managing your pub 2008

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Facing The FutureThe Irish pub trade is in a position toprosper, despite the challenges it faces,argues Padraig Cribben, ChiefExecutive, VFI ......................................3

The Challenges AheadMichael Patten, Chairman of the DrinksIndustry Group of Ireland (DIGI), on thechallenges facing the drinks industry in2008, from taxation to regulation .......7

PensionsJust 10% of employees in the hospitalitysector have occupational pensioncoverage, which is an extremelyworrying statistic................................12

Food SafetyThe Food Safety Authority of Irelandprovides guidelines to correct foodhandling and preparation in pubs.....17

Catering EssentialsYour food menu says a lot about yourbusiness, so are you making the rightimpression?........................................20

CoffeeServing quality coffee in your pub couldbring massive profit potential, and notjust at lunchtime. The Kenco CoffeeCompany offers a complete coffeesolution for your pub.........................26

Alcohol AdvertisingRosemary Garth, Director of theAlcohol Beverage Foundation ofIreland, states that the drinks industrymust rise to the challenges of newcodes of practice, which placeconsiderable restrictions on alcoholadvertising in Ireland .......................30

Stock LevelsHow to avoid over-ordering yourbeverages, while ensuring you don’t runout of your top-sellers .......................32

Stock-TakingBy implementing some basic stockcontrol procedures, you can minimiselosses in your busi .............................33

WashroomsEnsuring your toilets and washroomsare properly cleaned and serviced isvital from a Health & Safety perspective,but also ensures a good impression ofthe premises ......................................34

Cost ControlThe golden rules of cost control .......41

Profit MarginsAssessing and monitoring profitmargins is vital, if you are to ensure yourpub survives and thrives in today’s ultra-competitive environment ..................42

Human ResourcesHow to get recruitment right,conducting staff appraisals and keepingyour staff happy and motivated ........44

Ladies’ NightWhile most pubs cater for their maleclientele, the enterprising pub owner isensuring that girls’ nights out areequally well catered for, and is reapingserious rewards..................................46

Waste ManagementImplementing a proper wastemanagement system in your pub is notjust a case of promoting green issues: itcan also save you money ..................54

Cellar ManagementBOC Sureserve have implemented asolution to minimise the risks associatedwith drinks dispense gases in cellars andcold-rooms.........................................58

Beer-GardensWhatever your needs, Exclusive Blindshave Beer Gardens covered..............60

SecurityIt is an offence to work as a securityguard or door supervisor without alicence from the Private SecurityAuthority (PSA), or to employ someonewithout a licence ...............................63

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Contents

MANAGING YOUR PUB 2008

Contents 18/08/2008 16:06 Page 1

Hennessy A4 19/08/2008 11:46 Page 1

Padraig Cribben, ChiefExecutive of the Vintners’ Federation ofIreland (VFI), is fully aware that changesare afoot, and seems ready, willing andable to face whatever challenges the pubindustry may face.

“We have to realise that consumerexpectations are changing,” he says.“Consumers have a higher expectationtoday than they had five years ago. Manypublicans have reacted in a timely andstrong manner towards these changingtrends and publicans are bearing the fruitof having bought into the changing trends.Yes, consumer demand will change further.There will be an onus on individual publi-cans to not only meet the expectations,but also surpass the expectations of thecustomer. Those that do will thrive. Bearin mind, there are challenges, but there aresignificant opportunities as well.”

It is a decidedly optimistic outlook ina trade that is burdened with rising costsand legislative duties, but one suspects

that Cribben and the VFI can rise tothe challenge. Since its establish-ment in 1973 from a number ofsmaller associations, the Federationhas doggedly fought for the protec-tion and betterment of the liveli-hood of publicans. With a member-ship consisting of approximately5,000 publicans, it maintains a firmfoothold as a strong national tradeorganisation.

ConsiderableResponsibilityCribben took the role of ChiefExecutive on January 1, 2008, replac-ing Tadg O’Sullivan. This was nosmall task, since O’Sullivan had beenin his position for 25 years. Pickingup that sort of mantle was a consid-erable responsibility, the new CEcontends: “Our members need theinput of a federation. Someone inthat position for 25 years would havegarnered a lot of knowledge, informationand contacts. It is a serious role – theyare serious shoes to fill.”

One suspects, however, that Cribbenis more than able for the task. Prior totaking up the role, he worked in the foodbusiness for the duration of his workinglife. Hailing from Summerhill in CountyMeath, he worked with the Kerry Groupfor 15 years, before becoming ChiefExecutive of poultry processing compa-ny, Carton Group. For nine years beforejoining the VFI, he worked as ManagingDirector of Johnson, Mooney andO’Brien bakeries.

With this background in mind, whatdoes he bring to the role of VFI ChiefExecutive?

“I bring the experience of havingbeen involved in businesses, having runbusinesses, knowing the day-to-dayissues that people in business experiencefirsthand, knowing that someone’s prob-lem today, the single biggest issue theyhave, needs to be addressed today andnot tomorrow,” he avows. ”I also bringexperience of understanding businessand negotiations, whether it is on thesupplier side or the regulatory side.”

Was he required to clue himself upon certain issues before entering theposition?

“If you are long enough around theblock, you have to hit the ground run-ning, and that is what I’ve tried to do,”he says.

Services to the PublicanWhen it comes to offering services topublican, Cribben knows exactly what isrequired. The VFI offer advice in the formof legalities – licensing law, planning law,employment law etc. – as well as day-to-day issues pertaining to publicans, bethey in the realm of accounting, taxation,

The Changing Face of Pubs

3

Facing The Future

Despite challenges,the Irish pub tradeis in a position toprosper, saysPadraig Cribben,VFI ChiefExecutive.

Padraig Cribben, VFI Chief Executive.


Padraig Gibben 19/08/2008 11:40 Page 1

or general business practices. On theother hand, the VFI have the responsi-bility of creating the best possible envi-ronment in which the pub trade canoperate: monitoring and influencing,where possible, legislation, regulations,and various issues that might arise.

Earlier this year, for example, Cribbenspoke out about calls to reduce thedrink-drive limit below the current thresh-old, arguing that the real issues thatneeded to be tackled included speed-ing, drunk driving, inexperienced driving,fatigue and reckless driving.

But there is little doubt that the tradefaces significant challenges moving intothe future. In recent years, there hasbeen a move from the on-trade to off-trade. Figures released from Revenuereveal a decline in the number of publicenses granted across the country. Andaccording to a recent report in theSunday Business Post, in 2006 and 2007,pub licences in Ireland declined by morethan 600: Leinster lost 115 pub licences;Dublin lost 20, while the number of pubsin the southwest fell by 172. The largestdecrease, however, was in the BorderMidlands West (BMW) region, where thenumber of licences fell by 300. Off-licens-es, on the other hand, have been thriv-ing. In 2007, 320 additional off-licenceswere issued.

The Challenges AheadCribben ponders on the challenges fac-ing the pub sector in 2008 and beyond.“In any business, the two most criticalareas are volume of turnover and controlof costs,” he says. “The pub business is

no different. If you look at the turnoverand level of business, it is an issue. Wehave a growing move away from con-sumption of alcohol in the on-trade tothe off-trade, or home drinking. That is aserious problem from the perspective ofour members.”

Now that the trade has settled itselfafter the introduction of the smokingban, why does he think that consumershave been turning to off-sales in increas-ing numbers?

“It has, to a large extent, been facili-tated by the repeal of the GroceriesOrder - that facilitated pretty irresponsi-ble marketing and sales of alcohol, as aloss leader, by major multiples,” Cribbenargues. “In many respects, alcohol soldin an uncontrolled environment has not

only had an effect on our members, butit has also had a real effect on society inthe context of increased domestic envi-ronment, which is evident every week-end, when you pick up the papers. It hasalso led to increased binge drinking, par-ticularly increased underage drinking.”

Rather than cry into their cup, the VFIhave been proactive as far as this chal-lenge is concerned, and have embarkedon a series of campaigns to address thesituation. For example, they recentlylaunched a major advertising campaign,and are in the process of upgrading theirwebsite to facilitate weekend trippersand holidaymakers from abroad. Theidea, explains Cribben, is to help touristsplan their trip around pubs, and every-thing that the pub offers, “from music tosport to conviviality”. The VFI has alsorevamped its public relations set-up toportray a “more positive image”.

“There are a number of other initia-tives that we are looking at regarding thepromotional side of the business,” headds. “All of which focus on significantlyincreasing footfall to pubs.”

LegislationThere is also the issue of legislation, rulesand regulations to contend with. Thealcohol advertising codes, introducedearlier this year, have yet to affect thepub trade. With continued restrictions,there are less external outlets for majormanufacturers to support their brands.However, this opens up opportunities forpublicans: where better to publicisebrands than at point-of-sale in the pub.

4

Facing The Future


Cribben suggests that, in the context ofalcohol advertising and sponsorshiprestrictions, the pub could benefit.

But when it comes to the IntoxicatingLiquor Bill 2008, which was recently intro-duced in the Dáil, he believes that thelaw did not go far enough. “It started outwith great aspirations but became sig-nificantly watered down over the courseof time,” he contends, “particularly in thecontext of segregation of alcohol in themultiple trade. Initially, when the Ministerannounced the Bill, we envisaged a sce-nario where alcohol would need to besold within a segregated area within theoff-trade. That hasn’t happened. We waitto see the type of Code of Practice thatis brought forward by the retail trade,and how it is monitored by the regulato-ry authorities. Other than that, as theMinister said, the particular act is just aholding Act. A broader brush will beintroduced later in the year.”

Will it effect take-home sales frompubs? “Most customers and publicansadapt to particular legislation as it comesinto place, and the current legislation is

no different. They will find the relevantand apt way to ensure that the law isadhered to,” he says.

Rural PubsCribben believes that the IntoxicatingLiquor Bill will not have a major effect onrural pubs, but contends that these pubsare definitely facing significant chal-lenges. These include footfall and ever-increasing costs.

“On the one hand, we are led tobelieve that all the cost increases areoutside our control – they are driven byinternational factors – but there is onlyan element of truth in that,” he says. “Alot of the significant cost increases thatour members are facing are not drivenby international factors. Rates, for exam-ple, are a very serious issue for some ofour members. Water charges have sig-nificantly increased over the last 12 to18 months. In some cases they have tre-bled – a small pub with a relatively lowturnover, is facing water rates of around€10,000. That’s up from €2,000 to€3,000: a very significant increase.

Waste disposal is a significant cost aswell, and there are many other factorsthat are not internationally driven. Thereis an enormous amount of red tapearound businesses – it gets greater everyday – it would appear that there are seri-ous disincentives to running your ownbusiness.”

While the trend of pubs outsideDublin shutting up shop is continuing, ithas slowed down, but how about in citieswhere the price of property has, for sometime, outweighed the price of the busi-ness. In recent times, around 300 or 400pubs have been closing annually, manyof them due to the lure of the propertymarket. According to Cribben, while thismight have been true up to about ninemonths ago, considering a decline in theproperty market, this is unlikely to be thecase at present. After all, the develop-ment potential of sites is not as strong asit was in years past.

Changing Your PubAs the landscape changes, so too dopubs. Is it important that publicans offera one-stop shop, where customers canavail of food, entertainment, perhapseven take-away coffee? The VFI ChiefExecutive believes it is less about gener-alising, more about specialising.

“There are many people in the pubtrade who are doing very good businesswith food, there are many who do verygood business without food,” he says.“The important thing, for any publican, isto recognise their niche in the market, andthen to be the best they possibly can with-in that niche. If they do that, whether withfood, sport, music, entertainment, or what-ever, as long as they do it well, that is thekey to success in any business. Recogniseyour niche and be good at what you do.”

While the Irish pub milieu might faceincreasing challenges, we have the bene-fit of a vibrant trade, according to Cribben.There is no doubting his optimism, as helooks forward to the years ahead.

“There are many people out therewho are doing an extremely good job,”he says. “I believe - and I wouldn’t behere if I didn’t believe it - that there is agreat future for the pub trade in Ireland.Yes, there are challenges. Yes, there arechanging demands. And yes, there aregreat publicans out there who are in aposition to meet those demands, publicanswho will thrive and prosper over the yearsahead.”

5

Facing The Future



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CBE New 19/08/2008 11:53 Page 1

When, it comes to the strengthof the Irish drinks industry, MichaelPatten, chairman of the Drinks IndustryGroup of Ireland (DIGI), has no doubts. Anew report, entitled The EconomicContribution of the Drinks Industry inIreland, has proven overwhelmingly pos-itive about the importance of this sectorto the Irish economy. The report, under-taken by Anthony Foley of Dublin CityUniversity Business School, revealed thatthe alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinksindustry employs the equivalent of61,600 full time employees in Ireland.Include part time employees, and thisadds up to around 100,000.

“It is an industry thatgenerates massive revenuefor the Government,” saysPatten, who is alsoCorporate Relations Directorfor Diageo. “When you putVAT and excise together, theGovernment is yielding €2.2billion from the drinks indus-try. In addition to generatingthat level of revenue, theindustry is also a huge utilis-er of domestically manufac-tured or produced goods,such as agricultural raw

materials. The impact of the drinks indus-try is not just about taxes per se, or evenjobs per se. There is also a spin-off effectin terms of dairy farming, cereal produc-tion, packaging, marketing, and so forth.It’s a huge reach.”

When it comes to exports, the sectoris thriving. Patten admits that a smallnumber of Irish brands are performingwell on a global scale - Baileys, Guinness,Jameson, and to a lesser extent,Magners – but with €1.3 billion pro-duced in foreign earnings during 2007,this is not to be sniffed at. In comparison

terms, drinks exports are now yieldingmore than dairy. But with an economicwinter dawning on Ireland – one that isunlikely to improve over the comingyears – how can these conditions bemaintained? How can the industry stayhealthy and continue to generate thesetypes of returns and revenues?

The outlook, at present, is not rosy.Ireland has to contend with a growing costbase, while competitiveness in the Irisheconomy has been diminishing for a num-ber of years, says Patten. “Businessesoperating in Ireland have to absorb Irishcosts - labour costs, raw material costs -and they’re facing significant disadvan-tages versus our global competitors,” henotes. ”Another issue, certainly from aDiageo point of view, is that we have tomake sure that our operations are inter-nationally competitive from a scale per-spective. But even when you remove theissue of scale, our cost base is very high.”

The Taxation IssueBoth Patten and Foley’s report suggestthat, despite the industry’s potential, itreceives disproportionate burdens.Amongst them: taxation. The reportreleased a number of findings: beerexcise in Ireland is the second highest inthe EU; wine excise in Ireland is the high-est in the EU; Ireland’s beer tax is 10 timesthat of Germany and seven times that ofFrance; Ireland’s spirit excise is the sec-

ond highest in the EU; andIreland’s cider tax is the secondhighest in the EU.

How does this affect beersales at ground level? For everypint sold, the Governmentreceives approximately €1.16(29.7% of the price); €1.18 froma half glass of spirits (33.2%);€15.24 (62.3%) from a bottle ofwhiskey in an off-licence, and37.9% from a €10 bottle of wine.

“It puts a very heavy burdenon the industry,” contendsPatten. “I know the taxation sys-tems are different in other coun-

Raising the Bar

7

Michael Patten,Chairman of theDrinks IndustryGroup of Ireland(DIGI), on thechallenges facingthe drinks industryin 2008, fromtaxation toregulation.

Michael Patten, Chairman, DIGI.

The Challenges Ahead


Michael Patten 15/08/2008 15:32 Page 1

tries, but it is remarkable that in Francethe excise regime tends to favourdomestically produced products such aswine. Spain and Germany are the same.Ireland is imposing tax on its domesticindustry that is in stark contrast to howother countries are addressing their ownindigenous industries.”

Why does he think the duties are sohigh? “It’s partly due to a Governmentrevenue strategy that has focused on lowdirect taxation and high indirect taxa-tion,” he states. “The problem with thatstrategy is it creates disproportionateburdens.”

Alcohol ConsumptionLevelsRecent excise adjustments, including onein 2002 pertaining to the spirits industry,have been designed against the back-drop of alcohol consumption levels, butthe DIGI chairman says that this is not rea-son enough for these tax burdens. Afterall, Ireland has had the highest tax levelsin Europe for 20 years, to little avail.

“The Irish industry has been a hugecontributor to the debate about alcoholmisuse and has been pulling more thanits weight,” he notes. “Right now,nobody, including the Government,spends more on alcohol education thanthe Irish drinks industry. We have been

putting our money where aremouths are.” He cites theexample of industry’s €20mresponsible drinking fund,“which is not matched bythe State”.

Of course, the argumentmight be made that exciseduties in Ireland are dispro-portionate to otherEuropean nations, simplybecause our problemsregarding alcohol consump-tion are equally dispropor-tionate. The report, howev-er, found that consumptionin Ireland peaked in 2001and has declined by over 5%since. The report also foundthat the proportion of totalpersonal consumptionaccounted for by alcoholhas declined from 9.7% in2000 to 8% in 2006.

“If you look historically,where alcohol consumptionpeaked in various Europeancountries, you will find thatthe level of Irish consumption, when itpeaked in 2001, was substantially lowerthan similar peaks in other countries suchas France, Austria, or Italy,” says Patten.“One of the realities is that Ireland has a

much younger demo-graphic - and demograph-ics play a far bigger role inalcohol consumption thana lot of other factors. Weare seeing a slow, gradualdecline in alcohol con-sumption in Ireland, large-ly because our populationis getting older. I don’tthink the situation inIreland is radically differ-ent. I think we have partic-ular issues over the natureof consumption. In other

European countries, alcohol consump-tion tends to be more frequent but inlower amounts, whereas in Ireland ittends to be ‘don’t drink during the week,save it up, then have a big night out atthe weekend’.”

