jobs – Licensed & Catering News (LCN) – News Coverage from the Local Trade

Gourmet food business expanding after grazing boxes hit

Joe Kearney — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 09:50:13 +0000

An artisan food company which switched to a home delivery business during lockdown is to create five new jobs after record growth.

In March 2020 Covid-19 forced Gourmet Grazing NI to shut shop after just 12 months in business but a new ‘Grazing Box’ range proved a hit, leading to an eight-fold growth for the start-up business.

Founder Emma Shuter said: “Before lockdown, we were very busy with corporate orders and weddings and provided Grazing Tables and Platters across Northern Ireland.

“When the restrictions were implemented we were unable to operate and overnight all our orders were cancelled. I had to adapt very quickly and created a Grazing Box filled to the brim with cheese, charcuterie, antipasti, home-made caramelised walnuts, other nuts, artisan crackers, fresh berries, dried fruit and homemade chutneys.

“The first night that I added the new box to our social channels, we received 120 orders, so I knew I was on to something and from there the demand continued to grow.

Bank of Ireland, Power NI, PwC, Next, A&L Goodbody, Channel 4 and KPMG were among the start-up’s customers.

Founder Emma Shuter, above, has now introduced the firm’s first postal boxes, with the aim of delivering fresh, seasonal grazing produce across the north.

Recalling how the March 2020 lockdown had impacted her events catering business, she said: When the restrictions were implemented we were unable to operate and overnight all our orders were cancelled.

“I had to adapt very quickly and created a Grazing Box filled to the brim with cheese, charcuterie, antipasti, home-made caramelised walnuts, other nuts, artisan crackers, fresh berries, dried fruit and homemade chutneys.

“The first night that I added the new box to our social channels, we received 120 orders, so I knew I was on to something and from there the demand continued to grow.”

There are two new postal boxes – a Baked Mont D’Or Box with ready to bake cheese studded with garlic and rosemary, an Artisan charcuterie selection, seasonal garnishes, freshly baked sourdough and iconic caramelised walnuts and a DIY Postal Box which comes with everything that is needed for people across Northern Ireland to create their own beautiful artisan platter at home.

Looking ahead to an expansion of the home delivery business with postal boxes, Emma added: “We’re very thankful for our continued growth and have strong plans in place to support this including the creation of five new jobs in 2022 and an expansion of our online deli and product offering.”

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Incentives offered amid recruitment crisis

Joe Kearney — Fri, 28 May 2021 14:51:50 +0000

A London based restaurant group has offered staff who recommend friends to fill job vacancies bonuses of up to £2,000

Hawksmoor made the decision in the midst of a recruitment crisis in the hospitality sector, driven by Covid.

Pub chains Marston’s and Mitchells and Butlers have also warned they were finding it hard to recruit workers, blaming overseas staff returning home and the stop-start nature of lockdown forcing people to give up on the sector.

One recruitment company reported a 95% rise in hospitality job adverts over the last three weeks as the sector reopens and increases capacity.

‘Thriving profession’

Perfect Recruitment’s Lisa Brady said: “It is understandable that there is some natural hesitation over returning to work in the hospitality industry after such a turbulent 12 months of uncertainty; but as the wheels of industry start turning again, now is the time to re-join such a thriving profession and the chance to actively seek out your next challenge.

“According to the ONS* there are 335,000 fewer people employed in the hospitality industry compared to last year and this just really highlights the incredible opportunities that are out there for candidates across the board, from front of house and management positions to chefs and event managers in both full and part time roles.”

Latest figures from global recruitment firm Broadbean Technology found that in April, vacancies in UK hospitality soared 77% from the previous month. However, compared with April 2020, the number of applications slumped 82%.

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Britvic closes Irish licensed wholesale arm

Joe Kearney — Fri, 28 May 2021 14:48:05 +0000

Britvic is to close its Irish licensed wholesale business, Counterpoint.

The drinks giant, which includes Ballygowan and MiWadi, took the decision following a review announced at the end of last year.

The company said a combination of tightened margins in the licensed wholesaling market and severe contraction in on-trade, exacerbated by Covid-19, lay behind the decision.

Britvic will now manufacture and market soft drinks via wholesale partnerships with other wholesalers.

The drinks maker said it is fully committed to the Irish market through the 400 employees that it still has in Ireland and that the closure of Counterpoint will allow Britvic to exit alcohol wholesaling, which is margin dilutive.

Counterpoint employed 44 people at its Dublin HQ and the company said it will do “all we can to continue to support impacted employees”.

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KFC spreads its wings in Glengormley

Wendy McCague — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 10:42:40 +0000

A £5m investment by fast-food chain KFC at Glengormley will see the creation of a giant new restaurant there and 120 new jobs.

The new venue on the Antrim Road, which replaces the existing outlet after 36 years, will have the latest touch-screen ordering technology and an 80-seater restaurant.

A significant amount is also being invested by the Herbert Group – the UK’s biggest franchisee for KFC – so that home delivery can be offered in all restaurants from next year.

A spokesman for the Herbert Group said that this was ‘an exciting time’ as it invested in expansion in GB and among its head office team in south Belfast.

The old KFC restaurant at Glengormley will stay open until the new venue is ready to trade next year.

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