Top 100 Hospitality Businesses in Northern Ireland revealed

Celebrating the Top 100 Hospitality Businesses in Northern Ireland 2020 is Irish International Rugby star Tommy Bowe with Danny Coyles, Chair of Hospitality Ulster and England International Rugby star Ugo Monye.

The search to find the Top 100 hospitality businesses in Northern Ireland came to a dramatic conclusion this evening (Wednesday 19 February), as the Top 100 venues for 2020 were unveiled.

The eagerly anticipated list, compiled by the industry body, Hospitality Ulster was revealed at a prestigious gala event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Belfast, hosted by entertainment legends Tim McGarry and Pamela Ballantine alongside guest rugby stars Ugo Monye and Tommy Bowe.

Spanning Michelin starred restaurants and five-star hotels to buzzing city centre nightclubs, gastropubs, quaint country pubs and hotels, Hospitality Ulster’s Top 100 Businesses Awards are the only industry recognised awards, which shine a bright spotlight on the very best of Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector.

Recognising the huge contribution of all the Top 100 winners, each venue received equal recognition for their role in driving forward industry standards.

The prestige and honour of being recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s Top 100 hospitality businesses wasn’t the only thing up for grabs on the evening. The 100 winners were all placed into a draw to win a range of spectacular prizes. These prizes included a branded car for a year courtesy of Donnelly Group and Oasis Retail Services, a £1000 advertising and marketing package courtesy of U105 and a place on a mini MBA course at Queen’s University Belfast.

All funds raised on the night are donated to The Benevolent, a charity that provides help and support to current and former employees of the drinks industry and their families.

The awards were sponsored by Bacardi Brown-Forman, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Counterpoint, Diageo, Dillon Bass, Drinksology, Heineken, Henderson Foodservice, Molson Coors, Musgrave Market Place, Pattison & Co, Richmond Marketing, Tennent's NI, United Wine Merchants Ltd and media partners, BT Sport, Hospitality Review NI, Sunday Life and U105.

Danny Coyles, Hospitality Ulster, Chair, commented after the awards:

“We’re thrilled to shine the spotlight on the top hospitality businesses in Northern Ireland with the only awards, awarded by the industry, to the industry.”

“The Top 100 Hospitality Businesses Awards recognise the businesses who through their premises, staff and product offer embody the very essence of the unique hospitality industry, committed to going the extra mile to deliver an authentic customer experience that matches both their target market and customer demographic.”

“The hospitality industry in Northern Ireland has no shortage of fantastic venues and so many businesses are at the very top of their game. We would like to congratulate all of our winners for making it in to the Top 100 this year.”

Home Office report on migrant workforce sparks angry reaction from hospitality sector - Urgent Intervention now needed says Hospitality Ulster Chief Executive

Colin Neill, Chief Executive, Hospitality Ulster

“The Home Office’s proposed skills criteria and salary threshold for workers from overseas will simply decimate the local hospitality sector.”

“Those classified as ‘unskilled’ and those earning below £25,600 will no longer be allowed to work here. Employees with soft skills (classified as ‘unskilled’) are a vital element of the success of the Northern Ireland hospitality and tourism offer, however, they have been ignored. What sort of message does that send out to the world? How many hospitality businesses will now not be able to fill vacancies right across the sector?”

“There has been failure to take into consideration the unique set of circumstances here; complete ignorance of the importance of our sector in particular; and demonstrates absolute contempt for our position.”

“Northern Ireland is unique as the only part of the UK with a land border with the EU, and a labour market more distinct from the rest of the UK. We have been cut adrift and this attitude that we will just have to fend for ourselves won’t wash.”

“This is not about cheap labour, our industry has over 30,000 job vacancies to fill by 2024 and we need 2,000 chefs, with a declining birth rate and near full employment in Northern Ireland, these proposals will damage our economy and limit plans to grow the tourism economy to a £2bn industry.”

“This is nothing short of a disgrace and we are calling on our First and deputy First Minister to intervene immediately to make direct representations to the Home Office and the Prime Minister on the exceptional circumstances the sector is now faced with.”

Airporter wins two awards at Bus and Coach NI Awards

Lisa Spence, ‘Rising Star’ winner and Niall McKeever who won ‘Special Industry Award at the recent Bus and Coach NI Awards

Airporter has won two awards at the prestigious Bus and Coach NI Awards which took place in Ballymena.

The company, which provides a regular direct service from Derry-Londonderry to both Belfast airports, scooped both the ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Special Industry’ category awards.

