Consumers splurged on accommodation and outdoor dining in June ,according to credit and debit card statistics from the Central Bank.  Staycationers flocked to hotels and B&Bs during the month as public health restrictions eased, nearly tripling card spending on accommodation to €216m compared with May.  The figure represented a 394pc increase on June 2020, when the economy was reopening after the first Covid-19 lockdown.

Stylish, Easy, Flexible.  An Innovation in Cold Coffee Dispense: Introducing POUR’D From Marco Beverage Systems 

Marco Beverage Systems, a global leader in manufacturing water and coffee brewing systems for the HORECA, foodservice and speciality beverage industries, has announced today the release of POUR’D: a cold coffee dispense unlike anything seen before.

​The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has welcomed the decision by the Government to allow weddings of up to 100 guests from August 5th.

Elaina Fitzgerald Kane, President of the IHF, said: “This is very welcome news and will come as a huge relief to couples all across Ireland who are working to finalise their guestlist, many of whom have now rescheduled their wedding plans several times. We look forward to ensuring they have a very memorable experience on their special day while complying with the extensive health and safety procedures that we have in place. Everyone involved has an important role to play in hosting weddings safely and enjoyably – including guests, venues, suppliers and wedding couples.”

Pubs across the country will welcome customers indoors today, many for the first time since March 2020. While reopening for indoor trading is hugely significant for the trade, the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) says its vital customers cooperate with publicans and their staff who will be working under challenging conditions. The VFI says the new guidelines are onerous and impractical to operate.

​Over 3,000 pubs will reopen today with 25,000 staff signing off the PUP and heading back to work.

The European Federation of Food Equipment Manufacturers (EFCEM) is the only Commercial Kitchen Equipment Group represented in Brussels by Orgalim, the highly respected voice of the European Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Industries.

The Federation, of which IFSA is a member is active in the formulation of standards for the industry and through its meetings seeks to identify and act on issues of common interest.  ​

​The EFCEM 2021 AGM newsletter has now been published.

The July Issue of Hotel & Restaurant Times featuring IFSA and Chef Network news is now available to view on-line.
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​JULY ISSUE

​The Cabinet has agreed that indoor service in bars and restaurants can resume on Monday 26 July for those who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19.

President Michael D Higgins earlier signed the legislation underpinning the guidelines into law.

​Five up and coming young chefs, aged between 21 and 24, have been successfully awarded places on BIM’s Taste the Atlantic Ambassador Programme, an exciting initiative created by Bord Iascaigh Mhara in partnership with Chef Network to drive awareness of the provenance of Irish seafood among young and aspiring chefs. Working with Chef Network, nominations were sought from around the country and five candidates have been selected following a written submission and interview process.

Restaurants and pubs are expected to have protection against legal action for refusing indoor dining to people without a vaccine cert. 
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Three separate hospitality sources involved in yesterday’s negotiations around indoor dining said that restaurants and pubs will be protected under discrimination and GDPR laws, and against falsified certs.

The Government is continuing to work on legislation to allow people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to eat and drink inside restaurants and bars.  A bill to amend the 1947 Public Health Act is set to go before the Dáil and Seanad next week.

​​It is understood that 26 July, rather than 19 July, is viewed as a realistic date to reopen indoor hospitality under the proposed new system.  The measures in the bill would effectively expire once the population was vaccinated.