So he recognises notable problemsin regard to binge drinking? “Yes, but theevidence is clear. If tax were to solve thisproblem, it would have done so a longtime ago. The challenge we face inIreland is addressing culture and accept-ability of behaviours around alcohol mis-use. Generally, society has toleratedthese issues. If society becomes less tol-erant, the issues go away far faster thanany concept of imposing narrow regula-tion on one part of the supply chain.Consumer attitudes and behaviours aredriving a lot of the misuse problem.”

8


TaxationFindings on taxation included:• Beer excise in Ireland is the second highest in the EU. • Wine excise in Ireland is the highest in the EU. • Ireland’s beer tax is ten times that of Germany and seven times

that of France. • Ireland’s spirit excise is the second highest in the EU. • Ireland’s cider tax is the second highest in the EU.


Competitiveness at StakeIn recent times, much of the debatearound alcoholic drinks has pertained tothe area of responsibility. But peel thisaway, and it is evident that the competi-tiveness of the domestic industry has beeneroded. According to the report, Ireland’sshare of the domestic market has declinedby 22%, and imports have grown by 90%.Wine is now the second largest alcoholcategory in the state: 10 years ago, it bare-ly had 8% market share. Of course, muchof this is attributable to changing lifestyleissues, a shift from on-trade to off-trade,and a growing range of products and for-mats for home consumption.

But neither has the regulatory envi-ronment helped, says Patten. “If you lookat the body of Government regulationthat has taken place around alcohol since2000, while the different pieces of legis-lation have been designed to address par-ticular issues, accumulatively they haveinadvertently created a marketplace thatis favouring imported products,” he says.

Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2008With this in mind, the industry now hasanother obstacle to overcome: theIntoxicating Liquor Bill 2008. One of themain changes is the restriction of off-sales of alcohol to between 10:30amand 10:00pm from Monday to Saturday,and between 12:30pm and 10:00pm onany Sunday. There is provision in the Billfor test purchasing by minors, andsevere penalties for infringements, rang-ing from fines to temporary closureorders. Late night licenced venues mustnow close at 2.30am, except for Sunday,which is 1am. Extension licences wereincreased in cost by several hundredpercent to €400 a night.

DIGI did not take a formal outlookon the Bill, due to the fact that its mem-bers held different opinions - the Grouptends to lobby on issues over whichthere is a united view. When there is nota united view, individual memberorganisations make their own stance.The vintners, for example, considered

provisions of the Bill in a different lightto off-trade.

From a personal perspective, howev-er, Patten contends, “a lot of the provi-sions of the Bill are designed to supportthe public order agenda. We are nowwaiting to see if it will do that. Will meas-ures, such as reducing the opening hoursof off-licenses, have any knock-on effectin terms of late night drinking and otherissues? Or will consumer behaviour sim-ply adapt to the new regime? It’s a ques-tion that only time can answer.”

Surely a lot of the provisions willcause misery for publicans? Say a cus-tomer wants to buy a carry-out at closingtime, the Bill will make this illegal.“Those are precisely the situationswhere consumer behaviour can adaptreasonably quickly,” he responds. “Ifconsumers want to bring beer home,they will have to buy it before 10:30pm.It’s not that difficult.”

But that means they will be sitting attheir table with a plastic bag full of alco-hol for the last few hours of a pub’s open-ing. “I understand the argument, but theBill is now a reality,” Patten explains. “Wehave to now see how the market willadapt to it. Hypothesising whether thisis a good or bad thing is, in my mind,irrelevant. The Bill is here - now we haveto see how the market reacts. At a per-sonal level, I believe that consumers willadapt. If there’s one thing clear fromworking in the drinks industry, it is thehigh degree of consumer adaptabilityover the last number of years.”

Voluntary Code of PracticeAs part of the Bill, the Minister commis-sioned a Voluntary Code of Practice fromretail trade bodies. This will provide forthe location and display of alcohol with-in premises, signage, warning signs, in-store advertising and staff training stan-dards, meaning that more stringent pro-visions in the Intoxicating Liquor Bill(regarding the structural separation ofthe sale of alcohol in mixed tradingpremises) will be deferred.

These Codes are largely being led bythe retail groups, under the mantle of theDepartment of Justice: Retail Ireland,which represents the multiples; RGDA-TA, which represents convenience stores;and NOffLA, on behalf of the off-licences. DIGI has, however, long beenadvocating Codes governing the saleand marketing of alcohol in the off-trade.

9


Key Facts• Ireland’s broad drinks industry employs the equivalent of almost 62,000 full

time jobs but numbers employed by drinks manufacturers has fallen by 27%since 2000 [2006: 4468 people in manufacturing].

• The Government’s tax take from the sector is equivalent to one in every threeEuro spent on alcohol by Irish consumers.

• Alcohol accounts for €1.3 billion of Irish exports and generates a substantialtrade surplus.

• Drinks manufacturers spend total of €1.9 billion on purchases each year.• The industry pays out €256 million in wages and salaries each year.• 54% of pubs had sales of less than €200,000 a year

(Source: The Economic Contribution of the Drinks Industry in Ireland, 2008)



Under the auspices of DIGI, the variousretail bodies have liaised in regard to theresponsible serving of alcohol pro-grammes - and how these programmesdovetail and harmonise nationally.

“We were also, for some years,advocates of a national retail voluntarycode for alcohol,” continues Patten.“Work had been underway within theDepartment of Health and this hasbeen consolidated into a new initiativeby the Department of Justice. If a basisfor voluntary action can be achieved,we should only look at legislation as alast option.”

Advertising & MarketingDIGI were, however, central in devisinga new range of codes that restrict theadvertising and marketing of alcohol inIreland. The codes, made effective inJuly 2008, include a range of measuresdesigned to restrict young people’sexposure to alcohol advertising – where,for example, more than 25% of an audi-ence is under 18.

Michael Patten explains: “There hasbeen a growing awareness over theyears of the need for the industry tomake sure that its advertising is appro-priately targeted in terms of both itsmedia and its message. The latestadvertising codes are continuing thatjourney, and looking at the areas wherethe rules have not been sufficiently welldefined. We are trying to ensure thatproper consumer marketing and respon-sible advertising is a critical underpin ofvalue within our industry - we have tomake sure that it is done in a way that isappropriate.”

The new regulations include audi-ence profiling across all forms of media,so the same rules are applied across the

spectrum. Because of this, the amountof alcohol advertising will not be dis-proportionate in any publication orbroadcast. Meanwhile, increasing theaudience profile to 75% adults moreaccurately reflects the national demo-graphic.

“The new rules around sports pro-gramming also ensure that the bigsports shows are not overwhelmed byalcohol marketing,” continues Patten.“There is plenty of room for great alco-hol marketing conducted in a tastefuland targeted way. The new rule changestighten it up and make sure there is noroom for abuse. I feel they are welcomechanges; the industry is hugely commit-ted to implementing them. They will bea change for the better and, again, it isa bit like the Intoxicating Liquor Bill: wewill have to look back in a couple ofyears and measure its effect.”

Facing the ChallengesFor now, however, the Irish drinks indus-try is looking to the future. And DIGI is

wondering how it can protect itself fromever-increasing challenges. A substantialproportion of competitiveness issues aredue to the high cost base of doing busi-ness in Ireland, whether they be in therealm of energy, raw materials or labour.The cost of capital investment in Ireland– versus, for example, construction costs– threatens the drinks industry, as it doesthe food industry and other manufactur-ing sectors.

“As we progress into national wageagreements, where we are looking at thewhole area of inflation in our economy,we have to start accepting that if wewant to sustain long-term competitive-ness, we have to create the right condi-tions,” Patten stresses. “Why are energycosts in Ireland 40% higher than they arein GB, which is just across the water?Waste management costs have beengoing through the roof. These tend notto be taken into account, when we’relooking at the amount of Government-induced cost that is there.”

What are the solutions? “There area couple of actions that we want to seerising from this report. We have tostress the huge challenges that are fac-ing our domestic industry, and theimportance of ensuring that we do notput any further disadvantage on thedomestic industry. We don’t believethat further taxation is a good thing. Wedon’t believe it will be economicallybeneficial for the Government. In fact,it would inflate the demand to sourceproducts outside the State. It wouldalso put further pressure on consumertrends between the on-trade and theoff-trade. There is a real need to stopand think.”

10




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The Irish pub is the well knownlocation of many a heated debate onhot topics of the day and breakingissues. However, one essential topic,albeit not so hot but certainly vital,which seems to have eluded the barindustry is pensions, with only approx-imately 10% of employees in the hos-pitality sector having occupationalpension coverage (Source: CSOQuarterly National Household Survey2006).

The decision to start a pension lieswith the individual. However, it is under-stood that those who have been intro-duced to a pension through the work-place demonstrate greater propensityto take-up a pension.

Life Expectancy A man retiring at 65 now can expect tolive to 85 and a woman retiring at 65can expect to live to 88. Given the phys-ical and socially demanding elements ofworking in the bar industry, for most,retiring at 65 years would be the pre-ferred option. This basically means thatyou/ your employees/ colleagues willneed to save enough over a workinglifetime to fund a retirement of perhaps20 to 23 or more years: best get into thesavings habit now.

Pensions Made SimpleThe word ‘pension’ in itself can be off-putting for a lot of people, especiallyyoung people, as they tend to thinkpensions are too complicated. Pensionsare more simple than many realise,comprising of three basic elements:

The individual’s personal contri-butions + the employer’s contribu-tions (if they make any) + Governmentsupport (by tax relief) = Your Pension.

Employers’ Legal ObligationsEmployers are obliged by law to pro-vide their employees with access to aPersonal Retirement Savings Account(PRSA) provider, allow them time to seethe provider and to make the relevantdeductions from payroll, but they arenot obliged to contribute to an employ-ee’s pension. The Pensions Board willissue on-the-spot fines and prosecuteany businesses found in breach of theirobligations: check-out the Pensions’Board’s Trustee and Employer Checkliston www.pensionsboard.ie for a morecomplete list of obligations and furtherinformation.

Government SupportThe Government is keen to encouragethe individual to save for their own per-sonal pension. As a result, theGovernment allows for pension contri-butions to be deducted from the wage/salary before tax. In other words, if some-one wanted to put €100 into a pensionand they’re on the higher rate of tax(41%) the cost to them is €59, if they’reon the lower rate of tax (20%) the cost tothem is €80. Put simply, by contributingto a pension, the individual pays less tax.PAYE employees can also receive relieffrom the PRSI and the health levy.

A Good Deal for YourBusinessAs mentioned, there is no obligation onany business to contribute to a pensionscheme. However, a pension scheme hasbeen long recognised as an importantasset for both the business and itsemployees. With a pension scheme inplace, your business benefits from having:• An enhanced reputation and

respect as a good employer;• A workforce that feels valued and

important;• Increased loyalty and commitment

from staff;• An enhanced staff recruitment,

reward and retention package.

Pension Plans for Bar Employees

12

Pensions

Just 10% ofemployees in the hospitalitysector haveoccupationalpension coverage,which is anextremely worryingstatistic.


Pensions 15/08/2008 16:32 Page 1

PENSIONS MADE SIMPLE

YOURPENSION

Your personal pension

contributions

Your employer’s

contributions (if they make any)

Government support

(by tax relief)

By law your employer must provide you with access to a pension, whether you’re in full-time, part-time, temporary, contract or casual employment.

Pension scheme contributions benefit from income tax relief at your highest rate of tax. If you contribute 100 per week and you pay the higher rate of tax (41%) the net cost to you is 59 per week. If you pay tax at the lower rate (20%) the net cost to you is 80 per week.

Visit the Pensions Calculator at www.pensionsboard.ie

Talk to your employer, trade union, bank, insurance company, building society or financial advisor about starting your pension today.

Pen ManagePub A4 .indd 1 07/08/2008 15:26:22

More InformationTo better understand how pensionswork, the employer, employee and indi-vidual should check-out the PensionsCalculator available at www.pensions-board.ie.

For those unsure as to their pen-sion options, or what a PRSA is, orwho the providers are, or for thosewho would just like further informa-tion, log onto the Pensions Boardweb-site www.pensionsboard.ie or

call LoCall: 1890 65 65 65. Theyshould then talk to their employer,trade union, bank, insurance compa-ny, building society or financial advi-sor about starting a pension.

14

HARDLY a week goes by without some Government ormedia commentary on the ‘pensions timebomb’ and thegeneral lack of pensions among private sector workers.There is no doubt that workers are increasingly focusing onpensions as part of their overall remuneration. Equally, mostresponsible employers want to reward key, long-term staffwith pension coverage. In terms of the Dublin licensedtrade, the LVA Pension Scheme offers both publicans andstaff a tailor-made solution.

Key Features of the LVA Pension Scheme include:

• Proven, well established financial security;• Defined Benefit Pensions;• Personal accident and mortality cover;• Suitable for Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs);• Over 1,000 current staff and pensioners involved;• Portable throughout the Dublin trade;

• Pensioners are fully guaranteed for five years afterretirement;

• Benefits are reviewed every three years;• Given the benefits, contributions are reasonable. From

1st July 2008, they are:- Employer €36 weekly- Employee €18 weekly

• As the Scheme is fully Revenue-approved, these contri-butions are tax deductible.

Membership is open to all categories of staff (barstaff, chefs, kitchen staff etc) irrespective of whetherthey are unionised or non-unionised. Noting the diffi-culties in retaining good, experienced staff, the LVAPension Scheme is a proven means of providing addi-tional benefits.

If you would like to find out more, contact Erin O’Neill inthe LVA on 01 – 6680215 or email [email protected]

THE Pensions Calculator allows you to estimate the amountof money you would need to contribute to your pension inrelation to your age and current yearly salary to end up withthe level of pension you expect in retirement.

Additional Relief: Contributions will also be relieved fromPRSI and the Health levy, if you pay these charges.

This calculator only gives a sample indication of the fundingcontributions for your pension and no reliance should beplaced on it. This calculator does not take into account anycontributions an employer might make to a pension. For afull and accurate assessment of your personal finances andany tax relief you may be entitled to on your pension con-tributions, you should always consult with a professionalfinancial adviser. Visit the online Pensions Calculator atwww.pensionsboard.ie

* If you currently have a pension fund, this entry is the cur-rent value of this fund.

** Entitlement to a full contributory state social welfare pen-sion is assumed and is included as part of the target pen-sion. The current state social welfare pension is€11,611.60 per year (or €223.30 per week) as of January2008.

Sample Details

Sex:

Current age 25

Female

Current Salary 30,000

** Target Pension as % of Pre-Retirement Salary

50 %

How Your Pension Is Made Up

Estimate Private Pension at age 65 3,388

Estimate State Pension at age 65 * 11,612

Estimate Total Pension at age 65 15,000

The Age You Start Your Contributions Age 25 Age 30 Age 35 Age 40

Yearly as % of Salary : 4% 5% 6% 7%

Yearly Contributions : 1,200 1,500 1,800 2,100

Gross per Month : 100 125 150 175

Less Tax Reliefs : ( 20) ( 25) ( 30) ( 35)

Net Contributions Per Month : 80 100 120 140

Notes: Sample is based upon today’s money and pension starting at age 65.

LVA Pension Scheme for Bar Employees

Pensions


Pensions Calculator

Pensions 15/08/2008 16:32 Page 2

Considering a Pension Scheme for key staff?

The LVA Pension Scheme is the answer for all career staff in the Dublin trade.

The Licensed Vintners Association

Pension Scheme for Bar Employees

Total financial security

Defined benefit pensions

Regular benefit reviews

Personal accident insurance

Significant mortality benefit

Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC’s)

Retirement planning counselling

Expert pensions advice tailored to the needs of the trade

Our scheme is specially designed for the Dublinlicensed trade

For more information contact:

Erin O’Neill,

Administration Manager,

LVA Pension Scheme,

Anglesea House, Anglesea Road,

Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

Telephone: 6680215 Ext. 212 Email: [email protected]

Established in 1974 our scheme offers:

LVA Pension Ad 18/08/2008 10:03 Page 1

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Underthe Food Safety Authorityof Ireland Act, 1998, all food businesseshave a legal obligation to produce safefood. Poor practices can lead to food poi-soning. While food poisoning can becaused by viruses and fungi, most resultfrom bacterial contamination (although notall bacteria cause food poisoning).Symptoms range from mild discomfort,vomiting and diarrhoea to life-threateningillness. Infants, pregnant women, the eld-erly and the sick are most at risk from foodpoisoning. The consequences of food poi-

soning are serious for the food businessesinvolved and include legal implications,adverse publicity and commercial damage.

You can prevent your customers get-ting food poisoning by following thesesimple rules:

1. Temperature

Burning hot tips:• Bacteria are present in many raw

foods (e.g. meat, poultry, fish). Thesefoods must be cooked thoroughly tokill any bacteria which maybe pres-ent. During cooking, the core tem-perature of the food must reach 70oCfor 2 minutes (75oC instantaneously).

• To prevent the growth of food poi-soning bacteria, it is important to‘keep hot food hot’ (at temperaturesgreater than 63oC).

• Apply a ‘first in-first out’ policy forcooked foods (ensure the first batchof cooked food placed in the hotholding cabinet is served first).

• Use hot food within two hours.• Only reheat food once and reheat to

piping hot (>70oC).• Discard hot food left-over at the end

of the day.

Ice cold tips:• ‘Keep cold food cold’: store in a

refrigerated display unit at a temper-ature below 5oC.

• Only freeze food once.• Defrost food thoroughly in a refriger-

ator or microwave.• Mark leftovers and discard after day

two. Use leftovers first and do not mixwith freshly prepared salads or saladfillings.

• Cool cooked food quickly (the tem-perature should reach less than 10oCin 150 minutes) and refrigerate whencool.