The awards recognise and celebrate achievements, innovation and the highest standards of excellence within the bus and coach industry.

Lisa Spence, who is Fleet Administrator, has been employed with Airporter since 2009 and won the ‘Rising Star’ accolade. This award recognised her dedication, professionalism, outstanding customer service and individual role in raising the standards of the whole industry. 

Niall McKeever, Director of Airporter was awarded the ‘Special Industry Award’, exclusively selected by the judges in recognition of Niall’s exceptional work and contribution to the industry over many years.

Airporter continues to go from strength to strength, serving 155,000 customers annually. This growth saw the company recently invest £1 million in a state-of-the-art hub at its base in Derry where it now employs 30 drivers. In 2019, it reached a major milestone of serving 1.5 million passengers, continuing to play a huge role in improving connectivity to and from the North West region.

Jennifer McKeever, Director of Airporter commented:

“All of us at Airporter are thrilled for both Lisa and Niall. These awards are testament to their hard work, professionalism and commitment to providing our customers with both a safe and customer-focused service.”

“At Airporter, we are committed to delivering a first-class service and each of our staff members understand the crucial role they play in both driving industry standards forward and making sure people travelling to and from the North West region have an excellent experience when they are here, because that keeps them coming back.”

Niall McKeever, Director of Airporter commented:

“Airporter is totally focused on continuing to raise the bar for passenger transport services and we are really pleased to have been recognised for this by our peers.”

“For a region like ours, the importance of connectivity cannot be underestimated. We are keen to continue playing a vital role in connecting the North West to the two airports because that connectivity provides more opportunities for local businesses to grow and to improve our regional economy and local tourism offering.”

"Coronavirus and Force Majeure – a get out a jail card for businesses" by Matthew Howse, Partner, Dispute Resolution & Litigation, Eversheds Sutherland, Belfast

Matthew Howse, Partner, Dispute Resolution & Litigation, Eversheds Sutherland, Belfast

Coronavirus has dominated the news agenda for the last few weeks, which is understandable in circumstances where the World Health Organization has declared a Public Health Emergency and the death total now sadly exceeds 1,000.

Quite rightly, the focus has been on the global health implications. An aspect of this crisis that has been overlooked, however, has been the potential impact of  interruptions to business contracts. Businesses can’t afford to overlook this any longer and with ever-increasing interconnectivity, neither can businesses in Northern Ireland.

This week, Nissan in Japan temporarily halted production because of difficulties in obtaining parts from China, while Hyundai temporarily closed factories in South Korea. China is the world’s manufacturing powerhouse and a major part of the global supply chain. This is undoubtedly going to have an impact on businesses in Northern Ireland due to the reliance on Chinese parts and manufacturing here.

The experience of the SARS outbreak shows that the impact may only worsen. Businesses should now take the time to carefully examine contractual rights and obligations. The best starting point is to work out whether provisions that relieve a party from its obligations to perform its contract in certain circumstances are included within its contracts. 

‘Force majeure’ clauses are often turned to in testing circumstances, however with no recognised meaning in Northern Irish (or English) law, whether or not Coronavirus and the resulting implications of government restrictions are covered will be determined by the wording of the specific contract.

To benefit from a force majeure clause, businesses will need to check what exactly is covered. A clause which refers to performance of a specific contractual obligation being prevented presents a greater hurdle to get over than a clause which merely refers to performance being impeded or delayed.

Another key consideration is to check how the clause interacts with business continuity provisions and if the impact of the situation could have been mitigated in any way. Meanwhile, the notification requirements in the contract must also be checked. Notice of the occurrence of a force majeure event must be provided in accordance with the contractual notice requirements to have any effect.

Simply put, words matter. If the necessary wording is included in the contract, affected businesses may be entitled to suspend their obligations and avoid liability for any possible failures. Accordingly, this may also lead to the termination of the contract by either party. It is worth noting that it is the party claiming relief under the force majeure clause who has the burden of proving that the event has occurred and that it prevents or hinders their performance.

And what if the words aren’t there? What if the force majeure clause doesn’t exist? In these circumstances, the doctrine of ‘frustration’ may help. This applies when something happens (after the contract has been formed) which is not the fault of either party and which makes it impossible for a party to fulfil a key obligation of the contract, or which essentially completely alters a key obligation under the contract to such an extent that the nature of that obligation has completely changed. In this instance, the contract will automatically be discharged, however the standard for this is much higher than a normal force majeure clause.

