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Inflation Threatens Restaurant Menus

A major rise in prices could lead to racks of lamb, crab claws and fillet steaks vanishing from restaurant menus, according to Gina Murphy, owner of Hugo's restaurant in Dublin's Merrion Row.

Ms Murphy said that the last five to six weeks have seen "massive, massive price increases" across the industry. She also said that restaurants are doing everything in their power to keep prices down. However, she acknowledged that at some point the increases will have to be passed on to customers.

"We have had massive price increases from all our suppliers over the last five or six weeks," she told Newstalk Breakfast. "Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine has really impacted everything and the cost of goods has just shot up — I mean we have experienced price increases along the lines of about 30% on most of the goods we are taking in at the moment.

Virtual Adventure ‘Down Under’

Twenty-four tourism companies from Ireland took part in Tourism Ireland’s "Outdoor and Adventure Virtual Expo" for Australia and New Zealand.

The Expo was an online B2B tourism event organised by Tourism Ireland to allow the tourism companies from Ireland to connect with around 35 leading Australian and New Zealand travel agents and tour operators.

Tourism Ireland facilitated, via an online system, a series of one-to-one, pre-scheduled video appointments. The aim was to showcase Ireland’s outdoor and adventure tourism offering to these influential travel professionals and to highlight that Ireland is open for business again and "cannot wait" to welcome back visitors from Australia and New Zealand.

Sofia Hansson, Tourism Ireland’s Manager for Australia and New Zealand, said:

Kerr Hosts Chef Showpiece

Bobby Kerr has been confirmed as the MC for the Cork Business Association’s 65th annual President’s Dinner and awards ceremony.

The event, which takes place at the newly-renovated Cork’s Vienna Woods Hotel on Saturday 23rd April, is always a highlight for local businesses and "foodies". Each year Cork’s top hotel chefs collaborate with award-winning local producers to create a "Taste of Cork" menu, in collaboration with CBA Director Claire Nash and the chosen venue. The executive head chefs chosen for this year’s event are Shane O’Brien, Hayfield Manor; Chris O’Sullivan, Cork International Hotel; Stuart Dardis, Clayton Hotel Silver Springs; Kevin Brady, Trident Hotel Kinsale; Meeran Manzor, The Blue Haven Kinsale; and Aidan O’Driscoll, Cork’s Vienna Woods.

Gardener’s Getaway in Blessington

One of Wicklow's "must visit" gardens is June Blake’s in Blessington.

Spread over three acres, the gardens were once nothing more than a great big field, but through inspired design and thoughtful planting, they are now truly breathtaking. The gardens wrap around June’s own Victorian farmhouse and granite-stone farm buildings and are famous for their annual tulip display. Paths weave their way through a sea of prairie-style planting, coloured borders, and the famous tulips which June painstakingly plants every year. In fact, some 7,000 tulip bulbs are planted annually, and they put on an almighty display come May when the gardens become a riot of colour.

Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort, also in Blessington, has teamed up with June Blake’s Gardens in order to create a gardening package that any green-fingered traveller would love.

UNESCO Recognition for Burren Businesses

Fifty-eight businesses from across North Clare have been recognised for their commitment to sustainability practices at an awards ceremony organised by the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark.

The enterprises in the Burren Ecotourism Network received "Code of Practice" certificates for the period 2020/2021 from the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. The code was developed with EU LIFE funding and launched by the Geopark in 2016. It is the only one of its kind in Ireland and within the 169 global Geoparks across 44 countries, worldwide.

Adherence to the code, which is a core criterion of membership of the Burren Ecotourism Network, involves a number of measures. These include measuring waste output, water consumption and energy usage, conservation and taking part in community outreach and advocacy initiatives, as well as networking events and green purchasing.