2. Good Handling PracticesBacteria are found everywhere (e.g. insoil, water, people, animals and food).Food handlers who handle food incor-rectly can transfer bacteria and contami-nate food either directly or indirectly. Youcan prevent the spread of bacteriathrough good food handling practicesand by maintaining good personalhygiene.

Food handling practices:• Don’t allow raw food to come in con-

tact with cooked or ready-to-eatfoods.

• Use separate work areas, utensils andequipment for preparing raw andcooked/ready-to-eat foods. If this isnot possible, clean and disinfectutensils and work surfaces betweentasks.

• Keep your service cloth clean andreplace frequently.

• Do not handle food unnecessarily.• Do not smoke, spit, pick your nose,

lick your fingers, eat, chew gum,cough or sneeze near food that isbeing prepared or served.

Personal hygiene:• Wash hands regularly and in particu-

lar before starting work, before andafter handling food, after using thetoilet, after handling rubbish, aftersmoking, coughing, sneezing etc.

Food Safety Tips for Publicans

17

Guidelines tocorrect foodhandling andpreparation inpubs, from theFood SafetyAuthority ofIreland.

Food Safety


Food Safety 15/08/2008 16:27 Page 1

• Be clean and tidy.- Wear protective clothing.- Keep hair clean and covered under

a cap.- Keep nails short.- Don’t wear strong perfume, exces-

sive make-up and restrict jewelleryto a plain wedding band and smallearrings.

• Cover cuts and sores with a bluewaterproof dressing.

• Inform your supervisor if you havediarrhoea or an upset stomach.

3. CleaningBacteria grow on dirt and food particles:therefore, it is essential to undertake aneffective cleaning procedure. Cleaningshould be carried out using a detergent,followed by a disinfectant.

Detergents remove all visible dirt,while disinfectants reduce the bacterialpopulation to an acceptable level. It isimportant that the detergent and disin-fectant are used in the correct concen-tration and if they are used on food con-tact surfaces, they are suitable for suchuse. Always ‘clean as you go’ and keepyour work area clean and tidy.

These tips should be incorporatedinto your food safety management sys-tem based on the principles of HACCP.

HACCPRegulation (EC) No. 852/2004 requiresfood businesses to put in place, imple-ment and maintain a food safety man-agement system based on the principlesof HACCP (Hazard Analysis and CriticalControl Points). The proprietor/managerhas a legal obligation to understandwhat the Regulation demands and beable to explain how they have beenapplied in their own business.

HACCP is a systematic approach toidentifying and controlling hazards (i.e.microbiological, chemical or physical)that could pose a threat to the prepara-tion of safe food. By controlling hazards,a food business is minimising the risk ofthem occurring and causing a food poi-soning incident, which could make peo-ple ill and result in closure of the busi-ness and prosecution of the propri-etor/manager.

HACCP involves identifying what cango wrong and planning to prevent it. Afood safety management system based onthe principles of HACCP includes goodhygiene practice and good manufacturingpractice, as well as the HACCP system.

Any business that is preparing foodfor consumption on or off the premisesmay be breaking the law if they don’thave suitable procedures based onHACCP principles. However, the legisla-tion allows flexibility in meeting thisrequirement, including the use andadaptation of appropriate guides togood hygiene. The FSAI’s GuidanceNote 11 revision 2 outlines more detailson flexibility.

Environmental health officers (EHOs)and other regulatory inspectors current-ly assess all food businesses for compli-ance with legislation. It is the responsi-bility of the proprietor/manager of a foodbusiness, not the EHO or other regula-tory authorities, to develop and imple-ment a food safety management systembased on the principles of HACCP.

TrainingIt is a legal requirement that staffinvolved in a food environment aretrained and/or supervised commensu-rate with their work activity. The respon-sibility for the supervision and training ofstaff lies with the proprietor of the foodbusiness. Since January 1, 2006, staffresponsible for the development andmaintenance of the food business’ HAC-CP system must have received adequatetraining in the application of HACCPprinciples.

Food safety training is essential to thecommercial viability of a food businessas it:• assists the business in becoming

more efficient, competitive and prof-itable;

• raises performance standards;• reduces wastage;• assists in the production of safe food;• complies with food legislation

requirements;• promotes a good image;• increases staff morale;• improves staff retention.

The implementation of knowledgeacquired during food safety trainingrequires the provision of the appropri-ate resources and motivational supportby management. For food safety train-ing to be successful, a training approachwhich proactively encourages theimplementation of skills and knowledgein the workplace is recommended. Thisrequires the involvement and commit-ment from management, the trainer andthe trainees.

18

Further information can be obtainedfrom the Food Safety Authority ofIreland at www.fsai.ie or by contactingtheir industry advice line on 1890336677.

Additional Reading:

• Safe Food to Go. Food SafetyAuthority of Ireland

• HACCP Information Pack. FoodSafety Authority of Ireland

• Guidance Note 11 - Assessmentof HACCP Compliance Revision2. Food Safety Authority ofIreland

• Guide to Food Safety TrainingLevel 1 - Induction Skills and Level2 - Additional Skills). Food SafetyAuthority of Ireland

• Guide to Food Safety TrainingLevel 3 – Food Safety Skills forManagers. Food Safety Authorityof Ireland

• IS 340: 2007. Hygiene in theCatering Sector. NationalStandards Authority of Ireland

• IS 341: 2007. Hygiene in the FoodRetailing and Wholesaling.National Standards Authority ofIreland.

Food Safety


Food Safety 15/08/2008 16:27 Page 2

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A4 Ad 8/10/07 10:56 am Page 1

Your menu has often beendescribed as your “silent salesperson”.It is certainly a valuable marketing toolfor your pub, and should be treated assuch. After all, your menu (including thechoice of food on offer, how it’s laid-out,your prices) is the key deciding factor inwhether potential customers decide toeat in your pub or to take their businesselsewhere.

There are several points to considerwhen conducting your approach todesigning and implementing a newmenu.• Are the ingredients obtainable and

seasonal? • Have your suppliers been consulted

to ensure sufficient supplies of yourrequired products?

• Is the food suitable for the marketthat dines in your establishment?

• Is the menu language suitable toyour market?

• Is there a recipe card system inplace?

• Has every ingredient been costedaccurately?

• Are your profit margins maintainedwith every dish?

• Is your pricing calculated scientifically? • Where are you placing each item on

the menu? Does it matter? • Do the prices end in .00 or .95? • Have your staff tasted the food on

the new menu? • Have you looked at your competi-

tors’ menus? • Are their prices higher or lower? • Are they busy? • Are children catered for?

Below are a series of simple guide-lines to help pub owners/managersimprove their menu.

1. The Question of ChoiceEverybody likes to be given a choice, butif we are faced with pages and pages ofmenu items, it can be a turn-off. The

same goes for too little choice. Makesure you offer a decent choice of foodand are able to cater to possible ‘off themenu’ requests.

2. The Price is Right?In order to turn a decent profit margin,you must charge a fair price for eachdish. Before you do this, however, youneed to know the cost of each item onyour menu, which is a combination of thecost of each of the ingredients, with allthe other costs associated with runningyour food business factored in. Then, byworking out the profit percentage whichyou hope to attain, you can work out theright selling price for each dish.

3. Designing Your Menu toEnsure High Sales of HighProfit Items.Placing certain items in specific locationson your menu will attract more con-sumers’ attention, and will almost ‘force’

Making Your Menu Work

20

Catering Essentials

Your food menusays a lot aboutyour business, soare you making theright impression?

Cully & SullyDEVELOPED from the Ballymaloerecipe, Cully & Sully’s Irish Stew andSeafood Linguini are two of their sixnew recipes recommended by theBridgestone Guide. They are availablenationally through Pallas Foods.

Cully & Sully’s new prepared mealsare ideal quick and easy dishes for foodservice outlets wanting to expand amenu or to have something that is guar-anteed right every time, even outsideregular hours or if the chef isn’t there.

Publicans, cafés, hotels and clubs(leisure, kids, sports, etc) are finding

them great. They require only a smallserving area and are heated in amicrowave, which is very safe.

They are mono-portioned and heat-ed straight from frozen, so there is nowastage. They can be prepared by anytrained member of staff. C&S supplyspecial bowls, serving information andmenus if needs be.

Cully & Sully have won many awardsfor their products, includingBridgestone, The UK Great TasteAwards and the Meteor ProducersAwards, as well as many fine reviews inIreland’s national papers.


Catering Essentials 15/08/2008 14:43 Page 1

them to order the meals you want themto order. For a single page menu, this isgenerally right in the centre of the page,for a double-page menu it is on the lefthand side of the right hand page, whilefor a triple-fold menu, again it is right inthe centre of the centre page. Placinghigh profit items here can lead to a sig-nificant sales upsurge in these dishes.

4. Catering for KidsThe importance of catering for children isoften underestimated. What’s not oftenrealised is that children make the deci-sion on eating establishment a third ofthe time, and they influence the decisionon where to eat as much as 90% of thetime. Therefore, spending some timeworking on a kids’ menu is imperative.Catering for children should be seen asa way to increase business, and not a hin-drance to your establishment.

5. Know the LingoEveryone eating in a bar/restaurant likesa description of the food on offer, but toomuch ‘flowery’ language can beextremely off-putting for customers.Each menu item should have a simpledescription of what will be served: a lit-tle creativity in the language used isgreat, but too much is a turn-off. Let yourmenu tempt and prompt questions fromthe customer about each item: this willallow for your waiter to suggest alterna-tives and also assist in up-selling.

6. Finger Stickin’ BadThere is nothing worse than sittingdown in any restaurant and picking upthe menu to find sticky finger prints orworse. If you have laminated menus,make sure they are wiped down at thesame time as each table (i.e. when thecustomer leaves the premises). It isimperative to ensure that all menus areclean before handing them to yourcustomers.

7. Spelling DisasterWhile it may be amusing, spelling mis-takes on your menu reflect unprofes-sionally on your establishment. Makesure you give your menu to several peo-ple to proof-read before sending it to theprinters. Or alternatively, purchasemenus that allow you to print off a sheeteach day and place inside the plastic.Then, if you make a mistake, all you haveto do is reprint one page.

22

McCainMCCAIN Alternatives is a range offavourite foods which are lower in fatand salt but still deliver all the greattaste you'd expect from McCain. TheirAlternatives are well balanced, tastysolutions that help caterers deliver thelower fat foods their customers want, incooking formats to suit all types ofoperations. McCain Alternatives helpcaterers to create healthier, better bal-anced menus without sacrificing flavour,enjoyment or convenience. Theyinclude oven-able products with just 5%fat, products that have not been fried,pizzas with added wheat germ andfibre, and fried chips that are lower infat. Look out for the Purely PotatoRange of Wedges, Dice or Slices, whichare made from good quality potatoessimply peeled, cut and blanched readyfor use as side of plate or as an ingre-dient. And because they’re non-fried, itis unrestricted on menus.

McCain Signatures are inspiringmenu options with a difference. TheSignatures Starters and Sides range aretraditional starter and sidefavourites with a contem-porary twist. This is greatquality food that comple-ments any menu, tastes abit special and looks veryappetising. The rangeincludes products such asbeer battered onionscoops, hot and spicy babycorn, cheddar stuffedjalapeno peppers, moz-zarella cheese sticks andmuch more. They are theperfect solution to help

caterers stand out from the crowd andcreate extra loyalty by helping toenhance reputation overall. Signaturesare unique, added value ideas thatimprove choice for consumers and prof-it for caterers. Developed for outletscreating a name for their food, McCainSignatures have fantastic appeal on themenu and on the plate, and they deliv-er outstanding taste, over and abovethe ordinary dining experience.

Catering Essentials



When we say it’s all good, we mean it.Which is why McCain Foods have built a reputation for producing high quality food using the best natural ingredients.

We offer three ranges of good quality foods, from potato products to pizza, designed for different menu needs and eating occasions. McCain Classics, McCain Alternatives and McCain Signatures make it easier for you to find food ideas that are right for your business.

It’s all good,in food service.

It’s all good.

McCain Classics: Choose from nearly 30 products in our Classics range with everything from chipsto hash browns, pizza to vegetable burgers and spiral fries to savoury herb dice.

McCain Alternatives: This is a range of favourite foods which are lower in fat and salt but still deliver all the great taste you’d expect from McCain. Select from our purely potato wedges to our 3% fat country style oven chips to our Cheese & Tomato Pizza Grande with added wheat germ and fibre.

McCain Signatures: A premium range of 18 great tasting food products from our Gourmet to ourRustic Chips. Signatures are unique solutions for chefs who want to stand out from a crowd. Our Starters and Sides portfolio includes unique products such as our Beer Battered Onion Scoops, Hot and Spicy Baby Corn and Potato Scoops.

If you’d like to boost your business and your customers’ food experience, or would like more information about our range please call McCain Ireland on (01) 230 2839.

McCain 18/08/2008 14:04 Page 1

8. Professional DeliveryIf your menu has text scribbled in byhand, frayed edges or is full of stickerswith price changes, this gives the impres-sion that you don’t care about your cus-tomers. This should be avoided at allcosts. Your customers are the life-bloodof your business and you should be aim-ing to make their eating experience aspleasant as possible, while ensuring thatyour profit margins are maintained.

Getting this right leads to a popular andprofitable food offering.

24

Catering Essentials

GlanbiaGLANBIA Consumer Foods are proud to introduce anew Foodservice range. Their new exciting range ofcultured products has been developed by their resi-dent chef with today’s busy foodservice partners inmind. Understanding your need for consistent, reliableingredients, Glanbia Consumer Foods offer solutions toenhance recipes or provide accompaniments to anarray of dishes. You can be assured of the highest qual-ity standards from the Yoplait and Avonmore brands.

Glanbia’s Yoplait brand introduces:Yoplait Natural Probiotic Yogurt 2kg: an ideal basefor smoothies or simply to serve as a breakfast addi-tion.Yoplait Greek Style Yogurt 2kg: developed for easyuse in sauces or to enhance the flavour of curries,casseroles and fricassees.Yoplait Crème Fraiche 2kg: easily whipped or ide-al to add texture to soups and sauces.

Glanbia’s Avonmore brandintroduces:Avonmore Set Sour Cream 2kg: ideal for dips, top-pings and dressingsAvonmore Low Fat Soft Cheese 2kg: a perfectaddition to sandwiches, bagels, baguettes andcrackers.Avonmore Luxury Soft Cheese 2kg: a superioringredient for sumptuous cheese cake, starteroption, soufflés, appetisers and canapés.

In addition to these new foodservice offerings fromGlanbia, a full range of Yoplait and Avonmore prod-ucts are available. Call your local sales manager orthe Glanbia offices at 1890 923 392 for more infor-mation.

HJ Heinz HJ Heinz boasts an extensive range ofproducts, though both its Heinz andHP brands, ideal for the bar food sec-tor in both catering and single servepack sizes.

Heinz Tomato Ketchup is available ina range of convenient pack formats,catering packs, single serve sachets andsqueezy bottles, and offering a varietyof ways to enjoy the unique taste ofHeinz Tomato Ketchup.

Heinz Top Down Tomato Ketchup,available in 570g, 910g and 1.2KGsizes, incorporates an innovative stayclean cap, eliminating the wastage andmess associated with other TomatoKetchup brands.

HP Brown Sauce is another must-have for the dining table, with a varietyof sizes in glass and squeezy formats.The HP BBQ Sauces range includes avariety in 250g glass along with ClassicWoodsmoke and Spicy Woodsmokevarieties in a 430g squeezy pack.

In addition, under the Heinz and HPbrands HJ Heinz offer an extensive rangeof single serve sachets including TomatoKetchup, Salad Cream, Tartare Sauce,Horseradish, Mustard and Malt Vinegar.Heinz also offer Ploughmans Pickle andBurger Relish and Mayonnaise in cater-ing size packs.

Heinz also offer their famous bakedbeans in convenient catering size tins.

The Heinz and HP brands are syn-onymouswith tasteand quality.In offeringthese com-petitivelypricedbrandedFoodServiceproducts youare assuredthat you areoffering yourcustomersthe highestqualityproductswithout incur-ring unneces-sary extra cost.


This article was supplied by www.barkeeper.ie, the website forfood and beverage professionals, aone stop shop for all aspects of man-aging a successful bar/restaurant busi-ness in Ireland.


Glanbia Consumer Foods - Unit 3008 – Lake Drive - Citywest Business Campus - Dublin 24

Glanbia Consumer FoodsAs Ireland’s biggest supplier of branded and value added liquid milk, yoghurt, cheese, soup, spreads and butters, Glanbia Consumer Foods’brands have a widespread presence within the Irish foodservice sector, perfectly meeting Irish consumers’ desire for fresh quality products.

Investment in new product development, support by Glanbia Consumer Foods Kilkenny-based innovation centre, additional humanresources and a dedicated division focused on foodservice, have been the key drivers of growth. Their expertise in the hospitality sector,including the pub trade, has formed the backbone of the company’s expansion.

With a network of over 380 vehicles, Glanbia Consumer Foods interact with the majority of their customers six days days a week, some-times twice daily, as the growth in eating out of home continues unabated.

Understanding proprietors’ requirements has driven recent additions to the foodservice range in the form of smoothies, cereal bars, milkshakes,new Yop products and Yoplait Mixed Seeds, as well as 2kg soups, and a range of “back of house” Greek Style Yoghurt, Natural Probiotic Yoghurt,Luxury Soft Cheese, Low Fat Cheese, Set Sour Cream and Crème Fraiche. Glanbia Consumer Foods also have more Irish brands in the top 100than any other supplier.