There is a lot to consider. The complexities associated with these cannot be overstated or overlooked. It’s up to businesses who are part of a supply chain and may be or become impacted by Coronavirus to carefully consider whether they or the other part, can rely on a force majeure clause. Ultimately, the words written into the contract will be crucial.

Allstate Northern Ireland staff volunteer 10,000 hours with local charities

Allstate Northern Ireland employees spent 10,403 hours volunteering with local charities in communities across Northern Ireland during 2019, demonstrating the company’s commitment to making a difference for the community, people and environment which it operates in.

Over 1,000 staff from its offices in Belfast, Derry/Londonderry and Strabane participated in several volunteering initiatives organised by Allstate’s Force for Good NI committee.

Launched in 2017, Force for Good NI firmly embedded corporate social responsibility into the culture at Allstate Northern Ireland and has seen a 500% increase in the number of staff volunteering since 2018, and over 500 unique events organised in the last year.

This renewed focus on corporate social responsibility and the goodwill of staff have benefitted 238 local charities and organisations, including Business in the Community, New Horizons, Alzheimer’s Society, YENI, Woodland Trust, Air Ambulance NI and Assisi Animal Sanctuary.

Additionally, Allstate Northern Ireland has pledged £30,306 to 23 projects in local communities through its Funding for Good initiative and made substantial charitable donations throughout the year.

Two key recipients include the Strabane Community Project Kitchen refurbishment and the Allstate Cyber Safety for Kids initiative.

Allstate Northern Ireland is the largest IT provider across Northern Ireland, with over 2,400 employees in Belfast, Derry/Londonderry and Strabane.

John Healy OBE, Managing Director and Vice President of Allstate Northern Ireland commented:

“Over the past 12 months, Allstate Northern Ireland staff have made a renewed effort to go above and beyond to support many local charities and organisations”.

“We have fully embraced our fundamental responsibility to contribute to the local communities we are part of, demonstrating the values at the heart of Allstate Northern Ireland. We look forward to seeing this dedication and commitment grow in 2020”.

Kieran Harding, Managing Director, Business in the Community commented:

“Allstate Northern Ireland has made a huge contribution to Business in the Community through its volunteering”.

“The skills and expertise these staff have brought have made an incredible difference in the lives of the people we serve, including children who have had their literacy, numeracy and digital skills enhanced”.

Belfast well placed to attract real estate investment, but barriers exist says top Belfast Real Estate Lawyer

Left to Right: William McCulla, Invest NI (at back), Gareth Planck (front), Eversheds Sutherland, Stephen Cahoon, Cromwell Property Group, Suzanne Wylie, Belfast City Council and Douglas Munro, Legal & General.

A real estate event hosted by Eversheds Sutherland, the global law firm based in Belfast, has heard of the potential which exists for the real estate market in Belfast to attract international investment, but that challenges remain.

Gareth Planck, Partner, Real Estate at Eversheds Sutherland in Belfast, highlighted to an audience of over 100 leaders from the real estate, property development, finance and business community at the Merchant Hotel that opportunities will arise, but that it will require hard work to make sure that investments are realised.

The leading NI Lawyer who addressed the CoreNet Global Conference in Amsterdam recently has worked on the likes of the acquisition and development of a £25 million student housing scheme in Belfast and advised a number of national retailers on new leases.

Hosted by former Business Editor, Jamie Delargy, the panel included:

• Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive, Belfast City Council;

• Douglas Munro, Head of Structuring and Solutions, Legal & General;

• Stephen Cahoon, European Head of Asset Management, Cromwell Property Group;

• William McCulla, Director of Corporate Finance and Property Solutions, Invest NI;

• Gareth Planck, Partner, Real Estate, Eversheds Sutherland Belfast,

Perspectives from Belfast, Dublin and London were represented on the panel, all stating that Belfast has made significant advancements in recent years and that further lessons can be learned from other cities in the UK and Ireland.

Other topics which were discussed included the Belfast Agenda, recent reports of Northern Ireland entering ‘mild recession’ and the impact of climate change on the sector.

Gareth Planck, Partner, Real Estate, Eversheds Sutherland Belfast commented:

“The optimism for the local real estate market in the room was clear and you only have to look at the recent planning approval which was granted for the £500 million Tribeca development to see why.”

“The presence of leading figures from London and Dublin is clearly a sign that we are on the right track and it is important that collaboration takes place. By looking to other successful European cities such as Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam which are ranked in the top ten cities for real estate prospects in 2020, there are many positive aspects which can be adapted to advance the market in Northern Ireland.”

