The Duke of York and The Harp Bar in Cathedral Quarter signalled today (Wednesday) that a consultation period would get underway with employees at both venues.

Owned by prominent local publican, Willie Jack, the bars have been at the bustling heart of the Quarter for many years and the looming threat to their future is an indication of the dire toll the current pandemic is set to extract from the beleaguered hospitality trade in the city.

Announcing the decision not to re-open the venues at present, a spokesperson from Commercial Court Inns, which owns the properties, said:

‘Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to find an economically viable way to reopen these iconic venues, which we built for convivial conversation, craic and live music in close quarters.

‘The time will come when these doors will re-open and the lights will be turned back on. The craic and conversation will return and the reunion will be all the sweeter for the wait.’

Speaking today, Colin Neill of trade body, Hospitality Ulster, said that the threat to jobs at the Cathedral Quarter bars was indicative of the poor state of the current trading environment in the sector and a sign of the real impact that Covid-19 was having.

‘The toll that this has taken on iconic bars such as the Duke of York and the Harp Bar speaks volumes for how deep trading restrictions are hurting,’ said Mr Neill. ‘We are devastated for those employees who have been given this news and know that this will not have been an easy decision to make.’

LCN has been reporting in detail around the plight of licensed premises in NI and the Republic since Coronavirus struck in March. Most pubs are now able to re-open, albeit with strict hygiene regulations and a nightly curfew, but the impact that the virus and the safety measures are having is clear as customer numbers and profits have plummeted.

Licensed premises in the Derry & Strabane District Council area have been particularly badly affected following the imposition of new, stricter regulations there. Since Monday, hospitality businesses in the region, where the virus has surged in recent days, have been limited to takeaway, delivery and restricted outdoor dining and cultural attractions have been closed. See here for more.

The likelihood of further restrictions, including a possible ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown, will be discussed at a meeting of the NI Executive later today.

Ahead of that meeting, however, Deputy First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, has already signalled that additional restrictions are likely.

And NI’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael McBride has warned that this year’s Christmas celebrations will be a muted affair:

‘I think it’s very safe to say that Christmas will be very different from previous years because we still will have many of the restrictions in place that we currently have if not further restrictions at that time.’ he said.

The post Iconic Belfast bars set to remain closed appeared first on Licensed & Catering News (LCN) - News Coverage from the Local Trade.

Two of the city’s top restaurants – Michael Deane’s Eipic on Howard Street and Ox Belfast on Oxford Street – have wielded the prestigious accolade for years and this latest announcement will now shed welcome light on the delights of the Quarter’s increasingly sophisticated food and drink offering.

Michelin announced the full roster of its 2020 winners – and deletions from its ‘red book’ guide – at a special ceremony in London yesterday (October 7).

There was also good news for Ronan and Jennie Sweeney’s Balloo House restaurant in Co. Down, which was awarded prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand status for 2020. This is the second time that Danni Barry – executive head chef at Balloo – has come to the notice of Michelin inspectors. She was head chef at Deane’s Eipic when it first claimed its Michelin star in 2016.

Speaking at the London ceremony, Muddlers’ Gareth McCaughey described the experience as ‘absolutely brilliant’.

Michelin inspectors had been full of praise for Gareth’s use of homegrown ingredients to ‘create original dishes of balance and poise’.

Many readers will be familiar with Gareth (42), whose kitchen credentials include a close involvement with a couple of the city’s best-known venues. Born in Tyrone, he trained as a pastry chef in London before returning to Northern Ireland to help set-up James Street South with Niall McKenna and former head chef, Stephen Toman, who now owns the Michelin-starred Ox in Oxford Street.

He opened The Muddlers’ Club in October 2015 with help from his new general manager, Barry Fletcher, whom he met while working as head chef at the Barking Dog.

At opening, the restaurant was a modern, bistro-style offering with room for 55 at absolute capacity and a menu that favoured quality over quantity.

‘We had this idea to create somewhere where people could come and really relax and enjoy some top-notch food and wine,’ Barry Fletcher told LCN in 2015. ‘We didn’t want somewhere that was going to feel stuffy for people, we just wanted it to be known as a place where they could get something nice to eat at a reasonable price.’

The Muddlers’ Club moniker derives from a much older venue that was once located in the same part of Belfast. Peggy’s Inn used to sit on Waring Street, next to Sugarhouse Entry and in the 1790’s it changed its name to The Muddlers’ Club. A little later, it became a regular meeting place for the United Irishmen and eventually, it changed its name to the Bambridge Hotel before being destroyed during a Second World War bombing raid.

Developments in the Republic of Ireland included promotion for The Greenhouse in Dublin, which went from one to two stars and Aimsir in Celbridge, Co Kildare, which entered the guide for the first time with two stars. Bastion in Kinsale, Variety Jones in Dublin and The Oak Room in Adare also received Michelin stars, bringing the total number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the Republic to 18.

The post Coveted Michelin star for Belfast’s Muddlers’ Club appeared first on Licensed & Catering News (LCN) - News Coverage from the Local Trade.

Backed by Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District and Belfast Music in collaboration with Shade Music this is a unique opportunity to get involved in what is set to be a musical extravaganza.