For further details please contact: Alma Rowan (01 4881166) or our call centre (1890 923392)

For expertise and excellence when shopping for seafood or dining out, look for the Circle

seafoodcircle.ie

Glanbia .5 18/08/2008 11:00 Page 1

The Kenco Coffee Companyhas been roasting and blending cof-fee for over 80 years, which meansthat they know more than mostabout meeting changing consumertastes and delivering great coffee ina wide range of environments. Theyunderstand that a quality coffeeoffering in the on-trade environ-ment is a lucrative opportunity forpublicans to counteract some of theadverse affects caused by changesin alcohol consumption patterns.

Choosing a quality coffee blendis the key to ensuring customersenjoy their coffee, whether youwant to serve a simple black coffeeor a range of specialities, such ascappuccinos or lattes. Iced coffeesmake an innovative and sophisti-cated beverage option to offer cus-tomers this summer, and whenmade with low fat milk, they pro-vide a great, healthy alternative tosugary carbonated drinks. Icedcoffee drinks are not only easyto make but are also a greatway to increase profit margins.

Great BlendsThe Kenco Coffee Companyoffers a range of blends, the

latest of which is KencoSustainable Development, whichwas introduced to the range in2006 in response to customerdemand for ethically sourcedproducts. This blend is availablein a comprehensive range ofgreat tasting, ethically sourcedproducts made entirely fromcoffee certified bythe RainforestAlliance.

Otherblends includeJacques VabreGrands Crus, a magnifi-cent blend of four of thefinest Arabica coffees

from around the world, hand picked andslow roasted to make an espresso of out-standing quality. This really is the ‘cham-pagne of all coffees’. The BrazilianCerado bean is slightly sweet with goodbody and low acidity, the GuatemalanStrictly Hard Bean brings body, balanceand flavour, the ColumbianBucaramanga bean adds intensity ofaroma and finally, the Ethiopian MokaSidamo introduces signature chocolateand fruity floral notes.

Espresso Originale di Splendid, thenumber two brand in Italy, is a dark espres-so roast that embodies the Italian style.Founded in Andezeno, Northern Italy in1969, Espresso Originale di Splendid is anauthentic Italian espresso, a perfect balance

of aroma and acidity that delivers afull-bodied flavour,yet a delicate,creamy taste. Thesecret of Splendid’ssmooth well round-ed taste is a slowroasted traditionalItalian recipe. Young,vibrant and contem-porary, it is the veryembodiment of theItalian spirit.

CoffeeMachinesKenco also under-stand that it’s not justabout the coffeeblend. Great coffeeneeds a great coffeemachine that is suitedto your operationalneeds. That’s why theKenco Coffee Companyoffers a complete range

of traditional, bean-to-cup and filter equipment

from industry-lead-ing manufacturers,offering you qualityand peace of mind.

Kenco Has Coffee Covered

26

Coffee

The Kenco CoffeeCompany offersquality coffeeblends, top classcoffee machinesand unsurpassedlevels to its Irishcustomer base.

Kenco Sustainable Development was introducedto the range in 2006 in response to customer

demand for ethically sourced products.

Espresso Originale di Splendid, thenumber two brand in Italy, is a dark

espresso roast that embodies the Italian style.


Coffee 15/08/2008 14:41 Page 1

quality& consistency

baristatraining skills

equipment& ancillaries

service& solutions

customersatisfaction

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“The success of the Kenco CoffeeCompany is down to providing a tailoredsolution for each and every customer andeach and every area of your establish-ment,” explains Daphne Hosford, AFHMarketing Manager, The Kenco CoffeeCompany. “We are not bound to anyparticular coffee equipment supplier andso can offer our customers the widestrange of coffee equipment available,including machines from Marco, Gaggia,Brasilia, Rancilio and Schaerer.

“Everyone at the Kenco CoffeeCompany is committed to delivering cus-tomer satisfaction,” she continues. “Ensuringyou can consistently serve the best qualitybeverages to your customers is very impor-tant to us. We have recently formed a spe-cialist barista training team with Julie Murrayto offer a variety of coffee appreciation pro-grammes, from basic coffee skills through toadvanced barista training.”

Excellent Customer ServiceTheir unrivalled commitment also meansthat the Kenco Coffee Company needsto help customers to keep their equip-ment in excellent working order, and to

be there for customers if they have aproblem. “Our service and maintenanceoffering consists of a dedicated equip-ment manager and a team of expertengineers who are based right across thecountry,” notes Deirdre O’Riordan,Business Operations Manager, TheKenco Coffee Company. “This means

that they can respond quickly, efficientlyand professionally to your product andequipment needs, from machine main-tenance and calibration to emergencycall-outs. In fact, our service teamachieved a 97% customer satisfactionrating in our latest customer satisfactionsurvey.”

28

Ireland’s Coffee CultureIRELAND has truly embraced coffee culture, which is good news for thelicensed trade. Serving quality coffee in your pub could bring massive profitpotential, and not just at lunchtime.

A decade ago, Irish consumers were lucky to get anything other than instantcoffee in a pub. Those days have long changed, however, with coffee lovers will-ing to part with their hard-earned cash for quality coffee products, as Ireland’slove affair with the second most tradedproduct in the world continues.Rising disposable incomesare giving the majority ofconsumers the means toafford higher-quality, premi-um products. Premium hotdrinks are viewed as indulgenttreats and affordable luxuries,which consumers are prepared topay more for.

The speciality coffee range isexpected to expand, beyond theever-popular cappuccino, as con-sumers become more accustomed tospeciality coffee blends. The pubthat doesn’t offer a range oflatté, cappuccino, mocha etc.to its clientele is almost cer-tainly losing out to its competi-tion, whether that be another pub or acafé.

Jacques Vabre Grands Crus is amagnificent blend of four of the finestArabica coffees from around the world.

Coffee


Coffee 15/08/2008 14:42 Page 2

Interested in adding extra profi t to your menu?Get the most out of your menu with The Quality Pub Food Toolkit,a unique CD resource in Value Menus and Food Cost Control.

The Fáilte Ireland Quality Pub Food Toolkit, launching shortly, offers you all the advice and guidance you need to ensure a profi table quality food operation. Whether you are thinking of establishing a pub food operation for the fi rst time, improving or extending an existing one, the Toolkit offers well balanced menus and quality food presentation ideas, while securing your profi t margins and delivering ‘value’ to your customers! Register now for your free demonstration by e-mailing [email protected] or for more information call VFI on 01 492 3400 today.

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There is an oldadage in business: “every chal-lenge is an opportunity”. Thiscertainly seems to be the per-spective of the drinks industry,on foot of some of the mostrestrictive codes ever intro-duced for alcohol marketing inIreland. The Codes on AlcoholAdvertising, Placement andSponsorship are designed toreduce the exposure of youngpeople to alcohol advertising,barring drinks ads from certainmedia and public environments.

Rosemary Garth, Director ofthe Alcohol BeverageFederation of Ireland (ABFI),who helped draft the Codes,believes that this is an opportu-nity for the drinks industry toprove itself. “Ultimately, we areseeking a level playing pitch,”she says. “We want to ensure

that our products are marketed in aresponsible way, but we also want peo-ple to understand that we are a valuableindustry and we play an important rolein the Irish economy.”

The drinks industry has not createdan easy path for itself. As part of thenew codes of practice, alcohol advertis-ing is restricted to 25% of the advertis-ing space in any media. There is to beno sponsorship by alcohol companieswhere participants in a sports event areunder 18, or where less than 75% of theaudience is over 18. Further regulationsinclude: a ban on advertising duringbreakfast time TV (6am-10am), a ban onsponsorship of sports programmes, anda reduction to 25% (from 40%) of totaladvertising minute-age per viewing incinema.

In public spaces, the ban on adver-tising alcohol within 100 metres ofschools has been extended to “youthclubs, scouting and girl guide groups”.Advertisements on sides or rears of bus-es have been banned. Also, the Internet

and other digital media have beenbrought into the mix. The codes alsohave a provision whereby RTE can des-ignate a list of programmes that are ofparticular interest to children: regardlessof the audience profile, alcohol adver-tising will not be allowed to accompanythese shows.

Rosemary Garth contends that thecodes pose numerous challenges,largely because of the breadth of mediacovered: broadcast, cinema, outdoor,and (for the first time) print and digital.In essence, 75% of any audience needsto be above 18 years of age before anadvertisement can be shown: this initself is a giant hurdle. “The complexityof the codes will make them difficult toapply,” says Garth. “They are veryrestrictive and will have an impact onthe volume of alcohol advertising per-mitted to the Irish market.”

Will it lead to diminished income onthe part of the drinks companies? “It willmake alcohol advertising more expen-sive, certainly, because there is lessspace. The same number of companieswill be competing for less space, so thatwill inflate the price of advertising. It isnot, and nor should it be, without painfor the industry. These are serious codesof practice: despite what detractorsmight say, they will have a real impact.I think that if you ask anybody whoworks in media or advertising, they willcertainly see these codes as challeng-ing. They are probably some of themost stringent codes that apply any-where in the world, to any industry.”

Organisation of the CodesFrom an organisational perspective, thecodes necessitate a lot of work. In June,the ABFI ran a workshop for practition-ers, discussing the practical implicationsof the codes. The Federation is alsodeveloping a training course, which willteach compliancy. Ultimately, it will beup to drinks companies to ensure thattheir marketing departments and adver-

Practice Makes Perfect

30

Alcohol Advertising

New codes ofpractice placeconsiderablerestrictions onalcohol advertisingin the state, but thedrinks industrymust rise to theoccasion,according toRosemary Garth,Director of theAlcohol BeverageFoundation ofIreland.

Garth Interview 15/08/2008 15:11 Page 1

tising agencies are up to speed, aprocess that the ABFI are trying to facil-itate. The codes are self-imposed, sopenalties will not be dealt out under themantle of law, but Garth says that non-compliancy would threaten the entireindustry: “If the industry does not com-ply, then the government will legislate.There is no greater threat or penalty,from an industry perspective.”

Certainly, the Government is keep-ing a close eye on the effectiveness ofthe codes. Speaking at their launch,Mary Wallace TD, Minister of State atthe Department of Health and Children,said, “Adherence to and implementa-tion of the revised codes on AlcoholMarketing and Sponsorship will be oneof the important factors for Governmentto consider in deciding what furthermeasures might be necessary.”

Ireland’s ParticularChallengesThe drinks industry launched its previ-ous set of codes in 2005, but theseupdates make them amongst the mostrestrictive across Europe. Ireland neces-sitates such restrictions because thecountry has “particular challenges” inregard to alcohol misuse, according toGarth, specifically in regard to bingedrinking and underage drinking.Legislative measures are clearly not inthe industry’s best interests, but neitherwould they solve the problem, insiststhe ABFI Director.

“We’re trying to be much more

proactive and forward looking in ourapproach to these areas,” she says. “I’mnot suggesting that other countriesshould or shouldn’t look at similarapproaches. What we’re saying inIreland is: from an industry perspective,legislation won’t work because of thevolume of media that comes into Irelandfrom out of state, particularly in terms oftelevision, and out in the ether in termsof digital media. This is the best way.”

Regulating the advertising of Irishdrinks brands perhaps poses thebiggest challenge of all, but the indus-try claims that, by including digitalmedia in the codes, they hope to future-proof the sector. “We’re trying not tolook at to what happened in the past,but also what will happen in the future,”says Garth.

The Retail ChallengeBut will the new codes be negated byretail? While alcohol advertising mightbe further restricted in the public forum,many retailers still display alcohol, floorto ceiling, in shop windows. The ABFIbelieve that the “high standards”upheld by manufacturers and suppliersshould also pertain to alcohol retail, asshould the fear of imposed legislation.

“The Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2008 iscurrently going through the Dáil,” saysGarth. “We advised the Minister, beforehe drafted it, that he should work withthe industry and retail sector. I’mpleased that there will be new codes ofpractice in regard to responsible pro-motional placement of alcohol in stores.My understanding is that it will go along way toward addressing concerns.The onus is on the retail sector to makesure they are sensible and responsibleabout how they place alcohol in a store.We expect that everybody who carriesresponsibility to take this issue serious-ly. The Minister proposed legislationabout structural separation: there isobviously a lot of concerns about pub-lic order and promotion and placementof alcohol in-store. But if the retail sec-tor can come up with a more practicaland effective way of dealing with theMinister’s concerns, we would supportthat.”

On top of the issues concerning costcompetitiveness, alcohol misuse andenvironmental impact, the Codes onAlcohol Advertising, Placement andSponsorship present yet another chal-

lenge to the already beleaguered drinksindustry in 2008. Rosemary Garth, how-ever, is confident in the sector’s futuresustainability and competitiveness,approaching these issues with her glasshalf full.

“I think we’d all go home if we tookthe view that things were going to getworse,” she says. “Clearly there arechallenges, but I think the industry ismore prepared and able to engage onissues in a meaningful way than it everwas before. The Government decidedto go with our codes of practice ratherthan legislate: that is an incredible voteof confidence.

“Increasingly, Government and oth-er stakeholders are recognising that theindustry is ready to tackle the industry ina meaningful way. Often, when youwork with the industry, you get a farmore effective solution to a problem.I’m pleased with this decision in partic-ular, but the broader move towardengagement and working in partnershipis very positive.”

Alcohol Advertising

31


Rosemary GarthROSEMARY Garth began her careerworking for the Directorate Generalfor Economics and Taxation in theEuropean Commission in Brussels.She later took up the role of EuropeanAnalyst for Food and Drink IndustryIreland (FDII) in IBEC’s Brussels office.After spending five years at EU level,Rosemary returned to Dublin asAssistant Director of FDII with a par-ticular focus on consumer foods.

What does she bring to her currentrole as Director of the AlcoholBeverage Federation of Ireland? “Ispent many years in lobbying andadvocacy at both Irish Government andEU level,” she says. “I bring a wealth ofexperience of knowing how to interactwith Government and how to presentindustry’s position in often challengingareas, to Government and to themedia. Also, I am accustomed to work-ing with a diverse industry in a chal-lenging environment, facilitating andleading them in a positive direction.

“My experience in the food indus-try, and many of the challenges I facedthere, can be applied to the drinksindustry. Obviously the drinks indus-try has unique challenges. But I thinkthe experience with food enabled meto hit the ground running.”

The ABFI“The Alcohol Beverage Federation ofIreland was established in October2007,” explains Rosemary Garth. “Itbuilds on from Drinks Manufacturers ofIreland, but what is different is that itnow covers all sectors of the industry,so it is an umbrella organisation for thesupply and manufacturing side of theindustry. We also encompass the IrishBrewers Association, the Irish SpiritsAssociation, Irish Cider Association,and the Irish Wine Association.

“We represent the industry andadvocate on their behalf on variousissues. Clearly, when there are sectoror category specific issues, then thebrewers, or spirits, etc., will activate.We bring everyone’s common con-cerns together under one voice.”

Garth Interview 15/08/2008 15:11 Page 2

The basics of ordering and storingyour beverages are very simple. Onlyorder what you need and store it in a tidymanner: yet a considerable number ofestablishments consistently over-order.Maintaining sufficient stock levels with-out over-storing or under-orderingrequires a little thought and organisationbut allows you to utilise your cash flow inareas where it is needed more.

How do you know if you are over-stocked? Well, if you are paying your sup-pliers before actually using the stock, thenthe chances are that this stock has beensitting unused for between 30 and 50 daysand you are over-stocked. With deliveriesevery week in almost every corner of thecountry, there is rarely the need to storesuch quantities on hand at any one time.

Step 1: Knowing the ConsumptionTo know what to order, you need to knowwhat you use. This sounds easy, but youwould be surprised how few managersplacing orders actually consider the com-binations of usage and stock on hand. Ifyou have an Electronic Point of Sale, thenyou will be able to print off usage figuresby date range easily. This is where itbecomes important to have a button forevery item sold, so that you can analysethe sales of each product individually.You will need to keep a running recordeach week of your usage if you do nothave an EPOS system.

Step 2: Know the Stock on HandBasing your orders solely on consump-tion could mean that there is stock instorerooms gathering dust, expiring and

costing you money. Hire an externalstock-taker if you don’t have the time toundertake a stock-take prior to eachordering day.

Step 3: Know your BusinessFind out what extraordinary events takeplace during the next ordering period,such as local GAA matches, World Cupqualifiers, conferences in the area etc.,so that you can increase orders wherenecessary.

Step 4: Combine the AboveOnce you have amassed the above infor-mation, it’s time to combine the results tomake your best estimate on your stockrequirements. Take an average of theusage for a week. Work out how much ofthis stock you expect to have in stock onthe delivery date and place your order forthe remainder. Obviously, any additionalcircumstances that may require changes toan average stock should be considered atthis point. Don’t leave yourself stuck on aSaturday night without Guinness, whatev-er happens. It’s better to be a little bit over-stocked and learn from it than to run out.

Step 5: Measure the ResultsIf you get your ordering right, you willneither run out of stock nor over-stock.

To measure your progress, we rec-ommend working out the cost of salesfor an average week (ie: opening stock +purchases – closing stock) and thendividing this figure into the value of yourstock on hand. This gives you the num-ber of weeks’ stock holding. So if yourcost of sales was €5,000 and you have€10,000 stock on hand, then you havetwo weeks of stock holding. You shouldaim for between 14 and 20 days stock inhand to keep your stores as liquid aspossible.

As you repeat this process, it willbecome easier and you will developmore of a gut instinct with regards tostock on hand and expected usage.When this happens, you will instinctive-ly control purchases to maintain lowstocks at all times.

Step 6: Start All Over Again.Determining the right beverage stocklevels is an on-going process and shouldbe treated as such.

Getting Your Stock Ordering Right

32

Stock Levels

How to avoid over-ordering yourbeverages, whileensuring you don’trun out of your top-sellers.

This article was supplied by www.barkeeper.ie, the website forfood and beverage professionals, aone stop shop for all aspects of man-aging a successful bar/restaurantbusiness in Ireland.


