HappyChef Daily · Today's restaurant news
Young Chefs Win, A Clare Hotel For Sale And A Sliema Terrace Must Go
- Ireland
- Malta
In Short
- Jack Rice of Comet is Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year, and Aengus Moloney of Aniar is Rising Pastry Chef.
- During the Ploughing, restaurant card spend in Tullamore rose 44% on last year, while pubs fell 27%.
- The Royal Spa Hotel in Lisdoonvarna is for sale at €1.25 million after 46 years with one family.
- SETU Waterford will host the Knorr Student Chef of the Year final on 4 March 2027.
- Malta's Lands Authority gave Piccolo Padre in Sliema 30 days to clear its tables from a public pavement.
Today is a good day for young talent in Ireland. Two chef awards and a tourism award all went to people who started near the bottom.
There is also fresh data on what big events do for local tills, a family hotel in Clare up for sale, and a clear signal from Malta about tables on public land.
Two Young Chefs Take The Top Euro-Toques Prizes
Euro-Toques Ireland named Jack Rice of Comet its Young Chef of the Year at a gala in Dublin on Sunday. Aengus Moloney of Aniar in Galway won Rising Pastry Chef of the Year.
The finalists cooked with Irish Dexter beef, organic flour from Co Louth and dairy from Saltrock Farm. The night also marked 40 years since Euro-Toques started in Ireland in 1986.
Sources: Hospitality Ireland
Big Events Fill Restaurants, But Not Always The Pubs
County Offaly · County Clare · Ireland
AIB card data shows what September's big events did for local business. During the National Ploughing Championships, restaurant spend in Tullamore rose 44% on last year, but spend in pubs fell 27%.
In Co Clare, during the Irish Open at Doonbeg, spending in restaurants and pubs was 58% above the September daily average. Hotel and B&B spend in Clare rose 64% on last year.
Sources: Hospitality Ireland
A Family Hotel In Lisdoonvarna Looks For A New Owner
The Royal Spa Hotel in Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare, is on the market for €1.25 million. The Doherty family ran it for about 46 years and are now retiring.
It has 12 bedrooms, a bar, a café and a function room for up to 160 seated guests. Some empty rooms could become four or five extra en suites, with planning permission.
Sources: The Irish Times
A Waterford College Gets The Next National Cooking Contest
SETU Waterford will host the Knorr Student Chef of the Year final on 4 March 2027. The college of the winner always hosts the next final, and this year's champion, Rebecca Mahon, studies there.
Entry details and the list of finalists will follow in the coming months. Kitchens looking for new staff may want to watch this list.
Sources: Hotel & Restaurant Times
A Former Café Assistant Now Runs A Wexford Estate
Jess Sinnott of Johnstown Castle in Co Wexford won the first Tourism 40 Under 40 Award. She joined the estate in 2019 as a café assistant and is now its acting general manager.
The award, run by Business Plus with the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, picks out 40 young people working in tourism.
Sources: Hotel & Restaurant Times
Sliema Restaurant Told To Clear Its Pavement Tables
Malta's Lands Authority gave Piccolo Padre, a waterfront restaurant in Sliema owned by Carlo Stivala, 30 days to remove its tables and chairs from the public pavement. That is the shortest period the law allows.
Less than two weeks ago the planning authority ordered a canopy over the same tables to come down. The local council and the NGO Moviment Graffitti had both objected to the seating.
Sources: The Malta Independent, Lovin Malta
What Does This Mean For Your Restaurant?
For Irish owners, the AIB numbers are worth a look: a big event nearby can bring diners, but drinkers do not always follow. Plan staff and stock for the kind of guest the event brings.
In Malta, the message is plain. Outdoor seating needs the right permits and titles, and the authorities are now acting fast where it is missing.
Sources
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