Gareth Neill, Cathedral Quarter BID Manager, said this was an outstanding chance to become involved in a choral spectacular that culminates with a performance at Rosemary Street 1^st Presbyterian Church.

“The new choir has been put together as part of the city’s Summer Music Programme under well know local music producer Katie Richardson,” he said. “It’s open to anybody who works, lives or visits the area and is proving popular as already around 40-50 people have registered.

“It’s a great way for many of them to unwind away from the pressures of work and is also proving an excellent way for people to socialise together over lunch and after work while doing something positive and contributing to the cultural fabric of Cathedral Quarter.”

Songs have been specially arranged contemporary music including songs by Northern Irish artists and will work towards performances in CQ and beyond.

The focus is on having fun, pushing out of our comfort zones and building community and confidence through music and singing.

Five of Northern Ireland’s most exciting original artists, paired them with the Cathedral Quarter choir singing specially arranged versions of their songs and put them in the beautiful setting of Rosemary Street Church and you have CHANT.

This will be a gig to remember featuring the songs and talents of Sam Wickens, Reevah, Hex Hue, Travis is a Tourist and Alice LA.

“Everyone is welcome. This is the start of something special – come and get involved,” said Gareth. “There will be weekly rehearsals as part of a ten-week season (which will each have 12 rehearsals in total) starting on 29th July 2019 and culminating in a beautiful performance with some of our best artists and songwriters on 26th September.”

The rehearsals will take place on Monday evenings and Wednesday lunchtimes as part of a ten week season.

“We will sing specially arranged versions of their songs with them at the gig in First Presbyterian Church Rosemary Street.”

Destination CQ and Belfast Music are subsidising the season but we are asking for a small donation of £3 per rehearsal to cover costs. This means £36 for the full 12 rehearsals.

Gareth said: “If you’re interested but nervous get in touch – we will focus on fun and building confidence through singing as well as making a brilliant sound.”

Cathedral Quarter Choir will be directed by musician, sound designer and facilitator Katie Richardson. Katie has over twenty year’s experience singing with and directing choirs and had worked with some of Irelands and the UKs top directors, musicians and directors both as a performer and composer.

The post Businesses set to sing as choral tradition returns to Cathedral Quarter appeared first on Licensed & Catering News (LCN) - News Coverage from the Local Trade.

Scottish-Italian chef, Nico Simeone, will be introducing NI diners to a uniquely nostalgic dining experience when he opens the latest branch of his ‘Six by Nico’ chain in Belfast next month.

This will be the third ‘Six by Nico’ outlet – the others are in Glasgow and Edinburgh – and speaking to LCN recently, Nico (29), confirmed that he was ‘very excited’ at the thought of his Irish debut:

‘I love this place,’ he declared. ‘ I have a memory of Belfast from when I was very young, driving though the city, but I have started to come here quite a lot since we decided to open the restaurant and I think it’s great. There is such a vibrant food scene here and I really love The Muddlers’ Club [restaurant], which is just around the corner from us. It’s sensational!’

Born in Glasgow, Nico Simeone now has five successful restaurants that all bear his name – most of them in his home town. He has been in love with the idea of working in a kitchen since his earliest schooldays. After securing a start as a commis chef in Glasgow, he quickly transferred to a post at the prestigious Number One in Edinburgh where, he says, he learned most of his craft.

When he was just 22, he spotted an opportunity back in Glasgow and went on to open his first restaurant, La Famiglia, which he ran for about four years before rebranding it as 111 by Nico, based on the restaurant’s address on the Cleveden Road.

These days, he has five eateries – 111 by Nico; Public House by Nico; Six by Nico (in Glasgow and Edinburgh) and Supper Club, a private members’ restaurant.

His new restaurant in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter will see him expand his unique Six by Nico concept:

‘What we do is, we offer only a six-course tasting menu for £28,’ he explains. ‘Each menu is based around different themes. It might be ‘childhood’, a ‘destination’ or a ‘memory’. We pick the theme and we create the menu around that. We try to turn that nostalgia into a unique dining experience.’

The new restaurant represents a £500,000 investment for the chain and should create around 40 new jobs.

‘We’re very excited about bringing this unforgettable culinary experience to Belfast,’ adds Nico. ‘I have visited the city and I grew up with an understanding of the strong Ulster Scots connection. Belfast is the perfect location for our next venture and I couldn’t think of a better location than the vibrant food and drinks scene of the Cathedral Quarter. We are really looking forward to collaborating with local businesses and having people from the city join our team.’

Nico describes his six-course tasting menu as ‘an evolution’:

“The restaurant really reinvents itself every six weeks,’ he adds. ‘It’s new and different, but it’s also risky. You may have something that people love, it’s successful, but we have to bin it after six weeks and come up with a new idea.’

In the longer term, Nico says that he’s not sure what he wants to do. At the moment, he adds, all he can think about is his Belfast project:

‘We are focused on Belfast now and we’re putting our heart and soul into it,’ he tells LCN. ‘If it becomes successful enough, we will maybe look at doing it in a different city, but for now we are concentrating on Belfast.

Six by Nico opens its doors in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter in March.

The post Nico has his heart and soul in Belfast appeared first on Licensed & Catering News (LCN) - News Coverage from the Local Trade.