Stock Levels 15/08/2008 15:13 Page 1

Speaking to a nightclub owner recently who turnsover €100,000+ per week in his busy city centre premises, I learnedthat his weekly variance/stock loss is less than €200 at cost.

I know of other businesses taking in €6,000 per week thathave the same losses. So how does the nightclub owner do it?It’s actually quite simple: he systemises his business and hasimplemented basic procedures to control stock from receipt toeventual sale:1. All stores are kept neat and tidy. There are no part-full cas-

es and no cases are mixed. This way, all stock is visible andthere are no ‘surprises’ under other cases.

2. The FIFO (First In First Out) rule is enforced to ensure effi-cient stock rotation.

3. All stock is ordered using a Purchase Order system. Thisensures that your delivery docket matches the quantity whichwas ordered before it is signed off and placed into the stores.

4. All bars are stocked separately. Stock is “sold” (on paperonly) to each bar. This way, every item of stock is tracked andif there are stock variances, then you know exactly which barthey are coming from.

5. Staff are assigned to a specific bar each shift and cannotwork in other bars without management direction. Thismakes the staff members accountable for any stock loss-es/cash shortages.

6. All bars have stock-takes undertaken separately at the endof each night. This takes 10 minutes per bar and identifieslosses on the spot.

7. Bottles transferred between bars are recorded on transferdockets and used as part of the stock-take.

8. Staff identified as working in bars with continuing losses arewarned, warned again and then dismissed (there are nevermore than three staff per bar).

So, the next time you look at your stock-take results andwonder how to get them right or if there is any light at the endof the tunnel, remember that if an operation with that kind ofturnover can get it right, so can you.

It’s just a matter of systemising all aspects of your purchas-ing/sales function:

• Ordering • Receiving • Storage • Issuing• Transferring • Lending/Borrowing • Selling• Cashing

Record all stock movement: it can be the difference betweena profit margin of 68% instead of 65% at the end of the year.

Taking Control of Your Stock

33

By implementing some basicstock control procedures, youcan minimise losses in yourbusiness, writes Patrick McDermott, Managing Director,Stocktaking.ie.

Stocktaking.ie use the latest in hand-held barcode scanningtechnology to offer their food and beverage stocktakingservice to Pubs, Hotels and Restaurants, which allows allreports to be presented on-site on the day.

Stock-Taking


Stocktaking 18/08/2008 15:41 Page 1

This article is intended as a practi-cal guide for bar owners and managersto effective maintenance and servicing ofguest toilets and washrooms, includingcleaning, appliance maintenance (ensur-ing the employee knows who problemsmust be addressed to in the case ofproblems with the mechanics of appli-ances in the washroom), cleaning equip-ment, protective clothing, hazard warn-ing signs etc.

Servicing and maintaining the clean-liness of guest toilet and washroom facil-ities is paramount. Health & Safety is ofthe utmost importance when dealingwith these issues.

It is vital, when cleaning areas suchas toilets and washrooms, to be aware ofthe types of products used and their pur-pose. Many hazardous materials are usedin the cleaning of such areas, and correctusage is essential. Health and safetystandards must be maintained, and pro-tective clothing must be worn whencleaning toilets and washrooms.

It is equally as important to ensurethat all appliances are working correctly,and are clean and free from debris. Ifthere are any problems with themechanics of the toilets or wash basinfacilities, the employee must be aware

of who these problems need to beaddressed to.

There are a range of surfaces in awashroom, and the employee must beaware of the correct procedure for clean-ing each of them. Additionally, thereplenishing of stock is an essential ele-ment of cleaning washrooms. All thiswork should be carried out in a timelyand effective manner, adhering to allcompany policies.

General CleaningAs all guests and visitors use them, wash-rooms and toilets must be kept immacu-lately clean.

Washrooms and toilets must becleaned and sanitised regularly for thefollowing reasons:- Regular cleaning will prevent the

spread of bacteria from people usingthe toilets.

- Bacteria grows quickly in warm andwet conditions. These must beremoved often.

- Leaks, blockages and smells will getworse and could cause damage todrains and appliances if toilets, uri-nals etc. are not cleaned regularly.

- Clean and fresh smelling toilets andbathrooms create a good impressionof the premises.

There are many areas which must becleaned regularly throughout the day.The surfaces in these areas are mostlyshiny surfaces and therefore show up anywater marks easily. Staff will need toclean toilets, urinals, taps, basins and soon. There are a variety of surfaces to becleaned including ceramic, stainless steeland plastic.

Servicing Toilets andWashroomsIt is important when servicing toilets todo the following:- Ensure that the correct warning signs

are used.- Ensure that all systems are flushing

freely and remove any debris and

Servicing Toilets &Washrooms

34

Washrooms

Ensuring yourtoilets andwashrooms areproperly cleanedand serviced is ofparamountimportance foryour business, froma Health & Safetyperspective anddue to the fact thatclean, fresh-smelling toiletscreate a goodimpression of thepremises.


Washrooms 15/08/2008 14:52 Page 1

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marks from toilets.- Ensure all supplies are replenished for

guests.- Wear appropriate protective

clothing at all times.- If staff come into contact with

guests, they should be politeand courteous.

- Always use the correct clean-ing equipment and materialsfor the job in hand.

- If there are any blockages,free these accordingly.

- Empty all waste paper bins.- Ensure all cleaning equip-

ment is correctly stored afteruse.

Each day, before cleaningbegins, the employee responsi-ble for cleaning and servicingthe washrooms must report to

their supervisor to be briefed on theday’s events and tasks to be completed.They should ensure that they have all the

cleaning materials required for theirworking day and check that all items areclean, undamaged and all stock levelsare at the required levels.

Cleaning Equipment &MaterialsCleaning equipment should include abucket and mop, toilet brush, signagefor ‘Cleaning in Progress’ and ‘WetFloor’, smaller cleaning brushes for hard-er to reach places, scouring pad for stub-born stains and marks, special cleaningcloths and sponges for toilets, as well aspolishing and cleaning cloths for all oth-er surfaces in the washroom.

Other basic products required forcleaning toilets and washrooms include:- Chemical based disinfectants: these

cleaners decrease the level of bacte-ria and are therefore important forhygienic reasons.

- Neutral detergent: these are used forgeneral cleaning purposes. Bleaches,liquid detergents and other generalcleaners are classed as neutral.

- Hard surface cleaners to removestubborn stains. These are usuallyabrasive detergents and scouringpowders. Always use correct glovesand protective clothing. Delicate sur-faces can be damaged.

- Polish, glass cleaner, cleaners forstainless steel.

- Glass cleaner, stainless steel cleaner,metal polish.

- Warm water.

When using these chemicals, staffshould:- Never use too much of the product.

These are usually costly and alsotoo much could be harmful.- Always check sell-by dates tomake sure that all chemicals areworking to their potential.- Do not mix chemicals with oth-er solutions – they could reactbadly.- Follow all the instructions relat-ing to each chemical carefully.

All spillages should cleanedup immediately by flushing withcold water and mopping up thor-oughly.

Protective ClothingHealth and Safety requirementsstate that protective clothingshould be worn at all times when

36

There are a range of surfaces in a washroom, and the employee must be aware of thecorrect procedure for cleaning each of them.

Clean and fresh smelling toilets and bathrooms create a goodimpression of the premises.

Washrooms


Washrooms 15/08/2008 14:52 Page 2

CWS Silversense 18/08/2008 16:35 Page 1

MT Agencies Ireland LimitedUnit 4 Jamestown Business ParkJamestown Road, Finglas, Dublin 11.Tel: 00353 1 864 3363 Fax: 00353 1 844 3217 Frank Loughran [email protected]

Reduce water costs with

• Reduces water consumption by up to 80%• Reduces washroom odours• Solenoid valve activated with PIR sensor• Hygiene Flush for periods of non-use• Ensures compliance with Water Regulations• Can be concealed to reduce the risk of vandalism• Mains or battery powered option in the same box

- no external transformer required• Pipe, wall or ceiling mounted sensor:

exposed, or flush with ceiling or wall • On DEFRA’s Water Technology List

Imro .5 18/08/2008 11:25 Page 1

using hazardous materials and chemicals– especially cleaning agents and workingin unhygienic areas.

These should include rubber glovesto protect hands against any chemicalsubstances or detergents, aprons oroveralls to protect clothing from spillagesand safety masks to protect against anystrong or chemical fumes.

Hazard Warning SignsHazard Warning Signs are essential whencleaning toilets and washrooms. Thesesigns advise guests and other employ-ees that the floor may be wet and slip-pery, and accidents may occur.

Potential Source of IncomeFinally, don’t forget that your washroomscould be a potential source of income,through washroom advertising, eitheradvertising your own business or thirdparty advertising. Examples of advertis-ing include highlighting upcoming sport-ing events, live music etc.

Dyson AirbladeTalk to people about hand dryers andthey’ll probably roll their eyes. They’vebeen around for more than 60 yearsnow, and they still don’t work properly.Using paper towels in the toilets is evenworse: they can be expensive, they’rebad for the environment and they causea mess, forcing bar staff to keep an eyeon the toilets to maintain good stan-dards.

In the licensed trade, managingoperating costs and offering a real pointof difference is vital to success. Thisincludes finding an effective alternativeto energy-hungry warm air hand dryersand paper towels.

The Dyson Airblade hand dryersolves all these problems. It dries handsin just 10 seconds, and uses up to 80%less energy than warm air hand dryers.Not only is it the fastest hand dryer, italso purifies the air before blowing itonto hands, so it’s hygienic too.

For pub owners, energy saving hasbecome increasingly important. DonalO’Sullivan, proprietor of O’Sullivan’s Bar,recently opened the doors to his newlyrenovated bar in Douglas, Co. Cork. Partof the work was to improve the bath-room facilities, often a part of the cus-tomer experience that lets many pubsdown.

Having seen the Dyson Airblade hand

dryer on RTE’s Late Late Show, Donaldecided to install the machines in thenewly renovated restrooms. Not onlywould its unusual design be a talkingpoint for customers, it was also muchmore functional and energy-efficient, andit would help the pub to stand out fromthe crowd.

“It’s become a big talkingpoint for the locals,” commentsDonal. “We spent €3.5 million onrenovating our premises and allpeople are talking about are theDyson Airblades. You can lip readpeople coming out of toilets talk-ing about the ‘hand dryer fromThe Late Late Show.’ They reallyfit in with our new look.”

The Cock & Hen public housein Fulham, London, wanted toimprove the bathroom facilitiesand the pub experience. Pub man-ager Phil Sutton, explains: “It hasattracted interest and intrigue frompub managers across the CapitalPub Company - all wanting toknow if they can have theminstalled in their venues.”

Town and Country Inns, whorecently installed the DysonAirblade hand dryer in Mechu Bar& Grill, Birmingham, estimates itwill save Stg£6,000 per year on

paper towels alone. The machine willnow be installed in all new venues andrefurbishments across the Town &Country Inns network.

Reducing the environmental impactof the company’s offices and facilitieswas also a big challenge for EDF Energy.“We were getting through nine millionpaper towels annually across just eightsites,” notes Mark Hoskins, BranchFacilities Manager at EDF Energy.“Nobody used the old hand dryersbecause they weren’t effective. As acompany, we have now set a target toreduce our waste to landfill to zero by2020. The environmental benefits of theAirblade hand dryer for us were para-mount.”

CWS National LinenEmploying over 600 people across sev-en locations nationwide, CWS NationalLinen is Ireland’s leading provider ofhotel and restaurant linen, washroomhygiene, work wear, clean room, sterilesurgical supplies and dust control mats.

The company operates a network ofstate-of-the-art laundries, equippedwith the most technically advancedwashing, drying, folding and sortingequipment available on the Irish markettoday. Not content with the lion’s shareof their market, however, the companyhas recently further enhanced its serv-

39

The CWS Silversense, with its innovative smudgeresistant surface in a sleek metalic finish, is setting

new standards in washroom hygiene.

The Dyson Airblade hand dryer drieshands in just 10 seconds, and uses up to

80% less energy than warm air handdryers.

Washrooms


Washrooms 15/08/2008 14:53 Page 3

ice to customers, following a compre-hensive re-branding and the addition ofCWS Complete Washroom Solutions toits range.

Since the company began trading in1998, they have worked to continuouslyimprove the quality and range of theirservice and this was further supported bythe incorporation of National Linen intothe CWS-boco Group in 2005, whichenabled the company to add the inter-nationally renowned CWS brand to itsportfolio. The company’s new title ofCWS National Linen reflects this devel-opment and brings it into line with sistercompanies within the CWS-boco Group.

CWS-boco is a leading internationalservice provider in the areas of workwear, textile services, washroom hygieneand dust control mats and is active in 19countries, where its CWS and bocobrands are leaders in their respectivemarkets.

CWS operates its own in-houseResearch & Development departmentand prides itself on setting new hygienestandards. The fruits of their labourinclude the introduction of a newantibacterially processed cotton towel

roll, BestCotton, to the Irish market.Developed from space-age technology,it uses a silver ionisation process toensure that the end user, through the lat-est technology in hand towel dispensers,will always get a fresh, hygienic piece oftowel that consistently remains free from99% of all harmful bacteria. Also highlyenvironmentally efficient, theBestCotton roll can be used 15,000times, compared to 100 times for a stan-dard cloth towel, and is equivalent to40,000 paper towels.

Silver particles are embedded intothe BestCotton towel roll, which preventthe growth of bacteria on the towel,ensuring that it remains free from bacte-ria from time of delivery until time of col-lection – no matter where or how longthe rolls are stored. The antibacterialeffect of silver ions is medically provenand according to the international stan-dard JIS 1902:2002, kills 99 percent ofall known bacteria and also blocks bac-terial growth, comprehensively protect-ing the towel. Silver damages the cellmembrane of the bacteria, and disruptscell metabolism, irreversibly invadingthe cell core and destroying it.

CWS National Linen has a strongcommitment to the environment and toreducing Ireland’s carbon footprint. Anumber of energy-saving and environ-mentally friendly procedures have beenimplemented in their plants nationwide,including water recycling. These meas-ures are designed to reduce energyusage by 50%. Innovations include amodern water recovery system, a stackeconomiser, which will recover heat fromthe boiler chimney, an infra red detectorwithin the dryers, an energy manage-ment system and invertors on all meters.

An emphasis on environmentally-friendly production has been a core val-ue of CWS National Linen from itsinception and reflects a similar philoso-phy within HTS International, whichoperates to the highest world stan-dards, with many of its products andprocesses carrying the ‘Blue Angel’environmental mark.

40

Washrooms

When it comes to water, infrared technology is playing animportant role in water saving. MT Agencies, distributorsfor Cistermiser in Ireland, are looking at the need to savewater and how infrared technologycan make a difference.

Why Save Water?Water is a precious commodity, aresource that is becoming in evershorter supply as the level of demandgrows and thanks to poor water infra-structure in Ireland. As a nation, ourwater consumption is growing everyyear, so the Government is continual-ly looking at ways to slow down oreven reverse this trend. Cistermiserhave been working on water savingproducts and devices for a number ofyears and these, coupled with thechanges in legislation, will help makea difference.

Infared Technology andEnergy SavingCistermiser infrared urinal sensor controlsare designed to operate in conjunctionwith autoflush urinal cisterns. These

valves offer considerable water saving compared to traditionalsystems featuring uncontrolled cisterns that flush all urinalstogether regardless of washroom usage levels. The Cistermiser

infrared or Cistermiser hydraulic urinalflush controls will generate water savingsof around 80% compared to header tanksinstalled with no valves. A new alternativeconcept, Cistermiser Direct Flush operatesdirectly on mains water, allowing each uri-nal bowl to be flushed individually afterevery use, with programmable flush vol-ume providing further water efficiency.

Cost BenefitsAlthough designed principally forwater saving properties, infraredwashroom equipment can provide sav-ings in addition to water efficiency andlower water bills. For any washroominstallation, consideration must begiven to water saving and the require-ment for this is only going to increaseas more legislation is passed. Infraredsensor technology offers an effectivesolution when incorporated into thedesign of products in which water sav-ing is the most critical factor.

Reducing Water Usage and Costs in the Washroom

Novatap, the hands free infrared sensoractivated basin spout from MT Agencies,

distributors for Cistermiser in Ireland.

The basis of this article was supplied bywww.barkeeper.ie, the website for foodand beverage professionals, a one stopshop for all aspects of managing a suc-cessful bar/restaurant business in Ireland.


Washrooms 15/08/2008 14:53 Page 4

1. Keep It Simple Because the hospitality industry relies asmuch on customer service as effectivecost control (neither will exist without theother), any cost control system has to besimple for all involved. Over-complicat-ing systems will keep your staff from theguests, as well as allowing staff theopportunity to claim the system is toomuch work and difficult to complete, sokeep it simple and practical.

2. Measure Like AgainstLike In order to set goals and targets andcompare one period against another,both periods need to be the same. Thereis no point measuring a four-week periodthat had three busy calendar weekendsagainst a four week period that had fourbusy calendar weekends. By keepingperiods the same (ie Monday to Sundayevery week) you can start to identifytrends and plan better for future periods.

3. Insist on SpeedyReporting If it takes you too long to get the vitalinformation you need from your business,then the chances are that any cost lossesincurred during this period have contin-ued into the subsequent period too,before you have had a chance to addressthem. Identify your KPIs (Key PerformanceIndicators) for each revenue departmentand be able to extract these figures asneeded to give you a snapshot of howwell you are doing and give you peace ofmind until you get the report proper.