“After a resilient few years and despite a range of challenges, not least Brexit, the market is finally stabilising. The opportunity now exists to accelerate investment and regeneration in Belfast and Northern Ireland and this needs to be capitalised on.”

“Indeed, the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly earlier this year and subsequent comments from Ministers on driving the economy forward are encouraging and hopefully will result in a range of important projects being brought forward. Northern Ireland has already been named the world’s number one destination for FinTech development investment projects and the decision by Microsoft to establish a cyber-security centre in Belfast is an example of the huge potential.”

“Also, just this week, work has commenced on Belfast’s largest office development with 11 stories of Grade A office space that could house up to 2,000 jobs. Another growth area is the increasing demand for warehouse space created by the growing shift towards e-commerce. We have the active requirements and we’re finally starting to see the investors seize upon this. It really is an exciting time.”

“However, with the Brexit transition period coming to an end later this year, political uncertainty remains. Indeed, recent comments from UK Cabinet Minister, Michael Gove that there will be checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are worrying and will have implications here, not least for those in the retail sector.”

Liquor Licensing Bill to be introduced to Assembly in new NI legislative agenda

Reacting to the announcement of the forthcoming legislative agenda outlined in the Assembly today stating that the Liquor Licensing Bill will be introduced, Colin Neill, Chief Executive, Hospitality Ulster said:

“This is very welcome news from the Assembly this afternoon that the legislation to modernise our outdated liquor licensing will be introduced. Now is the time to bring real and meaningful change to support the hospitality sector. We look forward to engaging with Executive Ministers, MLAs in the Assembly and Committee members to ensure the swift passage of this Bill through the house.”

“The transformative effect that this will have on the sector, tourism and the economy will be very positive and help us become competitive at a time when the likes of inflated rates and a high level of hospitality VAT are barriers to growth. We have had many false dawns with the Bill previously being introduced in the last Assembly before suspension, now is the time to make it count.”

Statement by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the Legislative Programme

The First and Deputy First Minister have released a written statement regarding the legislation they intend to introduce to the Assembly in the remaining part of the 2019-2020 session.

The Legislation Programme will consist of the 10 new Bills:

The Minister for Communities intends to introduce four Bills:

• The Welfare Mitigation/ Social Sector Size Criteria Bill - in respect of mitigation payments regarding the bedroom tax.

• The Pension Schemes Bill - aims to ensure that those saving into a Master Trust scheme, which is a form of multi‐employer occupational pension scheme, are protected.

•  The Housing (Amendment) Bill - will make the changes urgently required to address the Office for National Statistics’ classification of Housing Associations to the public sector. 

• The Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill - plans to tackle practices within the licensed trade which could contribute to alcohol misuse.  It is also intended to support the hospitality sector in promoting tourism, by making its offering more sustainable and attractive.

The Minister of Finance will introduce the normal Budget Bills as part of the annual financial cycle.

The Minster of Justice intends to introduce two Bills:

• Criminal Justice Bill - to reform the Committal process

• Domestic Abuse Bill - will create a new domestic abuse offence and therefore close a gap in the law to ensure that protection is not limited to cases of physically violent behaviour, as at present.

The First Minister and Deputy First Minister, will introduce a three piece legislative package to implement commitments given in the New Decade, New Approach Deal. These will be entitled the Northern Ireland Act 1998 Amendment No 1, 2 and 3 Bills.

The Purpose of these three Bills will be:

• make provision for an Office of Identity and Cultural Expression and  repeal the Administration of Justice (Language) Act 1737;

• to appoint an Irish Language Commissioner and to provide official recognition of the status of the Irish language;

• make provision to appoint a Commissioner to enhance and develop the language, arts and literature associated with the Ulster Scots and Ulster British tradition in Northern Ireland; and make provision for a duty on the Department of Education as regards Ulster Scots.

To read the full text of the Written Statement Click HERE

HIV Charity Chief says Relationship and Sex Education in Schools is vital as NI Sexual Health Week kicks off

Northern Ireland Sexual Health week takes place from Monday 10th to Sunday 16th February 2020.

Jacquie Richardson, CEO, Positive Life

The Chief Executive of Northern Ireland’s only dedicated support charity for those living with HIV has said that Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) in schools is vital in teaching young people the life changing impacts of contracting Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) such as HIV.

Jacquie Richardson says that the public of all ages need to talk more openly about relationships and sex to reduce the embarrassment of such important issues, which are a vital part of life, particularly in the formative years into young adulthood.

The call comes at the start of Sexual Health Week in Northern Ireland which takes place between 10th - 16th February 2020.

