Welcome to our weekly Bord Bia Ireland Market Foodservice Newsletter.
If you missed our Irish Foodservice Industry White Paper webinar, you can access the recording on our website here (scroll down) and you can download the White Paper .pdf here.
Although we are not in a position to host our annual Bloom Trade Breakfast in the Phoenix Park this year, we have created a 2020 Bloom Exhibitor ‘Flip Book’ with profiles of over 150 food and drink producers. Producers that would (under normal circumstances) be exhibiting in the Food Market, Bloom Inn, Fresh Produce Market and Love Irish Food Marquee.
Click here to browse through the e-pages.
General Industry News
Coronavirus: ESRI warns of deepest recession in Irish history
The Irish Times – 28.05.2020
The Green Party is likely to agree that the next government should reduce the budget deficit in the second half of its term, following years of heavy borrowing to finance public investment in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis and what the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) warns will be the biggest economic slump in Irish history. According to the ESRI, the economy is on track to shrink by more than 12 per cent this year. In a worst-case scenario, where a second wave of the virus requires another lockdown in the final quarter of the year, the economy could contract by as much as 17 per cent, the ESRI says.
Unprecedented collapse in overseas travel to and from Ireland
Business Post – 28.05.2020
New figures showed an “unprecedented collapse” in overseas travel to and from Ireland for the month of April as the effects of the Covid-19 crisis deepened. The data, from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) found there were 16,100 arrivals in April 2020 and 17,800 departures. This compares with monthly travel of more than 1.7 million in each direction, in April 2019, an annual fall of 99 per cent. For the year to date 3,101,300 people arrived in Ireland from overseas and 3,063,100 persons departed. These figures are decreases of 44.4 per cent and 45.1 per cent respectively compared with the same period in 2019.
Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) & Pub Sector
All McDonald's drive-thrus to reopen by June 4
RTE Business – 27.05.2020
The company said that by Thursday, 4th June, 51 of its restaurants will reopen for drive-thru services and it also will start to expand the availability of a delivery service. This follows the opening of six drive-thru restaurants in Dublin last week. The opening of the restaurants caused some traffic disruptions around the city as people queued in their cars for food. McDonald's also said it will re-open 28 restaurants in Northern Ireland for drive-thru and deliveries from June 4. McDonald's is one of the largest purchasers of Irish beef and it spends €163m alone on beef for export to its restaurants in the UK and Europe. It also spends nearly €100m on Irish dairy produce, including milk, cheese, butter and ice-cream. Its 95 restaurants contribute close to €200m to the Irish economy, according to the company.
Pubs can deliver pints to their customers again following legal advice
The Irish Times– 23.05.2020
Pubs throughout the Republic will now be able to operate during the Covid-19 lockdown, subject to certain restrictions, because of a “lack of clarity” in the liquor licensing laws. Garda Headquarters has sought legal advice on pubs delivering drinks and selling takeaway beverages from their premises and has been told that both practices do not contravene liquor licensing laws. As long as drinks, including poured pints, are paid for on a licensed premises they can be delivered to customers. Takeaway sales are also permitted once those buying drinks in that manner consume them more than 100 metres away from a pub and not in a public place. The legal advice received by Garda headquarters is being circulated to every Garda member in the country.
Hotel & Restaurant Sector
The ‘new normal’ in Dalata Hotels will include face masks
The Irish Times – 28.05.2020
What will the “new normal” look like in hotels, post the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions? Pat McCann, Chief Executive of Dalata Hotels, the country’s largest hotel chain, gave a sneak preview on Wednesday in a message to staff and customers. “Before you arrive at our hotels, you will have the option of checking in online, so all you have to do is collect your bedroom key from our screened reception desk. Online check-out will also be an option.Strict protocols on lift usage will be displayed on each floor” when you go to access your bedrooms. Bedroom doors will have a seal on them that will break on entering, indicating that a room has been cleaned. We will fog the room with a special device that deals very effectively with viruses and other air and surface contaminants. This device is used in clean room technology throughout the pharmaceutical sector and in some hospitals. There will be food and beverage options via room service and the main restaurants, with “protocols in place”.
Bord Bia publishes white paper that charts possible scenarios for foodservice sector for remainder of 2020
Hospitality Ireland - 28.05.2020
In response to the impact that COVID-19 has had on the foodservice industry and the knock-on effect on food and drink producers and suppliers in Ireland, Bord Bia has published a White Paper that charts possible scenarios for the remainder of 2020 as the industry moves to a phased re-opening in a transformed operating environment. The White Paper, which was co-authored by global foodservice research specialists Technomic, takes market values as published by Bord Bia for 2019 into account to outline possible scenarios, and has made forecasts based on current industry reporting and research, and recent announcements and interviews with restaurants, distributors and other associations along with economic forecasts for the remainder of 2020.
Casusal Dining & Contract Catering Sectors
New low-cost franchise targets closed down restaurant and bar kitchens
Business Post - 29.05.2020
In response to the coronavirus crisis, Camile Thai Kitchen has launched a new low-cost conversion franchise, to allow restaurant and bar owners to re-open their kitchens as Camile delivery franchises. This is a response to the difficulties restaurant and bar owners around Ireland face, as they contemplate re-opening their businesses with social distancing restrictions, making many of them unviable. The new franchise will be available in towns and cities around Ireland, where Camile are currently not represented. These include towns with a population over 20,000, where there is high demand for the Camile style of home delivery service.
Coronavirus round-up: Facebook plans to reopen
Business Post - 22.05.2020
Facebook announced plans to reopen their Irish offices in early July yesterday, limiting staff numbers for the first few weeks and encouraging employees who are able to work from home to continue doing so. Staff who work on hardware and whose roles cannot be done remotely may be asked to return before July 6. The social media company’s offices will be limited to 25 per cent occupancy and there is a possibility that temperature checks will be introduced. Facebook intends to limit the size of staff meetings and its cafeteria meals will be replaced with prepackaged food.