4. Don't Stop Controlling If you stop controlling or see it as a one-day activity a couple of times a year, then

you have missed the point. Control is acontinuous action and would be betterreferred to as a ‘Mentality’ than as anaction. This goes back to a speedyreporting system and taking the timeeach day to review the KPIs. By tweakingsmaller parts of the operation on a dailybasis, you will achieve greater andsmoother results, as opposed to makinglarge-scale changes periodically, whichmay meet with opposition from less like-minded staff.

5. Measure it to Manage it When it comes to Purchasing andReceiving, think like a bank clerk who hasno allowance for cash handling errors. Ifhe makes a mistake, he pays for it. Whyoperators allow any less of a mentality atthe receiving door is beyond me, butadhere to this principle and you won't gofar wrong: “If it's ordered by weight,weigh it; if it's ordered by count, countit”.

6. Know What Your CostsShould Be I have lost count of the number of oper-ators who, when asked how things weregoing, replied by saying that turnoverwas up, which they were happy with.However, further questions revealed thatthey agreed the costs associated with theincreased turnover were not proportion-ate and the expected profits were notforthcoming. Why? Because all of thesebusinesses had one thing in common,none of them knew what it should cost togenerate their turnover levels. Few oper-

ators had costed their menus down tothe sprig of parsley and fewer could tellme the price of a loaf of bread. Don't fallin to the same trap. Know what yourcosts should be, irrespective of turnover.That way, you will be less likely to befaced with unwelcome surprises.

7. Know the Relationshipsof CostsOne principle which was drilled into mewhen I was a trainee manager was thatcosts are all relative to one another andno single cost can be examined inde-pendently of the other related costs. Inother words, it's no good having a fan-tastically low cost base in your beverageif it has cost you double the normallabour costs to achieve that. Learn torelate the relevant costs with each otherand review these costs together.

By investing the time and effort intoestablishing a watertight but manage-able control system, you will be layingthe foundations for a well managed andsuccessful business. If you think it'sexpensive to set-up and implement sucha control system, just think what it willcost you if you don't!

You have been warned.....

The Golden Rules of Cost Control

41

Barry ChandlerMIHI, Director,Stocktaking.ieadvises on how tomaintain efficientcost control.


Cost Control


Cost Control 15/08/2008 14:39 Page 1

Maintaining healthyprofit margins is vital for any business, astrue for the licensed trade as it is for anyother sector. At its simplest, profit marginis the difference between the cost of theunit and the retail price achieved for it.

Naturally, the larger the mar-gin, the better the chance forbottom line profit. In thelicensed trade, which gener-ally involves selling tangibleproducts, it seems easy toascertain unit costs and mar-gins achieved. But is it thatsimple?

To get an accurate pictureof how well your stock is per-forming, you need to go fur-ther than subtracting the ‘buy’price from the ‘sell’ price ofeach unit. Calculating yourtrue margins means looking atthe overall picture. So to get areading of how strong yourmargins really are, you mustinclude a share of expensesand overheads to each unit.After all, you must provide thewherewithall to house theproduct, even if it is only astore-room.

Your unit cost includes itsshare of the marketing budget, store-

room space, shelf space, staff wages andall the other bills that come with havinga pub to sell this product. There aremany packages out there which help youdeal with the financial side of a business.Once you have calculated your totalcosts accurately, you must then allocatea percentage to each item. Having setup a realistic model to calculate yourmargins, you must now look for ways toimprove them.

Better Value ProductsTo compete in the marketplace, youshould always be on the lookout for bet-ter value products. However, when look-ing at the potential of a product, thequestion should not only be ‘how cheapcan I get this item?’ You must also ask‘what price will a customer be willing topay for it?’ ‘What is the achievable retailprice?’ This is why it is necessary to eval-uate each and every item and analysehow much of a mark-up or margin youcan realistically put on each product. Toknow this, you must know your cus-tomers and their buying habits.

How To Monitor Profit Margins

42

Profit Margins

Assessing andmonitoring profitmargins is vital, ifyou are to ensureyour pub survivesand thrives in today’s ultra-competitiveenvironment.

By managing your business more effectively, you will be able to provide better valueattract more customers, improve your average sales transaction and improve theallocation of costs to each unit you sell.

Profit margins 15/08/2008 14:40 Page 1

As with any trade, stock is made up ofbread-and-butter items and luxurygoods. The bread-and-butter items arethose that sell every day and they are thecore of the business. Your customersexpect you to have these items and youcan be assured of making a reasonablemargin on them, each and every time.On the other hand, luxury items, such aspremium vodkas, liqueurs etc, mayachieve higher margins but there is noguarantee they will sell on a regularbasis. Tastes change rapidly, so you mustbe careful you do not end up with astore-room full of yesterday’s news.Reading trends is a difficult task and itwould be wise to allow some leeway forgetting it wrong now and again.

Comfort MarginThose who have been in the trade for along time know the value of having acushion to fall back on in leaner times.If you are going to survive, you need towork out what your comfort margin is,what mark-up is needed to keep youand your business surviving from day today and weathering the occasional cri-sis. The bar sector can be volatile andunless you leave a little extra to stayafloat in bad times, you will not be inthe business long. With this in mind,you should be forever vigilant, lookingfor opportunities to increase your mar-gins so that you can have a healthierbottom line. However, be careful not toundermine the value and quality of theproduct in an attempt to increase yourmargins.

As each unit takes a share of runningcosts and overheads, reducing any ofthese costs means an improvement inyour margins. For example, insurancecosts are a major drain on the business.It will pay to take time to find betterdeals.You may find specialist brokerswho can reduce your overall insurancecosts. Each year, it would be time wellspent shopping around, in case you canimprove your policy terms.

Similarly, if you have a mortgage orbusiness loan, take the time to check outnew deals. Financiers are always vying totake business from each other, so whynot take advantage of any new incentivesto reduce your loan costs? When shop-ping for better deals, it is best to do sofrom a position of strength rather thenwait for a crisis and go begging from aposition of weakness.

SuppliersNegotiating better deals with suppliersis not easy but if you are a loyal customer,then there is no harm in trying. It may bepossible to secure discounts, if you pur-chase some items on a large scale. Tryreducing the number of suppliers, as youwill have better negotiating power asyour order size will be larger. This is par-ticularly true when it comes to orderingfood or catering supplies.

It may also be possible to purchasedirect from distributors or manufactur-ers. There are many new options now,with the internet and products can bepurchased from non-traditionalsources, especially if these are com-modity type products which do notrequire brand names or a regular back-up service from a local agent – thiscould include suppliers of napkins, cut-lery, condiments etc.

However, if customers prefer certainbrands, stick with those brands and lookfor cheaper sources to supply them.Sometimes, it may not just be worth it ifyou have a good relationship with a localsupplier who provides an outstandinglevel of service: indeed, sometimes it iseven worth paying extra for good serv-ice. It is pointless having a cheapersource if they cannot keep you supplied.

ValueYou might also find ways to add value toyour service, thereby attracting more

customers. Most pubs across the countrynow have a food offering, as well as offer-ing a variety of coffees (once seen as lux-ury items, but no more). Good market-ing design is important and higher mar-gin popular sellers should be highlightedto stand-out, enticing the customer’sinterest. Remember not to reduce thequality or desirability of the product, asan increased margin is counter-produc-tive if the customers do not like the prod-ucts you offer.

InventoryKeeping tight control on your inventoryis vital. Many businesses have imple-mented computerised systems to man-age, control, and track products. Keep atight rein on stock and do not acceptdeliveries you cannot use or arrive toolate for a particular season. Computeriseyour business to streamline everydaytasks and business procedures anddevelop a tracking system for thoseproducts that are your best sellers.

By managing your business moreeffectively, you will be able to providebetter value, attract more customers,improve your average sales transactionand improve the allocation of costs toeach unit you sell. By doing this, youimprove your margins. There is no mag-ic formula to success. It takes vigilenttracking and monitoring of stock, salesand overheads to achieve greater mar-gins and a healthier bottom line.

Profit Margins

43


Computerise your business to streamline everyday tasks and business procedures anddevelop a tracking system for those products that are your best sellers.

Profit margins 15/08/2008 14:40 Page 2

Whether you’re looking fornew staff for an established business orstarting up a new hospitality venture,staffing is one of the most important andyet notoriously difficult factors you’re goingto have to deal with. You want the right fitfor your establishment, someone who isgoing to work hard and preferably some-one who is going to stick around. Morethan that, hiring the right staff and retainingthem can increase your bottom line.

Unfortunately, it is particularly difficultto find good staff, and hold on to them,in the hospitality industry. The best way to

avoid staffing issues is to get your recruit-ment strategy right in the beginning.

The following tips will help to getstaffing right in your establishment:• Have a well defined job description

and person specifications andensure this is readily available forpotential candidates;

• Have a competitive salary and ben-efits package;

• Be open minded about who you arehiring – there is a lot of talent outthere, don’t discriminate!

• When using recruitment agencies,be specific about what it is you’relooking for;

• Give feedback as to the quality ofcandidates you are receiving;

• Think about what it is the potentialcandidates are going to be lookingfor and do your best to offer thosethings;

• Use trade-specific communicationsfor direct advertising to attract moresuitable candidates;

• Decide how many applicants you arewilling to interview;

• Short-list your applicants to those

who most closely match your origi-nal criteria (this should not changeto suit the candidate).

Once you have made your decision,have a contract drawn up and signed.Keep one copy of the contract in yourfiles and one copy is for the employee.You should then ensure you give yournew employee a good induction intoyour establishment, outlining your“house policy” and general proceduresand do everything to make your newemployee’s first week as seamless aspossible.

Once you have taken on staff, how-ever, there is still more to do. You shouldhave regular career development meet-ings and monitor your employees’progress, recognising their achievementsto make them feel appreciated and moti-vated to remain in your establishment.

Obviously, employees’ needs andbehaviours vary from person to person,but the more you can do to motivatethem and in turn retain them, the betterit will be on your bottom line.

Staff AppraisalsAn appraisal is a performance reviewwhich is carried out with every memberof your staff, from staff in training to yourdeputy general manager, at least onceper year, by the manager of each depart-ment or the general manager with theirdepartment heads.

By completing an appraisal with astaff member, it will allow you to reviewtheir performance over the past months,set future goals and allow the staff to airtheir views on how work is going forthem.

The following points should be dis-cussed:• How the staff member performed

over the last period;• What aspects have gone well;• What aspects did not go quite so

well and what will be done in the

Taking the Headacheout of HR

44

Human Resources

Tips on how to getrecruitment right,conducting staffappraisals and howto keep your staffhappy andmotivated.

Human Resources 15/08/2008 14:50 Page 1

future to develop further andimprove performance to thebenefit of the individual, theirjob and the establishment.

There are many advantages toconducting an appraisal with yourstaff. It is an opportunity to identi-fy and discuss the employee’sstrengths and weaknesses. Someareas may need further trainingand development, while othersmay be carried out consistentlywell by the employee, for whichthey should be commended. It is atime to set clear standards of per-formance, objectives and targets, whichthey can aim to achieve. An appraisal willalso help to keep your staff focused andmotivated.

When you are planning to give a staffmember their appraisal, it is a good ideato let them know in advance and in writ-ing. This way, they will be aware that theappraisal is serious and it is official, as acopy will be held on their file with thepersonnel department.

Guidelines for AppraisalsThere are several guidelines to followwhen conducting an appraisal:

• Ensure that the staff member isinformed in advance and in writing;

• Ensure that the area where the meet-ing will take place is private andaway from passing staff members;

• If the employee is a friend, thenthere must be no favouritism shown;

• Do not criticise weaker staff mem-bers, instead encourage them andmake it a point of telling them thatmore on-the-job coaching will beprovided;

• If there has been a personal indiffer-ence with a staff member, this is notto be used as pay-back time;

• Mean what you say and say what youmean. Make the appraisal sincereand be specific: otherwise, it dimin-ishes the impact of the appraisal.

Communicating With Your StaffCommunicating with your staff is impor-tant for many reasons. It is your oppor-tunity to gain insight into how they feeltheir work is progressing, as well asensuring that staff are kept up-to-datewith policies, issues and day-to-dayevents in the business. This in turn has

the effect of making your staff feelinvolved and provides them with anopportunity to have an input.

As well as regular one-on-one talks,there are also methods of communica-tion you can establish to make sure thatcommunicating with your staff is regu-lar and effective.

Team meetings are a great way toensure that your staff are kept informedand involved with what’s happeningwith the business. Staff can use thisopportunity to provide you with theirfeedback. You can also use team meet-ings as an opportunity to provide train-ing, such as new legislation or new poli-cies for the business.

Organising team meetings can be adifficult process. It is best to organisethem at the beginning or end of a shiftand if attending staff are not rosteredon, it can be a good idea to provideincentives such as food and drink toreimburse them for their time.

As well as staff meetings, staffnotice boards can be a good way ofproviding staff with information aboutupcoming events, industry newslettersand so on. The trick with notice boardsis to keep them updated and eye-catching.

If your hospitality business is large,you could consider developing yourown internal staff newsletter, featuringachievements from staff (both insideand out of work), upcoming events,policy updates and so on.

Whichever method you employ tocommunicate with your staff, the mostimportant thing is that staff are also giv-en the opportunity to have input andinvolvement. Keeping your staff feelinglike they are involved in your businessis a key step in helping to keep yourstaff happy.

IncentivesIncentives are a great way toencourage staff to keepmotivated and working hard.Incentives don’t always haveto be monetary and some-times the best incentives aremore about recognition.

If you are looking toinclude incentives to helpkeep your staff motivated,you need to be clear aboutwhat it is you are trying toachieve. Are you trying toimprove sales of a particular

item? Less sick days? Better time man-agement? Whatever it is, decide firstwhat the measures of success will be andchoose a reward that reflects the valuesof your staff.

You also need to be clear aboutwhether you want the whole team to berewarded or one person in particular.

Incentives such as sports events,nights or days out as a team etc. can bea great way to reward your staff, as wellas providing a great team-building expe-rience. Whatever incentive you choose,recognising your staff achievements is agreat way to help keep your staff happy.

Staff TurnoverNo matter what you do to keep your staffhappy and motivated, staff turnover is aninescapable part of the business. Clearly,the higher the turnover, the higher thecost to you as an employer.

In most cases, where staff morale ishigh, the turnover tends to be lower, sostaff communication and incentives cango a long way in helping you keep yourstaff turnover down.

Providing reasonable wages andworking hours, as well as providing yourstaff with career advancing opportunitiescan also help to keep the turnover down.But remember: it all starts at the begin-ning, so make sure you employ a strin-gent recruitment process so you can findthe right staff with the best fit for yourbusiness and they’ll be likely to stay withyour business for longer.

Human Resources

45



Human Resources 15/08/2008 14:50 Page 2

TheIrish pub was once the preserveof the male, a place where men bondedover beer, whiskey and probably at leastan hour’s conversation about sport. Timeshave changed for the better, however, andnowadays, you’re as likely to see groupsof women in the pub, letting their hairdown and enjoying a girls’ night out.

The recent success of theSex And The City movie is proofpositive that there is enormousprofit potential in catering specif-ically for female clientele.Everywhere the film was shown,there was a massive upsurge inbusiness, and the big winnerswere the pubs that targetedthis clientele with specifictheme nights, promotions ormerely by marketing them-selves as sophisticated, mod-ern bars.

Of course, you don’t haveto be a shiny new superpub to

take advantage of a ladies’ night out. Youdo, however, have to adhere to certainprinciples, which include:- A cocktail menu;- A wine menu;- Friendly bar-staff;- Music;- Clean and well-serviced bathrooms.

Anecdotal evidence suggests thatpubs which provided these servicesenjoyed a massive upsurge in salesaround the opening weeks of films likeSex And The City and Mamma Mia, andnot just at the weekends. Putting a littleeffort into marketing your pub to femaleclientele could add serious profit poten-tial to your premises. Targeting promo-tions at females is one way to seriouslyhighlight your bar as a prime location fora girls’ night out.

After all, many bars specifically targetthe male market, primarily through sport-ing events, and target both sexesthrough quizzes, live music etc.

Diageo IrelandBaileys is currently ranked seventh in theinternational league of top selling glob-al premium spirit brands (Source: ImpactMagazine, 2007) and is a delicious drinkthat tastes great anytime.

Baileys over ice is the classic Baileysserve, but there are plenty of other ways

Attracting the Ladies

46

Ladies’ Night

While most pubscater for their maleclientele, throughsports events, theenterprising pubowner is ensuringthat girls’ nightsout are equally wellcatered for, and isreaping seriousrewards.

Baileys is currently ranked seventh in the internationalleague of top selling global premium spirit brands.


Ladies' Night 15/08/2008 16:15 Page 1

Captain Morgan® is…• The in the world by volume* • Exactly the as Morgan’s Spiced®

but with a different label • Available for the first time in both bottle sizes • Remaining at the

same liquid

same trade pricing

So, when placing your

next order don’t forget...

Morgan’s Spiced® is now called

Captain Morgan®

Original Spiced Gold

1ltr and 70cl

6th largest premium spirit

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Captain Morgan - Managing Pub.indd 1 7/4/08 3:53:44 PM

to enjoy Baileys Irish Cream for everyoccasion. Why not shake it up a little?Pour 50ml of Baileys into a cocktail shak-er with ice, shake thoroughly, strain intoa Martini glass and enjoy the silkysmooth taste of Baileys Shaken. BlendedBaileys is another refreshing option: justadd five chunks of ice to a blender, pour

in 50ml of Baileys per per-son, blend and serve: ittastes delicious.

Baileys Irish Creammakes for a premium addi-

tion to a host of alterna-tive cocktails includingBaileys Chocolatini,Baileys Emerald Isleand for coffee occa-sions, Baileys Latteand Baileys EspressoChill. For cocktails witha twist, why not try thelatest additions to theBaileys family? Baileyswith a hint of mintchocolate and Baileyswith a hint of crèmecaramel are deliciousnew variants of Baileysavailable now. For afull list of cocktailrecipes using Baileys,visit www.baileys.ie.