Jacquie Richardson, Chief Executive of Positive Life said:

“This Sexual Health Week we are calling for greater emphasis to be placed on Relationship and Sex Education in schools, to create knowledge and understanding about sexually transmitted infections such as HIV.”

“More often than not, sex education at second and third level education teaches the basic elements, but fails to place an emphasis on maintaining good sexual health. This ultimately has a knock-on impact as we are generally not as alert to potential dangers as we move into adulthood and have sexual relationships.”

“We feel it is vitally important that we have open conversations that are age appropriate which equips young people with right information as they grow up in a digital age where they often have access to inappropriate images and information that often presents a warped view of real life.”

“We work with number of service users and past service users at Positive Life who have been open with us about the lack of sex education during their formative years being a contributory factor to their lack of knowledge of the importance of looking after their sexual health.”

“It’s strange that nearly everyone we engage with agrees that age appropriate sexual health education in schools is needed but it doesn’t always seem to work out like that. Only recently we were made aware in the media of the fact that when RSE was planned to take place in a school in County Down, it was pulled. If we keep doing this then we continue to deny a whole generation of young people much needed information.” 

“Northern Ireland is a place that has seen a rise in STIs including HIV over recent years, so the evidence shows that there is an issue that needs to be addressed.”

“If we don’t talk about these issues then they will remain taboo and embarrassing. That is the worst situation we could be in because that lack of understanding often leads to ignorance. People end up with STIs because they don’t realise the risk they expose themselves to. Taking control of their own sexual health is just as important as looking after their physical and mental health.”

“We are calling on our elected representatives to take a real and serious look at the provision of sexual health education in our schools to better equip our young people for their own futures.”

2020 Local Government Conference Confirmed for 20 February

David Jackson, SOLACE NI Chair and Derek McCallan, CEO, NILGA

The 2020 Local Government Conference has been confirmed for 20 February at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast.

Delivered by the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA), in partnership with the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE NI), the conference is expected to be addressed by Ministers from the Executive Office.

Hosted by the BBC’s Mark Carruthers, the conference will be a key event for anyone focused on transforming public services, local democracy and community investment in Northern Ireland, with councils the hub of such developments.  

With the theme ‘The Future of Local Government’, the conference comes at a hugely significant time for Northern Ireland. During the three-year absence of an Executive at Stormont, local councils were Northern Ireland’s only democratically elected and fully functioning form of government. With increased demand from citizens, local government in Northern Ireland is faced with major financial and resource pressures, placing significant strain on the capacity of councils.

Speakers will include:

• Cllr Frances Burton, NILGA President

• David Jackson, Chair, SOLACE & CEO, Causeway Coast & Glens BC

• Suzanne Wylie, CEO, Belfast City Council

• Ann Watt, Director, Pivotal

• Paul Harper, Director of Asset Delivery, NI Water

• Grainia Long, Commissioner for Resilience, Belfast City Council

• Paul O’Brien, CEO, APSE

• Liam Nolan, Vice President, Business Development, Oracle 

• Lesley Riddoch, Award-winning Journalist & Broadcaster.

Supported by APSE, NI Water and Version 1, the conference will also culminate with the Local Government Gala Awards. The Awards recognise and showcase brilliance in service provision, new initiatives and commitment from council workers, councillors and NILGA’s partners in the community.

NILGA Chief Executive Derek McCallan said:

“We are thrilled to deliver the 2020 Local Government Conference on 20 February at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast.

“The conference’s theme, ‘The Future of Local Government’, is of real significance this year. After three years without an NI Executive, we are relieved that Ministers have returned to their posts. In its absence however local councils were our only functioning form of democratically elected government and demonstrated their immense value to their constituents. We want to see local government’s role in this period rewarded by the new Executive with a far-reaching and comprehensive Devolution Bill which will put greater powers, resources and finances in the hands of our local communities. The conference will reflect on and discuss ideas to ensure we can continue to deliver high-quality service provision for local citizens.

“We are also excited about the NI Local Government Awards Gala. Local government employees across Northern Ireland do fantastic and dedicated work to improve the lives and communities of local people and it is right that we recognise and acknowledge their efforts and commitment.”

SOLACE NI Chair David Jackson said:

“SOLACE is proud to be delivering this year’s Local Government Conference in collaboration with NILGA. This ambitious and comprehensive conference is a vital opportunity to explore how we can strengthen our local democracy, improve local government resilience in the face of uncertainty, play our part in tackling the climate crisis, provide sustainable transport and infrastructure, and ensure we are at the forefront of technological change to enhance our local economies.”