Richard Corrigan is offering frontline healthcare workers a chance to win a luxury all-inclusive wedding package, worth an estimated €90,000, at his corrigan0520 18th-century Virginia Park Lodge estate, in Co Cavan. The wedding party, for up to 160 guests, can be booked for any available date up to April 2022.

The competition goes live at 9am tomorrow through virginiaparklodge.com. Each entry, or nomination of someone eligible, must be accompanied by a €10 donation to the Society of St Vincent de Paul’s emergency fundraising appeal.

“I’ll be there, and we will give them one hell of a couple of days,” says Corrigan, speaking from his London home. “It’s a full-on bespoke service that we offer, and it will be completely all-inclusive. I am building a town house in the middle of the town, in Virginia, so the winner will be getting the town house the night before the wedding and then a day and a half exclusive use of the lodge.”

Pubs challenge insurer on cover

Test actions brought by publicans on whether their insurance policies with FBD Insurance Plc cover the disruption in their trade caused by Covid-19 have been admitted to the Leopardstown0520 fast track Commercial Court list.

Mr Justice David Barniville was told there could be as many as 1000 pubs and bars all over the country affected by the dispute which arose after the insurer refused to provide them with cover since the pandemic resulted in the closure of businesses in mid-March.

The pub owners claim under their policies of insurance taken out with FBD they are entitled to have their consequential losses covered by what they claim is an insurable risk.

They claim the insurance policy they have taken out with FBD has a clause that states the pub owners will be indemnified if their premises is closed by order of the local or government authority if there are "Outbreaks of contagious or infectious diseases on the premises or within 25 miles of same."