The DiageoIreland portfolio alsoincludes the hugely

successful Bushmills brand, as well asCaptain Morgan, the spiced rum brandwhich is gaining in popularity all the time.

FindlaterGrantsCarolans Irish Cream is a unique tasting,high quality Irish cream liqueur fromFindlaterGrants, which is produced inCo. Tipperary. Carolans combines Irishspirits and whiskey with rich doubleIrish cream and derives its superiortaste from the subtle blending offlavours, principally honey. Staying atthe vanguard of the drinks industry,Carolans’ fresh and contemporary liv-ery means that the brand is well placedto capitalise on its position as the sec-ond biggest selling Irish cream liqueurin the world. For a ladies night out whynot try offering your customers aCarolans cocktail? For a ‘Mudslide’,simply mix equal parts of Carolans IrishCream and Tullamore Dew IrishWhiskey and pour over ice into a tallglass.

For the lady who likes her spirits butdoesn’t necessarily like whiskey, there isIrish Mist. Irish Mist, which is flavouredwith honey, herbs and spices, dates

back to the mists of Irish history, whenthe chieftains called it their ‘HeatherWine’. 400 years on, it is still a wonder-fully complex flavour. To make a‘Cranberry Mist’, fill a tall glass withcrushed ice; add a large measure of IrishMist; top with cranberry juice, add asqueeze of lime and stir.

Russian Standard is Russia’s numberone premium vodka and the newestpremium vodka on the Irish market.Four times distilled and filtered twice

48

Captain Morgan, another popular brandfrom Diageo Ireland.

Carolans Irish Cream is a unique tasting,high quality Irish cream liqueur from

FindlaterGrants.

Irish Mist, flavoured with honey, herbsand spices, dates back to the mists of

Irish history.

Russian Standard is Russia’s number onepremium vodka and the newest premium

vodka on the Irish market.

The perenniallypopular Bushmills

brand.

Ladies’ Night



through charcoal to achieveabsolute transparency and puri-ty, Russian Standard Vodka is asuperbly smooth spirit with apure taste. It is the perfectchoice for those who appreciatetradition and high quality, andenjoy a great tasting vodka.Enjoy Russian Standard cocktailsand don’t forget to toast ‘ZAMILYH DAM!’ – To Lovely Ladies!

Edward Dillon & Co.LtdHennessy City Cocktails areenjoying enormous success inIreland since their major interna-tional launch in 2006. The entire-ly new way of drinking Hennessyin the attractive new-lookHennessy tumblers - be it withginger ale in the HennessyShanghai or with fresh lime juiceand mint in the Hennessy Miami -results in a cocktail where con-sumers can really taste the deli-cious premium spirit.

The Hennessy Premiumrange of XO, Paradis andRichard Hennessy remain must-haves for discerning Cognacdrinkers who appreciate prestige, qual-ity and elegance.

Belvedere Vodka hails from thesmall town of Zyrardów in the Mazovian

plains west of Warsaw, Poland.Following traditions dating back over600 years, Belvedere is handcrafted insmall batches to ensure superior quali-

ty, meeting only the high-est of standards.

First introduced to NorthAmerica in 1996, Belvederesingle-handedly created theluxury vodka segment (nowthe fastest-growing categoryin distilled spirits). Now,Belvedere's high char-acter and uncompro-mising integrity arerecognised internation-ally. Consumer demandcontinues to increase atan accelerated paceand worldwide recogni-tion of the brand is atan all-time high.

Finlandia Vodka isIreland’s leading pre-mium vodka, enjoyingphenomenal growthof over 75% year onyear, according toEdward Dillons.Finlandia Vodka is apremium vodka ofunequalled naturalpurity that uses pureglacial spring water,which has been natu-rally filtered throughglacial moraineformed during the Ice Age over 10,000years ago.

50

Hennessy City Cocktails are enjoying enormoussuccess in Ireland since their major international

launch in 2006.

Belvedere Vodka is handcrafted in smallbatches to ensure superior quality, meeting

only the highest of standards.

Finlandia Vodkais a premium

vodka ofunequalled

natural purity thatuses pure glacial

spring water.

Ladies’ Night

Drostdy-Hof's New Clothes! LEADING South African Wine Drostdy-Hof, from the house ofDistell, has unveiled a new look. Drostdy-Hof’s new premiumlook has achieved a fresher and more modern design, whilemaintaining the heritage which is synonymous with the brand.Drostdy-Hof wines represent the best in New World tradition.The wines are bold and confident, an element which Distellwere keen to maintain through the new packaging.

With exceptional balance and harmony, these winesare as elegant as their namesake, De Oude Drostdy, themanor house which remains as the centrepiece of the newlabel, so re-enforcing the established heritage of thebrand. The label itself has been upgraded and now has atorn effect to give texture and to reflect the mountainoussetting surrounding the manor house in the Cape.Drostdy-Hof enjoys great success as a pouring wine in theon-trade around Ireland and it is also available as part ofFebvre’s Wine by the Glass programme. The full range isavailable in 75cl bottles, while the Cape Red and Steen(Chenin Blanc) are available in 187ml bottles.


Also from EdwardDillons, this summer saw theexciting introduction ofGreen Point Non-VintageRosé to Ireland: a freshsparkling rosé in the ‘méth-ode traditionelle’ style,blended from the classicvarieties. Chardonnay,Pinot Noir and PinotMeunier are blendedwith a small amountof Pinot Noir fer-mented on skins, tocreate a vibrant andfruit driven BrutRosé style.

Green Pointis situated on aspur of land run-ning fromYeringberg Hillto the YarraRiver in the

heart of the YarraValley. The sitewas chosen byMoët & Chandon

in 1986 as the ideal location fortheir first Australian vineyard andwinery – Domaine ChandonAustralia. Green Point wines havebecome the Australian benchmarkfor excellence in cool-climatesparkling and still wines and have

achieved critical acclaim in Ireland andthe rest of the world.

The Green Point NV Rosé is the firstCrown Seal in Ireland and Europe. Withwine quality as the key objective, theyhave chosen to seal all of theirsparkling wines with a stainless steel

crown seal. As with screw-caps,now widespread for still wines,the crown seal ensures uni-form maturation from bottleto bottle and eliminates therisk of cork taint, therebyensuring Green Pointsparkling wines maintainthe style and quality asintended by the wine-maker.

Irish DistillersLtd Wines &SpiritsMalibu is the iconicCaribbean White Rumliquor with a distinctivecoconut flavour.Caribbean rums arelighter and more delicate thenother rums due to their subtlesugar cane and soft butter rumnotes. This premium liqueur iseasy to mix, making it the ide-al component for cocktails,including the hugely popularMalibu and Cranberry.

Demand for HavanaClub is being drivenboth by trade profes-sionals and consumerswho recognise it as ahot brand, with strongquality credentials.Havana Club’sroots are firmlyestablished incocktail her-itage, makingthe brand akey ingredientfor popularcocktails;Mojito andDaiquiris.Havana Clubis experienc-ing significantgrowth bothin Ireland andglobally.

Also fromIDL comes WestCoast Cooler,

which is an ideal summerdrink, adding fizz andbubbles to summer.

Ladies’ Night

51


West CoastCooler: massively

popularthroughout

Ireland.

Cassidy WinesGALLO Family Vineyards have threeRosé wines to choose from: GalloFamily Vineyards White Zinfandel,White Grenache andShiraz Rosé. With morepeople opting for roséthroughout the summermonths, it’s little wonderwhy leading bars acrossthe country are encour-aging people to give‘Rosé on the Rocks’a try: Gallo FamilyVineyards WhiteZinfandel served inan oversized glassover ice. GalloFamily VineyardsWhite Zinfandel is alight bodied winewith a gorgeousjewel-like colour,with a distinctive redberry bouquet andcrisp, fresh fruit fin-ish.

Brinkman BeveragesCOOLE Swan, the super-premium IrishCream Liqueur, is a perfect accompani-ment for any occasion this summer.Created from the highest quality, all nat-ural, ingredients, the diversity of the liq-uid and the freshness of flavours in CooleSwan make for the perfect summer offer-ing and the brand can be combined withan array of fresh summer fruits for a‘Coole’ cocktail.

Coole Swan uses fresh doublecream from Ireland’s richest dairy-lands,which is blended with Single Malt IrishWhiskey, tempered with the softestcharcoal-filtered spirit. The heart of theblend comprises bittersweet notes ofvelvety-smooth white and dark choco-late, delicate infusions of Madagascanvanilla and rich cocoa from Coted’Ivoire.

This summer sawthe exciting

introduction ofGreen Point Non-Vintage Rosé to

Ireland.

Malibu is theiconic CaribbeanWhite Rum liquorwith a distinctivecoconut flavour.

Demand forHavana Club

is risingacross the

country andglobally.


52

BPM Media, based in Dublin, are sup-pliers of background music/video play-out systems for the retail and hospitalitysectors.

BPM Media pride themselves on pro-viding business with:- The right atmosphere at the right

time for the right customers;- Unparalleled digital signage oppor-

tunities for in-store advertising andbranding;

- Potential to generate a revenuestream from your in-store displayscreen network or audio system.

Pubs can create a unique entertain-ment experience for patrons with cut-ting-edge visuals and a perfect contentstrategy that always plays the right musicfor the right patrons at the right time.With BPM Media, you can exploit therevenue earning potential of your screennetwork.

Their Velvet Media Player is auniquely innovative music and videoplayer for pubs, clubs and restaurants.Key Features include:- Remarkable automatic beat-mixing

between songs and videos adds anextra 'wow' factor to your atmos-phere.

- Manage your own on-screen promo-tional messages and images throughan easy-to-use web-based interface.

-

BPM Media create custom schedulesfor your venue to ensure your musicpolicy matches your changing cus-tomer profile throughout the week.

Easy override of preset schedulescan be done with one button press.

- In addition to unlimited songs storedinternally, new music videos andaudio tracks are automaticallyuploaded daily via an internet con-nection.

- Potential to generate an additionalrevenue stream for your businessthrough third party video advertisingon your screens.

- Choice of control surfaces includingBeatTouch, their easy to use 17"touchscreen. You can choose howmuch control over the music policyyou want to give your staff.

In addition, all Velvet Media Playerinstallations now come with self-updating images of upcoming sportsevents showing on your venue'sscreens. The service is provided at noadditional cost and requires no addi-tional work for venue owners or man-agers.

BPM Media

With BPM Media, pubs can create a unique entertainment experience for patrons withcutting-edge visuals and a perfect content strategy that always plays the right music

for the right patrons at the right time.

Ladies’ Night



NEW 2008 GIFTS FOR CATERER’S CATALOGUE NOW AVAILABLEContact [email protected] or telephone 01 8823217 to get your copy now.

In the current economic climate, cut-ting cost is paramount in most people’sminds. A business needs to be aware ofwhen and where they can cut costs, evenwhen it comes to waste

The increasing costs of managingwaste and the introduction of new com-pliance legislation means the manage-ment of waste has become an essential

business discipline for all pubs. Legalobligations apart, the good news is thatimplementing a waste management andrecycling strategy correctly will not onlysave you money but will also introduce astrong CSR ethos to your business.

Each year, Repak host the RepakRecycling Awards to commend busi-nesses that are aiming to make a differ-ence and raise awareness of the type ofactivities that companies are performingto improve their recycling rates. Theseawards promote a pub’s recycling activi-ties to their suppliers and to their cus-tomers and as recycling becomes moreprevalent in the consumer’s eye, this canbe an invaluable boost to any business.

New LegislationBeyond the CSR element, more busi-nesses are now obligated to fund recy-cling under new legislation introduced inApril of this year. Under the new rules, allIrish companies, who supply over 10tonnes of packaging on the goods theysell or supply and who have a turnover ofover €1m, will have a legal duty to ensurethey fund the recycling of the packagingthey put on the market. In order to make

compliance easier for the newly obligat-ed companies, Repak has developed twooffers, one for independent retailers,hardware stores, hotels, and pubs who donot brand any of their own products(known as scheduled members) and asecond for smaller newly obligatedbrand-holders/importers.

For the newly obligated scheduledmembers who are between 10-25tonnes, Repak membership now costs afee of €400 (down from €980 minimumfee for those over 25 tonnes). Brand-holders/importers who produce 10-25tonnes will be offered a minimum fee of€735 for the remainder of 2008.

It’s all well and good ensuing that yourpub is compliant but a pub also needs toput in place a strong and robust wastemanagement system. Implementing awaste system does not have to be a pain-staking process: indeed, in a pub, it is rel-atively simple. The most difficult part isgetting staff on board and creating anoverall ethos of individual responsibility towork with the recycling scheme that isintroduced. Outlined below is a step bystep guide to implementing a simple bestpractice waste management system inyour pub.

Best Practice Waste Steps1. Management Commitment2. Designate Waste Co-ordinator3. Complete a Waste Audit4. Prioritise Waste Streams5. A phased approach to recycling6. Internal Collection Medium7. What investment is required8. Staffing : who is responsible9. What Contractor10. Implement and Monitor11. Review Success and Failure

1. ManagementCommitmentRe-engineering your current waste prac-tices to improve recycling rates andpotentially save costs will require thecommitment of the management to sup-port change and resource the imple-mentation. The main objective is to

Minimising Your Waste

54

Waste Management

Implementing aproper wastemanagementsystem in your pubis not just a case ofpromoting greenissues: it can alsosave you money,according toRepak.

Pictured at the Repak Annual Members Conference are (l-r): Minister of State at theDept of the Environment, Heritage & Local Govt, Tony Killeen TD, Andrew HetheringtonCEO of Repak, and Siobhan Connelly, Symantec.


Repak 18/08/2008 16:11 Page 1

MEMBERS FUNDING PACKAGING RECYCLING

D

Any business with a turnover of €1million that places 10 tonnes, or more, of packaging on the market,must comply with the newly amended packaging regulations – or face prosecution. Compliance is aseasy as joining Repak, from as little as €1 per day. 47 companies have already been prosecuted and,with over 3,000 inspections a year, your business could be next. Why risk heavy fines and even prison?

Find out more about your company’s obligations under the amended packaging regulations - andhow Repak membership can help – by visiting repak.ie

Repak_ Membership 2008.:Layout 1 11/07/2008 10:05 Page 1

reduce your waste management costs.Recycling is increasingly a way to achievea reduction on your waste charges, aslandfill has become excessively expen-sive.

2. Designate a Waste Co-OrdinatorThis will be the person who will own theproject and be responsible for:

• Conducting a waste audit;• Designing a collection system;• Educating employees;• Selecting a contractor;• Monitoring progress.

They will have an overseeing role toensure segregation systems are main-tained and contamination is identifiedand avoided. Separate segregated binsare maintained and emptied as required.They will also encourage employee par-ticipation.

3. Waste AuditThe purpose of a waste audit is to drawtogether all relevant information onwaste handled and current disposalmethodologies. It will also generatebaseline data to measure potentialimprovements against. Therefore, youshould gather as much information aspossible to allow informed and valueddecision making to take place.Information that should be gatheredshould include: contractor(s), annual ormonthly costs, disposal methodologies,quantification of waste arising on prem-ises, characterise waste onsite (i.e. paper,food, glass, cardboard, plastic, officepaper, organic)

4. Prioritise Waste StreamFrom the audit, you should now have a han-dle on the main types of waste arising inyour business and the approximate quanti-ties of each type. Therefore, you can start toprioritise/rank these in order of quantities:- Waste Minimisation opportunities- Tonnages arising- Contamination level of material

- Recycling PotentialGoing forward, the most readily avail-

able and economically viable waste forrecycling should be prioritised for segre-gation and recycling. In the case of apub, this will generally be cardboard andglass.

5. Introduce a PhasedApproach toChange/RecyclingDon’t try to change everything at once. Startwith the larger/easier to segregate items likeglass and cardboard first, before looking atfood waste, for example. It is important thatyou take progressive steps when trying tochange staff behaviour. Educate them onreasons why you are implementing change.It is better to start small, achieve success andexpand, than to start with grand plans andfail in implementation.

6. Examine InternalCollection MethodsIs everything currently put into the onebin under the counter? If you want to seg-regate glass, you need to look at sepa-rate bins for glass in pub versus ashtrays.

56

The total amount of used packaging diverted from landfill is in excess of €3.6m tonnessince 1998.

Glass should be segregated into different colours for collection.

Waste Management

Repak 15/08/2008 15:06 Page 2

If all glass goes into one bin in the pub, itwill need to be segregated into the dif-ferent colours afterwards for collection.

You should have separate bins in thekitchen for food waste. All office papershould be segregated from other materi-als for recycling. All cardboard is collect-ed up in both the kitchen and bar andtied/baled in the yard. Internal collec-tion/segregation of material is best, as thisprevents materials being mixed and oftencontaminated, thus preventing recycling.

7. Investment RequiredTo facilitate appropriate segregation andpresentation of your waste, it may benecessary to make some capital invest-ment in balers and additional bins etc.You may need more bins for internal seg-regation, as well as separate bins for thedifferent glass colours. Do you need binsin the different areas like at the bars,kitchens, storage areas or the office? Areyou generating large enough quantitiesof cardboard, say per week, to facilitateinvestment in a baler? If material is wellsegregated and baled, a contractor willoften quote a more competitive price forthe collection service. Some businessesmay not be generating large enoughquantities to justify investment in a baler.Baled material should be stored in a drycovered area, and ideally on pallets offthe ground to keep them clean, but if thestorage area is kept swept and clean, thismay not be necessary. Rather than goingout and investing in a baler, however, youcan rent one from a contractor.

8. Staffing Appoint a site/waste champion, who isresponsible for waste management andpolicing segregation procedures. It isalways useful to choose someone who hasan interest in the environment. Raise aware-ness and educate staff about changes: rea-sons why, what will be done, who will beresponsible and when it will commence.

9. Choose a Waste ContractorConsult the Repak list of audited recy-clers. This ensures you are using a cor-rectly licensed and permitted contractorfor recycling and that material collectedfor recycling is actually recycled.However, remember that responsibilityfor your waste lies with you, so youshould always ask for copies of a con-tractor’s licence or permits. If your waste

ends up being illegally dumped, you willbe held responsible. Clarify issues of col-lection cost, frequency of collection,what materials the contractor will handleetc. Often, you will get a better deal fromone contractor, who can handle all yourwaste types, including recyclables.

10. Implement and Monitor Once you have completed the above,you are ready to prioritise you wastestreams and implement a phased recy-cling system. Maybe you should startwith a phased approach, such as recy-cling your glass, then maybe look at yourcardboard, then your office paper, fol-lowed by your kitchen food waste.

11. Review Success/FailureYou should continually review and mon-itor your waste strategy, evaluating thequality of the scheme and identify areasfor improvement. If you continually mon-itor and report on your now segregatedwaste stream, you should be able toidentify slippage and problems as theyarise. What gets measured gets done.Note: Dublin City Council offer a card-board collection scheme.

How To Deliver a RecyclingStrategy?It is all well and good knowing how toset up a waste management system, buthow do you keep it working throughoutall levels of the staff and encourage staffto take ownership over their responsibil-ity for the recycling scheme.

Firstly, you need to educate staff as tothe reasoning behind the implementationof the scheme, the CSR ethos of the com-pany and also the money-saving benefitsfor everyone. Also, when new staff join,they should be given initial training onhow the scheme works, where they fit into the recycling chain of the business andhow they can play their part.

If a pub has implemented a strongsuccessful Waste ManagementScheme, Repak would like to advisethese businesses to enter the AnnualRepak Recycling Awards. It can helpstaff feel that their hard work has paidoff and is being recognised on anational level. Outlined below is aneasy guide to starting a recyclingscheme in your business

Delivering a RecyclingStrategy1. Identify key personal responsible for

recycling initiative. 2. Establish an audit of your current

waste practice and costs.3. Identify waste you wish to recycle.4. Segregate recyclable wastes: i.e.

place cardboard in one bin, plasticin another etc.

5. Recycle all non-returnable glass andseparate it in to different colouredglass for recycling.

6. Bale cardboard and plastic.7. Ensure staff understand and appre-

ciate importance of segregation.8. Work in partnership with your Repak

RPS waste contractor.

Waste Management

57


If a pub has implemented a strong successful Waste Management Scheme, Repak wouldlike to advise these businesses to enter the Annual Repak Recycling Awards.

Repak 18/08/2008 16:50 Page 3

BOCSureserve is the largest sup-plier of drinks dispense gases in Ireland.The gas supplied is a mixture of Nitrogen(N2) & Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in pres-surised cylinders (200 bar).

CO2 is an asphyxiant gas that iscolourless and odourless, thus giving nowarning that it is present in the atmos-phere. Sufficient quantities of this gas ina confined space can lead to suffocation.A confined space is considered any-where on your premises that gas has thepotential to accumulate to dangerouslevels should a gas leak occur.

Even at low levels, a CO2 gas leakcan cause dizziness and headaches and

cause discomfort forthose working in thisenvironment for anylength of time.

Should any part of thegas system leak (either atthe cylinder storage area orin the cold-room) theredoes exist a potential riskof asphyxiation if the areais a confined space. Thegas systems are not unsafe,as they are installed andmaintained to strict inter-national standards: howev-er, gas leaks most com-monly occur throughhuman interaction with thegas and beer dispense sys-tem by incorrectly tapping on/off cylindersand kegs or leaving shut-off valves open ingas storage areas and in cold-rooms.

Your Legal DutyPublicans have a legal duty under Healthand Safety legislation and the ConfinedSpaces Regulations (2001) to assess all therisks relating to their cellar/cold-room,including those from dispense gases, bycarrying out a risk assessment. Based onthis assessment, you must put in placemeasures to eliminate or minimise thoserisks and ensure a safe system of work isin place.

In order to determine whether youroutlet is affected, the risk assessment ofthe areas where gas is present must becarried out by a competent person. BOCSureserve have an ongoing programmeof carrying out risk assessments in all out-lets they supply gas to and make recom-mendations that will ensure a safe work-ing environment can be achieved for youand your staff.

These recommendations include,where ventilation is not an option, theinstallation of a Carbon Dioxide moni-toring system that will forewarn membersof staff that a gas leak has occurred andit is hazardous to enter the area moni-tored. Once notified, the local emer-

gency plan must be put into effect todeal with the situation in a safe manner.

Overall SolutionBOC Sureserve are currently providingan overall solution to dealing with thismatter, in line with the Confined SpacesRegulations (2001), and with the fullbacking of Health and Safety Authority.This includes:• A comprehensive risk assessment to

determine risk;• Installation of monitors by qualified

electricians;• Annual inspection & service of

equipment;• Staff training on the dangers associ-

ated with gas in confined spaces andeffecting an emergency plan;

• Seven-day assistance and supportthough their Customer ServiceCentre on 1850 390000.

Carrying out this risk assessmentsolution means that you can ensure youare compliant with all aspects ofConfined Spaces Regulations in relationto asphyxiant gases and ensure a safeworking environment for those workingon your premises.

For further information please contactColin Delaney of BOC at 087-6378468.

Ensuring Safety inYour Cellar

58

Cellar Management

BOC Sureservehave implementeda solution tominimise the risksassociated withdrinks dispensegases in cellars andcold-rooms.


Boc 15/08/2008 14:46 Page 1

Dangers from beer dispense gas leaks.

An accidental release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into a confined space - for example, a cellar or coldroom - reduces the amount of oxygen in the air. Carbon dioxide is also toxic and, even at low concen-trations; it can cause serious effects such as breathing difficulties and dizziness.

At higher concentrations, it can result in asphyxiation effects and, eventually, death. And because youcan't see this gas or smell it, you or your staff could unknowingly enter and start work in an areawhere there may be high levels of CO2.

A Cellaguard Installation

A Cellaguard can help you protect staff from these risks. It can also help you meet your legal obliga-tions, under Health & Safety Regulations, to provide a safe place of work. A Cellaguard monitor alarmwill give you immediate warning of unsafe levels of CO2 within your premises, so that you or your staffcan avoid potential dangers. Simply by installing a Cellaguard carbon dioxide monitor system in your cellar or cold room , you canreduce the risk of asphyxiation that would arise if there was a serious CO2 leak from dispense gascylinders, the pipes or gas system.

Cellaguard is a simple, effective solution that will give you the peace of mind of knowing that you areprotecting your employees from harm and complying with the law.

Technology at your service

The Cellaguard carbon dioxide monitor uses the latest technology to provide continuous, reliable pro-tection.

Its features include: • Continuous monitoring of CO2 levels in the cellar.• two pre-set alarms; the first identifies a rise in CO2 levels; the second alarm is • activated if CO2 contamination reaches the maximum allowable level for safe

working• infrared sensor ensures a fast (30 seconds) response to rising CO2 levels• A failsafe fault indicator that provides protection against incorrect operation.

The Cellaguard carbon dioxide alarm repeater is a remote audio and visualalarm that can be located near the entrance to the cellar or in the bar area.

A passing glance at the Cellaguard repeaterunit before you enter your cellar can ensure

your safety and protect you and your staff from the effects ofasphyxiation. If either the Cellaguard monitor or repeater unit isactivated, entry to the area must be restricted or prevented.

Installation and service For an annual fee BOC Sureserve will install and maintain a Cellaguard alarm on your premises. Call 1850 39 0000 for more information.

1850 39 0000

1850 39 0000

Project2 18/08/2008 11:54 Page 1

Theintroduction of the smoking banin March 2004 has changed the way wefeel about outdoor socialising forever. Formany years now, our European counter-parts have had working terraces allthrough spring and summer and enjoyedal fresco wining and dining day and night.

Finally, in this country we have therange of products to make us feel at homeoutside our bars, restaurants and cafés,where both tourists and locals alike can sitpeacefully and watch the world go by. Thestreetscape of our cities and towns nowinclude valuable and vibrant outside seat-ing areas, which, properly maintained, canincrease turnover considerably. A welldesigned, well constructed terrace canstart your season earlier and finish it laterand lets you and your customers profitgreatly from your outdoor area.

Canopies and AwningsThe Exclusive Blinds range includes aselection of external branded canopiesor awnings, which both decorate yourpremises and serve as a functional over-head cover for your patrons. Stylish and

easy to operate, both manually andmotorised, they are available in standardprint or full-colour, ink-jet graphics.

TerraSols are a stylish way of protect-ing your outdoor space, using twoAwnings effectively back-to-back on a‘goalpost’ structure. This product can befree-standing, with a wide spanning pro-jection of up to six metres. Complete withweatherproof materials, this unit is fullymotorised, allowing each side to be oper-ated individually for maximum flexibility.

TerraceScreens and ParasolsThe range also includes a very popularTerraceScreen with robust square glasstop, as well as a range of giant umbrellas,which provide a low-cost way to expandtrade and raise the profile of your outlet.With a huge range of colours, shapes andsizes, the umbrella range also offersoptional extras such as valances, gutteringand side-sheets to create an atmosphere

unique to your outdoor area. The parasolcan be printed with your logo or any spon-sors’ brand, thus adding visual appeal toyour terrace. With a portable stand or anin-ground sleeve option, there are sys-tems to suit individual fixing requirements.

Terrace CoversThe ultimate in terrace protection,Promoshades’ TerraceCovers offer a fullymotorised and beautifully illuminated solu-tion to all-year outdoor activity. In a rangeof fabric and profile colours, this unit isboth weatherproof and guttered, offeringa full wrap-around option. Your logo orbrand can be printed for maximum visibil-ity inside or outside the TerraceCover.

Wind-BreakersWith the Promoshades’ selection of colour-ful continental-style outdoor wind-breakers,complete with uprights or TreeBoxes, theexterior of any bar, restaurant or café canbe transformed into a vibrant extension tothe business. Another ideal brandingopportunity, they can be personalised withany logo or message. The wind-breakersare weatherproof, durable and the uprightsare multi-directional for ease of assembly.

Internal BlindsDesigned in-house and manufactured tothe highest possible standards, the rangeof internal blinds come with a selectionof black-out fabrics to suit individualrequirements. Using a range of printingtechniques, any corporate logo or iden-tity can be reproduced. Stylish and prac-tical, they will keep your brand perma-nently in the public eye.

BannersFinally, Exclusive Blinds offer a range ofquality indoor and outdoor banners, with achoice of fixtures and fittings, which can beproduced for any launch or event. In con-junction with their graphic design studio,you can promote your business or productcost-effectively and with maximum impact.The inkjet process, in particular, offersexcellent flexibility, with digitally repro-duced large format, full colour prints.

Covering All Eventualities

60

Beer Gardens

Exclusive Blinds arethe sole suppliers ofPromoshades,Ireland’s leadingrange of printedinternal and externalblinds, promotionalinterior and exteriorbanners, parasols,branded outdoorwind-breakers, andTerraceScreens.


Exclusive Blinds 19/08/2008 11:25 Page 1

Project3 18/08/2008 12:16 Page 1

The latest statistics from the secu-rity industry regulator, the PrivateSecurity Authority (PSA) show that over23,900 door supervisors and private

security guards had applied for a licencefrom the PSA, and over 13,000 licences,together with identity cards, have beenissued. Successful prosecutions havebeen taken by the PSA against unli-censed operators in counties Wicklow,Wexford and Kildare, with fines and costsof up to €25,000 being awarded.

80% of the applications received bythe PSA are for security guardinglicences, with the remaining 20% apply-ing for door supervisor licences orlicences for both positions.

All pub owners and managers mustensure that all security staff on theirpremises have applied for or received alicence from the PSA. Since April 1, 2007,it has been an offence to work as a secu-rity guard or door supervisor without alicence. Even part time staff have to belicensed.

All applicants receive written confir-mation from the PSA that their applica-tion is being processed and these lettersshould be available to show to PSAInspectors or employers, as having proofof having applied for a licence.Applicants should carry these letters onthem when providing a security service.

Application FormsTo obtain a licence, applicants must pro-vide evidence of having training relevantto their sector, provide a Criminal RecordCertificate where appropriate, and com-plete a Garda vetting form.

Applicants refused a licence mayappeal the decision to the PrivateSecurity Appeal Board.

“The greatest difficulty we face inlicensing individuals is that as many assix out of every 10 application forms wereceive are incomplete,” explainsGeraldine Larkin, Chief Executive Officerof the PSA. “People often forget to tellus when they move address and if wehave a query, we don’t have their newaddress and so cannot contact them. Wewant to keep these inadvertent refusalsto a minimum, so pub owners and man-agers must encourage their private secu-

rity employees, all of whom should haveapplied for a private security licence atthis stage, to notify the PSA if or whenthe employee changes address.Notification can be in writing or by emailto [email protected].

“When the PSA refuses or rejects theapplication”, she continues, “it can haveserious implications for the employeeand the employer, with the employeecontinuing to work in the industry, notknowing the application has beenrefused. The first time either the employ-ee or employer might realise that theapplication has been refused is whencriminal prosecution proceedings com-mence against the employer for employ-ing an unlicensed individual.”

PSA Inspectors areEnforcing the LawThe PSA has a dedicated EnforcementTeam that travels around the country andcarries out inspections of licensed prem-ises and individuals working in the pri-vate security industry. Accompanied bythe Gardaí, the PSA team typically visitspremises at random, as well as on footof specific intelligence or informationreceived. Private security contractorswho have staff working in pubs are alsoinspected. Anyone found not to be incompliance is given a warning and aprosecution may follow if they do notapply for and get a licence. Any licensedpremises employing an unlicensed indi-vidual or contractor to carry out theirsecurity duties could be prosecuted. Thepenalty can range from a fine of up to€3,000 and/or imprisonment for eachemployee.

When six teams of PSA Inspectorsand Gardaí carried out night-time inspec-tions on 49 premises in Dublin city cen-tre, 33 of 49 premises visited (68%) hadsecurity contractors providing security,11 (22%) employed in-house securitystaff and 5 (10%) did not employ anysecurity staff.

“We were delighted to find that theindividual compliance rate for those who

Are Your Security Staff Licensed?

63

Security

It’s more than ayear now since itbecame an offenceto work as asecurity guard ordoor supervisorwithout a licencefrom the PrivateSecurity Authority(PSA), or to employsomeone without alicence.

Geraldine Larkin, Chief Executive, PrivateSecurity Authority.


Security 15/08/2008 16:29 Page 1

employ in-house security staff was 40 outof 44 (91%),” noted Geraldine Larkin.“The compliance rate for employees ofsecurity contractors was lower, at 111 outof 160 (69%).”

The PSA recently inspected 45 ven-ues in the Sligo/Donegal area and foundthere was 100% licence compliance inthree venues where security contractorsare employed. The rate of complianceamong individuals employed by con-tractors and those employed in-housewas 64% and 63% respectively. 56 out of89 individual private security employeeswere licensed and of those, 49 out of 78in-house employees had a valid licence.

“We were delighted that the securitycontractors we inspected were all com-pliant and operating to a high standardof service”, says Geraldine Larkin. “We

will follow up on all the cases where wefound non-compliance with the licenceand we are planning to return to the areato do further inspections. We will be inthe North West again in the near future.”

“Prosecutions proceedings havecommenced against those individualsfound without a licence, the security con-tractors who are employing unlicensedstaff and the publicans who employ unli-censed staff,” the PSA emphasises.

Under Section 38 of the Act, publicanswho employ unlicensed contractors canbe prosecuted. The PSA is aware of pub-licans terminating contracts with unli-censed security companies and GeraldineLarkin advises all publicans to check thattheir service provider is licensed.

“The PSA takes licensing very seri-ously and we already have a number ofconvictions under our belt, with more cas-es awaiting Court hearings. One compa-ny was recently fined nearly €30,000, withanother convicted person having served ajail sentence, so risking prosecution canresult in very stiff penalties,” she warns.

Part-Time Security StaffPersonnel working part-time securityjobs in pubs, in addition to their regularday jobs, must be licensed too.

“Staff may feel if they only work afew hours here and there, that they areexempt from the new licensing laws.This is not the case,” stresses Larkin.“We have written to every pub andnightclub, informing them of their obli-gation to ensure that their security staffare licensed. Anyone providing a secu-rity service without a licence, engagingan unlicensed security company oremploying unlicensed personnel, risksprosecution.”

Improving StandardsThe PSA was established under thePrivate Security Services Act 2004, com-mencing operations in October that year.The key responsibilities of the Authorityare to control and supervise people pro-viding security services and to maintainand improve standards in the provisionof those services.

64

“Anyone found notto be incompliance is givena warning and aprosecution mayfollow if they donot apply for andget a licence. Anylicensed premisesemploying anunlicensedindividual orcontractor to carryout their securityduties could beprosecuted. Thepenalty can rangefrom a fine of up to€3,000 and/orimprisonment foreach employee.”

Security


Security 15/08/2008 16:29 Page 2

Heineken Ireland is a member of MEAS which promotes responsible drinking

Enjoy Our Beers Responsibly

World leadingbrands

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly.

All brands are trademarks and are registered and/or otherwise protected.

Diageo Ireland has a deep rooted commitmentto deliver world leading brands to our customers.We invest in our brands to ensure rigorous qualitystandards are achieved and quite simply, we believeit’s what our customers deserve.

Project3 19/08/2008 13:20 Page 1

managing your pub 2008

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